Socialist Action No. 130, 7 February 1986
The scan: 130-feb-07-1986-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.
Page 1 scan of this page
Defend the Unions
MURDOCH
HAMMOND
ACTION SoCiAlist Inside:
рб BUILDING AN ALLIANCE FOR SOCIALISM STOP
STOP
Tony Benn on Westlands p2
Johnny Aitkin on the EETPU p7
Week 2 at Wapping p3
• The Hammond-Owen connection
No. 130 7 February 1986 30p
ONE OF the world's most ruthless employers, allied with Britain's most right wing trade union boss, and given the full backing of Thatcher, has declared war on the entire trade union movement. The actions of Rupert Murdoch and Thatcher are no surprise. But the actions,of Hammond at Wapping have now taken away the breath even of much of the 'middle ground' of the labour movement.
Just how carefully planned was Murdoch's unions, and how totally involved init assault
are Hammond and the EETPU Seems me ourever moresear ly this week.
On Tuesday the Morning Star, in an excellent scoop, reprinted in full the text of a confidential letter from MurOC soner нагатапа сО was dated 20 December 1985, and it refers to pre-planning 'some months ago'. It stated that the most effective, cheapest, way to dispense with the present workforce' would be *to dismiss the employees while participating in a strike.
Because it's instant. Because they are not entitled to redundancy pay. because mey nave no clalm to unran dismissal. And because Murdoch wouldn't have to bother providing a reason for the sackings.
The letter goes on: Given that we are now much nearer the date of a possible explosion... I thought it would be sensible... if I reiterated the advice already given.'
It is with this pre-prepared battle strategy, and clear legal advice, that Murdoch prepared the writs which are now flying like confetti and which threaten every union.
But Murdoch can only get away with his action because of one thing: because of the total and complete col laboration given by Hammond and the EETPU. That EETPU leadership is directly linked to the UDM, the SDP and the other union busters. Hammond has gone far too far to back off from anything he has done.
This week the EETPU leadership indicated they must think the trade union movement are idiots. What does Hammond say to the accusation that scab electricians are keeping the Wapping presses rolling? Simply: he didn't know! But in reality it is only because of the help that Murdoch is getting trom Hammond that presses can keep rolling at Wapping. It is because of Hammond that union funds will start to come under attack this week.
This week the TUC is almost cer-
to disciplinary action against the EETPU. That is correct. But Murdoch and Hammond won't be stopped by this. That will take • Total trade union solidarity action against Wapping — a total boycott of News International and solidarity industrial action. • Complete TUC backing for any union under attack by the courts. No leaving unions to fight alone as with • A public campaign by the TUC against Hammond and his supporters
the EETPU backing up the militants in that union who are JICUaICU EU fight the Hammond machine.
Solidarity with Wapping, the fight against Murdoch and Hammond, is the most urgent task facing the entire abour movement
Page 2 scan of this page
Labour and the Westland crisis
2
AcTioN
Marxism Today
goes all the way
AFTER FIVE years of half guarded hints, trying to avoid admitting too openly what everyone knew to be the case, day has finally come out in the open. Its February 1986 issue carrries a 5000 word article by Michael Rustin arguing unamween Labour and the SDP-Liberal Alliance.
Just so there is no misunderstanding Rustin dots the Is' and crosses the t's'. Preparations for this coalition must start as soon as possible
ground for it beforehand.'
Rustin discusses the tactics in detail stating: 'Groups on the left, who would no doubt be the most vocal guardians of party commitments, which to judge whether a coalition deserved sup-
stupidity, is quite unbelievable. He argues: 'It is full employment.' Apparently David Owen is now to become a convert to full employment policies - which is rather like asking a tiger to give up
got news for Rustin on the next page of the journal. In an article entitled 'Goodbye to all that' Aaronovitch argues explicitly that it is necessary to bury even the reformist Alternative Economic commitment to full employment must now be abandoned and that 'opinion is growing that full employment in the 50s sense is not attainable.
Aaronovitch argues
on an alliance with the EEC. He states: ! want... to confront one particular controversial issue: Britain's membership of the EEC. I suggest that those who have argued for withdrawal should have second thoughts. "European" cooperation has clearly grown so as to match the competitive strength of the USA accept fully the need for involvement in the EEC and to work with all forces available to change its
Cut out the cackle, because Aaronovitch's
olicy has about as much chance of controlling the EEC powers as Gerry Adams has of being elected head of the Orange Order, and you do get a real basis on which coalition with the SDP
iberal Alliance could be negotiated
Labour should accept mass unemployment It should be integrated into a capitalist Europe which is both engaged in increasing economic competition with the United States and arming itself against the USSR. policy Labour would become a pure adjunct of
Of course on that basis undoubtedly a coalition agreement could be negotiated with the Alliance. They, after all, are precisely the Euro-
gramme is virtually indistinguishable on these
basics not only from Owen or Steel but from
right wing fringe of the Labour Party.
But this is a real fight over the future of the
labour movement. There are only two coherent
The first line is that of coalition with the
movement this necessitates. A policy that lines
up the theoretical journal of a Communist Party
with the Eric Hammonds and David Owens.
The second line is one which appears on the
masthead of this newspaper and is advanced by
alliance for socialism'. For Labour to turn out to
Alliance but for socialism. To ally not with capital
against the working class and oppressed
with the working class and oppressed against
capital. All other orientations are simply eclectic
and will be ground away as the years go on.
At long last fundamental strategic questions
challenge which is now before it.
Socialist Action 7 February 1986
Marxism Toestablish minimum terms by to complete the issue of Marxism CPGB economist, has this new Labour Therefore the decision must be "to of the savage attacks on the labour politics are being openly joined and
THE WESTLAND crisis has had a huge impact. But it has also produced questions about the adequacy of Labour's response and what type of strategy should be pursued. Socialist Action asked TONY BENN for his views.
Westland crisis has obviously had an mous impact British politics. How do you see its origins and effects?
Westland was really crisis of very deep roots, the nature of which has hardly been reported in the press.
The first part was the rebuonauol anothe part of our manufacturing nuusur y the ment.
This company Yeovil was a clear example
that. Here was helicopter company that was to be thrown to anybody who wanted to pick it up. I know it was
ons of war but that wasn't une man Doll
When it went on the market Westland exposed
powerful conflict between the United States and western Europe. Americans wanted Westland to be a bridgehead to sell their arms in Europe. The European industrialists made this the occasion for resisting US industrial domination. The fight over the helicopter company brought into play really deep aspects of the crisis the capitalist world.
The government did anything BOI because Mrs Thatcher is under orders from Reagan
Star Wars debtedness for his help ir the allu over cruise missiles. She
beat Reagan yet couldn't nounce the European bid because she is suspected, quite correctly, of not be ing a passionate federal European. On this COll tradiction two of her key Cabinet ministers went.
In the process something else happened. we had exposed for all to see the nature British government which . is really ministerial government. This fact, which has never been pro. perly discussed, came to the sullace and cabinet reponsibility broke down.
Two cabinet ministers left was delighted. Heseltine had attacked Molesworth and Brittan attacked the miners. Bull to have such centrifugal
Leon Brittan
forces that these people left the cabinet - one having Deed undermuned the prime minister and the other having been thrown to the wolves by the prime minister to protect herself
was a very important change. Thatcher's position is deeply damag-
One thing which came out . over westlana, and is De ing pushed in the movement very much al lue lo ment, the SO called Duroucal strategy. don't know if you saw the arguments in the Guardian and New Socialist pushing the idea that we've got to line capital against the United with European
States p wino the BisC. line with EEC. What is your attitude to that?
I think there are a lot of myths going around based on a tallure analysis. One myth is the NorthSouth gap -where it is all about the need for the rich countries to help the poor countries, whereas actually the being bled coute bes are
wille by rich ones.
I think there Is new continental industrial competition and - Japan, western Europe, and the United States three superpowers. They are suspicious of each other because of their real-
harsh industrial competition. This is to be dealt with by consolidating and fighting each other.
Heseltine is the arch example of this. tew weeks ago he was apparently seeking Star Wars contracts but then emerged as une caudi of
hE Competition from the
don't think the Labour Party should have
anything whatever to
with that approach. COur
interests should be with
the sacked
Yeovil under Thatcher,
workers in America under
Reagan, and workers in
Germany under the
west
right wing of
Chancellor Kohl. We wan
a labour internationalism
we dont want to mor
our weight behind con-
tinental nationalisms.
Photo: JOHN HAPPIS
Your Board will shortly be in touch with you to give its considered advice on the Consortiums tender If you accept the tender, you may
I think this reveals a serious gap in our analysis. Of course we want much closer links with Europe — but not just with Europe of the west, not just the industrialists of Europe. W f want links with the trade
closer trading links with eastern europe. we want a demilitarisation policy for Europe
Our policy should be to bring Westland into public ownership. Convert TrON helicopter company company which adapts its helicopters to be third world relief vehicles and use them to ferry food famine area in the world A sort of British state Bob Geldof programme That
make sense. would win wide support.
To say 'let's join with Aerospatiale or Augusta in Italy fight Sikorski' would merely be to become an adjunct of the type infighting that characterises capitalist crises.
There is a lot of work to be done on socialist internationalism at the moment.
Finally one of the aspects of the Westland affair that was widely commented or was the lack of any offensive by front bench. It seems extraordinary WIlt government could go
such crisis without the Labour party DODOSITY confidence. It seems feeble vote or ILU
compared WilCYCl 10 son's offensive against MacMillan during the ProTumO CISS wlal do you think lies behind it?
It's been true of other things ram battle was fough by as well. The
Dalyell. The City
scandal was fought by
Brian Sedgemore ane Dennis Skinner. The
Westland crisis was hand.
ed as 'let's sit back and enjov it while they tight 1 out.' The real issues were not brought out
nola nan of
ersonalities, but the 'let'
keep down' school of thought, and
'we sit it out affects
parliamentary performan-
ce and policy making.
The only sign of activity it permits is in clobber-
WESTLAND SHAREHOLDERS
Please sit
tight.
February 8th. You can afford to wait.
WESTLAND lony benn ing the left, because that is part of keeping your head
keep , your head down and see that nobody else puts their head above the parapet. I think it was very disappointing.
But I wouldn't focus on that because the Campaign group is there, and active, and things do emerge from it. But the
doesn't want to DI COS report it. motion on the public ownership of Westland for example, which was not reported.
The argument on the vote if confidence we have argued it in the past on the miners - is that it Tories and we don't want consolidates to be defeated.
But if you don't start things that might lead to a parliamentary defeat then
• Argument
Politics Today
frustrate the Board's plan to rescue Westland The tender has to remain open until
you might as well not be at all. Because by aeningon, once anciechol has occurred, for the next five years oppositions are going to be defeated by the because they've got the votes Won is stated is a question • strategy how parliament should be used. parliament should be a platform and a pulpit which you use to ex pose what is happening in and the role ministers in it and to present your alternatives.
That is different to using it solely to exploit little mini-embarrassments withof things. think the party, save frat tied whas you sall • LICIC War much of a parliamentary fight.
The facts behind the Tory crisis
•The best short handbook on the Conservative Party that currently exists
Andrew Gamble, Marxism Toda
essentat for any activists booksue
Available from The Other Bookshop. POS
Box 50, London payable to IMRS
Page 3 scan of this page
War at Wapping: Week 2
Politics Today
INJUNCTIONS WERE common as confetti last week as Rupert Murdoch tried to put the squeeze on print workers now going into the third week of their strike against News International. deflect oficial opposition from the unions. saying please, I'm instructing,' secretary Ron Todd, calling on transport workers to respect the picket lines. legal consequences which might come.
