Socialist Challenge No. 143, 17 April 1980
The scan: sc-n143-apr-17-1980.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive)
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Page 1 scan of this page
Socialist Challenge UNIONS' FUTURE AT STAKE LEYLAND- OR NEVER
Solihull
Easter break the company began
its original 5 percent pay offer.
Only the Land Rover and Range Rover plants at Solihull, and the Birmingham Common Lane plant which produces the Sherpa van, went on strike against the company's imposition of the deal. Jaguar Brown's Lane plant came out over a grading deal.
The union leaderships had Terused call an
lispute. Terry Duff president of the Engineering Union, hac deliberately sabotaged possibility of a united response at British Leyland. After
the AUEW membership in BL in many DALS TO VOLC Was taken - IC instructed all the Engineering Union members to work normally. Control
The Transport Union refused to call its membership OUL. but promised support lo members who did fight
Combine pins Therelind
Combine Negotiating Committee and the convenor's conference failed to give any lead, effectively leaving control In the hands of the union officials.
The result was that most of the major plants did not take acuoll. At the SDI plant Solihull, which produces Rover saloon Cal. meeting before Easter was split 50-50 on a call to join on strike
By Pat Hickey, Deputy Senior Steward, SDI, Rover
WHEN British Leyland workers clocked in after the
imposing working conditions which were the strings attached to
the Range Rover Rover plants, despite the fact that these plants were intending to picket the SDI gates.
Picket The
The result of leadership's failure at national level was that SDI crossed the picket Wednesday, Thursday, Friday of last week. the International
Group at the plant made the decision to cross the picket lines to fight inside SDI to win action against the company's plants. I nIs decision vindicated at a mass meeting on Friday when the strike call was put again. There were votes in lavour or sunke achon and only votes des lay-offs the abl phant has lay-offs the SDI plant has only worked for three since he turning p'sint was. turning pout was the TGWU decision to give official backing to the striking plants, but the reality happening with the implement ation package played a major role. At the SDI company refused to give out the back pay due on the
every shop steward had made a personal undertaking resist any aspect of the new
ALL OUT ON
new
and Land
the
workers
ines
and
Marxist
SDI
difficult
was
3,500
against,
BOILIS
working conditions. of what was When
asked what these management's might be, the reply was: 'What
the foreman tells The workers at the SDI plant plant the realised that the package meant
deal until hence the unaudhany
not to votes at the mass meeting.
The main task facing BI
BUILDING for all-out action on 14 May - see page 2
management was conditions British Leyland.
you they are. have to work. of shop floor OUl.
dispute
TUC The Governi
CHA
COURS
NO
workers now is the spreading of also the dispute to the whole of
and targets for this be Longbridge Work We they are on rol at the main plants still a
serious obstacles will be put in the way of winning the
But the smaller plants must Plan.
the be won. A difficult problem is presented by Canley
Castle Bromwich, since both these plants face closure by the end of the year.
The strike must be turned from one of resistance to the company's imposition of new working conditions to one of • opposition to the Edwardes
No.143 17 April 1980 20p
The demands must be for a revival of the full claim; £24 across the board; for a 35-hour week with no string and
smash the Edwardes' Pla
Together with the task of spreading the strike will go that of forging a new unity at British bevland. At Solihul we will be establishing a strike committee for the whole site, then trying to link up with Common Lane and Jaguar
As more plants come out a national strike committee should established to put control the dispute in the hands the strikers and prevent any sell-out deals
Such a body could replace
Leyland Combine Joint Negotiating Committee, which
entirely undemocratic and
shown itself incapable of fighting its way out of a paper bag.
Victory
As the strike develops, management and the government will threaten wholesale closures and job loss. We will have to respond to such threats with occupations, an by taking the fight to the com ponents Inausury already facing massive job loss.
the highest ever in the car company. Edwardes wants te destroy organisation in the stepady stewards
completely, and a defeat i for union organisation in BL is im portant for the government.
The company has already threatened victimisation victory for BL workers would be a massive blow to the one and a vital boost to the whole
Page 2 scan of this page
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DISBAND THE SPG
HOME NEWS
By Pete Clifford IN OLDHAM last Saturday over two thousand people came out onto the streets National Front. majority of them workers, demonstrating militancy rarely before seen in the North-west.
The counter-demonstration to the National Front was called 10 days earlier by Oldham Campaign Against Racist Laws. Between Saturday there was a frenzy of activity in the area.
Thousands of leaflets circulated door-to-door, as well as to local trade union bodies. In Pakistani and Bengali areas, daily were held. Thẹ day demonstration the streets mobilising people.
In the lead un to the march. the fascists had made violent attacks on black people, so it was to be ordinary march.
Gangs fascists armed
bricks and iron DAIS ' Bengali area of Westwood; there were three petrol bombings Pakistani area of Glodwick. The NF
was ostensibly town's Labour MPs, was held to bolster the self-confidence of the racist thugs.
гоГ black people, mobilisation was an extension of the self defence which organising against these attacks.
More than that, angry at growing numbers of deportations and threats under the immigration laws, attitudes to the police WELC Specially assigned community police officers were given no joy in trying to get the march called off.
On the day, it was clear from early morning that the mobilisation would be big; textile mills in the area were either Closer or had departments missing as black workers opted for fighting racism.
People started organising
hours before the rally. the Bengali area of Westwood 500 workers had assembled,
of the police they began to march on the town centre.
By Lewis Emery
prepare a home for their children.
But when the children,
appeal is to be heard.
BLACKS
ROUT
NF IN
OLDHAM
against the The vast of Pakistanis Glodwick. were Asian and shouting slogans,
main street assembly point.
Within
The whole then and youth.
The infuriated attack the were
meetings before the Asian youth toured fascists.
Escort
no The
with attacked the hundreds of police the
against the but in reality it
people were arrested.
they WelC demand dropped.
people were
hardening. large
greet the Asian
whole
Socialist three those By 10.30am in * The and to the week's
Support Anwar Ditta
THE CASE of Anwar Ditta has become a symbol of the resistance of black people to the racist policy of the Tories. Born in Rochdale, Anwar married in Pakistan and returned to this country with her husband to find jobs and
who subsequently sent for immigration officials refused them entry.
Ine home urnice nas already been rorced to let up on is delaying tacucs and make her appeal a 'priority'. But this is not enough — she demands her children be returned
A demonstration has been called in Manchester on 26 April two days before her
* Assemble noon, junction Chichester Rd/Lingbeck Crescent near Mosside, Manchester. * Financial help to: ADDC, c/o 127 Crawford St, Rochdale.
When they arrived the police
the Bengalis were joined by hundreds
and Bengalis from Embracing one another they swept the police aside and marched onto the
towards the NF
minutes the main entrances to the town were occupied.
was led by the
police began to demonstrators, pulling them across the road and grabbing the megaphones of the leaders. As news got through that the NF were in a nearby car park, many black youths broke through to stone the 60 scared
fascists, with their pitiful demonstration overshadowed by the counter-mobilisation, were escorted
the railway by - their own transport having been wrecked.
The fascists had clearly suffered a major defeat; they were only able to march because of the major effort bi the police to defend them. Over 3.
When the fascists had gone, over 200 people picketed the police station
that the charges be Others marched back to Glodwick. On the street corners black
discussing how to maintain the unity built on the day,
and planarge defence me.
defence meeting has already called for a picket of Oldham court on 7 May, and plans are under way for a mass rally in Oldham to
youth on the Black
Contributions to the defence fund for those arrested, to OCARL, c/o
Challenge. Witnesser arrested should contact OCARL at the same address.
article on Oldham in last Socialist Challenge was written by Pete Clifford, and not -as was stated — by Janet Gardner. had been staying with relatives, were
• PICKET YOUR LOCAL
POLICE STATION WED APRIL 23rd-
NATIONAL
ANNIVERSARY OF SOUTHALL
DEMONSTRATION
Assemble Ipm Speakers Corner Marble Arch March via Scotland Yard to Rally in Trafalgar Square
REMEMBER BLAIR PEACH
Rock Against Racism SOUTHALL ANNIVERSARY BENEFIT Saturday 26 April 7.30pm, University of London Union, Malet Street, London WC1 THE PIRHANAS AND THE AU PAIRS
Admission £2
friends of Blair Peach Committee
SUN APRIL 27th,
Page 4 scan of this page
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wall of silence
HOME NEWS
Welsh
holiday
homes
By Derek Davies
have grabbed the headlines in recent weeks.
While the core of the South Wales working class teetered on the brink of general strike, the predominantly Welsh-speaking people of the North and West directed their anger against the sellig property holiday homes.
Arson attacks have resulted in over 30 'second' homes being burnt down since Christmas. The fact that widespread police
have only succeeded in rounding up some suspects shows the sympathy of large numbers of Welsh people for the motives of the arsonists. Rocket
The buying of holiday homes undermines the Weshspeaking communities particular. In some of the 'wellsited' villages more than half
houses belong outsiders, usually English, who use them at weekends, holidays and for retirement.
middle class English who move in often have little regard for wash language and traditions, treating them with arrogance and disdain, viewing them as 'quaint'. The intrusion of large numbers English has even influenced voting - for the first time Anglesey returned a Tory MP
The biggest disruption resulting from the purchase of holiday homes is that it literally
homelessness. particularly among young Welsh people. Buyers from England can pay much more 10r nomes Wall local workeIs, causing house prices to rocket out of the reach of local people.
Publicity
Young people either have to live at home with their parents, or move away to new areas. With hardly accommodatioan available, the communities are broken up; villages become ghost towns, the Welsh language suffers and so on.
Despite the adverse publicity the conversion housing into holiday homes still
apace. Official figures estimate that there will be a 10 per cent increase nonday nomes from 1981; in some areas the rate is as high as 13 to 14 per cent. For parts of North Wales the rate is
goup*..
in smoke
THE CRISIS in Wales is not just about job loss and falling real wages. Although unemployment is the biggest threat to the stability of Wales as a whole, it is not the only issue to
shown at 47 to 49 per cent, and over 20 per cent for parts of the West. 20,000 homes in Wales alicady "Dy residents.
The new Tory Housing Bill, will allow even more homes to find their way on to the holiday home market council-owned homes are sold to private tenants.
The Tories have supposedly just included safeguards in the Bill
to protect those rural areas. The clause applying to such areas states that council homes once burchased can only be re-sold to someone who has lived in the area for at least three years, or to the council. But despite requests the Tory in the Welsh Office has refused to
say which areas classified as 'rural'. Militants
The campaign holiday homes Wak jointly by Plaid Cymru Shelter, but they or attempt to build
movement, confining of activity to lobbying MPs and
trying to win over the media. was LOUS failure to achieve anything that led some people to turn arson as a tactic.
