Socialist Action No. 143, 6 June 1986
The scan: 143-jun-06-1986-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
* TRADE UNIONISTS BEWARE!- MURDOCH'S SECRET
AS WE go to press, it is still not known what is the outcome of the ballot on Rupert Murdoch's 'final offer' to settle the Wapping strike. What is clear is that Murdoch and the Tories are in a frenzy to turn around the impact of the militant rank and file campaign to get a 'no' vote. The burning down of Murdoch's paper warehouse has been used for all that it is worth to divert attention from the real issues and convince the uninvolved waverers to cast a 'yes' vote.
The 2000-plus News International
who attended the mass meeting last week have no need to further prove their determination and capacity sustain the struggle. Without the collaboration which has been given by the TUC and SOGAT leadership, Murdoch would not be able to win - even given the support of the Tory government, the rest of Fleet Street and the riot cops.
Those workers who have voted for the deal concocted by Brenda Dean and Norman Willis have done SO mainly because, witnessing disgusting behaviour from those who should be supporting and leading them in battle against Murdoch, they do not see how the struggle can be WUH.
Murdoch has been forced to increase his bribe to the sacked workers because, despite Brenda Dean, the dispute is becoming more militant, the ranks are getting more involved, and their actions are beginning to have more impact. During the course of the ballot this week, 400 workers were able to close the Wapping gates for over two hours forcing the scabs to skulk in by side entrances, and evel turning SOLIC deliveries away. These sort of undiminished actions, against the advice of Brenda Dean, are demoralising scabs and for-
SoCiAlist
ACTION
WEAPON!
cing Murdoch's hand.
Flying picketing has been increased, creating distribution problems for
mined stance of the London wholesalers branch from the beginning of the dispute has already created a cash flow problem for Murdoch of over £20m.
There is to be a mass meeting on the Saturday after the results of the DalO have been announced. Whatever the ballot's outcome, the rest of the labour movement must take the lead from the News Interna10121 workers themselves. This meeting is the voice of authority, not the cringing defeatism of Dean and Willis. As the miners explained nobody has the right to vote another worker out of a job. The SOGAT leadership has done everything to go over the heads of union democracy and secure a 'yes' vote.
Whatever the outcome of the ballot, any decision to continue must be coupled with relaunching an offensive into the rest of the labour movement. For a decision to vote 'no' will bring an as yet unheard of hysteria from the Tories, Murdoch and their media supporters as they try to secure an abandonment of the dispute. All the powers of the state will be brought further into play, from une courts through increased police repression.
Each union conference must be faced with a militant lobby of supporters of the printers fight and conference decisions for support won. The Labour Party and TUC conferences must be won to full backing of the key non-negotiable demands o the printworkers.
If the vote is 'yes' the fight to gain SOGAT/NGA recognition at Wapp-
ing still has to go on.
• Full re-instatement of all sacked
News International workers
• Print Union recognition at Wapp-
• Mass fneeting for News Interna-
worKers. Saturday 7 June,
York Hall, Bethnal Green, E9
INSIDE
How must the party fight racism? page 5 An agenda for the left page 6 Why Reagan is scrapping SALT II page 9 How and why Britain must withdraw from Ireland page 8
Page 2 scan of this page
A step forward for the left
Black and Asian Advisory Committee Press conference ends in chaos
2 Socialist Action
ACTiON SOCiALiS
LAST THURSDAY the launch of the new Black and Asian Advisory Committee at a press conference in the House of Commons ended up being a distressing spectacle for Labour. Jo Richardson, undoubtedly one of the most left-wing MPs in the PLP, even portrayed in the Guardian as accused of being a 'racist' for agreeing to chair the
The Labour Party Black Section in a letter to the Guardian taking up this allegation, clearly re 'racist'. There is no doubt that Jo Richardson involved herself in the Black and Asian Advisory Committee with the best of intentions, and accusations of racism However, anyone agreeing to chair this committee, places themselves in an impossible position.
Any black committee in the party must be chaired, and composed of, black thermore this committee is itself appointed not elected. A black person chairing the committee would have been selected by whites. This is also unacceptable. The only way a black committee in the party can be accepted is if it is elected
the he present committee, selected by whites, is correctly described by the Black Section as "colonialism', classic white paternalism.
The same issue is posed by the struggles of women. Women do not need men to 'look after their interests, they need the labour movement to start listening to what women themselves are
Richardson understand this perfectly well, and therefore will find herself in an impossible contradiction if she continues to chair this
know to be Jo's views on this issue, and the fact that she is chairing a committee established on the basis of a completely counterposed princi-
shows just how wrong this committee is, ano why It must go. democratic organisation of black people in the party electing their own representatives.
In fact the whole issue of Black and Asian Advisory Committee raises a general problem that
confronted in the Labour Party.
take on board the most elementary questions of democracy inside the Labour Party itself.
Democracy has to be based upon the fundamental right of people to control their own organisations and
democratic party has found expression in the at-
black section of the party, accountable to black people, with real say over the anti-racist policy
repeated year after year at the women's conference, that women should elect the women's places on the NEC. organisation should be democratically accountable to women, with real power in determining
young people and reflects their views, whateve the views of the party leadership -
Until these elementary steps to ensure the democracy of the Labour Party itself are taken, then all talk about democratic socialism is simply hot air. Rather than building and creating a
women, black people, and youth to control their
A related issue is raised by the expulsion of supporters of the views of Militant. A democratic discussion, where all views can be expressed and developed, and fought and defeated where they are wrong. The bureaucratic expulsion of Militant supporters cuts totally against that. It is also worth noting that those most infavour of expelling Militant supporters are most against the demands of women and black people in the par-
The left has to learn the lessons of what is going on in the party, and take to heart the rising tide of protest, from women and black people in particular about the lack of democracy in the party. The demands of women and black people, building a strong youth organisation, and opposing expulsions must become and remain among the key items in the agenda of the left. both deal a blow to the frightening attack of democracy being spearheaded by Kinnock, and Pertyide an agenda for new steps forward for the
6 June 1986 was elected, black self organisation in The fact that a contradiction has
It must be replaced their own lives.
people to build a democratic OR SOLDE built that is controlled by
be buit on socialist debate and
SINCE THE end of the Rank and File Mobilising Committee, following Tony Benn's deputy leadership campaign in 1981, authoritative organisation coordinating the left in the Labour Party. But developments at last Saturday's Labour Left Coordination (LLC) opened up important possibilties. JAMES LARK reports.
THE reasons for the ineffective coordination of the Labour left since the early 1980s have been chiefly political, not organisauonal. It is pontics which finally produces organisation, and not the other way round.
The left came together in the late 1970s around the demand for consulutional change in the party.
united fashion around the miners strike. in order support the miners. But aside from these occassions the left has not had a clear agenda which would allow it to coordinate etfectively. Crisis
The LLC was a body established prior to the last Labour Party conference, strike: However miners strike. had been undergoing organisational crisis for the last months.
The apparent reason for this crisis was organisa-
Labour supporters had been attemoting to dominate the organisation by organisa-
ment with it claiming three places on the LLC's steering committee as opposed
UniC 1101 every other organisation. Politics
But behind the organisational lay politics. The LLC had à potentially clear political basis. It had the affiliation of WAC, the Labour ParLAST THURSDAY Labour's fake Black and Asian
Advisory Committee held its first press conference which was widely reported. But far from achieving the objective that the Labour leadership has set -heading off support for Black Sections universally used by the media as an opportunity for an all-round attack: on black people, on the Labour Party and on Labour Party Black Section.
ference broke up in chaos because Black Section attacked chair Jo Richardson, as a racist. Black Section chair Marc Wadsworth explained to Socialist
Action: 'Black journalists
Walworth Road fed this information to the press as non-attritubable quotes. This is totally reprehensible mischief-making. They have put it about that we are responsible for events at the press conference but that view cannot be defended. They are trying to pit black person against black person
know that they can't win with their sham, bantustan committee.'
ment in response to the calling of this press conference. We reprint it in full below.
THIS morning the Labour
Party launches 'still
born' Black and Asian Ad
Committee
climate of almost universal
hostility. The committee
there has been no ty Black Section, CLPD, the Labour Campaign for Lesbian and Gay Rights, a
socialist newspapers, and observers from the Labour Committee on Ireland and Labour CND.
The basis for overlap and cooperation between these campaigns was obvious. CLPD, fighting for democracy in Ine party, has supported the demands of WAC and the Black Section as well as advancing Will demands. and the Black Section, both standing for self-organisation
tally. supported each others demands. :Every organisation on the left has an interest in opposing the witch hunt - and all have opposed it. While each campaign maintains its own autonomy each gains by coordination. Survive
But the basis of that campaigning has to be what the LLC positively stands for. No organisation can survive, or go forward, based on what it is against.
LLC's tasks were indicated by the fact it contained a number of the most important anti-imperialist
Canoadus the party, the main camDalis for self-organisation of the oppressed, and the main organisation fighting for democracy in the party.
positive platform, and made it obvious that the organisations supporting these demands should be the centre of the LLC
— 01 it was
It was widely misreported that the press con-
have told us that
because they
Labour Party Black Section has issued a state-
purports to be a national
ody, taking represen-
tatives trom
regions. The London
Labour Partv ha:
decided to withdraw all of
The black delegation to support the miners — one of the key alliances the left has to build
thereby ensuring that their demands would be at the core of its attention. CLD ensurive had pie Cusul c this forward proposals which, after amendments, were finally accepted representatives 'AC.
the Black Section, and other organisations and papers These sought to reorganise the LLC on a democratic basis and, by this, give it a clear positive programme for action. Briefing its representatives, the South East, Wales and the Northern Labour Party regions have nominated no
on Even before the launch
there have been a number
individual resignations including Inese or nein Vaz, Black prospective parliamentary Candidale for Leicester East and Trudie Dehanev. a senior trade union official. They
the two delegates WCIC from the East Midlands.
Faceptinge the West
Midlands, areas the country with the largest black populations are completely unrepres ented (40 i per cent of Britain's black population live in London alone, the West Midlands followed by the East Midlands have the second and third largest black communities respectively)
The Labour Party Black Section calls for the immediate disbandment of the black ana Aslan visory Committee. Black Sections been
however would not agree to
A diVisiol therefore took place the LLC.
Agenda
Representatives of CLPD, WAC, the Black Section, Socialist Action and Socialist Organiser, and with observers from
CND, met to agree, subject to
STUCLUTC based on posals. These safeguarded recognised by both the black community and most of the Constituenci legitimate voles of black Labour Parties people. •There are now 37 constituency Black Sections across the country, all making a valuable contribution to their parties.
Many of the nominees on the Black and Asian Advisory Committee won their places by zealously obeying the instructions of the hard right the Labour Party by vociferously opposing Black Sections. We regard them colonial appointees.
Labour Party's approach to black people
Britain been lla. fashioned by the British colonial experience. On the one hand black people have been denied rights of representation by tional racism which exists in ine labour movement On the other, advisory committees have been set up which pretended to
seriously the prolake
Analysis
the autonomy of the campaigns and established a democratic structure, Vladimir Derer of CLPD was unanimously elected secretary.
indication of the goals likely to be pursued Was shown which included model resolutions for party conference, the attitude to the Black and Asian Advisory Committee , and the question of US bases.
development represented a major forward for the left. A lef coordination has emerged which is not based on on positionalism' but on putting torward clear positive proposals for action by the
brings together DalLy the most important campaigns and issues which have developer in the
party in the last years. comes at the same time as the establishment of Cam paign Groups in a number of areas — another indication of an upturn of left organisation in the party. Tactics
The long and difficult task of taking these campaigns and issues into the unions of course still has
developcu and deepened. Doubtless dif-
of opinion and tactics will arise
But above all last Saturday's events represent a major step forward Ior the leIl. for the first time for many
an autnoritalive organisation of the left based on the rank and file of the party • one with a notentia to develop. Ihi will strengthen the work of the left in every way.