While the TGWU instruction has had no effect
yet TNT workers who deliver the scab papers across the country the transport workers' message could still disrupt the supply materials such as paper, ink, and petrol, said to be running low at Wapping.
beginning of this week Murdoch claimed that over lour and a half million copies of the
were spewing ou: from Wapping Glasgow, 20,000 higher than the previous record.
ast Sunday almost 500,000 of Monday's Times had been
Wapping, turned only 35,000 short of requirements. The same day, copies of the education and literary appeared, late, after being bovcotted NGA workers in Northampton.
But they didn't 'I am not
' said TGWU general
He pledged to take all the
One vot Manchester was the Terusd print workers to produce scab copies of the News of the World. One By Carol Turner Muraoch injunctions bans the union from this action next week; and a further legal suit is being prepared Callie SOGAT for loss of pro- damages from
duction.
But the lead given by the print unions, and the NUJ so far is simply not enough. Nor is it clear how far the unions are prepared to go in confronting the law or how much backing other unions will give them. So long as scab electricians and journalists continue to work at Wapping, however, business as
and "respect pickets' calls from union leaderships fall far
NOJ PICKET
DO NOT
CROSS
short of what's required.
TUC disciplinary action against the electricians must be taken, and the NUJ should expel all scab reporters working on the four Murdoch titles.
But neither bureaucratic fight enough by itself. Hammond is increasingıy Isolated within the trade union movement as a result of his actions at Wapping. That advantage will be driven home only by action from the trade union leaders backed by the Labour Party leader ship. That means concrete steps make any disciplinary threat against une EETPU the TUC this Wednesday bite.
Suspension by itself is not enough. Putting hundreds of thousands of electricians outside the move. ment would nave lo be ducompanied by moves from the TUC to regroup them into an alternative organisation within the ambit of the trades union movement
Last Tuesday the Morning Sta reported that Hammond's 'evidence' to
TUC quiry will try to shift the blame other print unions. The EETPU document claims that the TUC cians outside the congress move is to put the electri'for political reasons' cannot instruct those presently employed there
Into action
police. Several arrests took place.
Police relations,
friendly till then, broke down the same evening.
Cheers went up when one inspector was knocked
down by a scab lorry turning.
The Wapping picket received delegations from
other print workers during
evening, much
support from passing
OLOSSES. But the mood
of determination was ex-
pressed best by one striker
who said: The Greenam
women have been there for
tree verts. lads, we've a record to
beat!'
With the strike into its second week, understanding of the need for mass picketing is beginning to grow. A liaison committee of striking rank and file
· TRADE UNIONISTS BEWARE! *
RUPERT'S
REWARD
RUPERT MURDOCH'S NEWSPAPER WORKERS HAVE MADE HIM MILLIONS IN PROFIT THEIR REWARD -
THE SACK!
to stop work without putting the union's funds in jeopardy,' it claims.
The general council's case against the EETPU leadership is in fact based on the most elementary principles of trade union solidarity. Action by the TUC against the electricians. however, will only hold if it is predicated on an explanation of why the EETPU's road means an attack on the ullILy and strength of the whole
ALMOST 500 pickets assembled last Saturday evening in the biggest turn out yet at the Wapping plant. At one point in the early evening demonstrators managed to block the road, only to be repelled by
print workers met for the first time on Tuesday last week to discuss how to increase the action against Rupert Murdoch's opera-
tion We think that mass
pickets are the answer in this dispute, Larry Hyett of the SOGAT machine branch told Socialist Action. 'Brenda Dean has expressed herself
being tavour "traditional tactics" this strike. As far as we're concerned that winning the strike about.
'We have set up the liasion committee to argue for that course of action at chapel and branch meetings. And we are trying to build support for the strike through the miners
movement.
Wapping has brought that out into the open. The TUC must keep it there b: driving home the full meaning of Hammond's actions.
it is uo to the whole trade union movement,
the TUC, organise the massive industrial solidarity needed for News Internationa strikers to win against Murdoch his anti-union friends in the Tory Party.
support committee network. Already the
springing into action.
have some public meetings in tne pipenie.
SOGAT London
machine branch is currently discussing printing an
alternative London Post to put the union and the strikers' case. The name is a nice irony: the same as
Murdoch's own new title
plannea to come out thi
March. Labour movement organisations invited
make donations and send messages of support.
• A . joint union coor-
dination office has been ise sirike. In coordinate
strike. Information,
donations, hearts of
support, and requests for
speakers, contact them on:
01-2534 0261.
• The SOGAT London
machine branch can be
contacted at 84 Blackfriars
Road, London SEI
(phone: 01-928 5144).
Socialist Action 7 February 1986
Solidarity in the
north west
A RECENT meeting of the north west regional council of the TUC overwhelmingly gave full backing to the print workers strike. Only three EETPU delegates at the meeting voted against.
The resolution, put forward to the meeting b the TUC regional council officers, noted that 'dismissal of 5000 members engaged in an official dispute is industrial dictatorship' and 'a matter of grave concern' 'to all unions.
Among other actions, the regional called on affiliates 'offer all
A MASS meeting
engineering firm Colman voted unanimously boycott the transport firm
the striking
national. job slaughter latest range of puterised By Bob Smith, Birmingham NGA equipment arrives
ing.
puter, advertisements
displayed
illustrations
photographs.
from advertising
completed page
oped
outdated. skills
past generations
becoming obsolete.
Wapping
skilled crafts people
produce.
3 physical, moral and financial' support to unions in volved in the dispute, and agreed to organise regula liasison meetings with the unions concerned 'to coordinate any necessary action'
The north west region TUC is calling on all trade
unionis News area lo
boycott tional titles and not to cross picket lines.
an AUEW divisional organiser for the north west and presidential candidate in the union's forthcoming elections, •has recently written to Brenda Dean and Tony Dubbins offer1112 'any assistance whatever' from engineers.
the News Internationa scab papers, is also commonly used in Mallulal turing. A letter from the shop stewards committed at Colman Fasteners to the local AUEW district committee urges that amongst other forms of solidarity the boycott of TNT be adopted as policy by union members throughout the mausly.
cal Association, which organises apprentice trained skilled workers in this area has attempted to ensur that its members take up new opportunities elsewhere. , But those ver! areas slashter if the best wholesal
leaders encourase their
the NGA. wages,
hours, and conditions
fought for over gellerd
tions will be lost ovenight if tame company
deals like the one
Eric Hammond seems to sanction at the new News International plant are in.
troduced.
The same is true for
SOGAT whose traditional
area, the publishing department, needs only a
few supervisors and
dispatchers when up-to
the-minute bundling and
loading egmoment Is ID
stalled. SOGAT members
under threat
are equali
rom Wapping type deal
But it's not just the print incimated hich
decimated. Such
agreements will have
impact elsewhere. Ever
single print worker, and
every other trade unionis
too, has ane fight that is
porting the fight that
now on at Wapping
Page 4 scan of this page
4 Socialist Action 7 February 1986
Yorkshire LPYS
conference
AT THE YORKSHIRE LPYS conference which took place last weekend, delegates from 32 branches debated 23 resolutions. The conference was smaller than the previous year, despite the fact of mass uprisings of youth in the inner-cities and youth mobilisations in the Anti Apartheid Movement as well as student struggles against grant and educa-
By Mike Hooson, Delegate, Horsforth
None of these campaigns were reflected in the
which remained business as usual, with mundane debates and abstract calls for socialism. In fact
solidarity with South Africa by affiliating locally and nationally to the AAM were opposed, as were emo on collar work waunacca and Ireland. Also rejected was a resolution defending the elementary right of black people to self-
This indicates the LPYS leadership's refusal to take the opportunities to turn outward towards the forces which could develop the YS into a powerful mass current. Such an approach was posed by the black section candidate for the youth position on
Abrams, at a Youth Action fringe meeting. He explained the need to 'support all forces in struggle nationally and internationally' and that 'this needed a radical change in the leadership of the LPYS.
Only in this manner can the LPYS defend itself from attacks by the party leadership. These attacks were outlined by Dennis Skinner: a further cut of £3000 in the YS budget, attacks on the position of youth officer and stopping the subsidy to
The course of action posed by Youth Action
with South Africa, Latin America and Ireland, as
against police harassment and the right of black people to organise within black sections the way forward for the YS. The speakers at the Youth Action fringe meeting, attended by over 40 people, included strikers from Silentnight and a mittee. These are the very forces the YS needs to fight on this basis to build and defend the YS from attacks from the party leadership.
Student benefits
cuts
STUDENTS in higher education are faced with another round of government attacks. The Fowler Review contains proposals for two phases of cuts, the first of which is due to start in September this students will be disallowed from supplementary and housing benefit in the eight weeks of holiday at Xmas and Easter.
This represents a loss of £216 to students in London. But those in halls of residence will lose all rights to claim benefits throughout the academic year, amounting to a potential f340.
Cuts phase two is planned for after the next general election. All students in higher education will lose all rights to claim supplementary and housing stand to be t105 a vear worse off as a result. Students will be pushed into security jobs, or back into the home and dependancy on their parents.
These cuts will further restrict access to higher education, making it available only to the shrinking elite who can afford to pay. And these proposals go hand in hand with plans to privatise the Juveniues.
But the student fightback has already begun all over the country. Last Friday, 2500 came out in London JEUICOL• The Students is organising a high-profile national campaign. the ranks of Tory students.
1 mass lobby of parliament and a rally ang march on the DHSS Education and Science is planned for 26 February. Support the march! Fight the cuts!
calling on lne 1o lo express Dasic
year, when all claiming benefit all year long. London students
low-paid, lowNational Union of
Resistance is massive, reaching even into
and the Department
Executive plans
for action
LAST Saturday the Labour Women's Action Committee held its first executive meeting since its regional organisers from Yorkshire, the NorthWest, the West Midlands and the South West. Discussion at the meeting centred on 'shadow' elections to be held at this year's Labour women's conference.
'shadow' elections, and the issues behind them, get the maximum publicity in the labour movement as a
have supported LWAC's
WAC Executive
This work will go on. with
LWAS fringe meeting will Tec id Marce Women's issue will be raised at all
speakers for many of the ahead
at Lambeth Town Hall.
This year marks a time of decision of many issues inside the black section movement.
Firstly, the gains made at last year's Labour Party By Mike Wongsam annual conference, where
NUR delegations voted for black sec-
will this non resoluuuns. year be put to the test.
Those delegations voted for black sections accor ding to decisions of their executives.
In 1986, the issue will go before the unions national conferences. It is by no means certain that last year's executive decisions will be translated into this year's conference ones. In-
Correction
In a recent issue we gave
an incorrect address 1o
contact me broadware
Farm Estate Defence
Committee. The correct
address is: Defence
Committee, c/o
Broadwater Farm Estate
Youth ASSOCIaTION,
12-16 Tangmere,
Broadwater Farm
estate London NI7
(phone 01-885 3752).
We apologise for any
inconvenience.
LABOUR WOMEN'S ACTION COMMITTEE:
the vital issue is to ensure that the broadest possible support
and by paigning for the unions to
to hold a press conference at the Labour
daled a red e will of the
will be
LABOUR PARTY BLACK SECTION:
The issues in the year
the formation of the 'black and Asian advisory committee', means that a major thrust around campaigning within the unions
the only way to consolidate last year's voting
igures.
Also featuring strongly ference black section con-
will polic debates: around South Africa and the black section attitude towards the Anti Apartheid Movement
Britain, and policing and the inner-cities. What's SLAKe this year's conference is the immediate political orientation of the black sections movement probably more than at any previous national ference.
