Socialist Action No. 64, 29 June 1984
The scan: 064-jun-29-1984-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
ACTION
SOCiALisE
ALL OUT
WITH
THE MINERS!
Fi Fa
No. 64 29 June 1984 30p
TONY BENN says:
6 THERE ARE two things which the movement
should be doing right now for the miners. First, trade unionists in a whole range of
industries and services should plan to take industrial action where they work. This would be the best and most direct way to help now, and no-one need wait for permission to begin.
We have learned that from the women's movement.
An extension of strike action would directly assist the NUM and give them a tremendous boost at the same time. Secondly the National Executive Committee of
the Labour Party should organise a national
demonstration, invite Arthur Scargill and other trade union leaders and members of the
women's support groups to speak alongside
leading members of the Labour Party, to launch a sustained national political campaign that must go on until the miners win.
The financial and moral support that has come from the movement has been much appreciated. But it has still been left to the miners and their families to carry the main burden.
They are fighting for us and we cannot let them fight alone. • See page 2
Page 2 scan of this page
Dieser Betrieb wird bestreikt The 35 hour 'quake
Socialist Action
ACTion Socialist
Next steps
to win the strike
WHEN THATCHER and MacGregor broke up the negotiations between the NCB and the NUM ten days ago they thought they were on a winner. The police had defeated the miners at Orgreave. Every major paper was calling for the government to drive the miners into the ground.
But within a week determined action by the NUM and the NUR around. v Tuesdav it was clear that the strike was beginning to bite more sharply than ever before.
What is vital now is that individual groups of workers are not left to fight alone. Mockade aid boy coves it is vital nak hat the ei tire weight of the movement is thrown behind the NUM
That is why Tony Benn's statement on Monday night calling for strike action and a national Labour demonstration because it is Tony Benn. But because what he said is right on what is needed to win the strike.
To break up the isolation the government is trying to create around the miners, and those engaged in tire weight of the Labour Party must be thrown behind them. national demonstration - With head, is the best way to achieve that.
The way to get effective solidarity strike ac tion however is not to leave it to groups of workers. The only way a strike call can be made effective is for the NUM, tion with other unions, to name the day for such solidarity strike action.
Following the successful regional days of ac strike, caribe buily of action, a
can be built.
Building on the boycotts and local support the demands which are needed to win are: • A national Labour Party demonstration in support of the miners. unions called by the NUM • A day of national strike general strike in support of the miners.
The whole labour movement has to concentrate on these goals in the weeks to come.
An unwelcome visitor
ON 14 JULY a most unwelcome visitor from France will be arriving in Britain. No, it won't be a consignment of French golden delicious apples, nor those other things the Sun likes to carry on its revolting tirades against. It will be a visit by French fascist leader Jean-Marie Le
Le Pen is coming to celebrate Bastille day in Maidstone with the National Front.
It is ironic really. The 14 July is one of the greatest days in human history. The anniversary or the cav prison fortress earnest the in turn, did more than anything before October 1917 to spread democracy, liberty, and the concept of equality throughout the world
It was, in short, a revolution which the reverse of everything which Le Pen stands for which only revolution and not the country that made it which is important.
Unfortunately the policies of the French Neil Kinnock, Francois Mitterand, in france. The SDP. Liberal controlled Maidstone in France.
orough council has appealed to the goverr
rent to ban Le Pen's vis
We disagree. sieur Le Pen. Only we propose the labour move ment ensures it organises a suitably internationalist 'greeting
Perhaps 'the represent a suitable festivity for Britain on 14 July?
Editor: ALAN FREEMAN Published weekly except two weeks in August and the last week of December.
Signed articles by contributors do not necessarily represent Socialist Action's views. cultullals.
29 June 1984 has turned that situation
Line govern
right. Not
active solidarity with them, the en-
Labour Party Arul scargil at its
individual , in collabora-
24 hour general
conference for the trade
action, a 24 hour
nor French lorry drivers,
Bastille and began in French revolution. That revolution,
stands for
goes to show that it is the
allowed Le Pen's
Please come to Britain mon-
storming of Maidstone' would
These are expressed in
THE WEST GERMAN strikes for the 35 hour week are-the biggest labour conflicts in that country since the Second World War. JOHN ROSS looks at the development of the campaign by the West German metal and printing trade unions.
Europe it didn't take long for the strikes led by the German metal workers union IG Metall to bite. The union launched its first wave of indefinite strikes on 14 May. By mid June 80,000 workers were on strike and 300,000 locked out by the employers in retaliation. The great bulk of German car production was shut down.
The effects of the strike spread rapidly outside West Germany itself.
Among the key companies picked out for strike ac-
IG Metall were Robert Bosch, producer of LUC systems, Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen (ZF), turope s largest producer of transmissions and steering asseniones and Mahle,
of pistons for virtually all Europe's high performance cars.
Dy Ima June not only German vehicle producers
the General Motors Antwerp Belgium, which has a normal capacity of 240,000 cars a year.
By mid June Saab and Volvo in Sweden were run. ning down production due
tion equipment imported from West Germany Vauxhall and Ford in Britain were running short of similar parts. Scania and Leyland vehicles were running out of power steering gear.
It is difficult in Britain to imagine the sheer scale and anetall. Weit of the IG
With 2.6 million members, the union is best visualised as combination of the AUEW and the manufacturing sections of the TGWU rolled into one
- with the ISTC added on
It is now quite
obvious that the
vast majority of
miners are opposed
to this strike!
Given the weight of West German industry in for good measure.
In the last three years IG Metall has raised €112 million for its strike fund. The total assets of the
are calculated at £375 million.
addition to the metal workers fight for the 35 hour week parallel campaign for the same de mand is being waged by the printers union
Druck. The printers union has called out 12,000 workers in a series of rolling strikes which included shutting down, , or crippling, the main West German newspapers Frankfurt, Berlin and Munich
On 18 June the public workers union OTV.
with 1.2 million members the second largest union Western Germany, also adopted the demand for a 35 hour WCCK
Confronted with this campaign the West German employers have taken an ultra-hard line, concen-
splitting the West German unions and defeating the demand for the 35 hour week at all CUSES
Their chief negotiating weapon has been introducing the idea of 'yearly working time' and propos ing early retirement as an alternative to reducing the
APIECE Of the ACTION :6389
In fact, if you h travelled the length and breadth of the country you'ld be lucky to find more than dozen miners
working week. Reduction of the retirement age to 58 on 75 per cent of overall pay has been agreed in the textile industry for examhas been for the employers The other alternative
propose workers individual days off. But the bedrock of the bosses' position has been to refuse any reduction in the basic 40 hour week for the entire workforce.
The advantage of these partial proposals to the employers is that they do not involve the hiring of extra workers. The days off would be taken times of the year when production is slackest anyway and would not involve closing down the factories The workers who retire early would not be replaced. Goals
ans of reducing inest
means of reducing Germany's 2,100,000 employed - which is one of the chief goals of the 35 hour week demand - the proposals to reduce the working year would simp ly be used to launch a campaign for flexible working and productivity increases.
The employers' tactics have been successful in breaking off the right wing of the West German trad union federation, the DGB, from support of IG Metall. The chemical workers, miners, construction workers, textile workers and catering workers have all accepted the lowering of the retirement age as an alternative
the shorter working week.
The second tactic of the employers has been to
...Who totally support this action!
The rest, I take it, are intimidated by the demon Scargill?
solidabreak up te Metall solidarity IG Metall itself. The employers have ottered reduction of the work week to 38 hours for shift workers - but this would affect only 115 CelI ot the IG Metall': members. A proposal is being floated to extend this to piece workers which would mean more than a third of the membership. But the bedrock of the employers' position remains no reduction of Lne workweek below hours for the bulk of the IG Metall's members.
Arbitration around the metal workers' claim has been set : up under the ex-
right wing Social Democrat Georg Leber and will be reporting this week.
The printing employ. ers, probably in consultation with the metal dustry bosses, have taken an ultra hard line. Arbitration over the print workers claim led to a report by Christian , Democrat arbitrator Biedenkopf proposing a settlement on the lines of reducing the work. ing year but not the working week. This was accepted by the union, but then rejected by the clovers
Faced with this hard line the two union leader-
posite directions. position of IG Druck has hardened with an extension or surike action. The IG Metall leadership has retreated by accepting bringing forward the annual holidays companies such as Volkswagen
demobilising the workers involved in the
Largely verbal support tor the unions CallbagI has come from the leadership of the West German How else could one explain it?
Striking German metal workers Social Democratic Party (SDP). This in practice, a compromise en urging Metall. compromise
The 'Green' party, the ecologists, who won a major success in the Euro-elections, have radical position on paper
demanding the granting of the 35 hour week and positive discrimination favour of women and im. migrants among the new
be taken on. But the Greens organisea support in tne trade unions scarcely exISUS
At the parliamentary and state level the Greens demanded Hamburg that the lockouts staged by the employers be declare illegal. But they made no such demands in the state
Hesse durıns their
negotiations with the SPI over forming a new state government.
The long term effect of the strikes on West Ger man politics however are going lo be profound West Germany already has
largest anti-missiles movement in Europe. In the Greens it has a party to the left of the SPD with a spit natular turo-
..ne Euro elections. What was lacking in the political situa tion in West Germany was major struggles by the labour movement itself. The struggle over the 35 hour week,-however has for the first time well and truly shaken a section of the West German trade union movement from its post-war
allelalice social peace.
The effects of that step
reverberate through European politics for many years to come.
•Cormäc
I shouldn't be surprised to learn that he was taking lessons from Sinn Fein on 5 how to intimidate! 5
Perfectly simple,
"aren't you?!
Page 3 scan of this page
News
Kent NUM members occupy NCB headquarters
Jack Collins
giving active
support.'
BRITISH Rail and South Wales hauliers have stepped up their blackmail to try to break the blockade around the steelworks of Llanwern.
Socialist Action spoke to PETE KUCK, TGWU shop steward at Hazell's Haulage, Newport, about his vietimisation for refusing to cross the Llanwern picket lines.
