Socialist Action No. 86, 25 January 1985
The scan: 086-jan-25-1985-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
BACK THE MINERS! DEFENDOUR UNIONS!
ACTION SoCiAList
All out
on 11 February
1984 that the miners labour movement.
Thatcher made it walls there negotiations NUM until the majority of miners are starved back to work.
desticon strongest union in Britain as a step towaras cracking the labour movement. The failure of the TUC general council to back the NUM has the opening she has been looking for.
The government is now making its intentions quite clear.
Austin Rover to sue eight UNIONS TOI the December
British Rail against the rail unions, al C and calculated raising of the stakes by the govern-
IT HAS been said countless times since 6 March
If they lose we all lose.
Tories know it. The left in the movement knows it. The only people who refuse to acknowledge it are the general council of the TUC.
has plain that she push with the framework
She wants to ensure the Is exacuy ine
the directly to
tion on Thatcher on the failure
for decision by union.
damages over strike, and for its next attack sue
deliberate
are fighting for the whole
The
ment. The Tories are now trying to force through in
of anti-union laws they have been work ing on for five years.
The pattern each time tion same. The desertion of the NGA by
counci GCHQ. The failure to take effective ac-
GCHQ left the ground open for an attack
NUM. Now the to defend the miners opens up the way
attack The government has already made it clear it has the rail unions lined up
left
The task of every section of the movement now fight to defend the NUM The unions now under im
No. 86 25 January 1985 30p mediate threat from the Tories attacks, and those who nave stood miners, must make a stand against the general coun cil's scabbing role. They must name the day for a 24-hour general strike, and demand the support of the
council and the
Labour Party
Regional days of ac-
have been called for 11 February in the South East and in Yorkshire and Humberside. These should be turned into a national 24-B011 general strike with a national demonstra tion in London.
The ferocity of Thatcher's labour movement does not flow trom the strength of the Tories. It rests on the weakness and treachery of the labour leadership. The
provide the leadership that mobilise the strength Cal of
back the miners. Without that every
Page 2 scan of this page
ACTiON Socialist
Conspiracy
against the NUM
disreputable episodes even in nock's leadership of the Labour Party. Kinnock read the riot act to the left to prevent any debate being taken in parliament on the miners strike. Nothing new? You would be wrong to think that.
A parliamentary debate would force Neil Kinnock through at least the motions of support for
free hand to do something quite different: that is, to line up the leadership of the Labour Party behind the rapid drive to the right of its trade
Picket
Kinnock scarcely even bothers to try to conceal now that he is working for the defeat of the Scargill wing of the NUM even if that means the defeat of the strike. His number one goal is for the isolation of Benn and his supporters in the parkinnock knows that means the trade union leadership continuing to turn its back on the policies adopted at the last TUC besides.
Kinnock bosses that they 'realities' under the Tories and, unlike Chapple et al, keep their links with (read control over) the Labour Party. Kinnock's efforts amount to a major attempt to shift the Labour Party to the right on the miners' strike to line up the party faithful*us policies. behind the drive of Basnett to change the
Last week various elements of this shift came more openly into the light of day. Basnett went public on his campaign to call a special congress of the TUC to reverse its attitude to the government's trade union laws. adoption of ballots before action means that union leaders protect themselves from applying the agreements to support the NUM, taken at the TUC
More generally, militant action by part of a union will not now be able to lead the union as a whole. Basnett has learnt lesson well from the miners' strike.
Strikes
Don Concannon even floated the idea that the Notts breakaway scab union should affiliate to the Labour Party. Although official party reaction denied this proposal, at least a section of the party leadership is prepared to consider even
Meanwhile it is obvious that the struggle is still on to determine the terms of reference of the NEC's 'statement for democratic socialism'. It has no value for Kinnock except as a weapon to isolate and break those in the party who have stood behind the NUM and to prepare for a more generalised witch hunt in the party.
The pressure of the miners' strike has forced most of the trade union leadership to 'clarify their position to the right. Kinnock is giving the clear signal that he (and the party) will not be left
Labour Party is not the only route to the right. Kinnock has declared open stand with the NUM inside the Labour Party.
Editor: ALAN FREEMAN Published weekly except two weeks in August and the last week of December Signed articles by contributors do not necessarily represent Socialist Action's views. These are expressed in editorials.
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Socialist Action 25 January 1985
as well as the ritual condemnation of But at the moment Kinnock wants a
and - and a lot more the
proposes to show the trade union
can accommodate to the new first Most immediately, his bureaucrat's that 'new realism' and a break with the
sales
new type of left in the Labour Party precisely a type of left which has not been seen since
The left in the Labour Party which emerged in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s was one not too caricaturally summed up in the famous phrase 'resolutionary politics'. This did not mean that it engaged in no activity at all as forces outside the Labour Party sometimes claimed. On the contrary campaigns such as the first wave of CND in the early 1960s had a big impact in the Labour Party. forums which the Labour left made its own were the
resolutions to party conference and so on. The huge wave of strikes in the 1968-74 by-passed the CLP
early 1970s equally developed relatively seperately from the left in tuencies. The spearhead of that development was the Communist Party apbaratus mune urade umons — not the Labour left.
A real turning point of
development of the 'new' Labour left came in the NUM where else?
When Arthur Scargill took the left's nomination for president of the NUM awake VICK McGahey for the first time the CP was defeated bv the Labour left in its tradiLullal stronghold TULthermore Scargill stood on positions, and a tradition, far to the left of that of McGahey. Scargill was the
real class struggle: leader to take the leadership of a national union, since AJ Cook and his sup-; porters the Mine-: workers' Federation in thei 1920s.
Another key. development was the rise of thet left in local government in: the late 1970s.
The rapid development of the Bennite left in the Labour Partv atter 1979 was much more mystified
than the development in the NUM.
Scargill had established his base out of the strikes of 1972 and 1974. He was the symbol salley tale The Bennite however gathered its initial coherence out of the fight
constitutional reform in the Labour Party - the long fight for mandatory reselection and for breaking the PLP's monopoly
a piece
But that's an absurdidea! It's ludicrous to claim that Mr Kinnock is not totally in favour of a victory for the miners!!
A class
struggle left
Labour Parties, the
on electing the leader of
its main cam-
Campaign Nuclear Disarmament. The question for that left was where it would go after the first reforms were over.
By John Ross
The answer, evitably, was that it divid ed. large part ot block which had passer the constitutional reform: after 1979 has gone to the
with Kinnock Another part was faced with the realities of the miners' strike and Thatcher's attack on the Labour movement.
That is at h despite the fact that occured merely within parliament,
weeks protest Tony Benn, Dennis Skinner and the campaign group of MPs did signify sortetune strike is going through a hard, bitter and decisive phase. It is no easy way to
popularity And possibility of defeat exists.
There are only choices. One is to try to put distance betweel oneself and the miners.
The second is to be with the NUM right the way through. To fight for a
Given his position, however, he has to use diplomatic langvage, Instead of the phrase miners' victory", he say. "negotiated settlement"
successful outcome of the strike. To be with the fight whatever the outcome
That what Tony Benn, Dennis Skinner, Eric Heffer and the others did. • activists of the NUM and the Labour Party are not going to back off
rom their support of the strike no matter what the outcome or what the con-
The protest in sequences. parliament, in its own way, signalled that this is going to be the choice for at least one section of the Labour left.
Given the mystifications of parliament it rather hard to define what a class struggle left there would actually mean! But those who are prepared to
AGTION
would he use?
Scargill on the 11 August Women Against Pit Closures March
LE
LUI bad first
the miners
process is laking is it local There Lalk That,
another left.
And if he hoped to see the miners defeated what phrase
Ah! In that case he would still have to use coded and diplomatic (language...
News
men InSI
The reality is very simple What is involved in the Labour Party today i not a 'hard' and "soft' lef
ey Benin said ra hard Tony said 'a hard situation needs hard left What is involved is a division into those force strug stand those ca who stand the don't.
Tha bs the ne being
drawn miners strike and the fights in Weil as those over Ireland. local government black sections, and women's organisation 11 the party, It is that class struggle left which is the top priority to begin to
in the Labour Party in the next years.
ormac
....and he would probably be callino for a "negotiated settlement"....
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TUC props up Tories
CEGB on a knife-edge
News
'84 congress of the TUC Todd speaking about new realism in Labour Herald stated 'That concept is dead'. As subsequent events, the sabotage of support for the miners, have shown the obituary was premature.
There is no doubt that at the congress the new realists were on the defensive. On the key issues of support for the miners the far right around Hammond Lyons were isolated and defeated.
By Pat Hickey
Len Murray had retired hurt, and the candidate of the 'left', Willis replaced him. The resolution in support of the miners överwhelming majority.
The reluctance of the centre and the right to back the NUM, however, was shown in the behind the scenes arm-twisting to remove the resolution calling for a day of action
resolution calling for a levy of trade unionists. In the resolution, the right entered the significant the boycott of coal and oil in the power stations would have to be 'with the agreement of the unions concerned.'