Despite the fact that Briefing were not able to agree to the proposals a place was left for them on
the steering committee and we are sure they will fill it as soon as possible. 'blems of black people.
These committees largely comprising white 'race ex. perts' have a long history of failure.
The Black and Asian
Advisory Committee is the seventh such committee in
the last 26 years. The last one, the Positive
Discrimination Working Group, produced a report • after wide consultation with the Slabour
ment. This report recom-
mended fully constituted
Black Sections.
This report like those of other committees was
ignored. Instead the
Labour leadership propose yet another advisory
committee.
The Black and Asian
Advisory Committee has
no muscle, represents no one and its lells or reict ence specifically exclude
formulation. Its
role is simply to advise on
how to solicit the black vote. In other words it is
more than cynical vote garnering unit for the
Labour leadership.
Page 3 scan of this page
Lambeth's new black leader
Politics Today
LABOUR PARTY Black Section vice chair LINDA BELLOS has recently become leader of Lambeth council. She is one of three black council leaders in London. She and her fellow Lambeth councillors not only face waging the fight against racism and attacks against the black community in Brixton but have taken over from those recently disqualified in the fight against rate capping. The new council aims to deepen the policies pursued by the previous council as Linda explains, proving the conditions for the whole of the working class including the black community in Lambeth means expanding services and jobs police and other harassment. Linda discussed with CAROL TURNER the Black Section's fight to overcome racism within the Labour Party and how that meshes the difficulties which councils like Lambeth still face.
BLACK came
are anymore being 1g-
allu marginalised
Black a cam-
which about the WC call
pened in
people's of
Reluctantly.
Neil
There are mao still do not want to who do not want to take on the issues we are stating, who in their neo-colonialist way still believe they know what is in our best interests.
What black people are saying is that we can actually speak for ourselves.
That is what Black Sections have pioneered, and we have brought pressure
Parties where there isn't a Black Section.
Tribune
Lambeth is a good example of that pressure.
Over the last two years, in a series of by-elections, we have increased black
from two councillors to eight. This time round we start off with eight. And if there are any by-elections black renresentation in Lambeth
I hope hate belie a shat
belief black candidates are voteTUSCIS still on-going within the Labour Party.
There are many people who absolutely resent the idea of black people speaking for themselves including 'liberal' journals such as Tribune. After all, they are many of the 'experts' people,
many of those who occupy places on
ethnic this and multicultural that.
So I am not surprised
that, after the local election results, people
are pursuing the hoary old
chestnut. DaCK Call
didates being vote-losers. I
difference
between those people and
the establishment
establishment which cre-
ated colonialism and just-
ified imperialism.
That has been given as.
the reason Labour didn't
win COntrOl Wands-
worth. Tower Hamlets is
another case in point.
hecause a commitment to im•
and fighting
The Wandsworth
them they were
For not Liev went recognise
not selves to needs black in Wand
win the failure DOTOUCIL
Black has COSI Lessons
On the other hand, all three parties in Lambeth have firmly stood by their original commitment Black Section in the face
considerable pressure. That Contic il manifested itself in an increased support for black representatives.
After six black members of the last
were disqualified another six came forward. There is no doubt that will continue to happen.
The lessons are that if you address yourself to the neeas of back people, then black people will come out and vote. And if you don't want those votes, then you don't want to run the council. It's as simple as that.
Jobs
After the local elections in Lambeth, we have
maintain
Hallualt lu jobs and services. We also have a manaate and a commitment improve services ana to improve employment. We are the largest employer in the borough. Priorities
There are a variety of issues currently looking at: low pay
harmonisation, suralezy. that is how to rid ourselves of the disparity or treatment between manual and white collar staff; equal opportunities, which for me is a high priority, particularly explaining whal those policies mean to the whole community so that we get full support.
Those are the priorities our manifesto commits itself to. And we want to
greater community SCCI participation.
But, speaking personally, my commitment Is to the working class. want …lo. mean by working class, because it isn't the same as what some other comrades in the Labour Party mean by working class.
I mean people who are male and female, black alle white, able-bodied and with disabilities, heterosexual and lesbian and gay. When I conceptualise working class mean the variety of us who are working class.
Feminist
I do not mean white
which is how the talised Working co tualised working class. own view working class men, but it's
exclusive v that. he kind of approach I have as a callist. my understanding of class analysis,
and, I think more radical than that which the Labour Party as a whole adopts. Demands
When we uncover the needs and demands of the WHOIC working class in Lambeth, we are going to find that we do not have the resources to meet those needs. Currently we are not meeting the needs of the whole working, class.
additional case tor resources other words, against rate capping will be as strong if not stronger in the coming period than it has been in the past. National
I believe if we have the support of the whole community we will be forced to demand a greater share of national resources.
Linda Bellos: newly installed as the leader of Lambeth council the council. responsible for that local government Section there.
Memissue the Members
COSS
else in the
report, the
why. We tions valluus wards if this
The ony in-
were saying inal lney.
because
Wandsworth borough. operative
people.
Our developed
Building Black Sections in Wandsworth
LAST WEEK'S issue of Socialist Action carried an article by AUBREY ESCOFFERY, entitled Why Labour lost in Wandsworth', which explained how racism within the Wandsworth parties cost Labour
Far from an anti-black vote being defeat, Tribune and others claimed, it was the refusal of the local Labour Parties to support Black Sections and to prioritise the demands of the black community which let the Tories back in by one seat. This week Aubrey explains how the experience of black party members in Tooting led to the formation of a Black
under very circumstances.
ported Sections.
treasurel Black As the
aspirations of Section, neither us were
government committee
racist group,
convenor the police manifesto Of course the you're GC, Black Sections - he saic they would fragment the party My nice friends were sympathetic
Socialist Action 6 June 1986 or waile to us of y
but silent. They were not prepared openly confront that kind of racism.
We had to have the backing of Black Section, but we found ourselves in the dilemma of not being able participate tionally. So the Black Members Group passed a resolution changing our status.
We informed the
the Tooting party who duly
back WULd sayill could not. We didn't resOOHU we simply stopped having meetings at the party headquarters and found other venues
A few weeks ago we received letter from the secretary-agent
that we could auntill now call ourselves the Black Section, and sug gesting we can have two fraternal delegates on the GC. The party has decided to have a liaison officer for black and Asian affairs.
3 1986 Budget is £30 million more than Government limit.
Council faces deficit of up to £60 million.
Lombeth Councl says
NO CUTS HERE
Tell us what you think at your LOCAL MEETING
Lambeth Rates Democracy
We hold the proposal in total abhorence. When it was raised previously at an EC , I advised against it The EC decided that such proposal wouldn't be But
the had been withdrawn!
been put party
already been passed ty rules. like
can implore
VULC
stand at the moment in Tooting Labour Party.
CAMPAIGNING
FOR SOCIALISM
The Chesterfield Torperience
Sponsored by the Campaign Group of Labour MPs and published by the Chesterfield Labour
Party with a foreword by Tony Ben
Campaigning for Socialism: the Chesterfiel experience charts the course of the party over the last two years, especially drawing out the effects of the miners strike on the alliances which the Chesterfield party have been building. Price 70p, plus 18p p&p, the pamphlet is available fron
Other Books, PO Box 50, London NI 2XF
(cheques payable to Other Books)
Page 4 scan of this page
4
Black Section replies
to Guardian lies
of the the Guardian report Black and Asian Advisory
ference.
Section of calling the chair, Jo
and his desk.
the a letter tron Sharma correcting report. said:
Committee press conference
THE GUARDIAN
Printed in London, Manchester and Por
a Two members quit black and Asian
group set up by Labour leadership
NOLS attacks
SSiN
NOLS (SSiN) pressure group
(personal capacity)
was standing as an independent.
has been taken.
ship were not invited.
official NOLS candidates.
Socialist Action 6 June 1986
Section attend LNe conference. was during let JO
'A release and not was distributed amen LIne
the Black and Asian "The has respect
"The Section itself from
tions OI made against by people WILl Saturday May 311986 250 THE WITCH-HUNT has permeated into the Labour student movement. NOLS National Committee is to complain to the CLPs of various members of the Socialist Students in
By Danny Nichol, Assistant Secretary CLPD
SSiN supporter Simon Pottinger is accused of 'ratting' on NOLS by standing in an NUS election against a NOLS candidate. In fact the person he stood against was not a Labour Party member and
In the past Labour Party members have stood against official NOLS candidates and no action
The secretary of NOLS complains that SSIN supporters have stood against NOLS candidates in the NUS London region. However these NOLS candidates were selected at a meeting to which Labour Clubs unsympathetic to the NOLS leader-
NOLS have also decided to write to Larry Whitty to complain about SSiN standing against
DISGUSTNG
women's position in the labour movement. ference, and a wide range
power within the STUC is
STUC annual conference.
Scotland to the debates at
W
THE NAGES OF
NURSING
ARE
Women and the Scottish TUC
IN APRIL 1986 the Scottish TUC annual congress threw out a resolution which would have improved
resolution called for a commitment to creche and childminding facilities, for an end to sexist language in STUC publicatons, and for the STUC general council to prepare a report on the feasability of taking three resolutions selected by the STUC women's conference for debate at the STUC annual con-
generai council,
are just a way for the big vul calle
are provision ate
This year it was agreed that the women's commit-
Labour Women's Action Committee pamphlet, price fl, plus 18p pap, fror (cheques payable to Other Books).
and the
AT THE LABOUR women's conference an imporConference for the New Statesman.
•...there is a conflict betbetweeen mcale feminists and 'working class trade unionists. The battle in the women's women's
'womens committee', still advisory though, and attending the STUC
tions were asked for the
raising issues of concern to
spectacular increase in the
women
- from 5 per cent in 1885 to 19 per cent
from the general council HUCK VEI
economy. privatisation! We have a
Labour women
trade unions
tant debate began to unfold about the relationship
women in the unions and the Labour Prominent representatives of the right wing in the trade unions, like Mel Read of ASTMS, attempted to present this as a division between the 'middle class feminists' in the women's sections — who support the Labour Women's Acwomen' in the trade unions. This false division was
control over the women's the same obstacles the entrenched power of rightwing, male-dominated general councils and naducks decision on
London Region Labour Regional chair Glenys
tional executives.
Rather than a divide between trade unionists and 'feminists', there is a political between those who are in favour of women's self-organisation and power in the labe movement, and those wit are against it. In tha divide Mel Read is or thi one side, and IWAC at the STUC, st the TUC women's com ference, and at many other trade union conferences are on the other.
Here we reprint an arti cle from LWAC's bulletin at Labour women's conference. Chris Aldred Aberdeen Trades Council details the struggle that women in the Scottish TUC have been waging for women's power in that trade union organisation. It's parallel with the struggle of LWAC is obvious.
