Conference fights new Criminal Law Act

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The outcome of this dispute is not yet known; but the British government has offered to match any credit terms that the French offer.

The growing panic caused by the trade war was highlighted in two reports produced by the international body, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).

One report by three senior - LESS EDUCATION children over 13 were in highly successful "higher grade' schools and being taught physics, astronomy algebra and mechanics.

Ultra vires

So alarmed did the bourgeoisie become by this type of education being given to working class children that the financing of science teaching in elementary schools was ruled ultra vires by a test case, the Cockerton Judgement of 1899.

Shortly afterwards the 1902 Education Act abolished schools boards and put control of education in the hands of new education authorities based on larger and therefore probably middle class controlled areas.

In Leeds this provoked the biggest demonstrations since the 1830's.

No way Control over poor reliet and over council rents were similarly taken over by central government in the 1930°s and in 1971-because certain Labour controlled authorities refused to abide by the restrictions centrally proposed.

There is no way in which education under capitalist rule can be fashioned to adequately serve the class interests of workers' children.

Only in a situation of dual power such as was achieved through mass struggle in France in 1968 contradiction between the world-wide nature of the economy and the restrictions of the nation state is expressed through protectionism.

It is inevitable that in a crisis capitalism will turn to destructive fratricidal solutions.

It is the task of socialists to fight against these solutions and against the and Portugal in 1974 were brief instances seen of school students redesigning their curricula to include education in Marxism and kicking out recalcitrant teachers.

The purging of revolutionary elements and the restoration of the examination system is still going on in No illusions Fred Jarvis may claim to be afraid of a takeover by Tory Black Paper backwoodsmen but he would be equally opposed to workers control of education in a revolutionary situation.

Revolutionaries should have no illusions in the Taylor proposals.

But if they result in schools being less autocratically run by diehard headteachers and in some cases brought up to date and made more interesting and relevant to students then we give them mild approval. must expose, outright the Certainly, all teachers reactionary motivations behind their leaders' "professionalism', and take up the fight for a leadership that will link teachers much more closely with the needs and the strengths of the organised workers' movement.

NUT branches should discuss the best way of tackling this task-and the ways in which the fight to develop genuine workers control over education can be linked to the fight against the cuts.

The mounting opposition of the working class to the battery of attacks by the Lib-Lab coalition found an expression at the recent conference of the Campaign Against the Criminal Trespass Law. :

300 delegates-representing industrial workers, public service employees, students, squatters, Trades Councils and Labour Parties-packed Digbeth Hall, Birmingham, for a weekend conference two days before Part Two of the Criminal Law Act 1977 (Criminal Trespass Law) came into force on December 1.

Delegates were left in no doubt of the vital importance of occupations in struggle.

Workers who had been involved industrial occupations spoke of the advantages of being inside the gates-protection from police harassment at the picket line, facility in refusing deliveries of goods and the warmth and comfort of strikers, particularly in winter.

Wider powers

The new act gives wider powers to the police to enter, search and arrest without warrant, restricts the right to jury trial, allows greater scope to private bailiffs and security companies, and makes passive resistance: involved in occupations a criminal offence providing for six month jail sentences •and fines of £1,000.

WSL comrades urged the building of councils of action to oppose the implementation of this law, that trades councils should break Rule 15 to facilitate this, and for a clear political perspective of smashing the Lib-Lab coalition.

With tactical opposition from some NALGO delegates the following extract was included in the motion which was passed overwhelmingly:

"That law is made, interpreted and enforced by the ruling class to back up its anti-working class policies and defend its property and profits: and that the law is used not only to attack the ability of the working class to organise, but also to create divisions within the class by criminalising certain sections certain actions and by feeding and stirring up prejudices, in order to confuse the law and make purpose of real nature and label militant action in defence of working class interests as 'criminal'.

For details of the campaign contact CACTL, c/o 35, Wellington Street, London WC2. 01-289-3877.

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In between writing a major feature article for the Sunday Times' advocating permanent wage controls, General and Municipal Workers Union leader David Basnett has been campaigning for an inquiry into the Labour This call, first moved at

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