'On Thursday morning I had delivered a load of steel to West Wales. returned Llanwern where there were more loads to be delivered. I was informed by the Llanwern transport office that the! had been told by Hazell's not to load me.
'I returned to Hazell's yard where was told either I drive coal from Port Talbot to Llanwern through the miners' picket lines or I would be laid off indefinately
'I asked for the exact reason and was told that
work for myself, or Ros. vive i we rec care! coal. I answere that there
steel
'How much longer are miners expected to be up front with only a few unions
Coal stocks at Newport docks
'I've never crossed a picket line in my life'
NUM
The ISTC are saying that they've made €20,000 donation to our strike fund. Well I thank them for that.
But I'd also like to remind them that the Kent VL.M with 2.500 members Fis.000 during the 1980 donation steel strike.
We also refused to allow any steel to come
the pit. We also to allou scrap metal to be remored from the The
DiCt stopped coming in held up the development of the pit. This retarded the growth of our pits and miners lost wages.
We received steel workers into the pit villages who were picket duty in Kent. We
them, transported food, gave them office space, and stopped work for a day to
• By Tuesday
works had cut off iron ore supplies.
Shirebrook had been cut by three quarters.
London's rail system
the 27 June.
hands. Socialist
ty.
Sheerness
Whilst at Sheerness our
members were beaten by
the police and some were
arrested and fined. So we
feel offended when some
steel workers decide not to
support us now
The main problem is hether I'm taking about never know
from Lianwern. They replied: «We know thai but we want the lorries for coal."
However, the drivers at another haulage firm voted 10 to 13 against carrying the coal. Those who refused to carry the coal are still working carrying steel.
'The drivers who carried the coal received f25 a load. They are expected to do three loads a day.
Across the picket lines because, apart
crossed a picket line in my life, I believe that thos longiare cross stake 0longing strike. everyone had refused would have brought things
don't know I'll Keep my job, but 1 did what I think is right Sometimes there's a difference between what you think is right and what you think is good for you. Ion ly know that I couldn't sell out my conscience for any
'If I get the sack at least I'll have the satistaction of knowing that didn't carry the weight of fear so heavily that I let it break my beliefs.
Socialist Action
COAL
NOT.
DOLE
KENN
THIS WEEK the miners' strike really began to bite.
the blockade of Llanwern steel
• The number of trains running from the Nottinghamshire coal field to the power stations via
was taking widespread solidarity action for the South East day of action on
After a drift round the time of the negotiations the NUM is taking the initiative back into its own
Action asked JACK COLLINS, secretary of the Kent NUM, for his comments on the recent events in the strike, and the need for solidari-
Bill Sirs or Sir Bill ... time will tell I suppose.
With regard to the Labour Party I have to thousandste between the thousands Labour Party members who have rallied behind and leaders like Roy Hattersley and Neil Kinnock. would say they're taking out hisul alle They're saying these things now so that in the future when they really want to come down hard on the they can say they've been consistent.
And to those Labour Party leaders who attack Arthur Scargill, I say that I wish those same people were as determined implement Labour Party to implement NUM policy.
Our policy is no closures and the policy of the Labour Party and the TUC.
Scargill is bound by national conference decisions, which member of the NUM opposed at the time The NUM and its executive ha no option but to stay out and fight until we've won on that policy.
The Labour and trade union have repeatedly declared their opposition to the Tebbit laws. I think I'm entitled to ask how much longer are miners expected to be up front with only a few giving active support? Food and money very mortal Dunne most important support is puysical sondanty We're asking for solidarity on 27 June, the SERTUC day of
29 June 1984 3 action, but I'm also for extending that into days and necessary weeks of action. We're calling on the rest of the labour movement to join us in this fight.
I'd like to remind everybody that the escala tion of the violence out on the picket lines is entirely
TeSDOOS DULY of the police. Kent only sent six miners at tirst to each ni
Leicestershire and Staffs. The police stopped us at the Dartford tunnel.
When we arrived we found thousands of police greeted greponsible for the They're
law breaking because they've been making the law up as they go along.
I have a letter in front of me now from Jack Jones complimenting the Kent miners on their Denavioli nirs weeks of the strike. Now ineponce alre knocking miners to the ground like ten bin bowling Dins police have caused the violence not the miners.
We need a lot more
people on the picket line
Ayatolan porteni bu
Ayatollah the Shah had the most sophisticated army in the middle east, the most repressive spy network, and the people turned out in their masses
and were ahle to defeat the Shah.
As for MacGregor's letter, a lot of NUM ac tivists stuck it right back ir Tner envelope and sent it back with appropriate slogans
He's told us that pro-
by four million tons. That means 20,000 jobs will go. He's forecasting increased ouput but only in the big new coalfields
He's started to talk about 'our people and THES people' dustry. What disgraceful, insulting stupid man he must be Doesn't he know that if it wasn't for the tremendous support we've been getting he would be guilty of in fanticide
Like hangman labourer he's supportire the government n ther attempt starve peop c out and yet he tries to pre tend he's on our side
Page 4 scan of this page
4
Interview:
•The NCB is
frantic'
THE illusion is over. There is not now going to be a quick negotiated end to the miners' again the two sides face each other in a head-on confrontation.
Thurcroft pit in South Yorks about the situation following the end of the talks. Both are members of Heely Labour Party.
John: What was your view of the negotiations?
Dave: The traditional NCB management are frantic about the state of ine pils, ine industry and even their own. jobs. But
dICi dominated by MacGregor and Thatcher. 30 all y negotiated peace has to be seen as a defeat
Scargill. Thatcher wants lo be seen to dercal
determined, socialist eadership trade union.
She wants no admission that 'mob rule' has any effect on government.
Bur I don't care what she :a›5. l1 aoes. ocalgil was nor ditched by the rest of the NUM so MacGregor recked the talks.
What are the latest moves hy the NCB and the government?
They seem to be based on roping. for a drift back to tork. But I can't see it happening. We've got a number of problems, especially with gas and electric bills, anel we'll have to get organised to try :o stop asconnecion.
But people are deter nined. They have got usec . o having no money, living
- ar. day to day, even col
parcels become part of E: OW # eryday bite.
How do you think the Triple Alliance has helped in this dispute?
Right from the start we
the front line, the gover nct
e steel union asked us to
zerous L tcll
y were not involved in a
situation • hemselves. So we gave #spensations and risked ine economic impact of aur strike being watered cown tor the sake ot this raper unity with the ISTC : adership.
The EEC is after a big
he steel unions will need our help in this.
We should have developed line of nighting together and not súccumbed to the management about
arkets which Bill Sirs ha been using. As a result we've had no direct con:act with the workers in the
In solidarity with the striking miners and to remember their historic victory in 1973. Speakers include: ARTHUR SCARGILL; BETTY HEATHFIELD; BRUCE KENT (C.ND); NAJ HAFEEZ (Labour Cllr.)
Socialist Action 22 June 1984
strike. Once
JOHN KIRBY talked to DAVE PARRY from
steel plants in this area.
I think the area leadership shoud think dOUE L leafletting, some of the plants or having a public meeting of some sort.
What do you think of callATIN
the
to look at
The be
struggle, 110 1
build channels of
tried. '72 and
same muscle,
solidarity in the form of and,
Birmingham
Saltley gates
March
Saturday 7 July
Assemble: 10 am Saltley gates Rally: 1pm Chamberlain Square (behind
Birmingham Town Hall)
C88883 level of food parcels. We need other workers drawn into the front line, like the NUR, ASLEF, and the samen's union. Thatcher sees this and that is why She tried to buy off the railworkers.
What do think of Scargill's call for a four«a week afu reuec dt 55?
The NCB has a redundancy and early retirement
with what seem to be big Day-vlis
We need to fight this with the union policy of retirement at 55 on a de-
Kent women
march in Dover
ABOUT a thousand people attended the march and raiv SUETUH
Keurda dinersed bites
Miners'
Group. Banners from Labour Parties, trade unions, trades councils were joined by a delegation of black organisations from London.
By Jane Kelly, Peckham CLP
Women dominated the march and rally with speakers from wives' support groups in Yorkshire Coventry and Nottingham. Pam Oldfield repeated that the miners in Nottinghamshire are absolutely firm their resolve but that even after the strike is won, they will still have a fight on their hands to get back their old jobs now being done by scabs.
"Miners'
Strike
cent pension for every miner coupled with the recruitment of school leavers so there are no job losses.
Also if we are talking about a shorter working ile. we nave gotto de laiking about a shorter werking week. A tour-dav w'eel with better conditions for
HOleS n y orksnire Wales and even the nonstriking Notts miners
But even more important. we are saving that the miners are not going to
for the problems o way the industry, which have been brought on by government policies.
She called on
were also
from the Miners Union in with money offers holidays miner's
and
InTe Union ot
behalf the large
have the miners.
asseruu une
Reply on
Orgreave
Dear Comrades,
YOUR coverage of the strike so far has been first class, but as part of the alca . leadership at Barn sley, particularly as far as the direction of pickets is concerned, feel I must take up a bit of what Dave Parry said in 8 June edition.
I must admit to bein‹ amazcu waa lcc u the NUM committee has
the sUcculaiC strategy being pursued and
badly misinformed DECIlIS as to tne relatve of forces. NUM panels mee a e even week (reps from each panel and doseren unc area) and report to branches. Delegates report weekly — some daily to mass meetings of the men.
Questions, ideas and criticism can and are put at all of these meetings and
with neuc uraleny regard to picketing. although it has its origins in the Co-ordinating Committee, cannot be prosecuted and areo set without the approval of ine acierales
I have no intention of arguing oyer overall ideas behind the strategy
public (its enocle secrecy and not forwarning the olice but some corrections need to be urale.