London Labour Party
bantustan committee
meeting aat the decison
consider ll carerny delore they vote. In fact she is a Against the Witch hunt
Regents College, Inner Circl Liverpool Councillor, expelled by NEC
Black Section Sparkbrook, expelled
Labour Committee on Ireland, expelled
Campaign for Labour Party Democracy
surcharged Lambeth councillor Discussion, workshops, croche, food, stalls
Sponsorship and delegation forms available fron
CAW, C/o Hackney North CLP, 96a Stok
Sponsorship £10, (2) delegates from affiliated
organisations E3. Observers welcome.
Page 5 scan of this page
How must the party fight racism?
Socialist Action replies to Tribune
News
Dear Socialist Action,
publication you have become. What Call unpleasant,
'vicious racist articles', eh? (SA May 30).
editorial saying how about some facts.
not quote the next two lines:
the SDP must be exposed for what it is?
head-on — and you call that a 'vicious racist out-
burst'. Are you people serious or have you just
escaped from Billy Smart's circus? You do not
confront racism by denying its existence.
'an open attack by Tribune on the demands of the
Women's Action Committee'. Where? When? Do
you mean a signed article by a contributor? Can
you not bend your kindergarten minds around the
concept of a newspaper which acts as a forum for debate and ideological does tralist line like yourselves? member of WAC's executive has a regular column It may have escaped your notice but a leading in Tribune. That is the nature of the paper — free Socialist Action which and open debate. It itself into the left's answer to The Sun. NIGEL WILLIAMSON Editor, Tribune
Dear Socialist Action, How dare you selectively quote from my articles in Tribune and my paper for Islington Labour Party to give the impression that I support any kind of watering down Your publication is almost as contemptible as the policies. scab sheets produced behind barbed wire at Wapping. I enclose a copy of my paper and I demand that you print it in full as my right of reply to your distortions. We cannot fight racism unless we acknowledge that it exists, analyse what forms it takes and what its origins are. If I report that racist remarks are made to Labour candidates and canvassers why do you assume that I support this? How about the following quotes from my paper? 'The truth is we haven't done much for black people or for gays. "To sum up we lost in South because starting from a small base of activists we failed to build a party which went against the grain of a great deal which "Labour" in South Islington had stood for ingiven (by the new council) to anti-racist work. In cluding particular housing policies need to be reviewed in the light of the PSI (Policy Studies Institute) report on discrimination in council housing in Islington. Efforts by TAs to combat racism should be fully backed. Neighbourhood offices should be made aware of their responsibilities, and independent advice organisations should continue to be funded for anti-racist activities which stress concrete work with tenants and members of the public.'
You are right to suggest that in the wake of the setback in South a new right has emerged in Istington calling for the watering down of radical policies. My paper was intended to alert comrades to this danger and 1 am happy to say that it has succeeded. The claim on your masthead that you are building an alliance for socialism sounds extremely hollow when you attack fellow socialists in this
fashion. I see that you don't have a letters column
in your paper, so I doubt whether this will ever see
the light of day. (Or could it just be that no one
bothers with writing to you?)
I suggest you stop trying to cram everything
you don't like into the mould of a 'Kinnockite con
spiracy. Such delusions run clear against the first
task for socialists; to understand what is happen-
ing in order to be able to effect events. suspect you will prefer to go on fighting with your
eyes snul.
PHIL KELLY
• The paper which Phil Kelly demands we reprint as his
right of reply is approximately 2000 words long — more
than a page of the paper. Unfortunately space does
Anyone who would like a copy of this however should
contact us, c/o PO Box 50, London NI 2XP, enclosing
37p to cover the cost of photocopying and postage and
we will supply a copy - Editor.
squalid and dishonest So Tribune prints tess weal than their everal colleagues day do yed *Several black candidates You quote a Tribune Well Alliance exploited this racism quite unscrupulous- 'The Liberal-SDP ly. Nor was it averse to the anti-gay smear. Such attitudes must be tackled head-on and the hypocrisy, cynicism and sheer opportunism of the liberals and
Racist and anti-gay attitudes must be tackled But your lies do not stop there. You criticise purity and dictate a democratic cen- article
seems intent on turning. never happen in of anti-racist and positive action
This is the exact opposite of the truth.
white supremancy Priority must be
But I
pity, leader, Alex
sditors, the incy firm orton, told enditure on 34, "Improting Jobs" e, in their rty politic applied to of "Demoional rally and ratety said.
officials claiming would not the provi1 Governiets counmpaigns. ed Armitering up, e a legal y of the them. linburgh case. We es which en more it than ensure a ervative minster because
ck with ich sup- apparent to find warned
the Labour councils: Raine
1 Evidently we do not accuse Nigel and Tribune of conscious racism. I we ala unal we would write very different articles indeed.
What we state is that the articles appearing simultaneously in Tribune
intestin Neu Society, and the Guardiun following tne clections or the theme "black candidates OSC VOLCD aided racists and racism inside, and outside, the party.
Nor are we isolated in Ta view e cabour rarty Black Section has also strongly replied to, and attacked, the articles carried In New society and New Statesman.
2 The way in which this occurred can be seen clearly in the title of the article we referred to in Tribune. this selectively referred to cases where it was claimed that black Labour candidates did worse than white. It referred specifically Wandsworth where there has been the biggest publicity for this claim.
But Tribune's article was totally cavalier factually. It did not deal with the cases where, on the contrary, black candidates did better than white for example Duncan brainwalle wno nad ine highest Labour vote of all
Couldale in his ward. It did not deal at all with the situation in Wandsworth where it clear the party had not adequately fought racism seriously or selected black candidates DaCK Labour candidate Aubrey
THE SOCIALIST campaigning
is running out to tackle the pr
Kinnock, and her colleagues,
the arms race, ald and politica
said that One World called for expansion of Third World cour
efforts. Phote: Andrew Wiard (Report)
ELECTIONS
LABOUR'S strong showing in
last week's local elections may
not have been quite enough to
majority at Westof an pectedly good Alliance showing unexin some areas, and some voters In black and openly gay Labour prejudice against Crewe, candidates in the inner cities.
won control of 1• Escoffery outlined in detail last week.
Tribune could have dealt of racism here roblem WILd what UND-
headline stating the truth: 'Labour failures to tight racism cost seats. But instead WC have a Tribune headline 'Did anti-black prejudice cost Lauvul crucial seats?
The problem therefore
norears, Labour Partsis
Labour Party's fight which certainly will lose scals. but running black candidates. This rubbish aids every racist inside and outside the party.
By not dealing with the core of the matter, which is the failure of Wandsworth to select black candidates in safe seats, and the indifwhich their proposals for fighting racism received, Tribune's article covered over the problem which is the failure of the party to aesu effectively. Where this was ConC Haringey Hackney, Brent, and Lambeth excellent results were achieved. 3 On the women's conference Tribune ran whole series of articles leading to women's conference. The one chosen for selling at women's conference itself, however, was spread over nearly half a page, and was entitled, and argued, 'Constitutional change will not win women's votes'
The editor of Tribune knows perfectly well that what is politely termed constitutional change
to these articles — although New Society has. continue and invite contributions.
Union of Communication Workers, promised that members would work hard to support One World's
BY PHIL KELLY
Did anti-black prejudice
cost Labour crucial seats?
/ districts Blackburn, Brighton,
Bristol, Great Grimsby, Hyndburn, Rossendale, l'amworth,
Worcester and York, and Lothian.
four others which appeared to be within reach,
Chorley, Milton Keynes and Peterborough, lossee to the SDP offset gains
and which in reality is the right of women to control their own organisations in party, alle _nol nave them controlled by men -is exactly what WAC fights for.
Nigel Williamson knows how edit that type of material, and such series, as well as we do. If three or four weeks before the conference Tribune had run an article 'Constitutional change will not win women's votes, and at ine conterence one enutied 'Support WAC's demands', Iribune would have been carrying on a debate in which it was interven ing in favour of WAC's demands Instead the choice and timing of articles was such as to cut against them.
This was made even clearer in the Diary column of 23 May which accused WAC of lining up alongside Militant at women's Concicict 4 Nigel Williamson can of course prove wrong very simply. He can, for example: • Run articles explaining the failure to adopt black candidates in areas like Wandsworth which is the real problem.
Support the demands of the Black Section. • Call for a Labour Party campaign against racism Including centrally the call for more black candidates
achieve this. demands or warr Clearly the
Finally, hope
Socialist Action 6 June 1986 LAST WEEK'S Socialist Action contained material by Socialist Action and members of the Labour Party Black Section sharply attacking articles in the New Statesman, Tribune, New Society and Guardian claiming that running black candidates had cost Labour votes in the local government elections. The New Statesman has refused to print the reply of the Labour Party Black Sections
Socialist Action has received replies from Nigel Williamson, editor of Tribune, and Phil Kelly, author of the article we criticised in Tribune. We print these in full with a reply by Socialist Action. Marc Wadsworth, national chair of the Black Section has also taken up another aspect — the question that Tribune fails to support the demands of the Black Section. We anticipate this debate will
now carke, of the by seat, white candidates were successful in two seats where their black and, in one case, gay running mates polled slightly votes and were eased out by Conservatives.
In one ward Labour and the Tories each won a seat which bad heen hala t
Tribune will band together with us to overcome one rather shocking point. The New Statesman has refused to print the reply of the Black Section to their articies on the local govern ment elections even as a
Tribune have a long record of excluding black people from writing on their own behalf in their pages. Having one column by a black Prospective Parliamentary
party. Black Section is a legitimate voice for black members of the party black people get from Tribune is white
Section having a regular column to write about ourselves? They want to choose which individuals' views they carry. We want support for our campaign and our
individuals.
5 The f NationE ployees ecte t
Icy. tater orded confi imu ed by
Wars
Idea wage in f minimum
EN!
Radi
figur
DEMAND the Barth i Labour on the hea Chernobyl tions in the from Frant fewer for Stockta Lamination tivity answers L The D
letter. We hope that the eone Tribune vigorously demand that une ew Statesman prin this reply. The issues under ale LOC serious to be dealt with by bureaucratic suppression
Mark Wadsworth:
Candidate is not how you genuinely reflect a plurality of black political opinion in the
- but all
people writing about us. How about Black
collective demands — as a group and not as
Page 6 scan of this page
Socialist Action
RAPIDLY DEVELOPING events in the Labour Party are potentially creating the most unified agenda for its left since the late 1970s and the unity achieved around miners strike.
O'NEILL reports.
IT is not enough for the Tory party to lose the next election. he Labour Party has to win it. In a three party electoral system the two are not the same thing.
To be successful Labour has to ex-
present acHe Tories and drive back the Alliance. To achieve that Labour has to deliver real
better life, for represents and who are its supporters.
But this is exactly what Labour has failed to do. Each episode in the Tories recent problems was not used to drive forward Labour's positions, and adopt policies would solve the problems revealed, but to hold back that advance.
The Westland affair produced no Labour campaign for the removal of Thatcher and was a wasted opportunity. The air raid on Libya from US bases in Britain provoked no Labour camaign for the removal of all US bases. he Chernobyl disaster saw ingham and Kinnock way out of line with public opinion, and Labour conference resolutions, in refusing to call for scrapping nuclear power altogether.
The result is that Labour has been drifting to the right and to a potential disaster. Labour's vote, and position in
opinion polls, has been at around 37-38 per cent — marginally less than the vote needed to win an absolute manonty at a general election. his means most probably that Labour would not win a majority at a general election anerall majority, proceed to implemen would right wing policies, demoralise its supporters, and Condose debacle of the type of 1974-79.
