Socialist Action No. 82, 14 December 1984
The scan: 082-dec-14-1984-SA-UK.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive)
Uncorrected machine reading of the whole issue. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from the scan and has not been corrected or cut into articles. Each page gives the headlines first, then the columns in order, so one article runs on into the next. Expect misread words. Use it to find things; quote from the scan.
Page 1 scan of this page
EITH
FORTE
THIS WILL be remembered as the week when the real nature of Britain's legal system was dragged out into full public view.
If anyone believed that the courts were somehow 'neutral', and political, just look at the events of the last seven days. The courts not merely meted out class justice in general but danced to every single tactical tune the Thatcher government required. • On Friday the courts appointed a second receiver for the assets of the NUM after the failure of the first.
The team of sequestrators, Price Waterhouse, became worried they would not get their money back so the government announced on Monday it WaD guaranteeing payment out state funds.
So much for the 'independence' of the judicial process from the government! stener wanted. legal assault on the NUM So courts came up with the required decision.
SOCiAList
ACTioN
Thatcher's
puppet
courts
file • On Tuesday the government faced a different type of problem. It didn't want a head-on confrontation with the TGWU in the aftermath of the Austin Rover strike, simultaneously with its struggle with the NUM.
So Mr Justice Hodgson, High not Court judge, suddenly discovered a completely obscure court official -the "Queen's Remembrancer'. With a finesse seen previously only in the case of the equally famous 'Official Solicitor' at the time of the Pentonville Five in 1972, this flunkey, whose post was created by William the Conquerer, was wheeled out to avoid sequestrating the assets of the TGWU.
He will carry out the job by tapping the bank account of the NUM.
The difference between this action and that against the NUM was explained on the Austin Rover strike was over whereas the NUM strike is going on' - and if vou believe that explanation. and not tne that the government wanted to avoid a simultaneous two unions, you'll believe anything.
No. 82 In reality miners'
quire.
And
obeyed
television
law.
Again the court delivered exactly the decision the government required. laws • On Tuesday the High Court forbade the Polytechnic of North London student's union to donate £1000
Do you imagine that court decision had any political content? Surely not? against
the UTCOSUIC of the strike has forced into the open the larcical nature of the idea that the British legal system is above politics. It is a pure and simple instrument of capitalist rule and dances to whatever tune capitalist interests re-
what message did wonderful leader of the Labour Party Neil Kinnock give us? That the law, the supposedly 'neutral' law, must be
under all circumstances. remark that no 19th century liberal, let alone a 20th centur socialist, would have contemplated for one mo-
At least they put individual conscience, let alone the rights of the organised labour movement, above the interests of a purely class based
What the Labour Party should have been explaining is not the need to obey the law but the farce of the present legal system. That there is no obligation whatever to obey unjust
which are not neutral but
the capitalist class.
But there would be a problem in doing so. After all, Neil Kinnock's type of reformism argued 15 years ago
'dogmatic' Marxism, that there would never be another major capitalist economic crisis again. We can see today who was right in that particular dispute.
To admit that our courts and legal system are instruments of the needs of capitalism might fit the facts, but that would be to concede the Marxist argument that the state is an instrument of class rule. The fight on that would be rather educative!
Perhaps it is no surprise that Neil Kinnock thought it more urgent this week to launch a witch hunt in the Labour Party than to get on with building support against the legal attacks on the miners
• See 'Into the labour movement for victory' - page 2
Page 2 scan of this page
2
Action SociAlist
No choice
but to fight
PATRICK JENKIN has finally announced his Rate Support Grant for 1985-6. Eighteen 'high spending' councils in large urban areas have been told that they cannot legally get by without making massive cuts in planned expenditure on local services. spending, predicted.
In translating spending limits into rate limits Mr Jenkin 'democratically' says he has taken into account each council's financial reserves.
In Leicester ministers are demanding a cut in rates of 57 per cent. While Merseyside will be allowed to raise them by 27 per cent.
Ratepayers can legally refuse to pay a rate above the government imposed ceiling under the new legislation.
Sixteen of the authorities list are Labour controlled. Mr Jenkin simultaneously pointed out to parliament that savines from the proposed cuts would allow him to give more leeway to several Conservative-led country authorities — spenders of course.
The Tory government, dispute, is no longer even making the pretence of impartiality with its open use and abuse of the law.
In simple terms if this draconian legislation is implemented there would be increasingly little practical point in voting Labour in local council elections. Central government will determine what your local council spends, representatives.
If the seven local government unions affected by the Act are correct the legislation will chop 75,000 jobs in local government. The services lost to the community through rate-capping will be unquantifiable.
Patrick Jenkin now boasts that there has been a lot of blood and authorities but that a lot of these councillors are sensible and although they don't like the legislation they won't - in the end — break the law. Neil Kinnock and John Cunningham have no doubt encouraged Jenkin by their public utterances that Labour councils must obey the law under all circumstances. This will encourage wavering in the Labour Party to waver as the draws near. ing setting higher rates, using up balances through creative accounting and no end of similar tricks.
But the carrying through of Labour Party conference and Sheffield local government conference policy of non-compliance with this legislation is absolutely crucial.
Waverers have to be nailed by their constituency Labour Parties, Labour groups and trade unions.
Councillors who do not wish to fight should take the advice of the London stewards and the Democracy for London Campaign and resign to make way for those who do and can afford to fight.
Those Labour Parties and individual councillors committed to a battle have to do more than simply prepare for martyrdom.
They have to get out and organise with above all else the local authority unions, through discussions on their budgets and their chosen tactics of opposition, to ensure that the troops that can win this battle are solidly on their side.
Liverpool is the only council to date that has done this in a systematic fashion. Unsurprisingly it's the only council that can claim to have marked up any success. The same challenge now faces the rest of Laböur controlled councils. After Jenkin's statement no one can imagine they are going to be able to avoid a fight.
Prolonged viral war!
CONTRARY TO our solemn promise last week the Socialist Action staff continue to be cut down to half our normal complement by viruses.
We therefore apologise for the absence of a part of our normal coverage.
Contributions considered should however be sent to the fund drive instead!
The editor
Socialist Action 14 December 1984
The rate, and sharper than good low
as miners' not your elected from Labour 10 March deadline Manoeuvres will be proposed involv-
Bridge shop
groups, constituency Labour for wreaths etoe.
EVER SINCE the beginning of the miners strike the NUM leadership has towards the TUC and the Labour Party.
Throughout the summer NUM leadership concentrated on building the impetus of the strike and avoiding surrendering the initiative to the TUC general council. The aim was to confront the TUC and Labour Party leadership not in a small committee but in the forum of the TUC Congress and Labour Party conference itself — where the relation of forces was far more favourable.
These tactics were openly explained and successfully carried through.
The resolutions passed at Labour Party conference strongly backed the
Those passed at the TUC Congress would win the dispute if they were implemented.
Struggle
But now the NUM is faced with a much more difficult task than the summer. Precisely because the UC Congress resolutions would win the strike, and the Labour Party conference policies did back
Willis, Kinnock and their supporters
intention whatever of implementing and carrying through these policies.
This has been made transparently clear every field over the last two months. • While there have been steps forward on boycott of delivery of new coal in
stations no nationally effective has been taken on the use of coal substitutes above all the vast increase
oil burnin TowU, GMBATU, and nave put out formal cir culars on this but not secured, and failed to cam-
paign for, effective action.
This is despite the fact the TUC policy is easy to deliver in terms of where to concentrate. The GLC
report on the situation in
the power stations, as well
other independent
tive action at less than 13
Phe sost heartland of the
scab heartland of the Midlands, would secure
power cuts. But the TUC
has made no systematic
campaign oriented to these power stations at all.
• Norman Willis and
David Basnett nave
lagrantl disregarded
Congress policy
not to speak of the
declarations of open scabs
such as Eccles and Lyons
which have passed without
criticism from the general
council. TUC Con-
gress policy was 'total sup-
port' to the miners. But in-
stead Willis has spent his
attacking 'violence'
and Basnett proposing
Into the
labour
movement
for victory!
pursued consistent tactics 'compromise solutions'
If the TUC leadership had launched a Ilassive campaign aimed at the ranks and been defeated then of course that would
thing defeated in struggle is not a betraval. But no such campaign has been launch ed. Useful initiatives, such
the meeting of unions to reduce coal imports have not masa companie bo any campaign deliver suppor on the
ground in this country
In short Willis and the TUC general council have not implemented Congress policy
The position of Neil Kinnock has been even more open and clear. The Labour Party conference expressed its support for the NUM in the most uncompromising terms It refused to get drawn into any ally denunciations of 'miners violence
Kinnock however has spent his time denouncing
'violence'. Far from giving "total support' miners, as decided by con ference, he aroused widespread condemnation in the labour movement by his refusal to speak at the five national rallies of the NUM. Paper NO Shortene tactics the
pursued during the
summer and into Labour
Party conterence
ГОС Congress delivered i resuld win the strike. The
would win the strike pressure of support for the
miners was such that the
TUC and Labour Party
leadership felt unable to
openly oppose thse posi-
tions. But the NUM is now
confronted with a Labour
Party and TUC leadership
which has no intention
whatever of delivering or
these decisions. How to
confront this obstacle
the fundamental problem
which the NUM faces today.
The fundamental way
the NUM must tackle the
the labour movement. The
TUC and Labour Party
leadership fear to confront
the NUM openly precisely
because they know that
practically 100 per cent of
labour movement
Basnett leaves TUC tivists, and very large proportion of their base, support the miners.
Even the opinion polls, which are directly distorted against the miners, show this situation cleany. According to the poll in last sunday's Sun day Times 31 per cent of those questioned openly supported the miners compared Pavouring the NOB. Given cent the incredible media campaign, and the failure to
she Labour Party and
Labour Party and TUC leadership, that is actually , an astonishingly high figure supporting the miners even in a poll.
If you translate these figures for the population
a whole into terms of the working class, and consider also the situation or lne maustra worklg class, then it is quite obvious that the miners ac tually have majority supDONI ian sections or dustrial sections the
class even terms of opinion polls let alone in any real activity and in terms of the views of the militant cadre of the working class.
It is because they know that situation that Willis and Kinnock remain concerned not to confront the NUM openly Kinnock undoubtedly suffered, for instance, a major blow to his support with the reac
This refusal to speak at the NUM's rallies. The problem for the NUM is
Kinnock and Willis, not the base and the left, which are the voices which are heard. The task of the turn the political tide, is to create the means whereby other sections of labour movement
TUC make their position clear. This is why the NUM wa so strong at the TUC Con-
and Labour Party conference because they provided natural forums for the movement. Key
sistently and which now,
strike
support of the miners.
tion. has been for
is insane. week away cannot be built for, but it
only three days before Christmas.
national Labour Party/TUC demonstration must be set for the end of January. Then it can be built for in a truly gigantic way.