Despite this, the resolution was a victory for the miners. counch dao ignored tae surike ror sIx months. Now, the movement was officially committed to support.
The new realists, however. were not prepared to lie down and die.
They began by refusing to wage a serious campaign to implement congress decisions in the power stations
in the clear knowledge that implementation of the guidelines would guaranteee for the miners. The EETPU and the Engineers and Managers Association openly refused
out the policy. support was merely formal.
The general council stood aloof. The action that was mainly a result of rank and file support for the miners, and not the result of leadership from the officials. It was clear council more interested in getting control of the strike, in order to impose a deai on
Photo: STEFANO CAGNONI (Report)
Activists picket the power stations, but where is the TUC?
Ron
interview
particularly
and
Norman
received an
FTAT
all
photo. MARK RISHER
caveat:
The general
Arthur Scargill the NUM, Tories.
By October,
and Kinnock
Wing support for
GMBATU avoiding the
delivered was
support.
was anti-union laws.
than in defeating the policy
when the NUM was fined £200,000 for contempt, Basnett
making Were picket line violence the main issue, with the clear intention of undermin-
the strike, and question of TUC support tor the miners against the courts. Only the rail unions and the TGWU were seriously attempting to deliver
The right were able to use the situation to raise the question of the
Duffy and Hammond began moves to reverse TUC
Norman Willis on the anti-union laws, and Basnett has not joined them on this issue, with his proposal for a meeting of trade union executives to consider the policy.
The new realists have regained the position they lost at the TUC. From the beginning of the strike it has been clear that the centre and right of the trade union movement has had no interest in a victory for the Scargill leadership of the NUM. A decisive victory for the left would endanger the whole policy of reaching agreement with the Tories, and avoiding big confrontations.
Hammond and Duffy are quite happy to see the NUM go down to
defeat, while the centre around Willis and Basnett seek a compromise deal that would weaken the Scargill leadership. The Tories seek no such compromise. Recognising the weakness of the general council, they want total victory.
The response of the left to the treachery of the general council has been less than adequate.
TUC congress, when the initiative was with the left, the success was not adequately built on. Then, the response should have been meetings between the rank and file in the power stations and rank and file miners.
It is necessary to take the fight for implementation of congress deciLABOUR LEADER Neil Kinnock last week attacked the Campaign Group of MPs for trying to force a debate on strike in the House of Commons. Such a debate, he told a meeting of the PLP, would much a debate as scratching the wounds of the miners.'
Kinnock, with Basnett and Willis, are eagerly awaiting the end of the
SLIIKe defeat for Arthur Scargill will weaken the lett, even at the price of weakening the whole movement. This is why they are peddling their defeatist line which gives aid and comfort to the Tories and the NCB.
The truth however, claim that the miners cannot win is as false now as it was at the beginning. The Guardian, 18 January, revealed just how close power cuts are, and how little needs to be done to bring them about
Using information inside the CEGB, reported that the CEGB is struggling
maintan supplies. there have been voltage reductions since the autumn, some power stations al C nearly
Socialist Action 25 January 1985
appeal for
the right.
national that the trade
Photo: GM COOKSON
as Basnett unless the After the political
to organise
divide
clarified. organise.
Reserve the miners'
'not be SO
and hoping that a
ment claims
is that the
deliver on them.
from sources the Guardian
Although
fuel. The
3
sions directly to the ranks, rather than
wait for the Basnetts of this world to
honour their pledges. In most of the
power stations neither the TGWU nor
GMBATU have arranged
meetings where the miners could put
their case directly.
There have been even fewer in-
stances of TGWU or GMBATU officials standing on the picket lines at
the power stations with the miners to
support for the TUC
guidelines. The left has not organised
its forces to deal with the sabotage of
The left union leaders have not the steps needed to bring together the support that exists at the base of the movement, through for
example, & national demonstration, a
solidarity conference,
pressure on the TUC to support a na
tonal day of action. 'he richt have been far better organised, and have had the courts, the media, and the state on their side.
They have had no compunction about dividing the TUC to achieve what they want. The left has been far too slow to open up the political battle with the right wing. The reality is
union movement more sharply divided now than at any time since the 1920s.
These divisions will deepen as the Tory attacks continue. It will be of decisive importance for the future of the labour movement that the left organises itself from top to bottom of the movement to meet unese alacks
The divisions in the NUM, with the threat of scab unions, is not an ex. ception to the general trend. They ex. press, in an extreme form, the divileft has to recognise the necessity for an open political battle with the right who are taking the movement down the road to disaster. The centre will always fall into the arms of the right.
and Willis have done. left is waging a fierc battle which forces maneouvres into the open. That means clear political campaigns, with focuses around which the left can mobilise are essential. The line of
between those WIU prepared to fight the Tories, and those who want to capitulate must be
For that the left CLUSI switch to oil and the reduction in maintenance has reduced efficiency
generating capacity small.
December peak demand was 42,000 MW, while total capacity was 42,800 While the board made much of its ability to supply 44,600 MW on 8 January, its ability to maintain the supply is on a knife-edge.
The Yorkshire stations in parucular, are in real troubie. and the strains on the system will be even greater in the next few weeks. The Guardian report shows that govern-
that supplies can maintained without power cuts could very easily be refuted.
It would require only a small effort by the TUC to step up action in the power stations to force the CEGB into power cuts. Of course, this would mean a change of policy on the part of the general council - from scabbing on congress decisions to attempting to
Even at this late stage, it is clear that victory for the miners is possible. The prospects of the Tories winning the TUC, and the craven policy of Kinnock and company. There is only one name for labour "leaders' who pursue such policies. SCABS.
Page 4 scan of this page
THE breakaway union must be defeated. Striking Notts miners will be in the forefront of the fight against Spencerism.
BOWER of the South Notts strike committee for his personal views.
THE move to change the constitution of the Notts area is backed by extreme right wing organisations who began to hatch a plot
form breakaway union in Notts. Spencer lives again!
You have officials who have reached the highest point OT career area level and want to go further and run the whole show from Notts. Rule 51 is the national rule they oppose most avidly.
It makes provision for
disciplinary committee of national officials and rank and file members to
members areas that break the rules.
ths ago but it is only now that Notts officials call for its removal.
The rule changes created the debate about expelling the scabs. The Notts area totally against national policy and the national rule book. We want a National Union of Miners not a Notts WorkONE THING that will not be the same following this miners' strike is the attitude of NUM activists to their local Labour Parties and the MPs and councillors representing their areas.
chairman of Blaenserchan colliery NUM, which is adjacent to Kinnock's constituency, how attitudes have changed in that coalfield.
WE disappointed Kinnock's attitude to this strike. been playing at politics for the benefit of the press instead own. He hasn't shown that kind of solidarity we are entitled to expect from a leader of the Labour Party in a mining constituency.
been 150 per cent behind us in the same wav as loca wards and rank and file ac tivists as well as many MPs have been.
There have been a couple of meetings with Kinnock and local
Hills try and clear the air. For example he had a very bit-
meeling will Wakdale lodge in his constituency. but it was not salislaclory. Kinnock saying one
the public and another in private to the Huicis.
Miners will take a different attitude the Labour Party after this. We'll have no more sheephead MiPs coming out of South Wales and claiming to represent us.
In the past we've been complacent and thought Bill Just voling Labour was enough.
But I'm sure blokes like Fred Evans MP don't even know they have pits
Socialist Action 25 January 1985
The NUM and
Spencerism
THREAT to the NUM from the Notts
Socialist Action spoke to MARTYN
have immense from the and pressure from police. the courts etc. We now have the education and the ability much stronger NUM in Notts.
We'll welcome men who have gone back into work into the NUM with open arms. We hope they'll come back out strike, but all we ask of them is to recognise the NOVI and refuse the breakaway union. we were w ask even miner crossing picket lines do vou sun want to be the NUM?' 90 per cent would say yes. But in bran ches and at area level this sulloic is ruled out of order. We are not allowed to put this question in Notts.
The split will be welcome TOT the strikers Notts. We won't have to accept right wing policies being imposca on us al unis moment by the area.
In the new NUM in Notts we'll produce regular local newsletters to
Miners warn Neil
REDMOND O'NEILL asked TONY DAVIES,
part of the South Wales as #Forward to Victory -Spont Como are on Labour Womens Action ngs in advanc
distribute to all the miners in ine area. Most people here don't even get to see Miner, Decise pit delegates can't bothered to pick it up from the area offices.
We don't intend to let the grass grow under our feet as we did in the past.
The rank and file want to involved in organisation and we are more aware now of what want to achieve through the union.
Organising the Labour Party is a sound investment for striking miners and their families.
We have to get away from the present situation wiere le Party has a very weak leaderexists at local leve problem ship. The same Its not only the unions but the Labour Party itself that we have to educate to acuve Toe industrial disputes. We hope the ties we've made through the strike with other political groups and working class organisations and especially internationally will be kept up and the links will not broken when the strike is UVCI What we have to do is educate, agitate, Now it's all altered. In this strike we've seen that we ve gol lo the Labour Party to ensure wę get people who really represent the workers and not well off solicitors from Cardiff who don't care.