Everyone knows, also, what is the alternative being canvassed by some forces inside the party to this course. IN ORDER to judge the new type of left which is emerging in the party it is worth going back and looking at previous
The left of the 1950s and early 1960s might rightly be termed a 'protest left'
— the old Tribune left. It placed itself in opposition and complained about the ills of the party as well as supporting some progressive demands. But it had no programme to take power in the party. It had no programme to seek to lead and mould the party itself. It was by its very nature oppositional.
The final peak of this type of left developed in the early 1970s.
emerged as a current accompanying the trade union battles against the Heath
government. The key figures on the left
in the unions were Hugh Scanlon and Jack Jones. The political driving force
was the Communist Party which pro-
pelled forward the Broad Lefts in the unions and the Liaison Committee for the Defence of Trade Unions.
Penn hased himset on these forces to
create a Labour left which, unlike those
since the 1920s, had a direct base not
only in the constituency Labour Parties
but crucially, via Scanlon and Jones, in
trade unions. As a result in 1973
Labour adopted an undoubtedly 'left'
programme.
T'his development was broken up by
two processes. First Wilson, using the
anlimited power of the Parliamentary
Labour Party (PLP) and leadership,
simply overruled the conference. This
led to the formation of the Campaign
for Labour Party Democracy (CLPD).
The second step, still more decisive
was that in 1975, after the EEC referen-
dum, 81111 Seanlon.
leaders of the Broad Left, allied with
Wilson to introduce wage controls.
This broke up the movement almost en-
tirely.
The Communist Party, which had
allied itself totally with
Scanlon, began its dramatic crisis and
6 June 1986
Scale mars alisallul
REDMOND
government.
Kinnock
fight for such a majority
crisis or une
ject. would
LIONE potential
Wing communities, munities.
these
has attacked. . But has not
these demands.
Cunn- strong social forces.
tional'
secure women's
remove the
democratic party,
win a narrow wese cerraras
crushed, by Kinnock.
ty. it is on these
the Labour left, must base itself.
The left before the miners
break up the left. develop-
government in 1979.
'Bennism'
Led policies weapons, for EEC, and policies. The Labour Party as a result.
Mobilising Committee, Tony
ership in 1981.
the SDP - and by
This
party leadership.
the unions -position of the
the Labour Party. In 1981 wing took over control of the
promise, right, wat. installed.
led from the party. forces within Jones and
of fragmentation.
Namely that Labour should prepare itself for a coalition with the Alliance This process would lead to an even
of Labour, well as any radical policies, and would lead to a still greater demoralisation.
The alternative, obviously, is to go out to build an alternative socialist majority to any deal with the Alliance or to the narrow base of a right wing Labour
and Hattersley will not because it would involve leading the Labour Party on the basis of precisely the radical policies which they most violently re-
also mean basing Labour's advance on the social forces most committed to fighting the Tories — those fighting in the unions, the min-
the black Cull the cities, the anti-imperialist campaigns against US bases and British support for apartheid, the movement to free and unify Ireland. Among these issues are forces that do constitute the majority of society. But
are exactly the issues Neil Kinnock has attempted to head off, and
what Nel Kinnock been able to do however break up the forces that are fighting for
They are based on too
This is what is new about the situation in the left. There is increasingly developing a left which is not 'opposi-
which does not start off by what it is against in the party, but which knows what it is positively fighting for.
liberation, eradicate racism, to defend the mining communities. to reunity reand and
British, to defend Nicaragua, to end apartheid, to secure the withdrawal of US bases, to create a
to end unemployment, are among the most important of
The organisations supporting these demands have not been bought off, or
They are fighting for a majority in the party and in socie-
forces. and these demands, that the Labour Party, and
decline. The trade union bureaucracy,
backing up the PLP, stepped in to
The decisive thing which CLPD in-
troduced into the left at this point was
that it was not based on 'protesting' but the
on changing power within the party.
The next develooment of the Labour
left, was the drive to democratise the
party to ensure that the disasters of the
1974-79 Labour government could not
be repeated. This broke out in full force
immediately after the fall of the Labour
The This struggle achieved the election
of the leader by the electoral college
and mandatory reselection of MPs. At
the same time the Labour Party adopt-
of opposition to nuclear
opposition incomes SDP split from the
CLPD, and later the Rank and File was the um-
brena under walco tuls tell was orgalls
ed. It peaked with Tony Benn's chal-
lenge to Dennis Healey for the deputy lead-
This was only blocked by
the votes of MPs who later left to join
the abstentions of
individuals such as Neil Kinnock.
was again
halted by the trade union bureaucracy
— the most powerful force within the
They were in par.
ticular alarmed by the tremendous im-
pact of Tony Benn's campaign within
which showed how the union bureaucracy
could be challenged by developments in
the right hunger NEC.
The so-called Bishop's Stortford com- NUM,
in reality a victory of the 1982 the
editorial board of Militant were expel-
The coalition of CLPD subsequently
broke up. The lett passed into a period
THE MINERS strike gave rise to the present development of the labour movement left — and raised it to a new higher state. It also overcame
fragmentation of the previous period. But in doing so the miners strike brought together forces that so to speak summarised the entire political crisis of British society which has been developing since Thatcher came to power in 1979
elements which previously were drawn together and given a new shape miners strike.
The leadership of the NUM itself emerged as the first class leadership since the 1920s. Not only did it wage a gigantic strike against the full weight of the state, but to do so it tied together in support of the strike a whole series of social forces - most spectacularly the role of women in strike, but also a whole series of other layers. It was able to do so because
forces had themselves developing with their own dynamic.
It is also clear, in retrospect, just how significant the year 1981 was in British politics. It was the year of the depth of the economic recession, year of the split from the Labour Party to create the SDP, the year of the first round of black uprisings, the year of Tony Benn's deputy leadership campaign, the year Livingstone was electec leader of the GLC, the year
strike in the president of the early 1982 the Campaign group of MPs was created. 1981 was the year British bourgeois and working class politics was blown apart.
In effect it took two years for Thatcher to so to speak, 'compress' British society. After that time it exploded -
The left after the miners strike
with the fragments being created then coming together at a new qualitative level in 1984 to create the miners strike and its impact.
British politics today is a product of that explosion. The development of the SDP, and the forces around the miners strike created a new shape to British politics.
It is therefore worth briefly outlining the developments together in the miners strike and post existed miners strike left.
by the
The greatest wave of radicalisation of women since the suffragettes had begun to develop from the late 1960s. It struggle succeeded in defeating all attempts to
repeal under Thatcher. history by becoming the first major trade union movement in the world to call a demonstration in the defence of
the abortion rights.
Within the Labour
Women's Action
beet independent of CLPD
women's demands exploded onto the
In this period the Labour women's conference developed to most radical national body of the
the labour movement. In the trade unions a
parallel radicalisation for demands of women developed. Women Against Pit Closures developed as the most advanced women's movement in Britain since the suffragettes. of the
year
• In the summer of 1981 the youth of Britain's inner city black communities lose up against harassment. Battles went on tor week: in Liverpool and for days elsewhere.
The failure of Labour to select a single black candidate for a safe seat in
Setting an agenda
for the left
of ¡he entire shape
history.
that came the million in Britain. including The TUC made
movemen.
Party the Committee became 1982 and
become the leader
racism and police rupt racist
the 1983 general election dovetailed with this explosion of black youth to create the basis for the Labour Party Black Section - the most developed national black organisation in British
• On 9 April 1981 Bobby Sands, on hunger strike in the H blocks, was elected member of parliament for Fermanagh and South Tyrone with 30,492 votes. On 5 May 1981 Bobby Sands MP starved to death. He was followed by nine other martyrs. Over 100,000 people marched at Bobby Sands funeral -
equivalent of a march of two
The hunger strike transformed the Irish national liberation struggle. courage of the hunger strikers created a 32 county struggle. In the Labour Party
against Labour Party's support for Thatcher against the hunger strikers resulted in the development of the Labour Committee on Ireland and the opening of a dialogue with Sinn Fein.
In Ireland the hunger strike propelled Gerry Adams supporters into the leadership of Sinn Fein.
• In May 1981 Labour won the GLC election and Ken Livingstone became
Hauzul aull. the GLC'S dialogue with SinnFein and a wave of struggle by left Labour local authorities against Tory attacks on jobs, services, and democracy. A swilling out of cor-
local Labour mafias was deepened. The GLC itself was the most popular exercise in local government ever staged by the Labour Party -
Page 7 scan of this page
whatever the final outcome. The road o the battles in Liverpool and Lambeth
CND had developed massively after 1979. In 1982 its left wing led the opposition to the Malvinas war — as it led gain, in 1986, the opposition to the US ttacks on Libya and Britain's comlicity in this.
In December 1981 Arthur Scargill ras elected president of the NUM ommencing the movement culminated in the 1984-85 strike - and ne emergence of the first class struggle cadership in the British labour movenent for sixty years.
The great historical contribution of he NUM, as we have noted, was not imply the sheer scale of that strike ne longest mass strike in the history of ny imperialist country. It was that in his struggle, with an increasing degree
consciousness, the NUM ogether for the first time all the forces hich had been created in the previous eriod. That strike began to show, in moryo, the type of alliances which lone can bring about ransformation of Britain.
The Campaign group of MPs had ome initially into existence in early 982. it was formally launched
1982. As
our explained its own formation:
The reasoning behind the establish-
of the group within parliament principally borne among PLP members
h the inactive role of the Tribune
first time in group of
Wing on outside parliament.
The occasion, that came with the miners strike.
of the miners.
of the miners and
which
MPs such as Tony Benn and
the strike. knitted
side parliament.
socialist
was
cessful and significant campaign. Campaign Rights (LCLGR)
strengthened itself.
the able but group within parliament and also the need to establish a more positive campaigning role for MPs outside parliament with and on behalf of the labour and trade union movement.' For the
recent British history a British MPs began to attempt to brought systematically link up with struggles go-
OuL.
and the testing, of • The Campaign group turned into the strike misplaced. and became, in the words of Tony Benn, the parliamentary support group
Campaign group MPs been. spoke to over 1,000 meetings in support
raised aSCe Les of thousands of pounds. Campaign group
Dennis Skinner became totally identified with
The result was that the Campaign group emerged out of the miners strike tar to the left of the positions it had what has entered it — with the group as a whole, or leading members, calling for an end to British membership of NATO, the removal of all US bases, support for the demands of WAC, defence of the black youth, voting against the Anglo-Irish Accord. The campaign group began to establish closer links with the party out
the very
together • The Lesbian and Gay movement organised
developed by the miners strike. Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners was a spectacularly suc-
The Labour Campaign for Lesbian and Gay
developed and which
• While a large part of the local
government left collapsed in 1985, as
right wingers 'emerged' under the test
of a confrontation with the govern-
ment, Liverpool and Lambeth,
on two of the most deprived areas of
the whole country, stood and fought.
In 1986 a major influx of black and left
wing councillors took place in the local
government elections.
The post-miners strike left, in short,
made a link with a whole range of mass
social struggles. It was a far deeper left
socially that which existed
either the early 1970s - focussed on
trade union struggle and the
native Economic Strategy — or that in
late 1970s focussed on constitu-
tional reform. It also developed in a
huge upsurge international
struggles - those in Nicaragua, South
Africa, and against nuclear weapons
being the most important.
The post-miners strike
represented an enormous deepening
compared to anything that had gone
before. Its cutting edge was the miners,
but they were linked to far wider forces.
Even where there was a continuity in
organisation the entire left
reorganised and developed by
miners struggle and following events -
particularly the second round of black
uprisings in 1985.