The turn to indicates the extent to which Plaid has lost the allegiance of Welsh nationalist militants. repeatedly failed to decisively on the affect Welsh people. Even in weeks when members and parliamentary „were police swoops, on no evidence other than Lael nationalist sympathies, leadership of Plaid failed to act. rented When Gwynfor
president of Plaid, round to commenting on the police raids, he didn't condemn the purchase of holiday homes police harassment. police were 'over-reacting' was all he had to say OI
The Labour Party has done no better. Leo Abse appeared TV to denounce tenants foli worrying homelessness and to denounce Nationwide for revealing thạt the aSOl attacks had sýmpathy in Wales.
Welsh
live in repeated minister at
will
against
begun By Derek Davies
and did not 'THE police have called on
mass scores of people without a their shred of Robert Griffiths, secretary Welsh campaign's Republican Movement, des-
cribing present activity in Wales. also In a desperate get a lead on the holiday hom fires, the police have detained and arrested many people fo questioning. Incendiary bombs at the Tory offices in Shotton issues that and Cardiff have added to the
frenzy of police activity
Plaid The
aimed at the leit of the ionalist movement, Socialist Republicans, and the
Knowin militant language
the Cymdeithas and
Cymru At least 10 Welsh Socialist
Republicans have been arrested
Evans, and had their homes searched, finally got including Robert
Three of Plaid Cymru's 1979 election candidates wales The wing Plaid members -also arrested.
The denied detainees access to solicitors and have retained their possessions like address books,
Welsh files and documents although
about
nol llakig any Chlarges Wildlsoever. 'Suspects' have been picked wide up coming off work, at home with their families, going.out
the day and night. reasons
evidence', said
consider 'extremist'.
Socialist
police 'Search down like confetti. attempt to
harassment has been
the Welsh Ilal
groups Adfer
Griffiths. in South discount. — all recognised as left-
Special Branch have them as worthless.
launch campaign innuendo, Already
Police face
for the evening, at all times of
And what have the Special Branch given? None except the Finance Union. people concerned have certain political views, which the police also
MacLochainn, Sinn Fein
As Robert Griffiths says: South
warrants are coming The police have obtained them. so easily,
WALE
'SAVE Wales' badges. Send a stamped addressed
envelope and 20p to Cardiff Socialist Challenge, c/o 11
Berthwin St, Canton, Cardiff. Orders over 20, 10 per cent
you might as well dispense wit
The polic come and go as they want. Welsh
Clearly, the Special Branch movements. are using tne recent comos and fires as a pretext to gather information on the Welsh nat- the ionalist and socialist left, and to
through the media a •of . , slander. and cars searched,
Griffiths has been sacked from he Banner insatie and
usualle
The Special Branch have
singled out Gerry a Provisional member has been Wales. He has detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. The intent-
- to deport
C
Sorrate
MaS Gerry and prevent him from raising the Irish struggle in the
labour and national
In North and West Wales police activity has been aimed Welsh-speaking entire predominantly
population. cars searched, rest in ane
whilst Robert. towns and villages door-to-,
door enquiries are carried out.
In Blaenau Festiniog, the police ended their doorstep interrogations with 'Who did
vote Any Plaidhe last election?' Cymru
voter, any person with known nationalist sympathies, and
"terrorist' 'arsonist' in police eyes
But the wall of silence from the Welsh people shows where their sympathies lie. Thirty honey domes we decr d.r.. and still the police have no lead. Even while their round-up was underway, more holiday homes went up in flames.
Campaigns to oppose the police harassment are already Ricking a Pot cordin Newport and Pontypool. public meeting is planned this week in Cardiff by the Welsh Campaign for Political. and Civil Liberties; a letter of protest is being signed by prominent trade unionists and politicians; a detailed report on Special Branch and police practices will be published within two weeks; support resolutions are going to union branches.
Every day, Newport and Pontypool campaigners are picketing the police station where Gerry is being held
Wales' wall of silence is the, about to become, a wall of protest and condemnation. Socialist Challenge 17 April 1980. Paga 5
Page 6 scan of this page
Abortion: women must be up front
Teachers leaders get a kickup the backside
HOME NEWS
EVEN the popular press has pointed out that abortion is a class issue and that the Corrie Bill washa class attack.
There's no doubt that the arrival of the Corrie Bill had a lot to do with the election of a Tory government that is out to attack the position of women; they where they'll be least resistance and rely on dividing the working class on sex lines.
The campaign against the Corrie Bill has shown that pressurising and working with the labour movement is a correct and successful approach and that it is important that we win trade unions and men to our side.
At the same time it must be remembered that 40 per cent of the TUC membership are women and that a major reason for the TUC being the first in the world to call what was probably the biggest ever demo for abortion rights was because women had not waited for any men to act on our behalf. The TUC went
because wonder organising to win our demands.
If we are to achieve NAC's demands we need the support of the labour movement -but on what basis? If the Corrie Bill had gone through it would be women's lives that would be disastrously affected, and I don't think we should underestimate its results. It would be a major attack on women, affecting who they teachers conditions' "of Socialist Challange 17 Aprll 1980, Page 6
were think it's
out. and all Professor Clegg: His report recommends 17 to 25 per cent pay increases without being tied to changes in
service. Tory-dominated
Abortion opinion column AT the 1972 Skegness Conference of the womens liberation movement,
SO outraged by the behaviour of some of the men attended that they decided to kick them
Ever since that time a debate has raged among socialists and feminists as to whether or not men should involved in meetings and campaigns on
marry, when they work, if they work, who they are dependent on.
Abortion is a class issue for backstreet and economic reasons but to rely too heavily on an economic analysis and an economic solution is to fall into the trap of the anti-abortionists' arguments: provide better material conditions
women will "natural' reproductive duties and will never want or need an abortion.
We are fighting for choice and the fight for abortion rights is essentially a struggle for sexual freedom. We must win the support of the labour movement on this understanding as
implementing his proposals.
women arrogant likely to who May
worker for be perform their
sustain and
have abortion campaign councils, backed by the government, are likely to resist
issues that directly affect women
The National Abortion Campaign is
discuss this Issue at conference that will be taking place in
Below, Jan Parker, a member of the NAC steering committee and a full-time
the recently successful Campaign Against Corrie, expresses her _personal views on this issue.
well as for class reasons.
To defeat attacks and to obtain a woman's right to choose we need a campaign, (and an organisation?), that includes the power of the labour movement with the strength and politics of the women's liberation movement. It is an uneasy alliance as events have shown and to
groW on this alliance difficult as a result of these tensions. Women
been in their 'rightful place' in — right in the forefront, but how do we continue to lead the campaign and get maximum involvement from men and
THE right-wing executive of the National Union of Teachers had hard time conference last week.
Its most sorry blows were when invited Education Carlisie, was heckling began to and when the executive's 'nonpolitical' stance by being forced to call half-day action on 14 May.
But these were not isolated incidents, as HILDA KEAN, a conference delegate, explains.
When the NUT and ex-member Party, Jack Chambers, asked: you seriously expect executive to fight for tenure for jobs?', the response from the delegates 'Yes, this is a trade union.'
When John supporte and said: "There confronting this union and I'm part of it', the delegates cried out: 'Hear, hear, and 'Resign'.
Every executive member who got up to argue against a proposal for a special conference on pay, or against the use of the strike fund for leaflets hissed before speak.
The mood of conference was epitomised by the first debate, on defending comprehensive education against Tory attacks. motion under discussion had been drawn up by the Socialist Teachers'
Alliance, and had been put forward to conference by the thousands of other teachers. It argued for action in defence of post-war gains.
Card The motion was Graham Lane, Association (Labour Party teachers) and seconded by Ken Jones, convenor of the STA. The motion won 80,000 votes, at least one third of the total card vote Socialist Teachers' motions, calling for cooperation with TÚC curriculum, and calling for a public inquiry into ine murae.
Peach, were
overwhelmingly.
That 300 delegates walked out when Carlisle spoke was a symptom of the mood at the conference, not an isolated incident. There are a large number of teachers who want to take
the labour
movement?
must be quite firm about its
movement.
of parliamentary tactics
our reproduction.
and power if we are
Parker's contribution
will be newsletter.
Inn Road, London NW1. the We
There. action,
at its annual
speaker, Tory Secretary Mark when
greeted with and walk-outs as he Collecle address conference,
was shattered
Trafford
strike action vice-president, of the Communist services ther
"Do with limited the NUT security of contemplating
was a massive shout:
Perry, ex-Militant executive member,
huge problem
and …trom movement
But
they to
the whole
The only ten
support were candidates
mobilising
proposed _by permanent Socialist Education
fringe meetings teachers,
well Alliance previously discussing schools' school very
gains of Bian
both carried
Whethe
movement and involve more women, including more women in the women's
Historically the trade union movement has ignored women, the change is recent and to change consciousness takes even longer. NAC
principles and demands in future activities with the labour
If we decided to go for positive legislation we must make no compromises in the interests
and stick our
pos toman's right to ceose a very
woman's right to choose subversive slogan — it means total control over
It is a demand for women's rights and for women's liberation, which means that means we have no choice but to confront men's ideas
to change anything: women's autonomy in NAC is central to how we assimilate this into the campaign.
This article is substantially based upon Jan
the latest NAC This is available from 374 Grays
welcome contributions from any Socialist Challenge readers about where they think the abortion struggle should go from
and are only too willing to hear about alternative policies to those of the executive.
Support for positions in favour of national action, closer links with the broader trade union movement, and for a woman's right to choose, even 1100 actually passed by revealed a perceptible move to the left among sections of the union membership.
Services
The experiences of the Avon and delegation revealed hopeless failure of this executive to meet the needs of the membership. Both areas have taken extended local against CulE in the provide, but had met success. Their motions calling for a discussion of their action and for a national meeting of all areas strike action, won widespread support but were defeated with the executive's opposition.
After the failure of these motions the two areas called a fringe meeting to discuss their experiences.
The executive was defe, nad on the question of calling action on 14 May. Pressure from their own members, wider forced the executive to back half-day action on that day. the NUT still clings to 'professionalism' to distinguish from other trade unions. . Those who walked out when Carlisle began to speak were accused of bringing the 'profession into disrepute' . It is still years since the NUT affiliated to the TUC; it still refuses to wholeheartedly oppose the Prior laws as they 'don't affect teachers!'; there still two left-wing elected in the recent executive elections.
The next months will be crucial in support among teachers for action on 14 May. And we haven't even begun the task of building opposition to the executive in the localities.
But to return to the positive side: on Nicaragua, Gay Women in the NUT, Friends of Blair Peach and others attended by delegates outside the left's ambit.
The STA will be holding a national soon to consolidate the the conference and mobilise for 14 May; details from 13 Bloomfield Rd, London N6 conference gains can be extended or whether the executive will reestablish itself with its prestige untarnished will be decided by the actions of teachers themselves over the coming months.
Page 7 scan of this page
INTERNATIONAL
By Anibal Yamez THE EVENTS in El Salvador are part of the developing revolution in the whole of Central America, at the centre of which is the victory that has been won by the workers and peasants Nicaragua.
The victory of the FSLN fighters on 19 July last year was a blow against the common oppressed Americas: United States imperialism. The US multinationals are the chief beneficiaries of the misery of the people of Central America.
