Socialist Challenge No. 180, 15 January 1981
The scan: sc-n180-jan-15-1981.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive)
Uncorrected machine reading of the whole issue. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from the scan and has not been corrected or cut into articles. Each page gives the headlines first, then the columns in order, so one article runs on into the next. Expect misread words. Use it to find things; quote from the scan.
Page 1 scan of this page
Challenge UPRISNG IN ELSALADUR
21 FEB GLASGOW FIGHT UNEMPLOYMENT
Socialist
'THE final begun.' for a long time.
days others were to follow.
include the second largest city. Ana, and four other cities.
Marti Liberation formation tures in these areas
guerrillas.
Lt Col Ricardo Bruno Navarrete.
• Major Salvador have in the capital
day.
not surprising
rights group fairs Hemispheric Central America in 1980.
No.180 offensive That was the nouncement made over El Salvador radio last Saturday.
For the people of that Central American country it was the best news they have heard
The liberation forces seized a radio station to relay their news. That was one of the early successes. Within a couple of
• Many areas in the north of the country have now been liberated. These
The Revolutionary Democratic Front (FDR) which, along with the Farabundo
Front (FMLN) leading the struggle, has called for the
of local government struc
• Sections of El Salvador's nationa army have mutinied and gone over to the
These include the entire 800-strong se cond infantry brigade, troops barracked in Santa Ana, and a leading army officer,
leading InTO been cut off by guerillas. Barricades have been erected
and general strike throughout the country began on Mon-
These successes have been possible because of the massive popular support for the liberation forces. That support is
The right-wing junta in El Salvador was recently branded by the US human
Council as the violator of civil liberties in South and
All that now sustains the junta is the help it is receiving from the USA, and the
15 January1981 20p The taking of civil liberties Jobs marches planned CND and the Bomb
Women
has anmilitary
The
Santa cuse for
are
tion San the nel! junta!
Salvador! of
worst
INSIDE
Women against Violence against prospect of economic aid when Reagan comes to power on 20 January.
On Monday.
Duarte said that Reagan should ensure that US intervention 'is the first thing he should do'.
In the past Reagan and his advisers have advocated a US military invasion of El Salvador. Now FMLN sources say that sections of the Honduran army, led by US
advisers, border of the two countries.
Jack Binns, stating that the uprising in salador is US intervention 'Cuban camouflaged'.
El Salvador is a relatively small coun try, about the size of Wales. But what is now at stake there Is immense brutal rulers are overthrown, US domina
of Latin America will be crucially weakened. calicoincide wist cou fiy sould vee preparing a mobilisation of their own The demands raised by the FDR can be taken up here. These are:
* Withdraw all US military person * Withdraw all US support for the
* End repression! * Recognise the of
These demands picket of the US embassy in London, planned for Reagan's inauguration day 20 January, at 5.30pm. Thre will also be a solidarity Theatre, Malet St, 23 January, 6.30pm.
* See page 6 for background information on the struggle
STOP PRESS: Tue paralysed by general military airport taken by FMLN.
p8&9 p3 p4&5
p12 even more military and
the junta's president
are massing on the
US ambassador in Honduras has already invented an ex-
publicly
If its
COULIL should FDR as the the people of can be raised at a
London's Collegiate
San Salvador strike. San Salvador
Page 2 scan of this page
Lambeth conference: No cuts or rate rises
Editorial
Socialist Challenge
Revolutionary socialist weekly
PO Box 50, London N1 2XP Phone 01-359 8189/8180
Is Labour heading
towards a split?
FOR THE first time since the 1930s there is the possibility of a major split in the Labour Party. The project set in train by Roy Jenkins -that of creating a 'centre', 'social democratic' party - looks as if it could well come to fruition.
last week that the Labour Party would be 'changed for decades' ference on 24 January decides to set up an electoral college to elect the leader.
But the decisions of the conference arrangements committee on procedure at the conference, and the peculiar grouping of different options (with voting 4.30pm and the conference finishing at 5pm) make it possible that the conference could finish with no decision being agreed.
Such an outcome would effectively give the right wing against democracy. David Owen could still get his way.
Warlike
The recent warlike statements of Owen, Mason, and others make it seem certain that a group of about ten MPs, including Thomas, a split if the electoral college is decided on
right-wing associated with the Campaign for Labour Victory (CLV). The Grantham of APEX, leader Frank Chapple. block owned by the EEPTU.
In an article in the latest Co-operative News Mike Thomas predicted that the Labour Party would be challenged by Democratic' candidates at the next election. In a right-wing split, the MPs would expect to be joined selected MPs. It is assumed that they would stand in constituencies where re-selection had taken place.
Proscribed
At the same time, Social Democratic Alliance, which has been effectively proscribed by ecutive Committee. Has against various left benn.
During the party conference in October it seemed that dire threats of a potential centre party back down in its fight for democracy. was certainly speech of Joe Ashton.
But despite the hesitations of CLV supporters like William Rodgers, the hard-core right seems determined to go ahead.
A split by ten or so right-wing MPs would almost certainly not trade union - even if Roy Grantham of APEX and Frank Chapple of the EETPU might sympathise with the splitters. In this sense a split would in no way be comparable to Labour's disastrous division of 1931.
Pressure
What it represents much more is pressure from ruling class foresee grave danger polarisation of the two major parties. While Thatcher's insane Tories and the Labour Party moves to the left, the dangers for the ruling class are grave: if Thatcherism fails, they cannot easily turn to the Labour Party in which the left is increasingly strong. tunity for a strong resurgence of the centre.
socialists in the Labour Party snould demand that Foot and the Labour leadership make absolutely no concessions to the split Inreats of the right wing.
Michael Foot should come out in support of the NEC's position on the composition of an electoral college to elect the party leader -the option giving 40 per cent of the votes to the unions and 30 per cent to the constituency parties - rather than compromising with the right wing by continuing to support MPs having half of the votes.
Socialist Challenge
Gang of Three member David Owen said
if the special conbeginning
anotner vear to organise Ellis, and Wrigglesworth, are set on
cabal is primarily
latter is supported by Roy and Electricians' Union Its offices are in a
up to 50
by Shirley Williams and any re
the ultra right-wing
the National Exdecided to stand MPs, including Tony
were being used to force the left to
This the case with the hysterial
be supported by any political forces which in the present
monetarism rules the
Therein lies the political oppor-
In particular, 15 January 1981 Page 2
THIS Saturday 17 January, the recall 'Crisis in Local Government -Trade Union Conference' will take place in Central Hall, Westminster.
It is a follow-up to the successnu conrerence onl November sponsored by the
Party and
borough of Lambeth.
Illal comerence was allended Dy 700 delegates from all over the country.
Socialist Challengecask
dd Va of Libera Trades
council ane a member of
conference steering group, to explain its purpose. Event
We feel that the con-
terence can be an important event Tory the the
there was considerable
Miscussiulis pollica our ine neca TOI common approach lo defending ser-
We wanted a recall conference so that we could Ol sallisc support for any group of workers or coun
pose the Tories aim of the lake oracuca steps organise a fightback.
Ted Knight, defends services but raises rates by f4 a week. National Labour and
Unfortunately some
including Lambeth and Barnsley, Have musical ariccu to ltDOse suppementary rate rises. Barnsley even
as to declare
taken
stairs lic have got support from the rest of the move-
That was clear from
Lambeth, the unions in the Direct Labour
Have lakela much armer stano tan ent councillors. organising a week of actior for February, and are call-
WU ACID LU SUD woll trel day o acon or Wednesdav rebruary They see their strike as being Prince in cal ser- who are forcing cuts
Strike
We will doing everything possible
since akin a beli
workers to join either week long strike or * the day
action what support they can win.
death
week
51.
for
During
For so who
fought
Home News
Tickets 50p from Jon Lansman, c/o 10 Park Drive, London NW11
So while the councilors there were 72 Labour groups represented at last conference - nave noi carried out the decisions to oppose cuts and increases in rates, the fightback the unions has been far bet ter.
Lambeth unions are get ting ready for strike action, By Phil Hearse ALL socialists will be saddened by the
former Labour MP Tom Litterick, who died last
after a heart attack at the age of
Tom was Labour MP
Birmingham Selly Oak from 1974 to 1979.
that time he established himself as one of the small group of 'hard left' MPs in the House of Commons.
He was one of the dozen
I against the introduction of the Preven-
one of lae verv tew who also
against Britain's
Rank and File Mobilising Committee/Tribune Rally
Friday 23 January
7.30pm (doors open 7pm)
Central Hall, Westminster
Speakers: Tony Benn, Eric Heffer, lan Mikardo, Arthur Scargill, Reg Race,
Ken Cameron Chair: Joan Maynard
and other unions oppos cuts ana reaundancies. The Wandsworth branch of the National and Local Govern(ALGO) IS on strike, and Officers Association various olners arouna me country are still refusing to participate in the sale council houses conference is being held at short notice. and it
Tom Litterick - always on
the side of working people
fought against Britain's entry • Into the Commo Market on the basis of campaign for socialist Europe Roberts i was never with the campaigns of the far left or perspeak our alains Callaghan-Healey leader-
Ai the 1979 Labour Par
of paper from show wha Callaghan had done to party conference policies When Socialist Challenge exposed the racis Sir Richard Dobson Clarks or chairpersor Tom did everything he could to help with ou articles for our paper.
clashes with i several oine
ole events. bu we still ex
pect a reasonable turn out
on the day.
In any case the con.
ference only one part of
fightback.
JUST
WelC to see just
now Labour •councils
will implementing
Tory cuts. These councillor
to be : to defend
services and living
stall
valus. not carry our une lou
or ine lories in making
cuts. Rates
Ted Knight and othe
left-wing Labour
argue that thev are
actenaing services and no
making But all that
doing is passing on
the Tories cuts as rate rise
Clas Lenants SIDES doing the
…ones lob torinen
Imposing rate rises of f4 achieve : exactl
the councillors are trying to the Orle: want an
- It will cost Labour rouna o local
authority elections and send
party
wilderness.
councils shoul
follow the lead of all thes
trade unionists and make a Tories by refusing no make Siane
cuts or pass on the effects
through rate rises.
All this made him hater
ine Tory which has a monopol Birmingham When his
in 1978
birminanom ros waged n
vIctous persona
gainst hir Undoubtedly
contributed to his even
and
lark Tom
never claimed to be a Marxist or a
• all socia democrats he had his blinc
But he was one of the handful of Labour MP who was invariably seen or the side of working peonle
wnalever conse. quences for his popularity with the media Labour whips.
Page 3 scan of this page
Jobs crusade starts May Day!
By Phil Hearse TV comics nowadays invariably make jokes about lazy workers, usually car workers. there are 2.25m have no option but to be 'lazy -the unemployed. But when you examine the facts rather than the myths and the cheap jibes it's easy to see that, far from being 'lazy', British workers have the longest hours in West Europe and do the most overtime.
For the bosses there is money to be made that way. Far cheaper to get your existing workers to do overtime than employ far easier to keep down basic rates when wages include a sizeable overtime payment.
Average
Let's first look at average hours worked by manual workers. For men in Britain the figure is 46.2 hours a week. This compares with: Germany 41.9 hours; France 41.1; Netherlands 41; Luxemburg Italy 38.9; and Belgium 37.1.
British workers!
Lazy Council - personal capacity)
Liverpool to London West region of the TUC.
demonstrations of British working people.
When 150,000 people demonstrated against unemplovment in Liverpool
last November it was obvious that a bitter mood of hostility
Thatcher's government up. Now time to press forward
CalllDals! unemploy-
ment, with the 21 February
demonstration Glasgow and the Liverpool to London
march.
march will Liverpool after a big rally in
the town and pass through
Warrington, Manchester,
Stockport, Macclesfield,
Stoke and Walsall. It will stop
Birmingham, where
Midlands UCATT is already
planning a rally, and Coven-
trv. After that it will make its
way to London.
Barrv Williams, the presi-
dent of Liverpool Trades
Council who is helping
organise the march for the
North West TUC.
reported that ine organisers
hope that the march will
met 1n each
labour movement organisa-
tions and town councils.
Part of the demonstra-
tion's activity Will
organisation of a national
petition against unemploy-
ment.
And everv factorv will be
asked to sponsor a few fellow
workers or unemployed peo-
ple to ›o on lne cemorsa
tion. When it arrives in town.
the late altellious
delegations will be sent
local factories.
Support
Sure demonstratio
for demons alon
essential. The organisers are
VUL mobilising
material and seeking spon-
The organising commit-
SULD
tee nopes to establisn a na-
Of course, workers who manual
parts. another worker. And 40.3;
With the By John Parkinson (secretary Preston Trades
MAY DAY 1981 sees the start of a great crusade against unemployment - the long march from
supported by the North
The march will take a month to reach London, for a huge rally near Westminster on 29 May. If the period between now and May is used to build the march properly, it will be one of the greatest ever
tional committee soon and is seeking the establishment of local support committees on the route.
