Socialist Action No. 89, 15 February 1985
The scan: 089-feb-15-1985-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
Unions must
the NUM
ACTION SociAlist back proved them wrong.
tions.
No. 89 Jury.
AT THE beginning of last week the Tories, the media, and the labour right were eagerly awaiting the collapse of the miners' strike. The miners have
mined to fight on. The pressure must now be put on the government and the NCB to return to negotia
The day of action on 11 February showed what can be done to support the miners even in the absence of clea leadership from the official movement. In the build-up to
THE TORY
Clive Ponting, Belgrano case.
plause.
heads of those responsible Stanley,
Clive Ponting,
Tam Dayell, leading up to the Belgrano.
By Valerie Coultas
government misleading' events.
tional interest, government.
clearly took the
and not moral or civic duty.
and came to their own conclusions.
ting the Tory government.
This was a truly . After 11 months they are deter-
government received a huge slap in the face with the jury's 'not guilty' verdict in the
The result was greeted in the Old Bailey courtroom with gasps of surprise and then cheers of ap-
Opposition MPs are demanding the
Armed Forces Minister and Michael Heseltine, Defence Secretary.
Assistant Secretary at the Ministry of Detence, passed confidential documents to Labour MP
concerning the events sinking of the
Ponting maintained that he had acted out of principle to expose the
which was "deliberately parliament over the true
The civil service, he maintained, in the last analysis had to defend the na-
even agalist
The judge, Mr Justice McCowan,
government's part throughout the trial. He made the legal ruling that 'duty' meant 'official duty
The 'interests of the state' applied to the policies of the state - whichever government was in power, he told the
The jury clearly disagreed with him
They made a political verdict, indic-
amazing result given that 80 jurors had been vetted before the trial began and that all the names were checked by Scotland Yard
ban South Wales which
movement.
gives
picketing. court.
in Teachers, ment struggle gles vital
THATCHER
has
secrets
- John
the thing?).
TORPEDOED
24 February and 6 March a great deal more can be done to win the unions to support for the miners.
The need for this backing was underlined by the High Court decision
mass picketing - a decision has wide implications for the trade union
It will undoubtedly be used as a precedent which
legal Department of Employ-
guidelines These never before been tested in
They will now be tested
the class struggle. local workers, and local councils are preparing for
In those will Thatcher • has deep evell Falklands factor
to ensure that none criminal records, and by the Special Branch to sift out those with extreme political views.
The government is now under increased pressure to scrap section 2 of the Official Secrets Act (why give Sarah Tisdall six months for doing a similar
But also Margaret herself is vulnerable to the accusation of deceiving the House.
After all, as one commented, why go for the monkeys when you can get the organ grinder?
Tories'
mobilise struggles. -TO in
February
day of ment/NUM action
have pening.
COnSCIOUS
essella against
strug The
of them had Thatcher
political leader longer the jewel in the Tory crown. As these fresh forces come into battle the
problems deepen. Now is the time to
behind these
There must be an all-out mobilisation for the 24
demonstration in support of the miners. Democracy Day, 6 March, should be turned into a
joint local govern.
The TUC right wing will try to prevent this hap
But every Cass worker knows that the maximum unity is
the fight the Tories. The demonstration and the da of action offer the opportunitv to build that unitv
miners remain in the forefront of the struggle and the main question remains that of winning the unions to back the miners.
Page 2 scan of this page
That sinking
2
ACTioN
Stand and fight
LAST THURSDAY's decision by the NUM executive to continue negotiated settlement, and to refuse to give the NCB a blank cheque for pit closures surprised most of the Tory press as well as many on the left. alternatives as a return to work without an agreement — in reality an agreement would be imposed dangerous option in the present situation — was a victory for the left in the union.
The slowdown in the return to dication of this strategy by the NUM and a blow to the NCB's hopes of rapidly reaching a point when 50 per cent of miners are back The reality is that 60 per cent of all miners, the overwhelming majority of those who came
and Arthur Scargill is a long way from being a spent force.
This fact is a vindicaton of the intransigent leadership given by Scargill. The Tory press, and the right wing in the movement Basnett's attack on Scargill on the eve of the NUM executive meeting - regard this stand as destructive lunacy.
At BL, and later at British Steel, the leadership of the unions threw in the towel at an early stage in the fight and became complicit in the closure Pr The result in both cases was wave after wave of redundancy, with no resistance from the work forces concerned. leaderless and isolated in the face onslaught on jobs. Militants at local level were unable to substitute for this lack of leadership and generate a fight back.
AGAINST ALL THE ODDS
In the NUM, as a result of this stand there is an extremely strong left wing which remains intact and in fighting order. It has built links across the trade unions and into the Labour Party. It is a formidable force for the Tories to deal with in their efforts to destroy the NUM as a fighting force.
For the left in the movement the stand of the NUM has demonstrated the importance of waging a fight against the Tories and the right wing
however lesson will be of major importance in the coming local government battle. It will also be important in the wage struggles of teachers, local government workers, and others in the coming months.
The number of days lost in strikes, the miners, increased by 30 per cent in 1984, clear proof that the organisations of the working class are still immensely strong. This strength is the bedrock on which the left can build in the next period. Out of the coming struggles the labour movement must forge a leadership which is like that of the NUM stands and fights.
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.
Send all correspondence regarding subscriptions, and receipts to Socialist Action Distribution, 328 Upper Street London N1 2XP. (Tel: 01-359 8180)
Socialist Action 15 February 1985
the fight for
The rejection of such
and for a recall TUC - a
work is a vin-
at work.
1984 are still on strike. The NUM,
witness
The truth is very different.
The membership were left of the ДРЕМІ difficult the circumstances. This
excluding
— a leadership which sales
IT IS not just that politics of the labour movement that are being fundamentally miners' strike. Major shifts are now being forced out into the open in ruling class politics.
The dominant element i use smacos oi coulse the economic crisis. There is no doubt that the lhat-
pletely underestimated the cher government comeconomic price it would nave lo pay lot we meis strike While the ruling class is perfectly prepared to pay any monetary price to defeat the NUM neverineless ine impact or une strike has completely
off the government's short term econonic Dials.
Put most directly Nigel Lawson's planned give away budget in March has already had to be cancelled. The rapid rise in interest rates will signiticantly slow economic recovery, Nigel Lawson is now rated in the polls as the least popular Chancellor of the Exchequer since records of that type began.
While there are other factors behind the rising economic problems of the government - notably the noncies Reagan in pursuca the United
nevertheless there is no doubt that it is the miners' strike which has seriously inflamed the
The plunging pound is just the sympLONE Major shift
The political consequences could be clearly
in the opinion poll SCCIl published HasI weekend's Sunday Times. This for the first time for a year saw a major slide in
government's popularity — down to 37 per cent for Labour and 37 per cent for the Tories.
When find government begins to itself in trouble, as this one is, then blows begin to rain creasingly rapidly. The verdict on Clive Ponting is obviously a purely poltical decision by the jury vote of no confidence in the government's actions on the Belgrano affair. It
A PECE
Tell me, How do you like my new chair? Neat, eh? It's very.
feeling
shaken up by the
is going io be another huge source of problems for the government.
short what the miners strike has done is provide the background against which every other problem of the government has become clul mously magnified No matter what the immediate outcome Thatcher has_been dealt a major blow. In that situation other ruling class
ing to put forward their alterave
By John Marshall
Undoubtedly the most skillful manouvering in the
trom capitalist point : of view, has come from Owen. For most of the strike he has positioned himself 'to the right' of Thatcher calling for earlier use of the law, for 'Scargillism' to be utterly smashed and so on. Now however Owen has turned up on Thatcher's 'left' calling for reconciliation, no vengeance etc.
There is no contradiction in Owen's position. He just has a different formula for now bourgeoisie should than Thatcher. He believes the key thing is tọ gain a firm right wing grip inside the trade unions rather than central direct assault on them. Owen's formula is to link up with the new realists In Ene TUC As moves such
ban on GCHQ get in the way of that Owen opposed them.
Decisive
question however is vishat really decisive
attitude the trade union
bureaucracy is going to
take to Owen's overtures
Neil Kinnock is not going to move towards any deal with the Alliance least not until after he has made an attempt to win
HE ACTION
.... unreliable!
One simply never knows if it's going i to provide support or поб....
the next election. But the new realist wing of the TUC is now in full flight - and is likely to be further strengthened by David retirement. Here there is very significant reservoir forces seeking deals with the Alliance.
Also coming up is the orientation of Maxwell's Daily Mirror Maxwell himself has been giving great prominence in his speeches to those, , such as Macmillan, advocating national government coalitions and so on: the Southgate by-election the Mirror, for the first
/It's unreliable and it doesn't
time, studiously avoided calling for vote for Labour and advocated a vote against the Tories. Sharply right Kinnock, with Hattersley playing a vanguard ideological role, is attempting to take Labour sharp ly to the right to take ad vantage of the problems which are brewing for Thatcher. The sole thing Ull united are that Scargillism which all lorce are
that is anything which threatens to bust through
support you? Don't my ell me... you call i your TÚC chair! ceptive"?
News
Dhoto. JOHN HARRIS (Renort
the basic interests of capital - - must be isolated and crushed. The differen forces involved simply disagree on how it should be done.
No matter how the miners strike ends now there is going to be return to stability in British politics British bourgeois politics had already become fun. damentally unhinged wit! the formation of the SDI and the rise the Alliance. The effects of the miners strike are only going to deepen the effects position still further.
#86 285 LO CORMAC
Have I told you about "Labour Party Leadership contra.
Don't tell me.. ... tell the Pape!
Page 3 scan of this page
Surplus Value
THE ELEVEN months of the miners' strike has produced the most important development in the British labour since the 1920s. For the first time since the general strike in 1926 a mass class struggle current with a class. struggle leadership emerged in Britain. The Scargill leadership of the NUM demonstrated over a year of the longest mass strike in history that it is, in words 'a leadership which stands and fights.'
