Socialist Action No. 70, 21 September 1984
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Page 1 scan of this page
ACTION
ACT NOW!
Miners,
ment spelt out with total clarity its final policy for trying to defeat the NUM.
Six months brutality, an unparalleled campaign of press hysteria, financial attacks, threats and assaults, failed to break the miners. The 'back to work moyement' is a pathetic trickle which has no hope defeating the strike.
The real situation of coal stocks at the power stations is now being regularly exposed not sımolv bv lett wing papers but by BBC TV programmes such as Newsnight, the publications of the prestigous National Institute for Economic Social Research, and serious Fleet Street press. The government does not have the coal stocks within the power stations to last the winter.
tact which the government can do itself which Call defeat miners. As the Gurdian put it last week the moment the first light goes out the government has lost the strike.
And that is why the governand MacGregor turned to the one trump card they still have to play - the role of the TUC and its leadership.
Power stations
TUC
MUST
the UNTONS 'management's of police
wants to talk to the TUC.
Peter Walker, Secretary legal have MICHIL OVCI
of
into place.
basher, David SDP, David
government talk to the TUC. and And Ener OVC government's
mally about anymore.
nothing has said
the five years.
is sheer have sunge mune cocdy
No. 70 21 September 1984
SOCiA LiSt
six months ago openly scorned
and asserted right' to manage declared on Sunday he
the Energy who is part OTUNE government that spat in the that, face of the trade union move-
GCHQ and the NGA, declared on Saturday he is prepared to talk to the TUC The professional machinery of sell-outs, ACAS, is being rolled
new very tin-pot industrial di
ator everv narenerie une
Owen of the Steel of the Liberals, all demand that the
and MacGregor OLCT
what? The and Macuregor s case is not even Tor-
economics As Arthur Sargill the National Coal Board plans to produce 497 million tons of coal in the next
Even li not one single pit were closed it could only produce 480 million tons after the losses in this strike. It
madness. to close
This strike has been revealed openly and brutally for what it has always been. A political
30p
government, planned for • six years, to attempt to smash the National Union of Mineworkers into the ground. And now that she has been decisively and brutally defeated in her own open aLLCHOL LU achieve
Thatcher now demands that the TUC steps in to do her dirty work for her.
What the NUM demands of the TUC is no more and no less than the policy that scored victe icat bru9 To ne
coal -OTODONL power stations be used, that no coal be taken through NUM picket lines, and that no power stations be switched to fuel
than coal. Simply that there be no organised scabbing on the strike. If that is delivered then this strike will win -and the government knows it.
Two unions, the TGWU
GMBATU, have temselves the power to enforce that policy.
The TGWU and GMBATU, with or without other unions, must start to im plement TUC Congress decisions now. They must be backed up and supported by all out financial backing of the TUC to the NUM and a national Labour Party-TUC demonstration in support of the miners. Local conferences are neded
Congress decisions.
MacGregor and the govern. ment should be told only one voice speaks and negotiates for the miners. ship of the National Union of Mineworkers. Its elected presidenl Is negotiations and talks on settling the dispute take place there and there only.
But above all the delays in implementing TUC policy must be ended now. voted its policy. The discussion is on how rapidly to carry it out. Not on how the right wing can defeat it. The labour movement must fight for: • No. TUC talks government or NCB on the miners' strike! • All unions to TUC Congress decisions on the miners' strike now! • Full TUC financial backing for the miners! • Organise local labour movement conferences to discuss implementing TỤC GeCSOnS and solidarity with the miners! • For national Party-TUC demonstration in support of the miners! • For a 24 hour general strike in support of the NUM!
ARTHUR
SCARGILL
That is the leader-
Scargill.
Congress has
with the
implement
Congress extending
Labour
CAN
EAT
THREE SHREDDED
WHEAT
SHINGT HINCD
Page 2 scan of this page
Dr Death and the
2
Action SOCAiS
All signals right
Labour's catastrophic fall in support in June 1983, contrary to the views
press, was not a loss of votes to the Tory Party. Thatcher's support actually fell at the last election. The huge decline in the Labour vote, down to 28 per cent, was due react Listers support sincer hert for rebuilding Labour's support since.
ingstone, the GLC, and Liverpool council, was to rebuild Labour by fighting for the interests of its way to rebuild Labour's support on a long term basis. The results, contrary to the expectations and propaganda of the right, have been spec
Despite an unparalleled campaign of police
and on course for victory. The only forces able to Closest backers in vine FU Cow are Neil Kinnock's
Despite continual press hysteria to the contrary there is no sign of even the frenzied camaign of the media being able to reduce Labour's support as a result of the miners strike. And i the NUM wins it is the beginning of the end for Maggie - and she knows it merely became the first city to win a victory over
government our on secured a major electoral victory for Labour
Finally in London Ken Livingstone's fight for the GLC, and the policies the council has pur-
osition Labour has had in the capital, relative to
In short the argument that 'left wing policies'
that is. ones that defend rather than attack longer a discussion. It has been disproved by the spectacular electoral victories - in addition to still more important victories on the field of
clothes', by moving to the right and adopting its policies In fact Labour really has stolen Alliances' policy clothes. The key step in the pro cess was started at last year's conference
implications of that change in policy are now be
The NEC's defence document, based on a major build up of conventional armaments spen ding, is in complete accord with the policies that have come out of the West European Union, and
the EEC/NATO think tanks o document, Which
The new economic policy document, tionalisation of privatised assets, not only gives
Any reai proposal to reverse the econom france, Crak in Italy, onzales in Sparm, and
In fact Kinnock is very ambitiously and rather consciously rebuliding Labour as a thorough go
"Eurosocialist Party.
Tluenced by, Mitterrand and his supporters in Europe. And for that type of party, the right, although rapidly tum, is only just beginning. And its results will be the same catastrophe, demoralisation, donment of everything socialism and the labour movement stands for.
What Labour 'Euroleft' in answer to Kinnock's 'Eurosocialism - opposition to cruise, opposition to NATO, op erational capitalist organisation Such views do have an echoin the politics or open Livingstone they are still relatively weak, underdeveloped, and, above all, unorganised in the party.
The Labour left today is getting stronger in struggle. But it is still extremely weak ana organisation. up to the kind of assault Kinnock is mounting.
that situation, coherent struggle, the left is the top priority in the coming year.
Socialist Action 21 September 1984
shown by Arthur Scargill, Ken Liv-
A
Arthur Scargill has kept the NUM solid
The labour left has
Photo: JOHN HARPIS
Thatcher, but also
One drastically in-
gathering momen
electoral and finally aban-
still lacks however is a rea
opposition to the whole in
and Tony Benn's supporters. But
on policy Certamly far too weak to stand
developing policy and organisation for
Last week the SDP conference voted to accept David Owen's policy of a 'social market' economy 'Thatcherism with a human face' as it has been aptly dubbed. It was a policy so right wing that even some of the faint hearts amongst the ranks of the SDP expressed their unease.
Labour NEC economic policy statement A Future that Works. JOHN ROSS looks at the connection between the two policies.
When the SDP was formed in March 1981 its nature gave rise to a rather nealca aebate on ine lent.
popular idea existed, which was eagerly put forward in the Fleet Street DICS alre Denever some wide sections of the lavour movelical Loat tod SDP was a 'middle class party'. Politically the SDP was supposed to represent the 'moderate centre sort of hankering for Gaitskell and the type of 'Keynesian' economic policies pursued in Britain in the 1950s and 1960s.
RER, BETTE
This idea was rather ridiculous even in the first place. In an advanced capitalist country such as Britain, the 'middle classes' simply do not have the power to carry out such actions as creating a split from the Labour parparty with in portoral party with electoral support of the SDP.
Secondly such a view of the SDP was not factually, true. The groups and individuals financed and backed the SDP included the chiefs of firms such as ICI, the computer group ICL, tions and representatives trom Sainsburv's. ThornEMI, Marks and Spencer and so on. Big business
Not directly members of the SDP, but backing the various 'electoral reform groupings which are its political allies, were the National Westminster Bank, and the so called 'City Committee for Electoral Reform' - a long standing group of com pany directors whose head
ex-Tory Cabinet Minister Lord Carr (whose
Labour Right
On Thursday Roy Hattersley unveiled the new
chief claim to fame is as architect of Edward Heath's Industrial Relations Act and who then went on to become chairperson of
Prudential Assurance)
In short the SDP was no 'middle class party'. It was, and is, a party of big
middle class, and at pre sent to some degree work. ing class, electorate. Once that nature is understood then the evolution of the SDP's policies under David Owen, the reasons for the tensions with the
No of the
interest
the 1950s The
Important
economic ad
Nobel winner for
have for long period quite rejected
'Keynesian'
and
Fixing Demand
which are
recent policy statements, Meade has
at a new thesis combines
produced by the SDP's economic advisers is explicitly recognised important step economic and political policy even by Thatcher's LUSI convinced supDULLES For example Samuel Brittan, the chief populariser of monetarism in Britain, has kept up
dialogue with Meade through his influential weekly articles in the Financial Times. David owen has contributed directly the Thatcherite Institute for Economic Affairs.
Agreement
Inevitably, given the
nature of the forces in volved, agreement on the
fundamental framework of economic
been reached
between the SDP's theorists and the Thatcherites. This agreement is recognised in the rash of glowing editorials praising
Owen and the SDP merely for their opposition to the miners strike but
uneT overall economic policy stand.
The framework which is agreed is precisely that
week as his 'social market'
policy. Under this all of the fundamental structural shifts introduced into the economy by Thatcher will be retained — in particular none of the sectors denationalised wil be renationalised. The restrictive laws against the trade unions will be retained and gradually strengthened still further Within that framework of course vanous amierences of emphasis and policy are regarded as legitimate Europe
The SDP and Tories, as ruling class parties, therefore have not merely a short term agreement on
unions. They have agreed overall economic framework.