It is a dreadful indictment of the national TUC that this the great demonstration has been the from Since last April's 'Day of Action', Len Murray has gone missing. nas rocketed Murray has almost Icave deserted his post.
Sponsor
West But the department continues to pour out figures indicting Murray's inactivity. shows that the real unemploy-
the number people registered, is now in the region of 3,465,000.
They also calculated that has something like 250,000 people short-time be No wonder that anger against local unemployment is building up.
Labour movement tivists should set to work now to organise support for the Ine demonstration.
through stewards committee or union branch to sponsor some marchers.
Put a resolution through your local trades establish a support committee Write to the organisers of to the demonstration publicity material and information And don't forget demonstration unemployment in Glasgow on area 21 February!
For sponsorship and in WILl to:
Williams, North EC, Stamford Ashton-under-Lyne, Manchester.
strongest trade union movement, British
workers put in much longer hours than their West European counter-
Overtime
The figures show an average of 4 hours overtime for all male workers. This is the breakdown in some of the basic industries:
TOTAL HOURS Shipbuilding 47.0 Mining 43.6 Food, drink 47.8 Metal manufacture 44:5 Electrical engineering 44.3 Chemicals 45.6 Bricks, pottery, glass 47.5 unemployment
million literally
TUC research
which includes
somewhere
working.
ac-
Get a resolu-
shop
for
the against
Barry
West TUC
St, reate
Home News
Why we need a
35-hour week with no
loss of pay
recession. meant that down appreciably
maining harder.
Total
OVERTIME® 6.6 Tor total 6.0 8.0 Europe: Britain, 4.7
5.6 7.0
Part of the 150,000 crowd at Liverpool's anti-
unemployment demonstration last November. bigger.
There are many industries which are not so bad, particularly those hit by the
But the recession working nours have gone employers are shedding labour and trying to make the re-
workers work longer
The long hours of workers in Britain can best be seen by looking at the figures
hours manual workers in engineering in West
1902; Switzerland, 1827; Germany, 1762; Denmark, 1725; France, 1706; Austria, 1703; Italy, 1678; 1622; Belgium, 1611; Sweden, 1513.
Engineering workers in Britain work
similar workers in Sweden!
Urgent
for a shorter working week negotiators,
trick.
hasn't
and overnight.
Ine tacts
And there's one other thing get lower pay.
the EEC
Holland,
ur Week!
Organisers hope that the May march will be even
Socialist Challenge
on average 400 hours more a year than
What do all these figures show? They reveal that a constant dropping of claims
by union particularly in engineering. is leaving Britain way behind. Continen. tal workers work shorter hours and have much longer holidays. In this time of in. flation, trading hours for money is a con.
The figures point to the urgent need to renew the campaign for a shorter work. ing week with no loss of pay. If British working hours were brought into line with those on the Continent, hundreds of thousands of new jobs could be created
Next time you hear someone talk about lazy British workers, just point out
that British workers work longer hours and have shorter holidays
we also
Figures revealed a few months ago by
Commission snow that only workers in Ireland have lower wages than those of British workers, and that average wages in France are half again as much as those in Britain. Average pay in West Germany is twice that in Britain.
15 January 1981 Page 3
Page 4 scan of this page
By Brian Heron WHEN Labour's General Secretary Ron Hayward summed up at the end of last October's annual conterence, he singled out opposition to nuclear weapons as one of the most significant decisions taken.
The editorial of the latest issue of CND's journal Michael Foot as Labour leader: "Foot 'Sanity'
promised to go a long way to meeting CND's demands if he Minister.' On 8 December last year, Foot appointed Brynmor John, MP for Pontypridd, as spokesperson for defence.
But Brynmor John unilateral nuclear disarmament, democracy of Guardian of 16 December, Mr. John's team to cover detence wrote: John's four-man team will now have to walk a tightrope between the unilateralists on the left
for CND
By Paul Smith A SERIES of activities for 1981 have been decided by CND's national council. They include support for:
* The Easter disarmament demonstration
* The cross-Pennine
organised by the European Nuclear Disarmament campaign (END).
* Four regional festivals (in Gloucester and Milton Keynes).
* The Labour Movement Conference Missiles initiated by chester Against the Missiles on 28 March.
Does this programme measure up to the needs of Time Already CND has 20,000 members, and all the evidence suggests that could reach 100,000 by end of the year. But this turned towards specific ob- huge potential has jectives.
Last year the Labour Party conference passed KASOO demandina ditching of Britain's nuclear CommenS Labour's right wing, from
Cabinet downwards, will be moun ting an all-out assault on this position.
1981, however, is equally the year when the disarmament movement can the two-thirds majority conference needed to put
the manifesto.
The TUC's present
is not Socialist Challenge
the election of has
were to be elected Prime
supports neither nor the The Collecte. commenting on 'Mr. absence.
1981 - year
of decision
Although it talks of alerting trade unionists general public dangers involved in nuclear weapons, it takes no position those weapons as such. 1981 is the year when the TUC's position in brought into line with that of the Labour Party. A commitment HUSL be boycotting all work on the missiles. That IS way to beat back cold warriors such as Boyd and Duffy in the AUEW and Chapple in the EETPU.
Finally, this is year one of Reagan's presidency United States.
Man- military machine is already being mobilised against the revolts in Central America. 7981 is the vear when the movement in Britain against nuclear weapons can help to 1981?
Reagan's nearly the Tory among Televille portant prop from the war drive.
These are major stakes.
But CND's proposed tivities in what is needed to keep the campaign right in the public eye. the To do that requires a ma-
Pete are monstration o event.
the 250,0000 is possible in 19
potential CND to push the Labour and TUC leaders into action on their agreed positions.
But the absence win such proposal from CND national council disarmament dangerously ill-equipped to meet the challenge
clear. change that. CND Labour Movement Conference Against the Missiles
Saturday 28 March
UMIST, Manchester Delegations from all bona fide Labour Party and trade union organisations Send for details to: CND, 17 Goodwin St.,
Finsbury Park, London N4.
15 January 1981 Page 4
and the multilateralists on the right.
Brynmor John is not on a tightrope. He supports the main premise of the Tories' missile policy that Britain needs nuclear weapons. Foot has appointed a defender of the latest round of missile madness.
John has a long record of support for nuclear weapons. When the 1973 Labour conference passed a resolution calling tor the Labour leadership to act on the 1972 conference call for unilateral disarmament an appeal in support of this was issued by many members of the parliamentary party Brynmor John's name was conspicuous by its
CND leaders said at the time, the resolution and appeal were acid tests of where
and the the
must be
won to
the only
in the
And the US
CHes war-
the US
ac1981 fall short of
one in 19014 there for
of any
leaves the
movement
of 1981.
Stop the missiles
Sack Brynmor John!
tant issues.
- but
Labour politicians stood on disarmament.
They might have added that the appeal was a test or were Labour leaders stood on the question of democracy in the Labour Party.
Brnymor John failed both tests.
Besides his record on disarmament, Brynmor John has a dismal record on other imporHe was a junior Home Office Minister in the last Labour government under Merlyn Rees. He had special responsibility for immigration and was rseponsible for applying the 1968 and 1971 Immigration Acts. During his period as the Minister responsible for immigration, both the scandal of the Heathrow virginity tets and the rejection of Anwar Ditta's request to be reunited with her children marked Labour's record of racism: Brynmor Tuesday 20 January
DEMONSTRATE AGAINST
US MILITARISM
Torchlight procession and picket of US Embassy on
the day of Reagan's inauguration Assemble 5pm at the University of London Union, Malet St, WC1
March to Grosvenor Square NO CRUISE MISSILES!
Called by University of London CND
Foot didn't shadow cabinet
Those who
get rid of Brynmor John now.
John helped to make that record.
Why did Foot appoint this man? John was fifteenth in the poll for the shadow cabinet -below both Tony Benn and Eric Heffer. But
base his appointments to the on ever democracy of a poll conducted among the parliamentary section of the Labour Party.
His appointments were designed to paper over any outstanding rift between the left and right among Labour MPs. The basic method used to win this temporary and fragile unity was to give massive concessions to the right.
Despite Foot's previously long-standing commitment to the principle of unilateral nuclear disarmament, despite the resounding victory for this position at the last Labour Party conference, unity with the right wing comes before principles and party
support unilateral nuclear disarmament must demand of Michael Foot:
Page 5 scan of this page
Strategies for banning the bomb
THE recently papers for 1950 reveal the reactionary secret dealings tlee's Labour cabinet. last week's article on the Cabinet papers and Korea, ington looks at Attlee's attack on 'subversives' in Britain.
The Cabinet Papers for 1950 show what great responsibilities the Labour leaders taced in Korea nunism was fighting the Christian West and its tascist allv svaman Khee. tain 'agitators' were workers to do 'subversive' things like opposing Labour's wage freeze.
But the Cabinet responsibilities.
break 13 strikes 1950. And Sir Hartlev Shawcross. the At. torney General, prepared memorandum for the
Worker (then the daily paper of the Communist Party).
The val of all t withdrawal all foreign Korea' and China'. This
was Shawcross called 'giving aid to the King's enemies'
But the Cabinet ran Treason carried the death penalty. some ministers felt that lynching the Daily Worker staff might not well with ther pubnic.
THE reviews of The Protest Makers have been kind to
Ine and it is easy to see why.
The book is awkwardly presented in three parts.
There is a short useful section on history of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament from 1958 to 1965, which leans heavily at times almost to the level of paraphrase Christopher Driver's book.
Inere is a section deals with a questionnaire given to over 400 core activists of CND. Surprisingly little value comes from this some of the authors treatment of the results is somewhat im-
The CNDers are mainly middle class. Many Marxists Hally were (hristians After vears most are san Donucay ad
There has been decrease in radicalism and a major drift from allegiance to ihe Labour Party Failure
A lot more useful in this section are the in cenin interviews carried out with leading members of CND
some major The third aspect of the book deals win me reasons tor une taure OI (ND. This is excellent. means convincing, but are discus authors' sion or ine vamous suralegies par moie polical sophisticatios
more sophistication any previous account
It is possible that the sharpness of some reviews comes from those who woud ake o senum entase the old CND rather than analyse il.
The book
strategies among those involved in •
CND:
Labourist; the New Left; and direct
Richard Taylor and Colin Prit-
nara recognise unal une Decest an
deal of the campaign was on the moral plane. However, they argue that the dominance of the approach was a major contributing Tactor to une lanure or No strategy ignored the nollica dimension of the debate around nuclear weapons and failed to pose the political action necessary
released Cabinet
of AtFollowing
Bob Penn-
COGIES:
In Bri-
inciting British
did not flinch from its It brought in the troops between 1945 and
Party special cabinet on a pam.
JUDG called for 'the
troops from even demanded 'Hands off and
OT what
into a snag
• go down too
vacaunted Ine
not book THE re-emergence
has
but about how
the weapons can be won.
achieve nuclear disarmament in
on britain.
The weapons did not just grow They were brought into being which the which огает and runne casses
inreatened nevel response to the question of how to scale, the moral strategy could
and
merely poll out tre lac
nuclear weapons are evil.
The direct action strategy is also dismissed. Originally this had been
and maker which the Direct
LU near war-bases. Tie
slight strategy of this committee was to
renace Ine ideology with the politics of non-violence.
Ralph Committee of 100 laca ol lass sl-uuwis as Dati ine process towaras a non-violen revolution. This would outright confrontation berween the people and the oppressive state.
The people stop the ability of the war-makers
0D- wage a war.
be flooded.
It would be stupid to dismiss the
The lactic or mass civil aisobedience.
but the balance of the 1961-62 con-
DIU-
state smashed the Committee 100 and judicious mix of boots rosener SOLIC legal terrorism.
Reverse
four
Then there strategy. This envisaged CND as a The high point was the winn ing of the 1960 Labour Party con terence lo unwateralism. was short lived and in the following the detains Gaitskell The authors see this failure as inevitable. (ND nad no organised relation to of both the leadership and the base
Cabinet then pondered on whether or not they could ban the CP
Unfortunately for them this was not
on the cards A disappointed Chuter Ede.
herbert erica ta
Herbert Morrison,
sadly explained 'public opinion would not support legislation on the lines of that in-
TroolCe• in AuStrala for the suppression of the Communist
By November 1950 the war in Korea had intensified and the
ucal WItH Subversiver
However in drafting a Bill for
they were worried defendents might prove the truth of their allegations about imperialism in court,
use the trials for political propaganda'.
Ede and Morrison told the Cabinet how to get round that small problem.
Never mind asking the defendents to pro. ve the truth of their allegations, let's
pen Lord Preside indoome
President Secretary.
CND's first phase:
of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament as a political force given rise to important discussions
the fight against
Looking at CND's earlier phase - the late 1950s and early 1960s ir, a useful way of
established
petere Action
organised
violence
and came up with the
physically
The prisons would
people
and baton socclalulal
UndateraiiSTS of the campaign was intensely scepnical or une neecor a systemall approach to the movement.
Taylor and Pritchard regard the dated even before CND was form Strategy eo. since any senous chance vi will ning ine Labour the defection and death
Acute! words.
