Socialist Action No. 159, 20 February 1987
The scan: 159-feb-20-1987-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
THE WAR AGAINST THE PALESTINIANS
No. 159 ple into submission.
THE siege conditions around the Palestinian camps in Lebanon has existed in its present form for over three months. But essentially a siege at one level or other has existed since last April.
There was a short siege in April 1986 that was formally ended in May. From then on women were allowed to move in and out of the camps. But young men were still afraid to move because of fear of being kidnapped.
Hundreds of young men were kidnapped between these sieges taken to detention centres in Beirut. They were tortured, maimed some ater released.
Over three months ago the siege of Burj al-Barajneh and Shatila started. They were both swollen by refugees from Sabra camp - which could not be rebuilt after last year's battles There is also a small Marellyas camp
which is on Christian land and which has grown from 2,000 to more than 15,000.
Conditions in the desparate. Water is the first problem. Although there has not yet a total lack of water that is because it is winter. There are no underground sewers. Drinking water is mixed with sewage.
There is an extremely serious food shortage. People ran out of food supplies about one and a half months after this siege started. One of the main sources of food, up to a fer weeks ago, was the wild shrubs and wecus malgrow aroune ue callo Now even these have totally run out.
Dole people, have been trying to venture out galer weeas and suruos arouna une outskirts of the camps. Many have been kidnapped or killed by Amal SLOCIS
In Burj-al-Barajneh people have been feeding on cats, dogs, mules and rats for weeks now. Now these have run out.
SOCiAlist
ACTION
BUILDING AN ALLIANCE FOR SOCIALISM
THE ACCOUNTS of the conditions in the Palestine refugee camps of Burj al-Barajneh and Shatila under siege in Lebanon have horrified the world. The press is presenting a picture of Lebanon descending into anarchy'. But the truth is that a brutal war is being waged by the United States, Israel, Syria and their allies to try to smash the Palestinian peo-
A report from a Canadian surgeon • working in Burj-al-Barajneh told how from last Saturday the people decided to go on voluntary tast to save any remaining food for pregnant women, young children and elderly people, who were starving. Because of these conditions there are a huge number of cases of typhoid, intestinal infections and skın diseases.
In Burj-al-Barahneh most of the water supplies are cut. Only one water point is functioning and estimated 20,000 people in this camp.
Women have been sniped at while goand ing to this water point.
Burj-al-Barajneh has hospital. It used to have three floors and a basement but the top floors have been flattened by shelling. Only the underground part of the building
operating theatre and about thirty Dees.
In Shatila there is one small hospital in use, which used to be a are small emergency hospital. The main hospital for the people of Shatila cannot be reached any more. In both camps medical supplies have run out completely.
In Burj-al-Barajneh there are no painkillers at all. On surgeon reported that on that evening alone she did fourteen amputations and is often forced to do amputations because of the lack of basic medical equipment and supplies which make other treatments impossible.
By 26 January this year, according to the tigures of the Palestinian Rec to Crescent, equivalent .LO the CrOSS. 1924 Palestinians killed, 4549 injured and 79,000 made homeless in the siege and bombardment. On Monday in only one camp - Burj-al-Barajhneh - 17 were killed and the shelling of all the camps was so bad that radio contact completely broke down.
20 Feb 1987 30p Campaign Forum Rally -
see page 3
Behind the attack on the Palestimans - see page 4 RIMA MILHIM, secretary of the General Union of Palestinian Students, explains the truth of what is taking place for an in Lebanon.
ONC Friday one
Red
been
people
Page 2 scan of this page
2 Socialist Action
ACTiON SOCiALiSt
Why war on the
Palestinians?
The British media is playing one of its usual cynicla games. Attention on Lebanon is being concentrated on the fate of Terry Waite and a handful of western hostages. But the real crime in Lebanon is the assault being carried out against the Palestinians.
On our front page we give space to Rima Milhim, secretary of the General Union of Palestinian Students, to expl in the real situation around the Palestinian camps in Lebanon. But we also agree analysis of what is behind the assault on the Palestinians - which here. As we go to press Nabih Berri, head of the Shi'ite militia Amal, has announced a lifting of the siege of the camps - although the reality of that remains to be seen. Even if true however it is only forces in Lebanon have joined in on the side of the Palestinians. the Syrians, behind them the United States and Israel, the PLO remains as firm struggle is going to go on. the entire world must be alerted to the real crimes that are going on in Lebanon.
By Rima Milhim ALTHOUGH the siege is mainly being carried out by Amal it is completely organised by Syria. Syrian troops surround the camps in Beirut and the Syrian army is using T54 and T55 tanks to back up the attack.
Amal is simply doing the dirty work for syria to bring the PLO and the Palestinians to their knees and to be subservient to Syria. Amal has used questions such as the occupation of the Magdouce village in southern Lebanon as an excuse saying that if the PLO Amal will lift the siege. The PLO withdrew but Amal did not lift the siege. The camps are in fact being used as political hostages against the PLO.
The aim southern Lebanon.
The population Shatila are clearly being used as hostages to try to force the PLO to comply with Syrian demands. Amal is attacking the camps because they do not want the PLO reescalate the conflict with Israel. They claim to be hitting at the PLO leadership and those loyal to the PLO leadership.
But there are reports organisations in the camps that Amal is attacking all of them, and not hitting any particular group. Even the groups quite close to Syria politically have said this the siege is not going to end quickly. The food that went in a few days ago minimum. Aproximately one kilo of flour and half a kilo of milk per person was sent in. This food is estimated to last at the very most four or five days. No medical equipment was allowed in, and even those badly injured were not allowed to be evactuated.
Syria wants a position to be able to negotiate with the US and Israel on the future of the mid. dle east and wants total control over the PLO as part of this. Syria is clearly in complete contact with the US, negotiations. It is clear that Syria does not want the PLO in Lebanon.
The pressure from Israel is that of offering some joint Israeli and southern Lebanon.
Palestinians to be driven away from the Israeli borders in return for backing Amal in Lebanon.
Amal has obviously something by the US to do this dirty work. For example help in the reestablishment of Lebanese state and their place in it. Amal has constantly indirect Israeli support. For example on Friday, simultaneously with Amal's bombardment of the camps, the Israelis were shelling the Palestinian Lebanon. Moreover, although the being held under siege by Amal, the Israelis have maintained constant Rashidiyeh camp.
What we are seeing in Lebanon is a war against the Palestinian people. everyone to come to our aid.
20 Feb 1987 with
we reproduce
because other
The drive of Amal and
to smash the Palestinians and
Never, That get out of there
is to get the Palestinians out of Lne
of Burj-al-Barajneh and
the
back in Lebanon for fear it will
from political lee
because they are Palestinians,
was the
and there is some level of secret
Syrian valle That means pushing for the
been promised
areas around the camps in south
camps are
naval blackade of
We appeal to
LPYS
THE LABOUR Party Black Section has announced that it is running STEVE JOMOA for the youth place on the Labour Party NEC. The election will take place at this years LPYS conference. Jomoa's campaign is also being supported by Labour Left Liaison (LLL). The campaign started with a fringe meeting at the West Midlands LPYS conference last weekend. The Black Section and Jomoa have issued a platform for the campaign which we are printing in full below. Socialist Action urges all its supporters, and those active in the LPYS to support and build Steve Jomoa's campaign in every possible way.
I AM standing as a national Black Section candidate with the support of Labour Left Liaison. I am advocating the Black Section's anti-imperialist and
Des cliver positive alternative to Militant's pro-imperialist nant politics in the LPYS This is crucial if Labour's politics is to be relevant to youth.
I am standing for an LPYS which gives solidari-
gle. We must support cam-
like Broadwater Farm Defence Campaign, the Black People's Campaign for Justice, St Paul's
Defence Campaign, and
Monerville campaign.
We must demand that
LPYS representative the Douglas, withdraws from
Back and Asian Advisory Commit-
This Conniece unaccountable, unelected and undemocratic and was set up purely to undermine Labour Black Sections. LPYS must campaign against this betrayal of Black youth.
I am totally opposed to the witch hunting of socialists from the Labour Party. Furthermore, must campaign in defence of the independence of the LPYS against the Sawyer proposals which were railroaded through Labour a Piece
Every now and then I take time off from political activity and trade union work
Black Section
platform for
Party conference including the proposal to decapitate the LPYS reducing the age limit to 21.
I am committed to furthering the Black Section's anti-imperialist intervention in politics. This means stepping up the fight for Black national liberation in Azania (South Africa), support for the demands of the Palestinians anc support British withdrawal trom ireland. Britain must withdraw
NATO. The grip or developing countries of neo-colonialism and big business has to be broken The Labour Party must replace its patronising ap proach to international aid and development with policies relevant to Black people But home and abroad. the most urgent priority is to isolate racist South Africa.
We restate the Black Section's demands for:
Immediate disinvestment and Labour authorities; 2. A national Labour Party fund to provide aid for
Azania's freedom fighters supported by a national publicity campaign spearheaded by the trade unions and Labour Party;
An officially-backed refusal by trade unionists to handle South African goods;
of the
•..and indulge myself in a serious consciousness-lowering session!
BLACK
ECTIONS
4. The unconditional release of all South African political prison-
A manifesto commit-
that Labour Government will break off diplomatic relations with Pretoria's racist regime
rescind rights to residency in Britain of the
million White South UlIc Africans who , currently have this entitlement.
Labour must back up its
statements made in opposition with bold action in government.
Labour's economic policies must be geared to full employment. Ownership by the workers of the commanding British industry must be swiftly achieved. There must be national minin un warc Youth Training Scheme slave wages must be ended.
ACTION
Equality....
Trade union rights for all workers must be guaran teed. Positive policies aimed at ending racism - including contracts compliance and employment equality targets — must be implemented.
The health service workers many of whom are low-paid and Black must be properly valued rewarded. The NHS should be adequately resourced.
Education for means a crusade against racist stereo typing by the British school system. The culture, achievements and history of Black people be positively portrayed Racist immigration laws must be repealed. The police must be freed of racist practices and placed under the democratic control of elected representatives. We fully support
At a certain stage of the evening I reach a level of mindlessness that has an almost mystical
WOMAN'S RIGHT MISE
News
Black Section Policing in that the on
the next Labour government must:
1. Repeal the 1984 Police Act, the Public Order Act and the Prevention of Terrorism Act;
2. Enshrine in law the duty
of herpooise to prosecute
perpetrators race attacks;
3. Set up a fully indepenGen complaints body; democratic control and accountability of the police; 4. Ban the manufacture,
use
firearms, plastic bullets, water cannon and other life endangering cullicul
am fully committed to the gains of those who
have fought for greater
party democracy and le
bian and gay rights We
support the constitutional
demands of the Labour
women's conference.
demanes of the
national Black Section are
Black peopl demonstrating struggle
. Black youth
nave been
their anger for many years
The history
Black people demanding
their rights has been specific strains one through rallying
are building our own
power inside the labour
movement for self-
organisation. Black Sec
tion is about developing a
national framework for
those struggles so that all
the experience and skill
gained is fed in to benefit
the whole movement.