• A national solidarity conference called by NUM. . There is enormous support for the NUM throughout the labour movement. This has to be organised. The TUC Congress was gree regional NUM rallies one
The logical
extension of this is precise-
solidarity conference called by the
Joe Mohammed, Notts miner
NUM in which can participate both activists in the movement and, most importantly, the left trade unions which are backing the NUM
third step building for a national day
hour general strike, in support of the NUM.
be • be nas of a campaign,
tion terer definite
Willi clear that and
TUC
and
then the recal of the Con gress
But has t
reaso nouncing and Willi other straints. But does have to be is the practical that
: of the mov
Local
These steps are counterposed to the industrial solidarity which is necessary for victory. The most urgent task to win the strike is the fight for im. plementation TUC
Congress decisions on the power But the strike is also going to be won or lost on the political terrain - and it is here the momentum ior • industrial support can be generated.
The NUM built itself a strong position during the summer to confront
TUC and Labour Party
leadership. Now, having
essentially defeated the
"back to work onslaught,
the NUM has to cash these
gains by turning into the
labour movement with the
practical steps which
gain victor a victory
which will only be achiev-
ed by squeezing not only
Thatcher but Willis;
Kinnock, and Basnett.
Page 3 scan of this page
Labour and a general strike
Why discuss it now?
Photo: JOHN CHAPMAN
TONY BENN'S speech at St Ives last Thursday, when he raised the need for the labour ment to discuss the question of a general strike, was reported in the press. It was accompanied by similar statements by other Labour MPs and NEC members including Skinner, Audrey Wise, and Eric Heffer. A similar statement was put out by the editors of Labour Herald Ken Livingstone, Knight and Matthew Warburton.
We are printing Tony Benn's speech in full. We also asked him why he had considered it important to raise the question of a general strike at the present moment. We make some comments on it in our editorial on page two this week.
Could tell us thought it important to make the speech you did last Thursday on the question of a general strike?
Because I wanted to put the question on the agenda for discussion in the labour movement. The Labour Party and the labour movement democratic and sometimes cumbersome. Therefore I think we have is place the question on the agenda tor every CLP for two reasons.
Firstly we have to discuss how we will respond to specific events — such as the use of troops or the declaration of a state ot emergencv. just abstract. It is to the degree that we make our position clear that the government will back off.
Thatcher is not an iron lady. She is a paper tigress.
Secondly we have to discuss what type of general strike we want. There are many ways of doing it. The best is not necessarily a general strike of the old type. It may be better to run the trains and buses free - give people a taste of socialism.
Also we are beginning to see the
then Councils of Action which appeared in 1926 only 110W they're the miners support groups. All this needs coordination.
Finally this question needs to be on the agenda because people need to be challenged - what are you doing. It is not enough simply to give money important as that is. There must be industrial support for the NUM.
There much more industrial support than is generally realised. The
general strike
ties in Britain.
The
the civil service,
ple.
Atter seeking
authorities.
unev were slaves
move- Chile.
We all know widely
Dennis
through the ballot box.
All our liberties
the courts,
Ted obligation to obey unjust laws.
Bulain. why you This is not
called
coal despite 2500 miners
called the area. There
for example,
picket lines.
Anvwat the courts are not
THE LABOUR movement has now got to face the fact that a
might become necessary to protect free trade unionism, ballot box democracy, political freedom and civil liber-
government have now mobilized, and used, the full apparatus of state power, including
the police, the courts, the media and the financial system against working peo-
to destrov the NUM, government attacks have now spread to the TGWU, the GLC, the metropolitan counties and all local
Workers in the great public industries and services are now being bought and sold by speculators, as it
There is no guarantee that these attacks will not intensify until we have passed the point of no return, as happened in Germany and Italy before the last world war or more recently in
that free trade unionism led directly to the winning of votes for men and women, and that, in its turn, made it possible for a party of Labour to be formed to protect the interests of the working class
were won by struggle, often in direct defiance of
moral
It is against this background that we shall need to consider our response to the growing threat to democracy in
must
We shall need millions of pounds, raised by a levy, to replace the money stolen by the courts and to pay for our
We shall also need to extend industrial action to back up the miners in their opposition to pit closures and 1926 general strike — army on the streets railworkers in Leicestershire for example have not moved a single ton of
working in Ilas huge solidarity by the seafarers union. But this must now be extended. I believe,
that the TUC should issue instructions not to cross NUM
There is no moral obligation on us, or on the TUC, to obey a bad law.
come and arrest Norman Willis - WC would see the response to that. Why
Eddie Shah and Thatcher rewarded by Aims of Industry for their services to the bosses
unemployment.
But it is becoming clear that we
La SO start discussing, preparing, now, for the possibility of
more widespread withdrawal labour by means of a general strike, for twentv tour hours or longer
The 1926 general strike was called by the TUC in support of the miners who were faced with a wage cut.
More recently, in 1972, the TUC should Arthur Scargill be left to face these threats alone?
The reality is that the miners have far more support than the press will allow to be shown. I found at my meeting that evel stronghold such as Huntingdon over £4000 had been raised for the miners. After difficult month coalfields morale is now very high again.
We are engaged in an ongoing campaign. I think we must discuss every issue which may confront us.
general council, backed by the naexeculive and Labour Party,
strike if five dockers who had been arof rested were not released from prison.
Any decision to hold a general strike would require the most careful consideration, by others before it was reached.
We should when it should be called, who should
these toys
a miner's
This Christmas will be a little different for miners and their families. You can help make it fun With this special gift scheme you can buy a toy And your donation, to Women Against Pit Closures, will buy more than you could get in
The toys illustrated are being
Co-operative Retail Society London. Region Politica Committee. substantial discount on the retai prices shown, so your money wil buy more toys for more children If your donation is small, don't worry! It will all go towards
makin chined be entit
ACTION
Tory
If you don't wish to cut the page, simply note the details.
the fenciose
Address
Socialist Action 14 December 1984 vices.
coulill y
got across to dustrialists,
those
ties committee of the threatened a general
are not the unions and necessary, also have to decide
Give
EY SHALL, NO STARVE
child
to play PIl
with!
By for a miner's child.
the shops.
provided inrough Int ine mining dreds Your gift to a miner's child
medica kit t4.y Lil Gumdrop, doll and clothes s ye Kiddie Plane. wit passengers £5.99 gift scheme
• I am pleased to help bring Christmas to a miner's child through the special gift scheme
_for Christmas toys). Cheque/PO payable to Women Against Pit Closure: u have a preference for which toys) your donation buys, please ind se note that other toys will be substituted if the supply of any of those offered run
Send to: Gift Toys, Women Against Pit Closures, c/o Southwark Trades Council, 42 Braganza Street, London SE17 3RJ. And thad
3 be involved, for how long, and what arrangements the movement would need to to maintain emergency ser-
As in 1926 local committees would have to be set up but these could be built up on the basis of the miners' support groups and women's action groups which already exist all over the
We should also need to set up our
caucalos and prepare plans for seeing that our case
the general public. possibly by setting up our own network of radio stations.
All these arrangements would take some time to make, which is why we must aiscuss mem urgenty, in cact trade union and labour party branch up and down the country.
No-one would contemplate such an action unless it became the only alternative to a complete capitulation to a dictatorship.
But a general strike may prove io be the only way of reminding this
Government of the harsh realities ot
They seem to have forgotten that their class allies the bankers. in-
stockbrokers, judges. editors, chief constables and generals
Callllul dig coal, illallulallul. goods, move trains, care for the sick or teach the young.
It is for us to make it clear that
who perform those essentia lasks, and creale ine real weall Io. the community are absolutely determined to maintain their trade union and democratic rights and civil liber-
The government must now, that we are serious and this ma: help to bring the prime minister to ne senses before the crisis goes too far.
We must make plain now that we
prepared to have our freedoms stolen from us and that, it
we shall call a strike to protect the liberties of the people of Britain.
TO THE
MINERS
Coffee maker, blender, mixer set £5.9 crane truck Lo.9s 19-niece tool bench £7.9!
Plastic bath tovs t2.49 Scrabble £4.75
Page 4 scan of this page
4
Stop oil!
THE REFUSAL to handle coal in all the major power stations is having an impact. But the CEGB can still hope to weather the winter months by stopping serious power cuts with the use of oil. The battle to stop oil going into the power stations is crucial for victory.
During the week 19-23 November there were series breakeowis reported to the CEGB. In
was claimed CONC that they 'had nothing to do with the miners' strike'
But they all occured in the late afternoon, the time of peak demand for electrici-
Worsley Mains had a power cut for two hours on 21 November. VUICI cuts were reported at St Helens, and Haydock in Lancashire.
Cuts
In Wales, a different area of Cwmbran had no electricity each day for 3-4 BOlS in the late arter. noon. Llanwern also had power cuts.
In Chesterfield Clay Cross and Ecklington reported 2-3 hour cuts on 23 November.
In Doncaster employers have started campaign Shil
for two hours at UUWCI eak demand time and at Ford Halewood Merseyside DOWCI 1s actually being switched off during shift changes.
A week ago last Monday workers at the West Thurrock power station in the South East voted not io use the oi trom the Japanese Ship that livs registered and waiting be unloaded at the wharf.
This is the kind of acton that every group of power needs to emulate. Coal is WOKes much more cost effective
Socialist Action 14 December 1984 than oil. Oil is much more damaging to the environment than coal because oil creased the sulpher dioxide Dital m oowe stauos ul' m bie mospaei causig 'acid rain'.
But oil can be injected at much higher levels than
the KONtIe SLal burners, eeking out the stocks of coa aready the power stations.
This is why the antics of David Basnett are such a crime. Rather than calling rallies up and down the
This members country with to explain TUC SOICVO no handling of coal and no use of substitute tues he has spent his time denoun-
for picket line Culle Hulcis violence. What a sniveling coward!
Power workers are taking this action despite David Basnett's lead. They HELDU be supported and boosted in their actions by other trade unionists. Solidarity conferences and meetings should pay special attention to what is going on in the power stations locally and start organise mass picketing now at any stations where TUC guidelines are not being fully implemented.
The have reorganised the DUSSCS working of the power stations to stop the miners' strike biting. The solidarity movement has to re-organise their activities to focus attention on stopping the use of extra oil.
The CEGB must not bs. alowed to get away witn a winter free from serious power cuts.
for a mass picket there on the morning of Dec, and do all in your power to book coaches
and achieve a massive turnout. I will be there, as
will the Campaign Group of Labour MPs, along
Ken Livingsione strike.
National Coal Board and Tory press.
At the centre of this attack is the he that miners are responsible for ordinated violence on the picket lines.
According the Tories, the astnnaoEy of miners still on strike are being kept OIl ov sheer physical intimidation.
Ae osie LiC Cousc sirike Labour of the the Parlamentary Tories and helmedia to set Party allowed the terms of the debate
But the PLP has a duty to carry out and fight foi the official policy of the
MASS PICKET
Neasden Power Station, Taylors Lane (Close to North Circular, off Brentfield Road)
Monday December 17
BE THERE BY 6am Called by South East Region TUC.
'I hope your organisation(s) will endorse our call
with several thousand others. (Secretary, Mineworkers' Defence Committee)
'An MP at every picket line'
THE NATIONAL Union of Mineworkers is now facing the most critical period of its nine-month
Day by day they are being subjected to a barrage of propaganda from the Thatcher government, the
Party, decided on by our Annual Conferenc at Blackpool.
Instead of Labour MPs being dragged into debates about violence, the role of the PLP must be to have an MP on every picket line.