Milkalaus
wasn't much hope once Nye had gone.
Ine most credible strategy To:
Taylor and Pritchard was that of the 'New Left'. Its aim was to win
Stop the missiles.
Attlee and 'the
King's enemies'
protect
and his colleague, to stop the Lord President, stewarus. war against the British economy.
Cabinet wantec
this purthat the ballot.
carrying out
tions.
sion did not Home danger shores. starting to
Richard nuclear
review.
Bevan with Gaitskell at 1957 Labour Conference. Bevan turned his back on the
working class The New Left, however
being
Line potentla!
Dasse or une Lavoul of Both Wilson and really never really a possibility. fruition.
Labour Party
The cabinet knew that it was necesary British Workers
themselves. After all they might go and
take strike action to better their wages ol
victimisation of their shop This could only jeopardise the reds' and damage the
The Cabinet considered legislation to
keep the workers in line,
use of an 1875 act making gas and
workers liable to criminal proceedings if
they went on strike; a wartime order still
in torce making it a legal requirement Tol
workers to give 21 days notice of strike
and the imposition of a secret This legislation set the scene for
ine prosecution by the government of
seven dockers who had led unofficial
strikes for improved wages and condi-
The cabinet were aware that subverjust stalk foreign fields; creeping Anti-fascist fighters from Europe assess different
These themes are taken up in detail in The
Protest Makers: British Nuclear Disarma-
ment Movement of 1958-65, a new book by
Taylor and (Pergamon Press, £10).
JULIAN ATKINSON begins a three-part CND to socialist politics and then realised argin a new genuinely i party.
failed to achieve a conerent ser or pontica priorities or to win important secfore of theora to ed pass the ass
by-pass lett was not reansed. t would nave been fice to get round this impasse, but it was
classic
None of tereerses me to
reversal trauma of the Cuban missile crisis, noney in once ; view of the and the partial victory that
concentration camps
with them No Ede. help CommuniSt find victims among
try To маке
from
from doubt.
and the later cabinets water variably they put which profits before wages had a heritage subverted the law to do so.
They Saxon Christians who had
against
night.
rule for Scotland. strategies.
Colin Pritchard
that WIll when the test-ban treaty of
1963g the end of IND
end 1963 the camPhe leadership of CND had proved In Irrever: decline incapa leadership
leadership wai self-appointed in 195 • nere was no
lection for the executive until 196 and the first election for chairper son of CND took
The executive had envisaged a
oressure CIouD Call Dall stree . Arthur Goss, pacifist and CND executive member
campaig! 'We were criticised as being a self
Socialist Challenge
and ex-inmates from Belsen and Dachau
were coming Britain and bringing their 'foreign' ideas
one knew this better than Chuter He told his cabinet colleagues: feeling that on the whole CONCIONS are likelier who have not been born or brought up in this coun-
sure they did not contaminate any Britons, Ede gave secret instructions for the introduction of a ban on appucations vor britisn naturalisatior
retugees whose loyalty was in
The Labour government of 1950, like the previous two MacDonald cabinets,
of Wilson and Callaghan, was a cabinet of patriots. In-
country before class weans boss delores worker ane They knew they defend, they
knew that it was white Anglo. 'civilised" foreigners As long as the monarch can blacks and other be assured of having ministers like that, he or she can sleep safely in their bed at
Next week: The 1950 Cabinet sabotages home
selected. sell-perpetuatine body -and we were.. We didn't wan membership; poned shop they did supposup either i support us we were runvas be calvals! ning he leadership we acciac • now lo full il. was Donnicall backward compared to the CND and file
NATO, with the majority of the ex eculive alliance der be de borr the executive "very mụch disapprover of the idea of leaving
The confusions at the top CND made the task or winning the labour movement to unilateralism even more difficult.
Pacifists
Led by The Protese di Makers on the
Al menues une weaknesses oilmi old CND tha the present move. ment has to avoid
a la wooking erass
orientation working class. he allis or c beel acor
factor metings than When CNI did approach the Labour Party and the unions it was or pressur group politic The VIPs were lobbied, but th battle to win the rank and file and sometimes epinicies far clearer than : need win 10 inel leaders possesser - was ofter avoided.
There is a difficulty, and Pritchard with the four strategies as if the discrete
ment of the 'Labourist Left' categories Certainly mass socialisi
•omos ane invo vemen In NAU further than (Ni) did It would also have had the effect of decisive the
within ate
not grasped by the authors is tha onentacon ovenoo me union and the Labour Party would have stimulated the growth of socialist forces that could have gone beyon the limits of labourism carlos moral eat useful n precariously balance necessary to amine how CND related to the • movement. wilal Donlics il raised, ane war was une respons of the Labour lefts. It is from such a detailed analysis that lessons can be drawn for today CND and the labour movement
15 January 1981 Page 5
Page 6 scan of this page
ElSalvador - Latin America's Vietnam
French communists
step up
anti-immigrant
campaign
By Davy Jones GEORGE Marchais, French CP boss, led
10,000-strong demonstration through Vitry in Paris last Sunday to
migration.
The march was CP Jocal mavor who eo the xmas eve assault on a local immigr ant hostel
Socialist Challenge last week
Marcnais told a party rally last week that he in tended to make in migraforthcoming presiden enthusiastic that it was mdamissiole
Interan workers into France when we have million French and im-
By Pat Kane 'IN EL Salvador,
armed forces hold the whip hand.
peasantry and in the cities! The American Vietnam,
published by the
parall.
differences
Toppled
agent of the
and their
LIeS
government.
grew up.
families. Cosmetic
collapse. Millions of
keeping it alive.
municating through
supervised by o military advisers.
Many
is an important component
equivalent project in Vietnam itself.
for use against guerillas and insurgents'
Socialist Challenge
migrant people on the dole'. tones reminiscent of Enoch Powell's carly apocalico contmued Inal too strono a concen tration of immigrants in an area created tensions and ong increased pwpulation Solidi cuarees on ratedavers. •ne logic or this posi TIon was made when Ineration of fleet Vilit in Brittany last weekend withdrew for an Islamic centre in Rennes.
Anti-immigrant timents may catch votes vide hee ney dangerously • working class movement ano attention away from ITS real enemy the bosses and their political parties.
The British Communist Party from French CP's disgraceful campaid.
as in the former South Vietnam, the United States is propping up an unrepresentative regime in which the
'Ranged against them is a guerilla army with widespread support both among the
quote is from El Salvador: the Latin an pamphlet El Salvador Solidarity _Cam Many would no doubt regard the comparison between the Vietnam of the 1960s and present-day El Salvador as fanciful. Yet despite
between the two situations, there are a number of disturbing similarities.
In October 1979 the military dictatorship of General Carlos Humberto Romero in El Salvador was toppled by 'moderate' army officers. The new regime was soon shown to be the main
big landowners and right-wing backers in the American
A united opposition to the regime, including an increasingly powerful guerilla army, quickly
The regime made no impact on the appalling social conditions in the country. Calorie-intake is the lowest in Latin America; half the children die of malnutrition and diaorrhea before the age of five; 200,000 of the capital's inhabitants live in paper and cardboard huts, and two per cent of the population owns 60 per cent of the land.
Traditionally, the pamphlet points out, land is the source and symbol of wealth. Every attempt to redistribute even a minute part of it has been met with complete opposition from the ruling
Without American support the junta would dozens of military 'advisers', and US coordina- dollars in Whitey aid, tion of the purely cosmetic 'agrarian reform' are
The US claims its aid is limited to 'non-lethal' equipment, though the distinction is likely to seem academic to a peasant killed by soldiers arriving in US-supplied jeeps or helicopters, com-
US-supplied _radios, and of the personnel employed in the agrarian reform project - which, as in Vietnam,
For ine counterinsurgency programme - are veterans of the
Fred Murphy, writing from Nicaragua in the 29 December issue of Intercontinental Press, pointed out that the $5.7m in acknowledged military aid during 1980 included huge quantities oftear gas grenades, field combat radios, and special nightvision devices described by a US Army aide as perfect
'Washington's Zionist allies in Israel, wrote Mur-
15 January 1981 Page 6
Italian communists attack civil liberties By George Reynolds ITALIAN communist leaders hate 'terrorism ¡ney nate i so mucn inat they con toniect …the crushing of civil liberties
to stamp it out.
And last week in the Italian vanamuen. une well so lal as to launch •itter attacks on hacica Party MPs who were ac-
the Red Brigades and the Italian police.
These attacks weren't just
ones MUniST Meta cold the radical MP Cicciomess 'If you had been alive In my odys you would have been a fascist thug', and threw a glass of beer over him.
When the radical MP _orotested that Pajetta was 'demented',
Communist MP slapped him round the lake
and Galil assault rifles.
including Catholic
regime.
wing death squads.
its attempts at
of mass protest.
sion. The artily
demonstrators.
ed mobilisations of the people.
only 4.5m, smaller than Scotland's.
LaST November,
tonal Liberation
tion was united within this front.
The shadow
hangs over El
America's message to
America
nam, price 65p inc.
from:
Park St, London NI. Tel: 01-359 2270.
International
Enrico Berlinguer, Italian CP leader phy, 'have supplied fighter-bombers, transport planes, and large quantities of Uzi submachine guns
All this military aid is for a purpose cynically described by the regime as 'counter insurgency'. It goes towards the murder by right-wing terror groups of peasants and workers; in fact anyone,
clergy, who opposes the
El Salvador is the same size as Wales, yet according to the Red Cross, 9,000 people have been killed in political murders. The vast majority of these murders have been carried out by right-
Despite the terror tactics of the regime and
'reforms', El Salvador's rulers have not been able to halt their growing isolation within the country. They have faced a tide
On 22 January 1979, 300,000 people marched with the Revolutionary Coordinating Committee of the Masses, demanding an end to the repres
butchered TWO hundred
Throughout last year, this pattern was to repeat itself, demonstrations were followed by assassinations, which were followed by increas-
The regime assassinated the Catholic Archbishop Romero because of his outspoken views, and 400,000 people turned out for the funeral which became a mass demonstration against the regime. The size of such demonstrations is remarkable considering that the population is
As the mobilisations and eventually strikes and open military action against the regime increased, the opposition became more and more
the Farabundo Marti NaFront was formed, and by December the entire political-military opposi-
This is the background to the present insurrection in El Salvador. Its history is dramatically recorded in the solidarity campaign pamphlet.
of American intervention now Salvador. Last week Presidentelect Reagan visited Mexico. His gift to the Mexican president was a rifle. It is all too symbolic of
the people of Central
Copies of 'El Salvador: the Latin American Viet-
Up&p, and further information El Salvador Solidarity Campaign, 29 Islington
Speakers:
paigns
against the unions
By Nick Robin HOW long will it be before the governof the 'free world show any em. barassment about the
the military junta in command of fellow NATO member Turkey?
Having dissolved parliament our montas ago alte a millary coup Turkey's five-man junta has pledged that it will guide the on the road to democracy juntas have found as vau is mauşnt wiin allniculles The main obstacle they face is the organised might of the working class.
CIsure unal an future elected regime Turkey will be able to rule withou the annoyances which have plagued previous Darlamentary ad ministrations. outlawed strikes and closed federation
Hon WorKers 1• accomouse Inis wit
Socialist Challenge
public meeting
'Revolution in the
Caribbean and Central
America
Wed 21 Jan, 7.30pm Brixton town hall (lower hall), Brixton
Pat Kane (Socialist Representatives of Grenadan New Jewel Movement, El Salvador and Nicaraguan solidarity cam-
Turkish military moves
the minimum of fuss it has unfortunatel been dershiphe entioleadership • have been startec
authoritie the Miallla 2,000 seniot DISk orticials Six
hundred of these are ready
peri to Westem Europe escaped to
then problems are by no means over Selahittin Uyar, the leader for twenty of massive textile branch
seeking politica asylum in West German' He nas been sentenced ores one hunter a n prison Turkey because both his lawyers Turkey have been gaoled he • unable lo prove unar ne l a political refugee. Will he be supported by the German Social Democratic Party government?
The record so far of the 'Socialist International', of which both the German SPD and our own Labour
lurkey does not insoir
Which side are contache uncl on. NAIV — me im penalsis mintary allanci
trade and democratic rights?
Challenge),
Page 7 scan of this page
BAD
TASTE
#'81/1
CND leaders are not
deluded
GLAD to see your support for 'The rebirth of CND' (1 January). Most of the article was fine but when it came to 'which way will the movement go?' most of what it had to say about the campaign's present leadership was a load of nonsense.
cil for several years and I used to be chairperson of the CND Labour Committee, so I suppose I'm one of the people the article criticised.
with trade union leaders, a larae proportion ot our many local and national leaderships are active trades unionists (as I am) and are keen to win as much grass-roots trade union support as possible.
please; ordinary workers, no thanks.
so daft as to think that having won the vote for nuclear disarmament at the partv conterence and getting Michael Foot elected leader that nuclear disarmament by the next Labour government is guaranteed
everyone developments as notable obstacles to nuclear disarmament, but no more than that. It will still only happen if we make it nappen.
the fact that Foot and the great majority of the Parliamentary Labour NATO'.
backed by the International Marxist Group, such as Manchester Against the appear to include withdrawal from NATO in their programme (unlike CND) and are concerned only with stopping Trident and Cruise.
just remember we don't want to be lectured about the need to win the support of the labour movement: what we want is active trade unionists prepared to work to get us it.
