Socialist Press no. 69

AUEW: NEW LEADERS

ARE NEEDED!

SOCIALIST

PRESS *

The bosses' charter signed by

ALEW

Executive member Reg Birch late last Saturday night to settle the Beaverbrook print marked the end ot a week of far reaching betrayals by the AUEW leadership. * Last Wednesday union Presi- dent Hugh through the stage-managed TUC vote to back the 12-month rule on pay-in direct opposition to the policy of

AUEW

National Conference and even to Reg Birch the delegation

AUEW

The voted by 21 conference who votes to two abstentions against deal. *Last week was week 18 of the recognition dispute at Desoutters North London- and the 18th week in which the Executive has refused implement national blacking of Desoutter products or increase the £9 a week strike pay for the 80 workers involved. *During the week a shameful situation was allowed to develop in printing industry where the Report

AUEW

members in Manchester were allowed to do the work of PHOTO: Chris Davies presenting the possibility 01 strike-breaking future disputes The Beaverbrook deal-which brought an end to a week-long strike that hit London produc- tion the Sunday Express. Daily Express and Evening Standard, concedes nearly every- thing demanded by Beaverbrook Hugh Scanlon management.

ALL-ROUND ATTACK

It paves the way tor an all- round attack on union rights, and working levels conditions throughout Fleet Street and the print industry as a whole. Managing Jocelyn director Stevens was delighted: "Our engineers now have the Fleet least privileged chapel in Street in terms of the rigidity of conditions they laye abide by." "Officials of the Newspaper Publishers Association are blank faced with amazement that the

AUEW

agreed sign the terms." Express said that the *. engineers had been forced into the deal because they "did not have support" from Manchester they under

WUIKCIS

W CIC

"incredible pressure" from other stali in tne London olnce anc "extraordinary pressure under Bob Wright from the AUEW executive. Grunwick p4: Fighting

INSIDE:

•12 month rule •Fleet St. betrayal •Still no blacking of All this proves that the strikers were not defeated by Beaverbrook-they Were betrayed by the consciously AUEW leadership. It was Birch and the AUEW executive that refused to call at the out engineers Express Manchester office, and instead

AUEW

allowed Manchester members to assist management in doubling their print run in a bid to break the strike.

SCABBING

This left an opening for the right wing print union leaders to allow their members to take part this organised scabbing operation a Maoist, yesterday

BITCH

admitted that he had been afraid of the Express dispute spreading the rest of Fleet Street- to and had been primarily cerned to "get the men back to work as soon as possible."

So while beaverDrook management publicly announced all-out war . Ine AUEW l particular and the rights and conditions of the print unions in general, Birch and the AUEW leaders were desperate not to win the dispute but simply for some pretext to end it before other workers could come to the aid of the strikers.

NO BLACKING

At Desoutters the

AUEW

executive has not only failed to institute national blacking on a straight struggle unionisation (meaning that AUEW members in industry all over the country and main- aTe receiving,

USTE

taining the tools produced by scabs in the London factory) but it has taken 18 weeks for the local District Committee to even think of an area financial levy.

All this takes place conditions where the Desoutters Fascism pp6-7;

FORTNIGHTLY PAPER OF THE

WORKERS SOCIALIST LEAGUE

NO. 69 * September 14, 1977 * 10p Desoutter goods senior steward has been sacked and where the company will not grant union recogmition. If the AUEW's vote on the 12-month rule had l gone in line with union policy AUEW oppos ition would have carried other votes with it and would at least an unworkable have ensured majority for the 12-month rule.

So Scanlon's autocratic ruling the TUC will be used against workers fighting to defend their living standards. This ruling ot was famous in the days of right wing leader Bill Carron and the fact that Scanlon (who used to denounce it) uses the method shows that it comes out of the perspective of class compromise.

In a period where the TUC leaders are straining every muscle im pose further to controls on their period of wage members. themselves assistIng employers in each industry to Roots of CP split p8 force in speed-up and rational- isation measures, union officials fear nothing so much as the full- scale mobilisation of the work- ing class. is the political reality behind the

UPW

refusal to implement postal blacking Grunwick; it is why the AUEW will not issue instructions for national blacking action on Desoutters; and it is the reason tnat ollicials whetner leit o right wing see the slightest show workers as a or mintancy their privileged threat PosItIons particular Scanlon has bitter memore.

BENE

humiliating defeat inflicted upon him only a few months ago by a mass meeting of Leyland tool- makers-while Birch suffered repeated setbacks in his struggle to end the Heathrow mainten- ance engineers strike.

REAL STRENGTH

officials know These when workers sense their real strength then they also begin to sense at the same time the need for a new leadership prepared to mobilise all-out action against the employer and against the reactionary policies of the wage- cutting Lib-Lab coalition govern- ment. The current elections to 3,000 angry toolmakers gave Scanlon the 'bird' in March.

determine Scanlon's successor as President give workers an oppor- blow at the tunity to deal a tréacherous AUEW leadership The two candidates sin CONTINUED PAGE 11, Col. 1 Cuba p3

PazE = The Soviet-sup- ported military junta which rules (known as the Derg or Ethiopia Dergue) is fighting desperately for its political life. Last month it instituted a more less total mobilisation of the population contro into the state militia in order to step up its resistance a multi-pronged military attack-from the liberation movements in Eritrea in the North, West Somalia Liberation from the govern- Front and the Somalian from the right- in the wast.

MCIL

wing Ethiopian Democratic Union and the left-wing Ethiopian Popular Revolutionary Party various other parts of the country.

of these The historical ongins back to the imperialist wars a0es scramble for territory in Africa. Since the fourth century a Christian kingdom existed in this North-East part of Africa.

CLASHED

Through bloody conquest this feudal kingdom expanded over the centuries and was still doing so in Emperor 19th under

LAC

CCHLULY

Menelik. Menelik clashed with the imperialists turopean auvancing and inflicted a major defeat on the Italian army in 1896. But the imperialists were after the coast of the nom oI AlrIca which lay beside the all important route from the Suez Canal (opened in 1878) to India and the east.

strong enough Menelik was not to resist them and was forced which make treaties granted occupation of Eritrea and part of Somalia to Italy, Djibouti to France and the rest of Somalia to Britain.

The imperialists ceded the inland territory Ethiopians, to the including Ogaden, a largely desert area occupied by nomadic Somali which in 1897 the British people, canted to Menelik. The imperialists the and of Menelik cemented sliccessors 1935 reir rule in the area unil when Mussolini's fascist Italian occupied armies invaded and E hiopia. Haile The feudal Emperor Selassie fled to exilé in London * here this murderous autocrat was eted for years by the British ruling class. The British and other imperialist powers made Atterly ineffectual efforts to smoke Mussolini of Ethiopia by OuL organised economic sanctions League of Nations. through the fight with the hale belassie s Italians incidentally became grotesquely distorted Symool ol black resistance to white oppression among groups who established the cult in the Caribbean Rastafarian ¡ Selassie's name had been Ras Tafari).

BRUTAL

The future of the whole area called the Horn of Africa was once into the balance by more thrown the Second World War. In 1941, the fascist British drove troops Italian army out of Eritrea and began their own brutal occupation.

The British used the post-war to restore the despotic Haile Selassie L=5:30

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

MOSCOW BACKING

TO BOTH SIDES IN

N.E.AFRICAN WARS

Siad Barre (who called himself Lion of Judah and King of Kings) along with his feudal aristocracy Ethiopia. The imperialists and the Soviet Union had conflicting plans for the alca Stalin wished to make the states of the whole imperialist-dominated region as weak as possible.

be He Entrea from Ethiopia separate state attO Ogaden to retain the which virtually cut in two the area Somalia (an become

TART.

Was amalgam of the British and Italian colonies). The British Labour government and the United States had other lutds. The United States particularly establish strong wanted states controlling the two coasts of Horn-Ethiopia Incluble Somalia, Eritrea and including Ogaden. The eventual settlement was a compromise between Stalin and the worked to the imperialists which of Haile Selassie's brutal benefit despotism. Eritrea was forced into a feder- Ethiopia, which later ation with FRed Sea

MASSAWA:

ASMARA• ER

SUDAN

TIGRE

BEGEMDIR

GOJJAM

ADDIS

ABABA

HARRAR

ETHIO

KENYA

•

NAIROBI

fully incorporated it. And Ethiopia possession of Ogaden, also kept though was not until the mid- 1950s that its control of this largely desert area was first really established In 1960 Somalia became indep- endent under pro-imperialist government. But in 1969 a military coup brought to power a group of petty bourgeois army officers under Siad Barre proclaiming themselves "socialist" and yet remaining firmly tied the Islamic religion and to maintaining a strong bureaucratic over Somali control the masses, partly through the Somali Socialist Revolutionary Party. ine wook seizea the opporun Barre's ity that government provided to gain a foothold on one of the imperialists' most important trading and military supply routes.

The Soviet Union started flood- economic and Somalia with ing aid. Somalia became the military first country with which African the Soviet Union signed a friend. And Somalia in return ship treaty gave the USSR extremely valuable facilities for its rapidly expanding Havy

BETRAYED FRIEND

played Somalia, then, in the noticeable significant tole shift of the last few years in the power of between imperialism and the American Soviet Union, especially in Africa.

So when Somali President Siad returned from Moscow two barre after seeing Premier weeks ago the Alexei Kosygin it was with countenance of a betrayed friend.

Soviet protectors until recently implicitly supported Ogaden his territorial claims to the and the other territories (Northern indepen- Kenya and Te recely dent micro-state of Djibouti). Now they are feeding his enemies

¡SAUDI ARABIA

SOUT

YEMEN

BERBERA

ỐGĂDÉN

MALIA

MOGADISHU

250m Greater Somalia SOCIALIST PRESS, K'ednesday 14 September 19:.

Cunhal calls for Popular Front A series of bomb explosions in On the one hand, as set out in a Lisbon regional recent CP document (called The Celle. Portugal has inflicted a setback on Communist Party and the New and the efforts of the Socialist Party Dangerous Phase of Portuguese minority government to reverse Democracy), the Stalinists suggest many of the gains made in the wake the dissolving of the Assembly and of the April 1974 overthrow of fresh elections which, they say would form the basis of CP-Social fascism. all in explosions, ist Party government. l he Offices destroyed archives Reform co-operative farms, and Iles on and expropriated collectives property. of They follow number struggles between rural workers and as government bureaucrats ponice have measured off be areas to forcibly returned to their forme capitalist owners under the Soares government's Agrarian Retorm Bill- which is still completing its final stages. The desperation which lies behind this last-ditch attempt delay and prevent the implementa reactionary legislation tion of this flows from the comolete absence of an independent leadership for the Portuguese working class.

government has The Soares SP Soares just completed its first year of con- sistently anti-working class policies.