The programme on which Scargill stood for President in 1981 was the one which the NUM fought for in 1984/5. That programme, cluded: No pit closures other than on grounds of exhaustion democracy in our union so that conterence decisions are carried out. was one which was incompatible with the
The Yorkshire Miner in December 1981 put the matter squarely. Call either elect a leader preparea to stand wo and De couned on the major issues - joo security,
hours, protection of earnings, Dare pensions, health, safety and the like
or you take another path. path is the path of British Leyland... Such a path can never be trodden by miners. We come from a proud and dignified tradition, but over the years so much of our energy has been spent battling on two fronts: with the Coal Board and with the national leader ship of our OWI union. however, at long last we have it in our power to elect a leader who will fight tooth and nail for the men ne privileged to represent. Without question such a man is Arthur Scargill.'
The emergence within the British labour movement, with its long-established tradition of collaboration with capitalism, event of truly historic importance. It represents, Ine oresent British imperialism, a first approximation by the British working class
leadership confronting present crisis in the interests of the working class.
It is not surprising that this leadership has earned the dominant sections of the bureaucracy. They have been as keen as Thatcher to see the defeat of Scargillism, because its class methods are a threat to its policies of collaboration. David Basnett spoke for the dominant sections of the trade union leadership when he attacked the miners' case and denounced Scargillism.
By Pat Hickey
In fact 'Scargillism' will be the most abiding gain to come out of the miners' strike. miners' strike has been held together not simply by its rank and file but by the Scargill leadership of the NUM. It has mounted the longest mass strike in the history of any imperialist country. is that which remembered when the dust has settled. It is an incredible achievement of class struggle leadership.
No matter what the outcome of the strike, and that still remains to be fought for, the militants and membership of the NUM will not, unlike almost any other strike, work feeling they have been betrayed by their union leadership -will be right. They will feel betrayed by Willis, Kinnock and the TUC and they will be right in that too.
For the debate over Scargill and Scargillism in this strike academic one. It is an issue of the entire future of the labour movement and the single most important question of orientation for the left in the coming period.
The emergence of Arthur Scargill and the forces he represents within the NUM, and the support the strike has generated, were the only way a class struggle leadership in Britain could ever be born out of the greatest class struggle within years.
The world would indeed have been a very nice place if a perfectly organsta clas!
movement
has
has
British Scargill's
which in-
and
'You
who Is
That
hext step
Now,
at's
current
is an ne
crisis of
the
labour
struggle
Wednesday,
ly could months the
development in the class struggle.
will be Put another way,
banner take up or
distance?
return to
What in fact
- and they
Scargillite paper
is no been, and
will enter as a
completely identified with
is a left bureaucrat.
Britain for 60
One is either Scargillism
Which way
now for
socialists?
rong?
acress the unions and the Labour Par-
have existed prior to the strike. But untortunate v immaculate conception occurs only in mythology. It is precisely out of the strike that the first class struggle leadership with a mass base has emerged for 60 years.
The fundamental choice the left has is whether it sees that development as an enormous step forward — in fact as an historic step forward -whether it identifies with it, or on the contrary if it sees what has emerged as some sort of dangerous diversionary
, Is Scarcillism a the left should be proud to 'not? Does Socialist Action regard itself as a Scargillite' paper for example? Or is the Scargill leadership of the NUM something from which the left has to take a substantial
has marked out Socialist Action from the rest of the left during the miners' strike is that it does very consciously regard itself as a
- and far more so than 11 months ago. Its position has
that what Arthur Scargill and the forces he represents have achieved in this strike is an indelible and wholly positive development in the class struggle. Scargillism
positive and stitutive element into developments of a left in Britain. It is something to be
and this despite the fact that Scargill was and
Furthermore, given the enormous impact of the strike, there was and is no room fo. intermediate positions.
for Scargill and which does not at all preclude taking up important issues
Scargill's 'left'
critics
of difference or one is basically against Scargill.
The fruits of that latter manic sectarian approach are now beginning to appear with all their consequences for a radical disorientation of the left.
Wild
i ne Wild disorientation on this has of course come from The Next Step, journal of the Revolutionary Communist Party. This leads its February issue with the
pages, headed "Not fit to lead', claim: 'Rank and file miners have been left
they are battling on because they have no choice but to fight. That is how it has bee since on establishes its revolutionary credentials by restating its support for a ballot and carrying a spirited defence of the Nottingham-
have been made 'scapegoats' for the
lunacy, the Socialist Workers Party has been equally critical, if less consis-
launch vicious attacks on the leader-
- the tone being
Yorkshire area NUM. drive to recruit miners to the SWP, Socialist Worker had made a sharp turn. It realised the basic feeling in the ranks of the NUM and dropped its at-
With its 2 February issue however
Socialist Worker slips back into its old line. Its front page warns: 'This is no time for unconditional surrender by the miners' leadership.' The whole issue of the paper. is devoted to the lessons almost being referred to in the past tense — while 130,000 miners are con tinuing the struggle. Such a position is a stab in the back to the strike - and no signs of 'unconditional surrender' have been coming from Scargillites at all.
The SWP's rank and filist line has totally blinded it to the possibility of differentiations in the bureaucracy, and the importance of these differen tiations for the class struggle. It shares with the RCP the infantile belief that the British working class is really very politically advanced, and that the onIv obstacle to its advance is the laboul bureaucracy.
Benn
The fact that Scargill, Benn, Livingstone and their base is a minority within the working class at this point seems to escape their attention. instead of fighting with Scargill,
betrayed the miners at every step, they divide against this current. This position is sectarian abstention from the real class struggle. Since reality does not comorm lo me picture or we revolutionary rank and file confronting worse for realitv. Amongst those who have not fallen trap, however, there are equally false positions.
Failing to recognise the fact that
Socialist Action 15 February 1985
to
such
tee). strike.
TUC.
tionary now /Livingstone struggles ahead.
SWP has
illusions
the strike
class, ferent
class left, not
through far 'have devastating
Finally,
Thus Benn Livingstone leadership and
The
the bureaucracy so much the
into this sectarian
3
the Scargill leadership is in advance of
overwuelming majority of the working class at this stage, the refusal
recognise the real balance of forces in the labour movement, and the long road ahead before this can be qualitatively changed, leads to
absurdities as the Black Dragon No 4 (the bulletin of the Mineworkers' Defence Commit.
This claims that the balance of forces is such that not only could a 24 hour general strike be delivered on 11 February in the face of TUC hostility, but goes on to set 6 March as the day for beginning an indefinite general
At the MWDC conference in Sheffield a number of left groups put forward resolutions which demanded a recall TUC to call a general strike. Others demanded that the MWDC sel up councils of action, and constitute itself as an alternative 'rank and file'
The common thread in all of these ultra-left demands is the belief that the working class is really • revolu-
and needs only the cor. rect call for it to respond.
The reality is that the Scargill wing of the movement is very much a minority, and the Scargill leadership is only the first step in breaking th grip of reformism and class collaboration on the British labour movement Failure to understand this fact wil lead to disastrous mistakes
The logical consequence of these positions is to fall into the rightist error of the SWP, and conclude that 'we are closer to 1927 than to 1925' The reverse is the case. We are in the first stages of a new phase in the class struggle in Britain. The Benn/Scargill
current is the key development in this stage. It is the most advanced mass political current in Britain. It is, in Lenin's phrase, the 'next link in the chain'. Those on the left who fail to grasp that link will
• historic opportunity in the emerged 'Benn-
In then place. in-
necessarily starts among the right.
to fight far more than anything entire and
Page 4 scan of this page
'Women are turning political'
4 Socialist Action THE TORY GOVERNMENT are not only using every piece of slander they can find against the miners, they are also punishing them with vicious sentencing in the courts for minor offences. A staggering total of 10,520 miners in England, Scotland and Wales have been arrested in the first 10 months of the strike. The number of miners sent to prison or detention centres so far is 148. is over miners will be hounded by the police and
THE SOUTH Yorkshire Defence Campaign is a new campaign comprising miners, miners' groups, trade unionists, Labour Party members and
Number 3 of the campaign. January, sees the first tiraf This week (end of miners in Sheffield for unlawful assembly.
Ten defendants on 31 rested a mile
May are to be tried before
the Crown Court. If found
they could face a
life sentence.
To arrested for
unlawful assembly you
could be one of three people gathered together for
seemingly 'an unlawful
For a lawful pur-
purpose,
pose unlawfully carried
In this case it is the way
in which they allegedly in-
tended to prevent the coke
leaving Orgreave
which provoked the
charges being brought.
miners' wives
in Manchester town hall.
WE started our wives support group six weeks into the strike. There were two reasons ior Inis - - support for our men and concern for our families.
We're now 11. months into ine strike. We still support our men and we re still concerned for families.
Women have working in the kitchens 12 hours a day. Women have worked in the food centre.
Women like myself, who'd meeting never beet 40 d before this strike, been going round speaking at meeting, saying what we think. one war suprised to see women on the pickets than the NUM and our husbands. went picketing. Now stand side by: side with the men on the picket lines.
We've been out collectng money: on pub collections, on sponsored walks.
We collected money the children's days out, for
15 February 1985
TORY
JUSTICE
Class war prisoners
Leon Brittan has said that even when the strike
wives, members of black organisations, miners' support women's groups which aims to publicise the treatment of miners and their families at the hands of the police and courts. The extract below is from Bulletin
You don't have to do anything. You could be at a meeting.
The charge of unlawful rarely used. assembly For criminal activity, the police USC Section charges (eg threatening behaviour).
Hundreds of miners on picket lines have been picked up under Section 5 prevIous days on ine same circumstances.
But there are also 600 people who have been charged with unlawful assembly or riot, which yet more serious.
Riot defined as, 'tumultuous disturbance the peace, assembling with a common purpose LORRAINE JOHNSON is a member of the Bold
Her speech, reprinted committee.
below, was made at a recent Labour Herald meeting
children's parties, clothes and food Everybody's supported us a lot. the trades unionists, the councils.
Without the support of the councils we'd have been finished. They helped out with the gas and electric our bills, which was what was worring a lot of people. been We've had our phones tapped, we've sultered harrassment. had a 13 year old girl artried rested charge her with soliciting. have We've been followed by police DIkes - 'chips' call them everywhere we go. more Our lads have had windows smashed. It's all over the news when working But we their minels get smashed. our laas nave had their windows smashed — you don't see that in the papers.