The US is desperately trying to head off a repeat of That's what lay behind the Americanbacked coup in El Salvador which took place on 15 October last year. It was an attempt to give Washington's domination a new mask, to replace the bloody and discredited mask of General Carlos Humberto Romero.
But since the new junta came to power more than 900 workers and peasants have been killed by police and army. The rights. speech, assembly, and been suspended. 'agrarian reform' is no more than an excuse for military occupation of the countryside.
Why the revolt
occurred
What are the conditions which the people of El Salvador have rebelling against? El Salvador is the most densely populated country in the Western Hemisphere, mıllion inhabitants living in its 8,200 square miles.
The average yearly income is $450, but even this miserly misleading. The population is divided between number wealthy people and a vast mass of impoverished working people with very few in between.
Hunger stalks El Salvador. Recent studies rank it among the countries most seriously affected by malnutrition. At least 74 per cent of children under the age of tive show signs of protein calorie malnutrition.
About the infants Salvador die before birthday. There are fewer than three doctors for every 10,000 inhabitants.
The roots of this misery can be easily seen. Central whole has an annual product of more than $12 billion with a relatively small population of 18 million. wealth is systematically expropriated by US imperialism.
Private investment in the region by the United States came to $734m in 1977, of which $248m was invested in industry. These investments gave US corporations a return of 17 per cent on their investments system of land ownership means that a mere 2 per cent of the population own 60 per cent of the cultivable land.
Workers
movement
In the 1950s and 1960s there was significant industrial related to the establishment Central American Common Market. This slowed down considerably in the late 1960s.
The economy still revolves around the export of coffee, sugar cane, which together account for 60 per cent of foreign earnings. Industry and services remainder.
Most industry is foreign-owned, with US investors predominating.
The result has been the growth of
suolg based on an urban as well as rural working class. Industrial •LOW make uD 8 Der Salvador's labour force.
There are more than 80,000 trade union members. Many smaller unions have tended unity consciousness has risen.
The power of these workers was impressively demonstrated in March 1979, whèn a co-ordinated strike was called by several thiohs in different
in
Nicaragua.
the . of free
rave ave The much-touted
been
with about 5
sum is
of
Western
COI
their first
America as
But this The latifundia
owned by the state.
By pulling
IOT 40 HOUTS.
was no development, electricity is needed to
of a
colton, and
masses' standard consequence make up the
mass organisations,
workers
cent of EI
conrontations
as class me olner,
• for political prisoners.
El Salvador:
roots of the
electrical industries, especially those
La few switches, the electrical workers cut off the flow of electrical energy to the whole country
Not a single factory ran. There
transportation, because operate the petrol pumps. Lifts in office buildings didn't work. The government had to give in to the workers' demands - a back. big blow to the ruling oligarchy.
Struggles have multiplied in the context of a constant lowering of the
living, of the world-wide capitalist economic crisis which began to take hold in the mid-1970s, and of
repression against the workers and popular movements.
This led to the rise of new militant
and to armed struggle in the cities and countryside.
In the recent period, El Salvador has gone through tremendous class
Strikes and factory takeovers to demand a rise in wages and a hat to repression against the workers' movement occur one after
Mao street demonstra. tions, occupations of churches, and other actions in support of democratic rights - in particular freedom
freedom struggle
In the countryside the masses are organising to activities of right-wing bands hired by the landowners and aided and abetted by the government.
Throughout El Salvador
repressive forces on one side and popular mobilisations on the other have brought the country to the brink of civil war. Despite the repression, the masses show no sign of drawing
The Salvadoran workers peasants organisations, unions, and peasant federations — have been standing up to the unofficial and official armed forces in the service of the landowners and US imperialism, and drawing revolutionary conclusions about what is needed to change their country
Massacres and brutal repression are meeting a combative, organised response on the part of the masses.
Unity on the Left
There is an increasingly united response from the left. revolutionary organisations moved towards fusing their forces; inspired by and understanding the
effectiveness that the Sandinista-led terrorist struggle gained when
three tendencies.
the The three
organisations are Revolutionary February
mass organisation collective leadership, and
school and
market vendors' organisations.
Liberation Forces BPR,
FAPU.
Initially, Communist
General Romero,
Three have pressure. of
Now through
Revolutionary San repression
called
stüdents,
ted tingents. from
dead
February.
reforms denounce Salvador.
The Workers
SHOl
many The
armed strictly
superior groups.
the FSLN in Nicaragua healed a split among its grows
Salvadorean the People's Bloc (BPR), the 28 People's League (LP. 'moderate' 28), and the United Front for Popular Action (FAPU). Each of these is a
with any price'. and they are made up of trade unions, peasant massacre organisations, teachers' unions, high 300,000,
university students' associations, and slumdwellers and
They also each have an armed wing. The Revolutionary Army of the People (ERP) is identified with the LP-28, the Farabundo Marti Popular
(FPL) with the and the Armed Forces of National Resistance (FARN) with the
Party or Er Salvador
supported the junta which replaced
and its members even joined the cabinet. But the rising mass struggle, the repression, and the
revolutionary, organisations led the CP to withdraw brutal
Salvador.
the Communist its legal expression, Democratic Nationalist Union (UDN has been drawn into a front with th revolutionaries This
Co-ordinating Con mittee of the Masses. Mass action and mass murder
On 22 January this year 300,00 people marched through the streets
Salvador protest again support economic and social demands of ti workers and farmers
The demonstration, one of t largest in the country's history,
Dy the Revolutionarv ordinating Committee of the Masse
Workers, peasants, teacher
slumdwellers, mark vendors, and many others particip
marching 1n disciplined COl
This united mobilisation was m with reactionary terror. When tl march approached the Metropolit Cathedral of San Salvador, police ar para-military sharpshooters ope fire on the peaceful demonstrato
adjoining buildings, leavi more than 300 wounded and 2
But this did not stop the strug of the masses. Strikes, , occupatior and takeovers continued througho
And on 17 March Revolutionary Co-ordinati Committee of the Masses called 24-hour general strike in oppositi to the junta's avowed policy
with repression and US intervention
strike totally paralys economic activity for one day.
Once again the government reso ed to mass murder. More than 1 people were killed as the army right-wing terrorists bombed machine-gunned factories and attac
peasants in the countrysic who had factories and farms were lined up a
The National University, whe of groups organising centres, was spec target. Witnesses say that it was ev bombed from the air.
The government forces reporter had new helpers in carrying out bloodbath — US Marine 'advisers
This measure was aimed primar against the agricultural and industr workers, rather than the armed le wing guerillas
government's all paralyse the movement terror in order to then take on t
struggle organisations military confrontations, which the army's fire power logistic support systems would be!
those of the guen US intervention
This policy has the full backing the Carter administration, despite claims to be supporting a peacal
government which trying to implement reforms. Carte slogan is 'No More Nicaraguas
In January, two days after t against the march Carter Scill Assista Secretary of State William Bowdler
Salvador. He loudly reiterat Washington's support ..to murderous junta.
According by Institute for Policy Studies: 'Secur assistance from the United States El Salvador between 1950 and 19 has totalled...$16.72m.
"The United States has trained total of 1,971 "Salvadorean office including at least 17 in urban count insurgency, 14 in military intelligen 108 in basic combat and count insurgency, and 124 in basic off preparation.'
This is a continuation of nearly years of US government backing
military regimes
Socialist Challenge 17 Apht 1980 P
Page 8 scan of this page
otos: JOSE LAVANDEROS
AIl:
list Challenge 17
Page 9 scan of this page
A photo-report
05 COLE LAS from the streets
of San Salvador
by Mexican
photographer
José
Lavanderos
The pictures on this page show what a civil war is like.
For fifty years the people of El Salvador have suffered the brutal tyranny of a right-wing dictatorship. Now, inspired by the example of the Nicaraguan people, they are fighting back.
But the El Salvador ruling class is not willing to give up its coffee, cotton and sugar plantations without a fight. They, like every other ruling class, will use any means at their disposal to protect their privileges and their profits.
But the workers and peasants of El Salvador are no longer prepared to live in squalor, brually treated by the regime, while the ruling class lives in luxury.
On 22 January they protested against repression by calling a general strike. Thousands of people supported the action and stayed away from work, or travelled into the capital, San Salvador, to march through the streets.
There were reprisals because the action was so successful. That day and the next peasants and workers were shot down, or brutally mutilated with vicious machete knives, by the army, police and right-wing para-military groups.
Virtually every day there is street fighting or repression. On 12 February LP28, one of the three major left groups in El Salvador, stormed the headquarters of the Christian Democrat Party to protest at its involvement in the government of the ruling junta. The army took back the building and six LP28 members were killed.
On 17 March the Revolutionary Coordination, the joint front of the three main far left groups and the Communist Party, called a 24-hour strike against US intervention in the country. The army is supplied with tanks, guns and bombs by the United States. It used them to massacre workers in factories and peasants in the countryside on 17 March
Carter, the champion of self-determination and non-intervention in Afghanistan, sent over military advisors especially for the occasion.
El Salvador shows that Carter's claptrap about human rights in Afghanistan is motivated simply by opposition to the Soviet Union — and it won't do his election chances any harm either.
But the masses in El Salvador are prepared to take on US imperialism along with their own ruling junta if that is what's necessary. They continue to strike and protest despite the most savage reprisals.
Socialist Challenge is proud to publish these pictures of a courageous people and urges every socialist to build solidarity with the El Salvador revolution. The El Salvador Solidarity Campaign can be contacted c/o NSC, 20 Compton Terrace, London N1 or tel: 01-487 4397.
Socialist Challenge 17 April 1980 Posa
Page 10 scan of this page
FROM PRAGUE TO KABUL
INTERNATIONAL
THIS BAHRO, The East German Marxist, critique
of the Russian invasion occupation of Afghanistan published as a contribution to the debate within the labour moverent.
Bahro's views do not accord with those of Socialist Challenge. Jramework that of communism, and he therefore relies on conceptual tools which paradoxically, of Stalinist origin.
Thus his criticism Russian action is that it threatens 'detente and peaceful coexistence', as if this policy originated by Stalin was a prerequisite for democratic socialist advance.
Socialist Challenge considers that the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan at this stage, far from aiding the fight for socialism in that country, could only lead to the victory of pro-imperialist and obscurantist forces and a bloodbath of left forces in Afghanistan.
I PREVIOUSLY believed and indeed have written Soviet military action against the Prague reform was the greatest crime of the Soviet leadership since the Second World War.
This is no longer quite correct, though if sanity had Prague, in Warsaw, or even in East Berlin, and Moscow had subsequently shown at least a trace of adaptation to this new reality on the western periphery of East Europe, then there would not have been Afghanistan.
Whatever may have been in the minds of the Kremlin gerontocracy, this is a crime against peace that goes far beyond Afghanistan, place and in time. It is a crime against détente and disarmament.