Cunhal of course only proposes In the course of that year it has this because he knows that the SP enmeshed become leadership-now engaged in a new increasingly intimate parliamentary hysterical anti-communist witch alliance with the two main spontaneously hunt-wil capitalist parties-the Social Demo- agree to such a policy, while the Social and cratic Party and the Stalinist leaders themse ves have no Democratic Centre. intention of leading action to force Most glaringly, while farmland is a change taken occupying from Or, on the other hand, Cunhal workers, 400 nationalised firms are to be returned to their old capitalist suggests the formation ot a new coalition government including the owners-and other owners are to be major parties represented in Parlia- compensated. other words a popular These politica attacks. government front combining the combined with the increasing bit CP. the SP the Social Democrats of the savage economic austerity and the Social and Democratio measures taken in Hebruary, nave Stalinists of the Centre placed the that Cunhal- Communist Party in an embarassing significant 1S regarded as one of Moscow's most position. loyal servants among the leaders of always the Stalinists have As W.European CPs-now advocates a indistinguishable been unwilling any the moolise policy from independent action of workers and so-called "Eurocommunist" leaders against peasants poncies in France, Italy and Spain.

But for fear of being isolated by For the Portuguese masses the CP is the movement the problem of leadership is acute.

The forced to shift its stand slightly.

necessity is for a break both from decision of Soares three The the reactionary line of the SP and weeks ago to introduce a new pack- from the passive acceptance of the age of austerity measures (further all-out Stalinists-and price rises and wage and devaruation, mobilisation

WORKCH

cuts in the public sector) has there- peasants against lore provoked CP leader Cunhal te policies of the Soares/Eanos govern- offer two possible solutions to the crisis.

IN BRIEF

ITALY

USA

With local elections due to be New York's Mayor Beame has held in November, "historic the suffered a blow in failing to regain compromise" (ie class collabora- the Democratic nomination for this the long ruling tion) petween November's Mavoral elections. In a Christian Democratic Party and the party primary last week he won just Stalinist

PCI

signs 18% of the vote compared to 20% cracking. In a recent interview in and 19% for Mario for; Ed Koch. Christian the Democratic news Cuomo. Koch and Cuomo will now paper Il Popolo, the party's vice- battle for the nomination in a run- secretary Giovanni Galloni openly off election on September 19.

attacked PCI for allegedly Italy into trying to transform "In this attack "socialist society".

ISRAEL

former Prime Minister Fanfani. The Galloni full support Israeli agricultural minister Ariel week reiterated the Sharon. last PCI have denied Galloni's charges nakedly anti-Arab policy of Begin's that they have any such intentions.

when he Likud goyernment,

PAKISTAN

announced that Israel is to establish settlements in the occupied of Minister Former Prime more Pakistan, Zulfiqur Ali Bhutto has West Bank. This follows a previous that Israel has announcement arrested the military been secretly established several Jewish Zia-ul-Haq regime Genera settlements in the disputed area.

Bhutto is alleged to have been series of murders, complicit in a well as being guilty of wide.

SOUTH AFRICA

spread torture and. brutality.

The real reason for his arrest is that in Figures just released show that past weeks he was managing 200,000 black workers are the almost of people to his mdistridi heartland unemployed the South draw of electoral rallies. Fearful that Bhutto

ANTICAT

the elections might actually win Johannesburg, Pretoria and the East due to be held in October, the Rand. This represents and order his to some 18.8% generals stepped of the black labour arrest. It is thought likely that the force. . The figures are taken from elections will be postponed because Johannesburg evening news. the paper, The Star, since the apartheid of this Means hile Bhutto 01 "suite government fails to publish official reportedly cells figures.

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 14 September 1977

CASTRO'S

RUBBER

STAMP

ASSEMBLY

The history of the recently "Popular established organs of Power" in Cuba began in the sugar fields in 1970. In that vear Castro's government mobilised all the resources of the for the Conaly single objective-the production of

LOTS

40% more than had ever been produced before. This goal turned out to be stroke of economic adventurism so in the common past in other bureaucratised workers' states.

And it was implemented with a kind of ultra-left idealism.

The limits objective were substituted by bureaucratic appeals to a kind oi "national spirit' which was more in the of the masses of workers.

bludgeoned workers were working harder and had their into political rights more curtailed than ever in the interests of reaching the target. All this had very serious conse- quences for the Cuban economy The ten million Losas never reached. But the vast resources used in the meant that the 8.5 million tons actually produced were and starved other sectors of the economy which consequently declined.

DEMAGOGIC

Castro, name of leader- ship, was forced to make a number of demagogic self-critical speeches.

masses of we under- stood that they were the ones lo pay the cost of the mistakes of the leadership. The reactions, however, were more individualistic than collective, taking the form of grumbling, non- co-operation and a massive wave of

I INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Castro and Blas Roca chat during a recess.

absenteeism amounting in places almost to strike proportions.

The grip of the bureaucracy on the masses appeared to be slipping.

The response of Castro and his clique was threefold First of number measures were passed including the *law so-called which placed tighter controls on absenteeism and voluntary unemployment. Second, there began an almost complete reversal of economic policy.

"DEMOCRACY"

"Moral incentives" workers to were largely replaced by piecework " Luxury came ConsumcH goods onto the market (at astronomical prices) and available partly reward for a good work record.

The minimum wage was in effect abolished and pensions reduced. A vast programme of work study was introduced in order to improve organisation and step up produc- tivity. But the bureaucracy was in no position to make any of these changes successfully without a third tack-appearing to sack to democracy make conces- The reas to be institution- Castro announced, was to be alised" in a series of democratic organisations.

IMPEDED

The first to be established was the trade union movement, bureau- cratically resuscitated after 10 years of dormancy. union committees were elected in factories and work centres in 1971 and 1972.

The real democratic content of these committees varied from place to place. But in some factories the trade escaped the control of the local party and state bureaucracy, established a good deal of power even had oppressive lapage- ments dismissed. But any efforts to impose real elements of workers' management were firmly impeded by the bureau- Page 3 cracy exactly to the existing leadership And the local committees, which old (utai hierarchv in which the many workers undoubtedly looked Stalinist leadership has been playire to as representing real elements of al treasins tole democracy, were used by the The President of the assembis leadership legitimate the itself is veteran Communist Party thoroughly bureaucratic national leader Blas Roca. trade which union structure was erected on top of the local commit-

SPEECHES

This the Cuban Workers was The inaugural session of the Centre. (CTC) which held its first Assembly Congress in its resurrected form at took place in Decembe! 1976 and was just another occasion the end of 1973. for one of Castro's almost intermin- The purpose of this Congress able speeches and messages of greet- was to ratify (which it dutifully did) all the changes in economic ing from the Soviet government.

The people's "representatives" policy which the bureaucracy had did little than listen ard more been muoducing since 19: 1.

applaud And now seems that the

"ACCEPTED"

regular sessions of the Assembly are not going to be much different These changes embodied in a The took series of theses, came down from first recular session the leadership place in July this year (officially be widely dis- to "Year of Institutional termed the cussed local trade union in the isation") and lasted a mere three before the

CTC

committees Congress. days, during which members of the leadership There was no serious possibility made lot more of amending them and within the speeches and nine laws and three • "accepted" in true regulations were passed (most ci Jocals thev were Stalinist style, well over 99% them unanimously). by of the workers. The unanimous approval of the

LESS WORK

theses by the carefully stage-man- One of the resolutions, proposed aged Congress was then presented from the floor but enthusiastically as the ratification not of the prior supported by Castro was one which decisions of the leadership (which it reduced the of number annual was) but of the will of the masses sessions of the assembly from four of workers. to three-this "would This caricature of workers' mean ics work for the delegates" and mean democracy was soon followed by Phase 2 of the institutionalisation the electors would nave one less report back meeting to attend process. There is no possibility at all that institutions carefully designed

CONSULTATION

and controlled as these can ever anything This rubber stamp for the decisions of plan to create

DELUTIE

HOTE

was i "People's Power" in both local and national government. ne bureducracy The question, however, is how Assemblies were elected by long complex manoeuvre franchise for each can prevent the oi municipality (starting with a year- Culturele more organised opposition to the 1975 in the Stalinist leadership and hold at bas province of Matanzas). the threatening discontent which The 169 municioal assemblies the in 19°0 then elect delegates to 14 provincial assemblies National

POLITICAL REVOLUTION

Assembly National Assembly elects a The working class Council of State and cannot i= nominally political power Cuba throug in appoints nsult counci wilinisters with" these bureaucratically constructed consultation and dominated organisations President of the Council of State President of the needed politica wnat Is 1s a wno is also Ine revolution which overthrows Ministers Council of (i.e. the Prime Minister). present Stalinist leaderstar establishes the truly indeper sec: Both these positions (as well as of Chairman of the Cuban organisation workers' demo those of Such a revolution cracy. Communist Party and Commander Chief of the Armed Forces) are building of a Trotskyist party the in Cuba. held by Fidel Castro and his brother Raul is his deputy in these posts. In fact all the other officials of the Assembly correspond almost

WORKERS

SOCIALIST LEAGUE

The Workers Socialist League is a Trotskyist organisation fighting to build a revolutionary leadership in the working class to lead the mounting opposition to the betrayals of both 'left' and right wing Labour and trade union leaders and the Communist Party, as they attempt to enforce wage control, sackings, speed-up and public service cuts. As workers take up the struggle against these policies they are forced by the sheer weight of forces opposing them to confront political questions. understanding of the role of the Onlv with an labour bureaucracy and a programme to unite the broadest sections of workers in struggle can a way forward be found.

The Workers Socialist League is the only movement that sets out to do this, fighting consistently in the working class for transitional demands, which go beyond simply trade union militancy to raise the political questions to workers and prepare the forms of organis.

ation and the knowledge necessary for the struggle for socialism.

As a result we have been at the forefront of struggles against the cuts, against wage control, for unionisation, and against redundancy.

We have done more than any other tendency to fight the introduction of 'workers' participation' in industry. And we have strongly supp- orted the Campaign for Democracy in the Labour Movement, whict has set out to show the link between the reactionary policies of the Social Contract and bureaucratic dictatorship in both the unions and the Labour Party. But our practical struggle for the continuity of the principles and method of Trotsky's Transitional Programme is in no way a task cor Britain. It requires an attention and involvement in tra tined to struggles of the working class internationally, and the fight to recor struct the Trotskyist Fourth International.

So there has been a consistent drive withir. ine WSt o desser and enrich the movement's understarding of tre -sic"n Dresent ers•s di ena Fourte Internationa: as a esser= cerc* =-

NOW PURGE THE OTHER

Workers defence and nuclear power Page 4 nailed as infiltrator 'Exposed!' was the banner head- fine of the latest issue of the Newham Recorder. « I hree pages the subject of were devoted to infiltration into. Newham North- East Labour Party. But this time the left was not The Recorder had the victim. "discovered" the sinister suddenly role played in the party by Mr.

Julian Lewis-sent to carry out a the use of court right-wing coup by against Labour Party actions PHOTO: Anzela Phillios. IFL Prentice 17 Dishergate Hill Preston In the last issue of Socialist Press ". the facists are not just racialists correctly stated They want to break up the whole Saturday labour But showed that it is possible how to workers detence souads Or alloc capable of defending black workers, premises, and picket lines from meetings fascist attacks" In the same issue a call is issued

TUC

Lobby on seven demands. We were amazed to see that the build workers defence IC *= spee with your position on this demand has been Wist should continue with convey the vital tine creation of committed of groups

CRYPTO-TORIES

Prentice man the fact that the editor, Tom Duncan tried and tested 1S supporter of the whole Newham Labour bureaucracv in times of dire need-having even given Prentice his weekly to defend himself against attacks. (The Recorder has recently been in the national news over action by the National Union of Journalists against its open incitement of race hatred). Nevertheless the question asked in a previous issue of Socialist Press kevealed were Lewis lormer 'Who is Mr. Juhan Lewis?' now has membersmo or te lory rarty. nis regular liaison with a state security a widely accepted answer He is the representative agency of an wille studying at uxiord University, and his methods of ultra-right conspiracy which manoeuvre in general. would be over-courteous to Why has the Recorder apparent- describe as "Tory'. ly broken from its usual stock-in- the so-called 'lefts' in the Whil trade redbaiting? Party leadership now change their The clue answering this posițion and take up the fight to be question can found the expel this scum from the ranks of articles themselves if the reader can workers movement once and way through the prolifer- for all? ation of High Court writs, accus- ations and counter-accusations.

