Socialist Action No. 105, 14 June 1985

Socialist Action (IMG / Socialist League) · 14 June 1985 · 12 pages, 17,356 words read by machine

The scan: 105-jun-14-1985-SA-UK.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive)

Uncorrected machine reading of the whole issue. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from the scan and has not been corrected or cut into articles. Each page gives the headlines first, then the columns in order, so one article runs on into the next. Expect misread words. Use it to find things; quote from the scan.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Page 1 scan of this page

Black anger sweeps

South Africa

No. 105 14 June 1985 30p

SOCiAlist

ACTiON

daily lives. year more than 400 people Since August the police or military. This have died at the hands is the regime's answer to those who refuse to accept state president value - that is the millions 'reforms' of blacks tolerate longer governed by a governmen hey never electec All over there against apartheid. But demonstra- are the tions, even the most milihont, are not enougSouth fighting people of

place

WHEN 18 PEOPLE are killed by police in the

squatter settlement Crossroads because they refuse

to be moved to 'homelands' which many of them

have never seen; when more than 20 people in a

funeral procession get shot on the anniversary of the

Sharpeville massacre, it sends a wave of revulsion

around the world. But for the black people of South

Africa violent death and state tyranny is part of their

organised labour of last ment black trade centre

struggle their face the stay-away who can Day being which the with ocratic world demonstrations Cape brutality of theid Africa need active support has

in their struggle and, in the

from the

can

such in

only move-

With the rise of the

working class is playing an pages) unions the black (see not

increasingly vital role

The great November, the huge May strike last

demonstrations, in unions joined United Demthe Azapo, Front League united action against apar- Action

Broad South Africa must travel. shows

In the United States the

senate foreign committee

imtions against South Africa. mediate package voted for of sanc

A campaign for sanctions

play a useful role in publicising the true situation in South Africa. But,

sanctions

themselves. those proposed

decisive role. the The memory of 'sanc -as Senate play no tions against Rhodesia' is

minds. In the end it was too fresh in our

By Charlie van Gelderen

fighting units of the libera- sanctions but

tion forces down Smith. We must also which brought

beware that Reagan may

use the passing tions against South Africa

to strengthen his argument

against defeat of the revolution in increased Nicaragua.

Central America defeat for also be a South African revolution International working class solidarity is an entireport workers should refuse ly different matter.

to load, unload or convey goods to or from the apar hear the pathetic cry: "But theid will hurt the republic We

this people most'. people themselves are ask-

ing for such measures

workers are already suffer- South Africa's

ing from a 25 ing incomes and increased unemployment rate,

pressive laws of apartheid. taxation, and the to the ILO conference in Geneva last year stresses that the recession is hur- ting the black workers: In The report

practice, black workers are

forced to make what, for sanc contributions them. maintenance of the apar-

sanctions turn, refuses them a voice theid system would and economic policies.

the

membership of unions. . Trans- The

Anti-Apartheid Movement

NATIONAL

DEMONSTRATION

JUNE 16th

Assemble: 12-1pm, County Hall, York Rd., London

Rally: 3pm, Trafalgar Square repressive arrested, black been The black

black

per cent fall

the op- townships. evidence presented mon sight. intimidated that it alone

are very significant

the

which,

in the shaping of financial

. It

goes on to say that the fal

in real incomes prompted

La surge in strikes and black lives -urgent government has

responded by using the apartheid to try to crush apparatus the unions. Unionists have have been banned and the meetings Trespass Act used to prevent strike occupations.

To this must be added the daily killings. In the Eastern Cape, the scene of the March massacre, the

army is now very much in

and army tents are a com- Road all blocks the

But the people are not

final battle. Neither terror who can is they They and they WIll know the

nor fake reforms will dete

them from continuing the

fight for freedom. black freedom fighters of Solidarity with the

South Africa most urgently those facing • including

frame-up priorities for the is one of the most trials for their entire labour movement

Page 2 scan of this page

What alliances should make to win their demands? This question, as old as the struggle for women's liberation itself, will be asked by many women again after the experiences they have gone through in the recent period.

It is a question posed very concretely for those in the Women's Action Committee of the Labour Party — who have fought hard for greater representation for women within che labour movement only to find that men win once again when it comes to the crunch at latest round of re-selections. remain the runners up. alliances is of concern to women in the peace movement. It is a burning issue tor women in the mining communities who have to wait until July to know wielden their Lenichous tions in the strike will be rewarded by associate membership of the NUM.

The first task in consolidating any alliance is the organisation of women themselves within the ment. This may seem an obvious point after the rise of the Women Against the ri closures movement, and the record of the Greenham women, but it is not fully grasped by many in the labour

By Valerie Coultas

The labour movement has nothing to fear from women's organisation, and black organisation - and everything to gain. When discriminated groups come forward and fight they strengthen not only themselves but enrich the the entire working class. The involvement or women in the miners' strike showed everyone, who had eyes to see, that the future of the pits effected the Clailly as a whole stuck with the miners all the way and are still taking a lead in the fight for an amnesty for sacked and miners.

The Greenham women's camp has won more women to the peace movement than any smngie olci action CND has taken. The commitment of women to resist the missiles despite harassment and harsh sentencIng and to campaign nuclear disarmament is doubted by noULiC.

Marx

Karl Marx was simply one of the first socialists to explain the hypocrisy

the bourgeoisie's 'equality'. He pointed out that it is meaningless to say that everyone has 'equal opportunity' capital, and acquire property, when some people in reality own and control the means of production, distribution and exchange, and others do not.

Within the labour movement it is also a purely formal, and bourgeois application of 'equal opportunity' stops a political current such as Militant understanding that women and blacks are socially oppressed groups that do

the the workforce, or the HOW CHICH labour lobung to men and walles.

That is why positive action, and positive discrimination is necessary to give women and blacks real equality -not a false formal equality that ignores reality and the effects of centuries of discrimination and oppression. onus is not on blacks and women to 'fit in'. t's the other way round.

Socialist Action 14 June 1985

Barnsley in

at the back.

labour moyement demands of the

Hmmeline

wnere

Women

contribu- Christobel and

women's labour move-

elitist one. said Christobel -

Party.

selfself- Her

struggle of

Britain.

The women Debate imprisoned

peace among

view.

unilateral the labour

Bishops,

Some in WAC

concern for

accumulate

movement.

that blems of women The mass

the miners' 'equal' trade

The fight for

The

The be won.

labour movement must go to blacks and women and 'fit in' with them. This the NUM began to do at its march in

May for example when

Take up that

and Christabel

movement Emmeline

the battle for But they were with the the mass ot were concen-

and opposed the turn to Women

Owen

the struggles and black

such as all

demands

waged with not for

'LADIES OF Great Britain, we are clever, we are efficient, we are trustworthy, we are twice the women that our grandmothers were, but we have not enough devil in us...

Wherever one gets a gathering of women socialists, one gets a programme of such charity gifts from the State as free meals and school clinics for children: excellent things, but discontentedly as niggardly instalments of a long-due debt.

children grow up in servitude. A slave is more of a slave when he is well fed than when he is hungry.' Rebecca West: 'Women and Wages: Blacklegging and Timidity' from The Clarion, 18th October 1912.

The 1985 Labour Women's Agenda provides us with yet another programme of timid demands for charity gifts from the State, which Rebecca West satirized as far back as 1912. Not timid demands made of Thatcher's State, mind you, but - rather more weaki - of the much longed-for 'future Labour Government' often mentioned in resolu-

many minimal demands: for

for women in rural areas to

decriminalisation of abor

Party — post the Powell bill

backcloth of a deeply pre-

devilish intensity, been en- own, Ine rally las,

government remains firmly

Selected

CIPE place! insuperable qualifications

can the Labour ensure that

elected Parliamentary

WAC evidence constituency parties all-male

sewn up

the male can-

dangerous unless taken

They should watch such things critically lest their

"target' seats for individual males thereby excluding open competition with women; of women with a number of nomination being excluded from final all-male shortlists; of

having to face discriminatory questioning bv ces and branches:

retusing 10 consider women on ne A and 'B' lists on the grounds

WAC Editorial:

Reselection scandal

time. All this is evidence of

attention of the NEC. WAC change will occur here. As in

will be chosen as

lose their ruthless

Hypocrisy

The cynicism and hypocrisy of this position is breathtaking. The collusion of the NEC and its officers

this cynicism and hypocrisy would not be tolerated by genuinely democratic and socialist party.

If our Annual Conference were undemocratic and so unrepresentative of the women of our then moves would have been made years ago against the NEC'S and the Party's discrimination

As it is a Conference in which 90% of those who cast 90% of the votes (the trade union delegations) are

MOMEN

HaI WIN

we are..

Who INSIDE: male, is hardly likely to support a vote of no confidence i an ace so wilig lo relforce prejudice against women. It is time for the

oi the Party declare that they have no confidence in an NEC committed to perpetrating inequality.

It is time for women to declare that programmes pleading for charity gifts from future Labour Government from which _Labour will once again be excluded worth less than the pape they are printed on.

The experience of 1976 — when leading members of the Labour Cabinet connived with leading members of the TUC to ditch the introduction of Child Benefit - must be expected to recur again.

We know already that

How

35p

the overwhelming majority of those forty-four Labour MP's who gave support to Enoch Powell's Bill - have been reselected and will therefore form part of the next Labour Government, should one be elected.

What confidence can women have in their ability to alter the imbalance economic, social and political power that pervades our society: a societ that permits a Bill whic penalises women for their infertility proceed through Parliament without consulting the majority the electorate — precisely that majority most likely to suffer its consequences.

It is time for women to take the maggar stalments of a long-due debt discontentedly' for women to discover the devil in us

WAC's NEC Slate Margaret Beckett MP Joan Maynard MP Claire Short MP Frances Morrell Diane Abbot

Friary Ward Labour Party Public Meeting Gillick — A Woman's Right to Choose

Monday 17 June 7.30 pm

North Peckham Civic Centre

Socialist Action and Revolution

Women's Right to Choose Women's Right to work

June 17 7.30 Unemployed Workers Centre

Willesden High Road.

Speakers include Rose Cooper (SA NALGO) Ann Kane (Revolution Hackney South LPYS) Kay Sutcliffe Ayelsham women's support group,

John Moynihan (NCU branch secretary).

Page 3 scan of this page

can women win?

POWELL'S BILL is dead, but it was killed by a barrage of procedural handgrenades not by convincing political bomb. A campaign has now been started by its supporters 10 persuade the government to bring in its own Bill to ban embryo research in advance of the Warnock Bill now not expected before late 1986.

To back this up, diplomatic campaign of distortion has begun. For example, Powell claims majority in and out of the House opposes embryo

ducted for BBC's Panorama showed 51 per cent approyed if it would lead in to ad-

Powell pops up again

vances in prevention of handicap.

