Socialist Challenge No. 145, 1 May 1980
The scan: sc-n145-may-01-1980.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive)
Uncorrected machine reading of the whole issue. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from the scan and has not been corrected or cut into articles. Each page gives the headlines first, then the columns in order, so one article runs on into the next. Expect misread words. Use it to find things; quote from the scan.
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No.145 1 May 1980 20p
Socialist Challenge
HALT US WAR DRIVE
BRITAIN OUT OF NATO
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Planes may crash in the desert but... US builds the world's most powerful war machine
By A Duret 'THE THREAT of a third world war' arises, according to the media, from the 'aggression' of the USSR, Vietnam, Cuba, etc. against a world insufficiently 'protected' by the gical powers of imperialism! What is the reality behind this smokescreen?
Since 1975 and the victory of the Vietnamese revolution, there has been a change in the global relation of class forces to the detriment of imperialism. The American defeat in dochina, along with its repercussions inside the USA, combined with the decline of American dominance in capitalist world, and the crisis of the international capitalist economy, to produce a worsening of social contradictions and increased inter-imperialist competition. All this is reflected in the crisis of imperialist political leadership — what the media means when it refers to Carter as 'indecisive'.
Major
In this context there have been series of major upheavals: the overthrow by an unprecedented popular mobilisation of the dictatorship of the Shah, who played the role of local policeman for the imperialists; the upsurge of the revolution in Central America and the Caribbean, with the removal of Somoza through a popular insurrection; a new rise
anti-imperialist mobilisations in Iran around the US embassy hostages, finding an echo in a number of "Islamic' countries.
The Soviet intervention
Afghanistan underlines relative decline of the ability to intervene in a vital region. Carter couldn't simply barge in at will.
But all these blows to imperialism should not allow us to
gnore an apparently paradox
cal-aspect of this crisis: on the military level, the USA is still the world's major power. It has at its disposal the greatest and most terrifying means military destruction in history. Force
But to make effective use of
this military force, to be able to
enter a new stage of tne arms
race', to be able to strike directly at an advancing revolution,
American imperialism first has to 'cure' its working people of their post-Vietnam 'shock'.
This has been Carter's aim, since he won the presidency.
First of all, Carter launched his human rights' policy, with the intention of creating an
ideological climate similar to
encouraged by Kennedy
until it crumbled under the
blows of the Vietnamese revo-
lution. As the radical American
professor Noam Chomsky has
it is striking that the
"discovery" of the Gulag took
place at the end of the Vietnam-
are war went midue sense. to
distract attention away towards other atrocities'
has
the
An imperialist took shape focussing danger of 'Soviet tanks' on the frontiers of capitalist Europe, the "discovery' of the brigade in Cuba, with racist overtones on the Iranian revolution (launched when the embassy hostages taken), and lastly the 'tramp of Red Army boots' in Asia.
All this had a purpose: to the US's make the American masses ac-
cept the idea of a military intervention American necessary - • against a people's anti-imperialist along with a major increase in the US military budget at a time when austerity dictated massive cubtacks in social expenditure. It is well known that when imperialism new stage of
reorganise is forces to prepare a counter-attack, it talks about 'disarmament' and kicks up a big fuss about the 'imminence' of war. So what are the real facts of the situation?
Between SALT 1 in 1972 and last year's agreement in principle arimale of the great powers SALT
have carried on growing - not only quantitatively, qualitatively. The levels fixed in the accords are so high that they can have nothing to do with disarmament.
Furthermore, the tions are also an incentive tol research into the production of arms in areas not covered by the regulations. neces breakthroughs for technological means a big emphasis on exporting arms, including those of the there is no disermament.
American imperialism has embarked on a new stage of
1 May 1980 Page 2
campaign arms production
bining longstanding techniques the with new electronics or covering new technical
Soviet period of economic crisis these
new projects come just at the right time perialism's key industries.
were According
Tribune in January:
Central arms planners have their way,
the next decade will inaugurate a period of such innovation in weaponry that it will transform war as we know it on land. the ocean, in the air and space.' mobilisation, Robert Fossum, director of
research projects of the Pentagon, was quoted in the paper as saying: 'Such developments have been made possible by the appearance of such things as micro-computers, arming and OsCi than fingernail
thousands of active elements. And that is technology where the Russians are lagging and will fall even further behind.'
Part of this new phase of American arming already has a name: the Trident submarine, capable of launching twenty-four missiles each with seven nucicar warheads. but also are the Cruise missiles, flying
bombs, the new Soviet bomber can gramme in flight in line with limita- satellite
course of the Backfire. There are the mobile MX missiles with ten nuclear The huge in- wallen
these tional between 1985 and 1989
And that's not to mention the neutron bomb, the high energy So laser beam, the vast network of satellites which is essential to the functioning missiles, the planes, and so on.
either comcampaign
: areas. In a
budgets. revve To
to the Herald of 'If the
La Le Monde dossier:
the superficial
insistence
false no bigger repeated by but with
an area of
dustry finds
stakes does not disturb
Then there
which in response to in different
Backfire alter their proplaining the observations on the
DCall
warheads each, should become opera
Monde Diplomatique:
general redeployment
of these
This is what is behind the
on 'disarmament' and the 'need to strengthen the defence of the free world'. This solete. is what explains the military ment
aircraft cover up and justify these developments, the myth weapons.
Soviet supremacy on the military level has been created.
As Claude Julien pointed out in
technological
'No expert can ignore the and fact that the real relationship of forces does not correspond to
impression stalling which is derived from a purely quantitative comparison... The
with which certain figures are cited can only give a
impression; widely press, such This arguments are basically intend ed to convince Congress to be 'above more openhanded with regard to the military budget. The damaging Pentagon chiefs are not the on- Cullully ly ones to play this game; in-
it equally profitable. But this bidding up the tion of war
their serenity, for everyone in charge Eastern knows that American military might is qualitatively superior. economy
This superiority is reflected
levels technological development in nal). specific but decisive areas. Ex-
campaign NATO circles to get the Euro-
powers to take PGMs (precision guided missiles, such as the Pershing II and Cruise), Alain Joxe wrote recently in Le
"The alarm is being sounded because the time has come for a
PMs, and a vast industrial and commercial operation is at
The threat of a surprise attack by an armoured column mains
tle, is resurfacing in the mass media at a time when the armoured
of column is considered to be ob-
To justify the deployof anti-tank and antiPGMS, you have to have a suitable object for these
If the Russian tanks
Indicating
in-
Andrée
anti-missile
another
all an American
Russian
an For the such in-
constitutes
Finally, while the USSR has undoubtedly strengthened military capacity - including its navy and fleet air arm - the USA's intervention force re
superior. "The
numerical superiority of the American intervention forces is accentuated by the quality of their performance: the Soviet transport planes' lack refuelling capacity in flight, the absence of helicopter units integrated into the amphibious forces...More important still, the USSR has no real assault aircraft-carriers; lacking aerial supremacy on the field of bat-
the Soviet ground forces would be highly vulnerable' writes the American researche Michael T. Klare. Advantage
It is one thing for the USSR to take advantage of the temporary difficulties of American imperialism to carry out classic military intervention in a country on its own borders, like Afghanistan, or even to lend logistical support as in Angola or Ethiopia. It is another matter entirely to operations of the type carried out by American imperialism in Korea or vietnam
For several years now , and especially since the overthrow of the Shah, the USA has made
considerable effort to strengthen the military (and repressive) arsenal of numerous allies. Thus in May American Senate decided to deliver sophisticated combat aircraft to Egypt, saudi Arabia and Israel. At the start
this year the Carter administration decided to make F16s available to several of its allies, with Israel being the first to receive them.
Arms
• In relation to arms deliveries in the Middle East, it has been calculated that for the fiscal years 1976 and 1977 the total of government-togovernment sales rose to $10.4 billion (not including those to Iran); for the years 1978 and 1979 the figure was $16.4 billion.
Mainly involved in these sales were Saudi Arabia, North Yemen, Egypt (a project involving $10 billion), Israel ($12 billion
rise in military aid), and Oman. The USA is constructing a new 'safety belt' in lne region, preparing troops to intervene in the Persian Gulf.
To this one must add the consolidation of the military positions of Thailand, South Korea, deliveries to Taiwan ($240 million worth of anti-aircraft missiles beginning of January), the military Nigeria, Kenya, Sough Africa, support
and the measures taken to intervene in Central America and the Caribbean. Today Pakistan
being offered instalments of military aid, and is acting as intermediary for the "Afghan resistance' with the USA. Turkey is also getting massiontrases of all the pro-
Contrarv paganda, what is actually hap pening is the preparation of a counter-offensive by the im perialists. Imperialism has suf tered many reverses. 1ts1n
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mess — as we have seen in relation to the Iranian revolution and the overthrow of Somoza in Nicaragua — but it is by no means paralysed and has an enormous military force at its disposal.
To retrench its positions and be able to respond militarily in a 'localised' fashion to prevent the fall of an ally, the development of a revolutionary upsurge, or the loss of previous positions - that is the axis of imperialist policy today as it seeks to extricate itself from the period of the 'defeat in Vietnam'. The arranging of a preemptive coup last October in El Salvador was an indication of this approach, though in this casę the crisis is far from being resolved.
Carter's response to USSR falls within ramework of this perspective It applies from SALT 2, which the Senate would certainly have rejected, at least in the election period, to the measures to cut down on grain exports. This response is not simply a means of lining up the electors in a presidential year. It is also intended cohesion in the leadership of
the imperialist world; this has been clear in relation to the economic blockade of Iran.
It is also a way of preparing the ground for putting this counter-offensive into practice if necessary through a military intervention in America, the Caribbean, or in the Persian Gulf so that the political price to be paid is as low as possible. In this sense there has been a certain change
the climate of detente which should not, however, be confused with the suppression of the agreements between the Kremlin and Washington.
The bureaucracy, as history has shown since 1947, can pro-
from a situation of perialist crisis,
Call • go with the development of the the anti-imperialist struggle of the the masses as a way points and developing with the petty-bourgeols lationalist leaderships.
Adherence to the status quo does not mean that any change is ruled out, but rather that it has no intention of overturning the global relationship forces, and so acts ast brake on new the rise world revolution. This has its roots in the conser-
Central
along
vative social nature bureaucracy — its methods of of scoring intervention reflect those
links which it assures its domination.
Nevertheless, the deep crisis of the imperialist system and the relationship of class forces mean that any imperialist intervention will have important political repercussions and will of in turn become an element prolonging the crisis. defeat of working people in a series of decisive countries in
77370
Picket of US
Embassy
Hands off Iran No to Carter's War Drive 4-6pm Thurs 1 May (directly after London May Day march)
US Embassy, Grosvenor Square W.1.
Called by Socialist Organiser and Socialist Challenge.
the
by towards
this
nuclear war, capitalist
Only the
system.
Tehran scale. to worse. 4B region. the imperialist world and the colonial countries can allow imperialism to take a decisive step
imperialism military contronta•
sense only guarantee against the threat of
the image of barbarism, the struggle of the workers and poor peasants against capitalist and imperialist domination, for the overthrow of the capitalist
Fight imperialism's
war drive
IN 12-foot high letters outside the United States embassy in
poster proclaims: nothing.' It was there before the attempt to rescue the hostages last week. The failure of Carter's military adventure in Iran might seem to confirm that slogan, but the reality is much more complicated.
The American forces may have botched their attempt to free the hostages, but the United States still possesses immense military might. In the short term the effect of the failure in Iran may well be to clip the Americans' wings. But the trend is towards US imperialism adopting a much more assertive military role on a world
The threat of war, possibly leading to a clash between the USA and the USSR, is escalating. Tony Benn was absolutely right to warn last week of the danger of the US dragging Britain into a war. It is not difficult to see why.
