International Neus Black All Chilean Trade

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The brutal regime of Chile maintains its place in world markets largely unhindered by reformists and Stalinists of the trade union leadership in other capitalist countries.

Sufficient paper resolutions polemicising against the dictatorship have been passed to stretch From Congress House to Santiago but the goods on which Pinochet relies are ferried freely around the World and into the High Streets Di British towns.

It should therefore have brought blushes to the cheeks of the recent National Union of Mineworkers secret delegation to Chile when they were thanked by the contacts they made for "solidarity action' by workers in Britain-given that every shop floor demand for blacking has been supressed by trade union officials.

Nevertheless the miners' delegation was the first visit paid by a foreign trade union since the coup in 1973 and its report demonstrates the method used by the ¡Junta to demolish the best organised working class in South i America.

The most obvious method has Indians Bihar celebrate the defeat of Gandhi been through the murder of union militants and officials.

But it was still not possible for the Junta merely to wind up all the trade union organisations.

Although many were banned and had their funds confiscated others were "reconstructed"

Jones-words but no action.

The Miners' Federation for example has its officials selected by the Junta, who choose five from a list of the 15 oldest workers in each plant.

Written permission is needed for meetings and a policeman or soldier 12: sits in on those that are allowed.

Needless to say strikes and collective bargaining are banned and no union dues can be collected. Appeals against "unfair dismissal' are heard by a committee of military officers.

The working class has not however been totally crushed. Illegal trade unions continue to operate and the NUM delegation found that strikes had been successfully called over fringe issues in some factories.

The international nature of trade union collaboration is also demonstrated by the fact that some union officials from the Allende days have continued to serve under Pinochet.

The delegation returned with recommendations for blackingcouched in timid terms asking the NUM to 'consider' a motion to the TUC that trade be 'discouraged' and that British trade unions should 'co-operate in a boycott-presumably one called by someone else.

The meaning of such resolutions is clear from the TGWU conference.

Jack Jones made a long speech, only to collapse into red faced prevarication when asked by • a docker if the union would actually back action against Chilean Ships and goods.

Meanwhile, a report published by the Chile Committee for Human Rights shows how brainwashing techniques have been added to the Junta's programme of repression.

It is the latest move by the Junta to make its bloody rule less embarrassing to US capital.

Reductions in political arrests in recent months and the release of some political prisoners have been matched by an unpublicised increase in 'disappearances'-that is murders-and criminal charges against political prisoners.

The brainwashing evidence comes in the wake of 30 arrests of trade unionists who had published a May Day letter against the Junta.

Of those arrested 11 d: sappeared in the classic fashion, with the Junta claiming they were not under arrest.

MYSTERY

Most of them have reappeared in mysterious circumstances, some claimed never to have been away, others said they had been 'on holiday' and others brusquely refused to give any account of their absence.

One turned up claiming he was now an ardent supporter of the Junta.

A well publicised hunger strike in a United Nations building in Santiago will undoubtedly force the Junta to further twists and turns to accomodate its brutal murder and torture to "world opinion"

The hunger strike-carried out by 26 relatives of disappeared persons failed in its demand for an international inquiry, but no doubt embarrassed Pinochet's 'liberal' friends in the White House.

STRONG

Pinochet has since stated that democracy must be authoritarian "because without strong authority there is not order, security or peace: there is chaos.

He also announced there would be no further releases of political prisoners. In fact arrests have now been stepped up.

The vital need for worldwide blacking to support the Chilean working class is highlighted by these events and by the NUM Dockers and transport workers in particular must demand that such blacking is immediately put into effect.

PERU

The social crisis provoked by the new austerity plans of the regime has intensified.

A one day general strike call by the trade union federation dominated by the Communist Party (which has recently switched from support to qualified opposition to the military government) was widely followed. The security forces killed at least 10 people on the day and have now moved in on the Centromin copper mines where the Maoist-dominated unions have called an indefinite strike. The regime has encouraged firms to dismiss all strike leaders.

Right winger Teng Hsiao-ping who since his disgrace until a few weeks ago had been officially labelled an "unrepentant capitalist roader" , has finally been restored to all his posts. This makes him number three in the line-up of the Chinese bureaucracy behind Hua Kuo-feng (Party chairman and Prime Minister) and Marshal Yeh Chien-ying.

Teng's written works until recently "poisonous weeds" are now officially described as "fragrant flowers".

At the same time the "gang of four" have been expelled from the Military dictator Zia ul Haq has released deposed premier Bhutto and some of the opposition Pakistan National Alliance leaders in advance of elections which he says will take place on October 18.

At the same time further penalties of imprisonment and public flogging have been promulgated against any form of political activity.

ETHIOPIA

The wars between the Soviet and Cuban-supported Ethiopian military dictatorship, the Derg, and national liberation movements in Eritrea (in the north) and Ougaden, claimed by Somalia (in the east) is rapidly intensifying. The Somalian government has stepped up its help to the Ougaden guerrillas and a state of general war virtually exists