His supporters claim that embryo research has no positive benefits but in vitro fertility treatment just one direct result of such research.

By Leonora Lloyd

NAC is now planning to continue its campaign by producing material explainMamock Report is a way various aspects of the

accessible nonscientists. At our 1985 conference in October, the first session will be devoted to this subject, with a panel of speakers discussing varibus

of Warnock aim is to arm activists with the and facts they need to campaign ef-

fectively.

Meanwite the fight against Gillick's ruling building up. Coaches to the demonstration on Sunday 23 June are being organised all отет tbe country. In many areas trade unions and Labour Parties are sponsoring seats for school students and other young people.

The march, which will be gathering in Lincoln's Inn Fields from 11am onwards. will be Jed hi a bang and youth contingent. At Jubilee Gardens there will

speakers, music, and stalls selling food in aid of various international subuanty cattpalgils. • The organising. committee have produced leaflets. posters and badges available from the NAC office, phone 01-405 4801.

Preview

Labour Women's

conference

in the Labour Party strengthened as a result.

and Finsbury women's section.

This argues for brought forward to allow

Amendments to this resolution include one from Nottingham ROSI section which is critical of the Labour leadership's role in the dispute and calls on the Labour Party to back the NUM'S 'campaign for coal', Amnesty and support for imprisoned miners are points in amendments.

• The miner's strike has highlighted the strength of women's self-organisation. so it is no surprise to see that the resolutions initiated

supporters Women's Action Committee from all over the coun try, have wide support.

The 1982 and 1984 national Labour women's conferences have overwhelmingly supported measures to give women more power 1r the party, but national party conterence continues lo re ject them. This year attention will be drawn to the conference's view that the women's seats on the party NEC should be elected by

An the national women's con-

ference, with a proposal that 'shadow elections' should be held at the 1986 women's conference.

These election results, which would reflect the views of women in the party, would then be campaign-

THIS YEAR's national Labour women's conference (Bournemouth, 16-18 June) takes place after the large mobilisations of women fighting against pit closures across Britain. Hopefully the conference will reflect that experience, and we will see women's organisation

Several resolutions refer to that experience, and call for support to be given to the women's support groups as they continue to organise. A proposal which will doubtless be controversial comes from Islington South

constitutional changes to be the Women Against Pit Closures, to affiliate to the Labour Party and Labour women's organisation at all national and local levels.

Led around in the labour movement. This year COHSE adds its voice to support the election of these seats by the women's conference.

The Women's Action Committee will also be campaigning arouna a proposal Elle womens committee, which will reflect regional and trade union representation, but would mean that all the Ilallulla. women's committee elected directly by the women's conference. This is not the position at the moment

By Ann Henderson

Labour women, unlike many Labour MPs, are also crystal clear about opposition to Powell and Gillick Labour MPs would be well advised to take notice of this denate WOes CONference and begin get clued up on the Warnock Report.

The resolutions condemn the Powell Bill as an assault on infertility research and an attack on a woman's right to choose. A number of resolutions stress this latter point and Ealing women's section puts male

start of the miners' strike.

struggle for peace.

distributed by Housemans,

Labour MPs on the spot by calling for an end to the free volE

National Labour women's committee made a detailed submission on the Warnock Keport. expressing the view that the terms of the report are too narrow

A very large number of

mitted on women's health, reflecting the Tory from all directions. Resolutions oppose 1n the health service, the closure of women's hospitals, the reduction in 'community care' provision and cuts in the social security system -al which put more pressure on women to take on work that should be the responsibility of the state, without proper facilities.

Sharp

There promises to be a sharp debate on our attitude to black sections in the par-

Last year's conference did support the building of black sections - since then Madona party conterence has rejected it and the NEC has threatened those parties with black sections.

The from Militant supporters to the women's conference, explaining that black sections are divisive and

VELY organisational measure to be rejecice. snoblo be camn paign against and Over. whelmingly thrown out in Bournemouth this year.

These arguments are still applied women's organisations throughout the labour movement, and

Evel tamilla with their role in suppressing pro gressive political activity.

A number of resolutions have been submitted which seek to build on the policy

Socialist Action

Women Make the Links A set of eight posteards issued for International Women's Day 1985 and the anniversary of the . They make the connections between the struggle of the miners and the

Published by Women Make the Links,

5 Caledonian Road, London N1.

passed last year, in opposi

tion to strip searching in Ar

magh. Calls for a nationa

tour around Ton!

SOCORLE Benn's Bill for Withdrawa

and for a labour movemen

women's delegation

Ireland and Armagh, wil

hopefully will be well receiv

ed by the conference

Only the resolution fron

Bootle women's section

backed by the Militant

raises a dissenting voice

Ireland condemning IRA

"terrorism' and calls for th

_ ot a Norther

Ireland Labour Party. Chastise

Also on Nicaragua it W7

be the Militant who stand

up at conference to chastis

Ine wandinistas for Taming re

take their revolutior

through the course dictates

by Ted Grant, immediaie

nationalising all

mononoler regardless

the tasks posed in a semi

colonial country

Nicaragua.

There are many othe

issues covered by the resolu

tions submitted, reflectio

the issues discussed

up and down the countr

While conference will be m

and hopefuh

should advance

policies,

home that the Laboa

women's conference

organisation only ad

visory, and has Tea

political power

We have to begin nos it

campaign for wider labom

for the

demands of the Women

Action Lotted

women's

and for the party

seriously the imporan a

links being built

Women Agains

Closures groups.

14 June 1985

Page 4 scan of this page

4 ON BEHALF OF the Mineworkers, president Arthur gave evidence to the House of Commons employment committee. reinstatement of all miners dismissed as a result of the strike, pointing out with crystal clarity the vindictive — and, between the areas, inconsistent proach of the National Coal Board under lan MacGregor's butchership. Below we reprint the major part of Scargill's report.

IN March 1984, the National Coal Board al. nounced its intention to reduce annual VULULL by four million tonnes. The Board admitted that this policy would result in th loss of at least 20,000 job: and the closure of 20 pits.

It also intimated that five collieries (Polmaise, Cortonwood, Herrington Snowdown and Bullchitle Wood) would close within a very short time scale.

Following this announcement - which was in breach of all accepted procedures in the mining industry, in particular the Colliery Review Procedure

miners in individual coalfield areas took strike action. By mid-March, 80

cent of the National

Union membership was involved

committee at the end of May, NUM

included:

Notts The Board had adopted a discriminatory

of the NCB, compared with the North Derbyshire area.

and three at Creswell colliery in the against the others.

Socialist Action 14 June 1985

In his evidence to the Employment

Committee, Scargill says:

'We will fight for

reinstatement'

National Union of Scargill recently

He put a forceful case for the

- ap-

the major

the 12 the vast them

the rules 'natural justice'

plete

Coal Board used arrest (regardless conviction the

SISSIE IN HIS submission to the parliamentary

president Arthur Scargill highlighted, area by area, cases of miners unfairly dismissed by the area Coal Board management. They

approach which can be shown very clearly by examples from the North Nottinghamshire area

Approximately 30 miners employed at Whitwell colliery in the North Derbyshire area,

Nottinghamshire coalfield were involved in an incident at Whitwell colliery and subsequently charged with unlawful assembly. Four of the men charged were allowed during the strike, to return to work and the charges against them were dropped. At the trial these four were used as prosecution witnesses but the judge intervened on the grounds that these men had to work together after the dispute and he said these working miners should not be giving evidence

Following consultation between the barristers, it was agreed that if the men pleaded guilty the judge would give them a lenient sentence and the case would be terminated on the understanding that the Coal Board would reinstate them when the dispute was over. The parties subsequently pleaded guilty, were each fined £7 and ordered to do community services.

The North Derbyshire area of the Coal Board have honoured their part of the bargain and all the Whitwell employees have been reinstated.

This

policy dismissing mineWORKELS basis of statements made by who had returned fiance of policy

The Board has

dictiveness previously

MacGregor, speaking the Sunday

ple discovering

decision the

trom the

But despite the undertakings given, the Creswell

men have been refused reinstatement by the

North Notts area .

Midlands

In the Midlands area an incident took place

involving two men who were on strike and one

who was at work. Although all three men were

charged with assault, only the two striking

miners were dismissed. The case was heard in the

Crown Court and Messrs Edwards and Bolton

— the striking miners, and the working miner

were all bound over to keep the peace.

Yorkshire

In the Yorkshire coalfield, the story is the same.

Although the NCB is taking a discriminatory

approach in all four areas of Yorkshire, it

strategy has been applied with particular

harshness in the Doncaster area.

Rossington colliery illustrates the situation. Rese alleged to ha lassated a wring miner

and were dismissed from their employment. The

case never went to court and all charges have

been dropped but the Coal Board has refused to

reinstate them.

Durham

The case of Mr H Parkin in Durham is again an

example of how Board policy varies from area to

area. He was involved in an alleged assault on a

working miner whilst picketing at Bilston Glen

colliery in Scotland. He was found not guilty.

in, for example, North Derbyshire have been

reinstated by the Board, Mr Perkin was

dismissed in Durham.

Kent

not one has been reinstated although most of th

sackings were for minor offences.

During the occupation of Betteshanger

colliery in June 1984, Mr Leonard, who lives

very near the pit, was dismissed by the Board

because he had taken food across the pit yard to

feed the men involved in the occupation.

the case of the Betteshanger NUM branch

official, Mir T Harrison.

Mr Harrison obtained the permission of local

persuade the men to end the occupation. For his

pains, Mr Harrison was sacked and has so far

not been reinstated.

YOU

dispute. That SUCI total of those still not reinstated in 67l.

These figures present a sharp contras! the public statements from. spokesmen of the Nationa Coal Board, who timated prior to the end of the strike that possibly 80 cent of all those dismissed would be reinstated, and that only The case of Mr H Day and Mr G Deakin of Whilst men found guilty of the same offence But even more bizarre than that dismissal is

During the occupation, NCB management to go into the mine to try and

COULD

SENEXT:

'NCB wants our blood': Scargill's evidence to the employment committee shows just how right the slogan is those termed persons who had acts vandalism against Coal

violence employ-

no be con

chairman

Com the Board not take

mitted of vandalism

that all

considered

directors

out outlining

The submission committee substantiates this Doll On page

the the that as critera re - employ

ment, it instructed

employ has

followin

•CUI

tion

dismissed on good

evidence to

• to Home

Union of

National

only eight of-

fences fall within that

fall within the

ed in the

80 cent all

those would

draw to this

INTS than a handful of cases in eache NUM wishes

The make it clear that we will continue to fight for the reinstatement of all dismissed miners because we feel that if a person has been convicted of an fence by a court of law,

has already paid the penalty to society and should not be punish. ed twice for the same offence.