ALASDAIR BEAL, Leeds 8
Maintain British law in
Ireland, argues
'Militant'
IN THE same week that the Labour
nassoc resolution Thatcher to
with the H Block hunger. strikers inal their •emanosi ine British Militant published
12 December issue an editorial
Block neaarned.
Labour musu prisoners' rights.
The opposed
article Doncal status on une grounds that 'there
murderes and it denied inat nebuouican
were fighting British imperialism
Although it conceded Mal many outrose on te blanket were framed bet editon are courts. non-jury
labour
unat
carceration of those vic tims of the British state
UNDER THE LEAD ERSHIP OF THE GREAT MAGLE THATCHER THE BRITISH ECONOMY WILL FLOURISH!
I have been a member of CND's national coun-
For the record, although we do have dealings
It's not a question of: Full-time officials, yes
When it comes to the Labour Party we are not
I don't know who gave your reporter this idea,
sees these reductions in the
We also have a bit more sense than to ignore
Party are committed to
What is surprising is that some campaigns
Missiles, not
But enouah of this. hanks tor vour support -
who were not in orison solely on basis frame up and torture'
came oining
the article claim-
making it clear that
will viciotis son tarian
muracters Ine ectoria. statement is not only a vile Irish youth, grovelling LITe
who eat the Labour Par ty and the trade unions and his supporters in the rISt internallullal sistentv camoaieneo tol the Fenians nolltical even after the Clerkenwell British workers olee man In any bombing betore or since He explained time and again that the essence of Irish
they Have divine right now Ine fish
3 THIS NELESSARY PERIOD , OF AUSTERITY PRESAGES 1A BRAVE NEW WORLD FOR BRITAIN!! MY native sof out every frist Billsh against
government should be treated as outldw
Mutant. has a supporter representing Party Young Socialists on the LaDour NCU revedis itse t upholding The jurisdictior British bourgeois law
Againsi Militant's claim mat it is imoossi hie give support TOI 'political
risoners in the H Block Socialist Challenge sup-
the Went duote record some oreanisations Tree or IDE British chauvinism which riddles the Militant.
the hun. dred West December. the Walkoul „Ine border
: the Irish Steel plant in Cork same day supported by the worKers bullaine a new steer biant in ine same ci ty.
Or it the rich cont
proletarians for Luve Militant are orners Will Cal
Letters
HARSH BUT John Lennon - working class hero or do-gooder millionaire?
olitical status the
Californiar affiliate of the -CIO ship, two million), which Nas been unions arouno use word
support the prisoners the CFDT, CGT and which are the three major rrench laot union con federations; dian Union the 01 Public Lana
EP son on deputies and Belgian
senators problem leadership of the British
movement. vis tant is part of that pro. blem A O'CALLAGHAN/ 647 TGWU branch
Questioning the Jewish answer THE discussion in Letters on socialism and culture is lon! overdue and refreshing, but it
and dangerous of Erica Barnett and John Nolan (1 January)
While Steve Cohen
50 LET US NOW (TO FORWARD AND... ER. "FORWARD.. UM.. WE AH.
NEW YOR
ton be ween monism Judaism, Erica introduces the former
with crass
culture in the dispora, bl
Erica devoted halt her reply to
on Judaism, ner descrip tion of Abram Leon
'Trotskyist of Jewish birth' is
Neither religious nor
identity and so does erica
burdens of her religion foring the *crushing vi cost internalised
Rather than being a source ot pride, ner Jewisnness is us ed as a weapon against the assertion of
Similarly John extols the virtues or ene assimiallon o Mary and risky. which found expression Marx's
on me Jewish cucsol anc Trecuent use on term of abuse.
Yet Marx and Trotsky are presented as the ideal Jewish socialists, Jews radion of socialism thereby flying
tale
«romne buna to nose loudy WDO reruse o counterdose their Jewishness 1o their
socialism. On the contrary, inev assert Ineir Jewisnness in the struggle for a socialism enriched by cultural diversity
The fo pers ative is illustrated
allusalll assumptios embedded in John's words
defence of oppressed groups even if they hold views incompatible with our view ul socialisili phasis).
Socialism cannot be built without the full participation of such autonomous groups
suffer special under capitalism. Historicall the necas or such groups, In cluaing Jews, have not been adequately met within the
socialist traditions so esteem ed byenia y Erica a and John
have Aslall challenged censm ane women us sex ism. It is vital that Jews make
contribution by asserting their
socialist move ment.
SARAH BOSS and DAVE ROSENBURG
Socialist Group memoers. oristol
Socialist Challenge 15 January 1981
SAND LET HE: - AHFUK!
Lennon as
a martyr?
he improving content of S
176). It was great to se page, only tw pages v cue cavour tall. and cruise missiles down to ine rien DEODOTLIOIS DU why the deal of ea
the death Lennon 'one of the most talented of Lennon One Drilalll d musicians neTt nor there, but please don't millionaire do-gooder mula turn multiworkme class marlyl
wille Lennon certain! had working class background class
certainly compani will une Terests of a memo onall strongly object to the use of
derangement assassill 'mindless assassill suli. derogatory fashion.
more sympath with someone who will sure.
I could ever have for a deac minonaire revolu tionaries we should on
hero-worship and cult en courage them with our cen trespreads.
STEVE AHEARNE Swansea
Our movement's loss CONGRATULATIONS on you coverage senseless of Johr Lennon. H was a part of une events unal i grew ur wiin — The anti-war bro
Bloody Broody the new women Sunday, and
movemenl
It was our movement's loss that Lennon pissed of
dowr
Thanks me about the radical part of Lennon's life. His murde helped no-one in the figh for a sane world.
JOHN ROBERTS, Newcastle.
JOHN LENNO
1900-1981
Exclusive John
Lennon poster!
Just £1. Bulk orders
over or are cost mee otherwise send 30p p&p
Orders and money to:
Other Printshop
c/o PO Box 50, London
N1 2XP.
Page 7
Page 8 scan of this page
THE TAKING OF
Arguments for Socialism
Should the death
penalty be
restored?
By Brian Grogan WITH Peter Sutcliffe being charged with one of the 'Ripper' murders, there has now come the inevitable demand for the restoration of the death penalty. How should socialists react?
The most vigorous campaigners for the death penalty are fascists and Tories. That is hardly surprising because ultimately the death penalty would be used as a weapon against the working class.
One reason is that the use of any death penalty would be in the hands of the police and the courts. As every worker who has been involved in a serious strike knows, the police and courts are not neutral.
This is not to say that the re-introduction of the death penalty would be used to hang strikers, but if we stand back from the furore surrounding the 'Ripper' case, it is clear that the most typical victim of legalised murder would be those our rulers wish to tame - the irish and black people.
Weapon
Its use against so-called terrorists would be the main object of any re-introduction of the aeatn penalty, wnich would ten become not d disinterested form of retribution, but a weapon of control by the ruling class.
It is argued that the death penalty would act as a deterrent. This claim is refuted by all the available evidence. deter then since its abolition in this country the murder rate would have risen out of proportion to other violent crimes.
In fact, the opposite has been the case: violent crimes not previousiv subiected to the death penalty have mushroomed, while the murder rate has risen more slowly.
In the United States numerous studies have revealed that there is no statistical difference in first degree murders committed in those states with the death penalty and those without.
the death penalty can encourage mentally unstable individuals to commit crimes liable to be punished by the death penalty, as a method of self-destruction.
United States, a couple of years ago, when Gilmore's demand that he be executed tipped the balance in favour of restoration of the death penalty in Utah.
With or without the death penalty, be psychopaths. They are the of our society.
Cases like that of the 'Ripper' arise from the way women are treated under capitalism Women are dealt with as objects for titillation and satisfaction for men. They are treated as lesser beings than men and violent sexual assault against women is the consequence.
Present society creates frankensteins, but Inat Is no reason tor using tne metoas such frankensteins themselves use. This would be no more than a call for vengeance: the morals of the mafia; justice by vendetta.
If such standards were applied then why not inflict other physical punishments, like the gauging out of people's eyes by the police, as recently happened in the Indian state of Bihas.
If it is wrong to trust the police with inflic ting such punishment in India it is also wrong to enable them to secure the hanging of someone in Britain.
The cops are experts at frame-ups. There was the famous case in the 1950s of Timothy Evans hanged for a murder, proved he did not commit. Other convicted 'murderers have been subsequentiy proved innocent and released. But you cannot be released from death.
Socialist Challenge
For instance, if hanging did What has been shown is that the existence of
There is the famous Gary Gilmore case in the
there will nevitable product which it was later 15 January 1981 Page 8
on Criminal Procedure. Blair Peach— the NCCL verdict *
AN exhaustive enquiry into the death of Blair Peach, conducted under the auspices of the National Council of Civil Liberties, has just reported.
concludes that Blair, who died during a police baton charge in
Southall 23 i was 'killed by a blow deliberately in ructea by a member of Unit 1 or Unit 3 of the Special Patrol Group of the Metropolitan Police'
The report presents an impressive array of evidence to support this view.
causes oner of the Blair Peach Incuest Dr Bur ton, of 'evident bias' and accuses him of giving a confuser and inaccurate direction to the jury. This ade a fair hearing of the issues impossible'
The inquest returned a verdict of 'death by misadventure. I ne NCCL report is strongly critical of this verdict.
'few people would Challened CONCU sion' that Blair was killed by the police, and that 'there
whatsoever that Blair Peach resisting arrest, attemp ting to flee, attacking a police officer or attacking anyone else at the time he was struck or at any other time'.
Copies of the report, price £1.50, are available
NCCL Kings Cross Rd, London WCIX 9DE
A FORCE of 500 police invaded a block of flats in London last week. They came with riot shields, truncheons and iron bars. Their aim was to evict 200 squatters, so that the Tories' plans for the sale of council homes could go
The show of massive force by the
resistance — is the latest dramatic example of a growing threat to civil liberties in Britain. This threat became even more specific with the publication last week of the recommendations of the innocent-sounding Royal Commission
The TUC has already stated that it is 'seriously concerned' that the commission 'endorses calls for the extensions
JEAN SMITH needs a pair of tights. Taking daughter pops into Woolworths Selecting the pair of tights from the self-service counter she goes to Tine pay-out desk receipt. and Jean wants to get back home to - put on the lunch:
She brushes leaves the store. When she gets outside she is stopped by a member of woolworts security statu Has she paid for the pair of tights? she is asked. Jean reaches into her bag for the receipt and to her horror discovers two pairs of tights. later to find out that Betty had lifted the second pair and had been trying to tell her this when Jean brushed her aside.
Seeing the two pairs of tights in ner bag vean panics. receipt claims she palis, but throws away the receipt When questioned, the shop assistant doesn't even remember selling Betty the one pair. Suspected
The police are called and Jean is arrested Under the anvone is suspected ot committina by imprisonment she can his ad imprisonment s/ne rested without a warrant.
Jean and Betty Both finger-printed and photographed new powers granted to the police.
Jean asks to see a solicitor. police refuse, saying they Jean of being epidemic of shop-lifting which has recently hit amount, say the police, to a 'serious' offence, and under the new laws any person suspected ot such an ottence can be denied access to a solicitor for up to 24 hours.
Repeating that they suspect Jean of being an experienced shop-lifter, the police apply to a magistrate to search Jean's home. rant is no longer necessary, premises unconnected with an alleged ottence.
In that respect, and after finding nothing at Jean's house, ask permission from a circuit judge to search the home of Jean's husband, from whom she has been separated for over a year.
Back in the police station Jean
police
detention and search'. future.
ties
- are also exposed.
The picture
generations.
What could happen to an
accused shop-lifter
under the new laws
her ten-year-old
Betty with her, Jean
even Betty is tugging at her arm
Betty aside and she hides the bought both
home.
police.
new laws
can be again
are taken to the
The suspect responsible for
Woolworths. These
that
A search wareven at
, the police
Bill Smith, sO.
them
of police powers in the areas of arrest,
Socialist Challenge examines what could happen if the recommendations of the commission become law, by giving a fictional account of a case which could become all too true in the near
Contemporary attacks on civil liberthe case of Gerard Tuite, the calls for the restoration of the death penalty, and the murder of Blair Peach
that emerges gathering stampede which threatens to crush many of the traditional rights which ordinary people in this country have fought for and preserved for
wnose
Time piggles
will be cold
next winter?
threaten Jean that Betty taken away from her and placed in a Only if. Jean confesses to stealing the tights will she have a chance of keeping Betty,
Otherwise, they will charge Jean with other shop-lifting offences, and argue in court that she used her tenyear-old daughter to help her. Jean see a solicitor. ine police again refuse.