Through the strike we're getting a mass influx into the Labour Party and the union is taking up our seats on the general management committees and all other bodies on which we are entitled to representation.
A lot of miners' wives and voungsters are also going into the Labour Party.
So one thing is certain the Labour Party in South Wales going to be altered after this strike.
TARGET LABOUR GOVERNMENT
Government & Labour Briefing
Ken Livingstone, Merle Amory
Out With the Tories!
Tony Benn, Sharon Atkins, Frances Morrell, Bernie Grant •Workshops on Economic Policy, justice freedom a the state, social policy, international & defence,
accountability, positive accion
SATURDAY 16th FEBRUARY
10am - 5pm DIGBETH CIVIC HALL, DIGBETH, BIRMINGHAM
accee, Labour UND
of railworkers refusing to move coal.
the miners win.'
• tion was solid among the areas officially called out.
Unofficial action was taken by main line
IWO depots in London, St Pancras and Waterloo. Stonebridge freight and passenger depot in West London also came out.
'We've inflicted one day of pain on the ›assengers, but we've hac t for 42 weeks. This strik‹ will put the morale of my members up 1,000 cent. It's a real shot in the arm'
"The most significant thing for me', said Ray, 'was Waterloo which joined in despiagement wal
Management Coll
about this will ord
about this union executive some of whom were reluctant to call any form of industrial action. It's given me great personal satisfaction because the area manager didn't think it was possible.'
Waterloo explained why the action had taken place
'We were prepared to take up Coalville's call and the day was an unqualified success. Sooner or later railworkers are going have to face up to the reallty of what's happening to our own industry just like the miners.
'Our picket line was great with miners from South Wales, Yorkshire, Kent, together delegation from striking CPSA members
11OH Brixton dole office and a Lambeth Labour delegation. Only one
: Coal shall not move
ROY BUTLIN, Coalville NUR, recieved a standing ovation for his speech at Hackney Town Hall at the end of the 17 January rail protest at the harassment
"They can slander us, sequestrate us, injunct us, screw us from every angle possible even commit us to a lunatic asylum — but we shan't move coal until
The industrial action called by the rail Federa-
Greg Tucker driver out of 200 signed on and 15 guards out of 100.
In South Yorkshire the action was almost 100 per cent. Tommy Doyle, representative of his area on the executive the guards and grades conference, reported that both Sheffield passenger depot and Tinsley freight depot were completely shut down.
By Antonia Gorton
'Action in this area is likely to escalate because four or Tinsley's freight trains operated by 15 to 20 train shifted to LICW Trich freiike have been
depot which Shirebrook is divided on the movement of coal with loss of work for us. "Tinsley NUR is demanding that the Federation issue an instruction that these trains should be boycotted and if moved we will take further action.
Leicester depot which was not called Vasscuise out almost came to a halt because no trains
valll through from Nottingham, Derby and Shef-
Leicestershire striking miners set up a picket line at midnight of 60 people. 'Chaos'
They persuaded a few railworkers not to go in and got a commitment from others not to move trains into Nottingham and Derby.
The
Hilanager there went radio apologising for the 'chaos' and claiming that his workers were being intimidated'.
At Coalville itself, Mick Richmond a leader of the Dirty 30 said that 'through the hours morale on the picket line at
Lane was brilliant'
On the line were local ASLEF and NUR members joined by delegations from Bestcote of the rail link throughou the area but who have not been victimised so far.
Harassment
Members of the Dirty 30 and Warwickshire striking miners were joined at 6 am by the South Notts miners and at 9 am a large delegation arrived from Mardi lodge of South Wales — the last pit in the Rhonda Valley.
Throughout the day the picket was never less than 60 strong in
13°C watched over by no less than two police support units and a snowperson with a 'coal not dole' placard.
News
PhotoS GM COOKSON
Sam Reed area manager Derby, drove with his head bowed. The wives of the Dirty 1 30 picked from 6 pm. The Dirty 30 feel that this action has she merity are in
minority areas tremendous boost.
Roy Butlin explained the next steps: Unless al Coaldille his isnre he finat our demands are met word. We have partially established during this week the principle of alternative work for our members instead of mov ing coal but the BRB locally will not concede on attempting to move the coal.
Dirty 30
'To a certain extent what happens next is up to management will they continue their campaign of harassment? We can't sit. Dack that the NCB and BRB Haven move that coal especially now that the weather is so bad with peo. ple talking about a winter
'47 and the CEGB worred about its fuel stocks To do this they've got to use trains not lorries
'National action which is the ultimate response we
make We hope doesn't come to this, we
stops its provocations now in all the freight depots throughout the area but we don't think this is really likely
'Of course if the BRB foreat to sue the unions for through with loss of revenue during the strike this will up the stakes. understand thai this threat itself behind the decision Stonebridge Park to come out last Thursday. The rail unions must respond vigorously to the use of courts on this question.'
Page 5 scan of this page
International solidarity with the miners
News
IN MAY 1983 the Fourth International launched a campaign with the National Union
The aim of the campaign was threefold. Firstly to get the truth out to
international labour movement about the miners strike through the organisation of speaking tours miners and women communities.
Secondly to raise material aid for the strikers through united front initiatives in the trade union and labour movement.
Thirdly to try and stop all coal bound for Britain through a campaign in each country to win trade unionists support the boycott of coal.
The results of this appeal are testimony to the
é avec les mineurs mènera
a victoire pour tous.
In West Germany the two million-strong metal workers union IG Metall has opened a fund for the British miners. This followed a donation of 1.3 million DM made by the union to the NUM.
This was in stark contrast to the German miners union whose leaders, hostile attitude. The supa took a hostile attitude.
DUIL recleved from Greens was reported in SA issue No 84.
The comrades of the GIM (German section of the Fourth international organised two highly sucessful for the
LOUS Bold NUM and went onto organise a tour especialiv for two women from the
Miners Meeting
resonance tional solidarity has among the working class today.
tours miners and
have been following countries: belgium, Wes Germany; Portugal; Switzerland: the Denmark;
Altogether £30,000 was raised through these tours. But most impor tantly these tours have helped stimulate the setting up of united front solidarity committees that have raised large sums of money which have helped to sustain the NUM through through their long battle
140.000 mineurs on grove
dopuis lo 12 m
mineurs anglais solidarite
ES MINEURS BRIT ANNIQUES
SONT SEULS AU MONDE
Kent Women Against Pit Kay closures movenicull.
Sutcliffe and Marie Collins and two women trom the Greenham Women's Ilona Aronovsky and Leslie Bouton
In the Netherlands the FNV, the largest trade union confederation, established an official Ilas solidarity campaign and by October 84 had 400,000 guilders (£95,000) in the account. hundred thousand pounas WOrL of foodstuffs were sent to Britain by the Belgium Socialist Party. Two Wives visited Amsterdam at the request
Saturday 16 February
Socialist Action
Penrhiceiwber Miners' Institute Penrhiceiwber Cynon Valley, South
Wales.
Speakers invited so far include Ernest Mandel, Dai Davies, (South Wales NUM), Kay Sutcliffe, Helen John, Roy Butlin (Coalville NUR), People's Democracy. *
Evening social and bar
Book now, phone 01-359-8371/2/3
against the Tories and
stimulated international solidarity action.
One of the best ex-
of the Danish section of
Fourth which helped establish a
through their shop Stewarus organisation which over €100,000.
Here also members of the Fourth International were able to sucessfully campaign for the stopping of the movement of coal from the port of Aarhus. • Report reprinted from International Viewpoint
Below we publish selection of reports from the journal International Viewpoint about tivites of the solidarity movement and the Fourth International.
aux mineurs britanniques Soutien financier
of the Dutch Women's Union uLne women's organisation of the FNV). Workers Party e SS/SAS Belgium the Socialist Belgium section of the
International) organised a tour for the Bold NUM which raised f4,900. Dennis Pennington and Susan Gannon visited Liege, Brussels, Louvain, Ghent, Charleloi and Antwerp.
The section also produced a leaflet calling for workers in the Ghent dockvards stop transport of coal.
In November the NUM won an agreement with the unions in Antwerp that coal would not be exported.
BRISTOL MINERS' Support Group is model solidarity campaign. Since it was established at the beginning of the strike £120,000 has been raised in cash for the South Wales miners.
Le of tood the same value nas peer raised on top of this, with vans travelling every week from Bristol to the Gwent
covering 20.000 families.
Six miners are
manently based there to the co-operation
In Ireland a campaign in solidarity with the miners is being organised in the North to collect money, food and toys for miners' families at Christmas.
Regular levies take place among union members.
NIPSA (Northern Ireland Public Services ASSOC tion) has agreed to match pound for pound the donations made by members from their own pockets.
A support group has been set South wale Several Wales miners have visited the area.
One group of workers at Shannon have managed GAS! their company,
to check tributions to the NUM at source.