Their job will be to monitor policing methods.
This will enable us to rebut each Tory attack 'picket line violence' with a documented account of police violence in e he see eme the routine abour MP on each pick
ruthless attack on trade union rights ever to be attempted by a government in the last 50 years.
following its
implement the decisions of the conterence.
The battle for solidarity with the miners in the labour movement sharpening The NUM delegates made their view
'bosses COlTEs and 'bosses laws' crystal clear
Mondav 3 Decembe when they voted to 139 to 80 to continue to defy the courts' ruling that their strike was unofficial
Arthur Scargill, speaking the next day in Barnsley, went onto the offensive against the centre and right-wing of the labour
To wild applause he said that the time for 'mealie-mouthed' resolutions was over. "They can oil rece vers ll. they Cal put sequestrators in, they can smear us and they can attack us. But there is one thing for certain. Provided we stand firmly together this union is on its way to the greatest victory history.
Arthur Scargill went from this rally to a meeting with Neil Kinnock. . неге. Tony Benn, Dennis SkinJIC. and Audrey Wise made it clear what sort of response they thought was necessary to delend democratic rights against such an attack, calling for general strike action in
support of the NUM
Kinnock was not to change his tune however. He continued to denounce VINeTCa and said that a general strike was a diversion from putting the case for coal.
By Ken Livingstone
tine could itself have
marked effect on the con-
duct of the police.
This was the case when
ine London Labour Party
regional executive sent a
delegation including
Mineworkers Defence Cttee
The left
must go on
the attack
THE ATTEMPT by the courts to effectively deprive the NUM of their elected executive is the most
The tasks of the solidarity movement become more burning than ever. The Mineworkers Defence Committee, meeting last Wednesday in County Hall
successful conference the previous weekend, took this into consideration in moving to
At the TUC Scargil!
fuc and Labour Party
and Labour leaders are still using the excuse of not coming into contlict with the law back out of supporting the miners in any solid way.
It's clear that the lefiwing inside the movement has to sharpen its attack on the right still further to ensure that the goods are delivered and the strike is won.
By Valerie Coultas
The absolutely number one issue here is the implementation of the TUC guidelines e Congress power The stallulls resolution not only said that workers should refuse to handle coal Dut ina they should also only acсері normal supplies oi As coal supplies have been used up oil has been substituted. In some power stations double the amount of oil has been used. This is how the Centra Electricity Generating Dualu hopes tc avor power cut If TUC policy was implemented starens, do the letter, the power the Tories would be on the In London the South TUll East Region of the TUC is organising mass pickets at Tilbury and Neasden power stations.
Ken Livingstone and myself - to the picket line at Ollerton, Nottinghamshire The excellent report "State of Siege' SCI ves show how much could been done if right from the start of the strike.
Labour MPs had been prepared to lake on tne role of police monitoring Given Caca nature of the miners' strike not iust tor the coa industry but for the whole and trade union POOU] movement, there can be no better use of Labour MPs' time The movement must now demand that the PLP immediately allocate our parlamentary representatives so that every I NUM nickermes covercu Dy d least one Labour MP
News
the Campaign group MPs nave v cusc. themselves to attend the Nedste! picket = December and are callin on others to follow. suc mass pickets need to be built at everv major power station in the country.
Secondly, given the courageous stand of the NUM, in defying the courts and risking all their union assets in the cause of the battle for jobs and the defence of trade union rights, the solidarity movement has to take a politica initiative to show that the NUM is not acting only for its own members but for the entire ment.
Demo
This nicals demonstrating that support on the streets of London. Discussions are now tak. Nu Place oetweet the
the solidarity the regional HOYCMCSE TUCs and the Campaign group of MPs to set a date
for such a national event.
Such a protest coupled with the decisinent vill of TUC oecs ons really begin to push for ward the campaign for in dustrial action that Scargill has called for
Thirdly it is vital that the fight is waged across the movement. 1 ne has been weakened in the uno movener ove last five years and challenge leaders like Basnett, who are .not fighting for these policies
be implemented, it is vital that a clear lead is given now. The NUM is in the best position to push this process forward
Help
The Mineworkers Defence Committee can play a role in helping all these developments bv co ordinating the activity of the solidaritv movement in
co-operation with the
NUM.
The committee last Wednesdas
IceLlie decided to publish a week-
bulletin. It decided to
hold a delegate conference
in Sheffield on 26 January ana ll co-opica memnoc..
of the Women Against Pit
OsTer
Black Solidarity move-
area representatives
tuc ll.
onto its committee.
Phil Holt form the
Broad Organising
Committee was in atten-
dance,
from the Militant news-
vanvl tion that continues to re. sne one
main trom the
MWDC is the Communist
Partv have not
responded to the invita
tion to send a represen-
tative.
Page 5 scan of this page
* Women march
Greenham anniversary protest
Women's Action Committee AGM
DOL SEVERAL THOUSAND women from all over Bri-
deployment of Cruise missiles last year.
have traditionally turned up at the same time over the last three years. Given the formal support given to the Greenham women at the recent CND conference in Sheffield and at many other gatherings over the last year we have the right to ask why the turn out was lower than at previous December actions.
To answer this we have to understand the attitude of women the
Wally Although first the women staying there seem-
protest on that day, and a motion was pur and successrully passed at CND conference supporting action, a change of heart Women's Action Committee in Saturday. They came from
progress that WAC has made in building up its support outside London in the last year.
Debate the
CUL ference centred on two
— how to fight for more women parliamentary candidates in the coming reselection
and how to fur. ner Dunlo up and extend WAC's support the regions.
In discussing parliamentary candidates CYCLYULC present agreed that wille women han made tremendous progress in the labour movement, it
around parliamentary candidates that all the prejudices and sexism still rife in the party become most clear.
While many constituencies are now prepared need y lip-service to the
women can-
woman on their shortlIsts, in most cases tis Is as
CUAL
SOSPAN
NUT
CLACK COCH WORDSMIT
tain turned up at Greenham Common on Sunday 9 December for the first anniversary protest since the
The action did not mobilise the numbers that
at the last minute confused many women.
By Ilona Aranovsky
A leaflet was circulated saying that the women at the camp had decided not to call a mass action, but they were glad other OVER 60 women attended the AGM of the Labour
Birmingham last Birmingham, Manchester, Scotland and South Wales underlining the
far as it goes. A white man is still finally selected.
It is particularly a problem for win selection for relatively safe seats. It is in the hopeless,
the men don't want - - that women have most chance of selection.
By Jude Woodward
For black people the situation evell wUrst. and was frequently stressed that there should be close collaboration with the black section and other black organisations to enSure and blacks are not counterpos ed in the selection WAC has decided to open a list of women willbe put forward for the 'b' list of potential can-
women were taking responsibility for it!
Such a lukewarm approach took the pressure
CND enters build the protest. They were nanov succo to con centrate on a protest outside the Soviet Embassy.
Peace activists have to appreciate the tremendous pressures the women at the camp are under. hey Lacc the repression the security forces, the hostilily of lne Iewbury 1orles the hardship of the winter
tions to the rest of the
are vital if actions called are to be a success
Women's support
and women in CND have to continue didates and is recommenallg get together in the regions to
targetting tuencies women might stand a chance selection.
Whatever rhetoric successive governments and political parties 114 engage in, women's real role society clearly reflected in the fact that while they are over 50 per
the population, they are only around four per cent of MPs.
The role of women in government is a real litmus test of the real position of women particular society. The Labour Party, which claims to want to change society, has to show that it is serious by being the first to campaign for more women in parliame The
discussion regional organisation registered some gress over the last year, with and regional groups of WAC beginning to meet in Greater Man-
Saturday.
children and the Saturday shoppers.
The demonstration, called by Cardiff Women Against Pit Closures was to put the case tor coal not dole. Women came from Nottingham, London, Manchester and Yorkshire to join march and Carel the slogans of the miners?
'We will win' and SUUSLIC "Arthur Scargill we'll supsupporting the camp on a regular basis. Despite constant evictions the camp has survived.
Women regularly enter the base and the link with CND activists through the Cruisewatch telephone LICC that every development of the missiles being tracked and protests are being organised Womer are particularly needed for the nightwatch during the week.
Following on from the
CND conference, who fought for SIDDOSI for Greenham to be upfront on CND's agenda for the next year, the pressure for a democratically organısec Women's Conference of CND is on. chester, Scotland and Birmingham. But the biggest gains were registered in South Wales didates for the regional women's committee ported by WAC shook the
of one of the most traditional and anti-feminist women's committees in the country.
In the West Midland despite late organisation WAC supporters camparguing for an alternalive candidate came within a handful votes unseating, Ann Davis on the national women's committee.
Alongside adopting new rules to establish pro-
er regional organisation
† WAC ther also discussion on how WAC
Said the process of building regional support.
Key to this were the decisions taken in relation to the WAL bullen. was agreed that the regularity and thrust of the bulletin should be changed
in Cardiff
OVER 1,000 women, children and NUM members marched from the Museum steps in the city centre of Cardiff to an open air rally in Sofia Gardens last
The demonstration had a festive atmosphere, balloons abounded, students dressed up as clowns, and a Father Xmas band played to entertain the
port you ever more'.
Uncomplementary
chants about Margaret
Thatcher were also extremely popular.
The rally at the end heard speeches from Anne Scargill, David Tards, Welsic actor Ray Nicholas Edwares.
Smith from the gramine Struggle, Anne
Women want to have a forum wilere Coll discuss the way forward
the ocal movement - for our right to organise at Greenham,
mass actions Greenham in the spring, to link up with the mixed actions planned at the US bases being prepared for future deployments of cruise missiles.
There's , no way we're going to let CND forget the battle against Cruise missiles.
meeting ur counts
Hall Saturday December 2-Son will discuss co-ordinating practical from London groups. All women welcome. to make it more use to
cies and women's sections.
It is hoped that the bulletin will give WAC a more public profile in the women's sections and encourage WUnC to join
become active WAC itself.
Finally campaigning this year will again focus
the women's section of the NEC. was agreed mal WAC will campaign for the same slate as last year, but that it will also fight for the women's ference to organise 'shadow elections' for the women's section of the NEC so that in future the slate will have the authority of the women's conference behind it.
The AGM set WAC off campaigning footing for 1985, now as many women possible should get involved to make sure that next year is another year of advance and success.
Socialist Action 14 December 1984 Clywd MP for the Cynon Valley, the NUM and Thomas
Greenham speaker and a representalve irom Les bian and Gays support the Miners group
Hoped
One of the women from the steering committee organising the demonstration told us that the turnout was a little lower than had been hoped for. we felt the South Wales NUM could have cone more to new as wle the event. We know that it Won announced meetings in the coalfields
strike. Here Anne Thomas (centre),
Against Pit Closures receive the money and food
brought back to Yorkshire by Clive Hargreaves
camp in September.
THE rollowing
ment appeared recently major
newspapers in Luxem.
bourg in support of th National Union of
Mineworkers.