Ar Orgell did noe
larsel Orgreave Saturday as stated. This. like all other operations wae usen aio ocarser by the Yorkshire Area Coordinating Committee and members of that committee (including myself) were present on that picket. Arthur subsequently turned up on the picket lines (3 or 4 days in total) to show support and regain the
of Saltiey lasi also, of course, , being stationed Sheffield, Orgreave is easy for him to
especially at times ical. when most of the coke is moved. reave on a number of occasions, the Tuesday in ques-
tional office decided to move mn support from other areas. This was most welcome but it was a one off gesture. National Of-
VICTORY
WITH THE
MINERS
THURSDAY 5th Juty 1984 8pm
TOWN HALL
ACOCA
Lavender Hill SW11
TONY BENN MP
MALCOLM PIT
President Kent NUM/
KAY SUTCLIFFE
Kent Women Against Pit Closure
NICK WRIGHT
Wadsworth Policing Campaign
fice has made no attempt
organise CANanel stayover pickets from Quie cottles
Iam afraid 'a call' such as it is for Orereave. Scun thorpe or whatever is not a
good WIllOul organisation: organisation TOT HOSC WIIU , respond to the call. It stands to reason that the body which makes 'the call' must organise to fulfill it. Anyone can make an abstract 'call' for mass pickets if it is left to someone somewhere organise the nuts and bolts of the operation.
The major inaccurac! ARA IHA MAI OIE is that pickets have been demobilised. At n( DULLI have we stood down pickets and at all times we have begged, pleaded and demanded that all miners come forward for picketing. Negotiations have not affected either the numbers or direction of pickets any stage.
Vobody is playing the Grand Old Duke of York, but if Dave is marching up and down the wrong hill. il must be because he following the wrong direc. tions and ignoring. the elected leadership of this area, who have been charged TUI the picketing operation
Any suggestion that miners should organise "independently' of their own union and elected of. ficials is a plan for division and defeat. U'sually, this idea has been put forward sw pilters
who have told themselves that they the Grand Old Duke of York for so long and now
find anyone to callot follow them. They resem.
ble the Kings new suit of clothes. they stand naked and impotent with few if allv pickets taking any notice of them.
Mass picketing is the priority and WIll remain the priority until victory. The NUM will prosecute and run this strike on the endorsement and approval of the membership and not any outsiue Douy.
Revolutionary Greetings, David Douglass, Yorkshire Ărea NUM EC
ROGANE DHY HATT
News
Miners'
Support
Committee
Leicester 56 St Stephens Rd Tel: Leics 552386
Coventry Donations to: D Jones, 11 De Compton Close, Keresley, Coventry.
Bristol
c/o TGWU, Transport House, Room 1, Victoria Di, BrIStol Do
Manchester c/o FTAT, 37 Anson Rd. Victoria Park, Mancheste
Preston • o lohn Parkinson. Trad Union Centre. St Mary's St North, Preston
Huddersfield c/o Friendly and Trades Club. Northumberland St, Hudderstield
Vauxhall c/o joan Twelves/Greg Tucker, 1 Alverston Hse, Kennington Park Estate, London seli
Southall c/o 14 Featherstone Rd Southall, London
Birmingham c/o Trade Union Resource centre, Fredench st, Hockley
Ealing c/o West London Trade EnOn loCoa High St. London W3
Southamoton c/o NUPE District Office, 93 Leigh Rd, Eastleigh, Hants
Cardiff Room 219, Transport House, 1 Cathedral Rd Cardiff. Tel: 0222 31176
Hounslow c/o lan MacDonald, 22(
Wellington Road South HounsOw Midex. en 01-577 3429
Medway
o Vince Drongin. eCHal ons rader Union Council, 19 Randall Rd, Chatham, Kent
Burg c/o Brian Marden, 061-764
Oxford c/o Claimants Union, Princes St. Oxiord
Leeds c/o District Labour Party, 9 Queens Sq, Leeds 2
Lewisnam
: o Labour and Trade union clun. Limes urove Lewisham, London
Haringey c/o Unemployed Workers'
28 High Rd, Centre, Tottenham, London N17. Tel: 801 5629
York c/o Terry, 3 Scaife St. York. Tel: 0904 25223.
Brent
375 Willesden High Road, Londo= \W10
Birkenhead Trade Union & temo ovea Kesource. Centre, Argyle St South (next to Central Stn). Birkenhead. Tel: 051-647 3904.
Leamington
Meets Sunday 7.30pm, Stoneleigh Arms, Clement
Page 5 scan of this page
Fascism in the colours
International
IRELAND
UNFREE
Ireland votes
PHOBLACHT
Republican Now:
ALL-IRELAND
issue. in the sir Counties of Northern ireland. 10 per cent for the Labour Parti established election machinery built over the years. That this is due very much to Sinn Fein's record of campaigning on social issues, like the anti-pusher campaign, can be seen by comparing the votes in working class Dublin to the republican' areas on the border where their vote was only around two per cent.
At the same time as voting Assembly, Irish voters were considering a referendum to extend the franchise to all residents of Ireland. Portrayed largely as a reciprocation of the right of Insih citizens to vote in Britain, this was passed by a majority of three to one.
Wolfe Tone
the authors of the sew
rermanaah Whereas a defeat for
on the EEC
THE MOST electrifying development of the French Euro-elections was the spectacular gains of the neofascists led by Jean-Marie ROBERTS, writing from Paris, looks at the vietories of the right in France.
Simone Veil maintained their vote at 42 per cent this time compared to the last EEC elections in 1979, the total vote of the right wing parties in France jumped enormously to 55 per cent. The biggest gainer was the neo-fascist Front National (FN) which increased
VULC "break-through? ballot. Over the last vear SUDITO.
VOLE
west of Paris, where Jean-
Was
Giscardian
Le Pen. STEVE
While the right wing opposition parties led by
Not une charismatic tigure among Immigrants march from Marseille to Paris to protest. against racism
WiLl rise cannot
PUll
PIE MARCHE POURL EGALITE PARIS
ETCONTRELE RACISME 3DEC
of France?
HOSI
Socialist Action 29 June 1984 successes and resolve thei
man who drew voters awar on the road to the 1986 Parliamentary elections. Unless the present course of the Mitterrand government is rolled back by an all-out resistance to
ration laws and French military intervention in the third world Pen himself as wel against Le then the 1968 election will produce an alliance of the
what the SP-CP goverr ment have begun.
Page 6 scan of this page
6 AFTER sixteen weeks of the most bitter strike struggle since the '20s the miners' strike has reached a decisive stage. Neither side is in any position to compromise.
For those who doubted it, the Tory government has made it clear: their aim is to impose a terrific defeat on the NUM and the entire labour movement.
The NUM cannot afford to compromise either. That's why the miners can no longer afford to put up with the open scabbing of other sections of the trade anion and labour movement. The
OH HER MAJESTYS SERYKE
1
THE MANAGER
Department of Employmen Unemployment Benefit Office
Socialist Action 29 June 1984
the steelworkers themselves.
Llanwern says on this page: 'If
then Llanwern has a future. So even for selfish reasons steelworkers should support the miners.'
movement.
SMASH
MACT SAESTIL
SAVE PITS EIYSSERYKE
PAID
Cent: Employmend •Senefit Offie
Stop all steel
blockade of steel is vital, not only for the miners but, in helping the strike to victory, is in the interests of the whole movement, including
As Ray Davies of the ISTC in
the coking pits can be kept open
The same could be said for every other section of the labour
OFFIGAI they strike.
when
AFTER A week of mounting tension the first convoy of coal moved down the motorway from Talbot to Llanwern last Friday. This followed the refusal of rail union members to continue moving coal to Llanwern after ISTC officials failed to come up with a deal on steel production by Thursday's deadline.
In preparation for the pickets, wire mesh had been welded to lorry cabs. Eyewitness reports spoke of hundreds of police being involved in the operation. All motorway junctions were occupied. Obviously scared of ambushes police lined the side of the M4.
But only token pickets were
local NUM feed ship has decided
to try and avoid confrontation and has asked the rail unions to cut off all supplies to Llanwern.
By Graham Atwell
While it is possible to supply Llanwern with coal by road it is an. citipated that BSC will have iderable problems moving and hand ng the large quantities of iron ore tha the steel plants need if the rail blockade can be made effective.
The coal and steel industries in South Wales have always been closely linked — with six Gwent pits producing coal just for Lianwern steelworks. The
andustry itself is a major user of sieel and in the 1980 steel strike miners refused to use steel despite the threat to their own jobs.
The question of dispensations arose early in the dispute. The deal agreed between the NUM South Wales ecutive and the ISTC and the bosses was generous to say the least. Indeed rail workers Radyr depot, which controls coal movements to the steel works, reckon that at one stage
were moving more supplies than usual into Llanwern.
While the dispensation meant only token pickets at Lianwern, Port Talbot was a different story. The steelworks uses foreign coal, imported direct to their own dock. The NUM attempted to agree production levels with the steel unions, but it never bore fruit.
In fact at both Llanwern and Port Talbot near record levels of production have been reached since the start of the
Trouble developed at Port Talbot
following the refusal
MANY rank and file members gravely concerned about the rift between miners and steelworkers. The industrial future of South Wales - a future for our children and grandchildren depends on expanding coal and steel industries.
We in the NUM understand the fears of the steel industry — we have experienced them ourselves when people believe that by voting not to strike to save jobs the government will favour their pits. But this government has no favours to bestow on working class people - only on the rich
They already know the pits and steelworks they want close whatever you do to curry favour will not save any steelworks or any mine.
They are playing off one group of
Port boilermen to stop the coal, BSC started largescale lorry transhipments out of the plant to England. In effect they were using the steelworks as a scab coal dock!
The negotiations were conducted by the Triple Alliance and held with the blessing of the WTUC. Since 1980 both the ISTC and the Wales TUC have accepted successive con BSC on production and staffing in the slimlining of the blalls thousands of redundancies ductivity at record levels. The Welsh steel plants have been against Ravenscraig and Scunthorpe, and Llanwern has been set against Port Talbot.
There was never a chance of steel leaders agreeing to cut production. Th
over the heads of the ISTC leadership directly to steelworkers. But this was a
ourse the majority of the South Wale
NUM leadership was not prepared t steel take. Huw Edwards, Tower NUM. explained: changed the leaders at the national level by putting Scargill in, who thinks like us. It was then down to the file in areas like Scotland, Wales, and Yorks to put pressure on their are: representatives. If we had left it to the area reps we wouldn't be on strike today - the! compromise.'