The successive upsurges in the colonial revolution are threatening the vital interests of both the United States and its imperialist allies. For the US in particular, things seem to be going from bad
In Central America vital US strategic, military and economic interests are being threatened not only by the development of the revolution in Nicaragua (see page 12), but also by the escalating revolutionary process in El Salvador and Guatemala
Over the past few months relations between the USA and the FSLN-dominated government in Nicaragua have progressively worsened. Not only have the bourgeois ministers been ejected from the Nicaraguan government, but the failure of the US Congress to approve aid to Nicaragua has meant that the govern. ment has signed a trade agreement with the USSR instead.
Cuban road
In Washington they are openly talking of Nicaragua taking the Cuban road. Such a development would be disastrous for American imperialism; they cannot necessary, they will have to resort to military foroe io prevere the Americas being cut in 1oo by a see
The situati US intereses crea oil. The remoral of the Shat terests, both in terms of the loss of oil and becasse i'e Stal imperialism's cop for the whole region.
The new Islamic regime can only lead to instability in the whok
The international strategic mess for imperialism is made a hun dred times worse by the fact that it coincides with a period of grav economic recession. Most economists agree that a new recession, which will probably be more severe than that of 19745, ha already started.
This means that the United States is under sharp pressure to assert its interests militarily, while relations between the capitalist states deteriorate as they wrestle to maintain their share of diminishing world trade.
Much of the war preparation being made by the USA is directed against the USSR. The United States and the other imperialist countries are furiously re-arming sophisticated and expensive nuclear weaponry.
This has the side effect of putting immense pressure on the Soviet economy, because the USSR is forced to respond by extending its defensive systems.
From the ponit of view of working people in Britain and Europe, the re-armament of the USA has an increasingly. dangerous aspect. Much of the new strategic disposition of the USA will be based on the Cruise missile. Since these missiles have a limited range of 1,500 miles, they will nearly all be deployed in Northern Europe, especially Britain. The working class in Europe is being stuck in the front line for Carter's war drive. The result can only be an increase in the number of Soviet missiles pointing at West Europe.
Anti-militarism
For the workers' movement in Britain and the rest of West Europe there can be only one response to the events of the past week and the mounting war hysteria of imperialism
First, we have to oppose every US military adventure, however much we disagree with the regime in Iran or anywhere else. No intervention by imperialism will make the situation one bit better
Secondly, we have to launch a massive campaign against British support for the US war drive. This means complete opposition to the placing of Cruise missiles in Britain. And above all it means a campaign to get Britain out of the major imperialist alliance - NATO.
The only defense available to working people is to disarm
before its headlong rush catastrophe for us all.
In the late fifties and early sixties, the question of Britain's membership of NATO was a constantly debated issue in the Labour Party and the trade unions. tradition of militant anti-militarism and anti-imperialism.
We need to launch a campaign to commit all the major bodies of the labour movement to oppose Carter's war drive; for the removal of American bases and missiles from Britain; and for Britain to get out of NATO.
"The Americans do
it to happen. If
workers state
and Souch-mes Asia die e of die protics is rey s
severe bion so Aste with ever more towards war ends in
We have to resurrect that Socialist Challenge 1 May 1980
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KHOMEINI'S OTHER WAR
Over the past few weeks Iran has been paralysed, not so much by the real economic and military threats posed by imperialism, as by the vicious and bloody attacks which have been taking against the left and the Kurds.
The Kurdish fighters been facing the army Islamic militias in battles.
The dispute with Iraq brutal mass expulsion Shi'ite community by the country's Ba'athist regime has used by the Iranian government to justify a military build-up Western borders, around Kurdistan.
Several villages have flattened. Hundreds of civilians have been massacred on the grounds that they were providing sanctuary •counter-revolutionary armed groups' communist and nationalist groups in Kurdistan.
On Friday 18 April, President Bani-Sadr gave a three-day ultimatum
political groups to evacuate their university headquarters. He said they were free to have headquarters outside. campus, DuL necessary to end all ideological battles
order 'protect freedom.'
Ransack
Bani-Sadr forgot to mention that all the 'outside' headquarters of left political. groups had already ransacked, burnt and closed down last August. The headquarters were, in fact, the very last 'sanctuaries' of the left.
The following day, before BaniSadr's three-day period had run out, groups of Islamic fanatics, the well. known 'followers of the line of the Socialist Challenge 1 May 1980 Page 4
INTERNATIONAL
PESHMARGA Kurdish guerillas: resisting the 'soldiers of the Iman line' in Iran
By Saber Nickbin
place internal deteriorating. have and the
numerous
and the
of the Iraqi
been skilfully
on its headquarters,
casualtes been provincial universities, dozen reported killed. all LO campuses.
anti-Islamic a reference to Swift
personally
victory, declaring
Islamic nationalism clearly academic 'the great
on the left minorities.
On Thursday been groups, mainly university marched through Tehran. They implacable
The left-wing
CARTER's bungled attempt to release the Tehran embassy hostages took place at a time when the
situation inside Halt was A massive witch-hunt against the left was combined with a fierce military assault against the Kurdish minority.
Socialists in the West are thus confronted with a complex and contradictory situation.
Imam', began to attack the left
causing hundreds of Tehran and the with several Bonfires were literature his
On Monday, 21 April, Bani-Sadr
marched to Tehran university at the head of a crowd of ten thousand to celebrate their swift
that similar operation was needed in Kurdistan.
was not satisfied with the confrontation with and
Satan; American imperialism'. It had also declared war «
and the national
It would, however, be wrong to think that the left has been smashed.
25 April tens of was thousands of supporters of the left
the Fedayeen, the streets made clear their hatred American imperialism, but defended their right to organise, and attacked the regime the for unleashing a war against the left.
demonstration was
imperialism,
rapidly
At the
attacked by 'supporters
Imam's line' armed with knives and
bricks, but they defended themselves.
The continuing instability in Iran
reflects the failure of Khomeini and
clerical parties and institutions to stabilise the Islamic project. It 1S that demagogy still capable mobilising sections oI the Indeed it would be surprising if it were not given the role of the Mosques in the overthrow of the Shah.
But these mobilisations do not consulaire in themselves political project for the Iranian ruling class, which is now hopelessly divided
Blacks a strong instrument repression — the Iranian army has still to be reconstructed
Armoury
Mass anti-imperialist sentiment
also important part Khomeini's armoury and it was an important factor maintaining public. support. However even that has not been totally successful. The fact that 40 per cent of the voting population refused to participate in
Presidential elections demonstrated very sharply divisions within the masses.
same time we defend the Iranian regime against
Iranian socialists are fighting for their lives in Tehran.
Our tasks are clear. We must direct our fire against imperialism and its plans to bring Iran to its knees while simultaneously making it clear that we do not defend in any way the repressive measures being carried out against the Iranian left and national minorities.
of the A political line which could unite the masses in a set of concrete anti-imperialist measures is clearly what is needed, but an essential prerequisite for that is freedom for the left and the state national minorities.
There can be little doubt that in Islamic the eventuality of a military invasion (which seems unlikely) the left would illasses. fight the hardest against American imperialism. In China, the occupying Japanese had a clear atitude to forces confronting stable nationalists (Chiang regarded as a 'disease' which could be cured, but Mao Tse Tung's partisans of were to be treated as a 'cancer' which had to be rooted out of the body politic.
The State roughly analogous Khomeini and the forces of the left.
Project
of
However the Khomeini's project comes today from embattled Iran. The Kurds. represent a nation that stretches into Irag and Turkey and numbers several the millions.
In Iran itself there are two major
for autonomy federation.
Toilers
Revolutionary
have
Imam line'
clerics oversulale
which pre-revolutionary goverment.'
different class Battle them The
Kai-shek) were
certain Department has
to
main threat
Iran, Kurdish fighters in
whole, Iranian
solidarise
assistance.
groupings. The Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran (KDP) is a multi-class alliance and the major base of the Communist Party. Its main leader is Sheikh Hoseini, who fights forcefully
within an Iranian
The second major force is the Organisation Kurdish Toilers (KOMALA), which is explicitly Marxist and is strong in the Southern portion of Kurdistan. Both
substantial number of peshmarga ('those who face death') guerillas in their ranks and it is they who are resisting the 'soldiers of the
KDP leader stated at the beginning of the month: "There are
the government who their own strength, believing in a military solution to the Kurdish problem. It is a grave error
could prove lalal lo ine
It is true that the left and the Kurds have suffered heavy casualties, -but they are fighting back and the outcome of that battle is by no means
at the present Socialists in the West must defend Iran against imperialism, but in no circumstances should they give up the task of solidarity with the victims of government repression.
To imperialism we say: hands off
stop the economic sanctions That is our main task in the West. To
socialists and the national minorities we say: brothers and sisters
totally with your struggle and will render all necessary
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The Cairo connection
Persian Gulf target
By Adrian Yeeles
It's a sentiment Sadat may also be privately using to describe the effects on his news that Carter's desert fiasco had been launched from an Egyptian air base on the outskirts of Cairo This revelation originated with a briet news item tirst broadcast al last Friday by, enough, the state-controlled Israel KOTO.
The Egyptian Minister Defence categorically denied ICOOIL. •ul bacal mms relusca to deny the claim, repeating instead his earlier offer of facilities to help the Americans in a rescue attempt. He urged the Carter administration to try again.
Insight
Just how surprising is this spectacular insight into the extent of Egypt's ties with US imperialism? In the days of the Arab-Israeli
By Joe Stork
US Secretary of Defence Harold
Brown, at the end
confided to a reporter that in the years ahead the US would 'have a very difficult time avoiding the choice?
between intervention in the Third World and 'severe damage
national interests and resources'. 'You say how could it be worse than Vietnam?' he rhetorically. I guess what I'm saying is that our vital interests are more likely to be involved...
It was another month before Brown and other administration policymakers got specinc about wach part or tae woric they were most concerned about, a month that saw the overthrow of the Shah in Iran, and the conspicious dispatch
conspicuous warplanes, military advisers and arms to
terminology Come contaccics.
National securit ARVISOT.
Brzezinski, requested that the Pentagon
irm up contingency
as the main target.
Oil
Ine 1,00v miles or so of oll reserves and producing. complexes across unc Gult. from Saudi eastern province through
Kuwait, southern unlo dral s Khuzestan ProvIce I source of 34 per cent of US petroleum imports, 61 per cent of Western European
and 72 DeI imports, and the site of more than half of the proven
major 10msta on imports from the Gulf intersects with the increasing political instability
The latest events in Afghanistan have tipped the win une carter dominst aron towares the possible intervention DIObolicHls Brzezinski
announce Deployment Forces will give capability to respond quickly, and pernaps even pre-empuvely in tnose parts of the world where our vital interests might be engaged... (emphasis added).
ine concent onrada deoloven inos its pedigree in the weapons development programmes of the McNamara-Kennedy
Much ycals. LIC
Helicopter Assault Ships, and 'bare bases' originated in the 1960s as a consequence of US intervention in Vietnam Dominican Republic.
This doctrine came to take a back seat in the late
OUS anu carry called Nixon Doctrine, the strategy that placed primary responsibility 101 counter surcen regional allies. Iran was thus undisputed 'pillar' of this policy in the Middle East, as exemplified by its intervention against the revolutor rapid deployment was a very partial one:
massive airlift to Israel during the October War of 1973.