Many shop stewards have participated in the group band busworkers nave particularly generous. One office in LOrk has opened staffed by two South Wales miners.
In Austria Joe Holmes from the Kent NUM spoke to 500 people in Vienna on
Bristol - a model
solidarity campaign
help organise this work from the group's office ir Iransport House. portant source of support is the local Labour Parties
by Brian Drummond
Here in many areas the collection COT the 50p week levy is organised ir many wards to cover every member and not just those attending meetings. This is done by dividing up the levy collecting amongst all the ward activists and newsletter distributors.
Food collections, with
of the
Postcard produced by the French Ligue Communiste Revolutionnaire 15 November: Miners children were invited tc
the cised to the ded
organised the Falcons, the Catholic workers and trade union left.
The Austrian trade union confederation, the union of Private employees and the Engineering, Mining and Energy have donated £12,000 between them
In France the CGT (Communist Party union federation) has organised an impressive campaign of solidarity with the British miners. In two weeks last year they collected £60,000 and 400 tons of food.
This made up a convoy of 22 lorries, wich strel ched over 1 mile. It arrived at Calais on Saturday October 14 to be recieved by Me Kent NUMes entry Malcolm Pitt, for one section of workers is a victory for the world workers movement!' he said.
At the end of this meeting the French union leader tried to get the 'Marseillaise' sung. local Co-op also organised by Labour Party wards.
The support group was set up by the trades council and District Labour Party, and is recognised as the body through which all money collected in Bristol should be channeled by the South Wales NUM ecutive.
In addition to the fundraising and support in the labour movement the group has now started to send speakers to sixth TOTO and ouner debates on
Socialist Action 25 January 1985
their
SUPPORT THE MNERS
Several workers stead began singing the In ternationale and Krasuck1, the CT leader, jumped to the microphone taking up their chant.
On Saturday 24 November one thousand tons of coal destined to Great Britain were poured into the railways tracks in the marshalling yard at Calais by CGT miners The week before 1,600 tons of coal had been tip ped into the marshalling
yardarlier in November
Dennis Pennington, Colir Hiscock and Susan Gan non from Bold had spoken with acene me ing the tour organised by
Ligue Counste Revolutionaire, (LCR, French section of the Fourth International)
They also visited Lorraine, Lyon and Lille. The tour raised £10,000 with more pledged for Christmas.
In the Spanish state the solidarity campaign been slower starting because of the low standard of living and the setbacks southern European
1 year air mail: £15 1 year surface mail: £13.50
Viewpoint' and send to: IV, 2 Rue Richard Lenior, 93108 Montreuil, France.
5
for
christmas
workers have suffered ovAdrian Piet, earsior-
Adrian Pirt, tingham miner toured for the Combate on October 3-6
Rallies were organised by neva Claridad. together with the Left Socialist Co-ordinating Committee and the Ezkerra Marxists WATC held in Pamplona, Alava and in the Navarran town of Estella.
In Pamplona Adrian Pirt addressed miners at the Potassa de Navarra
food and money were collected In Italy, facing similar problems Spain. solidarity is finally getting off the ground. Meeting have been held in factories in Milan Brescia and Mantua.
Lombardy-wide committee representing engineering workers building and textile and
vited Alan (Jones South Wales to the region
get support. other meetings he address cu lic workers a me All Romeo car factory near Milan.
International
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Page 6 scan of this page
6 Socialist Action THIS YEAR the 'Allies' will be celebrating their victory over Nazi Germany. Already sen roused by Thatcher's initial refasal to celebrate VE Day. Britain's great war 'leaders' brought out. All in all we can be sure of being given one greatest festivals of lies of all time.
The British ruling class has no intestion of allowing the truth about World War Il to be discussed. both Margaret Thatcher and Neil Kinsock will join in the suppression. For it was the British ruling class, nore any other in the world. which created the conditions for World War Il and the greatest slaughter in history which it produced.
Neville Chamberlain
25 January 1985
was tne
storm has imposed
of Treaty
will be
leaders such declared their of the Mussolini.
It was
The British
And
probably
the invasion of Czechoslovakia. This policy fascism, appease Hitler.
for contemporary reasons.
Campaign for
is the truth.
CND
Of those who Hitler and Mussolini,
fought Franco in Spain. onwards.
The same
VILLAI
appeased Hitler.
those who celebrate with
East.
The Sovie
the western Europe from fascism.
The reality of
World War II
British ruling class, together with the French, which in 1919
Germany the infamous Versailles which helped prepare Hitler's rise to power. Already during the 1920s British Conservative prepared
as Churchill. openly against admiration for
British loans which helped were keep Nazi Germany afloat in the 1930s.
Conservative government was left of the 1930s directly participated in fighting. allowing Hitler to gain his great foreign policy victories — the occupation of the Union, Rhineland, the invasion of Austria, and
of appeasement of and of Hitler in particular, was not a mistake. The British ruling class, and the Conservative Partv above all. EUSL hoped that Hitler would be a bulwark against the Soviet Union. It is the same virulent anti-Sovietism which Margaret Thatcher puts forward today that in the 1930s led her predecessors to directly
This point is extremely important to understand not oniv for historical but
Thatcher, 'allies'? and her supporters, claim that it is the
Nuclear Disarmament that is pursuing the same path as the appeasers of the 1930s. The exact reverse
stands in the tradition of those who fought fascism in the 1930s.
campaigned against already or those wno fought Mosley in Britain, of those who
The element which remains constant in the Conservative Party's policy is its violent op- Roosevelt position to the soviet Union and its support for right wing dictators — then her, now virtually every unpleasan regime in the world from South Africa
history. policy which today demands Britain arm itself to the teeth
than class content as that which in the 1930s has the Dresden
Inal is une reality which Thatcher wishes to cover up
But there is another fundamental feature of the war which Thatcher, and
her, want covered up. This is that the war in Western Europe was itself a side show. The real World War II, the one that counted, was that fought out in the Mussolini
† Union for most of the
Germany army. It never fought against
three-quarters.
Soviet army, and the Soviet people, not
allies, who liberated
British policy in the war, after the Nazi invasion of the USSR, was to leave the Soviet Union to do the bulk of the fighting while Churchill ensured the safeguarding of the empire
the coming 'communism' Europe. British intervention in Greece and Italy in 1942, 1943 and 1944
designed to safeguard British capitalism's interests while the USSR
to bear the brunt of The one thing that could have relieved the BUTCASULE on the
an allied invasion of France, was constantly put back.
By the time Britain and the United States did invade Western Europe, in 1944, it was clear the USSR had already won the war. The D Day landings were
as much about Soviet Union advancing too far as they were about the war with Germany - a war the Nazis by then had already lost.
Finally the British government will also take the greatest care to cover its atrocities in the war. We will hear -and rightly — much about the crimes of the Nazis. But how about the role of the
It was once said of Churchill that he was chosen as war leader because it was necessary to have someone who could fight Hitler on his own terms. Churchill never had his own 'final solution' of the Jewish question because Britain never found itself needing it — Britain had
carried out its 'final solution' of the Irish question in the nineteenth century and continued to rule the 'empire on which the sun never set.
Churchill couldn't order either, as
For Truman could, nuclear bombing of Japan as a warning to the USSR. But within his limited resources Churchill was a war criminal on a scale to compare with any other in
Nothing shows that more clearly
This order for the bombing of the greatest : killing by a single attack in history. More died beneath Churchill's bombs in Dresden even than in Hiroshima or Nagasaki.
It was a 'fitting' ending to the policy which Britain had pursued throughout the 1920s and '30s. Having helped condemn the German workers to Hitler, une brusa ruling class under precisely the same Churchill who had so admired
then slaughtered German workers beneath British bombs.
Next month sees the fortieth anniversary of the bombing of Dresden. We are devoting our centre pages to that as a fitting comment on the nature of the 'celebrations' we are going to be invited to participate in during the collug weeks.
ON THE 1945, 40 years ago, Dresden was attacked by a force of 1400 The raid was the most devastating of the terror-raids Churchill — he authorised one of the most horrendously brutal war crimes ever; the biggest single killing in history.
In the space of a few hours well over 100,000 people were slaughtered. one knows the exact final total but this is what the offical police report says:
UD LO 1945, 202,040 bodies, women and children, were recovered. It is to be assumed that the death toll will climb some 30 per cent could be identified. As the removal of corpses could not be undertaken quickly enough 68,650 of the bodies were incinerated, and their ashes interred on a cemetery'.
By John Lloyd
overwhelming majority of the victims were civilians, and that more perished in the Dresden holocaust than in the atomic explosion in Hiroshima.
Terror bombing of German cities was advocated by Churchill as a way of sabotic the enemy's 600,000 civilians were killed by these and raids. To achieve this objective Churchill seemed prepared to go to any extreme.
He considered the use of anthrax to wipe out an estimated Germans. tualv made and tested on a Scottisi island.
