Socialist Action No. 148, 12 September 1986
The scan: 148-sep-12-1986-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
SociAlist
Sanctions
ACTION
NOW!
BUILDING AN ALLIANCE FOR SOCIALISM No. 148 12 Sep 1986 30p
ON MONDAY 8 September Bri-
ISOLATE
tain's renresentatives at the United Nations Security Council joined those of the United States in blocking a final appeal for clemency to the South African government in the cases of three ANC freedom fighters sentenced
ra det th by the aphethnid state's
racist courts. next Sibusisi Zondo, aged 21, Clarence Payi, aged 20 and Sipho Xulu, aged 26, walked to their executions singing freedom songs.
Margaret Thatcher's governrepresentatives at the UN claimed it would have been 'inappropriate to intervene in the case!
Few actions can have so starkly exposed Thatcher's hypocrisy when she claims to oppose apartheid. The truth is that her government and, British capitalism, are literally dripping with the blood of the thousands of freedom fighters who have been murdered in the past eighteen months for demanding the most elementary human rights.
The truth is that action by the USA and Britain could bring apartheid to its knees in weeks rather than years. But that action is not being taken because British and American multinationals are the main beneficiaries of the apartheid system. Every extra drop of blood that has to be spilt until the inevitable downfall of apartheid will be as much responsibilly STASE American governments as the blood of those three martyrs executed on 9 September.
Yet in spite of the support they receive from the most powerful states on earth the apartheid rulers are failing to defeat the mass opposition they confront. arrests have not destroyed the new trade union federation COSATU. On the contrary it is winning more and more international recognition and APARTHEID ICCCLILLY from the British Trades Union Congress.
In the black townships the response to the murder of at least 24 people protesting agalst rent evic tgions in Soweto on Tuesday September was a mass funeral attend. ed by 10,000 people in defiance of a government ban on mass funerals and despite a massive police presence.
Neither has Botha's attempts to prevent me trum about nis government's methods of murder and torture reaching the world succeeded. On the contrary the demand for com-
prehensive sanctions against the apar-
theid state is growing stronger every day. Naturally people like Runcie,
Archbishop of Canterbury, will not
be allies in that fight. After his visit to South Africa Runcie loudly denounc-
ed apartheid - and his first statement on his return was to oppose comprehensive sanctions.
What is necessary now is for the Labour Party Conference to be made the occasion for a call to the entire trade union and labour movement to take immediate action to isolate the apartneid regime. rul government sanctions, and trade union action backed up by the TUC Congress decisions. This is now the key way to isolate the apartheid regime.
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The national minimum
Socialist Action 12 Sep 1986
SOCiAlist
AcTion
BUILDING AN ALLIANCE FOR SOCIALISM
A new role for
Socialist Action
SINCE THE miners strike Socialist Action has been ceaselessly campaigning to bring together the forces which came out of that strike and which stood with the miners in their struggle. It did so for a very clear reason. Because it believed that out of the miners strike something not seen in Britain for sixty. years had emerged struggle left.
That was not just a question of words. It was above all a judgement about where those who had stood with the miners would stand in the key new events of the class struggle. That those who had stood foursquare with the miners would equally fight on the key new issues of the class struggle as they came up. would find itself on the same side of the barricades with these forces number of issues - and the ultimate test in the class struggle is not ideology, not ideas in someone's head, but where they stand when one class fights another.
That is exactly what has occurred over the period since the end of the miners strike. Those
who stood with the miners in their strike have deepened their course to the left.
The immediate political miners strike was when Tony Benn and Eric Hef-
presented a paper to British withdrawal from NATO. The Labour Party Black Section began rapidly developing its
olicy in defence of the black communities ir
landsworth, Brixton and Broadwater Farm, anc campaigning against the US attacks on Libya.
Campaign for Labour Party Democracy and the Women's Action Committee played a central role in helping establish Labour Left Liaison. It was 13 members of the Campaign Group who voted against the Anglo-Irish Accord. gamut of forces hunt.
Gradually far larger forces than Socialist Action have come around to the need to organise and politically develop these forces. For a long time the degree to which not only the capitalist press but even forces on the left suppressed the views coming out of forces leading and supporting the miners strike was incredible. It is an astonishing fact, but true, that the only place in which you can find Arthur speeches in the miners strike is in the pages of
Socialist Action. Socialist Action carried the big
on the miners among the weekly press, Socialist Action printed the major statements of the Labour Party Black Section.
Fortunately now, forces than us are taking up this task of getting out the truth in a systematic way. The most important steps have been the establishment of Campaign Group News and the development of Labour Left Liaison - and the links it is forging
with the Campaign Group. Both are enormously to be welcomed
Socialist Action does not have delusions of
grandeur. It believes it has a political role to play
in what is developing in the labour movement.
But other forces are much stronger than we are
in terms of support. A class struggle left must be
democratic. It must respect the real relation of
forces that exists among currents.
Socialist Action fights against attempts to ex-
clude it, and fights for its views to be heard, but
does not seek,
dominate the left
convince people it is
organisationally manipulate the left.
This however means
Socialist Action itself. It is important that much
more powerful voices than us are now providing
a platform for printing the views of, and organis-
ing, the forces which we think are vital for the
development of socialism in Britain. This means
that we will be taking up many more of the
strategic issues that face the left. Our 'Building
An Alaliance For Socialism' weekend on 22-23
November will be an important step in that. The
pages of Socialist Action will themselves change
to take up these more strategic issues of politics.
We will be continuing to support all the cam-
paigns we have always supported -
Campaign Group News, and Labour Left Liaison.
the coming issues.
La class . That Socialist Action
increasing aftermath of the the NEC demanding A whole have helped fight the
Scargill's major
strike. Equally, along
however, much bigger
and never has sought, to
organisationally. It aims to
right politically, not
La changing role for including
We hope our readers will like what they see in
wage
THE DEBATE at last week's TUC in Brighton on low pay resulted in a 745,000 majority in favour of a document produced by the TUC-Labour Liaison Committee. The centre point of this was the question of a national minimum wage. A composite resolution was also adopted on a show of hands. Concern for the plight of the low paid by the TUC is Hoyle Mil stated that mion herders upon more than welcome. total of 21.5 million were affected by low pay. how adequate is the new TUC document?
Those opposing the document and resolution which called for statutory
ward the TUC were Eric Hammond of the EETPU and Ron Todd of the TGWU. Hammond argued that skilled workers must be especially rewarded He opposed incomes policy for the same ¡casull. Todd spoke favour of collective gaining, and opposition to incomes policy.
Arguing in favour of the wage proposals, Rodney Bickerstate argued that collective bargaining on its own can never eradicate low pay. need nobody to talk to me about being patient a little
find another excuse for doing nothing tor the eight million low-paid'.
By Jon Silberman
The case for a statutory national minimum wage 1s
overwhelming. Trade unions have been directly concerned with the probtem of the low-paid since the growth of mass unionisation of semi-skilled and unskilled at the end of the last century. But more than eighty years of trade
union organisation and
bargaining Have
eliminated low pay.
Department of
Employment noted in a re-
study that the
distribution of male man-
ual earnings: 'has changed
little, particularly at the
lower end, over the period
1886 to the present
1I0HI
day'.
Poverty
Chris Pond and Steve
Winyard in a Low Pay Unit
pamphlet The Case For A
National Minimum Wage
reproduce Department of
rADIOVICHI figures.
These reveal that the wages
of the lowest 10 per cent of
manual male workers were
68.6 per cent of median
weekly 1886
and 68.3 per cent 96 years
later! Pond and Winyard
point out that: 'the poorest
Table 2:
White men Asian and West Indian men Black male wages as %o of white
Party
During the debate,
workers are now worse off relative to the rest of the population, than they were at the end of the 1970s'.
Pond and Winyard add
in 1979 one male manual worker in low paid; by 1982 the proportion had one in six. Two-thirds of manual women earned low wages in 1979, compared will three-quarters in 1982'.
Effects
The figures also show clearly, would be expected, that low pay is not evenly spread across the country. centrated among women workers, black workers and youth, and is subject
regional and cupational variation. This concentration of low paid workers among specific groups of workers, and in specific areas of the coun
serves to split up and divide the working class
There are further effects of low pay as well. Where low pay predominates competition between workers TOT the additional crumbs that can be gained from employers intensifies. Massive overtime working becomes the norm. Holidays and weekends become luxuries workers try to maximise their wage packets.
Equal pay
Under such conditions
the case for a national Ware is in-
contestible. azur
against it would be equiva-
legislation for women.
issue is wnelner lus par
ticular TUC document is
adequate.
The analogy. with the
Equal Pay Act Is instruc
tive. That Act was put on
statute book as the
result of a wave of strug-
gles for equal pay by the
best organised sections of
women in the late 1960s
early '70s. These
struggles increased
women's pay from 62 per
Yorks/ England Humberand Wales side
128.90 116.20
110.20 103.70
85.5 89.2
cent of men's in 1970 to 70 per cent before the passing of the Equal Pay Act by the 1975. With the backing 01 the Act women themselves were able push their average wage up to 75 per cent of mens by 1976. In other words the best organised of women were able to take action themselves and thereby also help force through laws thai spread their gains to the less well organised.
But despite the Act women's wages as a proportion of men's remained basically t that level du
ig the mid 1970s and the began to decline.
Campaign
principle omaning While the
national
minimum wage the
TUC congress was a huge step forward there welc basic problems with the document and resolution.
No proposal: were
adopted for a campaign o trade union action against 480 Pator now. The figure of
£80 the national
minimum mooted in the
no figure was
adopted by Congress, con-
Gross earnings of full-time male employees by region
West East
Midlands Midlands
130.20 135.40
105.90 96.00
81.3 70.9
I TI
Women and black people are among the worst hit by low pay trary to press reports - is woefully inadequate
As long ago 1982, the TUC itself set the lowpay threshold at f90 It noted in 1983 pamphlet or Working Women that: per cent of women work ing full-time earned less than that' and 'about 80 per cent of women part-timers earned less than the hourly equivalent'
In Low Pay Revien number 24, Robin Smal points out that eveI the government considers:
that fall calllls. below £l10 per week are insufficient for a parent with two children and need to be topped up with means-tested Family Income
1970 62.1 1974 67.4 1975 72.1 1976 75.1 1977 75.5 (Source: Department of Employment.) South
South East (excl
West London)
129.20 126.90
107.50 115.20
83.2 90.8
Analysis
Supplement.
These figures aren't entirel! comparable to the TUC position • which rightly concerned with basic hourly rates whereas the government deals with gross earnings
Tie a ceptan national
principle national minimum wage at this year's Congress is an important forward. must be on by fighting against low pay now, by rejecting any wage limits accompanying the introduction of a nationa minimum wage, and fighting for an adequate figure to set such a wage at.
Table 1 Women's earnings relative to men's earnings Average gross hourly earnings, excluding overtime, of full-time emplyees, aged 18 and over whose pay was not affected by absence: Women as a percentage of men:
1978 73.9 1979 73.0 1980 73.5 1981 74.8 1982 73.9
£median weekly earnings
London
129.90
118.70
91.4
(Source: Policy Studies Institute).
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The tactics of the left
Politics Today
THE LAST few weeks developments on the Labour left. By far the most important events in the Labour movement, of course, were those at the TUC Congress. There the supporters of Neil Kinnock outlined their strategy for the Labour party.
million jobs in the first two government, and a proposal, not fully pinned down, to introduce a national minimum wage of £80 a week. In addition there was considerable talk, and signs of some small action, to grant some minimal rights to women within the party and unions — John Edmunds statement that the GMBATU is to introduce reserved places for women in its executive being one step of this type.
But the real bitter pill
proposeu LCW union laws. These would create a new system ot industrial law modelled on those of the countries of western Europe. It would cement in place many of the changes brought about by the Thatcher government. It would leave the unions subject to a higher
than anything the labour duovc licil ever al' cepted before.
effect the TUC icaaersnp Is now staknig everything on the election ot a Labour government.
will subordinate the Thatcher struggle agains now to what it, falsely, sees as the best way to secure a Labour government.