This social deepening of the left has
also meant that while Kinnock has been
Amount a serious offensive
against it, he has not been able to buy it
off or break it up. The NUM
defeated in the strike and weakened but
Kinnock was unable to smash and
remove Scargill. Women Against Pit
Closures still exists and massive sup-
port for the miners continues to exist throughout the labour movement.
The Labour Party Black Section has significantly increased in strength.
Despite considerable efforts Kinnock has not been able to break the women's movement in the party. Imperialism attempted to derail Sinn Fein's support in Ireland with the Anglo-Irish Accord,
Sinn Fein remains massively stronger and more politically developed than before the hunger strikes. A series
MeTt councils were split defeated but two, Liverpool Lambeth, did fight - Ted Knight may have been removed by the courts in Lambeth but he has been replaced by Linda Bellos and the Black Section who have a still firmer potential social base than Knight did.
The massive social forces that were compressed by Thatcher in 1979, which broke up the existing structure of
ponucs in 1981, and together by the miners 1984-85, continue to work themselves
The present, fashionable, 'doom and gloom' on the left is completely
Taken historical perspective the social roots of the left today are far deeper than they have ever
It is simply an illusion to believe that the capitalist class would respond to the emergence of these new forces without the most violent attempt to destroy them - using Kinnock as one of their chief instruments to do this.
offensive which has been against the left represents one of the inevitable attempted reactions against
developed. sharp damaging counter-offensive against the rise of the left - - not the beginning of the end of the left wing of the labour
What has taken place since 1981, qualitatively deepened by the miners strike also shows, an implicit developing agenda for the left - one indicated by
developements which been outlined. The task is to render that development conscious to bring
1n COINCOUS way the forces that could bring together spontaneously through its sheer power and, most importantly, to link these to an international strategy and struggle.
The new forces and organisations
erupted in 1981, and together around the miners strike, have to be organised in the campaigns and organisations that embody them, in the CLPs where they are strong, and to
prepare the decisive and difficult task of taking these developments through the trade unions. The key guiding threads of based development are
self-organisation of the class independence and working class democracy. Put in a word they amount to creating an anti-imperialist current in the British labour movement — one based on the fight not only against the international policy perialism but all its internal ramifications as well.
in women and black people into the work.
Wing class since World War Il gives an unprecedented opportunity to do this. Alterwhich have to be achieved in sugh als Summing class agenda for the left they are:
• The
left socialist political majority to either the
was the was
AM CON OUTH
and and were Tories or any deal with the Alliance
This includes rejecting coalition government with the Alliance or other capitalist parties.
• The creation of alliances in the fight for socialism. The most urgent of such struggles today are those in solidarity with those fighting US imperialism 310l with the South Africa, tional struggle weapons. seen The possibility to launch a serious
campaign for the removal of all US bases from Britain deepen this.
Such an internationalist perspective also linking fighting socialist Eastern Europe.
• A specific decisive place in the fight against imperialism for socialists in Britain is represented by Ireland. Ireland is Britain's oldest colony. Uniquely six of its counties are held within the British state. the Ireland has a uniquely important place
among the tasks of British socialists.
• Developing and
canne the labour movement is a decisive axis
of advance today. It is a vital part of overcoming what Trotsky described as the 'aristocratic'
British labour movement
pèople. anti-imperialism, oppressed,
women's
British im-
The massive entry
up some of the this.
creates
creation of an alternative
RELEASE FR
MANDELA NAMIBIA
SOLDARITI
SANGTIONS
ANC
APO
Many form of
an alternative economy.
international class,
Central America, : struggle against apartheid in
and with the internaagainst nuclear
will powerfully
up with those democracy minority
interrelated.
the miners
during
Total British withdrawal from labour movement.
CLPs, deepening self-
ot the oonressed within
year
character of the - its failure
Socialist Action 6 June 1986 7
to organise and respond to the demands
of women, black people, and young
The demands of the Black Section
of WAC, the necessity to build a mas: LYS, the need to develop black and
self-organisation unions, a fight for lesbian and gay rights, are not 'secondary issues' but at the core of any socialist perspective.
• Developing the fight back for jobs to defend services and living conditions, is today a brutal struggle. Thatcher has consciously set out to divide the working class and labour movement and achieved considerable success in
Conditions where. on the on hand, four million people are out of work and, on the other, average rea wages have gone up by 10 per cent,
tremendous problems for uniting the labour movement.
The fight for the shorter working week, for a national minimum wage, against YTS and the other cheap labour schemes, for health and safety at work, to defend jobs, all have to be the core of
: socialist policy for the Without this, socialism ap pears either as impractical, not linked to the direct concerns of the working
, or as simply abstract plans pro duced by academics.
• Finally none of this will be sučcessful without a continuing drive to democratise the labour movement — both the Labour Party and the unions.
This of course is an enormous agenda for the left — one that would revolutionise British society and its labour movement. But it is one which, as a
current, • beginning to emerge — and one that is coherent and
What it would mean in practice was revealed in its full scope in
strike and, 11 a more fragmented form, in the campaigns and struggles which have emerged before
and after it. They give the beginning of an historical opportunity to transform the nature of the British
The task today is to thrash out a common agenda for this task across the left and to organise these forces across every part of the labour movement
the unions, within the parliamentary party, in the black community, and in every other area where they exist. What was achieved for one
'spontaneously' by the mines strike through its sheer power, 30a ta to be achieved by the left as a somson: worked out policy.
Page 8 scan of this page
Why and how Labour must
8 Socialist Action 6 June 1986
THE LABOUR Committee on Ireland (LCI)'s submission to the Labour Party NEC represent one of the most comprehensive statements ever made of the case for total British withdrawal from Ireland. It is a major contribution to the discussion taking within the party on policy towards Ireland.
Last week we carried major extracts trom the statement on why Britain must withdraw from Ireland. This week we carry the conclusion of the statement — on why and how the Labour Party should prepare a policy of total withdrawal from Ireland.
THE argument often used against withdrawal slogan than solution, or that it is 'too simple find Much hostility against the demand for withdrawal comes from the fact that whereas up till now it has not been advocated by any major political party in Britain, opinion polls show it
overwhelmingly the favoured solution in the minds of the British people as a whole.
Essentially the slogan Out!' embodies an approach which is for a unilateral withdrawal of Britain from Ireland and a recognition of the right of the Irish people as a whole to democratically determine their own government as they see fit. Militarily, this means a withdrawal of British armed forces; politically, it means a termination of sovereignty.
In supporting the principle of the reunification of Ireland, we are agreed that British political and withdrawal fulus Cullic The argument which revolves around the timescale for such a withdrawal essentially involves an implicit set of preconditions that must be met orden or us to orucccu
The consequences of maintaining partition, are an phenomenon. Partition maintained by anything other than undemocratic, methods. Such methods themselyes exacerbate the situation polarisation and requiring even more severe measures of repression to maintain what a Conservative spokesperson once referred to as an 'acceptable level of violence.
The longer the present situation continues, the greater the obstacles to a peaceful transition become. policy for peace must mark a radical break with the LALUS establishment concerns on the need to nallal Dartilivl.
Dublin
The most commonly 'precondition' within the Labour Party is that before Britain can withdraw it must tirst moditv partition creatine unity between Catholic and Protestant workers. Such unity is ruled out within the parameter of the sectarian Six County State.
mOSt COmmO
'precondition' WiL01 circles is that a future Irish GovernMICRL should be acceptable to the brusn estaoisnmenl. tability refers to the sum of economic, political, social policies to be adopted by such a government.
It implies membership of NATO as much as a firmly repressive policy to suppress TeriDacasm. guarantees for the future of British economic exploitation measures to restrict the power of a fully unified trade union movement.
It is the inability of the Government to be able to offer such a package (which essentially sovereigntv to the Citv ot london) which accounts for the lack of support for withdrawal from establishICIL SUUILES. Far from it being the case that an
enlightened British should create the conditions for a united re and: It 15 VUl British presence and the temselves are an obstacle to social, political or economic progress.
Britain has, through preservation
of its interests,
place
Labour's unconvincing.
most
'Troops military
eventually.
in IO [EDI
acidental
be
calliul
authoritarian
Class.
incitasle
Labour's
quo alu
prolonged civil war.
expressed
Sharing Executive) in ovalist
expressed Conservative
This accepHome Kule
Btec une. The historian
asmen as
Dublin would TUNC cedes the arming of the Protestants.
government
view that
border Loyalist reaction -
withdrawal. mismanaged
Ireland for hundreds of years and created the problems faced today. It is Irland's sovereign right to determine
government and through its democratic institutions to decide all questions of national and international policy, free from outside interference. As socialists, we would look upon the possibility of a united
sopalaliul
Ior an irisn government lo cicaic lational economic planning with op-
withdrawal will be an Irish govern-
loyalist politicians will resist a united Ireland. is is bv no means certain they
Ine possession of arms by itself is not a suffi-
lor arnea lesislance ol d
oyalısı workers rouna an odlamadie demand of bringing down the Power
19/4 ana. Ine
(which was unsuccessful in mobilising the same people to impose a return to majority rule). The degree to which
perception of the obtainability of the goals of the action and the amount of
Michael Harrel (author of Arming the Protestants) has shown that widespread Protestant opposition to Home Rule was determined by three factors; the private assurances given Unionists that Home
conceded, equivocation of the government, and
The strongest measure which can be taken against future reaction is to remove the argument that resistance by the Loyalists can be successful in eversing onusa poncy. u is perdaps telling to demember that those who live in most danger from the threat of
the nationalists of the Six Counties, are those who are most persistantly calling for British
Whereas the Unionist regime had
withdraw from Ireland
a material interest in the denial of civil liberties and democratic and religious rights to the minority in the six county state; the reverse is true for the government of a united Irland. The first steps in consolidation of legitimacy of the new regime would automatically be to avert the threat of reaction or civil war. Every party pushing for the reunification of Ireland has been at pains to point out that civil rights and liberties would be guaranteed for all.
The reactionary ideology loyalism has been sustained through the existence of the sectarian state. Whilst that state continues to exist, there is no question of 'consent to a united Ireland' being forthcoming. That is why Ireland was partitioned as it was in the first place. What the government of a new Ireland rapidly have to achieve is the raising of the aspirations of the mass of Northern Protestants beyond that of the
Mutiny
engaged in a sixteen year in Ireland, they will not welcome the return of a Labour Government com-
oM An › do auldslo indicated both at the time of the Cur. ragh Mutiny and in 1974 when senior army officers dictated policies to an elected government. It is a high risk
Army must be disarmed and disband-
British Army should be withdrawn to of this should be one of emergency representatives should be assigned to work alongside key army personel
representatives would be directly accountable to the vested with the authority to veto Ar-
Labour Government to own state apparatus to be the most canecious asocel policy — we do not underestimate the threat to parlamentary democracy il
antte nobets Private Member's Bill in 1985 which supporters claim satisfied legislative icatcicis
British Sovereignty Ireland. We note that termination of British jurisdiction over was achieved with legislation ot a mere one paragrapn
It would be necessary to supplement such a measure with a further Rill which would abolsh all emergency Legislation, Plastic Bullets etc. and declare an amnesty for all political prisonels
A number of outstanding finanof cial arrangements cleared should look claims for compensation for personal and economic damage made against the government.
Although payments to personnel employed by the state would cease on will Termu auon orursucuon, Dayıicıt should be made propriate agencies in Ireland. Existing social SeCu ILy/ OCusIUs paid for an interim period and appropriate authorities would have to be established on a decentralised basis to adminstrate this.