We'd never political till this When came to power she took
the courts. These men and women are class war prisoners. They are not criminals. The labour movement has a duty to rally round to defend them, their families and the cause for which they have fought.
different areas to illustrate the way in which
British justice is class justice — no justice at all if you are a striking miner or a woman from the
mining communities.
the terror of the
people'.
who was at
Orgreave or who has seen
videos will know who was
terrorising whom, 4110
who was rioting ... and it
wasn't the pickets. must have political decision
been taken to
change the tvpe of charges
being brought to try to
make an example of the
Hicks.
milk off our children. We let it go.
When the strike started she took f15 a week off us now it's £16. atisfied with taking mill for off the children,
taking the bread off them We
to
Lorraine Johnson we Some single lads have
months, except we've raised them. Some of them have got no shoes on their feet, windows
La ne callarel alc ing shoes from last May.
That is our next step make sure they don't go back to school with card been board on their feet. • strike From miners'
Thatcher everywhere Walt
thank everyone for
Below we publish a selection of reports from
Case 2:
Robbie Andrews from
Cresswell (after spending
three months remanded in
custody) got 9 months jail
hitting scab, Paul
Spray from Bolsover. The
scab actually started the
fight but he was not charg-
When Derbyshire
miner, Mick Machin hit
another scab, Malcolm
Wagstaff, he got 16 days
support we've Especially before ChristThatcher Not
the miners' hey'r
back wanted work. the NCB When phoned up suade him
out. keep
One thing
for
Wcal -
WIves
the
Jailed
for
picketing
TERRY FRENCH has been sentenced to five years imprisonment allegedly assaulting a police officer. Arrested when picketing at Wivenhoe oil terminal in Essex, in an attempt to stop scabs violating TUC policy, he got involved in a fight where a policeman ended up with a broken nose
years! Terry's real crime leader of the strike.
justice inside prison as he did out.
Kensington, Wandsworth
Groups,
on Saturday 16 in prison.
Why the difference?
By the time Mick Machin came to court he had gone back to work.
Case 3:
Dave Potts and Chris trom Manton colliery were arrested last September on a charge of threatening kill Bob Taylor, a scab organiser.
For merely Insulting had. My in her nas liste father worker, so I was brought up to vote Labour. didn't understand All the women Labour, not knowing why they were putting cross on a piece of paper.
Now we know.
Tenter know what it's like she people who are victimised, they for gays to per- blacks who are victimised.
want to finish fought with a poem. It's from the her hook women Against r Closure, and it was written to by a woman called Betty, from Darlington:
PIT CLOSU RES NATIONAL MARCH TO CELEBRATE INTERNATONAL WOMEN'S DAY
Chesterfield - 9 March
Exhibitions * Stalls Street Theatre * Speakers Corner Rally in Saltergate Football Ground, 11.30
For more information contact:
Kate on Chesterfield 79729, Kath on Sheffield 381954
Wandsworth jail, He led the
Miners'
calling Terry's
ed up for
tried.
no
and further
¡ position branch
was being
Marton.
Case 5:
Ken Dinn-
TOSL
obstruction penis
deliberately out
and by
police.
friend tha
was arThey tried to starve us out you were there. We needed food and donations you were there. you were there.
When we needed help to picket
steel Whatever help or task you were there. But I we only had to ask. We need not have worried why. voted you were there. The papers tried to tell us . #121 Maggie tried to tell us you weren't there.
you weren't there.
Now 1 Oh where could they be looking
for
You certainly showed them
and
you were there.
Words can't express our thanks
off We will always remember for being there.
you being there. And if you ever need us you only have to call us And we can guarantee we'll be there.
tion in Lancashire been slowed down since a week last Thursday due to lack of oil and coal supplies.
This is due to the action of ASLEF and NUR members in the area at Warrington Quay depot and TWU members in-
News
rested with him. Five other
branch officials were
rested in the same week.
Case 6:
Three miners Gary Mould
Mick Jones and Willy
Bannister, pleaded guilty
to the charge of arson in
Crown
Court three weeks ago.
Thres tonerStephen Ray-
mond Patton
LOWE pleaded not guilty. Five of and Paul Nixon
the miners were sent down
for two ycal: each
One miner, Paul Nixon
who had pleaded not guil-
the had admitted in court that
acted as a "look
out' in the incident, which
involved burning a coach
at the firm Thompsons
which carried scab miners
to work.
Why did Paul get off
and not the other
who also pleaded not guilty? Paul gone back to work
(All the information from Yorkshire comes from the South Yorkshire Defence Campaign
We needed strength on demonstrations
what did they think they were cooking?
Fidler's Ferry shuts
Fidler's Ferry power sta- side the power station has
Bold NUM commented 'If all the power workers in this area had followed Fiddler's Ferry's lead we would be sitorn ret The TGWU has been helpful in giving us sup. port.'
Page 5 scan of this page
No to left ghettoes
In the Unions
MWDC Conference
established at Labour Party conference in October last year, had a massive potential to boost solidarity with the miners struggle.
Benn, Jimmy Knapp showed that powerful constructed that could aid the consolidation of a national solidarity movement.
inside the commitee about how to go forward.
those links. One was away from it.
going away from those links into a left ghetto. Valeri Coultas reports.
TO UNDERSTAND what happened last weekend in Sheffield it is necessary to know orenaion had been fought for up to ilal conterence.
BLACK DRAGON issue 4 spells out the Chartist Tendency's views what the committee should become.
'We see ourselves as having pertotl the functions of an alternative
Chris Knight on the page 8 of the ouue dun
In the editorial he suggest that the MWDC
10L only can but already has organised a general strike.
'We know for certain that we have collected enough ollclalbacklng from unions with weight
24
ucuvel Wllassive hour General strike on February 11. Through actions in key sectors we can Dnne mucu or uic counll. to a halt' (!)
Ignored
This view, around which a whole series of small groups on the lett coalesced at Saturday's contererce. assculllally saw the MWDC as an alter-
native to the TUC and the Labour Party leaders and to the NUM, as a platform for left phrasemongering giving advice to the NUM about how to run their strike.
There was another view of this committee put
Second Miners' International Solidarity Meeting represe tr tives of hie o met mintis riorm over ens itd ane miners.
Saturday 16 February Penrhiwceiber Miners' Institute Penrhiwceiber Cynon Valley South Wales
speakers Dai Davies (South Wales NUM exec)
Tower Lodge NUM Roy Butlin (Coalville NUR)
Loraine Johnson (Bold Womens Support Group) Marconm rinneaar tLercester divInny I
Kav Sutclitte (Avelsham women Aoainst Pit Ciosure.
Anne Jones (South Wales Women Against Pit Closures)
Joo Mohammed (Notts striking miner) Pus speakere ina, fla coa et Mam an and seokher om dapa., Auatali,.
Social with Bar
Train from Cardif to Mountain Ash Minibus shutte from Mountain Ash
to penrniwceibe
Admittonns 2.50 waged, f1 unwaged, Free for strikers and familie
rganied by Socilist Acion, Po are So maton Mri Wrze o phe01-359857 Thres coachen are boa kod to ngo fo th kent. f tng o Maes asyofor detalm London one of thae
Assembling a platform of Arthur Scargill, Tony and Ken Livingstone,
alliance being
Since that time two lines have been clashing
One was towards the labour left to consolidate
The conference in Sheffield revealed the MWDC
forward by Socialist Action.
It was to build on the gains of Labour Party conference. To SCC the committee for what it actually was not an alterhaive TUC coordination of the solidariLy movemn olen aoe alliance primarily with the Labour left and the NUM.
This involved playing down the rhetoric and consolidating the alliances the Comlinllicc Coulu nuake around practical tasks
ıke a national demonstration.
But so concerned were the Chartist Tendency to use the committee plattorm for their confused politics that
the calllc lu AC mccue between the Liason Committee, the South East Region TUC, the Campaign Group, the MWDC on Tuesday January these leftist declarations were able to be used by the stalinists to stop a united front solidarity movement being established.
One key group was only present in small numbers at such an impor tant meeting the NUM.
1 nus the dle was cast The Liason Committee decided to go ahead with its demonstration through traditional CP channels, refusing even contemplate changing the day at the request of the NUM members in the meeting.
leading Labour Party figures the
12 noon
aucad
Glad reached at
greatly
the post-war
Uk up of Yalta'.
consider
if the
Prest were LYet
BRIEFING
negotiations to take place,
are due paral1e1, between wider movement who • 81ea
11th and March 6th. are meeting under the
tne
NUM areas alongside
the coton, seerc, e koca
the ICDIU, numerous a massive 24-hour General Strike on February unions.,
enough official
La halt. meeting remained sienl presumably being unable to cetere slalenerrs wul ten in their name without their full KHUWICuLC conseni.
The editorials of Black Dragon spelled out the public orientation of the committee often deliberately ignoring the aovce committee meetings.
The forces that were attracted to the first solidarity conference. people), criticised by some as being a rally,
for abortion rights
forall women mediate or long run. The
UNCCI Stalin, une walt capable of maintaining the
Yalta. No he 'accords of Yalta' been an they began to break up the speed of the break un
in the different world. If Yalta set the sea of World War II then the
world may In seen, from a certain angle,
to see what is involved in
what actually been the shape of the post-
agreements made in 44. and at Yalta had been First the only countries to rchill acceeded a majority
Bulgaria and
by October 1944 and
On Tueeday, negotiations between the NUM and the NCB
to begin. We have arranged for simul taneous
in County Ial in here each of nine
Iwo delegates chosen by believe chairmanship of Ken
of our conmittee, the Campaign Group of Labour MPs representatives have collected
for certain that we
backing from unions with weight to
action in key sectors, we can bring much of the country to 11th.
STRENGTHEN did not turn up to the se. cond conterence (350 people).
And a much narrower ave Lae solidarity movement passed resolu tions trom Newnam and Leicester that urged the NUM 'not to compromise on pit closure' , and from Coventry and Reading which called for councils of action to be established and the general strike to be called ...