Struggle
On the left of the party the HUSU significant development has been the emergence of Labour Left Liaison (LLL). potentially imorali Jett coordination in the Labour party since the Rank and File Mobilising Committee at the time
Tony Benn's deputy leadership campaign 1981.
The LLL has also
established good relations with the Campaign Group of MPs through Čampaign Group News.
Despite protests that this entire left is irrelevant me bou Party leadership takes LLL sufficiently SeOuS y that kov Hattersley felt compelled to answer the LLL's secretary Vladimir Derer the
the New Dases Statesman.
Support
These developments however bring critically to the fore questions
strategy and tactics for the
LaDour Cil. Despite the
unity which was achieved
on most issues at the TUC
to prepare for an election
and the unity that will be
imposed trauc
union leadership around
Kinnock the
Labour party conterence
the cracks which exist lr
the facade of that unity are
still evident — as well as
the problems which face
the movement. Only
calm and sober analysis of
the situation can show the
way lorward tor the lett.
The first point which
must be grasped is the full
cope of wnal ls lakig
place because the
currents which exist in the
labour movement today
dre dol enemr or Snol
term in their nature. W'hat
we dre buens lud a
a gigantie historica.
have important
The reformist sugar was a 'pledge to create a
years of a Labour of labourism.
government
1979, the huge
1979-81, the
the eighty vcals.
Break
The tirst
Democratic Party (SDP).
huge inside the
the 1983 In that year not single vote was to
SDP gave political orientation to the
PLP.
SDP's trade union
tions EETPU
the
the
The 'Mainstream'
inions.
and after John
the SDP.
This realist
/Mainstream' current the TUC is today not just about trade union tions. It has a definite
D01uea staec c æ
coalition government
between the Labour Parti
and the SDP/Liberal
Alliance.
The single largest, and most powerful, section of the movement however 1s the Kinnockites ties to Willis in the TUC.
The base of this current is clear. Its
NUPE,
GMBATU since the election of Edmunds,
UCW, and the NUR. The policies of this current are то irv comenow то тестем the old unity of labourism anu unc Laboul Party. seeks to move the TUC and the Labour Party the right, In e political space the SDP/Liberal Alliance, bu avoiding an actual coali-
with it
This Kinnockite current today subordinates everything else to what it sees as tne way to secure a Labour government at the IcAl general election the means it believes including sabotaging struggle loday and moving pal ty policy to the right.
The political correlate of this current within the Labour Party the LabOu coolaue Committee (LCC), Its oleanisd paper within the Party Tribune
wing of the Communist
push this current further to
TO Hae will
via catin
It is in the base of this Kinnock current that the
PouIlLs a1 C
an to desser CLPs. The ability to win a maoritv on specitic issues
the sole basis which can
C A00U
WITAI
current
but by far the most important from the point of view
socialsi. developing class struggle forces. These have been fed from a number of sources
the wake of the social CENS in Balal developing base is in the NUM, in the black community, organisations such as Women Against Pit Closures, in forces emerging out of trade union struggles suchas Wapping, in the Labour Party in the big cities, among. sections of those engaged in solidarity with Ireland, in a certain section of the gay and lesbian movement and in some key international solidarity campaigns. The most advancec section was the Scargill wing of the NUM. The NUM was also the on-
union class struggle forces led.
organisations created
paign for Labour Camoran tor Lesbian and
come together in Labour
relationship is being built WILU.
Denn. Prevent
complished. First it has to be politically clarified and tion of this current
must have a correct united front orientation. It must
movement. But in practice the forces it will gain ulled acuol with al C those at the base of or within the left of, the Kin. nock camp. these means that the class strugge ekl Call LaKc ul what is needed for the class
Again a majority on individual issues, and progressively increase its weight in the labour movement.
Expand
Excellent examples of this were given at the TUC last and this. Last
vral year Scargill was able to lead a campaign gaining a large section of Kinnock supporters to vote for sup.
campaigni. This year the „vall OI the Wapping struggle united the ciass struggle left and the Kinnockites. the national executive reexamines the cases.
1 clsalcill
Stand
abild ave sa T0
Socialist Action On South Africa Issue while the whole TUC was united it is the left that will fight for the most effective action.
The anon Party Scaniar factics apply. The Landdid Reinstatement Amir Khan and Kevin Scaly was inititiated by forces Labour Left Liaison. But the campaign was not initiated in a narrow way but sought olaw supporters of Kinnock Majority This formula organise the class struggle forces independently, fight for united action with the Kinnockite base on issues which are in the interesis vi lie class sulug gle applies every sphere.
This means having
Defend Khan and Scally!
THE CAMPAIGN against the expulsions of Amir Khan and Kevin Scally took a new turn this week when the appeals and mediated sub-committee of the Labour Party NEC decided to recommend that
followed closely after the publication of the final agenda for Labour Party conference. A total of 36
Sparkbrook - have called for the reinstatement of NEC. Add to gs Add to that the fact that Ken Cure too acted as
Lt valle enquiry which upheld the constituency decision then
there seems a good chance
court.
meting on Monday nigh
Line appeals and incalalol
Kevin
interested in ant
12 Sep 1986 3 for supporters of the Campaign group, for example,
the Broad Lefts with the lett supporters of Kinnock. "T'he campalgns in the parBlack Section, example the
WAC, the LCLGR and others naturally must not confine lemselves simply lo sup porters of the Campaign group but must include all those who stand for the goals of the campaign which in practice will be
bination overwhelmingly of Campaign tulli
and 'LCC/Kinnock' supporters.
The aim of organising the class struggle left is not to lock it off in isolation from the rest of the movement is organise a firm nucleus which will respond to the needs of the class struggle And trom broader united front initiatives into the laboul movement.
These are the tactics which the lett must pursue for success today.
months and months and months and ends up ether banning us from office in the party or reducing out expuisions suspension from membership. We're not interested in that. We did nothing wrong. Wear not going to put up with anv acually.
This latest NEC move to reconsider these two ex pulsions should not be taken as a sign to lift the pressure. Far from it.
Needed
This must not happen
A decision by the national
conference to reinstate Khan and Scally will make clear that the rank and file
the party
prepared to accept a 're
— lowe v a c
conviction' - of the two Sparkbrook members Carrying resolution which clearly overturns the expulsions aIre Scally is not only the best
secure their reinstatement, but also the best way to ensure that a
entire witch socialists in the party being
pursued Dy the present
leadership.
Page 4 scan of this page
Black section attacks new Tory racist visas
4 Socialist Action 12 Sep 1986
Youth
in action
LCI grows among youth By Gerry Kirk, Dumbarton LPYS/LCI youth officer FOLLOWING the success of the Glasgow youth dayschool on Ireland, which was attended by over 150 people, the LCI are planning a national youth and student dayschool, to be held in Birmingham university on 8 November. Speakers invited so far include Ken Livingstone, Crawley MEP, representatives of Sinn Fein, the Union of Students of Ireland, NUS, the LPYS, and the NUR.
The NUS conference decisions on Ireland are an excellent basis for an upsurge in solidarity work amongst students in the coming year. The LCI hopes to play a part in these activities — helping to organise speaking tours, educational and other events. While the situation in the LPYS is not quite so encouraging, the gains which have been made in the student movement and the current reorganisation of the LCI's youth work should ensure that the anti-imperialist minority in the LPYS will make their presence felt much more keenly in the run-up to regional LPYS conferences.
LPYS branches and college Labour clubs can sponsor the dayschool in November. To do this
Kirk or Conor Foley, c/o LCI BM Box 5355, London WCIN 3XX.
Sparkbrook solidarity with South Africa By Mare France, Sparkbrook LPYS
SPARKBROOK LPYS has made solidarity with the South African revolution its number one priority. The LPYS has built successful boycott action in the area, including all day pickets of Tescos and Shell petrol stations. the campaigning so far was a public meeting of 18 August which over 80 youth attended.
They heard Gina Khan (Black Section), Jayne Fisher (LPYS), John Naute (SWAPO). The most inspiring speech of the evening was from George Johannes. a representative of the African National Congress.
between the struggle inside South Africa and the tasks of solidarity and the AAM in Britain: 'We are going to chop off the arms and legs of imperialism in our country. Your task in Britain is to chop off its head'.
Following the success of the public meeting members of Sparkbrook LPYS and supporters of the youth newspaper youth Action in Birmingham have worked closely with Birmingham AAM in building the AA picket lobby of the TUC and are boycott campaign aiming at ending the sale of South African goods by shops in Birmingham. AAM targets colleges By Polly Vittorini, SOAS Anti Apartheid THE Anti Apartheid Movement in London is beginning a drive to increase its support amongst London's 75.000 students. Students last vear organised many anti apartheid activities, as being the largest contingent on the AAM demo last November.
Mostly the spur for this activity, however, has come from the colleges themselves, rather than being coordinated by the Anti Apartheid Movement. so in the colleges there is a great potential support for the AAM which is still untapped.
To try and draw on this support the AAM London committee is inviting all student AAM groups to send representatives, and is coordinating with NUS London organising AA stalls at this year's freshers fairs in all London colleges. The aim is to link up student groups with local groups. This will allow the AAM to effectively mobilise students for fortheoming pickets of South African Airways and to organise gigs in colleges to raise money for the AAM, the ANC and SWAPO.
The next meeting of the London AAM committee, which students should try to attend, in on 13 October, Camden Town Hall, 7pm. Future AAM activity in London includes: Namibia week of action, 27 October-3 November. Picket Shell Centre, 4pm, South Bank.
Christine event contact Gerry The highlight of
, Andy Schaffer (AAM) and
He graphically explained the connection
planning a mass as well
TORY RACISM reached a new peak in the last week with two decisions. The first was the threat to deport two year old Khurun Azad to Pakistan and the racist decision to impose visa requirements for visitors from India, Bangla Desh and other countries. The Labour Party Black Section has issued a statement, we are printing in full below, condemning the new Tory racist visa laws. organiser of the Labour Party Black Section, called the threat to deport Khurma Azad 'an obscene act of racism,' and called for action by the entire labour movement against both this threat and the new visas. The Black Sections statement is the following: THE CABINET'S announcement that visas are to be imposed on the nationals of five Black coun uner Labour Party Black Section to be the most blatant act of racism yet seen form this Tory
Barbaric Rather than tackling the
conditions ports like Heathrow ariport by shortening aoie quese with the creation of more jobs, Thatcher and her yes-men Have spired to export the "problem' have singled out the Black na-
of Bangla Desh, India, Pakistan, «Pia dru Nigeria for racist ment. This is a clear example of them piling on more oppression lollowing the condemnation thousands of Black people
Black and
Committee
THE ANNOUNCEMENT that Jo Richardson is not to stand after party conference for membership of the Black and Asian (BAAC) has provoked a new crisis of that body. The BAAC has already been hit by several resignations by black members — including Trudie De Haney, Keith Vaz, Gaynor Legall. Ernie Taylor, an NUR member, has refused to attend. reputation as a fighter for women's rights, and as a left winger, tee. Her refusal to stand deprives this divisive and non-elected committee of a large part of its remaining credibility.
Jo Richardson: resigning from BAAc
Another severe blow to the BAAC is likely on 22 Sentember when the Lon don Labour Party regional executive is likelv to vote to take all
Paul Sharma, London
third-class citizenship under the 1981 Nationality Act.
Black Section didate for Labour's Na-
Executive CommitLullai tee, Narendra Makan]l said: It is obvious this decision is based on the Tories' complete contempt for Black people. ironic that White Com monwealth countries and racist South Africa, which has a million people eligible first-class British
being excluded from the visa scheme.'
Infamous
Thatcher set the tone before she became prime minister when her in famous speech about Britain being swamped by an alien culture. This, like Ine lalest announcemenl,
New crisis hits
Asian Advisory
Advisory Committee
Valerie Vaz, Lincoln Crawford and
Jo Richardson's well-earned
acted to give credibility to the commit-
boycott tivities.