INTERNATIONAL
'HARD LUCK.' That was Egyptian President Anwar Sadat's reaction to the failure of the American raid on Iran. Pace
wars it would certainly have been inconceivable for
future of the military personnel to have been on
Lovoual LeTTLOrY perhaps as advisors to the Israeli occupying forces.
Ally
ironically But from the time Anwar Sadat orderea tne expulsion or soviel advisers in the early '70s, come increasingly under American mulence to me pow were
Cordi ore Herald Code on the
New March • it has 'in effect renlaced Iran as the most dependable US
But allies don't these days. US is
to Egypt making it top of the league for receipt of military specialist put it: "It's just
of 1978,
armed
our
asked 600 to 1,000 f ombers, and other
tankers, and troop carriers
dispatch
'non-NATO President Carter's
plans for a Rapid
that stretch
the small AFRICA Iraq anc the
Coll balest
reserves. The of the Us and its
petroleum
of the
Iran and balance
armed has been 'Rapid the effectively
The rapid
in August 1977,
Landing
the dubiousness
us o tie so-
and the like.
East have
Ine main test of
Give years, allowing th
like ran were paying for it.
American so did the pace of US involvement in Egypt. except tian officials agree,' 'that Washington's commitment to Egypt, particularly quickly in primarilv because of Washington's attempt to replace strategic friend , Egypt has and evel Taste. forces
Herald Tribune on 30 aid programme because of Sadat's willingness to co-operate. powerful and ally in the Middle Betrayal
come cheap Despite massive currently from the Arab world, he
total betrayal oi ine palestiniar aid. He Egyptian Iorces The 82nd Airborne ' Division (17,900
2 Marine dio eachs
IRAQ
700 cargo planes Baphdad"
2 to 4 aircraft carrier groups Command vessel SAUDI ARAB conceDi surfaced within the Carter administration
Presidential Review Will essential component of the 'one and a half wars' doctrine. Yet only in December 1979
officer designated responsibility for implementing it. Behind the inaction
within the military establishment of the utility of such a force, and unwillingness to commit funds that otherwise could be thrown at multi-billion dollar aircraft carriers, strategic missiles now,
last
Recent developments in the Middle
strengthened the hand Cater factolshas been Carter's commitment of ip to $10 billion to the force over the nex
SCIVICES them too. jurisdictional struggle between the Army the and the Marine Corps has apparently been
except the ramans Causes possible Egypt has trained
As the Iranian crisis deepened co,
US diplomats and Egyp- Israel. Egypt
wrote cody
military, Icecul developments
Iran in the Middle East Dovic F-16s intervened in Afghanistan
Februarv The US felt able to step up its
billion over five years.
opposition to provide F-15 fighters, signed a
with Israel WICH IS c
prepared and alls
SOVIET UNION
for US intervention
resolved with the appointment of Marine
Corps General Paul X. Kelley to head the
force, thus insuring that the Marine Corps
lac.
missions. Kelley's approach is gung-ho:
before his appointment the remarked that JOURIS 1980s, obvious that we need a sharper focus for
the Third World. The US would do well to
sharpen that focus before we let it slip
through our fingers.'
The Corps has been practising Middle
East-type landings for some five years
but lacks the means of getting there 1nc coa succel
of fiscal year 1981 is $220 million for the
first two of a fleet of 'floating bases', and
$80 million
cessor to the C-SA transport planes.
The big bills will come over
five years: the development of airlift capa-
ontes is expected to costso orion.
"floating bases' another $3
before the cost of over-runs for which the
States, making military aid to them
without direct US help.
and dispatched advisers to Moroc-
Zaire, and Oman.
As part of the peace treaty with was allocated $1.5 Base
billion in military aid, including 35 *-4E nantom Jets ana improvec Hawk anti-aircraft missiles. With AWACS
flal and control Algnanistan Ine amount ana quall ty of aid has risen sharply.
Pentagon most expensive agreed to provide 40 F-16 fighters and 250 M-60A3 tanks as part of
Carter also informed the Egyp- presumably
abortive raid was ons witness pancine
the most advanced jet in the US arsenal. Sadat's
American Sadat's desire to please. March he drove in person to Cairo On 24 Egypt?
* IRAN шої ногто UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Pentagon is famous.
Congress study observed, more remote trom the Us than any othe source of petroleum nautical miles by air, and much further by sca. occome.
The Army's 82nd Airborne based in Fort Georgia, primary unit designated for Third World interventions, • men on continuous alert. but tne bulla-ur of heavy weaponry in the Gulf region over the last decade makes the lightly-equipped 82nd ill-prepared for armed intervention in that region. former • Army Strike Command. as Forces was known in the early 1960s the next sceptical about the latest flush LICW 'Now, they're publicising something out billion, of deep standby and giving it a sexy title. I! the RDF was committed anywhere, we'd
and his family when they arrived from Panama. After escorting the exiled dictator to hospital, Sadat assigned him a 15-strong team o Egypt's best doctors.
Iran?"
Late last year Sadat allowed US
(airborne warning and ments.'
planes with about 250 US person Food nel to participate in joint training exercises at an Egyptian air base at
The aircraft plane in essene $135m the
is packed with electronic gea and was used several times in exercises with the US fleet in the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf region
practice runs for the
What effect will the news of
nations. participation the adventure have in
The opposition has condemned
integral to
Increased SOVIET UNION
Banraın appear
Talks
coordinate base CAPGHANSIAR
Arabia itself
military
Teams
large
ture' team Saudi
The General communications lacillalc
region...
Bases
approach.
number
As a Library the Gulf
imports' Misheyt
Morocco While been
with a third of its 15,200 regime
increase
usually given staff officer with malicis, no denoymen
of activity Saudi
there are servicemen
the operation and Egyptian participation, and according to the Guardian, "there is little support lot tresident carter in tae strcel ' "'Are they going to push us in to a war over the Shah?" Why didn't Carter keen the Shah in hi own country or send him back to d 'Why did Sadat invite here?" were typical
Memories are still fresh of the food riots which took Egypt three years ago. As Edward Cody explained: 'US and Europeas diplomats in the Middle East ques tion the wisdom of investing so heavily in Egypt • after the Ira experienc — as a strategic partner and as the only channel for resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict despite opposition by other Arab After the Iran raid this policy is likely to be put to the test, and this autumn may well see the end of two presidents, not one
be uncovered in eight other places.
Other less-publicised elements of what could emerge as the Carter Doctrine are
Many potential US armed inter vention. US naval presenc in the region
throughout with the addition of two destroyers to the three ship Middle East Task Force ported in
and carrier task forces now regularly in the Indian Ocean waters off the Gulf.
The Indian Ocean base at Diego Garcia will be 'enhanced', and several Pentagon teams have visited the region recently
Oman Dalt Tomala pushed the US to look to Somalia for permanent basing rights at the Soviet-built Tacinty or berbera, and turned down thi offer of a permanent US base presence ir
inis is a mere formanty The US
presence Saudi Arabia already quite large, in the form of training
technicians, and 'white-collar me large sons- manuf in rer. A high-level US 'planning and command struc
spring of 1979 in Arabia supervising the reorganisa non or me •and say or perence and establishing a planning unit within it
the team was Major Richard Lawrence, who participated in joint US-Israeli-Egyptian military talks in Washington before taking
• Dala Lawrence regarded as a strong candidate to head up a proposed Middle East command, if that responsibly Is sautco trom us military headquarters in Europe.
A RAND Corporation report for the Pentagon in December 1978 recommended that US planning more prominent role to the performance by US
non-compan functions, such as airlift, logistic support,
intelligence.
HUEC clive mulary cola boration among friendly countries of the
Brown obviously subscribes to this
• In December 1979 he said: com ocheve unal Amencan Dases as SucI
in that are are thies int the to go.
countries Hanlal Dascs wulc. in an emergency in which they asked our help, we could then come in and use.' Certainly the huge Saudi military complexes consurucIca D Us irms — Al-baten, , Tabuk and Khemis
- as well as the former US base at Dhahran would serve this purpose. Base
have alSO 'been offered Egypt and Israel, as well as Oman and Somalia.
military alliance with the US, the Saud
behind the scenes, used the rust or minary cqmpment and davisci around the Yemen crisis in February 1979
the US military presence in sirene in ber exaggeration to believe. such TWO Send
Saudi fireds and seriaid fees iny
airfields serviced American personnel. We also believe thai
A MerCi including army engineers, stationed in Saudi Arabia.
Socialist Challenge 1 May 1980 Page 5
Page 6 scan of this page
Tories fear a
HOME NEWS
STRIKE
14 May'
Micky Boulter, Deputy Convenor, British Oxygen
th a proper government in power! Bernard Connolly, Craft Convenor, South Yorkshire STC
in support of themselves, the working class.
* Challenge
IZORIES AGAINST THE
vertise your 14 May activities with this colourful poster. The ater comes in brown and red on yellow and it's available from: do Other Printshop, 75 Piccadilly, Manchester 1. Tel: 061-236 05. It's a quality screen print and costs 40p plus 20p p&p. orders: 50 for £17, 100 for £30. Cash in advance please
We're backing
THE aim of this Tory government is to make the ordinary cople suffer. We'd like an all out, all union strike. BOC ped to fetch the Labour government down because it is not helping working people. We'd like to do the same ith this government but you've got to start somewhere.
'Thatcher thinks she'll be able to give us sweetners
m North Sea oil before the next election and then she
y put the boot in. But in the end things will rebound
nst her. The job situation could be solved tomorrow N the 14 May Action I have heard branch secretaries
We're not supporting the TUC", but I argue that any
on they take on 14 May is not in support of the TUC, it
We have to let it be known that we are ready to stand
and be counted - that the working class of this couny, the producers, are not going to put up with it. Aper-
By would also like to see a situation where we also go
on the 15 May — just to let them know we are not supting the TUC hierarchy but defending the trade
1 May 1980 Page 6
By Valerie Coultas
will be closed down;
only.
Every major trade union in Britain is urging its members to support the TUC's Day of Action on 14 May - except one,
Electricians' leader, Frank Chapple, is waging a campaign against it.
The press has fallen over itself to praise Chapple's stand. The Daily Express and The Sun cannot believe their good luck. 'Day of Shame', shouts the Express. 'Misery Murray's Day of Woe' wails The Sun.
Using Frank point that trade union action is being used for and that 'this is not the way to conduct ourselves democracy, the policies of government: "While she is supported by Parliament, she has the right to govern'. Bad
We completely with Frank Chapple and The Sun. Our answer quivocal: Working people do have the right to challenge and overnor bad governments that are not serying the interests of the bulk of Britain's population working class.
This Tory government is in power to serve the interests of big business and the bosses, like every other Tory before government slavish in serving LOLLO by unemployment, strike action, security welfare state.
One side of industry, the bosses side, voice in the Cabinet, Parliament and the civil service, while the other side labour, has no voice at all.
The 'opposition' put up by the Labour Party in Parliament
Tories, if the Employment Bill debate is anything to go by. But even if the Labour Party was putting up a real fight the huge Tory majority of MPs means it can afford to ignore parliamentary protests.
"The ballot box rules in Britain NOT the union card', Sun continued on 28 April. But do the Tories really respect the ballot box?
When mass trade unionism first developed in Britain it was not opposca Inrough ment but through actions in the COULLS. enormous aamages
opposinon in rarlamell lila the last Tory government under Heath ceased crush the working class with the
Industrial Relations Act. It was because working them OWil Late unions, government to release the Pen-
tonville dockers, who had been imprisoned under the Act, and thereby made the core of the Act unworkable.