An struggle has now

WORKERS SOCIALIST

erupted between Lewis and other

LEAGUE

of right wingers-supporters the right of anti-union Reg Prentice to

LOBBY THE

remain a Labour Partv candidate

LABOUR PARTY

Lewis' bogus 'Campaign for

CONFERENCE

Kepresentative Democracv' has one Brighton, Tuesday Oct 4th stated aim-to 'hammer the left'.

TRADITIONAL

Take up the fight for a Councillor Jack Hart and Co-- new leadership in the labour Newham's 'traditional' right-wing movement Labour bureaucrats are attle nervous at their erstwhile partners'

* BREAK THE LIB-LAB

zeal in pursuing this task.

COALITION !

Hart and his cronies have orily

REMOVE THE CALL-

ever been concerned with defence

AGHAN - HEALEY LEAD.

of Prentice and their own positions.

ERSHIP!

Lewis is moved by a "higher

REJECT

TUC AND

ideal'. His backers

PAY

GOVERNMENT

destroy the Labour Party from within altogether.

LIMITS !

In the long term he has no need

*END UNEMPLOYMENT!

for Labour Councillors or even a

DEMAND A PROGRAMME

Labour election machine. OF

USEFUL

PUBLIC

The Recorder reveals that Lewis

WORKS !

told Hart that if he stood in the *

SUPPORT

"T'll hammer you too."

ALL

waThus

ACTION

STOP THE

Lewis' methods pose too

PUBLIC SPENDING CUTS !

the blood much of threat to

NO DEAL WITH IAN

and potentially even the wallets of "near-geriatric Labour

SMITH !

ARM

THE

Councillors

AFRICAN WORKERS !

the articles Needless to say, in the Recorder can be explained by

READERS' LETTERS

this threat, which has, till now, on Atomic Power (SP 31 Aug '77).

been underestimated. I agree that uncritical opposition If fascism is not halted now in to atomic nower is not the correct its incubationary periode tuchto socialist line to take. the TUC taken The real problem is how to build Illabul the economic and social nuclear reactors, and insistance sale ot its members wil even. on that rather than a total ban, is become insignificant and much more an "essential part of the tualiy subordinate fight for safe working conditions" overwhelming rule of the extreme right: and on few

WOTUS

that day the voice of the TUC itself achieving that-the government in will be silenced. Britain already spends a great deal There must be i lobby strong, of money investigating safety vociferous and forceful nuclear energy,

WATER

September Sth which will clarify and is willing to spend even more and rectify a matter that is of para- money implementing their findings.

mount importance-to ensure that ma Protector Bone motel li There the building workers squads is accepted a: the official Protection involved policy of the TUC this towever, until their research is Z.Farooq EAktal brought under worker control its value is limited. B.Lusk Some of the work done at NRPB M.Taylor is secret. The reason this is that it Ior Dear Comrade Editor, involves research and data gathering expand some on workers who are known to have on received many times the permitted points made in John Lister's article As Johnson goes... how many are staying in? Amid of sympathetic reams verbiage in the Tory press long-time Tory Paul Johnson-a former editor of the right wing Labourite New Statesman-has finally taken the plunge and resigned from the Labour Party. To the bewilderment of workers everywhere, Johnson being universally portraved as "one of the Labour Party's most brilliant and crusaders" - though influential of evidence course of this no "brilliance" or crusading quality is produced. Johnson, in fact, has merely taken the anti-working class coalition line of the right wing Labour leaders to a more honest and open conclusion than Healey and Callaghan

• MATI

Powell-Colquhoun says he is "not a racialist" While these ministers feel able with TUC backing to carry through Tory policy with the Liberals and under the guise of Labour leaders, Johnson clearly feels impatient at the slower and measured pace of the Lib- more Lab coalition government's attacks on the rights and living standards of amount of radioactive substances whilst working in restricted areas.

While this research is of value for future workers' safety, it implicitly admits that these people are owed compensation for any injuries, or potential for injuries, , in the form of cancers, which are known to result from overexposure ionising tauranon. The government is willing to go to алу expense avoid compensating workers this way. C.S. Oxford

LETTERS

Readers' letters on articles appearing in Socialist Press or on current issues are welcome.

should be kept as LetterS brief as possible and sent to : The Editor Socialist Press 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 14 September 1977 Paul Johnson the working class, compared with the direct confrontation politics offered by the Thatcher-Joseph wing of the Tory Party. elements Unfortunately many within the Labour Party hierarchy who secretly share all of Johnson's hostility to the organised labour movement and vicious anti- communism insist remaining within the Labour Party and act as the backbone of right wing support for Healey and Callaghan.

And while these forces star firm, "left' talkers the within t The self-proclaimed roskyists of Parliamentary Labour Party, the Militant Group and cringe capillae, relusne to mobilist an serious political offensive to drive them out. Labour Party members now have the opportunity to use the Johnson episode to flush out the holy ple Tories and crypto-Liberals in their and sharpen the fight for ranks, demands to regain and defend living standards. Already the struggle for a clear line against racism has exposed the fake left positions of Tribunite MP for Maureen Northampton North Colquhoun-whose for support Enoch Powell has led the local GMC to institute moves to replace her as candidate the next election. The demand populat put forward by the Labour Party ginger "Campaign for Democracy in group the Labour Party" for this year's on the conference simply centres MPs call reselection lor More than 60 between elections. CLPs have backed this call The should be demand supported but must be combined with a political fight to expose and remove the advocates of coalition politics from the Labour Party, and for class alternative political leadership to be built.

NUT ACTION

CALLED OFF

National leaders of the National Union of Teachers have called off strike action in Oxfordshire after gaining minimal concessions.

The 32 remaining teachers-due to be sacked on August 31 because they were taken on last year with a one-year contract had not and found permanent positions through redeployment-have heen retained on the pay toll and will be slotted into permanent jobs as vacancies occur during the year. On the pupil teacher ratio however the county council remains intransigent and claims that staffing figures will soon be down to budgetted levels (an almost 10% cut). individual schools the teaching establishment has been cut and Icorganiser shorter working arrangements have made 1 Impossibie lor malvia teachers to face prove they The that the

NUT

executive have announced but not organised effectively totally are inadequate to morise teachers in a serious right Tus eer tom last Teachers all-out tarm's strike actior :: he county

YES! SCARMAN DOES

MEAN SACKINGS

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 14 September 1977 Confusion sown by the Scarman The tribunal has also called for Inquiry into the Grunwick strike new anti-picketing laws. has found its way into the heart of

CONFUSION ON THE LEFT

the strike committee itself.

The strikers travelled to Black- riehtly determined But it is easy see how the pool last WeeK fO to confront the meaningless motion confusion has come about. Almost every left group has failed to recog on a boycow witn wich ine luc was attempting cover its nise the political signiticance of the nakedness. Scarman report, and Jack Dromey, But the leaflet that the strikers from Brent Trades

20VOT

were handing out had a fundamen- Council has been insistent that the tighting Scarman report does provide some Tall weakness blacking and mass picketing necess- basis for negociations. Socialist Challenge on 7 Septem- ary lo will Ine sinke-lt based its ber said: "He (Ward) has defied the case upon the recommendations of the Scarman report. Scarman and report There were eight lengthy quotes reinstate the dismissed strikers."

from Scarman. Written in capital Socialishe Scarman September "Scarman letters underneath was: report recommended Grunwicks supports the strikers temstatemell, demand for reinstatement."

and immediate limited recognition the establishment of collective bar- Young Socialist (the youth gaining in Grunwick." paper said: oi ine

WKI)

i ne Yet throughout the whole of the inquiry into the dispute headed by report Scarman and his two cronies Lord Justice Scarman decided in —Pat favour of the strikers. Lowry and Terry Parry - launched bitter attack on unle

BASIS FOR TALKS

trade union preached the doctrine of class collaboration and opened the way for sackings to In a long piece on Scarman in accepted and hopes oi trade the Morning star on september 1.

union recognition to be banished.

Dromey makes many points against

STRIKES PLAN

TO FIGHT

I HEALTH CUTS

Don't open this new hospital if includes a reduction in the family planning services; the restriction of you value your community health abortions to the immediate catch- service. That was the simple mess- ment area; "rationalisation" of the age from Evan Luard, Labour MP service-which a Trades Council Hibalis for _Oxtord al closing some hospitals; and a 10% meeting in the town. cut in the school and child health Luard also claimed the massive

SCIVICES.

AHA's final list includes cuts facing the Oxfordshire Flealth Service were "nothing to cutting the number of nurses, doctors, medical records and the Area Health Authority is facing a simple medical secretaries. choice. has now completed a new

TERMINAL PATIENTS

hospital, and can choose between opening it at the expense of the also recommends that existing service or keeping it closed terminal patients (people with at the cost of £200,000 a year to incurable diseases who are going to maintain the building. die) should be "discouraged" from staying in hospital if they are likely

"OVERSPENT"

to take a long time dying.

The above cuts are oniv a few of This £200,000 would have to the ones proposed and would only come out of the present budget, this year's financial and-regardless of the new hospital problems. (the John Radcliffe, Phase The AHA report says: Area Health Authority expects the "Probably the board across be "overspent" by £¾ million reductions of 10% would by the end of the present financial destroy the NHS as it is at present year. in Oxfordshire." To cope with the 'overspending' But present proposed cuts (which is in fact government under- alone are more than 10%. financing) the Oxfordshire Health The document containing these Service the health proposals was given to colossal scale and drastic reductions service unions in Oxford along with In les present lachlies. another document outlining Tne cuts needed to find the £1.5 million

REDUCTION

the new John Radcliffe Phase 3 The calls for second document list of proposed cuts (which according to the AHA what would be able to continue "will not harm patient care"l are the service the reduction of digenostic invest- Oxford. the "avoidance l235 gations: essential hospital admissions" (the

OPPOSITE

beds in Oxterd pressure on already higher than the The involved have all unions national 3а - reauction in responded to the documents-bur jobs: reduction cut-patient In the type of response a graciet The sex: was the oppose 8: C8:3=-

AHA

Parry report. But he sweeps those the doubts aside by accepting it as a basis for talks. "On the facts, he [Scarman] finds predominantly in favour the union... The findings which are again broadly in favour of the provide a basis union, for negotiated settlement but leave Grunwick tremendous for

SCODC

manoeuvre and delay. Radcliffe hospital The neu executive are arguing over whether to accept a redundancy level of one in five or one in six! NUPE has said it will oppose the cuts but despite the fact that the

NUPE

grows dail closer leaders have not yet said how they will fight. The local Health Service branch ot ASIMS has told the SHA ine: will strike if the proposals are withorew= branda has called a one dav stna lobby the

AHA

meeting on 4, with- the drawal of the proposals.