One result of the new
chis right Bing is that
right wing now threatening to lash out against Linda Douglas who has been elected as the first black member of labour's NEC. a Militant supporterr who
elected as NEC With Jo Richardson refus from the LPYS ing to stand, and a black member on the NEC,
huge TOW problem for the Labour
Party leadership to nominate a white member to head the committee only a lell winger witho long record of opposition
racism, SuC Jo Richardson, could be put
gave the go-ahead to racist hysteria being whipped up by the gutter press. It is no
that fellow Tory MP Terry Dicks made
racist statement about 'West Indians', whom he claims are workshy and lazy, in the same week as the announcement about the SOCKS speak. what Tory government munich. think but dare not say themselves.
Only foreign secretary Geoffrey Howe, a dissenting voice in the cabinet over i natcher s iciusal le impose sanctions against
South Atrica. raised his voice the
against this goverticat latest discriminatory act.
Autocratic
The visa scheme has put Britain in the political SCWCI and it chance Thatcher chose to autocratically impose the regulations while parlia
HICCESS MPs should be recalled Westminster to debate this issue before they themselves decide the matter under te lui glare or lie electorate. Black Sec-
tion to racist immigration laws. We demand:
Stop thesis vims.
racist immigration controls.
Root out the racists. forward with any credibili-
Kinnock had originally intended that Bill Morris
deputy general secretary o the TGWU, would be th first black member of the NEC and could then have been nominated to head the BAAC. However the racism of the right wing of the GWU executive blocked Morris's nomination to the NEC
Chareson sea! stand is therefore creating
problem the right wing on the NEC -which is using the BAAC as a last attempt to head off the demand for proelected, Black Sections in democratically
important that the left asserts in a totalv unitec fashion, its opposition to this non-elected and diverse committee in the
party conferences.
The Labour Coor. dinating Committee (LCC) has already demned the committee. is to be hoped it will de-
none the members the NEC associated with the LCC stand for the committee -
should the Campaign Group of MPs.
Two-year old Khurun Adad with his parents
Black Sections in
Cardiff
A REBELLION hit the Cardiff Butetown dist-
on Thursday 28 August. Black and white youths, fed up with over 70 per cent unemployment in the district, agravated by police harassment, drove police and firefighters out of the centre COI Butetown for several hours.
The following day the first ever Cardiff public
Labour LN e Party Black Section took •ace. cresent were volu leaders from Butetown. and
peopic 1101l throughout the city Gaynor Legall, local black city councillor, and
FEEN AFTER THE UPRISINGS ON BROADWATER
FARM ON OCTOBER 6 1985. THE TRIALS WHICH WILL GO ON FOR A YEAR ARE AMONGST THE MOST SERIOUS IN RECENT HISTORY.
BRING BANNERS & PLACARDS TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE DEFENDANTS.
Broadwater Farm Defence Campaign Youth Association
Speakers Invited Handsworth Defence Campaign
Jeremy Corbyn P.A.C.
N.U.M. (Orgreave )
News
Marc Wadsworth tional chair of the Labour Party Black Section, stake about ceremon people could Lian! through selt-organisation the Labour Party and LIau Almost black people attended the meeting. A live debate followed amongst the 60 or so supporters and critics of Black Sections present immediate outcome of the discussion was number people decided to join the Labour Party and the hrs steps were taken towards setting up a Black Section hem hing war lett with the help left wingers in the UCW and supporters ors of oh Labou Cam paign MPs.
MASS LUNCHTIME PICKET
I OF OLD BAILEY
12-2.00PM.
MONDAY 15 SEPTEMBER MARKS THE START OF THE MAJOR TRIALS OF THOSE ARRESTED!
SEPT
NEAREST TUBE ST. PAUL S 15
Black People's Campaign For Justice
BROADWATER FARM DEFENCE CAMPAIGN
Page 5 scan of this page
Key debate on women's organisation
TUC 'no nukes' policy just fails
News
ONE OF the most important debates at this year's party conference is going to be on the question of women's organisation. The demand of the Women's Action Committee (WAC) that the five women's places on the NEC should be elected by the national Labour women's conference has been building up steady support in the party and Already at the time of the 1985 party conference this demand was supported by the national Labour women's conference, by the majority of the constituency parties and COHSE. This year a further two unions, the NUR and UCATT, were won to this demand. At the NCU conference the demand was only lost by 5,000 votes.
After years of trying to ignore women's organisa tion in the party the union enceros were this year to move decisive-
NUPE put down resolution at the women's conference which presented compromise', but which gave no detinite mohts to the women's conference Ine eecLon of the NEC places or other key issues. Power
WAC voted against a proposal which would not nove crence DOWCI of the women's conference
and most importanty not resulted in the women's places on the NEC being elected women's conference, nuit welcomed increased union interest in the question. It put forward a pro posal for an electoral col-
lege at the women's conference to elect the
vomen's SACS demands on the NEC.
and the specific proposal
for an electoral college.
have received 19 resolutions and amendments in
support for this year's par-
ty conference.
The trade leaderships have also con-
APEX and the
UCW putung resolanons
and amendments to party conterenc women's
organisation.
APEX's resolution
would simply introduce a
weighted union vote, bas-
ed on Inen
women in each union, into
ference. however pro-
mises no increased powers
imum media coverage was the
highlights.
Composite con-
gratulated the Labour Par-
ty leadership on their com-
mitments so far but called
'an immealate nall lo
the nuclear power pro-
gramme and the phasing
It also demanded . 'an in-
tegrated energy policy bas-
on coal and 'urgent
discussions berween the
general CONCI and ine
party 10 draw an
employment strategy
related to this polic!
EMA resolution, The hand. ex-
at Party conference
in the unions.
the NUM, NUPE and
for the women's conference at all. There would still be no election of the women's places on the
Labour Party or the right ot women's conterence to move resolutions to party
Rule change
The UCW has put for-
APEX which calls on the NFC to draw un proposals for changing the women's 1 UICS Stading Orders Commie 'establish Conference tee, representative groups at the Conference 01 the allocation of seats on National Labour LIC Women's Committee that fairly represents all women the Party. This in practice means increasing LilC weight of the unions, but further rights to the women's conTerence. Reforms Amendments from Glasgow Hillhead and Putney CLP call for: review of the system for electing the five reserved women's seats on the National Executive CommitIt similarly calls for: reforms to ensure that the decisions of the National Conference of Labour Women are integrated into structure with clear line of communication into the annual Party conference and une tional Executive Committee."
These resolutions do ONE TUC DEBATE last week which attracted max-
issue of nuclear power. Composite 19 (moved by the Fire Brigades Union, seconded by the NUM, and supported by the National Union of Seamen) was lost by only a small • margin at congress: 60,000 votes. At the same time, the pro-nuclear resolution of John Lyons' Engineers and Managers Association, which was overwhelmingly defeated on a hand vote, claimed less press
pressed concern that closure of Britain's owI nuclear stapower tions' and that an ena lo any further nuclear programme' would be 'radical break' with long-established TUC policy. 1 ne aim or te mouon, l
By Carol Turner
line with the call of the general council, stop any moves lowards a non-nuclear policy by setting review and a report back
National Conference
Women not ensure the right of the wonel d conference secure its goals but, taken together with WAC's electoral college propusais they do begin to indicate lines on which it might be 'possible to forward. The agreement that would
beat the bomens Cus.
women's conference granted
including the right to elect the women's places on the NEC and the right to submit resolutions
party conference Simultaneously a weighted vote, based on the number
members of trade unions, would be introduced.
This would of course in Conecos One union, ASTMS,
which had submitted an anti-nuclear power resolu-
withdrew from the compositing to ensure that an amendment from GMBATU would automatically fall. This wreck-
amendment was designed
ASTMS's demand for
programme by replacing it WILS 'freeze
of the
consideralon
effects' of change in policy. Alternative
The special report of the general council on nuclear power was propos-
ed by the platform as
the policies contained in the
The platform
general council called for
resolutions be
Transport and General
Workers' Union
The question of women's organisation in the labour movement will be centre of attention
the early period lead to extremely big problems.
do not control the way the votes
'on their behalf' are cast used by women's conference. The ettect up an authoritative women's
would be produce tremendous fight in the unions for women gain over the way their votes were cast at women's conference.
It may be, ot course that the union leaderships will simply
cula vila policy of confrontation with women in the party. That they will introduce a block vote, controlled by withdrawn on the bais of
That is, decisions would be taken by congress this year pending, further investigation'
Chernobyl
If votes were won on the quality CUBE arguments presented, there is no doubt that com-
posite 19 would have sailed
In the wake of Chernobyl even the electricians , were Iorced to tone down their traditional pro-nuclear position.
Debate instead concen-
trated on the phoney claims oI Lyons and his supporters that adopting a non-nuclear energy policy would WICk jobs. This
argument surfaced at its
crudest level at a Tuesday evening meeting
held by SERA (Socialist
Environment and Resour-
Women's Organisation
T
men in the unions, into women's conference while retaining male control over electing the women's places ont he NEC. would be deeply damaging tor tne party ana amons but it would not stop the bulld up of the fight for women to control their
organisations in the party and unions.
Organisation
One thing is certain. The question of women's organisation will now be right at the centre of attenlon willin the party and the unions. And that is in the interests of women and of the entire party. ces Association). A group of Sellafield workers were bussed in for the occasion
Despite the fact that evers platform speaker emphasised that the policy adopted would not be at
expense of jobs, the Sellafield group insisted that a non-nuclear energy policy was an al tack on their jobs and followed this up with claims that Sellafield and plants like it were, in the words of one heckler, "perfectly safe'!
The majority against composite 19 is one of the smallest ever al a lul congress. Despite the overwhelming mood of unity at the expense of policy, which dominated congress in what is seen to be the
to a general elec1ull-uu tion, a non-nuclear energy policy is one area where
will find it harder to hold the line.
Socialist Action 12 Sep 1986
Ireland
Unfree
the Anglo-Irish
Accord mal. marches. thugs this year.
At Shorts aircraft factory, a tarian employer,
Loyalist walk-out. Housing
social security workers have
Treaty.
will be taken.
abandon supergrass trials,
Accord is definitely in trouble.
With
loyalists, and the
goes on,
they made.
5
Mounting crisis of
THE LOYALIST campaign of terror following the signing of the Anglo-Irish Accord took a new twist at the beginning of this week. Alan Wright of the Ulster Clubs announced that the homes of 'collaborators' will be picketed. Orange Order grand master Alan Smyth, who is also Official Unionist MP for South Belfast, described the latest loyalist threat as 'a normal method of the democratic process'. That it certainly is not! Whichever way you look at it, waking up each day to the visage of the Reverend lan Paisley or one of his thugs learing over your „cornflakes bowl cannot be described as nor-
The 12 July period of Orange marches was seen this year as a test of the Hillsborough Accord. Despite public statements to the contrary, the RUC climbed down in the face of these loyalist marches — and that is becoming more and more widely recognised. In Portadown loyalists achiered their objective of intimidating the nationalist population, when 20 homes were attacked. The same pattern was repeated throughout the North. In all, there were 1700 other provocative Orange
There are no figures of the total number of
Caiholies attacked and driven from their homes.
But over the summer period these sectarian killings have risen sharply. At the end of August Paddy
McAlister, a taxi driver from the Falls Road, became the eighth murder victim of the loyalists
notorious secCatholics have been publicly threatened and intimidated. Loyalist paramilitary
slogans and badges proliferated on the shoptloor. Shorts management back down in the face of a
officers on
Shankhill Road have received threats demanding
that Catholiles working there be removed. Lisburn
had UVF death
But alongside this step-up in Loyalist sectarian
attacks there has also been a renewed offensive by
the IRA, aimed at isolating the RUC. Devastating
attacks on RUC barracks have meant that, despite
wages reputed to be as high as f500 a week, loyalis
contractors have refused to be helicoptered onto
the sites to improve physical security there, and
work has stopped as a result of the IRA campaign.
RUC morale is low and Paisley has taken the
opportunity to call on them to resign rather than
support the Accord and enforce 'Barry's law'.
