Socialist Challenge No. 197, 14 May 1981
The scan: sc-n197.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
MARCH,OCCUPY FIGHT FOR
LONDON 31 MAY MARCH FOR JOBS
14 May 1981 25p next month.
local elections, Labour has swept In the
power in centres six metropolitan and taken hundreds of council seats from the
The latest opiTories. predict
polls landslide vIctory election
Labour if an
were held now.
People's And the
March for Jobs national
become for all workers
focus
struggling unemploy-
spiralling
ment. But the bosses' of-
Unemployed and strikers 10p
Socialist
After ten weeks of selective strike action
for a decent wage the three major civil ser-
vants' unions are now committed to all-out
strike action at the end of this month or early
continuing. fensive As we go to press it has announced with hundreds of redun- BL Rover alc Solihull to close plant, Deputy dancies Pat Hickey told venor This is the crunch, only Socialist Challenge:
occupation a mass the plant can save our
jobs tion of the labour move- now'. Every
ment must support the
Rover workers. has i nousands joined workers marchers People's against Sheffield cluding those who took chester last and week, strike action at over a
600
LAY S that the
dozen factories in Shef-
•CON field. led by workers in strug- The marches
gle at Laurence occupied plant in Openand those from
sec- shaw. Rotherham. Plansee Tooling
of The People's March
the reaches its crescendo in
in London on 31 May when
Man- 100,000 are expected to greet the marchers. the last workers have
Peoples march
Lor Jobs
LIVERPU A LONDON
they take action to get rid of are the Tories. Now is the
were Labour Party leaders to time for the union and
Scott's spearhead this
from ment. endorsing the call made of the rivere Peoples They could start by
March for 29 May to be a day of general strike action in London as the march capital. week shown
prisoners are as much
we should get out.'
cil prepared to
move
People's
the
reaches
STOP PRESS
FRANCIS HUGHES
Murdered by Thatcher
'The IRA are fighting for their national freedom, and their prisoners-of-war as our soldiers in Germany in the war. If we want to see an end to violence, Ken Livingstone, newly-elected leader of the Greater London Coun
JOBS
INSIDE: How Sheffield and Manchester
greeted the march, and the occupiers -
at Laurence Scott - who went to join it.
* National Day of Regional Actions 23 May * National Demonstration London 13 June
Peonies
march
Page 2 scan of this page
Militant'-as British
Editorial
PO Box 50, London N1 2XP Phone 01-369-8189/8180 (oditorial and distribution) Me-tooism IT HAS been a long, long time since there was a more sickening spectacle than that performed by Concannon and Rees on the occasion of the death of Bobby Sands.
They chorused their determination of Thatcher in driving the Irish MP to his death. Merlyn Rees even appeared on television to boast that it was he who had abolished political status in the first place. It is a reminder of just how imperialist-minded and arrogantly British is the leadership of the Parliamentary Labour Party.
What. now needs • TO whether Foot, Concannon and Rees uttered their death cheers with the support of the Labour Party as a whole. There are indications that they did not.
In parliament Patrick Duffy, who once a Minister for the Navy, savaged Foot's 'me-tooism'. Nearly 30 Labour MPs have signad a Commons motion calling on Thatcher to make concessions to the political prisaners. Labour MPs at the European Parliament. ondorsed the call of the socialist more flexible attitude by the British government.
Where does Labour's national executive stand? Just before the end of the first hunger strike a badly ecutive called for concessions on 'humanitar. ian grounds'. Whatever the phraseology, the men and women who make up the executive wish to use when they meet again on 27 May they nood to disassociate the from the pronouncements of Foot, Concannon and Rees.
A lobby of the meeting on 27 May would be one form of pressure on the NEC. Resolutions from Labour Party wards and general
committees gadership of the PLP would be another. A resolution is suggested below, and the mov. ing of it should be the first socialists in the Labour Party in the next couple of weeks.
At the moment the many rank and file Labour Party members will be to celebrate the results of the local elections, but take this example: in the local government constituencies North, South, and Central there are twice as many voters as there are in the parliamentary constituency Fermanagh Tyrone. won by Labour last week, but even the combined vote of the three candidates fell short of that received by Bobby Sands. Sands resolution This... calls upon the national executive committe to disassociate the Labour Party from the statements made by Michael Foot and Don Concannon on the hunger strikers up to and after the death of Bobby Sands MP.
We call on the national executive to condamn the bipartisanship approach to Ireland as followed by the Parliamentary Labour Party in conjunction with the Tory government.
On the issue of the prisoners we call on the adopted by the Scottish Tucthicstied national executive to support the immediate government action to ensure that the hunger strike in the Maze is ended, on the grounds that the 'demands put forward by the prisoners have wide support from sections of the trade union and labour movement
of wider sections humanitarian demands'.
Socialist
Challenge
You would like to be into with ialist longe supporters in e information fill in the form below on/CLP (if any).... ad to: Socialist Challenge, PO Box 50, London N1
* Challongo: 14 May
Messrs Foot,
• amorova for the be determined is
was
group for a
attended meeting of the ex-.
Labour Party
condemning the
priority of all
preoccupation of
of Hackney
and South The three Hackney seats were all
issue of the Irish who see them as your area or would like Rago 2
By Geoff Bell
First, the bad news: Bobby Sands' strike produced a 'dramatic escalation in sectarian tensions in Northern Ireland'.
the streets for the same reasons which drove young people in Brixton to violence.'
These observations come ron recent aruces in the Militant newspaper.
They, and the philosopny which lies behind them, are worthy of attention
It is one thing for the leadership of the Labour Party to have taken the scandalous position it has vil tie nunger strike, #_Is more shocking wher the self-proclaimed 'left' the party travels along a similar path.
Militant describes itself as 'the Marxist paper for Labour and Youth'. There are some people who, mistakenly, think Marxism is only about 'contradictions, so perhaps it
to prove themselves good 'Marxists' that Militant expresses the obvious contradiction apparent in the above quotations.
Riots
For, if the youth of Derry and Brixton rioting for the sallic reasons, which are, says Militant, a reaction to the terrible conditions of high unemployment', then how to 'sectarian tension': especially Militant Bobby Sands died,
trere was tue enthusiasm for the hunger strike, Catholic areas"
Indeed, on 1 May, when Bobby Sands was days trom death. Militant assured its readers that "to the fore in Northern Ireland' were "strikes, occupations, anti-Tory demonstrations unconnected with the hunger strike. fun Britain, a number of building sites closed down on the afternoon of Sands' funeral. These included two of the largest in London - Thames Barrier and Kyle Stewart:
On the day Bobby died about 500 people picketed Downing Street in the evening (above),
as they come
hunger
Now the good news: 'Derry youth are on
What is being describ-
ed here is not what is hap-
but what Militant
would like to happen. The
newspaper shares with the 'British ruling class an exasperation with the Irish national question, a wish
that it would go away, and
he good old brea and butter issues of British politics - - jobs, wages and houses.
Repression
Even when repression is clearly directed against the nationalist population - as is the case with the H Blocks - Militant pretends otherwise
Thus, a year ago Militant argued, 'H Block, like all aspects of repression is really a class question. But if the labour movement does not take it up it will be championed by bigots who will turn it into a sectarian issue'
The labour movement in the north of Ireland, which the Militant frequently: poweri did not take ! the H Block issue and so, a year later Militant claimed the H Block committees which were leading the struggle were 'sectarian based and 'sectarian organisations'. Sectarian
It is true that those who make up and support the H Block : struggle tend to
same
make struggle 'sectarian'. organisation is judged not
LMO SAYS
lost
#Ireland
on the religion of its participants but stands for politically, and how it organises.
The H Block campaign has, by and large, been organised in an open, democratic manner, and has no other basis except support for the prisoners' five demands.
Its leaders, such as Bernadette McAliskey, have gone on record as saying they would support political status for Loyalists. Indeed Bernadette has said she would grant it to those who attempted to assassiTrue ner
Despite criticising Bernadette and others for their 'sectarianism'. the Militant is not • nearly
OUT OF
TROOPS
AUR
before being moved on to Trafalgar Square.
Other action included a two-hour strike by NUJ members at the headquarters of NALGO: the disruption of a meeting in Oxford, addressed by Keith Joseph, and the occupation of a number of colleges.
the constituency of Humphrey Atkins.
Don't le Irish
prison's dle!
francis Hugles
HRMTLEMA LEERIN MATIS
REMEMBER
BOBBY SANDS MR
generous. The newspaper has argued that not all the IRA or Loyalist prisoners should be given status, that those who are guilty should be treated as criminals.
Given Militant's definition of what 'sec. tarian' that does not give much hope for the majori. ty of prisoners, but what is
pernicious in this approach is the evenhanded condemnation Militantgives to both Loyalists Republicans.
No distinction is made between the politics of the Republicans who fight against British imperial ism, British repression and
On Sunday, several hundred took part in a demonstration in Staines, just outside London,
for Irish majority rule; and the Loyalists who against majority rule and are for imperialism and repression of the Irish national majority
Neither does Militant eneralis the Marxist view that unconditronal political support, struggles for satin nal sell should be "given to determination, whatever the methods employed.
Nor does Militant acknowledge James Connolly's assessment that the labour movement in the north and throughout Ireland would be divided 'while partition lasts', and that the smashing of partition is a precondition for
Instead, for Militant the urgent need is the building of a Labour Part
Northern Ireland', which would provide 'fighting class alternative' to the 'dead end methods of the Provisionals'. Control
In other words the Irish people should drop their demands to contro their own country, work ers in the North should en dorse partition by forming a party confined to the six counties and should follow the lead of the gooc old British workers and 'struggle against the policies of the Tories, and for jobs, homes and de cent conditions'
Hoer andy react
Thatcher Foot would like to see such restricted Labour v Tor
in north o Ireland.
Fortunately, the Irish people have not given up their struggle self determination in 800 years, and neither the guns of the British army or the muffled pops of the Mili tant are • likely to force them to today.
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THE GREAT ANGER
The world
weeps for
Bobby Sands
THE French newspaper. L€ mented after the death
'His memory and recognition of the meaning of his sacrifice are heavy with an emotion that several times this century has aroused the passions of the world against Great Britain.
DasSIOns of the world were indeed roused In Poland, Lech Walesa of Solidarity called Bobby Sands 'a great man who sacrificed his life for his struggle'.
In France, the Socialist Party declared: 'We render homage to the
militant who sacrificed his life for his cause. Our party condemns the inflexibility of Mrs Thatcher and her inhuman attitudes.
In Portuga. members of the national parliament observed silence and the newspaper Popular Daily asked:
Britain 'How much retain longer the call •lomous distinction of be ing the only country in free Europe to hold part of the continent as a colony.'
Other press reaction in .cluded the comment from the mass circulation Hin-
'never had such an incident occurred in a civilised country, while the Hong Kong Standard criticised Thatcher's continued in-
In Mozambique, the
newspaper Noticias said that it
simple and . indisputable fact' that Bob-
All photos: JOANNE O'BRIEN
Derry sit-downs back the hunger-strikers Bernadette McAliskey at the funeral
Monde com of Bobby Sands: righter. Sands was "a political
Sine Italian daily La Republica said of Bobby sinas. Une can only be impressed by the power of the passion, rage, love and suffering that expressed itself in this long, patient, meticulous exercise in slow death.' It went on to call for Irish unification.
The franian govern-
name a street after Bobby Sands, while South Africa's main black-run newspaper, the
Sowetan described him a: 'a hero'.
Reaction was particularly angry in the United States. The Longshoremen's Union, which has 110,000 members, refused to handle British goods for day. The Massachusetts state legislature followed the lead
the New Jersey assembly and passed resolution hailing Bobby Sands' sacrifice and con-
LICI British government, while the New York Democratic congressman Mario Biaggie called the government 'morally bankrupt'.
Such ther the judgement of the world on the death of Bobby Sands, and the judgement also, in the words of the French Communist Party, of 'Mrs atener the English Conservative and blood after che assassina- hands covered with tion of Bobby Sands'.,
The funeral procession - 100,000 marched By Gerry Foley, Belfast, Monday
of the Irish people.
claim that the criminals in face of the massive sympathy for Bobby seen here in the past week?
Nearly a fifth of the entire nationalist population
north or Ireland marched on the Sands funeral processions.
The enormous mass of people completely jammed the Falls Road. It is doubttui whether it would have been physically possible to assemble a larger crowd in west Belfast.
But the British forces tried to humiliate even this vast assembly by diverting the march around a group of about 30 members of the Loyalist para-military Ulster Defence Associa-
tion There could
hardly have been one of the nearSands' sister and mother follow the coffin
"Ireland.