Soviet He even wanted to use mustard gas - this was his view on its use: 'I want a cold-blooded calculation made as to how it would pay us to use poison gas, by which I mean principally mustard. It is absurd to consider morality on this topic when everybody used it in the last the war without a word of complaint from une moralsts or ine curen — i is sulle ly a she does between long and short skirts tor women."
The pretext for the Dresden bombing was that the city was a vital inthe
Church
night of 13 February the city of with
British and 600 US planes Lar ECL
not military.
ordered the evening of 20 March primarily largel
army.
to 250,000. Of the dead only
degenerate
What is know for certain is that the
morale. Over
tack Yalta
Curator three million campaign, An anthrax bomb was ac-
type of
bombers drop
are exposed
question of fashion, changing as
fires.
Corpses are disposed of after the Dresden fire-bombing
dustrial and communications centre
factories and important railway, making it a legitimate military
But the real reason was political,
'Big Three'
In early February 1945 a conference to decide the future of post-war Europe was to take place at Yalta. This was a conference of the 'Big Three': Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill. Churchill felt himself at a disadvantage. He would not enjoy the same status as the others.
because USSR's astonishing victories over the German
In comparison Britain's contribution to its impending defeat looked puny. The speed of the Red Army's ad vance through Eastern Europe, while decisively destroying the Nazis, making their defeat certain, embarrassed and alarmed Churchill.
Characteristically this utterly
politician sanctioned gigantic air-raid that would virtually destroy the ancient city of Dresden and its population, as a way of enhancing his own political position. Churchill also wanted this raid to serve as a spec tacular military warning to the USSR; a demonstration that capitalism would not shrink from using all the violence and brutality at its command against those who seriously threaten it.
For dramatic effect, the Dresden at-
was timed to coincide with the conference, but bad weather caused a postponement. Planned as the
the terror-bombing the raid was designed to cause the biggest fire-storm ever.
Fire-storms are created by a specific
aerial bombardment. The targets are always densely populated residential quarters of cities where vast amounts of combustible material occur. In the first phase of the operation
high-explosives which rip off roofs, shatter windows and frac. ture walls, so the interiors of buildings
Then the area is saturated with incendiaries which start thousands of
Rising currents of heated gases and the rapid consumption of oxygen draws in air with considerable force and speed. Artifical winds sometimes of
Page 7 scan of this page
ill the war criminal
Extract from official report on Dresden
purricane strength are
ushing to the fires taking with them
huge quantities of debris to feed the
lames. The fires spread inexorably to
one single fire-storm;
lagration of raging flames and rushing
minds.
The Dresden conflagration burned Ben hun a per it. Is giow was visible days, a pall of smoke three miles 200 miles away. Victims nerated in tens of thousands. nore died from suffocation or the efects of blast.
direct hit by explosive on a shelter killed over 200 people in a particularly gruesome way. The shelter contained the full force of the explosion so that rescue workers found no bodies only an even sludge of bulverized flesh and bone. The scene of
struction was unimaginable
A Swiss resident described what he saw ten days after the raid. His account mas published in a Swiss newspaper: The sight was so appalling without a second glance I decided not to pick my way among these corpses For this reason I turned back and headed for the Grosser Garten.
'But here it was even more appalling: walking through the grounds, could • see torn-off arms mutilated torsos, and heads which had been wrenched off their bodies and Folled away. In places the corpses were
still lying so densely that I hadto clear a
path through them in order not to tread on arms and legs.
Horrified
A horrified worker, one whose task it was to bury the dead, wrote: Never would I have thought that death could come to so many people in so many different ways. Never had I expected to see people interred in that cremated, torn and crushed to death; sometimes the victims looked like ordinary people apparently sleeping; the faces of others were racked with pain, the bodies stripped almost naked bv the tornado: there were wretched refugees from the East clad only in rags, and people from the Opera in all their tinerv: here the victim shapeless slab, there a layer of ashes shovelled into a zinc tub. Across the city, along the streets wafted the unDresden 22nd March 1945.
Order of the day No 47 AIR RAID ON DRESDEN:
In order to able to counter wild umours, were ronows a Driel exuraci from the concluding statement of the Police President of Dresden on the four attacks on 13th, 14th, 15th February 1945 on Dresden.
Ist attack, on 13.2.45, from 22.09 • 22.35: about 3,000 H.E. and 100,000 incendiary bombs;
2nd attack, on 14.2.45, from 1.22 o 1.54: about 4,500 H.E. and 170,000 incendiary bombs;
3rd attack, on 14.2.45, from 12.15 o 12.25: about 1,500 H.E. and 50,000 incendiary bombs;
4th attack, on 15.2.45 from 12.10 to 12.50: about 900 H.E. and 50,000 incendiary bombs.
generated,
a con- Number Three
command
were in-
small high-
Mainly Chemnitz
the operation a failure.
at
ternationally.
Call tried
that legs,
Germans themselves. 'The
duct of Allied bombing.
the enemy.
state: burnt,
upon military objectives,
peacefully mediate battle-zone,
tion, however impressive.'
wand
Darous
must be learned.
There were 13,441 residential buildings totally destroyed or badly damaged, in other words, 36 per cent of all residential buildings in Dresden.
destroyed or so badly damaged as to be of no further use:
30 Banks; 36 Insurance buildings;
shops; 32 Major Hotels; 25 Large Restaurants; Theatres; 18 Cinemas; 647 Business premises; 2 Museums; 19 Churches; 6 Chapels; 22 Hospitals; 72 Schools;
Spanish and the Swiss
In the cold-store (of the Dresden slaughter-house Complex?) only 180 barrels, each of 110 pounds, were destroyed; all other foodstuffs were saved
mistakeable stench of decaying flesh.'
The RAF considered their night's work to be a success. A similar raid was planned for another city, Chemnitz.
Group of bomber cOhemid is a to on some 30 miles west briefed follows: of Dresden, and a much smaller target. Your reasons for going there tonight are to finish off any refugees who may have escaped from Dresden. You'll be carrying the same bomb loads, and if tonight's attack is a successful as the last, you will not be paying many more
because of bad weather, was spared the taLe Dresden suffered. The RAF considered
The scale of death and destruction
Dresden so appalled that severe criticism was heard, nationally and in-
So much so that Churplace responsibility elsewhere, and distance himself.
On 28 March 1945 a few months before the fall of Nazi Germany, he wrote: 'It seems to me that the moment has come when the question of bombing of Germany cities simply for the sake of increasing the terror, though under other pretexts, should be reviewed. Otherwise we shall come into control of an utterly ruined land. We shall not, for instance, be able to get housing materials out of Germany for our own needs because some temporary provi sion would have to be made for the
destruction of Dresden remains a serious query against the con-
I am of the opinion that military objectives must henceforward be more strictly studied in our own interests rather than that of
The Foreign Secretary has spoken to me on this subject, and I feel the need for more precise concentration
such as oil and communications behind the im-
rather than on mere acts of terror and wanton destruc-
Dresden's destruction had little or no effect on Germany's ability to prosecute the war, nor did it hasten the end barbe crimene see noever stare
prevent future Dresdens the lessons of past Dresdens In addition, the following were totally
31 Department Stores and
75 Municipal buildings; 6
5 Consulates, including the
Police
Socialist Action 25 January 1985 "i 7
Up to the evening of 20th March 1945, 202,040 bodies, primarily of women and children, were recovered.
It is to be assumed that the death roll will climb to 250,000. Of the dead only some 30 per cent could bi identified. The Dresden Civil Police force has suffered 75 fatalities and 276 more are missing, and must for the greater part be presumed dead. As the removal of the corpses could not be undertaken quickly enough 68,650 of the bodies were incinerated, and their ashes interred on a cemetery. As the rumours far exceed reality, open use can be made of the actual figures.
The casualties and the damage are grave enough.
The whole severity of the attack lies in the way that damage on this scale was inflicted within the space of very few hours.
pp The Commander of the Civil Chief of Staff (Signed) GROSSE Colonel in the Civil Police
The Soviet flag flies above Berlin liberation
Page 8 scan of this page
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Page 9 scan of this page
Surplus Value
WANTED: stable and intelligent young mother, preferably caucasian origin, for interesting and unusual job on nine-month fixed-term contract. must be prepared to be on call for 24-hours a day, 7-days a week for the duration of their contract. They must be prepared to submit to thorough-going medical and psychological testing, in own time. Some risks to health may be involved.
The hourly rate for this job is approximately £1, payable only on completion of contract, from which the applicant must make her own provisions for tax and in-
payments. Any cumstances which result in the applicant's failure to complete her contract automatically to loss of all pay-
Not a very attractive-sounding job description is it? But if Britain's first surrogate parenting agency advertised for its potential mothers in the local "jobs vacant' column, that's just how it would sound.
The birth of what is claimed to be 'Britain's first surrogate baby' lead to a storm of righteous protest from the would-be guardians moral values. Kenneth Clarke, Tory health minister, summed it up thus: "The involvement of a commercial agency is generally seen as extremely tasteless, and I personally object to a woman leasing out a womb.'. Tory government is widely reported to be considering emergency legislation on surrogate motherhood.