• To find out how you
can support the campaign
contact: Naionar Party
organiser, Labour
Black Sections, 46 Sum-
merhouse Avenut
Heston, Middlesex, TW5
9DA (01-577 5057).
© CORMAC
I am now almost capable of listening to any man who has "got in touch with his emotions" and wants to talk about it....
Page 3 scan of this page
Campaign Group - Black Section Rally
Politics Today
MORE THAN 600 people attended the first Campaign Forum public meeting in Lambeth town hall on 16 January. The main hall was jam packed and an Fighting racism, paigning by the Campaign Group of Labour MPs and the Labour Party Black Section, brought together Linda Bellos, leader of Lambeth council and vice chair of the Black Section, and Gul Zarina Khan also representing the Black Section, with Arthur Scargill and Campaign Group MPs Tony Benn, Eric Heffer and Jeremy Corbyn. They were joined by speakers from defence campaigns in support of Broadwater Farm, Viraj Mendis, and Trevor Monerville, and by Judith Woodward Women's Action Committee. Bernie Grant, leader of Haringey council, was seriously ill and unable to attend. His message of solidarity to the meeting was read from the platform. CAROL TURNER reports.
*I BELIEVE that this platform very important, said Linda Bellos, addressing the rally in Lambeth To manoecause we dr in the run up to a genera
and the have already begun to play the race card.
"In every general election in living memory they Let us hope that this plat-
change.
The change is that Labour isn't going to play it as well.
Addressing the theme of the meeting, Rellos explained: 'One of the key wavs in which the elimination of racism must come about is that black people have to have the right speak for ourselves. She criticised the Labour Party which had 'consistently marginalised and betrayed black people.'
'But, she went on, 'there is a change nOW That change is witnessed by Ine kina or allacks unl people like me and Bernie ana Mere Amoury The change is that now we have black peopic l tue Lavour Party speaking for ourselves. The truth is and a lot of the media and certainly the Tories don't like it ing for working class black people.
Bellos urged the audience, about one-third of which was black people, 'to be in the Labour Party, not withstanding my criticisms the party'
Solidarity message
from Bernie Grant:
I am sorry I am unable to be with you
tonight due to illness. I would like to
extend solidarity greetings to the meeting
from the Haringey Labour group and
Haringey Labour Parties and in particular
from the youth of Broadwater Farm. am
pleased that the Campaign Group and
Black Section have organised to defend
progressive Labour councils from the
unprecedented attack of the Thatcher
government, the media and some
unrepresentative sections of the labour
movement.
These attacks are particularty repugnant
because of their racist
attacks prove that Labour connots are
currently in the forefront of the straggles
against the goverament, and meetings sach
as tonight's meeting are therefore essential
as we approach the general election.
I wish you all the best. Onwards to
socialism!
Huge success of
overflow room was booked. Under the title defending Labour councils, camfor socialism' the rally, jointly organised representing the Labour
'Only we can determine what we as black people want and need is why we have to determine our own tutures and become actively involved in the Labour Party. "The fight against racism must be led by black people. In another situation one would take as a necessary truth.
In the Labour Party it is something that has to be fought for I'm sorry to Linda Bellos went on that councils which were defending their black communic WCIC most under attack from the Tories. "There has to be a genuine understanding that the demands and aspirations of the black community are in fact in OCHORI ism, ' she said. 'I'm golg talk about class with its gender perspective and its race perspective. We never hear it, almost as if black peo pie welch l working class 'Let US look to the pialive his country. o ple live in this country. didn't come here because nature. The Tory
of the weather. We came here to do a job of work, dirty under-paid and most of us are still tryIng to do i
In other words, we are working class. And I hope the fact will come out from today s and go forward to every platform and every campaign within the labour movement.'
The theme OI black people in the Labour Party Was taken up Gina Khạn, described by the chair as 'a Black Section front-line fighter, chair of Amir Khan's reinstatement campaign, who took on Roy Hattersley and WOlL
Gina explained she became a Labour Party member. I come trom a background the women rights. That is the culture they are brought up in.
'It is all very well for Deople in this country say that countries are undemocratic. tell you one thing we should
ear in mind: we inherited from the British empirhe
Gina told her pleasure, 16 years ago, at a marriage that brought her: to this women have rights. I was
democracy. I didn't realise till five years ago that there isn't a democracy.'
She explained that when a resolution con-
Black Sections was moved at her Labour Party branch she hadn't
them Then speaker from Black Section was invited to put the
The rest is history.
Amir Khan was out of the party for
for trying to set up a Black
"That is the reason
why.! can tell you that
Black Section is necessary
TOT black people get
equal within he
Labour Party. And that is
we are still fighting
for democracy.'
Gul Zarina explained:
'The night Amir and Kevin
(Scally) were reinstated at
the constituency there was
very emotional speech
from Hatterslev. pleading
with constituency
members to accept these
members back and saying
it was a very bitter pill to swallow. Comrades, what
am saying is that we
nack people have been
swallowing that bitter pill
for years and years and years.
The bitter pill for black people Britain was
graphically described from
platform a) Mendis Rosie
from the Viraj
Campaign. address the said. sartary in a Manhester because taking shurch. against Tory gos emment thai wanted to deport him back to Sn
Lanka abere he would
murdered by regime
rally platform. for his political views and his active commitment to the Tamil struggle.
Police harassment of black youth was taken up
the uncle of Trevor Monerville. Trevor was arrested on 1 January this vear. asleep in a car with a broken window.
Stoke Newington police arrested him for criminal damage.
As a result, he almost lost his life. Now he is in hospital and has undergone brain surgery, after a police beating that left him paralysed.
Speaking to the Lambeth meeting, Trevor's uncle explained this was iceburg of Stoke Newington police brutality to black people.
Stafford Scott of the Broadwater Farm Youth
told the audience revenge that has followed the uprising of 6 Octobe
'We've had over 400 arrested, and out of that we've seen less than half of LOSC said Scott. people Even now charged,
the courts of the Old Bailey there have been 19
cases of affray. Only.
have been found guilty,
five were not found guilty and two are being sent for a retrial.'
He went on: 'We know
that the people in the court are not there because of any kind police
As a matter of
hai pole emide proves
some people shouldn't be there
'In the case of one of
the juveniles charged with murder (whose
annot mention) he is suj
osed to have said in hi
Above: Black Section chair Marc Wadsworth with Linda Bellos and Arthur Scargill before the rally began; below: the Lambeth statement and I cut the
on his legs and CheN police evidence proves that this police officer had not cuts on his chest or his legs.'
From the National Union of Mineworkers, Arthur Scargill pledged his supporft for the black communities. 'Just as I
and my peo
and 1985, and just as you gave it,' he said, address. ing black people in the audience, 'we are prepared to give it in 1986 and 1987.
'One thing that made mineworkers understand the issues and the problems in graphic terms is that in mining villages South Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire saw police smashing down
loors and beating peopl on the ground. 11,000 We saw 7000 injured. And we saw 11 of our people dead.
"So we began to understand, probably more than
Socialist Action
CAMPAICN GROUP
did previously. the fight of those in the black
ly imperative that working people - black and white, wherever we come from, whatever we do - understand that we've got a common enemy and that common enemy is capilalist and this Thatcher government.
The same solidarity Woodward on behalf of echoed by Judith WAC. Women, like black people, she said, not only
lad a long history of being marginalised in this socie ty, but also an honourable one fighting the forefront of struggles like that of the liberation of Ireland. tradition was amply demonstrate by the Women Against Pit Closures movement and Greenham Commen the women of
'WAC is pleased to be on this platform in defence of Lambeth, Harginey and Brent councils, said Judith. 'These councils are prominent not only in the fight for black communities but women's rights. strongly supports Labour Party Black Section because we know that they are also in the forefront of the things that women are fighting for.
In the closing speech of the rally, Tony Benn sum-
20 Feb 1987 med Lathes rafia Black
Labour Party Black Section and Campaign Group rally. 'I think this meeting, 'We have seen something which
quite unusual. Often you" have the same old Labour MPs on the platform and 'I'm sometimes one of them talking about other people's struggles. Bu tonight people have spoken for themselves.
In the words of Tony Benn: What we have seen tonight is the shape of the politics of Britain in the 1990s.
It was a deeply signifi cant meeting. For the first time ever leaders of the black community were on a platform with leaders of the traditional left of the Labour Party - and with common goals. In what it can mean for the labora movement if it is beak of it was the mos pubbc
Page 4 scan of this page
Key choices for NOLS
How to conduct the women's review
4 Socialist Action 20 Feb 1987 THE POLICIES which the National Organisation of Labour Students (NOLS) decides on at its annual conference on 28 February-1 March will not only decisively influence debates facing NUS conference in March. They will also be the policies with which NOLS will face a general election. Given NOLS 14.000 strong leadership of NUS, decisions at NOLS conference will be crucial to the million members of NUS. It will have an important bearing in the labour movement.
The first challenge facing NOLS conference is to
defend the rights students - to grants, access to education, and similar matters and to
place studente aging
those struggling against oppression and exploitation today. This
fighting for strategy of an alliance with ine labour movement to best defend the interests of students and the working classolicies around which this can be done include the fight against the Tories and for the return o] labour government, the fight against apartheid, for the defence of Central America, against racism
women's liberation, for the rights of the Palestinian people return to their homeland and against the murderous policies of the state of
The Democratic Left leadership of NOLS while supporting Some pro-
gressive struggies, notably
for the LIne
withdrawal of Britain from Ireland, subordinate
these to its support for the
present leadership of the
Labour rarly and its
course in steering the pardebates at the NOLS cone background ference — the most central
which will be on ine
Middle East.
context of the
horrific intensification of
The differences over
tifor, the national organiser of LWAC
The basic issue at stake
is whether the review
the party's women's
organisation will car-
ried out in a way that will
allow ine maximum
ticipation of women, and
the rank file of the
party in the process,
whether it will be stitched
up behind closed doors by
union executives and the
NEC. If the latter is the
case you can be sure it will
take decisions aimed
the interests of
women.
Unfortunately at its
January meeting the Na-
tional Labour Women's
Committee took a series of
decisions which will
minimise the involvement
of woren and the party
and trade union rank and
file. It decided not to meet
the deadline of the
meeting OI the NEC
for constitu-
Palestine, women, Black sections
membership, and that it holds the
direction given to the 1¼
the siege of the refugee camps in Lebanon the main NOLS National Commitlet monon davocales support for 'two states' israel Palestinian state and a Zionist state.