In 1951, when a Labour
THERE will be no trains running on 14 May; there will be no newspapers; the docks, factories, offices and shops
schools will hospitals and fire stations will be staffed for emergencies
government nationalised
and the Daily Express,
Union.
not!
intention Chapple's
political ends
in 'encourage The Sun defends
Thatcher's down the government.
Know
ment is becoming
disagree
une-
govcriments, show of
the school.
There are
government *Press Thatcher's Tory countered point by
particularly newspaper these in- possible. Even encouraging restricting the Day of Action.
cutting social and dismantling the formed. Call
has a powerful
14 May...
of industry,
on
to trighten the
have already
The i section
• ACHOI stol. On 6 May ParliaMANCHESTER:
Unions were sued for
because if faced
its attempts to
people used Already bus the force the strike action.
Greenwich, be on strike on the day.
tinder box
have a half day; lead trom
the steel industry, the Daily Mail railways,
which today are so concerned about they Partamentary democracy. sup- Tories. ported the steel barons in attempting to sabotage the decisions taken in Parliament. The ruling class can ignore Parliament, the working class can-
'Lenin' Murray, as the Express has branded him, has no but its
organising anything more than a polite protest to put pressure on the government. His timid instruction to trade union leaders to
participation' is not a call to bring
But the Sun and the Express
that this orv govern. working more and more unpopular. They want to
Everybody out!
TO MAKE the Day of Action as strong a
solidarity among trade unionists as possible it's vital that every brought out in your workplace, hospital or
obstacles achieving level of activity on 14 May, so here are some ways to overcome them now:
propaganda should point. Use your local and radio station as much occupy it and demand ti right of reply if it starts a campaign against
*Make sure everyone at work is fully in-
workplace meetings now to have out the arguments about what such a day of action is for. Set up a committee to
What's going
Loca Сарая Азана а Deson (Detend Our Unions)
Secretary of Cleveland Associa Cyril other plants. I wire be Evans, L the May march in Bristol
teard in theatre at 6.30pm at the alri
•Youth Against the Tories hore gent. They
14 May. On 5 May,
bund ending in a rally at Central Parl
march and mass rally in
- British Oxygen workers at the Hackney
and Ipswich depots
push discontent into the sate channels of the ballot box and away from the explosive power of strikes and demonstrations.
consistent and strong the TUC, would mean a tinder box was lighted.
old, the core or tne labour move
the miners, the steelworkers are waiting for just that lead so
can really take on the
The right-wing press's campaign has one very powerful weapon on its side and that weapon is the British Labour Party. Not only is its opposition in the House of Commons lacking in real fighting spirit,
record in office 1974-79 leaves trade unionists without a clear socialist alternative to the Tories' policies.
I1laDs socialist party would be waging the kind of struggle in Parliament that Bernadette Devlin waged against the Tories when she was an MP — denouncing every attack on every
people and urging them to fight for their rights.
Revolutionary socialist
tend. Publicise trades council
tunity take organised sections. go into the shops and offices, HOUSINS this Social Security offices mass participation on 14 May. *Special leaflets
be pensioners.
Tory attack in a special way. as automatically
day a success.
Officials force sell-out
at Jaguar
By Paul Shevlin JAGUAR workers at the Browns Lane and Radford plants in Coventry last Tuesday voted by a majority of ten to return to work. They had held out against acceptance of BL management's 'slaves charter' after the return to work at
Jaguar workers did not immediately give in even when Moss
general secretary of the Transport Union, suddenly accepted the new working conditions and wages package without any concessions from management. A mass meeting at Jaguar on Wednesday 23 April voted to stay out on strike despite a threat from the company that they would all be sacked by 4pm that day. After the mass meeting the company 'postponed' the sacking threat until the following Monday.
The new BL agreement imposes immediate regrading on many jobs at Jaguar, in many cases leading to downgrading of jobs.
The intransigent stand of the vast majority of Jaguar workers was overturned through the offices of TGWU district organiser, Bill Lapworth, who persuaded stewards that the company would go ahead with the sackings unless a further mass meeting decided on a return to work.
The decision to go back at Jaguar has big implications for the whole of BL. The strike was constitutional and official threat to sack the strikers was a straightforward attack by BL management on the right to strike
The fight is on in Jaguar and the whole of BL to build a new fighting leadership that will stand up to the management's offensive. The Leyland Action Committee is calling a national conference for 7 June to begin organising the fightback.
MPs would campaign up and down the country for workers to come out on 14 May, as the first step to preparing a general strike movement would show the Tories that they can't get away with walking over the the sick, the JUU1 and those that produce the wealth in Britain.
But the present Labour leaders keep quiet. They leave the door open for the attacks on the trade unions. In opposition the Labour Party fears trade union action going too far on the road to challenging the authority of the governWhen Labour IS charge and running the country completely forget their commitment to socialism and pursue capitalist policies.
Building a socialist alter native is therefore vital in Bri tain today one that is not afraid to use trade union action for political ends, and one that fights for working people at opportunity, inside and outside Parliament, , unlike the coward y of our so called Labour Party.
go and talk to any sections that don't at-
the action now using leaflets produce your
*Trades councils should use the oppor-
the to Go into the schools, get out to stand outside the and put the case for
should be produced for women, for young people, for old age
of. these groups They will not support Day of Action Community backing is crucial to make the
WOMEN's Fightback has already produced one leaflet which shows how Tory policies affect women. Write to: Fightback for Women's Rights, 41 Ellington Street, London N7.
Page 7 scan of this page
Special one-day conference for 31 May LABOUR - WHICH WAY?
supported.
The decision by national executive of Labour Party to hold a special
day conference prompted by …from transport Union leaders *join together all factions of the party to go forward united with alternative policies to those currently being pursued by present government.
At first the conference decision was regarded as a victory for the left. The media said it would embarrass Callaghan in the run-up to the annual conference, and marshal the party membership behind policies counter to those which
leader advocates parliament.
Even such a small victory would be welcome. Labour's shadow cabinet has fought the Tories with all the verve of a wet jelly.
Leyland
During the steel strike, for example it made a stirring cal for the government to intervene. It has had nothing but praise for Edwardes' smashing of the Leyland workforce. its timid criticism of the dratt Employment Bill could easily
mistaken for endorsement of Prior's proposals.
Only on the cuts has Labour's/ front bench put up the shadow of a fight. But it ducks the real issue, which is whether local councils should ioin workers in a concerted attempt to defeat central government, or try to circumvent the cuts.
The latter course, involving rate rises. lets the government off the hook, places the finanCan Ducen working class, and leaves Labour councils open to Tory attacks on
SOCIALIST Challenge is backing a campaign for a trade union lobby of the 31 May special Labour Party conference, calling on the party to commit itself to build and support mass action to remove the Tory government.
The proposal at the Labour Co-ordinating Committee to organise direct links between Labour Party and trade union activists to plan united action should also be
To explain why, ALAN FREEMAN looks at the party's left-right battle and the limitations of the strategy put forward by the left on the party's national executive.
the 'free-spenders', leading to a cut the in the rate support grant later this year. was This spinelessness isn't surprising. The Tories are pushing. to policies which were initiated by Callaghan.
The Steel lay-off plans were under Labour. Edwardes, the BL boss was brought in by the Labour Employment Bill merely puts Labour's 'Code of Conduct' into law. And Callaghan and Wilson more or less invented cuts.
James Callaghan the disaster in government. 1n opposition he all And
Victory
brance. If the Labour left kick him out they would themselves of But such a victory is a fraction of what could be done if the Labour Party threw itself into fight Wascal Tories. Both the right and left
stil want tot sit be tornd will hoping obligingly let them back in four years' time Meanwhile the trade unions will half welfare state unemployment in the millions, workers' demoralised and split.
The Labour Party has half a million individual members. It is tied into the unions at every level. The party, especially its MPs, has media, unlike
If it behaved as workers' party threw its weight behind even a single struggle, Corporation's tight to hatched government's
action, the Labour Party would transform the relation of forces in Britain.
The Cuts If it broke down the barriers between the union rank and file and the constituency ghetto; if was
it committed its councillors tc refuse any collaboration with encum-
Tory resources of the town halls and local party disposal of anti-cuts activists. the Tories would be unable to carry out such policies would undermine the bureaucrats. Their argument is that we have to be realistic; we have to deal with the government in ottice. stitutional means, and so on any excuse to avoid a fight. If the movement were fighting to remove the Tories, this argument would collapse.
But will the 31 May and the annual Ierence, ference to follow, difference? Will the left win
Can they promise any better? The run-up to the special conference doesn't bring much hope. A left-wing will come from executive, rid
this resolution turns out to be millstone. no more than a restatement o
established party policy.
No amendments natives will be allowed very good advert democratic party the
fighting for.
ranks in
promises wrecked, the
in Tulls. the
movemen
nothing.
access to the mass
struggling
real
should, and
let alone
defeat the
policies
rejects the idea
abolishing them.
Mess
offices the
their plans.
trade union — it has to be taken
needed: the defeated
stick to con-
abortion Bill
demands.
in parliament.
CUlT actating OHI conmake the
its demands. resolution Crumbs
une but on examination The
dedicated to
For alter- not a for the bargain with lefts are crumbs.
And because the Ich won mobuise tae party
an open fight, they have made a series of com- million
Perhaps the best judgement
that vote for them.
Callaghan felt free to,sign it.
He could do so for a simple Right reason: it commits the party to
He will stay free to peddle his line from the front bench, and the party will not Parliamentary launch any action which can give these policies any practical
for the labour mass action.
The labour lefts are caught in a trap of their own making. There
need for They are fighting on the same ground as the right. They are ULCOCLE stuck in the confines of a party
'unity built for parliamentary reform.
The Labour Party is committed to use the state machine as its main policy instrument. It
that workers should take over the running of the country, and looks for com-
- instead of
Yet the capitalist economy is in such a mess that the small minority of the wealthy and powerful are not prepared to make these concessions. What we need can't be bargained for
Even to win minor reforms, a totally different strategy
strategy that the Corrie anti— mass mobilisa. tion and direct action for our
This doesn't exclude a fight But instead of MPs should be under the discipline
workers' movement. not They should use their influence Westminster. to back working class actions, and refuse to compromise on story.
backed by bureaucracy
Labour Party between band of MPs and councillors in unionists office. When it comes to carry- apparatus. ing out its policies, the only way it knows is for these people to committed
the slalc for promise
TRAVES SOD FOR BRITAIN
It isn't surprising that this small band of representatives dictate policy, not just to half a
Labour Party cardcarriers, but to millions of trade
who pay them and
A serious challenge to the
Labour Party and its right wing will only the emerge when a section of the party begins to base itsell on
would then be for backstage deals to 'party unity' this phrase always seems to mean
of the leaders' because the goal of class struggle leaders would be unity of the working class; unity in the streets and factories, not in the corridors of power.
the They would take their lead from ordinary working people,
Whitehall
But this is not the whole The PLP solidly the • trade union swings the block vote. It packs selection conferences. It acts as a buffer
ordinary and the party
The bureaucracy is solidly parliamentary reform. Its business is to com
between labour and
capital. It always intervenes just as the Transport Union is doing in calling for the special conference preserve LIk unity and stability of the PLP and the leaders, and to bolster policies of 'moderate reform without risking a head-on clash with bosses
This is why the lefts have such a hopeless job. They base themselves on the constituen cies — the weakest section of
in all internal Wall l disputes; Labour's doorster army, endlessly collecting the 'pensioners' two bobs, building
the 'next big conference fight', leaving conference sick
another compromise. Hook
To win anything they hav to find a formula that the unior heavies will accept whick always means a compromise te let the right off the hook. headlay ten illooks out will make
constituency ghetto begins to organise where the working class's battalions organised for struggle union rank and file.