It was a compromise with steel that the South Wales and it led to a public clash between Emlyn Williams and Scargill. It's been left to an unofficial steel bulletin to print from Tyrone O' Sullivan, secretary of the Abermman strike committee, and of not a member of the executive.
An appeal to steelworkers
NUM workers against another. The demands of the profit seeking rich should not be allowed to decide if you or I have the right to work.
on the dole.
private steel into our pit, we allowed no
steel to leave our pit to go to other pits
We came out on days
joined your picket lines. I believe if you
had declared your strike then for jobs
and not waited to the later weeks of the
strike you would have had our total
DUBULLI
the industrial survival of South Wales
and all of Britain. We must plan for an
expanding coal and steel industry.
must demand lue rigal co
ourselves and our children. Together
we can do this. Working apart we will
all fail.
LLANWERN
BSC Llanwern
salvation unloading of
for the steelworkers miners.
ultimatums from
resulting in and pro-
played
was for the miners to appeal
lodge chair of
rank and does they will fail Kent
would have negotiatd a Llanwern leads
NUM did negotiate, The
leaflets to an appeal to the steelworkers
Scabbing
We do not want to see steelworkers
In 1980 we allowed no The
of action, we effective.
We must all build for the future, for
We work for
Win the strik
The pits
ensure
steel's
future
workers have to realise that the management of the
have already decided that and Ravenscraig are eventually to close. We have to persuade the workforce that their only
for the miners to achieve a victory.
If the coking coal pits can be kept open Llanwern has a future. So even
most selfish reasons should support the By Ray Davies ISTC Llanwern
Steelworkers in Llanwern can support the miners by putting pressure on the national executive and branch officials both to hold regular collections and to refuse to handle coal lorries
If trade unionists refuse to handle scab coal lorries then whatever BSC
The problem is that the member haven't got the support of the ISTC ex
The leaders of the NUM have to Plan vern lease lac corpiorees at
workforce believe the coal is coming in with the tacit support of the NUM.
NUM should have a large picket outside the plant giving regular
the workforce and telling them what's going on. They have to ap. peal to the steelworkers over the heads of the ISTC leaders
Bill Sirs continues to scab on behalf of his members and against the Triple Alliance. His latest manouevre, to get Len Murray to intervene in the strike because he says another union's jobs are threatened, is disgusting.
is also taking place within the trade union movement. It is being led out at front by my leader Bill Sirs and from behind by Len Murray, Terry Duffy, Frank Chapple and co
task of trade unionists everywhere is to give total support to the miners in their efforts to defend and build a strong trade union movement.
The blockade of steel must be made
VICTORY IS OURS. , HAVE
Yours in Solidarity
Tyrone O'Sullivan
(Lodge Sec, Tower NUM)
The above appeal is taken from Soutr
Wales Steel Sheet — a regular bulletir produced by steelworkers.
Page 7 scan of this page
Labour can unlock
FOR Thatcher's government no holds will be barred and no expense spared in the concentrated effort to make this strike an industrial version of the Falklands war. As the Euroelection results demonstrated the Tories are throwing everything into the miners' strike because they can't afford to lose.
Every section of the ruling class understands that, walch Tories have received such unanimous backing from the press. of dissent has been from David Owen of the SDP and the extreme right in the Tory Party who demand, not compromise with the NUM, but the use of the Tebbit laws to financially cripple the union.
Like a well disciplined army the ruling class has allowed the Thatcher government to mastermind every stage of the struggle with the NUM. It was the government that decided on no earjy use of the Tebbit laws and instead to campaign to split the NUM.
By Redmond O' Neill
the governmenl masterminded the occupation coalfields and the qualitatively new level of police violence aimed at terrifying the miners and totally isolating their picket lines. . It was the government that broke up the NCB-NUM negotiations for the forseeable future.
Now it is the government considering giving the green light for court action against the solidarity action by the
is effective in blockading the sleci plalls
Unfortunately the labour ment as a whole, unlike the NUM, has had benefit of no such 'general staff' in the conduct of its side of the struggle. The miners themselves and the mining communities nave demonstrated kind of courage and determination which 3500 arrests and a 20,000 strong police occupation army is incapable oi breaking. The NUM leadership mains united around Scargill. Any illusions some may have held in an NCB compromise have been dispelled MacGregor.
But as the strike enters eenth week its chief weakness is not in the coalfields but in the open scabbing of the TUC leadership and the mealy mouthed, hand wringing of Kinnock in
ALTRANNA
e
is why the
The only note those like
expressed
who know there is another view
that has Was fillic
Not the Icc OCI and the NGA.
support as individual unions.
that TUC against the
unions
transport Oaths
NOVe-
stations are stopped, be used against
the leaders of the
are used the 'new realist'
posite. by
its six-
June TUC. 1 nat the NGA.
the strike
the Labour Party. This is the obstacle which must be broken through if the miners and tne workig class as a wnole are to win this momentous struggle.
Scargill has quite rightly refused to zve une scao wire or loe uace unod leadership, led by Len Murray, any say
UDLI at all in running the miners' strike. In an interview with the Financial Times last week he said: "There is a view being
the strike should be taken out of the hands of the people
what it is all about. And I didn't say it that if it then what happened to ASLEF The TUC can give us made support provided they want to give that
But last week on the TV programme Union World, Bill Sirs, leader of the steel union, threatened to bring in the
NUM if plans blockade the steel plants went ahead -and he repeated the call on Monday.
The Tories are making it increasingly clear that if the rail unions refuse to move iron ore, or supplies to the power
then the law will the unions. The statements by Len Murray, Bill Sirs and
EETPU are clear signals to the ruling class that if the laws
wing of the trade union movement will not lift a finger to help the NUM — quite the op-
They are prepared to divide the labour movement trom top to boulom even if that means a permanent split in
the lesson of
Inexorably, as this strike continues and the stakes become clear tor all to
for whole
Photo: JOHN STURROCK
Icals.
see, the split in the NUM between scabs and trade unionists is being extended into the whole labour movement.
This is the fact which the left-wing of the labour movement and all who support the miners must grasp and act
The ways Ilusi oc vuiu lu TeuCe une scab wing of the labour movement to the kind of minority position it now occupies in the NUM.
Despite Len Murray's intervention davs ot action have now been organısed in most areas of the country. They have shown a powertul minority organised in support of the NUM. The leaderships of the transport unions have
commitments solidarity. The left-wing of the Labour Party has organised support committees, levies and food collections all over
Tolpuddle -
EVERY YEAR the trade union movement honours six labourers from the Dorset village of Tolpuddle. These six men are remembered - and rightly so -
their heroic and dignitied defence of working people's right to organise.
Tolpuddle has gone down in the annals of the workers' movement as one of the first and most important steps towards building a trade union movement in Britain. Tolpuddle has a significance far beyond trade unionism and repression of elementary rights. By Bob Pennington
It should also be remembered as an example of how the ruling class controls the courts, the judiciary and the
paraphernalia of law-making and how it manipulates these, to serve its own interests. The martyrs, as the Tolpuddle six were known, were charged with using 'unlawful oaths' under an act of 1797.
AtelI leader George described how they came to see the need to organise as farmers in the area kept reducing wages below even the low rates paid in the surrounding area.
He says: 'From this time we were reduced to seven shillings a week, and Shortly after they told us they lower us to six shillings ... The labouring men consulted together what had better be done, as they knew it was impossible to live honestly on such scanty
'I had seen at different times accounts of trade societies; I told them of
the country.
But the Labour Party leadership — above all Kinnock and Hattersley have concentrated condemning 'picket violence' and campaigning for negotiations
As Scargill commented: 'It would be better for them to use their time and energy to aid our dispute.'
Scab
Nothing will move the TUC leaderships to do anything but scab on the miners. But, organise shown, the Labour Party leadership can be forced to act.
As the open role of Thatcher in the strike becomes clear now is the time to
a case of class justice
this and they village form a friendly society ... shortly after two delegates from a trade society paid us a visit ... gave us directions how to proceed...'
To stop themselves families starving these labourers formed a society to defend themselves. Such audacity brought down on their heads Ine wratn or the landowners and thi establishment. At that time the Whig government was becoming increasingly disturbed at the reports of trade unions But being set up among the farm labourers.
The then Home Melbourne, had family connections in Dorset and he engaged change of letters with the presiding magistrate, one James Frampton, and Lord Digby who was Lord Lieutenant of the county. The three of them decided that the men from Tolpuddle should be made an example of.
Trial
Justice and so-called impartiality neverene cho ner cosceao. In fact these three worthies were not even sure what law to use. Loveless matters have never troubled our worthy Lords for very long. Melbourne told magistrate Frampton to try an act of
seditious meetings under which any group whose members undertook DallN authorised by law would be regarded as LESI unlawtul combinations. This was used despite the repeal of
the Combination Acts in 1817 whereby trade unions had ceased to be legal. Then Lord Melbourne thought there might be a loophole in the 1817 Act under which they had been detained. But not to be outdone he and his advisors at the Home Office suggested
their energies on
NUM.
aDour
as the 50p levy decision willingly consented to
Act.
and their ed to
Secretary, Lord
Signals
Derore tne
web'.
But such sentence.'
aimed at Currenti
and assemblies' Tolpuddle
not required trade unionism.
Socialist Action 29 June 1984 launch a campaign for Labour to show where it stands by calling a national solidarity demonstration in support of the miners. This could be the focus for the first national day of action for the
The right-wing have shown no hesitation at all in risking a split in the
order • to avoid fighting the Tories. It is therefore all the more necessary that the left na. tionally organises behind the miners.
national solidarity •conference called by the NUM and those union executives prepared to take a stand offers a way to ensure it is those who suppor the miners who have the initiative not those who are betraying them. linking their offence to the 1797 Mutiny
The ambiguous wording of this Act meant it could be used agains! groups other than the armed forces for whom it had been specifically drafted.