: hardship.
Government should remain open to negotiation with all political representatives of Ireland and draw up a treaty of friendship with a new government as soon as possible. Currents
It should not be excluded that the immediate
aneruau withdrawal would transformation of the political specEBUSU. differentiation in the Unionist camp
political tion/co-operation/resistance adopted by (although strictly speaking those in elected favour pariticipation operation would, by that point be exUnionists). It is also likely that the exhese isting parties in the 26 Counties whose parameters are defined by reference to the civil war might also undergo a transformation.
Ilave d Sulull political representation
All such conjecture is speculation. The important thing for the Labour Party to that a future Labour would not seek to interfere in such a process but would recognise a govern. ment which received legitimacy from a majority of the Irish people.
For such a radical policy to be suc-
that it
prepare Commission Treland.
La Commission
be
The
promote over Northern
Hong Kong
support
The stantly
would have to be and the Labour Party sympathetically upon
direct to the ap-
should
The aim should be
The British
and non-interterence
British see a very rapid
We could expect a very quick
parlipa®
•iTerenI CurenL.
Eco-
TONl
Trade unions might case lor inelr own
, state categorically
Government
In Depth
cessful, it would be foolhardy to think
could be implemented immediately a Labour Government were returned to office unless the time prior to such an election were not used
the ground. Labour's preparation should start as soon as policy has been agreed at Conference and consist principally of a 'hearts and minds' campaign.
The long term objective of such a campaign would be iwo fold. Firstly to convince Unionists the Six Counties that Labour was absolutely committed to carrying out the policy of immediate withdrawal. Secondly to build such a popular movement of support in this country behind that policy that the security forces will not refuse to carry it out.
The Labour Party should set up a
calece ICSOB sibility to oversee our fight against abuses of civil liberties which result from government polices on Irelana Such a body should reach out to involve local parties, councils, women's organisations and the trade union movement in public education about
Hotels the PTA, Diplock Courts, the 'supergrass' system, army shoot-to-kill policies and strip searching. This should aim to discredi direct rule and British involvement in
The Labour Party should establish
charged with reponsibility to monitor and combat censorship in the media. . Its role should
involve and promote con sciousness of media workers, journalists and consumers of their responsibility for fair reportage and to fight anti-Irish racism.
Labour Party should immediately recognise the Irish in Britain as an ethnic minority and seek to
oransallul Irish people in their own organisations for political and cultural purposes.
Not only do the Irish in Britain potentially provide the firmest base of
for radical policy Ireland, but they will organise a most effective transmission belt to convince the wider public of its attractiveness.
Labour Party should
monitor and challenge discrimination against the Irish in all walks of life and encourage through financial support, where appropriate,
Discussion
ments o lace umou. couraged to promote the widest possible discussion of Labour's Irish policy in the constitutencies and unions. Full opportunities will be given for delega tions wishing to travel to Ireland and find out more and for Irish delegations to tour in Britain. Particularly important will be exchanges of trade
disarmament groups and civil liber-
use every opportunity to focus public attention on the debates in the House of Commons and impose a three-line Whip against all proposals which even implicitly recognise partition or direct "'The Labour party will campaign
and throughout the international labour movement to focus attention on the
LADOUrS ment to withdrawal makes it obvious that such a policy would form a centrepoint of any manifesto. It is also vitally important that Labour starts with a pledge that all negotiations and
threats which we might expect both
the Unionists
Read and distribute the
Irland's submission to
Committee on Ireland, BM Box 5355, London WCIN 3XX, 40p + 20p postage.
Page 9 scan of this page
Why Reagan is scrapping SALT II
Nicaragua rebuilds its economy
International
continue the SDI (Strategic
'obsolete.
This latest move is in
line Wilh repeated claims
by the USA that the Soviet
the
SALT II treaty. Reagan
claimed that only the US is
adhering the SALT
FICHL UNS
abandon Reagan
said: 'In
Tuture LOC
decisions its
of posed
SALT stric-
mined by
compliance.'
believed within
NATO itself.
White spokes-
Irishle an 'un-
precedented
up',
on to make in
Control
talks.
By last weekend the
Soviet Union had respond-
ed. In a statement issued
Tass, the official
news agency, the Soviet
Union said that as soon as
the United States exceeded government. The FSLN
steps to increase
THERE
Nicaragua.
legal includes
the Eastern
in fist' price
the inspectors'. the
Comand unions.
up.
garden These are
black
prices, least for fruit and vegetables.
for the country. This is a major means of reducing shortages and therefore speculation. But are and will remain many obstacles the
•way
LAST WEEK, on Tuesday 27 May, the Reagan administration announced its intention to abandon the two Strategic Arms Limitation Treaties, SALT I and II, at the end of this summer. SALT I was agreed between the United States and the Soviet Union in 1972, SALT II in 1979. The latter was never ratified by the US. Instead, the White House announced, it will
Defence Initiative) allegedly aimed at making all 'offensive' missiles
the SALT iamits Ine Soviet union would take 'the necessary steps to prevent the military-strategic parity from being usel in older words, they will increase their own nuclear arsenal commensurately with that of the United States.
of strategic weapons and
the Soviet
WIll Sull with
But
Comic Inev would
Tole and US navy prefers the
At
B-52
This is ex-
to exceed the
States has decided to scrap SALT II is clear. It is aiming secure Hutical superiority over the USSR.
THE WAR being waged by the US backed contras, as well as the United States economic embargo, continues to weigh down heavily on the Nicaraguan
has been replying by deepening the agrarian reform, cracking down on the flourishing illegal market, and taking urgent
production. MARIA MERRI
jective of all,
of spare raw materials, aggravated the US blockade.
the workday is hours. up a bit.
hours.
inherent ally tionary It hap-
straints on removed, doing LIOSC ure hardes jobs. to be
thing. But obviously
blems.
While an
rising for developing country the Nationa Liberation
the in dividing
has two options
achieve this.
The first is simply to
try to out-build the Soviet
Union. The US economy is
twice as big as that of the
USSR and far
technologically advanced.
Reagan calculates that in a
straight forward arms race
the United States will win
as well as doing great
damage the Soviet
economy as ll ls orcea lo
divert resources from
civilian to military uses.
The second tactic is to
combine Star Wars with
so-called deep cuts'
strategic missiles. The lat-
proposal sounds
reasonable. But it is impor-
tant to understand that the
combination
agressive move by the
United States. the services and administTaLOl
Moreover, this year almost all social in-
as in education housing and health
will be earmarked for the countryside. The objective is to stimulate a sec-
vital Nicaragua because of what it exports but also because of its production of food crops, and in this way to stem the swollen Moanagua out os rural exodus that all proportion.
However, this measure is as much political as it is economic. With the turn taken in 1985 in the aD plication , of the agrarian reform, the distribution of land en masse and individually to the peasants, it is necessary to firm up the 'workers' and peasants' alliance' and the backbone of the revoluton, accordnig to lne ex pression of the national leadership of the FSLN.
This choice, which involves consciously favouring some sections of the population to the detriment or olers, automallcally incurs dissatisfaction among those momentarily left out.
A number of measures have not exactly brought cheers from those a -fected. That goes for the increase Managua, which is higher than the rest of the country. goes also for ' the new working hours in une colla
The workday has been reduced and working time has been spread over the
No one believes a Star
Wars system can be built
which can knock out all in-
collins Tockers Reagan
also calculates that
USSR does not have the
technology resources
for Star Wars
gramme that will rival the
The USSR's only
response Star Wars
theretore is to increase its
own number of missiles to
make sure that they would By erate the US de ences,
cubille Star Wars in with 'deep cuts' Reagan is
in fact demanding that the
Soviet Union reduces
forces to the car War seen at could not penetrate
where the US could attack
the USSR with week. But workers in the tertiary and administration now have to work Saturday mornings. The reason for this was to try to solve the bottlenecks in mass transit Managua.
The target of the 1986
plan achieve a growth rate of 5 per cell over last year anc
raise gross domestic product by 4.9 per cent which make it possible bring the
level of 1983.
ment that the Wheater since
1985
in production and cent agriculture.
sectors substantial to
leaving
The has exacer-
the economic
Planning, 1985 the primary
per cent sector : cent. This
tivities
Will 1986 be a better year than 1985? A certain number of positive factors
nuclear attack
Hence Reagan's Wars with deep cuts is the combine the crac opposite
bachev's proposal
Star Wars be abandoned
and a radical reduction
made in the number
missiles as a first step to
eliminating nuclear weap-
ons altogether.
bachev's proposals would
reduce the arms race and
move toward eliminating
nuclear weapons. Reagan's
are an aggresive
against the USSR
The United States
scrapping of SALT II is yet its another gressive military policy. it step in its
Leaves no doubt as to who
responsible
escalation of the nuclear full arms race.
indicate that it will. The
price of coffee, the coun
try's main export product
has soared on the world
stabilising
around 150 dollars per 100
Kuzrammer against
145 dollars last year
Moreover, this year the contras were unable to in-
with the harvest which was excellent.
On the other hand, the prices for some other traditional ducts, cotton and sugar are in the doldrums. year, Nicaragua intends to reduce the land under cotton bi per cent favour of nontraditional
On the military front, the defeat of the contras is becoming more pronounced. But for that reason the possibility of a direct intervention by US imperialism may be rein forced. Everything seems
tha ticipation of such an even tuality influenced the economic choice that the Sandinistas made, in particular their giving priority
relaunching the agrarian reform.
Of course, the measures that have beer taken have reinforced
differepce in some sections of the population toward the government' policy.
But if major development occur, the attitude of the peasantry will no doubt be uccove.
• From International Viewpoint
Star
Gorthat Poland
be
of
Gor-
coordination commission. for over four years.
move other leading Solidarity activists
Lne Taiwan
force. like pigs.
South Pacific th South Pacific forum in August.
Belgium
the strikes will be suspended.
Mexico
30,000 police.
policies, to less than $30 per week, while
cases greater.
drink of the World Cup'.
Socialist Action 6 June 1986
WORLD
General Jaruselski's military government has captured and arrested Zbigniew Bujak,
former leader of Warsaw Solidarity and one of the
leading figures in the underground temporar!
He has escaped arrest The authorities have also captured Konrad Bielinski and Ewa Kulik, two
Demonstrations against Bujak's arrest were broken up on Sunday in Warsaw with tear gas and
The United States 'showpiece of democracy which for 20 years held China's seat at the
United Nations, has just had its first opposition
demonstration in 37 years. A dictatorship has
ruled Taiwan's 19 million people since the
Kuomintang fled there after its defeat in the
Chinese revolution. All parties are banned and
martial law, declared on 19 May 1949, is still in
Last week 400 people marched to the presidential palace where they were met 1200 riot police to be told that 'marching is forbidden
because of the need to retake the mainland'. • They have had 37 years to retake the mainland and they haven't done it yet,' said one of the organisers.
'It's just an excuse to stomp on us, they treat us
Thirteen countries have signed a draft pact to make the South Pacific a nuclear free zone. It is proposed to combine it with a treaty covering South America and the South Eastern Pacific, and a pact prohibiting all weapons in Antartica. The pact, which must be ratified by its signatories, is expected to be endorsed when the states meet at
The treaty prohibits nuclear testing, dumping nuclear waste, and the basing or storage of nuclear weapons. China and the USSR have indicated their willingness to sign. France, which regularly tests nuclear bombs in the Mururoa atoll, is almost certain to refuse. Britain and the US are 'studying' the proposals. The US is already concerned with the effects of New Zealand's non-nuclear policy, which has led to US warships being banned from New Zealand's ports and waters.