FURTHER ACTION

COHSE has declared it will take industrial action after that further date i ine proposais are not win- drawn. Only strike action will defend the NHS from its massacre started the Lib-Lab and by government being enthusiastically carried out by the AHA's. Sympathetic be action must and national backing must he giver 'The finding on reinstatement is Scarman disregards welcome company's argument that the the hostility still of those work would impossible. make incompatible This position is all out defence of all the with an workers jobs. The main tenor of the Scarman report is to attack any "extremism" in defence of the strikers. It goes further and calls for new laws to control or ban mass pickets: "We do Booth, Minister of Employment] announcement e an deser to ang House of Commons on 12 July that under review Toe government nas the law relating to picketing.

The tribunal also condemns blacking-the only policy which can win the strike. From the Socialist beginning Press called for a boycott of the inquiry. The reason is evident from the record of the panel, all three of whom have proved their allegiance to the ruling class with previous witchhunts. Scarman headed the inquiry into Red Lion Square, which of the Area and Regional Health Authorities and the DHSS to enable the true situation within the NHS by elected trade assessed union committees. The funds required to regain our health service can be found by the nationalisation the drug industries alle

SUCCIN

increasing with intlation to enable a and not a continuous real growth sliding back of the service.

Page 5 condemned anti-fascists and white- the Pat Lowry washed police. industrial to! re aton. Leyland responsible for cars was Alar • 9 on the witcn nunt in Thornett at the Cowley car factory.

Terry Parry,

VINO COIC

Scarman, an OBE) entative-(like chaired this year's annual conter ence of trades councils on behalf of the TUC and threatened to close unless a motion come clot against Social Contract was without being witnorawn disCarry is a member of the Exec- TUC-he Council utive for the

TUC

speaks and he has endorsed everything report T-Ne odys The terms of reference give him the right to produce a minority report. He has not done so The hall Too als entirely justify for a boycott of the our court of inquiry. . Throughout the report Ward and the rest of the management treated deferential respect George Ward is sincere in his beliefs and has shown himself enterprising and successful an •. the company has made a fine start.. . firms such providing then Grunwick by with perform useful work, function."

RECOMMENDATION

It is however on the central of recognition that question the Scarman report shows itself to have absolutely nothing for the strikers. The report says: "Ideally in ou: should Grunwick therefore offer reeployment all those before the

HILO

were full time employees and who wish taken back "It is our recommendation that be done if it be at al this should We recognise however practicable. that the nature of the company's business is such that the necessar of vacancies may not now number exist, although it seems to us tha: seasonal business dependent on Vacancies must have at least some overtime This position-and the refusal of Scarman to recommend collective (which was : the union recognition union's aim) makes it impossible starting point for to use it as a anything but a sell-out. It is not possible to select from left forces the report-as all the which have done-those passages favour the strikers and ignore the No-one who stands for full reinstatement of the strikers and for union recognition, who stands against attacks on militants and those who practica solidarity blacking can have a single good word for the report wais reinstatement leave every mullant while gates, 11S1Qf ne-are members would have represent them

DO NOTHING

The TUC will now do care whatsoever for the The secret strikers secret because It On..... dispute the every action *ned sana : ...:. - of doing so. The 'war' they declared is the same

IGH

war I strikes abenst THE members the reject the advice of h to ride both horses at possible to argue :.: for full reinstater er Strikers

STUNT POLITICS NO ANSWER

Page 6 PHOTO: Amdraw Wlard, Itegurt The street fighting of Lewisham Ladywood has again brought and up the struggle against fascism as a Above all, in the topical question. the way workers' movement, of organised which the

THEN

the National Front and its fascist competitors are to be defeated is the centre of debate. weeks the Over the past Te. w centrist and reformist organisations of the British left have spent some working class the time providuig with examples of how not to fight The revolutionary movement has the firmly for stood demand "No Platform for Fascists.

This summarises means needed by any stop, (including the use of violence), the growth of the and moDulsaLion fascist organisations.

DIFFERENT

These groups are very different traditional conservative from ine parties of the capitalist class, which 'dictatorship of the carry out the bourgeoisie' within Pallamich periods of tary framework relative social stability.

contrast, offer a The fascists, by action and mass organis- road oi ation to the layers of society which well organised and least least atre defend themselves against able to the attacks of the bourgeoisie-the unemployed middle class and workers-especially the frustrated youth. Feeding off the effects of the crisis - mass unemploy- capitalist ment, poor housing, slashed social services, plunging living standards - and revelling in the betrayals of the Labour and trade union who prevent the working class mob- ilising in action to end these cond- itions, the fascists act as last-ditch defenders of the capitalist system.

Their function is to divert the frustration and anger of the work- proper class away Its ing from the target, and to most confused layers of society a attack the organised weapon labour movement itself. They turn the anger and desper- people onto these Ene ation population, and black immigrant exploiting the chauvinist legacy of and imperialist Britain's increasingly they direct against the left and the labour movement in an 'Reds' scape- attempt to make the of the social crisis goats for tne capitalist system.

'ACTION'

In neither case is their campaign "argument' to abuse or tacie al the fascists offer "action' of organised terror -the promise as racist pogroms, a chance •i something is a marginal fascism A: Freen: But even Brist Polle the instigators Then and now... 1977, police clear route for fascists in Lewisham extensive scale. left months have seen bookshops and black communit firebombed, London centres £10,000 worth a nu damage to the headquarters of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP).

Every day the fascists feel strong enough engage provocations, harassment of blacks, pubs colonisation fascist preserves. attempt continually They black demonstrations organise rub in the message areas so as LO 'whites' will stay on top.

that the But this remains a tactic towards objective-the their of the tion the organisalivas working class. We do not grant fascists the right this deepen CanDall. • courts and challenge the bourgeois police when they insist that fascism must be defended.

HITLER

If we are sufficiently strong in relation to the fascists then anti- Trotsky's fascists should follow auvice. "The tactical, or if you will, 'technical' task was quite simple- grab every fascist or every isolated by their collars, of fascists group. acquaint them with the pavement a of their them few times, fascist insignia and documents, and without carrying things any further, with their fright and a leave them few good black and blue marks."

We listen very carefully to some- how should know one who destroy fascism- Adolph Hitler.

should the His opinion starting point of the fight against the National Front scum: would have "Only one movement-it stopped our adversaries had understood its prin- and from the first day had ciples smashed with the utmost brutality move- of our the nucleus ment." This understanding is, however, starting point. As recent only the demonstrated the events have actions of the SWP and IMG, and a different standpoint) the (from Militant Party and Communist have served to block the group, of the mass organ- mobilisation to working class isations of ine destruction of the out the carry Front and their allies. The Communist Party, put onto miserable defensive the

TO FASCISM

had the Lewisham, stration praise the thousands hypocrisy to of militant demonstrators for their and determination' which Coulder the CP's view on the side- (from apparently 'particularly (Morning Star, August impressive And in an attempt to bolster its anti-fascist reputation the ur nas by James printed eulogy role in the CP's of the Klugmann 1936 Cable Street mobilisation (see the last issue of Socialist Press for waverings of their exposure before this demonstration).

None of this, nor vague talk of with the confrontation 'necessary simple tact the will disguise direction whole that to ask have been CP's campaigns ban state the

COOLISCU

fascists while the CP has conscious- militant anti-fascisi sabotaged activities. 13 in Lewisham, On August helped by their hangers-on Militant grouping, the CP built and supported their local version of the All Lewisham Popular Front, Against Racism and Committee Fascism (ALCARAF). the local Thes marched 4 ith SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 14 September 1977 1936, police try to clear a way for a fascist car in the Fast End.

ALASTAIR GREEN LOOKS AT THE WAY THE LEFT

GROUPS HAVE TAKEN UP THE FIGHT AGAINST THE

NATIONAL FRONT.

centrist SWP and the "Trotskyists" hierarchy to church Anglican of the IMG have obviously tought implore the Home Secretary to ban courageously hard and al inese provocative fascist demonstrations demonstrations trade unionists impiore But both of these organisations there not to join the were

SWP

have particuiar that ana SWP's demonstration avoided the struggle to mobilise the widest possible united action of the Their excuse? A claimed lack of organised working class against the the absence of mobilisation, fascist thugs, and have consistently the labour movement. But did these m18S separated the mobilisation of anti- labour bureaucracy toadies of the the overall struggle fascists from try to mobilise the masses?

against the reformist bureaucrats openly that if the repeatedly have Did they say They

LOU

forces are favourable that they were into legalism and slipped • oppor in the tunism (more pronounced "unity of the

IMG

whose Casi and campaign brings them closer democrats' of the the clad and Stalinists of the middle Communist Party).

ADVENTURES

But at the same time they have lapsed into secarian adventures and attempts to substitute inemselve for the working class (more obviou insatiable

SWP,

whose with the matche desire for publicity only arrogance in declaring its empty itself 'the revolutionary party') the hali Starting off expressed feeling that fascism is special, extraordinary threat, thes organisations feel a need to emplo 'special' and, they hope' instanti rather methods effective fascism the fight against make battle of a consistent part leadership in the working class It is of course difficult and slo seriou the question to raise the trad activity anti-lascist expose the Labor unions and to Party on this subject. centrists igno! their 1n this vital work and turn to the stat with pleas for bans or to the limite themselves that they zoce Himmier and Hitler. bring out onto immediatcly streets. this fascist prepared smash demonstration?

SUICIDAL

the they take seriously Did squads defence organisation The turn to the bourgeois sta dealt with could have Marx suicidal breach fascists in the right circumstances?

principles that belongs to reformi and not to a revolutionary

RESPECTABILITY

isation : SWP a Let us compare the reformists the

ING

Will 10-531 5: rists on this question their respectiti Council T:: iron: movement workers Lewisham had only one program to cling to the of fascism. fascism-! danger in fight against hope that a beneficient bourgeoisie bar. this ma Home Secreiar?. will help them out of their dilemma and stop te vip.erce. with a ban on the National Front's Party Communi I6 513 ard suppors as the Memeers

SOCIALIST PRESS. Wednesdar 14 September 1977 , to secure a complete and effective ban on all racist activity and propaganda to campaign for these events to be banned.

The

IMG

the Socialist Special Challenge Issue on Lewise too Lad wond: favour of

LOO

imposing ban on the fascist marches." Kim Gordon, SWP candidate at the Ladywood by-election: "We don't want any riots. What register want to protest in front of the press.

We are going to ask the police to get the Front stop their meeting. The Guardian, (Quoted in August Lea SWP have Leamington the demonstrated under central The slogan 'Prosecute the Racists' four men were charged with after criminal damage for painting out fascist slogans. Trotsky's opinion of such calls was ver cea "To turn to the state, that is, to capiar, with ine cemano to oisarm the fascists means to sow the worst democratic illusions, lull the demonalise its wil.. Proletaria, vigilance 'War and the Fourth Internation- al', Writings, 1933-4. these demands can hardly co- with a serious attitude to the exist moolisation ol une working class against the fascists.