The Coal Board has refused to allow cases of dismissed mineworkers to Arthur Scargill be taken through the Coa Industry Scheme which would pro vide for 'any or all of the cases to be submitted to an independent umpire in individual area, or if the Board wishes, to the Coal Industry's National Reference Tribuna

The Board, despite its stated Cultie has parently taken a decision

discriminate against employees depending on the area in which they work. This discrepancy in respect of reinstatement among individual areas is patently obvious and clearly calls for intervention

In North Derbyshire and South Wales, the Board have followed policy resulting reinstatement for nearly all those who were dismissed. In other areas,

Scotland, and the North East, area directors are behaving

News

Scotland, the director,

that none the 205 miners reinstated.

The for

'cern and alarm.

dismissed without the opportunity their sen evidence own

other employees

including behaviour

now many cases where

the courts nevertheless I by

while the legal system has

people the

guilty..

COOKSON

Coal and unions to

NCE strategy is complete variance accepted

The

man in

industry, out

destroying already

ment.

Plan with Britisl

in-

coal. part of

in-

and

jobs.

and

sense The Coal

which, changed

disrupt

Page 5 scan of this page

A congress of struggle?

News

FOUR HUNDRED OR MORE delegates gathered for the first all-Wales conference of the Wales Congress in Maestag last weekend. The Wales Congress is a significant body in Welsh politics, with the support of the Wales TUC, the Wales Labour Party, Plaid Cymru, and the Communist Party. Its support extends to other areas in Britain and internationally.

were a central inspiration to its inception during the miners' strike, when mass activity in support of the miners was still largely in the hands of the support

During the strike, political cover to the rightward moving South Wales dination

tance it local struggles are

Labour Party resolution

from Bold NUM

Conference notes the campaign waged by the Na-

miners dismissed as a result of the 1984-5 strike,

and for the release of all prisoners imprisoned as a

result of the strike. Conference further notes and

welcomes the Labour Party Scottish executive

werentent.

council conference on 9 March 1985, pledging 'full

support for the campaign to ensure reinstatement

were fighting a legitimate battle in defence of their

jobs, their communities and their union, and that

the miners' strike was deliberately provoked by the

Tories. With regard to miners sacked/imprisoned

as a result of their activities during the strike con-

a) the Parliamentary Labour Party and the na-

tional executive committee to mount a campaign

reinstatement of all sacked miners and release of

b) the next Labour government to release from

prison any miner still serving prison sentences and

to ensure the reinstatement of all miners still sack-

In pursuance of these aims conference calls for:

1) the national executive to approach the National

Union of Mineworkers to discuss jointly organis-

ing a national demonstration as part of this cam-

2) the national executive to discuss measures to

support the NUM national miners' solidarity fund

and imprisoned moves, art to meces orsad ed

CLPs and other affiliated organisations the collec-

tion of a regular 50p levy from the membership

Wales Congress ...

The coalitionist politics of the Communist Party

the Congress Waler fight

WILU men victimised by dismissal during the

Conference further recognises that the miners

the mining communities we have to rid our movemen:

from the grass roots.

Duicauclaus

union that thinks we can preserve JODS

Women were to the

scuictal y

Hancock and Shankland

DHSS, from the press -AT THE CURE SCOTLAND SAYS

Scottish trade unionists lobbied the TUC in 1979 demanding action to save jobs

ur op

YORKSHIRE AND Northumberland miners, carrying a sixmeter wide red banner, headed demonstration of 5,000 youth from all over Europe in Luxembourg on Saturday 31 May. The demonstration was the high point of the three-day festival organised by the International Union of Socialist Youth the youth organisation affiliated to the Socialist International.

The contingent was swelled by delegations from all major countries taking part. They carried

Pit Closures, was prevented from finishing her contribution to conecutive has done little to

do exist don't escape their Recent issues of Socialist Action have told of the campaign

defence of Russell Shankland and Dean Hancock which has organised the biggest demonstration in South Wales since the end of the strike. The NUM executive has had to

emergency resolution was passed by Congress should work with the South Wales executive to seek a review of the sentences meted out

An appeal was launched by Ann Clwyd earlier in the meeting for the families of the two. And Tim Richards from Ryhmney support group gave an indication of the seriousness of the campaign: 'I'm sure the people of South

justice. We didn't get justice on the picket lines, from the

- but Thatcher's gone too far this are curs - the same still applies

banners calling for an amnesty for the 80 jailed and 700 sacked victims of Thatcher's crush the spirit of resistance in the miners.

By Alan Freeman

'This was not just an industrial dipute. It was a political class war, plained sacked Lancashire miner Dennis Pennington Monday. He told why sup port and defence for the sacked and jailed miners was vital and urged the audience to keep their sup porters groups going and to keep the links by adopting jailed miners.

Many signed up to support

of women,

for Women Against Closures af-

of the

that in-

support control

the Rhymney two another issue Congress, threatened

pits Finally following an emotiona

Valley,

tioning the Congress

ing that built. was reflected Irom

ed that the

and that

Scots' Miners

Park last

Scottish miners' and CPGB Mick

to much

ing the Willis

highly

the

attempt applause neednes

Kent Sue

WHIC Bence, from Nor-

miner Alan Maltman has

spirit,' She invited to

'Mines not

Kent Kent and local

their year-long to invite

Socialist Action 14 June 1985 At the Wales Congress angry women demanded full recognition of their role

should produce a fortnightly newsletter

There will surely continue to be obstacles in the Congress. . The building of mass action in defence of

MELILIE communities particularly if the politics of coalitionism and class collaboration hold sway. All the more reason tha every achyist snould be In volved building the Congress,

Scottish

how to campaign for the of sacked and imprisoned miners,

His hollow call for unity to achieve the reinstatement of sacked miners cut no ice, The jeering crowd interpreted it for what it was: rhetoric, devoid of any proposals on how to fight.

By Jill Lee and Carol Turner

The same empty cry was echoed by MeGaher himself, together with Labour leader Neil Kin.

nock who got a better (i

undeserved reception from the massed ranks of the Scottish labour move-

These speakers stressed the need for unity to elect a Labour government. But it was left to NUM genera secretary Peter Heathfiel to give real content to that demand.

Amid thunderous applause he pointed out that the support for the NUM's historic strike from some

movement was equivalent to lal given Dy a noose lo a hanging man. The failure of the strike, he said, was a failure to explain to the rest of the labour movement that the NUM's struggle was a common one

Condemning those who attacked the leader. ship of the NUM and singling out Communist

5 struggle thoroughly rooted in Wales.

What Terry Thomas need to understand when he larks about ine necd l open the second chapter of our struggle is that we art fighting to win The Congress gives u: the tunity to build on that support network which was

solidarity with the NUM during the strike.

Mick McGahey showed his true colours

Party theoretician Eric Hobsbawm - he defended as correct the mineworkers' strike and their campaigning methods. Rejecting the new realism of the TUC leadership, he called for a Kinnock government firmly based on class.

Neil Kinnock's support for the sacked miners — he called for a public enquiry the conduct of the Scottish NCB management received a standing oya. tion. It comes late, and is not enough

In Scotland elsewhere, labour move ment activists must pu flesh demand of

campaigning government committed to releasing from prison reinstating their jobs every victimised miner ay and down the couatr!.

Page 6 scan of this page

South Africa

Soweto -

June 1976

TO MOST white South Africans, Soweto, if they thought about it at all, was just a great sprawling black township south-west nesburg. Its one-and-a-quarter million inhabitants were there to supply white-owned industry with an abundance of cheap labour and domestic servants for the whites in their luxurious flats and houses.

All this changed in one day. On 16 June 1976 Soweto not only impinged itself in the minds OI Africa, it thrust itself violently on to the front pages of newspapers all over the world.

It all began relatively peacefully. On the morning of Wednesday 16 June 1976, 20,000 Soweto marched in protest against the decree by the South Atrican Department of Bantu Education that henceforth Afrikaans had to be used as one of the languages of instruction in secondary schools. To the black people

language OT their oppressor, Afrikaner nationalists whose party had codified racist discrimination in the series of legislative which constitutes apartheid.

Newspaper photographs and eyewitness accounts testify that the marchine students were good-humoured, high spirited and excited. carrying placards with slogans such as Down with Afrikaans'; Boers'; *Afrikaans Language'; 'If we must do Afrikaans, Vorster must do Zulu'; 'Viva Azania!'

Violence began who had raced to the scene in their armoured vehicles, seized placards and aned to stop the march. Inev responaed to the taunting of the students with

A shot rang out; a thirteenLalsas. year old schoolboy, lay dead on the ground. no oraer trom tne ponce lor uie latchers to disperse, no Hector Petersen was killed by a bullet in his back. Several other youths were also shot dead. All hell broke loose! Revolution

A cascade of stones pelted down on the police vehicles; a black policeman was dragged from his and his own handcuffs secured his wrists. Police dogs were knifed and set alight. The Soweto revolt had begun!

The fury of the students turned first against the West Rand Bantu Affairs

Board Soweto UlE behalf Department of Bantu Administration and Development (BAD). belonging to the Board were burnt and nearly all its offices in the township destroyed. Commercial vehicles delivery vans of white-owned business were also set on fire.

Soon Beerhalls, bank, a hotel, several post offices — all symbols of white rule Two white officials of BAD were hacked to death. Cries of 'Black Power' rent he air.

There was no holding the enraged students, They surged through Soweto with their objective destroy all symbols of state power. As Barusch Hirschon in his analysis of the revolt, Year of Fire, Year of Ash put it; if it was not a 'rehearsal for revolution' it was awareness that had grown out of the increasing tempo of clashes preceding months'. By the end of the week the death toll reached 176.

If this was not yet a revolution, or a rehearsal for a revolution the governICIl was nevertheless

Schools were closed and arToured cars carrying were sent into soweto. The army, navy and airforce were alerted. Troops were mustered outside the township.

6 Socialist Action

THE STRUGGLE against

the world.

1976 — the uprising which

new form with the mass

of Johan- emergence of the black trade

of struggle is coupled with a

forces.

traces the background to the

white South

schoolchildren

government's

the ruling They were

'We are not

Oppressors'

belonging ine

DONCC.

Hector Petersen, South Africa's white overlords There had been shaken and fearful.

warning shots.

ving Johannesburg, around

breaks from more distant Nelspruit in the venice, beatel

Transvaal, Bothaville in the Free State, Galeshewe near mond Nyanga in the Cape.

which ad- Mass of the

Vehicles

and after the Soweto uprising,

liquor stores, a

legislative assembly

were blazing. BophuthaTswana

soldiers

disturbance in that territory.

and Lne participated

township alone.

taking no

anti-riot units

rise and union movement.

14 June 1985

apartheid has a long history. The strength and comabitivity of the black population of South Africa against ferocious oppression has been an inspiration throughout

The high point of that struggle so far was the events in Soweto in

marked the biggest confrontation yet between blacks and the naked violence of the apartheid police.