In the few weeks since Baby Cotton's birth, there have been no end of experts pontificating on the subject. Few have dealt honestly — or even directly - with the real issues involved.
By Carol Turner
Dame Mary Warnock, ticipating the controversy, has this to say in her report on the Enquiry into outtart Fertilization and bryology: '...the weight of public opinion is against the practice. jections turn essentially on the view that to introduce a third party into the process of procreation which should
be confined to the loving partnership between two people is an attack on the value of the marital relationship.
'Further the instrusion Is than in the case of AID (artificial insemnation by a donor) since the contribution of the carrying mother is
greater, more intimate and personal,
than the contribution
donor. It is also argued that it is in-
consistent with human dignity that a
woman should use
financial profit and treat it as an in-
cubator for someone else's child. The
objection is not diminished, indeed it
1s surenginenca, where the woman
entered an agreement to conceive a
child with the sole purpose of handing
the child over to the commissioning
couple after birth.'
'Public opinion'
- is concerned with the threat to the
sanctity of the family.
Actually surrogacy is not new. It is
extremely unlikely that Baby Cotton
is Britain's first surrogate baby. What
1s new ol course
legitimate role of
agency, made possible and more ac-
ceptable by modern techniques of ar-
tificial insemnation.
What is raised is not the morality
of women's actions but the question
of exploitation. Alan
Research Fellow of the Centre for
Human Bioethics in Monash Univer-
sity, Australia, puts the problem suc-
cintly from the point of view of
capitalist morality: More commonly
ethicists obiect to surrogacy on the
grounds that the
could coerced IDIO
through poverty or unemployment.
From one perspective the surrogate
can conceivably (sic!) be regarded as
the victim of an unfair social order.
Without denying this
counterproductive to deny her this
Applicants
No. 602
Il Jan. '85
their cir-
successfully
will lead
has
of
The an-
Em-
The obWOlSC
oI a semen
option. Given
prefer the latter.'
• in a nutsnel
Tests
open and profit-making
Parenting sidiary of NCSP
its 'pioneer' known in Kassaby, name, Manning -
rogate parenting industry.
She has surrogate herself
that role from the
Susan
it is rather Surrogate
What are we going to do about the babies?
Surrogate motherhood: Private Eye get right the Tories' real moral values
La choice between poverty and exploitation many people
There is no doubt about the explollative nalure or le allangement entered into by a commercial agency. The National Centre for Surrogate
Surrey-based subInc ol Bethesda, Maryland, in the United States. When
Harriet Blankfield Britain by maiden - was interviewed a few years ago by the Washington Post she said: 'I want to see this company become the Coca Cola of the sur-
plans for agencies throughout Europe and the Middle East. In addition to the agency's fee
sperm-donating father, NCSP sold the story of Baby Cotton
Daily Star for £7,500.
Ince's article 'Inside the Industry' in Test Tube Women describes the first-hand ex-
PRIVATE FVE
RENT A WOMB
NEW SHOCK
Babies for sale
perience of an American feminist, and raises the broader issues involved The main qualification required kids a try wrestord as the agenty "a track record' as the agency staff put it. It was explained that a battery of medical, psychological and intelligence tests would be required to check her suitability, and that the extensive contract protected her rights and her needs.
Check
In fact this was far from the case.
Susan, single Wolla with children, was readily accepted. first appointment with a shrink involved questions like: name, address, phone, colour of hair and eyes, any boyfriends, expecting to marry and settle down? It wasn't till she asked some awkward questions of the company lawyer that they sent her back for a 'more thorough' check on her motivation.
Susan's description of the contract she signed bears resemblance the NCSP described recently by the
I'll put VAT on them Times. in
more than a bit disturbing. Wealth
Susan
in advance to an abortion if any normalities' showed up
the birth.
Her
although
circumstances The responsible for maintenance.
contract, the other
minimal COSE LUSU one Sunday agencies.
Socialist Action 25 January 1985 surrogate so on.
sort of
ability to pay.
bracket.
country.
surrogacy
feminists. another. mentioned
In arguments Apart from the 'rate of pay'
Kim Cotton's case a miserable the spread £6,500 — some of the legal clauses are diseases
was suoject lo an amniocentesis test and required to agree
'abIf that had happened, or if she had miscarried no ed. money would be due to her. In fact no isolation money was forthcoming until after
There was no guarantee of course that the receiving parents would accept the child if, for example, it was born mentally or physically disabled
inere was • a clause ol dubious legality saying that in such outrage
would be
Perhaps most disturbing of all was the fact that if either party broke their thrash
- and not the had to sue. Not even the legal financial another safeguards are provided by surrogate
9
The process used by such agencies is that the receiving father donates his sperm by artificial insemnation of the
mother, who is the egg donor. This is tried twice a month for six months after which period, if the surrogate mother has failed to conceive, she is dropped from the agen
books without payment There are many restrictions on her ac tivity: a period of time during which she can't have sex (to ensure the sperm donor is the father of the child), no alcohol, no smoking, and
Susan Ince's experience shows clearly that the arrangement made by surrogate agencies is no different to hiring a temporary typist or any other
casual labour. the demands on the surrogate mother are a hundred times greater.
It is a strictly financial arrange ment. Need is fulfilled according to
Receiving parents are inevitably wealthy, described by the agencies as 'in the upper middle class
Baby Cotton's receiving parents for example were described a having a house in the town and in the
From the point of view of exploitation, it is more than clear that
through commercia agency is undesirable. But other ques tions are raised for socialists and
The idea of surrogacy as an agree. ment between equal and consenting people, an agreement by one womar to provide a child for another who i unable to bear her own , is one thing Surrogacy in a capitalist society
Throughout her experience Susar Ince dealt with men: psychiatrists lawyers, the other 'contracting part ner', the father. It was regarded a 'natural' that men should organis this transaction as any other. The rol of the receiving mother was minimal
Susan's anonymity was assured (even had she wanted that) The father was given details of Susan including the town where she lived And the birth certificate gave him he name and address. In fact Susan wa encouraged to contact the father: t let him know the pregnancy test wa positive, to send tapes of the baby' heartbeat. Never was the mother eve
Pundits
the current debate, th of exponents and pro taganists alike emphasise the impo
tance of the nuclear family, and wit
it the control of men over women
bodies. This is a second issue raised b
surrogate parenting agencies.
Of course we must favour the us
of medical technology to improve th
lives of women and make child-birt
easier and safer. But this is not what
at issue in today's debate.
According to the Nation
Association of the Childless, mol
than 10 per cent of couples in Brita
want and can't have children. And i
fertility is increasing, associated wit
OI sexually-transmitte At any given mome
100,000 couples are looking to ado
but only 1200 babies are available.
Since legal abortion
easier under the 1968 Act, adoptio
have fallen from 24,000 to less thi
9,000 each year. And that is exact
how it should be. If surrogacy is
means of fulfilling a real desire
have children, it is only to be welcor
But it cannot be considered the whole issue
women's control of their bodies.
When pundits show the same co
cern for the rights of women to leg
safe abortion, for more adequa
child-birth and child-care facilities
in short, for women's basic right
control their own fertility - LACI L
and moral indignati
generated over surrogate motherho
won't seem half so hollow. Perha
then it will be possible to begin
out rational means
facilitating the process whereby
woman undertakes to grow a child f
• without either being su
ject to the vagaries of the capital
market place.
Page 10 scan of this page
CLPD urges joint campaign
London Labour
Party Ratecapping
Conference
"Open
up the
second
S WE COME closer to the crunch for rate-capped Labour councils the London Labour Party met last weekend to discuss its
eaker stressed the need to link ate-capping with the miners' struggle.
at it: 'We have to open up the second front.' He
il not pay our debt charges.' Reflecting the mood • the conference he added, cialist discipline on our councillors.'
The morning of concrence saw discussion
how to campaign tor. s Jeremy Corbyn pointed
"here 1s greeing a strategy if we do
about
ABDUR VETORY
ELPD are proposing a joint campaign to defend Labour Party democracy
Socialist Action 25 January 1985
front"
Speaker after the fight against
As John McDonnell, deputy leader of the GLC
ent on to pledge that, when face with the possibiliof having to make cuts, 'for the GLC, first, we
'we need to enforce
mobilise practical support'.
Unfortunately the regional - a series of leaprets executive posal to distribute door to door - did not seem much of
hen ahe only mention of answer. Especially the Labour Party leaflets was in the small print.
By Greg Tucker, NUR Southern District Council delegate
Conference reacted by passing an amenament lo the conference statement calling for 'publicity material of a high quality This was the only amendment to be passed.
Reflecting the real divisions at conference was a debate on deficit budgetting versus nol sellillg rate. The latter was overto current reactionary
significant extension of public ownership.
In addition, we understand this month's meeting of the NEC will be considering proposals Ior a new witch-hunt against Militant Tendency. It appears that they see such concessions as a vital element in their strategy for a Labour victory.