ILLUSIONS

To take this position, to say that job of the police' makes it more and difficult to for anything other than demonstations and activity whose pressure the police into acting on behalf of the working class.

the tundamental

OUL

of the state, nature educale on their own Tends ce is a task that organised strength with any sugges- confucis sharpiy tion that this or that action of the state is accidental, a product of the wrong policemen being in control.

Besides encouraging illusions in neutrality the and democratic nature of the capitalist state machine the position of demand. ing bans on the fascists and prose- cuuous 10H Tactaured Mas ine immediate and practical effect of encouraging the climate of public opinion that is favourable to state control and interference into activities of 'political Ine extremists'

SOPHISTICATED

The lists of anti-fascists arrested at each demonstration prove conclusively of powers banning to ally the left and the labour The Public Order Act of 1936 was introduced ostensiblv to stop the fascists. Its provisions have only ever been used against the lett and the IRA. The most sophisticated excuse this reformist desire for state is the SwP's 'pressure' the argument that this will 'expose' the nature of the state. part we would rather Hor our not have that proved by having one by seeing a left wing organisation proscribed. Is the action of the state at Grunwicks Lewisham not sufficient exposure! The bourgeoisie quite capable of attacks launching sharp demo- without cratic rights the kindly of self-styled aries'. On the other side of the coin is the sectarianism and adventurism shown in the way that the SWP in particular has mobilised for these demonstrations. As with the IMG in Red Lion Square 1974 the SWP attempts the organisation of leftists for the military organisation of the working class. Our position is entirely different from that of the Communist Party.

NO SUBSTITUTE

We are in no wav opposed to small large) groups of left- wingers teaching lesson in conditions where this does not involve a futile confrontation with the police. But this can be no substitute for a mobilisation of the working class fighting establish workers defence squads based on the trade unions The (then Trotskyist) Socialist Workers Party of America in the 1930s was able to use its trade form big defence base to guards which chased the fascists out ot town on a number of occasions Everything has to be diverted to achieving this sort of organisation.

Of course this will not come with- out a political struggle or in a short significant scale. time ally But the fight for this perspective coupled with full participation in demonstrations and actions aimed the fascists will prepare the ground for the effective arming and military organisation of the work- ing class.

EXPERIENCES

The Transitional Programme of the Fourth International, drawing on the experiences of the American Trotskyists this sunglanses approach: 'Only armed workers detach. ments, who feel the support of tens or munons of loners benina lnem.

can successfully prevail against the The origins of this perspective, fascist bands. which results in a series of systematic, persistent indefatigache Only with the of such the left between and une police, lie in the of Tellsa. organ centrists to consistently, CouraseDu atlalond and in an isational work, always on the basis all-round tackle the fashion, dominance of reformism and experience Illasses themselves, is it possible to root out Stalinism in the working class with consciousness the trad an alternative, independent political Irom ineir of itions submissiveness and programme. passivity." (p. 18). The method of the SWP and the

CRISIS

IMG (who would like the same This refusal appears in a pointed repeated by every- body on the left in a united effort) relation to the anti-racist way is to engage in numerous confron- and anti-fascist activity . not the fascists, For the Workers tations with centrist groups. but the police. Socialist League. racism and its expression, fascism, organised are These of numerous produced by the crisis of capitalism the beating and by the defence of that outworn militants, the system by the trade union and where left Labour leadership relatively isolated the big With organised and deter- no worke fight place Rec mined national level against the attacks of dangers of this whilst the of the capitalism it becomes easy fascists to offer a 'solution' which French Pabloites led has nothing to do with the destruc- directly that to the tion of capitalism. organis same misleaders who It is the

TANE

fascist meeting Paris in refuse to fight fascism that refuse in 1973. to fight wage cuts, unemployment

PLATFORM

E FASCISTS

THEY

SHALL

NOT

PASS

ING

April 23 mo Page - PHOTO: Andrew wiard. Report Police use riot shields in Lewisham oppression minority OI Ine groups and women. For. us. every of the working class struggle oppressed groups has to be turned against the existing leadership and made to break the every attempt working class in action away from that old leadership This means that the fight for workers defence against fascism should also be coupled with a fight political for all-round programme to defend jobs, living standards and social services and to lay down a fundamental challenge to the established leadership of the working class each And mobilisation again st the fascists has to be organised as as possible through a struggle far inside the trade unions and the Party, and not by 'out- Labour flanking' the existing organisations of the working class The forward in the way combatting of the neo-Nazi thugs has to be through the building of a united front of working class organ- isations on a wide scale, and the formation of workers defence guards as the advance guard of that united front. isation against fascists in Harringer

KIDS' BOOKS: BEDROCK

Page 8 For the several centuries capitalist system mommated economic life in Britain.

As a result of this the ideology that has produced by economy dominated cultural life so that the of thinking which ideas and ways came "naturally" to people of all classes have been bourgeois.

Thus the newspapers, novels, films encyclopaedias and even the dictionaries produced have expressed the needs and concerns of bourgeois society, Reformists find the more noted symptoms of this ideology offensive and see it as their dutv alternative cultural seek out material which less obviously bourgeois.

ANTI-SOCIAL

In recent years many radicals have turned their attention to the 'bias" of children's literature.

One of these, Bob Dixon, has written two volume hook "Catching Them Young" in which he examines and catalogues a mass fiction children's discovel that: "Much of the material children's books is anti-social if not anti-human more likely to stunt and warp young people than Like a chemist looking for acid dips these moral

ILO

books decide what ideals "messages about race, sex, hidden between and pontics are their covers. His researches reveal that the authors overwhelmingly assume that blacks, women and workers are whites, and inferior men capitalists and should be kept in their place. these someumes obvious as when a black hero are must use magic to make his face

A GUEST FILM REVIEW

short documentary This propaganda film on SWAPO, the most significant movement inside Namibia. It is very welcome now when the maintains press of allence on lamiba Turnhalle talks where a ::ansition s supposedly being

SWAPO

he sat in

OF CAPITALISM?

white and get the girl; sometimes they subtle-sometimes even too subtle for Dixon-but like intrenid bloodhound he

MUSCO

them out relentlessly, regardless of buried whether Ltev Progress" "Pilgrim's "Pony Parade":

PROPAGANDA

Dixon's fundamental critical assumption is that al children's presumably literature (and therefore all literature) is simply propaganda which writers use to impart their more or less objectionable views on unsuspect- and thereby "catch ing children His judgement therefore as to a "good" "bad" book depends entirely reading on whether the authors' political and ideas like social ale, liberal. He is thus not a critic but a very crude political censor and it is on to show Losa me noves other hand Marxists, on others "what to look for" recognise as Lenin did when writing all liberas Dixon about Tolstoy that book may unable to grasp that capitalism and derive its artistic force precisely all its products are contradictory.

from the reactionary social and This leaves him unable to under- political of its author. positions stand literature. History has often placed cannot face the fact that a He writers in a reactionary bourgeois work of art can be both artistically position than 'radicals' better powerful and politically from which to sense and express reactionary. the powerful tensions and conflicts of that society.

"ACCEPTABLE"

Critics like Dixon onlv observe how writers resolve conflicts (which If he finds that a book contains "large side wins) not how they express and important elements which are ethically unacceptable" them. Dixon knows nothing about why concludes that it must be a bad ideas book (though the badness may bourgeois "skillful style".) In fact he children's literature concealed bva But if Dixon felt compelled to that these books seems to beneve accept a work as good literature he those ideas dominate cause LU convinces himself that its politics society! must be "acceptable". He reduces the whole to one of black collaborators. The title of the film may be mis- be seen. It leading. removed from the cliched of guerilla romanticised picture warfare. the arming of the about Namibian masses, against the propa- ganda and control South African Government which aims to isolate the guerillas from the people.

LINK

The film attempts to link up the faced problems Namibians and their political mobilisation by SWAPO In line with SWAPO's policy of anti-imperialist uniting progressive forces, we hear from workers, farmers, teachers, women, political and activists.

SLUUCILS

The awareness of the necessity to fight is not limited to a few activists, but here young women students which WOTKeTS powerful statement against colonial SWAPO guerrillas. exploitation. But real unity between the most

NAMIBIA ARMED

politically backward and the most politically advanced sections of the population can only be in terms of independance combined national with socialist revolution.

socialism spoken of, regarded only as unformulated long-term aim The people are full of energy, Government neo-colonial on enthusiasm and courage, but inevit ably naive in their understandings solution wnereos Nataidia will De divided her ethnic groups among of the cynical policies the oI into distinct nations. bureaucratically-controlled workers Within this scheme the state which hold back on all-out continuing support for SWAPO's struggle and Namibian wealth by South African instead attempt use as to and Western capital would be bargaining counter in their wheeling ansured, as no such 'nation' would and dealing with imperialism economically workers and Namibian viable and peasants must be given the arms to worker casalls would te torced to continue to independence: acntere their "homeland the task of mobilising such support and the white industrialised areas.

on the international workers lal movement 1.0.11C1 Vaster

CATCHING THEM YOUNG

Dixon (Pluto Press, 2 Volumes at £1.80 each). Reviewed by Richard Brooks.

simple brainwashing of children. Dixon's "cure" is to push for fiction in which those people who suffer oppression in the real world are free (or become free) from it in novels. the material world He sees not creating books but books creating the world. Thus, in his section on "sexism" write-up to a he gives a glowing book in which the characters over- of the problem come the sexua division of labour through what he calls "a major role reversal "Hello Aurora" a child's In mother practices as a lawyer while her father prepares his doctorate at home and looks after Socrates!) the baby. Dixon is thrilled because in the book: "there's a lot about the assump- other people make and the opposition they set up against what This is BBC Radio 4. Here is the news. This time the workers have really one to thin thing to bring the to its knees with a string country of crippling strikes led by anarchist Trotskyists. That we had got used to. Now car workers have gon They beyond the allowed a load of filthy foreigners to sell more cars in August than out wonderful British car firms (except for the workers that is).

And why is this? How come a load of Japs, Krauts and Wops can pass off their shoddy goods to our discriminating British buyers.

It is because our craven wreckers for workers in this who pass country have used up the valuabie daylight working time that summer brings by going on holiday. Foreign workers, who have not got the British disease know where They take to spend their holidays. the orportunity to chalk up some Workers at Rover have decided they would rather not work night. This is just another example of how the British workers erying SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 14 September 1977 feel "wrong" but they to be Aurora and her family take it all in their stride and their good sense encompasses everyone eventually p. 37 Vol 1 That is gained by the

VILLOTY

material writer removing dIll (by them oppression giving professional jobs) and convenient "sexist assumptions" to leaving only be overcome by a "encompasses everyone" which Working A delightful prospect. class girls reading this work must therefore conclude that, to avoid a of domestic slavery ther THEre have the good sense to need only marry become lawyers and academics They face a situation where they must either be isolated in the mean- of housework or, if they can get jobs, face being ground workload. double To suggest that the solution is for them to change jobs with their husbands is to propose that another human being accepts the same isola- reversal" is The "role always seen as progressive by feminists and by "socialists" like Dixon those who try to please them. attempt to rearrange relationships solution, is a reformist within capitalism so that some individuals can escape oppression while: leaving capitalism unharmed and the mass of men and women oppressed. But Dixon longs for the heroes of children's literature to be not middle-class white boys who do what they're told but working-class black girls who don't. (including Bourgeois novels for children) are those written capitalism product of and ideology. They trace the level of individual characters struggling to solve their problems as individuals. rearrange Dixon that these fictional matters so When 100101z are WOrkers worker gets by in a novel, when he head holds in front of the boss Dixon will hail a socialist novel and deem it admir- able for children. In doing so he will merely offer bourgeois them the dregs culture as he offers his readers the both theory aregs or Dourgeon his political and his literary theory are reformist. At £3.60 for Dixon's two volumes these dregs work out quite expensive.