Finding no evidence of stolen property at Bill Smith's house, the police wait for him outside his work. When ne comes out tney immealately stop and search him again the police have more power to do this. thank. to the new law.
Inhuman
The police tell Jean they will continue to stop and search her husband until she confesses. They warn her under the new laws they can hold her in the police cell as long as they like: that all that is required is permission from a magistrate. all this pressure Jean confesses.
When the case tinally comes to Jean and Betty tell MaStere really how Jean paid for the first pair of tights, but not the second, although Betty did try to tell her mother to do They tell the court that the in timidatory treatment they received amounted to 'inhuman and that therefore the 'confession'
is a
All photos: JOANNE O'BRIEN (Socilalist Challenge)
Will be
say the
should not be magistrate in Lae new aw rule which 'confessions' properly obta
Under Jean is fol
press police for imp the told bv her so she has possi happened
that the pol new powers and detentio But the s strengthenin‹ not been treatment strengthenin‹
procedure,
Page 9 scan of this page
CIVIL LIBERTIES
wed to stand. The s vean Inat under e is no longer any
excludes civil h have been 'im-
uilty, but wants to aint against the treatment. She is r that he considers rounas tor proving they ver-stepped their est, interrogation,
or adds that the olice powers has npanied by any police complaints al even more sc
n of things to come? Police in action against 200 peacful squatters at Kilner House, south than in the past, the police are the sole judges of police misconduct.
The only course open to Jean is
against the something which will take a time and could prove very costly. In any case, says the solicitor, in one
Jean was lucky.
The police din't use all the new powers against her. For instance
could tapped telephone. Before the new laws, permission from the Home Secretary was necessary phone-tapping. All that is needed now is permission from a local magistrate.
Jean drops the idea of civil ac-
one Is after all, felon'. She also has black skin.
of the day
police
long THIS MAN MUST BE CAUGHT
her
Gerard Tuite 'convicted
London last week. Maximum force was the order
BOMB CALERT
Treating Gerard
Tuite with contempt
By Geoff Bell SO PETER Sutcliffe has not yet been found guilty of the 'Ripper' murders, after all.
One Sir Havers Qc. the Attorney General, no less, wrote Fleet Street editors to remind them of this fact last week.
Havers was reacting to media treatment handed
Sutcliffe, and vul reminded journalists 'of the vital principle bodied in English law that a man accused of a crime,
nowever serious, is presumed to be innocent and is entitled to a fair trial'
Havers attack on the way which had tried and convicted Sutcliffe within hours his arrest was reinforced the following day by the Press Council, which announced that it would hold
inquiry into the coverace *ot the events leading up to and concern ing Pete Sutcliffe's pearance before Dewsbury magistrates'.
Conscience
Even The Times joined the parade of stricken
conscience by thundering: 'Rarely in modern times can the media have acted with such disregard for the law and the fundamental tenets of British justice.
Great, strident criticism, that
Naval Trom use or ise wor‹
The assumption of with which the media deait with Sutcliffe is a lesson in objectivity compared with the way in which the media have treated another individual.
That individual is called Gerard Tuite. He is accused of escaping from Brixton prison a couple of weeks ago. He was prison awaiting trial. In other words he had not been convicted of any crime.
Principles
Which means, according to the fine principles of English law , so loftily referred to by the Attorney
Sutcliffe, nothing should be said or publishTuite's trial, if or when he decides to avail himself of such a trial.
Yet Gerard Tuite's
mock-ups showing Tuite
'disguises'
Ilyallous al C presently adorning every
and highway by-wav London. Immediately above these photographs is the inscription 'This Man Must Caught' and above that, in even bigger
rorist Alert'
Compare the use of
Socialist Challenge
this poster, the nhotogranhs and the can tions, with the comment made bv he limes on the Sutcliffe case:
'Nevertheless one newspaper at least published a photograph of the accused. woer must rave Strong hossible t
possibility identification would be in issue at the trial?
The media's verdict of 'guilty against Gerard Tuite was further extended last week with the bomb at
Ionowing the earlier one at Bromley-byBow gasworks.
Fugitive
Stated the Daily Mirror on 2 January: 'It is feared that jail fugitive Gerard Tuite, the country's most wanted man ed an attack that blasted a London gasworks on New Year's Eve.
Even stating this, the Mirror has prejudiced possible trial of Tuite, but
outlandish the 'evidence' the Mirror uses to back up its 'fear' The Mirror said the main suspects for the gasworks bomb were "two youths...seen near the gasworks...but they were younger than 25-year-old Tuite'
So how was Tuite involved? The Mirro quoted Scotland yard and
Tuite 'may have organised the raid trom a hideout in London'.
Bombing
The following week in the aftermath of the Uxbridge bomb the Mirror agai reprinted the Tuite poster and reminded its readers that the man is suspected of masterminding the Lon don gasworks bombing' Suspected by whom? Daily Mirror! Not exactly blame the for while it is easy media for its treatment o I ulte they have simply taken their cue from the police, who distributed the 'terrorist' and supplied the information on which the Mirror stories were based.
Ever since Tuite changed his accommodation the
out of their way to prejudice any
The Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Com. missioner, Peter Nievans, has declared. As iong Tuite is at large in London uncle cupc polios he gets the ammo, he could
Such statements brought forth no
from the Attorne General; no promise of an investigation by the Pres Council After the guardians of British justice and of the British media are used to • treating the rights of the Irish, and suspected Irish Republicans especially, with the utmost contempt.
15 January 1981 Paye 9
Page 10 scan of this page
French Trotskyists score major successes in electon campaign
SC Sales
Had. sale saturas opks.
6, Sata0-4. Thr
Bookshop,
Cheltenham Rd, Montpelier, Bristol BURNLEY:
ARDIFF: SC sales Newpor
spaces sell т. 12.3 COVENTRY: from
from Sacia supo at el HAMILTON: SC on sale 8-11 every
outside county S.30-5. For more 17 Clyde View or John at 54 Eliot St, HUDDERSFIELD: saturday oram pm. The Piazza. SC also available at KILBURN: SC sales every Sal, 10am
Books, Tel: 061-236 tance f1. Venue:
Thames television series 'The Troubles'.
Included in the TV serie life after the Industrial Revolution
including a complete bulletins.
Socialist Challenge
www. se on saic ll evo t Brunel Centr on sale Sat lunchtime
at Poly 4.30-6pm; an Saturday near Beatties
SOCIALIST
What's Left ‹Ales tor what's Lewt aos. op pe ford or f4 per col. inch. Deac prior to pubrication
and Mike Rodney, National
Musiaela (SWAPO Women's Coun eet, London WC2, Sa
square, NW3 unwagca. cuses the structure ot and who controls it with Peter
Adm £1.40.
International Marxist Group notices ENGINEERING: National fraction MISSILES: National fraction nor Temen no sat anda, National IRISH extended secretarial meeting DE ACTION 11am national centre Lay sunioo
National
Toni Venue next week e meeling, i6 San
01-359 8371 interested ring Penny on FOR SALE: Back copies of IP/l fo Vols 16/17/18 (1978 1G, /0 PO Box S0, London No.
Revolution Youth notices
valis af atinda araice, 0l-399 8301.
Socialist Challenge London Day Schoo
Sat 24 January 10.30-4.30pn East Europe and Poland Speaker: Oliver MacDonald Open to Socialist Challenge supporters Admit-
St. Matthews, Brixton (2 minutes Brixton Tube station,
Other THE /BOOKSHOP Ed. Taylor Downing The Troubles he Background to the Questior f Northern Irelan Thames/MacDonald Futura, £4.95 An informative and well-illustrated book which was written as a result of research done for the
The book ontains much extra material which could not b
RA Leeson Travelling Brothers Granada, £2.50 This book makes an important contribution to working class history by detailing the ways in which the early trade societies and unions coped with the unemployment that became a feature of
Labour Focus on Eastern Europe Spring-Autumn 1980, £1.50 A special edition on the recent struggles in Poland
set of Solidaritv strike
15 January 1981 Page 10
By A. Lawson
ir France.
League, are standing election.
French capitalism is atflicted by many of the same problems Lantansli steaaily mountiliz loyment.
Nonetheless the divisions
Parland the con par
the associated rade union federations undermining the risht hisk
infighting betweer the two refomist parties with Sillllldi alsastrous workers struggle i oller leads negotiating demonstrations. Division in the face of the enemy always leads to a weakening of the struggle.
Worse
But on the front i nas even worse con
presidential election Iwo rounds
la.s
1n guarantee that it would support an SP the second round.
wenaveaueduy sccitlii results of this kind lallamlsill when Ihe reusa o calor a vole lol
candidates senatorial elections allowed
struggle has been at
launcrca us
SP the LCR and Krivine's electoral campaign. faced a major
50 lake. Sigalas parlamentary acpunes o
New subscribers to
Socialist
will be able to take
advantage
new free offers star-
ting this week.
With all
subscriptions
free copy
Study in the Dynamic of hi
Mandel. With
monte
readers will receive a free
rxism Today by Ernest
Challenge review
Conside ediced
accome Trotstua is an
Trotsky
troductory
to stimulate the reader's ap
Deute lo serve as a rooloall
to Trotsky's own writings
'Revolutionary
Today is a se
ducted by some of the ter
rers or te rouren inicia
tional: Henri
Denis Berger from France
Socialist Challenge News
NEXT March a new president will be elected
As we reported several weeks ago, the French supporters of the Fourth International, the Revolutionary
Alain Krivine in the
They are fighting for policies of
workers' unity in struggle, and a united front of the workers' parties to throw out the present right-wing president Giscard d'Estaing.
British including constantv workers
senaldit separate strike separațe electoral
carenci
if no overall ma-
candidale in
recen didate. For the SP and (F
revolutionaries.
L.CR camparen larget of s00 signatures. millants in the aves cractal bele supported challenged hy ment authorities, the LCR is pushing on 1o gel a total of campaign has 700 signatures obstacle.
Subscription special offer
Challenge
of two
six-month £6.50 the Name or rolsky'
Address.
Ernest twelve.
SubsCritoS
Robin Blackburn and Quintin Hoare from the Jon Rothschild United States
questons centenary ande Prote y. une deas and viewers refuse an in- into designec classics. And
provocative, iconoclastic Marxisn forced Ellal . MIS
of hand. west
Communist
LIGU
_presidential
forced on them
After weeks of effort the
achieved its first ricularly the But
Line covern VOICENE
Already the arrendance
meelings ana for his cam-
FREE BOOKS OFFER FREE with a 12-months subscription Revolutionary Marxism Today - £12.50 FREE with a 6-months subscription, Trotsky: A Study in the Dynamic of his Thought -Cheques, POs and money orders should be made payable to 'Socialist Challenge' Complete and return this form to: Socialist Challenge, PO Box 50, London N1 2XP.
Britain and from the ton of intallibility 'Mandel's response to the
him concerned OI belli result Inten to lel the Marxist combina- Make sure tion is both stimulating and
CVel aven Enos
disagree with Mande registerec
to concede will cie cannot ar gulicals SUSCIPLINE be ignored or dismissed out lirst class busi
COS
'Mandel's Trotsky is cer- mornings.
News from the
Fourth
International
*INTERNATIONALE
exceded all ex pectations. More and more
no lo queson ene divisions
by their
acanal canalade Meran das sara
of the L.CR offers a major
1o revolutionary tainly the homage of a disci
but it is not uncritical accept the no any of the classical Marxist far as
Rene compact and valuable introduction to the central ideas of Trotsky.
you receive
subscription torm
above. Socialist Challenge i PoSt are treated
all
anusa readers on nursua
MUNISTE REVOLUTIONN AIRE
Alain Krivine, French Trotskyist
presidential candidate Socialist Challenge National
Sales Day
Sat 21 February Sales drive in every town to reach new readers More details next week
Page 11 scan of this page
way to clarify the situation. On 20 two days after the end of the hunger one thousand marched through workIng class districts Glasgow.
The march was organised by the Scottish Hunger Strike Action Committee which included representatives from Sinn Fein, the Movement, the Labour Committee on Ireland, and most of the left-wing groups.
The organisers had decided to press arcao witnunc march on the grounds that, allilvuzi the nunger was over, the blanket protest was still going on. A deal had been made but that did not iccessallly Hiall
like
By Davy Jones SEVEN million Polish workers defied the government and stayed away from work last Saturday. Eighty per cent of workers in the Warsaw area and a higher proportion on the Baltic coast supported the call from the independent union boycott Saturday working.
Polish workers have been campaian. ing for a five-day week for years. 1972 the troduce a forty-hour week by 1980. And in last August's Gdansk strike ine government pleagea to araw up pro posals on shortening the working week •une eno orlast vear
But the government retreated, claiming that production would drop by 12 per cent if a five-day working week was introduced. They made more this time they offered to cut the working week by 1983, cut
extenanig working nouts.
Agreement
But Solidarity are demanding the implementation of the Gdansk agreement and insisting on a cut in week with no loss of pay. Workers in Britain should follow the lead workers and fight for this demand in Britain as step unemployment.