It puts. the subjugation Prague Spring into the goes even beyond Deng Hsiao-ping's shameless 'lesson' to the Vietnamese.
Back in 1968, the flagrant Soviet breach of international law had a defensive motivation that opinion everywhere could at understand. In all countries of the Soviet bloc the Novotnys trembling with fear for their positions of power, shaken to the marrow and to their Moscow centre.
By flexing their military muscles right from the beginning of the Spring movement, they themselves produced Ine mood Inl Czechoslovakia could subsequently have led to that country breaking with the Warsaw Pact.
Peace
Yet Czechoslovakia integral member of the community'. For all its particularities, it shared the same basic social and political structure. then, the Soviet Union had something to lose, and this against the background its sacrifice liberation of Czechoslovakia in the struggle against Nazi Germany.
so, while the 1968 vention certainly destroyed a hope shared by all democrats and socialists, tnose oi us in wast Germanv above all, it in no way posed a direct threat to peace and survival.
The entire fate of the human race
ames on he s de ineen tio i.
ament. Soviet intervention Afghanisțan shows us that ValC and goals are not the prime consideration of Soviet policy; that the Soviet leaders are prepared to use methods that blatantly trample over them. Arms
This action can have no result than to fuel the psychology of the arms race throughout the world. It will accelerate the ominous process whereby the conditions survival planet •destroyed in a relatively short space of time. "Socialist Chällenge" 17 A
RUDOLPH
and
His Euro-
are,
of the
that the
survived
invasion
both
of the shade, and
public least
were
was an
'socialist
In this case,
the
inter-
with unprecedented
bureaucratic these
from their own
game they have initiated.
other
was vern hing yıng agaın. destroy the can Doline up with
its objective 'mission of Page 10
By Rudolf Bahro
Occupying Russian troops on parade in Kabul
Afghanistan may well become the Soviet leadership's Vietnam, showing
nakedness the face of great-power chauvinism and
imperialism. particularly important to bear in mind that these leaders, isolated as they are
people, are so little aware of the world as it really is today that they are honestly terrified by the
They are entirely serious in feeling misunderstood. I would quite believe saying. it if someone told me that one of them
SCL. however, residue of confidience Ine non-capitalist foundation of the Soviet Union and
providing
support for the rise of the underdeveloped peoples.
In the summer of 1968 we hoped they would not dare invade, we certainly saw this as possible. With Afghanistan we had necessarily reckon with the possibility of invasion but we did not see this as likely. The grim reality has taught us a lesson.
It is as if the Moscow Politburo actually wanted to confirm what the Chinese and Herr Strauss have been
These men in the Kremlin, far too old in every sense, must have known that their action would destroy the atmosphere needed for détente and arms control, and provide the arms lobby on the other side with powerful argunents for the hext round of the
arms race, which
already planning.
They must have known that they though would give the finishing touches to
the other side's plans, already drawn to up, to 'secure the sources of oil'.
What is only too clear, however, is
that they do not attach even the slight-
est importance to the psychological
factor of the gradual yet progressive movement
oolOr to the innumerable up against une uninmioitea power interests.
Their partner in negotiations is the
Pentagon alone. And the result is that the countries of the obiect. defend themselves with one hand also exploitation,
" against Moscow instead of with both
hands NATO With leaders world's peoples How
has been
extreme
omous
intelligentsia.
If not indirectly, neighbour
false
as to bestow exhibition
believe,
way
to them.
Shah.
misfortune, and its people.
revolution, to the Kabul
Soviet
may lead
superstructure. was of course
the Soviet Afghan
clearly of public resistance both the people in the West put
play of
particular,
Third World,
haye
- Fernbach - .."
against Washington and
this invasion, the Soviet are acting as unrestrained accomplices of world reaction. They have assumed a role which we did not want to ascribe them, and still do not want to ascribe them - that of being one of two superpowers waging their deadly rivalry on the backs of the
.did the tragedy of the Afghan people come about? For more than 20 years, the Soviet Union
building up its positions there by alternate use of (objective) anti-imperialist solidarity and conventional power politics
The internal contradictions of this
backward country were deep enough to generate an auton-
national revolutionary resistance movement. which, given the country's conditions, could only find its core and its leadership in the intelligentsia, including the military Moslems
directly then at least Afghanistan's powerful intervened to preordain and deform the parts of this move a false aeth And ana suar.
model time scale
In 1978, Nur Mohammed Taraki and his comrades did not make a revolunon, tney arreclea á pulsen, se
on their people this of a revolution from above. With good intentions, I still
they decreed an agrarian reform that destroyed the peasants'
of life, that they gained nothing from the land newly granted
effect, the peasants of Afghanistan found themselves in a similar position to the peasants of Iran under the dictatorship of the
What WaN concelved benefit turned out an unmistakeable
for the whole country
The Afghan game was lost as soon as it began, particularly given the coincidence in time of the Iranian
WalCh gave unbeatable support to the Islamic resistance, this quite naturally linking up with the traditionalist forces internationally
It is not to the Americans that the invaders will lose Afghanistan, but to the Moslems. This is a lesson we can only wish on them. Here, as opposed
Prague Spring the Soviet leaders have made a hefty mistak even from the most orthodox standpoint of the apparatus.
For this reason Kabul may well have more direct consequences for the
Union internally It is still impossible to see where the madness of pouring oil into the flames of Islam
Kabul underlines how badly the peoples of the Soviet Union and the country's allies need to pension off their Novotnys and to fundamentally
their entire political
Left organisations in the West must speedily jettison the role of res ponsible politicians who give cover to
leaders even in their adventure Anyone who supports this intervention shows that he or she is of the same kidney as the bureaucratic apparatus
The forces of reason in the West now face a great responsibility: not to support in any way the escalation of tension being pursued by ruling circles
Soviet Union and the United States; and in West Germany
to defend the East European treaties achieved in the heyday of the socialist-liberal coalition
Peace, détente and disarmament - today more than ever!
This article was translated by David
Page 11 scan of this page
IRELAND
Women
students
speakout
By Valerie Coultas
cold war when sport,
Women's Campaign.
of Ireland. jail.
NUS Women's Campaign conference.
Women in Ireland
always played a part in the fight to free their country British domination. Today in Armagh jail they are suffering sexual and physical abuse because they dare tp fight for a free Ireland
'The NUS executive done everything it can to stop us discussing the torture Irish women in prisons under, British control, they censored women's mailings and tried to take this subject off the agenda of the women's conference,' explained Helen.
But Armach was discussed "The majority of the women at the conference Tel. strongly that we should be supporting our sisters in Armagh not only
their fight against sexuall harassment but also in their fight for political status, said Stephanie.
Anna Summerskill, from Keele, thought that shouldn't support terrorists and give any credibility to their campaign for political status but we should protest against specific sexual attacks.
Francis O'Grady, Manchester University and a ENCINOC of the Women Ireland Group, argued strongly against this. The reason their sexual harassment because they were fighting a war in the North of Ireland. She explained that Irish women
Bedfordshire
the police under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
He was taken to Luton police
No charges have yet been laid.
Higgins' arrest follows a week oi Dolice harassment. Over weekend he crossed on the ferry to Belfast to dare organisatibu. tone . DrISOn welfare organisation mini-bus was impounded on arrival in Belfast. It has subsequently been Icicascu
On his return to Luton, Higgins
picked up by the police held for hours. The police re erser him to co to WOrk .. hilt threatened to arrest him again. The next day Higgins' daughter's house was by Ine police and Higgins was again arrested as he made his way home after work
to lie Higgins family. In 1977 Willie's son, John, was charged under the PTA and served two years in prison. On
was immediately deported.
THE executive of the National Union of Students, in its search for a new and respectable image to appease the right wing in the NUS, want students to return to the days of the
welfare, entertainment representation was the ABC of student union life. But they have had a lot of trouble in achieving this with the NUS
Nowhere has the antagonism between the CP-led executive and the NUS Women's Campaign been sharper than around the issue
In the early '70s the NUS had a policy which supported the liberation struggle in the North of Ireland. But today the executive has not only backed down from supporting campaigns to protest at the arbitrary arrest of Irish immigrants in this country, it has also deliberately tried to stifle the attempts of the Women's Campaign to protest at the torture of women prisoners in Armagh
Helen Bevan from Manchester Polytechnic, Stephanie Green from Goldsmiths, and Sarah Veale from Oxford Polytechnic, take a dim view of these compromises when Irish women lives are at stake. They talked to Socialist Challenge after attending the recent
have are fighting not only against their subjugation as women but from their subjugation as a nation.
The two issues could not be separated.
Francis also alluded to the hypocrisy of the supporting struggles in South has Africa, Chile, Zimbabwe refusing to do anything about of brutal torture on its doorstep.
If the executive has its way have future NUS conferences will not be allowed 'external students like Armagh.
Women at the realised that the campaign would not be seen as a prority by an executive that supported the proposed new policy for NUS. The women's conference passed a overwhelmingly the 'priorities review', put forward the commerence 'Women students gained political awareness on "women's issues"
NUS and they soon realise how their oppression relates to other from forms oppression, national oppression,'
Sarah.
Women don't seem to agree that the way students should deal with the governel is by respectable. The executive had better watch out.
Carworker arrested in
LATE at night on 9 April, 60 year-old-Willie Higgins, an Irish car worker at Vauxhall's Luton plant, was arrested by
Higgins' arrest is the latest in a
Bedfordshire. Un taster Monday Provisional Sinn the members, Reilly Mac och ain were charge witt conspiracy cause after being held for seven pollce custody under tne riA It has been alleged that connected with the recent burnings or nonday and Wales.
Five supporters of Hands Off a journal ealtea by inc Revolutionary Communist Group were also arrested on 6 April for
Reilly and Gerry under the PTA. They will appear in
Troops supporters picketing Leicester jail, where Jim Reiley Gerry his rolease in March last year he are being held, on Wednesday 16
and
NUS in
but
to
conference
women's
motion condemning
said ACTION by a Scots Euro-MP, public Stirling this weekend,
DICOCHE debate at the
being Scottish Trades NUS Congress indicate a growing campaign in Scotland over the plight of the 'blanket men' in the Long Kesh H-blocks and women in Armagh jail.
Nottin
Euro-MP Winnie presented a petition demanding ar end to the "cruel, degrading treatment' prisoners to Simone Veil, President Th reties of the bi, 373 Derry relatives Fein men. and Gerry observers to be sent to the North of
Ireland to investigate conditions in the jails.
days in The European
shortly to consider a motion from they French Communisi Georges Marchais, homes Parliament's
'conduct an inquirv into the denia. rights Counties' Sation in demonstration Saturday April, MacLochlainn political status for Irish
Ine march naa been called Dy the Troops Out
will supported by Hands Off Ireland
The Stirling demo was partly in MacLochlainn response to the ban on politica
demonstrations Glasgow alter
Scottish TUC
a todebate
H-Blocks
demonstration in
after an and a forthcoming Union Among Stirling demonstration Loughney,
'A' wing of has submitted a year's SCORESI
Nationalist Party
Ewing
inhuman and H-block
'blanket Lilt IVOrLA withdrawal,
Parliament When instructing the legal committee to the Northern
immediately wrote to the the Six the H-blocks, there Was Edinburgh Stirling last business. calling for
Will Movement and
the Scottish
Bloody sunday, imposed in the threatened H-blocks.
