Opposition to all anti-immigration laws is voiced in a resolution to tne caboun Party Conference passed overwhelmingly last week by the General Management Committee of Ealing-Southall Constituency Labour Party (where Syd Bidwell is the MP). Labour, Party members in Ealing-Southall are now working to get a redi campaign on me issue or ine ground. They are pushing in particular tor omner curs to out forward ine same motion wnich reads. ism, by exploiting the concern of working people over the deteriorating jobs, housing and education situation resulting from the present economic crisis, seeks to put the blame on black and immigrant workers in order to divide and weaken Ine Labour and trade union movement.
'Conference asserts the basic unity of interest between all sections of the working class and declares that the way *This conference recognises that racial that breeds racial hatred to combat racism is for the labour move ment to fight for the end of the system 'Conference further believes that the workers or all countries snould nave the freedom to move from one country to another without restrictions, and should be able to take part in political activity. To this end we call upon the Labour Government to repeal the 1971 Immigrat ion Act, the 1948 Nationality Act, and all other anti-immigration laws. ship which can in some way be solved in isolation from the general system of society. These approaches also fail to differentiate between the racism of the bourgeoisie and the low political consciousness and race prejudices of the white working class. They fail to understand that racist ideology is not an end in itself but a means which serves to maintain the status quo - a part of which is the economic relationship in which black workers are exploited by capitalism The second part of this article will deal with the economic and social functions of racism and its relationship to racist ideology.
self-defence! The national demonstration against racism last Sunday brought together reformist, Stalinist and revolutionary organisations and groups spanning from the Westminster CRC (Community Relations Council) to the International Marxit Group.
The International Socialists substituted a van-load of placards for a mobilisation in trying to give the impression that they dominated the The unanimous support given by all black speakers to the slogan of black self-defence at the 4 July demonstration, the large size of the IMG contingent, and the big sale of Red Weekly bore testimony to the success of the speaking tour on racism organised by Red Weekly. Tariq Ali, the main speaker, received an enthusiastic reception in the last week of the tour.
COVENTRY: 'Full support for black self-defence' was the unanimous position of a meeting largely composed of Asian workers. who neare ocar wa 30er Asmir Bains give a pledge to organise defence in the area.
OXFORD: the hundred strong audience heard Tariq once again rebut the false arguments of the Workers Socialist League, who refuse to support the slocan of labour movement support for black self-defence. At one point, a WSL leader asked: "Who says that police attack black workers more than white workers?" Tariq declared to applause that he said so, and would go on saying NOTTINGHAM: National Coal Board and National Union of Mineworkers officials have collaborated to make sure that oniy one pit in the area is open to black workers. This revelation was made to a large meeting in the city by an MG member or the Num.
BRISTOL: Over 150 people heard Taric and local 1&GVU convenor march. Other banners and placards carried slogans ranging from the CP's liberal wishy-washy 'One race -the human race to those calling for the repeal of all immigration laws, no platform for fascists, and the building of black self-defence. The dominant chants on the march centred around this last question, The march was preceded by a rally at Speaker's Corner, where representatives from about a dozen political groups spoke. A spokesman from the newly formed Indian Defence Committee called for active self-defence.
Joe Hunt, from the West Indian Standing Conference, called for la multi-racial society at all cost'. In reference to the racists, he said: •We have decided we are going to take on the bull anytime it decides ... We are the bullfighters.' This rhetorical outburst by the WISC, quite uncharacteristic of the group's actual liberal accommodationist role, expressed the feelings of most of the black and white revolutionaries who responded with loud applause.
Shop Floor Another speaker from the Afro-* Caribbean Association called for action on the shop floor to defeat racism. *We must stop production unless we stop production we will not make a political point, he said.
Maurice Styles, speaking on behalf of the TUC General Council, tried to apologise for the lack of trade union support on the demonstr ation by protesting that the TUC did not know about it until three days previously. He was met with chants of Where is Murray, Jones, Scanlon, Tariq Ali, speaking for the IMG, pointed out the conspicuous silence Ked weekly o July defence, rejecting the former, fail to understand the relationship between the building of black self-defence and the establishment of workers' self-defence, and also the immediate nature of the need for black self-defence.
It should not be forgotten by those who counterpose black and workers' defence that: (a) blacks form a part of the working class; (b) it is partly because of the dormant state of the labour movement and the traitorous policies of the trade union leaders that the need for black self-defence arises; and (c) building black self-defence in ing the working class and demandMovement Must Support Black Self-Defence'.