Within that basic framework the differences which exist between SDP and Thatcher the differences which exist
British itself. They relate to two main areas of policy.
Firstly all major West European countries today there is a significant difference, reflected in the existence of different DOLLICA parties, betweer sections of capital looking relatively directly to the EEC for economic and political solutions, and those seeking more narrow 'national' solutions and policies.
This difference is seen in France in divisions between the followers of expresident Giscard d'Estaing on the one side and the Gaullists on the other. West Germany the difference exists between the
Christian Democrats under Kohl, and Free Democrats under Genscher, on the one side and the Christian Social Union under Franz Joseph Struass on the other.
Pro-EEC
the most
Alliance is
EEC party' The Liberals
when the Conservative Party it. Roy
of EEC membership
The attacked Thatcher
earlier this year.
there are
internal
Industry (CBI) has
now LICCCOSIL
the of the
ficiency. was
last by the Alliance. been dif-
to increase
ment.
Legitimate
In short within the overall structural shifts in the economy brought about by Thatcher there are a variety of issues on which British capital regards debate as quite legitimate and on which it
as differences. Owe
• is sumpiy slaking out a specific position
within this framework One which distinctly more pro-BEC, more in favour of infrastructural cconomic Investment, and more orientated to limited economic reflation, lowerH2 DIne exchange rate more collaboration with the trade UHOI
ed competition than Thatcher's position.
All this has nothing to do with the 'middle classes'. hopelit debate the It is simply big capital the tramework considers acceptable. differences are not class ones, but they are differences withir the capitalist class sufficient to create two parties. Both involve an all out assault on the working class.
T l
tersley's economic policy for Labour? rather
quietly, tha
damental change 10I Apart British Telecom makes privatised of the economy.
economic which leaves in fun-
document is adopted then there major British political party pledged to undo the fundamental economic shifts made by Thatcher. It is scarce y PoSSIbIc to im. agine a more satisfactory
for British capital SLalC Perhaps Hattersley will en title has policy the 'social market Labour economy'
anyway don't say yol haven't been warned. Thi economic policy document must be totally thrown out by the labour movement at next week's party conference.
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The TUC decision on the miners: An important step forward
In the Unions
AS SOCIALIST ACTION goes to press, the dockers look set to return to work and the issue of DOW much coal is supplied to Scotland's Ravenscraig steel works appears to be resolved in management's favour. But Mrs Thatcher and her government are in no position to win the dispute against the miners as things stand.
As winter approaches, the big question will the government get pithead coal stocks moving? — has yet to answered. No cracks are appearing in the miners' determination to win. JACK COLLINS, secretary of the Kent miners, gave CAROL TURNER a sober assessment of the situation in his area.
What do you have to say about the TUC?
Many anticipated that there'd by no support for the miners at the TUC, that there would be a sense of frustration and disanpointment that would have the effect of destroying the fight of the miners. But of course it never went that way. The TUC did agree to support the miners.
To what degree they will support us I don't know, but nevertheless that is the official policy of the TUC. And it will enable individuals to organise support in an official manner in their valous umous.
white collar unions, the unions in the power stations will, I feel, give some
unions there have declared for the miners. If they support us, the techni-
switches - will not have too much in-
there's no coal handled, if there's no ash taken away, if there's nobody to
workers' role will be more important
Does that mean you're hopeful about what came out of conoress? s it vour impression that it was a favourable
Of course, I would like to see every worker in the country standing in support of the miners. I don't deny that 'm for the massive weight ot the working class to be used in order to support the miners - that's no secret! Bull uver ue orescut suluaulul, given the type of leadership in some
too many hopes for the miners being supported by large sections of the working class in the sense that they will walk out of their jobs. But the
we're getting, together with the moral support, together with the food donations we' re receiving are verv verv important. They will enable the miners
conclude the strike quicker. But with the support we have, the miners can win the strike. And we're going to
What role do you think the fourperson TUC committee will play? The talks have broken down and there's speculation about whether ACAS will be called in. Are those four people going to be calling for a negotiated set-
Our national union will never allow anybody to take over the negotiatons.
somebody who has never seen a coal mine discussing my tuture. It would be an insult to the miners to allow
Pho• MAPK SAIMON
anyone from outside to take over the Nezouau ons
arguments, and they might try to in-
NUM leadership.
Scargill and the national leaders know the case inside out. They will not be persuaded to give way.
night were suggesting Scargill has now said a third party might be brought in. But they way I read it, once again the media are trying to push the move-
So, what about the docks and the
The situation in our Dover docks is as it's always been. Dover is not a tradi'tíonal dock in the sense, say, the port of London is. It is comparatively new with no dock traditions. There's no dock-working community in Dover as
Ana mnere s a lol or part-uillie working I believe. So we would expect
perience and background, to do exactly what they're doing break mer naoaa saake
Richborough power station was built to burn Kent coal. Now it's burning oil. I understand that the type of oil they're burning is of an inferior quality, and that is causing pollution problems. There is a yard near the power station that stores
damaged as a result of the polluted at-
æ re corcv
There's little maintenance going on and tney re naving a lard
is the same in Dungeness, the atomic power station. It's working flat out
question of electricity generated by
energy is that we think for and uniceeosal y. understand that the workers are concerned about their jobs. But the argument is quite simple: you can generate electricity in stations powered by coal
it's not a question of putting anyone
unions in your area to implement the
Trade unionists in this area are making a big financial contribution. And there are a number of unions refusing to handle coal and allied fuels: the rail workers, the seamen, and of course, some transport and general workers.
and we're tryng to do that all the time,
assessment of your national leadership was obviously that it was the best they could get and something the!
as a result of that decision? Are they changing their strategy? - that Is 1 know the government have already
workedounowto novele slocks ol
tried. No expense will be spared to
the drivers — have already been approached to ascertain whether the
the event of things going wrong'. And
ac navilslu-
SLuKe.
plan to use the territorials quickly?
continent. But that's their next move.
How will you attempt to get other So we've already had quite a lot of
What came out of the TUC wasn't wanted, but it wasn't a victory for the
the Tories and the Coal Board will do
HILCT
would be prepared to drive trucks 'in we certainly know what 'things go
broken the miners.
But I understand that we'll get a favourable response from those part-time soldiers. Many of them live in the communities where our people live. I don't think they'll want to be seen as
coerente Do you mean you think the Tories
There are indications it will be done
they're away playing soldiers on the
Socialist Action 21 September 1984 Every attempt has failed. The miners'
It's obvious that the sentiment for the strike inside the NUM hasn't changed at all, that's very clear to everyone.
through the summer. Now that people are back from the summer break, are you still getting a good response
Yes. We're certainly getting a good response from our own countrymen. But now we're getting a tremendous amount of support from abroad too.
CHe reci miners' unions have organised a campaign and made a tremendous collection. Already they're in Yorkshire to see the situation so they can report
and food for us. The Belgian working class are extending their solidarity to
Dutch socialist party are sending food convoys into Kent and so is the small
now that people in other countries are doing the same, including the Soviet Union who are now collecting funds.
financial support than before. Money
government's tactic was to take on the
the time assumed they would break the miners
government figures thought the strike
gone, and it's not broken the miners. The season is now on the side of the miners. The miners know that - they know we Ie past tie worst perioa. As the days get shorter and the nights get coererencet Neil Kin Dak wa ese • V111g
Kinnock wa than helpful in his speech to the TUC. He did what he's done in all his public speeches: he said the miners had a just
them in any positive way, but by talking about violence he implied that the violence was caused by the miners. The media had a field day. That's the way he's said it ever since the strike began, and I presume it's the line he'll
3
NDEVORNERS
MENT AREA
take at conference. What would you like to see coming out of conference,
Well, about Neil Kinnock's attitude to the miners. don't know of hum ever being on a miners' picket line. I don't know of him being in any of the villages occupied by the police. Where is he getting his information from? Where is he getting all this nonsense about violence? He's being sucked it
oppress TuCIS
but anonymously. Let him go into the pit villages and see violence being created by the miners
thousands of police - with horses and dogs and truncheons. We are now seven months into our strike and not one striking miner has been charged and proven guilty of a physical assault
from the ruling class. He ought to te
has taken the same line. He's neve: seen a picket line from the day he was born. He too is talking about the pro-
When is he going to shor some Christian charity and send a bi: of food in for the kids, instead oi pontificating about the strike?
ing place are guilty of supporting it
all those who line up with Thatcher -that, without the national and inter-
solidarity of the working which could lead to our children star.
And what about the Labour Party
I'd like to see the Labour Party com stronger and much more determined to establish a socialist society first step along that road would be to declare for that section of the working class that is in struggle against the rul-
Page 4 scan of this page
Stop all coal!
Socialist Action
Power stations
DESPITE the delay in the power unions decision on solidarity with the miners strike, at a local level the NUM in many areas has taken the initiative in discussing action.
not dragging their feet in implementing solidarity.
By Jude Woodward
South Wales the main power station, Aber-
has run out of coal LaW. and is not handling scab supplies. There 24-hour NUM picket on the plant and no scab coal has crossed.
In the North-west, Fiddiers Ferry in Merseyside is the largest power station.
Workers there have decided to refuse to move coal.
Shop stewares the power station in collaboration with Bold NUM, have also now the smaller Bold power statior LABOUR PARTY secretaries all over Britain will have been surprised and gratified to receive the letter from Eric Hammond,general secretary of the EETPU, preparing political funds the political levy. No doubt the union's intention of relying on the efforts of members who are supporters of the Labour Party seem entirely praiseworthy. But then there is the sting in the tail. takes the opportunity to advise of a change in procedure.