ANGER is continuing to increase and spread throughout Ireland in response to the Thatcher government's contempt for the feelings
What else but contempt is it to continue to
Republican prisoners are display of Sands that has been
ly 100,000 marchers who did not leave the funera seething with hatred and bitterness towards government so relentlessly determined trample their feelings under foot.
Heroic Bernadette McAliskey summed what .must have been the teelings. Of many when she said Bobb heroic sacrifice and the response of the British government have assured the continuation of the struggle against Britain for another generation at least, if we do not win in this one.
Bobby Sands, MP
Unexpectedly large demonstrations throughout Ireland marked the day of national mourning for Bobby Sands.
About 10,000 people marched in Tralee, about 7,000 in Sligo. As many as 5,000 came out in
Limerick, their numbers swelled by workers at the Alcan plant - the largest
walked out en masse during the demonstration.
In Waterford 3.000 took part in a rally calle by the trades connel and the H Block committee
In the southern border counties most businesses and industry closed down. There was a general shutdown in Drogheda, the major industrial centre between Dublin and the
A rally of 5,000 workers accepted with acclamation call for a general strike. Crowd
The Dublin area has been slower move, among • other things because of its sheer sin But there are signs that suppor for the hunger
senTe protesi abit
have quite number of youth between
the ages of 13 and 17 They made up about 60 per cen of the crowd who gatbered in Dublin city centre the evening Sands died.
Elsewhere in Irefind's • capital 3000 young wome workers the Jand clothing factory walked out; many bus drivers an clearners struck, altogether about 30 factories shut down. Naven, near Dublin, the mines were closed.
Burnt
In Belfast young peo ple throughout Catholic ghettoes hav been drawn into viole forms of protes both by their feelings of and by what appears to b a deliberate policy of pro vocation by the police and army.
Streets are littered with barricades and burnt our vehicles. The nights are turbulent with the. sound firing of rubber bullets.'
But so far these uncon trolled I protests have had the effect of mainly wear. ing out the ghetto popula tion
Such problems were al
alleat
Committee held here Sunday night Bitter
It decided that decisive task at this stage i
force the government and unions to support acti protests, and thus open the vay for mobilising the en tire Irish peopl agains imperialist repression.
Following the meetin the H Block/Armag Committee annouikt that it intends to supp candidates against leadur government figures in the southern general election.
As the temperature rises in Ireland the exten sion of international sup port becomes more important, to assur can win, and to help sto
from over to futile outbreaks of rage, or bitter resignation - sociallat Challango, 14 Max 1991, Pega?
Page 4 scan of this page
BERT BORE, Birmingham
y Benn's candidature is a means of keep-
in the forefront of debate the various ¡tical issues which Benn and others have
mpioned over the past few years. I will be doing whatever I can to see that port is gained for his election campaign in $ area.' P's 'realism' over Benn y John Parkinson.
FTER a month or so of telling us that the election Tony Benn as deputy leader of the Labour Party
id be a boost to the Tories, the right wing and media have woken up.
Far from welcoming a further consolidation of the
• left, the Tories launched attack after attack on * left in the run up to the council elections and followthe ballot victories. After all, it might catch on. With this new surge of intelligence and realisation oding through the right, we should not hesitate to ex-
how the left has dealt with the complex strategic
tactical issues at stake in the deputy leadership elec-
given that is a straight right-left fight within the king class.
The shock of choosing between Benn and IMF axe aker Healey was a bit much for the Communist Party, example. Anxiously looking over his shoulder at the
statements of left leaders Moss Evans and Alan
1, CP members and TASS general secretary Ken
declared to north-west activists that Benn's cansure would place at risk the gains the left has made. Certainly the left challenge has woken up sleeping es of the social contract. Thus Tribunite Michael Foot ; once more joined the ranks of the Healeyites. Ken Gill's sophisticated explanation of Tony Benn's
egic failing was that Benn doesn't really understand ade unionists. He's not realistic.
Fortunately the
lenge to Healey was not slow to jog Fisher's radical rtbeat at the Scottish TUC. In his stormy it belated
dy for what?' demand of the Labour right, he must
: resolved many late-night tactical arguments at CP ®in a swift about face, Scottish miners' leader Mick •Gahey threw his weight behind Fisher's position. As the Communist Party grapples with itself over its
ude to the Labour Party, the minds of many of its ac-
must be working overtime to explain how,
a loyal opposition, it will become faithful if slow d hesitant followers.
The problems of realism are difficult indeed.
Labour rarty
School
Sat/Sun 23/24 May Day 1
Formation of LP & developments to 1945/
Election of 1945 Labour govt and rise &
decline of Bevanism Day 2
Rise of new LP left & Bennism/ Tasks for
socialists in LP now Workshops
History of LP women's sections/ 1931 LP
split/ Labour League of Youth in 1930s/:
LPYS in 50s & 60s
School open to Socialist Challenge supporters. Admis-
sion by ticket only. Price £2.50 for both days or £2
single day. Limited places available so apply urgently
to local Socialist Challenge organiser. All applications
must enclose payment, cheques to "The Week".
at 'Challenge' 14'May
Labour Party.
and councillor: grass roots support for Benn's
from
Car workers rally to Benn
By Mick Archer TWO resolutions supporting Tony Benn's election challenge have been passed by and branches of the Transport Union in Birmingham.
• The TGWU 5/908 branch, which mainly of BL Longbridge workers, has registered its support for Benn in a resolution calls which was put up by sacked BL steward Jim the Denham, Socialist Organiser supporter,
by Socialist Challenge supporter Grant Keir
TGWU 5/909 branch, based on the Rover SD1 tion.
Shell Carrington
shop stewards
back Benn
THIRTEEN shop stewards at the large Shell works in endorsed the labour movement appeal backing Tony Benn in his campaign for the deputy leadership of the Labour Party.
The new signatories include the production and
CONCIUS the Shell Carrington works.
They out their names forward after Transport and General Workers'
Union shop steward Pete
Graham addressed a stew
last week.
The 6/200 branch of the TGWU has passed. a resolution backing Benn
there was just one abstention - - and this has HOW been forwarded consideration by the district and region.
Pete Graham. told Socialist Challenge that the stewards saw no alternative in Denis Healey. 'Healey the minister
Wal responsible for going cap in hand to the IMF under the last Labour government, and for implementing the policies they wanted.
'His budgets chopped thousands of milions of founds off the social services and of course, it was 'Healev who was so close! associated with the 5 per cent pay norm
'But we didn't vote simply to oppose Healey,'
thent, wont a bit tur
at Hickey deputy
onvenor at the plant
Socialist Challenge supporter successfully proposed that a resolution of sup-
forwarded to the
regional, national and execuuve commutees.
The resolution. also
for Benn Healey to be invited tr
TGWU's biennial delegate conference, and for taken there to the a vote to
union's block should be cast in the deputy leadership elecCarrington near Manchester have
Graham explained. 'We voted to back Benn's candidacy. Not only has he raised policies. which future Labour government should implement - he's also raised the important issue of accountability in the Labour Party.
'We Walt to from here to win accoun tablility in the union, too.'
The latest signatories. iu the declaration
from the occupied sirwalls
and: Bob Owens, chairperson COLLS. TGWU
Diamond shamrock. hecies. The following union rep
resentatives Chemicals, Coral P signed the
convenor; TGWU dep. convenor; Ian craft
Browne, P Robinson, Duckworth
Dennis BAnd Frank
Stubbs, shop stewards. Laurence Openshaw; Harry Gorton,
sec, Salford Trades Council.
By Patrick Sikorski
and workers from Rotherham, weeks against closure.
The largest contingent on the march came from Shardlow's engineering factory where 800 workers struck for the day. Other contingents came from BSC plants at River Don, Stockbridge and Rotherham, and from Bone Craven, Davy Lowy, Firth Brown Tools and Firth Brown Engineering.
Behind novel -union banners came more COTICIS every branch of the public ser-
building and By Patrick Sikorski MORE than two workers supported chester to Stockport leg of the People's March last Thursday.
Workers occupying Scott factory Openshaw march, followed by contingents from the shop stewards committees of National Supply, Mirlees-Blackstone, two Ferran-
GEC Openshaw, BAC Woodford, Fairey's and Manches ter Direct works
Frank Salt, confederation of engineering THOUS Moston told Socialist Challenge: believe in this sort of demonstration.
brings home the everybody whether they are in work or out that mass unemployment has to end The message to the Tories is clear - th
We'll change
mind on the
Scargill tells People's March
THE biggest demonstration so far in support of the People's March took place in Sheffield last Friday. Some 10,000 workers flooded into Sheffield led by 500 South Yorkshire miners
Plansee Tooling .in who have been on strike for 10
engineering workers, and
shop steward in Sheffield. Rab Bird, AUEW told Socialist Challenge that over the last year the union had received notice of 25,000 engineering workers made redundant or on short-time working.
And if Hadfield's through more than 4,050 1,900 redundancies jobs in private steelnaking will have been los There are now workers unemployed" in
Manchester workers
greet People's March
thousand them.. 'We're the Man-
another Gardner's.' the attrence led the
the march Fellow Masseys,
•Ferranti's we a national union message government necessary.'
Ferranti workers on the Manchester to Stockport march
Sheffield. *The leadership of the engineering district com-s mittee claim that political solutions are needed to the so the same time they same time they dustrial action to defend. Tensi mobilise jobs, which is the only way to win any political solu tions in the workers' in ICICSS.
Lead
The tremeridous support for the demonstration in Sheffield showed that workers will follow any ment, as well as call for ment, as well as calls alternative policies.
Bill Innes, chief steward on the eastern le told the rally in Sheffield majority of people have had enough of
organising a coach from the factory to London on 31 May. In Manchester Laurence Scott has to be made
Ferranti's Moston held a mass meeting of 150 workers on the gates the dar before addressed by a delegation from
convenor Tony Purtill from Ferranti's Cairo Mill added: "We've got to break down the isolation that unem ployment brings and build solidarity with
The TUC nationally isn't doing much. We think they should be organis-
unemployed workers
'We've got to get rid of this by any means
Page 5 scan of this page
'We want these jobs for ourselves and our kids
streets'
Brennan Bates, chief marshall of the eastern leg City Hall that the London march on 31 May should bring out hundreds of thousands of people. And
THE battle lines hardened over the last week
in the fight by 650 Manchester engineering
workers to keep open their factory, Laurence
Scott and Electromotors.
Every worker received letter 'confirming that recorded
delivery
considered
them sacked for having
repudiated' their LUll
tracts of employment.
Official
Meanwhile the
AUEW. ASTMS made the action APEX and
official so every worker
replied to the local manag-
ing director, Nash,
refusing lo accept ihe
sackings.
Now the campaign is
on for widespread labour
movement support, Fol-
lowing a visit by a delega-
tion from the People's
March For Jobs Laurence
Scott's workers were well
to the fore in the 2,000
demonstration
which escorted the march
on its way from Man-
chester to Stockport.
Dispute
The 3000 workers from
the other main factory in
the group in Norwich have
also pledged support
though they are also
dispute with their new boss
the governments
chief marshall. of the
leg, Brennan argued that shorter working week was Laurence Scott's workers in occupation and on the Manchester march
Arthur Snipe.
Some 93 workers at the
Norwich factory were
given half an hour's notice
of dismissal. The work-
force has already agreed to
boycott all work from
Manchester and is plann-
ing further action al
mass meeting this week.
The only sour note was
when 25 stewards visited
unions Snipe's
parent company Mining
Supplies Doncaster.
The union there is 'weak
and they drew a blank. Prevent
subservience that Smipe This sort
would like to see imall his
newiv acquired factories,
and which Tom Clare, a
hard man', have other
needed, along with proper jobs for school leavers and
Blanche Feather, vicesenior steward, is determined to prevent happening at the Manchester fac-
want these jobs for ourselves and our kids.
This factory isn't going to close,' he told Socialist Challenge Tom Clare and conBob Penchion are confident of victory. They Motors are sitting on an estimated £24m of motors and still taking delivery of more from customers desperate to have them serviced.
They received telexes addressed to 'the cirike commee dronex porters who stand to loose colli alls vital export markets like Nigeria. All enquiries about these and the 120 motors for the Admiralty are reffered to Arthur Snipe.
The JR of Doncaster
THE financial press has called Arthur Snipe
and taugh nut. The workers descriptions of him, most of
Master of the hunt in his native Yorkshire, Snipe made his fortune from providing equipment to the coal industry. Last year he awarded himself a 33 per cent pay rise (up to E25,640) and made over £180,000
Stocksbridge steelworkers at the Sheffield domo chair of the Trades Council, added that the slogan of the Council's women's subcommittee was
THE J
outside the occupied factory
does go into the price of coal.
