The surrender in Mozambique of the ion in the remaining African colony of All across Portugal the printing presses of the big daily newspapers ground to a halt last Thursday (September 4) as newspaper workers walked Communist Party, witose supporters out in solidarity with their striking comrades on the Lisbon daily Joral The Jornal workers have been on over a series of demands, the most important of which is the dismissal of the papers general manager, Carlos Machado. whom the workers accusc Originally the workers occupied the paper's offices and plant and prod- praised their responsibility in a statement denouncing the strike, uced their own 'strike edition' of the Jornai, Bul two weeks ago the army a discussion began among workers throughout hoth the newspaper industry and the Borges monopols of which the Jord is bur Wednesday workers irom hoother leading Lisbon daily, Diario de Noticias, convened a general assembly and invited delegates from 11 pances in Lisbon and Portugal's other major centre, the corthör big dent it has put in the Cominunist town of Potto. This mecting - attended by over 400 newspoper workers- voted for a FRELIMO leader Samora Machel addresses a press conferance towards the end of last week's talks with the Portuguese Govarnment in Lusaka.
children.
British police officer finally appointed busincas interests. The lack of social to make some gesture at investigating corruption left the colony after only ten days of his three year term, amidst luck of factory legislation combine LABOUR RESPONSIBLE The consequences of maintaining this of 'international capitalism' in Chile to prop it up elsewhere.
(excluding the Middle East), for which a score: "There is no doubt that Her attention free to all, no unemployment withdrawn".
movement by broadcasting an every ness programme a lengthy explanation This steike was opposed by the in the industry did what they could to sabotage it. Both the Lisbon Organisation of Communst Party Journalists, aod the CP', Lishon cell of graphic artists put out statements oppasing the strike.
Under the influence of the CP workers on two Lisbon newspupers, inciding che biggest Portuguese paper O Seculo, voted against joining the strike.
POUNCED ON This decision by the O Secuto warkers was pounced on by the Government who But the Govertment carried its enthustasm a bit too far. Finding Lie O Seculo printworks surrounded by strike pickets from the othur papers, the Government dispa ched 9 90090 01 аT0I soldiers to protect the O Secufo workers' "right to work". However the O Secuia workers were not so eager to bring but a paper stained with the blood of their fellow workers, and so they decided to hold back the edition until after the strike not just bectuse of its antional scope and the from reaction and take a hig step forward MERINE IN TEBUSY BLOSS Party's stranglehold over the workers mosement, but because of the big debale it is opening up on the best way to defend and extend the democratic mains wilch the Porturess working don, N.T. insurance, no pension, and no insur ance provision for widows with young *This refusal to enact protective legislation cannot be interpreted as anything but active intervention by the Government on behall of services, the refusal to make education compulsory, the poor housing and the with the derisory taxation of the rich, lackadaisical attitudes towards company accounts, etc., to form an all-embracing system of assistance to capital and discrimination against the working population.
REAL FACE
This is the real face of the Labour Government - a Government which will make noises about the manoeuvres of the resolution passed at last week's Just four weeks atter Labour was returned to office, Government spokes man David Ennals was eager to reassure a Tory questioner on this Majesty's Government's commitments to Hong Kong will remain, and there is no suggestion at all that our presence in Hong Kong should be clase has wan since 25 ApriL The Communist Party denounced the strike as a threat to te unity of the people and the Arnied Forces Movement. They argued that the Portugaese press was not 'open and democratic" and that the strike violated the "right of the people to information.
In the aftermath of the strike a goneral assembly of workers from Diario De Noticin (who laonched the strike movemen issued a statement applauding the action of the strikers and the radio and television workers. They stressed the unportance of breaking the bold of the monopolies over the information services and Ley argued that the sinke had resorced the unity al information workers, and strengthened their capacity to take united demonstrated a much higher degree of class ins snot and class consciousness than cerrain political 'specialists give thou credit for. They chose this fore of struggle to serve notice of their atrength and unity"
The statement also reflects the disillusionment of the most politically aware workers with the policies of the coalition Government. It lists as one of the objectives of the strike:
to try and take the initiative away in the attempt to call to the attention of the coalition Government the find alley iato which its hesitant and concilintory policy is allowing the reactionary forces to lead the country.
The statement concludes: "The work Diario De Noticias accuse fbose political forces who opposed the general solidarity strike...of distorting its meaning publicly compromising it by all available means blocking the attainment of it aims, minim ising its results, and isolating the unions from the inass of workers, with actions that could breuk up the weity of wurkers and contribun objectively, to their defeat and the victory of reaction.
Chris Balfou : ЕРТАТІКН ПАЛН:
The United Secretariat of the Fourth / International has made a world-wido ap * peal for funds to build the Greek revolutionary socialist weekly Ergetiki Fal (Workers Struggle), the paper supporte by the Greek Trotskyists whose fusion we announced last week.
In Britein we have set ourselves the modest task of raising E50 towards thi project, of whose importance in the pr I sont situation we are sure all readers an Please send all contributions to: Rec , Weekly IEP), 97 Caledonian Road, Lon Copies of Ergetili Pali are regulariy / avarlable, price 8p Sincludes p&ol from Red Books, 97 Caledonian Road, London!
Ennals was simply reaffirming the previous Labour Government's policy, spelt out by the current darling of the 'left", Judith Hart, in the House of Commons on 26 April 1967: We start from a recognition of the fact that Hong Kong is quite different from any other of nur colonies.... because of Hong Kong's special position, it is not possible to think of normal self-government..
TUC MOTION That it may not be possible for Labour politicians who base themselves on capitalist interests is of course understandable; but it should be quite a different matter for the working class movement as a whole. This means it is casential to campuign for the implementation TUC calling on the general council "to investigate social and economic conditions in Hong Kong and the state of industrial relations there".
Moreover, rank-and-file action must ensure that any such investigation does not take the form of a cover-up job (as happened over South Africa), but instead provides the basis for concerted action to get the imperialists and their Labour backers out of Hong Kong Martin Meteyard Red Weekly 12 September 1974 Page
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