German Lib-Lab government crisis

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The instability inherent in any coalition government is being rapidly accentuated in West Germany.

Only three weeks after the humiliating resignation of the Defence Minister after revelations about the huge extent of illegal military spying against civilians, the Social Democratic (SPD)-Liberal Free Democrat (FDP) alliance sutfered a major blow last week.

In a parliamentary vote over increased repressive legislation Chancellor Schmidt scraped home by a margin of one vote.

Separated

The alliance normally has a 10 vote margin over the Christian Democrat (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) opposition.

Under the new legislation lawyers will be separated from their jailed clients by a partition to prevent the passing of objects, police will have widened powers of search including access throughout a whole apartment block not just a single flat, and the possibility is opened up for the state to refuse contact between lawyer and a jailed client in the case of suspected terrorism!

'Lefts' Four left wing' SPD members voted against these measures, which follow on a year of consolidation of the already. extreme repressive powers, including the build up of the Federal Criminal Bureau; the establishment of a special anti-terrorist squad; and the refusal of contact between lawyers and their jailed clients in situations of 'special danger'.

SPD-FDP rebels voted against this latter measure last year, similarly threatening the majority of the coalition.

This move by the lefts' has undoubtedly been forced on them, not least by the conference of Young Socialists (JUSOS).

On February 12, this body elected 'left' president, resolved to cooperate with 'democratic communists' and supported the Bertrand Russell tribunal investigating the violation of human rights in Germany.

In an attempt to head off the rising opposition to his coalition, Schmidt's government has softened its attacks on pension levels.

Pension cuts

But even the revised plans mean cuts in pension increases this year and nextto rises of less than 5%-and increases in employee contributions (in effect, a form of income tax) to almost a tenth of total earnings.

From 1982 workers will also have to pay towards their sickness insurance.

Attacks like this are helping to fuel an increasingly militant offensive by the working class against the 'LibLab' coalition government's 5% wage norm-an offensive which is growing despite the recent sharp rise in unemployment to 1.2 million or 52% of the workforce.

month ago the first official dock strike for decades was called in support of a 9% wage claim.

The port employers had offered 6%, already in excess of the government's guideline.

The rebuff for the coalition government was followed by an even ruder rebuff for the union leadership when workers decisively rejected the compromise of 62% negotiated which they had proudly negotiated.

Settlement

The bureaucracy skulked back to the employers to get yet another increase in the offer to 7% which was in the end accepted Last week a settlement within the norm was reached in the depressed steel industry.

But in other sectors, deadlock is being reached in an increasing number of negotiations which break the government' s norm.

In the important North Rhine-Westphalia region the engineering employers have refused to offer more than 3% in response to an 8% claim by the union IG Metall.

Forced agreement

The official mediator last week failed to force an agreement and unofficial strikes began.

And in Stuttgart printers rejected an outline agreement on wages and the introduction of new technology which was designed to end a series of recent strikes.

Communist Party's efforts to keep Andreotti in office. :

They have also dropped their demand for cabinet posts in a future government, and are now seeking only a formal recognition by the Christian Democrats. •that their government depends on Communist votes in Parliament.

The historical compromise' has now been compromised to the hilt. The economic bloodletting carried out on workers is now not even to serve as dowry for the Stalinist chiefs to enter into a properly arranged marriage with the Papal Tories, but merely as the quid pro quo of a squalid, informal liaison.

Fear

Nonetheless, the government crisis has now lasted over a month, with further behind-the-scenes 'consultations' this week.

But the real obstacle to a new coalition is not disagreements between Andreotti and the leaders of the workers' parties, but their common fear that any policy agreement will break on the rocks of massive working class hostility.

Recent demonstrationsopposed by the CP leadership-brought tens of thousands onto the streets of Rome to march against unemployment.

Terrorism

Under these conditions, terrorist acts-such as last week's assassination of magistrate Ricardo Palma, claimed by the so-called 'Red Brigage' -can be expected to multiply.

For all the crocodile tears shed by the Stalinist leaders, the real effect of terrorism is now to reinforce the Comor naw and order supporter and to sow confusion among workers and socialists who wish to build an alternative, revolutionary leadership to break the Stalinists' grip on the labour movement.

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The Stalinist and reformist making a shameful offer leaders are thus heading the capitalist class and LA EXPROPICIOX towards building the all- imperialism as a whole.

Sition which they tried to ships are unnecessary because construct when in govern- we will go to any lengths to ment. defend capitalism and police They do the working class under the eton there elnak of democracv".

Popular Unity was used to head off movement of working class The exiled leaders of the Chilean Popular Unity- The exiled leaders of the Chilean Popular UnityWhich Salvador Allende's nresidency was based -have which Salvador Allende's presidency was based - have S DE EX-SUMAR and are progressing"

embracing class collaborationist alliance in exile and opposnot, however, sUP WIELE.

Corvalan has recently talked of the need to build an alliance also with the "progressive" and "democratic" officers in Pinochet's army!

Sidling together

Now as the Popular Unity sidles up towards the Christian Democrats, the MIR, far from resisting this, is simultaneously sidling up to the Popular Unity.

To illustrate this we are reprinting below a recent joint declaration between the MIR and the Popular Unity.

Mention of ""differences" between the organisations are redundant since this statement, like others made by the MIR leadership, proves that these "revolutionaries" can In doing this they are to to They are saying in effect:

"Your military dictatorThe Chilean workers and peasants must reject this policy which would spell disaster for their interests.

This popular front policy led the Chilean working class to catastrophe between 1970 and 1973 when it paved the way for Pinochet's repression.

It can carry them to disaster again. The way forward for the Chilean working class lies in the total rejection of class collaboration, in the fight for organisation and a revolutionary socialist programme completely independent of the capitalist class.

Duty

It is the elementary duty of revolutionaries to fight for that independence.

The leaders of the MIR

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the class-collaborationist, popular front alliance on the class-collaborationist, popular front alliance on