Support grows in the regions
have gone forward to the
West Midlands Party regional conferences, and to Lon-
There will be increased representation TOT hiack
By Carol Turner
people too on the London
executive this year. Linda
Bellos from Vauxhall
standing unopposed for
the women's section of the regional executive, and
Madhar Patil from
Southall is standing unop
posed for the West Lon-
don place.
A third black member,
Bob Lees who Is a SUD
porter . of the Militant
newpaper and hence no
friend of Labour Party
Black Section, is also stan-
THE PROPOSAL of
Women's Action Committee (WAC), adopted by last year's Labour women's conference, to run shadow elections the women's conference for the women's places
the national executive must be strongly supported on ground.
First the the women's members of the national executive have been chosen by bargaining between the trade union leaders is a disgrace.
Secondly the proposals are a very good example of doing Il yourself. Don't wait, just do it.
think there is shadow slate that will be elected at LICi conference by this process will become
committee!
visory committee.
I went on to call for non-cooperation with the advisory committee,
LABOR F
BLACK
LINS
ding unopposed for the
South London executive
seat
There has been a recent interesting development too within the Labour Par-
Young Socialists.
Following the nomination
of Kingsley Abrams as
black section candidate for
the youth seat on Labour's
national executive
mittee, Militant sup-
porters nave пОИ all-
nounced they are fielding
Douglas, black
woman from South Lon-
don.
Linda was originally
elected as one of Vauxhall
black section's delegates to
the general management
committee,
by the black section for her
Tanure to altero nicculies.
Benn welcomes shadow elections
bound to those
the conference
workeu the left
have put informally, and support, the that the
established by shadow elections.
La slate
Instead with the
VuI own discus
women have
Boycott Labour's advisory
A RESOLUTION from Vauxhall to the recent national committee meeting of black sections applauded the work of the campaign which in just two years has increased the representation of Afro-Caribbean and Asian people in the party and forced the national party to set up an NEC black and Asian ad-
however, 'unless and until black members of the party have the sole say in the
reference and representa-
believes that this can only
sultation with constituency parties, amendment from
black section strengthened Vauxhall Pointing out that the very expelled from Labour Party:
Petition:
from membership
of the Labour Committee on Ireland.
local elections and the next general election.
decision.
around local Labour Parties, returned to: Labour
News
given a lead to the whole movement. It will have a profound effect.
Don't wait. Produce something with democratic legitimacy.
When you look back over the last few years, the lead that has been taken by the Greennam women Women Against Pit cosures. lar fundamentally changed ideas. : this hasn't been fully reflected vet in the selection women candidates.
When you look at the women's contribution to the left, to the alliance for socialism, it's been solutely fundamental.
The Campaign supports the demands WAC. I've no doubt tha the Campaicy will support the shadow elecGUIS being organised by WAC at the women's conference.
Afro-Caribbean menders when the basis of the black
'unite them on the basis of their own self-definition ol amendment called for an "active boycott'.
mounting a campaign leadership's token concession to une aemands
Back
supporters
tions to the advisory com-
AT ITS recent national committee meeting, Labour Party Black Section agreed to circulate throughout the party a petition in support of Amir Khan and Kevin Scally, recently
Birmingham-Sparkbrook
We the undersigned are appalled by the decision of Sparkbrook Constituency Labour Party to expel
councillor Amir Kevin Scally, both long-standing and respected members of the Labour Party. Cllr Amir Khan is a founder-member of the Sparkbrook Labour Party black section and Kevin Scally is a leading member
We believe these expulsions will cause considerable damage to the Labour Party at a time when the need is for a united campaign around socialist policies to defeat the Tories and the Alliance in the fortheoming therefore call upon Sparkbrook CLP to reverse the
• Copies of the petition should be circulated
at regional conferences, and among affiliated organisations, and
Party Black Section, 10a Palmerston Road, Wood Green, London N22.
Page 5 scan of this page
'Labour left' drops its mask
News
Liverpool:
Mass demonstration in fav THE LIVERPOOL Labour Co-ordinating Committee has submitted its evidence to the Committee of Enquiry into Liverpool Labour Party.
This long-awaited LCC's evidence, not 'evidence' is a disgrace to about unes pontica.
mistakes. It has been launthe abour movement. It Is the purest and most By John Nolan hypocritical witch-hunting attack. There are plenty of ched because the Labour political issues to take up council has built more with the Militant leader- houses in two vears inan ship of Liverpool council. because it has created hero rest together; In some cases, such as une appointment of Sam Bond thousand more TODS anc
of the because it has held down black community, the Liverpool rents and rates politics of this leadership accord with Labour have disastrously divided Party conference decithe Liverpool working class. The LCC's hypocrisy
has to be clearly grasped.
But the enquiry inte Liverpool, just It is the main component
Kingsley Abrams slams
witch-hunt AS THE black section candidate for the LPYS seat on Labour's national executive committee I would like to distance myself from the Merseyside
to the enquiry Liverpool district party. I completely oppose this enquiry, which is simply a front for more expulsions of
in the party because of their political
The black section now into its second week youth committee has Serences. regional COl issued a statement At the London
basis of regional conference black campaign for the NEC section resolutions seat. Any support which I
By Kingsley Abrams receive is on the basis of the statement issued by the black section youth com- amendments were defeat- ed. Support was also demittee.
nied to tne derence camThe opposition of the paigns our inner-cities, black section to all witch-
supporters hunts in the Labour Part! condemned the 'riots'. has been made clear. refused
enemies of the working work with the left to fight class are the Tories
•allu Tre witch nunt. time and energy Al Yorkshire VUI should spent VIl regional the
smashing this Tory resolution in favour of government, not indulging was ourselves in internal bat- defeated by four votes. tles. decisions will
further weaken the LPYS.
That means building a strong Young Socialists united movement of our able defend class in socialist struggles. against the present witch-
means ourselves to actual strug cuts and a threat to the gles: wineuter it's the youth organiser's jobs will mack youth in rebellion o miners, workers, only be a unites chi sai
Sports and unites with the struggle of the rate- youth in struggle. That capped councils such exactly supporting Lambeth and Liverpool. the defence campaigns and
The campaign the self-organisation black people.
of
black women's
Kinnock
sections
What
stitution larger Wol ulall
comprise
local
calls
by one. allow TOI delegations.
Liverpool
wing this
Derek Hatton and Liverpool: the evidence EXCLUSIVE Labour
its left
and DUL its
And Neil
1ill
the LCC's
much trade constituency
sympathisers
supporters
what it that Labour
hardly
DLP and
the country large
critics of DLP are
the
example,
Here, the
of
majority
SULICIICICS Coventry
local ficials!
them.
LCC?
The
been
ords tion. take place
the
excused
have to the
Party
among workers.
politics, fact.
debate to
the
Many of the delegates not the
second They
did not DLP
Cases clo
Black
has very class,
manual or not simply a
academic : of argument and discussion that goes on in a DLP among workers who support a council which is prepared to do battle with the Tories on their behalf,
"ungentlemanly who so in
(terms
Cases COTI physical sexual harassment must be
with Taken case by case in the labour movement. But what Is extraordinary given the hea with which the debate conducted, that the massed guns of the LCC can only come up WILl three cases of 'intimidation' of which two are unsupported
The allegation, that non-Militant porters were were excluded rom council panels, looks even flimsier it vou realise that out of 49 councillors facing surcharge, no less
of Militant! again, we have lo ask wny Labour Party and the LCC have only looked at Liverpool. In Coventry the right recently excluded thirteen left wingers from the JOCa panel, on dubious excuses such their 'inexperience' One of them, George Linfield, nominated three years running, is actually sitting coun cillor.
The real issue is this: do DLPs, Local Govern. ment Committees and local parties have the right to ensure that they have councillors who will carry out LCd's charge comes very policy? The close indeed to attacking the party for exercising its democratic right to select, deselect and reselect to ensure it has an accountable council.
The fourth charge, corruption, is polentally the most serious. But the
they don't even unders-.
Perhaps this in they
anywhere else in the coun try.
They claim the Militant promote. own sun. porters the council worktorce to increase lIs influence. Now, of course. if any group or current of opinion
monopolise positions
ty, excluding all others in a sectarian manner, then it should be fought using the normal democratic methods of the labour move-
But, excuse us, this is Corrupnot corolon
tion is not promoting your views but lining yUu. pockets, which Militant
conspicuously SUDOUILCIS do not do, unlike many of their opponents. Indeed, you can t nelp reelng Wal the LCC is peeved because the Militant are doing exactly what the LCC would like to do in their place.
The Militant is sectrue. But seclasall
tarianism is not corrup-
Moreover, Kinnock and the ICC are a million
miles more sectarian. They
don't just want to exclude
their opponents from the
council, nor evel
minor positions of
fluence. They want to kick
them out of the Labour
Party!
The LCC has now
come full circle Three
years ago it said it would
support the leader but op-
pose expulsions. Faced
vith a choice between
irreconcilable
nese wo
demands, has now
drawn its conclusions.
Socialist Action 7 February 1986
IRELAND
UNFREE
FOOT-COLD we tramp. Hyde Park to Kilburn Square. Oxford Trades Council ban-
- captured by fascists. Bottles hurled into the women's contingent. The
London — the fourteenth anniversary. Each year it seems a new far left group to add to
One year I remember, we shivered and imagined all the different permutations for the names of
There was Socialist-workers-actionchallenge-fight-power-vanguard-press. thought of Workers Hammer. Not a very fitting commemeration of fourteen demonstrators shot down in cold blood by the British army.
In Derry, it is said, each person can remember where they were on the day of the fatal demonstration. Where they were when the news came out. How they felt when the newspaper editors thought army press and informal briefings more reliable than several thousand eye witnesses. More reliable in some cases than their journalists on the spot. No room here for the intrepid reporter. whitewash Widgery report, which tried to clear the army of responsibility, was packaged for public consumption and cynically used to reintorce the
And fourteen years later, with the banana skin factor' in operation, and the watchful eye of the press poised to reveal lying in high places, drivers of motor cars might still be riddled with bullets and the news confined to a couple of paragraphs in the
This year, the demonstration was bigger than last. Two thousand people marched. The Revolutionary Communist Party out to 'change the face of British politics' declares 'we have the pro gramme to build a real alternative working class
section of the march, and fully nationally mobilised. They chanted We hate Kin-nock, we hate Kin-nock, we are the Kin-
ley, we are the Paisley monicker could be added to the programme.
We march two months after the Anglo Irish Accord. For the RCP, it is easy to understand: another in a long list of ...
Labour left, noticable by its absence on this cold Blunkett who banned last year's Bloody Sunday march in Sheffield sponsored this year's in Lon don. He is undecided on the Accord. Whilst Jimmy Knapp of the NUR and Labour's Northern Ireland spokesperson Peter Archer are making
their support for the Accord contingent upon a
'real improvement' of the situation for northern
nationalists, Neil Kinnock visits Derry and tells the
RUC he backs the use of 'every force' against the
Scuttling back to the dung pile of bipartisan-
Labour's leaders carry the stench of the killers. Yet violent words will not end the violence.
Marching through Maida Vale the slogans of "savage crimes of British imperialism' raising only the giggles of a bemused proleteriat pausing from 'Big Match Live' to see the spectacle on the streets
If a majority of British people annually inform Gallop pollsters they wish to see Britain out of
why then is the movement getting wel through, greeted only by the writing on the wall
sprayed freshly for the occasion by Red Action?
The RCP used to have a slogan Bring the Irish 'Irish war inside the Labour Party.' For the RCP. the Labour leaders always betray. But apart from
HOIC more Bloody Sunday demos there are no remedies.