From Basingstoke came the call for a recall TUC call a general
1975-1985 NATIONAL ABORTION CAMPAIGN
ten years of fighti e e e e
we are planning events all over b
February 1945 it v * WE
would en
not only in posses
Rumania but alsc
slovakia. Hungart in addition, we are planning two major launches during the celebrations
part of Germany.
niluen sponsori tenore we nea color and anco d asa bi ol
short thes
Chuchill was that
tually give up its
over to the United Yes. You may dse e yo tr nsoe on pr eiy matriresar Cotebre
large part of wha
war. rennı tol Name/Organisation.
tain offered preci Address..
indeed insisted tha
stabilising capitali Pensesend/do not send a reteipamniversary Appes
France and Weste
ruruuCHIOre
Americans made i
oDichI deliver Througt th N.C.B.:
AUR NEGOTIATORS' HAND!
EVERY NEGOTIATING SESSION WITH THE N.C.B.
MUST BE MATCHED WITH A SIMULTANEOUS
PARALLEL SESSION WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF
TRADE UNION AND LABOUR ORGANISATIONS WHO
CAN DELIVER A GENERAL STRIKE IN THE EVENT
nE.THF GOVERNMENT OVERPLAYING ITS HAND
strike.
Al LAS DaTICUaT Sade of the strike a recall TUC SunEKeIY will more than the NUM gained in September. general strike is therefore not posed and neither therefore the transformation of the solidarity committees into councils of action The way forward for the solidarity movement was always through a practical orientation based on fighting the Tories be it the auralce LEUSC NUM in the coalfields oi * NATIONAL RALLYAND DEMONSTRATIO IS CONFERENCE * MEETING WITH JO RICHAR DSON AT THE HOUSE OI
* Aner pamone d NAC n lat Me g boe? ent over the last ten
Lowards our special anniversary appeal. (You can do one without the other, of Please return 1o: NAC, Wesley House, 70 Great Queens Street, London WC2B SAX
Socialist Action
BLACK
in obooy
the Campaign in Parliament, not by left declarations against these
The way to put the pressure on the left leaders in the TUC to give more concrete support the NUM is by developing concrete calls for strike ac. tion now around days of
as the 17 January aCUOl rail strike proved.
Ihe demonstration or 24 February, now called exclusively by the LCDTU. should be built as widely as possible anc
Here we go...
again!
IN November, the London Labour Party women's committee (London Labour Women) put on Here we go,a women's benefit concert for the miners.
The show was a huge success. Tickets were sok OHHI a week berore. and £8000 was raised for Women
Against Pit Closures.
They will be putting or
another concert at the Pic cadilly Theatre, 10 March to mark both one year of the strike and International Women's Day.
It will be called Here We Go..Again! and will Tenane Peggy Seeger, Frank Chickens, the Wandsworth Warmers Shakisha dancers, Maggie Steed, Brig Keenan, Maria Tolly and Unique Patrol.
15 February 1985 5
DRAGON
'RS' DEFENCE COMMITTEE
miners Strike
GENERAL STRK OPLAT
:
the 6 march should be built as a day to defend the cities
and the laiore hot satrs:
Saturday's conference volve broad forces from the Labour left, the NUM and the solidarity movement shows exact v where the politics of the left ghettoe can lead you — up a dead end.
The early success of the committee in assembling such all alliance show where the solidarity movement with the NUM has to go to achieve real gains for
the miners Ay termene trom the many womel mining areas, as well as in. ternational delegations theo Women Against fil
Women Against Closures event
fielvious day in Chester-
Tickets will again be only tS (t2 concessions) but the audience is asker
prepared for Lo conne bumper collection, and to bring new children's shoes and gift vouchers from na. tional stores (eg Boots, Marks and Spencer, Op).
• Leaflets and posters are available from Janice Muir, London Labour Party 195 Walworth koad Londor SE17 (phone: 01703 6511). Fo more information about the benefit contact Rachel Lever on 01-278 1341 o1 01-251 1773
Page 6 scan of this page
SI WEEk saw the
rieth anniversary of the
eat conference of Yalta.
• February 1945 Roosevelt,
hurchill and Stalin met to
ry to determine the shape
of Europe after the defeat
of Hitler.
According to the
accounts which have appeared in the press
commemorating the event, Yalta was where an
agreement on the post-war division of the world was
arrived at. According to the right wing Roosevelt and
Churchill 'betrayed' Eastern
zurope and delivered it into
•I wrote out on a half sheet of paper:
Rumania: Russia 90 per cent — the other 10 per cent.
Greece: Great Britain 90 per cent (in accord with USA) — Russia 10 per cent.
Yugoslavia: 50 per cent — 50 per cent.
Hungary: 50 per cent - 50 per cent.
Bulgaria: Russia 75 per cent -the others 25 per cent.
I pushed this across to Stalin, who had by then heard the translation. There was a slight pause. Then he took his blue pencil and made a large tick upon it, and passed it back to us. It was all done in no more time than it takes to set down.'
THIS WAS how Winston described his meeting with Stalin in Moscow prepared the ference of Yalta in February 1945. The percentages' referred to the degrees of political influence to be exercised after the second world war in the countries of Eastern Europe by the United States, Britain, and their allies on the one side, and the USSR on the other.
Even Churchill appears to been shocked at the ease of the whole operation and added to his Soviet host: Might it not be thought rather cynical if it seemed we had disposed of these issues, so fateful to millions of people, in such an off-hand manner? Let burn the paper. said Stalin.
Churchill never had any reason to re disappointed in Stalin not keeping to he agreement which he had made. In December 1944 British Greece, under General Scobie, began heir attack on the positions of the Greek Communist Party — a country in which the USSR was supposed to have only a 10 per cent interest. Churchill recorded: and faithfully to our agreement of October and in all the fighting the communists in the streets of Athens not one word of reproach came from Pravda and Izvestia.'
Further west, where Churchill had taken it for granted British, American and French interests would prevail, the story was the same.
In Italy an enormous working class insurrection liberated the northern part of the country in Longo, one of the central leaders of the Italian Communist Party, described the situation in terms which have never been challenged:
TAt the beginning of April - Jan 300,000 partisans began fighting in northern Italy and liberated one after the other the towns Modena, Parma,
6
arms.
tional authority
troops Churchill national 1944 which way for the great con-
paratus. have
"No, you keep it",
place.
troops
'Stalin adhered strictly
long weeks of
French
April 1945. Luigi
more
OI Bologna, modern Piacenza, Genoa.
Socialist Action 15 February 1985
the hands of Stalin. For those who believe in the myth of the two 'superpowers' Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin were readily able to agree on a sinister division of Europe.
Yalta supposedly shows that there is no basic contradiction between the USSR and the powers of Western Europe and the United States.
But what really happened at that conference in the Crimea 40 years ago? JOHN ROSS looks at the reality behind the myths.
Turin, Milan, Verona, Padua and the whole region of Venice before the allied troops arrived. The partisans saved the industrial installations and communication which the were preparing to destroy, took tens of thousands of prisoners, and succeeded in capturing considerable quantities of
"everywnere ine partisans set up naliberation committees as the and executed leaders of Italian fascism days, until the arrival of the allied
and authorities, liberation committees whole political, social life of northern Italy.
Longo also described what happened as the American and British armies began to arrive in
'When the allied authorities reached the north with their troops, they began to remove from important posts the men of the resistance appointed by the
liberation committees,
replaced them with officials from the
old (fascist) administrative apparatus.
And the Rome government, as soon as
the allies handed over to it control of
the whole country, speedily replaced all the people appointed to responsible positions by national liberation
committees with alleged "specialists",
ie officials of the old administrative ap-
The partisan detachments
disarmed by the allied armies and final-
ly the National Liberation Committee
for Northern Italy was itself dissolved.
Throughout this entire
Soviet representative on the allied con-
sultative commission for Italy made not
one single protest at what was taking
In France the pattern was similar.
Large areas of the country in 1944 were
liberated dominated
resistance. As de Gaulle admitted in his
"The
fighting elements was in the hands of
the Communists'.
De Gaulle therefore acted swiftly to
re-establish bourgeois order and as
head of the French government on 27
October 1944 signed a decree dissolving
the resistance militias. He followed this
mitting the return to France of
Communist Party
Maurice Thorez. On his
France on 27 November Thorez issued
the slogan 'One state, one police force,
one army.'
The Communist Party began issu-
ing instructions for the
band. On 2 December de Gaulle went
to Moscow. met Stalin, and signed a
Franco-Soviet treaty.
The meeting of Churchill and Stalin
in October 1944, and the Yalta con:
ference of February 1945, in short at
first glance, cemented
division of Europe.
eastern part of Europe was formally ac-
lines
Germans
the main
For 10
the national directed the and economic
Italy:
and welc
process
by the
of the the Tente
return to practical
capitalism in Europe.
militias to disin place the
The
cepted by the Britishu utArnerna 1944 and early 194/oman fought Soviet sphere of infli to keep ase capitalist eac capitalist econod on strike. thing
: this strike is Europe was not carr
means Survival sterfield - 9 March
In Asia a similar, limited, pattern was of the Yalta confereet Theatre * Speakers Corner by the USSR to ent, Saltergate Football Ground, 11.30
America anı took it for granted maintain their predoChesterfield 79729, Kath on Sheffield 381954 - and the French th
YA
Book Women a Pl
Closure, and it was written by a woman called Betty, from Darlington:
MEN AGAINST PIT CLOSURES GreENAL MARCH TO CELEBRATE
ERNATONAL WOMEN'S DAY
Exhibitions * Stalls
For more information contact:
Myth an
vii "el. apported the
ule in China
e world' that Apress articles
ebrating the
ta. → rhetoric -Pint of thi ›v muele
lored. Yalta Fireflected the tiocoexistence' belist states on we ureaucracy to verse is the suI to re imposed me Wat the time. antain had no
ing to them
Page 7 scan of this page
LTA
d reality
in the intermediate or long run. Soviet bureaucracv turn, was incapable of maintaining the accords it had reached at Yalta. sooner had the 'accords of Yalta' been arrived at than they began to break up
- although the speed of the break up differed very greatly paris or une woria. I laila set une scal on the end of World War Il then the history of the post-war world may precisely be seen, from a certain angle, as the 'break up of Yalta'.