By George Kerevan sunshine
National Front 'smash the IRA'
ANL countermobilisation, but it is expected that the ban may be used as a precedent to stop Troops Out protests.
the at the Des was.
Edinburgh Trades Council, which
motion to this Teres UHOE Congress. The motion calls on the STUC, which meets on 21-5 April to organise a speciai conterence to review policy on Northern Ireland.
Currently, the STUC has ace lasay whatever other Committe of the Irish Congress of Northern
mean Scottish unions are barred from exposing human rights violations in
Calls 1101 troop
Committee is notorious for trying to avoid the whole issue of British Mulvenna, domination of the Six Counties.
Edinburgh Trades Council first took up the case of the
militant H-block prisoners two years ago,
Committee STUC live. claiming there was no problem in
and telling mind its
It is unlikely that the Edinburgh STUC motion will be passed, but it
least LIC discussion of Northern Ireland in
trades union movement for the first time since salutes
and provide platform to expose the infamous
Loyalist's bomb
misses its target
A bomb exploded in Milltown Cemetary, Belfast, Easter
Sunday minutes before a Provisional Republican 1916 com-
memoration march reached the spot.
If the march had not been 10 minutes late a large number of
people would have been killed. As it was no-one was injured
although a woman, a man and a child had to be treated for shock.
The bomb was
Republican plot a few yards from the Provisional memorial by a
Loyalist group calling itself "Tara'.
Elsewhere in the North marches passed off peacefully in bright although numbers were low
Ballymacnab, County Armagh to about 3,000 in Belfast.
Provisional Republican gatherings were told that the movemen!
was 'geared for and dedicated to a long war'. But they went on to
urge their members to be politically active and 'embrace the small
struggles going on in the community.'
*Just as Pearse embraced the cultural struggle and as Connolly
lea Labour, the statement continued, so we too must tie togethe
all aspects of nationalism and socialism and all the strands of rural
and urban discontent into a surging wave of Republicanism.'
Big boost for Stirling
Troops Out supporters
By Charlie Baird THE Troops Out movement in Scotland tremendous boost last Sunday when Stirling supporters organised a march through the town which succeeded in reaching its destination.
The 400-strong march led by the James Connally, Bryson WILE
Kevan Barry and Liam Reid flute bands with a tricolour at the front set off in a
mood from the Raploch housing estate, where many working class Catholics
A new alliance of Loyalists and fascists called the Scottish Loyalist
could temptation to flex their muscles.
Às the march reached the town ccuure. two nurorce or mem becar to pelt the marchers with bricks, bottles, and coins. They gave Naz and
and sang the "Sash my
At a rally after the march, messages of support were read out
Republican Volunteer reading the 1916 Easter Proclamation in Belfast's Milltown cemetery placed under a cornerstone of the official
ranging from 50. in received a
from H Block men on the blanket, from Irish Republican Socialist Party and Provisional Sinn Fein A particularly rousing call to troop withdrawal came from Dave Halsworth, Honorary secretary of raines oe NUPE member Mike Napier.
Although the march was not as large as the 21 Glasgow stopped by Loyalists and police it has made morale high in •coland
It shows that it is possible for troops ou supporters, socialists Republicans marcl in protest at the conditions in H Block
once the loyalists in Stirling must be feeling sick. ge 17, April 1980, Page 11
Page 12 scan of this page
Women in ACTION
Against the Tories 'THAT was a good paper, love,' said a delegate to the Women's the
SC EVENTS
OLDHAM: SC Kochdase Ra = with put spal
OLDHAM
OXFORD 12 10.30-12.30 CYCl RENT SC
CARDIFF:
WoolWOrLD: ailable romes Books, Cardiff.
Saturdays for more info ring sale at 1985 Books, ad, and Saturdays 2pm-3]
from ookshop, 14 Southgate Sai. ale 4. Thr phone 643 9209 more info phone
WHAT'S LEFT
• per word or t2 per colum inch. Deadline: noon Saturday prior to paoncauon.
NOTTINGHAM 'Men and Sexism'
Erode Sun 20 Apr Ties two writers Young Workers Conference
Saturday and Sunday, 19-20 April
organise in the unions? conditions women? *How well do the trade union leaders defend their members' interests? *And other questions!
At UMIST Students Manchester 1. 11am-5pm both days. Adm £1 (50p unemployed and school students). Pooled fare. Phone Ann on 061-225 4218 or Rob on 061-205 8301.
Organised by 'Revolution'
The Other Bookshop
NEW
The Truth About Afghanistan
by Doug Jenness, Pathfinder Press 50p
Economics, Polities and the Age of Inflation
by Paul Mattick, Merlin Press £2.40
Leninism Under Lenin
by Marcel Liebman, Merlin Press £4.50
328 Upper St., London N1 Tel 226 0571
SMASH THE PREVENTION OF TERRORISM
ACT CAMPAIGN DAYSCHOOL
IRELAND AND THE BRITISH LABOUR MOVEMENT: THE TAMESIDE CONSPIRACY
Saturday, 3 May 1980
For further details write to RCT, Box 33, 164/166 Corn
Exchange Building, Hanging Ditch, Manchester4.
Socialist Challenge: 17 April 1980 Page 12
Women in Action seller. She had bought a copy at the March 9 TUC demonstration, where this new paper for action in the unions on women's rights was launched.
In just over a month, half the print-up has been sold
demonstrations. conferences, and through distribution to existing
and the ever-growing number of new ones.
Plans are underway for
with an opening meeting to discuss articles on Saturday, 26 April
the City University, NormanDOn Notate. London EC1, from noon to 5pm. (Nearest tubes Angel and barolcal..
sale 11-1, a marko. Fullmarks info enham Rd, Montpellier from JADEE: SC avata be from Dunde shop. no 46038. info about DUNDEE:
Thursday 45. 0pm, Friday 45, 30yer,
Para. 3 as alie at
Ace: SC now available at kios
ritish Rail and Tetric Books Clapha
Centre).
Organised by Southall ANL as part of a national evening of action.
How do you find a job? * How can young workers
*Why
are working and opportunities worse for young
Sackville hai
By John Kirby
WHEN Len Murray
Liverpool last Sunday he was confronted by representatives
of the 550 Massey Ferguson
workers who have been occu-
pying their plant for seven
weeks.
They told him that they want to see a one-day general sunke in merseyside on
14 May in support of their
the closure the
Knowsev.
Massey Ferguson wants to transfer production to its Manchester factory as
the company's fortunes, which slumped to a loss of over f100m in 1978.
British seems to foundations?
Para-medics take to
the picket lines
By Vicky Anderson, Member, ASTMS national disputes committee THE Department of Health has been forced to back down in its attempt to make para-medical staff work longer hours.
Now action needs continue over the rest of the
Clegg Commission, which do not bring the wage rates bala-mcuica aucs ding radiographers, physiotherapists, speech and
Hull prison
demonstration By Lewis Emery ON 12 MARCH
of British imperialism mounted picket of Prison, where a number of Irish prisoners of war are held.
Organised North England Irish Prisoners Committee, the picket WaN attended by some 40 people and received page treatment in the Hull Daily Mail.
Pickets have already been organised in Manchester, Wakefield, and elsewhere, and the next picket will Durham on 10 May.
Massey Ferguson occupiers
call for strike action
the Kilmarnock factory, which closed 18 visited Now Knowsley is in the firing line. ago with the
Massey Ferguson Peterborough, plant, their full support for the occupation and are refusing to shift components that would have gone to Knowsley.
initiallv responded to a mass picket bi fight to taking one-day strike action and refusing plant to accept any transferred work. But they
Greve see mus cecson from management.
suspected that management's plan
Carrington sings the desert song
WHAT is the world coming to when a play on
shake the West to its occupational therapists anywhere near the level of previous pay awards.
The working week of most 33 and casta, is between
and 38 hours, which often mean being on call for
Clegg's
Ju now. was for a 37½-hour
WCOK paltry payment €1.50 for being on call all night.
THen on mover ASTMS, together with the professional associations, has orsalsca a scries strikes and a large demonstration in London.
work-to-rule and se recter week-long strikes were planned before manage. ment agreed to Day LIC FISC. recommenaca by Clegg on
our present hours of work
It we are to keep pace with Intlation, ine action nas to bi maintained to win a bigger pay rise.
THE deadline for
short news articles for
this page is 10.30am
Monday. Articles up to
200 words can be
rung through on Sundays on 01-359
8189.
The first major British casualty was
loss of 1,500 jobs. The
workers the the Perkins Diesel represents and in Coventry have Diedged aragong Is Icel
Workers at the Manchester factory
aler pressur meeting.
Now 800 of the 1,200 workers at th
Support this part
fit-out the Independent Television is quite
screened Death of a Princess without
pressures to censor the story of how the Saudi Arabiai
Princess Misha'al was executed with her lover in 1977 for
the crime of adultery.
more than sensationalism might be convincing if it had
shown the same fortitude in portraying, say, the life and
bloody times of the Shah of Iran before he was tipped off
his Peacock Throne, or the British army's present role in
the North of Ireland.
su the Tory glivermont, which is arous oat chair
government,
tyrannical regime should not be troubled by the kind of
mass revolt which swept away the Shah.
women which has
scene ln me Da wica lie
portrayal of women in the ruling circle cruising the desert
in search of lovers
can hold on to their power. Lord Carrington is only too
pleased to help them.
Stone Platt
occupation ends
By Pete Clifford STONE Platt engineering workers, who had been occupying the Oldham plant which faces closure in December, have returned to work. ma Thement had threatened inmediate dismissat of the 850 Their seven-week action workers. With only six votes acainst. a mass meeting decided to go back to work on the basis of the following demands:
No compulsory redundancies or short-time
plan to save 200 or more jobs; and extra severance pay for those made redundant at that time.
says: 'We couldn't muster the muscle when we needed it. The Accrington CURIOLOUS.
of a combine organisation, the force of the workers' action was WEARCICU
Union officials such as divisional organiser Ken Abbott and district secretary quick relure to work
• Despite this setback, discussing taking strike action on 14 May:
Manchester plant for the work presently done by the Knowsley plant.