PRESS GANG

Wreckers Unite! to wreck the economy. If God had not meant us to work day and night he would not have put 24 hours in a day After all as the Financial Times "In sharp contrast, workers at said: inst Honda factorin four days days voted four holiday to meet buoyant orders for models. its Civic and Let's hear three cheers for the thousands of Lucas women who toolmakers and marched on the ordered them back to work.

Real true determination and British grit was written on the faces of cach of the hundreds of "Back to Work" But shop stewards stayed deat to pleas of the scores of these the gallant women. escaped although They who surrounded by the them. They turned lobbied even five down the request tne women who asked them to go back to work Unfortunateit chese misguided handful sau tric are ite "HEll LU diese

TWO SHOOTS FROM

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 14 September 1977

SEED OF

The events after the death of Stalin in March 1953 underlined clearly the continued instability of the bureaucratic governments of the deformed workers states in Eastern Europe. By June 1953 workers in East Berlin had spelled this out in their revolt against demands increased output which combined

IN THE BRITISH COMMUNIST PARTY.

with struggles against falling living standards and demanding democracy. Gomulka stated. he would not general strike erupted and Moscow to interfere in the spread to other cities. Soviet troops composition of leading committees savagely repressed the protestors no Russian troops were used against and many were executed. him This experience, the first The Hungarian events were a political revolution, expression ol watershed for post-war Stalinism. remained a lingering fear in the In the upheavals the Secret Police minds the Stalinist had been annihilated and genuine bureaucracies. defence squads combinent solas Russia itself the bureaucracy students WOlKeTS was divided as to the best means of functioned under the control of containing the working class after workers councils. Stalin's death. Molotov argued for The brutality of the repression- continuing in exactly the same way, with some 20,000 estimated killed while Kruschev pressed lor some -was partly to provide a deterrent token concessions to placate the any future struggle against working class. bureaucracy.

PRIVILEGES

The problem was not one of principle. Both wings wanted preserve the bureaucracy and its privileges. But this intra-bureaucratic struggle led Kruschev to make his Congress of the

CPSU

wrich crimes uCCu alacked OI Stalin in order to strenthen his own hand against Molotov. For the first time Lenin's Testament became public and many figures by were posthumously "rehabilitated" This tactical division within the bureaucracy had a huge impact in the CPs in the capitalist countries no coincidence that

ATO

CP leader today Larruto iefers lovingly to Kruschev.

June 1956 veteran neeed Italian Stalinist Togliatti called for what termed "polycentrism" And Stalinist bureaucracy - Moscow. control - less from including the Yugoslavian and the Togliatti attacked "the Chinese-backed the suppression of degeneration of Soviet society" and the Hungarian revolution.

was rebuked by Moscow repression was enthusias- This crack in the authority of tically backed by all the CPs in the the bureaucracy created huge capitalist countries-who problems. suppressed objective reports of the There is no doubt Kruschev's events and retailed Moscow's line, revelations at the 20th Congress in spite of the substantial losses it the support weakelca DaNC

TOT

brought them arch-Stalinist Hungarian leader memes ano influence. Rakosi-while Kruschev's tactic of The harsh political lesson for the ""liberalisation" spurred the working class was the impossibility Hungarian of basing "left' complete end to bureaucracy.

a suruggie on a section of the bureaucracy. Political

WORKERS COUNCILS

revolution demands the building of Trotskyist parties, in conflict with And while the call for workers Stalinism. councils fraudu- The immediate of the On CA Been cause lently utilised by the Tito bureauc- 1960s split between Moscow and racy Yugoslavia in carrying Peking seemed to be differences on through the split with Stalin, the treatment 0i Albania. wiCt Hungary in 1956 the demand was had under acute pressure taken up the Nasser trom Moscow. developed to produce genuine revo-

JULIA CHELCES

ECONOMIC PROBLEMS

councils. The bureaucracy • Hungariar But also involved were economic attempted to hold on to its old line problems China, and Chinese In —replacing Rakosi "Teforming" line opposition to the man Geroe. of Kruschev. But when the "left" bureaucrat Chinese The and Albanians Imre Nagy was finally installed with defended for the record of Stalin- Moscow uprising was and the Albanians in following this spreading from Budapest already line new Chenese leadership. now even criticising the throughout the country-which the Russian garrisons refused Mao Tse Tung however was himself not averse to using different.

Eventually these

LOODS

were tactics in maintaining the hold of withdrawn and different forces bureaucracy was shown in were used to the nassale "Red Guards" were 1900 when the bureaucratic fighters. mobilised part of struggle between rival elements of the

POLAND

bureaucracy declared himself an 'inter- nationalist", but preserved Meanwhile Poland similar LIt Stalinist concept of attempting to working developments within the build 'socialism in one opposed by different class were and seeking deals with imperialism.

tactics from the bureaucracy.

"liberal" The Gomulka was his line theretore. that given support and some economic betrayed the Indonesian revolution floscou slaughter OI 3000.000- conditior. that 1.000.000 CP he prevented any members the Polish sup the Hungarian hands of the Peking-backed wides Sukarno government I: was Paine isa: fis: rushed

STALINISM

THE THIRD PART IN OUR SERIES ON THE BACKGROUND TO THE SPLIT

BY TONY RICHARDSON.

to recognise the Boumedienne regime in Algeria after the over- throw of Ben Bella. Peking sent tanks to support the Pakistan government the Bangladesh liberation forces; supported the pro-imperialist

FNLA

in Angola; and today the supports Common Market. The Sino-Soviet split was a split between two bureaucracies. And so degenerate had the Stalinist bureaucracy become that in 1962 Moscow sent arms to the Indian bourgeois government to assist them in a war against the Chinese workers state. Though the East European CPs backed Moscow the Chinese, the party leaders used the split to further their own national bureaucratic interests and put pressure on Moscow. In Czechoslavia the strategy of "liberalising" Stalinist the apparatus had taken longer than elsewhere to institute. It was only 1968 that Stalinist Novotny was removed and replaced by Dubcek.

FRANCE 1968

The change took place at the high point of wave of working class which also crupted m a general strike and mass occupations trance May-June Czechoslovakia was not isolated from these developments, and the problems of the Dubcek bureaucracy were sharpened. The 'liberalisation' movement began to get out of control. Dubcek attempted to get help from Moscow -and invited Soviet troops for in Czechoslovakia June 1968. In the factories workers were pressin edition of trotsky Reda edition of Trotsky's Revo- lution Betrayed set for up was publication But was no conscious leadership developed. Workers on the level of Hungary councils not And when appeared. Russian tanks moved in to reinforce the bureaucracy many Western CPs felt Moscow had over-reacted and criticised intervention, voicing support for Dubcek

ARMED WORKERS

Trotskyists opposed the Russian called clearly for intervention but the arming of Czech workers to oppose any pro capitalist forces and Beepare for political revolution LU Hungary Czecho. and slovakia show the severe limits measures Stalin sensing its own weakness and Isolation from mass support.

Such "concessions" as are made by the bureaucrats are not because they pushed the direction as the working class, but beçause they desperately seek to head off the working class.

Now 1977 forces many combine disrupt the Stalinist The national bureauc- racies exploit the position of the CPs capitalist countries-with Hungary's Kadar declaring support for "Eurocommunism" But while the line of the biggest European CPs has astonished Hungary 1956 bourgeois observers, there nothing new in their actions.

While Berlinguer in Italy for instance declares support for

NATO

we should remember that Tito in 1954 signed with Greece and

DACI

Turkey which tied him to NATO element is the new new which these material conditions in policies are adopted. In particular there is now a serious problem for the Russian bureaucracy should it need to puil the CPs into line in a sharp issue-for example in the case PHOTO: John Sturrack Remout Page 9 of war between the USSR and a European capitalist state.

However to attach a new name "Eurocommunism" to this political line is false. The situation is not new-out the tesult of a general tendency of Stalinism towards nationalism. This tendency has advanced furthest in Europe because of the need by the capitalist class to use these Communist Parties as a prop to their tottering bourgeois regimes in Spain, Italy and France.

In exchange for acceptance by the bourgeoisie, these CPs come out with verbal criticism of the internal Eastern in Russia and Europe

COMMON GROUND

White the Soviet bureaucracy answers these criticisms it carefully avoids attaching the class collabora- tion of these CPs. The common opposition independence political of the working class and to socialist revo- lution. split in the CP in Britain must be seen in this light.

The so-called "New Communist Party" around Svd french defends all the actions of the Moscow bureaucracy allacks ine new British draft of the Road To Socialism for not including the call for the dictatorship of the prole.

tariat. French's attack on the British CP leadership thus in no way linked to any fight against Stalin's line of "socialism in one country" Which in fact requires "peaceful co- existence" "parliamentary and toads".

MOSCOW SUPPORT

But even while advancing line directed closer relations with the British capitalist CPGB leader MacLennan has Cds. been forced to draw heavily • on ar for with Moscow his support. The CP daily Morning Star is also heavily dependent upon sales in Eastern Europe for its existence And French for his part endorses the real treachery of the British CP support "left"

TUC

bureaucrats; support for "workers participation" opposition struggles to break Phases and of the Socia! Contract; its nationalism on the Common Market and con impori controls The splits in the Ces inter. nationally will no doubt weaken them in their counter-revolutionary line. exploiting splits we these must show clearly that we are for the unconditional defence of the

USSR.

China and the other deformed imperialism even wise es shaitor workers states political revolution through the Fourth the rebunging 01 International with parties in thos countries.

INDUSTRIAL NEWS

Page 10

LUCAS: DUFFY

DRIVES TOOLMEN

BACK

Lucas toolroom workers after a 10-week strike have finally been forced back by their officials who threatened the withdrawal of strike pay and leaned heavily on the TUC vote to endorse the 12-month rule.

meeting at Digbeth a mass

AUEW

Civic Mall in barminghal, Executive Council members Duffy the narrowly swung and Cordan vote against the recommendation of the shop stewards for a return to work with 519 in favour and 384 against. Management had scarcely upped this previous offer, overwhelmingly rejected at a mass meeting a few weeks before, of £3 on the bonus and £100 lump sum payment.

A further £50 cash payment was added, which would be paid one month after going back. Duffy argued that a return to conditional upon work would be management agreeing to negotiate immediately new bonus system. increase on inabonus of t5 clearly original claim could have been won. media's attempts to Neither the "We want to WOrk" whip up against the demonstrations toolmakers, nor Leyland manage- ment's attempts to fly in alternative components from abroad succeeded. production Those women

AUEW

lobbied workers wno officials went away declaring their with agreement Tne

TOO TAKERS

And the alternative supplies had not prevented 20,000 Leyland being laid off with workers from of over half of production Leyland's models lying idle.