On Saturday Brussels saw one of its largest demonstrations since the war in protest against the right wing Martens government's austerity policies. Around 150,000 marched in the culmination of four weeks of strikes that have paralysed many of Belgium's services. But at the rally union leaders announced that the union was going to join talks with the government and that
Organisers of over 5000 people who are still homeless from last year's earthquake in Mexico are threatening to invade the pitch during the World Cup. The Mexican government is spending $6 million on security plans involving
Ticket sales are slow. The average Mexican wage has sunk, thanks to IMF imposed austerity
speculators have driven prices up to twice this for a ticket. But the organisers won't lack money. The 12 multinationals who have reached the exalted status of 'official sponsor' are thought to have paid a minimum price of $7 million for the privilege. The exact tigure is secret and in many
For example, for a paltry $10 million enough to rehouse all the remaining earthquake victims — Coca Cola will get four billboards on the pitch and the right to call itself 'the official
Page 10 scan of this page
10 Socialist Action
International
VIEWPOINT
International
VIEWPOINT
FORTNIGHTLY NEWS REVIEW
Subscription rates: 6 months £9 (95FF); 1 year f16 (175FF). Payment in French francs if possible. Personal cheques to PEC and mail to: IV, 2 rue Richard Lenoir, 93108 Montreuil.
C BNP Robespiert
Other Books
The following selection of books on South
Africa is available by post from Other
Books:
Class and Colour in South Africa
1850-1950,
Jack and Ray Simons, International
Defence and Aid Fund, 702pp, £5.00 plus
£1.33 postage.
Part of My Soul
Winnie Mandela, Penguin, 159pp,
£2.95 plus 25p postage.
To honour women's day: profiles of
leading women in the South African and
Namibian liberation struggles,
IDAF, Sopp, £1.00 plus 22p postage.
Nelson Mandela: I am prepared to die,
IDAF, 48pp, SOp plus 18p postage.
Nelson Mandela: The struggle is my life,
IDAF, 208pp, £1.85 plus 46p postage.
The Freedom Charter,
African National Congress, 106pp, £1.95
plus 22p postage.
South Africa: the struggle for a birthright
Mary Benson, IDAF, 314pp, £4.00 plus 59p
postage
Whirlwind before the storm,
IDAF, 365pp, f4.00 plus 66p postage.
Make cheques or postal orders payable to
IMRS.
Orders with payment should be sent to:
Other Books, PO Box 50, London NI 2XP A PiECE
WELL, I THINK
SHE'S AN INCREDIBLE
PERSON! A WONDERFUL
WOMAN! AND I DONT
CARE WHO KNOWS IT!!
6 June 1986 0. 2-322 421 Paris. Bank transfers t of the ACTU
SHE SEEMS TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IS NECESSARY IN BRITAIN TODAY! HER INSIGHT... ... WELL, TO ME IT SEEMS LIKE SECOND
COURAGE! HER DETERMINATION!...
Spies like us
experience.
The spies of the title are two Pentagon burglers sent on a mission by the CIA, unaware of what it is they have accomplished. They are in fact unwitting decoys for two other agents whose purpose is to track down a stray soviet missile in Siberia.
The plot, such as it is, target, the final figure
launched the fund,
our original target.
Just to end wer cautionary note fall £586 short of our goal This means that we will still, therefore, unfortunately miss two issues of our paper prior to
Summer break need to raise f250 per issue Ovel Ovel aoove income from sales
Issue.
From this week on, theretore we organising regular fighting fund. As a result
the fund drive, already have pledged through bankers standing That is £85 per month. That the best way to boost the fund as it gives regular income. But we want donations large and
renders and Labour Party activists, HONI HONI trades branches and other labour movement bodies. Pleas keep us permanently in mind.
The last minute effort deserves thanks to the following: • The special appeal put SIGHT!! AND HER
ON RELEASE for some time now, Spies Like Us was not a film I was particularly keen to see. How I ended up seeing it is another story that I won't dwell on. However, after viewing the film I found my initial misgivings were misplaced and that the film was an enjoyable and, and in one way at least, refreshing
takes second place to the misadventures variuus these two expendables find Reviewed by Terry Luke themselves caught up in.
Part homage to, part send up of those old Hope and Crosby road movies (it's even corny enough
Weekly paper fund drive success
AFTER a tremendous last-minute effort, the fund drive to defend the weekly Socialist Action reached £14,414. Whilst this fell slightly short of our £15,000
represents a tremendous achievement. It should be recalled that since we
we suffered a split in our editorial board. Despite this we made 96 per cent of
for their conference, This makes the our NCU a We grans We As to not to appeal.
this we All over above these rades have
locally. included readers in Brixton readers North donated and from european Member
East.
positions on
GENERALLY SPEAKING I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU BUT I THINK YOU MUST ADMIT THAT MRS THATCHER HAS ONE OR TWO FAULTS..
THAT CHER?!?
feature Hope in a camec role and littered references to other movies, Spies Like Us, enough to entertain even
the most cynical, including
the people I saw it with.
Taking swipes at Star Wars not be ultimate statement a film could make, , but with its good humour, its traval of the Russians as human, and with heroes refusal to be bloodthirsty Reaganites - when they refuse to kill their
is reached whereby they tranquilise them instead -I could think of a lot worse wavs to spend a couple of hours. Sitting through a Stallone film, for instance. It is in fact the first genuine detente some time. And in these days of Rambo and Chuck Norris that's got good, ever cinematically.
Hopefully there might yet be an American film lllal DIESCHILS the araguans as regular people who listen to the old Stax records. Too much to ask? Directed by John Landis and starring Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase and Donna Dixon, Spies Like Us is on general release across Britain.
the ett - many readers contributed a full week's Ward. to the fund. received three large donations. The final cluded two £1000 donations, and one f500 donation. All the rest came in small donations those who have very little to spare.
Here is the final score.
Area Avereeet
Bristo Cardiff/ Pontypridd laun- Coventry In
Leeds Leicester Liverpool Manchester and Newport
Notts con- S Yorks
E London N London
SE London who
who £10
t6189
@ CORMAC 5/36
ACTUALLY I WAS TALKING ABOUT MY SISTER... SHE'S DOWN AT GREENHAM COMMON
WHO'S THATCHER?
with
is funny
the
por-
our movie for
to be
only
Nic-
socialism'.
We
sum in-
from
£50
€120
£10
£275
£350
£120
£75
(South Africa Youth Day)
of Parliament
and South Africa.
SO TH AFRICA
Send to
16 June 10th anniversary of Soweto uprising
17 June Lobby for national parliamentary
sanctions in London. Called by AAM at Houses
16 June to 26 June Days of action by loca.
26 June South Africa Freedom Day
28 June National Freedom March for Namibia
Assemble: Hyde Park,
London between 1lam and 12 noon.
Page 11 scan of this page
In the Unions
MUHAMMAD Y.
MUST STAY! INMAD
nalga
'IT IS an historic occasion within the trade union movement,' said Azim Hazee chairing the final session of the NALGO black workers conference which took building working class struggle against the issues we face today, the trade union movement must recognise the contribution of their black members. This conference is black self-organisation. proud of it.'
The conference was indeed significant in that it was the first one organised by and for black people within anv trade union in the country.. It reflects that celema. tion of black people to SpeaK with their
That strength reflected by the fact that 400 black women and men
country. These included strong delegations from Liverpool, Brent and
ld
to his liking
THE NATIONAL Communications Union conference, taking place this dominated by the land-slide victory of the right wing in the executive council elections. eight clerical section seats have not been announced as we go to press. But of the 23 engineering seats, 22 have been won by right wingers.
However, inere is a strong feeling that conference is even more important than usual in establishing clear policies which the new NEC must carry out.
good start in this direction was made in the first session of engineering group conference. John
NALGO black workers
hold first conference
NO
RACIST
LAWS!
' STAY!
rulgo
NALGO supported Muhammad Idrish's campaign to remain in Britain.
place in London last Saturday. 'In
We are
Camden, where black orady estabroned. t alse workers
By Atma Singh
brought together new peo. ple who will begin to build workers groups.
Discussion at this first conference inevitably centered around the constitution and structure of the black workers group Various proposals were put forward. week in Blackpool,
The results of the
Golding, in-coming
general secretary and
witch-finder general, By Bridget Elton, London City Engineering (personal capacity) alreadv announced to the press that if he got a right wing NEC he would
negotiating redundancy
against union policy. Conference passed overwhelmingly composite proposi(CP) 5 from London City, Glasgow and Met South branches instructing branches to resist job cuts and committing Lne NCU(E) to a campaign in-
tion if necessary to prevent compulsory redundancies Socialist Action suphave consistently argued that nothing. less
than national strike action
will be adequale lo acienc our jobs. Now Glasgow,
the branch which has
far taken the brunt of
British Telecoms staff cuts
MUHAMMAD
MUST STAY!
naigo
Finally it was agreed that the present steering committee will continue until another conference is callca in six montis ume
This is likely to be a
allow all the issues to be fully debated. Last Saturday did not allow sufficient time for all discussions.
The issues at the conference included contact with all workers within
through training within
COME
that the JUIC black workers group. has taken board within NALGO, especially on the deportation issue. has come to the same conclusion.
In a leatlet to delegates headed 'Why national ac-
Glasgow says: needed •We have HOW negotiated We have had overtime bans. We have had (local) strikes and still the cuts keep coming.
"This branch has been involved in three major industrial battles in the last 15 months. We have most-
been undermined through isolation. The main ressons of the last LWU years is the overwhelming need for united action.
This is the background
passing The deciding factor now will be wileuier me oranches use t to campaign win the membelshp national strike action.
One of the best debates of conference so far concerned the the Labour Party Delegates pointed out that allegations about rule breaking were not the point when the right wing break the rules nothing is done about it.
Many Deakers said that the witch-hunt takes
won't stop at Militant. The right WELC
Shahid Syed and Rose
Alaso spoke at the con ference about their own deportations. As Syed said: 'The struggles against deportations
alc part and parcel of the trade union movement.
MOSCASI pomtea oul.
*Today it is me, tomorrow
will be somebody else We must build a cạmpaign. It is the only way to win.
NALGO have authorised strike action by branches in support of the
national demonstration against
Similar tion should be called within other unions, trades councils, and Labour Parties.
On the issue of black
representation within
NALGO's national executive, there was unanimous agreement conference that this situa-
on what role the
workshops on issues as South
and to
these issues
to place Labour affiliation
organisation within the
A two-day
pressive of unable to
witch-hunting slander. However despite
ecutive Golding
The motion the
lost card vote, 78,674 to 36,852.
also
executive committee
national
delegation annual
conference llak VOLCO against this proposal.
dated the
sallic
was so
go away.
station.
Kings Cross No
branch of the National
Union of Railwaymen and
the depot's shop stewards
(staff siae loca. depart
mental committee, LDC)
mave alemolca lo concal
this situation.
The union insists safety standards and ticket inspection and sales should continue on DOO services Vandalism has increased UL. those services
guards were
services
Finsbury Park and
quired by
the driver's cab. A claim for payment for this extra-responsibile
privatisation
THE NEWS that 8000
privatisation.
privatisation schemes, transport secretary.
Moore's asset stripping has alrede sto er billion from public funds alla Lasicuicu 500,000 jobs into the private sector. Since the Tories came to power, 12,000 BR workshop jobs have gone.