The 1797 Act had another advan. tage in the eyes of the government and the landowners it carried heavier sentences such as deportation. During - the trial the judge made clear why the six men were in the dock when he explained that if trade unions were allow-
continue 'they would masters, cause a stagnation in trade and destroy property.'
From beginning to end their trial was a political frame up. In her book The Tolpuddle Martyrs Joyce Marlow explains that they were as good as guilty
trial began and describes their conviction as 'a beautifully spun
Even The Times wrote: 'The crimes which called for punishment were not ape prisoners did not justity ehe
prisoners justify
The defendants were all sentenced to seven years deportations and despite great protests and demands it was two
before they were pardoned. showed that behind that great facade of alleged majesty and dignity with which British law invests itself there stands a naked, vindictive class interest. It was used against the martyrs of Tolpuddle and in the 150 years since their trial, it has been used to attack and deny the working class
Those labour leaders who put the law above the rights of the working class enter — albeit unwittingly — into a conspiracy against the interests of
Page 8 scan of this page
Still defending unilateralism
Socialist Action 29 June 1984 Speaking at CND's demonstration on 9 June Roger Spiller, CND vice chair, seemed to reflect a genuine disbelief in the size of the turn out. He continually referred to period for the peace while 150,000 people Trafalgar Square - inree umes une number predicted by CND organisers the previous day. It is not a difficult period for those tens of thousands of activists who are currently discussing
campaigning against Inaent, to gel na or cruise, rolle withdrawal of US bases, and to scrap all nuciear weapons. however. hopefully will be difficult for those in
leadership who want to change this campaigning orientation
CND's ruel allie unilateral nuclear disarmament.
Since EP Thompson came out at the height of the July general election with his attacks on the damentalists' in the Labour
dogmatically hold unilateralism, we have elder statespeople such as Bruce Kent and Mike Pentz explaining variously
unilateralism was both albatross' and 'a disaster' peace movement.
After they failed to convince the CND membership, and December's CND conference threw out the 'freeze', many in the leadersnip nave begun to open up discussions inside the 'upper circles', new nronosals along the same lines These all share tramework: we need to win over ine so called middle ground, that means searching out proposals that will ap peal to both the SDP/Liberal Alliance and to 'anti-Thatcher Tories'. During the general election this approach was to win not an anti-nuclear parliament,
jority. Today it means campaigning on issues acceptable to evervone bar Thatcher and her ilk. Cutback
April's CND National opened up a debate around steps to disarmament' and agreed
paign for a 'nuclear cutback'. It also decided to establish what is known as Group' to report back 'Forward Planning to the next National Council. James
Hinton, organiser of CND's Projects
titled 'a vision',
the next general election for no first use and for a nuclear freeze.
Paul Nicholl's paper on steps to
disarmament urges the movement to
be not just against the
also for disarmament. This has open-
ea up a aiscussion on what stages oi
campaigning the movement, should
proceed through to 'aid disarmament
negotiations.
an approach originates inOUCI
side the Labour Party.
pamphlet No Cruise, No
dent, No Nuclear Weapons,
by Mike Gapes, describes the pro-
posals 'unilateral
multilateral solutions' adopted by the
Socialist International
Howard's paper on 'Nuclear
back' also seeks
'unilateralism' to meaning not simply
refusing get rid COTI
weapons but also refusing to take
unilateral steps any wnere In Ila
direction. Will doesn't
anything concrete that
adopt the slogan 'nuclear cutback'
which presumably can
mean anything to anyone!
Manv in CND are as yet unaware
of these discussions.
right wing in CND are still discussing
which option they
Nonetheless, a number of activists are
becoming increasingly
these attacks on unilateralism.
The Labour CND
composed both of a wide range of ac-
tivists elected at the Labour CND
'this difficult movement', piled into
and for
'funParty to CND
'an
for the
last
for
common
SDP, Council
cam-
Working on these issues
Walter Wolfgang.
ConTerence
for unilateral
missiles but and warning
favour of SDP/Liberals.
role in fighting against The Labour and
Tri- to thace in the
on unilateralism
steps fudge
Will Cutreduce Labour CND shut down.
'freeze'
all nuclear
cil and then became a major propose ship over the summer.
CND the malor slogans
be used to year's national
at the way in wnicn ine ireeze Further, the
go for.
the 'freeze' position.
alarmed at
Executive, in the following
AT THE 1983 conference of CND delegates defeated attempts to introduce a policy in favour of campaign-
CND eadership attem, But the reintroduce fid the
leadership attempting to reintroduce it this year. Proposals are now being circulated calling for a 'nuclear cutback' and similar slogans.
AGM and from the CND Regions ruled have unanimously decided to submit the general basis of a paper in defence of CND's unilateralism prepared by CND
Labour CND have also submitted a resolution to CND
CND's aims nuclear disarmament this clearly alliances with the
It is no accident that Labour CND is taking a lead in this. It was Labour CND who last year played a major
the 'freeze' pointed out how this gave room Labour who wanted to water down the two thirds majority at Labour Party conference
in Polaris that led to the debacle at the general election. Both the CND right wing and forces in the Labour Party then combined to get explain
Days. adopted a the April 1983 CND Coun
cam- called paigning priority for the CND leader-
It was one of adopted for last CND demonstration. short However, CND conference, angerec Cruise,
been imposed on the movement, and its adoption just at the point of the arrival of the cruise missiles, threw out term
This decision was described in the conference report in January's Sanity
way: 'Amia what
ference opted for conservatism and
Where
you bet out a campaign emphasis against all new nuclear weapons'. The
activists Jimmy
'conference rejection freeze a campaigning priority was noi clearly one that CND keeps up The mood was
one that win pull vigorous campaign to programme unilateral disarmament!'
Freeze
However the discussion on this question isn't dead. John Cox wrote a major article in the February Sanity explaining that CND could still campaign on the freeze, even after CND
He attempted in this to He wrote CaD members are role that unilateralism overwhelmingly opposed to any dilu țion of CND's total rejection of all so.
defence policies based So, for long term objectives, CND is fundamentalist.
term demands No Trident) and do not consider tha many dilution on short demands imply of CND's
for short long lern demands, oolecuves. CND
"pragmatic'
John Cox continues this explan
on in his pamphlet produced by th Communist Party in April, War and Peace the Nuclear Edition. He explains that the freeze 'proposed en-
DICK WITHECOMBE, an elected member of CND National Council writing in a personal capacity. argues for defending the simple position against all nuclear weapons in Britain. And for defending the slogans that have built CND as the largest campaign in Britain since the Second World War.
conracement to genuse ocace calll-
undateralism. shown that many people CND multilateralism.'
This whole approach is currentl up by a large CND leadership. 'For spelled out this orientation clearly. He writes: trees years could be summed up ne to turn protest into progress, specifically government's policy weapulls and ground
ference 1984:
on disarmament world-wide.
term
is
demands.
our solely unilateralism
cutback. formations.
the critical
tial common
Oct. 22
brace
Where
will you be?
Nuclear
SUCS callpale.!
Thatcherite
directly
massive
the whole
experience gome to bridge
• section of the John Paul's paper
CND and Forward Planning
is not over yet.
be summed up no brought out , more to discredit the British on nuclear win the middle of public opinion.' Bruce
Labour CND is submitting the following resolution to CND con-
This annual conference reaffirms that its central objective is unilateral nuclear disarmament by this country as a lever for nuclear ference voted down proposals to campaign for a nuclear freeze.
CND must therefore campaign for: I) Sending back cruise; 2) stopping Trident; 3) closing down American on British soil and in British waters; 4) British refusal to participate in nuclear strategy; 5) British withdrawal from NATO.
Campaigns against new weapons systems and the issues of the day must be used to promote these central demands.
At the same time annual conference instructs the in-coming national council not to engage in campaigns which dilute these central
Surplus Value
Kent explains that the middle ground means those people who don't accept our full programme.
However, SuCH approaches may be dressed up in terms of reaffirming
unilateralist programme - Du
aim. Or is presented simply as - that is nuclear
Middle ground
The essence of all these discussions however is a move to allute tun damentalism' and to adapt it to the 'middle ground'
This policy becomes clearest of all when we talk about national I political
Communist Party spelt it out in his article in Marxism Today in April 1983 "Faced with a government dominated by the militarist right, eager to rearm and to seek peace through strength, the broadest spectrum is vital. Here
division is not between multilateransts and unlaleraists Du between rearmers and disarmers. In anan todav inere does exist a Dutchi
programme of agree ment across the centre and the left of the political spectrum Its essential theme is that the arms race must be halted and steps begun to reverse it.
Bloomfield's advocacy of a kind of 'peace coalition' could even em-
the British political party established, at least in part, precisely to oppose unilateral nuclear disarmament - the SDP
freeze, nuclear halts, nuclear cutbacks, advocating this or that in the NATO counci are not
around which CND should CND's forward planning should be to achieve a unilateralist government and the abolition of all nuclear weapons, not lo dilute our
in favour of an 'anticoalition which leaves the bombs in place
The result of the CND leaderSires cute weaken the however,
• to weaken base for unilateral nuclear disarmament that does exist; that is, the two-thirds majority inside the Labour Party and the
support organised clearly spelled out at the Trade Union movement This Dave Douglass - the delegate from annual meeting this year Yorkshire area of the NUM.
conference, urged delegates to fight like mad to defend unilateralism in labour move-
and condemn as a crime the fact that the moves to water down thi commitment started first inside the peace movement with the freeze.
In 1983 activists around the coun try organised to defend CND's programme against the freeze. That fight
The movement should
into the open and not carried on behind closed doors.
Mike Pentz might say in private we're all agreed tha dump the word unilateralism'. • Let him say it at CND conference Conference also notes that the 1983 con-
all nuclear bases British and
Page 9 scan of this page
Markets and socialism
LCC executive: a reply
Surplus Value
I HAVE BEEN invited to reply to John Harrison's 'review'
book The Economy.(i) John is an old friend of mine, but with that...
Seriously, reading his piece, it is difficult to know where to start. None of the ideas are dissected or criticised with the analytical would expect from John. Instead he launches off in a jokey style, pulling metaphors of the quoting Hayek there, DIEL coming to terms with my arguments until a few elliptic lines not quite at the end.