Only mass action in Britain can help get the troops out of Ireland. That will not be built unless the means are found to break up the blanket com placency and inaction of the labour and trade union leaderships. It is no good seeking refuge in a
'constructive' opposition and ignoring the issue of
thev represent an attack on wi Irish democratic cause and reverse the direction of Labour policy. Abstention shows either ignorance
But equally fighting to oppose the Accords and turn policy gains in defence of democratic rights
into action does not mean a retreat to the futility of the left ghetto and empty gestures. Organisations
like the Labour Committee on Ireland which have
made ground in the last period, will be under in-
creasing pressure from the right to reach a com-
promise with the Accord. It is not an occasion to
contemplate retreat.
Page 6 scan of this page
THE HAMMOND
6
Eric Hammond
The dispute at Wapping has brought the union busting activity of the EETPU leadership right to the centre of the labour movement. But what is still not widely appreciated is the directly political dimension of the offensive of Hammond and his supporters. The EETPU leadership, and David Owen's SDP, stand in the centre of a web of connections extending both to the right wing of the trade unions and to purely scab organisations such as the UDM. The aim of these organisations is to totally transform the political and trade union character of the British labour movement. It is an integrated strategy. JOHN ROSS investigates the Hammond-Owen connection and the background it provides to the battle at Wapping.
WHEN the EETPU signed its first union-busting deal in the printing industry — with Eddie Shah's projected paper Today - this agreement was directly set up between two members of the SDP
Lord Harris of Greenwich, a director of Shah's group, established a meeting between the EETPU and through John Grant, the EETPU's press officer. Both Harris and Grant are SDP members -having been appointed under the regime of his long time friend, and former EETU general secretary, Frank Chapple.
Grant was also selected by the EETPU to present its case on Wapping on BBC television on Sunday. Grant is the chair of the Association of Social Democratic Trade Unionists.
If it seems extraordinary that a major union should have as its press officer a member of the SDP, it is in reality only a part of a long term strategy towards the trade unions that the SDP has pursued. Key parts of the SDP leadership already had long term relations with right wing trade union executives before they split to form a new party.
SDP leader Bill Rodgers was sponsored by the General and Municipal Workers Union when in the Labour Party. He was for Labour right's chief organiser of votes al party comerence. Shirley was sponsored by APEX. herself consistently electea to women's section of the NEC through
Ian Wrigglesworth, another founder, told the Sunday Telegraph when the party was founded that he expected, a degree of sympathy - and eventual financial support - from the Post Office Engineers Union, from
Socialist Action 31 January 1986
Photo: JOHN CHAPMAN
Clive Jenkins), from the
and from the AUEW?
key reason emphatic
An openly
was
Len Murray.
Messenger
John Lyons Shah
Grant congress.
THOUS
SDP. gerating, many years the
Williams
She was
June
SDP
All these SOGAT jobs have gone to scabs at the Wapping plant ASTMS (much to the annoyance of
National Union of Railwaymen, from APEX,
While these short term hopes of the SDP were dashed there is no doubt that one of the key reasons - probably the
- that David Owen was so that the SDP should not merge with the Liberals following the 1983 election was because of his aim to pick up trade union support and links.
capitalist, and long established, party such as the Liberals the could not easily establish relations with the trade unions in the way that the SDP could - despite the fact that it
revealed in September 1985 that David Steel had held discussions with
The most spectacular success for Owen's policy of building links to the right wing of the unions, came this January when the SP gained its first member on the TUC general council -
of the Engineers and Managers Association. Lyons, together with Hammond, had of course led the assault on the miners at the 1984 TUC
This SDP offensive towards the unions was spearheaded by its trade union officer Tony Halmos - who was recruited to the post from the policy the staff of the TUC. Halmos claimed after Lyons joined the SDP, that other officials of similar standing in the
were strong suporters of the While Halmos is probably exagana certainly nas cause lo, what is clear is that the SDP and their Liberal partners have a very conscious policy of seeking to split the TUC as well as certain individual unions within it. They are systematically working on
that policy.
The most open manifestations of this came following the UDM from the NUM. The SDP jumped into the local government by-election compaigns in Mansfield and Ashfield in Notts with clear declarations of support for the new organisation.
The SDP had set out to create links with what became the UDM right from
beginning Already in April 1984, with strike only one month old, Bill Rodgers called for the unions to reconsider their relationship with the Labour Party claiming that: "American trade unions, now under the shrewd leadership of Lane Kirkland, have no constitutional relationship with the Democratic Party and choose where to place their support. The time has come to seriously examine a similar role for the trade unions here.'
At the September 1984 SDP conference a floor collection was held for the National Working Miners Committee'. The SDP also organised a conference fringe meeting for the organisation - the 'committee being publicly praised at the conference by Williams and Rodgers.
The relation with the UDM also gave the SDP another connection with
right wing Prendergast, co-leader with Roy Lynk of the UDM organisation chair of Mainstream - the right wing grouping in the unions whose founding chairperson was Terry Duffy and which took its name from the organisation of the same name established by chief Witen -nutter John Golding POEU/NCU.
Prendergast maintained his
tion in Mainstream despite the UDM's
break from the NUM. The EETPU in January this year organised an energy conference' with the UDM.
The EETPU was also sought out for talks by another scab organisation, the Professional Association of Teachers. In August 1985 this announced that it was seeking talks with the EETPU over how no-strike deals like the union had signed with could be applied to teachers.
Jimmy Knapp of the NUR and Ray Buckton of ASLEF have also written to Norman Willis for reports that Hammond has met the scab Federation Railway Servants mond has denied this.
UDM the Alliance also directly set out to exploit the struggle in the TUC over postal ballots. Here, EETPU. together right wing, played the central role in split pulling together an extreme right wing grouping in the TUC.
AUEW and various other right wing unions - John Lloyd's Engineers Association, Association, the merchant shipping officers association NUMAST, and the First Division Association of the civil service all let it be known that they intended to apply for i strike. ballots. the At the end of July 1985, commen ting on the clash, David Steel openly called for a split of the TUC between: 'an open ready to talk to the Alliance and the government as well as Labour and an old fashioned, revolves around Labour politics.
to talk to either the TUC or a new union group. He announced he had proposed a meeting with the TUC to Norman Willis but would also be happy to meet scab With UDM. the AUEW,
unions has been one of the Alliance's cutting edges. It is one that has got a response from general secretary of the CPSA. unions. September last year Graham called for the union told talks with of ties was vice other than Labour future role that the Alliance might play in parliament.
welcomed publicly glesworth of the SP leadership. At it: the conference last posi- leaders stated that they would welcome talks with unions who democratic and modern' such as the EETPU, AUEW, and CPSA.
second round of the offensive of the SDP to get talks with trade unions. The party had launched its first campaign 'for such talks immediately after its foundation.
By September Williams could claim at the SDP conference that 15 trade unions, covering two million workers, had responded in one form or other to the proposals put forward by the SDP for trade union 'reform'. The unions were reported by the Financial Times AUEW CPSA, NAS/UWT, the Bakers Union, the United Road Transport Union, the
CONNECTI
one the Eddie Shah
enquiries into
Professional - although Ham-
addition to the link with the
once more, the AUEW
. In addition to the EETPU themselves
and Managers the British Airline Pilots
state
minaca progressive group
socialist group which
tion, Steel stated the Alliance was ready Workers Union,
EETPU, the
The campaign to hold talks with the
meet
Alistair Graham, In
because helped through
These remarks were immediately
by Ian Wrig-
year several SDP AUEW, SLOSHISK& were 'more Eastwood
This initiative in 1985 was in fact the
1983 Shirley to include the NALGO, NUT,
Communication Managers Associa
the Amalgamated Textile and the First Division Association of the civil service.
In September 1983 the SDP achiev ed its first major success in gaining a formal meeting with a union when the National Association of Schoolmasters - Union of Women Teachers agreed to
Owen. The same month the NALGO executive voted by a narrow majority to meet the SDP leader.
In addition to these official ap proaches to union leaderships Owe
maintain continued membership. 1716 his membership after the 1983 election, of the Labour
Transatlantic Understanding. Other members of thi
EETPU, Terry Duffy Bill Sirs of the ISTC, Kat of CPSA, and Gerr of the Association of Pat
Page 7 scan of this page
ON
ternmakers and Allied Craftsmen.
This committee, which also included former Labour foreign secretary Lord Stewart, and former Labour leader of the House of Lords, Lord
Deen originally SCL up through Joe Godson, the former labour attaché at the US embassy in London.
Another key link between the SDP and the right wing in the unions has been through the various organisations campaigning for proportional representation and for coalition government. The SDP campaign for fair votes' was launched after the June 1983 election. It was chaired by Roy Jenkins and had the support of Frank Chapple. In October 1983 Gavin Laird, general secretary of the AUEW, announced that he was accepting the post of vice-chair of the campaign.
Earlier, in April 1982, the AUEW had considered altering its rules so that it could give financial backing to non-Labour Party MPs.
In addition to these open links between the SDP and the right wing inside the unions there is also no doubt that Owen and his advisors have been tailoring meir trade union poncies In nne with their strategic goals of politically splitting the labour movement.
The SDP has sought, even more systematically than the Tories, to break the links between the Labour Party and une unions. At the time of the passing of the 1984 Trade Union Act through parliament the SDP sought to persuade the Tories to adopt the principle of 'contracting in' tor payment political levy. When the Act became law, and the voting on the political funds started, the SDP attempted to launch a systematic campaign for a "no' vote.
This policy of open attacks on the unions the SDP also called earlier than the Tories for the use of the law against the miners was developed right from the launching, in February 1982, of the SDP 'three point programme' calling for compulsory secret postal ballots for all internal union elec-
compulsory strike ballots, and opposition to the politica levy.
In addition to the legal stick however, the SDP also attempted to produce carrots for specific unions it sought links with. Its entire trade union package, of course, was based on the
EETPU and AUEW pracuce or une right wing. The SDP's December 1982 white paper also contained one signiticant difference compared to the September 1982 document. This was that it allow-
-OWEN
ed unions to continue to appoint their general secretaries. John Torode of the Guardian explained this shift as being due to the fact that 'the SDP has set its sights on NALGO and NALGO is wedded to the appointments system'
But whatever the individual moves it has been the relation with the EETPU that has been the core of the SDP's policy through John Grant. Going beyond the a link directly obvious virtual identity on trade union law, the EETPU's leadership was the one union that was prepared to say openly exactly what the SDP wanted to hear on politics. The key here was a June 1983 centre page article by Frank Chapple in The Times which spelt out how the EETPU leadership proposed to proceed.
Chapple argued that 'the introducof the tion of proportional representation would probably government could never be elected' He stated: 'I am convinced that it will not De before some rank-and-file members start suggesting that instead of giving our money.
Labour Party, we should donate it to the cause of proportional representation.
Chapple concluded wings of the movement will have to be more independent of each other' and that 'If we had not been so completely tied to the party's coat tails, we could have urged our members to vote SDP or Liberal if they had a better chance of winning. Over and over again our loyalty to Labour let the Tories in on 9 June (1983)?
The Alliance had received backing from the Labour right wing in the June 1983 election itself. ed for a vote for either the Alliance or Labour. The New Statesmen called for votes for the SDP or Liberals in certain constituencies. More significantly Roy Grantham, general secretary of APEX, called for a vote for a series of Liberal candidates against Labour. But it was Frank Chapple - who had naturally called for a vote for John Grant in his election - who was prepared to spell out all the consequences. leadership, both in the trade union and political field, has been pursuing a course which is entirely consistent with Chapple's publicly expressed views ever since.
It is absolutely vital that the labour movement understands clearly what is the project both of the EETPU leadership and of the SDP. Eric Hammond is not just aining to totally transform
those parts of it which get in his way
Together with the SDP, the EETPU
David Owen leadership is pursuing trade union and change the entire nature of the British labour movement.