By P. McDermott
From now on, filiations of the EETPU branches to CLPs will have go through the EETPU's head office.
This change is a clear attack on the rights of the union's branches filiate individually to their local parties, and is designed to further tighten head office control of EETPU members the Labour Party.
The previous EETPU
21 September 1984 And many power station workers are certainly
to refuse to handle scab coal.
in the North west are looking to similar
this week when SUCCESS they meet with workers from the Westwood power station in Wigan.
On pickets visited 100 miners' pickets Carrington power station licat Manchester meeting this and week Hass will deciae on luluic al tion there. On Tuesday morning 150 lillials picketted Padiham power
again near Manslalloll. chester.
this kind of organisation at the local
Fly sparks
to launch a campaign to retain upcoming ballots on the
The letter
countal secretary Frank
Chapple made tremendous
efforts to get right wingers
Par-
aelegated to Labour
ties at the time when Tony
was running for
DCLI
deputy leader. 1ле роші
was to stop the left where
friends of Chapple were
under threat.
One new move by the
EETPU will obviously
make it much more dif-
union'!
computerised information
will enable
leadership to put plenty of
obstacles in the way of left
ОБРО
STEPHE IN Be and regional level, building direct links between the striking pits and the shop stewards in the power stations, can overcome the shillyshallying of the ships.
The government knows that once cuts start it will suffer
defeat tremendous HIUl di in the strike. And all commenlalors agree lne lighils will start to go out within the next 2 to 3 months.
of areas electricity supplies are almost entirely being channelled in from other sections of the national grid If power. cuts are to avoided, coal will have to be moved. The attitude of power station workers to Inis scab coal will be kcy.
Trying to reach agreement with unions ike the EETPU that debranches trying to affiliate and give it the ability to veto candidates.
Hammond's efforts to influence the Labour Party will of course be aided by the new editor of the
SDP 100 N ourlal member John Grant. ONC unnamed senior of ficial of the union told the Financial Times recently: 'We're moderate
We're a right wing ullull. union'
The complete centralisation of the EETPU around right wing leadership, will cue saulting down of branches and
of all opposition makes it
that cean uCh porocedures will be used against the left, both in the union and the party.
The EETPU alread stood out out at the TUC with its recent drive for 'no-strike' deals with ma-
Chevron
fend the
strike could take months - it it is possible at all. So unions and plant leaderships
that dc port the miners should get moving now without waiting national agreement.
that includes the EEPTU who are ted up with the scab reputation of the own
With the TUC resolution behind them, there is no reason why Hammond's words at the TUC attacking the NUM should be the only policy pursued in the union.
The experience at Did-
station in Oxcot ford shows that power sta-
workers locally will organise support the miners. This should be the priority aim COCO solidarity work over the ICXL WeCKS
EAH/JFS/LS/RE:
SURNECT Political Fun
то:- ALL CIR SECRSTARIES Dear Colleague Я. А. La jor companies. These have
the praise of Mr WOl Parry Rogers personnel director of Plessey's, who called it 'the best union we deal with'.
A message for a worker
Electrical Electronic Telecommunication & Plumbing Union
Here Courtle CAn Roo
23 August 1984 If Hammond gets his way in the Labour Party as well ine umon, he may yo earn praise from Dr Owen as the best coalition partner we deal with'.
Why steel must
join the fight
secretary Bill Sirs in the current miners' strike.
By Ray Davies, ISTC Llanwern (personal capacity)
He has backstabbed the rail and transport workers and dock workers who gave us support during our own steel strike.
He has broken every
handbook by condoning lne use or inue scab lorr drivers to move boycotted materia picket lines.
He tore up the triple alliance of coal, steel and rail before the ink was dry and. as is the Way Will al scabs and traitors, , he ended up by attacking his owr comrade-in-fudge and co. partner in stiching up the Welsh and national steel strike in 1980, Len MurLay.
His treacherous ясtions of the last few months have proved a bit too
» In the Unions
"Miners'
Strike
LATER
US
NOW
LATER
PROTO. UM COURSUN
THE WORD 'steelworker' is being dragged through the industrial mud at every trade union meeting in the country, and the main architect of our degradation is the contemptuous actions of our general
much even for our own 1uc congres. › delegation.
They disowned his reckless attack on the miners and fellow trades unionists but step away from scabbing is nowhere near enough.
Bill Sirs himself has no doubt done enough in the Tories' eyes to win his in he ons treachery (Lords) his co-partner Joe Gormley.
However, if the ISTC Creat SHRIKE amends, if they really want to cleanse their soul, it can only be done by putting our part of the triple alliance into effect - thai is, refuse to handle scab and call on every ISTC never o come bird! the picket lines.
Anything less than that will condemn our union to a place of shame in the in dustrial history books.
Page 5 scan of this page
West Midlands action called
News
AS WE GO to press it is almost certain that the national dock strike will be called off. Only a revolt against the leadership at the national delegate conference will prevent surrender by the TGWU.
of what they wanted. The strike started over the corporation's refusal — with the backing of the ISTC - to accept a quota of 18,000 tons of coal a week. The TGWU, having started from 12,000 tons — enough to keep Ravenscraig ticking over — ended up offering the 18,000 tons. The BSC held out for 22,500 tons.
The return' from 18,000 to 22,500 tons
four in the OVCr WeCKS agreement is merely a facesaver for the union. The
craig will get scab coal in sufficient quantities maintain production al current levels.
By Pat Hickey
This docks deal will undoubtedly
Culoulare the right bureaucracy who campaigned actively break the strike. The ISTC have scabbed on the dock-
the strike, and it was their OFUSION IO cuts in coal supplies that enabled the BSC to hold out for the
demanded.
Despite the role of the right, over 8,000 of the 14.W registered dockers were on strike and there was 1110 work. The fact that the strike was clearly in sup-
pot of the monsiderabes
considerable well out the strike spreading its effects would have started
tore einst Around one
weeks. Around one third of the country's import/export business wond have been hit.
The key question in the dispute iTSI the preparation of the TGWU
and secondly the working ports. A more vigorous campaien by the national leadership to picket working ports would have increased the impact the strike even if, as was likely, the
never became 100 per cent effective.
The rail unions had given clear undertakings about respecting dockers
Glasgow demo:
A golden
opportunity
missed
AROUND 7000 people marched through Glasgow city centre last Saturday solidarity with the miners. Almost every important West of Scotland workplace or union, and most of its Labour Parties, were represented. Unfortunately this wasn't a mass demonstration each delegation numbered in dozens rather than hundreds.
Tony Southall, Hillhead Labour Party
That was marked contrast to une work-ady of action backing. the miners on 9 May. Then
A defeat in the docks
The terms of the return to work give BSC most This is what they have now got. picket lines. But Todd's appearance at Immingwam Hi the made dr the strike, excellent though that was, was not enough.
The initiative picketting was left to local level and not organised at
tallo la level the TGWU. Merseyside dockers had considerable success when they picketted some of the smaller ports. At Bristol, the pickets stopped a return to work
The majority of striking dockers had shown that they would
the activities of Medlock Bibby and his like. This strength should have been built on.
The last national docks strike ended messily, with
give way to blockading lorry drivers.
Failure to confront the pressure of the right,
blockading lor drivers, Bill Sirs, or working dockers, will inevitably sture up problems for the future.
The future for dockers is still going to be an attack
Dock Labour UL
registered and non registered ports is a fundamental weakness in the union organisation of the docks. fight to extend the Dock Labour Scheme to all dockers will be essenfia it that attack is to be defeated.
The dockers have sufficient power to win almost япу demand. If they
demand better preperation and better leadership than was forthcoming in this struggle. large numbers of rank and file unionists, wno had been through a political debate and concluded that
up demonstration of more than 20,000.
Speakers on Saturday
Mick McGahey, were Donald Dewar (Labour's Scottish spokesperson). Jimmy Milne (secretary of the STUC), and two womers suoDor Commul• tee representatives who got
Unfortunately none of these dealt with following
the decisions of the
rUC by extending solidarity action. In particular, coals supplie
action in response to scab labour at Hunterston went unmentioned.
NEWS g
RIGHT FREPLY SPECIAL
Why we adopted Birch Coppice
Sun and News of the World print worker have produced a special newspaper which has sold 10,000 copies to date.
THE WEST Midlands Regional TUC has called a week of action in support of the miners from 8 to 15 October.
In Birmingham trades counci Miners'
The following day talks in Glasgow between the TGWU and BSC resolved the docks strike in a way that will do nothing to assist winning the coal strike.
That the docks strike went unmentioned at the
another indication of the
cost alon
unwillingness of the union
need meaningful solidarity action.
A golden opportunity was missed Saturdav Those 7000 activists should all have heard a call for extended mobilisation.
in the tirst place tur. ther one-day strikes are needed to show the labour movement's determination to take this stike to a rapid VICTOROT
Hopefully building that kind of action will be
theme of . next Satur-
Scottish miners' demonstration in Stirling which will be addressed by Arthur Scargill and Tony Benn.
• Saturday 22 Seember 11.30 Stirling.
Assemble Raploch Community Centre, and march to Annfield Stadium for a rally at 1pm.
Souvenir Edition PRODUCED BY WORKERS AT THE VEWS OF THE WORLD AND SCH
WOMEN WITH
Thumbs
up from the kids WORRY
CENTRE Support Committee plans to use the week to publicise
money. It will also campaign for acuO response the TUC General Council's statement of support.
On Tuesday 9 October
workplace delegates meeting will discuss how Del lo tu this, in particular raising regular financial support through workplace levies and boy. COLL scab • coal, coke and oil.