Guardian Snipe has
nothing.
father's stall -origins behind him representative of the bosses
LIVERPOOL TO LONDOM 1-31 MAY
ON THE MARCH
AGAINST
THE
All photos: PETE GRANT (Socialist Challenge) but since 1975 there had woman's right to work' been an increase women's of 200 per cent. She added:
Creches
"There is no liberation without employment, and there is no. right work witnout proper facilitie creches and nurseries These were plentiful during the war when women were needed for work.
three church leaders on the Arthur Scargill declared: 'Unemployment is not an act of God. It's a matter of government policy. If we think that we'll change ine tones minds through eloquent speeches we're living cloud cuckoo land. It will be cone on the succis.
ARTHUR SNIPE
OF DONCASTE
• Laurence Scott's convenor Bob Penchion (right)
in the same year just from a 2p share dividend. We're beginning to find out just what really Accarding to a 1975 profile of him in the Colliery
workee MS trom
Apparenty her tarted wig eat the to is
14 in a Yorkshire colliery tramming empties
if so, he's certainly put his humble and is acting as a true blue
DIARY OF
A JOBS
MARCHER
Right to Work Campaign.
It's pouring with rain, from waiting,
from Schreiber's. the march.
Manchester Haughton
ing the marchers song: don't want dale.
and watch The next day 'protect him.
passed through.
greet us.
with her son.
for the People's March.
place.
and the broad democratic
ment.
The
against.
'Colonel' Barry
pupils
THURSDAY: we
Liverpool.
unions.
woman's right to realise it would be in bad taste
Cathy
The Quads,
the stage. announcement that Labour has
room: are thrown out.
MONDAY: we marched twenty miles from Warrington to Satford. There's a good turnou to greet us and a whole array of speakers in cluing the north west district organiser of the Communist Party and John Deason from the
our feet are tired after the tenth speaker we're glad to hear from a couple of marchers Elsie Broad from Royal Pride and Phil Davies
A WRP marcher gets up to speak and begins to denounce the march. He's grabbed by the throat and removed from the plattorm.
TUESDAY: the day that Bobby Sands dies. At first the SWP give out black armbands, then they back down and agree to take them off or march without their green uniforms behind
On Tuesday evening we are guests at the
Now Contury Hall where the Woavers entertain us. It's a big event. We end up dancing round the hall sing
We want work, we
WEDNESDAY: a 'rast day. I go to Royal Prido
Mr Novak entaring the factory gets a polica escort to A delegation goes off to a st Helens glass factory which was missed as wo
Grenada televises a busload of marchers arriving at Laurence Scott's, occupiad to save jobs. The workers come out on the street to
On to Ferranti's where we're given VIP treatment, including roast lamb and pineap ple fritters. We talk to the workers in the fac
Maurgen explains she is on the march She feels strongly about how unomployment affacts young people.
The heavy collection box showed the potantial interost among amplayod workers
The second 'Democratic Assembly' takes
A debate about allowing Tories to spoak on the platform allows the Communist Party to outline their concepts of the march
alliance. They argue that Tories should be allowed to speak to exploit contradictions inside the govern-
assembly decides against allowing political representatives of the Tory party to speak. Marchers point out that the Tories are responsible for everything we're marching
Williams rules the Democratic Assembly like a headmaster. The
us marchers - are only allowed a limited freedom to express our views.
leave Manchester for Stockport with the biggest send off since
One Ferranti steward expressed the view that it would have been even better if strike action had been called by the trade
Thursday evening finds us at the Poko Poko club, chicken and chips, waitresses and free drinks. The comedians intend to come on in drag but after the row about the sashes for
work the organisers from Lee Jeans sings, she's very Coot to get a job. The People's Marchers Fi are marching, sing:
It's an inspiring evening that ends with the
won ManCheshire and the GLC. 'Maggie, Maggie, out, out, out, rabounds around the
FRIDAY: we are now in Cheshire and Macclesfield. It's much posher here. Left wing speeches from Labour Party members and anyone actually fighting for jobs are definite ly the most popular. Marchers are still not being encouraged enough to speak in my view
SATURDAY: à van goes to Wemblay. We are told to build support for the People's march We are all ready to watch the Cup Final al Congleton Labour Club, but to our disgust wo
Page 6 scan of this page
Marketing the Social Democrats
CLASS
FORUM
2001h issue anniversary meeting
Fri 22 May 8pm
Camden Town Hall, Ppp St. Pancras station
psep Socialist Challenge, PO Box 50, London NI.
ist Challenge
County council elections
LABOUR GAINS
POLARISATION
200 200
Ernest Mandel
Ken Livingstone
Hall opens at 6.30pm with displays on women's movement; anti-nuclear struggle; Irish liberation struggle; struggle of youth; Polish crisis; El Salvador and Turkey Buffet available-with rolls, cakes, tea and coffee.
14 May 1981, Page 6
Julian Atkinson looks at Shirley Williams'
new book Politics is for People
THE hard-eyed realities
Democratic Party (SDP) are obvious enough.
There is total loyalty to NATO, the Common
Market, the
policy and market forces. These policies are
advanced under the code names of peace, in-
ternationalism, pluralist democracy, fairness
and decentralisation.
The well-worn con-
tents are then packaged as
and breaking the
mould' The nearest that
the Social Democrats have welve basks for Social
Democrats'. - show how
entirely wedded they are
Denis Healey-style
monetarism.
Socialist
Perspectives
for
Europe
200
200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200
SERRER
Speakers:
Labour Party
of the Social
capitalist system, incomes
We are told that unemployment cannot defeated by spending. An incomes policy is required of unprecedented severity: it is suggested that an inflation rate of 8 per cent would only allow wage rises of 4 per cent.
In the autumn of 1978 when Jim Callaghan faced
THE
LEFT
How L
By Phil Hearse
'FAR LESS than was forecast' and a 'disappoin!-
ment for Labour'.
ments after Labour's sweeping gains in the County
Council elections last Thursday.
meter with unusual vehemence after midnight on
BBC 1, insisted that the swing to Labour was only
around 4 per cent in London, and 5 per cent in the rest of the country.
This ligure was course a fraud. based on a comparison with the 1974.
General Election, nor with
the last County Council
elections in 1977. If that comparison was made. the swing was around 12 per cent in London and 15 per cent in the other Metropolitan areas
By lam on BBC 1. Boh
Mackenvie
Wel.
the barrel for a 'disap
point ment for labour
line: 'if the swing in loncon were repeated in a general election. L.ahour
would only just get a majorily Industrial
All this corered up the
reality that nationally
hubour won nearvic
seats from the Tories on
the metropolitan County
Councils. But the most
decisive the key industrial areas, hit
by unemployment:
Manchester 106 seats
were contested. labour
won 78 and in the process
gained staggering 52
From the Tories
West Midlands 104
seals 74. is il Labour
gaining from the
Tories
Merseyside 97 seals contested. Labour won 56 as against 27 for the Tories and 14 for the Liberals. -
inis is an arca of sirong Liberal Labour gained 31 seats from the
Tories.
in 8 per cent inflation rat
le offered a princely 5 pr cent norm before he was engulfed in the 'winter of dicontent'.
The radical edge of the SDP is briefly exposed ir the formula that the state should lean to equality' and then resolutels sheathed again moderate afterthought that this inclination must nol oc oppressive ana la in a period of recession there is little scope redistribution.
The authentically new strain in the SDP is found
afterthoughts.
There has been a decisive break welfare reformism of Anthony Crosland. The SDP is
LOSE OUT
These were typical press com-
Even Robert Mackenzie, operating his swingo-
Greater. London 42 seats contested. labour wow 50 gaining 21 from the Tories. In anybody elses lerms but those of the Tory press, this is what would normally be called a "landstice'
Knight
But the result in London was full of lessons. Labour didn 1 win such a crushing victory as might have heen expected hecause the Tories were able 1o strongly mobilise their vote in the suburban
The ()T the Tories, waged aroun the slogan of Keep Lon don out of the Red, ind predicting a Marvist diclalorship if Labour won was certainly successful in
the middle class vole.
This campaign was waged with extreme viciousness by london's only evening paper the New Standard. The Stan dard in particular waged a below-the-bell campaign against Lambeth Council leader Ted Knight, who was defeaied in Norwood. Soc Dem
Knight suftered not only from the Standard campaign, but also from the intervention of 'Social Democrat' right winger Stephen Haseler who by laking 3,000 of the voles. •mainly from L.abour,
erised in a zero-cost crusade reformism without reforms.
Since the Labour Par. ty, in opposition at least
reforms in full-blown capitalist crisis risk raising working-class expectations to a dangerous level, the SDP has set itself the task of wrecking the Labour Party.
The aims of these shop-soiled professional politicians, whose main background is that of apparatchiks in the party apparatus or state executive, have to be carefully packaged and marketed
The first attempt 10 give an intellectual gloss to
Hour's GLC victory
deprived Knight of vic-
LorY the Standard weighed
in again the day afler the election with the astounThe meses oul: 'The l.efi out' gloating over Knight's defeat and predicting that right-winger Andrew Molntosh would be elected Labour leader of the GI.C.
Livingstone
In fact, left-winger Ken Livingstone was elected decisively - 30 votes to 20 a few hours after the Siandard hit the streets. Livingstone himself gained a sweeping victory in Paddington, with a 12.4 per cent swing to defeal the Tories.
The election . results revealed nation-wide class polarisation. The decisive proletarian areas swung to Labour. But in
county shires the Tories were able 1o keep up their VOC Battles
Now the scene is set for a battle royal between the Labour councis and the government. The Tories have been quick to suggest that Environment Minister Heseltine will introduce legislation to prevent high spending by the county councils
The only way to carry through the radical programme tare reduclions, house building and
Mo promisod
promised Hiciesos is lo organisc a massive campaign of national action against the ¡ ones. to rely on rell and rate increases will just set
for Labour defeats.
the enterprise was made by Dr David Owen with his book 'Face the Future' was a faluce: a muddled and diffuse book which seemed to have as many authors as the Bible
But it contained one so be in the enterarian
libertarian socialist tradition of com-
revolutionary William Morris it was the The Shirley Willams
The Shirley book is more successfut and has a clearer aim. It is a raid into Slipman/Poly Toynbee country. There is a laver o radicalised in the vaguely radicalised in late 1960s and early 1970s while students.
They got good job and then Emma and young Mark came along. A grow. alue of Wholemeal bread dogmatism the was mirrored by an increasingly adult and mature agnosticism on politics. Politics is for People has its sights on this target area Manic
Much of the rhetoric of Mrs Williams is taken from the right wing of the colo toma nero-growts call zero-growth
'Everything dealt with ess hat manic reasonableness nounces that extremism of pushing or pulling a door to open it, but moderately persists in attempting slide into the wall to which it 's his Williams
starts from the point that rapid or even steady economic growth is no longer possi ble. Old style politics wer about . PronusI: more: 'Now, however, the ver foundation of the debate is shattered'.
These changes are not temporary The crisis is not one of capitalism, sh‹ is particularly clear on this point, ог гашле of 'industrialism' itself'.
Governments, we are told, cannot bring back full employment or better social services. They have to explain how circumstances have changed and what are the new choices. This means less promises and more warnings. Cosy
The hinge concept which enables her to speak radical thoughts with no radical action is • that of "decentralisation'. This is a favoured code-word for the SDP. Horam and Owen use lt lo mean market forces
Williams uses it as an
•talking down expectations of what any government can do in dif manner totally ferent to that used by Tory ideologues.
But it is also a way of al middle class politics a when suggests that both big employers and big labour hinder us from finding institutional solutions to the present crisis.
The book contains few specific solutions to actual problems, but rather creates an ambience oi caring ; concern. If I were not afraid of appearing extremist and wasn't partial¡ly made merry by the cosy Christopher Robin nice- ness Williams would be tempted to call her a dishonest shit.
Page 7 scan of this page
Nasira, Nasareen,
Jaswinder and Cynthia
black
women
THE TORIES parliamentary debate tionality tions, : many Labour MPs have racist.
several laws enacted by both Labour
Under the Immigration Rules it easier for woman to come into Britain than a man. man Chil Only gain entrv it he has a wife or fiancee who is born here and a UK citizer (this usually means white).
Wives and fiancees can join any man settled here regardless of his ship status:
The official reasoning is that women are supposed to be dependent on mer and therefore should live in the man's country. Children
If the Home Office discovers that a woman trom another countrv has been deserted or separated it looks for technicalities to justify her deportation.