In order to see what is involved in this process, consider what actually would have been the shape of the postwar world if the agreements made in October 1944 and at adhered to. First the only countries to which Churchill acceeded a majority Soviet Welc Rumania. Yet by October 1944 and
The Stalin, in
No
part of Germany.
in the different Influence
In
tain offered precisely Yalta had been
Bulgaria rurthermore
February 1945 it was already clear that. the war would end with Soviet troops not only in possession of Bulgaria and Rumania but also of Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Austria, and a large
short the first demand of Chuchill was that the Soviet Union actually give up its influence, and hand over to the United States and Britain, a large part of what it had taken in the war. In return for this the US and Bri-
nothing and indeed insisted that Stalin aid them by stabilising capitalism in Greece, Italy, France and Western Europe.
British and Americans made it quite clear that they
accepted Soviet influence in Eastern Europe as a purely temporary development. When on 11 May 1945 all US lease-lend supplies to the USSR were abruptly cut off this was explicitly explained by United States Secretary for Economic Affairs Will Clayton as being due to the fact that: 'the lend-lease programme USSR should be so flexible that it could be cut off at any time.' The US War Department noted the decision as, political weapon in difficulties in Central Europe.'
US President the Potsdam summit conference of July 1945. explained his policy towards the USSR succinctly when 'Unless they (the USSR) did something lo remeay lal. slualion (le Europe) promptly they faced extensive starvation Truman argued that he hac 'the cards in American hands' and that
proposed, play American cards.' He concluded that, 'We didn't have to go to the Russians for anything and the Russians very definitely had to come to us for many things.' The use of the atomic bomb against Japan in August 1945 was intended by the Americans as a further pressure on the USSR
The first successful test of the atom bomb, on 16 July in New Mexico, itself already hardened American position at the Potsdam conference. Churchill noted of Truman after he had received the news of the test that: "He was a changed man. He told the Russians just where they got on and off and generally bossed this entire meeting.
By January 1946 the American attemot to secure its positions in casterr Europe was well underway. Despite the agreements of Stalin and Churchill the US government refused the recognition of the Bulgarian and governments 'unless they comply with our requirements.' On Truman outlined that Russia must be faced 'with an iron fist'.
Rhetoric
Despite US rhetoric the situation it found itself confronted with in Western and Eastern Europe in 1945-46 was very far from being directly to its advantage. Although by mid-1945 the Communist Parties policies in Western Europe had allowed the rebuilding of some political stability, and broken any immediate post-war revoluionary breakthrough, nevertheless complete dislocation and social instability continued to exist in most of Europe.
Agricultural production in 1945 in the European continent was only half
pre-war level. million people in Europe were receiving less than biologically minimim rations. More than three quarters of the major bridges in Western Germanv had been destroyed. Industrial France in 1945 was only one third of its pre-war level and only thirty five per cent of its railway locomotives had survived the war Walter Laquer accuratel Europe since Hitler, nomy in 1945 had ceased to be viable. Recovery in 1946 was followed by a new crisis in 1947.
In Eastern Europe the destruction was even greater than the west. Poland had lost one in five of its population. Yugoslavia had lost 10 per cent of its people. Soviet losses are estimated at 20 million dead. Germany had lost five million people.
rurtnermore, in additon threat of political upheaval due to the continuing economic crisis in Europe,
United States ened by a mass movement own army. American troops in Europe demonstrated for an immediate return to the US. United States forces in the ree reacted mutiny to secure the same demands.
In this political situation the chief weapon adopted by the United States to attempt to secure its goals in Eastern
coupled
situation permitted.
Assistant billior
for the $1 billion loan.
connection with
standards.' preparing
The said:
US refused
them
OOLE
Moscow,
palatable alternatives
significantly the
possibility of economic penetration
The econome oy
tempt Rumanian
January political pressure The
similarly economic man army.
the world'
Even in 1946 100 the exact opposite
production in
the agreement faithfully until 1947.
As ue Do-amerca
put it in his 'The European ec- abandoned the
Testan Europe Caspar reminded us recently.
•workers'
to the and Western Europe
was threat-
of a negotiated
class forces
cond World War.
Socialist Action
Europe was economic blackmail
with relaunching of remilitarisation as soon as the political
Already in January 1945 the United States had refused a Soviet request for a
1945 the Americans 'lost' a similar request for a
The US government made it known that it would only agree to these loans if the USSR agreed to 'work cooperatively with us on international problems in accordance with our
When in June 1947 the conference to commence Marshall Aid to Europe was held the Soviet Union participated in the conference and proposed that each country draw up a recovery plan to discuss with the United States. The
point blank and insisted that the plan must be adopted only on a Europe-wide basis, ie. that Eastern Europe be considered with Western Europe and that the United States would be able to determine policy in
As the American ambassador
General • Smith, put it the Soviet's were: 'confronted with two un-
to refrain from participation in the Paris conference would be tantamount to forcing the formation of such a (western) bloc.' If on the other hand they attend. ed the Paris conference and accepted Marshall Aid 'they would create the
La certain amount of ... among tha oviet salculile slalcs.
In short while Stalin kept faithfull! to his part of the agreements at Yalta the United States and Britain had no intention whatever of keeping to theirs.
destruction of the capitalisi the Soviet Union after 1947 was a direct response to the at-
the States economically undermine them through
threats and economic
one major move by Stalin which clearly went beyond anything established at Yalta, the coup d'etat carried through by the Communist Party in Czechoslovakia in February 1948
came only after the United States, Britain and their allies had made it quite clear by the Marshall Plan that they intended to overthrow everything agreed at the end of World War II. The Soviet leadership, quite rightly, had not the slightest intention of allowing a rerun of World War II - only this time with a nuclear armed United States on its Western border instead of the Ger-
In short, it is false to see Yalta as somehow a stable agreed 'division of
between the imperialist states and the Soviet leadership. It was
- an unstable temporary agreement which was imposed by the relation of forces of the time and which imperialism would have attempted to overthrow it it had the chance Stalin intended to stick to his part of
- and did so extremel!
The US and Britain had no inten tion whatever of sticking to their side Indeed until this day they have never
perspective the of capitalism Haster as Ronald Reagan and Weinberger have graciously
Yalta was a temporary equilibrium created hv the clash of two competel contradictory and opposed class forces. On the one side was the non-capitalist
state of the USSR with its allies in the working class of Eastern
. On the other side were the great imperialist powers of the United States, Britain and France. The division of Europe was not the product
'agreement' between imperialism and the Soviet bureaucracy but the result of an enormous clash of
— a clash that continues to the present day in Europe
Behind Yalta lay not Churchill and Stalin but the greatest class struggle of the entire twentieth century. The Se-
15 February 1985 7
Page 8 scan of this page
Africa's longest
8 Socialist Action
AT THE MOMENT Eritrea is a northern province of Ethiopia. Its people have been engaged in an armed struggle for independence for 23 years, the longest war in Africa.
Eritrea has a coastline along the Red Sea. It lies across the sea from Saudi Arabia and has borders with the Sudan, Ethiopia and Djibouti. At its south end, it is close to the Indian Ocean. It is these strategic interests that have led first to the US, then the Soviet Union, backing Ethiopia's war against the Eritreans. the majority Ethiopian, and has
majority Ethiopian, displaced over three-quarters million Eritreans.
It was after the 1869 opening of the Suez Canal, which made the Red Sea of such importance to rival imperialist powels, that the modern history of Eritrea began. were established in Aden, and encouraged Italian imperialist interests to counter the French in Djibouti. In the 1880's the Italians ousted the Egyptians from Eritrea, had their occupation recognised by the Ethiopian emperor in an 1889 1890 had declared their territory a
- they then gave it its present colony name, which means 'red'.
They broke the treaty, tried to expand further into Ethiopia. were defeated in 1896 by the Ethiopians in the historic Battle of Adowa, and forced to retreat to their new colопу.
This is seen as the start of a process which created political unit, as the colonialists built roads, two railways, two ports (which even today are woe ony Eritrea or Ethiopia), towns, and joined together the nomadic desert west with the settled peasant highlands.
In 1941, the Italians were defeated by the british and Lne resistance movement. A typical example of British trickery towards the people they now controlled was the
different leaflets distributed British intelligence during World War II. In one leaflet the Eritrean soldiers were urged to desert the Italians and join the British, and were given promises that they would be allowed to choose which form of Le! wanted.
Another leaflet, distributed this ume to tne civillan populanon, written by Haile Selassie They were told that Selassie had come
the independence Ethiopia, including Eritrea, people henceforth will dwell under
the shade of the Ethiopian flag'. Until his overthrow in 1974, mained unbending in his attitude to
Eritrea as an integral part of the Ethipian empire. Many Eritreans increas-
ingly saw it as another power seeking to regain its former colony.
A British military administration
of Eritrea existed from 1941-49, and
British interests Global role
By 1949 the four Allies - Britain,
USSR, US and France — had failed
reach agreement future. Thereafter the US began to
take over from Britain in playing a
global anti-communist role, including
within Africa and the Middle East.
Selassie granted the US a com-
munications facility in the Eritrean
capital Asmara in exchange for lend-
ing for a stable, unified, firmly anti-
Soviet Ethiopia under its wing.
Within 10 years, with the US and other Western powers sitting back and doing nothing Selassie managed to whip up sectional in terests in Eritrea, violate civil and
political rights, crack down on opposition, then ban all parties except the Unionists. Finally he engineered a puppet assembly dissolve itself and integrate fully in Ethiopia. By September 1962
This was done
The opposition Eritrea, aless y
the 1950s, refused to die.
struggle began.
The history of the Eritrean libera-
15 February 1985 That war has
of a
The British treaty, and by
They factories and
parts. of by
government
was himself.
of 'whose
Selassie repredominated.
Eritrea's tion only port
war between
were look- Eritrean Liberation
Ine Eritrean
Eritrea. had
civilian population was
voted CLO Eritrea and religious
for the fighters, to this within field, and unity of the forces. suppressed in
The armed
for freedom.