Since the experience of Soweto the struggie has developed in a

union movement. That new rise

debate of strategy, unity and the way forward among the liberation

CHARLIE VAN GELDEREN

struggle in South Africa today.

in revolt

Within a few days 143 vehicles (50

police) and buildings (including 33 BAD buildings) had been damaged by fire or burnt out. A newspaper reporer who lcw over Soweto in a helicopter wrote that he 'felt like a war correspondent flying over a city after a bomb attack. As after Sharpville, sixteen years earlier,

were

The violence was not confined to Soweto. It was as if a, genie of pent-up fury had been released from a bottle.

From Mohlakeng in the west, to Daveyton in the east the townships ser-

as well as those of Buyer leat Pretoria, were giving vent to their rage.

Soon reports were coming in of out-

places COSLCLI Transvaal, the south-westeri Orange the diaKimberley, Langa and

Despite the reign of terror which the state unleashed, the violence continued and spread. By August, two months

at least 80 black communities all over the countr were expressing their fury. Two months later 160 black areas were involved. The

building of the 'homeland'

Mateking was burnt to the ground.

from a military base in the north of Namibia were called to quell a

There can be no doubt that this was a mass struggle on a scale hitherto unknown in south Africa. In Soweto -which remained the centre of the revolt - and Cape Town tens of thousands were involved. Even if one accepts the official figure of BAD that 'only' about 20 per cent of Soweto's population had

the protests, more than a quarter of a million in one

the uprisings appeared spontaneous in character, it is obvious that the young militants of Soweto had been inspired by the ideas of the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM). But ing, thev nad also been intluenced ov the

growth of the black trade

Black miners in South Africa

The combativity of the working class reinforced black militancy. These militants also increasingly realised that if they were to win they could not do so so be powell suppor could only come from the black working class.

Towards the end of July 1976 the students organised the first of a series of work bovcotts bv Soweto workers. On 23, 24 and 25 August there was a second stay-away from work. This time, the police, instead of directly interven-

incited some migrant workers living in a hostel near Mzimhlope station in Soweto to attack students.

in stents nowever

organised another three-day stay-away on September 13 September 1976 was also the month in which Henry Kissinger visited South which

Africa to discuss the 'Rhodesian question'. His trip was a signal for a new outbreak protest in schools. He was greeted with a poster which read:

Azania is bullshit. angry.

By the end of July, could register a parmal victory edict making This did was modified. Schools were re-opened

who and the attendance began slowly to in-

tried to

Square

Johannesburg violence

Wing the nesburg.

Rents

Although

ly the spark. unleashed on ICILL COC

Urban

The local

Ten. the Soweto

'Kissinger, your visit to Even animals are

birth-pangs the students 1905.

The of the Afrikaans compulsory

crease. But many school buildings had been burned down by militants.

Although there was a short period of comparative calm, underneath the surface the revolt continued to simmer. On 4 August twenty-thousand students

march from the township through the centre of Johannesburg to the police headquarters in John Vorster

On 23 September, pupils held a peaceful demonstration in the centre of

on returned to Soweto. The catalyst for this new outbreak was the funeral of a schoolboy who had died in police custody after being arrested dur-

demonstration Johan-

A large crowd of angry students destroyed thirty vehicles in a municipal depot. This was followed by attacks on the homes of black policemen The police responded with a raid on Morris Isaason High School - detaining 16 teachers and sixty-two pupils.

On 24 October seven people were killed when police opened fire on a funeral. That night the Jabulani police station in Soweto was damaged with explosives and there were more attacks on the homes of black policemen.

the language question was the immediate cause for the erup tion which was to shake South Africa for more than a year it was in reality on-

The struggle which was 16 June 1976 encapsulated all the grievances against white rule which had accumulated over the years. Having achieved a measure of

language Soweto students widened their cam pal Toward the end of April 1977 the students organised a march against the

Imposed b the West Rand Administration Board. Rent is a perrenal issue mn me lownsnips. township administrations on behalf of Councils which the government have no authority to raise revenue through rates or taxes.

administrative incomes have to come solely from the municipal-owned houses in the townships, and when additional money is required this can only be raised by increasing rents.

The campaign against rent increases was one of the most successful organised by students. It led to the complete collanse ot the Urban Rantu Council the only civic body in Soweto officially recognised by the West Rand Board. In its place, the people set up their own

authority interim committee commonly known as the Committee of

The Committee of Ten was the most widely representative body to emerge in Soweto for years. If one wishes to draw paralleis, it can be compared to the first

of Soviets In Kussia lI The committee had the support black and the Sowero students Representative Coun cil which had been set up in the after-

Page 7 scan of this page

math of the shootings. The Committee of Ten drew up a blueprint for a representative Soweto citv council. it was prevented from presenting this to the people by a ban on all public gatherings

The authorities responded to the apparently endless violence of the oppressed with their customary ferocity. More and more blacks were arrested under the various laws empowering the police to detain people without trial. In August 1976, 110 young ween the ages of 12 and 25 victed of public violence at Hammerskraal. iust north ot Pretoria. three of those arrested were males, females. Young women actively in all phases of the revolt. July, one press report referred to 280 schoolgirls on the rampage'. Repression

Among those taken into detention was Steve Biko, the intellectual leader of the black consciousness movement. On 12 September, 1977, he became the 40th black South African to die in police custody while under detention without trial.

A month after Biko's death virtually all the black consciousness organisations, including the Soweto Students Kepresentative Counci were banned. This was the severest act of police suppression Tune outlawing African National Congress Pan-African Congress after the Sharpville massacre in 1960. The most important black newspapers The World and Weekend World were closed down. In all 17 African organisations and the Christian Institute were outlawed.

By the end of 1977, the state repression had managed 40 violence. The first phase of the revolt was over. But this was to be the beginning not the end of the struggle. fight would go on as long as apartheid reigned. It began anew with the massacre at Uitenhage on March 21, 1985 -the anniversary of Sharpville itself. South African township

union movement world. 6l to nerv 47| black unions

organised in black unions

670,000 by 1983. dip, 1977, the combativity of the workers began to soar again. figures not

people bet- coal,

Fifty-

participated the country.

In The black organised in

of South Africa (CUSA). and the contain the

The

Foward march of

black unions

THE GROWTH of the black trade union movement in South Africa has given increased confidence to the developing struggle against the are apartheid regime. South Africa today has the fastest growing trade

in the whole

Prior to 1978, black trade unions had no formal recognition. But in that year the Wiehahn commission's report laid the basis for black union recognition. Between 1980 and 1983 the number of registered black unions rose from under

and unregistered increased Trom 170 to vited more than 270. The number of workers

, went UD Di 200 per cent - from 220,000 in 1980 to

The ruling National Party hoped that by bringing black unions within the framework of industrial law they would be able to exercise a tight control over them. But they have been unsuccessful, in curbing the militancy of the unions. This is illustrated by the table.

This shows that after a temporary ditions.

black These include the massive hugely strikes in the goldfields last year, nor we unportant strike in we stalt Owltu Sasol plant, which produces oil from

in November 1984. This strike, bonds the first mass action in a state-owned enterprise, mobilised about a million workers and constitutes the most important political strike in the history of

unions mainly federations: The Hederation of South African Unions (FOSATU) and the Council of Unions

The three outside the Federations are the General Workers' Union (GWU), the Food and Canning system.

STRIKES BY BLACK WORKERS 1973-1983 No of disputes

370 384 276 248 90 106 101 207 342 394 336

Workers' Union (FCWU), and the South African Allied Workers' Union (SAAWU) three of whose leaders

among those facing charges.

It is significant that Soweto has been chosen as the pace where tni unions will be meeting this week in an attempt to forge unity. Iney will de discussing a draft constitution for a wider federation of black trade unions. Unions already committed in principle to unification, whose represen-

Mare nelped to drall te con stitution, are FOSATU, CUSA, GWU and FCWU. The two other unions in-

to the talks, SAAWU GAWU, will haye to refer back to their constituent bodies so no early solution is expected. But the Soweto talks will set the scene for greater unity.

The black trade unions are now playing a bigger part in the political campaigns against the regime. In the first years of their existence the black unions saw their first task building of support by concentrating on improving wages and working con-

FOSATU and CUSA joined with the UDF and AZAPO in calling the

successful two-day home strike last November. The death

Andries Kaditse g.

Fosatu leader, shortly after his release from police detention, increased the

between and the political movements. The unions also played their full part in the anti-election campaign last August.

October of this year has been set as the target date for the unitication of the trade unions into a single federation. This will undoubtedly give a great filip to the process of drawing more workers into their ranks and increasing the role of the organised black working class in

struggle against the apartheid Black workers on strike

98,029 58,975 23,295 26,931 15,091 14,088 17,323 56,286 84,705 141,517 64,469

treason and Riot police in central Cape Town as the

stay-at- concern

ONE grave consequence of the intensification of struggle in South Africa is the increased rivalry organisations striving for leadership. the setting up of Forum Committee (NF) in March, 1983 and the United Democratic Front (UDF) three The UDF identifies Freedom Charter, programme of Alliance in which the African National Congress (ANC) played a leading role before it was banned in 1960. Azapo, which emerged out of the black ment, is the main constituent of the NF.

This rivalry was aggravated during the campaign against the new constitu tion in vel ds be lions played an acuve role UDF, however, seemed to hog most of the publicity and members of Azapo and the Cape Action League, another affiliate of pictures newspapers and on TV being described as UDF supporters.

After the Uitenhage massacre last March, matters came to a head.

took funeral arrangements. supporters were barred from attending by youths message of condolence from Azapo president Ishmael Mkhabela was not read out at the funeral. families told Azapo that they had 'strict orders' not to hold discussions with any other organisations Fosatu (Federation of South African

Read AZANIA WORKER

for the best analysis and news

from the South African

liberation movement. Current

issue, Spring 1985, out now

price 90 pence. Azania

Worker is available from BM

Box 4863, London, WCIN

3XX

Rivalry aids enemy -

ANC expresses

Trade Unions) the liberation tims lo between the

This has been evident since

the National that

months later. with the which was the the Congress

consciousness

frightened

on all fronts.

which both organisations,

NF, were annoyed to see the ANC tense ver Lusaka,

The ANC. In complete charge of the Azapo and NF working class wearing UDF T-shirts.

Bereaved

liberation

except UDF.

UMSEBENZI MOBEI

members who approached relatives of the shooting vic-

11 they required any assistance met with the same response

At times, this rivalry has led to violence and bloodshed. • Leaders of both groups have expressed their belief

government provocateurs are fanning the flames and that physica attacks on individual members of their respective organisations were probably the work of government agents. There is little reason to doubt this.