This is why socialists shouk support proposals, such
of Labour Co ordinating Committee, to tun the Labour Party outwards, to develop .it as party based _on mass action and to establish direct link with the trade union rank an file.
This strategy will work onh if the links are formed fo
and not mere discus sion: and if the als organise the trade union ran and file, and not to court very officials and bureaucr who form the collar of PLP's dogleash.
This is not an issue just fo the party faithful. It is a matte
concern all whether the Labour Part stands in the words steelworkers to the ISTC our backs or by our sides.
The problem we face is this how workers discipline even partially and temporarily a party that is built to betra them?
Socialist Challenge 1 May 1980
Page 8 scan of this page
HOMENEWS
one year midable. fall below 1983.
in a serles culminating Howe's
ing money
those sectors of which order to increase profit. Cuts
While been
claw back European
British
the difference.
But
response Afghanistan.
three Carter to Mines
Upper
interests alone,
Socialist Challenge 1 May 1980 Page 8
By Steve Potter
their first year of office.
servative prime minister.
The problems that the Tories faced when they were elected
ago The chief of these was the imminent onset of a new international recession.
Gloomy forecasts started to land on Thatcher's desk. An absolute decline in industrial production was predicted for 1980, and a further decline in 1981. Unemployment was projected to rise to 2% million by the end of 1981. Inflation would rise above 20 per cent in one year and not
12½ per cent until
The Tories' answer has come
of spending in Sir Ăpril Budget.
Tories' immediate aim is to bring
under control and to reduce the enormously high interest rates which made borrow-
prohibitive. underlying strategy is to cut back
the less
spending
another has been the attempt to
£1000m Economic munity. Given the failure, albeit temporary, of last week's EEC summit to reach an agreement
workers can themselves for even more radical cuts in public services to make up
other deep divide the governments of the EEC as was demonstrated in the
the was forced to admit to the Times newspaper: We made a mess of it.' And a mess it was. It took
months for whip his allies into line behind the boycott of a sports competition.
The reason for the miners' victories in 1972 and 1974 and Heath's 'U-Turns' in policy alter the Pentonville dockers' case and
Clyde work-in was the capacity of the workers leading these struggles lo umle ne rest or lne labour movement behind them.
These groups of workers were not seen as fighting for their own
terests of the whole of the working class. The UCS workers were fighting against the 'lame duck'
WHILE in opposition, the Tories used the Centre for
working class which had brought down the last Con-
wing, and attacks on women, blacks and youth.
were forcuts Geoffrey The
The
_economy productive the rate of
cuts have instrument
from the Com-
prepare
tensions
crisis Lord. Carrington
President European Shipbuilder but for the in-
THATCHI
YEARON
WIN, LOS
Policy Studies to draw up the most careful strategy for
They well knew that they faced the opposition of a
Thatcher has survived the first year through a combination of confrontation, encouragement of the right
The result has been a stalemate. But for how long?
industrial
the Act
government.
TUC
unions. responded
wing inside the society as a whole.
The against Action.
of removal
British plant will
employers.
Ridley
significant Tories
Mr. Ridley
of their leadership.
inter-union
the
Europe. problems
Smith-Muzorewa
destablised
policies threatened to bring devastation to whole areas. The Pentonville dockers were seen to be fighting
hated Industrial Relations
whose provisions affected millions of workers. The miners were fighting against a hated
This sort of unity is what Thatcher fears above all.
The Tories in the first year have used many varied weapons to weaken this unity. attacks on women's rights, and order campaigns' been encouraged by the Tories. Overt appeals are made to the "men of moderation' in the trade
The employers by isolate and then remove leading trade union militants. The aim is
disunite the working class, promote the cause of the right
policy has born fruits. It has produced a division in the TUC General Council over the provision of state-financed postal balloting. Frank Chapple the electrician's leaders, has tell capable of openly campaigning
the 14 May The right dominates the national commit-
the AUEW of Derek from his position as convenor of
Leyland's encourage attacks of the same type by other
But this strategy had received
rebuffs obviously miscalculated in their estimation of the fighting capacity of the steelworkers and
will himself for making the basic error of confusing the temper of rank and file workers with that
During the steel strike there were significant developments of
solidarity. days or une strike were marked bi
threat of a national docks walk-out in support of solidarity action with the steel workers.
Thatcher's international pre occupations are not limited
Seemingly faced Zimbabwe. The toppling of the
the whole
which Racism,
have all
have
• unions and it
some
Day of wing
•and the : Robinson
Longbridge
further
too The
be • kicking
The_last intractable
her
regime by would have
of the
Page 9 scan of this page
African region and jeopari the extensive interests of so imperialism in the area.
the Rhodesian tion had always been the wite stalking horse of the
right wing in the Tory
and substantial progress d have to be made to avoid a
party split over the
TO SCLOIs
te elections were held under
atic Front forces. Despite 88 per cent of black voters d for the parties which had
the war of liberation;
and ZANU. The Tories, * dismayed by the result, ted to abide by it; confident any excesses on the part of Mugabe government would ealt with in extremis by the -honoured device of coup invasion.
eland
The apparent success of the colonialisation babwe has emboldened the es considerably in respect of and. Next month the Tories ¿ unveil their as for Britain's last and oldest
However very little prothe beet ies in tackling the undimied resistance of the nationpopulation of the north of
R'SBRITAIN
E, OR DRAW?
But while the policy, in slavish alliance with the White House, is under strain the fundamental obstacle facing the Tories in restoring the fortunes of British capital is the rock on which Heath smashed; the huge working class of Britain and the strength of its organisations. Wales
The Tories strategy to deal with this situation was carefully prepared before the last General Election in Sir Keith Joseph's Centre for Policy Studies.
The Centre did not believe that the new Tory government could survive a headiong collision with powerful unions such
mineworkers engineers. This was confirmed by the findings of the 'Ridley Report, a confidential
arawn up shadow minister which specified those unions which could be confronted (like the steel workers) and those walch snowd be lett alone (like the miners and the Waterworkers).
In South Wales, from steel, rail, mines and docks plainca umnica jobs. Action was only averted by a last minute intervention by the British TUC aimed at postponing and then dumping the indefinite strike action planned from
file organisation workers since the end of the strike shows that they were not defeated despite the sell-out of their national leadership:
Mass action other attacks class. The women and demonstration TUC against the Corrie Bill has repulsed the first wave of attacks on the rights of women.
Likewise the fought back harassment in Bristol scored a stinging police in an example which will not be lost on black communities all over Britain.
Strike
Tories to press attacks on the working class, on the one hand, and the capacity of tne working oppressed to resist on the other are the two main factors which gIve rise to the global confrontation between the classes in the next period.
'help strengthen tendencies in the working class struggle which help to produce a united, centralised and nationa response fo the Tories' attacks. That is why it is important to raise the necessity of a general strike to remove the government. his slogan is important as framework strategy in the year to come
class makes it possible to remove the Tories strike which would unite the
Tory foreign The removal of the Tories means that this power can be used to remove the main agency of the attacks on the working class, not merely to secure partial concessions. Gains
not socialists raise next year of the ment, after • stalemate, down of the attacks on the working class, Ine acaanne for une closure the steel plants in South Wales the for next September, ning of the new round of wage so-called claims will mark the resumption of the next round of the battle a junior against the Tories.
If the Tories office for their full term of five years it will be seen as a defeat for the working class.
workers decause the price that will be paid, defeat for the save for the Tories staying in power will be the surrender of some of the chief economic,
ing class since the Second World War.
among steel
has defeated on the working mobilisation of the historic called by the
youth who against police
defeat on their local The determination of the
home their
class and the
possibility of UK
FRANCE The job of socialists will be to
all those ITALY GERMANY
for working class DENMARK The strength of the working
through a general BELGIUM
of the class.
The general strike slogan is
orientation which lightly. But the
this year of will not see a scaling
but their stepping up of support were in defence and 'lav the beginmajor Western
spends more on
continue in so broke.
More than that it will be a
working
social and
UNEMPLOYMENT
SCOTLAND 1980 1979 18-1% 7-7% NORTH 1980 1979 87%1 8:4 IN. IRELAND 1980 1979 111-1% 11-1 NORTH WEST 1980 1979 7-5% 6-8% WALES 1980 1979 8•0%1 79.
SOUTH WEST 1980 1979 5-5% 5•8 YORKSHIRE & HUMBERSIDE 1980 1979 6•0% 57% W.M IDLANDS 1980 1979 5-8% | 5-2 anally adjuste
unemployment rose by 13.1 per cent.
LUXEMBOURG
NETHERLANDS 44
2:8 2:8
European countries.
5-2% 4-9% The only increases in public spending which Thatcher did
and order'. Of the powers only the US 'defence' than Britain - that's one reason why Britain's
Defence Expenditure as a percentage of GDP (market prices)
MIDLANDS 1980 1979 4•9% 4-8% EAST ANGLIA 1980 1979 4-4% 4-8% SOUTH EAST 1980 1979 3-7% 3-8%
Unemployment was about the only growth industry in Tory Britain. The number of women out of work rose more rapidly than male unemployment. From last September to March female
8-6 9.9 6-3 68 Everyone had to work harder, said Thatcher and the millionaires in her cabinet. The fact is that working people in Britain already work longer hours than their counterparts in the other main
4-0%
3-82
3:3% 3-3%
3-3% 3-2% 24% 2-3%
March
20:2
PERCENTAGE OF MANUAL WORKERS WORKING 48 HOURS OR MORE A WEEK
US UK France Portugal W.Germany Belgium Netherlands Norway Denmark Haly Canada Socialist Challenge 1 May 1980 Page 9
Page 10 scan of this page
FIGHTBACK OVERDUE
No lead from Scottish TUC
HOME NEWS
By Phil Hearse 1,522,921. One in sixteen of the working population unemployed. That's the official unemployment figure revealed this week. represents an increase of 45,000 in one month at a time of year when unemployment should be going down. And this figure conceals an estimated 400,000 not registered as unemployed. At the
time, notified have gone down by 12,000 to a paltry 168,000.
Particularly badly hit are women and school leavers. with thousands of school leavers coming onto the "labour market', real unemployment will be approaching 2½ million. It is time that the whole labour movement seriously stock, and began to combat the terrible resignation and apathy which exists on this issue.
According to the Guardian (23 April, union leaders at last week's Scottish TUC were privately noting indicators that for the first time in many years trade union membership appears to be falling — a direct result of unemployment.
Unemployment doubled the Labour government. was a result of the world slump; in part a result of Labour's deflationary policies of cuts in government expen-
But the spiral of unemployment is being given a particularly vicious twist by the Tories' monetarist policies.
• What do the Tories' policies aim
The basic problem Thatcher, Joseph and Howe are trying to come to grips with is the decline By Des Tierney THE Scottish TUC met last week for its 83rd Congress. week in which the jobless total in Scotland reached 201,067 - the highest level since the World War.
It was a week in which the management of Robb-Calledon, shipbuilders, announced further cutbacks its already workforce, and when teachers escalated their strike action.
If Scottish workers had expected these important events to be reflected in the deliberations of the Congress, they were to be disappointed.
Under the Labour the STUC was usually the sounding board opposed to Labour leadership's policies. debates indicated the anger of the Scottish working class and its sense of betrayal.
Under the Tories, it seems, the Congress will revert to its more traditional role — a forum in which the Scottish trade union leadership pose as the defenders of the Scottish working class, making bellicose speeches Without committing themselves to any action.