All this has left the sole supporters of the Ac-
cord in the North, the SDLP, still more isolated
John Hume, SDLP leader, is desperately trying to
assure nationalists in the North that reforms will
come this autumn as a result of the Anglo-Irish
. But the growing instability of the situation
since the Accord was signed means that nothing
but cosmetic measures by the British government
to scrap the UDF and Diploc courts, and
strip-searching have virtually disappeared. «Good-
will' is visibly evaporating. As far as the Thatcher
government is concerned the 'reform" aspect of the
displays of militarism by figleaf stripped from John
Hume, the search for a 'middle road' is being ex-
posed as more nebulous than ever. As the autumn
hopefully those in the British labour
movement who believed the Accord could bring
any sort of solution will see the disastrous error
Page 6 scan of this page
Socialist Action 12 Sep 1986
haunt our movement'
THE BRITISH trade union movement suffered a severe defeat at its 1986 last week, delegates voted overwhelmingly to adopt the joint Labour Party-TUC policy statement on industrial relations, together with composite 1, moved by GMBATU, seconded by
and supported by other compositing unions. position carried is a green light for stepping up state interference in the affairs of trade unions. At the same time that congress carried posite 1, it made clear the key intention of the composite by rejecting a resolution from TASS which would have reaffirmed the right of unions to democratically manage their own affairs.
The biggest shock was the vote for the composite by the National Union of Mineworkers, whose congress delegation voted to withdraw its amendment already submitted in the name of the union and to support the composite as it stood. General secretary of the Durham Mechanics, BILL INGTON, part of the delegation, was one of the minority who spoke out against the decision, taking the same line as union president Arthur Scargill and general secretary Peter Heathfield. He explained why to CAROL TURNER.
ON THE first day of the 1986 congress of the TUC a mistake was made that will return to haunt our Congress adopted composite motion 1 on new industrial relations legislation under a Labour government. I am very much afraid that the trade union move-
ment and the Labour Party have fallen into a populist trap. These are populism run amok.
Much of the argument about them has revolved around secret ballots. But
what is actually entailed is the beginning of the breakdown of trade union dululully
It's ballots now, but next it might be
finances:
trade unions can and
their money on. Ine NUM already nas
experience of this,
could become the norm.
Accord
The NUM's delegation to congress
voted to support the composite and to
withdraw an amendment submitted to
it, which would have deleted the clause
on secret ballots. It was argued within
the delegation
unions were behind this composite, for
us to put an amendment would be seen
Mineworkers didn't want an accord bet- National
ween the TUC and Labour Party, which
of course is not true My understanding
is that the amendment was precisely in
line with the policies of our
decided by NUM conference, for many
years.
But nobody in the delegation was in a
position to argue that unions should
have secret ballots imposed on them by
law, which is why we also supported
motion 3 from TASS, which congress
defeated. The first paragraph of this
reaffirmed that trade unions are volun-
self-governing
organisations? and rejected
unions
TUC's industrial relations
policy: 'A mistake that will
democratic
and the courts.
posite 1 proposes.
port.
While paragraph 2 16 complete abolition The union taws
La Labour government will ...
electoral procedures com-
stant action.
ETHER-
unions.
Union Congress of their members dustrial action. have
that.
Labour government in contained in made provision state in some circumstances "cooling-off period'
over-riding public interest. were withdrawn.
union movement then,
novele H.
posed to it. unworkable.
proposals year after
government to do exactly
doing. Ballots to decide what cannot spend
union memberships -that experience
strike action, because so many
Union of
suited their needs.
tell trade unions unions, house in order.
Combination had the freedom to
that is unlawful. democratic
internal posals would take us.
the
Union when,
procedures by outside bodies', and 'intervention by the state
Sadly, this is precisely what com-
The composite is a bad composite, a botched-up job made to appear vague in order to win sup-
But the composite is not vague. 'calls for the anti-trade enacted by this government', and stresses its confidence that
permit dinating union members to control the rules and
Not their union' this is flatly contradicted by paragraph 4(iv). This clause is the sting in the composite's tail, which could mean that the gress trade union movement losses the most fundamental and important right of all the - that of victimised workers to take in-
Clause 4(iv) of composite 1 clearly calls for 'a right to strike and to have a secret ballot in such situations
Even Stanley Baldwin in 1927, after other the defeat of the general strike, couldn't insist on such legislation when he was reversing the contracting out and in procedures for political funds and mak- ported. ing it illegal for civil servants and others to be unionised. Even he didn't legislate for that level of state interference in the
But in 1986 here is a Trades asking Labour government to write that into the law. jorities.
From 1871, at the time of the first trade union legislation as we understand it today, until a 100 years later in 1970, there was no provision in law for trade unions to have individual ballots
taking nos cussions looked into industrial relations legislation, but none has recommended
The first time it was raised was by a
Line proposals In Place of Strife. They the secretary to require and individual balloting in particular in state service industries where there was said to be 'an
But they
power in 1971, they stole the emperor's When the Conservatives came to first clothes so to speak, by incorporating this into their legislation. But the trade
supported by the Labour Party, was vehemently op-
Those laws were of the The TUC and Labour Party have likewise opposed the Tory legislation of
1980, 1982 and 1984. But, less than two
their latest Act, the trade
union movement is asking a Labour
the same thing we opposed the Conservatives
I really must stress that this isn't
simply an argument about ballots. If
and mine is one
of them - want to hold ballots before wage,
that 1s what they nave
written into their rules. There are many
unions that have such requirements: tor unite
postal ballots, for individual ballots at
the workplace, and for other methods.
They also use different methods to
elect their officials. The election of Ron
loda by ine transport workers, lot en
ample, brought to light the fact that the
TGWU uses different methods of bal-
loting in different regions of the coun-
try. But this must be based on what the
members, over the years, have found fect
I only wish those who are eager to how to run their
business were as keen to put their own
Since the time of the repeal of the Acts Trace unions have witnaraw incl
labour. If the sort of legislation pro-
posals passed by the 1986 TUC are car-
ried out then we are well on the way to
finding ourselves in a situation where
That position is clear
enough. There is no ambiguity about
where the joint TUC-Labour Party pro-
RON TODD, general secretary of
Transport and General Workers' Union, summed up the main line of this year's Trades
Congress in Brighton, speaking in favour of the resolution which commits the TUC for the first time to support state interference in trade union rule books, he said: 'a vote for the composite is a vote of confidence in the document, in Neil Kinnock, in our own democracy and members.' By Redmond O'Neill
The week of the TUC was orchestrated around this theme of subor-
other Consens lu uniting behind Kinnock with the aim of winning the next general election. This approach put Kinnock in a powerful position to dictate terms to the Con-
Kinnock's first demand was to put
maximum distance between TUC and the 1985/86 miners' strike -even though that gigantic battle did more damage to the Thatcher government, including at the polls, than any
event in Its entire seven period in office. Other struggles which 'disrupted' the Labour leadership's line for the election should not be sup
Consistent with this General Council fought, unsuccessful-
the resolutions supporting workers fighting at Wapping, and also at Silentnight, were both carried by very large ma-
The second of Kinnock's terms was that the trade union movement accept key planks of the Tory anti-trade unton laws - and specifically the right of the state to dictate the content of trade union rule books in relation to ballots over strike action. Inis was carried 1l the TUC/Labour Party Liaison Committee document and Composite One - adopted on the first day of the Congress by a large majority on a show of hands.
third element of adopted was an economic organised around 'National Economic Assessment', which is just another way of saying a social contract in the same mould as the one which proved so disastrous under the Labour government. Its core is a set of priorities, which it is claimed would
reduce unemployment million in two years, second attack low pay and third, only afterwards, about raising the living standards of the rest of the working class. In words it proposes to finance Labour's programme at the expense of sections
working class instead capitalist class.
It was this type of catastrophically disastrous incomes policy which allow-
ed Margaret Thatcher to get elected in
the first place. More to the point this
economic policy will not work at all. will not work at all. Support
Unfortunately progressive ures, above all the TUC's historic support for a statutory national minimum
are situated within this overall framework. So a policy of a minimum
wage, which has enormous potential to
WOrKIg class and significant numbers of unorganised workers into the labour movement 11
fought for decisively, is situated firmly
within an economic strategy counter-posed it to the living standards
of other sections of the working class.
As the Financial Times accurately comTed no the seathat inhis was in the mented on the strategy: "They
coded message on
restraint.' And wage controls are a sure
fire way to divide the working class.
Describing Kinnock's speech on the
second day of the TUC, which was bill-
ed as the high point of the week, the
Kinnockite New Statesman eulogised in
an editorial the title "A Prime
Minister in Waiting'. It declared:
speech underscored
emerged as the central Kinnock theme
that organised labour's place would be
separate from, and subordinate to, his
own as a future prime minister.'
The Kinnockite leadership of the
the
year
the
These strategy policy
trade union movement, through Todd to the NUPE leadership
last established the
political strategy for the first time at this year's TUC. nock Labour government is presented as the answer to the problems facing the
set
Membership of other unions has declined to
More significantly the workforce in TUC affiliated unions of the had declined from over S0 per cent in
1979 to only just over 40 per cent today. The Kinnockite majority in the TUC's approach to dealing with this is purely electoralist by John Edmonds, general secretary of GMBATU.
The government should legislate rights to join a trade union, unfair dismisssals and against low pay - all measures that naturally must be meas- supported.
on the basis that their role will be to make sure employers laws. situation in the meantime of those such as strikers at Wapping, those at Silent. draw night, the miners,
striking Asian workers at Kenure who are fighting for union recognition and decent wages. Nor was the question addressed of what is done if Labour is not elected, or is elected but does not carry out its promises, or is elected but bends to employers like the last one did over Grunwicks. Furthermore the demobilisation of the labour movement involv-
wage ed in this strategy will not aid Kinnock
but Thatcher.
Alliances While the Kinnockite leadership of the TUC attempted to present an acceptable face to the press two decisive
'The issues. from
strengthening the alliances Labour needs, and for the unity of the working class, were not addressed at all at this year's TUC. There was discussion organisation and representation
KINNO
from Willis
dominance its effective wonder . The fight for a KinTUC agenda. that the number
TUC affiliated 9.5 million. the proportion of Parallels
- and was best explained
proposal is that a Labour
section of the paralleled 'protection' against
The unions will then recruit
The women's carry out these General Council What was not addressed was the
For those like the
Equate.
ment. first TGWU
standpoint of unions for the Sections,
organise of the self-organisation
women and black people in the trade
in order to make them more instruments of fighting for and against racism These issues simply did not figure in the
This is despite the fact of women in the unions continues to increase, and the
for forms of organisation and represen tation that can allow their voices to be heard and influence policy.
Unions like the GMBATU are now discussing the establishment of reserved places for women on their NEC. The demand of the Labour Women's con ference for women to elect the women's
Labour Party NEC is in similar struggles in the unions. At present the women's conferences, including the TUC women's conference, have little or no power.
section of the TUC 1S not elected by women workers at the TUC women's conference but by the TUC itself. The movement of women into the unions has explosive potential to shake up the present bureaucratic structures of the labour movement. But, despite brave words, the steps being taken to meet the needs of women are completely inade-
This decisive strategic weakness of the trade union
Similarly there was no discussion of black organisation in the unions. The TUC General Council remains entirely white. Bill Morris, the new black deputy general secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union, deputyr general see are of the not to nominated by the union's executive for either the TUC's General Council o the Labour Party NEC. Yet the com. bined impact of Labour Party Black
and movements of black workers to fight racist employers, and
within the unions, will inevitably put this question of black self
on trade
Page 7 scan of this page
novement's agenda.
The issue of racism however did erve as an introduction to the first mapr current standing outside the Kinlockite consensus at the Congress. This ras an oblique reference ebellions in Handsworth, Brixton and lottenham black communitites
e spoke against a resolution opposing he introduction of plastic bullets into tritish cities. Hammond argued events' such as Handsworth roadwater Farm to be put down 'with I necessary force' and tried to prooke the Congress by claiming he could inly address it because of police protecion.