'THE ATTEMPT by
onuse courts to seize me
Arifich miners tunds and
thus to try and break their all the strike
once and for
which has already lasicu
10I montas
outrage
It will unleash solidari-
ty action with the strikin
miners over the channel al
over curope
Three major European
trade unions
this weekend de
everything possible to limit
the export of coal to Bri
tain
5 but when we asked for a room in Iransport House for refreshments and creche we weren't given a positive answer until two days before the demo. We could have done with a lot more help with publicty. spokespersor pointed out that this even was sumnelning new Cardiff 'There's never been a big women's ralk like this in Cardiff to my knowledge and I think the idea took some trade unionists by surprise overal day was successful however. The Saturday shoppers got tnt message. 'Everyone came down seemed to en joy themselves', she concluded.
The links between Women Against Pit Closures and Greenham have grown throughout the 9 month long
Yvonne Clapham (standing) and Grace Burton from Barnsley Women
(squatting) and Fred Clowery after they visited the
Don't touch
their money
in Luxembourg, wher young European trade unionists weel nave already made collections for their Britist concatues.
Young ENCTTFEL (Youth section of the Railwayworkers) idarise with the NUM anc demand that the allowed 1o COURS touch the NUM's belong
Kings in Luxembourg.
The statement went or to point our inal capitails firms and governments militar dictator ever LUUs leave their monev in banks in Luxem
1o step
sinkers
Page 6 scan of this page
Whoaret
THE SPLIT in the Communist Party has speeded up dramatically ever the last few weeks. dovember the Communist Party crecutive ruled that the London Party congress was not entitled to dect a new district committee. On 4 December Gordon Communist Party Secretary, attempted to close the London congress and then led a walk out.
On 30 November 22 leading Communist Party members London were suspended three full time workers sacked. All ad supported the line of the Morning Star against the Eurocommunists of Marxism Today and the party executive.
But the divisions within Communist Party have been immediately caught up in, and mirтог, much wider process alignment. and recomposition which is taking place in the labour movement. JOHN ROSS looks at one of the fundamental process taking place: the emergence of a current which now itself the 'broad left'.
Apart from Marxism Today it is the lew Statesman which is the most widety read journal which has completely understood the significance of the crisis in the Communist Party for the labour movement as a whole.
the New Statesman's editor, Sarah Benton, has been attempting to forge an explicit alliance bet-
ween the Eurocommunist wing of the Communist Party and Neil Kinnock's
supporters In Labour
ordinating Committee.
Writing following a public debate
berween Marxism Today and the LCC
in London in the 10 February issue of
New Statesman Benton wrote that:
the purpose of the debate was to wheel into public view the new axis that has formed Organisationally, the axis runs from the Labour Co-ordinating Committee (a soft left grouping Labour Party) to the middle of the Communist Party. This is not a very great distance. But such an axis puts both the LCC and the munists' in a stronger position for their separate fights for dominance in their own parties.
Supporters of this
Today/LCC : axis have since christened
temselves the "broad left'. Major ar-
ticles which outline the self views of this
current are, for example,
field's "Crossed lines:
search of an identity' in Marxism To-
day for April 1984, Sarah
*The left re-aligns' in New Statesman
30 November, and Beatrix Campbell's
'Politics, pyramids - and people' in
Marxism Today for December 1984.
Benton wrote what she considered
to be the defining features
'broad left' her
Statesman article of 10 February. She
stated that Marxism
LCC, in contrast to others on the left,
were agreed that:
1. Labour suffered defeat at the which it will recover. women pose an pol cal Bronn is.
Tony Benn is no longer the standardbearer of the Left, taken himself beyond the pale of political infaen is a more potent "Democracy" keyword than 'equality'.
Any political strategy must continue to acknowledge the centrality of the Labour Party as the mass party of the working class.
Winning popular basic socialist policies is more important than winning a party branch
Socialist Action 14 December 1984
Marxism in
the middle
On
McLennan, for women's liberation.
General
automatically recover' etc.
- and taken himself political influence.
'fundamentalist the bellon as. "stalinists"
Labour's Tra no al Left, including group around Labour Herald (l.e.
Wharburton).'
likes to term
men coe l
should be achieved.
The crudest, in a series ol ar-
deputy Statesman. prepared LO
movement Coeliminated.
Labour's leadership is Scargill', Kellner concludes:
now pointing out the Iell. damental
within the
ultimately incompatible.
'eurocom-
Marxism
Jon Bioom-
Communists in
Benton's
this
original
Today and the
crushing
election from
automatically
unavoidable
and support for Beatrix Campbell
majority for more esoteric ones.
A large part of this list is of course fake. There are far greater forces on the left than the LCC/Marxism Today (tc say the least!) who believe that 'women pose an unavoidable political problem' - which is a very curious way of stating the decisive importance of the struggle
It would also be an idiot who failed to realise that 'Labour suffered a crushing defeat at the last election from which it will not
But behind the smokescreens the operative part of Benton's list was clear - namely that "Tony Benn is no longer the standardbearer of the Left, and has
beyond Ine pale of
The counterposition which Benton
und mermiti len ak a actied
defined erstwhile of the CP, various grouping from the old Trotskyist Left ... and
fundamentalist lony benl ana ine Ted Knight, Ken Livingstone, and Matthew
This view that what used to be termed the 'Bennite' left must be eliminated or margınalisea in ine labour move-
fact unite the Marxism Today/LCC/New Statesman axis. The difference between the forces involved is simply on how this marginalisation
and most explicitly right wing version has come from Peter Kellner, the political editor of the New
Kelner perfectly necessary crushing defeats of the working class
provided this will enable forcés of the 'fundamentalist left' to be
Thus writing in the New Statesman of 16 November, under the title 'why
wrong about
as some sectarian Left papers are
- there is a fundifference between the
positions of the NUM leadership
and that of the Labour Party leadership... Mr Kinnock and Mr Scargill
represent political positions that are
For those day
TRADE
UNIONS
AND
SOGALiS
LABOUR
CO-ORDINATING
COMMITTEE
What holds together LCC/Marxism Today/New Statesman forces, and their unity in the dream ticket with the Labour right, is that the social alliance they propose is precisely an alliance with significant sections of bourgeoisie.
This is of course most open and completely explicit with Marxism To-
which is precisely why Marsim Today is the ideologically leading force within the entire coalition in the labour movement it proposes. politics is the 'anti-Thatcher alliance' 'the COrE of Marxism — an alliance which explicitly takes in the SDP/Liberal Alliance and other bourgeois forces. This particular project of this alliance is carried through in
pages of Marxism Today audacity, verve, consistency and deterLaLIO This projected calition in turn is only a particular version of the 'broad democratic alliance' of the Communist Party's British Road to Socialism - an
The real
alliance
alliance so named precisely because it
the
takes in an alliance with a significant section of the bourgeoisie. Contrary to the title of the Communist Party's programme this is not socialism at all but an alliance for a 'democratic' stage of advance which is
the quite explicitly not defined as socialist.
This strategy, as Eric repeatedly stresses, is explicitly based on the Popular Front line of the 1935 Seventh Congress of the International Stalin and Dimitrov.
Today's
field between Marxism Today and the Morning Star is not over whether to bourgeoisie. It is over which section of Duell the bourgeoise should be allied with
with
capital should be concluded.
Marxism Today
bourgeoisie sistently prints
Marxism
inday
LOCAL
COUNCIL
10 SKA0p
-RATE CAPPING:
The DayAft
Liberals,
Sweden.
EEC
The
alliance for
Hobsbawm TOHUI
Communist - the congress organised managed by
The fundamental difference on this
cannot 'modernising, alliance with the
and on what terms such an alliance with significant
is oriented to the 'modernising' pro-EEC sections of the Statesman
which is why it conarticles by Bob Rowthorn and others opposing the
position to Common Market membership. It draws its forces from the same milieu as the Gurdian, sections of the
the SDP and those who basically think Britain should be moved in the direction of a modern capitalist state on the model of West Germany or
Morning Star in contrast, following the official line of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, is oriented to supposedly 'patriotic' sections of the bourgeoisie who are oppos ed not merely to the United States bu also to the EEC. As this latter section of capital today scarcely exists even the Morning Star cannot follow
the coherent logic, which would be to link up with Enoch Powell (!) — the Morning Star maintains its extraordinary mangy, , dog eared quality of being suspended in mid air. The forces to which the Morning Star oriented are actually the least dynamic sections of the entire ruling class and
possiby compete with pro-EEC sectors to which Marxism Today is oriented.
The support for an alliance with
sections of British capitalism directly links Marxism Todav to the New Statesman. The New
has been attempting CUL sistently to create an agreed economic basis for an alliance with capital in a whole series of articles in its pages on
Page 7 scan of this page
ne 'broad left'?
W ature Labour Party policy. These conistently stress that it is urgent for abour to explicitly support omes policy and that a direct goal of ach a policy must be to increase pro-
Thus in the 7 December issue of New Statesman Doug Jones, economic
stant to Koy Hattersley, writes: At
nt relatively high levels of pro-
ability are probably necessary red incomes policy would certainly
in that direction.' Jones however
en goes on to pose the 'problem' that
by should workers want to help build rofits rather than bolster their wages.'
une
On the political level orientation of de New Statesman to an alliance, with ditical representatives of capital, and -crore me clearest Dasis or Is con-
gence with Marxism Today,
It out at the June 1983 election. Here * New Statesman called for 'the hope
an election result leading to an anti-
*fcher conition.' and urged a vote * Liberal or Scottish National Party
adidates, and not Labour, icific constituencies.
The same line was expressed followg the election by EP Thompson in a Prote article in the New Statesman
June) arguing, 'the
erally, in the final days of the elec-
could have favoured the strategy
• 'popular front' of peace and anti-
cher ferces.
But if the basis for the alliance beten Marxism Today and the New
tatesman
*PLUS: Peter Hain on Neil Kinnock • Warnock
report • Ngugi's play • Sport
an in-
of Labour with
an alliance with capital.
Marxism
be in vain?
LCC
on a misunderslanulng.
capital namely Alliance.
They
contrary Peter
was against any SDP/Liberals, states explicitly
sections of canital ... wrong to see the
CBI leadership. situation, a radical industrial strategy
those reeling from the
posed
coal Today
Hain,
BT'S HARD and
SELL
strike. appear to be a contradiction concerning the LCC. The latter organisation is today quite explicitly against an aliance
the SDP-Liberals.
Therefore, it might appear, the LCC does not fit within a framework seeking
Perhaps Today's wooing is likely to
But such an analysis would be based
The LCC's spokespersons are against an alliance with specific political representatives of
SDP-Liberal
are not against an alliance with sections of capital as such. On the
Hain his The vemocran Ahernative, willle argullg
alliance with
Labour's strategy is dependent on
winning the support of significant
it would be whole capitalist
system as engaged in a gigantic con-
Contradictions and con-
flicts run through our system, as is
clear from the twists and turns of the
It is by no means automatic that would
immediately face complete hostility
from all manufacturers, especially
effects of
severe and prolonged deflation. It
might also be possible to win the
on the Left who wish to see Mr Kin-
nock as Prime Minister it is impor
tant now for Mr Scargill to
defeated.
Kellner then goes on to add the sup-
qualification that he wishes, 'that defeat to be inflicted not by the
board or the government "beating" the miners but by the miners themselves deflating their President.