Any children born here are citizens and in theory cannot be deported. the government imposes a terrible penally OIl children separation from their mother voluntary repatriation.
The lalcsl Nationality Bill proposes to 'legitimise' the position by refusing right residence to children who don't have a parent who is either a UK citizen or 'settled' here.
Jaswinder Kaur has just lost her appeal against deportation came to Britain in 1975, married
who subjecica nel and their son Manjit to years of battering.
Beaten
Eventually her nusband was imprisoned for these assaults. Jaswinder found ne has previously been married and first
wife to commit suicide.
Later husband was deported for being in the country 'illegally'
The Home Office says: "Her only ties with and
Home Office
persecutes
have just cut short the on the "NaBill which black organisachurches and some denounced as
But this bill is only the latest of
Nasira and friends in July 1980
basis of stay in the United Kingdom were through her husband and she has furnished no grounds for remaining here independently of him.'
Under the Immigration Act a wife can be deported win ner musome as she is considered to be dependent on him even though she is being beaten up by him.
Nasareen Achtar arrived in 1977 married to a UK citizen. She was forced out of their home when she
discriminate against black people.
female dependency, women
Gordon - with deportation.
She then learned that a previous wife had, as Jaswinder's case, committed suicide. Phone
The Home Office wants to denort Nasareer on the grounds that her marriage is invalid because
took place over the phone.
Many hundreds of Pakistani are
balliants undertaken like this and Nasareen has a valid marriage certificate.
Anti-racism
Nasira, Anwar and Jaswinder welcome Anwar's children and Conservative governments which
STEVE COHEN looks at how racist laws, combined with official views of
threaten four Nasira Begum, Nasareen Achtar, Jaswinder Kaur and Cynthia
SIC
The Home Office want to deport her because she black and llas been deserted not because of any technicality.
When she appealed to an Adjudicator he agree with the Home Office representative's remark that she could not possibly have considered herself married as she let herself be beaten up and thrown out while pregnant'.
Irrelevant
Nasira Begum's case is perhaps the most reveal-
DE
IR
Ing. She came from Pakistan in 1976 and married a few months later
The police delivered a deportation notice three
yee grated hat her ous.
grounds that her husband had been previously married and not divorced.
Her ignorance of this
merevae was regarded en
even though the police had insufficient evidence to prosecute the husband for bigamy, the Home Office were not dissuaded.
Although Nasira won her appeal before the Adjudicator the Home Office have taken it to the Immigration Appeals Tribunal and the case con-
Nasira presently working in a refuge for battered Asian women.
A further illustration is the case of Rhazia кла toon who has lived here for several years, naving fled from Kenya.
She married Abdul Jacoob who was on a visit
this from Malawi. She is pregnant.
Because she isn't citizen born here she is being forced to leave her family and go to Malawi if she wants to remain with her husband
Cynthia Gordon came from Jamaica in 1960. She lived here 12 years and had two children. Her mother in Jamaica became ill so as an only daughter she went to care for her mother and as a single parent took her children with her.
Defence
After her mother died in 1977 Cynthia brought her British-born children back but the Home Office want to deport Cynthia on the grounds that she has surrendered her settlement by being away more than two years.
All these women shou the anti-woman anti-
black bias of British laws and institutions
They are fighting for the right to live ir this
country with their children. Already number of black, women's
labour movement
bodies are engaged in their defence.
They cannot win by their own efforts alone.
Coventry
blacks
fight back
By Howard Green and Anna Reese
on 18 April.
A rally in
through the streets unmolested through the streets unmolested beware; leave us alone and we'll leave you alone
dead serious.
pen in Coventry.
This statement munity from racist violence
and labour movcificht
movement takes action, them every doorstep,
demonstration on
must pull out the stops to support them.
Saturday
Support
immigration laws.
the North west and
trades councils of Manchester,
Bury, Bolton,
Students.
Manchester.
leatles and make donations to
Friends of Nasira
Friends of Jaswinder Kaur
LAP BOx JK,
Friends of Nasareen Achtar
59 Ashworth St, Rochdale
Cynthia Gordon Action Grou Gradwell Walk
Queen Anne's Gate,
to their MPs:
Joseph (Jaswinder):
George Morton (Cynthia).
•Demonstrate tor Jaswinee
16 May
Leeds 8
• Demonstrate for Cynthia and Nasira
hune manchester
15 June,
Assemble 1pm
the Immigration Appeals Tribunal.
THIS WEEK, at least seven more racist attacks took place in Coventry, and black people turned out en masse for the funeral of Satman Singh Gill, the Asian student murdered
the precinct last Saturday asserted the right of black people to walk
At a meeting last Friday called by the Community Relations Council, involving the police, lord mayor and others, black youth distributed a long statement asserting their right to walk the streets unmolested, and their determination to organise self-defence against racist attacks
end of the statement read as follows: 'We as young black people in this city reserve the right to walk
• So skinheads and racists but if you attack any of our brothers and sisters again then we then te message you a Li SANE
'If the attacks on our brothers and sisters continue then Brixton might look like a tea party to what will hap-
caused such horror among the assembled dignatories that they attempted to confiscate it so that racial harmony in Coventry is not disrupted But it is a myth that racial harmony can be built on the submission of the black community to racist yiolence
In reality the establishment is more worried about the fact thai the black community is starting to fight back West Indian and Asian youth will not wait for officia sanction or backing from elders, the ORC or the labour movement before taking action to defend their com-
these moves towards self-defence need to be developed inside the black community
We must demand that the leadership of the labour
but we cannot afford to wait for we have to take this issue to every street and
Socialists mo Macalled Coventry Commit
May called by Coventry Committee against Racism. Black youth are right to be angry - we
Demonstrate 23 May Assemble Ipm Edgewick Park March to Coventry Precinct Called by Coventry Cttee Against Racism Supported by ANL and NUS nationally
these women
Anwar Ditta's campaign to bring her children
to Britain has provided the example of how
black people can fight and win against racist
Nasira's campaign has won support from South west TUCs; the Stockport, Blackpool and Southport;
several LP branches; she has been adopted as
an honorary member of the National Union of
Jaswinder's campaign has the support of
Leed's Muslim, Sikh and Hindu Temples and
youth movements in Bradford and
• Contact their defence committees for petitions.
• Begum Stockport
Longsight, Manchester 12 TCC, phone 061-225 5111
29 Blenheim Terrace, Leeds LS2 9HD
Moss Side, , Manchester
• Order the video 'A deportation of convenience'
made by the Friends of Ivasira to show at meetings
the Home Office, 50 , London SW1 and send copies Kumar Cyril Smith (Nasareen); and
• Leeds, assemble 2pm Banstead Terrace,
, assemble 12.30 at the corner of
Princess Rd and Moss Lane East, Moss Side. For
coaches from London phone Satnam 01-485 6672
Nasira's appeal will be heard at the High Court, Strand opposite
Socielist Ghallenge 14 May 1981 Page 7
Page 8 scan of this page
EL SALVADOR: 'A PROTRACTE
EARLIER this
year, television
journalist and
newscaster JON
SNOW sent back
a remarkable
series of reports
from the civil war
in El Salvador.
Jon Snow was the
1981 'Television
-journalist of the
year" for his repor-
ting of the
Iran/Iraq war. Phil
Hearse spoke to
him about his im-
pressions of the EI
Salvador conflict.
The Duarte regime came to power in Salvador
October 1979 promising reforms Did ou tin land reform. you find any evidence that land reform has been carried through?
would just qualify the statement that the Duarte
to power in OcLalil tober 1979. . 1 ne coup which removed General Romero had a lot HOTe OD timistic aspects to it than the present regime these whittled away by resignations
and assasi ahio i.
the junta had number of progressively mind-
ed people, including important-
ly a man called Cordoba, who
was the minister of agriculture.
He was the architect of the
aglanlal Ic.oll.
• His intention in October ' 79
WAS EO Caly out a very comprehensive land reform scheme
which, in a period of five to ten
would have dispersed all
the land owned by 200 wealthy
tamiles — into te danas o1 co
operatives and into the hands
of smal tenant tarmers
Some 300 farmers were seiz-
ed by the junta after October
'79, and handed over
worker-based co-operatives to
run for themselves. visited
one of these co-operatives at a
place callea La Labore. ana in
fact it was working extremely
wel.
There about WCLC
workers with an elected .com-
mittee running the project, who
had about 6000 dependents liv-
ing with shem cohe arnd
growing sugar, coffee
sugar cane a prize example
of the kind of scheme which
Cordoba had in mind.
Unfortunately Cordoba
was assassinated four months
ago has had a
substantial effect on the whole
for agrarian reform.
utte CubN
Even the governmenl
running the land reform admits
that out of the 300 farms only
about six are working.
The impetus for agrarian
eform has more or less com harie celes abouri band reform Alac
there really isn't any evidence
of it being put into effect nora.
Indeed when I was there in February Duarte that the second phase of the land reform was to be postponed indefinitely.
What was your impression of the standard of living of the ordinary people?
thing about Salvador is the contrasts bet"79 ween the rich and the poor that are so acute. Ie re is a ri sizeable middle class Salvador, .some of whom were extremely well off -ot anomave tended to tlee the country and are now holedAılA ı dN looking after their affairs.
The middle class tends to be concentrated in the main centres of urban population.
people who run garages and businesses and who are really quite well off.
But contrasted with them is the vast majority of people who are landless and anything we would recognise as the poverty line.
They suffer from acute malnutrition. The infant mortality rate among the which represents 80 per cent of the population, is very high inGCCU I think it is the presence of
this large middle class which is slowing up the revolution in Salvador. paralels which
peopie nave attempiea to araw
between El Salvador and neigh1200 bouring Nicaragua
precise, oclausc
Nicaraguan dictator
what was really
family aynasty, who had hands into everything and who
paid the National Guard to de-
Tero liz cocol.
In El Salvador it is much because of
more cittuse
very large middle class, which is
terrified of revolution.
process of revolution is there-
ore being very seriously sloweo do Whe evidence is everywhere
that tid Vel CurE Oney
population is hungry,
and are not profiting at all from
the original hopes that people
had in the October "79 coup. Did you find any evidenco of
announced
El
in
are the richest
wing death squads? What is
They the linked to or part of the Na- evidence that they are
shops, tional Guard or the army?
The killing in while I was there was running at the rate of 30 to 35 civilians per night. I gather that is still about living below the going rate even now.
These people are not' the victims of the combat number of people who die in El ucasallli y fighting in what is a limited civil
war is very sillall. jority are just civilians who are simply taken out and 'disposed during the hours of darkness.
The victims can be found by the roadside in any urban area
are not specific areas in San Salvador. can find up to a dozen bodies in
Somoza regular intervals: Even in coun- They are
one-
its try areas you bodies dumped at the roadside. As for who is responsible for these killings, the overwhelming, killing these civilians is not bethis ing hindered in doing so by the armed forces.
The •IPA curfew ween the hours of 7.30pm and 5.30am. out by 5.30 in the morning. The
of the curfew is very strongly policed
ill fed by the National Guard and by
the army. army these killings are going on and is doing little or nothing to pre-
easy to pin-point.
El Salvador tain is that squads are the armed forces You can trolled centres where heavily - the travelling in trucks
the result of the troops.
towns.
The vast ma-
San Salvador policed solely by
Certainly you
left there that
find groups members
evidence is armed forces.
that whoever Is
There is no reelk been for some months bet-
The bodies are already nind that the
All the evidence is American
is aware that in El Salvador. They this
STRUGGLE
thinking.
Often ween
for the
tional
Across?
urban areas. strọng,
. because
Whether the army and the National Guard are themselves involved in the killings is less
What is cerright-wing inter-mingled with
visit army-concivilians armed civilians, with troops. You can see them
with the and policing whole
There are the towns of San Sebastian and San Stephan -two towns within 40 miles of
which are right-wing gunmen, who admit to belong ing to an outlawed group callec ORDEN, which was banned b! the junta in October 1979 ORDEN sile per that large numbers of ORDEN
given free range to operate both in the rural and urban areas unhindered by the
And you can turn up at a place like San Stephan, and that
sign of an army possibly whatsoever. The touch rieo policing perse o ciytan
civilian gunmen. I have no doubt in m
. a major ole in the nightly killings
This is not just my view, it is he view of many officials at th easier to
embass who are horrified by what is happening
will tel
they are obviously at odds with current US State Department
the truggl is
left wing and right 'extremists' What evidence of popular support
FDR (Revolutionary Democratic Front) and the FMLN (Farabundo Marti Na-
Liberation armed forces) did you come ac-
As I said earlier, there is a substantial middle class in the
Where they are • Ine sunport for ine FDR is not so obvious, largely
people in the urban areas who do support them are very teariul or coming out anc expressing that support.