Frank Chapple and the trade union leaders were quick to offer support to mer. I will be interesting to see wnetner they are as keen to campaign for support tor solidarity's campaian for a tortv-hour week with no loss of pay!
The confrontation between Solidarity
prisoners
THE situation in the H Blocks of Long Kesh and the women's prison in Armagh remains on a knife edge.
A statement from the National H Block/Armagh Committee, issued in Dublin last week, went some
It now appears that various verbal promises were made to the hunger strikers by British representatives, just before the strike was called off. These included an assurance that the prison authorities
prisoners were going to priat they had been promised.
December,
strike, movement on the people proveu correct will une support the march attracted. of The started at 10.30am and wound its way along streets where many cocal their support Joined in Troops Out proached the linal stretch 01 che route it she coed list crowd 20-30 waving union jacks and wearing red gloves the Red Hand of Uister. Such strike antics had little effect on the contident marchers who eastly drowned out the Loyalist ravings with that the 'Clydeside, Bogside
We don't
Saturdays'
Solidarity to
Back in
agreements
power
promises:
out Saturday weekday
More
the working
of Polish
towards reducing ot the Steve right wing
the Polish workers last sum-
Glasgow rallies to Irish
prisoners The decision to keep the
streets was speakers from
stressed
demonstration
and of
people shouted
and still more
disu But then, as the march ap-
need 'progressives Loyalists, paper symbolising
Ilass action.
of and the Polish regime has also flared up over the registration of rural Solidarity. Polish Communist Party leader Kania has launched a vicious attack on attempts to set up an independent union for Poland's som farmers and peasants. The reaime is not too keen on another section masses being organised outside of their control.
Censorship
Before the end of this regime is committed
•to censorship bound to lead to a direct confrontation with te new independent unions
At every step the two powers in Polish society come into connict.
of the party leaders and the state who need d monopoly of political power to defend their privileges over the working masses. In the background lies their final line of
the Soviet bureaucrats and their armies.
Randed against them found power of 10 million workers who for the first time in munist state have built unions. Their allies are the working peo-
Tne wore organised labour movement
Socialists in Britain should make sure that our labour movement is committed to solidarity with the Polish workers. We urge our readers to supportune campaign for a printing press for Solidarity.
Griffiths Poland Appeal, Digbeth, Birmingham 1.
Special issue of Labour Focus on Eastern
Europe, 64 pages on the Polish events, in-
cuume u complete set odore surike
bulletins. Just £1.50 from
Bookshop, PO Box 50, London NI.
International/Ireland
would agree to 'turn a blind eye' if the political
declined wear uniforms issued by the prison.
The failure of Britain to implement this and other promises means that those involved in Britain in organising support for the hunger strike need to keep their campaigns intact.
One of the most successful of these campaigns has been mounted in Glasgow. From there CHARLIE BAIRD of the Troops Out Movement reports. on the prisoners' side'.
At the end of the march a successful rally was held, with
nonay and sondanly crou
Those who addressed the rall:
the central tance of united front activity
understanding the nature of the Irish struggle.
The need for closer links with Irish organisations was most important of all - - the
convince in labour movement that signing bits of have
sympathetic prisoners will not open prison doors uniess it is coupled with
general point was made that while it was important to support the demands tor bonucal stalus COTING
of the
month the introducing a Again this is
There is the
complete
the new-
so-called comindependent
particularly the
Copies obtained from c/o 137
The Other
the 'civilian style' prisoners must not be
foul the streets of the North of Ireland.
By Glasgow standards, the march and rally were a peaceful affair.
The most important thing to come out of the day was the
among LAC political leadership of march. The march was heavistewardeg, dhich diminished protected organised the threats of violence which
the thris past severely disrupted demonstrations in Glasgow.
march organisers have now decided to organise
Conl emoration march in Glasgow on 3 January government: now the regime wants to retreat
Labour
asks loaded
questions
on Ireland
THE Party has produced 'consultative paper on Ireland.
Entitled Northern Ireland — The next steps? 11 has been prepared by
Northern Ireland
after conference ation, ali
full consultation possible solutions to ena li diooesner Te anal
paper aski TIVE questions the way in
which the
La decidedly biased content
ror instance. "Ouestior 4' is headed 'Time for a new party?'
Labou 'extend Its organisation to nortnern ireland
Ine stuay group seemn. to be in favour of this idea,
Poses the alternativ as 'should we s Labour and Tory politics! seclallal
The fact sec tarian politics' are based on positions which are held on The Solidarity bulletin contains the strike agreements with the
Socialist Challenge
the Irish national question and the existence of
the Labour Party organisea ПОТІТ relane be sanctioning the existence of the the
the British Labou would not be
politics, scalallal enterine taem on ine siac o. the Loyalists.
The Labour Party is us-
ask Les and anions to se
• working grous to sluay ine key questons posed • A least the aim to encourage discussion on Ireland in the party is a healthy develop
To aid such a discussion
carrying a number of articles dealing with the 'key
of the Labul. rarly sallituac to claria 15 January 1981 Page 11
Page 12 scan of this page
Women against violence against women
Irate member of the audience at the Miss Southall beauty contest confronts women pickets
DIRECT action by women against sexual violence has been a major issue over the past few Women have showing porn against women.
members of the Women Against Violence Against Women group in South London.
How did the campaign in South London begin?
TM:About ten months ago a woman in the area was raped. She knocked on the door or a local feminist to ask for help, having already tried several other doors without success
We realised that there was nothing in the area for women in her situation. The police weren't any help, especially the woman was black.
DO ilsu talked about retaliation, like picketing the workplace WICIC LIC volved in this case worked. But we decided that this might only back the woman herself. So we called a demonstration which was very successful.
What do you think the campaign has achievpol nationally and locally?
It's brought the issue into people's minds and the press have been quite favourable, locally and nationally. There's a growing interest in self-defence classes for women - they are springing up all over London.
What about chandes in the law as a focus for the campaign?
Were are changes that are needed, such as the quesion of rape within marriage which still cannot be prosecuted under law.
Women in
ACTION
Women have the right to work
In this issue
terview with women tron
A Paper for Action in the Unions on Women's Rights
The new issue of Women in Action istnow on sale. p&p, individual orders 35p each plus p&p, from Box 2, 190 Upper Street, London N1. Socialist Challenge
months. picketed cinemas films and violence
JUDITH ARKWRIGHT interviews MA: I don't see the point of changes to the law because une courts and police will be the same.
Lord Hailsham, ample, said that with
'no' calcall 'yes'. Stiffer sentences are no good since luries would stop convicting.
I think changes in the law are important because arsome state you have to reveal the role OT the state; you can't simply alm campaign to show
awful men alc You have to fight the system that puts women in chains. BG: Personally I'm not interested in spending time talking to men. our object is to make women strong, not lust on the violence issue but on all issues affecting them.
What is the meaning of the demand for a curfew on men?
MA: I think it was to invert the logic of the police who were calling for a virtual curfew on women. don't think it was meant seriously because wouldn't be practicable.
But it did shock men into thinking about their relationships with
kape is about power: men's power over
What about Mary Whitehouse's support for the campaign? New Year Issue 35p NCCL on Positive Actit Orders: over 100 at 20p each plus
15 January 1981 Page 12
PUSI
BG: She can't really support us. She doesn't support women's liberation. We don't want her support. sex, full stop. We're not
She's abortion and anti-
week LASEr when murder suspect Peter •ITCITE WAS TAKeN TO court there were big
side the court with
deman ding that hanging should be brought
MA: We've debated in the group about stiffer penalties. some people in the group would be in favour of hanging.
From Women in Action ACTION to fight sexual harassment of women at work is now being planned by the equal opportunities NALGO, the local government workers' union.
It's the first step in Bri-
tain studies in a padland
States LIC have snown to be so common
Some two years ago Brent NALGO,
confronted with com-
ded by ma
also a member of the union
Salon British union nad tackled before presumably because thought of complaining
— all was ull satistactor settled with the women eventyally leaving their jobs
"Sex on the job' as the Americans who don't have
Women's Rights-
But surely we don't want to give the state
use as they please, in cluaing against radica women.
BG: Yes, but the problem is what else can you do! We may not like this society and want change it but how do you control anti-social behaviour in the here and now?
Hanging certainly doesn't do that
BG: True, we can't rely
China they have people's courts which are more directly under popular control.
harassment
committee of
ourase clemianin involves
involves anything from leering and Suzzesuve icularks lo labe l aways cares une sugge tion that if the woman doe
USA, the threat was carried OUE.
Despite Ine obvious rac that sexual harassment done
condemned as damaging to women as a sex
the same 1casuis lauc anc women-vallerme outside ine worko ace were un
secret-shame or She
also to receive sympathetic responses from
Does the campaign around the cinemas aim merely to expose the films or to stop Taen Wouldn't the latter be censorship?
MA: Most things I'm interested in are never pul
the screen anyway Ull and that's censorship. TM: We have to say we don't want these types of films. We wouldn't give a platform to fascists. BG: In the '60s we defended permissiveness
in the end We defended magazines like O and 11 was very sexist.
But who decides what should be censored and who does the cen
At work against sexual
It's lust natural mae sex. uality and she probably enjoyed it anyway.
Catherine MacKin-
of the subject in the USA
published last year ing that votes out nis points out:
experence for which there has been no namut what is of most con cern to trade unions is the
- Or abuse - vl Dowe
men over womet work. mos dividually degrading way
woman to control ner as a Severe Med aladden L, ciled cited Congress,
NATI'S Services
non's shows the ettects of sexua
soring?
TM: Women should decide.
But women? Can we speak for all women MA: No, • whal we want don were micre is less and less demand for pornography literature which exploits
In this society you can't distinguish between erotic literature and porlucianil occausi much of exploits women.
Would vou have suo ported the banning of Lady Chatterley's Lover? harassment to be severe
depressions, psycho-somatic pains revere tre women Iron working, are all common
So is the incidence of harassment the Canadians found that between 70 and oo ber cent or women cue. tioned were victims, and nearly half left their job as a
Questionnaire in New York showed 49 per Cent Tel sexual pressure in ineir Job, and a popular magazine's questionnaire brought devastating
,100 harassed women ou
figures it wouldn't be an ex acceranonto savinal sexual
soughing Husi LOUSIN women ате gain rea equality.
it's interesting that some taken under
MA: Lawrence's writing is pretty violent towards women, but I don't think
should banned. That would repressive BG: Even with magazine vou had to de fend it because of what it represenied al
the fight against state repression and censor.
MA: We are not calling for censorship. We want peopic iu stup wartille
last thing wIlt that we would like to ask for broad support TOr Women against Violence Women we have had ten members arrested our cam paign so far.
United States have obtained compensation for women -and it's only in the last two years that women have had was won there I sexua Hal assle sall or se. ust allel WIlC
pens at work the employer is and en who did
Outlaw
In Canada, Public Services reports, Labour Congress Slaiked g Separa sexual harassment a
walll. against agreements Unions collective have
been asked to train officer:
cases and negotiate for protection
ils unlicull lo know a unis early stage which an proach is best for Britist
and labour law problem is on a scale here, and it's Sillllla! unn kev to be suostanual different.
moves will be welcomed by many women WULACIN
New Wear issue A price
Issue, so ourk orders avalao e from: Box 2, Sisterwrite Books, 190 Upper Street London NI
Page 13 scan of this page
A humanist statement
From the Irish Post
author of The
In Hastings, where
he lived for the first
decade of this
Gin-
tury, the Robert
Tressell Workshop
meets weekly
discuss the Dubliner's
philosophy. while
search for
documents, photo--
graphs anything
else related to him.
In Catford, SE London,
Irene Wright and
some
Robert Tressell Mural Pane riends Have pened the
Appeal I neve all to raise
tou lo restore me ori
By Erica Flegg THE casting Vanessa Redgrave as Fania Fenelon, cabaret singer Jewish descent who played and sang in the
women's orchestra' in Auschwitz, caused a furore in the United States where 'Playing for Time' was made and first screened.
Zionist organisations claimed that it was a travesty
cast supporter of the PLO in the role, ana a campaign was launched against the film. Some of those involved in its received death threats.
In its publicity for the film, the ITV buyers for the British network, make much
this controversy presumably in order to stir up public interest so as to ensure
anurence. SUCO publicity is a disservice not only to the film and all those also to the historical subject it involved making treats. Absurd
ine very idea that meone WRO supports Palestinian cause is some kind ot anti-semite incapable of compassion for the sufferings of the Jews under fascism, is not only absurd, but distasteful,
allios! obscene This political slander itself is a sad reflection how hittie has been learnt from the dreadful history of the period depicted in the film.
Arthur Miller's script for the film, based on Fenelon's memoirs, does not delve into the political issues involved. It is really a study of morality, a deeply-felt humanist state-
As Miller himself said about the film
realised there was possibility of a drama around this theme the concentration camp. In this particular
chestra had a certain small area of choice that did not exist for other victims inside. You call l Have drama without choice, and without will, and without the human personality exerting itself, all
which existed in the camps.'