But that is wholly meaningless. the miners win their demands and strike Arthur Scargill will win. The only way Scargill can be defeated is if the miners are defeated. What Kellner is in fact saying is that it would be preferable for ' the miners to defeated Scargill can be defeated as several correspondents to the New Statesman bointed out
Other forces in the LCC/Marxism
have different political and tactical approach.
vice chair oI the LCC, subported the miners strike publically criticised Neil Kinnock for his failure to do so. Hain has also criticised Kinnock's explicit alliance with the right wing on the NEC and inside the parliamentary party. Hain has instead proposed an alternative series of alliances.
Writing in the New Statesman of 23 November, under the title 'What's Neil up to!' Hain writes:
'He (Kinnock) now needs close links
with leaders of the Transport and
General Workers Union,
and the National Union
Railwayworkers — who with others
constitute a powerful new trade
union left. He cannot continue to
rely on the centre-right of the NEC
to the exclusion of potential
wing allies lies Michael Meacher,
Tom Sawyer and David Blunkett.'
Notable in this list however are the absences. Among the list of trade union allies was not included the NUM - nor its representative Eric Clarke. the NEC allies were not included Tony Benn, Dennis Skinner, Joan Maynard, Audrey Wise or Eric Heffer — who are among the most notable leaders of the
quivocable supporters of the miners'
In short while Kellner calls for the Bennite left to crushed by open assault. Hain argues for it to be marginalised by the formation of a new 'inside left'
Peter Hain
support of progressive sections of
some small business
la avello
cooperatives, sections of
the civil service and public secto
managers. (page 73, our emphasis)
LCC supporter Geoff Hodgson, in his Labour at the Crossroads and other
be If Peter has
Gordon McLennan
alliance. The methods are totally different - and we Hain's politics with Kellner's — but the goal, the weakening or destruction of what used to be termed the 'Bennite left' is the same.
The Communist Party side of this "broad left' current was explained by Marxism Today editor Martin Jacques in his November report to the CP exNUPE ecutive. Analysing the situation at the
Labour Party noted, 'One of the things that struck me forcibly different angles, the role of the Party (the Communist Party : lett- context.
•Firstly, negatively speaking, there was the weakness, or virtual absence indeed in many fringe activities (which are of a petunal Labour Party conference) of a broad Among left position in respect moralistic/ideological leftism (the 'fun-
damentalist' carnet, the Labour Party remains very weak, and essentially a pragmatic rather than ULIC worked out,
ani nos ibity significant sectore an significant capital.
It is this analysis of course which gives to Marxism Today the whip hand in any discussion within the self styled 'broad left'. For Hain's position just amounts to a form of inconsistent ultra-left syndicalism. "small cooperatives, vice' etc — who are merely secondary issues - then if it is necessary to form an alliance with sections of capital, indeed if 'Labour's strategy is dependent on winning the support of significant sections of capital propose such an alliance solely in the economic sphere and refuse to enter into an alliance, a coalition if you like, with the political representatives capital.
Martin Jacques is entirely correct. The LCC/Kinnock's position in the so called 'broad left', its opposition to any deal with the SDP-Liberal Alliance is purely pragmatic nock's in essence. This is precisely why the Kinnockite's opposition could col• lapse at any fundamental setback for his current project Labour defeat at the next election Marxism Today's orientation tions of capital' on the contrary theoretically grounder repared to draw out all the implica tions — as opposed to the relative eclecHain/Kinnock. precisely why despite the fact that it is
Socialist Action I# December 138$
lacked the perspective!'
contact Labour Party?
of a
interview
Marxism Today.
Today
would not equate Left
seeing is, somewhere else,
left, munist Party.' conference,
ter forces, • was, from a number of
- JR) in this
importance to a are the terms
therefore assigns damentalist to the Ing JR) described or the right. The broad left in
theoretically based movement
Morning Star
Leave aside a
business owners, sections of the civil ser-
vehemently who poses that with capital.
, it is ridiculous to
talists' is not of alliances
as is Neil Kin.
reference - a setback such as
project of an Morning 'significant sec claim is reference. and
This against capital.
7
strategic position. How these debate,
input of a communist
Jacques conclusion was that: 'we need to find more points of political
and intervention Wils
A similar sustained attempt to pre sent what she considers to be the basis
'fundamentalist left/broad left' division has come from Beatrix Campbell. Typical expressions of Campbell's views on this may be found in a major
she conducted with Tony Benn in City Limits in January, and . again in the debate with Ken Livingstone at this year's Left Alive event sponsored by the Communist Party and which is reprinted in December's
Campbell argues that what we are witnessing today, in addition to the new projected axis of the LCC/Marxism
"broad left' is: 'the new sectarian alliance which crosses the bouncaries of the far lett. the Communis Party and the Labour Party'.
According to Campbell what we are
'another alliance happening between the old Trot skyist far left, the Labour Party hard
and sectarians within the Com-
Campbell argues that for these lat-
"the very idea of alliances confuses and disturbs them.'
Campbell is indeed right on one issue, the question of choice of socia alliances is at the very core of the present recomposition in the labour move. ment - perhaps its most central point. But Campbell gets totally wrong what
of the debate the so called 'fun- allu pro-Morning Star group-
within the Communist Party to quite the wrong 'camp' However bi examining the issue of social alliances we can outline very clearly the real lines of divide on the left and in the labour the LCC/Kinnock/broad left' of the Labour Party that has the forces it is actually Marxism Today which has the political edge in the entire current.
Finally, therefore, we may see what is the real nature of this entire broad left' current. The social alliance it proposes is one with significant sections of capital itself. It differs - and they are genuine tactical differences — simply on the terms, and with which sectors of capital, such an alliance should be constructed. Its opposition, naturally, is
directed against anyone alternative alliance to
It is also clear why the Morning Star has no place within those forces which constitute what Marxism Today choses to call the 'fundamentalist left'. For the
of the position of 'fundamen that thes reject social that lunatic positions reserved for a few ultra-left sectarians The core of the coherent fundamentalist' position is that they propose an alliance of the exploited and oppressed independent of, and against, capital.
The Morning Star belongs with the camp of Marxism Today in the final analysis - and their common point of
in the Seventh, Stalin/Dimotroy Congress of the Comintern. Both Marxism Today and the
Star in fact quite explicitly as their key
As to the real core of an alternative position that has its origin in a com. pletely different tradition - that of an alliance of the oppressed and exploited
Page 8 scan of this page
Chou En-Lai and Mao Tse-tung. In the 1960s, Chinese leadership advanced theory of 'countryside surrounding the cities
8
IN Socialist Action 78 John Ross outlined that the present period of world politics saw
ment of revolutionary situations In a number of countries — most notably in Central America. In the imperialist countries however the greater strength of the imperialist ruling classes meant that we were not confronted with tionary struggles for power of the type which existed in a number of semi-colonial countries.
PHIL HEARSE and PENNINGTON present an alternative view. I
LIN PIAO is alive and well, and writing in the pages of Socialist Action. Or at least so it would appear from the centre-spread 'How Reagan will be defeated' (SA 78) by John Ross. In this he expounds the typically Maoist view that the key struggles in the world will be, for the forseeable future, fought out in the semi-colonial countries.
Ross grants that the working class in the advanced capitalist countries 'will strike the final blow' against imperialism, but that is put off to the indefinite future. The slaves in the city, it appears, will eventually cut their masters' throats. but the kev thing in the forseeable future is that the city itself is besieged the masses from the countryside.
Anyone who thinks otherwise is 'fixated by Europe' and obsessed by the 'white working class'
John Ross justifies his perspective by saying that it conforms with the 'entire logic of development' capitalism in the 20th century. him. the contradictions in the imperialist system have lain at its centre, but the struggles have broken out at the periphery of the imperialist system because of the weakness of the ruling class at the periphery, the strength of the ruling class at the centre.
Historically, Ross's schema is incorrect. In the 20th century the Euro. pean working class has played a most revolutionary role. revolutionary crises have developed; several fully fledged revolutionary NEW CALEDONIA is a French colony. The Kanaks form 42 per cent of the population living on native reservations while white population grows fat from the land once owned by them.
On 21 November, three days after a new government had been elected dominated by the whites, Kanaks led by FLNKS (the Front for National and Socialist Liberation for Kanaks) announced the establishment of provisional government. Their aim was to lay the basis for 'future Kanaky'.
In pursuance of their demands for independence they began to occuns the white territory, erecting ricades to block off the roads and kid. napping the sub-prefect, Jean-Claude Demar.
The Mitterrand government in France has been unable to do a deal with the Kanaks and major divisions are opening up the establishment as how to solve this crisis. The report below is based on an article by Claude Gabriel and Jean
Jaredo newspaper Rouge.
The press have attempted to portray the Kanak's fight dependence as a band of savages on
Socialist Action 14 December 1984 the develop-
semi-colonial
much
revolu-
BOB insurgent
red. has not conquered
of For imperialist bourgeoisie, betrayals of
tion, of the Spanish revolution, compared with of the revolutioanry
The strength
Numerous pre- perialist countries
Revolt in
Paradise
revolt. the
Wing tnelr land. racism and, assassinating Pierre Declerq. territory
the polls, the FLNKS.
all activists of making
confined to native reservations. bar-
willie COlONISIS
blockaded.
French Territorial referendum in 1986.
French not in control of the situation.
for in-
crises and insurrections have occur-
European revolution any victories, other than those achieved by the Red Army and by the CP in Yugoslavia,
WaN a function not of the 'strength' of the
of the the reformist and Stalinist working class bureaucracy.
The defeat of the German revolu- simply and wave in Italy, France and Greece after 1945 were due primarily to the role of Stalinist class.
of the counterrevolutionary bureaucracy in the im-
Is not Simply function of the strength of the im- the penast bourgeoisic, neitner were le the warpath. This is designed to divert attention away from the cause of the
French Caledonia has launched continual attacks on the Kanaks, steal-
practising rampant September 1981, independence leader
The success of the recent election boycott, where 80 per cent of the Kanak population stayed away from
strengthened the hand of
Their demands for the release of imprisoned during the election period and for a declaration
the elections null and void were backed up by the only protest actions available to a rural population
Actions were taken which directed the anger of the Kanaks against the
The 'Caldoches' lands were occupied and 'their' roads
i als forced me demole govern ment to make its first retreat. They accepted the possibility of dissolving the
and holding a
This shows that the authorities are
They wish to diffuse the revolt with promises of a transition to independence.
The argument they use to deny independence to the Kanaks is that they lie.
Lin Piao lives!
defeats of the European revolution simply inevitable consequences of the strength of the ruling class. On the
the victory of revolution cult aly
objectively possible, revolutionary leadership.
John Ross reduces the question of working class leadership purely and
to the actions bourgeoisie, rather than seeing it also as a consequence of the outcome of political struggle inside the working
He merely collapses the subjective factor into the objective situation. No wonder he reaches the most foundly pessimistic conclusions about
class struggle 1n the advanced capitalist countries.
USTl
PAS SPEND PAS SOCIALE FLNKS union federation
are a minority. If this is true it is only the case because of the settlement policy stepped up at the beginning of une sevente
It is a formal agreement presented as a screen to hide their real reason for opposing the Kanaks right to their land. The Caldoche population wants to keep control of what it has stolen
the raw materials such as nickel as well as the advantages of the island's position in the Pacific for trade.