ABOVE: Freedom fighters in Shael province, Eritrea
movement is complicated. them because of often-shifting supfrom various foreign states but also because of the bitterness and civil
the movements themselves. During the 1960s and '70s there were three main groups: the Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF), the
Front-Peoples Liberation Forces (ELF-PLF), and
People's Front (EPLF), which is now the only movement with military forces inside
The EPLF was born out of opposition within the ELF in the late '60s to their leadership, the way the
treated, and the socially divisive way in which the guerrillas were organised by regional
origin. Three groups ture. united under the slogans: democracy
leadership in the
Both fronts were committed to a national democratic revolution, with peasants and workers as the vanguard both had opposition groupings within
war
THE ETHIOPIAN famine continues to grab the headlines. But behind the starvation lies Africa's longest struggle for national independence. PAUL HIGHFIELD looks at the roots of Eritrea's fight
which, commentators state, were liquidated the respective fronts; EPLF has transform the söcial structure, sweep away old barriers and alter political consciousness. The ELF has in the main conserved traditional social and political patterns.
Civil war In spite of the ELF declaring civil war on the EPLF, the two fronts at various stages moved slowly towards and by 1977-78 over 80 per cent of the ter ritory was under trirea forces. The EPLF offered o
arrange a cease fire if a free referen dum were held to decide Eritrea's fur-
Since 1974 the Ethiopians had been under a new military regime, the Derg; they were now led by Colonel Mengistu and heavily supported by the Soviet Union, East Germany, and to a lesser extent Cuba (which had previously supported in principle the
BELOW: mass exodus of Eritreans Eritrean cause). Mengistu refused to listen and launched a major oftensive in 1979
The USSR has used the region to experiment with horrific including cluster bombs, bombs, napalm, Ethiopian specialist Were it not for USSR support, the TONILCON gained full liberation.
started dealing separately with the Derg, whilst simultaneously attacking EPLF positions, land reform programme. Various at tempts at negotiated settlements failed, and the Operation Red 100,000 troops, to try and eradicate the Eritreans. It failed. spite of Soviet military officers in the field and the best Soviet weapons. 1982 the EPLF had pushed back the ELF into the them leaving it the only with
try
extended South Yemen
Derg,
the Eritreans long
Led
ly the same?
port,
coast battalion
occupy
fensive.
up their fight.
women,
'People's
Photo, EDI F INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
VICOTOUSI the rest pian underground.
weaponry, booby trap and has backed COnSCIDEs. murder squads.
would undoubtedly have
In 1980 the ELF broke ranks. It
from several , and blocking their
Ethiopians launched Star, with ment perialist
Like all their other offensives, in
(UK) has chester, Sudan and disarmed ingham movement Eritrea fighting forces inside Eritrea,
International
with the ELF-PLF still carrying on in its mainly diplomatic role.
The support the Eritreans have received at different periods is largely the result of whether or not the coun-
concerned supports Ethiopia rather than any full-hearted suppor for Eritrean self-determination. The US and Britain, want a stable, unified
Ethiopian regime for strategic and security reasons. Now that the USSR has use of the two Eritrean ports of Assab and Massawa for its navy, and thus a route from the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean, so does the Soviet Union.
Until 1975, the PLO, Libya and
backed the ELF, but then switched their support to the
whilst Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the Gulf states continued to back
Indeed, the Morning Star in its 5 November editorial goes so far as to state that the Eritrean cause is reactionary largely because of the sources of its support. This is plainly absurd. Spectacular attack Perhaps the British CP would care to analyse the USSR, and Cuba, from a similar standpoint, given that for a
time they supported the Eritrean's cause and have now switch-
allegiance, even though Eritrean position has remained exact-
By 1984 the EPLF was once more in a strong military position, launching a spectacular attack on the Ethiopian air force at Asmara air-
when one third of the latter's Soviet air power was destroyed. May saw a major battle on the Red Sea
with a 15,000 strong Ethiopian defeated. Ine arur na pushed further south to However, there are recent reports of arcas held '77-78. renewed Soviet arms shipments and a possible new Ethiopian Red Star of-
Clearly a military solution is impossible — the Eritreans will not give
Over the years the EPLF have set up mass associations of workers,
peasants: youth, students and small traders, these bodies electing from their own members the
Assembly' Will respon sibility for civil justice and economic affairs. Price controls and a network
cooperalive store. have greatly helped the poor.
Over 80 per cent of Eritreans are still rural dwellers, 30 per cent of these nomads. Land reform has proceeded
Hust arcas more slowly in ex-ELF areas where there is opposition from landlords and rich peasants — with access to land for all.
Women now have the right, for the first time in most cases, to own land, and they take a far more central role in economic life: ploughing the land and crop threshing for the first
One-third of the EPLF fighters are women
Currently the EPLF control only two towns of significant size, and in
• dominated by the Ethio. military they work
It's up to us to make sure that Eritrea ceases to be Africa's forgotten war as well as its longest.
Many of the captured Ethiopian soliders, most of whom are unwilling
have come over to the Eritrean side. Many thousands more are held in unguarded camps. Some who did escape in the : past were executed on return to Ethiopia. This demonstrates the lack of support tol the genocidal war within Ethiopia
opposition liberation fronts, the largest of which, the Tigray People's Liberation Front, has very close links with the EPLF.
Prospects for a political settle
seem distant, with rival imand Soviet interests
• The Eritrea Support Committee
groups in London, ManGlasgow, Sheffield, BirmNavenour. Write to:
Support Committee, BCM Box 865, London WC1 6XX
Page 9 scan of this page
Women will not fail the test
News
replies for Socialist Action. FEMINISTS in the Labour Party wanting to work exclusively to advance the interests of the women of our class, face major obstacles.
Labour Party is a men's party.
the interests of men who exercise power within our movement -the interests of women.
their work for women, channelling their energies instead into securing the support and authority of
However, although
the LULL
the Labour the
political
a wnole, LICE
for to the
paign
wingers, women and
round of selecons Target
The of
vancing the interests OT.
has
objective Labour
tee.
WAC therefore welcomed the support of TLG in this objective.
However, was not long before this worthy campaign came under the influence of those who
cient to support women and black candidates, but that these candidates have to submit to tests to determine their position on certain policy matters.
series of policy
workshops and discus sions followed: these differed markedly from the debate around the 1981 GLC manifesto - which had, after all, taken place
within the democratic forums of the London Labour Party.
There can only be one purpose for these discussions, and that the development particular line of policy on a
Target Labour
Government
The Target Labour Government conference takes
place this coming weekend in Birmingham.
Re-selection for Labour MP's is well off the
ground in many consituencies. Women MP's and
black MP's are still likely to be highly under-represented in safe Labour seats as local parties stick to the traditional bias towards white men.
How should women and the left tackle this problem? Anne Pettifor's views are reprinted from the
• January issue of Labour Briefing. Jude Woodward
More
women MPs
The reason for these obstacles is self-evident: the
Any feminist working therein needs first to serve
before securing authority to advance
Thus most Labour Party feminists subordinate
range of issues, followed didates to determine their testing Callsullabilly for support Dy the gor parmend TLG.
LIC 111Iplications are straightforward• we will once again be expected to jump hoops and overcome hurdle in order to prove our acceptability of (mainly) white men - who nave it in their power to organise TOT the candidatures of women. The same will apply to blacks.
It is my conviction that women and blacks will fail these tests; will stumble OVCI hurdles and knock down hoops and that white men will be justified (once again) in maintaining the status quo: the representation of women's and black interests by white men! Clumsy
In the selection process candidates undergo gruelling, if clumsy and inept, tests to determine their political acceptability to the constituency in question Any person aspiring to a candidature, and not carrying the weighty bag gage of labour movement credentials awarded chose who have the time mobility and approval Ol the men that run this ha knows full well gruelling a test the selection process can be another test of acceptabili- add to this ty — Inis ume 1o a sillail group without democratic mandate, can only be described as arrogant.
other borehan hismeis
block and blacks. These groups do not need to overcome any more hurdles to prove themselves acceptable to
the white men that control this party.
On the contrary, they need ana nara worked for support to deal with the quite
castle. formidable hurdles.
Women quite familiar with the process whereby they create for themselves (through struggle) a small political space.
onised by well-meaning, lett-wing men
This will happen in the forthcoming selection process: women nave made an effective case within the party for an increase Ill the representation of women's interests, and blacks who have done
same, will over taken by white men who wil nob v volunteer to ad. vance the interests of these groups; who will convince didates, especially in safe Labour seats.
The Labour Women's Action Committee (WAC), and the Section Steering Commit-
been vanguard of the fight for positive action to UVe' come this. And important advances have been made.
In most constituencies it is now impossible to discuss reselection without at least considering question of women and black candidates.
ritual knee jerks and fighting
don't get more women or blacks in-
nariament. the pressure is now on to turn words into action.
On women, the debate about what is to be done
_ 1 the polemic between Ann Pettifor WAC, and Target Labour Government, with the issues being aired in Briefing, Labour Herald, City Limits and, most recently, Tribune.
It is unfortunate that the debate has centred on 'for or against' Target Labour Government, for the issues involved go
Many of us who suppor
The dream ticket is no dream for Labour women many on the left of their commitment and black ri ights; and furthermore will argue their ability to advance these in-' terests effectively than these groups tense ver could be pected to do.
These men will be hard left, theoretically well-
leveloped men, but white
nen all the same they wil be.
THE OPENING of a new round of reselections has focussed attention on Labour's pathetic record in promoting women and blacks as parliamentary can-
Target LaDour Government would agree with Ann about what the cam.
- that DULUE hurdles and obstacles to the selection of women and blacks.
But where it is important to disagree with Ann's article for Briefing is in the suggestion that somehow women and more likely to fail the tests of policy.
On unilateralism, on Ireland, , on black sections, on WAC's demands, P'd bet on a woman or a black anyday!
Tests
Of course there is a serious issue involved for Target Labour Government. At present there is no proposal to vote on or
policy statement adopt on 16 February. But must be clear that any such
policye ateme have the
future have status of contributions to the debate on the left, and not rigidly Ceptabick of a the canceptability' CaLl didate.
Feminists in the Labour Party, well schooled in subordinating their interests to those of men, should resist these moves. We should, politely, thank those male volunteering their services on our behalf, and refuse their overtures
Now is the time for all good feminists to come to Ine ala ol ine Labour Par. ty, and organise,
But Ann Pettifor's response to her critics in the latest issue of Tribune falls into a serious error. She suggests raising the question of Ireland as such a pollcy touchstone is simply a manoeuvre to exclude women from selection.