This debate, as well as that on Waping where the EETPU lemned as the organisation which had nade Murdoch's union-busting operaion possible showed kalist'/Mainstream right around Eric Lammond and John Lyons to be in a jear minority. The 'new Mainstream right however continues to
TUC. Their trategy centres on improving the living
Bes. paid hrough alliances with the employers Ind the capitalist class against loorest sections of the working class. They are resolutely opposed
nuclear disarmament trongly pro-EEC.
Recognition
The EETPU's approach mionisation centres on deals with the imployers with the union selling the vorkers' rights to strike in exchange for ingle union recognition. elations with the breakaway UDM.
Politically this current orients to the DP/Liberal Alliance. LVOS
member of the TUC bunch wno 1s a memoer or te sor. lammond's EETPU enjoys close relaions with the SDP leadership.
On issue after issue it was clear that vhilst the Kinnockites held a real maprity in the TUC, and have become
ICKS
to the
made
lne or tne EETPU for and
working class
was con- realist/Mainstream
'new differentials and so on. Collaboration realist/-
economic of class collaboration.
assault on capital -
workers
today practicing the
to and
Labour government
Kinnockites
It maintains
year's Congress smallest. represented
General Scargill/Heathfield
te campaign wroup.
ACTT, and the TASS.
more politically coherent, nevertheless Hammond, Lyons and on most issues the AEU leadership, form a clear and
Whilst the TUC General Council's knuckles were rapEETPU's scabbing at Wapping, it was also clear that the General Council have no intention of taking on a fight against saying the trade union practices and political tion.
because ther themselves accept parts of it and certainly do not have an effective alter-
On the contrarv their line of subordinating everything to a Labour government, and paying for reforms at the expense of different sections of the of
provides important openings for Hammond and the 'new by tease/es as the defenders of the skile right ed workers, in favour of maintaining Botha's
where Brigades
Both the Kinnockites and the 'new realist'/Mainstream right are varieties
Both reject an the only way of power uniting the working class. But they are
different forms class collaboration. Hammond's policy of defence of skilled workers, direct 'no strike' deals with employers, and coalition with the Alliance can directly clash with the policies of returning a majority
and trying to win over the low paid being pursued by the
Eric Hammond and Ron Todd are both class collaborationists they are different types of class
This political difference is important for the third current seen at this terference,
and by far the This was the class struggle Litt leadership of the SOCAL them in other unions and their allies in
they were in alliance with the FBU, the
Morning Star led
Writing in the TUC edition of Campaign Group News Peter Heathfield warned about the TUC: "The danger is that trade union leaders will respond by
"we'll hold tight until the elec'Such a strategy, however, plays into the Tories' hands. If you wait and wait — on the assumption that Labour will win the election - that could result in Margaret Thatcher bouncing back
The NUM leadership did play important role in the TUC on a number
issues. The July NUM conference had made headlines all over the world
welcoming Cyril Ramaphosa
Britain at the crackdown on the unions, The NUM also made the running in the debate on nuclear power
their composite with the Fire Union and the National Union of Seamen was only very narrowly defeated in favour of the General Council's call for a review of nuclear
Defeat
But on the central issue of the Tories' trade union laws and the policy of the TUC, the NUM amendment opposing state interference in the unions was withdrawn by the 28 strong NUN delegation. Scargill and Heathfield were heavily defeated in the delegation - in a vote which united the right and the Communist Party. As a result the NUM delegation voted in favour Composite One endorsing state in-
favour OI separate TASS resolution calling on the TUC itself to draw up guidelines on trade union democracy. and did not vote or the TUC/Labour Party Liaison docu-
leadership of the union which has suf- This was • severe defeat for the fered most as a result of the court interference in the trade unions. It produced eulogies to Mick McGahey in the
Fleet Street press and signalled an intensification of the Scargill within the NUM - a campaign which unites the CP and the right wing in the union.
Notwithstanding tories over Wapping, on South Africa, and a very narrow defeat on opposition to nuclear power, the TUC registered the dominance of the 'sit tight till the an general election' also registered the maintainance of the Hammond/Lyons/and on most issues AEU leadership Mainstream grouping in the general council. moved slightly to the right with the trade removal of Ray Buckton. The Congress registered the fact that the class struggle forces around Scargill, the NUM are a small minority and under ferocious attack. and his defeat in the NUM delegation, increased the prominence in the Congress of the Morning Star leadership of TASS way iorward
The problem the forces such as Scargill, Heathfield, and those in other unions face is precisely to cut into the bloc Kinnock structed within the labour movement. Precisely because the forces are a small minority they have to
into the Kinnockites on the objectively key questions. of
New realist
This was seen clearly over Wapping - where the impact of the struggle there, together with support by other unions, isolated the 'new realist' right. The same was done on nuclear power and South Africa Justice for Mineworkers. must be COne women and black people within
tional America. of these politics dominate. Links of Labour
Labour Party,
and advance issues.
interests of those Thatcher to
laws, and First is the right
campaign against
in line with that. important key
line of Kinnock.
wing its
'new realist/-
Overall the General Council
other unions. Tactics
The attack launched on Scargill,
practice - whose politics represent no
class struggle
has con-
class struggle
nock's base - and last vear or the working
The same demands of the
Socialist Action 12 Sep 1986
labour movement. While it is more dif- Photos: MORNING
ficult to do, the same must be pursued
• starting to introduce the issue of Ireland into the TUC - where it has been a forbidden topic for many years. It can also be done on issues of interna-
solidarity such as Central
On these and other issues the aim STAR must be to force unitea acton by lne class struggle forces with those supporting the Kinnock line in the unions -and particularly their base. It
Ilicals participation in organisations like the Broad Lefts, linking militants in the NUM with the left wing in the public sector unions like the NUT, and promoting movements women and black people — which are often more advanced in the public sector. It means linking militants in the major public sector and white collar unions with those in the industrial unions. It means having specific tactics towards the Morning Star wing of the Communist Party — which will inevitably be in a number
must not be allowed to
The Labour Party conference will see the same political lines drawn as the TUC but in a different relation of forces — somewhat more favourable to the left. It will be an opportunity to link the class struggle forces in the unions with their allies in the Campaign Grour
MPs, the Constituency Labour Parties, in the campaigns in the
and to organise more coherently this class struggle current —
on certain individual
This year's TUC was a setback in the class struggle. It subordinated the
fighting a (false) calculation of what is in Labour's electoral interests. It accepted a framework of anti-union
put forward no policies which would solve the problems of mass unemployment and other key issues facing the labour movement.
Despite the unity achieved around Kinnock's project the Congress did not disguise the existence of three basic currents in the labour movement today.
aroung Hammond, Lyons, and the ABU leadership on overall issues a current politically oriented towards coalition government with the Alliance and with trade union and social policies
The second current, the largest, is the Kinnockites with their
base in the TGWU, GMBATU, NUPE, NUR and other unions. . Their orientation today is LOWER a Kinnockite Labour government and they spelt out at this Congress just how right
policies would be. The third current, by far the smallest, is that of the class struggle left whose stronges component is in the NUM but which has a minority of class struggle forces in
The tactics which flow from this are clear. All those prepared to engage in struggle must of course be united. . But
this requires clarifying and organising the class struggle forces and giving them a correct united front orientation To take up the key issues of the class struggle today — Wapping, opposition to state in teference in the unions, nuclear power, South Africa, the demands of women and black people in the labour movement — to cut into Kinnock's base. It is only by a combination of politically clarifying and organising ; themselves, seeking united action, and in particuial taking united front initiatives into Kin-
that the class struggle torces can break out of them extremi
position and pursue the interests of the class struggle.
Clarifying and organising the class struggle minority, giving it a correct united front orientation into the labour movement, utilising in the interests of
class the contradictions which exist between the 'new realist' and Kinnockite class collaborationists. These are the key tasks of the hour.
Page 8 scan of this page
'Unity TUC' undermines fight against Thatcher
Socialist Action 12 Sep 1986 THERE WAS a disagreement in the Socialist Action editorial board over BRIAN GROGAN presents an alternative view of the TUC to the editorial line of the paper. SUMMING UP last BBC's Radion 4, Edmonds and Rodney Bickerstaffe described it as the 'Unity Congress'. pared to recent Congresses the absence of major divisions was glaring. But workers looking for a lead to reverse the attacks of the Thatcher government and the employers will find little to cheer from this Brighton 'unity'. Congress decided to: • Maintain the essential elements of the Tories anti-union laws • Open the door to an incomes policy under a future Labour government.
The message of the Congress wasn't any particular motion, but the repeated call not to struggle now, to put all hope in a future Labour government
and especially to bury the militant lessons of the miners strike.
This was the heart of Kinnock's speech to the Congress. 'There are some who despise consensus, Kinnock said - speaking directly at Arthur Scargill. "To them, it is collaboration, supping with the devil, corrupting Such people, Kinnock in-
*saloon bar revolutionaries'
This was a calculated kick in the teeth to every sacked printer, every victimised miner and every other worker involved Ill struggle 1o defend their rights and their living standards. Printers have not been on the picket line for eight months because come romac cal. They Murdoch and his Rupert
and Tory backers
And they have been kept there necause likes of Neil Kinnock have
Black Section TUC
fringe meeting
LABOUR Party Black
Section held a Monday lunch-time fringe
meeting at the TUC
congress in Brighton
last week on the theme
of black self-
organisation in the
labour movement.
The meeting was
chaired by Black Section
chair Marc Wadsworth.
Delegates and visitors
heard Narendra Makanji,
secretary of Black Section,
Azim Hajee, from the na-
committee Workers the NALGO Black
Group, and
Vinayak Patel represen-
ting striking workers from
Kenure Plastics.
Both Wadsworth and
Makanji drew attention to
the common problems fac-
ed by black activists in the
Labour Party and the
Makanji
dauc
highlighted the fact LudL
unionisation among black
workers
other groups.
Twenty per cent of
TGWU members, 28 per
ent of NUPE members
alla 12-15 per cent
MAH members welc
black he said. He pointed
to the fact that despite a
congress policy
1984 on black self-
organisanon in tie umons,
little action has been taken
Colludi Larisis and
discrimination.
the assessment of the TUC.
week's TUC Congress on General Council members John
They were dead right. Comof the movement in their defence As in the miners strike, Kinnock's attempts
'concensus' mean only one thing: capitulating to the employers the Tories. Yes, we do think Lili such an approach 1s 'collaboration supping with the devil'
The large majority of the TUC bought this line of reasoning. The bitter fruits of the miners defeat are finally coming home to
The TUC tops are now intent on kicking over the traces the militant lessons of that strike. steaa or a call to stanla allu fight we are offered the utopian of the *jam of a future Labour
Instead anachithe women
black communities, the concern not to tread on SDP supporters or alienate the scab
of Democratic
Union Mine workers' of laying a basis for, in Ar-
Scargill's wulus. government as loyal to our
Thatcher Crass hers', Kinnock is busily preparing one that not on-
Contrasted to that was the experience NALGO Black Workers Group, which held its first national conference earlier this summer.
When black workers in the Camden NALGO called their first meeting people attended. At that
point only one camue.
JALGO shop steward was black.
Now the group recognised by the council and consulted on matters affecting BACK workers.
Camden Black Workers
Group afforded the
same facilities as shop stewards
Nationally, the Black
Workers Group, said Ha-
jee, has successtully con-
centrated on campaigns
deportaracist as well as demands
for better representation
for black
members.
The Black Section
meeting closed with a call
for support for 42 sacked
black workers from the
moulding ut val Lileill of
Kenure Plastics
Feltham, West London.
Patel explained that their
contracts had not meen
renewed after the workers
cae• a ver van lasi
May, following a refusal
by management to agree to
He called materials to the firm and boycott raw
of the products they pro-
the capitalist state but one, promises to administer moreover, which will maintain all ine gains of Thatcher against the working class.
Acceptance this framework allowed the basic elements of the Tory anti-union laws to be en-
proposed legislation for future
This was a major blow to the
These new working class. proposals accept the chief
OI the Tories during, the miners strike and since: that state intervention into the unions is justified in denying the democracy Sultas. meeting, the mass picket and the wish ot entire com munities. That ' democ-
giving the lacy scabs in Nottingham and elsewhere the right to decide over the future of communities and jobs in all parts country through the legal right to enforce a ballot.