The authorities claim that Kanaks' demand for a referendum on self-determination, in which only the Kanaks participate, is racist. This is a
The founding Congress of the
John Ross asserts that his schema does not mean that the working class imperialist relegated to a secondary role. Its role, given apparently, will be as it was during the
Vietnam war — i.e. a subsidary supporting factor while the masses in the colonial world slog it out with US imperialism. This is a misreading of the the imperialist austerity and militarisa
tion offensive.
The imperialist offensive is not just aimed against the peoples of the semi-colonial countries. ere will be the most gigantic sor ruggles in Europe and the other pro- vanced countries in the next period as
the imperialist bourgeoisie attempts crush their economic and political gains.
TRIEUS: HEME COMBAT
Front clearly stated that 'the country will remain open to all those who accept Kanak sovereignty'.
Pierre Declerq himself was white.
What the colonial administration opposes is anything that undermines the legal status of the French presence in the colonies.
traditionally induce the respect their rule. It aims to break ur the the unity of this new independence
movement WIL neocolonial independence that would leave French interests untouched. An operation similar to
perialism,
Wing class struggle. the unity
perialism, the nonetheless.
Countrie
world
countries
struggle
Inevitably, That
most basic social,
French
tion parties
administration has used religion and local
Kanaks to
scene
the the way ahead
International
These struggles, like the British
miners' strike, the German struggle
over the 35-hour week and the Italian
fight to keep the sliding scale of wages
will be vital for the outcome of imperialism's offensive. So will be the
struggle against US imperialisms' attempt to foist deepening militarisation on Europe.
The whole organised strength, th
basic social gains, of the Europear
working class are under attack. If the attack is successful, , it will be a col ossal defeat for all the enemies of im-
including the semi-colonial countries
It is excluded that the imperialist offensive against the European work-
can be successful without gigantic class battles, up to and including struggles of general strike
which begin to pose the question of power. To say otherwise, is to say the European working class will go down to defeat without a
While lecturing his readers about of world economics and world politics in the epoch of im-
John Ross fact
establishing a hierarchy of tasks for the world revolution, giving priority to the struggle in the semi colonial countries.
In fact, the logical conclusion of
his position would be to make the task
work with the colonial revolution the decisive
Naturally, it is difficult for John Ross to actualls
ay such a preposterous thing in t
riddle of the miners' strike, but th
logic of his position
John Ross concludes that US im-
perialism will be defeated 'by a whole
range of class struggle.. interna
ionally'. For that particular piece (
trategic insight, I'm sure welre a very grateful. Indeed, the success of
mperialism's offensive against th
working class wil only be
defeated by a succession of struggle:
both in the advanced capitalist countries and in the semi-colonial
Moreover (let us not forget it), the Stalinism the deformed workers' states will also have a vital bearing on the outcome
the viewpoint world economics, world politics, the permanent revolution and Trotskyism. John Ross's viewpoint, on the contrary, is a lifeless and abstract schema which can only disorientate revolutionaries.
imperialists carried out in Africa in the 1950s.
The Lemoine government has a fine line to tread. On the one hand there is the pressure in France of the colonists and the bourgeois opposi-
WiLD want a hard: line defence of colonial interests.
On the other side there is the program of the FLKNS which is adamant that only the Kanaks should decide the future of the territorv.
When it sends a former director
of national police negotiate with the FLNKS you can see that the government is not sure of the
Page 9 scan of this page
Surplus Value
LAST WEEK'S meeting NATO defence ministers one of the most momentous decisions in western policy for many years. The meeting agreed to the US army doctrine of Follow-OnForces Attack (FOFA) - the plan for deep, strikes into Europe as part of a new offensive strategy for NATO in central Europe. Even more the US representatives meeting were still not satistied: they want a deep strike capability that will reach into the Western regions of the USSK, according to Sunday's Observer.
OLIVER MACDONALD looks at what lies behind the new key NATO military decisions.
Rather desperate and largely successful efforts have been made by the government to keep the significance of last week's NATO decisions hidden from the public.
Parliament about it have met silence on the ground that all is 'confidential'. How come? people here knew the implications of what is being decided, they recognise that the 'threat' in Europe is not a Russian but an American one.
We need to remind ourselves the developments in Europe over last 18 months. First Cruise and Pershing begin to arrive weapons against the USSR same time, the US military HQ for europe IS being moved from many to Britain. . Then, at the 14 May NATO Defence Council Meeting, the European states finally agree to the principle of Emerging (ET) so called conventional systems designed for use in new offensive tactics. Now we have FOFA - the war-fighting doctrine to tie all these things together.
FOFA
Finally, the US is pushing for FOFA be supplemented by "Airland Battle' doctrine of the US al lily - combining deep strikes in the enemv rear with very advance and the immediate use of integrated nuclear, chemical and convențional systems. The US army used its rapid advance technique in NATO 'Operation Lionheart' autumn and the West German has signed an agreement with the US Army over Airland Battle.
All this would be public opinion here if it were known through the mass media. That's one big reason for the cover up.
The second reason for the cover-up is the fact that a number of West European officials are themselves terrified of the American push in these airecuons. They against them and for that reason they must keep things secret: it is a cardinal sin in NATO debates to public opinion against the US.
The public relations declarations on ET and deep strikes from NATO commander General been that all this will lessen the alliance's dependence on
This is a lie Defence Minister John Nott explained way back in December 1982 when the US first raised these NATO, and before the Europeans realised how determined the Americans were about them.
Nott told the Financial Times' respected Defence Bridget Bloom (12 December 1982): 'West European governments view the growing debate with some concern. There has been an element of misrepresentation in suggestions that une new lechnology NATO rely less on nuclear weapons.
The Tory NATO Critchley MP has similarly indicated his opposition to FOFA in a few cryptic lines at the end of a Guardian 'Agenda' page article this autumn.
But the only public explanations allowed for publication in the mass media here as to why ET and FOFA may be a bad thing are such purely
of took
Eastern
menacing,
at the Questions in
WILl
Because
would
of
first strike
At the
Ger-
Technology
the
rapid ground
during the
army
dynamite to
weapons,
so-called line) Soviet forces will deployed forward for attack. argue
mobilise
call ll a bulzkreig stralegy Rodgers has
nuclear as Tory
ideas in saw Pact in the event of war.
the correspondent
vateur In France on 13 January, 1984.
could help Europe
expert Julian
and less beltevable.
Tornado attack aircraft of NATO forces
technical reasons as the high cost of ET, dependence on US supplies of ET
FOFA's technical unreliability, and the fact that new Soviet battle tactics along the central European front make FOFA irrelevant in the event of a Soviet attack
second eschelon (second be already
The only half-way serious article in the mass media on the threat of FOFA was a piece by Robin Cook in the Times last week. He pointed dul that the US army manuals on FOFA
the Nazi term for their surprise attack aggressive thrusts in Europe. But Cook also seems to have missed the point Ol the new strategy, thinking that since it is aimed at East European targets it will be counter-productive as it will . only strengthen the unity of the War- like
To find the real threat posed by FOFA we must turn to Mr. C. Bertram, the recently retired Director of
British Institute for Strategic Studies, being interviewed not by the British media but by Nouvel Obser-
peace-movement-tree
Bertram stated: 'I think Europeans should temper their enthusiasm for this project (ET and FOFA) ... The idea of an invasion of the West by the forces of the East is becoming less
'What is the scenario of a possible war in Europe at the end of the 1980s?
NATO
marches East
my opinion, that phenomenon of contagion stemming from a crisis that explodes in one or more countries of the East and that degenerates into war. What is the best
manage such crisis? Certainly not a strategy which demands from the start deep strike against the enemy.
'It is necessary to be very prudent in the decisions which will be taken from now until 1990 for Europe's defence. It is certainly not a matter, in order to deter an already improbable attack, or endowing ourselves with an arsenal which will transtorm every even localised crisis into a general conflict.'
Speaking here is the head of the main establishment think tank of the British Armed Forces. Naturally he,
Robin Cook, assumed that the US administration is making an intellectual error - they somehow assume that the leaders of the greatest military force the world has ever seen are idiots and morons.
This type of British Americanism should be rejected by the Left. We have no reason whatsoever to believe that the present US leadership, which CaL. Lull around its 'allies' in Western Europe. is a bunch of ignorant hicks. We must assume that they know what they're doing in what Robin Cook calls 'a fundamental shift strategy.
In reality such a military shift implies a shift of political strategy. Since 1956, US real policy towards Eastern Europe gradually evolved away from Dulles' notion of grabbing Eastern
of a Europe out of the grip of the USSR
towards using Hastern lever for changing the economic and West alerman of the Us inded Germany's NATO's -continued to explicitly reject the frontiers of Eastern Europe and to allow for the possible liquidation of Poland through a return to Germany's 1937 frontiers.
East
But the East-West 1970-72 brought official recognition of the post-war frontiers and the 'Sonnenfeldt'
Soviet hegemonv in wastern curope As far as NATO policy was concerned all this simply made public what had merely long been the US's real policy
this policy corresponded to NATO's military posture in Central Europe.
stated change in the policy of the US anti- towards Eastern
Secretar of State repeatedly declared, even in the official framework of the Stockholm conference earlier this year, that the rings
US rejects Soviet Eastern Europe. argued this two days after Reagan began his NATO's relations job shows that the US meant
to grab Eastern Europe? Of course not. The US does not want war today - and Hitler certainly never wanted it with the West in 1939. The United
Socialist Action 14 December 1984 ty.
happening now.
European Bloc. forward.
Wing. Labour
on two Europe
hegemony,
aspirations
Reaganite
military
nihilation, tion to
my. because to
of the Right.
Europe as a
indeed official political aims still
Europe,
central Europe
could it b
treaties of
doctrine of accepting
offensive FOFA?
• Finally
major With Reagan there has been a new
Labour Europe The Reaganites Schultz has
foreign
hegemony Over The fact that he Europe 'peace candidate' public
answers
Does this mean the US wants war
left.
9
States wants to achieve its political aims through the threat of victory in the event of war. It is a matter of diplomacy through military superiori-
The US arms build-up makes the USSR put increasing pressure on East European budgets in response — as is
The US's economi war against the USSR, and against some of its allies in Eastern Europe creates growing internal strains and centrifugal tendencies in the East
An explosion occurs in this or that
For an East European regime fearing an explosion produced by economic crisis tries to leave the bloc in the hope of massive Western economic assistance. Soviet threats to intervene militarily are countered by US threats of deep strikes against Soviet units both in the country concerned and in Western Ukraine and Belorussia. The Soviets back down, the bloc breaks apart, NATO surges
That is the scenario with which the United States is now play.