Successful pursuit of this Dialey, however, depends on 1r e PLP regaining its monopoly over ne cercammmauon ot Labour's policies. The
reselection cedure is by far the most effective way for the rank and file to ensure that the
policies pursued by the PLP accord with decided by party Con-
is not surprising therefore that the leadership has initiated new moves reselection. It is clear that these moves have not enaed with the defeat of the Evans amendment *conference.
The day after CUlI ference debated reselec. tion, Neil Kinnock was reported in the press
DON
Ted Knight and Hilda Keene at the special conference on rate-capping
whelmingly endorsed But this was not divide. Most caused by the debate Wat ancharicul from Islington North calling for cour ullaliul with the London Bridge joint shop stewards' organisation.
Though supported by the EC this was narrowly Gerenteo wnen tre massee of the NUPE and TGWU showed their reluctance to
outside their control. por al unes correrenci was a success in registering the united azi celucill to adopt a strategy of nonNO DOUBT the supporters of your newspaper are as concerned as CLPD that the Labour Party leadership appears to have made considerable concessions
trends during 1984. leadership has, for example, distanced itself from the miners' struggle, and retreated (in The Future That Works) from any definite commitment to a
stating that he would continue to press for changes the reselection cedure. The Labour Solidarity Campaign already declared its intenuon lo contnue Ils callpaign on 'one member, one vote. Furtemore, e at its recent AGM, LCU decided not only to resurrect the controversi 0vCl Clause IV of the constituLIUI but significantly to start immediate consultations with major unions with a view arriving at an 'acceptable' formula for revising the present reselection procedure. They intend to draw up a constitutional
presumably in time for the NaC to bv-pass the three year rule and submit this to party conference.
The developments make it urgent for the Labour left to try and find basis for concerted ac-
and other positions which We enare under threat. joint campaign, confined to internal party
compliance. As Ken Liv-
ullILy organisation which we have not seen in London for a ver onstime
task to physically lake conlor ol the town halls, continuing Lo orovue luc services dill wages, within the state in defiance of the state. Like the mining communities
must come together to defy the government turning the whole of London against them challenging the governmantly openly Alcal and deand trade union channels and labour movement publications, which should make a united appeal to rank and file party and trade union members, and promote agreed motions at party and trade union conferences
We therefore writing to ask for your
. Should you agree in views principle with our DrO posal, we hope there can be a joint meeting at the beginning of January Naturally we would welcome informal discussions about this proposal in the meantime.
Looking forward to hearing from you, Yours in Socialism, Hon Secretary
• This year's CLPD annual meeting takes place over four rolling venues in March and April. They
23 March Bristol; Sat 30 March
Sat 13 April Sheffield; Sat 20 April -Edinburgh.
All are from llam till 5pm. The closing date for amendments IS and for nominations, March.
More details from: 10 Park Drive, London NWI 7SH;
Vladimir Derer on anote
01-458 1501.
THE LABOUR PARTY
tota vanuary 1989
seat Ms Iwelves Aun sain
Attack on
IN THE first
hall Labour Party. nual conference.'
Vauxhall's
week.
CLPD delegates cast their votes
News
black sections!
clear organisational move against black sections a threatening letter has been sent out from Walworth Road to Vaux-
Vauxhall has incorporated its black section officially into its constituency rules. This is in defiance of the decision of last year's conference and has now provoked a reply from the national agent's office which threatens that, if Vauxhall does not change its rules 'the national agent will have to ask the NEC to rule on the extent to which your party would be able to participate in the 1985 an-
general committee will be discussing this threat at its next meeting this
Page 11 scan of this page
News
Photo: TIM RIBGY
ed by Sampson Bond
Labour Party's capacity governmental cuts.
from Militant. It is a scandalous document.
It lists a series of 'facts' many of which rebound on the Liverpool city council and Militant itself in their dispute with the black caúcus and NALGO
For example, stated that as Ianly Ehreatened in Liverpool if 6,000 council jobs Labour are defeated by the ¡orles' Such almost certainly true. What's not mentioned, though, is that
the 30,000 council workforce there are only 200 'ethnic INOTILV employees. Ethnic TEHnO Le, per cent of Liverpool's total workiorce.
The number of black council employees dropped since Labour took control ot the coun. cil!
The leaflet goes on to say that the Tories and
iberals in Liverpool 'are using the black caucus and its campaign to try and split the counci workforce, weaken the
confuse thousands of Labour sup- UnORs urleis. alu vocl lc wal for Thatcher's vicious attack on the people of Liverpool, black and white!
Of course these 'enemies of the working
, une Teatel Cas them, will utilise breaks in the ranks within the labour
mon Menttant tust ass-
Militant must itself, and seems incapable of answering, is who caus-
IN A RECENT unsigned leaflet distributed in Liverpool the black caucus — fighting alongside NALGO for the readvertisement of the race relations post fill-
— is identified as being in league with the Tories and Liberals in weakening the
to campaign against
The leaflet entitled 'Why Do the Tories and Liberals Support the Black Caucus?', through its style and contents, is widely thought to originate
Led the split? Who holds the key to ine solution?
The inverted logic of willo HASIS. blame lies with themselves, was expressca Militant Terry Harrison at this year's annual meeting of Arundel Ward in Riverside constituency. He contended that those in the labour move-
By Tim Rigby
opposed Militant's position on Sam Bond were making it impossible to carry out the council's campaign against the government, adding paign against the appointment of Sam Bond was not dropped the fight against tie cover meul coulu niul be waged.
When the meeting suggested that the council should back down. rison replied; T'm not here to do a trade-ott.
Militant's bullying tactics alc ICW While they use any constitutional trick they can to overturn decisions made by labour HUyCucil
their beir Sam hppositil Bond policy, NALGO. TCWU GMBATU NUPE, ASTMS, the trades counaild the joinmihee, sewcolululiec.
Labour wards and 2 constituencies stand in tirm opposition. That opposition is growing.
War of lies hots up
NALGO Herald letter to
ICCCll the Liverpool newslellel council workers from Pete Cresswell ascuiclal y
the 5,000-strong NALGO and of the ioint shop stewards' committee) and Graham Burgess, KCaaI LIveroOOi NALGO and a member of NALGO's NEC) revealed that Militant aic using bosses tarlils lu attempt
divide the NALGO membership.
The Labour group has
OULC ICLICI NALGO members, the
which were culilcllls described by Cresswell and Burgess as being mixture Hs te nadr lies and pomposity. One ot those ller was a clain that nationally NALGO did not support the local boycott Sam Bond's DUSL
NALGO's NEC fully support the boycott. As Cresswell and Burgess state, the fact that the Labour group letter went out by-passing the trade
is astonishing in Uillull. itself. Boycott Aditionally informse group letter NALGO members that no breach in trade union practice has occured. and advises what cirCuristalle. boycott should take place. 'What patronising "drivel!' Cresswell and Burgess, it
for trade unions to decide when boycotts should take place - not our employers.
They continue: "The Labour group say that the city council is not "just another employer" Many of us would love to believe that but recent actions of
Confrontation on lobby of City Council the council are leading us to draw the conclusion that they are "just another employer" prepared to
tỏ by-pass and allcillyl villify their employees trade unions.
If Militant and the city council are serious about waging a fight against the government, they must resolve the sam Bond pro-
aiem in lina cith Naucos
caucus demands, to win black and trade union support.
They must also go further and undertake serious positive to overCUlIl the problems the black community has historically faced. If not they do not, unev conl deserve the support the DaCk commune traditionally given to the Labour Party THE THREE-year long fight of Muhammad Idrish against deportation is reaching its climax.
The Home Office has refi sed lese to aer d
House Lords against deportation.
Muhammad's one of thousands. Last year 2,282 people were deported under Britain's racist laws. similar number left under threat
Muhammad's union, NALGO, has called a day of action and a demonstration on 30 January in Birmingham. All NALGO branches are being asked
1985
Cruise
Watch conference
THE DREAM born at national CND ference of holding Cruise Watch conference, has in a couple of months become reality.
The first conference Against Cruise called by Kusnolme Longsight CND group and the •reennam Umbrela Group will be held in Manchester on 16-17 March.
By Mary Kelly
At a meeting held on 6 January, 50 or MOTe activists from various CND crouos. mreenau. crus Watch and Moles Watch nedre ICDORI DalK from the various working Doue wiu du DCC SUl ting out the details of the Conte cnce
All the people in the working parties are to be congratulated on their ef-
lhere are 600 places available at £5.00 per delegate, and registrations must be in by 1 March at the latest.
Speakers will be attending from Italy, Holland, and Belgium and grass roots groups will be invited to speak to conference.
It is envisaged that the conference initially will NTOVICI HOTEN discussion and exchange
tactics developed in the fight against cruise.
Also it is hoped after in-depth discussion an efficient network for spreading information can be involved and will help dispel the 'myth' that cruise is a lost cause.
This promises to be a very exciting two-day conference and we would urge everyone get their rezisLrauon InLO
Conference Against CrUISe CND Office, 61 Bloom St, Manchester 3 MLY
Muhammad
must stay!
to strike on that day, and support is needed from the rest of the labour movement.