The result of even a hint
QUATEMALA
L SALVADOR
are related to, or seeing, or even in with anybody who is
sympathetic to thesassina tion
perfectly specific
about what the support is. Fiv
eks of journeying accross untry in El Salvador certai
indicat ed do pane hay sap por
mare the
FDR is very strong.
• If you go to an area which has been recaptured from the guerillas we went to severa
you will find that the farm pletely deserted, odesation, the sign s had there is the people had welcomed the army, that in any sense the ar my had "liberated' the area quite the reverse.
Whereas in countryside captured by the gerillas, wi found farmsteads and home fully occupied, and food free! •supplied to the gerillas by population. In turn th gerillas supplyed medical ai and assistance to the peasantry . There was a complete inte
HONGUEA:
Page 9 scan of this page
elationship between ti ld those dontwee the peop
The other interesting thing was that the fighting tended to be done by people who were local to that area — they hadn't been imported. Some of th commanders tended to be middle class and imported from urban areas. camps in ehe heartland fill went to four Salvador and the people there were from the local areas
you any evidence of US involvement in the struggle?
No direct evidence of US
being deployed the ground. Advisors doubtedly travel the country, and move Iroml army base, but whether they're denloved in the front line open to doubt.
On the other hand while I was there there were planeloads of hardware coming in daily, which I saw landing at-the local military airfield Salvador.
The US aid is in the form of infantry cullicul equipment, helicopters and intensive training - and training. outside the countrv too at the School of the Americas.
school Panama where I found cadets under: heavv trainme in what is described y Matthews
Quite
direct
"decently'
But
Run- bat. think
critical, obviously.
guerillas San no longer
you think of this? artillery
areas of the country
in 74 which there militan as "human which there were
around
have previously cleared
L''ORTH
LIETNAM
sive'
have
not
rights' methods of operation.
what inis means is obscure, but apparently it's lecluring on now to laid a village
and respect the individuals that you find there.
don't think Americans are involved in com-
the US involvement's in tactical advice weaponry and training. But it's
One of the propaganda lines of the Duarte regime is that during its last offensive the
suffered solutely crushing defeat and
very remote areas. What do
There's no question that the guerillas do control substantial
some of them quite near San Salvador.
We visited a stronghold sixty mues.Irom san dalvador Il
were four major .... total of in
1000 guerillas, in an area which the army claimed to
The guerillas' 'final offen-
from talking to guerillas themselves, seems to
been sort temperature-testing operation. It could have succeeded, the guerillas were themselves
adequately trained organised.
The guerillas don't seem to me to be well enough equipped to defeat the army because of the weight of equipment coming in on the other side. neither is it at all likely that they can themselves be defeated.
So it's struggle doing to be long
own feeling is that if things stay as they are it's likely to be a very protracted struggle Duarte himself has very littl power whatever
The junta of which he is president is basically a military machine and entirely dominated by the army and the Minister of Defence, General Garcia. On its fringes it is linked with the right wing death squads.
The junta is at war with the left, and to pretend, as does the US administration that the junta is in the 'middle' between left and right is absurd. Duarte is in a sense just a 'respectabilising' force used as a kind of front for
It's still possible that there could be a right wing coup to get rid of Duarte. If that hap pent for neena might be port to the junta • might removed. But as things stand a the moment it's going to be a protracted struggle.
rights
NEARLY 1,400 supporters
the Workers Party Mexican Fourth International, tended a rally in Mexico City on 5 April to demand that the
jovernmen
'RT ballot rights for th July 1982 federal tions.
Among the crowd . were thẹ WULKCIS. peasants workers who • had throughout the night to attend COT the rally, shanty town dwellers fighting evictions, teachers and university workers, and dozens of activists from the Revolutionary Communist Youth members in 1980 founded
In addition to leaders of the PRT, the rally was addressed by Rosario Ibarra de Piedra. leader of the National against Repression movemen. Ibarra de
became active in the fight human rights in Mexico after the April 1975 police kidnapping and subsequent pearance of her Piedra Ibarra.
Bloc
The PRT has announced that if it wins ballot status it will present Ibarra de Piedra as its candidate for president in 1982. The party has other parties and organisations on the left that they form an electoral bloc in support of her candidacy.
The central focus of such a campaign, the PRT says, would be the campaign to fight repres sion and rights in Mexico.
International with the PRT's
legalisation and ballot rights was voiced miner David
Mexican socialists
fight for ballot
By Fred Murphy
Workers
Revolutionary
(PRT), Hugo Blanco, section of the
gress a at-
Lopez Portillo continued
grant the requirements elec-
enthusiastic striking car and farm travelled
government-ordered
(JCR). Mexico. young PRI perienced
Front (FNCR) farmers,
Piedra first and for resisting land 'disap son Jesus the
The
proposed university
the PRT's
extend democratic
solidarity fight for factory striking from who workers
Socialist Challange
• Party, and the well-known Peruvian revolutionar
who was electer last year to the Peruvian Con
the candidate of his party, also called the PRT
It will be difficult for the Mexican governmich lo jusul.
denial of ballot rights to the PRT. The party has fulfilled the electoral laws
submission 65,000 signatures, activity as a "political association? for well over a year, and representation of a distinct position in the country's political spectrum.
Rising
The PRT is preparing for the 1982 elections al a time when struggles by the workers and peasants are on the rise in
During the first ten months of 1980, the country e›
75 strikes involvin some 150,000 workers, the ma jority in the car, steel, rubb textile, telephone, paper and mining sectors.
In the countryside, small
Indian communities landless the government's over to big capitalist agriculture and thus liquidate
agrarian-reform gains rought for and won during th
Mexican revolution of 1920-2
during the Cardenas presidency of 1934-40
of class struggle was reflected in the presence on the platform of trade union representatives from the Oaxaca meat workers, the Copilillo henquen (sisal)
distribution enterprise.
Messages in solidarity with ballot fight and it support of Rosario Ibarra d Piedra's candidacy were recel ed from the textile workers union at the Textlamex factory; from the workers at the Datsun
at the Goodyear
From Intercontinental Press
14 May 1881
Page 10 scan of this page
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By Davy Jones POLAND hits the headlines less often these days. You may have heard about the granting to Solidarity of its own TV and radio programmes, and the developing crisis within Communist Party.
Less within Solidarity following the calling off of the proposed general strike at the March. The debate has centred round demo-. cracy within the union and the role of the national leaders of the union movement.
letter sent by member of Solidarity's national committee to Lech Walesa. In future issues of Socialist Challenge we hope to publish other contribu tions to the debates within Solidarity.
I'M writing this open letter to you to raise some of the most I voltell ISSUC stake in Solidarity. The Founding Committee for Free Trade Unions on the Baltic Coast was SCi up three ycals ago on 30 April:
l'd observed the methods and arbitrary decisions of the government. and the weakness of the workers. The source of the probiem was demon. strated by the degrading and paralysing fear which grippea society
The aims of the free trade unions, of which we were both were to break this grip to gain and defend the right to develo our ideas freely and to organise ourselves to realise these aims.
Truth
Their realisation demanded collaboration between the intelligentsia and the workers. The formation of KOR (Workers'
Defence Committee) ended the period of isolation during which divided protests students 1968 and workers in 1970 - were doomed to fail. saw our chief respon- for KOR we saw our sibility as defending every single person repression. It was the fundamental point work. i've alwavs been for
elling people the truth
There were manv rea differences between 'Anna Walentynowicz was a believer, whereas Bogdan Lis wasn't and he was in the Communist Party, and Bogdan Boruszewicz was in KOR.
Promised
We talked with everyone. We never promised people too much. We told
they'd achieve that which they fought for. 4 Moreover
we told them that no one can give you democracv• it les in ine hands of the people Perhaps hat's why th people believed us.
Polish militant:
the
well-known is the massive debate
end of
This week we publish extracts of an open Andrzej Gwiadza, a leading
They believed us in the August strike and that led
to the foundation of
Solidarity distant
seems the handing out of leaflets to the working out statutes, finances, norms, negotiations with the -government...
Democracy
It's clear that Solidarity, encompassing many of the aims and values of the Free irade Unions, gives us a historic opportunity.
But it also symbolises a movement for moral revolution, which has become the precondition for any possible social change.
Every shadow cast over
unions painful blow for every Pole.
Internal democracy is a necessity for our union.
infringe ments, internal obstacles Curlstalll value. asie pressures leads one to conclude that throughout the whole there emerging a tendency which has abandoned our democratic aims.
If the union fights with methods imposed by Its fulltimers then it is bound to lose. My responsibility is to speak out about this, given that my name, alongside yours Lech, Anna Walentynowicz's and semeral for hose became a symbol for who fought free trade union during the August strikes
How the general strike was called off
ON 19 March the military ejected Solidarity militants from a vinicipal
building in Bydgoszcz,
dozens of people
general strike from 31 March unless those
responsible for the Bydgoszcz attack were
punished and other
were met. On 27 March a four hour warning
strike took place.
tracted negotiations with the
Gwiazda and Walesa postponed the strike
International
is a necessity for
Workers at the Lenin shipyards in Gdansk
This was an accident.
Our rights aren't 8 cale than anyone else's, but our responsibilities are. our fault that people's tor" a symbol been transformed into the right to contravene demo. cratic union rules by mak. ing unilateral decisions.
Let's explain clearly.
The memorandum of 31 March calling for a pos!ponement of the strike in practice called it off. Wise Without resurrecting the whole issue, was this a wise decision to take given that we were in no way em. powered to make such a decision? When the negotiations with the government dragged on we violently
seriously injuring The national commission 23/24 March threatened a
demands of Solidarity
On 30 March after pro-
government
our union'
LADZOM POLSKIM should have convened the union's national commitLCC. Broken
I'm partially responsible for that decision. I was unable to stop
allautu cratic decision being taken without due consultation WILl proper union body. If we look honestly
the
events we're responsible Lech, then we must admit tha the democracy of the union was broken
I know that we could unearth a thousand and one reasons for why it happened. But I also know that internal union demo. cracy Is vital. Its guarante is complete honesty and an unfettered flow of information
Its grave is suppression of criticism and censure of materia written for inter. nal circulation Every union member should ex ercise their right to make criticisms and equally abide by the union's decisions. Union discipline reCUll C allowing cyclolic the right to give their opi nion on the issues at stake.
Criticisms
This is the difference between ourselves and totalitarian organisations.
I state that criticisms of
PRZEKAZANIE TERENOW
the chairperson or vicechairperson of the union's nanonal committee normal occurrence. Otherwise the union is run autocratically and the whole
of deciding. on statutes loses any meaning Influence
Certain individuals have a decisive influence but, because they aren' controlled or limited b responsibilities they aren averse to manipulating the situation. We must say this
does tending a lind
alley disregard lucals we ve been nignling for.
As the vice-chair person OT the national committee I feel responsible. This is why I tendered my resignation on 1 April. It wasn't an act of desertion, but was made under the influence . of the national committee's deci sions.
['ll continue to fulfil my functions as long as the NC recognises this to be legitimate
I'll stand down when
whose Value union helped to found, are betrayed. I await the. same declaration from you Lech.
Andrzej Gwiazda
Page 11 scan of this page
Lowdown
By Bob Pennington
THE campaign to discredit
the forces of law and order
goes on and on.
iberals in Southall are com-
plaining that demonstrators
were knocked
the picket of a National Front
meeting that did not happen.
When the picket finished the ome, but suddenly other police ar- demonstrators started to
and arrested
demonstrators. This is what has got
the liberals all upset.
They do not realise that our
brave police have to face violence
every day. When Or the office, the cops have
factory
to walk into a police station and se
some suspect being kicked around
the cells.
There is no way you can breed a
race of 'hards' unless coppers are
to get stuck
Southall the police had to do their
Disarming the world
IT'S encouraging to read that brian Hero has now
way, December 1980 of probabie attempts to substitute the World Disarmament programme for CND's
lemands for unilateralism (23 April),
Yet it still seems to me (unintentionally, I'm sure) the World Disarmament Campaign's 'only policy plank - generar ano complete disarmament of the whole world, conventional weapons as well as nuclear weapons He fails to eive a short direct quotation from the final document of the UN special session on disarmament of 1978.
Line ontish tive joined 148 other national representatives committing their government help 'mobilise world public opinion for meaningful disarmament and for world disarmament by agreed stages.