A year ago, it was only people like Eric Hammond of the electricians or Gavin Laird of the engineers who were openly advocating that the TUC adopt such a policy. The fact that such an overwhelming majority could be won to this view this year is a product of the
defeats accululalcu which we have suffered since the miners strike was lost. This is why Kinnock's electoral argument sound-
ed so strong.
same approach was taken on the issue of low pay. course the Congress decision to push for a statutory national THEN SEEIN Wants be welcomed. But as
elsewhere this al cucu issue the Congress resolution and document on the
low pay question failed to map out a campaign mass fight against low pay.
Everything was put in the basket of legislation by a possible future Labour government. Meanwhile
no clear minimun figure was adopted and the £80 that was mooted is sufficiently low to cause neither the wrath of the employers
now
mass of struggles by the low-paid in the here and
now. Miners
But contrary
wishful thinking of Kin-
nock and Willis, the mill-
wing of the miners
LaulL
and their supporters have
not disappeared. They
were still able
themselves even at this
concess CYCL
though like all
Wab.
others. highly
bureaucratic affair.
The mood of the
thousands of miners at the
DESPITE manage-
ment's declared inten-
tion to close the factory
the workers at Kenure
Plastics are standing
firm.
Vinayak ALU shop Patel, steward. told
Socialist Action tnat ine
workers were determined
carry Patel was
amongst a delegation iron
Kenure Plastics the
Notts miners rally. They
raised £163 through
bucket collection.
Notts rally showed how far removed from the ranks were even the positions of Brighton. Nonetheless, given half a chance, those forces committed to class struggle were able to move out behind some key mo-
Congress's
General on …une Wapping Delegates NGA
scabbing
the campaign against Sun, The
and Sunday
LIU"
required Will the dispute, vote was
printworkers lobbying
firm stand South
Kenure Plastics workers stand firm
Forty-two black
workers have been locked
14 May They
negotiating WeIC in the an process improve- ot ment in their poor pay and
conditions from £2.35 to £3.00 per hour
Official
A big boost Ior le
dispute, reported Vinayal
decision by the AEU to give off al surkin hreat
The closure
MACHINE CHATEI
SOr Africa. For the first time
memory, international question solutely central Con-
ing to the resolution Jim-
Not the NUR received massive applause tor nis call lor complete mandatory sanctions. The
decision opens up big opportunities for deepening active solidarity with the anti-apartheid struggle in the heart of the labour movement.
Advance
On the question of nuclear the
TUC
the que Tongs de ted
Union backed only one other union • the NUM. This year the NUM's resolution was defeated by the narrowest margin of 60,000 votes. This reflects the massive change in awareness on the nuclear power question, especially since Cher-
nobyl, and points to a clear anti-nuclear position being adopted by the Labour Party conference in Blackpool at the end of
which Kenure Plastics boss, Peter Davis anficial is sero us, Patel said, nounced to the AEU but is not immediate. workers who have been scabbing have been
six antine, not p.
policy the company has been to draw out the pre un negotiations. union have appealed to industrial tribunal but the company has rejected three alternative dates for the hearing.
the month
Such advances show that where real determined struggle taking place
whether here at Wapping 1n South Africa against apartheid the Kinnock "concensus' line is at its weakest.
The lesson is therefore clear: to fight for struggle.
. And where this ocHOW. curs to build the broadest
possible united action around such struggles. Such an approach is the best contribution to turning back Tories' and bosses' 'offensive. It's also
which Kinnock's and Willis' whole LUC way class collaborationist ap
croAt will place
And will place workers and their allies in the best position to struggle in the future, including advancing socialist measures under any future Labour government. Friends
Class fighters must also know their friends and who our enemies in the movement are. Fighters in the black com-
Patel denounced such
'delaying tactics' and appealed for maximum support from the labour
The weekly mass pickets take place every Friday from 2pm to 5pm. Sacked
new twist io the
dispute was given last Fri
day with the sacking of
one of those still working
Jimm Smith, an Afro-
Caribbear who's been
munities and for women's rights got little or no voice
Congress Their pressure was felt in some of the lamenting about the 'new servant But they are a major component or te class sluggic
as was strikingly shown in the miners strike and as has even made its presence felt at Wapping. Defending their struggles and right to organise 1s a vital part of torging the fightback. Enemies
As regards our enemies, our fire always has to be trained on the Tories and the bosses. On
do with the fp took
take forces within our movement. calls for action
those unions on the right wing of the Congress. the electri Tans focushe engineers.
the bureaucracies 1UCUi of these
"the main danger' misses UC real target: the and Labour Party leadership ao c whole. Over Wapphat the TiC as a whole is une Tea question going mobilise behind the printworkers To focus on the electri cians is to let the Willis off the hook Of i course , part of what the TUC has to do is to call the electricians to orael, out ll is a mistake te reduce the • focus to that. This should mark our ap
preach ot all sanctiom
fight sallellul South Africa, to calls to end nuclear power
Equally we should beware false friends The Communist Party - both
are part of the problem, not the solution ede Merit Star havine ed the having 'hammered out a positive plan of f action to reverse
Tory destruction'.
Wapping dispute, it is the Morning Star supporters
who are lending weight to the demands to tone down the picketing, to • preness
convening mass meetings where the pressure of the ranks could be brought to bear, and wno have set themselves against the formation of a democratically electec
committee. Sup
porters of both wings in
cluding member Mick McGahe
ganged up against Scargil
in the NUM delegation to the TUC riding Kinnock's 'concensus' call.
In the period ahead
their strategy will increas read-end. Breaking out of ingly be shown to
electoral straitjacket,
nuine allies in the course of
independent
political action is the task
for class fighters.
working at the Factory for
four years was approached
management
testify on their behalf at
Prote at to sace bad
the tribunal.
workers
When he refused he
was given the boot!
Funds and messages of
support should be sent to.
Kenure Plastics Workers
supoor commie c/o
King Street, South
all, Middx (phone 01-843
2333).
Page 9 scan of this page
US government escalates war against
International
Nicaragua
ding their country.
Nicaraguan
Daniel Ortega catalogued just some of the destruction and loss oI ne inflicted as the result of the US-backed war speech on 19 July celebrating seven years of the Sandinista revolution. Of the victims ot the contras 879 were children under twelve y Cals old. Two thousand houses have been destroyed, 31 health cure centres did stadoos.
291 vehicles, 11 day-care COLLICO >8 schools. and over 500 other buildings.
The facts give the lie to the claims of Ronald Reagan that what's stake in US involvement in Nicaragua is stooping so. called 'Soviet expansionism' - or his obscene comparison the contras and the Founding mauser LNe United States or the 'brave men and women of the French Restistance'.
Earlier this year Sister Sandra Price, US nun working Nicaragua,
Not an example of what Reagan's 'freedom fighters' get up to 'On 25 March a group of contras LOOK one of our Catholic catechists, Donato Mendoza. from his home' she reported. "Two kilometres further on they castrated him, gouged his eyes, pull-
ed out his fingernails cut the from his legs, broke every bone In body, and shot him
A Special Report issued by the Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign quotes an a
idavit to the World Cour by Edgar Chamorro, for-
leader of the Nicaragua contra organisation,
'Nicaraguan UCHcratic Force' (FDN). Chamorro stated that the atrocities he had heard about were not isolated in-
Tenected pallell
THE UNITED States is — which is the chief target of the US campaign.
The attack on Istanbul was completely reactionary act which is to be condemned whoever Col -ried out. What lạy behind the hijacking in Karachi is still not clear. But the Libyan government has condemned both attacks.
This has not stopped the US preparing for new military attacks on Libva however. During the first week September A-6 and A-7 bombers from the carrier USS Forrestal car-
praclice aulacks from the Mediterranean against North Atrican targets at Wadi Natrun in Egypt.
The Forrestal also cancelled a planned trip to Israel and carried on exer-
LAST WEEK the United States government stepped up its sanctions against Nicaragua — banning even charity aid from the US. JON SILBERMAN reports on the stepping up of the US war against Nicaragua.
The US government calls it 'low intensity operations', or 'covert operations'. But this hides the real scale of the war it is waging. In the last five years,
behaviour by our troops.
There unit commanacis who opelly Drag ged about their murders, mutilations. When questioned them about the DIVULICLY doing these things they told me it was the only way to win Inis war that the best way to win the loyalty of the civilian population was to intimidate it and make it teartul of us.
In the first six months or unis year 750 people have been kidnapped, whilst 300 have been assassinated. Contra land mines killed 35 civilians in norNicaragua during this Spring alone. particularly revealing episode in the terror paign took nace on 3 uv when US-backed mercenaries blew up a truck fillwith peasants. Twelve children, twelve women, men were murdered. All were civilians. wighteen of the victims were from a single family.
Sandinista paper Barricada reports such terrorist activities are on the increase because the millary effectiveness the contras is declining.
During the first five months of this year the Sandinista army dealt significant blows to the contra
Icing more than forces, killing 0I 2,500 WOUL 850 clashes.
But war is taking a heavy toll on the Nicaraguan revolution.
Recently Victor Tirado, member of the FSLN National Directorate, reported that all the Sanefforts 'are directed, basically, defeating, the foreign agwhich 'has forces, material and human and CAhausting us in human and
New US threats against Libya
attempting to create another wave of international hysteria against 'terrorism' following the massacre of more than 20 Jewish worshippers in a synagogue in Istanbul, and the hijacking of a Boeing 747 at Karachi airport. In this case however even the United States has been unable to put the blame on the Libyan government
cises with Egyptian warships in ine sea oft Libva. bombers further 18 1-11 arrived in Britain from the United States.
White House spokesperson Larry Speakes declared at the beginning of September: 'We cerlalniy have reason believe that the Libyan SLate its desire to create terrorist
activities worldwide, and the capability is still there to do So? He also stated: will employ propriate measures to cause Libya to cease its terrorist policies. were of course exactly the same justificaGUIS that were the US for its bombing
US-backed contras are stepping up their attacks
It's against this background that Keagan won the US Congress to provide further $100
Lest there be any mistake
Talentons Reagan clarified in a
Mexican newspaper Excélsior that he
SUDDELCO the overthrow of the Sandinista He said that if the Sandinistas did not move toward what
Called tion' in Nicaragua, 'then the only alternative Is to the freedom fighters have their way and take over.
The Sandinistas have declared that the US aggression nas entered a new and more dangerous stage with the ot the $100 million aid. Their view has been confirmed
recent New York Times report that amongst other things the contra aid will be used to finance the haling or tae contra ter rorists by US soldiers from
205 0 'practice attacks against North Africa raid on Libya on 15 April this year.
The US has also sent envoys to western Europe starting with Belgium and Britain, Wille support for its campaign against Libya.
The US denunciations of terrorism of course look still sicker as the United
known as Green second priority allocating
supply mercenary can
these
Nicaraguan government responded the contra aid they would change some
defend country. Amongst measures
suspension
which
rorists.
Large demonstrations have taken place In
the Congress vote. Writing from Nicaragua Cindy Jaquith reports, in the American socialist weekly, Aircraft on the carrier USS Forrestal, recently out for
States iş supplying $100 million in military aid to the Nicaraguan 'contras'.
Faced with the new escalation of the Us cam paign against Libya the forces in the British labour movement that opposed the bombings April have to be prepared to respond again both by pro.
The Militant, that 65,000 rallied in Managua in support of the revolution. In addition 10,000 demonstrated the town Jinotepe and 20,000 in the
Such support continues to exist despite all hardships precisely cause the Sandinista government continues defend the interests of the workers and peasants. June the government took over temporary control 01 six companies in response
demands workers who had faced a three year union-busting drive The government declared that the company was carrying out an 'employers' strike that affected the national economy and was damaging to the interests of the workers.