As far as the labour movement is concerned, we must be crystal clear
issues concerning Eastern otherwise we will be com pletely disoriented by the new NATO strategy. The present system of Soviet
and the resulting authoritarian-bureaucratic regimes in Eastern Europe in no way satisfy the
of the populations of Eastern Europe. But at the same time
military pressure never mind a US-West German inspires
strike against Eastern Europe, will carry the peoples of tha half of the continent towards an
not liberation. Any soluthe problems of Eastern Europe will not come from the US a:-
Secondly, the West Europear establishments' readiness to be dragg ed along by the Reaganites is a classic example of appeasement. The West European state establishments are incapable of resisting this anti-Soviet
nilitary build-up despite the threat
hat it poses to their own state securit
do so would involve repudiating the "Soviet menace' anc
do that in turn would mean creating chaos in their own domestic politics, chaos especially in the parties
At present Labour has no policy alternative to the new US politico military strategy. It has phraseolog) about the simultaneous disbandmen of NATO and the Warsaw Pact, but at the same time the real commitment of PLP leaders to increasing Britain's spending on conventional forces ir
justified by the supposed need to 'balance' the 'Soviet threat' it
This justification is not actually
believed by people like Healey. Ho
be when the Times itself wants to pull half the British Army of the Rhine out of Germany to form a third world strike force, and when almost half of the US senate wants to pull 90,000 US troops out of Europe, while simultaneously both the Times and senator Sam Nunn want to step up
preparations such as The real reason for Healey's com•mittment to increasing conventional spending is simply to prove loyalty to the US and help Britain's status as a
Western military Europe. But the effect of all this is for
to tail along behind the
The starting point for a Labour
alternative to FOFA would be a new
policy that challenges Reagan's European policy all along the line, that seeks a non-NATO solution to the powder keg that Eastern
has become under Soviet hegemony and that offers socialist
to the capitalist crisis in
Western Europe
Some leaders of the Labour left, like Tony Benn, have started to raise this agenda and it must now be tackled with urgency by the whole of the
Page 10 scan of this page
Racism on rise in France
10 ON NOVEMBER 13 an unemployed Frenchman burst into a cafe in Chateaubriant near Nantes in Western France and shot two Turkish people dead. He did it, he said, because he 'didn't like foreigners'.
The day before, in the district of Epône, Paris, another Turkish assassinated by his employers' son accompanied by a security guard.
The victim, a militant ot the cur, (lne Communist Party-dominated trade union) was ting to lead an occupation and hunger strike of the small building construction firm where he work-
The workers mostly Turkish, had not been receiving
the previous wages since June because the company
financial difWas ficulties.
Racist tension France is on the and Le Pen and his fascist National Front, after their stunning 11 per cent vote
Euro-elections in June (see Socialist Action 64 and 65) are feeding off
A recent opinion poll showed that 41 per cent of inose asked thought that there were too many Black
France comto 18 per cent in 1968. A staggering 26 per cent said they agreed with Le Pen though they would 101 necessarily vote for Tim.
A large share of the blame for this rising tide of racism and lies with the Socialist Party government, racist campaigns have now reached a new level. Un October 10 new measures
MPs
ON THURSDAY, Southgate will elect a new MP. Peter Hamid, a
leading black activist in the Labour Party and
local councillor will be Labour's candidate .
Below, Socialist Action reprints release (BLAC) in response to the selection of a prospective black MP.
BLACK ACTIVISTS
in the Labour Party
applaud the candidacy
of Peter Hamid.
Already we have pro-
ved that Black can-
didates can aeneve
creasea ma onlics and
sometimes evel land-
slides. This has been ably
demonstrated
Lambeth, Hackney and
Harine boroughs.
just
in the last year, the of Black coun-
cillors in London — Ite
conurbation with the
largest Afro-Caribbean
and Asian population -
has been increased by 10.
There are now 80 Black
councillors in town halls
around the capital.
This is still pitifully
low, but the increase in
the last 12 months shows
we are now
for 300 Black
CUUISC
councillors London
after the borough elec-
tions in 1986.
Such a figure would
accurate v reflect our
representation
population of the
Socialist Action 14 December 1984
near worker had been
were introduced to curb illegal immigrants and also to limit further immigration. Under the new prime minister, Laurent Fabius, the government has been moving rapidly to the right on most issues and Fabius himselt has helped give more credibility racists and tascists in nIs much publicised statement that 'Le Pen presents ne wrong solutions to what
problems. ical other words it suits the so-called socialists to blame France's 4.5 millon migrants for the problems or unemployment, lous ing shortages etc.
Their openly racist reflect this. micasules Across the country police powers have been increased, especially controls, for dealing with illegal immigrants. About one thousand more police are to be employed on the borders and 13 new detention Centres established.
the move which has prompted the greatest
from imODDUSILIUlI migrant organisations the measurith top the automatic im-
migrants' families to live
with them.
1 race
order for an immigrants'
family to enter the country
Black
13 DECEMBER, Enfield
the press issued by the Black Activists Campaign
capital.
At the time when the
selection process for
parliamentarv seats lo be
fought in 1987 or 1988 1s
about to begin, we are
setting another target as
well. We want at least 30
Black Canicate
parliamentary consti-
tuencies the
General Election. Only
inal way call we cilsule al
least 15 Black MPs
halt the nulliocl we
believe we are entitled to
representatives of 4.5
per OI
overall population.
By Narendra Makanji
It is our view that at
least 15 Black Labour
be
selected in safe seats or
seats that the party can
and must win if we are to
form the next Govern-
nent certain seats, suc
as Brent South, Ealing
Southall
ingham Ladywood, it
arguable that more than
half the voting popula-
under the new regulations LICY have to prove that they have a stable income and adequate accommodation. The assessment of an adequate income will not include any state
even invalid benetits not benefits or family allowances. In relation to housing the catch-22 is of course that most council housing is provided on the basis of urgent need single immigrant will not be considered to be in such need and the regularisation of the family's status has to be done with the family residing LACH country of origin.
This attack on the right to live as a family is not onsince in most cases it will ly racist, ll Is aiso sexist discriminate woman's right to enter the country and will lead to increased harassment of
In fact the French government are most anx-
ious to preserve the family
but only the one. Heralding the pro-
posed introduction
measures to increase the
indigenous French popula-
tion through allocating
grants to women who stay
at home after the birth of
third child, Mitter-
rand himself explained
'socialist' thinking: 'I see a
great need for France to
increase its birth rate when
so many other commune
are making such rapid
leaps forward. Basically its
a question of our survival
as a nation. It is clear inal
under this
tion is Black. How, then,
can all-white
parliamentary Labour
Party, the beneficiaries of
these votes, morally claim
fully represent com-
munities like these?
The Labour Party
needs to win more than
100 seats to form the next
Government. ana we are
confident that at least a
quarter of these will be
won if the support
Black voters is galvanıs-
ed. Black Sections in the
Labour Party / are seeking
to do just that, despite
our defeat at Con-
ference.
But without Black
candidates the task will
be doubly, if not trebly
Anti-racist demonstration leaves Marseille
and DOLA immigrant French women are going
the brunt ocal racism.
These measures to increase were drawn on November by the Council of Ministers. They will benefit only about 30,000 women. The benefits they will receive for having three children will nowhere near adequate. Such measures will not in reality encourage women
children.
lave HULC
WORKERS' DEFENCE
Solitu, Leicester Leicester
South, East,
Edmonton and Slough
seats with water thin
servalve majorities
large Black elec-
torates are prime
targets for objec-
tives.
I hope I don't need to
remind you that _one
million of the eight
million votes gained
DY
Labour in the last
General Election WELC
from Black people. If it
were not
support of the Black vote
the Labour Party would
have been pushed into
third place behind the
Alliance.
Black voters have
They are clearly aimed to whip atmosphere forcing women to stay in Ine Done.
Such attacks on both French and immigrant women explain way inere were many women
on the 1 December march against racism in Paris
'Oo-la-ie, oo-la-la, pour l'égalite, on est toujours la' (for equality, we are nere to stay) was the slogan most on the lips of the 40,000 people, mainly
proved to be the most
oyal of all Labour sup
porters. Yet there is still
no Black MP, no Black
member of the National
Executive and no Black
official in regional or na-
tional offices
This scandalous omthe represen-
MISSION
tation of Black people is
longer acceptable in
the Labour Movement
We have won the
moral argument through
Black Sections
guaranteed representa-
tion at all levels. Our de.
mand now is that consti-
tuency Labour Parties
large Black elec-
torates who have spoken
INVERCENCE 84
CONTRE LE RACISME
POIR EGALITE NES DROITS
who turned out on the streets of Paris
the immigrants who had driven
mopeds from five towns around France to converge on Paris (hence the name 'Convergence '84'). Smaller than last years event wilich wa. one hundred thousand),
•emonstrallul was nonetheless powerful. drew together many young people independent of the Communists and Socialist parties, who this year gave the event little, and in the
Hall, addressed the Mineworkers Defence
Committee conference telling of the death of
Mrs Shamin Karim and her two children by
suffocation on 20 November when a fire swept
through their bed and breakfast 'hostel'
accommodation in Gloucester Place
Westminster
has been appalling. Top of the poll for the
number of homeless in London they called the
when they went in to negotiate with the
predominantly black occupation.
obscene than the chairs of the race committee
and the police committee calling in the police.'
Last Friday the Camden Labour group
that the tamiles
needs all the support it can get. For further
Committee, 278 4444 ext 2545/2599/2448.
stridently their
commitment to equality
OT opportunities
deliver Black candidates
to represent them in the
next General Election
campaign.
In return, we as Black
activists, will be seeking
ensure tual
number of Afro-
and Asian
candidates as well as an
equal number ot mer
and women among their
Labour Party
must remember that No
Representation leads to
Alienation. And Aliena-
tion gave us the uprisings
against unemployment,
police harassment, race
case of the Socialist Party, nO SuDDOrl Young people had been organising for weeks through local action comand national coordinating body which represent an infrastructure immigrant and other youth which can be drawn together when necessary.
These young people will not easily be crushed by the racist and sexist policies of this government. They will be in the forefront of the fight.
ON SUNDAY 2 December Judi Bashir, from the Homeless Families occupation in Camden Town
Camden Council's response to this tragedy
police into the occupation in Camden Town Hall
Ken Livingstone summed up the disgust of many when he said: I can think of nothing more
renaging on all previous agreements, demanded
return to the hostels before rehousing could be considered. The occupation
details contact: Homeless Families Occupation
attacks and bad housing in our inner cities three years ago. Black voters will not calli Tory, but we will not be taken for a ride by Labour either. •Peter Hamid, a pro minent member of the Black Sections National Steering committee, is a torch-bearer ot our cam paign for fair representation He has an emplary record as a campaigning councillor who well-known for crusade against racism in immigration discrimination in hous ing, iobs and education He is, in other words a fine example of a truls modern socialist.
Page 11 scan of this page
An
battle
LAST WEDNESDAY the Dagenham machinists strike over regrading was made official by the Transport and General Workers' Union.
afraid that if it gives into the women's demands for regrading this will unleash a wave of demands from skilled workers in Fords for increased pay.
The demand the Ford women are raising to be upgraded in the work they do can be traced back to the battle they had for qual pay in 1968
While the principle o equal pay was concede al hat time, and the Labour government went on to lltroduce the Equal Pay Act in 1970, the company adjusted the machinists evaluation marks ut
From grade Bro Cem
from grade to 'C'
What the Ford women are now up against is the deviousness of employers who all over the country in ine last 14 years nave reorganised their workforce,
change job categories or have
into new categories, to avoid the equal pay legislation being effectively applied.