This motion would overturn NOLS policy, up to now been in support or the ully pusslble non-oppressive soliu-
By Polly Vittorini
tion to the war in the Middle East — that is support fo the rifht of return of the Palestinian people to the courtry they were violently expellea trom and 1o1 democratic secula
For Labour students to retreat from this policy would be a major blow to the democratic demands of the Palestinian people who are literally lighting genocidal attacks. would mean committing NUS to support for an oppressor stale or Israci, li would work against meaningful solidarity with the PLO and make more difficult the fight for all gressive policies in NOLS and NUS
Since this 'two states' policy only SuD' ported by the Kinnockite Democratic Left' but by the self-styled left alter'Socialist Students in NOLS'. • 1l 15 likely to become NOLS and, if debated, NUS policy. This would be
FOR EIGHT years the Labour Women's Action Committee (LWAC) has been campaigning for fundamental changes in the structure of the Labour Women's Organisation — to establish the principle that women should control their own organisations in the party. At last year's party conference it was voted, for the first time, to undertake a thorough review of the Labour Party's womens organisation.
this review have now culminated in the resignation from the National Laboar Women's Committee (NLWC) of Ann Pet-
tional amendments to be tabled to this year's party conference. Moreover decided, in order to try to keep the maximum control the NLWC over material circulated to the party, to entirely reject the draft consultation By Jude Woodward, asst secretary LWAC, personal capacity ment prepared by the party officers and to prepare a new document for discusby the NEC. The February NLWC meeting duly approved a new docudiscussed by the NEC in will March.
The apparent reality of the choice that the NLWC made was to attempt to get more control over the itial documentation, at the expense of moving to the
a severe setback for the policies of students and open up the floor for all sorts reactionary pressures in the future.
it is vital Wal prescu NOLS policy is defended,
NOLS support the PLO's demand for democratic secular state in Palestine where all can live equally. NOLS oppose airy so-called solution which would continue to deprive Palestinians their rights. This is the most important choice facing the
discussion in the rank and file immediately. It is this choice that is so damaging to women in the party. The issues are best dealt witt one by one.
Firstly, and most importantly, the documentation LOW agreed by the NWLC will go before the NEC in March, where it is highly unlikely that it will be agreed. Therefore a further roung or discussion will have to ensue at the level of the national committees. Even if the NEC dECC to the document, the earliest that it will be circulated is the beginning of April. that there will still be no
documentation before the women's section by May.
While it is very important that the authority of the Labour Party women's
built up,
women cannot rely on the
NLWC achieve their
goals. The NLWC
elected regionally and is
unrepresentative of
women in . the party as a
and is a relatively
powerless body. In a clash
of wills between the NEC
and the NLWC, it is an
elephant versus a mouse.
However, clash
between the NEC and the
organised women
Party ranks, linked up
Israeli troops in action against Palestinians. Will NOLS vote to accept a Zionist state? conference
The other main issues at conference are womena nd racism. NOLS is likely
emand Women's Action CommitWAC'S and to add its name to
appeal for women's conference elect the women's section of the NEC. NOLS is also likely to adopt support for the right self-organisation through the Labour Party Black Sec tion.
These policies stand in Ann Pettifor with women in the ranks of the unions, the contest is not so unequal. This is where the issue has to be fought out, and the more rapidly and the more openly the better. The more the issue is kept in committees, confined to a and forth between the
betweet the NEC and the NLWC, the
less pressure women can
bring to bear on the outcome must ensure that the issues are taken out of committees and discussed
widely as possible,
cluding in the unions and
women's on the basis of resolutions and positions put by in-
contradiction to the 'Students for a Tabou Victory' motions put forward by Democratic Left crouched in terms of building support for Labour for a general elec. tion, these motions call for NOLS to run a political educatin campaign Labour policies • for use in
This involves Kinnock's politics and electoral strategy which stands firmands of giA and the firmly the Black Sections. dividuals. It must get into the party ranks as soon as possible. Women must set
the agenda for this review
and discussion. The more
starting it is delayed the
more it will be left in the hands of union executives
disaster for women and for the party as a whole.
It is also extremely like-
ly that the final documen-
tation that goes out will be
more similar
original draft circulated by
the party officers than that
drafted the NLWC.
Therefore all that will have
been achieved is nearty six
months of delay
An example this kind of strategy was seen
NOLS counci January, where can-
briefing on
Mike Capicy was lady
Mike archproponent of 'non nuclea defence? This involves NOLS in a campaign of withdrawal from NATO. disarmament
Rather than a campaign which hides support for Kinnock's politics behind rhetoric in support of the Labour Party,
r in the party
precious six months that could have been occupied
among women in the party.
Even if there are improvements in the document the price that will have been paid for these initial improvements is far too high.
It means that nothing Will be • discussed bi the women's sections and
by this women's conterence and it t is the women's organisation itself not the NLWC
decide its views on this matter. Ever more significant the time table adopted by the NLWC rules out taking the issue of Labour Party women's organisation to the union conferences this
The deadlines for resolutions to must
conferences are early the year. Therefore as cach
deadline passes it hands
more control over into the
hands of the union
ecutives and the NEC
wh are bound by no suc
estrictions on their deci
sions.
In a number of unions
this will simply mean that
the union executives
decide without any
reference to the member
ship at all - and they will
News
NOLS must embark upor a course of building sup port for the politics of Campaign Forum.
Campaign Student supporters will be standing
NOLS National Committee on a platform of support for the politics of Labour Left Liaison for a mass campaigning action against cuts grants and benefits, and
support for mand of democratic secual Palestine
be able to justify this on the grounds that documentation reached them too late for wider
In other inOSCUSS UH stances it will mean that alternative proposals, which do not take women's organisation forward will circulated and discussed without any reference to the proposals of the labour women's conference
It is juite likely tha APEX vill circulate its proposals for introducin à straight bloc vote inte women's conterence for example Even more potentially dangerous proposals are apparently cir
culating within the TGWI
for the complete abolitio
of the reserved places to
vomen on the NEC
Area danger exists that the Jul of
the NEC will have consti-
tional amendments before
that set back the
women's organisation, i
a situation where no head of steam has been built
posals, and where there
alternative pro-
posals on the table tha
have the authority of th
women's conference. Thi
would be tne disastrous
consequences of delay b
the NEWC
Page 5 scan of this page
SINN FEIN MANIFESTO
News
As we go to Irish general election are not out. Charles Haughey's Fianna Fail has been falling steadily despite entering the election campaign wit a massive lead. Both the have been attempting to minimise the impact of Sinn Fein's campaign in the 26 county elections. The elections have come only three months after the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis took its historic decision to alter its electoral policy and take up seats to which it was elected in the southern parliament. The short time scale means that Sinn Fein has not been mount a full scale campaign in this general election. As Gerry Adams, Sinn Fein president, had repeated. ly pointed out the real test for Sinn Fein will be the next elections in the south. But the party has still produced a full manifesto and is standing 27 candidates 24 multi-member southern parliament. We are printing here, to indicate the scope of Sinn Fein's campaign first the introduction to their manifesto and second Adams statement at the press conference printed in An Phoblacht/Republican News summarising the first two week's of Sinn Fein's campaign.
SINN Fein offers the social and economic policies outlined in this manifesto as being sensible short-term steps needed alleviate the grave situa-
facing the people of the 26 Counties.
At the same time, we firmly believe that neither this state nor the Sixtheir Yust economic and their economic and social potential separately.
This is quite obvious in the
Not the Six which has a totally dependent colony. incapable economic unit. However, constituting viable the impact of partition is not always so clearly seen in ine zo counnes wilere, on the surface at least, we
Have self-governing economic enti-
But the partition has had a major effect, particularly Tue border counties which, cut off from hinterland, have suffered
and Then
of the
laboration with Britain
smuggling.
fects this artificial
26-County domestic
policy
picocuco the South.
Banks, com-
and major retail are largely
British links.
British
dustrial which
dominated by multina-
Europe.
This makes the establish-
and a strong maintain status quo ture of to assert in-
of
the 26-County
identified
the wider the USA and NATO
For 50 years, nothin
"The only party committed to real change'
press the result of the southern
Support for
British and Irish pres
able to
for the
Gerry
ties. Over the past years, the resistance the
republican people been the
change. Talli the
by Britain in
aliciol stabilise situation,
of
until only mains Gains
would
British, have tried to
resistance campaign. Their willingness extradite
the Northern
they £350
position
the point
border
tain pays.
Their sup-
Ignores Cause
more
inuation
day of DUL real
able to their
nation.
parties
over 60 the
democratic principle of
1916 60
social economic sor They 1008
Sinn Fein campaigns in action
empty election promises and offers no easy solu tions. We stand on our record as the only pally which has consistently asserted and worked the right of the Irish people to national reunification and freedom.
Sinn Fein calls for: • A declaration of British intent to withdraw from Ireland. • Self-determination for the people. • AN amnesty for all political prisoners Ireland and abroad.
cross-border collaboraLUll.
Sinn Fein regards
withee sovereds Ireland not merely as an aspiration. the realisatior of which can be delayed in-
measure vital to the im-
measure mediate and future social, political and economic development of the Irish people.
All of the main parties in the state declare thai they want to united reland. that
BECAUSE this election has been, to a large degree, a media election, and because it has been dominated by the shallow politics of per-
onality, the real issues hav
been obscured Since the Sle i am aren election began,
been written off by many observers and the potential of our support has been seriously underestimated
have said on a number of occasions that our first major • LCOL will be the election after this one. However, very widespread tour of most of the constituencies being contested bv us. I have beer surprised at the degree of distlusionment being expressed by many supporters of the other parties and the warmth and goodwill shown towards Sinn Fein People are sick and tired of the failed politics of the establishment parties and at the dishonest and superficial efforts of other party leaders distance themselves from respon sibility for the mess this country is in and in particular for une Ted difficulties facing the citizens
Neither FitzGerald,
O'Malley individually ide a
BARRETI
CAREY
TUNNEY conflict is national
this which organised
and the goal total Irish in-
Irish The
8,000 soldiers
proof the
determina-
British violence guarantees the
of the Sixwnere a
tional to self-
and use and privileges.