By Pauline Tierney TEACHERS throughout Scotland are taking strike acuon against tne tallure of the Clegg Comparabili-
Commission to award adequate pay increases.
They are also angry management's threat that unless teachers accept rise of 13 per cent in the 1980 wage award there will be sackings.
While Clegg awarded a 17 per cent rise to teachers in England and Wales on the lowest scale, and 25 per
to those highest scale, the commission made no recommendation for teachers Scotland except that any Socialist Challenge
This vacancies
This summer,
LOOK under In part this
Monetarism
ting the money
As the slump deepens, that less profitable down.
At this Alternative overwhelmingly endorsed, It was a
Second
Prior's
the Dundee
diture, but
depleted
Scottish
the Tory removed.
14 May
government,
the take action on that day. The implications
showing widespread pontics reverse men
the Tories.
negotiated settlement
should be within the limits
for England and
Wales.
The first strikes were
organised by teachers in
the West of Scotland the
day after Clegg reported a
fortnight ago. Many
teachers that
because of interim awards,
the report would mean no
money. The 1979
award from Clegg has
failed even to keep pace
with inflation.
Reaction from the
Scottish union,
the Educational Mistitute
of Scotland, has been
predictable. Unwilling
launch a fight on the 1980
claim, the leadership had 1 May 1980 Page 10
in profitability of British capitalism.
- the policy of savagely cutting public expenditure and restric-
supply and credit aims to start to deal with this problem by forcing up labour productivity.
, older and plants will be closed The threat of unemployment will put massive pressure on trade
year's conference the Economic Strategy wasti STUC with the when call for import controls receiving a more sympathetic hearing than usual.
Unemployment was deplored and calls for a 35-hour week were made.
Employment Bill was castigated and the Congress was horrified by the cuts in public expen-
at no time during its deliberations was there any outline of action. how these policies might be achieved, or of how the enormous obstacle of
government could be
Perhaps there was a hint of this in the discussion on 14 Mav. The STUd is requesting its affiliated unions to
But there are differences over the
of 14 May among the Scottish trade union leaders. In most unions, the TUC's Day of Action is seen as a way of letting off steam,
Tories that there opposition to their il e nope lal lncy will
It also allows the members to believe that the leaders are taking on
Scottish teachers take strike action
Hoped that the compar ability award would distract teachers from a poor 1980 settlement.
This strategy was completely undermined Dy Ine failure of Clegg to satisfy Scottish teachers' expectations. The EIS leadership now finds itself without an Obvious way but or ltadlig the fight, and responded viciously luring striking teachers.
It has castigated them as an 'unruly mob' and their struggle as 'politically motivated'.
One of the major unofficial action committees in une east or Scotland demanding that the 1980
...1
UNEMPLOYMENT:
unionists to give up gains in working practices and wages in order preserve jobs. This is exactly what is happening in British Leyland. Profitability will thus be driven up as fewer workers in a smaller industrial sector work harder to produce more. whole power and bargaining position of the trade unions will be consequently weakened.
Jimmy Morrel, a member of the
General Council, emphasised interviewed after the debate that 14 May would definitely 'not be a political strike'.
For some of the deletates, however, 14 May is seen as the start of the trade union campaign to bring down the Tories through independent
the STUC, including the leadership of the Scottish NUM, advanced this position.
This reflects a growing among the Scottish working class that only massive united action against the Tories will succeed, which was confirmed by the overwhelming support
strike action given by meetings at the Scott-Lithgow shipyard and the Talbot car plant at Linwood last week.
To judge by the STUC leadership's performance at the Congress, and its recent disgraceful role shackling steelworkers' pickets, it is reasonable to suppose that working class representatives will not be at the head of the movement to kick out the Tories
It is in the present struggles of the Scottish working class that such a leadership will have to be forged.
settlement should be 20 per cent on the wages bill, flat-rated with no job loss.
Despite a high level of militancy and organisation, the striking teachers face #llany problems.
Behind the sigence of the employers and the treachery of the
has EIS leadership stands
most reactionary British government since the war, determined to drive home its austerity plans.
Alone, the Scottish teachers are unlikely win. Without escalating their action and drawing in English and
is teachers, they will be an
easy target.
Of course, the drive for higher labour productivity and higher profits will be broken if real wages go up as a
conscquence. But what ogists are banking on is the
The tion that unemployment will so crip
ple the power of the trade unions that real wages will not rise in line with profitability. feeling
mass
in
these good
intran-
the
Action 'is the sure road to dictatorship'
to
Welsh
Chapple in a forthcoming issue.
The
duiswer must workers. spending
Tory ideolassump-
CHAPPLE
15
WATCHING
You
WATCH
HIM!
Chapple flips his lid
FRANK Chapple has maintained his reputation as the trade union movement's most open scab, enthusiastically backing the campaign by the Tory press against the TUC's Day of Action on 14 May.
Writing in the Daily Express — whose hysteria against the TUC has reached such a pitch that it refers to "Lenin Murray' — Chapple said that the Day of Electricians Union executive to suspend is Cardi branch on the groands that this hysterical "it has been taken over by left-wing extremists'. No suggestion of constitutional irregularities, merely that it had a political complexion that Frank didn't like This follows the suspension of the Birmingham branch on similar grounds
To round off his dirty work for the week, as the Daily Express (with which Chapple seems to have a particularly pally relationship) 'exclusively' revealed ' the Electricians' Union is preparing a 'report' to the Labour Party demanding a purge of the left. Socialist Challenge will be profiling the life and times of Frank
whole logic of the Tory monetarist offensive can be broken by the power of the trade unions. But of course wages militancy alone is no
to the threat posed by unemployment. On no issue has the betrayal of the trade union leaderships been so great.
Time after time the trade union bureaucracy has been prepared trade jobs for increases in wages. Indeed, this is exactly what Bill Sirs and the ISTC leadership did at the end of the steel strike. Time after time, trade union leaders have come to accept job loss as 'inevitable'.
The fight against unemployment
begin with the employed So long as workers in employment are forced to work long hours of overtime to earn a living wage, unemployment will continue to rise. The only way to combat this is to
the police of work-sharing with no loss of pay.
Many unions now have a policy for a 35-hour week, but hours worked in most industries show no sign of reduction. It is time that we forced the TUC to act in defence of jobs. This means every union resisting closures through a policy of work-sharing, and enforcing a 35-hour week throughout manufacturing industry.
Every threatened closure should be met by occupations supported by the whole labour movement. And the campaign to resist all cuts in social
must be redoubled. The campaign for these policies must be brought home to this year's TUC and Labour Party conferences.
At stake is not just the misery of unemployment for thousands, but the strength of the organised trade union movement as a whole.
persuaded
Page 11 scan of this page
Ireland still bleeds
IRELAND
By Geoff Bell
continues the
for British socialists.
'SHIT. Hell. I'm not going through this again. When I finish this tour, TAISI.
'We know we are winning. have the determination to see this through. And we shall.'
The source of the first remark is a
SOlOl! stationed Crossmaglen in South Armagh. The quote is taken from last week's New Society. The second, statement was part of the Easter address issued by the Provisional IRA.
The war statistics help to explain une tvo vas. soldiers kiled in she North of Ireland Last than in any year since 1972. Already in the first three months of this year five more soldiers have died. This is slightly down on the figure of seven in the first quarter of 1979, but other fatalities in the security forces have increased. No members of the RUC had been killed by the IRA by the end of March 1979.
In the same period this year seven have been killed. The increase deaths in the British Army-controlled Ulster Defence Regiment is similar: six in the first quarter of this year compared to oniy two in the same period the year before.
Totalling up the death count since British troops went in in 1969 the tally RUC/UDR) 560, IRA 20S. 'security forces
The strain in the ranks British Army is beginning to tell. The article in New Society, based on conversations with serving soldiers in the North of Ireland, demoralisation, , frustration and lack of disipline. The only recorded smile in five long pages is in the following paragraph: 'I asked Rod if he intends staying in the army. th', he grins. That's the day he gets out.'
Somé cannot wait until they are discharged. Teenage soldier William Barstow was recently sentenced to six months for desertion. wrote Barstow in his diary when serving in the North.
Other soldiers go beserk. Gibson, who appeared in a Belfast
This MayDay
THIS May Day Britain is at war. It is at war in the North of Ireland. And while that war
proletarian internationalism which May Day is meant to celebrate remains an unfilled aspiration
There is little doubt that if the British
duty in We Belfast.
suicide.
contrasting Ilany Sulula
this Easter that: "This British
war, will,
strides.
ment and its troops'.
Colony
last week's reported the soames. of
(Army/ uCDIC. appears to consider of the
Britain in its Irish colony.
depicted thern Ireland
disagreement.
'June the four
ty in disguising this.
With no power
'I hate it', posals to a referendum.
Gary
in a matter of weeks.
current views:
court in March, slipped out of his army camp on the last day of his tour of
Belfast, and prowled alone with a rifle in the streets of West
He shot two passers-by When finally captured by win. other soldiers he was about to commit
These are only a couple of the most recent examples of the state of British Army morale, but they, and
incidents, give substance to claims made by the IRA
generation of (IRA) volunteer soldiers and the population which supports the war, in sacrifice and suffering, is proving too much for British rule. Our movement which is geared for, and dedicated to, a long
nevertheless, see gains along the road to final victory, and the last 12 months, especially, have seen us take military and political
'In the past year we have inflicted serious blows on the British govern-
It is a measure of this crisis that
Sunday Telegraph rumour that Lord Zimbabwe settlement fame, may soon be sent to the North held
Margarel Thatcher that Soames is Britain's answer to Wonderwoman. Glass, Certainly onders are required by
The 'constitutional talks' convened since the start of the year by Nor-
secretary Humphrey Atkins have now collapsed in mutual
The government's imminent Green Paper will find difficul-
Thatcher seems likely to try and impose a solution. The most probable variant is a developed government,
sharing, but with limited powers and a bill of rights. The Tories may then put such pro-
Inevitably such a policy will fail. The IRA will continue fighting, the British Army will see its problems,
working class were to take up the cause of the Irish people, demand that Britain ceases to wage war and withdraws from Ireland, then the war itself would be over
This is obvious from the current state of the Anglo-Irish conflict. Here are two
and death toll increase.
It may seem remarkable that the British AVlIY with 20 times many active soldiers stationed in the North of Ireland as the IRA But this is because they are not just fighting the Provisionals. face the opposition of hundreds o thousands of Irish people. whatever they may think of the IRA take its side against the British Army. Fenians, But that is still not enough to secure British withdrawal Ireland. 1 ne British Army, IRA, has the ability to carry on for a long time yet. The struggle of the
By Charlie Baird
LOYALIST thugs wrecked a rally in Glasgow which was due to have been addressed by Bernadette McAliskey. The meeting, on Wednesday of last week, was part of a tour on Ireland organised by the Socialist Workers Party.
Two successful meetings had been in Edinburgh and Dundee. although the latter was picketed by Loaalist bats ede pas Centary Pastor Jack head of the Reformation Society'.
The rally was to have been held in Maryhill Community
Britain
found
guilty
again
BRITAIN has been found guilty yet again of violating human rights in the North of Ireland.
IRA in action - three UDR members died in this bombing Irish people needs a new ally if it is to be ultimately successful.
bring the Irish question to the fore on May
. Ine brilsn workuig class. Inc Icason. why British workers should take such
tise nared on tiisd in the Torse
pruilcd words may have been spoken over a hundred yearş ago but they remain Suse y cicyall
for in 1867, the withdrawal of Britain from Ireland, is what the Provisionals and others are fighting for today. The enemy the British working class faced
They then, its own capitalist class, is the
same now; it shares that enemy with
who, the Irish people.