Do Brian Heron and comrades seriously imagine that they are in a position persuade greater number of people to oppose Cruise missiles than the number that W.DC aims to reach by its political and military consciousness-raising in UN associations, local peace callyaltis and Illalsy church congregations throughout the world?
In Japan, for example,
Don't cut off dole money
IF civil servants are to defeat the Tortes they must mobilise the active support of the rest of the working class, employed and unemployed.
Militants in the civil service unions should therefore advance a line which unites the whole working class in a struggle for a general strike to kick out the Tories.
Socialist Challenge has argued for all-out strike action in the dispute, cluding by those running the computers which pay out unemployment supplementary DOUCHE This would cut across such Hilty.
The non-payment
OT benefit would cut across such unity.
Hon over benetit would create PIEC group of desperate virtually penniless unem-
people and their
Now the
around after
the the cops have
In Met Pol Commissioner Mcleo
25 million trade unionists have apparently signed the WDC petition.
Of course, it is wrong to approach all conflicts with a simplistic bleating for peace, and the machine guns and hand grenades of Third World Liberation fighters likely to be the final items on any disarmament list.
But Heron seems unaware that the West may well be planning to initiate a pre-pre-emptive 'limited' nuclear war on the USSR. In this nightmare Heron considers blind alle y' to mobilise a
demand for disarmament by hundreds of millions so
nsistently that no ma по
withstand it'
To mobilise public opinion against internationai nuclear and conventional DICTION ATTORE ORDAI 'worse than useless strategy'.
It is aimed at neutralising that fatalism which is part of the poison of Tory hawkishness', and at creating an alternative ideology which will be essential to achieve the first stages of unilateralist strategy by Britain (and, we hope, by other coun-
process of unilateralist emulation) -unilateral nuclear disarmament and unilateral abandonment of NATO and the EEC.
F H PORTER, Oxford
dependents who would be dangerously anti-strike and to some extent anti-union da. They would hardly be likely to join in solidarity actions.
There are already divisions between the unem ployed and Department of Health and Social Security workers, because the
tionary rules against claimants without much apparent opposition from the DHSS unions.
Hitting the unemployed is not the wav to win the strike, Socialist Challenge seems to have forgotten that revolutionary social-
to fight for the champion tilt demands Any other strate of all the pressed. gy leads to defeat.
SANDY McBURNEY, Castlemilk Claimants' Union, Glasgow
By Kathryn Hobson
In the interests of the nation
And to beat inflation
You must accept our explanation
Of the economic situation.
It's the fault of unionisation,
Disputes of demarcation,
And wage negotiation.
So give up the expectation
Of an and to exploitation
And regard your degradation
As a sort of expiation
Ideas above your station!
We have a strong detestation
Of political excitation
And democratic protestation
We view with consternation
Left-wing Parliamentary infiltration
And workers agitation.
So just accept with resignation
That our aim is conservation
Of capital concentration.
With industrial modernisation
And manpower rationalisation
We'll continue wealth creation
And profit accumulation.
We'll reduce the population
By preventing immigration.
Perhaps introduce repatriation.
Then with arms proliferation
And nuclear escalation
We'll provoke a confrontation
Which could end in radiation!
And this process of alienation
Is called simply -ty's legal action, dividuals ana sect. The list, however, omitted one name -Lawless.
journalist, Gery
for the first IRA firebombings in London.
statement aoout now ne came to vorain the statemen
them.
WRP newspaper,
Just doing our job, guv
training. If the pickets don't get stroppy, the police have no alternative but to beat them up and arrest them. Our police have to practice at doing their job. Inquest Provoking the police on picket line is bad enough, but calling them liars in court is another thing At the inquest on the Deptford fire, Withdrew thestatements they made young black
were interviewed by the police. conveniently put all the blame fo he deaths on black people Delroy Saunders told the inquest that Detective Sergeant Cork him that he 'would break his neck if he did not make a statement' and
Conservative Manifesto
For the sin of wanting more participation;
In the form of peaceful demonstration.
Thatcheration. Of police informers and their inventors YOUR paper is right to defend Socialist Organiser and Socialist Press against the Workers Revolutionary Par-
and to publish the long list of inorganisations slandered by this vicious that of Gery
In the summer of 1972, in the course of his work as a
was given a statement which claimed responsibility on behalf of a Provisional group in Britain
He publicised this, and on legal advice went to the police to make a
At this time the Provos in Ireland were reluctant to admit that they had a group operating in London, and the exact origins of the statement were not verified by
Using this, and building on it a tower of lies, the Workers Press, slandered Lawless and over a period of some months accused him of being a police informer and of inventing the statement to witch-
Wayne Downer said he had been told: "You're not going to come out of this station until you tell us what we want to know.
Why these about this I will never know. If they said what the police told them to say, then for the deaths in the fire.
the the wrong
would make oure crimes do records. If it could be witnesses black people started the
those white racists who probably did throw the fire bomb could be left to go free and unharassed so that one day they and work a beat in South London. Another slanderous attack has told been made against our coppers, this
time
Letter letters ries
Tory wet St. John-Stevas in 1950 (top and Geoffrey Howe in 1945
hunt Republicans in Britain.
events Lawless's story not only
the WRP.
skill with which lie
opener. these skills were
against Joseph Hansen and
American Socialist Workers Party.
It is important that the
example of the techniques which they use.
BOB PURDIE,
Belfast
pons Have vestigate this
people complain
someone coud be blamed clusions Okay, maybe it would have been people, but at least it that unsolved not litter up the polic proved' tha what he saw. fire then public
can join the police force although
and in the Finsbury Park area north possible'.
Gery was 'at this time a member of the International Marxist Group and the campaign was also used to try to discredit that organisation. In the light of subsequent
seems credible but reasonable; but of course there has been no retraction by
A feature of the campaign against Lawless was the
distortion and half-truth were woven more sully unisea George Novak of the
working class movement recognises the ruthlessness with which this organisation pursues its slanders, and the Lawless case is an important
VOll black knocked down on a crossing on th night of 18 April. The professional protesters are complaining that the
done • HOLLE
low do the police know she wa
‹nocked down? The fact tha she has two broken legs, , a broken hip, head and face injuries and was lying in the road when the ambulance took her to hospital proves nothing. The police can't jump to hasty con-
Her friend Patrick Pond told the police that a parked car with two white men inside suddenly speeded up and drove right at them when they were on the crossing. But that is only
You cannot spend investigating eye witness evidence like that.
That is why the police have done nothing yet to pursue the matter an
Rhoda • is willing to give evidence inev nave not called ans witnesses. To reassure an over-hasty
rather excitable public, Scotland Yard says it will 'act as soon as
No
disruption
• by the swP
BRIEF comment on Alasdair Beal's letter (30 April). In talking about the CND • Labour Move. ment Conference in March he wrote: "Many delegates were furious at the Socialist Workers' Party threat to disrupt the proceedings if it didn't get its way.? He-also implied tha the discussion of resolutions at the conference was a waste of time.
There was no SWP threat to disrupt the conterence members
conference there to
tion to the debate. The motions
ference by union and endorsed
time which
strategy CND was
again, the from Lee Jeans, the conference organisers out of
the of the delegates.
which on building could only brief
resolutions were con.
PETE CANNELL, Lonon W9 OUT NOW!
Tony Benn for Deput badge. Fastest sellin in • The anem get yours from Research Group, c/o PO N1 20р CACT 11½р postage) - bulk rates available.
Socialist Challenge 14 May 1991. Page"
Page 12 scan of this page
INTERNATIONAL
DAY OE ACTION
CONWAY O MAY
RED
LONDON WCL
Women will decide... the world over By Tessa van Gelderen WOMEN in Britain do not have the right to choose whether to continue a pregnancy. But the defeat of the anti-abortion Corrie Bill last year was a tremendous boost to carry that campaign forward, here and in other countries.
Throughout the world women are continuing the fight to defend their gains and 3LO- oppose anti-abortion laws.
The National Abortion Campaign has planned a day discussion and entertainment on 16 May
day of action 'in solidarity with around the world fighting for the right
control their own tility.
Just a glance at the situation in a number of countries shows that this fight still has a long way to go.
In the United States a 'Human Life' Bill is being tabled in Congress which states that life begins at the moment of conception,
Thus all abortion and many forms of contracep tion which work after conception - for example the coil - would be defined as murder.
A Congressional committee set up gather testimony from doctors and scientists on when human life begins was disrupted Not the mass women's groups; part support is growing against the Bill.
In Ireland all family planning and counselling clinics are required to obtain licence under the 1980 Family Planning Act.
The Well-Woman
linic and the pregnanc Counselling Centre in Dublin, which refer ocialist Challenge 14 May 1981 Page 12
1981
HALL
LION SQUARE
Britain for abortions, have been inwmdalca by me ponce abor on the an oval oba abortions committee of at least three dociors Most women who do not live near a big city find it very difficult to get an abortion.
In Holland the restrictive abortion bill was passed on 28 April by a majoriof just one vote. ed on 28 April by a majority of just one vote. ai Dutche Women abortion campaign -Demand - is determined that the new law will not affect the practice of abortion in Holland.
The Internatonal, Dav
woman for sorten and
struggles
forced sterilisation.
1.30 Speakers BriLaul, irelana, Holland
all Saber a singer from Spain, plus sketches eakers on the USA
and abuses in SWAPO) and members ou on tne position or women
5.00 Blood of the Condar ilm about the US Peace Corps attempt to sterilise 'Bolivian Indian women. 6.30 African dinner, £1.50 plus cabaret 7.30 International MUSIC theatre and dance.
Socialist Challenge and Revolution
Conference
The fight for socialist
policies in industry
27-28 June Entry by ticket only, from: PO Box 50, London N1 4;
•We shall not
be moved
LEE JEANS workers, the large majority of them women, have now been occupying their factory in Greenock, since 5 February. Support for the occupation continues to grow.
Representatives from Scottish trade unions attended a rally at the factory on 30 April, the official closure date.
Strike action has been miners' union in Scotland. At the Fire Brigades Union conference next week made to stop all fire cover for VF properties, the owners of Lee Jeans. union - National Union of Tailor and Garment Workers - is playing a disgraceful role. At its annual conference a fortnight ago, no proposals were made for escalating the struggle.
Instead the delegates astounded to hear their leadership workers themselves for frightening off potential buyers for the factory by their militant stand.
says: 'This is blame for the situation here on to the workforce. If we hadn't taken the action we did we'd all be out the coor by now chance of saving the jobs. loss of 100,000 jobs in the past ten years. It has a 'sweetheart' agreement with the factory owners to push the blame for this situation on to foreign workers.
employers, is to demand the introduction of import controls. The occupation at Greenock is an embarrassment, and it wants to prevent other sit ins.
Up to now the Lee refrained from calling for a boycott of Lee Jeans in shops and at the ports. Without the full support of their union leadership, they will have to appeal to rank and file dock workers and trans. port workers to support them in this.
Leos' products.
sent to the Troasurer, Lee Jeans shop stewards committee, land.
Cathy Robertson, from Lee
People's March in Stockport
near Glasgow,
most of the major
promised by the
moves will
However, the leadership of the workers' own
from Lee Jeans were …olame the
Ellen Monaghan, the senior steward at Lees,
just another way of putting the
and there would be no
The NUTGW leadership has presided over the
Its main campaign, hand in hand with the
Jeans workers have
As well as financial support and messages,
should call for their union to boycott
Messages of support and donations can bo
45 Brougham St, Greenock, Scot Jeans, speaking to the
By Tessa van Gelderen
occupation.
tacks on the weekend.
Last week started with a visit to Jacobi and Bratt, a garment manufacturer. Cathy Nicoll and Mary Harley, who had come Cowl from them occupa. tion in Greenock, near Glasgow, spoke to womer on the shop floor.
of the same union, the National Union of Tailor and Garment Workers, the women were sympathetic to the struggle of Lee Jeans workers.
There was a discussion how the occupation could be won, and a collection was taken
Buses
Weary sony the trail in
and Southan and trail in
wegI areich maintains Chiswick Works, London Transport buses was the first stopping off point.
The response of the shop stewards there and in Action Works next doo was to be repeated throughout the day: news of the occupation had reached. the south which was now beginning to face recuncancies on the sam! scale as the rest of the
The message from Lee Jeans:
Occupy to
Workplaces in the London area where they found toured lots of support - and they were the star attraction at the Festival for Women's Rights Against Tory At
What the women Lee Jeans were doing was seen to be the only way to fightback They had to be given full support from trade umolists. Touch
Everywhere we went, stewards and convenors
other workplaces. At all the factories money was forthcoming from shop stewards committees and
handed over with promises. of more cash to follow.
Shop stewards and convenors were meeting us straight out of meetings with management redundancies.