A hundred key workplaces have been targetted
*
GUTS
We stand by our men
ENTERING THE sixth month of th Message from Scargill
and the support committee will be trying to ensure that at the minimum these are represented.
The meeting will also discuss plans for solidarity action to be taken on Thursday 11 October. This will range from workplace meetings stoppages.
How successful such plans will be depends on what the regional TUC will commit to them. lo date they have restricted themselves to issuing calls for solidarity rather than organising it.
Socialist Action
solidarity strike
guards strike tied up freight traffic.
The strike call followed the arrest of the majority of the guards LDC (shop stewards committee) British Rail LONDON police for collecting for the miners at the payment desk.
Two signals and telephone staff collecting during their lunch break with the guards were locked in a cell for two hours ana later charged wiln deing absent from duty for that time.
special branch meeting of Piccadilly No 1 NUR called the strike for Wednesday unless management agreed to a collection box at the pay out and le dron the vic timisation. They refused.
So at midnight pickets
Their last regional day of action was the only one called on a Saturday was limited to a march
the tory at Saltley Gates in the
strike. Today there are fears that the support committee will De change fine words into some form of action. • For details of the events planned contact Birmingham Trades Council Miners' Support Commit tee, c/o TÚRC 7 Fred-
Birmingham BI
21 September 1984 5
Miners'
Strike
Manchester guards
PEOPLE IN London may have been puzzled by the absence of the Daily Star last Wednesday. No papers printed in Manchester left Piccadilly Station as a
By a member of Piccadilly No 1 NUR, Manchester
started tratin Workers down freight traffic trom other departments joined in, notably women cleaners.
At From Bod hundred miners from and Agecroft collieries arrived in their double decker to show support. By noon, losing money fast, management had conceded, and everyone went to the pub.
Since then, while the collecung box is in place
respect by petty cuts in Sunday overtime and continuing with disciplinary acLUl against signals and telephone staff, so the Notts
pits
to close IAN MACGREGOR is fulfilling his promise to remember the "loyal' Notts miners who have refused to join the strike in an unexpected way.
By Rick Simon, East Nottingham Labour Party
Moorgreen pit has just been scheduled for closure before the end of the year. despite having enough mineable reserves for another 15 years But Moorgreen is just the thin end of the wedge In South Notts only three out eleven pits Cotgrave, Gedling - have a long term future To reinforce the point that you can only stop the NCB's closure programme joining the national strike a march and rally are being organised • bastwovu If the Notts coalfield had been solid from the beginning the strike would been won weeks ago STA and Moorgreen pit would still be producing coal in & 1985.
Page 6 scan of this page
Black Sections: A challenge to the
Socialist Action 21 September 1984 THE DEBATE AROUND black sections of the Labour Party looks like being the most explosive, and the most exciting at this year's conference.
The Party is faced with both a challenge and a tremendous opportunity. The emergence/ of the movement towards black sections is a vital step in the direction of a unified black movement linked to the labour movement.
Socialist Action discussed the black sections movement with MARC WADSWORTH of Vauxhall Labour Party, RUSSELL PROFITT Lewisham GLC councillor, and DIANE ABBOT, Westminster Councillor and candidate for Labour's NEC. They are all on the steering committee of the black section.
As they explain, black people in Britain constitute one of the most loyal sections of the Labour vote, are more likely than white workers to be in a trade union, and remain loyal to the organisations of the
Photo: LAURIE SPARHAM (FL
Committee
labour movement. This is despite the fact that the record of the British labour movement on black rights is close to despicable.
Black people have begun to organise to demand that this record is changed by ensuring that black people's loyalty to the labour movement is reflected in their involvement at every level, and in a struggle for policies that meet their needs.
If Labour responds to this challenge, by ratifying the black section, it can both ensure this support from black people continues — strengthening the labour movement in all its battles; and build new confidence that the struggle for socialism is a struggle for equality and justice for the whole of the working class, not just a part of it.
The demands of the black section must be met! All socialists should get involved in the campaign into and beyond this Party conference.
DIANE ABBOTT — standing for the women's section of the NEC, supported by the Labour Women's Action
Socialist Action: Perhaps you could
saying around black sections has only started comparatively recently. The women's SCCUUl has been decades, section for a long time. Why have black sections only begun to develop in the last period?
Diane Abbott: I think three things have not least converged. There is a mood for change in the Labour Party of greater potential than there has been since 1945
second generation immigrants in this country. relate to the politics of the countries they came from, in some ways they still talk with more energy about the politics of Jamaica. The themselves as based here.
The third thing thought in the past that if they were nice enough then make them MPs. That has proved to be untrue - white people are not going to give up power.
all about is black people within the party organising to take power and not waiting to be given power.
Marc Wadsworth: Black caucuses have existed for some time - for decades. It party that Diane has talked about, that we can institutionalise the position and get the best benefits. good enough for us to organise in a caucus that is smiled on benevolently by the party but doesn't have any teeth.
instance, that has existed for ages, but they don't have any voting rights. It didn't occur to delegate status with voting rights on the GMC or on the EC.
WHOLE when Russell selected then deselected anybody else has been in the party.
defeat was so huge that it told there was something very wrong structurally with the Labour Party. It is that sort of watershed that has given us a mood of part defiance and part confidence that we can move forward as an organised group within the party, fighting for our rights with a common voice rather than being a supplicant going round with our begging bowl.
that was loosely gathered around the Labour Party. They had some initial success in getting 13 black councillors into the Town Hall. But because it was a largely single-issue, apolitical caucus,
whole thing went sour, defection of Ambrozine Niel to the Tories in a row over black people in education.
black sections formally linked into the Labour Party, framework.
that might be seen as our natural allies in this fight but you have to remember that many of those people have grown fat on race and that we are proposing to take their platform away from them.
black people speaking on behalf. That is the great challenge to them and a great challenge to the movemember of the family now feels strong enough and politically mature enough to stand on his or her own feet.
the LOVELIC
going now for and there has been a youth Then there is a whole generation of
My parents' generation still
new generation see
that people
white people would
To me what the black sections are
with the changes in the
No longer is it
They have a caucus in Battersea for
them demand
They discovered they were horribly
Profitt was faster than these areas.
The margin of Russell Profitt's
as the only reliable vote.
candidate.
black turnout.
There is also a black caucus in Brent
tion with the
This experience shows the need for
clear political element
You mentioned those left wingers
should be
No more do we want surrogate
Led single issue.
COTOWE
- to the socialist family that a
future cabinet minister.
VOTE
LABOUR
MARC WADSWORTH, chin in hand, at the press conference before the first natio
DA: The fact is that the Labour Party in the inner city areas that I know has ridden on black votes. They are the only reliable set of votes coming out for the Labour Party now and I speak as one who has canvassed for myself in
The traditional white working class vote has eroded and left the black vote
MW: Talking about the loyalty of those votes, we just had a by-election in Vauxhall for Lambeth council and our prediction was that we were probably 70 votes ahead of a very strong Alliance
Yet we won by more than 550 votes, and this was because of the
People were telling me that you could tell the Alliance voters because as they lined up they were white and only a trickle and the Labour line was longer and much blacker. The candidate was black and was backed by the black sec-
This is an indication of times to
You will see black candidates emerging from the ranks of the black sections and they will have a credible constituency. They won't depend on white patronage though that will be an
They will gain their main strength from actually representing the black community and in 37 ethnic marginals around the country I think that is a very significant step forward.
It is quite legitimate to say that there
La candidate to represent black people as well as representing white people. People fear being labell-
It just seems hypocritical that if your strong issue is being black, and understanding the black issue, that is seen as a handicap and if you are good on the economy then you are seen as a
What do you think of the objections that have been made by the party leadership for example, which has objected that this is not the way to ensure that black people are integrated into the Labour Party. And then there is the more dogmatic Militant type of position that this is a divisive move? Russell Profitt: It was interesting that the leadership sought to head off the move towards black sections by rejecting them on the very day that the first working party meeting was to be held. It was seen by the leadership as a major threat and one which they should try to stamp out at an early stage.
As far as I am concerned that is indicative of the racism that there is in the party. It is in a sense calling for sole rights to decide what matters as progress on race.
We are not accepting that. We take as our starting point that as the people who experience racism we are the ones who are best able to define a way in winch we can make progress
That is the debate and the argument that the leadership must accept. Since the initial move we are growing. There are more black sections being formed every week campaign COll tinues. They will have to accept it, and if they are not on our side, in the words of Stokely Carmichael, 'they are part of the problem'.
MW: Talking about the institutionalis ed racism in the Labour Party, it is a vast omission that Kinnock doesn't have a black advisor nor does anybody in the leadership.
I heard that when they were trying to put together some propaganda race quite recently they couldn't find a photograph of any black people Walworth Road and that is the Labour Party headquarters. They had
Page 7 scan of this page
whole movement
1 meeting of the black section
to draw pictures and shade in the characters.
This tells you what their approach to race is, one of vote gathering and the formation of an ethnic minorities committee at election time made up of worthies mainly white.
I think that they fear that black sections will shine a torch on their own lack of performance on race and that is just what they don't want.
RP: I think Militant's response is symptomatic of their general lack of understanding ot institutional disadvantage within our community. They have a very suspect line on responding to women's issues and whole sections of the disadvantaged within our com-
They cannot take on board the fact let you must mave dway mom colvu. blind approaches. We are not all the same. If you continue to think of the working class as being all the same and hoping that by running up a flag they will all come running behind you they are sadly mistaken.
I am very disappointed that some comrades who are black go along with the Militant line because it seems to me that in so doing they are falling into this ¡TaD OI thinking that we are all same. We are not all the same. generations nobody has treated us as though we are all the same, so why the hell we should start belleving we are ali the same now is absolutely beyond me.