Sinn Fein's campaign
solution these dif-
part of it.
icauers or une 01g parties have one thing common they do not identify with these problems. How could they? They are only interested in personal powel, and ine mask their intentions with heavily-subsidised
party political propaganda and stage-managed media canvassers of carefully-selected areas. And they even believe their own propaganda
Dessie chari, Carie
and follow C Garret seeds Pose.
and injustice, republicans in the Six Counties have been forced take UD armed struggle. Sinn Fein defends that struggle in the samne way inal we atrenc the achievement of an earlier generation which fought the British to a standstill during the Tan WaT. The armed struggle in the Six Counties today is the latest phase in the Wa of Independence, a war forced on the Irish people British goverument to the the refusal cede Irish freedom peacefully.
should be remembered that the curTERI phase armed resistance to British rule
Matter a cam. paign for Civil Rights had
been literally beaten oit the streets of the Six Counties after series loyalist pogroms had destroyed nationalist homes and ives and atte it became clear that British LOOD. had been sell Ireland not to protect the beleagured lauolausl but to preserve the status
They have reduced politics to a circus in which they see themseives as the main at traction. Increasing numbers of voters see them as the clowns. Tonight on RTE (southern Irish broadcostime will be played pant casting) a pariIt will be a mixture of lies and half-lies, of distortions and fantasy, and when it is finished, the performances
judged by the political pun dits and party supporters The real criminality of their pretence will not be considered, nor will the enormity of their arrogance
And the plight of ordinar
eople will be ignored. Ou political opponents Call upon the people to make sacrifices while they refuse to make sacrifices themselves
Sinn Fein is fighting this election under severe handicaps and I regret much that we waited so long before adopting our electoral strategy. Despite this, I am confident that we
hae made a good start in
KISK developing republican politics in this Slate
Sinn Fein is the onl party committed to rea change in the interests of the Lrish
Yorkshire miners
strike
THREE thousand Yorkshire miners the Selby coalfield have staged a week-
to pit
The are five 'super pits' the Selby coalfield Wistow Ricall, Wood
for a day
• IC
payments
challenging go
the out
against, promptly did!
Striker Duke,
Wood, that 'the
of
sion discontent that's
There been
the Every
London Irish
SATURDAY 24 Feb-
conference of the Lon-
Centre. The first con-
organised around the
perience of Emigration'. The second cen-
England'. This year's focused on the vital question of With over 250 people attending, this year's conterence proved as
By Katie Foley
A wide range of Irish women's groups operate in London today, and 25 of them addressed the conference. These representatives from Irish pensioners groups, Irish women wies Acad musicians as well as local
groups campaigning around the situation in
The afternoon was siscussing the workshops
lives and identities of Irish women living in Britain. A clear recoguiton was made of the fact
Socialist Action 20 Feb 1987
In Brief
in area Sammy I nompson linked
pro-
union election NUM vice-president Th president's position is
the retirement of Mick McGahey
to the
tish general
the Party NEC associated
ad-
conference.
women's conference
have cultural, religious, political class dif
ferences, as Irish women
basic. Irish identity which can be s
of strength and unity. The day finished with the passing of resolations concerning the welfare of Irish prisoners, opposing strip-searching and pledging solidarit with the "Defend the Clinies' campaign - the campaign solidarity with clinies giving advice
contraception in the south.
Throughout the day women had talked of their experience of anti-Irish racism and criticisms had also be voiced about the attitudes of the traditional Irish community - aS EX perienced by the refusal of the Irish Post to print the words 'Irish' and 'lesbian' together.
The size of the conterence and the strengti of its message indicated that Irish women living in Britain are not prepared to conform to traditiona stereotypes and are creasingly asserting a new and confident identity.
• Contact: London Irish Women's Centre, 59 Stoke Newington Church St London N16 or telephone 01-249 7318.
Page 6 scan of this page
CHI - BEHIND THE POLIT
Socialist Action FOR SEVEN years, the People's Republic of China has been engaged in a vast process of structural reforms. This is neither simply a continuation of the Maoist course, after corrections, nor a return to capitalism — regardless of what its 'leftist' critics or bourgeois commentators suffering from a surfeit of confidence in their class like to think. This is a 'New Economic Policy' (NEP) similar to, but more deepgoing and prolonged than the one the USSK went through between 1921 and 1928 - the NEP was a system where within the framework of the public ownership of the main means of production and a workers state, a pronounced development of private production in agriculture and of mechanisms in the economy was permitted.
An interim balance sheet of this experiment serves to point up both the successes of thes poncy tradictions, are piling up at a faster and faster rate.
The successes are essentially in two areas. The first is increasing production and accelerating growth. raising culture of both the urban and rural the standard
population. In these two areas, achievements have been tacular. Proportionally, given a much lower starting point, those in the USSR under the NEP, or even during the entire period that in-
20 Feb 1987 plan, that is, 1921 to 1932.
also undergone a certain
ting only 4.5 workforce outside agriculture. market higher proportions USSR under the NEP.
Grown
and its con-
more than 50 per cent.
The second is on life expectancy
living and
and 68 for women, the those for Romania and Turkey.
they far exceed
more economic,
cludes the NEP and the first five-year
production has more than doubled, above all owing to the flourishing of small and medium enterprises in the countryside. State industry has increased its production by about 90 per cent, and the private sector has
expansion.
Since 1978, agricultural production has doubled. Some 300,000 peasants currently own tractors. About 11 million private bosses employ 15 million wage workers, the latter however represen-
cent or une lolas
The cooperative sector, which exists mainly in the countryside, employs 100 million people. But a total of 85,000 state enterprises account for more than inflation 80 per cent of industrial production and more than half of the national income,
than those in the
The rise in the standard of living has been no less impressive. It is estimated that peasants' incomes have grown by
The situation is summed up well today by the statistics Republic or China - is years for mes the People's
comparable to the figures for the USSR and higher than
However, the picture is not without its dark spots, far from it. Deng Xiaop- workers' ing's course is giving rise to more and
social and political
SINCE DECEMBER last year China has been in political turmoil. Mass student demonstrations were followed by the resignation of Communist Party general secretary Hu Yaobang. Since then there has been a campaign against bourgeois liberalism' and the beginning of a purge of university academics. In a wide ranging survey ERNEST MANDEL looks at the background to the political crisis in China. contradictions. The fact that these contradictions on the whole repeat those ot the NEP between 1921 and 1928 confirms the clear-sightedness of the Left Opposition, led by Trotsky Zinoviev, at the time and the historical validity of its analyses, its criticisms and its concrete constructive proposals against Stalin.
Economy
In the economy, what is most striking is the difference between the almost continual progress in the countryside, at least as regards production and per capita income, and the much more fitful advances in industry and in the urban areas. In the latter, we see spurts of
and unemployment periodically dim the picture of the NEP in the eyes of vast strata of workers.
"he reasons tor inis contrast are manifold. But I do not think that we would be wrong in saying that one of the main causes for this lies in the fact that the obstacles to the self-interest of
itiative of the peasants have been largely removed. And the Chinese peasantry is one of the world's most skilled in intensive agriculture, despite the modest equipment it possesses.
. On the other hand, the obstacles to the workers lakıns an mterest m production and expressing their initiative have not essentially been removed, inasmuch as industry continues to be run by the bureaucracy, and there is no
self-management, howeve this concept may be defined.
In the area of agricultural produc-
tion and rural society, however, there are two striking tempestuous expansion in commodity production is provoking a shift from cereals toward products whose sales bring in more, a dangerous tendency for a country as populous as China so long as there is no sharper increase in the productivity of cereal crops as a result of investment - which for the moment is lacking.
Family
Moreover, even though curbed by brutal limitations on family growth ('negative family allowances' after the third child) and the increase in productivity are swelling the overpopulation of the villages, for which the expansion of rural industry is not offering a sufficient outlet. short or even medium term this probiel burcalcus to become expiosive
industry and economy as a whole, balances are appearing, at once between the volume of investment and that
products (especially of modern technologies) and exports, between the money income of the population and the production of consumer goods, between growth of production and productivity. A big gap remains between the average income of the peasants and that of the workers
To get an idea of the progress this represents, you need only look at the pictures in TV and movie films of the and big cities mainly Shapghai, Tiensin, (Mukden), Harbin, Canton, Chongqing showing replacing the millions of rickshaws, the pictures of villages with well-nourished children in place of millions of starvlings and beggars; tens of millions women without deformed feet, from servile subordination to patriarchs and mothers-in-law
This progress is a belated but real produci ot revolution of 1949. repeated enough, in the face of all the thai shortsighted and sceptical, including in the ranks of the Chinese CP, and their acolytes in the West and elsewhere.
Rate
Can the 'Four Modernisations' the 'modernisations' advocated in the economic scientific, military fields by Deng - go on at the average rate of these last seven years? Deng Xiaping's team hopes so. mises that by the year 2000, capita income will have reached $1,000 that is the present level in Turkey and double that in Egypt. 2010-2015, it $2000, that is, the present level of Mexico and Portugal. become a semi-industrialised country.
Specific promises of this sort are
contradictions.
present data,
demographic growth,
culture, In the
the national growing imLead
privileged layers, Peking, literacy,
Wuhan Shenyang
millions of bicycles
of 'China's per free per cent lower.
These
socialist
That can never be falling
unemployment in
La remedy.
ment
the wake
rate in industry. technical and
It pro quality the per
In the years is supposed to reach 'enrich yourself
China would then
risky, as shown by the precedent of the Twenty-Second Congress of the Com munist Party of the Soviet Union wher
Khruschev, in a vain boast claimed that the Soviet Union would catch up with and surpass the per capita production and income of the United. States in 1980. External constraints and internal social contradictions may put a brake on growth before this goal is attained. Nonetheless, on the basis of the
it is not as devoid of realism as Khrushchev's boasting 25 years ago. Even if the goal is not achieved, the gap between the reality and the promises will not be catastrophic.
In the area of raising the level of education, skills and culture, the vances have been no less spectaculat. China has been opened up to world
stupidly called bourgeois by the Maoists, on a scale out of all proportion to what occurred there before 1949 or what has taken place in India since independence.
As regards more specialised and
India undoubtedly has acquired a lead. But as regards the masses, or at least the majority of thems
because some rural areas and even
poor and backward - China is way out ahead o the capitalist countries of the so-called third world that started off from a ley comparable to it in 1937, or 1949
book and magazin publishing, the number of new titles published annually, hospital beds, cess to technical. education and number of students finishing secondary education. India's illiteracy rate is more than 50 per cent higher than China's.
•capita daily calorie consumption and life expectancy are 25-30
imbalances are being reflected by periodic surges of infla tion, balance-of-payments deficits (and
exchange reserves)
Deng' reforms have not yet been able to offe
, This leads to successive rec tifications'. Abrupt cutbacks in inves
and imports, marked slowdowns in the growth of urban in comes come every two or three years
of veritable phases 'overheating' in growth. At present, w are seeing a rapid drop in the growth
The economic contradictions of th Chinese NEP lead inevitably to soci and political contradictions. Social ine
is becoming sharply accen tuated both in the countryside and urban areas. In the countryside new course las been and contluc be carried out under the watchword
— a slogan coined by Bukharin in the 1920s. It is no acciden that Deng has rehabilitated Bukharin, totally, and even enthusiastically, while Trotsky's rehabilitation remains pure
Page 7 scan of this page
a matter of clearing him of criminal charges and SNOL of politically (or tially). Trotsky's polices which called for the strengthening of the position of the working class rather market, is rejected by Deng.