John Inwood, convenor of Trico, where the workers had won an equal pay dispute after a bitterly. fought strike in 1975, sum
the tha was prevalent as we toured around: 'We've accepted
but we've told management that any more and we te it dispute. So we're grateful for what you're doing in Greenock. South
"The rate of redundancies is higher in the south now than anywhere else because there is no one left to make redundant. People are beginning to realise there's no jobs down here.
After visits to EMI, Fords Langley (where management threw us off the site) and Fidelity, the day ended witn £100 donation from a Post Office Engineering Union branch - London North Central Internal and £40 from Ealing Trades Council Site
A visit on Thursday to a Kyle Stewart building site at County Hall was not So successful the workers there were on half-day strike in memory of Bobby Sands!
Friday began with breakfast on the Thames
site. Cathy Mary spoke at a stewards meeting and were told that Lee Jeans workers were the only ones fighting unemployment. Gate
The stewards collected £50 among themselves and
gate collection from 1,400 workers on site thi Thursday. Mary and Cathy also met women stop stewards who ‹ work in the oanteen at Thames Barrier.
Then it was Hackney in East London to meet
he w
all oti a
(Socialist Challenge)
Lee Jeans workers
Mary Harley and
Cathy Nicoll with
Trico convenor Johi
Inwood, who told
them: 'We've
accepted redundan
cies but now we ve
convenor of British Ox ygen. He pledged firma support and pointed ¡ that it was crucial to g tion to stop the mover of goods. through docks and so on.
His union, transport workers, play a vital part in this
BOC workers are ing threats to their
told Mary Cathy that they shou down to Edinburgh which was one of threatened BOC de and tell them to follow example of Lee Jeans sit in.
Page 13 scan of this page
ade by whi
e judged
told management that any more and we're in dispute. So we're grateful for what you're doing in Greenock.'
Right: in the Lee Jeans occupation.
It had been CXhausting week for the two lee Jeans women but they considered that the tour, which oraliscu Socialist Challenge, had
very successful.
Everywhere tney visited, workplaces were
for when the People's March for Jobs hits London.
Mary and Cathy want to be part of the Lee Jeans delegation that will lead the march on the last leg of its Lee Jeans workers will be heading that march because they lead the way in the fight for jobs.
save jobs
2,500 say:
By Terry Matthews
Rights Against Tory received the
Lee Jeans to save their jobs
The rally at the end of thale of what had ran a the day was the festival and celebration of women struggling for their rights on every level.
Workshops on organi-
in the trade unions
racism and imperialism; cuts in the welfare state;
violence against women; on sex roles and sexuality, took place alongside exhibitions, stalls, theatre and music.
WaN hectic and
national fosival fr wome
and tag dada
The fight for jobs was one of the most important issues raised at the Festival for Women's
Attacks. Cathy Nicol longest and loudest applause when she spoke of the fight of the workers at
crowded at times ÷ 2,500 people attended the festi val, the vast majority and there was almost too much to take in.
The need for women to fightback against Tory attacks which particularly affect women, was tne dominant lenie As Judy Watson, one of the Festival's organisers, told the rally, women were now 40 per • cent of the workforce but their wages were only 72 per
WANTED
POR
BETRATAL OF REL SEZ IN BERALT OF HER CLASS
VOMANS RIGHT TO 1*
A WOMONS RIGHT TO.
A WOMANS RICHITO CHOOSE
Women must fight the Tories
cent of men's.
The fight for women's damental are the 'is fundamental fight against sexual divisions in SOCICLy.
'Some реорк might
accuse us of wanting job for women at the expense of men, but the fight for women's jobs is a vital part of the general fight against unemployment.
The rally ended with a call for the TUC and the Labour Party to organise a demonstration for woman's right to work.
The festival was an experience not to be missed It showed what women or ganised together could achieve; that our strength lies in such organisation, and taking that into the labour movement
political sto
On display at the Festival for Women's Rights Against Tory Attacks on the weekend
whole. gave many women an understanding that oui own concerns are not isorated trom the fightback against the Tories and the attacks on women whose choice to work, to have children and so or are gradually being eroded. best be sun ted i che Perhaps the day words of Elsie Broad, one of the strikers from Royal Pride in Salford, who has been on strike for elever weeks for union recogni-
'When I went on the Peele m for Royal Price ' she said 'I went on for and I didn't think about women's rights But now I'm definitely there fighting for women's rights.
WOMEN PRISONERS
IN
ARMAGH
NOW
Socialist Challenge 14 May 1961 Pago
Page 14 scan of this page
CND - The government should han the bomb not the march'
My Toni Gorton
isarmament are continuing
aposed by Strathclyde police.
Fifty thousand people on
march will be loud eclaration to Thatcher and her
ag that their attempts to get olitical protest off the streets
n't be tolerated.
In London CND announc-
on 5 May that it is taking acon in the High Court arguing
the current blanket ban on
arches in London is illegal.
CND point out that in the
two Cavel CND
rches had been caught by
in London,
ds and Strathclyde. We appreciate the problem
lich faces the says
Kent, Bur we thinke nerey
being unreasonable in ask-
for the banning of all mar-
es instead of those which
ally are provocative and like-
to cause violence.
'CND marches are peace-
' he adds. we depend On
rches to bring to the atten-
of the public, the media parliament, the growing oncern about, massing of
dear weapons.
= We'think the government
ould ban the bomb - not the
Harriet Harman, legal of
of the National Council or Civil Liberties, who will be cting as CND's solicitor, says:
yet published
By Tony Goss THIS noble attempt at revita-
sing Shelley among the 'left' is he result of Paul Foot's preoccupation with the
poet for the last few yodis
Foot admits to his feelings cowards the subject in his in-
oduction, and the impression that he is totally immersed in
he topic pervades the whole of Red Shelley.
In direct contradiction to all that our enlightened eductional establishments would have us believe, Conclus that Shelley was far from being in romantic. in fact he was
evolutionary, pre-socialist (although quick
ake the distinction between what he describes as "levellism'
and socialism). The distinction → Iccessal y.
Shelley lived through almost the exact period covered
a EP Thompson's marvellous English Working Class, the era Making of Industrial Revolution wich brougat capitalsin tho the world. Atheist
He could therefore, have been a scientific socialist and his life-long contradictory views on reform versus revolution reflect this historical contest.
Nevertheless, Foot's evidence to refute the standard view
calist is strong, based as it is
Lic puce s owll work
COTTISH organisers of the Campaign for Nuclear
to build support for heir annual march from the Polaris submarine base * Faslane to Glasgow despite the three-month ban
'The Public . Order Act enacted to deal order problems, yet being usca to promon cuurciy peaceful marches.
"The police and the Home Secretary have the power ban just those marches which cause serious public disorder and leave peaceful marchers free.
'The Home Secretary has now stated that he accepts that the Public Order Act selective and limited bans.
Never before been such a High Court action. It is based on the London ban but will have implications for Scotland as well. Streets
Patricia Hewitt, that between 1950 and bans had been used nine times, while already in 1981, bans had been imposed periods of up to three months.
"There is a growing feeling among politicians that should be restricted ballot box and writing letters to MPs and the newspapers', she.
said eND wouldn't be able to
function unless it was able to go
the streets with message.
"The goverment is seeking
The best work on Shelley
Foot is at pains to show that
Shelley was an
which crime he
from Oxford), a republican and
a feminist. In all three he was
consistent - to the extent that
all. most
characters are women atheists
who fought church, state and
monarch.
He also attempts to explain
Shelley's contradictory
on reform and revolution. It is
here, perhaps, that we find the
book's greatest failing
sonal esteem for Shelley,
Foot tries to prove that there
was no real contradiction.
Lacking
Shelley either
for the sake of being published.
or was so ostracised by society
that a tendency towards refor-
mism was bound to occur. This
is a very simplistic explanation
and one is left
something is lacking.
The book is best when Foot
is either using Shelley's own
words to confound those who
would claim him as a 'roman-
tic', or, as in the last section, he
looking the
Shelley's work on the șocialis
movement since his death
Red Shelley is probably the
best book on Shelley
published. • For anvone who
wishes to gain some
stallul the DOwer
literature in building towards:
socialism this is essential
was
public bans are
allows
there
showed
1980
eight
politics wider
the political activity and it believes that public reaction will be dulled by a succession of bans.
This is a major case, we intend to defend and restore the its right •of assembly delighted to represent CND in this case. atheist (for was expelled
revolutionary
ideas
his
Paul
kow-towed
feeling that
effect of
reading foot
yet As put it: under- poetry can inspire (hundreds of • of thousands of and talk with a new energy: a confidence and a
London May Day march 1981 - will police lot it happen in '82
contról An
become null and void.
Young CND
and we're Bomb'
Under Review
'If that Shelley people to write Sidgwick
new
application for a hearing in the High Court will be made this week, and if the hearing is granted then all bans will
The focus of the case is the "the
against mạrch which has been caught twice by the bans planned for 17 May in London.
becoming pose the
Without
life the
life
splendour, then there is no tell-
ing what might happen.
by Paul • Fool and Jackson, £5.95. she loves.
328 Upper St, London NI.
they
Bruce Kent points out how frustrated people were becoming with printing leaflets, booking coaches and trains and having to cancel again and again.
expense especially for people who don't have much money anyway.
Asked whether CND would
TESS - the whore
andthe wife
By Judith Arkwright
TESS is a film worth seeing despite the romantic and
sensationalist trailers.
Thomas Hardy's novel is true to the spirit of the book
even if overglamorised and slick.
It portrays a young woman
living in a farming community
in the 1880s. This was a time
when agriculture was rapidly
mechanised and
taken into the hands of a few
wealthy landlords, often with
devastating effects on the com-
The tragedy of Tess is that
she comes from the old world
but she is part of the new, and
Hardy uses her situation to ex-
hypocrisy and har-
shness of the new society
Hardy romanticising was socialist. rural
life he was critical of the effects
of industrialisation on human
and the money-centred
values of the new capitalism.
Harshness
is uprooted and has to camp in URUS SLOY Tess's family
Her father dies of
arink aue to tne marsuncs. of
and the machinery in
troduced into the farms is so
noisy that the workers can't
speak to one another.
Tess faces a choice between
Alec D'Urberville, who offers
her money and material com-
fort in exchange for sexual ser
vices, and Angel Clare, whom
When Tess marries Angel
she admits to her previous rela-
defy the ban'he said that CND was not willing to consider il legal action until after the case was won or lost in the courts.?
Despite this cautious and possibly disastrous approach
ng TUc that could Bring out
TUC that could bring out sessfully defy the bans on the sufficient numbers Selective
The NCCL and CND are not challenging the use of selective bans; they do not say for instance that each provocative action by the National Front could I be prosecuted under the Race Relations Act. Certainly
don't call for the labou and black movements to confront the NF on the streets.
Can anyone believe that Thatcher will ban the activities of the right-wing while defending the rights of movements like CND who are opposed to a central plank of her platform!
The fact that one of the earliest selective bans in 196 was against the Committee of 100 Is an indication of whom blanket, are used agrens. whether selective or
We must continue to argu against all bans and to build fo a realy big Scotland on 6-7 June
ASY movemen
arrent demonstrate by contributing to the
the High Court Ac Send CND Appea Goodwin Street, London N4 Polanski's film version
tionship. Angel declares that she is not the innocent girl he married and abandons her:
The two men in the film illuminate the two roles that women are obliged to play on the one hand the whore, and on the other the innocent wife whose sexual services are for the exclusive use of the husband The conflict between
them tears Tess apar
Like a lot of women. she blames herself and her destiny I was born bad. * nave liver bad and I shall die bad.
Rebellion
Her fatalism was part of the old way of life, but in the new world there sense of an all-pervading power
that machine. money, which individuals can neither fight nor avoid.
Capitalism was there to stay everyone was • torceo IC adapt.
alongside Tess's fatalism and passivity are the sparks of rebellion against her treatment by men.
Hardy's writing caused great scandal in its day. Tess of the D'Urbevilles was labelled as
'disagreeable ridiculous and affected', but it was a tragic ex posure of the new capitalis values and the institution marriage.
Page 15 scan of this page
Repression grows in lurkey
'WE have been tortured for the past three months,' said one 20-year-old defendant as
trial of militants opened bakir, Turkey on 13 April.
Washington Post repondent, Metin, reported that he barely able to stand'.
The Turkish military prosecutors are demanding death sentences for 7 of the 447 defendants who are ac
аппеха south-east region of Turkey, where at least 8m Kurds live.