The fight against Muhammad's deportation is a fight against the racist ana alvisive immigrauon laws. Bring your trade union and Labour Party banners.
Bristol Socialist
Action
Christmas Raffle
Results:
1. K Roberts - - по 119i
D Amus — no 72 Anner _ no Syr B Carroll — - по 732
3. A Scargill — no 1019
Socialist Action 25 January 1985 Pickel National Front
get him taught off campus, ing this situation at PNL serionsness it warrants.
students demonstration. в
ington's presence at PNL.
ty mark a big step forward for
students at PNL to face the law alone
PNL as being lead by a 'fringe group'.
lne ke
calling this action! hangs over 1lal points of view, event to mobilise for.
All out January 25!
No Nazis in our colleges! Harrington out!
11
Aco'STUDENTS
Harrington: the
sting in the tail
IT IS NOW certain that the campaign against
Organiser, Patrick Harrington, will go on at the Polytechnic of North London (PNL). Having won the struggle to
thanks to an 'unofficial' agreement with the new director at PNL, the courts have intervened to breath new life into the NF's campaign to infiltrate Higher and Further education colleges.
On Monday 14 January, 16 students were forced to agree to not prevent Harrington using the library and canteen facilities. Refusal to agree this would have meant six to nine months in prison
The consequences of this court ruling is that if anyone so much as shouts at Harrington as he attempts to use these facilities, they are liable to the
At last the National Union of Students is tak.
with the degree of NUS and PNLSU are organising an anti-racism demonstration for Friday 25 January. Details of the demonstration, and posters and leaflets advertising the demo and cam. paign at PNL, are available from NUS nationally.
should be mobilising for this By the time it takes place, it is once again for demonstrating opposition to Harr
Calling this demonstration and the position adopted by the Inner London Education Authori-
campaign against Harrington. Last year, NUS allowed the
, They even went to the lengths of denouncing the struggle at
December's NUS conference saw a clear rejection of this disgraceful stance by student activists. The demonstration is precisely what is necessary in
one дискоко sne codas. but it should not be forgotten that it has taken over 10 months for the NUS executive to get around to
The demo on 25 January will be a good opportunity for students to show their opposition to the fascist infiltration of colleges, as well as contempt for the courts that defend people like Harrington. It will not be lost on those students active in supporting the miners that the threat of the use of court orders to stop payments to the miners still
student unions. So Irom all , 25 January will be an important
Page 12 scan of this page
Days of Action
TWO REGIONAL TUC's have now given their backing to the call for labour movement action in support of the miners on 11 February, the Yorkshire and Humberside TUC and the South East Region TUC.
Unions is also going ahead with its call for a national demonstration in support of the NUM on Sunday 24 February.
London 500 coss an Tilbury power station (Essex). on
Freeman of the London
branch Cot arntworkers union SOGAT, that Fleet Street was likely to stop work on 11 February.
Ivan Beavis, from the Metropolitan district of
said gover mis members,
said members would be asked to strike in : own halls that day.
The South East Region TUC's leaflet advertising the day of action says "The NUM urgently quested that unions take sympathetic action in support of their dispute order to force the NCB
the negotiating ¡able.'
In Yorkshire and Humberside 67,000 members of NALGO have
lines on 11 February and to donate a half days pay to miners' hardship funds
In Scotland on Friday 39 January around the
'negotiate Hicass now' the Scottish TUC is calling a demonstration in
Inland
o monuls to.
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SOCiAlist
ACTiON
The Liaison Committee for the Defence of Trade
of the NUM assembling in Blythswood Square, Glasgow at 11.30 am to lobby George Younger, Secretarv of State for Scotland.
Members of the NUR are expected to come on the demonstration.
By Valerie Coultas
The North West TUC
tion jointly with Manchester Citv Council linking support for the miners with the TUC's democracy week OI action around defence of the cities.
Greater Manchester has now established a co-"". ordinating committee of and shop stewards to plan action in support of the miners.
They aim to win more subDUll DOWCI workers as well as building the LCDTU-called demonstration 24 February.
Given the offensive the NCB and the Tories are waging against une Num every single action in support or the miners at the present time is vital and
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should be built by solidari-
ty activists.
But the fragmented
character of these 10-
itiatives is testimony to the
the
key force behind these in-
Lauver the British
Communist Party.
This organisation
responsible for a decision
of the LCDTU on Satur-
day 12 January to simply
call Sunday march in
support of the miners on
24 February.
Eric Clarke, NUM She and was reared int
just
before this conference call-
action on 20 February
At the conference
when it was clear that the
demonstration proposed
was on Sunday rather than
a weekday many of the
speakers urged the con
ference to adopt pro*posal for industrial action.
One of them, Dave
Temple of the Durhan •„Mechanics, urged " amendment on these lines.
The platform just ignored the proposal.
vital that the
labour movement rallies
round the miners now. • February
gained industrial support.
"The CP wishes to contine
it to regional action.
At 1s un to hose in the
Labour Party, the trade
unions and the solidarity
movement to turn this day
of action into a national
focus
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New Caledonia
rule
the Kanaks demand for independence.
sional of following a boycott of the November elections.
New Caledonia is situated in Pacific Islands on the eastern coast ot Australa. It has been a French colony since 1853
Mitterrand's visit followed the killing of Kanak leader Elio Machoro a week earlier and was aim-
dialogue which looked as if it had been broken'.
The 'dialogue' took place with Dick Ukeiwe staunchly pro-Frenc
eader of the colony as wel
Jean-Marie Tjibaou, leader of the provisional government of Kanaky.
Edgar Pisani, French ex-cabinet minister and EEC commissioner for development, recommending a 'solution' that dOWS TOT some self. government but keeps
association with France. Kanaks the indigenous Melanesian population, want complete independence and remain unconvinced that Mitterand's solution wolle satisfy their demands.
The Times 1c out that while the 'dialogue was taking place a huge nickel mine the east Cors town Thio, Machoro's headquarters, was bowe towardd
Prate leather killing of the
The Pisani proposals are objected Kanaks. Even if the date of the referendum brought forward to July the Kanaks point out that
PRESIDENT MITTERRAND of France flew to New Caledonia on Saturday 20 January to intervene directly in the developing Algeria-style crisis over
The Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front, a coalition of 10 organisations, established a provi-
Kanaky on 1 December
electoral reform would be required for such a vote to be democratic.
By Valerie Coultas
Under French law any French citizen can vote in such a referendum. French civil servants, military personnel, and their families can vote the minute they set foot in the colony.
The French government has already increased its security forces on the island to 3,250. All these soldiers are eligible to vote on the island's destiny.
I ne other objection the Kanaks have to the referendum proposal that they wish voting to be contined to those least one parent born in New Caledonia Miles B00
The demographic balances in the island have been created by the French. In 1971 French minister openly stated that it was important to bring as many white people as
End French
possible to New Caledonia
drown Kanak aspira-
for macpenaence according to Kanak leader Hnalaine Uregei.
took three years from 1971 for the Kanaks to be transformed from a majority into a minority in
Today out of a population of 150,000, there are 65,000 Kanaks (about 45
cent of the popula-
or French sees dant
settlers French public servants. The remaining 15-20 per cent is made up of guest workers who . came from
Pacific QUIC mostly during the nickel
DOOM in 1970's.
The battle against the French imperialist rule goes back a long way. soon as the white European settlers arrived in the mid-nineteenth centur! they stole, the good land and forced the Kanaks on-
the reserves the poorest land.
Armed
In 1878 there was an armed uprising which was
ly by French troops but by rrench convicts some of whom were communards with the notable exception of Louise Michel.
In World War 1 when Kanaks, along with other colonials from the French
were sent to the
NOTLA CASLeN Europe to be butchered by
guns, another revolt took place.
One of the leaders of this, Chief Noel, was beheaded and the uprising was once again drowned in blood.
Between 1917 and 1946 the French authorities devised special system for the Kanaks to remain within
LIlt reservanus They were only allowed to work for white people
The Kanaks were denied the right to vote un-
1946. 1953 night at 6pm there was a gun salute which signalled
the towns.
Even today the Kanaks are not allowed to speak their own language
arrival of . the French Socialist Party into coverineil raised
Kanak aspirations for inaependence anew. onv to be bitterly disappointed by the compromise solution put forward.
Socialist
The Rhodesia-style assembly November is full of anti elected
independence, anti-socialist whites
Their opposition any reform is backed up by ine rignl-wing in rrance who aim to 'safeguard the
of Prance and French settlers' by waging the same kind of campaigr leading up to the French general election in 1986 as they did against Algerian independence in the early sixties.
There are three govern. ments in New Caledonia loudy. Ine cololllal goverl ment, the French authorities, and the provisional government of Kanaky. The racist, imperialist rule of the : French will not be ended with a neo-colonial solution.
It will only be ended by giving full support to the Kanaky demand for total independence.
← Socialist Action No. 85, January 1985Socialist Action No. 87, 1 February 1985 →