Moved
This comment may sound a little detached, but the film itself is far from that. Only the most callous could watch it without being profoundly moved. That is a tribute to the script and the production, but particularly Redgrave herself, whose performance is beyond praise
The 'small area of choice' facing the prisoners in how
ROBERT Noonan lives. As Robert Tressell, Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, he is becoming an institution.
Tressell's work as a painter. scrap
Robert Noonan born and grew up in Dublin
A frica as a young man anc Wee Trist of the tounders of
Irish Diikauc Witt Boers against the English. Soile in south • death of
wife Noonan
callic will mus daughter, naunieen.
settled in lodgings Hastings, where he worked
product of a middle-class background in Ireland. Ivoonan sooke irisn. Pren ch, German, Dutch, so-
they responded to their situa-
tion is the film's major theme.
Miller avoids
answers. and his refusal to le.
or to resort to artistic devices,
melodrama, sentimentality,
or sensation, is what gives the
film its special quality.
renelon herself represents
the human conscience bearing
witness to une events.
distinguishes her from the rest
s her unstinting honesty and
compassion, and it is thes
which
valled The
upholds.
The most moving scene
for me was the scene at night
Spanish and Italian and had a knowicase or reek and Laun. Tew workers in Hastings realised
laboured them LEIC building sites.
Moved Lne ablec Concions „Tne period, Noonan wrote The Ragged
Philanthropists under the name of Tressell. Villall LILODISL as it saw
ordinary WOrKCI wIld was giving away nis or ner abour ane stencin tor pittance. Noonan could not get the book published.
Playing for Time:
in the barracks when a young woman comes to confide simplistic Fenelon her
another with adoration and longing asking rania to tell her detalis about this person who has so captivated her young friend that the other Gently, Fania woman amares ner guts but also ocauly... that her friend is in love, and she treats this as precious and wonderful, more so because of the brutal, acnumanising which such a
Under Review
A ragged trousered
socialist lives on
Canada, stopping off at
to Canada, stopping Liverpool en route. • Dul 11k nara wack maconed him for years, became worse and he died • paupci s grave at r
few years later Kathleen, who had retained her showed it to a friend and manuscript
was ccutually buolsaca l 1914. She received £25 for
The rights 'he book has since con verted many people socialism. was flower.
feelings for She speaks her feelings. her
What a tells you must have been.
"for your for your rania understands see this
aberration, something the human nature the worst degradation.
love could
passed from hand to hand in the British army during th last war and is credited with Labou government in 1945 - une army having voted Labour almost en masse While book was recognised as a profound
wno read it knew anytning of Robert Tressell put righ 1974 publicatio One the • Damned b ball hac devoted decades to resear-
Ball also managed to
She gently explains to the young woman the meaning of
Fania reassures
shocked confidante: to feel at all is a blessing... to of fighting the pure, everything is pure
proper young lady that
It is Fenelon's wisdom and the compassion which enable her
At one love not as als tae poet of saved which reveals the power imminent
transcend
She also has the generosity to help her friend to enjoy
trace the grave.
June 1977 MPs, Icaders. writers Doets minıste ano representatives from European grave to honour the memor of Robert Noonan Union general secretary Jack Jones quoted Wolfe _Tone, founder Irish Republicanism: "If the men of property will not, then wi depenc that Huck us and class, the men of no properHasings from 1902 d0 191l Noonan lived and, in addition to working on bullaine sites as a Dainte did much signwriting.
Many of the advertisements and commercial painted on buildings in the wilal emononal and sexual pleasure she can take from the hell in which they live
The most difficult area of choice concerns the morality
survive by aler denies the romaresciss. oppressors.
only defiant are noble, but he also shows that
compromise is fraught and many-sided.
point, Fenelon is from seemingly execution by
only half-Jewish: her yellow star is thus torn in half. Later, Fenelon restores the torn-off
Socialist Challenge
town were done by him
1905 connected
what was probably his only
work of art - a mural on
wall of St Andrew's
Church in Hastings.
and stood • The church was
demolished
lal could de savea or the
mural was one panel, which
Wright, been
Tressel
DOO many years
ago, has launched a fund to
restore the panel. Donations
be
Hawstead
London SE6
I ne Tressell
worksho! meets
7.30-9pm each Monday
Road School
Hastings
half of her badge, making it a sign of pride not of shame. Asked why she does so, she replies that she does * hear KnOW, but it indication of her refusal to humiliate herself
similarly wner. Nazi officer congratulates her on
This music feeds the spirit and strengthens us for this difficult work', Fania rebels and says. Mv name i name was coden in the not Fenelon. mother's name
, she refuses to deny her way. identity, since this denies her
nunlalily.
Solace
She has no time for the intense Zionism to which one of her companions turns for solace, however I'm sick of it!' she cries 'Gentiles, Jews
I'm not tribe, I'm
She does not allow her CLOC humanity of the Nazis, either. She SOCi tha Wild horrible that their tormentors are as human a themselves, however much the woman may want to cast them as monsters.
Miller demonstrates this point ettectively in scene in which a woman SS officer mourns a little boy that she had cruelly removed from its captive mother like a plaything, and had then returned
renelon is respected b the inmates for her integrity and strength. One of these her because you take them says to her that satisfied to be a person e This no ideologies — you're however, an Ideologica. point that the film itself is making, and it is one that in the end weakens its impact.
Solution
The argument that it is the which matters, not ideology,
the fact thai the causes of the holocaust were political, and tha the solution to wars, racism and oppression is also political
In denying this, the film ends with a strange anti-climax. The Liberation somehow flawed in retrospect, by the knowledge that all that suffering failed to produce a better world
Es the Marseil se For
sings the Marseillaise.
the national anthem of France seemed
inapPropriate, hole.
people of France, and of the rest of the war-torn world, needed more than national anthems to help them to construct the future. 15 January 1981 Page 13
Page 14 scan of this page
Tory cuts grind BR to a halt
Setback to Sheffield steel jobs fight
Photo: PETE GRANT (Socialist Challenge)
By Rab Bird and Clive Turnbull, AUEW, Sheffield LAST week a 'Triple Alliance' demonstration and called for 27 January in Sheffield against MacGregor's vival Plan was cancelled.
Out of 22,000 redundancies proposed nationally, 3,000 in South Yorkshire. response of ine bstarts commilee i tue area was to fight for its policy of opposing job ioss to de realtrmca al mass meetings in every plant. This quickly happened at River Don and kotherham.
At the same time, delegates from South Yorkshire Crafts also tion at the Sheffield Steel working Party on The MacGregor Plan doesn't just mean the loss of jobs in BSC. sacked, four others will lose their jobs in those industries dependant powel and railway drivers.... For this reason contacts nad been developing with other unions for some months to launch a united fightback. Redundancies
The Sheffield Working together not just the unions in BSC, but also those in ine private steel sector Although right wing union leaders in firms like Hadfields had been sitting back rubbing their hands believing their jobs were safe, the MacGregor Plan will affect them too.
The Tories have been planning for some
time to hive-off parts of BSC to private industry. But if companies like Lonrho or GKN
uy up BSC plants
order books.
are more modern and have had millions of
pounds recently invested in them. Then the
other older plants will face closure and large scale redundancies!
A turther reason for seeking broad sup-
port for a fightback lay in the attack on trade
union organisation
ing. South
nard Connolly explained that 'BSC manage-
ment are trying to pull tne same tricks as it.
Leyland. This is the Tories' new Employment
Act in practice. They've learnt a few lessons
from Heath's try at it.
'Last time they made une
threatening the union leaders, but you don't
Kill the lame mice you ve got running on
wheel in a cage, when it's the ones behind the
Skirting boards who are eating the cheese. Sc
it's the shop floor organisation that they're
after now, and there are a few in the TUC
wouldn't be teo upset if the Tories did their
dirty work for them by picking off the rank
and file leaders.
Negotiations
negotiations. MacGregor's
unions is a six months freeze on wages. Steve
Pilley, a Boilermakers shop steward at BSC
Rotherham, outlined how the management's
claim that reducing the wage bill was essentialo
to survival, was nonsense.
Al lils mceung management presenied ‹
set of figures showing how our price of £180
per ton was way above the German. Japanese
and other plants; how their productivity was
Socialist Challenge
conference
BSC Sur-
management are looking tor
The immediate
proposed broader ac-
horevery sleeworkci
SICCI workers, dockers, Party brings
well. it won't just be for their because these plants
that MacGregor is makYorkshire Cratts convenor Ber-
Stake
who 'offer' 15 January 1981 Page 14
By PM Grant, ASLEF Willesden Branch TRAIN drivers in the Southern on strike on after one of their colleagues had been sent home for refusing work new rosters. British Rail has tried troduce the new rosters after cutbacks in trains on the Southern Region.
This action comes crucial time for BR. As a result of the steel closures and general BR's freight business has been crippled. 1980 budget, drawn up by BR plan-
Steel Strike: An Illustrated
Review, South Yorkshire and
Humberside Steel Strike Com-
mittee, £1.25.
Boilermakers shop
steward,
THIS is record ot the
strike. Week by week the story of the
dispute is told through photographs
от Ine main events
Hadfields, the fire bombing of the
demonstrations and rallies, the
rests, TRe sondarity.
higher and so on. So we said: OK, never mind the cost of a wage increase. How much would you save per ton if we all worked for nothing? After a lot of humming and haaing, they said ES per ton at most!
The fight to defend jobs in BSC has beer sabotaged by the national union leaderships. MacGregor's ballot in support of the Survival Plan and a six month pay freeze has been backed by the NUB and GMWU, the AUEW EEPTU, and other craft unions! The ISTC,
Home News
Iners in 1979, estimated that BR would carry over 26m tonnes of iron and steel. In fact only tonnes were carried and 198's expected trattic 1s Region were only 19m tonnes. 5 January dusties, is to money from the to covernment ciencv of the industrv
to in- ing to porce ine unions
productivity deals that will result in massive job losses and a deteriora
at hook line and o convince the government of th the need for a big cash injection into
recession
freight workers not to take action that wil unsel ine covernment medals.
1980 steel
as did
the pickets,
the ar- be needing Ana COCK OROos
whilst
sort
tional
now called
in 1980, Thạt
The reaction ol bk's board [aliWOrKCIS
stry. They aretry- ine el Demands lo accen floodins quarters ASLEF has 1 sinker for the B sinker
and stee They have joined
alongside this the posters and the
were war
Then the final day of sell-out by
Sirs and Co, and the mass meeting at
Clifton Park. The local paper sums
up the outcome: 'Surely they have
earned the name of MEN OF STEEL,
the many women steelworkers and wives.
Виу а сору, even at £1.25.
money goes to South Yorkshire and
Humberside steelworkers, and we'll
it to fight MacGregor's
opposing MacGregor has behind yet again by calling it's own ballot, instead of organising a fight.
As in every other attack on jobs, Sirs and Co have said to the membership if you fight we're behind you: well, well behind.
leadership steelworkers take the redundancy money. No plant faced with closure nas much fighting alone. So in the absence of any na-
action from the union
ASLEF leader Ray Buckton has
OII une Inreatened action against rail cuts planned for next month in favour of a joint ap industry
to the Tories with the BR Southern drivers' important Although suspended it forced the ASLEF ex. regular ecutive to threaten national strike action unless the government came
for London headof the called a mass meeting for the Southern Region drivers for 17 January, and it promises to be a
Talk • Ul ine nole amance or miners. la cent
-worker snow. pressure the unions are under to
BR
A major stumbling block to any 1112
Trusting action is the lack of any organised
workers won't gamble money when the crunch turns round and says: battle,
tion plants such as
sectarian with other unions.
time there wi any action
led from
also workers.
"The A iance inly
With this 'Triple Alliance'
Sirs, Joe Gormley, chance ticularly when Weighell attacks
executive,
this weakness there is going to bete this weakness there is going to neal. as rallway and falling
Passengers reading inis snourc contemplate the likelihood. if the destruction war i heal need centuckl train mignt not run nex time, or if it does . it might pile up in a heap of twisted metal because the essential track maintenance hasn'
The Railways, Lt Col lan McNaughton HITS published blamed limits forcing curtailment of track maintenance as the cause of 85 per of is make derailk yes make break year for If no • then BR will end up like the steam engine. Ian) scrap yards — a smashed hulk.
80: X3i6
with their pay-oft • comes. Then Sirs we were reavo a but the membership wasn't with us.'
In South Yorkshire a further obstacle to unity has been the role of full time officials in attacking the joint shop stewards organisa-
Stocksbridge. Some craft full time officials played into the hands of the right wing ISTC leadership with their
opposition to joint organisation
The next meeting of the Sheffield Steel Working Party is on 29 January, but by tha
1 be little chance of organising The only hope for launching a fight in defence of jobs lies with BSC workers themselves. A detemined struggle from those plants in the front line would lay the basis fo drawing in, not just other steel workers,
the rank and file miners and railwa
no chance of a fighting steel, Coal workers being established by the likes of Bil
For Sidney Weighell, ASLEF for proposing industrial action to even detend
Page 15 scan of this page
New 'SAS' formed by
Journalists counter redundancies
By Piers Corbyn, London Squatters Union A FOG horn sounded, fireworks wooshed and the Internationale struck up as six hundred police stormed Kilner House squat at 6.50am last Friday.