Campaign
The idea that raisin, the vital issue of Irelanc excludes simply
WUCH does not stand up to the facts. The Labour Women's conference has adopted the most progressive policy on Ireland in the whole British labour movement, Labour women who spearheaded the fight Ireland in defence of the Armagi women into the
Labour Party conference. Rather than exIreland Ireland is womel more likely to raising
life difficult for whole number of so-called
So what is really at stake in the debate?
Reselection is and women and blacks are absolutely determined that this time round they wil not be excluded. Unfortunately the signs at pre-
Socialist Action autonomously, the sup port candidates
Willes need
The Labour Women's Action already circulated briefings to its members and is drawing up a list of potential women candidates 101 circulation to parties. We
funds for women on the parliamentary need of travel and sent do not suggest that the entire left is really as determined as it says it is to pro. mote women and blacks.
There is a real backsliding already, more clearly seen in the editorial in Labour Herald of the week ending 27 January Walca polemicised I on thi grave danger to the movemcal or promouas wome and blacks who hadn't been rigorously tested to their attitude on the big class issues'.
Economism
Firstly this revealed & retreat the kind of economism that only the 'bread and
issues, and issues of sexism
And secondly simply bizarre to argue that the main danger confronting the Labour Party is a huge influx of right wing blacks and women into parlia ment.
Such polemics do not give women confidence that their interests will be upheld by at least some sections of the left.
Target Govmust make its position absolutely clear,
15 February 1985 9 childcare expenses; organise workshops on procedures change best practice.
• Women wishing to support our national cam. paign to advance the candidatures of women,
write the Secretary, Judy Sadler, 56 Milton Road, London SE24. quelling fears and suspicions currently rife in WAC, even amon those who voted for WAC 1 sponsor TLG.
Support
Firstly TLG must make it clear that is support WAC's demand fo least one woman on every shortlist. Secondly it musi go further than this and in some constituencies
for all-women or all-blac shortlists, including in safe seats.
Finally, it should
tively promote WAC's lis of candidates, who wish to receive Target Labom Government sponsorship and put resources into helping them find consti tuencies where they stand a good chance of selection.
The left can say what i likes, but if all its cart paigning efforts then 80 into finding seats for small number of women, women will be forced to
point in the past, we wi
make fin on over • through rely. And Our will be viewed with a grea amount of suspicion.
Page 10 scan of this page
Fight the Tory axe
EXT TO the miners' strike, the attack on local overnment is the major question facing the working
. Following the Birmingham Local Government saference the battle lines have been drawn. avironment Secretary Patrick Jenkin has given a clear swer to anyone who thought that the best course was strike a deal with the Tories on the rate-cap proposals the 1984 Rates Act.
He has flatly refused to discuss with the 25 Labourantrolled councils who will be worst hit by the roposals. In particular, he has stated that there was no raspect of our being able to accede to your request to
adon the penalty/ target system and set aside the 14 Rates Act.'
Neil Kinnock and John Cunningham have set out to botage the fight in advance. They have already
posed any illegal action on the part of labour
acils, arguing that Labour groups should stay in ffice and soften the blow.
Jenkin has made clear that softening the blow will
an administering the Tory cuts. Last July, when this
was first discussed, only three Labour groups had
ssed the question of refusing to make a rate. Now
majority of rate-capped councils are committed to
course, efence of jobs and services.
The right in the Party are preparing to carry out the
ne kind of betrayal of the local government struggle * they carried out on the miners. Some councils will
re the Kinnock road, but most are prepared to fight.
we look at two councils, Birmingham and lanchester and their different strategies.
No gays! No rates!
Tory-controlled Rubhe SEPTEMBER the council deleted sexual orientation from their aqual opportunities policy and declared this
mean a de facto ban
gay people. Since
the Tories have on the run,
rsued by a
artnership between the ay community and the abour movement.
The council certainly did not expect the consequences of their action to
the biggest demonstra-
ever seen in Rugby, mith over 1000 people (the argest demonstration before that was 47 which acluded the cops!);
DicKell council meetings, ed by Rugby NALGO and the local Labour Party;
per cent of the local population opposed to the iban, and the local paper
conucullallull oi the council The local to with disarray.
have two courses.
further
THE SAFE
seat of
has shot to
prominence.
MP Syd
object of
campaign
him with black
candidate next
election.
the camof
ammunition
NEC in-
tervention. this
aspect, than the
rightful of
Southall's com-
stituency.
creased.
10 the of the
large Asian community
which has the
Streets ballot
policies.
Socialist Action 15 February 1985 and it is conference policy to defy the law to precedented decision January.
saying never
against onscrimilalc
exposed
that was ther should
policy.
the 'Stop
meeting on
what action they At LIC end the day
outside
27 Feb
Battle for
Southall
From its heroic battles
against the fascists and the
state in 1979 Blair
Peach was killed), to the
2C01
the People's March for
Jobs. and now a magnin-
cent unstinting solidarity
with the miners, the Asian
community has shown its
class loyalty.
By Peter Purton,
Ealing-Southall
Now the demand is be-
ing raised for the Labour
Party to respona Dy choos•
ing one of its number to sit
parliament. In order to
win this fight there
been a mass recruitment
drive three central
wards.
SHOW have bet-
ween them 1900 members
and have elected 45 Asian
Manchester
Labour-controlled authorities hardest hit by the Tory local government axe. It is not a rate-capped authority, but is severely affected by overspending
fightback campaign at a public meeting.
right wing councillors to keep the left out of the Labour group. After many months of delay, the left
What place in the Jalall
government the measure
plain to people of Manchester what the
support Manchester
Labour.
week.
What are develop-
took place
attack?
We meeting Patrick
of Jenki
the weren't
talk
Act.
ed the Rates for the abolition penalties,
rate-cappea authorities.
the rall
that's taken away
tics. Is there now a unity
on tactics to be employed? delegates to the general committee. However, laction fighting within one of those wards has brought allegations of malpractice
The result of this is that the whole process is in the
the party balance, WILl deeply divided. The resolution of the matter is in the hands of Labour's national executive.
The battle for a black MP is vital and must be supported. But it must be waged and can be won
- by a confrontation with racists and the old guard Grate oar. That battle takes place on the political
black people's terrelle right to have a representative of their choice and *from unity. It is Ther OWI community. an issue central to involving black people in the party.
This fightback begins after a protracted battle by
leader of the council,
The specific tactics
authority finds itself in
It depends entirely on what the tion is, and the legal situa of rate-capped authorities are going for a tactic of not setting a rate.
Is this ION
councillors, 99 councillors guarantee that all 79 would vote for whatever the party and the group decide on
There, are dozen councillors who Sull David Blunkett, leader of Sheffield council public support.
One exception however Dick Knowles leader
WaN
of Birmingham's Labour-
controlled city council. He
warned his colleagues that
'defiance of the law is not
to the advantage of
working class'.
But
Knowles and his Labour
group do to fight the Tory
attacks? Birmingham is
case in point. Whilst not
faced with rate-capping,
spending target of £387.1
million
behaving roguish fashion. The important thing is to get 50 votes in the chamber.
What sort of involvement
so the campaign co been
sought council employees?
We have had a whole series OI work act with shop stewards and branch meetings We invite union branch members to our commit tees. So there is a constant dialogue between Labour
Birmingham must fight
'BREAK THE poor not the law' That was Neil Kinnock's advice to left wing councillors at last week's local government conference. It got little
government admits Birmingham needs to spend.
The Labour group itself • versocil million, incurring huge penalties lt it does How will this extra money be raised?
Left wing activists Birmingham District Labour Party have argued unal the government will have to bridge Lne gap After all, cuts in government grants have created the problem. additional burden isn't to be passed on in higher rents and rates
Neil Kinnock makes his 'dented shield' speech at the local government conference councillors and trade
That process is continuing. We will need their support. understand the situation we are in.
It has been noticeable that since the present leadership came office number of senior manage-
taken early retirement.
What we have been doing is attempting to set up an administration and mittee structure that gives us control over wnal 1s a massive organisation 36,000 employees.
The committee structure, the whole procedures, the support tol members and the leadership of the council very poor
We are in the process of translating the political Wisdes or lc bally llu al tions by the council. The effects of the cuts on women have been stressed. How will women be able to
in the camplay a rule
paign?
‹ we are al present organis CHAPMA * ing activity for Interna; tional Women's Day. The events are not yet finalis; ed. But it will be an impor-
tant part of the campaign.
JOHN
Apart from the petition,
ways can the
community get involved!
We will be having a major
demonstration on 6 Mar-
then a mass campaign 1s
needed to get that money
back. This could form part
of the national struggle
launched by the rate-
capped authorities.
Not for Cllr Knowles.
His alternative is becom-
ing increasingly
While promising pro-
paganaa campaign to per-
suade the government to
ILS cash limits and
penalties, Labour will if
necessary increase the
rates.
Leaving aside penal-
ties, this could involve in-
creases of 35-50 per cent.
Rut the ettorts of Clli
Knowles and his sup-
porters to bass their
posals as 'socialist' have
News
ch. That will be a very important event.
At Labour Party conference it was decided to back local authorities that struggled against the government attacks, even io the point of breaking the law. Since then, the miners' strike, we have seen the leadersap or ell party trying to distance itself from this.
The leadership aren't saying what we'd want,
here sangs than shp
portive than they were 12 months ago. Woe! Liverpool was in dispute with tie governent i ne situation isn't perfect, but it's better than 12 months ago.
Finally, is this the beginn-
• or the end of the beginning!
are in tor a major with the govern-
ovour Lully being
easier for the government
rate-capped this year.
tempt, and the resolve of a
large number of councils is there. We just have to turn
can get ine relurn or toc
met with increasing op-
position. Labour activists
know that, behind the
rhetoric, substantial rate
increases are a tax on the
mall thousands of
workers whose living st an-
dards are already under at-
tack.
Birmingham's Labour
group has now decided to
delay setting a rate. But in
the coming months a deci-
sion will have to be made.
it - - as seems likely —
Cllr Knowles campaign
produces no concessions
• Jenkin, the choices
will be stark Labour ac
tivists in Birmingham have
ensure
group supports the na-
tional camaign.