Of course there are communalities between the struggles for justice and the struggles for equality with the black and the white communities, but there are many ways in which they are different.
DA: On the Militant - • the Militant is a right wing group and it is not surprising that not responsive to peoples' needs. In a sense the Militant's
response to black people is coming out of the same racism and the same almost colonialist attitude to black people, as Kinnock's.
And it has its roots in that very Datons ne aluluac lo which is that 'we white people can tell you black people want'
We don't need to be told by Kinnock or Ted Grant what strategies we should put forward.
Having said that I have always fought against the Militant and would fight again because I think they are entitled to play their part in the Labour Party. But their attitude on black white control of Militant and the very rigid doctrinal attitude that Militant often has.
One thing I would add to what Russell said is that I think that one of the things that black people are moving away from is this whole shopping list attitude to people who aren't white, male, and middle class. I for one am fed up with a shopping list of resolutions which groups together gays, black people, disabled, etc because I think when you group together it diminishes from and overlooks what is specific to ditthe ferent issues.
ГОГ I want to keep my eye on that goal and I don't want to be deflected by being told I am one of many minorities.
MW: I must say that 1 am very disappointed with the Militant because they have certainly widened the debate in the Labour Party which is long overdue.
But they seem to be hell bent on infiltrating black sections in the same way as they have with the YS and not to a good cause. Down in Vauxhall we have
black in, they have taken posts and offered to do leaflets.
SCONCON
against black sections
us. So what are they playing at?
taken seriously then this is no way lo
would pass on to them
support
not playing it straight.
Wallt should start acting as our support.
using black people. both on the far left and in other areas of the party, our own strategies now.
How do you see the role of black sec-
conference and that type of input to the party?
roles for black sections. there are lots of black members of the Labour Party meetings, who feel intimidated by the bureaucracy and the fact that they are white dominated. One very simple role for black sections is to provide a forum where black people can speak out and not teel intimidated and in that way draw in black Labour Party members black people who haven't been active before.
what you really in the forming of policies relating to black people — mered out and brought back into the party as a whole
there can be more black representatives expulsion of the at every level in the party. criticisms levelled against black sections is that they are segregationist, of the results i have seen sections reflects the have maximised black involvement and a black input in the party.
Would you see similar type of structural arrangements with the women's section of the party?
RP: If you are going to move up from the grassroots position that the black section is at the moment to the positions where power is actually exervised you have got to have parallel structures.
the issue within the trade union movement as well. We know we have got a battle to win within the trade union movement. which fought.
and to create equal opportunities. DA: I ought to say that personally I don't see that representatives on the NEC is our immediate priority priority is to build strong grassroots black sections because I think that only - iney Ilave come be doing this do you have a position of DOWel from which to black councillors and MPs.
Then you discover what they have been up to behind the back of the black section. They have spoken at a Greater
Party conterence one of our delegates who was there from the YS, who we had fought very hard to get on the GC. And there she was denouncing
If they are to be honest and to be
carry on and that is the message that I
— we are not against vou because we certainlv don't
the expulsion of Militant but frankly they are acting like rather malicious children at the moment and
If they really
if they deserve
DA: Well the Militant are playing it straight in a way, but they are just like the rest of the far left. Militant are into
The far left has notoriously coopted people and used black people and tried to construct out of black people some kind of shock troops a vanguard. I for
- black people are tired of being used by white people
we are going to determine
tions once there is a national network set up? Do you see it as similar to the women's sections - having a national
DA: I think that there are three main
The first is
never come to RUSSELL PROFITT
union
The second role for black section is pers - who came
- where they can be ham-
The third role is in organising so
One of the belong to , but one workers. is that they
urgency.
the
It also takes us to the need to fight
La clear link?
is perhaps the battle the Labour leadership never They never took on the trade situation of that black themselves in. fighting black formed my immediate move forward Sevarale Dosure
Move to nave
But certainly we want more people at every level in the power structure of the party and the unions because what you have got at the moment is a whole
leadership the Scargills, Bickerstaffes, Ken Gills, and Alan Sap.
out of the trade union movement a decade ago. Since then the growth in the trade unions has been among women and black people. The present trade union leadership does not reflect that at all.
MW: A very interesting statistic shows that black workers are more likely to
union than wate And yet if you look at trade union officers you hardly see a black face among them. If you take that to full time official level you can count on a couple of hands. That is something that the trade union movement should be addressing itself to as a matter of
I was just going to ask if there is any link up between the people involved in
sections and the unions.
There is some black self help in some unions particularly in NALGO in London and there is the BTUSM - is there
MW: There is a very definite link. Our
We see it as a huge priority, not just given the amount of votes that they wield at conference, but because of the
near disenfranchisement trade unionists find
A separate organisation has been
because certain black trade unionists have felt that things won't
unless there is that of a black trade party unionists solidarity group working to agitate for the sort of things that we have been calling for here.
Socialist Action : 21 September 1984
Photo: ANDREAS NICOL A
How long do you think it will be befor black sections are formally agreed?
RP: The campaign is to have them established as quickly as possible. It is only within the last year that the issue has taken off and there has been a phenomenal growth We never ticipated that we would be at the stags we are at now in terms of having so many black sections forming not just in London but outside London as well.
But we are not a movement that has the financial wherewithal to support the growth that has taken place. We would welcome any contributions that anyone cares to make to the movement.
happening, I don't think that we would want to start saying that it is going to be with iwo to wice vcars. i iccorills that it will take time
All I can say is that the challenge is very squarely in the lap of the movement and the longer they pussyfoot on this issue the more difficult it will be for the movement to speak with any degree of credibility within the eyes of the black community.
MW: The pace of delivery is very much up to people out of our immediate ne like the leadership of the party who ig nore our demands at their peril.
If you look at the Greater London Labour Party annual conference the most passionale debate : was on black sections and I think that is an indicator of what is likely to happen at conference.
DA: It took the people campaigning for constitutional reforms seven or eight years from start to finish.
I would see black sections coming in less than that time not least because the
doesn't have that long. doesn't meet the demands of black peo. ple it is going to have serious problems when it comes to a general election.
Page 8 scan of this page
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Stalinist regime and
Surplus Value
LAST WEEK Socialist carried an article by ZBIGNIEW KOWALEWSKI on the left's attitude to the USSR. This OLIVER MACDONALD, editor of Labour Focus on Europe, replies to some of the issues Kowalewski raised.
THERE ARE, some fairly flabby formulations in my article on the left and the Soviet Union, but I can't go along with Kowalewski's efforts completely break the back of the argument in it. We have basically different lines for the left's policy towards the USSR.
two tasks: oppose NATO's economic and military pressure on the USSR,
wage ideological agalnst ine aulnorilarian burcaucranic political regime there. I see these two Tasksas essence a snager course of action for aiding the work-
for their political rights the and curope. Thus, we don't NATO in spite of our support for the rights of people in Eastern Europe: we do so because of our support for them.
At first it seems that Kowalewski agrees with LONN but simply disagrees mantic thinks restore A
thinks pressure is the secondary task of the Western Left. I would agree if it was
for socialists in Europe: combat the enemy at home at hand, weighing on the backs of the working people there But the same reason of fighting the enemy at home it is NATO that is our main larger wore revel renneustine our ideological struggle against Stalinist regime.
But comrade Kowalewski doesn't simply disagree with my order
riorities; he violently opposes then saying I go over to the with an action programme whose only use "is to invite people to join yet another USSR Friendship society'.
Now if we strip this vivid phrase of its polemical innuendo — that I want to turn peopie into Kremlin like the cockatoos in the actually existing Soviet Friendship Societies Kowalewski's charge has a good deal of truth in it. After all, if you call for Us troops to leave Europe and for the unilateral dissolution of NATO are giving the USSR a huge militar dvantag in Europe. And I am call ing for these things so that make rather I would say very to the USSR's security interests. in that sense Kowalewski is right: I'm more or less — let's say more — in the Soviet camp.
But which Soviet camp? That of Ine people or that Stalinist regime? He doesn't ustinguis berween tne two credible, but true. He falls for oldest trick in the book Kremlin's and the White ideology.
So then does Kowalewski verbally support the task
comDallilig Western against the USSR? The answer
is that this combat will have a LIVED valuable ideological impact West, albeit rather an obscure namely. will weaken the minism' theory which.caus to une rejecaon or une teory (sic) of the last stage of capitalism'.
Soviet State
Action stress much
fighting capitalist
is to defend his week capitalism'!!
Eastern But will
NATO's militarism
against ine Eastern Europe? Well, the Bast-West undoubtedly,
to late 1960s,
to in Poland.
Soviet leadership Western
pagandists)
struggle
Stand this dialectic at
united ing the hands of the
Soul al unt
Eastern
oppose
Eternal development.
comrade these two Hold on.
over
NATO
you could still paradise in one Wasn't it Uncle Jo?
Eastern Kowalewski
theoretical error -here, for
pressure and
the Stalinist the on of you basıcally back it oviet cam idea?
bureaucracy
Kowalewski SCO every and of the
patrols Germany?
you
friendly
So,
of the
even
its in-
the of both the
House's
Comrade
to remove
pressure
The exist. struggle!
in the
one: aball. l
'exterand I quote INP of the
than that of Japan alone.
No wonder Kowalewski doesn't
the moortalice of UL COUld the USSR if all that this fights will achieve
own suspect 'theory of the last stage of
the weakening strengthen the opportunities for popular movements
political regimes reduction tensions Hungary and Poland (1956), did again in Czechoslovakia in the middle
and played an enormously important role in the maturing of conditions for Solidarity's rise
We also have ample proof that the
fears the internal nac or serene rney were worre sick about it during the high noon of
early 1970s. And the mainstream strategists of the US (as opposed to the pro-
also agree about this.