After 14 minutes of Keystone cops scenes involving hamWeIS riot shields and crow bars souat ters behind the staircase
held, questioned, and peaceably released couple or nours fatel.
Raid
There was
me phers of len
betweer UP OVI
The rale ane te morning or the raid. I nis retlectec the continuity of squat-
now part of the struggle working class. Bonfire
the 1959 Suke Have sand-
and Chatted around a bonfire to jour-
who had through manly previous squatting struggles.
Banners from Lambeth Trades Council
and closure
MEMBERS of Hackney Trades Council were among those who joined Central demonstration last Friday in support of journalists sitting-in at British Printing fices. The 65 NUJ members are occupying the MacDonald Books redundancies.
The journalists' suports the action, union members at the occupied offices, in Worship St, EC2, alvina assistance the have yet to give official backing. They have •OO0 solidarity — last week BPC announced that it cannot comply agreement to cut printers' week, and
The NUJ members tions and support, Occupation, c/o NUJ Book Branch, 314 Gray's Inn Rd, London WC1. • Journalists resisting the closure of the Camden Journal in North London are
producing a weekly paper to build sup-
port for their action and
news. The paper,
nai, has been well received by newsagents
and many people in the community.
members within
which produces the Hornsey Journal and
Islington Gazette, are on strike against
the closure and consequent redundan-
and the National Housing
alour vomittee were
prominently displayed.
After eviction
Lambeth
cepted a list of all evicted
procrasualon
in previous weeks.
Since eviction,
have founded
Sales
under the motto 'Dare to
Dare
sue dil is to stoo ine sare
House empty
housing threatened with
sale.
SAS's first action was
a 70-strong rally on
outside nuinel
House, where we chain
ed up the gate and im.
security
¡11C builders' union London
Corporation of-
BPC-subsidiary
against
union officially but while print
, have been print unions
reason
an working wants to freeze their
donato: Viatoondl
provide local called Save the Jour-
the group, doing operation.
evicted squatters
Squatters being evicted from Kilner House.
UCATT has decided to DOVCOLL rebalr WOrk Dullaing on Kilner ane
House. In view
police vandarise done to
£10,000-worth of damage it is hoped that repairs will not be completed by Mav. when laoouris ie Tine GLO elections and halt the sale.
Event The next event scheduled SAS SWEET theatre enactment OT the eviction Kilner House, Clayton St, Oval, London SE11 For speakers information, 8277 (days) or 01-701 5691 (eve).
VARCAALUNION
CUKMALISIO la cies. Last week pickets delayed distribution of the Gazette, the editor of which is
This usual one-person scabbing
To help stop distribution altogether,
Home News
'A
woman's
place is in
her union'
By Rose Reilly
ON 14 February, the South East region of the TUC is holding a conference on Working ings Women in the
The conference will discuss the pro. blems faced by work. ing women, with particular emphasis on the effects of Tory
economic policy on women.
ine conference has
London NW1.
received wide support WIt over wo delegates already registered.
The conterence organisers have producpaper that deals in detail with issues such as women and low discrimination Women s ¿nemoovment: part time workers and the jobs; how new technology replaces adclerical ane ministrative jobs; and the effects of cuts in public spending.
Delegates are welcome from all trade branches throughout the South East Credentials available from SERTUC
House London Great
STAR
Photo: MORNING
oin the picket of Bulls in Brooksby St V1 each Thursday from 11.30am Ther are weekly meetings of the defence committee. Details from 38-40 Camden Rd,
National anti-racist
demo called
By Jenny Flintoft
'THE new Nationality
Act will result in the
threa1
police fishing raids
because no black ner
Son here will
have citizenship
"legal"
Pakistani Standing
speaker
black
Against
Racist
COll
The conference approved
three
MPs ; to organise
ana le
The sidered it ar importan
step forward the tight
against the Nationality
Oraanisations
represented included the
Indian, Kashmiri and
Pakistani Workers
as well • Co
local trade union and stu-
dont ure •oles. Tine
League. the
Joint Council
Welfare Immigrants
ana focal want croues
Speaker after speaker
tions called for fighting new bill and the notorious 1971 Im.
in Wolverhampton
By Pia Feig LAST Sunday the National Front held its first demonstration in Wolverhampton for ten years. Less than 100 fascists turned out.
The pretext for the NF march was ine aecision oi wolvernamoons counci to tuna an Arro Caribbean centre in the town.
The Labour council urged the o banne march but this was refused
Wolverhampton ainst the Nazis, an
tvup sel up lo culludl l
ir acmonsuranon. was ao.
Building worker
victimised By Tony Young, TGWU senior shop steward, Brixton.
in Northampton.
dow frames.
The real reason was that Brian Higgins, a bricklayer alle Sacked workers. went known
mistry in the at Hers
dustry union UCATT
La member of the local SWP blacklisted in the past ce caval
sacked workers decided to picket the site to
inerr back The police arreded and promp
arrested Higgins mally i Feed
gins was charged with con
Public Order Act which carries far heavier penalties.
He was refused bail, and not even allowed to contac His vs socior nar now secured bail, but his life has been hell while awaitin
He has telephone threats finds it impossible to get any
His union official. Jim Socialist Challenge
migration
rClC
the con Terence the Na.
black people
"The cass
brought out
from the CARL mobilising
committer uroet
ment,
and
repeal DOIn ACTS
ed:
• don'tlob
Bob
aciccate: con verence fighting
Londor
Othe speakers in cluded Bernard Mishrahi Tom ine • CARI new siet ter conective, and Anwa Ditta, who moved many delegates to tears with the account of
five year strug her three young children into the
For more information
• CARI News L activities, write to CARL, Lansbury House 41 Camberwell Loncon des
1,500 march against NF
to mobilise from all sections
the black community in
Lne • WA Afro-Caribbean cultural
Harambi, and from the trade unions and the Labour rarty
ford Leicester,
Vational Front were only able to
• larch 10.
minutes. neaviv quarded. the police, 9.30am oI 3 The 1,502 Sunday morning
against the anti lalis move a force Lo c motionce wilkins Wolve nampion EARLY in November last year five building workers were sacked from the Mariot's site Management
gave the reason as that the site had run out of win-
Coleman, has applied for an interna union/manage
tribunal,
employer' federatior
FBTE ha said that the would co-operale brian case. This very seriolle for building
choose who has tribunals. PICk and
Brian goes to court on 2( January court,
vi tallylo Crown Campbeli square near the cry centre A picker nas been called to1 10.30am outside the court It is vital that every unionists who can turns ou with their banners
every trade unionis WRO Brian Higgins has ac tively
morning
For more information. phone 01-732 4478 15 January 1981 Page 15
Page 16 scan of this page
FULL SPEED AHEAD FOR SEA STRIKE
Fund Drive usurps consumerism
By Pat Kane IT'S not difficult to find out the cause of the strike by the National Union of Seamen. £111.97 for an average 66-hour week; they want better pay and conditions.
The strike is sending shock waves through Bri-
worried bosses. The NUS demand for a 16 per cent pay rise and improved overtime payments comes at a time when empiuyers are lying io hold down wages throughout industry and the public sector.
The Present guerrilla action by the NUS is having it's effect. Over 40 ships lie idle in various ports around the world are alr home. Britain's bosses are terrified that ine sunke will bring Imports and exports grinding to a halt Ninetyfive per cent of Britain's trade still goes by sea
Imports of food, fuel and components TWO NALGO
supporters have boosted our Fund Drive by a welcome £110 out of their local authority pay awards. •A much better use for the money than fuelling capitalist Christmas consumerism wrote one.
What about you? DurIng une ПСХЕ few
Panted By Es End Ter Tu Toda
Socialist
Challenge
Seafarers presently
Learn
Cardiff
demands full
claim
were ousseu inking ne pay question to job loss
and demanding that the
union executive stick out
for the full claim
Subsitute NEC member
IVIUSU SOROA OrA not
dispute to end up arbitration. Our job is to mobilise to achieve our Jun utmanas.
will all be affected. The
estimates governmell lilal uncie are days supply of fuel in the country. well be meetine some vita political expenses as well as continuing to up our press, our publications,
bullaing.
For the 21 February Labour Party tion in Glasgow we want to back with a thousand placers a intervenor
gigantic banner, phlet xplain Jobs
Bombs theme. wallpagg
organising
We'll
Not scotland and North of England to build with the Post Office.
50 London N1
The NUS is taking various actions to secure their demands. It is call-
ferry SCIVIC other shipping at major ports. Deep-sea ships will not set sail for overseas ports.
The union has targetted 14 of the most hostile shipowners and stopped their ships sailing from any port in tae world.
Seafarers are forced
TONNOCHO THORESEN
the Labour Movement Conference against the
Socialis Challen supporters' WOrK against
And we plan to mobilise the broadest FUC'S west
DrODOSed march from Liverpool to London
Christmas and the New year brought us some verv welcome oresents. another £1,000 from let's see
NALGO supporters to put us on the road in 1981. Our thanks this week to:
to work long hours for pour wages out the ship
owners reply to the
union's claim was an of-
increase the average basic weekly wage by only £10 - from £64 to £74.
Last week, workers on P&O Ferries 'Ulster
Queen' fired the opening shots in the union's camcapied the ship againsy when they redundancies.
L Lloyd £1.00 Erling Vindheim 3.00
24.4 December standing orders 177.50 werek noss Celia Church 0.50 MB 20.00 A Acheson
20.00 D Costa (anti-Xmas party) 50.00
Red Arrows 5.00 Ben & Thea 20.00 Gregory Carey 5.00 John Mooney Lewisham IMG 31.00
Tory MP drops
anti-abortion Bill
showed the whole union
that mintant action can
defend living standards
and save jobs.
Solidarity with the
NUS is vital. Already the
dockers' members of the
giant Transport and
General Workers Union
have agreed to boycott
any scab ships at
registered ports.
Solidarity can that the
seafarers win.
John Wickes 10.50
Tony Greenstein Dulenon NALGU supporter 50.00 Islington IMG 9.00 soutnampton ING 10.00 Outer West London ING 160.00 Brent IMG IMG PC coffee 5.50 Oxford NALGO su••o ter 60.00 Total £929.47
Cumulative Total £5,532.57
Pauline McLaughlin
is freed
iRISH political prisoners chalked up more suc cesses against the British government and prison authorities last week.
First the announcement the
Pauline McLaughlin
Pauline suffering from nervous dietary disorder which makes impossible for her TOOC fice has at last admitted ine wormern rean. tthat Pauline is 'seriously ill and needs medical treatmen Which cannot
zoroviced prison hospital.'
Another government statement 'It now considered unlikely unal oute woue recover to a point where she could
SPECIAL OFFER for new readers — 10 issues for just £1! 6-month subscription £6.50, 12-months £12.50 Abroad: 12 months £12.50 or £18 airmail.
Multi-reader institutions: Twice these rates
Name
Address
I enclose a donation for the Fighting Fund of.....
Cheques, POs and Money Orders should be made payable to 'Socialist Challenge'.
Complete and Challenge, PO Bex 50, London N 2XP return
DEFENDERS of the 1967 Abortion Act have scored another victory. Timothy Sainsbury, the Tory MP who had planned to bring ind Private Members' Bill curbing abortion rights, has decided to drop the issue.
He announced
UJ Tuesday that there were TOO man! •etencino the existeng legislation to make worthwhile ment to restrict the Abortion Act
Dainsout mentioned mossiole disruntion otthe workings of the House o Commons, which can
La localle protests mounted at the supermarkets owned by his family
The Tory MP is now to Bil his river Member posals inæecen aisolavs. an us unlikey that any otner wit will at tempt to back
sent Parliamentary sus SiOl
but sainsbury warne( that he had reason believe would be dealt with by the courts. isting Act is still a long Given Unal Tne
TrOM providing woman's right to choose on abortion. , it is a further
help build the con on abortion anc positive legislation
Everv trade union and Labour Partv should be represented at this con ference be held London on 14 March. To make sure Wal your:
for NAC/LARC Trade Union Liaison 374
Inn Londor WC1. Tel 01-278 015:
be returned to prison.'
Pauline's release is a
vindication of cam-
; been wagin Ireland and Britain
on her behalt. his cam-
paign was recently joined
by six Scottish MPS and
was widely supported by
women's movement
in Britain
second
for success
prisoners une decision government
alon 25 'Blanket'
prisoners in Long Kesh to
occupy fully-furnished
cell:
Previously the
aovernment had main-
tained that no prisoners
would be moved to such
cells until they had come
off their protest
It is the prisoners
stand, that they would
consicer encino
Ineir protest after they
had been moved to fur-
which has
triumphed
form Socialist
← Socialist Challenge No. 179, 6 January 1981Socialist Challenge No. 181, 22 January 1981 →