Transport Union has given official backing to the occupation. but Engineering Union which half tne • workforce
One AUEW officer said that the action would be made official - if the Anowsley workers went back to work. AUThe branches to send in resolasions Knowlsey workers are asking to the union executive to demand official backing for the occupation. Earlier this week they lobbied an AUEW executive
and donations c/o Hayden Burns, 46 Kempton Park Rd, Aintree, Liverpool 10 proud to have I giving in to the
That the TV company was concerned with something
Lord Carrington, the Foreign Secretary, hastened to
which is anxious that their
It wasn't the exposure of the oppressive treatment of
worried the Saudi tyrants. The onl askeo to be car was lu
They believe that by upholding feudal practices they
ended a fortnight
• working for six
chairperson of the strike committee,
and Bolton plants wouldn't take strike action in
With divisions between the plants in Stone Platt and the lack
solidarity, full-time Engineering
Wally Jones were more concerned to get a
the Stone. Platt.workers.will .be
Tube
staff
fight
assaults
By Martin Eady, President, NUR London Transport District Council AN increasing number of assaults London Transport underground workers has led to a spate of official and unofficial strikes by tube staff.
The unofficial action at some stations last weekend will be followed by y an officia suut down from loom on luc next two Fridays and Satur days. This follows an escala ting leve
pages which led the National
Union of Railwaymen and the
all drives umol AoLaru call an official strike on 29 March
These stoppages have had almost unanimous support But many feel that little will result, especially the NUR's main demand is for improvements in police availability and mobility. Black
Yet the police have been known to attack black ucke collectors, while they let white bully boys who refuse to pay
•LICC So it i foolhardy to rely on police protection.
Proposals such as that for vaner-broor boxes tor ucke collectors are of some help in shielding staff from the worst entrects violence, ana a reduction in fares would
for pretent attacks.
But until the trade union movement takes the lead in combatting unemployment, bad housing, racism, and th other economic social conarions wnich give rise to hooliganism, London Trans port workers will be left with sue coce outro cose cowi services during _danger periods for their oroleCuon
A penny
for our
thoughts
HERE's something every reader can do just before going to bed. Reach into • your pocket or your purse or wherever you keep cash and the copper coins that you've collected during the day. something like mop. This is They'l amount not a large sum of mone
- and hence the excision is quite painless — but in a month thi copper will add up to f2 or f3, a very handy contribution to Socialist Challenge's fund
We're full of good ideas.
This week our thanks to:
Birmingham IMG £75.00 A Acheson 15.00 M Boulter P Hazell 2.50 MB 15.00 Mrs S 5.00 Newcastle IMG 5.00 racer MU 26.27 E Mahood 10.00 JAvery 3.50 D Stevens 5.00 N Manchester IMG 15.50 Camden supporter 4.00 JIrvine 3.50 Hackney supporters 11.70 Week'stotal
$201.97
Page 13 scan of this page
NEWS FROM THE FOURTH INTERNATIONAL
AGENDA
TAKING the message solidarity and the need for organised self-defence into the black communily what the Bristol IMG branch has been doing in the wake of the St Paul's uprising.
In the days following 2 April, IMG members responded Socialist Challenge's coverage by taking three nunared exlla copie of last week's issue.
First, they took the paper door1o-coor In one communavery second or third household bought a
Then they took the paper to tne Asian snops, wnere sales nave
REVDLER SOCIMLIS
FORIES
BRISTOL BRANCH
BOOSTS PAPER SALES
of been going well. addition, the branch has been selling at the public meetings which followed the 2 April events. that's LaSu Thursday Cells example, people meeting at the Inkwell community cellie. and 30 ol them bought a • copy of Socialist Challenge. to The initaitive of the comrades shows how events in the class strutte can be sered on le boost sales of the paper; to bring home the message of resistance to coolest aulacks everywnere.
With the 14 May Day of Action approaching, and with anger at the 1 ory orensive ouobling over, tere Saturday/Sunday
May 17th/18th 1980
REVOLUTION NATIONAL CONFERENCE
at The University of London
Students Union vialet street, London Wol 5 mins from Euston Station Guest speakers; discussions; workshops; films; gig
and disco; and much more besides.
military's pledge
Peru's impoverished masses. Late in 1979 the Trotskyist Revolutionary Workers Party (PRT), the Peruvian section of Fourth proposed the formation of a united election front of the working class, Watch explicitly and in practice be for
WHY DONE N
TORIES
OUT
HOWOOHEGE
is no lack or opportumes to doos sales. What is your branch doing? Let Socialist Challenge know.
Bristol Bolsover school N1. •
Presidential Campaign in Peru
ON 18 May there will be elections for Peru's first civilian government following 12 years of military rule.
to restore civilian prompted by its growing isolation and the hostility of
the independence
International, This proposal support. desire for
would Trotskyist
ANTI-RACIST
DEMONSTRATION: Sunday : Corner British steelworkers to spend May Day in Switzerland THE Queen will be visiting Switzerland on May Day. So will three leading steelworkers from South Yorkshire and Warrington.
The first event has been set up by the Swiss bourgeoisie. The counter-visit has been organised by the Revolutionary Marxist League, the Swiss section of the Fourth International.
Fritz Von Scheist, a member of the RML central committee, says: 'We thought that the ruling class case should not go unanswered and who better to be there than the steelworkers' IMG branch organised in
INTO the heart of Skinner country went the IMG. A public meeting was organised a couple of weeks ago at which Tariq Ali spoke on the 'Fight to Kick Out the Tories'. The meeting was attended by more than 30 people, over half of them miners
Tariq stressed that trade union militancy on its own could not deliver the goods. He pointed to the lack of a socialist vision and socialist culture inside the labour movement today and stressed the need to build a socialist alternative in the labour movement.
There was a vigorous discussion during question-time, and when the meeting ended it was evident that the IMG had a new branch, consisting largely of miners who had been working with Nottingham IMG over the preceding months.
Ernest Mandel to attend cadre
ERNEST Mandel will be spending two days — 12-13 July — at the week-long cadre school being organised by the IMG.
Mandel will speak on: 'Revolutionary Strategy in the Semi-industrialised Countries', "The Theory of Permanent Revolution today', and "The USSR and World Politics',
•Further details from: Dave Hudson c/0 PO Box 50,; London
Blanco popularity
The In government was
well as of the groups. workers from the military land
wide Not only was there a elections around ulull candidate who symbolised the struggles of the oppressed, but
leader Hugo IMG NOTICES
FRACTION: All branches t This IRISH FRACTION. Saturday 19 April, 1lan
uch of Birmingham to support with
National Centre - 10 prepare for ASTM STMS FRACTION: Saturday 10 M protracted
1979 WORLD CONGRESS OF government. THE FOURTH
INTERNATIONAL
They secure
expense NOW AVAILABLE Before All the major resolutions
of the 1979 World Congress of the Fourth
International 240 pages, price £2.45
plus 50p p&p
The Other Bookshop, 328 Upper St, London N1
of the
Party.
working
the SP.
way
elections.
the movement
attacks, action
than ever.
Giscard.
enjoyed immense 'the natural candidate of the hungry'
January, the PRT's proposal led to the creation of
Revolutionary Left Alliance (ARI), which included Maoist and centrist forces as
various Trotskyist the
The formation of the ARI was a big step forward - for example on 22 and 23 February
took place in Chimbote, the country's most important mining centre.
Spontaneously, union
members of the various AR. parties got together to run a joint slate, which received two-thirds of the vote.
success convinced of the more . sectallai Maoist groups that they would risk isolation if they refused to join ARI. The most important of these was the Revolutionary Left Union (UNIR).
There followed a period of
in-fighting in the also ARI. The Maoists attempted to break with the line of class independence by fighting for their own slogan of 'for a non-aligned and democratic peoples
Secure
also attempted to disproportionate number of candidacies on the ARI slates for themselves at the
Trotskyists. these disputes were settled, however, the ARI faced a further complication. use
When ARI was set up it was supported by the POMR, the Peruvian group affiliated to the
France: Campaign for
workers' unity wins
wide support
The election campaign in •CP France in 1978 ended with the break-up of the Union
Left', the joint platform of the Communist Party and the Socialist
base
This was because the CP feared that its grip on the key sectors of the industrial
class was being and threatened by the growth of
In the most cynical possible
the CP simply exploded the 'Union of the Left' when it was within sight of winning the
'he resut has been the creation of profound divisions
French workers' between the Communist Party and the Socialist Party, and between the various union federations - at a time when the workers
facing unprecedented and when unity in against the Giscard government is needed more
Now campaigns have been launched both for unity in off action and to demand that the leaders of the CP and SP break with the policy of disunity and initiate a campaign to get rid of
fierce
One campaign, launched by
Organising Committee for the Reconstruction of the Fourth International.
But IOnOWIll: pressure from the 'Parity Committee', the new international grouping which the OCRFI supports, the POMR decided to pull out of the ARI. Thus ARI came under
dual pressure of factionalism from both the Maoists and the sectarian Trotskyist forces.
Division
Finally, no agreement was reached on the division candidacies betweer the different parties and the ARI broke up.
PRT campaign
As a result, the PRT has decided its
Howl campaign, with Hugo Blanco as presidential candidate. The campaign is supported by the POMR and PST, Socialist Workers Party, which
supports the Parity Committee.
The two candidates for vice-president are Richard Napuri POMR and Enrique Fernandez of the PST
The PRT is using the election campaign to help unify the workers' struggles and is centring the campaign on the demand for workers' government 'without generals or bosses.
A major theme of the PRT campaign is that the struggle of the workers and peasants wil not end when the elections are over, but that it is important to
the elections for the consolidation and building of a revo utionar party the working class.
and militants and supported by the Ligue Communiste Revolutionnaire,
French section of the Fourth International, puts stress on unity in action at the
and has collected more than 60,000 signatures from worker militants in support of its aims.
Hundreds of local meetings
press conferences have been held to publicise the campaign.
Another campaign, which
aimed are stressed st
aimed at and leaders, has been launched by the Organisation Communiste Internationaliste, a Trotskyist organisation outside the Fourth • International.
More than 70,000 signatures have been collected for this campaign
Nearly 140,000 workers in favour of unity in the fight against unemployment, inflation, and the government itself, as well as for the reformist leaders to assume their responsibilities to finish
the reactionary important breakthrough respresents an important for French Trotskyism.
Both campaigns have met
opposition from • reformist leaders.
April 1986
Page 14 scan of this page
LETTERS 328/9 UPPER STREET LONDON N1
WIN A QUARTZ WATCH!
Misleading
advertising?
I REFER to the advert in SC 141 (3 April) from the SWP claiming organisation in Western Europary that it is 'the lar or North America.
The advert attributes this claim to Socialist Challenge.
Perhaps all concerned with this error would like to note that an organisauon usually classilicu as revolutionary, one that organises against the Spanish state, the LCR-LKI, a section of The roure nemanona s a least twice the size of the SWP(UK).
Furthermore the Fourth
International, an organisation present in both Western Europe AheNon Amenors considerably bigger than the SWP(UK).
I'm sure the facts will be noted for your readers.
STUART PAUL, West London
Little to offer?
NIU LABORIL WCIC mussCU in your report (3 April) of the Women's Fichtback conference.
I think the conference was a positive thing; even though it was not wel oull 0 0 su WOlCH attended. Compared to the women's movement, socialist feminist. or even National Union of Student's women's conferences I've been to, this conference had ansoec occ co outgoingness about it.
