Spiralling inflation, rising unemployment, deteriorating social services - the working class has had to bear all these burdens of the economic crisis of British capitalism. The Tories and the bankers, both international and home grown, are now baying for even more sacrifices -by the workers.
What this will mean is even more attacks on working class rights and living standards, led by the Labour Government: more budget cuts, more unemployment, more hand- it outs to the capitalists from workers pockets. At the same time the Government is doing everything in its power to undermine the ability of the working class to fight back. At the moment this is taking the form of a 'Social Contract Mark IT' with tougher terms and stronger teeth. But this will not be drastic enough for the capitalists, and the Government will soon have to take up some form of compulsory incomes policy to satisfy their needs.
WORKERS
The Institute of Workers' Control (IWC) will be holding a conference over the weekend of 19 -20 July on the theme "The Way Forward for Workers' Control'. Potentially this could be an important event in the workers' movement, in that it will be the first major gathering of forces from the left of the labour movement since the defeat in the EEC referendum and the stepping up of Government attacks on working class living standards.
The Way Forward for Workers' Control New Government You are invited to Discuss LECENDI We can also expect to see a continuation of attacks on the right to organise - another means of undermining the power of the working class to defend its interests. Strengthening of the power of the state on how to deal with political proEldon Square now under attack.
The sweeping conspiracy laws are assy.
WAS MALE CSS.
sary to win out unless it is able LAURA LEVITT (Report)
under cover of talk about fighting "terrorism' and gearing up the army tests on the streets of Northern Ire land are all part of Labour Government policy. The attacks on picketing are still going on, with the Shrewsbury pickets in jail and workers at still being used in cases like the recent arrest of 21 Iranian students for built in action. peacefully protesting at their EmbWhat is urgently needed under these circumstances is for all those who oppose the anti-working class policies of the Wilson Government to unite in action to fight those policies and defend working class interBut such opposition will not win the sort of mass support necesto put forward an alternative programme of action to that of Wilson and the capitalists to meet the crisis.
It is this task which the IWC conLabour Party.
Just to prove that he was not concernbeing as that of his country, the Shah said:
le man who has been shot who attempted ecutive Committee.
evans executed for allegedly plotting to assasinErnie Roberts of the AUEW - one of the speakers at the WC conference ference - which will probably be attended by some 500 delegates from bodies of the labour movement -could start to take up. These delegates could begin the discussion on the sort of programme needed to unite the left against Wilson, and could set in motion the sort of measures necessary to get such a prog ramme taken up throughout the workers' movement and such unity It will be futile in the present situation if this conference - like many previous IWC conferences limits itself to an abstract discussion of the importance of workers conWorkers control over produc tion and the whole economy must be an essential part of any plan to meet the crisis in the interests of the working class. But it must be fought The machine controlling East Nottfor as part-and-parcel of a set of measures that link up with all the various struggles in which the working class is engaged, and be tied to proposals to actually organise the fight against the right wing for leadership of the workers' movement.
The International Marxist Group will be taking part in the conference. and working to build it, on the basis of promoting this conception of what it should be setting out to do. Further issues of Red Weekly will contain more material on the conference, and our idea of what moves are needed if the fight-back against the offensive of the right wing and the capitalists is to be got off the ground For further information on the con ference or credential forms write to: Con ference Secretary, IWC, Bertrand Russell House, Gamble Street, Nottingham NG7 4ET (tel. 0602 - 74504). led the Council to withdraw its plans.