The chances of their beina found not guilty can be gauged by the conviction last minister of public works Serahittin Elci, who was sentenced to 2¼ years
Pergamon strikers need
print backing
By Carol Russell, Pergamon striker
to the strike by journalists at Pergamon Press, which is now in its 11th week.
This might not seem ex-
Party in hat resembles industrial ac
industrial
CAccutives Is Nooc Max well, and boss of Pergamon.
self-proclaimed socialist, whose made fom profit Maxwell precipitated strike by refusing to Wlakc acchient wita me Nur to the past three years, and then
are officially supported by their workers is vital to the sucrest Support from of our is an uphill battle to secure it.
IVUA WICHCTS
Leyland
workers
resist
speed ups
By Geoff Morris LAST Thursday 1600 workers at the giant BL Longbridge plant voted decisively to take strike action, despite calls from the plant convenor Jack Adams to go back to work.
The dispute arose from the increased levels of produclion the Mini Metro demanded the track speed went up from
an nour dr lic beginning of last • Week.
minor additions to the labour on the tracks.
The unions took a weak«need noshion from ine start. even agreeing to lift an overtime ban in addition 1o the in-
• was e once or two sets of workers for taking 10o long lo complete the extra work that led to the vote for
nowever. problems the union's eadership remains.
The fact that the strike 100k place despite the call t0 WOrK the ToIn ShOr stewards works committee in-
workforce at evand and their to lake action defend their condi tions of work,
This is what union leaders and mutants hut cine onlo revive penel fr the ability of the unions to win
• concessions from
Kurdish the
ocalator in Diyar- talente
cor- East and West. Munir, The •Kurdish nation 'appeared of Turkey,
Wing the fiercest ever Tne nilitary coup last Septembe
been suppressed by
another trial OXFORD Labour Party has given its support ' holding or chapef meet the strike forced the
•SCuss Making bovcolt achon
but strikers were excluded
from which
voted against the action.
We_have visited print-
workers in Fleet DUICCI and
•oll
the NGA leaders • who have
sanctioning meaningful
backing
The journalists' union is
the NGA
tivists in the two unions need
essential ingredient
fighting union, otherwise the
La marriage or bureau-
Calics.
Fights Benn instead of the bosses
SIDNEY Weighell,
general secretary of
the National Union of
Railwaymen, is at-
tracting lot of
media attention for
his campaign against
Tony Benn's bid to
become deputy
leader of the Labour
Party.
But many NUR members
wish that instead of devoting
imprisonment for 'secessionism' on the basis of such statements as 1am
are Kurds in Turk
Kurds make up about one-fifth of whether
of. their national and the democate rous his been too toro ignored by the governments of both
comprises Syria USSR establishment seriously disrupts the balance or power i me vare cast
The Turkish working class is fac- southern
attack on its alliance.
Since the Instaonity & ju region. depenaent trde, union activity nas
the junta, and there are 60.000 political prisoners 80-page
repression • the entire leaderunion
teachers
tion. They controlled borough Dagenham.
The six are NUT members 'Priory: Coll prehensive SCHOOL Since 27
casses previously cano let without ben grapher: taught another teacher They are supported by the NUT's national action com. mittee. employers' has been to treat the matter as disciplinary Casc asallisi 'disobedient' teachers The case has serious local
Locally, council is also L sala teachers. ' ne union is prenar ing to respond with strike action Nationally the 'Dagenhan 6 are the focus for a crucia
fend its own members. The
.U
N
DEFEND OUR PUBLIC SERVICES
NUR leaderon wrong track
This energy to acting mouthpiece for Labour's right wing, Weighell would his efforts cuticuliar pressing WOES wage claim.
The for *subsiantial increase' ever that means. British Rail as orterco i ser len.
London Transport 6 per cent.
Instead of mobilising i offers ties this insuiting. offers, leadership has agreed that it • should so lo aromallon.
News
federation DISK.
This week the Council of Europ in Strasbur Turkey vill debat membership. The c to
• coln is umger neel solved paint to hil
But that doesn't mean expulsion i seizing
As a statement on the sale of fighter planes to Turkey
Atlantic particularly with TER:
Britain, the Turkey Solidarity producer
Turkey, and will provide informatior and soeakers It can be contacted at BM Box 5965, London WC1N. Labour council suspends
SIX teachers are threatened with suspension from their jobs for taking official union acare employed by the Labour-
of Barking and
employers cannot be allowed to dictate union strategy on
NUT pend Lables committee I will back a strike ! the
has called for a mass lobby of the governors meeling al o.4spm nex Tuesday.
Message of support to: Ken Secretary Barking NUT, Barking Ab samaringhan Rd Bs kit condemea Essex Messages tion to: Clir S Cole, Chair Education Town Hall, Barking, Essex South Wales workers celebrate
May Day
By Helen Slyomovics, Cardiff North Constituency Labour Party THE TRADITIONAL cele bration May Day workers was combined with another tradition in South
Payer, form pretent d
ment. Will
Union of Miners and Emlyn Walls dent were among the speaker on 'Unemployment in Wale in the thirties and eighties', Maerdy meeting or the NuM lodge and Llafur, the society for the study of Welsh history.
Banner
Will Paynter urged sup port for the People: March Jobs. whil Emlyr Williams said that the miners strike of last had the potential of develop Ing into a general strike to kack our iner ories her ared hm vr. 'we wil fight over closures and take to see that thi government never returns. . To reinforce the miners' determination to fight Ivor England of Maerdy presented a new lodge banner to replace ine one acstroyca li scuffles with the police during picket of Margaret Thatcher's visit to Swansea in July yoU.
• Ankara an
LEBANON
• Damascus
JORDAN BOC
workers
fight
closures THREATENED with job losses and closures, British Oxygen workers are working to rule. Forty deports unanimously voted last week to take this action.
The north, east, and west regions are already implemen-
Soul ong Hackney, Letchworth and Southamp
working 1o rule
denots are refusing to sunli corses o nose areas notsun porting the industrial action
ed by sending home all those who work at the plants in
Southampand BRAYON Polmadie Scotland
issue are threatened and Cardiff. Rumours that other plants may be shut down.
The fight against redundancies comes at a time when BOC workers are putting in a claim for a minimum £25 week Wust micreuse They are cemantine longe nonaays better shift allowance, and a reduction in the working week
UNEMPLOYMENT
A 35 HOUR WEEK
NOW!
20р UNEMPLOYMENT: a 35 hour week now! New Socialist Challenge pamphlet by Pat Hickey. Only 20р. Order from Birming ham's Other Bookshop, 137 Digbeth, Birmingham B5 6DR.
TURKEY
SYRIA
Baghdad •
IRAQ
ARABIA
Regions inhabited by the Kurdish Nation
IS
Badge 1
Black/white/red
of
each Dlus 11 /2D DOS.
Many combination
combinations can be negotiated.
weeks if order is 1000 or more.
Name .
Address
Organisation (if any)
Badge 1: Quantity Badge 2: problems. Her husband, from his job, unemployment pay..
This job.
U.S.S.R
Tehran •
AN out le for
STOP * CRUISE MISSILES Badge 2 Black/white
Have you ordered your badges to greet the People's March
• individual badges (fewer than 20) cost 20p
• bulk orders (over 20) cost 14p each, post free
• orders over 1000 special rates and colour
Cheque/postal order to be sent with order. Made
oavable to Hackney book urolo cor Box gi
London N1 2XP. Allow 10 days for delivery or 3
Quantity....
Total.... Payment enclosed ..... No dole money for Anwar Ditta's family THERE IS no sign of any end to Anwar's
Shuja, sacked is not receiving any
His ex-employer claims that in going to Pakistan for the children he resigner
Shuja insists that he requested unpaid leave for four weeks. The DHSS has chosen to accept the employer's word. Support messages and donations can be sent to Anwar Ditta Defencę Committee at 127 Crawfora St, Rochdale Lancs. Or ring Rochdale 39832
Page 16 scan of this page
MITTERAND PRESIDENT!
Socialist
By Peter Perkins
Challenge
By Paul Lawson
Mitterand cannot carry through the Socialist Party's programme of limited
change majority in the Assembly:
Mitterand dissolve the assembly and declare a general election to be held in the next few weeks. to Party-Socialist elect
government.
During the leading up to the general election, Party will campaign for imum number of ministers in the government. Communists rightly been a significant force in the election of Mitterand.
An SP-CP government Communist Party to have ministers the responsibility for im-
plementing
vhich in all essentials is th same as their Socialists on
mise Communist presence
The enormity has happened should be underestimated Socialist Party Socialist ment comes to power, will signal not
upheaval in France
hange in the politics of the whole of Europe.
Mitterand's victory
THE Civil and Public Services Association
conference last Tuesday voted, against the
advice of its right wing executive, in favour of
an all-out five day strike by civil servants in
pursuit of their 15 per cent wage claim. THE CLEAR-CUT victory for Francois Mitterand in last Sunday's second round of the French presidential elections opens up a huge opportunity for the French workers.
the
without
will HOW
The struggle is on Communist Party
period
the Communist continue its the max-
The argue lated - that they have
Wing
and to share
La programme
•OWIl. the other
of what not
Party-
just an but a will
is
Giscard - and Bokassa
undoubtedly a response to
deepening crisis French capitalism as in Britain, recession and unemployment is the order of the day. The workers are being forced to pay for the bosses' crisis.
The election of Mitterand - and even more the election of an SP-CP majority in the assembly will create the expectation amongst the whole French working class of decisive steps towards socialism. It is inevitable that such expectations will be trans
into mobilisation to
gain their demands.
But a left wing majority will create panic in rul-
class circles. significant that customs officers Sunday night given special instructions to be vigilant in preventing the export of
capita and other ables. But in the end, the flight of capital cannot be prevented by customs of ficers!
Faced with even a limited programme of nationalisations, the proposal to nationalise the wealth tax and higher taxes on dividends, a government can
campaign sabotage from the bosses.
Mitterand's gramme, despite its radical micasules, HUL gramme which
CPSAvotes for 5 day strike
The
500,000
HISTORIC
OPENING
FOR
FRENCH
CLASS
It
the mobilisatior
Neither
- just Party
have
bosses
Mitterand French in Chile
the mass working class.
massive For
LCR has been
struggle It
French struggle
workers were on
valurevolutionaries
banks,
_ left-wing expect
of
His beo-
breaks
£17.
Name...
Address..
For multi-
CPSA, almost 450,000 members is overwhelmingly the largest
of the civil service unions,
which represent in all some
members.
proposal from the CPSA
WORKING
decisively with capitalism.
nọt programme which is capable of overcomng une resistance
bosses only
workers can do that.
the Socialist Party nor the Communist
despite demagogic threats from Marchais
programme which will take the power,
and political, out of the hands of the
The question is: will
become Allende? Allende was precisely crushed between the sabotage of the bourgeoisie and
struggle of A strategy victory must involve the struggle and vigilance of the masses to crush the bourgeoisie.
year now the waging campaign for 'unity in the
campaign must now be turned to
impose demands on government waich claims to speek ireheir wor
French WULACIS face an historic opportuni-
socialism; only can lead this struggle through to its
(real value £3.15l)
Andrew Glyn and John
Pluto Press (usual price £2.95).
12 months: £14
6 months - f7
10 issues for £2 only.
Other air mail £24
Delete as appropriate
with five day
26 May The
rilla? action computer other
The ference
and the the
answer to claim,
pati screa
been ated over
forces
of the the civil servants the
The CPSA Tuesday heated.
resolution through. the
the action rostrum.
Immediately
forward
face
real civil servants
doesn't work.
the • indefinite out
vants'
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conference for an all-out
strike will be discussed at a meeting of the civil service unions on
So far, the civil service unions have limited strike action to short term 'guer-
at- airports, centres and important govern-
successful. conalso called for indefinite stoppages at all ports, airports
passport office prior to the five day strike.
The civil servants' vote represents a growing bitterness and frustration at
of government response to their demand lor 13 per cell. tre i one. have refused to hegotiate, giving a 'take it or leave it'
the civil seroffering a
have particularly infurithe government's announcement that an 11 per cent pay award is being made to the armed
But the traditionally moderate leaderships of
have been extremely reluc tant to call all-out action.
debate at the conference last was extremely The tight wing executive made a determined
the from going
There was uproar when executive member wang Chambers challenged anyhad the su thou bi they thought members for all out strike
come to the
more than 100 delegates rushed
Chambers demagogy blew up in her
But there is now a very
problem facing the - what to do next if the five day strike
It looks increasingly as if only an all-
national stoppage will win civil ser-
demands.
Harrison, published by
← Socialist Challenge No. 196, 7 May 1981Socialist Challenge No. 198, 21 May 1981 →