According NUR Sencial Jimmy Knapp, the new threat "follows the Vallell
in preparation Tor • privatisation and selloff' which was outlined in the BR Cul Dulalt plan. BREL workshops at Don-
Glasgow, Wolverhampton, Derby and Crewe will be affected.
The regional main-
workshops will also be drastically cut. Six-
due for closure with 17 others reduced to only refuelling.
The excuse, which must be challenged by the rail unions, is that new electric trains require less maintenance. This is cover for the future privatisation of passenger service.
Nicholas Ridley was sent by the government to study private train services rullllls suale-owned track in Switzerland To make this a possibility in Britain, a rationalisation process involving driveronly operation, radio signalling, closure of matisation of cateois has maintenance depots to take place.
The privatisation of individual sectors of BR is part of a single plan to break up the railways as a nationalised industry. intend to split BREL into three sections, two of which will become part of BR maintenance of locomotives and waggons, and supplies
The third section, the building of new vehicles, will stay with BREL. Being
Socialist Action
BR's attempts to divide and rule
BRITISH RAlL management's productivity drive has been stepped up since the end of last year's dispute over driver only operation (DOO). Kings Cross station, because of its militant tradition, has been singled out for special treatment. Since the dispute, a substantial number of guards have left the
task, which special training
BR's main at Kings Cross
Cross, each of groups of guards according to
they do Jobs on many intercity services are relatively safe in the short term. The guards Link substantially better paic than guards in other links.
According to Kings Cross staff side LDC figures, during 1985 there £300 difference in bonus berween Link and Link 2 during 1985. A similar trend is occuring in 1986. No guard's job can be safe when groups of guards can be played off
Fighting rail workshops
jobs in British Rail Engineering (BREL) are to be slashed is further proof that British Rail are pursuing their course of shedding tens of thousands of jobs to prepare for
It coincides with the announcement that John Moore, the man behind over a dozen Tory
is to become the
the most profitable it will be quickly sold off.
Glasgow BREL will be
By Rose Knight, NUR (personal capacity)
closed and turned into a auterace depot WILA only 200 jobs surviving. In Doncaster. 1700 jobs that is, , 50 per cent of the workforce - de tienen ed over three years. , despite a profit of £2.5 million last year.
Doncaster's ployment rate is already 21 per cent, one of the highest in the country. . It is this fact which has prompted the borough council and trades council to plan march on parliament. As Alan Heath, , secretary of NUR No 3 branch, said in an interview with the local paper: "This is not just our evertone in Donaster for fight, but battle The supplies shop at Doncaster BREL has alreadv started an over time ban. Other shops may follow suit in the build-up to the NUR ballot of workshops on industrial action. The mood amongst railworkers is different than at the time of the last union ballot, when BR guards voted narrowly against action to stop driver-only operation of trains.
Thatcher's government is at its weakest point.
This is illustrated by ycL, the recent local government elections where deregulation of local transport services was an 1cc11e -ment that unemployment in some towns is now one in five.
The NUR needs to ensure that all railworkers understand what al stake, and what the alternatives are
6 June 1986 1
against each other. Only
management profits.
•Staff side LDC tabled a resolution to Kings Cross
No branch that this
bonus work should be
shared equally among all
guards at the station The
resolution was passed and a significant number of guards turned up to show their support for it. This DONC helps
legotlating position of th
taff side LDC. It allows more united approach to management.
The new duty rosters for May show management aim to continue to divide and rule. One group of guards had night shifts
abolished, which is a wag carly and lateshins forone and can work next six months. The work of guards on empty coaches has also been cut oul The general activity of
the . branch and the volvement staff side LDC has helped to rebuild some unity among guards who, overall, have increased their participation in branch work since last year's dispute
N•U•R
systematically implementing their corporate plan, shedding thousands of jobs before selling off the remainder of the railway industry.
This is an attack on the entire rail industry, and the union must fight back. We llave stop picking us off one by one: guards last ycals. staff today, platform staff tomorrow. Not one grade Will escape this purge
We know from the outcome of the miners strike that any struggle against the Tories will be long and hard. We need a perpective to win and that is what the NUR and the rail unions confederation has to nammer oul. Inal is tne central question for this year's NUR annua meeting. HANDS
RAIL
ORKSHOPS
Page 12 scan of this page
LAST FRIDAY Denmark became the first European government to impose a ban on trade with South Africa. The motion was moved by the Social Democratic minority in the parliament and carried against the opposition of the ruling Conservative party.
tions must become the first step in the complete diplomatic, economic and political isolation of the apartheid regime. Britain in particular must cease using its veto at the UN to oppose sanctions against South Africa. Labour must pledge itself to end all links with South Africa.
Events of the last week
South Africa have underlined once more the barbaric and vicious character of the apartheid regime and society, most strikingly the destruction of the Crossroads squatter township.
The events at Crossroads have also revealed a new, and frightening phenomenon in the situation in South Africa — the massive involvement of black 'vigilante' groups, with clear evidence emerging that these groups are in the pay of the regime.
Crossroads, where an estimated 30,000 people were made homeless and at least 44 killed in the last week, is a squatter camp, rather than an official township. Black people, orten megany away. trom the Bantustans and official townships in this case in the area of seekille WUIK.
Capetown, have settlea in the squatter camps like Crossroads. They live under corrugated iron,
constructed shacks, and only force of numbers gives them any right to stay in the area. It has long been a priority of the regime to clear CrOssroads, and camps like it, That lorener to bald dlllapartheid protest too close to the whites of the rich
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South Africa
Trade ban
The Danish decision to impose economic sanc-
Cape province.
The emergence of the 'vigilante'
Crossroads follows a pattern that is tvoical in many of the townships, but reached val ululal levels due to the illegality of the squatter camp.
In the camp a de facto 'administration' had devPosed oritarian leader. who was charging squatters a tithe to live in the area. This fact has been contirmed in number of sources. In the Guardian of 28 May, David Beresford explained that this 'leader':
DrULCCL followers himself and his from the
challenge of more ideologically-orientated youths the "Fathers" emerged, acting ruthlessly to purge the camp of "progressive' elements.
Vigilantes initially materialised in the homelands in a similar way, defending the authority of 'establishWichild created under the Bantustan policy. Over the last three years the development of local vigilante groups has become a clear policy of the regime. The most well-known of these vigilante actions were the Durban killings last Aug• ust Chief Buthalezi's Inkatha organisation was clearly involved.
The vigilantes methods
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are aimed at smashing and
the anti-apartheid movement. Their enemies are youth involved school boycotts, movements defend camps _uke CIOssroads from eviction by the regime involved in anti-apartheid activity. They employ torture and terror killings mutilations, castrations, dismemberment order to terrify the local population into quiescence and the acceptance of the authority 'establishments' approved openly or covertly by the regime.
The open involvement of the apartheid regime in backing up this vigilante violence was exposed around the Crossroads events. The equipment used to fire the shacks and tents, leaving homeless, was sophisticalca nre guts rauct Wlan simple torches These cond onlv have been 0btained from the regime.
The go charget bet
nying charges, but resisting the growing calls for parliamentary debate.
The development the vigilante groups are the same as the use of squads' in countries like El Salvador. Anti-apartheid militants now not only - have to fear the death in a prison raises like steve Biko, cell met com-
juridical murder as faced by Moloise They now face the increas-
of fire and petrol bombing of their
vigilante murder and torture. , The regime is attempting to claim this is 'black on black' violence. The the involvement of the regime
the destruction of Crossroads heiped SHOW what is really going on still more cically.
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Wapping
page headline of Brenda
and file members,
attacks our own membership.
From the outset with the 'low key' approach that was adopted - right through to the present situation of breaking ballot resules thatethey ballot result they
we nothing but one attempt
from the dispute. And this,
Brend Dean's words that 'the members
more important than money.
Because of this situation, the rest of the labour
has found very hard to have a real feeling for the dispute. The response from ditferent sections of the movement las been spasmodic Mall ly because they have not had many rallying calls and they see a union that
negotiate retreats. Hopefully this will all change if the latest Murdoch and Dean insult is rejected.
What is even more disgraceful is that our leadership has used Murdoch-style tactics its own membership. prime example of this was
nion than the or exe
union's contempt already written and placed
envelopes the members before the decision had even been taken!
The actual letter said purging tempt it would enable us to step up the dispute. Yet in court, the union gave an undertaking to the judge that we would not intimidate News International's business. This included the ending of all flying pickets ... and this was stepping the dispute up?
We have seen nothing but secret meetings which have undermined the
'WE'LL FIGHT or we'll negotiate' roared the front
Dean's article in the January edition of the SOGAT Journal. Since that time all the fighting has been carried out by the rank
whilst the leadership has been negotiating any price to find a way to rid themselves of this dispute. We have found ourselves battling on two fronts. Not only have we been faced with the repressiveness of Murdoch and his henchmen — and behind him the Thatcher government — but also the
national union
strikers and the rest of Fleet Street. Who could any other JIU prietor if they said they By John Lang, SOGAT Clerical Branch
were willing to accept what the union offered Murdoch in the proposed NI national joint committee? This basically gave away the WHOE structure to be replaced by TeT officials coming along for a couple weeks negotiate for us. It also gave Murdoch as near as possible, a legally binding These were amongst many of points we originally came out against.
We have seen demoralisation exercise against the members by This une national union. has resulted in the present disgracetul Slud tion. Last week, after round of talks, we had the Noradin wiis and Bren situation Norman da Dean doing Murdoch's dirty work for him by announcing that this was the 'final offer. to injury, national officials
were part of these negotiaIt now seems certain that if the ballot is accepted, the electricians following their mere slap on the wrist by the TUC for collaborating with Murdoch to steal our jobs will in fact remain in Wapping. The TUC's already flimsy credibility opposes the electricians dirty work and that it is in business to defend unions them broken will then really be in tatters.
The ballot itself is farcical. The London branch took the national union to
Fighting spirit strong
court to make sure that the ballot took place, as laid KOWI unions rule book. Brenda Dean turned things upside down by ac cusing them of trying. to prevent democracy taking place. Yet full involvement
the membership full presentation ot the facts indispensible to democracy. Brenda Dean's intention is to have the membership vote in isolation having only the facts
what against democracy.
Not surprisingly, the judge ruled in favour of Brenda Dean despite admitting that her postal ballotting broke our rules. But there is worse. It has now been revealed when the ballots were sent out people's with the accompanying letTer one mens orat deal, one vital part was ommitted.
The union had agreed with the management that there will be no action taken against those peo ple' who did not take part
the strike. In other
OSA
Journal SPECIAL ISSUE Sun!!
words the only ones who will be represented by the unions in Wapping will be the scabs!
There are also real fears that the scabs have actually been sent ballot forms to vote on the deal. The whole exercise is a Silli
Murdoch says he winning the dispute. Yet he has offered a packet of £50m. Murdoch does notiness of his heart. He nothing normally. Yet is it moria are running normally to work behind steel fences and rolls of razor wire? Is it normal to go into worl lying the floor of a coach that has its windows covered by metal grills? How long can this 'normal situation' continue?
We know that Mur. doch being squeezed financially. We feel that we
gain a historical vicCall tory in this dispute. We will attain this victory with our leadership them necessary. Our motto is: we will fight and only then negotiate. MO TIME SORER SUNDAY TIMES A message for Mr Murdoch..
WE'LL
FIGHT
- OR
NEGOTIATE
•.. from Brenda Dean
← Socialist Action No. 142, 30 May 1986Socialist Action No. 144, 20 June 1986 →