From its headquarters in Lusaka. the ANC has expressed its concern at

situatiol The "preservation unity' it says, is a 'top priority'. The statement continues: "Let us stop the enemy from exploiting the temporary problems between the UDF and Azapo

We should not give comfort to an uncomfortable and Our watchwords must oe unity In acuoll. the enemy

" It calls on the people 'to seize the initiative and build their own organs of popular power which must be the only authority in the townships...'

This would appear to reflect the new direction which is emanating from

• consultanve conerence u its first since 1969 The heightened struggle in South Africa has raised many doubts in the ranks of

particular, the spectacular growth of the trade union movement has underpinned the importance of the

without whom the liberation struggle could not be won There is now a clear demand, within the ANG, for a sharper definition of the role of the working class within the

struggle, rather than the wishy-washy reference to its 'leading role' as defined by the Morogoro consultative conference in 1969.

AZANIA

WORKER

FOR THE WORKERS' ORr UMSEBENZI MUBER, MOVEMENT

HER IN SOUTH AFRICA Socialist Action 14 June 1985

Page 8 scan of this page

Contra forces get

8 Socialist Action 14 June 1985

IRELAND

UNFREE

'I COULD feel my stomach churning and tears welled up in my eyes at the thought of those screws scrutinising my body, naked and pregnant'. These are the month pregnant woman prisoner after being strip-searched last month in the North of Ireland. unfortunately, is not unusual.

Recent statistics even show an increase — with 70 strip-searches in April compared with 59 the month before in the prison. women, babies have also been 'searched' in this way. The tactic is almost wholly directed towards remand orisoners - in other hayen't even been found guilty of anything.

This policy has been implemented since 1982, with the clear intention of demoralising the women political prisoners. me opposite, span wrom strengtueung te resolve of the women themselves, it has generated a broad campaign of opposition among relatives, friends, trade unionists, the church and most importantly women. Although one would never guess this from Neil Kinnock's SLALCICUl searching is also opposed by the British Party.

A delegation of women from the National Labour women's committee (NLWC), including shadow Richardson, visited the prison as the central focus in a trip to the Six Counties. campaien to stoo the searches and argue that they have never been justified on security grounds, the NLWC have recently published an excellent pamphlet reporting on the delegation.

The Northern Ireland Office has responded by dismissing the mounting criticism and refusing to abandon what they describe searches'. Their latest ploy has been to argue that more strip searches are carried out in than Armagh. This argument only reinforces the need to oppose the policy which has aiso been used against Greenham women and miners' wives.

likely to set the pace on this issue, as last year's did, with Labour fringe meeting and seven resolutions submitted from women's sections on the subject of Ireland. Apart from one which advocates a solution to the war based on the loyalist dominated trade unions, they are all very positive: opposing strip-searching and other forms of repression, and arguing for a wide ranging discussion in the party based on Tony Benn's draft Bill on a British withdrawal from Ireland.

Women in London haye already fought off an attempt by the party's national agent, to prevent a resolution on similar lines passed at Labour conference being implemented. As well as opposing strip-searches and calling for a broad discussion on withdrawal, it stressed that this should involve the representatives of the majority of republican opinion in Ireland.

his victory is imoortant, It wil further the dialogue among feminists and anti-imperialists in Britian and Ireland.

The next initiative planned in connection with this dialogue, is a delegation of relatives of strip-searched organised Labour women's committee. backed Dy Camden committee, who are writing to women's committees calling similar action.

• The NLWC pamphlet is available from: Homen's Officer, The Halworth Road, London SEIT (price 75p inc. papi. • Labour Women for Ireland can be contacted by ariting to: L WIc: o Feminist Library, Hungerford Hone Vatoria Embankment, WCZ.

Labour

women to

debate

Ireland

words of a five-

Armagh jail in

Her experience

As well as pregnant

YOELS WOMENT

But the effect has been quite

Labour

Supporting the 'reception

Scotland

conterence is

Women for Ireland organising a

London

by the London

The delegation is

Council

other

on them to take

Labour Party, 150

Contra Columns operating in Nicaragua

being rapidly broken and driven out by the Sandinistas. The defeat of Reagan's aid proposals last month has put them into some disarray.

The military — now worried by the real prospect 15,000 defeated, frustrated. armed bomozistas and mercenaries concenfraten in arce camos thai the Sandinistas are beginning to hit

Have JulI disperse them into smaller, less dangerous, but less ef fective camps.

The Reagan administration has responded with new proposals for

offered this time, to shore up the Contras saoging strength and morale. TERRIBLE SOCIAL tragedies often throw great light on previously obscure phenomenon and the nature of existing social relations. The death of 41 people in the Brussels disaster is one such case.

devastating to watch people trapped and dying underfoot and to see the utter lack of adequate safety precautions provided. also proved

By Frank Gorton

pathetic confirmation of the stupidity and fear that guides the police action

ing those who had sought

• of the pitch who were trapped against the wire. And what another graphic refutation, following the Bradford fire, of those who defend the recently installed electrical wire at Chelsea!

The central question that has been posed is who is responsible! There have been no shortage of poten-

Thatcher LacaDeals. blames the break down of law and order. Other voices variously blame the stadium management, the inadequacy one Dance control and preparation

he sale ot black marke tickets that let people of

A PIECE of the ACTION

он, THE HORROR! он, THE SHAME (I think the Belgian authorities must accept a large share of the blame) он, THE TRAGEDY!

a pounding

Fumber mhe Further, Pentagon

has begun

Nicaragua. said to include Nicaraguas

military aircraft, the construction pi a militar base in Nicarague that

'could' be by the Soviet Union.

remember the airport in Grenada?

For the time being, al this is likely to be designed lo scare lie congress SItU voting the increased Condra and a soccer con than having send the blue eyed boys into the teeth of Nicaraguas popular resistance.

American secretary of state George Schultz put it plainiy. In April this year

he said: 'Our goals in Central America are like those

had in Vietnam.' Meanwhile here in Britain,

The Outsiders

different nationalities mingle in the stadium and lastly the National Front.

one, not least Kinnock, has the insight or courage

point the finger at the ruling class and its institutions, propaganda and ideology

In the face of a completely house broken Labour leadership that has no class or collective alternative answer this bourgeois crisis then the

le take into the sports

graphically mirror capitalism itself. this milieux that fascist groups like the NF can steel their 'cadre'. The search for national prestige on the field of sport cannot but be in-

Tuenced by the ideologica content of the contending nations.

Labour should disavow the constant propaganda in favour of in-

what it the basic contradiction that is progressively destabilising the social

BUT WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THE FOOTBALL HOOLIGANS?

the Nicaragua Campaign called for actions on 4 July, US Independence Day, to focus

Americar attempts deny independence to Nicaragua. • 3 12am-2pm:

picket at embassy Grosvenor Square, London. The petition against the US trade embargo will be handed in and the ambassador will be offered a pound of Nicaraguan coffee. Will he break the embargo and accept it? • 4 July, 'Not the Boston Tea Party': a rally Jubilee Gardens South Bank (by the GLC) at 4.30 with Meg Beresford (CND), Paul Boateng, and other speakers. This will be followed by a concert at 6.45pm with cabaret and music (Skint Video confirmed). order, that is the tension between the defence of in. hand and the highly socialIv organised svstem oi the manufacture and distribucion within which the vast mass of working people are engaged.

Labour should reject the "star' system that reinTorces une tade belween the haves and have nots

elitism without which class society

doomed. Stars political, theatrical and SOUPLE - all rest on mass populist appeal that is by Is very nature unaccountable in all respects except to violence. It is this unaccoumnaomly coupied will the acceptance of violence

people that provides the framework tor the grab for recognition that impels alienated 'outsiders' public demonstration of personal violence, This is in no way qualitatively different from the state violence against working people which guarantees

recognition legitimacy of bourgeois

The other side of the massive bourgeois endorsement for the recogni-

WHY DOESNT THAT

ANISM, THATCHER THEM ALL DRAFTED INTO THE ARMY?!?

• These everes will launch the Container nroiects to send direct aid

.Vicaragua and break

irit Posters

Public meeting to launch

Speakers include:

Senor Francisco d'Escoto — Nicaraguan

Ambassador

Jack Collins

Stuart Holland MP

John Ross — Socialist Action

Andy de la Tour — Nicaragua Solidarity

Campaign

Friday 21 June at the Caribbean Centre; :

I urge you to attend the 21 June launch tion of individual achievement is the view that those of us who do not rise above and separate themselves from the mass are worthy of recognition only en masse And this recognition only extends

the power we wield through organisations - the trade unions and Labour Party With growing mass alienation of large sections or the population from the government: with the in clusive political and economic broken at the feet of an increasingly threatened capitalist class, more and more individuals will seek

auventure assert their self identity.

Our job is to fight for the collective identity of out

ing class We also have to

internationalist scabs who while not being responsible for the Brussels tragedy were instrumental precipating the carnage there They are scabs against numanily They are scabs against the righ of the class peaceful assembly. They are scabs against the most oppressed sections of

HAVE DO IT FOR MAGGIE!

YCTRE RIGHT! GOD!

News

leaflets and petition forms available from NSC, 20-21 Compton Terrace, London NI. Be there!

Nicaragua: The Sandinista

People's Revolution

- Secretary Kent NUM

Vestminster Bridge Rd, SEI I shall value this book greatly and will be able to use it in speeches and broadcasts...

meeting.' Tony Benn MP

society who have the most to fear from stepped up policing. They scabs who will cause further restrictions on travel rights such as those experienced by the Kent miners And they acainst al those whose daily lives are made les oppressive following the recreation of their choice.

There is an alternative to increased state intervention into and contro over sport. The labour move ment should campaign to make the social activity of the working class its own It should campaign against the 'professionalism the adver onculalcu. tisement sponsored sport

more like a war for profi than a search for athleti and team excellence.

To end this state of affairs the game should be wrested from its business supporters and reinvested in the hands of the genuine supporters. And these sup porters would know how to control and marginanse the violence of anti social CHICAL They would treat them treate Scabs like should without recourse to the bourgeois courts — firm-

6:35 ,°CORMAC

IF THEY WANT TO TRAVEL ABROAD AND MURDER SOME FOREIGNERS, PAY THEM A DECENT WAGE AND LET THEM

BRITAIN! FOR THE QUEEN.

( (God bless'er)

Page 9 scan of this page

International

THE BOOK Nicaragua: The Sandinista People's Revolution, is by far the most comprehensive collection of speeches and interviews with FSLN leaders available in English. For that reason alone it belongs on the bookshelf of every socialist. No serious debate on the politics and strategy of the FSL

possible without reading it. Despite its length, 398 pages, it consists of 42 separately readable pieces.

This book should knock completely on the head any idea thai the policy of the FSLN is 'empirical' or

'unconscious'. Reading such as Jaime Wheelock's 'The Great Challenge', which is undoubtedly the centrepoint of the book, reveals a perfectly coherent and worked out political strategy.