This policy of the Chinese leadership is producing a layer of much richer and muca more enterprislg pedsanls than the Kulaks (rich peasants) were in the USSR under the NEP, with a very marked tendency to create capitalist businesses (that is, by exploiting wage labour), even if this is still on a very limited scale for China as a whole.
Alongside this, mainiy localised, be underdeveloped regions. But it exists
and in the cities. This is the origin of what the Deng action's delicately term 'envy and jealousy' the poor of the rich. Marxists would call this bhenomenon more class antagonisms between the rich and the poor. It will be hard to keep this ,hostility from leading to more extensive class struggles.
In the urban environment, with social inequality, mercantile relatons are widening, tendencies private enrichment at any cost -is, speculation, corruption black marketeering, especially area adjacent to Hong Kong and in the so-called Special Economic Lones open to foreign investment prises). Of course, the impact of these investments is still minimal, below even what the Chinese leaders foresaw and wanted. But the modification of man:ners and motivalols bureaucracy and among the traders and speculators (the Chinese equivalent of the Soviet nepmen of the 1920s) is quite
Answer
The regime's answer to all this has so far been essentially death sentences and public executions
OLOFC NuLU filtrators'. Needless responses are not very effective in the context of the moral climate (would it not be better to say "immoral climate"?) created by the watchword of 'enrich • youscIves •
The most effective counterweight to this surge of primitive accumulation of private capital would mobilisation CONCOR ment by the working class, already numbers 120 million waged and salaried workers. However, such commitment cannot be obtained
real incomes growing, workers get growing rights and powers. bur aesoile somne timid steps direction of electing managers within the plants by 'workers' congresses', the éssential course of the Deng faction has followed rather the opposite logic. It is creating the impression
NA
ICAL CRISIS
clearing him bowl) is being put in question.
vely pally very limited experiments,
than the in the cities, youth, has the same effect. poverty survives,
sulc. vast cooperative, private service sector nas
ideologues uball DUbulalun.
by Leicency bluntly within the working class.
along
that in. and the Course in the
(mixed enter-
Stalinist "ideological
within the off his pedestal
The trying to work
Wing amalgam
German repressive
enemy 1n- and moderate syndicalism.
say, such Even left
for
has
anla permit obviously be
public discussion. which
unless, Despite declarations the politita pillenstl
the tion.
that
guarantee of a job (the famous iron rice
Even though so far this involves on-
such as allowing an enterprise, the Explosion Proof Equipment Factory in Shenyang, lo go bankrupl In 198o (ll snouia De remembered that 40 per cent of state enterprises operate at a deficit), this line can only create alsqulel among tne workers and increase the impression also that the present course is changing the soldiers, social relationship of forces to their detriment. The massive unemployment
Especially the allong
The regime's attempt to soak up this unemployment by developing a out.
semi-private and perceptibly improved the living conditions of the
But in turn it nas also increased social inequality and the
division alu disarray
These social contradictions are not failing to have ideological and political effects. A general scepticism has spread among the youth, among the workers and among the lower and middle cadres of the Communist Party. These people literally no longer know what to believe
tion, tion
The de-Maoisation is continuing its course. Although the extremes of the
purges WEIl avoided, Mao no longer has the demigod's status that he did toward the end of the 1970s. Stalin has been knocked
altogether. SLeN a lost a good deal of his prestige. Even Marx's stock has gone down seriously.
Deng faction is labouriously out a new ideological didates. and theoretical identity from a painfully stitched together and hardly convinc-
of ideas by Lenin Bukharin, Yugoslav theoreticians, East
theoreticians, vestiges of Maoism, and even elements borrowed from Trotskyism, anarcho-syndicalism
social democratic influences are raising their heads, coming
examnle trom British Laboursm and Austro-Marxism. This whole mess
done little to inspire entusiasm among the youth. Its only redeeming
LUL CO. feature is to encourage critical thinking
SONe stens forward toward freer public and above all semi-
However, at the same time, there is finally still sharp repression of the more deter-
oppositionist LoTUCUC. favour of - professions that mainly favour right wing tendencies -a lot of oppositionists remain in posi-
In recent times, social conflicts have taken a public form on several occasions and in several areas. There have been about 30 strikes, including one by
the bus drivers in Peking. There have
been actions demobilised and before that prioners demanding rehabilitation. But the most spectacular actions have been by the students.
The students' tactica sense and high political level should be pointed
According to the Liberation of 19 December 1986, the Shenzen students said that they were inSolicu uy the student movement in France, having seen pictures of it on television. In fact, the students' initial demands concerned their own working conditions: TecHcuon oredsuauc charges, democratic election of student representatives and of the university autonle
On the basis of these demands, the students soon went on to raise broader democratic issues democratic election of municipal and provincial councils, freedom of the press and associa-
freedom to demonstrate, OI censorship, release of political prioners. In Peking, students forced the release of their ar-
In Shenzhen, they rested comrades. won a reduction in registration charges.
According to the New York Times of 27 December 1986, the Communist Party leadership in reking promiscu that in the next municipal multiple candidacies for each would be permitted. But it specify who would choose the
The spirit of the demonstration was distinctly socialist, egalitarian and anticapitalist. DUEL severa demonstrations the students sang the Internationale and chanted the slogan 'No socialism without democracy!'
Oppositional political groups have appeared and have been repressed. But they remain small and localised. Conflicts
Conflicts in the offical power struc-
in part reflected by the press, have also been important. The most important conflicts have been factory managers and party committees. Such disputes have been resolved
layou Ilanlakcis. who have won autonomy in decision making. have also been conflicts between the umons cor snoula we say, le umon leaderships?) and factory managers, with the unions demanding greater autonomy (right to bargain).
In a certain number of cases, still quite limited, to be sure, the unions have also demanded a right of veto over decisions on hiring and firing.
general, with managers have more extensive rights in the rural cooperative sector and in rura industry than in state industry in the cities.
these conflicts in order to avert social explosions. it is counting above all on the attraction of 'consumer society',
workers. A system of contract Jabour, linking wages to productivity, is supposed to assure the success policy.
that these contracts spread that this solution, tional cases. general increase in wages is obviously limited by the average growth of production and the volume of investment.
policy of the 1970s, and the jugement that the 'Soviet superpower' was 'more dangerous' than the United States, led former Peking's untortunate
Europe and imperialist orientation, them to support the rearmament the other imperialist powers besides the United States. daily In Asia,
with the South East Asian capitalist states and Pakistan dealt grave blows to the left in these countries and specially to the local Communist Parties.
Deng faction later prudently retreated to a position of so-called equidistance between the "two superpowers'. Rise
onial revolution (Central America, the Philippines), perialism (Grenada, Libya), aboli- emergence of the powerful anti-war
movement in capitalist
the Australia have little by little led Peking
to adjust its imperialist direction. For the moment, this is no more than the initial outlines of a new rectification, but it is worth taking note of.
elections text of a deeper-going re-examination post of the reciprocal did not Washington and Moscow. It is largely
can- a response to a new development in in-
ternational relations in Asia spectacular growth in the strength of Japanese imperialism.
Tokyo's increased
financial and evitably has military implications. fact, for the moment, encouraging an ment by Japan for essentially financial reasons, burden for 'defending' this region of Asia.
US, Japan and South Korea at the end of October 1986 pointed to a virtual new military pact. Japan has taken the between pretext of a purported Soviet
build up in the far east to justify increasing its military spending, factory now exceeds the 1 per cent of GNP pergreater mitted by the country's constitution. There Moreover, Japan's
technological potential means that its lag in aviation and in the space dustry (that is, in making missiles) can be rapidly surmounted. In the nuclear field, and technological.
In is being accompanied by a reinforce-
Socialist Action respect to workers, Liberal
criminals
The Deng team is trying to arbitrate
dnaena centres tol ed or denied This of this worry People's However, it is precisely to the extent realists thai
which can be valid in excep- extremis becomes urealistic
that The enormities of the three worlds'
perialism against Japan
acolytes in esewsee lulu proimpelling O1
Peking's rapprochement
speech in 1986.
The
About
However, the new rise of the col- malisation.
new aggressions by im- the LHA UVANLAL Nicaragua,
the South African crisis, the
Europe and
aim in a more anti- the border
withdrawal This rectification fits into the con- Afghanistan.
relations between
the
technological, industrial power in- world scale. In Washington is altered accelerated rearma- MCCOLalO.
as a way to reduce its own Urals.
Joint military manoeuvres by the
al ilin
which 1970s,
enormous galle
the obstacles are in fact more tor that
psychological than
Japan's accelerated remilitarisation
20 Feb 1987 7 ment of the extreme right nationalist tendencies within premier Nakasone's
Democrati Party. This resurgence of militarism is going hand hane wim renaoo orme wa
and even of the whole political course that led to the outbreak of the war against China in the 1930s.
schoolbooks, the Japanese militarists' crimes against the Chinese people, notably the sinister plundering of Nanking in 1937, are being minimis-
entire evolution cannot but the leaders of the Chinese Republic. Pragmatists and they unaware that while Washington might
protect them against military aggression by the Kremlin (in the past such aggression, even involving nuclear weabons. was a real threat. and
in part explained Mao's turn the Auc cass. US imwill never ally with China
Thus, the necessity arises for a readjustment of China's foreign policy, for
hullalsaliul. of relations with Moscow (without this meaning that we can already speak of a re-establishment of the Sino-Soviet alliance). Gorbachev has understood the change in climate in Peking. He has taken the first steps, to save Deng from losing face, notably in
• Vladivostok on 22 July Subsequently, this course has been pursued through re-establishment
fraternal relations between Chinese CP and the East German and Polish Communist Parties.
the SOCI CI negotiations underway, we know only the three conditions that Deng has posed for nor-
They are first, lifting the Soviet military theat by withdrawing
600,000 Soviet soldiers from Mongolia and southern Siberia and the Soviet missiles aimed at Chinese cities, or at least reducing them sufficiently so that Peking would no longer feel threatened, as well as adjustments of
along the Amur river; second, withdrawal of the Vietnamese army from-Cambodia which is supposed
be 'encircling' China: and third
OI Soviet troops trom
It is a safe bet that of these three conditions, the third is the least important. The second is negotiable (and may be reinterpreted). The first remains in fact the only substantial one. Meting this demand would perceptibly change the strategic and diplomatic situation in Asia and the Pacific, that is, on the
This demand has already partially
the content of East-West , since it involves a revision of the conditions for withdrawing the Soviet missiles from Europe behind the
Thus, Deng Xiaoping's NEP is not only a tactical retreat on the economic front. It also has profound implications for the relationship of class forces on a world scale. Despite the hopes of Nixon and Kissinger in the first instance and the appearances later at the end of the
neither of Mao's death agony nor Deng's China has really become integrated in the imperialist
The Chinese bureaucracy remains a non-capitalist force that has its own, specific interests to defend. And in this game, the Chinese proletariat is an ac-
has remained in background. If it steps forward, the entire scenario could well be changed.