With big business financing of the SDP, the EETPU and the bosses of British industry such as Shah
organised and Murdoch, this is a political assault
which has not been seen this century.
Any underestimation of it whatever would be fatal for Labour.
leadership should recognise the EETPU and SDP for what they are: daggers pointed at the heart of the British labour movement. systematic campaign against both these enemies, and their links, there can be no way forward either for Labour or
socialist
for the trade union movement.
PU and the Alliance must stop.
that 'both The Guardian callThe EETPU and smash
Photo: GM COOKSON
stake.
nas peen uneer 1982.
the 1980s. an integrate. political path to
, with direct collaboration between
most ruthless
updated of a type movement
Both the TUC and Labour Party
union.
Without They
The pussy footing on both the EET-
picket lines
there, selves with understand Cudham Hall,
Wing workers.
One Southampton recruited guard.
unions
legally
EETPU is up to
FLEET Street electricians voted at their branch meeting last week that Eric Hammond and the rest of the EETPU executive should resign as a result of their activites over New International's Wapping site. JOHNNY AITKIN is a member of the branch and was the broad left's candidate in the general secretary elections which brought Hammond to power as Frank Chapple's replacement. He told CAROL TURNER what's at
RUPERT Murdoch's Wapping plant
Then it wasn't clear what the intentions of the proprietor were although there was talk of bringing out a new newspaper from Wapping.
New technology was already evident in the regions at the beginning of
Only the Fleet Street unions and some of the Manchester and Glasgow print workers were holding out against its introduction. As early as 1982 physical moves, like building the new Wapping plant, were seen as a means to shed the old prac tices of the print industry and get rid of some of the print workers.
During the construction of Wapping negotiations with the unions had reached agreement in quite a number of chapels. But Murdoch broke them off, claiming they had broken down. At the same time, the systems installed at the new plant were already being
At the beginning of 1985 no necoratons wir une unions were de ing on. By then, SDP member John Grant, who is also the EETPU communications officer, had been instrumental in setting up a meeting between Murdoch and the electricians
The end result was that the Southampton electricians started to recruit people to work at Wapping.
weren't necessarily recruiting EETPU members, but those inter viewed for a Wapping job were asked if they were prepared to join the EETPU and if they were prepared to cross
For the last six months, this group of recruits has been working at the Wapping plant, going there in enclos ed coaches from Southampton. No one knows what they were doing
perhaps familiarising them the new equipment. they were trained an EETPU training centre which is also used by manage- WOR ment. I believe that EETPU was actually doing the training of the Wapp- Mass
hundred and twenty people work at the Wapping plant. But there are 600 there in total. Most of the others have been recruited from London. For example, the deputy electrical manager of The Times is working there, and s
ex-members of the NGA and SOGAT. News International have
electricians haven previously worked at Fleet Street and permanently taken on some of the contract labour. These people have been recruited through their contract with EETPU officials of the London area — in other words, Chapple's old
Negotiations between Murdoch and the unions began again in the autumn of last year. By this year they had broken down with the other four
involved - over manage ment's "right to manage' (which they Wal don't have in Fleet Street where the unions are involved in hiring and fir ing), the pre-entry closed shop, no-strike clauses, and the demand for a
binding contract. But En E and EETPU has remained in negotiation with Murdoch. Up till recently those negotiations have been conducted by
Socialist Action 7 February 1986 7
What the
Express electricians stand to lose 90 jobs because of the Murdoch deal the London press branch of the electricians union. Now they have beer taken over by full-timer Tom Rice
Many EETPU members are beginning to get cold feet about what their
leadership doing, cluding even some local officials There has been against Hammond's stance on Wapp ing from up and down the country.
Other groups of electricians are beginning to see that such deals aren't in their interests. For example, home, Daily Express electricians have just been told that 90 of their job. have to go. That's over half the elec trician workforce on that newspaper — and Wapping has been used as the argument for it.
For 12 months or more some of us have argued that Murdoch shouldn't be allowed to bring his plant onstream without first getting an agreement with the unions. Once the plant is operational, winning any dispute becomes that much harder. But if the EETPU withdrew from negotiations then this dispute could definitely be
What is needed at Wapping is
action, -incluaing general mobilisation of the whole trade union movement called through the TUC The TUC can't afford to back away from this dispute because it has wide repercussions for the whole move ment - ones that could bring about the eventual destruction of the trade union movement.
The isolation of the EETPU within the trade union movement is complete on this issue. They have implemented a strategy of organising with the employer to gain a single union no-strike agreement which has a legal binding clause. As a consequence hundreds EETPU members' jobs could go
By its actions recruiting scal labour, training them, and colluding with management to place them in work - the EETPU has isolated itsel within the TUC. It would not be unreasonable for the TUC to act in a
Etc prevent that, because threatens the whole fabric of the trade union movement
It is in the best interests of the movement that every trade unionis
every Labour Party member should do their upmost to support the print workers strike and stop Rupert Murdoch in his tracks.
Page 8 scan of this page
An unjustified split
8 TWO ISSUES have now been published of a magazine International. While not advertised in the journal it is well known, including being reported in the Gurdian, that this magazine is a split from the editorial board of Socialist Action.
More important for present matters the comrades involved in the journal have put out a series of publie circulars and leaflets accusing Socialist Action 'Stalinism', 'proto-Stalinism' etc. They state that the split from Socialist Action therefore justified and principled. JAMES FRANCIS looks at the issues involved.
The material put out by the comrades of International, justifying their decision to form a new journal, is unfortunately a throw back to the bad traditions of British Marxist tarianism. The comrades make false political charges. A damaging div!sion is then justified not on the basis of any position in the actual class struggle but on the basis of ideas, and worse still supposed someone. The real motives of the split are however differences over the present class struggle in Britain as will be hoyll.
Leader
In this case they were differences over Labour Brifing, followed. by Arthur Scargill during the miners strike, whether a candidate should have been run Kinnock for leader of the Labour Party following the miners strike and whether we were bulding an 'antiKinnock' left. None ferences justify a G1VISION Marxists.
The wild accusations regarding
'Stalinism', 'proto-Stalinism' and the like are then introduced to justify a split over current political views. Such
methods have unfortunately created
literally dozens of sects on the British left.
As the accusation made by the
comrades is specifically 'Stalinism' or
'proto-Stalinism' we will deal
this here.
Stalinism is the historical force
created by the degeneration of the
Russian Revolution. Its base was the
Soviet bureaucracy. 1ls
political idea, reflecting that base,
was that of 'socialism in one country
the idea that a socialist society
could be built in the USSR without
he overthrow of capitalism in the
other key countries of the world.
Unfold
Each position of Stalinism unfold-
ed from that base.
could be built in the USSR without
socialist revolution in other countries
he role of the international working
¿lass became reduced from a class
Sghting for socialism
safeguarding the borders of the Soviet
Union: for this purpose the
sureaucracy believed
p-agressive" sections
sorgeoisie: che popular front -
reiween che working
•zananare and rapitalisi parties —
....
TE : 55008=
TLi=:
Socialist Action 7 February 1986
policy, democracy' as
Communist wcseil Stalinist
be a strategic ally of the class.
Within the
Stalinist
class. decision to
Trotsky
shevism' that section of the Russian
the bourgeoisle.
But sec- found is involved.
That the ideas, held by
strument revolution.
Communist irreformable course
against Neil many.
power.
these dif-
allloll. with LABOUR
central Because socialism
LABOUR - TAKE THE POWER! class
Soviet when it could enlist
an parties ot the class concretely, struggle, had :- alance with sec-
Fi=. World War l.
international
reformed, the advocacy of 'detente' as the central feature of Soviet foreign
idea "advanced alternative to socialism for the next stage for the struggle.
Parties. The parties concluded that the ideas bourgeoisie still had a progressive role to play and at least sections of it could
working
USSR, and after World War Il in Eastern Europe, the
bureaucracy. developed systematic repression of the working.
Stalin correctly characterised Stalinism as the 'second wave of Men-
the Mensheviks being Social Democratic and Labour Party who LDe had believed in the progressive role of
right. something still more pro1933, with Hitler's coming to power in Germany, Trotsky concluded that this Stalinist ports bureaucracy could not be reformed.
Communist International, which Stalin led, had become an in-
international counter-
This decision of Trotsky was not based on any ideas Stalinism had - 00 S0 -for the ideas of Stalinism in 1933 were essen or 1 27. Troesey declared e ine
For 1927. Trotsky declared the International was Decausc of lls redi material betrayal in the class struggle in the fight against fascism in Ger-
The Communist International of played a decisive role not in ideas but in concretely aiding Hitler to come to
Trotsky's method was exactly the
same, and he explained it as such, as
BRIFING LONDON LABOUR
JUNE 1982
Came abest ede ea harine,
FORTRESS ISLINGTON! ly,
20,
BRIFING
PREPARING FOR
GOVERNMENT
Lenin's split from the Second Inter-
national in 1914. Lenin did not split
forces in the Second Interna-
tional advanced false theories. He ad-
vocated in August 1914 the major
Second International in the real material class sided with the
bourgeoisie against the werking iet
The sira derara 50 30 X00 :…:. .==:=" -2...3 :2- =
bourgeoisie within the working class. Trotsky likewise split with the Communist International because of its concrete real betrayal in lne clas.
Naturally after 1933 the decisive
of Stalinism, flowing from socialism in one country, did acquire a material reality as incompatible with the defence of the interests of the working class.
Trotsky was persecuted, and final-
murdered, by the Soviet bureaucracy at a time when many leading members of the Labour Party in Britain were singing the praises of
typical examples during the 1930s being the New Statesman, the Webbs and Bernard Shaw. Trotsky's attempt to keep alive Marxism agains!
DOvIC bureaucracy appeared merely a heroic gesture against overwhelming force.
But in reality Trotsky was proved
No party which followed the line of the Soviet bureaucracy has ever overthrown capitalism ally more Ilan party which sup-
Social Democracy which capitulated to World War I in 1914 has ever overturned capitalism.
As Trotsky foresaw, any political force which oriented to a struggle with capitalism necessarily had break with the Soviet bureaucracy to
- even although this path turned out to be much longer and more complex than Trotsky had foreseen.
Refusal
This process started in 1935 when Mao Tse-tung regained the leadership
the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from the appointees of Stalin. The Chinese Communist Party embarked on a path which finally led, in
1949, to the overthrow of capitalism in China and the establishment of the
Chinese People's Republic: The same process continued during World War
Il when Tito and the Yugoslav Com-
munist Party (YCP) refused to follow
ihe path outlined by Stalin and pro-
ceeded to overthrow capitalism in
Yugoslavia.
The Vietnamese Communist Parafter disasterously
Stalin's line in the 1930s and in 1945,
broke with the Soviet bureaucracy
and embarked on a line of struggle
against tirst French, and
imperialism
culminaied in the victory of 1975 Alneian.
While the CCP, YCP, and VCP
broke with the Soviet bureaucracy
they however remained bureaucratls-
as their subsequent partic.
policies show.
A new development started with
the Cuban revolution of 1959.
only did the Cuban leadership
originate inside the Communist Party
but it was not a bureaucratised party
which it was necessary to call for a
political revolution to overthrow. In
Nicaragua, with the FSLN, a similar
non-bureaucratised leadership devel-
oped.
It is entirely legitimate to discuss
how far these forces have developed
in the direction of
of the interests of the working class.
The Cuban leadership, for example.
has totally position
Poland openly
Jarsels:
". …..
_á iC-=-
Ireland
Labour-Tory Accord
should call for a political revolution in Cuba, is false.
Furthermore none of the essential ideas of Stalinism country, the progressive role of the bourgeoisie, support for popular tronts elc — supported by anyone associated with Socialist Action, Claims that they are, are just without fondation.