The key point of that strategy is undoubtedly the primacy of politics. social and economic questions are placed within the • tramework politics and, in that optic, subordinated to them. The FSLN's is an application Lenin's dictum that 'Politics comes before economics, that is the ABC of Marxism.'

As the issue is clearly put in the declaration of the third congress of the Sandinista trade union federation (CST), 'the fundamental achievement oi the revolution is the maintainance and defence of revolutionary power,' " he natomenta step taken Nicaraguan workers to carry out the transformation the political, economic and social structures to build a new society free of all exploitation, was taken on l9 July 1979, with the conquest of political power.

It is within this framework FSLN state power that one of the most misunderstood aspects of the Sandinistas policies is carried out the economic policies of the FSLN and the well known continued existence CaDILalsI tions in Nicaragua. It is the political framework that determines, as Tomas Borge puts it, that 'a mixed economy in Nicaragua is not the same thing as a mixed economv in Costa Rica or in Uruguay and other countries of Latin America. This is a mixed economy within the revolution.

Popular Unity resides in the fact that Allende barely had one part of the

LOverneR didn't really have power, the power was in the hands of the rightist parlia-

Nicaragua, in turn, the destruction of the somocista guard ... is one of the basic conditions of our ascendance to

Fi heretore our most basıc task in the face of North American aggression is to aciena Inis power .. Sandinista front has the power here.

armed state power that determines the nature of the situation and process in Nicaragua. As Jaime Wheelock states

Nicaragua ... it is the working people that hold power here.

stale power Nicaragua is a workers state — but that the state has not yet expropriated confusion among sections of the left in Britain and leads to ultra-left and

reality the process taking place Nicaragua is perfectly coherent and

from capitalism to socialism in the mediate aim of the Communists is the same as that of all the other proletarian parties: formation of the proletariat into a class, overthrow of the

power by the working class is clear: 'The proletariat will use its political

tralise all instruments of production un the hands or the state, le or tne

article of by

and

of

proletariat organised as the ruling class; and to increase the total of productive forces as rapidly as possible.' Wheelock in the given circumstances

aren't more than 120 plants with more than fifty workers. At the same time, more shops with fewer than five workers...

'We have to combine two things in the process of change. First, the formation of a sector of state production that brings LUCIACT developed and strategic areas of the

presence of an artisan economy, on which we are trying to impress a cer'Although we may have socialist

society does not lie in expropriating wouldn't lead to socialism but rather to its opposite. It could even lead to the destruction and dismantling of

way to combine. on the one hand. a plan in which the starting point will be the strategic and developed sectors of and on the other. organisation of a social plan in shich cooperative forms of work -==

WOrKeTS businessmen exists in our country. Bu: it is the new relations of production dominate the process of economic

foreign trade, natural resources, sualegit maustna sectors, ano lne

La system of production and manage-

Women from the FLN militia — just one of the pictures in 'The Sandinista People's Revolution'

The FSLN

we would call LILC

Development

although naturally in a unique form Nicaragua is the first phase of the dictatorship of the proletariat: the conquest of state power by the working

gressively used to transformation of the economy and

gressively and without sharp breaks.

However these economic considerasubordinate to the political considera20ts which are dominant, and which

the Sandinista's being ill thought out, or not radical enough, they are undoubtedly correct in the given cir-

the

alliances of the FSLN also become: clear. In Nicaragua, in order to carry through the democratic tasks of the revolution, it was necessary for the

in power

- but that also co-exists to an appreciably degree with forms that Victor

capitalist and with

various sectors: state property; large, revolution medium and small private property:

toward having state and cooperative property predominate but at the same Nicaraguan time coexist with medium, small, and even large scale private production.

become secondary, subordinate. This is our conception of how we must march forward. The pace, however, is country. determined not only by technological questions but also by political ques- the moment

in the signified

- is as seen by Marx. What exists in

Borge put it,

in July This state power is being procarry through the opposed to the alternative, somocismo...'

Links

struggle agars: 19205

against political notion

When this primacy of politics is

working class to take state power. As

Tirado It necessary to make a revolution to be

apply basic precepts that already reigned in capitalist countries not ruled by tyrannical governments.

The bourgeois democratic tasks of

had to be carried through against the bourgeoisie itself however — due to, as Borge puts it, 'the congential helplessness of the

woul geoisic more precisely, the absence of the antisomocista movement.' The result of

development that 'the leap. boureoisie really did not have a party of their own.. No modern party of

(Nicaraguan Democratic Movement) was born at

when the bourgeois regime was in total agony.'

The formation of the FSLN itself,

struggle Somoza, the outflanking of the bourgeois alternative to the dictatorship - the fact that the FSLN could place itself at the head of the nation in the struggle against Somoza. Again as

"The Sandinista National Liberation Front was founded

1961. This historic signified the people's alternative, as

bourgeois reformist in the struggle against char

are capable i: s=-see: the end tain.

and local representatives With this Sandino's intuition grasped above all the ilass character of the revolutionary movement.

Or in Jaime Wheelock's formula 'The axis of our policy of alliances was not the bourgeoisie but the peo ple. Our assessment of the relation-

Socialist Action 14 June 1985

ship of forces is based on a reality. We have the arms, and the people are with us.' The core of the FSLN's policy was the alliance of working class and peasantry — not any strategic alliance with bourgeois forces.

. UnIs framework the much discussed question of the FSLN's tactical relation with bourgeois forces also becomes clear. Daniel Ortega ex plains clearly the FSLN's policy of

hegemony in every alliance it created

did not negotiate with the bourgeois forces. The FSLN oulined the programme it considered correct in the objective situation and ap proached all forces to carry out its programminic.

there is no reason to disbelieve his account, 'at no time was any agreement or political pact made with another

political force: even the composition

of the Junta of the Government of National Reconstruction was not

accucu as we result ol any pact o agreement made with anothe political group Rather, we called upon persons who were well known nationally ... They were asked: 'This is the Sandinista Front's programme, do you support it?""

Alliances

This framework of alliances with the bourgeoisie on specific questions, on terms dictated by the Sandinistas, 1s in way incompatible with classical Marxist positions. Critiques to the contrary are simply ultra-left.

The development of the revolu-

tion in Nicaragua is a striking confir

mation of Trotsky's theory of perma nent revolution - that in a semi-colonial country solve the democratic tasks of the revolution it is necessary for the working class to Lake slale power Into Its owll nanos

There is no doubt that the overall policies of the FSLN in Nicaragua are correct. We are faced in Nicaragua with a situation where not merely is the revolution 'in general' to be sup ported but where the specific politica course being pursued by the FSLN should be supported.

Is there a contradiction between this reality and the evident fact that there is evidently not a common inter. national programme between the views of, say Socialist Action many on the left in Britain and the FSLN — that the Sandinistas for example supported the bureaucracy and not Solidarnosc in Poland? That contradiction exists for those who cannot see history as a process, who do not understand that the break of the world working Social Democracy and Stalinism cannot, and will not, take place in a single

Programme

The point about the FSLN - in addition the much more fun. damental question of its achievements in Nicaragua — is that it is a tremen dous step towards the programme of revolutionary Marxism. Thai Nicaragua, the freest country in the world, shows that as the revolution develops in the world it progressivels moves towards the socialist, humanitarian and liberating ideals first proclaimed by Karl Marx 140 years ago

The FLN - as, at a very different level, the forces symbolised by Gerry Adams and Arthur Scargill -is a touchstone for the left in Britain.

is a mortal threat ait sei "ananism. Because politica a = he morld are no longer sTing D tees ai Marxism in books. They are appiying parts of its idea: : - and ir the case of the FSLN whole parts of its ideas — in practice. It is the height of sectarian mania to believe this is some sort of threat — as does much of the ultra left and sectarian left in Bri-

The most advanced of these currents on a world scale, the FSLN, has conquered state power in Nicaragua That is a gigantic step forward fo humanity.

If you want to know how the at it read this book Nicaragua: The Sandinisia Pricet. Revolution, Pathfinder Press. it ::

Page 10 scan of this page

10

Newham 7

fight

continues

Week two of the Newham 7 trial began with five arrests on the Old Bailey picket showing yet again the state's desire to cause trouble at every stage. Inside, the overt harassment has But the Asian defendants are invariably detained ten minutes longer than the whites.

As the courtroom battle is joined it becomes rapidly clear that the police are covering up for

Duke of Edinburgh pub and blaming the ASIans the disturbances on 7 April last year. The pub landiord and regulars nave obviously something to hide.

Scott young victim of an earlier assault said he had his arm in a siing but no one else has recarled It. He admitted leading a sortie from the pub but conveniently claimed to have gone a different way from the others.

The landlord managed to forget parts his

statement suggested that he knew of that attack. Other regulars were apparently innocently playing pool when the windows were smashed. 'Hear no evil, see no evil' has been the watchword from within the Duke of Edinburgh.

Other witnesses have been more frank. One saw police ring the pub bell after Scott Young was 'assaulted', but tor some reason no one answered.

saty group OT whites run from the pub with weapons and viciously attack a Mercedes full of Ásians, smashing the back windscreen.

Before the pub winciows were group of whites outside

pub WCIC abublIk

asians gathered opposit he Wimpey bar. The win dow of the Wimpey was broken by a pool ball and pool cues were thrown.

No police officer has yet admitted seeing any whites at all at this stage except possibly 'middle ag-

ones with shopping Yet the official police occurence book records a fight between 50 Asians and 25 whites. The

Socialist Action 14 June 1985 tor now — died down.

figure of 50 Asians is also unsupported by photographs taken of the incident.

To identify the defendants, the prosecution rely on an ex-waitress of the Wimpey bar to recognise them from photographs. inl cross-examination she

Delle a ponce informer, though she later retracted this.

She needed 'reminding' of at least one name before she gave evidence. Then she claimed to idennry one delencant Just Dy his 'body structure

The horrifying series of racist attacks on that day

chillingly nave counted to the jury by the

One youth (still only 'O' level age) was hit on the head with a ham mer, taken to a common two miles away, thrown in a ditch and attacked with a block of concrete. It was

car used had been parked near the Duke of Edinburgh.

Police response: just circulate the car details to officers on routine patrol. Not all of them got the message.

The judge has already said that provocation not a defence, and the charge OI 'affray" is so wide that even if the whites started the trouble, Ta e Asians can still be convicica ior Jomg l-

So, however good the detence. the central Issue still remains: is it criminal to protect the community when no one else will? • Rally on Thursday 13 June, 7om. at East Ham Town Hall. High Street South. London E6

Mass picket of the Old Bailey Crown (nearest tube: St Paul,

every Mon day till the end of the trial. Free transport available from East Ham at 11am.

shop steward organisation.

Three residential social workers had been sacked for attending union meeting. Last Friday appeals were heard by a specially convened committee of councilors.