Let me start with matters on the home ground of Socialist Action. In the issue dated 4 May 1984 John Ross wrote of socialism as 'the radical extension of democracy into every SuLCre of life.. Such requires an economy which is socialis-
Tine Lnte sense democratically planned and with a market in many fields to ensure the distribution o1 Its goods and the meeting of its people's many needs... an enormous extension of democracv'
John Harrison accepts the need for markets 'under socialism' too. him it requires no elaboration. My little attempt to move the argument forward on this question is regarded as a 'screaming banality' (dictionary definition banal: commonplace, trite). Perhaps just a whisper would suffice: 'Markets, comrades. are now OK'. Home ground
But this really controversial? Is it not the case that a large section of the socialist movement rejected the very existence of a market in all but the most transitional of post-capitalist societies. eschewed the market under socialism, so did Trotsky, so does Tony Benn.
Even very recently, Ernest Mandel, the leading Marxist theoretician oi the Fourth International, wrote of the inter-war Lange-Mises debate in the following terms. He asserted that the problem of economic anue sumaiom nas mine wcahwt been take care of by the computer... all participants in that debate seemed to miss Marx's main point, to wit. that resource distribution between different branches of output, and relations between 1 COUUICCO wants, need not be mediated through market mechanisms at all' 2)
John Harrison aceuses me of being evasive and indecisive. protests too much. Is a little wool being puiled over our eyes? Or has evervone entirelv accepted mhe arou. ments in Alec Neve's The Future of reasible socialism since it was Dub. lished? Furthermore, if John uses the index of my book, which he describes as 'useless', he will find a whole sccudl. with several pitite. 'Markets'. One subsections is 'attitude of socialists to' referring to no less thar: 20 specific pages lent. Not replicates Nove. (And if I may be a little immodest, the typescript of The Democratic Economy to the publisher in January
book was made available to me).
Critique
John half praises, half criticises my critique of the vew Right. He quotes layek in my book without mention-
ng that there is a specific critique of is ideas and those of the 'Austrian School' to which he belongs in The Democratic Economy. Again, try the index. Under 'Austrian find reference to no less than 21 pages of text. Another overlapping set of references is found under F.A.' where still more page references can be found. Perhaps it is an omis. sion, but there is no entry for 'Harrisoll, d..
To return to the New Right. John is quite wrong when he suggests that the New Richt do not want sexual rela. tions to be governed by the market. He must have heard of the neoclassical economist Gary Becker and
of Democratic
friends like
precision one
nere, never Sacen
HOMI For Trotsky, Stalin, Benn all reject murkets?
Marx 'the new home economics".
stitute of Economic Affairs.
distinguish between
calculation
and
Action Methinks he
resignation Co-ordinating
Barry
subsections,
the
of it
was delivered One OI
1983, Nove's
executive. on groups Although tion of the LCC, in the
nual meetings
Its Owiel the remaining
school We the membership
meeting of the LCC. 'Hayek, over the last two years ICC SLeH represent a 'narrowing',
members levelop strategy of its own.
LCC strikes back
Also I suggest that he reads Ivy Papps' For Love or Money?, published by the In-
Admittedly, this literature does not
htaly change, barter, and non-market 'ex. change'. But that is surely one of the of'
TWO WEEKS AGO Socialist
carried two letters of from the Labour Committee Ex-
ecutive, from Judy Sadler and
Winter (SA60. 1 June).
Below, the LCC takes issue with
points in Barry Winter's letter.
THE LCC executive received Barry
Winter's resignation with consider-
able regret as he has made a valuable
contribution to the LCC. However,
while there is little value in a pro-
longed debate he makes a numbe
of inaccurate and contentious state-
ments about the LCC's practice and
politics which should be answered.
the SCLIUUN
Barry's conception of the LCC. It is
significant that he regards himself as
having 'represented the ILP' on the
The LCC is not an organwhich different left are "represented'. ulc origina concen '0s, owed
something to this. the ettect of suc.
cessive democratic elections and an-
HasDeel HLOVC
towards an organisation existing in
Without excepnon. members of the ex-
ecutive regard themselves as elected
as individuals, and accountable to
and the annual
The greater political consensus
Inal nas emergea on ine executive
needs to be While it ma) to a large
chichi tus s teecle ne cere o
see the LCC Clearer. more coheren1 OIl
The publication of Labour and
Mass Politics, After the Landslide
By Geoff Hodgson
main points in critique of much right••ing economics: it does not have an : dequate theory of (a) markets and 1b) money. Turn to the index of The Nemocratic Economy again. 'New Right, view of markets' pages cited. Entry: 'Money, nature
10 pages cited.
and, most recently, Reconstruction
have ali been part ot that process.
each stage, this developmen!
been endorsed bv elections , and an
nual meeting decisions. The current
initiatives — the Labour and Unions
Charter, and the attempt
stimulate debate on Labour's
term aims arise also
democratic decisions.
Misguided
Barry's criticisms of Clause 4 are
misguided because they
that executive members who
belong to Clause 4 meet, work.
(or in some other way receive direc-
tions?) as a group. This does not
happen and, in fact, a cursory exam
ination of their voting
would not suggest a coherent group-
ing.
Barry may disagree with
politics of these comrades, but the
majority of the EC would reject this
auc D z C Susce oua bcoo t
should bar themselves from office in
CaDol movement organisation
because of the views they hold,
other organisations they belong to
There are grounds for a broader
ConCeru bership. It is largely composed of about EC's
youngish, white,
Hlalt cx-sluuclll.
and, no doubt, this finds a reflection
in its politics.
Dul lt s vartiy lli alial
tempt to widen the LCC's base thai
the Labour and Unions Charter has
been prioritised, and why the annual
meeting adopted constitutional
changes that
will aramancaly
crease the representation of women
the Executive. wuetel
responses are adequate, or not, they
show a recognition of current weak-
nesses.
On one issue only does John summarise my view fairly and squarely. He writes: 'Geoff's mistake is to view democracy, and other working class Entry: gains, as having
63 economic effects for capital, the net
result of which is unpredictable. ' This is a good brief summary of a view Barry myth of the LCC's relationship with the party leadership. special relationship members did play an active role in Kinnock's, election
to 60. as individuals, : long cess to Kinnock or his advisors. The from LCC as an organisation does not.
Of course, we have not sought a DUAL SLanCC ol ic cac sna We want the leadership io succeec
and will not indulge in the luxury of criticising the leader from afar, Simple opposition. suppose endent pressure
sought to davise, by lelter, in prinl. and by seeking meetings (unsuccess-
• all fully) on the direction that should be
taken.
records Criticism
the
Replying to Barry's more detailed criticism is made difficult by invocation of an Leadership' that, he implies, is not Ine elected officers,
or behind a. the problems
broad sweep of the brush is difficul to avoid! However, mem points should be corrected.
The EC has Youth basis. several members of the executive (including incidentally who belong to Clause 4) have been insistent that a clear political basis for LCC Youth be develoned before
in- whole-hearted support can be given
The annual meeting's failure to unest agree a policy on YTS is regrettable
(but is hardly the executive's fault) Y IS is but one part of youth politics and the absence of a policy on this
Socialist Action used
this issue. clearly in
W an
of abuse,
Ejected it in labour
troducing
been aware
contradictory
issue should not
miscive one-vote.
the executive
repeats the much-peddled
tional
There is. . 110
Iwo or thres defeated.
campaign and
further
enjoy some ac- (beyond
discrimination)
campaigning party.
The reiterated group an indep- we have chhunts, being
opinion is
has raised,
This inconvenient. unnamed LCC perhaps,
but who lie symptom
Such a
some factual
supported LCC - but on a strictiv limited As Barry knows full well,
members
truth.
There
Led to do so.
29 June 1984 9
which I hold, and I am not convinced
it is an error. Yet John fails to answer
a single argument in the book which is
to sustain my 'mistake'.
hesitate to use my index trick here -
about half of the book is devoted to
John simply asserts that democrac.
and capitalism are 'increasingly in
compatible'. What the hell does that
mean? Either two things are incom.
patible or they are not. 'Increasingly
antagonistic', perhaps. But this raises
the question of the rate of increase
and the actual date of divorce. Is it
close by, or decades away? Much
hinges on this question. I actuall:
discuss it in my book.
Class struggle
The trouble with John's economics
(which I have followed over the years)
is that he believes in a zero-sum con
ception of economic distribution and
class struggle. This is expressed most
The British Economic
Disaster, which he wrote with An-
drew Glyn. Every reform, every instit-
ution, is an unambiguous gain for one
class and an equal loss for another. I
concerned criticise this
widespread conception in my book
but John does not try to reply to my
arguments. He has had time to think;
I have raised a few of them before.
1 am not using this word as a term but the zero-sum concep-
tion of distribution and class struggle
is quintessentially Ricardian. Marx re-
This discussions of the process Capital. меуне
overthrew it in a different way by in.
the ideas of variable
employment and output. I have long
of John's inability
assimilate Keynes, but he might take
another look at Marx. Some of the
relevant passages are quoted with ap-
proval in my book.
Hodgson, Denocin. 1 4. Democratic Economy, Geoft
, 3.50.
Marx: The First 100 Years ed David
McLellan, Fontana, 1983, p. 218.
prevent LCC involvement in youth politics
The EC has not adopted a 'per-
_ approach to one-membe here is sometimes a distinction between ideas proposed on
and those actually adopted! For the record, a proposa that the EC support rule or constitu-
changes ahow choose from a variety of reselection procedures from this October was
instead. It was argued that anv
constitutional changes those which LCC already committed such as positive
should only take place after a much broader review of the democratic needs of a mass,
executive has frequently opposition witthe most recent occasion Pesign tion. Thee oniy diference s prior Barry's
over the time worth spending in reply to far-left attacks on the LCC (dangerously close to a full-time ocupation)
Finally, the Appeal for Left Unidiscussion of the very issues Barry passed only after a full
which does not suggest that minority views were treated as
Significantly, the current chairperson, whose election seems to be a
'problems' supported Barry Winter on this issue.