A total shutdown within a week was a certainty. But whereas these the AUEW bureau- efforts failed, succeeded in ending the strike. The sell-out was prepared behind at joint Blackpool the scenes management-union talks involving Scanlon and his right-wing ally and would-be successor, Duffy.

HOUNSLOW WORKS ON

Two weeks after the planned Hounslow Hospital closure date, due to the deter- remains open, and exemplary struggle mined waged by the staff, local trade doctors and the local unions, community. When Callaghan's axe chopped 76/77 budget the 10 0 Hounslow Ealing, and Hammer Area Health Authority, their smith response was to plan the closure of Hounslow Hospital's 66 beds.

The staff response was TO "work-in" as pioneered organise a Elizabeth Garrett Anderson the Hospital. À recent experience had demon- strated that more than the defence of the Health Service and jobs was involved. entord Hospital (Y closure the same Brentford Health Authority) geriatric patients had been transterred to the West Middlesex against their wishes This environmental uprooting not exclusive was factor in the deaths of four out of natiente within a if It was also reported that, official backing for the necessary. strike would be withdrawn in order going back. start the tool Right from only the makers nave lacea noi combined opposition of Lucas and Leyland and the manarement media but their own official leader- ship. of toolmakers As group one at the end of the mass remarked where the sell-out took meeting place "It was Duffy and Jordan who The for this. are responsible stewards voted 33-24 against going back with three abstentions and 14 How can you abstain one are like that? oor on a vote abstain steward voted in favour. When the elections for stewards come up he won't be back as steward.

INFLATION

NEW BOOKLET

THE CASE FOR THE SLIDING

SCALE OF WAGES

All the points you need to know in fighting for the sliding scale 20p plus 10p postage from Kevin Lee, 44, Devonshire Road, Handsworth Wood, Birmingham both official support the

NALGO

and NUPE, although the official, Peter Lawlor has

NUFE

played little or no part in the cam- paign for several months.

Local trade unions and trades councils have contributed pickets to the campaign and a10 various GPs have continued to reter patients to Hounslow. Ambulance drivers have refused remove patients or equipment to the hospital for from except medical reasons, and the Hounsiow Community Health Council has also pledged its support. On the official date of closure, 500 staff, trade unionists and local assi mastelled outside the coital

TITOLLE

LU WIl a spirited jazz centre headed band. Local workers receiving medical treatment must demand of their be referred to Hounslow Hospital maintain the to help intake of patients. At the same time campaign must be launched in the locai trade for all-out strike action Rolls Royce out Yet another strike against the 10% pay limit has government's broken out-this time at two Rolls Royce factories in Willesden, North London. Some 650 workers, covered by the sheetmeta the TGWU, the wood- workers, workers and electricians, struck ur Monday 12 September in support of a 17% pay rise. The factories hit are the plant in Hythe Road and the Mullinor Park Ward plant in Willesden High Road.

17%% increase though nowhere adequate to make up lor the drop in living standards of the past three years. fact has been openly This Terry Duffy

NO LEAD GIVEN TO

AIR CONTROL STRIKE

traffic Social Contract. As the strike by air The CAA now argue that they control assistants enters its third agreement abide the week, there have been threats by since it would break the 12 month 250,000 of the strong leaders the 10% ceiling rule as well as Civil and Public Services Associa- Healey has placed on wages.

tion (CPSA) to escalate the activity.

REAL TEST

The strike by the 850 assistants The present Lib-Lab government at West Drayton and Heathrow is see this dispute as a real test case for settlement agreed 1n 1975 Civil Aviation are with the and determica set assistants crushed. Authority but outlawed by the

PAY CONFERENCE

CRUCIAL

The stage-managed vote to endorse the 12-month rule on wages has to nackmal kne loona to end pay strikes. But at the same time as the vote was being taken, new struggies were claims being formulated by workers determined to emerging and new regain and defend living standards.

The coming wave of pay struggles will therefore bring together those sections prepared to challenge the TUC's bureaucratic dictates on pay and for annual reviews who have decided to reject Chancellor those due Healey's 10% limit. will immediately face a political challenge each ease workers Needed is a clear policy on pay-demanding big increases protected against inflation through cost-of-living clauses.

And such a demand can only be won if a principled leadership is had an immediate impact in strengthening the hand of officials attempting the press the Lib-Lab government and trade union officials employers, determined to preserve Healey's 10% limit To discuss the wider implications of this fight, the Campaign for Democracy in the Labour Movement has called an all-day national confer- ence in Digbeth Hall, Birmingham on Sunday October 23 The CDLM was the only rank and file movement to put forward a policy for a fight to break Phase 2 of wage control, and in consistent March this year held a conference on wages supported by over 300 labour movement delegates. We call on our readers and supporters to fight in all labour movement organisations for delegations to attend this conference-which is also open to individual observers. More details and conference credentials (50p) from Kevin Lee, 44, Devonshire Road, Handsworth Wood, Birmingham 20.

HOLBROOK

WRITHI

нивв

NELP NURSERY THREAT

payment for the portable huts.

North East London Polytechnic, cynically Brosen's action was of bitter and the scene the approved by local Labour two prolonged 'Blue Asbestos' cleaners' Councillors on the JEC. dispute has suffered another attack Brosen plans to implement the on the workers in that area with the closure of the nursery by removal of the huts. TGWU members should threatened closure of the Hubb black action, and Nursery. any such members of the Labour Party must which caters. for The nursery, • raise this matter in their local party children about thirty of students is threatened branches. local WOrkerS SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 14 September 1977 union convenor acknowledged by Brian Eagles, who said "What we are asking for is not We are not asking for unreasonable. the 30 and 40 per cent claims we've been hearing about in the past few We are not asking for every- weeks. thing that we've lost in the past few years."

KEEP PACE

increase But the only wage should settle for is one workers which does regain all that's been lost in the past three years, and one which will ensure that from now on with keep pace workers inflation as assessed by themselves. To that end they are prepared to lose millions of pounds every week 70% of their by only operating scheduled flights. The response from union leaders - including those of the TUC who the strike-has allegedly support been predictably feeble. Only now is Ken Thomas of

CPSA

involving the considering other members of the union. And if he does so it will be, ot course, a "controlled escalation But the government have made it clear that there : is more at stake in this strike than the settlement of July 1975: they see it as a trial of the Social Contract itself.

HUGE RESPONSE

In this situation. Thomas should come out in clear opposition to the calling out government CPSA members on indefinite strike action to smash the public service cash limits as well as all remaining loathed Social vestiges Contract Were he to do that he would immediately find a huge response within the working class who are now waiting for a national lead to be given in the fight for increased living standards.

HEATHROW

VICTORY

Meanwhile in Heathrow itself successful there has been conclusion to a strike by progress in the British Airways chasers European Division for parity with their counterparts in the Overseas Division. in Heathrow itself Meanwhile has been successful there conclusion to a strike by progress chasers in the British Airways European Division for parity with their counterparts in the Overseas Division. Prior to the fusion of BEA and British Airways. BOAL tO TOIM progress

BOAC

were chasers skilled workers, classified

BEA

were those in wuered. classified as semi-skilled.

This anomaly was never ironed amalgamation, with out on Divsion Overseas result that workers were being paid more than though European chasers-ever they both worked for the same company Nonetheless claims for parity- which conceal what is really stake, namely the desire for higher are fraught with living standards, dangers for workers. this strike Even though concluded successfully it remains to be seen whether the workers in the Overseas Division will try to their difterentials by restore engaging in strike action.

It is important in struggles such as these that Marxists bring to the fore the common interests of the

FIGHT STEPPED UP FOR

DESOUTTER BLACKING

SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 14 September 1977 As one of the strikers on the picket the Desoutter Brothers factory North London in remarked last week.

LETE

strike for union recognition there is like driving a car uphill with the brakes on. The car represented the 80 or so workers who have been living on a measly f9 a week strike pay for the past ly weeks: the brakes are the London North District Committee of the AUEw who have hitherto done virtually nothing to win this But after a series of events last week the car is beginning to gather speed and the top of the hill is now in sight. On Monday 5th, a delegation of workers lobbied AUEW delegates at the TUC demanding that they fight now within the AUEW for national blacking of Desoutter products.

BLACKING

The following Wednesday a 40- strong delegamon or sinkers lobbica the Communist Party-dominated London North D.C. demanding all out blacking in North London and nationally, as well as the immediate raising of a district levy to offset financial hardship. Over & weeks ago the D.L. said that a resolution on blacking had the AUEW's Execu- been

SEE LU

tive Council. But clearly they never bothered to pursue this motion any further. On the question of the district President George levy, Stalinist Anthony previously said that there would be for need Unle donations from other workers Firemen's Claim Firemen at four fire stations in Merseyside, these being Bootle, Bank Hall, Crosby, and Storrington passed LaYe calling for a £25 a week rise, with action from November Ist this not achieved. New leaders needed out for press publicity are right winger lerty Duttv on the one hand and the Broad Left Wright (who candidate reality is also a right winger) on the other. Wright-who is supported as candidate for the Presidency by none other than Scanlon himself -offers alternative to the existing leadership. Workers Socialist Party member lan Morris, running on *Engineering Charter' has repeatedly shown his inability to lead any political fight the agamst

STORE

LeT- right wing coalition that controls the AUEW. But an alternative programme is put forward by Alan Wilkins Workers of the Revolutionary Party. Though inadequate in his election

HAEY

IN CALS

address does call for "a sliding scale of working hours" and policy of "threshold rises" protec dolls malation. The Workers Socialist League has serious political differences with the WRP-but we call for a vote for wilkins in the AUEW election as the clearest answer to the treachery of the Cutell And, he added, he wouldn't this levi LaNC invariably resulted members being in arrears" At the start of the meeting there were no signs that attitudes would change.

'STRIKERS' FAULT'

Anthony arrogantly talked down to lobbying strikers-even saying at point that if the strike were lost it would be the strikers' fault, not his. In this respect he was only out- Broad Left District Secre- done by tary Via Swort myself uestion "How a worker's can I keep my wife and family on £9a week? Swift replied, "Well, you could always go back to work" This from a man claiming to be a communist! But despite this display of contempt for Desoutter workers, it soon emerged that both Anthony and Swift-along with the other Cr cronies on the D.C.-were quaking in their boots.

LOCKED DOOR

Fearful lest workers' anger spill over into the meeting itself, they locked the committee room door And when a delegation from the looDy was allowca In at tne end of the meeting to address the Anthony was very conciliatory and allowed the strike representatives to argue their case for a levy and blacking. There and then the D.C. agreed to a mass picket on October 13th, and also to consider the agreed oi the levy at the nexi meeting of the Finance and General Purooses Committee !3th Seot.l These still concessions-which fall far short of what is needed to win the strike--were obviously made in an attempt to defuse the situation and to tv and regain the control which was slipping out of their hands. Anthony also revealed other motives for these concessions when he asked that the Strike Committee Darlington NUJ strike: Lsell out bid assault on the NUJ major closed shop strike at Darlington has been made by the General Secre- taries of the print unions.

The Printing Industries Committee of the lUC decided to call on all unions involved to send concession from the

SELL OUT

"indepen- manaeement. so that an dent' mediator could be called in.

was despite a cal trom the LuIs NUJ Westminster Press Chapel that the strike should be spread.