The entire rhetoric that Socialist Action, will l, , is Stalinist, and so on is just false. It should be dropped not Socialist Action, honest debate, but because maintaıning it will distort in a deadly corrosive and sectarian way the politics of the comrades who have established International temselves.
Socialist view of the comrades established International. It considers But the reality is that the comrades of International did not split on great
spal on tacirs. ly in the two big issues that the comrades have raised in the issues of their
tion editorial board has always voted by a decisive majority that socialist revolution, the establishment of the dictatorship of the proletarat, then which
Africa. There was no difference with the comrades of International on this. There was a real difference with the comrades of International over questions of line in South Africa today
Not board of Socialist Action considers
that the correct line for socialists in …HOl South Africa today is to fight to form
La united front of the working class and oppressed on the basis democratic demands of the struggle
Charter and fighting for them; supporting the UDF as the best approxstruggle againsi apartheid: seeking io oC Clc non-racial unions in South Africa and
unions. and the UDF in the struggle supperting agairs: apartheid. The comrades who sace:21an piaie on the same level, and take the
Peopie's Organisation (AZAPO) and Ba: ine ions of the A.NC and the UDF the Vational Forum as to . 3.0
struggle
tion OI
The
African AZAPO
AZAPO November
SU UZEC
- soctansin in onc
badan fio nes ecr e is
union
or any viewpoint associated the same.
'proto-Stalinist'
Africa
only for the sake of
For of serious and
Anca ucl vote. To Action takes no similar
who have tasks of the national Ines ao tron: of
coilaboration berween the Bür this is obviously politically im-
In Depth
apartheid.
National Forum
democratic
of trade union
Trade and National Forum
Basu boycotted the
Either the
apartheid, or
AZAPO and
all small tactical
, weic uculucu yy majord argue that anyone believes that the course of the ANC and UDF on these questions is more correct than that of AZAPO and the National Forum is not for socialist revolution in South Africa is not.a issues hould be discussed out on their merits and not split over
or imlermanonai bire to Labour Brifing.
miners strike and that Scargill's line in the strike was far superior to that of
We uk ultra-leftism ruined a
during the strike. posal that someone should have run against Kinnock for party leader after the miners strike would have seriously weakened the left. We note that the comrades of Internationai have atai-
do no justify a split. They are the types of issue which periodically arise among Marxists and should be discussed out.
Our view is simple. We reject the
characterisations of Socialist Action
by International. We make no such
believe International should fuse with
We will propose joint activily The corades of le
ternational should drop the nonsen
debate out the real issues whik mad
taining a common publicatica
Page 9 scan of this page
International
Philippine elections:
explained their dilema multinationals start turning away from Marcos.
'The incumbent president is favoured to win, it says, 'and that victory,
with SOUT economy, could exacerbate
against multinationals Most OUSCEVCIS auce cause worst-case outcome would be a rigged Marcos victory.
This could drive workers and students to violent protest, paralysing business.
But a rgged Marcos victory is exactly what the US was aiming for when it pushed the dictator into holding the snap elections
leaked senate intelligence released on 3 November, three days before the poll
was announced, says: 'Marcos remains the one man that has the power to ensure a democratic transition to a SUCCESSOr covenment the strongest base for non-communist future the continued widespread devotion in the Philippines to democratic norms and processes?
The operative point is not the commitment 9.
Marcos, , who has been
faithful guarantor of intersts for 20 years. His
byword fraudulent and corrupt
He has presided over six electoral exercises since being installed in 1965. In
1969 he was re-elected for a second remin. won a referendum to ratify his introduction of martial law under which 100,000 of his opponents have been jailed and 65,000 killed. In 1978 he won a victory in national assembly elections against the immensely popular
Benigno Aquino. The scale of his victory was so im-
Reusieek said it was aven.
April 1981 plebiscite gave him the power to abolish the na-
PRESIDENT JEAN-CLAUDE Duvlier's hated dictatorship in Haiti is clinging to power by a thread. As we go to press his political police - the Tonton Macoutes pressed a pre-emptive military coup. But escalating waves of mass protest, reaching near insurrectionary proportions, have put his future in severe doubt.
The latest crisis began on Wednesday 29 January when around 40,000 peo-
to une sreers in Cap-Haitien, the second largest low o une coutry. Observers say the demonstration took on carnival atmosphere improvised struments, songs, denunciations of the government
public funds and slogans demanding
DaDY DOC S departure.
The army staved clear of the demonstration, protecting onlv the barracks
anns private radio a
tions. Friday
AS THE 7 February elections in the Philippines approach, a mood resembling panic is gripping US ruling circles. Business Week, the US financial journal, in an article entitled The
tional assembly, invalidate any laws it might pass, oF make his own laws. In June 1981 he was elected for a further six vears. no doub for his services democracy.
By Alan Freeman
On 21 August 1983 he had Aquino killed and six months later won his most recent and bloodiest VICI tory the national assembly elections 1984. His henchmen killed 109 people on election day. alone.
The problem facing US capital that Marcos' cullull policies created explosive social discontent, while disposes of an apparatus
terror, corruption and •and neer his personal control, which likely to blow apart if he dies (he is very ill) or is replaced. There is a move to build up bourgeois op-
candidate Cor. azon Aquino, but if she
Rally measures which favour the poor and attack Marcos'
will probably be a coup.
Indeed, Marcos has reserved the power to cancel the election if he
might Hose Aquino herself has indulg-
popular rhetoric which is building. up business following, but has carefully refrained from any enor commens
Marcos opened the Philooines to Us inves ment. As a result it is in catastrophic decline. Last year, and the year before, investment actually shrank by five per cent.
Foreign debt is now $26 billion. Average income is $600 - 15 per cent less than it was four years ago. The minimum wage is just $2 a day.
Baby Doc dictatorship crumbles
'Baby Doc'
• seem to have sup-
January the demonstrations had spread the capital Port-au-Prince and
otner towns. Barricades went up and Duvalier pronounced state of siege. The border with the Dominican kebuonc was closea.
The same night the US embassy announced: "The government of Haiti has collapsed and the leaderSilip. 30C UGHS Duvallel, Us, fed ring insure. The ho longer backed bavi-
longer backed lier. But Baby Doc went on the radio Ic say he was still in power allu 'firm as a monker's
Reagan gets the jitters
THE U.S. CORPORATE STAKE IN THE PHILIPPINES
Philippine subsidiaries in 1984
Citibank Bank of America Caltex Petroleum Chase Manhattan Chemical Bank Del Monte Texas Instruments Colgate-Palmolive Procter & Gamble Castle & Cooke Advanced Micro Devices Union Carbide National Semiconductor Goodyear Tire & Rubber* Fairchild Semiconductor *31° owned by Philippine National OIl Co DATA: BUSINESS DAY
Militant and tionary opposition to Marcos and to US capital is now a very serious threat. Marcos himself, not prone
exaggerate Strength, says the his
New People's Army (NPA) control 5000 villages. They claim twice that figure.
The strike level in 1985 was 30 per cent higher thar
tail.
He added that: 'because the wild rumours circulated by good-for-nothings I'm donced Lake the
Duvalier was seen PrOOT limousine Port-auPrince. He then television again to say he
'to let the people out of their misery.
few hours later Duvalier announced that the police had arrested the leaders of a militarv coun
Haiti has suffered under the US backed Duvalier dictatorship since
when Baby Doc's father 'Papa Doc' came to power. Seventy seven per cent of the country's six million people have incomes below $150 a vear. Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas.
0 Miles 200
CHINA
Assets Revenues Millions of dollars $1,595 $226 507 79 353 963 334 36 • Clark Air Force 315 40
78 82 US Naval Base
at subic bay
46
44
41
38
32 152
29 39
24
16 30
KALIMANTAN
in 1984, which itself was a
record year.
The National Democ-
ratic Front, which like the
NPA is promoted by the
ormer Maoist Philippine
Communist Party, is call-
ing an election
with very wide support.
Perhaps the trankest
comment on the election
from Filipino
pachin TAIWAI businessman Busines Week ma bri who ports Aquino,
scared fluenced by nationalistic
She's idealistic. She would like to spread the county's wealth to all the people? And that's one thing which, US business and Filipino business alike agree, would never do.
Uganda's new rulers
backed by rival imperialist interests strongest in the north.
Moi and attended by a large number of
signed. set in-
itself the best chance of winning.
on the issue.
result as politically and morally binding.
not be legally binding.
Surprise visits
dictatorships,
remain under sentence of death
Panavia.
London SWI,
Democratic Rights in Turker.
Socialist Action 7 February 1986 9
WORLD
Guerillas from the National Resistance
Army (NRA), headed by former defence minister Yoweri Museveni, have taken control of the capital, Kampala, and deposed the military council, led by General Tito Okello. But many Ugandans fear this is just another chapter in a 20-year history of violence between warring factions in Uganda's ruling military caste,
Okello, who took power from Milton Obote last July, is said to have fled to Jinja, Uganda's second city, with somewhere between 3000 and 4000 troops. The military council, which he heads, is a loose coalition of forces, most regionally or tribally based, and whose most powerful component is his own Ugandan National Liberation Army (UNLA). It is
Both it and the NRA, whose main base is in the south west, fought to overthrow Obote. But the NRA was kept out of Okello's government and went on fighting. On 17 December after negotiations headed by Kenyan president Arap American 'observers', a peace agreement was
Other resistance forces such as the Uganda National Liberation Front (Anti-Dictatorship) say that the agreement merely divided the country into fiefs under military warlords. The civilian population has been the victim of widespread atrocities, looting, rape and general harassment by troops from rival factions.
Both sides lauched mass recruitmen campaigns and began touring the world in search of imperialist backing. NRA leader Museveni appears to have won the British company Lonrho and, his opponents say, has been visiting Europe's capitals in Lonrho's executive jet.. Spain: referendum date
Spain's socialist prime minister Felipe Gonzalez has finally set 12 March as the date for a referendum on leaving NATO. The socialist party was elected on a promise of leaving NATO and Gonzalez, who supports NATO, has been trying to wriggle out ever since.
Spain's large and broad-based anti-NATO movement was joined last week by the socialist trade union, the UGT. Right wing parties say they will boycott the referendum because they consider it unconstitutional. Opinion polls suggest the government would lose a straight ballot on NATO membership by as much as two
The Spanish government has delayed setting a date for over a year while it tries to manouvre its way around this little problem. Its strategy has two prongs. It has fixed the questions to give built an escape hatch by saying that if the majority against NATO is not very big, it will either stay in NATO anyway, or call an election
Announcing the referendum, deputy prime minister Alfonso Guerra grandiloquently promised that the government will treat the
Sceptical observers point out this means it will
Britain hosts two unwelcome visitors on 17 February. The first is from Star Wars chief salesperson General Abrahamson, who addresses a conference called by the Tory backbench Bow Group on arrival and will then spend some days in the country lobbying British business interests.
The second visit is from Turkish Prime Minister Turgut Ozal who comes as the guest of Margaret Thatcher. Turkey, whose human rights record is on a par with Latin America's worst
, regards Britain 'as its closest friend in the European Community'. Ozal wants the British government to help remove obstacles to joining the Common Market. A minor difficulty is that there are still 20,000 political prisoners in his jails. Around 500 trade unionists
Turkey, a NATO member, recently bought 40 Tornado combat planes worth over $1 billion from the Anglo-German-Italian consortium
• Picket the Turkish embassy, Belgrave Square.
Tuesday 18 February, 1 10 2pm.
Called by the Committee for the Defence o!
Page 10 scan of this page
10
smass
‹the
PORTSMOUTH HEALTH workers are taking a stand against apartheid rule in South Africa. Last week workers from the kitchens in three different hospitals decided they also would no longer handle tinned fruit from South Africa. the number of Portsmouth health workers already protesting against apartheid rule to 100.