We cannot reply to every point that Barry makes, and such a list of points makes a poor agenda for : constructive dialoguc It should be sufficient to șay that Barry's picture of an organisation, dominated and guided by a hidden group, ignoring or overriding democratic decisions or minority views, is far from the
are genuine political debates which should be treated a such. Barry Winter was invited io comment on the draft of the most recent statement of LCC's politic:
Reconstruction. Sadly, he declin.
Page 10 scan of this page
An opportunity missed
10 Socialist Action 29 June 1984 Philharmonic Hall last Saturday to discuss how to ake forward the campaign to defend the city council. They were disappointed. A major opportunity was frittered away.
aking Liverpool's fight to that of the striking miners and calling for support for all councils in heir common fight against the Tory attacks, conference failed to discuss how Liverpool can link up with other councils prepared to fight.
No strategy emerged or a common tight to de. and local democracy, jobs
Instead. CUllErence took on the air of et another Militant rally, with carefully prepared
predictable conbutions from the platarm and the audience.
The big name speakers miled to materialise. enn, Livingstone,
Scargill and ackerstaffe were all ab-
though Peter Beathfield did turn up for
• NUM and Alastair Mc-
occiclal y esignate of NUPE, stood • for Bickerstaffe.
Discussion was even pore limited by the ancellation of workshops fter a false bomb scare srupted the proceedings. nd, at the end of the day, merpool's fightback reained as a glorious examle. with no plans to link
with orner sections of
working class prepared
take on the government.
The conference
ent called Labour's EC and the to eciare their full support
• Liverpool and back an
demonstration ad industrial action to de-
larget
Labour sovernment aunched
MEETING of eighty abour Party activists
County Hall on aturday 23 June bok the first steps in ranching the campaign
arget Labour 'overnment'.
The campaign decided
work towards drawing
socialist manifesto ad to work to increase the
black
Parliamentary canalC. Labour
ry in London.
Aps on key areas inf
key areas жку including
nomic policy, interna-
al and defence policy,
policy, and the against racism sexism were These were to
nicked
up policy proposals discussion
Governdecided a position that on
number of candidate
ted in London should
h the sexual and racial
the Labilal. is that at least 52 per _abour candidates
i be women ana 1>
he campaign will be
Turther meetings
uly and September.
Liverpool fightback conference
Despite a statement adopted by the conference,
fend Liverpool. demanded such campaign be linked to the objective early general election to ditch the Tories and (wait for it
return Labour government committed to implementing a socialist programme. Kinnock
With Neil Kinnock's history of condemning illegal' action and Murray's full-blooded sell out of every dispute that comes such
way. demands are hollow unless backed by a real campaign throughout the labour movement of all those prepared to fight
Yet again Militant sup porters have failed to try and build such a genuinely broad-based campaign. Like the Labour Steering Committee Against the Witch Hunt, the Broad Left Organising Committee which gone before, the Liverpool
ightback Conference has not understood that 1l 15 necessary. to unite all sections of the labour movement around the goal of sto Phat meros axe.
means opening up the campaign commit-
and opening up the conference to those who don't necessarily support the dots and commas of the 'bold socialist
D1Ugramme' advocated by the Militant newspaper. But
Militant fears this would lose it political control.
Labour NEC
THE LABOUR Women's Action Committee has decided to promote its own slate for the women's section of the national executive this year.
Women have been campaigning for the women's section of the executive to be elected by the women in the Party. At present it is elected by the whole Party conference, in
are decided minority.
Until that demand has been won WAC has decided to promote its own slate
women support WAC's demands and will promote the interests of women in general in the labour movement.
WAC's slate is Joan Maynard Margaret Beckett MP. Clare Short
Diane Abbott. The first
The Merseyside Trade Union and Labour Move. ment Campaign Commit-
which ICC
and is dinating the campaign on Merseyside is too narrowly based. Maior trade union bodies in Liverpool, like the docks shop stewares and the Ford-Halewood shop Stewards are not represented.
Liverpool city council is approaching a decisive stage in its fight. The
First black woman stands for
four of these women are also supported by the Campaign Group of MPs and the LCC. But in the fifth place rather Diane Abbott, they are supporting Judith Hart.
By Jude Woodward
WAC was very clear from the outset that it was not prepared to support
woman who did not support the aims of WAC lo give women more powel in the Party. Judith Hart las maut car une and time again that she does not, and will not,
SuDDOrI WAC's aims. WAC therefore thinks that she is not the right person to be promoted to represent women
last women's conferences Bverwhelmingly
voted for WAC's demands.
this is what is wanted by women in the Party, and these are
Liverpool councillors triumphantly greet the Democracy missed to build the broadest possible support in the labour movement. Budget meeting on 11 July
forward in the defence of
and JODS services But that date proaches the pressure on councillors to make a compromising
ory demands will be immense. ine stronger labour movement cam-
more intely dee are the
more likely they withstand such pressure. given the maximum possi Liverpool must the views that the women's
of the NEC should represent.
Diane Abbott will be the first black woman 10
Labour Party national ex-
Westminster for the Paddington ward, and is on the steering committee of the black section of the Party as well as being a long standing WAC porter. She explained why she was standing:
I want to run and I'm to run because it is part of a wider by black
HOVe
ble support for its stand. Particularly important, the national must be forced to support Liverpool's "illegal' budget.
Liverpool council
seen as the standard bearer for all those prepared to fight to the end to protect jobs and services allu preserve local democracy Liverpool continues to be the tocus of a fightback against Thatcher's governpeople who are in the Labour Party and are loyal socialists to try and get lne Party to face up to its own
"The racism is shown not only the party's support in the past for racist immigration measures, but also by the bad deal people get from
local baDoul authorities when it comes to housing and social services.
'White men have to learn it's not enough say. sorry, they are for black people. want policital power at all levels.
Electing Diane to the National Executive would be a victory for women, and a victory for black people in the : Party. It is hoped that the Campaign group will wake up in time
women have got it right. They support the whole of WAC's slate and
• pul up canuidates o their own.
Day demonstration as it arrives at the town hall. Since then opportunities have been
THE TWO people refus.
membership Yardley Labour Party and the other two Labour Party members refused transfer into the constituency had their appeals heard by West Midlands Regional ofHicers of the NEC on Friday 15 June.
They understood that
Council Matters
Leeds Animation
tionary legisiation is fought off. • Available on video, Government Campaign Unit. Mary Ward House.
9893).
News
Yardley enquiry
La report of these Real of will the organisation subcommittee and the full NEC in July for a final decision.
Meanwhile the fifth Yardley five is still waiting to hea his appeal at the Yardles over a year since his refusal of transfer.
THATCHER'S ATTACK on local government is the subject of a new, 10-minute film produced by
Workshop, a women's film collective. Council Matters looks at the issue of rates and services through the eyes of Freda, a cleaner who presents witty insights about what the local council does, can do and ought to do if the reac-
VHS, and lomm from Loca Tavistock Place, London WCIH ISS (phone 01-387
Page 11 scan of this page
Reject low pay offer!
News
NUT - escalate
the action
THE NUT leadership's strategy for the teacher's pay claim has been limited strike action to win arbitration. The Socialist Teachers Alliance says this strategy is disastrous.
By Richard Hatcher, NUT
It is incapable of winning our claim. We need around 30 per to restore our real wages of 1975. The main task is to mobilise the maximum teacher action to win the claim, not rely on arbitration.
But is that all we need to say about arbitration? The Lambeth comrades (SA 62, 15 June) say yes.
The problem with that is that we may understand the role of arbitration as a 'mechanism of class colADO OI vuL le a jority of teachers don't.
that arICLICHUCT
Islington council
breaks promises
By Terry Conway, nursery workers strike committee (pers cap)
LAST WEEK of 400 demonstration trade unionists, parents and Labour Party members marched to Islington Town Hall to lobby a council meeting in support of striking nursery workers.
Inside, councillors were heckled for their attitude towards these workers. The council's embarrassment will have long term implications within local labour movement.
Since the strike began, the local Labour Parties have passtu reSOHI supersin But the consery the nursery WOLACN. - which prides itself on accountability — has failed to act on them.
bitration got us the biggest OXe E HOR HSIO and they think the NUT leadership's strategy makes good sense - even if they
H-uL ureC mUre action to back it up.
Oniy escalating the ac. tion can win, not arbitration. But it you still believe the union leadership right, that arbitration can deliver the goods, then test them. Demand they only consider arbitration when management has incredse d made substantially starting offer.
Demand that, and the union leadership will say no. Why! Because they are bluffing. In practice, they will accept anything from arbitration. So now you can see willy Ine o1d såys don't bank on arbitration, rely on your own strength.
The STA believes placing demenis tion in this present situaLOIS INCRCECOE helping to break the confidence In arbitration that the majority of teachers have.
Members of the party have been forced to publicly criticise the coun. cil, as they did at the Tues day council meeting. The Labour council has
ettacking whis gires of
attacking this group low-paid women workers.
The dispute is now at a crucial stage — NALGO is seeking national authorisavon to bring out anouner 400 workers on indefinite strike. t's cear that. atte 10 weeks, the council won't move without additional political and industrial pressure. • Donations are needed to help keep the 18 NUPE members oul on strike. Speakers and morewnfor mation from: 01-609 4622 (9am-Spm, Monday to Friday) 2057 (answerphone).
Civil servants
ALISTAIR GRAHAM,
General Council by the union executive. replaced by Ray Alderson,
tant also put up a candiate, but he was defeated.
continually betrayed the membership.
CPSA conference the Broad Left was split over a monon or no confidence in Graham. The Tabour lett capitulated to threats from Graham and didn't support the resoluLIOn
Since the debacle over GCHQ, Graham is in poor standing the membership and the conference would have been an ideal opportunity launch a campaign to get rid of him.
This would have put the union in the best position to launch a vigorous campaign around its current wage claim.