The move is not only an attack on NUJ members in London and Darlington who have been on the streets for more than 14 weeks-it for the also sellout print workers who have supported the

INDUSTRIAL NEWS

Oxford AUEW shows the way candidate for the Presidency of the leaflet criticising Wright-spoke union-Bob for withdrawn. almost hour without leaflet-which all

VICC

Anthony by name, but which mentioning Desoutters This was despite the fact that compared some of the Mild To strike leader Jim Black was sitting things that could be said about the a few feet away on the platform. D.C.-is clearly seen as an embarass- ment at a time when Anthony is and despite the fact that Jim had fifteen minutes previously made a currently standing for office in the Executive speech calling on ine forthcoming AUEW elections.

of Council to adopt policy But the Stalinists of the London national blacking North D.C. are not alone in wishing When asked by a steward from to forget about Desoutters.

the floor what his position on Wright

NO MENTION

blacking droned was. about how the right wing in the E.C. had blocked it because of their At a quarterly meeting of AUEW fear of lawsuits. Shop Southall Stewards Wright claimed that he thought Thursday night the Broad Left Also attending the Southall Shop Stewards was lan Meeting

SWP

Morris candidate in the AUEW presidential elections.

Morris spoke only • once during the course of the meeting to pro- pose that a collection be taken up for the Desoutter workers.

But he talled to make any inter.

vention against Bob Wright-who is.

one of his rivals in the ater alt. elections for president. Why did Morris make no inter vention on the question of national blacking of Desoutters? This abject failure is all the more astonishing as Morris's candidature has actually been endorsed by some of the Desoutter workers!

Evert Besoutter • striker has the right to know why Morris failed to Wright

THON

question.

EPS VOTE TO RETURN

700 workers at Export Packing of the fact that they regarded Services, Banbury, voted last Friday Morris as their spokesman.

to end their 3-week strike for an Indeed a letter to all employees immediate £15 per week pay in- from managing director Benham crease. had urged all workers to attend the This was after local TGWU off- Friday mass meeting, saying: icial Morris had opposed a stewards' "A mass meeting has been org recommendation to stay out for the anised I understand your full- full claim, and played up the man- time officer will be attending the agement's threat to close the meeting, and I ask you to take factory. notice of what he has to say."

Management had made no secret In other words A groundswell of opposition to the move has risen up within the

NUJ.

The Darlington strikers have voted to stay out while the mediator is at work, the London Office chapel has condemned the 110 C

SOLID

A mass lobby of the NUJ NEC week to force the executive union maintain the

MORE DETAILS

official status of the strike and to keep paying strike pay. The main task is to keep the Nu strike sond. Coupled with a Please send me major attempt to keep the print Socialist League. unions out in support. The PIC move is not a sellout of Name.. printers The attack is by the bureaucracy Address of all unions against all members. A joint campaign be fought Post to WSL, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 IHR.

HILLISE

against it. Page li this position was wrong-but gave no indication of what he was goirs to do to fight it Wright and his CP We say Io backers-if you are for blacking as you suggest, why have you done nothing about it? The events of the past week show that only a sharp orientation against the bureaucracy can this strike. Swift and co аплопу, veterans in the art of selling ou: struggles, and can only be beater.

down if their every move is system- atically followed and brought the of the attention workers throughout North London Money alone will not win this strike. is of course absolutely essential order keep the strike, but workers out on it inadequate to win all the demands.

National blacking is the key to Last victory. Oxford week the

AUEW

District Committee weTt blacking in tael are. which has already led to refusal by stewards Leyland Body Plant at Cowley to repair Desoutter tools. Pressure must now be kept ug on the London North and Southal districts to they ensure organise area-wide blacking. And using these areas as levers.

the strikers must organise lobbies to Iorce a.c. to blacking Donations to the Strike Fund to: Jim Black, 27 Springfield Mount Colindale N.W.9.

STILL AVAILABLE

THE TOOLROOM STRIKE AND

THE FIGHT TO END WAGE

CONTROL

Articles reprinted from the Special Edition of Socialist Press analysing the political consequences of the toolmakers strike and the Lib-Lab pact.

Price 25p plus 10p p&p from WSL, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill London NW5 1HR knew the content of Morris' speer: before union members! Morris' In the position coming on top of management hav- ing issued notice of dismissal to al!

manual workers, managed to carr a 3-1 majority in the mass meeting against the stewards' recommend- ation. The EPS workers now return to conditions of status quo before the dispute

EXPONT DAGAING

SONICE LIMITED

EPS pickets during their recent strike more information about the Workers

Page 12

12-MONTH

RULE MUST

BE BROKEN

Futiling all the hopes of the Stock Exchange speculators, inter- national bankers and CBI leaders,

TUC

the have endorsed the called "12 month rule" by a 7-4 majority. Immediately afterwards bureaucrats socialist stampede of * d3 rushing to "reluctantly" accept the stage-manared result. The significance of this vote is inereiore lar wider reaching than and end itself. It means that the ine rule entire official apparatus that teeds off the trade union movement has struggle. dedicated itself to the task of hold- ung back wage claims or a lurtner year. that the policy It allo decisions of individual union inadequate conterences-the only opportunity workers have for their own demands-- been have turned.

TIED

In particular this is the case of the the two largest country-the TGWU and the AUEW -which both rejected wage control but are now tied to the TUC policy.

And it means that workers wno now take up the fight to bring forward their pav reviews in order to regain and defend their living employer and the active sabotage of union officials servile supporters in every area.

members. This fight will be combined with of workers struggling known against Healey's 10% limit as their regular pay reviews fail due. Until broken were banned these restraints are struggle will They Impedes every section of workers. HOTO: Chris Davies. Repor class Murray treachery Strike.

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PRESS

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TUC

GRUNWICK PLAN

TOP SECRET

The breaking of wage controls all

SUDOOIL LU

would immediately create a massive struggles. and governmental crisis and could well For standards. cause the tal of the present L10- Lat coalition government, opening of ving

COST

the possibility of a fight to establish against inflation. programme now and break leadership within the Labour Party.

Demand the oust Callaghan and Healey!

This offers the only prospect for à struggle to detend living standards This unemployment.

PAY CONFERENCE

whv our demands are loursquare behind workers who take up this

DETAILS PAGE 10

Break TUC pay dictates! Full Tories welcomed: Standing Ovations for Wage Cuts, Citrine It's often the smaller details that give the best insight into bureau- cratic jamborees like the TUC Congress. This year was no exception.

trade unionists from all over the country who arrived in On Monday, Blackpool to lobby the TUC found police ranged three deep around the doors to protect the horde of plump, suited functionaries Only afterwards did it emerge that Tory MPs Barney Heyhoe (well- for his travels on the Grunwick scabs' bus) and James Prior had been allowed in to observe the proceedings from which trade unionists But clearest indicator of the feeling within the hall was the standing ovations that were granted to two heroes of the assembled bureaucrats...

James Callaghan and Lord Citrine.

no introduction as a wage-cutter, social Callaghan of course needs service wrecker, dole queue millionare and Liberal-lover.

But some workers might not be so familiar with the claim to fame of 90-year old Citrine. He was the man who headed the 1926 TUC in their nine-day sell-out of the General Strike, followed by the betrayal of the still smiling miners.

Thanks to Citrine it was a weakened and defeated British working into the depression and slump of the that was thrown Of course today's TUC leaders have done all they can to match this performance. And indeed they have succeeded in slashing their members' living standards by more over the last 2 years than they fell after the Generai Strike Citrine's direct successor has shown his enthusiasm for but has not yet been able to try his hand at ending a General And, a little uncertain as to what the next year of policing wage controls may bring, he and his TUC buddies clearly regard the presence of the decrepit Citrine as a lucky mascot.

* £1.50 £3.00 £6.00 €2.10 +4.71 €8.40

BLACK

ALL

SERVICES

workers in pay defend living big increases with to protect clause. Lib-Lab coalition! "Left" MPs fight to A clear indication of the TUC's to continue policing determination wage cutting came in the debate on the minimum wage at this year's TUC conference. A resolution from NUPE calling for a minimum wage of f50 a weck (£20 a week below the industrial wage which is itself an inadequate wage) was rejected by Congress

NUPH

leader A an has been one of the most consistent advocates of wage controls.

His rerusal to lead his members in wages struggles-using the excuse that his union nas no muscle' has meant that his members have remained among the trom thei paid in the country In arguing that the fo a week his members received under Phase One was the largest single increase they nad ever nad, ne of course omittec to point out that even f6 under Phase 1 and 42% under Phase 2 was

LOW PAY

1930s Bakers striking for Bank Holiday money have recorded massive votes all over the country in support of revealing the action dispute goes well beyond the single issue involved. the demand for paid Behind there bank holidays, concern over long hours and low

£3,000 FUND

Our Special Fund has received a welcome boost since the last issue of Socialist Press. A total of £405.01 has arrived at the office in the last two weeks, bringing the total to date to £2,317.19 Among the latest donations were: Central London: £20; JW £44.30; JS £14; AS, Stoke £3.75; Derbyshire reader £1; Hertfordshire reader £9; MS £12.50; MH £30; CK £5; Posters £20; Birmingham £15; Liverpool £3.40; Hull £6; Sheffield £20; Car workers £27.75; Leeds £31; Aylesbury £9; Castleford £2; Oxford £127.21.

With a little over two weeks to go to the end of the month, an extra special effort will be needed to raise the outstanding £682.81. At the same time the regular £600 monthly fund should not be forgotten. The raising of this fund is essential to the day to day running of the paper.

Donations to either fund should be sent to: Socialist Press Fund 31, Dartmouth Park Hill london NG THR SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 14 September 1977

£50 WAGE

"TOO MUCH'

-MURRAY

inadequate to keep wages ahead of prices. Now atter two vears of wage his members _and those controls, "traditionally" low paid other industries have been told by the fight TUC that they cannot even for a guaranteed minimum wage of average £50. If workers were to accept this they would be forced to continue with the enormous Fisher, overtime at present worked in order to make up a livug wage The

TUC

decision must be all completely rejected low paid workers who should demand that their union executives support any action they take for substantial lowest wage increases. Such action should also include the demand lor a snuing scule ol the level of linked inflation as assessed by trade union committees in order to defend the gals won

BAKERS FIGHT AGAINST

Pay is appalling. The basic rate is around 75p an hour, which yields With all £30 for a 40-hour weck. the overtime, most production workers take home about £55 for a 60-hour week Federation of Bakers have taken a hard line over the issue that this and after conceding the Bakers Union in

CULA

regrading to 12 They the past months banking on defeating bakery rising workers over this side issue before the annual talks on pay.

—FITTERS' STRIKE

27 fitters at Cartransport Coventry are on strike in a dispute sack plans to savorying Cullwally nine of them. Cartransport, who are moving to a smaller depot, have been negotia- ting for a reduction in staff across yard and all sections-drivers, and have security men and fitters, been insistent that nine of the 27 fitters must lose their jobs.

after fitters started the strike letters from management received would finis use on Seatin saying they August Up to now there has been no work at the depot due to layoffs -and the strikers in the car industry- have decided not to call out the who are contributing to a anvers. hardship fund. However now the Lucas dispute is ended it will be essential for the other drivers ensure laE or contractor maintenance