The Portsmouth protest started on 13 January after the health authority refused the demands of NUPE to workers in the stores department said they would have nothing to do with apartheid produced tinned goods. They stood firm, cut their take-home pay by £20. Seventeen drivers who joined the protest almost immediately faced the same fate. Their bonuses have been taken away and they have been sent home early.
The whole affair escalated when management brought in a private company to make deliveries of all the provisions, not just the South African tins. But when these scab vans arrived at the hospital,
Killen staff didn't budge. therefore unloaded the van.
Support has been tremendous so far. NUPE'S south west division has called on the membership to stand by the Portsmouth workers. Apartheid Movement has called on all its branches to campaign for financial and moral support.
Asians against apartheid:
A NEW organisation, Scotland but with support in Sheffield, Bradford and London, is trying to organise opposition to apartheid In munities. South Africa (SACY) was founded in October 1985 and on 9 January held a Glasgow featuring local Asian musicians and dancers. It raised £400 for medical assistance to the South West Organisation (SWAPO).
Chairperson Shafiur Rahman explained that SACY had been trying to take the issue into the streets, encouraging people to join anti-apartheid actions and spread the boycott. It has had considerable success persuading shopkeepers to sign agreements not to sell South
Bodies supporting SACY include the Scottish Asia Action Committee, Association, the Bangladesh Association in Glasgow and the Glasgow Asian Youth Movement. • For information contact SACY at 4 Camstradden Drive East, Glasgow G61 4AH (phone 041-942 6647 or 031-667 5656).
Regional Activists Meetings: A series of all-day meetings is being organised during the first few weeks of this year to mobilise activists in support of the AAM's venues confirmed so far include: 1 February: Durham for AA groups on Teesside and Tyneside.
February:
Midlands. 22 February:
Midlands.
Please phone Liz Holles, organiser, on 01-387 7966 for further details.
Saturday 8 February: Huddersfield demonstration. Assemble Beck Rd 11am.
Wednesday 26 February: No loan rescheduling for apartheid, day against Barclays and other renegotiating South Africa's foreign debts. Details from ELTSA, 26 High Street, London NW 104NE, tel 01-965 0524.
Saturday 1 March: AAM Trade Union Conference, London delegate conference to mobilise for people's sanctions, Bloomsbury Street, WCI. Workshops on trade, disinvestment, the media, local authority action, Namibia, front line states.Details from Simon Sapper, AAM trade union officer, 01-387 7966.
Wednesday lobby sanctions South Africa. Details from AAM, 01-387 7966.
Saturday 22 March: Remember Langa, remember Sharpeville. trougnour brilal to mark ine first anniversary of the Langa massacre and to demand sanctions. Monday 14 — Sunday 20 April: Week of trade
action against Simon Sapper, AAM trade union officer, tel 01-387,.
966.
Monday 16 June: Tenth Anniversary of the Soweto Uprising.
Socialist Action 7 February 1986
SOLIDARITY
Health workers:
Their decision has increased
supplies. Then 12
although management Management mainly based in
the Asian comConcerns You
successful benefit in
African People's
African goods. the Edinburgh Indian
AAM diary:
Action. Dates and
Cambridge for groups in the
Nottingham for groups in the
AAM local groups banks involved in
Theatre, Gordon
19 March: National Parliamentary
legislation against
Local marches and demonstrations
apartheid. Details from
- Reviews
Shifting Horizons
'WE LEARNT so much in this, our struggle, and we know now that it is the same struggle as many others, against racism, for minority groups, against nuclear weapons and against the racist regime in South Africa; but the list is endless. They are all just examples of working class people struggling for an equal chance out of life'
Reviewed by Mary Donnelly
These are some of the
Doreen and Pauline came to as aresull oriz monuis deep involvement in the miners' strike Echoed, am sure, by thousands of women in the mining communities.
Shifting Horizons tells of the wav in women from the Notts pit village Blidworth changed during that momentous vcar. The story unfolds in their own WOTOs.
It begins with memories of their childhood and growing up years in mining communities Continuing through the early years of marriage and family problems, the story takes us to the events leading to the strike. count of the year of the miners' strike shows the development of their own increasing. and finally deep and full-time, commitment to the cause.
There are touching and painful moments of raucous nOur Above all, however, the evidence ot courage and endurance comes through, and tremendous widening of horizons and a growing search for more
My beautiful
laundrette
'WHY DOES nobody like laundrettes? they're like toilets, says Omar, the young Pakistani on whom this film is centred. And anyone who's ever spent one and a half hours watching their socks go round will know what he means.
Reviewed by Rachael Gomme
Omar takes over his uncle's bagwash and sets out to create his 'ritz of laundrettes. With the help
CINEMA
of his white lover Johnny.
story in film which
Issues around the life of a well-off middle class Pakistani
family in racist Britain and their responses to it.
leading socialist journalist
spends
his days in bed with a bor
Uncle vasse
is a wealthy business man
apparent head of
and the
the family, although Salin
knowledge and understan-
din the changing roles in
the family develop the
BOOKS
consciousness of both women and of the men in the village. Two men argue about who is to have the use Ine communal hoover first. Men at the soup kitchen worry about whether it will rain while their washing on the line!
Meanwhile the women organise, travel, speak : at
and many endlessly fund: feed the strikers and their families. Everybody pickets.
It must be remembered that all this went on in a
Because the ruthless heroin smuggling gangster holds the: real bowel.
The family sees Omar's association with Johnny, who he hires to work in the
typically British'. It is the relation-
between these two Sillp which the film's
strongest point.
Johnny's involvement
with a gang of fascists ha
DCLWeCI
hem, angered and hurt
But
as tallic when they meet up they become close again.
relationship handled
wit and sensitivity,
suggesting the strength of
feeling between them but
never over-emphasising it
smoothing over their differences
The film is all too rare
in its Terresning honest
and positive portrayal of
gay relationship. This is se
against the ever-present
backdrop of racism, main-
ly represented by Johnny's
gang of young thugs
Here Nasser and
Salin's attitudes come into
contle with their ET-
perience: for all their
and power within
moic the community. they are
village where two thirds of the miners worked during the strike. So there was little help or sympathy in the local community.
The activities of the police and the law are highlighted all their chilling brutality. An account is given of the sieg
arrest of Ken Petney and his subsequenatackinno
Lynn
the book, Australian, and came to not proof against the gang's racist attacks. Once again this issue not crossed over omar auc Johnny's relationship. johnny's attitude his white friends is ambivalent to the end.
The wornen in the film remain in the background
they are amorine yee
they among strongest characters. Their relationships to a certain extent parallel those DCIween Omar and his family, as similar conflicts played out.
My Beautiful Laundrette isn't film which looks for solutions. But it does observe people, situa-
and relationships with outstanding clarity and humour. It is witty, perceptive, subtle, and ironic; it pulls no punches and idealises nobody. It Is serious, but great entertainment. mainstream fim with such It's good a positive image of gays.
arouna at the moment). See it if only for a vision of what your local laundrette should be like.
My Beautiful Laundrelle, directed by Stephen Frears, stars Danie Dey-Lewis.
Shirts Ann Field, and
Rita Wolf. It is carrently on release throughout Sorril.
Britain during the miners' strike. spent many months in Blidworth sharing lne community's periences and preparing this book.
She, Doreen and Pauline spent endless hours recording these experiences. Lynn has succecucu brilliantly In pro ducing a memorable story,
which the personalities
Doreen comethrough tory des ly:
Shifting Horizons
The Other Book's mail order service offers
a wide selection of socialist.
and radical literature. The following
selection on and by women is available by
post:
miners' strike
p&p
Women Under Apartheid
International Defence and Aid Fund, 120pp
46p p&p
For Their Triumphs and For Their Tears:
Women In Apartheid South Africa
Hilda Bernstein, 136pp, IDAF, £3.50 + 34p
p&p
Part of My Soul
p&p
South Africa: The Struggle For A Birthright
Mary Benson, IDAF, 314pp, £4 + 59p p&p
Women and the Cuban Revolution
Edited by Elizabeth Stone, Pathfinder Press,
156pp, £3.95 + 28p p&p
Women and the Family
18p p&p
the State
Pathfinder Press, 190pp, £2.95 + 34p p&p
Make cheques or postal orders payable to IMRS.
PO Box 50. London Nl 2XP. If the total value of
for postage and packing.
from
(just off the main shopping centre) (phone 021-643
lustrates how quickly women developed politically and in consciousness abilities and strength during the year of struggle. Above all it is an exciting testament women of the mining communities which everyone should read
Shifting Horizons, Lynn Beaton, Canary Press, £5.65.
Other Books
anti-imperialist
Shifting Horizons: a testament to women in the Lynn Beaton, Canary Press, 265pp, £5.65 + 40p
black and white photographs plus text, £3.50 +
Winnie Mandela, Penguin, 164pp, £2.95 + 28p Leon Trotsky, Pathfinder Press, 78pp, £2.25 +
The Origin of the Family, Private Property and Frederick Engels, introduction by Evelyn Reed,
Orders with payment should be seat to: Other Books. books ardered is over flO. then simply add 15 per cent
These and other books, together with a wide selection of magazines, posters and postcards are also available
Birmingham's Other Bookshop, 137 Digbeth
Page 11 scan of this page
News
FOURTEEN HUNDRED striking steel workers voted last Friday to end the longest dispute in the steel industry main issue in the 16-week strike was the right to centralised union representation for 700 workers on the Forgemaster's Atlas site.
Management had 'reorganised' the site into five separate companies ana - announced lilal joint shop stewards comMULLCe was uniccessaly They declared the full time convenor's post abolished and moved to break up existing anicaic and negotiating structures including the joint health and safety committee.
Management's own centralised structures were to be maintained. The five s batate Condulics would still have one personnel officer.
Workers saw management s orlensive as all altempt to destroy the union as an effective force in Forgemasters.
Photo: JOHN SMITH (IFL)
March 1984: picket of Agecroft pit THE Mail on Sunday on 2 February revealed that government ministers and Coal Board officials were predicting 'the breakway UDM could be dead by the end of next month.' After the decision of Leicestershire miners to remain in the NUM the Mail on
Sunday presicted that
UDM members 'will be lured back into the
NUM be new moves to welcome their return on
'no hard feelings' basis
On the same day the
Mail on Sunday carried
this report Arthur Scargill
addressed a rally of more than 200 Lancasure
miners organised by NUM members from
Agecroft branch. Scargill
KENT NUM is plann-
ing a 'Save Tilman-
stone' march to Lon-
don as part of its fight
to keep the pit open.
The five-day trek will
begin by send-off
meeting at the Elvington
Welfare Club, addressed
Arthur Scargill,
Saturday 8 February.
The march will end
with a rally at Conway
Forgemasters victorious
since the 1980 national strike. The
The strike escalated dramatically in the new year when dismissal nouces were issuea lo al strikers. In reponse 700 workers at the neighbouring River Don works, formally part of the British
By Martin Hill
Steel Corporation but now ovæec voro oàc
VOLed Joll brie strike.
Under the settlement accented on rridav there will continue to be a joint sub stewalus committee, meeting in working hours and now extended to cover both plants. Instead of a convenor, the committee's chairperson and secretary
Scargill speaks at Agecroft
listed of the
cent in
that we ve
'When the per
NUM.
better and the
better union itself
the and
got dif-
Kent miners march on London
Hall on 13 February. MPs
Dennis Skinner, Bob Clay
By Les Hartop,
Gillingham Labour
Party
and Martin Redmond,
together with Kent NUM
Collins
etess
(secretary) and Malcolm
dress the meeting.
will have facilities and time off work to perform their union duties. And of cour-
ine dismissal notices have been withdrawn.