Land distribution has been accelerated because of 'pressure brought bear by movements landless peasants' according Barricada. Region V, major agricultural area in southcentral Nicaragua, 31,000
were distributed 400 landless peasants June and July alone the end of the year 150,000 acres will have been
Ins arca where previously land reform had been limited
In what has been a ma-
initiative government has embarked on the autonomy process in regard to the Atlantic coast region. This is an attempt to overcome discrimination, economic
political isolation to this region of the countri where a majority of the population are Indians and black people each with their history
VWI. language, traditions. The autonomy DOes tested u major increase in support
the government from the area.
Contrary to Reagan's claims nothing could more 'democratic' than Wilt Sandinista government's defence of the iniceo vi lic vast illa olit of the population. testing against US plans now and preparing to aci immediately there are new United States attacks.
place at Labour Party conterence on the demand tot the withdrawal of all US bases from Britain another opportunity develop that campaign.
Chile
the
and barricades in the poorer areas of By
alone in the week after the strike.
since 1973.
South Pacific the
the
no special message except to pass on
the territory of the Republic
possessions to the United Nations. be
Philippines
congress of his party. The issues under we want to avoid bloodshed.'
United States economic interests.
USA
commercial debt at "18 bilion. Tae to the Japanese economy.
Socialist Action 12 Sep 1986 9
World
in action
Chile's 90 day state seige and spate of mass arrests following last Sunday's commando attack on Pinochet is the culmination of a long period in which mass opposition has been growing. In May a two-day general strike saw large scale power cuts, transport stoppages,
Terror is the government's only answer. Over 15,000 people were arrested in Santiago suburbs
An Amnesty International report released on the 3 September says Pinochet's terror has reached levels not seen
French prime minister Jacques Chirac's recent promise of a war against terrorism' casts an interesting light on comments made during his recent tour of France's South Pacific territories. Interviewed in Papeete about two secret service agents, Major Mafart and Captain Prieur, recently transferred to the French Atoll of Hao after New Zealand jailed them for blowing up the Rainbow Warrior he said: 'I have
consideration and friendship and above all confirm my joy to know they are today free on
He later explained that the two French state terrorists were on Hao for a 'regular military posting'. He went on to denounce Australia's prime minister Bob Hawke as 'very stupid' for voting to refer France's South Pacific colonial
On Friday 5 September representatives of
the Aquino government were due to meet Nur Misuari of the MNLF (the Morro Nation Liberation Front) following the nationa
discussion will be the demands of the Muslim population on the southern island of Mindanao for autonomy. A truce with the Muslims would be a big feather in the cap of Corry A quino, who is under pressure from the Reagan administration to stop talking and start shooting.
The White House last Sunday strongly criticised what they see as Aquino's dithering in negotiations. The purpose of the negotiations, they made quite clear, was simply to isolate the communists. Schultz compared Aquino to Salvador's Napoleon Duarte: 'We are ready for dialogue, but not about power sharing.' A Philippine government spokesperson said: 'We have no illusions the talks will end the rebellion. We think the offer is necessary to try and prove
Four members of the Philippines constitutional commission have recently resigned in protest because, they say, the constitution is being prepared so as to capitulate in advance to
Protectionist frenzy is again mounting
following figures showing that last month's manufactured goods deficit was particularly bad It rose 20 per cent to $16.1 billien. Japan, which was surpassed by Europe in June, has returned to its top of the league status as the country with whom the USA has the largest trade deficit, despite growing evidence of a major recession in
Page 10 scan of this page
ALLIANCE SOCIALISM 22-23 November
10 Socialist Action Initial speakers include Tony Benn Martin Collins Jeremy Corbyn John Lang Vladimir Derer
Venue: Sir William Collins School, London. Make cheques payable to Socialist Action. ***********************************
Please send me.
Name ...
Address
I/ We require.
Send to PO Box 50, London N1 2XP
12 Sep 1986 BUILDING
Linda Bellos Marc Wadsworth Betty Heathfield Diane Abbott
Bill Etherington
Price: £6 for the weekend, £3.50 per day (£4 and £2 unwaged).
FORThe second annual 'Alliance for Socialism' weekend of debate,
discussion, and agitation sponsored by Socialist Action.
Peter Heathfield Alan Meale Ann Pettifor Ken Livingstone Jude Woodward tickets for 'Building an Alliance for Socialism'
.. places in the creche for children aged
Topics include
*Which way for
the left? *Labour Left
Liaison *Which way for
women in the
Labour Party? *Black
Liberation *Defending the
unions today *Justice for the
miners *Lesbian and
*Campaign
Group of MPs *Fighting the
witch hunt *The Anglo-
Irish Accord *Britain out of
NATO, US
bases out of
Britain
*South Africa
El Salvador
*Zionism
Pre-booking special offer £5 for the weekend until 21 September. ****************************************
AN Gay Liberation *Solidarity with
Nicaragua and
Inside
the unions
TUC supports
and overwhelming y
concern' 'grave
scab beds.
support of the strikers, Rubner pointed out: 'An emergency
within the spirit of that policy?
Rubner which is cerned, he said.
it to do, by not selling Silentnight beds.
'We've been out Newton, really bad.'
been receiving,
you must support us 100 per cent.
who have supported
Charlie Gee,
Mineworkers rally last weekend.
solidarity with them.
stronger.
the platform stalllg
It is good that
beds,
Boycott that shop. That's what's necessary.
be made to: Terry Bennett,
strike
Rainhill Crescent,
(phone: 0282 813662).
Teachers sell-out
isting proposals on pay
By Ray Sirotkin, Lambeth NUT
complete an horrendous
over the past 18 months.
tually cover
60.
under the control of head teachers,
working year will be increased by one week.
deductions
- some a pay cut!
a special conference.
call that until the deal is watertight.
cover, ut Socialist
Silentnight strike
DELEGATES TO TUC congress last week paid tribute to the Furniture, Timber and Allied Trades Union workers at Silentnight Bedding, who have been on strike now for over a year. The resolution, moved by FTAT carried, expretied. expressed the Wholesale Society continues to stock and sell
Speaking at a TUC fringe meeting organised in
general secretary Ben resolution was carried unanimously at last year's TUC. It is regrettable that not all organisations have acted
highlighted in particular the Coop, he said. The Cesop has not cooperated excuses as tar as were con with that strategy, which we would have expected
Janet Seymour from Barnoldswick, and Steve Newtou from Stutton-in-Craven, the two factories involved in the strike, were also on the platform.
for 15 months,' said Steve "And the hardship we are suffering is
He described the support that the strikers had
financial and on the picket line, and the scheme whereby Labour Parties and trade union branches are asked to adopt a striker's fami.
'We will win,' Newton told the audience, 'But
Miners and the print workers are among those
Silentnight strikers. an ex-Silentnight Connell and other FTAT strikers were at the Notts Justice for
•We've had a lot of help from the miners, Gee told Socialist Action. 'We're here to show our
"The TUC passed a good resolution about the Coop. But I'd have preferred it if it was put a bit
We could have done with people from should buy anything from shops stocking Silentnight beds.
people are not buying their
• Requests for information and speakers should
, 22 Garrick Street, Colne, Lancs (phone: 0282 603055). Donations to the
Tuna snould be sent to. Ann King, 10 Barnoldswick, Colne, Lancs
THE NATIONAL Union of Teachers executive met on Friday 5 September to ratify the deal on conditions that they had worked
so hard to stitch up. Combined with the ex-
(the Coventry
agreement), the executive has managed to
package which
destroys all the gains teachers have made
Top of the list is the notion of return to cover
for absent staff. This part of the agreement will
allow local authorities deliberately to underspend,
knowing that they can force teachers to 'contrac-
- even if it means primary classes of They can rely on it, as the NUT executive is go-
ing to help 'monitor' the agreement. It will police
The school day will be more while the
The pay deal, while placing all teachers (except
heads and senior teachers) on a single scale, offers
very little to most teachers. The big increases' at
the bottom affect very few teachers. Also, the £750
being talked about is a one-off payment, subject to
Thus, the talk of 15 per cent is rubbish. The ac-
tual basic salary increase is about half of that, and
we have had 5 per cent through the interim award
earlier this year. Most teachers have little to expect
However, the package has not been ratified by And the executive will not
In the meantime, particularly in relation to Teachers Ălliance will be
fighting to halt the retreat. The feeling in schools,
at present, is if they can't make us cover, we
haven't lost despite the executive's betrayal.
Page 11 scan of this page
Build the Notts NUM
In the Unions
On the march: Notts miners last Saturday 'WHAT A WONDERFUL way to say the fight goes on!' With these words, and to rapturous applause, Dennis Skinner summed up Saturday's Justice for Mineworkers rally in Notts more than three thousand miners and their supporters wound their way through the streets of Mansfield to a rally where they heard speeches from representatives of the NUM, victimised miners, Women striking printers at apping, the trade union organisation in El Salvador.
Notts NUM vice president, Mick McGinty, told Socialist ACRON how
lelighted he was with the
What : more Lint-Oil.
I'm highly delighted with the people that stood and watched we through Mansfield and clapped. It was like the old days.
'In fact,' he added, 'there were more people on the march than in the old days when we had a been the prominent role played by women strikers in
to LIZ SHORT,
the role of women in this dispute.
THERE are about 500 women on strike, all bar one of them are in the clerical oranen are wollicH cleaners There are no women in the production rooms or in the NGA. the Times clerical chapel there are adoul twicc many men women.
dispute the heTere union had taken up a couDle oi compagns tnal Darticularly affected women,
cervical cancer screening.
At the moment there are Tour Vis o Iwo roc. (Mother/Father of the Chapel) the joint chapels committee.
When the dispute started the women reacted in the same way as the men, Wien! surprised some of the men in the roonCo CIaeS.AU
of the 'lions' in Fleet Street have been shown to nave no teeth, and a lot of the
men have been surprised
y the grit and determina
ion of their female col-
NUM ESTRIKE JOTS SIMF
AOT INGHANSHIRE SAO
MINERS AND FAN
Against Pit Closures,
and FENASTRAS,
united national union and we used to march through Mansfield ... It shows that
By Jon Silberman
the NUM is here to stay in the Notts area and that it's getting stronger everyday'.
strength the NUM and confidence defeating the breakaway was a constant theme of
The NUM VICe-president, Mick McGahey,
Women at Wapping
ONE OF the features of the struggle at Wapping has
all the activities of the fight. Socialist Action spoke Chapel, Simes Clerici Chapel tf SOGAT, ablue deputy Mother
leagues.
prop sate for the women in I don't think it was ap-
strike organise seperately, hut it mistake not to get the anics involved There meeting for husbands and should have been wives to organise them.
A lot of the wives O1 the production workers have been Wapping regularly, but an incident i witnessed shows some of the problems they face. nere wa an NGA meeting to which a lot of the men came with their wives because it was the day of one of the women's marcues lo going. A point came in the UCCLIY when aul" nouncement for NUTA members had to be made about the court order.
The wives were politely thanked for their support, and were then asked
leave and go into an adjoining room, and a metal shutter was clanged down
spoke of the UDM as standing for the anon diminishing members'. Unity
Notts area president, Ray Chadburn, spoke out in his speech against those 'who favour a compromise with the UDM as the way
esasst GulL) ine Notts coalfield. Loud applause greeted his clear-cut statement: you this: I'm not seeking compromise. Nor the Notts NUM!'
With the debates and proceedings of the
the question of what sort of leadership and what sort of policies were needed was a colls tant theme of the speeches. Paul Whetton warned Newee e wo oOs. was as if the men were not goll lol lell what wals going on anyway!
The Labour Party women's conference was an eye-opener for me - partly because I had never been lo a big labour movemen conference before. I could not belleve there was motion on Wapping. When woman from een o o ee! on the head by Wapping, police LEUC CUT tried to get an emergency
they said police violence happens all the
wasn't LuNC emergency!
To me, everything on the agenda such as health and child care, depends on having strong Laue union organisation. Although was allel y issue was not discussed, from what I heard of the aebales 1 was very impressed with their militancy.
Brenda Dean has given women trade unionists a bad name because she will not fight for the right •organise, and women will
main losers in the be ine unorganised, temporary low paid that will
those who were campaigning against Scargill that he
enormous support in the union's rank and file.