Why did the IMG confine its •ontoo• cc o lc National Abortion Campaign?
We had little to offer on all those
ANGELIC O OC Lakcl up: affirmative action, self-organisation of women in the Lauc u0 s the Labour Party, a woman's women's sections in
right to work,
Even on abortion the IMG taliea to give a clear leaa tor tne fight ahead. It
not the IMG. who made it clear that the withdrawal of the Corrie Bill was not a huge Vetor. allt ulal allacks ou abortion facilities and private charities are becoming more
We didn't distinguish vicous. ourselves clearly enough from
on demand and positive legislation are the same ining.
We didn't challenge Jo Richardson; we didn't ask why There wan a woman ceewrker on the platform as well.
Obviously we must build the widest possibie unica tront
women: we want to include the LCC and the Campaign for Democracy in the Labour Party. DuL LAC TLAL MUSL De Icu DY women, and we must argue that women in particular and the working class in general must rely on their own strength, not on Parliament.
Why didn't we open Women i Acuon to tnc conrercucc.
Clear instructions to all Socialist will be eligible to win one of two
are also eligible).
cracking.
Paul Russell London SW7
clallst Chal ge 17 Apri
Instead we hung around selling it in a rather sectarian way. The we sold proved that maly cobies women at the conference wanted
at the editorial committee shows tnal ll is not a paper dy and 1or women in the trade unions. least of all the IU UlC.
Socialist Campaign for a Labour Victory, would deny that there were problems with the conference; but the IMG offered only a one-day-all-women'scamma coco as c way forward.
Where does this fit into our call for a 'General Strike to bring cowa me oReso w a carnival inspire the thousands of women trade union and Labour rantv mendes. voul. ard housewives who don't identify with the women's liberation moveren wia about wonen isolated in low-paid, non-unionised labour?
Thone the IMG will build the next Fightback conference in an open ana energetic way snoula argue ror a non-aciegate, broadly-based conference and we should force the Labour left to TORTOR UIS. Av uie sane une we should challenge their ultimate reliance on some future utopian cavour governacul ulal can legislate women's liberation.
NELLE DARLINGTON, South-east Manchester IMG
General strike
slogan: a
failure of
understan-
ding?
AT THE risk of offending Ken Tarbuck, I would like to cite a few words from Trotskv in support of Dave Bailey's position on the call for a general strike.
Trotskv was addressing the Moscow Organisation of the Russian Communist Party on the occasion or te alro wor Congress of the Communist internanonai He was referring to the call for 1 general strike by Committee of the German Communis ParV -tens of thousands of members and certainly much more deeply rootea in tne working class than the combined forces of all those Icvululual y groups in Britain currently calling for a general
"The masses,' said Trotsky, "simo v taue o acerno me
He then dealt with those nen ccrcrc d cc German CP (who) .. acknowledging that this summons was a mistake... (propounded) the theory that in a revolutionary epoch we are obliged to conduci exclusively an agressive policy...
Trotsky was dealing with the ourens ve aranst ue workug class launched by the social Challenge readers: complete and post the adjoining form, then sit back and smile when the next nagging appeal is printed. Your smile may well turn into a delighted chuckle because all who start or increase their banker's order
stunning digital quartz watches (those who answered the appeal weeks ago
The draw will take place on May Day, so vulgar materialists with an eye on the watch and noble materialists with an eye on the paper's funds get
democratic government and went
utilized in order to unite all the
workers for defence, for self-
protection, even if,
a vcy muucsl icootalce
soil proved favourable, had the
agitation met with a favourable
response. it would then have been
possible to pass over to the We general strike....'
The revolutionary party would
gain by this because it would have
"proved our ability to probe the
WOrke WasCo ..
their internal ties and, what is
party's authority for giving wise
e.aersno uicer au
circumstances.
The failure of the labour
movement to give active support
to the fighting steelworkers,
disunity displayed at Leylands
over the pay awards is certainly
no indication that the objective
situation is ripe for the calling of
a general strike.
As the resolution of the 4th
World Congress of the Comintern
- wic carase• mre cg o a
general strike by the French CP in
1922 put it: we must fit our
siogans to tne reaalness and
ability of the masses to act.'
Corth LOVAN GELDEREN,
London
Unions' North
Sea record
not good
I1 HELrs wnen passing
comment on great news events to be accurate as well as critical. The - à D
еоа mca A oi the Alexander Kielland rig disaster makes a fair point but suffers
Tron oovious enors and
The rig is not owned by Phillios. who rent it. but by the Stavanger Drilling company. That it was used as a restanei to uuc overorouuctiol of North Sea drilling rigs in recent
sycals instead of ne eenena ais o mcmuoi
the complicity of the North Sea
in allowing the existence o soa cen lao. - for, leaving aside the structural faults, why could so few workers get off the rig and into te boats? No company faced with regulations imposed on operators can complain of unfair Your Bank
Name of Account to be debited ......
Our Bank
Account No
Sorting Code
Amount to be paid ..
First Payment due ..
Signed
CUASS •oo• expenses involved in safety measures
to begin with, unions.
Had the harassed.
not-too impressive either.
overalors work lorelnc ' (My emphasis) internationally,
the unions.
strengthenec
European union with its owi
land-based solidarity. • not exist even embryonically loaay.
conference of all unions with
recent disaster.
JOHN LASZLO, London
More on the
Basque
elections
'autonomous'
Statute of Autonomy late last ycal
and the bourgeois Basque Nationalist Party (PNV).
statute, the Trotskyists of the LK. the revo muonar nationalists (Herri Batasuna/ People's Unity), and the communs Movener or
monty support.
"floatel' at all is
placed their hopes in it Repression has increased still
anamar -repression - into Euzkadi Two hundred political
all other SOCIALIST CHALLENGE BANKER'S ORDER FORM
Account Number ......
Socialist Challenge
Lloyd's Bank, Upper Si, London N!
0179678
30-94-57 Send to: Socialist Challenge, PO Box 50, London N1 2XP
Fi.. A NEW UNIFORM..
Finally, the editorial is far too simplistic in its treatment of the Madrid.
Yes, organisers have been But the record of unhindered organising on rigs is
The fact that the North Sea oil
while the unions fiercely guard their national and trade structures, ues tne lanas ol
The answer is one, industrial,
safety regulations, backed up by
That doe and PTE.
rasalons
Perhaps a first step would be a
North Sea workers to discuss the
‹eerr r
wE D LIke to expana on youl coverage (10 April) of the recent elections in the Basque country Sestao,
rinstw. uie eecuons were to decide the composition of the new
Basque Parliament, usen te omcone orse Basque
, That Statute was concoctec by the government party, Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD)
Spanish
In the referendum on the
Euzkadi (EMK) campaigned for abstention, winning substantial
Since that time the pernicious Burnley IMG reality of the statute has become clear to masses of peonle who hac
munne mm me doene • armoured cars on the streets and religion the drafting of General Sáenz de
prisoners remain in iail. suffering constant harassment and torture
drive for the restructuring oi Basque industry is underway as
background.
TennISL
... Monthly And on the same date in the month thereafter.
••WORN BENESOTATING the PNV attempts to increase contro ame sice o ane cake are expense of its natural allies in
Meanwhile the Socialist and Communist Parties have continued to disregard the fight tor set-determinanon ane retus to participate in the fight against repression. Instead , they nav concentrated their fire on ETA at a time of unprecedented murders and agression by the fascists
The LKI attempted to force an electoral coalition with both wings of the revolutionary nationalist novenen aeol esN
One by one, these
- putting their own interests above those of the working class as a whole -withdrew from discussions. So the LKI, as did the others, went alone into the elections, attempting to
Parliament against repression, against pacts, and for self-
(The coalition to which you referred in your picture caption in issue 139 (20 March) was out together in Catalonia.)
The LKI waged a very effective campaign in the Basaur country. In the 'red' township of
Ernest Mandel spoke to a rally of 2,000, many of whom were ola workers who naa livec through the civil war; Bernadette Devlin explained the need for an intransigent working class and internationalist perspective for macona doeraton ana sociausu. and Miguel Romero, of the
Trotskyist organisation LCR. described the campaign that it was carrying out in the rest of Spain in solidarity and for the revolutionary unity of all the regions and nationalities of Spain against repression and cabilallst dusichily.
BARBARA PASSINGHAM DAVID PASSINGHAM
Ireland,
feminism and
nos leller in last weck s odoc rom Emma Craig and Charlie
aalte conocn aooul n report (13 March) of the Armagh protest on International Women's Day seems to have tallen Drev t‹ the sectarianism it accuses me of.
The reference made in my artice to 'a tew Protestants hang ing around' watching the protest was quite wrong because it drew no asuncIon OCLWCC LEIsI people's religious background and their political positions
But in attacking me for describing an Irish woman who attended the conference on 9 Marci mu bewast foul relusca le attend the protest outside the prison the day before) as a 'Protestant' and a 'socialis/ feminist' Emma and Charlie fall into their own trap
Protestant, as they say, does not ecua covaist. ure woma was referring to her Protestant
This obviously infuenced her views but it did not
Neither can I agree with them Laar pene aroes ars incompatible with being a socialist feminist, even a 'pure socialist
Socialist feminism covers a broad range of opinion, including Inoce wno wanl to eoru capitalism and those who wish to overthrow it, those who may believe in religious ideas and those who have rejected religion. By no means every socialist feminist is a icvulutiolal y Nalasi
A sectarian stance to women I• disntsstve attitude rowards all •+. PAUL MITCHELL, Bristal..* on the Irish issue is as useless as a
OH WELL -ANTHING'S BETTER THAN HAYNG TO STRUGGLE!
Protestants (as opposed to LOvaNI
Irish feminists, when we visited Armagh that weekend, rather than lecture women on the 'correct position on Ireland' as Emma and Charlie seem to wish to co. exonine now awa impossible to build a strong united women's movement in re ana wimon controne tie border between the North and the South, without confronting the enecs orme aisonao1.
Marie O'Brien incidentally, a revolutionary Marxist and a memoel ol reopics ucmoclacy, also described herself as a Protestant (of origin!).
VALERIE COULTAS, London WC1
More on
"Fragments'
RAY CHALLINOR, in his attack on Hilary Wainwright (Letters 10 April) epitomises many of the points which Hilary makes about WCSVC OuIC CoulOIrICL
She is accused of being deficient in her understanding of Marxist polities to the point of utter ignorance. aisne da deen active in the socialist movement ior some years ana nas thu: presumably encountered theory and accumulated experience is cvaculy ui lo accoull
Having "smashed' Hilary by asserting her ignorance (thereby removi uc nilo cule political debate and asserting his own infallibility) Ray then recounts a sordid tale of intrigue •from Newcastle Socialist Centre
This is a case of substituting for taking up Hilary politically
wozz c e racen authors actually say? They make two central points. First, there is a ceran sve or debate an practice in the organised left. The
hard, erect, self-contained revolunonary ( tae exie )... A tendency to polarise debate, the demand that one's opponents present complete arguments and so on . Second, that this flows froll scunst cucury allc organisation
On the first point. Most of us are probably familiar with the voe eenoa conoe o eats, sleeps and breathes political activity. In some ways these comrades are the backbone of the revolutionary left. But they set standards which many comrades mine lt naru to mccl ol llalcid reasons; working hours, personal relationships, children etc
I've no doubt that many of u: are familiar with the style of debate already mentioned. Only Loo ouen ocone ncw to boruc just clam up and listen; they feel intimidated and afraid they will oe smashed.