This agreement represents a victory on the centra issue at stake - effective union recognition. Forgemasters workers are now well placed to fight off future attacks.
Two factors were crucial in the victory. One was the determination and organisation of the strikers themselves: 92 per cent of strikers were activély volved either Ill picket duties runa-raising Negotiations were kept tindel control of elected shop stewards, themselves accountable to mass meetings.
This high level of involvement was Iss o ficials test when officials oraerea Inell zuv memoels back to work - but were forced to back down when ferences lets argue them in the NUM.
At Agecroft while the majority of miners have
voted to leave the NUM they have fallen short of LIC per cent vote
necessary to dissolve the
NUM branch
Those loyal the NUM issued a writ preventing scabs, headed by
Lora, joining the UDM
and defending the £60,000 in the NUM branch account. The fight
loyal to the NUM is stil Bols Ul
• Sob story of the week.
Super scab Roy Lynk was
quoted in the Mail on Sun-
day as saying 'I am bloody
disgusted senior coal
board managers and
ministers who urged us on
end have
tor months on
now conspired to finish us
off.
Our heart bleeds
• Messages of support
and 1/0re information
from: Kent NUM, Miners
Offices, Waterside House,
Cherry Tree Avenue,
Dover, Kent CT16 IRW
(phone: 6904-4000|
206271).
HOP STEWARDS COMM FONUCA
their members stayed solid.
A second factor was solidarity. Street. and fac-
Diary of a sacked
miner
rally, concert and demonstration.
week's campaigning.
The campaign Is now gathering steam. In lne Dasl wiil sacked miners from the Kent, Surham and Lancashire coalfields have been onueled Greenwich at the Labour Party ToUlLIs doing the groundwork for the rally. thousands of leafiets with We have information on Callpaign, and mailed them to labour organisations anc support 8-vups throughout the Culilly. Orders for the tickets are now flooding in.
Meanwhile the sacked miners are making Lnense vei available speak at meetings to pu ucilcase alle emphasise the campaign's importance for the whole labour movement.
We have already been to. see the Fleet Street unions as well as students' unions, Labour Party meetings and Borough Councils.
This week's group of sacked miners will mostly be replaced by new forces next week when, hopefully, a series of factory and shop floor meetings will take place.
Fund drive
OUR SUPPORTERS in Telecoms have responded magnificently to the renewed urgency of our fighting fund appeal. Last week, cheques for £200.00 arrived at our offices. magnificent effort also from our South West London supporters who weighed with £100.00.
Thanks, too, to an Edinburgh supporter for a f4.00 donation, and au lou. donors who chipped in
AS:85
UNITY IS STRENGTH
tory collections were organised on a scale second only to that which took place during the THE JUSTICE for the Miners campaign is now gathering momentum as it builds up to the 2 March
. DENNIS PENNINGTON, a sacked miner from Bold in Lancashire, will be keeping us up to date with a diary of the
NATION N.U.M
Among this week's ceracomen Sackcu Durham Stuart
in the house He striking miner even though in and to
Amount to For
like
for
Britain.
from socialists throughout the land.
with f17.00.
This puts last week's tota close to the sort of we have average weekly if we are to reach our f15,000 goal by vasles
We are confident that our supporters up and down the country will meet the challenge.
After all we 've had a
that maintaining minority capitalist nute is not straightforward. Lying and skullduggerv are the least, and most common, of capitalisl Irish people, black people, miners, or any other victim
Socialist Action 7 February 1986 miners strike. Labour Party branches organised collections in shopping centres and outside football
Teachers fight on
spearheaded by the Asociation Teachers (NAS/UWT).
being implemented.
Initially Fred Jarvis, NUT general secretary, announced that the planneo oe ov a00& by the NUT would still Lak( blaut despite LIIC NAS/UWT leadership. Since then it seems that the strike, originally opposed by the executive but overwhelmingly supported by the special union conference month, will not in fact happen.
not that bleak, NUT ac tivists should not NAS. despondent. The UWT leadership are not gollig lo nave an easy tim‹ in preparing the sell out. Hostility
An example of this was seen at a Brent NAS/UWT liccullls NAS/UWT y ademshiis
facing hostility own members in relation to the sell out, was reduced to shouting at them 'Why don't you join the NUT
The sell out will mean that over 150,000 teachers will be worse off with this
. dS ACAS, compared to the offer made back in Oc-
of capitalist rule will testify. But Westland is forcing these activities out hitlu the light day, because of the deep contradictions it has revealed.
Lying and skulldug
fy revealed he Murdoch
revealed in Murdoch and Hammond's assault on the print unions over
Wapping. All these events help clarify movement enormously.
We think Socialist Ac tion's coverage Westland has been unequalled on the left. We want to do the same on Wapping
Please keep your con tributions coming in.
grounds. The tremendou support received was vita in helping the strikers hol out to victory.
THE DIRECTION of the teachers pay dispute r mains undecided despite the impending sell ou
leadership of the Nation of Schoolmasters/Union of Wom
The NUT executive has managed to scale dov action so that only that on voluntary duties (lun time supervision, not covering for absent staff etc)
tober Further ov 250,000 teachers will worse off if the deal is n flat rated but offered a
By Ray Sirotkin
OC CCItdEe existir salaries.
Fred Jarvi Teachers will be qui to realise the nature of t! sell out. And NAS/UWT Tendesu faced with a rebellion their own ranks, will ha difficulty proceeding wi their agreement on conc tions of service being ti to pay - especially if a tion for the 1986 clai Dcels sll.
Therefore, if the NI can escalate action back strike action, level willch Incill and dra
she NAS/UWT, thene
NAS/UWT, then i WOOIV between , the NAS/UW
ana anu-umol orzall tions - such as the Ass Lall Masters Mistresses Associatio the Professional HANUL tion of Teachers etc be under extreme strain At this point of time is difficult to assess which direction things w go. Much depends on t of determination of the NI members and their abil act with NAS/LV members in the localiti combined with forci renewed action th respective executives.
Page 12 scan of this page
MANDELA
Nelson Mandela IN A widely-publicised television address South Africa's president Botha has yet again promised to 'reform' the country's
An advertising Calllpaign in the South African press has tried to spread the same message. Like the
promises made in
Tovember to which nothing new has been added - the speech is the purest fakery.
It comes a week after
government eered a coup against the government the independent republic Lesotho and forced the country to throw everyone Botha disagreed with
It also comes seventeen
days before the South
African finance minister meets Dr Leutwiler's team
of international bankers to try and renegotiate South
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SocAist
ACTION
racist system.
Africa's - $26 billion foreign debt.
Banking reaction was justifiably sceptical.
Bankers' decisions don't
depend on morals. They want to know if their investments are Salt. And Botha hasn't reassured them because thev know only too well that Botha has offered the black peole of the country precious little apart from repression and yet more repression.
And they judge • correctly that black - DeODIC aren't prepared to take it any more. careful study of Botha's promises shows he has offered very little other than words and cosmetic
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changes.
Promise numDe OnC.
black people will have a
say in running the country.
The reality: they will not
have power. They will not
have one person, one vote,
most basic demand
Botha's proposed national
council, as he
statulul y himself puts it 'under my
chairmanship', will leave
all effective power in white
Malus.
Promise number two:
black people wil have
citizenship rights.
reality: Botha
studiously avoided offer-
ing any rights to residents
of the artificial "home-
lands', which fifty per
cent of the black people
have been forcibly deport-
ed. As the Financial Times
cynically commented, his
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Take out a years inland subscription and we will send you free one of these books:
On Afro American History
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carefully chosen phrase 'rights for all who permanently reside in South Africa carefully excludes the people living in the homelands.
Moreover, ship' is a completely empty right when the entire ar-
of South Africa's THOUT racist laws • discriminate systematically between white citizens and black citizens. Unless all citizens are equal before the law, the "concession' is meaningless. meanest denizen of a forced labour camp is still technically a 'citizen'!
Promise number three: The Pass Laws will be success.
there will be a healthy attendance.'
Already three national unions have agreed to She Na the conference:
National Union of
Public Employees, the Na
tional Association of
Local Government Of-
ficers, and the National
Union of Seamen. As the
list gets bigger, it'll make it
easier to get in more union
delegations. Already some
unions, like the National
Union Railwaymen,
circulated registra-
have
tion forms to all Inel
branches - in the NUR's
case, only in the London
region, however.
The AAM sees the con-
terence as very much
working conference, not a
Botha's speech
NO IFS.. NO BUTS..
FREE
abolished on 1 July The reality: they will simply be replaced with other means of controlling the movement of black people. Everyone will have a 'common identity document' - the so-called 'book of life which will record every detail of your MOVCILICHLS since birth and, if anything, Cal used for more ruthless and more sinister repression of black people than before.
Promise number Poure black people will granted property rights and allowed to settle.
The reality: they will have no more right to live where they choose than before.
The two key points are that the Group Areas Act
AAM union conference
THE TRADE UNION conference called by the Anti Apartheid Movement (AAM) on 1 March will be a
That's the verdict of conference organiser, Simon Sapper. 'The response to date has been good,' says Sapper, 'and the AAM is optimistic that
rally. So star speakers and resolution-passing will not be features of the day. Instead, the AAM aims to give practical aid to trade unoinists who want to get involved in solidarity campaign. It will be designed knowledge, to build up ex in pertise in the labour movement, and to generate idens for activity. says Sapper.
•Many trade unionists will want to do something, but they don't have facts and figures at their finge tips. We hope that atte the conference they'll be better informed, and ready to get active. ' And action
wii remain a toret 'influx centrol" will and be
replaced by 'orderly banisation'.
This means that black people will not have the right to live in the areas reserved for whites at all, and will only be allowed to move desperately poor townships, on the fringes of the big towns, and when the white government decides to let them.
The most farcical promise of all, which even the Financial Times had to label 'bizarre', was proposal exchange Nelson Mandela for Rus sian political prisoners.
It is, of course, a big victory , for the resistance that Botha has dropped his
the second goal the ed oWe cant ence.
want hardworking conference,' explains Sapper, 'but we see
spring-board towards 14-20 April which the AAM annual
general meeting designat-
ed as Trade Union Week
A successful week in April in turn will ensure that on
the March for Freedom,
June, the trade
unions will be out in full
TOICC
The conference
organised around two sets
of workshops. The morn
ing ones are on the role of
sanctions in the struggle
freedom South
Africa do oke front at
Namibia, and the
line states as well. In the
afternoon, delegates cal
choose from a number of
workshops: on particular
areas of the economy
from trade •and retail
previous namely that nounce against apartheid. But if InIs sO OneCI a DICCUl dition, then why Mandela being held? In deed, why was he ever ar rested? What is his crime?
removed the last pretence that South African resistance fighters are bieing held for criminal offences, and spelt out in the most cynical way that they are political prisoners And if the CONCHELCH now admits are political prisoners then, i Botha had the slightest in tention of reforming anything, why didn't he simply free them there and then?
groups industrial groups like the miners; on investment SOUL
Allica.
propaganda dirty tricks; and on ECHICE
solidarity work of trad
This conference is timely event. It will be big boost to those already active in the labour move. ment, and it will help wir other workers to the strug. gle. But time is runnin
out for union delegation
So if your union branct
hasn't received any infor
mation contact the AAN
today!
• Anti-Apartheid trad
union conference, Satu
day 1 March, Londo
School of Economic
Houghton Street,
Further details fron
Simon Sapper,
Mandela Street, Londo
NWI ODW (phone: 01-36
7966).
← Socialist Action No. 129, 31 January 1986Socialist Action No. 131, 14 February 1986 →