Page 8 scan of this page
DEVELOPMENTS IN
8 Socialist Action
The imposition of martial law in Poland in December 1981 followed by a rapid political differentiation among which had been organised Solidarnosc. Every political current from right-wing nationalist, through reformist, tionary socialist emerged. differentiation has continued to develop in the years since. In this article ZBIGNIEW KOWALEWSKI, a leader of Solidarnosc in Lodz during the union's period of legality, outlines the differences which have emerged - and in particular looks at the revolutionary socialist coming out of Solidarnosc.
THE defeat of the revolution following the declaration of the state of siege in Poland did not lead to the destruction of the social movement, a first in the Soviet ntoc. Solidarnosc, 1980-81, not only led a revolution of greater mass participation and longer duration than any other in the Eastern bloc, but now, following December 1981 coup, it has generated a prolonged social resistance.
Nevertheless, enterprises, particularly in the larger factories and in some centres of intellectual work such as the research institutes, cells of militants continue to operate. cous de orcamoco as mid-culeronse committees of coordination regional icaaerships.
There is still a clandestine national leadership. Despite the growing list of its members who have fallen into the hands of the police, the forces have not been able to break it up, not even with the recent capture
Zbigniew Bujak, who underground for four years. It is estimated that approximately 10 per cent of wage earners continue to pay union dues to Solidarnosc's enterprise committees.
The legal workers' councils - the faint residue of the workers' selfmanagement bodies that arose during the last revolution - are composed,
Smell great majonly, militants of Solidarnosc in practically all the enterprises in which workers • have been able to force a democratic election. In the big industrial centres, the underground press is distributed in all large and medium-sized enterprises among circles, some of which are larger, smaller. monopoly of information, one of the fundamental by totalitarian bureaucracy rules, been broken.
The most spectacular expression of the vitality of this resistance is the distribution of more than five hundred — according to some estimates, almost one thousand - independent newspapers, some with impressive circulations, such Mazowsze (Mazowsze Weekly) which has a circulation of several thousand copies each week and is edited by the Warsaw Regional Executive Committee of Solidarnosc.
According to estimates, the underground editors have already published at least 1,200 books. The network of illegal presses is so vast that the regime has been unable to wipe them out, even though they are a primary target of the police.
A process of differentiation and polarisation is inevitable in a social movement. 'Politicised' political groups of differing orientations have formed within or around Solidarnosc. These groups from (1) the Fighting Organisation, the oldest such group (having already formed by the spring of 1982), which covers its ideological haziness with an elevated level of activism; (2) political groups around the journals Wola (Will) and Robotnik (Worker), in their frame of reference between social democracy and the 'alternative' movements of East and West; to (2) the revolutionary left, which has appeared more recently. The Workers' Opposition Alliance is presided over from the underground by a 27-yearold Silesian worker, Dziubelski.
20 Feb 1987
was
the forces
in
to revolu-
This developments
the
innumerable
Solidarnosc
Other Jacek
For as
security strength of
was and a half
old project management and of a economic management defined by Solidarnosc's Congress in would 'combine
over the supposed market economy.
Weakened The
ficulties being has
sectors.
sociologists from
Tygodnik
regions of the
conservative
democratic involving several voting
free speech
currents or
range favoured full Solidarnosc management!
results of the poll pointed, analysis, to the
formed
which vacillate
for
WOlKer.
Damian half of the workers,
In 1985, the national leadership of Solidarnosc initiated two big campaigns: (1) for the boycott of the elections to the Diet; and (2) against the price increases. Zbigniew Bujak and
Kuron justified these campaigns as a means of pressure on the government to accept elections that would be a little more democratic and be forced to carrv out an economic reform of a fairly hazy character.
These campaigns were not conceived as a means of building the
the workers, elevating their level of organisation and prepar- try. ing a new wave of mass movements, even though this would be a logical step. Instead, the programmatic con-
que sid Solidar of worrer sed.
as National Autumn of 1981 the plan, selfmanagement, and the market', gave wav to the discourse ot intellectual ex. perts in the leadership of Solidarnosc which
merits of the
The aspirations of the working class, meanwhile, have enormous dif-
expressed due, mittee among other reasons, to the fact that the clandestine leadership of Solidarnosc has weakened its ties with the working class base and nas begun lo rely primarily on dissident intellectual
At the end of 1984, a team of
the University of Poznan took a poll among: a sample of personnel, primarily blue collar workers, from four large factories in heavy industry situated in different
country. Questions tional workers would suppori elicited a 78 ideal social per cent response in favour of truly
Danianiellay elections lists; 65 per cent in tavour of several concurrent political parties; 80 per cent in favour
for all people, including both supporters and opponents of the political system. 58 per cent were in tavour of social ownership of the means of production and a planned economy, while 87 per cent
workers' selfOne of the under- were ground newspapers that published the
In Its clear aspiration of Polish workers for a 'different system of humane, democratic socialism'.
But this poll reveals a serious contradiction as well: a very strong working class loyalty to the democratic and self-management traditions of Solidarnose is accompanied by the support of barely 20 to 25 per cent of workers
the underground activities of Solidarnosc. A similar percentage of
in the same poll, are partisans of the regime. This means that among
more or less,
POLITICAL
SOLiDARNOSs
while hostile to the regime, do not identify with the structures and the actions of the social movement as it presents itself today.
Already by the end of 1983 an organisation had been formed, at the time limited to a single region, that marked the beginning of the regroupHell or arcouloary worker wine of the social movement. It was the Union of Workers' Councils of the Polish Resistance (ZRP-PRO) of Upper Silesia, situated 1n one of the larger industrial centres in the coun
The leaders of this organisation, blue-collar workers, say that in particular three experiences influenced The first two go back to 1982. Following Jaruszelki's coup, a defence committee for the jailed and persecuted members of Solidarnosc, initiated by the future leaders of the ZRP-PRO, was formed in Upper Silesia.
collaborated with parishes of the Catholic Church,
delivered humanitarian from the outside. Some priests refused to aid the common-law wife and "illegitimate' ot imprisoned militant, and wanted, in general, impose their own. criteria on distribution of material aid. The com-
reacted by separating itself from the Church.
Critical
At the end of 1984 and the beginning of 1985, two events happened that led the ZRP-PRO to adopt an openly critical attitude toward and to act completely independently of leadership of Solidarnosc, without thereby renouncing the united front. Under the pressure of the Western trade-union bureaucracies, the na
leadership of Solidarnoss refrained from solidarising itself with the strike of the British miners. Fur ther, in Upper Silesia, the leadership unleashed sharp attacks against the Solidarnosc miners' committee, which, in its clandestine radio pro gramme and in its messages to the British miners' union NUM, had proclaimed its support for this strike and denounced the Polish bureaucratic regime for having increased its shipments to the Thatcher regime The argument they advanced that, through this strike, the Stalinists
trying to destabilise democratically-elected regime. In this debate, the ZRP-PRO placed itself on the side of the British miners and op posed the attitude of the Solidarnosc leadership.
In the same period, the latter launched a call for a national strike of 15 minutes to protest the price increases. At the last minute, believing that the government was willing to rescind the merenses. which turned out not to be true, Lech Walesa and Zbigniew Bujak called off the strike. This produced disorientation and demoralisation
the workers. Further, ZRP-PRO, which called themselves
underground workers' councils, existed, according to data from the end of 1985, in more than twenty large factories, mines, enterprises, eLC. leadership, it was stated organisation workers' organisation Silesia, solidly implanted in all cuteouses on severa cues. well as better prepared than others for the general strike and for the seizure of factories by the workers.' It had led numerous mass actions bovcott of the regime's unions. the withdrawal workers' councils obedient to the administration, for wages and benefit increases, against poor working conditions things, health and safety strikes). Report
The According i LO the leadership of the ZRP-PRO at the end
of 1985, 70 per cent of the members of aid this organisation
WUIKCIS, technical or secondary education, and more than 80 per cent were younger than 30. More than a third had not the belonged
December 1981 because they were too young. It is interesting to note that not one intellectual was part of the leadership. This data says a lot about the sectors that are coming forward the workers' vanguard movement, and its renewal. polițical position: the ZRP-PRO were, from the beginning
very different from the Solidarnosc leadership: its objective was to build clandestine cells that, with a new rise of the mass movement, would be able to assure a leadership of a mass strike with occupations, establish workers power in the enterprises, and, on this basis, follow the road of the revolutionary overthrow of the bureaucratic regime. definitely clear: the conversion of the fundamental means of production into truly social property, the collective ment of the means of production. Coa The ZPR-PRO', we read in it:
1983 declaration, was following five points: the factories to
the workers, the land to the peasants, power to the self-managed science to free thinkers, the state for an independent nation. these objectives, it is essential that organise itselt freedom of action for political par ties, that trade union pluralism established, that a free parliament be elected through free elections and that it exercise control over the paratus In its work takes inspiration from the best traditions of the workers' struggle and their revolutionary assaults on power. It supports the struggle of the workthe ing class to win social identity and na-
tional independence in the countries
wael totalitarian class.'
tion militants underground Robotniczy tity
tionalist
forges, transport Nationalists'
liberals' that "this
now the largest last few
in Upper impor-
for the for
from the legal
other allull?
report from the possible
were blue-collar cracy almost yu per cent had a Power Solidarnosc before
bureaucratic
composition of the
the social capacities
of the
under such
The The central strategic end was
that is to say democratic manage-
'adheres to
society, means of
not through
and
workers' 'linked
state ZPR-PRO
Analysis
the domination of the bureaucracy, especially the working class of the sister peoples Or thoslovakia materine it Czechoslovakia and Ukraine. upholds proletarian internationalism in all its dimensions.. It regards as enemies and hostile to the interests of the working class that opposes the right of the working class to ownersmo or te enterprise. and will treat them in the same way that it treats the totalitarian bureau-
... It does not recognise the right of non-working class organisations of a general social character to represent the interests of the working
In the course of its evolution, the ZRP-PRO established its collabora-
with revoluuonary socialist grouped around the publications Front (Workers Front) and Sprawa Robotnicza (Workers Cause). It was on this basis that, in June 1985, the Alliance of the Workers Opposition (POR) arose, , which rapidly surpassed its initial framework. With the joining of new groups, its cells appeared in dozens of cities. The name chosen underscored its political iden
with respect • LATE independentist opposition' (na-
currents, 'Catholic and 'democratic who, in general, had abandoned the ranks of Solidarnose in the
breaking with the workers' movement). democratic opposition. Stating that the political struggle developing in Poland is, above all, a class struggle, the POR explains its platform:
'It is essentially a struggle between the working class, which is subjected to economic exploitation and deprived of all political or economic power, and the bureaucratic state power... Only the working class has the capacity to overthrow the bureaucracy, and it is only thanks to it that the social groups can liberate themselves from the yoke of the bureaucracy .... The transformation of the working class from an object into a subject is only
through revolutionary changes. The belief in the possibility of a compromise with the bureau.
is a dangerous illusion that could prove fatal.'