For the fourth year running civil servants are being asked to accept a rise well below the rate of inflation. This would work out as an increase of five per cent for those on their maximum pay scales and a mere four per cenl tor loe rest. As this obviously means yet another cut our standard of living and hits the lowest paid
Harrassment's
the word
GAY'S THE WORD is the London lesbian and gay community's bookshop, which doubles as
meeting plact for many groups. In April, HM Customs and Excise raided it, seizing most of the imported stock, as well as mailing lists and minutes of meetings. Workers' homes were searched to0, and personal belongings taken. By Paul Canning, Lesbian/Gay LPYS
Since then we've learned the raid code namec 'Operation Tiger' - was planned well in advance
The shop has been under surveillance, its mail opened, and its phone tapped. Since Christmas, stock has been allowed in- LICh to the country £11,000-worth which has been paid for.
On 6 June. the shop was informed that HMCE intended to burn 220 'dirty books'. Of the 22 titles invo ved. TWO are already published in Britain! Now Gav's The Word must an. peal against the burning
If HMCE is successful, no radical material of any sort safe. Lesbian feminist books arriving for the International Feminist Bookfair have already been stopped.
The assault on Gay's The Word goes hand
nand with a big increase in police harassment gays. It is an attack on the
right-wing General Secretary of the CPSA has been voted off the TUC
He is
vice-president of the union and member of the Communist Party. Mili-
This is a muted and belated attempt by the executive to control the actions of Graham who has
hardest, the offer is clearly unacceptable.
Even the Sunday Times in a recent edition was forced to comment on the plight of a DHSS clerk whom they found was barely taking home more than the claimants he was paying benefits to on the other side of the counter.
Ale resr mane benelits
for many benefits himself.
By Howard Fuller, CPSA
This situation cannot
allowed to continue. The government nas for too long been able to hold the threat unemployment over its staff's heads by arguing that its rates of pay are competitive.
However, equivalent jobs in local governneht and even the private sector ataci amenaes orav!
The campaign is going to have to be built from the grass roots upwards. The recent debacle over
GAI
ACTIVE
heart of our movement, on our freedom to publicise our ideas. • The Cuntoulell needs your support: money for the potentially-huge legal costs we face: messages of support for and condem-
the HMCE action. For more information contact: Gay's The Word, 66 Marchmont Street, London WCl, or phone 01-278 7654.
GCHQ has serious|! arsulusioned some civil servants, but strengthened others who will try to en sure such betrayals will not happen again.
Pay consultation meetings are now being held all over the country. and feelings are running high. ticularly in the CPSA is on Militancy Val"
the increase
Civil service unions must use their strength and not approach action in a reticent manner has been seen in the past. the same time we must also make demands more in keeping with our needs
Not only should the Council of Civil Service Unions (CCSU) have made a higher claim, it should have also demandea ine abolition of incremental scales, WElCI would have allowed every civil servant to get paid the full rate for the job.
Rank and file civil servalnls CHOUSI CIORCO their leaders, particularly Alistair Graham of the CPSA to get off their knees and take up the fight against low pay.
The time is right for us to link up with the miners in their fight for jobs order to give Thatcher the thrashing she deserves.
Gay's The Word
COME OUTI
CAPITAL GA)
GAY
BOOKS
WILL
BURN
the High Court for the GCHQ hearing
MOLES
EYE
VIEW
ENGLAND OUT of the
ChampionEurobeat ship and all those liberals slagging our police. Just what has happened to a 'WICC this week Moles great nation? Eye
leaves Upper Street and turns to Jimmy Hill and Bobby Charlton to find out what has happened to our sporting heroes.
Jimmy: It's been a
great we dionth germed
we didn't get France but that's because those bloody foreigners kept scoring. But we showed them at Orgreave.'
'Dead right Jimmy. Just look at those lovels tackles
Scargill. What abou action replay! 'Sure thing, Bobby. There he
Reasi Sust hoik anethe
Just look at the way he butted that riot shield! In my days he : would have been shown the red card.'
"That's what gives the
game a bad name Jimmy.
cept the inspector's decision. behaving like that he gets the spectators worked up so all those pickets started rioting. Now you what cause: crowd violence.'
'But look Jimmy there's worse to come.
Socialist Action 29 June 1984 11 Civil servants' leaders Peter Jones and Gerry Gillman al
'Harsh but fair'
smashing his head against copper's truncheon. trying So
do about like that?
Now again
spectator violence. There's
stopped Anyho Mounti
'Sure. an
tiago has beaten
'Hold on, it's not Chile, Jimmy.
If our lads
team to
all those
Rio, and Santiago
Moles' Eye View is compil see ed by BOB PENN.
INGTON. Contributions should be sent to arrive not later than Thursday after noon
Page 12 scan of this page
ACTiON to MacGregor
this week.
£5000 -our £50,000 target.
Secondly
allow us to move in the very near future.
struggles in the future.
That's obviously what many of our
miners' battle'
That's why this fund drive is so vital.
now, before our fund drive is completed.
But if we do not grab this ooportunity to
move in the future.
steps to secure the possibility of moving
through.
Our production and September will therefore be as follows:
out on 25 July.
CULE COD. than usual.
every other option before we chose this one.
and expand it.
will be. And perhaps some of our missing issues over the summer. Infand 6 months £8:
12 months €15 Overseas 42 months onlv)
Europe €17; Air Mail E 24
« Double these rates
for multi-reader institutions)
Name
Address
Please send me as special offer Paried By East End Offset (TU) Ltd, London E2.
SOCiAList
Fund drive: 250,000
OUR FUND DRIVE had two huge boosts
Firstly we received a reader's donation of
La tremendous step on the road to
we have made big steps in resolving the issue of our premises which will
Moving to cheaper premises is vital to ensure that Socialist Action can be improved and expanded. Socialist Action is needed for building solidarity with struggles like the miners' strike, and other
readers think too. That's why one sent us f5000 this week. We also received 20 Deutsche Marks in the post, with the message: 'a small contribution to your efforts to build the necessary solidarity with the
But moving to a new premises, while it will help us expand in the long run, is a very costly business.
Moreover we have to start taking steps to move
This means much short term expense and disruption.
while it is open to us, then it may be impossible to
In this light we are having to take some drastic
immediate v. As an emergency measure. we are coing to cut out some issues of the paper over the summer period. This both releases finances for the move and creates more time and energy to carry it
schedule over July, August
• JULY: next week's issue number 65 is appearing as normal but for two weeks, 11 and 18 July, there will be no paper; issue number 66 will come
• AUGUST: Traditionally, the paper doesn't appear for two weeks in August. This year we intend to close down for a month. So number 67 will appear on 29 August, in time for the TUC annual
• SEPTEMBER: The issue of the paper due on 5 September won't appear either. Issue number 68 will be out on 12 September. And from then on the paper will be back to normal, appearing weekly.
This emergency schedule represents 10 issues produced over 17 weeks, missing five more issues
We know this is a drastic step. Especially with the miners' strike on. And we looked seriously at
But it is only through these steps that we can be sure we will move to cheaper premises, and not only re-establish a regular weekly paper, but improve
This is why our fund drive is not an optional extra. It needs to be at the centre of our readers' concerns in the weeks to come. And the faster we meet our f50,000 target the less disruption there
we will be able to reinstate
SUBSCRIBE
I enclose cheque/PO payable to Socialist Action for £ .....
Send to: Socialist Action Subs, 328 Upper St. London NI 2XP
rich the PoB Of London N1.
read it. It was
'Dear Colleague'.
yours. I'm
coal industry.
ing
that the
threatened
will go on to winter.
Yes, we said it - after
you'd been on TV say-
ing you can stick the
strike out indefinitely.
starve us back to work.
Make no mistake, Mr
MacGregor, we're go-
ing to keep going till we
win.
about the NUM leader-
ship trying to destroy
the industry.
laugh. We in the NUM
butchering
lihood? No way!
You give us
view on the coal in-
dustry - low cost, high
production to beat off
foreign
Huge sums are being in-
vested you say.
money is going to selective areas. Half of your £800 million went for the development Special free book offer! Take out a years inland subscription and we will send you free one of these books: Thatcher and Friends by John Ross
Over our Dead Bodies Women Against the Bomb
Introductory offer
Dear Mr MacGregor,
On receiving your begging letter last week, I began to
headlined
Colleague — what an insult - I'm no colleague of
not in the business of butchering the
You say that you're takthe unusual step of writing to us to inform us of the disastrous consequences of this strike. You've been doing it since the start of the strike through your friends in the press and television.
You go on to say Selby
NUM have Main. the strike received million.
You said you could
tary
You say this strike is that.
What a see plans. our live- Yes, about £1,300 your
get competition.
Sorry
We know that the
strike.
of
We
piling ourselves.
How
are lying
Go
to your for new readers: Eight issues for just £2!
NUM)
Last week lan claimed to have received 'hundreds' of replies to his letter to miners appealing for a return to work.
Socialist Action is printing just one of these letters. and Barnsley South Wales all of £13 So where's your huge investment in peripheral areas?
You say that in the short term you want to close uneconomic pits and want 20,000 volun-
redundancies the same as last year.
What about next year - and the year after
That's 80,000 jobs. If you call that short term I'd hate to
your long term
we have lost each to date but your company will stand to lose a lot more when you fail to
Margaret Thatcher's way in this strike.
Mac but we
won't be out to defend your job when you take the can for losing the
You have been accused of butchering the industry and rightly so.
don't need our leaders to tell us this -we're capable of com-
the facts
can you solemnly state that we
- you have not got an honest bone in your body. You are nothing but hell bent on getting your own way like a spoiled child.
home MacGregor — go home
£1,000,000 estate in America and leave the British mining communities alone.
Yours bitterly, Mark Thomas
(Penrhiwceiber
A miner's reply
MacGregor
The wow. wich cal Sincerely,
Hoban cose Gravenor Place. London SWIX TAE NCB
June. "ye
Dear mileague
YOUR FUTURE IN DANGE
untie eat grave he serenes talky continually of keeplag the strike golng indeftnitely until hapen lever dont you scroke fovocatively of as a threat, why chat wall 10t see create higher vorte, Lover o
1s this: hand rendooby it use 729228 bl ose and ho de vetor, 1s his sty
nothin
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