Striking printer, Jim Mason praised Scargill as 'a leader who led you and unaerstooa wnele ne was
going andenned othe
Turnung leaders of the print unions ne weni on: All we ask of our leaders is to support us the way they said they were going to 18 januari when we came out in sup. port ot our trade union's right for recognition in that plant'.
New
And Notts area secretary, Henry Richardson carried on the point as regards the Labour Party: 'Despite the fact that the
'A lot of men have been surprised by the grit and determination of their female colleagues' result if Murdoch and his kind win out. I voted for
Dean president, but after seeing way she operates I didn't vote for What we have in SOGAT general secretary is a woman leader who is more concerned with her TV image than she is the
UDM are flirting with the that in despile ine lace
the last political ballot 99 cent of our Notts members to support the Labour Party, there are no Nottinghamshire Labour MPs on this platform, apart from Dennis Skinner. I hope you'll
The emphasised to nouce, loud applause. Cheap
Internationalism was a constant meme noaa out HanGer received a standing ova ton as ne spok on the situation In and paid his union's tribute to the struggl
the miners and of Womer Against Pit Closures
The struggle in South Africa W as especially highlighted in the platform speeches. An emergency resolution was unanimously adopted to protest the imminent
ANC members Sipho Xulu and Clarence Payi
The fight against tr
JDM in Notts is going 1 be a hard one — - demanding support from the whole labour movement. But the Justice for rewo ker ary was ali important step forward in that fight CLPs
In additio n the direct against the
UDM in the area now, the labour movement has demand that future aboli PoverHcu withdraws all recognition LUIE the Dicakawd organisation and recognises the NUM in Notts.
As victimised miner Paul Whetton told Socialist Action: 'once we ve got united mineworkers union in the
, I'm sure we're going acd to take the fight forward. The time for retreating has long since gone.'
BOXCOTT
WEW WOR
issues stake in the
dispute.
The women strikers
understand the issues and
anev de cac lo cail!
on the fight for their rights
because they understand
low important it is to wi
this strike
Socialist Action 12 Sep 1986 LIZ FRENCH spoke on behalf of Kent IuNI Women Pit Closures and her imprisoned husband, victimised miner Terry French. "The are still here' she reminded the rally. We're still strong And we're still standing by ou men. After two-and-a-half years. And we're stopping here because the fight has not yet been won' she em-
JIM MASON, a striking printer in the Wapping dispute, ,appealed for support. Then Jim went on to comment on the TUC.
'I heard Neil Kinnock's speech at the TUC. I don' personally feel that we need Labour government for some of the things he's saying. I feel we need a Labour govern• ment because we need revenge. We need revenge for the people on low pay,
ed Revenge hor the anti-
Revenge for the antitroge union laws. Kevengt for the sacked miners, , and the villages that took the battering evenge for tl 6000 print orke who or all, trikenday. . Mos
all, revenge for the thousands of murders go ing on in South Africa b!
. apartheid regime supported by this governIcal•
'WHO is going to tell us that the spirit of the Notinenamshire miners is se low after this marvellous turn-out today? asked DENNIS SKINNER. Skinner reviewed the miners strike and said it
the most honourable strike in his lifetime. "They used every weapon in the establishment's book to try and defeat the strike he said. But strike had been lost 'because some of LAOSE : in the TUC and in the labour movement failed to respond in our hour of need'.
The fight against miners had put skids
Tories, Skinner
went. on. He pointed out LORIL gone cap in hand to the in- the Tories had just
ternational bankers. 'Ar-
thur Scargill and told you throughout the
strike that it would cost
between £6 and £8 billion to finance the fight against
-1-2A
phasised in appealing 101 NUM recognition sfor ? Womer *galls Pit Closures,
;Then Lie French turned to her husband's case 'He's been away 22 mon-
and got. another year to do. Last weekend he had homes leave from the Friday
Monday. I -got booked in a little bötel in Bognor Kegis, But wasn't allowed "t0" because we had to go to the Wapping picket and show them what it's
'He even went to the TUC and embarrassed a lot of people down there. He wanted to show that being prison mean that you give up You can still be a fighter in there. You can still have your principles
Down in Kent, we've inst had a vote for an over time ban. Though we're being kicked down there we're still Fop of theiste together.
Terry's he's lost parole. Area s n evane Because
. No reason wa: given. We just have assume it's because he's political.
'In Kent there are 48 lads still sacked. Not one has got his job back yet.' ment denied it. mne tullner The Well las September them went to
the international currenc market and borrowed $2 ½ billion the highest dividual loan taken out by any government since the second world war. Three days ago they went one
billen. Add om wei Se
And I'm waiting for Roy
speak up about it.
Skinner gave a damn ing indictment of "That cher's
reference to the TUC discussions targetted
those who believe 'you can get rid of all that by con-
sensus Some leading
will tell
SHOOIC!
Porem tomorrow case der
"jam '«keep quiet" they say listen to
your • nose clean,
the management, don't get
into any these wondertul things conflict and
will come your way". But
miners strike should
have destroyed _a lol
these notions, Such col-
laboration paved the way
for Thatcher's and
MacGregor's
we don'i : wint any
CUS.
consensus.
'I give way to no one in
my desire beat this
Thatcher government. I'n
so prepared to defeat this
government that I'm not
prepared to spend my time
and inside the
Labour Party organising •
witch-hunt to drive
socialists out' he said to
bu audubo
Page 12 scan of this page
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AS THE News International dispute moves into week 34, GEORGE HALL, SOGAT News Group clerical FOC draws the lessons of the last few months and argues how the fight can be won.
the so-called have signalled the start of the new campaign to build the strike. This wasn't to be. At the SOĞAT Biennial Conference General Secretary Brenda Dean attempted to strangle this new found confidence by launching a tirade against the London delegates.
The London leadership led Campaign Group caved in Communist
under the onslaught and agreed to support 7-point resolution put the strike firmly back into the hands of the naLONEI leadership. resolution made it plain
all y aCiUI which jeopardised the union's funds would not be countenanced and that the TUC would continue OOK IO an cotaDic negotiated settlement' with the Company. Jobs and union recognition were completely absent let alone proposals for escalating the dispute. The London officers were firmly put in their place.
No more challenges to the 'LETS GO forward with the fervour of the old Clydesiders. arguments. Let's demonstrate to our brothers and sisters in South Africa that we can help them, ard show them that with our support, they can win.' That was the appeal Jimmy Knapp, general Union of Railwaymen, made to the TUC Congress when it unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the British government for opposing comprehensive sanctions against South Africa and calling for a stronger boycott of South African goods.
The debate on South Africa was a highlight of Congress. It focussed on a key Issue il pontucs loddy. the growing isolation of the Thatcher governmen in the framework of the struggle the South African people against apartheid and the growing demand for full and comprehensive sanctions aaaast the apartheid regime.
Ron Todd introduced the General Council report. He also outlined the new venture of the TUC - a 60 second film against apartheid rule to be shown cinemas throughout the country. A glossy TUC magazine appeared at Congress called Beating Apartheid - the Luli cut crisis South Africa - and the TUC's orogramme of action'
Fi oda spore or lat I cent visit by himself and Nonial to South Africa, organised by the International Congress of Free Trade Unions (ICF TU), and appealed for more trade unionists to
The magnificent no-vote early in June against 'Dean-Murdoch' final offer should
NEC by 'unconstitutional
mass meetings calling for
ТАМО ДО SAM HONP
All meetings had to be
controlea Dy uie Urlicels.
Despite this people in the
CCG and others claimed a
victory at Scarborough.
Murdoch aid not sut-
fer the same delusions. As
the resolution was
SUVl as
passed he was back to the
courts, taking writs
outside NI plants in the picketing
outside
knowledge that
SOGAT leaders would
under circumstances
take on the Tory laws.
Within hours of the
court case being won by
Murdoch the terror-struck
union hierarchy
delivered directives to all
TUC calls for campaign
on South Africa
Let's get out and win the political out the streets and
secretary of the National
take up invitations from
the South African unions
to see for themselves the
reality of apartheid.
Todd's report also set
By Doreen Weppler
the framework for the
issue of sanctions. 'Every
black person I talked to,
Toda explained, 'wanted
more sanctions, and the
hard-hitting
NOTe alle
quick-acting the better.
I hey who were suffering
saw it to be their right
alone proscribe the
remedy.'
Knapp introduced the Sompo Atrica amid a sea of composite resolution
red carnations - virtually
Congress
LIC ClulC
sported the "Flower for
Freedom sold on the day tunds for South Africse the TGWU Gralst
(fOSLo Knapp's
speech, which outlined the
facts and figures on apar-
theid, pointed to 'one
message this Congress
must take away
that the British trade
union movement totally
ting them to obey to the letter Judge Stuart's verdict. Incredibly, certain leading members CCG called the court judgement a victory BIOI the printers, and further claimed that Kinnock and Willis fully behind the strike!
As for the NGA, after the rejection of the Murdoch 'final offer' Dubbins cleverly headed off any militant moves in his own union. Dubbins proposed
tangible steps to esCaae dispute wanting to place the NGA in contemot of court bu he made left-sounding
and won the NoCCCucs union to support a motion almea a the TUC Congress attacking the role Hammond and the EETPU leadership.
His policy was to pur Murdoch via DICOSUIS Hammond (!) to reopen negotiations, saying that if talks don't take place the motion would be amended to call for the suspension of the electricians union.
wrees was passed overwhelmingly wil towe arcu cil. abhors the stance of this Conservative government and the Prime Minister.
Tuffin, SECOl ding the resolution on behalf of the UCW exposed the hypocrisy Tine Tory government on sanc-
LICal-
ment of the unemployed i
Britain, and the black pec ple of this country, proves she doesn't care at all about 'unemployment produced in South Africa
sanctions, Her real motivation resisting sanctions is to protect the economic ties between British business and South Africa Tory funds also
.coen Í
o the tune of £1.2 millio of donations to the Conservative party over the
year from 73 firms JasI with direct South African
connections.
A warm welcome was given to Maxwell Xulu , a
of COSATU, the 600,000 non-racial union federation established last year. Edward Mugane from CUSA, the south African federation which like the TUC is affiliated to the ICFTU also spoke,
To date CUSA has turned a deaf ear to unity
appeals by COȘATU At a
of growing unity the liberation struggle the efforts by some sections of union officialdom at Congress House to promote CUSA at the expense of COSATU can only weaken the solidarity ef-
Despite the policy of the leadership at the national level the struggle can still be won An elected strike committee is needed to give much-needed new direction to the strike: taking the strike into the other houses Fleet Street; fighting in the first place
44-лour stoppagt leading extended action: stomoing scab coD being transferred across the wire to Wapping; stop
ing alsed in any pris bee
used in printing house in Fleet Street; extending the boycott into all printing factories up and down the country to ensure MITOOCR products are boycotted.
The danger is that the national leadership will come with another 'final offer with an increase compensation out of the present round of MCCoLaLols, alu dileald to use their control to push it throueh. , Standing firm against any deal that does
include traditional 1101 trade union organisation is absolutely vital if we're to chart a course for victory. forts of British trade unionists. Instead, the TUC and its International Department should urging all trade unions in South Atrica to iom witi COSATU
The debate on South Africa at this year's TUC
huge opportunities UOCIS for the Anti-Apartheid Movement and activists in the trade THIO OS The AAM hosted a receptior for South African trade unionists and ANC leaders
speak lo delegates OI the eve of the debate. It was clear there, and at the Congress itself, that many delegates were considering for the first time what they could do to further fight for sanctions.
For these delegate hmmmi Knapp's remarks should be a cal for action, not just fine words.
'I am making a pas sionate plea from my heart. Don't buy South African goods, he demanded to loud ap plause. 'And I say to al decent trade unionists
handle South African goods.
'If anyone is victimised because they are moved to take this type of action
Congres: unite in their total defence All of us have a duty to do all we can to eradicate thi evil and I have faith anc confidence movement hat we wil not our
fail.'
← Socialist Action No. 147, 29 August 1986Socialist Action No. 149, 26 September 1986 →