In its predictions about how the
power can be overthrown, the POR places special importance on three factors: First, general revolutionary strike, which has a tendency to become an 'active strike', that iș to say, a work-in strike (such was the project of the radical Solidarnose leadership in Lodz at the end of 1981); second, the formation of workers' guards, whose principal task consists of assuring the active defence of the factories seized by the workers; third, it states that 'it is only
revolutionary conditions that we could expect a part of the army, primarily ordinary soldiers, wher they see that the workers' forces hav a chance of success, to join in the uprising of the working class.?
strategic objective of the future Polish revolution, which the POR characterises as a democratic workers' revolution, is the establish ment of a Self-Managed Republic "The indispensable precondition for the liberation of the working class is for it to lay the economic foundations of liberty, that is, socialisation, out. side of the state and in the framework of workers' self-management of the
production that are today statised.' Outside of the state means
the bureaucratic paratus of the state, which must be destroyed in the course of the revolu tion, but rather through the power of
councils in the enterprises together by horizontal and vertical structures on the regional and national scale, as well as institutions of self-management organised on a territorial basis ... Self-management can only function in conditions of unrestricted political pluralism.?
This article is abridged from Against the Current, October 1986
Page 9 scan of this page
'No one here will
International
the country's small challenge of US military might.
struggle, of no surrender; our policy of peace.'
and and youth
newsweekiy
'irreversible being
the hands armed
'Already
Sandinista
*ras 200.
is inWashington from American governments to negotiate
should Concu.
The
hopes "to destroy the
took San JOSe, Costa this very much The
Rican Oscar Arias peace
No in-
plan
the contras to
President of Honduras. Plan
Writing in the
Callialll Sandinistas' ahallist
Carib-
US role.
and Maunce by
El Salvador
time
murdered the death
army.
commented
Acevedo, country's
Central America solidarity conference
NICARAGUA'S NATIONAL slogan for 1987 is that 'Here, no one will ever surrender!' It is a challenge by
population to the threatening
US president Ronald Reagan has already indicated that he intends to seek more aid for the contra forces. General Humberto Ortega, head of the Sandinista People's Army responded 'Reagan is reaffirming his policy of war. We are reaffirming our policy of dignity, of
year particularly saw
with the
National Unity of
trade union federation representing
istence, organised of
Fired Laid-Off Workers, role in Davile
have committees representing
Deal
CriSIS
rejecting on the
Liberation Front, FMLN, the govern-
mass organisations.
Nonetheless hundreds
COIing of the salvadorean al laly Sandhurst.
Military
'counter-
Aid In Britain gives aid
still under dictator
observers the 1984
toward the
Howe himse f
the 'Contadora'
represen-
Rica last year aimed at estabashing, a provisona gower iment in opposition
the Sandinistas. foreign office official also attended the pro-contra
crence which was addressed Leading contra diese r
turo Cruz.
Against this background, the need for a real solidarity movement in this country is overwhelming. At stake are the enormous achevements of the Nicaraguan revolution which, despite the effects of the war, is progressing. Socialistiska Partiet
began to get involved 'the battle of history
pretation of the history of non on controler o a paper that could be sold
As a true revolutionary
surrender!'
Negative economic growin ot -4 De 1985 was reduced to -0.14 per last year. The government predicts economic growth of two per cent for 1987.
Gains
Gains continue to be made against illiteracy and disease. Infant mortality has been cut by a third. The 'autonomy process' has en sured the involvement of Nicaragua's indigenous peoples the country's political life for the very
Tom Gustafsson
TOM GUSTAFSSON died 7 February after a short period of illness at the age of 40. Tom was a leading member of Socialistiska Partiet (Socialist Party) in
Tom will be remembered as one of the most outstanding leaders of Socialistiska Partiet. Thanks
WaN
first time. As a result, the Rio Coco region in CHOI-Casi serious contra activity not long ago - is now hrmiy pro-government.
Land distribution has continued apace. Nearly five million acres have now
substantially more than all other Central American countries together over the same period.
Last year the country organised a wide discussion over a draft constitution, which was finally adopted by a majority vote in the Council of State. Meetings were held in 72 towns involving
as a rendit oN warch 1500,
as a result of which amendments to the draft were drawn up.
The idea that this small country is a threat to the securitv of the United state would be laughable if its Conscrucice werent so serious. What the Reagan administration fears is not any threat toits security but the likelihood of other countries following same road.
As Nicaraguan leader, lomas borge pur it can't export revolution but great examples have no frontiers.
• The labour movement conference in London on 28 February will hear representatives from the region and discuss solidarity activity. Delegate credentials may Suite entamen from the organisers at 13-16 Borough Road, London SEI. tionaries have deep roots in the mass organisations of the working class. Here he could use a lot of positive examples from
Socialistiska Sweden.
Those of us who knew Tom personally not only appreciated his political skills but also his friendly and cheerful behaviour.
humanist and internationaust in the real sense or the word
Socialist Action sends its condolences Gustafsson's family friends anc Socialistiska Partiet.
Greece
the
sign of abating
for the low paid, protest against rising
Philippines
socialist government. More student
Israeli state
Alternative Information Centre.
occupied territories. uIC лени мно oo o collaborating with 'terrorist'
Tom and of Israel.
the
Socialist Action 20 Feb 1987
World
in action
Prime minister Papandreou is facing a
severe 'winter of discontent' with the general strike staged by the Socialist-led General Confederation of Greek Workers. The 24-hour stoppage - the latest in a trend that has been building up since last year and which shows no
- was widely supported by workers, especially those from the public sector. The strike was called to support wage increases
unemployment, abolish a law freezing wages, and for the reintroduction of an indexation system. The Pasok government is riding an austerity package introduced as the condition for the extension of an EEC loan. More strikes are
As the news about the counting of Imelda
Marcos' pairs of shoes is still fresh in the
3,060 pairs! - they also learned that tather Rustico Tan was assassinated by government agents. Imelda, as is well known, was piouly devoted to the defence of the Christian values and capitalist 'freedom'. Father Tan was an active member of the National Democratic Frong; he was a guerrilla fighter who joined the maquis to fight gun in hand for the rights of peasants and workers after concluding there was who are NDF guerrilla fighters, some organise in the CNL, Christians for National Liberation, others organise in Volunteers for Popular
Led by Coretta King, thousands marched
through Forsyth county in protest against the attack by angry white racists on an carlier march for inter-racial brotherhood in Cumming. The Ku Klux Klan were out in strength to shout abuse, wave placards with racist slogans and coneutrale nags, une walle racists allackca lut march. Fourteen were arrested. Forsyth county has a long history of racial hatred against blacks and it is an all-white enclave, no black lives in it and many of its inhabitants have seldom seen a
• Several weeks of students demonstrations
have shaken Spain. The demonstrations started as protests against austerity, demanding of the government that more money is put into education, increases in the number of grants as well as their size, and reduction of university fees. But very soon they developed into wild-ca demonstrations of anger by students many of whom have no certainty of after-university employment. (Unemployement is 20 per cent at present in Spain.) Secondary students and trade unions joined the demonstrations, which became a focus of active political opposition to the
demonstrations have taken place and there have been violent clashes with the police, who have acted with the usual brutal zest to maintain law
The zionist state of Israel is stepping up represssion against supporters of Palestinian rights within the country. In a raid on Monday 16 February, the Israeli police confiscated equipment and materials belonging to the
The centre produces a publication called News from Within, which reports on the situation confronting the Palestinians, particularly in the post 1967
Alongside confiscating everything to be found in the Alternative Information Centre's ornices, une ponce arrestea tnree people, wno have been imprisoned. Among them were Michel Vaska, a member of the LCR of the state of Israel, an Israeli trotskyist organisation. The others were Rony Hyman and Ghardda Jaber, two independent Israeli socialists. They have not yet been formally charged, although at present
organisations ie the PLO, within the post 1967 borders of the state
Page 10 scan of this page
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Page 11 scan of this page
Lessons of Wapping
In the Unions
ON 4 FEBRUARY the SOGAT executive unilateral called off the Wapping dispute using as the justification Murdoch's legal actions against the union. They were followed 24 hours later by the NGA. Faced with a to print branch sacked Nev 'compensati was a total union leade secretary of was the culn SOGAT lea the dispute. Socialist Action HALL and volved in th lessoms of role of Mur next issue th out of the dispute.
THE way the dispute end- not really being
WaD People quite that the COSOI
Those quessatisfac. treachleadership, or indeed by the London the At no time _happy we'd fought to get with the May Fleet .out, or even
tried Fleet Street blacking of HaSL
products, dispute the first ballot. tried
the union They could have (BDC) in seen we were abLO deI when they serious and
second deal to But International us.
When weigh all by union leadership from the rest Fleet trade
pute as they Although Wap-
are all out. the end the had 4000 dispute taken. An on strike
members working.
News dis- needed to fight
tirst Stree and the agenda.
explain what the was about. vou do that you threat of
other trade
way. SOGAT, we ve got
the union's governing body had
that cir-
She quite cunlstances WOlIE SOGAT's be
Dean said the body had odecided,
action from London
couldn't argue against along agreements. She
have long guilla
be 110U
She enough mobilisațion have accuculs gone a long
Owill taleR SOGAT. gave the rights clauses.
She have gone whole way dispute. thing that
confibeen the ac-
and SOGAT officials a one-
We know She's very much in of NUPE workers giving 50р strike Hammond got
La week lo our but our own membership
Just prior to the start of the dispute at Wapping, Dean have Robert Maxwell 2000 job cuts, a third of the workforce and new Lenis and condtions. She thought that Murdoch would give SOGAT similar sort of agreement.
is made of
laborated Hammond's leaving Dean dark about
In
When called the
after the Dalol.
Dean think Murdoch be ready. She Murdoch
three to weeks.