Yet Kowalewski doesn't unders-
: all. For him easing pressure on the USSR equals free-
Kremlin to lash and the USes stern Europe
it's
niu lis crror over bolcyis come pounded with an error of analysis. He doesn't think that external pressure is of any great importance to Soviet in-
He says 'the
Soviet Union was a beseiged fortress'
beseiged, wasn't it? And who was it who said this isolation didn't matter:
build socialist isolated country?
makes the same from a very different political standpoint, of course
He discounts external says the determinant is the internal force
bureaucracy itself. deed, he seems to fear that any stress
external pressures somehow lets the Soviet bureaucracy off the hook. Unless you blame it for everything
is that the
The real point is that this Stalinist
feeds off this external pressure like a starving wolf. Can't
Jaruzelski guzzling tion morsel of Reaganite pressure CDU leaders' calls for another look at the 1937 frontiers of
deepen. must
layer
How nice if that pressure didn't exist. My lop prorily lask was to nigh class,
Kowalewski takes an casier road. ne simply says ll aoesn l
Hey presto: no need for any
Some facts: 1977G of the US , France and Britain com
ined equalled 3712 billion dollar
USSR was 645 ICS.
Look at productivity, technological
total military budgets of the USSR and the main capitalist allies — the USSR is much weaker all along О ЗАТРРО РІОНАЛО ВІТ АТ ОТІ cording to re in route ta cording to the Institute of studies; everywhere else it is heavily against the USSR. Look at the ring of
300 US Riphery of the USSR. No pressure?
But this leads on to a more basic difference still with Kowalewski. He can discount all this Western muscle simply by failing to see any reason why the capitalist states should want to flex it against the Soviet Union. He can't see this because he can't much difference between the USSR
capitalism some. like full emi not mt and nationalisation
not much: inese al c COLICS. residues: there's no different organising principle of economic life. After all, in his view atop the nationalised industry can and do ferocious exploitation of the workers. He sees no sharp and pressing conflict between the social basis of the state and the Stalinist regime. He thinks the workers have no more social weight in the USSR than in the West (perhaps
Jane ne ever tunk
ABC that the workers can gain nothing socially unless they conquer power.
In my article there was a clear view of the source of this conflict: it lay not in the ITT or General Motors or GEC
of the dictatorial methods of the Stalinist regime, but in their loathing of the USSR's principle of social organisation: property and the planned economy.
There are people on the Marxis. left who recognise all this but say that such nationalisation can be profoundly hostile to working class interests. Shachtman, the American Trotskyist for example, took this view at the end of the 1930s. saying that nationalisation had in the Soviet case fitted well with a ferociously oppressive and exploitative 11cW bureaucratic which turned the Soviet workers into little better than slaves.
The strength of Shachtman's analysis, from a theoretical point view, was that he laid down - in his early development of the theory very clear criteria for testing his posi-
He said that it was based on two empirical tests: first, that the trend away from social egalitarianism evident in the 1930s would continue to
that the terroristic method of rule by the Stalir gang would continue and deepen
On the other side, I think Trotskyists who hold that the USSR is
bureaucratically degenerated workers' state must argue that the characterisation workers' state means something the position of the working class in necessarily about the shape of the political System. In particular,
argue and seek to prove that
the social rights of the workers must
and that the terroristic violence against the working must decline. All of this is another way of saying that the bureaucratic
increasingly tends to lose Caracly bully and oppress workers and is increasingly enfeebled in the face of the domestic working
unless developments 1n capitalist world give the bureaucracy some historical breathing space
I think the balance sheet of the last 40 years since Shachtmann wrote proves him wrong and orthodox Trotskyists right on the basic issue. The terroristic regime Stalin dismantled and replaced by authoritarian bureaucratic dictatorship which seeks to hold on to powe
the see have those of Stalin. with different inequalities of the Stalin period were put Brezhnev period, though not insurmountable in some international conditions — social bar riers arising against any possibility of bureaucracy capitalist market: culturally the increasingly powerful urban working class coming to insis as of right on the employment, massive class keep its essential
available at largely stable prices food, rents, transport. gas and elec • UNCLE grammes, tunities and so on.
even calls it ridiculous. He doesn't consider there is any basically positive organising principle in Soviet society, he sees the 'totalitarian regime' as fitting very snugly rover. suce e lolnks is erocious ly exploiting the workers. He thinks it is even ABC to insist that the Sovie thạt working class
strengthened in any way economically or socially for the, to him, elementary reason that it hasn't power. In short, no change between 1934 and 1984.
the bourgeois demagogv of showing how much less need to work to fill their stomachs as this proved anything. And he ends up by seeming
in 1913 under the Tsar favourkers
under the class with their lot in 1960: otherwise what
does this ludicrous piece of Hoover Institute nonsense about wage levels signify for him? the
T:= Minterin the following:
Polish workers exerted no pressure on the regime to improve their lot in the early 1970s? What about 1976? Was it all pointless because they didn't seize
the rise of Solidarnosc had nothing to was do with the increased cultural level,
economic and social strength achiev
decades? And
Socialist Action methods from Secondly, the growing into reverse in the Krushcher- forces,
with massive fierce
re-introducing the numerically and
security of full subsidies goods and services and
les, wide educational oppro
educational oppor-
Kowalewski rejects all this — he
Thatcher
onto nationalised
cannot have been
taken political
He even gets himself ensnarled in
American workers
anything about
favourably
had
TErE does he really bellere ice Tiy weak and,
what I said
21 September 1984 9 Polish workers get their ideas from concerning their right to frozen prices
rationing than Conomy? Where did they glaned from planned
egalitarianism against social privileges from if not from the plann ed economy? Or does he think they came from the inequalities in Poland being so much greater than those bet ween the big bourgeoisie and worker in the West — the Polish bureaucrats were piffling little third rate and and meet tit he west, capitalist
landowners the somehow the workers here don't seem workers. Has this nothing to do with strongly as the Polish Wordodity fetishism in the capitalist
And how come the 'ferocious op pressor and exploiter' Gierek couldn't ash into the August strikes the way
Clashes into 6 months of miners' strikes? Was it because the Polish workers had stronger unions in August than the British miners, depen ent party like the Labour Par.
couldn't have anything with the principle of social organis ion and its ideological reflectio Poland, you don't think? And does Kowalewski really see Mr. Chernenko as some kind of Stalin figure, herding ten million off to Siberia?
It is a great joy for me to be atle t my comrade Kowalewski because think we share so much in commor and because it has been so very dif ficult to find a common framewor and eate or the Polio
leaders of the Polish towards the USSR Furthers
remarks »ETe , as we say euphemisticalh here 'bad formulations' But or she I consider to be the key issue of pots - the Western left's objectives i3 a Cold Warag in he USER NATO's economic militar
and I think Zeigne needs to spell out an alternaive paz? on this question and not tr to bout 3 aside as secondary
Page 10 scan of this page
Defend unilateralism
10
God's great white
President
THE US PRESIDENTIAL campaign has moved into top gear. The fundamental issues in the United States are the US war in Central military build up, workers' living standards. But these are the issues the Republican and Democratic Party candidates do not intend to express any serious differences on. ALAN FREEMAN looks at the didates do claim to champion.
PRESIDENT REAGAN has announced that for 1984 he has a new campaign manager — the Lord God Almighty. According to Reagan, Dallas, he is now one of the line of US presidents who were 'leaders under God's authority'.
structing Reagan to concentrate his campaign on the deep south of the United States. Long a Democratic Party stronghold, the Southern states have recently been combining traditional timents with unionised, industry hopes on for the revival of the US economy.
Personally appointed
God's word Reagan are figures such as the Reverend Jerry Falwell - a television tub thumper famous as head
'Moral Majority' movement. Among other things Falwell successfully rougat to gel opposinon to abortion, rabid anti-communism, and LUlli" pulsory school prayers into the Republican Party programme this year.
With the direct aid of the Almighty, Reagan holds an 1i per cent lead
Democratic candidate, Mondale, in the opinion polls. By eading calculations including Sovie foreign minister Gromyko who is visiting washington shortly - Reagan is heading for electoral victory. well in 'God's country' apparently.
Une problem which has developed in the campaign however is that God distinct showing his usual
preference for white faces. Statistics show America's blacks continue register eighty eight per cent for
Democrats and only five for the Republicans. With only 11 vote n backs registered to
million eligible to do SO, the Democrats think this could be decisive. In many as 11 states the
of unregistered blacks bigger than Reagan's margin. of victory in 1980. Hence,
Party Coltapaign that is attempting, rallier acsperalely, 10 gan votes from blacks, women, and Latinos.
The single biggest section of Lne vole Democrats hope to tap HOweves Fifty per Coll of registered
VULCIS call themselves Democrats as
cent Republicans. There seven million more women voters than men.
Choosing Geraldine Ferraro Democratic Party Vice Presidential candidate has to some ex-
from
Socialist Action 21 September 1984
America, its and the attacks on American
causes the can-
speaking in
It appears that at present God is particularly in-
strong religious senthe new breed of high-tech', nonReagan has been pinning his
leaders report that trade
Commercial, with many OWi pald women workers in its ranks, are doing much better registening members vote than other unions the 13 million strong Democratic America's lUC
But Ferraro scarcely leads the life of an average US woman. Her family is worth four million dollars. And some of the image of ner as a representative ordinary women is rubbing off amid revelations on her taxes.
Other signs of discontent for Democrats have developed over the wheeling and dealing between Democratic Presidential candidate Mondale and the black con. tender the primaries,
Jackson. Mondale has refused to support any economic policies that can help blacks and rejected appeals for state funds to make jobs for America's black unemployed. That's WIlY some more radical black ting Johnnie Torces ale Walls
Mississipi who is running as a Diack macpendeni on a list of 17 distinct demands.