Karl Marx insisted that the Irish question be the chief issue to be taken up at the rallies of the First International. Those who this
from stand in that inheritance should do as the the same.
test of internationalism is Ireland. On 1 May, or on any other day.
Loyalists wreck Bernadette'
Glasgow, after 30 Loyalists stormed the hall, using bricks, batons, smash doors and windows.
Devlin- Unfortunately,
which the SWP had organised the rally aided the Loyalist's efforts to wreck it. The SWP kept the venue of the meeting 'secret', which meant that local Troops Out porters were unable to discover location and had difficulty obaining UCKeL
discover the location, who would have gone to listen Centre, Bernadette were unable to attend
Last week the European Commission Human kons concenned oruann (ol diseriminating against gays in the Six Counties.
This followed a test case DrOlUU Jeff Dudgeon from se Tas. veteon lOUk Britain to the Commission for refusing to extend the 1967 Homosex Keforn Act to the North of Ireland.
The Commission has now upheld Dudgeon's complaint and the issue is now likely to
to the
tainly not.
Dy an right esle ce
this respect
'What
that
liberators. altogether
restrain And that is why it is appropriate to
, because the most impor-
'It is talk of
page.
'The
What the Fenians were fighting
both
capitalist.
More than a hundred years ago
French clas
week claim to
Today in Britain the first but it had to be cancelled thus
and boots to
the manner in
and far left supits
While the Loyalists managed to
many people and to I IC such activities.
Too to necooexa co o Human Rights While the Commission's decision wiemans Tory government, it is the last which is Laboll KUVETHIC chielly responsidle Tor Telus ing to extend the 1967 act In February 1979 the ther of State for Labor becrelan Northern Tre ne Mason, did announce his in tention to rectify the anoma ly. isne TeD I was hysterically opposed by most backward Loyalists, ler
'It is well for the
English to talk of
legality
'THE Council would be wanting in its duty if it remained indifferen
Irish cause What Fenianism (Irish Republicanism)? Is it a sect or party whose prin ciples ase opposed to ours? Cer
'Fenianism is the vindicat.on
oppressed people of its to social and politica ine renian declar: tions leave no room for doubt in
They atfirm the republican form of government liberty of conscience. no state religion, the produce of labour to the labourer. and the possession of the soil to the people
people could abjure such principles? Let us see of what value the reproaches are
are adressed to the Fenians by the English would-be
Fenianism not wrong they say. bul
of meetings and demonstrations 1 avow it is hardly possible to
UHIC S indignation at hearing such arguments
'What is the use of talking of legal means to a people reduced to the lowest state of misery fro! centurv to centurv bv english or pression. Having destroyed ali prised that nothing should be but hatred of the oppressor
well for the English legality and justice to those who on the slightest suspi cion of Fenianism are arrested and incarcerated, and subjected to physical and mental torture
English Wor King Men who blame the Fenians commit more than a fault, for the cause o
people is the same: they have the same enemy to defea the territorial aristocracy and the
tugene wupont. leader o
and International movenel Sucdhie me ıne a First International. 1867
Glasgow meeting
minimising meting. The 30 or so people who di attend managed to keep the door closed but could not prevent th wrecking operation.
The only way to challenge
of the Loyalist tnue Scotland is to organise openly an build the biggest possible support fo Troops Out activities. The fact that thousand people marched in Glasgor for troops out a year ago shows that i is possible to mount a substantia campaign for free speech on Ireland
co-ordinate the physica defence that is necessary to maintau
by lan Paisley. At the time the Labour government was rely. ing Unionisi 'VULC.
Westminster to survive. Accordingly the of Unionist pressure g8y reforme ardiropped. previous accasion when the European Commis sion comdemnet BalElI Irish policy was when it pro nounced that Britain had Curettedinu ucla1971. The European later changed this verdict dre or-lalucil
Socialist Challenge 1 May 1980
Page 12 scan of this page
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Page 13 scan of this page
Women bark back at Klein brothers
HOME NEWS
Gays discuss how
to fight the Law
By Jamie Gough
attacks of the police and courts.
These attacks take manv and varied forms, and the bulk of the conference - and ILS LEOST SUSe EI - W29 devoted to different
One important area discussion concerned custody of children,
Bala in area the fact that judges scarcely ever grant custody to lesbian mothers. Even visiting right. are likely to be conditional on the child not seeing its mother with the woman she lives with
the child might grow up with the idea that women can live independentlv of men! Juries
These cases are very hard to fight in an open way and judges there are no — orten take an even dimmer view if the woman happens to be a militant feminist.
•Protection of youth' also figures neaviv in the beca repression of gay men. The age of consent in England and Wares a Is moner man tot heterosexual (16). (Sex between men is illegal at any
Ireland.) And the penalties tor breaking the age of consent laws are tar nigner in gay than in heterosexual cases.
All this suggests to young people that homosexuality at best 'inferior and at worst
gnawing disease to which yvu llay tinally succumb the age of 21.
The law is also at pains to keep male homosexuality invisible. It is lllegal tor one
to attempt to pick _ UD another In ouble us meda for two men to have sex in public 'public' including
is, or could be, present.
Agents
The police put enormous energy InTO enforcing these laws, including the agents provocateurs. It is very casy lur ucm to sal conc. tions, as most defendants are persuaded to avoid publicity
Nevertheless in the absence of trade union support,
Hally cubic Sun rose metoos.
In the years since the 1967 liberalisation of the law for gay men, ponce acuvity nas constantly increased, and Massey
Ferguson
workers end
occupation
By John Kirby THE two-month-old occupation ' ne Massey Ferguson Knowsley factory
week workers decided by a majority of 40 to return to work. The workers go occuocd une lacory w an
ed closure of the plant.
The decison to leave the building followed ultimatum from the management to return to work or be
notices had been issued, so the workers feared they would be sacked ano nence lose telr rights to redundancy pay
The fight is not over. Last week's vote shows that workers had doubts about
would succeed. Now in the four to eight weeks before the LEUSUIC ULC SHUT stewards hope to win support for renewed once the redundancy notices are issued.
OVER the weekend of 12/13 April, 60 lesbians and gay men met at the 'London Gays and the Law' conference to discuss how to organise against the steadily increasing
there are now frequent full-scale witch-hunts against gays in towns round the country.
Sus
Campaigning in oncon around the legal oppression of gays is made more difficult oy me lack or common Dou tical perspectives between the various organisations volved. There is a strong net work of advice services help people who are in trouble wien une law our was network does not key into the campaigning activities.
are camean tor nomo sexual Equality has sulalesy ul the law after the
loboying ap proach in the fight to change the age of consent. The left of une movement nas tenceo.to write off work around the law as irrelevant, and has generally been unable to organise et. fectively to fight the police.
We need to organise and educate standing of the legal oppression of gays becomes part and Dal Cel cour move ment's consciousness in much
came way as Sus and police violence against pickels already are.
Clarity
Because of the relativelv weak representation of the
organisations involved in this area in London, tne conference was not able to develop discussions around individual areas of the
into overall political clarity and ovcialon. nowever. lie cor. ference set up a secretariat to take this task forward in the future l mus can be contacted NiS Caledonian Rd, London
By Dick Withecombe
'ANWAR'S children are her right' was the chant raised by the 400 demonstrators who through the streets of Manchester last Saturday to protest against the harassment of black people allowed by the immigration laws.
The march was Anwar Ditta whose three children are being kept out of Britain 'because they are black', as Anwar herself puts it.
A demonstration of this size is a rare sight
Male. areas of Manchester that it passed through. It became a real local event and in the areas people crowded in the doorways to share in it.
By Kay Bastin
told us we're not to go in on 14 May!'
That Was The fighting
message Ronnie Stretch, shop
steward of the striking Klein
browners workers. cave to a
meeting of the Confederation
Shipbuilding and SROD stewards in Salford Ull
April.
workers Klein
Brothers, small, family
manufacturer
weeks because their
refused to their Lor Thors LIC Nanona untor and Garment Workers.
74 of the 110 employees, the maiority of them women. joined the union during dispute over canteen laculues, and wack manage-
TOWER
anniversary
ing of the inquest.
Speakers
and the disbanding of the SPG.
Here to stay! Here to fight!
marched
The Commie:
support of
ple deportations.
Asian
on 061-225 0548 for details. 'You're discussing with your members whether to come out on 14 May — we've gone one better; our bosses have
ment started laying off two workers a week shortly after, 52 of them agreed to strike.
Management responded with dismissal
notices unprovoked behaviour'!
The women have learned quicklv TOTE une strike. one of them put it: "Some say we've been
sult. wullici aren't soft, they're just beaten down. Once they turn, they really turn!'
ancy are •archary angry at the treatment they've
from the Kaymond Klein. 'He was th naster right,
dirt', was how Ann it. She is close to retirement but has been on the picket line
HOMES TRADES OUNC
WANT MURDE BLAI PEACE
RIALS 8,000 people marched on 27 April in memory of Blair Peach. The march coincided with the first
of his death at the hands of the Special Patrol Group in Southall, and the open-
at the demonstration demanded that action be taken against the six SPG men named by the Sunday Times as his murderers,
The slogans raised by the march called for an end to deportations and an end to the immigration laws. The demonstration marked s major step for the struggle against immigration controls in Manchester. meeting or lne suppor The Black Freedom march, which will pass through Manchester in June, attracted 60 people. An Asian Youth Group has been established and there are many peoinvolved in various campaigns against
The next stage in the anti-racist fight in Manchester will be all-night vigils at Aldine House, New Bailey Street, Salford on 6 and 7 tion will be heard there on 8 May. Ring Neil throughout the cold weather and is determined to carry on Lae cal Canteen facilities are so poor that one young Jackie, has to go to the chip D1f - for the whole factory!
And young Raymond had to have his chips first!
Lunch at the canteen consisted of tea and toast, with soup in the evening. And woe
WANTED
MURDER
BLADE
PEACH
8,000 march in memory of Blair Peach
Rail union rejects
20 per cent?
Transport District Conesi Martin
WHEN newspaper headlines
their leaders.
With inflation running at about 20 per cent, wasn't this offer a victory (thanks to the
other rail unions, ASLEF and TSSA, seemed to think so, as they accepted the offer
The reason the NUR rejected the offer lies in the Lwo-stare name olde ore
16 per cent for cost of living increase, and 4 per cent
producuvily Worker
vere being asked to pay fo part of inflation with thei OOS
Specifically, about half the marshalling yards and no less than 80 per cent of the barters depots would closed down Most, though not all, of the jobs involved wouldve unose COTI betide anyone who arrived lalt = ine pots coffee were quickly drunk and no more were made.
First-aid a ne Toler facilities were also inadequate; there were just six toilets for worker. ano these were in bad condition anechofacilities were unheard often • of.
President NUR London
and TV news bulletins screamed 'NUR rejects British Rail's 20 per cent offer' last week, railworkers were at a loss to understand what madness had taken hold of
nembers hence the
decent nase wilh waich the
other two unions accepted
(although a fightback is to be
croccica, al least In ANcer
A similar offer has been
made for London Transport stall us ver cent cost onavins and 5 per cent for naming the
day for the start of one person
operatoni NUK exec utive is expected to reject this too.