The Sun is
short • force Murdoch round the
and she could get deal whatever She pected "respectable'
Mur-
ed her aside
national the SOGAT CUncluded with
First of
tually CL d and 2000 went
the right manage, everything
progressed
edi SulC that
him a 'revolu-
The was
we that wasn't Murdoch
wanted the ultimate unfortunatley he achieved.
the une MOVe to learn 200UL
there's that you're the again and
want.
ship.
their ideas
new
is no reality', the
forged solidarity.
dent in the dispute on. 1 nal wien
Casilulalcu the Dean philosophy of the 'low profile, that we could NuTooCh
paign.
Jean's that the
of
television
In fact
dispute very
beginning
doch
res, they
familiar
call • to the
mobilisation Street,
strike LIC beginning. We
gol proper
highway. HOHICELUlI
and May argument
LINC
Murdoch's
ballot
pensations
totally to leadership the NEC
SUGAT8
SOGU
The Wapping anniversary demonstration on 24 January
This
the end of completely
Mass
the picketing,
along the
building
April
LON.
issue
the first
the BDC in
national
exculivc
funds
and that
with the
OBSERVER
SOGAT
the had no
directed strike. paign KOCIS
ping plant
damage.
Although gressive
meant
tions. It LCHCTUOU head
itiative Taken of view. ed it
of us in
body'.
dispute.
Socialist Action 20 Feb 1987
Silentnight strike
ends
THE 20-MONTH long dispute at Silentnight is over. An sio naging held on Monday February decided to end the strike following the decision of the FTAT executive just before Christmas withdraw official backing. Since then the union leadership has suppressed the strikers' appeal against the general executive council's decision.
Bitterness and a sense of betrayal at FTAT's ac tions expressed by one of the strike leaders Terri We Bennett when he said peel fighting trade union rights for this long time DESPITE THE withdrawal of support of the white collar unions, over 800 workers continue to оссиру the Caterpillar plant at Uddingston in Lanarkshire. rule book
By Ann Henderson
,the con- The occupation has
the achieved widespread support throughout Scotland wele tlel
They and the Scottish labour impact after movement gave a firm com-
mitment of solidarity at a special STUC shop stewards rally in Glasgo two the main weeks ago
the Many workers have promised regular donations £1000 a week is coming ir from Govan shipyard, themselves facing shorttime with only a few weeks' work left on the order books. against Motherwell district
pro council have pledged cash. organisations Street collections are being
taken all around the west ot Scotland. so far £40,000 has been raised for the strikers.
we were demonstra-
Dean ODDOlLUl.
dred engineers
BDC
wert
I've been
strikers' the AEU, there WOIC from the FBU, GMBATU and
reflection speaKer.
supporl lu
at the Commons.
People from
the picket line wasn't true
led seriousness of com-
11 now FTAT won't support
They won't have anything to do with us.
By Paul Perkins
The political lessons
Weill not be ost on he
will no strikers. One of them, Ann King, explained that 'we have developed two mottos during the strike. One
'We StIl. have prin ciples" and the other is "we won't go away".
'Most of the hard core, the peopie that have been most active in the strike, will take their fight the Party. We have all learnt a lot about what is going on in this country and abroad. We will now be fighting for these people. '
Caterpillar occupation
AEU convener at the Dart zon samon macr
special appeal for industrial solidarity as well as financial support. His call has been answered dockers at Greenock agreed to stop loading any parts which the company was attempting to divert to their factory at Leicester. Then
Monday dockers every Scottish port agreed not to move any Caterpiller containers.
A delegation from Ud dington travelled to Brussels last week to mee with stewards from the French, Belgian and English Caterpillar plants
Caterpiller workers have peet chester and the West Midlands in their campaign to win wide labour move-
support They Calt planning a local demonstra tion trom Udineston towt centre to the factory on 26
February and a massive lob by of Parliament is scheduled for 5 March.
by the company dismissing tour workers who retused to fill out new time-sheets, line with union policy. The company then dismissed all the strikers for breach of contract.
They have recruited a scab workforce and on the basis that they consider the aspute lo de ovel, LR e company has now issued wiciotuucuiol nent strike activists seeking dl m ucu w vicycit them from stopping the
normal functioning of the company! The strikers will be attending the High Court in London on Thursday 19 February, but striker Tony Lowe told us 'we'll continue until we win'. the Contederation os of the Confederation
Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions is being planned
to consider the proposal fol
72-day actior solidarity Convener
Graham Wvatt pointed t the importance of the Confed's involvement especially given the national engineer-
negotiations U1. productivity.
Page 12 scan of this page
THE FIGHT against abolish the negotiating rights of 400,000 teachers received an important boost with the decision of the two TUC-affiliated unions to ballot members strike action for the beginning of March. The National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the National Association Teachers (NAS/UWT) have begun a ballot for ½ day strikes in the weeks beginning 9 March and 16 March. members and both general secretaries signed the paper calling on all their members to give the proposal full backing.
The two unions repre sent around 80 per cent of all teachers and this will be the first joint action they have taken for over a year.
It will be a real morale
fight against the Tory moves to impose worsened conditions of employment which will include Cutthening the working year by 5 days and increasing the working week.
The ½ day strikes will not stop the Bill becoming law but they will make Baker think about what pay and conditions he wil Impose or teachers. More importantly it will help prepare a massive campaign of resistance to the conditions that he will try to impose and ultimate repeal of the legislation.
The union leaders have been forced following growing calls from the membership for action. Up and down the
Name
Address
Action for £
Registered as a newspaper with the Post Unrice Cardinal Enterprises, PO Box 50, London NI.
ACTION
NUT call action against Baker
Kenneth Baker's Bill to
on
of Schoolmasters/Union of Women
There will be one ballot paper for all have co-
country NUT branches in particular have been passing resolutions supporting the demand for strike action launched by the Inner London Teachers'
Association.
By Bernard Regan
This campaign was greatly strengthened bythe decision of the NUT's National Disciplinary ComHILLe I February reinstate the 50 ILTA.
Council members who had been suspended from the Union for supportin strike action on January The strike call which the employers now concede in fact had the backing of 8000 of the 13,500 ILTA members demonstrated that given a clear lead teachers are
Government's attack.
Although the ILTA of-
HACKNE
TEACHERE
BANER
SUBSCRIBE
Inland 24 issues £10 48 issues £20 I enclose cheque/PO payable to Socialist
Send to: Socialist Action Subs. PO Box 50, London N/ 2XP
ficers were reprimanded and all 50 were found technically guilty of breach of the union rules, they are now back in the union ready continue the fight against Baker.
Messages support for ILTA have come of Labour MIPs, Durham Area of the National Union OI Mineworkers, Durham Mechanics, Nottingham Pit Closures and a host of
bodies noveltell and activists including Peter Heathfield, NUN general secretary.
It Is the basis of precisely that kind of su-p port that teachers will be working to win mass backing for their fight. Rather than wait for the next general election and the possible rel of teachers have to take en abour vernment the fight now.
An important role in the fight has been that o1 the Socialist Teachers' Alliance whose members led the ILTA strike action. On Saturday April an open discussion con-
erence will be called by the STA which will focus on the campaign ahead and on the need to build a united can Ning left within the which aims _to the Tories the fight against the forward.
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NCU-
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NO STRUGS
NO DENS
union
ended to continue the strike.
But the contrast between the determination of the membership and the weak will of the leadership starkly revealed the fact that this strike had been led by the members from day one dragging along the executive and Golding kicking and screaming In LIC end we were sola ou by a general secretary desperate to get us back to work on conditions not dissimilar to those whic triggered the action
Although BT manageI cult climbed down in their insistence that no pay offer would without agreement to alterations attendance patterns, promotions procedures, and direct recruitment the Golding leadership recommended acceptance of a deal which still included many strings These include flexibility and the threat OTTAR ob losses by BT manage ment. The om a two year deal had originally been proposed BT. The argument of Goldings SU DUILEN was that 'we would be out unti Christmas for just another quarter of a per cent'. But n reality the company ha never anitcipated the solidity and unanimity of the strike.
The background to the dispute is a privatised company attempting to lay the basis for an assault on the jobs and conditions of a workforce they believe un-
take strike action This at-
WAN accepted by
Gress forward his project
press forward project of swapping jobs for conditions and pay.
undefeated
but sold out
NO STRING)
NO DEALS
UNDEFEATED BUT sold out, that was the general response in the NCU to the two to one vote to accept British Telecom's offer and end the first indefinite strike in the union's history. In itself the strike was a massive gain. Not only did the resolve and solidarity of the members catch the BT bosses and government by surprise but it shattered the myth of Thatcher's share owning democracy. BT's attempt to beat the
was rudely thwarted both by the ballot to strike and by a 98 per cent vote in meetings up and down the country on the Sunday before the action
Even the right wing executive, with their sights trained on the forthcoming ballots to elect the leadership found cause to temporarily halt Goldings impatience lo sellit dispute at any cost their refusal
By Andy Holla Leeds internal NCT
recommend the deal negotiated on the Sunday before the return to work The executive were pusher by the membership every inch of the way.
It is however hardly surprising that the membership eventurally succumbed to accepting the offer when it became apparant that Golding was The Tu can holde pie despite the fact that the strike was begining to send shivers down the spine BT management who were under pressure to settle Golding's claim to have secure industrial eace for two years about as reliable as Neville Chamberlain's 1938 claim to have achieved peace in our time. Not only have we renrading and reorganisa- conceded tion package, for a rise lit tle different to tha we originally took action over, but we also face an onslaught on jobs from management over the next three , years They have already made it clear that they aim to shed at least 30,000 jobs The task for us now is to build on the strengh and confidence shown by the membership during the
Neu
NOT BT strike and to constuct serious left inside the union committed to a cam paigning rank and file
- as opposed to merely the electoralist one
DOLLY IS y
Dad Left. This is the t way to ensure that we furnish ourselves with leadership capable of determined fight agains BT's designs and construct a challenge the authority of the right
those branches dominated by Golding's SUDOUILCLD
the bulk of the 81 branches that recommended C CU tion of the deal were Broad
, nor the fact that it was the Broad Left ac-
successfully organised the majority of the solidarity and financia support for our members. The material put out by
NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS
UNION
ENGINEERS
PUPPETS
UNION
Broad Left militants was
variable, very good in some are it un quilicabithers,
unequivicably
posed the sell out and it i
still to the Broad Left tha
the majority of militants
opposed to Golding look
and there that the fight
must take place over the direction of the left in th
union.
There is no denying the
'Mainstream' Goldins
wing suu was may ority sud
but the experience o this dispute has radicaliser
a whole layer of workers
lane role
leadership has laid the bes basis for the growth of
committed socialist leader
of the union at loca
and national level. It is to
this that those active in thi
union's Broad Left mus
look.
← Socialist Action No. 158, 6 February 1987Socialist Action No. 160, 6 March 1987 →