When Lil Thompson one of the shop stewards at
Inland
6 months t8:
12 months e15
Overseas
(12 months only)
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Name Address
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Ford women:
equality
But the company is still refusing to negotiate. It's
Dagenham, says "The reason we are in this grade is simple, it's because we are women' she scene right. The dispute is about lorcilg Convally recognise that women's skills are of equal value to men's. 1g battle it is an regrading battle it anti-discrimination battle.
Bernie Passingham, T&G convenol Dagenham, also points out unfair womens grading is. "It sticks out ike a sore thumb' he says.
If you analyse the way in
downgraded you can see HOW emolovers undervalue women's WULN The marks the women receive are separated into TOUT categories. aggregate of these marks at lic moment is lour polis below grade C.
But the women claim
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I enclose cheque/PO payable to Socialist Action for f .... Sendio: Socialist Action Subs, 328 Upper St. London N/ 2XP.
FOR
OUR
SKILL
that they are not given
their due in four areas of
They
their work. are
marked 'moderate' on
physical effort even when
they nave lo manipulate
unsupple material through
sewing machines causing
injury to their wrists.
By Valerie Coultas
Eastman cutters, who
work with flat material
(men) are rated 'moderate'
while machinists (women)
who have turn that
material into three dimen-
sional headrests are rated
"low' In 'ability
Visuanse shapes and
spatial relationships in two
dimensions' three
category.
And again the
degree of dimensional ac-
curacy area the women are
rated lower than the cut-
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Transport and General
Workers Unan
RECOGNITIONI
ters. If the machinists did not recognise quickly nick made in the material out of place, by more than one eighth of an inch, and mask it using the sewing machines the result would be a bad finish. Women covering up for men again!
The wollen rated as 'moderate' on safety although they can suffer needles through fingers, damaged wrists and tendons, and a disease 0I the Knowi tenosynitis, brought about through excessive exertion. It's clear why the women machinists need six
training equipped to do the job.
determines women's low pay at Fords as elsewhere is not their lack of skill but their low bargaining power.
The women at Fords,
Xmas
gift
for new
building
WE ARE there - well, more or less. The lease on our new building is at the solicitors and this week we will be signing it. Now we must do everything we can to make sure that we get in there before 31 January.
We have agreed the design of the offices. We have agreed on exactly what printing equipment we need. This week we tied up another bargain by ordering a new camera which is £1,000 less than its normal retail price. Now we must get the cash to order the shelving and partitioning and put a deposit on the camera.
Transport and Ge
Workers' Union
PROMISES
PROMISES
THATS A
WE
by once again taking strike action over this issue, have begun to hit the company wnere It nurts. inel surike is costing the company £1
Fund 8,000 assembly workers have had to be laid off at the Fords and Dagenham plants due to their action.
It has also stopped the workforce in those two plants voting on the company's pay offer. If the claim is voted IOT the women could be left out in the cold alone.
It's therefore vital that the battle is spread auick. ly. This requires the union to send pickets the docks to stop all Ford car imports. January is a key
A short, sharp victory for
will strengthen the position of everv worker at rords.
*
You readers by your excellent response last month made sure that we get the most modern and up-to-date typesetting machine at f6,500 less than its market price. We are confident that you are going to make just as good a response to getting the deposit for the camera and raising the cash for the building work. Every readers' meeting this week work out how to raise cash.
Rush in the donations. Send in the bankers' orders. The most important Xmas present this year is for your Fund Drive. Please do just that.
Socialist Action
NUS: new
leadership
needed
By Grant Keir
speaking at a Fringe Meeting.
The National
firm control.
On the miners' strike,
tions of £20,000'. al une same cume November.
attack on tree access to hicher education tions.
file.
And this is
challenge for leadership
14 December 1984 11
AcoNSTUDENTS
JOHN CHARMAN
MEDIA COVERAGE of the National Union of Students Conference in Blackpool earlier this week, concentrated on the antics of the Federation of Conservative Students and the hostile reception given to a Tory Minister
The image created was one of a Conference torn between the lunatic ideas of the far right and the alleged violence of the so called, 'Red fascist Left'. The real story of this Conference however was very
Organisation of Labour Students, (NOLS) manouvered its way out of the three crucial debates — on the miners' strike, on Harrington's presence at PNL (the National Front Organiser) and the student grant. Far from reflecting the growing radicalism of students this conference saw the NOLS/NUS leadership remain in
The NOLS leadership combine a verbal leftism with a thoroughly rightist political practise. They retain their base of support by doing just enough to allow the discontent and anger that is building up amongst students to vent itself once in a while.
La union which has millions in assets donated just £1,000. All in the name of 'getting back to the members to raise sup. port for the miners, rather than giving token done-
They argued that ultra vires payments to the miners were a 'diversion' from the real struggle, leaving their constituent organisations completely open to attack by the courts. In reality they scabbed on both the miners and their most militant members who are prepared to support the NUM and take on the college authorities
On the dispute at PNL, they said that ILEA and the trade unions at the college were the only ones that could get rid of Harrington. What a wet excuse for stabbing PNL students in the back!
On grants, Phil Woolas, NUS President, even had the gall to claim that the NUS leaders were responsible for the militant demonstrations on 28
This was when 130 students were arrested on Westminster Bridge for protesting at the
Every delegate at the conference knew he was lying through his teeth but he got away with it. In addition no clear mandate was given to the executive about how the grants system should be defended. It is still under attack despite the Tories climbdown on the better off parents contribu.
The debate over PNL was the closest the left got to upsetting the iron grip of the NOLS leaders real framework for mounting a full scale challenge because it's not willing to fight for the leadership of the union. It prefers to stay with the rank and
precisely the opposite to what is needed in the NUS right now. The NOLS leaders get away with their talk left, don't do anything line because of the failure of the left among students to organise the base of militancy into a head on
Those students involved in fighting the Tories aren't happy with the NOLS leaders. A current has to be built inside NOLS that can give a focus to this
Such a current will give a national voice to the left in NUS conference and begin to pose a real threat to the complacency of the NOLS leaders.
Page 12 scan of this page
BHOPAL, the town in India that has been the scene of a tragedy on a massive scale, stands alongside Seveso in Italy, Three Mile Island in the States and our own Sellafield (Windscale), as evidence of the truth that for capitalism human life is the valuable commodity on the market.
And of course the least raluable human lives of all are the millions who live in poverty and hunger in the countries Elle 'third world'.
if Bhopal nad Deen l be United States the horror would be exactly the
but we can be sure that the compensation that Union Carbide would be forced to pay out would be
an entirely different scale.
If it had been in Britain we would not be treated to mealy-mouthed editorials like that Monday's Guardian, urged that before we all get too emated about Bhopal we should remember the
Begistered as a newspaper with the Post Office.
rebtished by Cardinal Enterprises, PO Box 50, London N1. srited By Laneridge Ltd. (I), London E2
SOCiALiSt
ACTiON
Massacre
in Bhopal
least Union Carbide sterilibers tremendous that had done for the 'third world!' as a whole!
By Jude Woodward
One could hardly imagine this response if 3000
people middle bet time-
the middle of Birmingham or London.
The Indian governhas not been any better. It was undoubtedly direct intervention from the national that secured 4. the release Carbide's chair, Warren Anderson, for a derisory bail figure.
The complicity of the Indian government
covering , up what it knew about the dangers or the plant is not something that Ragiv Gandhi is keen on having out in the middle of a general election.
compensation granted to the people of Bhopal must be at a level that really does take account of the suffering they have undergone.
Firms like Union Carbide must be forced to pay
enormous neglects of ce JUI their human life. That is the only way to
that such 'accidents' never happen arall.
Unfortunatelv as long as companies like Union Carbide exist to milk huge profits out of the poorest
and as long the governments of those countries go along with it, we can be sure that Bhopal is only the latest in a long une or similar massacres.
SUPPORT
LOCAL
YOUR
BUY
tions since the US invasion a year ago. hailed in the press as a triumph for 'moderation'.
Reagan.
gigantic pressure and fraud in the election both American funding of the NNP of the electoral supervisor,
last elections.
prime minister assassinated
THE MAURICE Bishop Patriotic Movement wishes to inform the peopie unal we tolany rejeci the so called victory of the NNP, as the elections of December 3, were not free and fair.
For months our party has been warning the people of the Us plan to rig the election and install a government their choice. An incomplete electoral register prepared which left out thousands of those entitled to vote.
It must be seen that the 1984 list contained only 48,000 votes, compared with 63,000 in 1976 eight years ago. The taking of photographs people afraid that the CIA
Electoral
farce in
Grenada
Kendrick Radix, leader of the Maurice Bishop Patriotic Movement
ON 3 DECEMBER Grenada held its first elec-
They were
The victor, Herbert Blaize's New National Party (NNP), was so 'moderate' it fully supports the presence of American military forces in the island and was openly backed in the elction by Ronald
What was not reported in the British press was the truly
including , threats, the dismissal disapand Ine pearance of 15,000 people from the electoral roll since the
Following the poll the Maurice Bishop Patriotic Move. ment, which groups the supporters of Grenada's socialist
before the invasion, put out the following statement on the elections. The editing is by
will use such information to find out facts about them More than 3,000 Grenadians were captured October 1983 by invading U.S. forces and released on condition that "They engage in politics and government activity'. The short period of electoral registration did not allow those wished to be registered to do so. It must be recalled that registration has been conducted Grenada for eight years. firing of the independent supervisor of elections.
Chateau, and 25 of his experienced workers put the elections clearly in the con-
GRENADS
WILLE
BE
FREE
trol of the Americans. The massive buying of votes, fixing of roofs, cash payments, distribution of clothing, rum, food and even aeroplane lights the campaign for the NNP confirmed the interference by the CIA and the United States government in ou internal affairs
It is now known that the NNP spent over thre millions dollars and hired 500 workers for its cam
All this came directly from the US Talkil
The presence in Grenada in the past years of Mr Loren Lawrence and his aid Mr Mathew Blockwell, both well known election cooks ol Jalalco fame. further exposed the role of the United States. It is well known that several Countil specially pre-
pared ballot papers have
been used to fix elections
The presence of hun-
dreds of foreign occupation troops Grenada created tear and intimidated the population.
In this climate neither the
United the
Commonwealth of which
Grenada is a member sent
observers as they recognis-
ed these facts.
This election, which
was designed
discredit our party and its
leaders, instead has exposed the length to which the US and local reaction will go to install a government of big business interest. Massive inat thsre would -The rigging has been be no opposition parliament. • So much tOI the 'return to democracy of they loudly boasted. Our participation
this election has con cretely exposed the big lie and our party has come out stronger than ever.
Our party calls on our citizens both at home and abroad to stand firm in defence of our dependence and renews the call for a withdrawal of all foreign military presence from VU.
rome and
AS patriots we pledge our loyalty to our country and people we will con tinue to struggle for Peace National Unity, Bread and Justice, for real human rights the advancement of the cause for the working peopl of the
slands of Petit Martini-
Carriacou and
Grenada
One People, One Nation, , One Future.
In the spirit of Maurice Bishop the struggle continues.
FORWARD ON OUR
FEET NOT ON OUR
KNEES.
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