The stage appears to be set for a major confrontation on
railways. But Drovalanca camoan will de necessary to convince workers to strike for jobs. The spur of
Insulting one on ware that started the steel strike is not present — - the issue is clear right from the start - SLIIKI TOT JODS.
women are determined to win recognition despite the hardships involved will being out on strike: we can hold out financially in the home,
, we can win it', ex plained Va
The strikers have set up a strike committee and have sent speakers many
in the area Mass pickets have been held every week and these being stepped up
Raymond Klein has threatened to bring the police if the picket line isn't
and order v and attitude of the police who have turned up has changed
benevolen patronising threatening that one day the pickets will
police they LUIC deserve, like in America!
Steps have been taken to boycott the company's mens wear products which are
WANTED MURDER OF
BLAIR Photo: GM COOKSON (Socialist Challenge)
PEACH
National
Front march
in Corby
ABOUT 200 National
Front supporters marched
through Corby on 24 April
and found themselves con
fronted by anti-
fascists, them
many steelworkers and
local people.
The Front chose Corby with LOWI treatele!
catastrophe thanks to the
imminent closure of the steel.
works • place to pu
forwara lneir absura claim
that immigration is causing
unemployment. • One wonder:
Wiener the Nk hes simmi
missed the fact that the British
Steel Corporation
organising massive closures.
Thousands of police,
many of them wearing their
newly-issued nol gear kept
the Front and
apart
The paltry NF attendence,
with branches represented as
far from Corby Sheffield
and Gloucester reflects
almost complete collapse of
the Front in the Midlands.
marketed under the trade name 'Bendyk' (and sold at SLUIC LILLICWOOOS Woolco, Conn Collier and Hepworth), and this has forced Klein Brothers to resort to home-workers in an attempt to boost sales
But the workers are determinea to suck it our wnateve the management do because
frightened dog will bark, bul when you bark Dack...
Messages of support and donations should be sent c/o
Road, Manchester M20 9NB.
Val Kose Jackie, Margaret Jean Hilda, Ann 'cloth-ear: Chris. Ronnie. Beattie. Bervl Brenda, and Sandra.)
A social in aid of the workers at Klein Brothers is bein held on May from 7.30-11.00pm the Dockers Club, Salford.
Socialist Challenge 1 May 1980 Page 13
Page 14 scan of this page
Nicaragua-at the crossroads
INTERNATIONAL
These developments have placed
question mark over economic plan approved December. At that time it seemed that a choice had been made to maintain the basic economic status quo in 1980. The alliance with the anti-Somoza bourgeoisie would continue, based on the hope of reaching economic agreements not only with the Latin-American bourgeoisies and the European capitalist countries, but also with US imperialism itself.
This implied an intensification of the productive effort of the working class. Wage increases were ruled out because the FSLN leadership agreed that they could only stimulate inflationary pressure in that sort of situation.
The first upset came at the end of February. The biggest wave of strikes and workers' mobilisations place since the victory of the insurrection. The centre of the conflicts was the Fabritex factory, employing just under a thousand workers
Here the workers had strike for wage increases of up to 100 per cent, better working conditions, and the organisation of a canteen. Their union, the CAUS (Committee of Trade Union Action and Unity), is led by the PCN, Moscow Communist parties.
As a result of a solidarity appeal another 20 factories joined the strike, paralysing a large section of industry
other factories such as Caracol and Polymer responded to the sabotage and obstruction of the bosses bv occupying their plants and starting up production themselves. And countryside there were new land occupations by the peasants - although oniv on a limited scale.
Another factor in the situation was ine decapilansanon being carried out both industry agriculture. Companies liquidated, production cut, machinery sold Wistence abroad, capital exported by various dubious means. It is ditticult to estimate the extent of these operations, but their significance has been stressed in official statements. A decisive test will come next month with the cotton planting, and there are indications here already.
Socialist Challenge 1 May 1980
the last
socialtook
gone on
of the pro-
In the overthrow
and were being
and
La representative, engagements
worrying Tomas Borge, army chief, at International Womens Day rally
Page 14
NINE MONTHS after the revolutionary
of the US-backed Somoza, Nicaragua has reached a turning point. The US Senate's blocking of a $75m loan at the beginning of March has been followed by the visit of a top-level FSLN
A third significant event was demonstration organised by the small" shopkeepers in Managua on 9 March.
The junta was invited but did not send
pleading previous
The aim of the demonstration was to protest against price controls and particularly the role of ENABAS, the state body which exercises these con-
some
adopt
dictator
trols and is also responsible for the i: buying and selling of certain basic products. The gathering went so far as to threaten not to apply the official guidelines from the following day (though in practice this threat does not seem to have been carried out).
A week later came the demonstration organised by bourgeois the (Nicaraguan Democratic Movement),
won iced behind its leaders Alfonso Robelo, then a member of the junta. Robelo's speech was a sort of manifesto for the bourgeoisie, reaffirming the need for a mixed economy and setting the aim of the MDN as the 'conquest of power by popular vote', the meaningful summoning of the Council of State and the calling of elections. According to Robelo, these could be achieved within the existing framework of national unity.
All these events must be understood in the context of deteriorating relations with the United States. For
American leaders had determined to
different attitude Nicaragua than that taken towards Cuba in the 1960s. But the blocking of the $75m loan changed everything.
Both the FSLN and Nicaraguan bourgeoisie drew
THE FSLN has adopted a contradictory attitude towards workers' struggles. wage increases has been conducted in a violent way using crude polemical methods.
The basic argument has been that the kind of demands for higher wages which have been put forward by some sections of the working class tie in with the 'destabilisation' campaign launched by imperialism and orchestrated by the CIA. On the other hand, it is recognised that wages really are very low therefore justified.
In certain cases, such as f'abritex, increases have been conceded (of around 10 per cent) as well as improvements in working conditions, the organisation of canteens, etc. But this has gone hand in hand with a campaign to denounce the CAUS and PCN (see above) as agents of the
delegation to Moscow and now by the resignation from the ruling junta of the two leading bourgeois Chamorro and Alfonso Robelo.
LIVIO MAITAN explains what is going on.
own conclusions. nouncing imperialist launched, tions and a general radicalisation of the situation. And the FSLN has res-
first BORGE ON EL MDN SALVADOR
people THE Nicaraguan army would immediately go into action if there was an imperialist intervention against El Salvador. Any intervention in El Salvador would be considered as an aggression against our own territory.'
TOMAS BORGE (army chief and junta member), 15 April ponded sharply on where it has been challenged.
The first the against 'decapitalisation' their penalties including not only heavy
The FSLN and workers struggles
Its campaign against and that the workers' demands are
confiscation figures, Violeta ened to
A campaign de- revolution policy was involving mass mobilisa-
shopkeeper's stands fol Robelo's
every question Nicaragua Was a law stimulated by with frontation Salvador. organisations.
by the police. Trials are being prepared.
Defense minister Humberto Ortega with Fidel Castro
fines and imprisonment but also state of these firms. FSLN commander Jaime Wheelock threatexpropriate the big cotton farmers if they refused to plant their land on time, and a decree confirmed the confiscation of property placed under the control of the Institute of Land Reform after the victory of the
Finally a law in defence of the consumer was confirmed, along with a proposal to reinforce ENABAS without any concessions being made to the demands. Sanctions taken against shopkeepers who refused to respect the guidelines on prices were systematically reported by the radio and TV.
In response to the MDN initiative the FSLN launched a massive propaganda operation defending its role in the revolutionary process and rejec ting the demand for short-term elec tions. Most importantly, the FSLN has stressed in all these polemics that the interests of the exploited worker and peasant masses and is not prepared to hand back the political initiative to the bourgeoisie.
All this has deepened the social and political tensions in the country in a way that goes well beyond the intentions of the FSLN, which has combined its polemics with appeals to SCIN of responsibility.
Important events in the class struggle are on the horizon in Nicaragua. The cotton planting campaign could be a crucial turning point. And events in could also be further the developing con in neighbouring CIA, the organisation of demonstrations leading to the seizure and ransacking of CAUS offices (including the burning of journals and documents in Managua and other towns), and the re-assignment of such offices to mass
Worse still, there have been a number of arrests (55 to date) and the PCN's leader, Altamirano, is being sought
The fact that a distinction is made between a base which is 'misled' and 'immature' and leaders who are 'ambitious' with 'suspect' connections in no way justifies this repression, which in effect is aimed at the organisers of strikes. One can agree with many of the criticisms made of the PCN and CAUS, both as to their past and their present activity, but this cannot mean approving of the use of repression to resolve real problems of the workers move-
Page 15 scan of this page
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new leadership is already developing in the working which rejects the tired, old reformist solutions that are everywhere proving a disaster.
In the BL Rover plant, Solihull, shon stewards broke with their old leaders and decided to come out on strike. This decision dcal transform the strike movement in BL as a whole. Our consistent fight in this plant was an tor in determining these events.
The IMG was the launch of the Leyland Action committee walch groups millants from Rover Solihull, Coventry and Cowley in Oxford. *is grouping presented systemalic alternative policies to those of the Communist Party and Moss Evans,
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Organisers, journalists, Icanels acca money. Lois or N. Ine struggle in BL is by no means over. What the IMG the struggle will play a role in determining the outcome. To be sure of making the maximum impact netu your money.
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The school aims to look at important revolutionary upheavals in Europe and the Third World during the 20th century.
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Branches of IMG and Revolution should discuss the school as soon as possible. A deposit of £10 will secure your place but the full £47.50 has to be paid in advance. This will cover your accommodation, meals, reading lists and the school courses
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Spectacle, send in that lash
What a pathetic figure to report this week! We readers are capable of better than this. Even our regular supporters have been sadly missing over the last few weeks. It'll take a long time to bring down the curtain on this motley Tory crew unless all our subscribers and supporters get a move on wit nel runaralsing Our thanks this week tọ:Canterbury IMG A Acheson GMC Total:
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STRIDES THE TEHRAN STREETS.
ITE DUI Or
14 May
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Rush your order into our distribution depart.
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Brazil engineers on
200,000 Brazilian engineering
on strike since 1 April demanding wage Party.
recognition of and security of
Two weeks ago their unions were taken over by the govern- messages to:
some strike and other trade Metalurgicos, unionists were arrested. Some were subsequently released, but at the time of going to press at Brazil. least 13 were still being held 'incomunicado', without access to either lawyer or relatives. They are being charged with 'incite- unionists to:
They include 'Lula', the Figuereido, best known of the new working
SEL PUEBO UNIDO JAMAS SERA VINCIDO
THE WORKERS UNITED WIL NEVER BE DEFEATED
BIG demonstrations are expected to take place this year in Chile to mark May Day. Above, reproduction of the London May Day Committee post card of greetings to the Chilean
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• CLINT EASIWOOD S EQUIPMENT NEVER SEEMS
local 14 May
class leaders and a founder of
the recently formed Workers'
In spite of the repression,
the strike is continuing.
Solidarity telegrams and Comite de Apoio aos Assembleia
Legislativa do Estado de Sao
Paulo, 9 de Julho, Sao Paulo,
Telegrams demanding im-
mediate release and reinstate-
ment of all imprisoned trade
Presidente General Palacio Planalto,
Brasilia, Brazil.
Chilean
SCEVENTS
Road, and saturday aps me our side al
OADFORDS available from Fourth Ide BRENT: SC real Coletive Bookstal in the Tradi sell every Sat Mornin BRIGHTON: For info phone Nick, 605052.
more info contaci Box 2, c/o WHAT'S LEFT
•ROCK Weapons of 1 Tues 6 Ma 1 7 30pm nd
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feminist. company Ich tours mainly in BIRMINGHAM MAYDAY ASHYA
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Socialist Challenge 1 May 1980 Page 15
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Socialist Challenge WORKERS WORKERS OF THE WORLD UNITE
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