The sackings

WEIG quashed the social

Galle workers will De back at work in their old jobs from Monday this week. However the three will all have "final warnings' on their records.

means mutually agreeable trade union facilities agreement must be negotiated as soon

the

DESDIC DELWCCI

and the council.

This would open the door to a speedy review of these final warnings' and their complete removal from the files of these union activists.

Both the council and the unions must now put this whole episode behind them and organise foi mass campaign of resistance against the lorv rate-capping which is sure to hit the borough like a cyclone next year. Hundreds of redundancies and massive slashing of the services was only averted this year Dy eating into reserves and setting a rate well that mended by the Tories.

There will be no hiding place UCAL year. Some Labour councillors and departmental

Hialiasel were well aware oI Inis some months ago when AMONG the variety of activities Labour CND has underway this year, the most immediately pressing is defence of and support for Greenham woman Anne Francis, recently jailed for 12 months by Aylesbury Crown Court for keeping the peace the missiles site.

"That's whv we're encouraging support for an

this weekend's Labour Party women's conference in support of Anne. This should be tied too to the

detence eXCECISC planned by the Tories in

Newham council

draws back

NEWHAM's overwhelmingly Labour council drew back last week from its previous position of backing the attempt by management and hard right councillors to break up the local NALGO branch and its

they started the whole sorry business of ting a full frontal assaul on the Newham NALGO branch. The attack started in October last year when The left lost the branch elections.

Carolyn Sikorski, Newham NALGO

They blocked the progression of social service. convenor and Socialist Action supporter Barry Giray. It was a blatant attempt to frighten off further development of the stewards system in the rest of the branch and victimise a leading union ac-

A Yigorous campaign was launched in support of Barry from the shop stewards committees while the newly elected branch committee watched trom the sidelines or in some cases actively undermined support. There were two VIIC day i strikes, weekly campaign broadsheets and

series of shop meetings Crucial however trom the point of view of forcing the Labour councillors to

off the fence and support the union was a speaking tour round every Dizia ward the borough.

But it was NALGO activists who were also active members of their wards

Defend Anne Francis

Septe berrora her

territorial volunteers and 2000 reservists, along with thousands regular forces, practice

commando attack by the

AS, the Spetsna

By Carol Turner, Labour CND (personal capacity)

This represents massive waste or which could be used for crealing new Jobs for Bri tain's thousands of unemployed and ploughed into vitally-needed services

the NHS. Instead it will user for "war practice' and to rein-

and general committees who majority of the party. Support built up ourside the party and Barry won his regrading.

But at the very which Barri was regraded the council set a rate and launched the attack residential the three

workers. This time as well as touring the Newham party yet again Ine newly 'Reinstatementr Campaign' into across London and also • nationallv.

The majority of 'left' councillors

NALGO.

ALLACK Ul were in the lead-up to the group elections in which,

hoped to win the key posi tions of leader and chair of personnel.

They known better. Having provided "left' for their dirty work the right said 'thanks a lot' and far from giving them their votes kept a firm hold on the key positions in the council as well. The decision of the appeals com mittee has corrected this error.

There can be no unity with those in the party who don't really want to fight the Tories except of course unity in the graveyard of smashed services. smashed unions and thousands jobs lost hose who reall]

see Council stand and fight the orles next vear mus begin to organise now in the unions, Labour Party and the whole borough.

o breaching

#peace,

orce the Tory propagand that Russia is the enemy

That's why Labol CND is demanding that as Well Calla cul support of Anne and the women like her camped at the Greeham airbase Labour-controlled authorities give time ofi with pay all their employees willing to spend a day demonstrating peace, and organise their own anti-missiles events

two weeks of Exercise Brave Defender

• Anne Francis' appeal against her sentence will be heard this Friday at the Appeal Court the Strand. Gather outside at 10am.

More Militant

excesses in

Liverpool

tions skullduggery of the council.

The black caucus were prolesung against the lach of any consultation about the council s equal opportunities policy, so-called and demanding formal talks.

The council decision to wind up the old race relations liaison committee (which the black caucus orginates from) has through no Labour Part bodies betore the took its decision. . Obviously Lavour comiciors wall to break all their links with what has become an extremely vocal and effective thorn in Militant's side

The proposal to shut the committee was made to a recent council meeting

Bond himself. The black

at the meeting organised sit-down heckler' during the report.

Lambeth and

Liverpool

surcharged

authorities who have refused to set a rate.

This latest attempt to beat Labour controlled councils into submission

week after Lambeth had voted again, by 32-30, not to set a rate and continue the fight. As

of the campaign, Lambeth organising series events and meetings to publicise and

campalgu public rally has been organised for 22 June at 3.00pm at Brixton Recrea-

Emergency resolution to Labour Party women's conference

recent decision by Aylesbury

airbase fence. Conference notes:

of the campers, the campers at the beginning of the year by 'silen

defence exercise since

Defender',

sitourutor

In view of this, conference therefore agrees:

Wing on all Labour MPs 1o raise question: Commons, regaraine tne case, ana (i) consumenev narres organise a rota for visiting the peace camp, b. to demand that those campaigning

give their employees

Labour Party nationally to

eses do norme to derene ms country. one fu soorsor

place on 23 October this year in London

News

THE MILITANT-dominated Liverpool city council excelled itself recently when it called police into its council meeting to evict Liverpool black caucus members, there to protest against the latest race rela-

No sooner did this begin than police charged in, already waiting in the wings. Three Labour councillors left the meeting in protest.

By Annie Brady

Many ot the who would normally be expected to take part ir

decided boycott it. Fifteen of the 20 places will be filled by councillors.

This latest action more proof of the length! that Militant will go to to suppress criticism. further demonstration too it any 15 needed the bankruptcy of their Politis, especiack selation black self-organisation and the fight for Labour Party black sections.

AS WE go to press it has been announced that surcharge certificates have been issued to councillors in both Lambeth and Liverpool the only remaining

tion Centre with Jo Richardson and other leading labour movement figures. addition Lambeth councillors are planning to take the message up and down the country and to link up the fight with Liverpool's

will carry more detailed material on the likely ef fects of the surcharge and the way forward for the campaign now.

This Labour Party women's conference condemns the

Crown Court to jai Greenham woman Anne Francis for 12 months after fin ding her guilty of a mere £130-worth of damage to the

1. the increasing harassment of women at the peace camp, evidenced for example by the daily, violent evic-

up of two womel 'assailants

arrest and detention overnight of 400 women protesting against the introduction of the new by-laws to restrict the

2. that the government intend to hold the biggest home

World War II, Brave in September of this year, which will include the use of 7000 members of the territorial army and 2000 reservists who will be paid for their iwo week war

a. to campaign in every way possible for the release of anne rrarc, mictuame ro came or ine Lurour rurt] nationally to organise a suitable form of protest, (ii) call-

in the House of #004 in especially women's sections,

for peace have

war, namely by (i) calling on all Labour-controlled coun-

Prime off with weubers weeks of Exercise Brave Defender, (ii) calling on the

use time during a party

ercise, to point out that party policy of unilateral nuclear disarmament is the best contribution Britain can make 1o peace and disarmament world-wide and that such exer.

ing the CND national demonstration which will take

Page 11 scan of this page

Defend jobs in rail

In the Unions

Photo: G M COOKSON

THE BRITISH RAIL BOARD is spoiling for a fight with the rail unions. Last week, the Board decided to make full use of the Tory anti-union laws, in an at• tempt to weaken working class opposition in the industry.

First, demanded £200,000 compensation, lost when railworkers took

By Ray Varnes, NUR guard

action on 17 January in defence of members victimised by management for supporting the miners.

The Board will also present another crippling claim to the unions revenue lost when Scottish THIS YEARS National Communications Union (NCU) conference historic merger of the clerical and engineering sectons but for little else. The different sections, CPSA, P&l and POEU met separately at the beginning of the week then joined on Thursday to convene its first policy making conference.

The Broad Left (BL) dominated Engineering Executive Committee (EC) gained seats engleng SCCUO but By Ann Fiander, City Branch NCU (pers. cap.)

made no attempt to lead the union forward either on pay or jobs. This BL

best to stop sebitn iby asting nor ai SeCLOos asking tor controversial policy makJt 2 pronostics remitted.

The first major debare

the engineering ference was to dominate.

centred around the Broad Strategy and the NEL DIOPU CU aLLIOHL win a 32 hour, 4 day week.

Before COnI CICuca NEC had recommended September 1 as the date for industrial action if the British Telecom Board refused to negotiate. During the debate they amend-

own proposition to say sometime in the tuture. with conterence s decision to back the NEC,

Union conferences

INALL

SAY NO TO SERPELL workers shut down the rail network in defence of jobs last April.

Second, the Board has nroken Ine taiways mne year old closed shop agreement.

British Rail is making ful use or the lorv law because the railways are a running sore for the bosses. The rail unions must be taken UIL and defeated like steelworkers, British

Policy gains in NCU

will be remembered for the the right wing blocked with che NEC and used this decision to stop conference supporting any call for national industrial action SUDUIU of bran. ches fighting BT and the Post Office's demands for redundancies

These debates clarified many activists in the union on the nature of the Brocd Strategy, The Broad Strategy while an informed document is being used for not fighting jobs now It argues that all industrial action on jobs must wait til •he NEC calis national ac. den to get a 32 hour, 4 day

I his strategy playec BT's hands they turently picking off

demar ding job losses. one by ClIC.

li the NEC refuses to back branches prepared to take actior. := save jobs, they will powerless when BT eventualty corces *VOTAT V redundancies. By the end of conference manv of the branchedin. volved were looking not to the NEC or the BL for industrial solidarity but to sister branches who spoke

Leyland workers, and the

if the rapid and LILICIS fundamental

of the inDULCLUIILZ dustry, which the bosses urgently need, is going to be carried through.

Legal

The decision to move ahead on the signais the danger that management will try even more quickly to impose Drivet Oneration and other productivity measures: Ihe grades con ference which includes zuarus wuuse ODS stand to disappear with to defend them during the debate.

On pay, conference re• jecied BT's offer of 6.7 per cent which included wage cuts for workers in BT's factories and cable ships.

DOO voted" unanimously to fight to defend their jobs when it met at the end of May.

British Rail alms tc destroy the grade of guard

the domino theory Crener sarasatne Cross Strathclyde Region Scotland are the number vllc laleel. and thev'l be followed by the removal of guaras on treight trains, it BR. gets its way.

Strike

Delegates called for a 24-hour national strike as a first step to defend jobs

in the industry. No one considered that the coming year will be an easy one for railworkers, but as Roy Butlin. put it, Nothing trom Coalville, put it, is inevitable. Driver Only Operation can be defeated. But we can't win grade by grade. We need unity across the industry, including with the workshops, and beyond.'