Alongside the main parties the US Communist Party running an energetic alivatell to back Mondale against Reagan. The only independent socialist candidate running clearly on a
supporting dependent working class political achon, and the only candidate worth
the black socialist Mel Mason who is running for the Socialist Workers Party..
But the main product of' the campaign is rising cynicism about the whole •a Does a lie nice States. In 1974 72 per cent ot the electorate voted ir the presidential elections. In 1980 it was 56 per cent. Reagan was elected by just 26 per cent of America's electorate.
If this year's result is no different, it is because the other 74 per cent at the moment nave voice to speak for them.
wide missiles movement across Europe. of unilateral nuclear disarmament.
mobilisation will be very big.
Why haven't CND taken NATO in its campaigning as it should have and pull-
add build this in or
and build action despite its official policy against NATO?
By Ilona Aronovsky, London Region CND, (personal capacity)
• It is excellent that women in the Party are fully supporting the Greenlin London Labour Party
the action and is calling on women's sections down on Sunday 23 September with Jo Richardson and the Labour Party campaign bus. (Phone 4760, women's committee, for
transport and leaflets).
In addition the GLC and Derbyshire are releasing women workers to go down and through NALGO and other local
we should be pressing all nuclear free zone counels to do the same.
women against pit closures group; are supporting He all London region CND is donating money for Kent women's transport and
money will need to LUIC be raised. London Region CND (388 1628) • is coordinating information about transport and the last day, the 30 September will culminate the protest in a big way.
It's because the view of the leadership of CND is that campaigning openly against NATO is too unpopular and CND can win LAST SATURDAY, in
Cook MP — explain Labour's new strategy.
By Carol Turner
Ron Huzzard, speaking tor Ladour Acuon 10l Peace, criticised the document's emphasis NATO and, . specifically,
reservations about reducing defence spending. 'Ah, but,' replied Mr Cook, 'you can't alter just one paragraph the document Is a coneren whole. And that precisely the problem.
It is coherently committed maintaining NATO membership and
non-nuclear strategy for Britain which
Greenham Women
say no to NATO
GETTING RID of cruise, polaris, and cancelling Trident in Britain would split the NATO alliance
open and give a terrific boost to the antiThis is the logic
The 10 million women 10 day mobilisation to protest against the NATO exercises is therefore the obvious way forward for the mass campaign and the
limited objectives with broad alliances.
highlight contradicof Labour for unilateral nuclear disarmament and staying in NATO.
This contradiction must be fought by the left firmly linking itself with the mass campaign against the aim of the Kin. nock leadership and right to stay in NATO and therefore slide away from unilateral nuclear disarmament.
London Transport details:
Tooting 20/2:
Linda 672 2341 Muswell Hill 20/22 883 4816/1309 Lambeth 20/23 Mandy 673 0025 Hilary 675 1173 Richmond 21/23 Jennifer 940 2639 Wood Green 22/23 Janet 444 5597 Loughton 22 502 2396/508 1624 Putney 23 8743401 (days)
874 6760 (eves)
Southwark 29 732 0932 Deptford Sun 30 Sonia 639 4790 Tower Hamlets Sun 30 791 0826 W. Hampstead Sun 30 794 8657 Hackney Sun 30 340 7752 W. London Sun 30
Uxbridge Sun 30 Ux. 58911 Women healthworkers 29 226 3396
Labour's defence document launched
Birmingham's Digbeth Civic Hall, Labour's Defence and Security for Britain document was given its first public airing. Around 100 party members gathered to hear Robin
- one of the document's main architects
doesn't threaten that commitment. That's why non-nuclear defence à la party leadership will mean increased spending on conventional British forces which are Interr NATO's war-fighting strategies in Europe.
This was clearer still in the morning's workshop on NATO. Speaker after speaker piled in to sing the praises policy changing NATO from within, including Malcolm Chalmers and others from Bradtord School Peace Studies.
Whilst each asserted this case, not one
...about as
much as
the world
spends on
arms every
two weeks.
LABOUR CND SOUTH WEST March and Rally • Saturday 22 September Castle Green, Bristol o midday onwards Labour says:
Peace, Jobs, Freedom speakers include:
Bob Cryer MEP • Gavin Strang MP Allan Roberts MP • Audrey Wise NEC member was ape even onla how this would be done.
Reservations expressed in the morning proved well-founded in the afternoon, when Labour's defence spokesperson Denzil Davies outlined the leadership's discussion on the document.
Successive party conferences,' he said, 'showed substantial support for re
NATO. And this accords neith the vie
public.
There is no question that we should stay in NATO.
Joan Ruddock, , speaking for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, was the only one to draw attention the ICeU to put nuclear disar-
within the overall framework of foreign policy, and the on-
platform speaker to
The money required
to provide adequate
food, water, education,
health and housing
for everyone in the world
has been estimated
at $17 billion a year.
It is a huge sum of money
point out that NATO is quite clearly nuclear alliance' dominated by the United States who are 'currently engaged in imperialist wars throughout the world'
The at spoiled his her
somewhat spoiled by continual insistence not everyone CND agreed with its policies!
The question of NATO cleariy emerged as the
News
achilles heel of the Labour left. Many the con-
had reservation. about the document, few appreciated the tance of Mr Cook's opening remarks about it. coherent approach to defence In the months to come, all will learn.
Placing any defence policy of the Labour Party in the context of a socialist foreign policy, free of the overriding commitment to NATO will debate. Without this debate the document will be used by Labour's right and centre to draw back on unilateralism.
As Robin Cook said, five years ago we were a
- if the left don't stand guard over disarmament policies, we will be so again.
Page 11 scan of this page
GLC set for victory
page article three years
didn't even dare to stand.
Probably the opinion poll exaggerates a bit, and we go press before Thursday's GLC by-election results COlIC through, but there is no doubt that Livingstone is
for electoral triumph in Paddington.
And wal is vilar Decause Ken Livingstone's name
itself makes dington result a referendum on the its existence, and its policies.
In the constituencies other Livingstone's there was some initial confusion causel
behind the 'pro-GLC' But
EXISTING ARRANGEMENTS
SCE SERP
PROPOSED ARRANGEMENTS THE OUTBREAK of salmonella Wakefield Stanley Royd Hospital, has highlighted the dangers of cuts in superficially resources in the NHS.
put at risk, because of low staffing levels, and the recent closure of an isolation hospital in the city.
"This ghastly episode has shown once and for all
Ine health sevice walking a tight-rope, with
Has croced by cut after cut in staffing levels and vital resources,
A PIECE OTHE
Isn't it wonderful!?
The SDP have called
for an end to the i
use of plastic.
bullets!
'THE MOST odious man in Britain.' That was how the Sun described Ken Livingstone in a famous front
ago. Today the Sun's chickens are coming home to roost. The lastest opinion poll in Ken Livingstone's Paddington GLC by-election seat shows 84 per cent supporting Ken and 14 per cent for his Alliance opponent. The Tories
Elsewhere in London, the Tories, aided by the Aliense and Ine press, have done everything DossIbie to obsenre the reg issues at stake in the campaign. For such important by-elections, whose results will be given huge TV analysis, press coverge of the campaign has been
The reason for this is that the Tories precisely want the campaign to about anything but the GLC. The desperate lengths to which Thatcher is prepared to go to cover Over wilal ner real intentions are was shown in last week's Sunday rules.
Here it was 'leaked' that
From simplicity to chaos - how the Govt, intends to "streamline" planning arrangements in London. DIP
Salmonella deaths -
poisoning
unnecessary
Twenty seven people died and many more were
said a NUPE press statement.
By Peter Hirst By contrast, Mr Jack Smart, Labour leader of
GTION
Surely this proves that they are a warm-hearted bunch of people...
yes quite so indeed...
the government is considering setting Grand Parliamentary Committee' on London -
which would have 84 Tor MPs compared to 25 for Labour.
This crazy scheme has of getting off the ground bui it shows cuts kill
the area health authority and the metropolitan council, astounded local people by appearing on television claiming that there were no shortages of staff, * within Wakeresources within field AHA
Worse, he advocated the early recommencement of admissions and return to work by staff.
There has been consistent efforts to shift blame
Some bitter and twisted individuals will deride it as a meaningless and trivial gesture but it las renewed my faith i he fundamental decenc of the middle class..
the real issues of the campaign seem now to be getting through.
Even Haye and Harlington, whicl was considered le most allficult of the seats for Labour, the latest POlL shows GLC Deputy Leader John McDonnell leading his Alliance oppo
lent by 61 per cent to 32
This is despite strong and open backing given to the Alliance by local Tories.
But there is no room for complacency. There is still going to be a big effort ІГОЛ the Tories and Alliance to win in the last
for low resources to the stories of neglect and bad hospital workers, WiLl food preparation. But the local union's constant work to discover the truth has forced all parties agree that a public enquiry is the only way to reveal the truth.
Betty Rhodes, NUPE shop steward at Stanley Royd. who pointed Oul
days of the campaign. Labour only needs to lose two seats to lose overall control of the GLC and various dirty tricks can be anticipated towards polling day.
Labour activists in London have to go all out for the final days of the campaign.
just how embarrassing the government is finding it to propose that London should be the only major city in Europe without an elected council. The whole issue of the existence of the ult las Decome an elec toral disaster for the Tories. that not all the deaths could be attributed to Almonella, This told Socialist episode shows the need for Action: an isolation hospital in the Wakefield area, as the unions have maintained since the AHA shut Snapethorpe Hospital. If Snapethorpe were still VIl 1u scots verkel that this outbreak could have been contained fas sooner'.
GORMAC
And doubtless this renewed faith will last...
...until another person is hit on the head with a plastic bullet.