Page 11 scan of this page
News
Photo: JOHN HARRIS
Village peace
The eviction
action planned campaign against
Molesworth to
demonstration.
THE presence of British subjects sitting on Minis-
of Defence land Molesworth opposing the preparation that land house American missiles has had sufficient impact on the government that thev had to remove the peace camp.. But to remove people trom the land was com-
paratıvely easy thing to do.
o actually build the silos may prove to be very much harder.
Public opinion really
issue. Do we need the 64
that will WEdDORs Molesworth? Are they, any way delenaing us (or anybody eise for that matter)?
DV the
within this country and internationally. There will be a very determined effort now to keep that base pinned down, so that every single the Ministry of Defence makes opposed.
And I'm sure that the government action will have effect
UIl LIC Molesworth activities
FOLLOWED
GOVERNMENT.
INSTRUCTIONS
Molesworth & Greenham:
at Molesworth
need for a
The response of the
to flock down to that they
Easter
with the Greenham
planned for Easter, that an increased number of people will turn out to defend their right not to have the weapons here.
The government have otten acted as Calaysl that makes the peace movement more effective. I'm pleased to see they're still playing that role!
It has to be understood that we can't have a second Greenham in Britain. A broad campaign is needed to make sure that the issue of Molesworth understood in tnis coniext.
The pledge campaign which been ULUC taken by a small group of people focusing Ull Molesworth must now put into maximum effect It has built slowly and will develop over the next few months.
The "'pledge' is simply that individuals undertake to spend a period of time
days LWU month perhaps Molesworth. You go down
bolethe place wesente ard
presented and show that you're opppsing what's happening.
Molesworth will be developing a whole range
OODUSILIUlI the building of the
gn
missiles site
all Molesworth ting same
the phasised
The viculculaly.
Fi nere
women to military authorities. 002 al
based
Mixed
great
The hardest
moment have from the
valuable
all edeus.
ment with
necessary
preparation
fective way.
_ that wil
supporting
supporIt's the
Greenham
and em-
role that
That
being
are comWomen have
albeit a
a need
for
ppos the
civil
currently
groups can
show
working
campaign
those
night that
all the
bred in
face the under
for genocide
Cruise is still the issue
IN THE SPRING of last year the police and military authorities began to step up their harassment of the women at the Greenham Common peace camp. This went hand in hand with a changed emphasis in media reportage. From the grudging sympathy that many Fleet Street pundits had expressed for the 'courage and determination' of the Greenham women, stories increasingly concentrated on slander and vilification of the 'nothing but a bunch of freaks and mistits' variety.
annual conference to
This adoot a freeze campaien.
an attempt which concampaign to turn the tide tinued at the level I of na-
tional council till last summent. Thatcher government has carried
demoralise activists
Now the terrain of that movement is loosing ground.
the leadership CND Britain
signalled a new direction for the debate. Both Euromovement communists about the nockites alike in the peace
movement pounced on the opportunity to renew their
apeal middle- middle-ground
via non-nuclear detence.
when the
proposal . to posed to the dis of CAD commitment directly
comed Labour's policy.
THERE'S NO DOUBT that CND's decision to support a women's peace conference has tuned into a need widely felt among women active in the peace
At the third planning meeting, held a week ago, the gathering of women who want to help organise such an event had already grown from its humble beginnings at the CND annual conference
vill settle
national
women as possible. timed too to build support
meli as back womes, and
is intended to establish
'We will be heard,
we will be seen'
Taca. 16-17 March is an im-
June myu Deo convent
that the campaign is a lost
weekend he on cause'. In the words of the
and conterence 'We will be seen, we will be
American
acostallce will be felt in 1985.'
provide for
Conference begins at 10.30am with an introducTwo should and international guests
come international guests
Socialist Action 15 February 1985 Resolutions to CND's annual conference attempted to 'improve' on it.
One, dropped from the final agenda, openly suggested an electoral alliance campaign. Another went further on the offensive by brit CND forward the idea that paign equally against the
Whilst the latter pro.
received short shift posa from delegates to December's annual conference, a
non-nuclear defence was adopieu. Desprit Wls. for the second year runn. dian't get it all their own CND leadership way.
over-
emergency on
the
keeping anti-missiles
Rainbow Village has brought the cruise the
Govern-
of the movement have been
file.
Growing support for women's conference
workshops and events over the conterence weekend, as well as all the practical organisation that will make September a big suc-
• The next planning meeting for the women's peace conference will be on 3 March at the YWCA Centre, Great Street, London WCI (nearest tube: Tottenham Belgium. Workshops will Holland and Belgium. follow.
Among the sponsors Torne weekente Ac tion Molesworth,
Union CND Greenham groups, and Cruisewatch as well as national CND. Mancheste Cruise Action Group hosting and organising the event
No resolutions will be taken at the conference, but suggestions from the workshops will be presented to the ference at its plenary sesSOR
11
Such claims are further disproved if such needed - by the plans for a cruise conference and a women's peace conference which are well underway now. Despite concerted attempts disorient the movement, still committed to direct rid of American missiles from British territory.
CND's leadership would do well to note this commitment. The anti. cruise campaigners understand more clearly than they that a campaign against weapons aims fundamentally change the status quo.
The movement of Greenham women, three short has shown just what effect determined action can have. jority in Britain in favour of getting rid of American missiles.
The events at Moles worth last week and the response of activists who went there this weekend to defend the peace camp have reasserted that 1985 is still the year of the cam. paign against cruise missiles.
Court Road), from 1lam till 5pm. If your group is prepared to sponsor the event, organise anise with workshop, any part of the conference organisation, make they are represented there. Further Viller, Womenes prone Margot Miller, Peace Alliance, , on Oxford 842480; or Judith Hanno at CND's Goodwin Streel office, on 01-263 0977.
This is the first naTo conference cons cruise, already well-subscribed. Places art grip should register nou limited 600, your
• Final date for registra tion is March. Conference fee is £5 and ac commodation is available on request. Meals will be provided (at 75p each) but must booked vance. Further details con
conferenci Hauras Cruise, CND Office 61 Bloom Street, Manchester MI 3LY, or phone 061-236 1588
Page 12 scan of this page
Photo: GM COOKSON
supporters all
Yorkshire and Humberside and the
ing to work nationally.
South East thousands of workers took part in solidarity marches and
of ONCES CYCL power station. In London tail SCIVICCS seriously disrupted
action at Marlybone, Kings' Cross, Willesden
Streatham Hill. This happened
NUR ship failure to mobilise. was not until the previous Wednesday that many branches received material. Management blamed the weather for many cancellations which were in fact due to the action.
Fire fighters answering emergency calls only. A number of school
Inland 6 months C8: 12 months E15 Overseas (12 months onlv)
Europe C17: Air Mail 6:4 (Double these rates for multi-reader institutions/
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Address
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Published by Cardinal Enterprises, PO Box 50, London N1. Printed By Laneridge Ltd. (TU), London E2
SOCiAList
ACTION
Now build
the 24th!
MINERS' PICKETS were swelled by thousands of
Britain in response to regional days of solidarity action in the South East,
North West.
The National Coal Board claimed this was an important factor in halving the numbers of miners' return-
were closed or disrupted by teachers taking strike action. Major pickets took place at power stations 1,000 Neasden, and hundreds at Tilsbury, Didcot, North and so on. of the manual workers Fawley rower MEDI Hampshire turned back at picket lines.
In Yorkshire were local demonstrations of support for the miners and a big increase in picket lines at all of the main collieries. In the North West 700 people turned out to picket Charrington Power Station. so, no thanks to Kin. nock or the TUC leadership, the left-wing of the labour movement was able
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to turn out a major show
the of solidarity with
miners Now the task is to build the liaison Committee for the Defence of Unions demonstration 24 February demons alon solidarity with the miners and to ensure that the o March Democracy called by the everywhere into a joint day of solidariKings
with the miners defence of
at
democracy jobs and vices.
Both of these will have to be Dult In there the sabotage
and Scargill by the TUC ahour Party leaderships.
For the 24th being organised now from every major booked from the North West and Scotland already, and dozens coaches from Wales, Sheffield and the Midlands.
Special free book offer!
Take out a years inland subscription and we will send you free one of these books: Thatcher and Friends by John Ross
Over our Dead Bodies Women Against the Bomb
Introductory offer
the February.
Trades
into a truly
of
Day rUC transformed
and local ser-
the teeth of of solidarity
of and
transport is
with
tack on of South
Greenham.
members of the Rainbou Village were from returning camp. On Sunday, police stopped cars and coaches several and es base,
tion of the will me Greenham Commor or major focus tivities ment. easier camp Dcal movement. for new Molesworth be a central focus for CND readers: Eight
issues for over the
when just f2!
Haster march is set fair to be a second Aldermaston
marches: from Leicester,
PLEDGE
AFTER TUESDAY'S massive police and army at-
the peace camp at Molesworth, General' Heseltine, over 2000 demonstrators joined a weekend of mass protest at the base. The 7½ mile long fence was festooned with leaflets, posters and slogans in the style that has now become familiar a
On Saturday, 21 peo-
arrested when They will
prevented at Molesworth to their Sunday for vigil and a mass
from the day. demonstrators Easter march Clearly, the acgovernment ake Molesworth join asd violent resistance for the ac- construction of the peace move Molesworth.
It is a great deal to remove the peace than to remove the
will now test at Molesworth.
nerioe to taste t will be the focus o covered This • Details
CND is planning three etc from
0977
STOP THE
MISSILES
SIGN THE
led by Molesworth
Stevenage and Cambridge.
start on Easter Friday, 5 April and arrive
on Easter an overnight ringing of the base on Easter Mon-
Between now and the
- and afterwards - CND is organising a nationwide pledge campaign, calling for non-
to the work
Defend
Supporters are being asked to pledge a day or days, a week in which the test al Moleste in the D is asking people to pledge covered by their he gians
their region, but this is not essential.
of the Easter march, publicity materials
CND 01-263
Age NOW lO De Moleswort
← Socialist Action No. 88, 8 February 1985Socialist Action No. 90, 22 February 1985 →