Leroy M. Gordon 1910 summit new capital.
no way hinders our work in educating as we did on the march: Labour Why should British Leyland management offer four brand new Rovers, and £5 vouchers for drink, and a free meal for a couple in their raffle. Most workers at the Solihull plant thought it was About the only startling thing to happen at the two day summit of the seven major capitalist countries in Puerto Rico was the arrival of Concorde in the poverty-stricken country. At least that is how it appeared, because all the grafting and fixing had already taken place.
Take Dennis Healey's promise to reduce unemployment in Britain to 600,000 by the end of 1979 - part of the hallowed social contract. The Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development reported about a week before the summit that the main enemy was still inflation. To limit it to an average 7 to 8 per cent per annum.. for most industrial countries - Britain's rate would still be nearer 15 per cent - the OECD wants economic growth restricted to a maximum of 5 to 5½ per cent a year. The OECD on this projection put Britain's growth rate at 3 per cent - and US President Ford reiterated the OECD position at the Puerto Rican But as Red Weekly pointed out at the time of Healey's wild claim, it would take a growth rate of over 8 per cent to get unemployment down to the figure he mentioned — which is just as likely as Britain putting someone on the moon. Now she couldn't even borrow a rocket!
And remember that famous strings-free £5.3 billion in standby credit Healey obtained a few weeks back when the pound was on the ropes? Suddenly these non-existent strings have taken the form of veritable steel chains. Mr Gerald Parsky, assistant secretary of the US Treasury, told the Government on 21 June that it was not enough to claim that the money markets had got the exchange rates all wrong - they had to change their domestic policies. Callaghan wilts Callaghan promptly obliged. Backed by the Iron Chancellor, he told the TUC-Labour Party liaison committee: As leader of the party can give no guarantee that there will not be further cuts in 1978-79. Plans for public spending cuts of a further £1,000m in the 1977-8 have been leaked'. Schemes for a further £2,500m cuts contingency plan of sterling collapses again have also been ordered by Callaghan according to a report in the 27 June Sunday Telegraph. On 29 June this was followed up by Callaghan telling the lett in the Commons that the profitability of manufacturing industry had to take precedence over public expenditure.
The Investor's Chronicle of 2 July has Shirley Williams confidently expect ing profits to be as high as £11,600 million in 1976. The reasons for that aren't hard to find. Between January 1975 and January 1976 unemployment virtually doubled, prices soared by 26 per cent and real take home pay fell 6 per cent. From January 1975 to December 1975 total trading profits were £9,516 million according to the Central Statistical Office. In the same period manufacturing industry invested just £1,809 million in The idea that being nice to capitalists makes them invest - something the TUC leadership has fully adopted - means that the social services are being bled white - and for what? So that even if firms do invest, more jobs can be 'rationalised' out of existence. In the public sector, 35,000 civil service jobs alone are now being considered for the axe, while one estimate of the number of jobs which will be destroyed by the cuts in public services is 200,000.
But just in case you're worried about your job, take comfort in this. As Dennis Healey said the other week: if Britain keeps it nerve now, continues with the Labour Government's policies, in the next decade Britain will enjoy the kind of economic miracle that West Germany did in the '50s and France in the '60s. Must be the heat.
deal, felt compelled to resign. or senting mam to coventy GOOD RECORD ed by rationalisation.
factory in Western Europe'.
To the anger of a meeting of 2,000 workers called in the Solihull plant, it was discovered that the raffle was in return for a massive increase in overtime working. In addition the management declared its intention to re-introduce the industrial engineers to increase line speeds. In the face of this anger, senior steward Fred Conway, who had been party to the An alternative policy was then put forward by steward Raghib Ahsan - to oppose the raffle and impose an overtime ban. Racism was used to oppose this argument. A white worker jumped up and said it was all very well to put forward this policy but everyone knew that Ahsan had six wives and could afford it. This argument got short shrift, however - the speaker was booed from the platform, and stewards discussed the possibility Solihull has so far got a good record of struggle. It rejected both the decrease in manning levels and the collaborationist attempts of the Ryder Report to set up joint management committees. The next stage of the struggle will be the fight against the re introduction of the industrial engineers in the autumn. It is a struggle which should receive the support of all workers in British Leyland, because it involves a fight for the jobs of the workers at Canley, Browns Lane and all the plants threatenThe raffle was rigged. But as usual you have to look deeper for the reason why the village fete came to the most advanced
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Tour success
•MENT Southall Youth Movement provided'a big contingent on the demonstration. Tariq Ali (inset) denounced silence of Labour lefts
ROVER'S RIGGED RAFFLE