Socialist Action 21 September 1984
STAR
ARGENTI
CRUISER
IS SUNK
Belgrano -
Thatcher's
Watergate?
the sinking of the Belgrano.
of nutter with a one-track mind.
When the General
Belgrano wen down
several hundred Argentinian sailors lost their lives
The gutter press's respons to this will be remembered
for a very / long time
'Gotcha!', 'Wallop!' and so turning the stomachs even of many ar dent supporters of Thatcher's war effort in the Falklands.
By Jude Woodward
But the whole tionalistic frenzy that was whipped up at the time will now be remembered with even more horror as the truth comes The General Belgrano had been steaming steadily
away from the British tasi force and the 'total exclu sion zone' for a good five hours when the order to atlack was sent Irom Lon don, and for at least 13 hours by the • hme the cruiser was sunk.
The order was sent by Thatcher's 'war cabinet' in order tinued attempts at negotiated settlement.
The war in the Falklands was a war Thatcher knew she could win -particularly with the military backing she received from the United States. Despite the semiarctic condítions, and the existence of the Exocet missile on the Argenti nians side, it was clear from the outset that Britain - which remains one of the top four military
in the world would have to make a whole series calas trophic mistakes to lose.
And that is what guid ed the Thatcher govern-
me Belgrao, in sinking
Belgrano. general election in their sights, the sudden escalation of the Falklands issue presented a golden opportunity.
It's a sad fact that the old phrase, "The world loves a winner', contains more than a germ of truth: To lose a war would have been the end for Thatcher
who by then was shown in the polls as the most unpopular prime minister in post-war history.
11
GOTCHA
'Our lads sid
cruis
BOYCOTTS WAR THERE ARE two skeletons rattling round in the closets of the Thatcher and Reagan administrations. One is the real story of the Korean spy plane, the truth of which has yet to come out, and the other is
Tam Dalyell has waged one of the most magnificent backbench campaigns in history to get the truth about the Belgrano out into the light of day, despite constant media abuse denouncing him as every kind
But a win that
created surge of en-
thusiasm that helped carry
successfully through
the last General Election.
And it asserted British imperialist power against a semi-colonial state good lesson to teach the others.
The sinking of the
Belgrano is not the first
time that cynical political
costing
numerable lives have been
made for similar motives
Perhaps the classic case is
when the USA dropped the alull bomb on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The war in the Pacific hac already been well and truly won. Japan was even seek. ing The OUTDOSE was simply to demonstrate the superior militar
capability of the United State and give a lesson to we soviel UnIon
Moreover, precisely because was SUC cessful' bombing, it did not lead to a generalised outcry against the use of nuclear weapons • CND was not born on a tide of horror. Again, it is rather a sad fact that the anti-nuclear movements in the West only really developed after the USSR had also got the bomb - when it appeared that in a nuclear war we might all lose, and not just the other side!
the Falklands, the real outcr came when 'our' Sheffield went down, not over the Belgrano.
Perhaps the labour movement will realise that to have made a clear statement against the Falklands war would have brought its reward in the Tong term. It was a Labour backbencher not the Labour leadership, that has brought out the truth on the Belgrano.
even when the facts out and
it looks like Owen and the SDP will steal a march on Labour by demanding the truth.
That's where a bad conscience and nauseating politics gets you! The revelations now must be the occasion for total reversal of Labour's policy on the Falklands.
Page 12 scan of this page
WORKERS at BL's Cowley plant face their biggest challenge since the days of Michael Edwardes. Management have locked out the assembly plant workforce in an attempt to crush the growing militancy of the workforce.
disputes. The latest battle is over the incentive bonus scheme introduced by Edwardes to force up productivity.
Despite working LO gruelling schedules,
have been getting oniv 15 WCCK trom scheme which is supposed to yield £30. The assembly plant imposed an overtime an to force management to increase the paymichls.
similar action the body plant had succeeded
getting the bonus up from £5 to £20.
BL claims its response
due to the action of workers in the paint shop, who are refusing to carry out essential cleaning outside the normal working hours. This would CUSI half an hour's production a day.
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ACTION
Lock-out
at Cowley
In the past 12 months there have been 160
By Pat Hickey
In fact, the plant has been losing 600 cars a week for some time now because
Body The real Tenson ol the action management's attempts to will back Howardes stvle discipline.
Over the past two years the workforce has been getting back its confidence and rebuilding its organisation. The bonus scheme
on the tracks have been of grievance for the workers.
KOG 204P
SUBSCRIBE
Action for f London NI 2XP.
Her with the Post Office.
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This year's wage necotao l celuc on the issue of the bonus schenre. The plant has adopted a claim of the IOI consoldalon bonus.
Bonus
The main object will be get rid of the bonus scheme altogetner. If this were acnievea I would oc the biggest victory for BL workers uritaily ycars Management no doubt see the lock-out as part o their preparation for the coming wage struggles as one BL executive said: "It right manage'.
For the workers it is an opportunity to roll back the defeats the Edwardes' years. The now is to turn the lock-out into a campaign to rid all BL workers of the bonus scheme which is the root of the issue.
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THE FAILURE of the Electricity Supply Trade Union Council (ESTUC)
Lyons, of the EETPU and
at the TUC congress, and have openly declared their
mination to continue doubted.
The formula which postpones any
tion' on action to stop coal.
Such hesitation at the top will only strengthen the right wing. The situation demands leadership from the unions which voted for the TUC resolution.
By Pat Hickey
It is quite clear that the key to the miners strike is power stations. autumn here, and 'Genera
waiting In the : wings, the decisive phase of the struggle has opened
Nobody, including & Fleet Street, now believe energy minister Petel • Walker's claim that power stocks at the power sua , tions are sufficient to last at short notice from our supporters.
hope will help us on our way.
As weli as that we' rt
organising a number of na-
tional fund raising events between now and
Christmas, give the
fund drive some focus and
complement the fund rais-
ing that's being done local-
Most of these will take
lV.
place in London lil
clude socials and the like
as part of the events.
In October we're
organising a school on the
miners' strike, probably in
Manchester, where we're
hoping to gel striking
Power stations' action:
Todd and Basnett
must give a lead
on Monday reach agreement on what action to take in support of the NUM was a foregone conclusion. Hammond and
the Engineers and Managers Association, voted against the resolution
intention to continue normal working. Their deter-
scabbing should not be
the meeting arrived at action and any decisions. All that could be agreed was that 'if approached by the NUM' the unions would 'consult about coopera-
well into 1985.
The Guardian, among others, has concluded that 'we course for nower satoas rudlle ou of coal) at the end of vovenocr. with supplies exhausted by December.'
The critical level is likely to be reached when stocks reach six million tonnes al the power stations. City Coluniale that stocks will be down to four. to five million tonnes by the end of December.
All this means that the bargaining position of the NUM is getting with every day that passes.
By O COSUIC on the government te try moving the
Miners' school planned!
OUR SEARCH for a new building is going well and we're currently looking at one set of premises which suits our needs very well. In order to move to this or any other building we'll need an injection of money
So over the next few weeks we're organising to get a number of large loans and donations which we
miners, their wives and other support groups well as miners from Europe. We'll organise big social on the night with proceeds going to the fund drive.
We're also producing a pamphlet for Labour Party conference on black sections, the profits of which will again go to the fund drive.
November we're hoping to hold a school on international politics with top name speakers again
million tonnes of stocks at the pit heads is going to Dedi almost overwhelming. This operation, with the rail unions continuing their boycott, would
700,000 lorry loads lucall of coal!
The support of the Dowe. WOLKCIS now crucial and the responsibility of the TUC is enormous. They can provide the lead which will guarantee victory for the miners. Or they can participate in the greatest scabbing operation history.
It would be foolish to nrereno mal uce de lu problems. , The dock strike showed the movement was split from top to bottom. But the dock strike decisive leadership spread the action was lackhad anothin like the
nothing like the authority of a decision of the TUC to back it.
ciston ell ve taken lies
decision to taken with TGWU and GMBATU Despite their scabbing declarations the EETPU and Engineers and Managers Association
combined with a social event, and finally a big Xmas/New Year party to top it all off.
If we can achieve all that — ana we tullk we
we'd have gone a lon back • way lo breakilg of the fund the
target by the end of the year At the moment we'v
got £22,000 we'll need
at least that much again by
the end of the yea we appeal all
readers to pull out all the stops and take part in the events that we organise.
This week we've been inspired by a donation of £46 from Alex in Leicester
that represents fl for
every year he's been active
in revolutionary politics -
do not handle the coal and do not have the ability to KCCI the stations running the 18,000
of the TGWU and GMBATU boycott scab coal then the lights
Ron Todd and David Basnett should not wait for the ESTUC. The should aci on the TUC policy of support Hammond and Lyons may in line with the TUC'S in line TUC's resolution's "consultation and agreement' clause. But the reality is that to await their agreement is to
The action needed now is a boycott of fresh sup. plies of Coana cius miners lines , a boycott of movement of coal between power stations and refusal to cooperate with any further switch to oi
firing. Such action would
any attempt to move pit head stocks.
The fight for action now should be taken to the members immediately. Meanwhile, the miners can take their case directly to the power station workers, with the help of activists in the power unions.
he started in 1938. His letter says it's to 'help us to participate in the intensify-
ing class struggle".
Also this week we've had £30 from a reader Haringey as part of their
from Des Stevens in Croydon and
£16 from Paul in Man-
chester pay
ment his
Pride to conference.
Many readers locally starting to organise
their own events and we're
starting to get a more
regular flow of money
Make sure you follow their
example.
Now is the time for the
big push get your
money rolling in!
← Socialist Action No. 69, 14 September 1984Socialist Action No. 71, 28 September 1984 →