But any successful fiohthack must involve a sharp break with the curTesL ob-key approach the union leadership. With thousands oi Jobs under threat, the union newspaper has carried only a single article on DOO in the last year. It's a scandal that it's been left up to Kings Cross depot itself to

petition declaring opposition productivity, and aimed at getting railworkers involved in the tight against job loss. Several thousand

ARALEN

PRRATIGATION

outox The NEC claimed plans for industrial action but wouldn't reveal them to conference Later the

Macetede planned to hold a ballot on taking action on pay.

petitions were taken back to local depots from conference.

With feelings runnin high, delegates welcome Jimmy Knapp, the NUR general secretary, when — in answer to the questioning on his report to conference, he accepted that strike action would be necessary if BR • pushes ahead wịth DOO

important teature of this year's conference was now much delegates had learned from their solidarity_action with the Hules This was evident not only in the large vote Roy Butlin received when elected to the conference executive committee, but also in ine standing ovation which greeted miner's wife, Marie Price Thanked

Price, the Notts delegate to the national committee of the womer Against Pit Closures, thanked delegates for their solidarity action during the strike,

accdaucu how the links between

and railworkers dulICIS should be strengthened to defend sacked and imprisoned miners today. 'But, ' she said, 'solidarity is a two-way street. If we can ever aid you in your fight, get women will be there before

the Lal. phone.

Although this grade conference deals only with issues relating directly to guards and shunters, many delegates were pleas-

The clerical section certainly. made more gains. The right wing NEC overturned and left dolinalcu oue elected. Conference voted to affiliate to the Labour Party against the advice of the top table and resoundingly voted to oppose BT's use of sexist material in calendars. This resolution had a massive impact delegates and has led to the union taking on specified cases of sexua harassment within the union itself.

The two conferences then merged on Thursday. This was a cultural shock for all delegates The composttion ot the clerica: section was overwhelmingly youth and women which meant that many of the traditional of the engineering section were overturned.

Ine most important resolutions passed were

opposing and support for affiliatio! io the Nicaragua Solidar ty Campaign (NSC). The debate on Nicaragua was a step forward for the union. The motion was passed overwhelmingly. and f400 was collected for the campaign. At a fringe meeung branches committed themselves to organising material support and delegations thcoming Nicaragua trade LION COnICICHLe

Socialist Action ed when in anwer another question on his report, Knapp pledged the union's support the Nicaraguan government which is currently under threat of invasion. "This very Issue will be debate our annual general meeting in a fort night's time. noted NilaDD ing over policies,

ship of the union for the next few years. By Rod Bacon (formerly NEC CPSA 84/85)

Ihis of course pul: tremendous pressure on the Broad Left to build a mass based organisation, rooted in the work places and the branches in order to mount a teht-back toI socialist policies ighi-back CPSA. This will have to be waged, not only against the right

ving, but also against th

ightist BL 84. The Broa depense no ilien the porters Militant, Socialist Workers Party and the Socias! • Caucs group. The Socialist Caucus (which HICIUUC supporters of Socialist Action) has been in existence since 1978. It has always been a constituent part the CPSA Broad Left, but also has support in other Civil Service unions.

The political objectives ot the Caucus have been to mobilise the rank and file to challenge the full time coterie that controls the leadership, and raise political issues inside the unions, such as Ireland racism, womens rights,

rights and interna tional questions. As part of these objectives, the Socialist Caucus has been

the fore-front of the fight _ LO extend union democracy, accountability

TELL. ofticers positive discrimination ir favour of women. tull sup port for members taking industrial action and tota opposition to witch hunts against other socialists. Thus when the BL group makes continual sectarian attacks on Militant supporters in particular, the Caucus will stand with Militant although we have major political differences.

irithe ne ce ce thes

policies Caucur

14 June 1985 11 With big battles looming the industry Socialist Action supporters at conference were pleased that the sale of Railworkers and Miners, the new pamphlet went down so well. A full one in three delegates purchased a copy of this account of the struggle or Our members at Coalville.

The Left in

the CPSA

THE SPLIT in the largest Broad Left organisation in the country, that of the CPSA, has produced the expected result: the re-capture of the National Executive Committee by the right-wing in this years elections. Because of the divisions between the 'old Broad Left and the breakaway Broad Left 84 group-

politics and candidates, which were highlighted at this years conference, there appears to be no chance of re-unification and a distinct probability that the right will remain in the leader-

have a major role to play to re-build the Broad Left Even the Militant, which has in the past relied upon capturing the leadership of the union rather than raisLILE sociats politic! amongst the membership and creating mass support for left policies, has realis. ed that the Broad Left has to go back to the member. ship and develop the fight against the right wing and the renegades Finally the internal divisions in the CPSA cannot be regarded in isola-

fio nte rest of ahe labaur

in the rest of the movement. The split in the Parliamentary Campaign Group, the witchunting of Militant inside the Labour Party the dominance of the Marxism Today trend inside the Communist Parly ana lne growin of in 'new realist' eft with thei concept without Benn' and virtually uncritical support for Neil Kinnock, proves there is a rightist trend The • only problem that the 'new left avc h wual uev are cose tially elitist. The socialis left by basing their politics on the needs and aspirations of the working class can expose the movement towards the centre and develop the growth of socialist policies throughou LNE Jabou movement. This is the task of the socialist Caucus in the CPSA, to struggle fo the left to win back powe in the coming period. • The Socialist Caucus National Meeting takes place on Saturday 15th June at the 'Cock Phoenix Road, NWI .NT Euston Stn) starting at 1lam. All Socialist Actior supporters in the CPS4 PS etc should attend

Page 12 scan of this page

ON 20 MAY Leon Brittan, Home Secretary, nounced that it was safe for Tamils to return to Sri Lanka. tional rights on behalf of those seeking refugee SEALED. demanding that Sri Lankan passport holders, Commonwealth citizens, should only be allowed entry into Britain if they had visas from the Sri Lankan High Commission.

This means that Tamil refugees, trom genocide in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka, will be denied refuge in this country and those already here are under threat of deportation.

Under United Nations conventions visas cannot

ing from terrefugees

fleeing from terror.

BELISA government is a signatory to these convenLOTS Thatcher ki La kar knows ful well

By Valerie Coultas

airlines will not transport Tamils to Britain without a visa because the airlines themselves will be charged the cost of a Tamil's stay in Harmondsworth.

Amnesty International has cocumented and 1982 the instances of anti-Tamil systematic torture, arbitrary arrest, extra udicial killings. Under th Sri Lankan Prevention o Terrorism Act people can be imprisoned for 18 months without trial.

The violence in the North carried out by Sinhalese fanatics and the Sinhalese security forces is

volene aginst the entire Tamil community. As Rajes of the Tamil Refugee Action Tamil nation is dying explains, *The the hands of, Sinhalese fascism. Jaffna is a ruined city. It's been bombarded

the army who have destroyed houses, schools and temples.

ment has insisted that the Yet the Tory issue is one of dealing with Tamil terrorists. This is exactly how the Buddhist fanatic Jayawardene regime

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Tamils must stay

Nine days later he curtailed MPs tradi-

He also took the unprecedented step of

portrays the situation in the Sri Lankan press by only reporting Tamil Tiger killIngs to sur up naurca belween the Sinhalese Tamil population. 'How can the return? asks Rajes they seen the mass murder? Have they seen the representatives of our community? We are part

of the think wealth.

think pure racism. If we were from a white COWHILE. such Poland or Russia, there

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Thatcher's ruthless

her cy ista do stre Lan da

visit Sri •Lanka where she made it clear she would back the Sinhalese regime. She also urge Ragiv Ghandi to clear the Tamils out of southern India on that trip. In April 1984 Tamil refugees were being allowed stay,

tedly. But now they are being askca to cave.

Thousands have fled to India and others to West Germany, Holland and Switzer ane Lanka was a British colony from 1833. Until 1956 Englist was the official language

Sri should be a natural refuge for Tamil victims of this new outbreak of terror. The Tory racists must be forced to let the refugees come here and forced to let them stay.

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rail unions for their next attack after the miners.

ment

end of the closed shop in rail -

union.

The threat to take the NUR and ASLEF to court unless they 'voluntarily' pay the £200,000, and the

By Dick Carter

threat of further court action over April's rail strike in Scotland against the closure of railway workshops, is a further tightening of the screw. It has to be met by a clear promise of industrial action by -Ine rail unions unless BR's threats are withdrawn.

But the NUR and ASLEF leadership are not

silich wildereat the seld

tacks. NUR genera SCCECLaIY attacked Jimmy Alau the Closed shop by as a of the stupid industrial relations move that wil rebound on them.'

Ray Buckton's statement was still worse. He argued, In order to have have good industrial ot ta- stability you have

relations, but this attitude seems totally contrary to it.' -n orner words the danger of BR is that they are threatening stability!

Defend the NUR

Defend ASLEF

THE GOVERNMENT and BR management gave public warning last week that they have targetted the

The two measures announced by BR manage-

— one demanding a £200,000 payment from the NUR and ASLEF for January's strike in support of Coalville depot, and the other announcing the

• are open provocations. So is the sending by BR management of a letter to every rail workers informing them it is no longer a condition of employment to belong to a

The new round of attacks have in fact been set up by the failure of the rail unions leadership to respond adequately to BR management's previous provocations The serpense to them ary strike support Coalville was solid from those depots which were called out. But the NUR and ASLEF leadership worked to narrow down the solidarity action to a regional one.

There should have been a national strike called against BR's intimida tion at Coalville. Instead sensing a weakness in the response from the unions' leaderships, BR and the government were encouraged to push on with their attack.

The same result came

By the tad Asane

of the 1985 pay deal. A continual policy of retreat by the NÚR and ASLEF leaderships also served to undermine support for May's tube strike. Each concession has encouraged the government and BR management to go a step further.

Jimmy Knapp con-

tinued the process again with his statement over the threatened fine. He stated that BR proceeding with the fine would rule out cooperation with BA over new working measures. ' Ir

action was made over

• the closed shop CLIC

he fine. However Knap made it clear the NÚ would continue negotiations on the management attacks - such as Driver Only Operation, produc-

HANDS OFF

- WORKSHOPS

PO Box 50, London N1 2XP.

To ensure departure this barrier immediately

the train 1s

tivity and the closure of the workshops provid "stability restored to the situation.

This line of constant retreat is disastrous - and has already been proved tc be disastrous. It has to be broken with, and a clear poncy or maustral actiol to defend the NUR and ASLEF embarked Without that there is danger Thatcher will chalk up another victory in her assault on the unions.

RAILWORKERS

AND MINERS

during no pay mines arke ed against the Toria,

Nots Area NUM. 3OTGRAVI Socialist Action supporters in rail have produced a pamphlet called Railworkers and Miners', the story of Coalville during the 1984/5 miners' strike. It costs 50 pence per copy and is available from Socialist Action,