To the second point: that these phenomena derive from Leninist orsallsalul , 1 think that thi. accusation is basea on a misunderstanding of Leninism.
Democratic centralism •resuodoses mor omv centralisee practice but also the intake of
The practices caes cuc mennonea in tnis letter cul acros. this intake — they are not Leninist practices
•n ner crone sHary polemicising against a caricature of Leninism - but a caricature wich Is orten presented as tne real thing.
Lenin and Trotsky consistently
mme o æo o c masses; 'leadership' is gained through participating in the mass nOvenel cuadaoye with the masses. The 'Fragments' current is tilting at a caricature. • DUL IL IS LILIC W sluyu caricaturing them!
Page 15 scan of this page
UNDER REVIEW
THE education college run by the General and Municipal Workers' Union for shop stewards found that it was much use of Look Back at Grunwick, a film on the Grunwick struggle made by Chris Thomas which is strongly critical of the TUC, that it purchased its own copy.
The agricultural workers' union has been using Superman and the Bride which is about the way in which TV women's traditional roles, made by Television, and Harlan County USA, Barbara Kopple's feature film on the battles of the Kentucky miners.
inest are a lew examples aren't too many others — of radical films and TV programmes being shown and discussed within the trade union movement.
It was to promote such developments that Socialist Film Services was set up a year ago, with financial support from producers and editors.
"The labour movement,' says Ken Hulme, secretary of the organisation, 'cannot continue in Paris for the film's premier
How did this film come about?
After making several films children we wanted to make one for children. •We LINUCLES H mounting our last project - a film for adults on the question North of Ireland - but on the other hand there was money for a children's film and Black Jack struck me as a good story.
We have set the film in Yorkshire and not in London as in the book.
I am interested in England in the 18th century, in the pre-industrial
Whoever invented the fishfinger
Ought to be transmogrified,
Skinned, mashed and boxed into uniform blocks,
And frozen and, finally, fried.
Because who'd do that to a fish,
Finning its way through the seas,
Colours in harmony, perfectly poised,
Riding its flying trapeze?
2.
Whoever invented the 'Daily Mail'
Ought to be cut down to size,
Pulped and reduced to a nauseous juice,
And dried out and flattened till ready for use,
Then covered with newsprint and lies.
Because who'd do that to a tree,
Raising its head to the sky,
making SO
reinforces men's and Thames
medium. - and there
left-wing film generally
Interview with Ken Loach
I'd like to
make a film
aboutthe
Steel Strike
KEN LOACH became well known in Britain for films like 'Kes' Cow', and 'Family Life', which brought working class life onto the big screen. He became more well known to the left for his work for television, including the acclaimed 'Days of Hope'.
'Black Jack', his new film based on a children's novel by Leon Garfield, was recently released in Britain. He was interviewed while
economic and social relations,
about between magic and fraud.
Usually in
of the dialect has
steel strike, Scargill come from there.
Whoever Invented the Fishfinger
Then covered with breadcrumbs from collar to socks
And progress is all very well, but not when it chops up our dreams,
And it's hard to feel at ease in the world when nothing is what it seems
Services
to ignore the most powerful medium. Trade umous and une lelt naraly ever use tims. and they rarely sponsor films or experiment with the
Promoting films and TV programmes that are available for hire hundred featured in Socialist Film Services' - has meant making contact with the trade union education departments, putting together a mailing list of organisations which have shown an interest in using film, and acting as an advice centre on the practicalities of film showing and discussion. The South-east Region TUC, 'Poor society, the countryside before the factories and before enclosures. It has the outlines of modern society — new
the birth of modern medicine, half-way
historical films the actors in costume speak 20th century middle class English. The Yorkshire from
maintained older elements, and is also the language of the most militant area of the country - it's the area of those who lead the
people like Arthur leve
In the film 'Black Jack' you worked into
3.
At last! Socialist Film
Promotion there are nearly a useful films
availability.
BBC-TV
which is
with non-professionals?
The children, yes, I found them in
schools and colleges. The one playing
Tolly was 15 years old then, now he is
17, he's left school and is working as
an apprentice miner.
The majority of the actors are not
comedy actors but stand-up comics
the clubs. They
professionals, the union demands
that they are professionals, which is
quite right when you consider
of unemployment in
profession.
These people who work in
clubs weren't trying to get themselve
films, they concentrate
Rooted in centuries, telling tall tales, Breathing a green lullaby?
And progress is all very well, but not when it chops down our dreams, And it's hard to feel
Whoever invented the policeman Ought to be licked into shape, Toughened and trained till the body's a cane, Till the arms are a chain, till the nerves feel no pain, Till obedience rules and encircles the brain With walls, so he'll never escape.
Because who'd do that to a child, Jumping with joy and desire, Floating in fantasies, drowning in dreams, Brimming with feelings of fire!
And progress is all very well, but not when it locks up our dreams
• Leon Rosselson
By Geoffrey Sheridan
presently making a trade union recruitment commercial in Bengali for showing in cinemas, has arranged with Socialist Film services a series of film previews so that trades unionists in the area can see what's on offer.
has also involved selecting and ensuring their Thus Socialist Film Services paid for It Ain't Half Racist, Mum, the analysis of TV's racism made by the Campaign Against Racism in the Media and originally shown as a
Open Door programme, converted from video to 16mm colour film.
Within a day of the leaflet advertising this film being mailed out, four bookings were
physical psychological traits.
The character Franval, Black Jack, fits in well into this team; he needs the help of the child and to become part of the group of travelling showmen because he is a foreigner.
Doesn't the character of Belle, the aL C little mad girl, bear many similarities
with 'Family Life'? the the Yes and no, in this film the situation is the reversed. by her family, and her on grows out of her confinement. at ease in the world when nothing is what is seems. And it's hard to feel at ease in the world when nothing is what it seems
received by the distributors.
additional prints.
'Hopefully,'
towards the stage mense ver promote
so far.
NUPE a video film on the struggle.
Consisting
militants wide
all-out strike.
available to branches. be
Exchange, 247 0335. Price 80p plus 20p p&p.
mother.
Leon
novel on methods by so on.
Most television thwarted performance rather than
system played by Jean individuals.
lila becomes
between
employer. steel strike. others
Belle is locked up, rejected them
'madness' different regions.
film for television.
Loach
originally weekly paper
of 'Black Jack'
future
shown Festival.
on 20 April;
'There's no doubt that the films we're popularising are doing well,' says Ken Hulme. "The distributors find that they have to make
The adds, 'we're working when trade unions will films and socialist film-makers to go out and make them
There seems to be just one example of that
During the local authority workers strike in the winter of 1978, a group of film. makers called Union Media co-produced with
mainly interviews with on the issues involved and how they organised, the film includes a heated discussion on whether the union should have gone for an
NUPE has supplied its offices with video recorders so that the film is
The Socialist Film Services Handbook is available from: Ken Hulme, Room 427, Wool
Brushfield St, , London El. Tel 01-
In Family Life the young girl is a prisoner to the personality of her
Garfield, the author, has worked in a hospital, and he based his a true story but the which Belle is nursed belong to the 18th century.
How is this film, and your other films, distributed in Britain?
Very badly. Films have to be made with a view to the American market, so they make science-fiction films and Films like ours, "little' films, have a hard time surviving. film workers work for These days even the most British of all British films has to have a touch of the transatantic. now not one of my films has been sold in the United States.
You have to work for television. I've made several films for the BBC: Days of Hope was a history of the labour movement, of revolutionaries by reformists, the experience of two men and a woman between 1916 and 1926 The film finishes with the General Strike.
There was also The Price of Coal written by Barry Hines . In the first part there is a 'bluff' leading up to the visit of Prince Charles to the mine. In the second part there is an accident, they wanted to increase production at the expense of the safety regulations. It was a true story, but we changed the names in order to show that the to. blame and
I've just finished making The Game Keeper, also with Barry Hines. who SICCIWOrKe gamekeeper for aristocrat. In this film the interest lies in the relations between the classes friends, between him and his new this ex-worker I'd like to make a film about the After steel strike Will nave to take up the struggle, so it will be important for see the experiences of This would be a
At the moment I am on the left of the Labour Party, in that left which is trying to get rid of the right of the party. It's true that this left is fostered by illusions, but workers still think of the Labour Party as their party, and I think that's where it's at.
*NOEMIE MAS interviewed Ken Paris. The interview appeared in 'Rouge', of the LCR, French section of the Fourth International. *Enterprise Films, the distributors confirm what Ken Loach says in this interview about the inadequacy of the distribution of his future showing pre"Black jack showing "Black Jack' scheduled in London, although it will Greenwich Film
If you have a local film theatre it is worth checking to see if it is due to be shown soon — it has several one-off local bookings over Whitsun weekend and it will be in the Manchester area
Socialist Challenge: 17 April 1980 Page 15
Page 16 scan of this page
Socialist Challenge
THE HORROR OF
EL SALVADOR
The reality behind Carter's concern for human rights THIS shocking picture, taken by Mexican photographer José Lavanderos, is of a peasant murdered by right-wing gangs in El Salvador in Central America.
His body was found on 23 January, the day after the general strike by peasants and workers against the military dictatorship which runs El Salvador.
Hundreds of peasants and workers have died since that strike, murdered by the right-wing gangs and the army.
The dictatorship survives only because of the millions of dollars of military. aid poured in by the United States.
This is the reality of Jimmy Carter's view on human rights.
Remember this photograph the next time you hear Carter talking about his concern for human rights in Iran or Afghanistan.
José Lavanderos has taken even more horrific pictures which Socialist Challenge considered too shocking to publish — pictures of workers who had been hacked to death by machetewielding National Guardsmen.
But the people of El Salvador are fighting back. The photographs we publish on our centre pages this week show the armed defence pickets of the revolutionary organisations in action On the streets against the army.
They show demonstrations during
the general strike and the spirit of resistance of a people determined to bring down the brutal regime.
The people of El Salvador are today a people in arms. The only
guarantee of human rights in that
country is their victory, just as the
victory of the revolution in Nicaragua
was the way in which the Nicaraguan
people conquered human rights for
themselves.
*The poverty and misery of the
people of El Salvador, page 7. Their
resistance illustrated, pages 8 and 9.
Photo: JOSE LAVANDEROS rocrest Ltd: for Socialist Challenge, 328/9 Upper St, London N1. Printed by East End (offset) Ltd: PO Box 82, Landon E2. gistered with the Post Office as a n spaper. Published by Reli
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