Socialist Challenge No. 204, 2 July 1981
The scan: sc-no204.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 1 UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT ATTENDANCE CARD THATCHER. \ DOLE /
No. 204 2 July 1981 25р
SURNAME th If you do mi if t
whi
NOTE THATCHER, Рут, Carrington, Prior, Whitelaw, Joseph throw the lot them in the dustbin! What use are they? What do they produce but destruction, misery and deprivation?
THEY DESTROY people's lives through their obsession with their insane economic theories.
THEY DEPRIVE millions
people jobs, homes, schools and hosoitals they spend f8bn on Trident missiles
THEY WASTE vast areas like Wales where one out of every seven jobles:
THEY MAKE WAR on the trish people, keeping an ar-
Unemployed and strikers 10p
Socialist
THATCHER
NOMINATED POST OFFICE
IMPORTANT NOTICE
and the day you next cla
Are are days betwee oved and dia
my of occupation that is a Sooner me wore over of THEY'VE GOT TO GO -NOW!
We have the power to get rid of them how will we do it? national struggle to save Scott and Gardners show ine way by occupying mel factories against and by demanding solidarity from the rest of the labour novenese
to A new leadership in the labour movement with the Go andy Healeys. pels, Foots and What is needed policies and people commit-
/ PULT
ted to implement them. democratic table labour movement campaign for Tony Benn as deputy leader of the Labour Party.
committed for those policies now, tak. closure ing 35-hour week without loss demands
pay; basic industries workers of cash limits on
away and
Chap- launching
gramme
INITIALS
ON THE
the accounand + ° socialist the socialist we have to tiaht like the for the
nationalisation of under control; abolition industry
huge pro. public works; banks to be brought under workers' control to proyide. back to work.
NI NUMBER
.23
finance; immediate cancellation of the Cruise
Trident programme; unilateral nuclear disarma-
withdrawal from VATO and the EEC
We get it by being out on
streets huge demonstrations against the
miners in the workplace; by taking on the leaders in the trade unions and the Labour Party who seek to 'persuade' the Tories
course rather than kick them out.
We know what we want
so let's go out and get il let's put the Tories on the dole and get the rest of us
TRADE UNIONS AND
SOCIALISM
a conference for
trade unionists
Tony Benn, Bernard Dix,
Audrey Wise 18 July, Central Hall Westminster Information from LCC (TU conference), 9 Poland St, London WI
15
CODOT was unable l
CARDIFF PUBLIC
MEETING The fight against unemployment
Speakers from EEPTU-BSC Margam, Laurence Scott, Royal Pride, Rover SD1 Bir.
mingham, Wales area NUM. 2.45pm in the Church Hall, corner of Cathedral Rd anc
Gelestown Rd.
Page 2 scan of this page
Benn's opponents hide their policies
Healey, Thatcher and NATO do badly at Transport Union conference
Backing Benn
with a badge
By CAROLE DAWSON THE Mary So urs party deputy leadership.
Mr other one of the
Socialist Chaine caricial challenge said at tainti not sousined him, but They had sent him a badge.
UT YOUR
"UPTO 50% By Harold Preston DELEGATES at the Transport Union's conference last week will have made a number of enemif
Cert: ine Tories have litti. io be pleased about, though no doubt incy right-wing Labour leadership. will be grateful that the platform manoeuvres prevented the Conceite on
Pare are hat deca
Fact that delegate after delegate spoke up for Tony BeNE explains
Socialist
Challenge
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Name...
Address.
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Union/CLP (if any).. pd to: Socialist Challenge, PO Box 50, London N1
Sofa Challen 27902
TONY BENN
FOR
The Benn badge Socialist. Cuite the official
lest of th Communist party
all 15,000
anything like that. just sweated brows on the top
Use, over 300 delegates the Benn mee: despite the dosence • canaldaic and the fact unofficial meetings are a rarity at the TGWU's two-yearly conferences. Denis Healey (in person) attracted about 40 to his meeting.
All the predictions
By David York
leadership stakes.
a Mafia-type American jamboree, declared last week, preoccupation: growling at the paign.
His notion of electioneering was in evidence (just) at the Transport
Union's conference.
While there were fringe for Benn and ACCOULS
Healey Silkin hung around the bar — a lonely figure for much of the time, since few delegates accented his invitation to be bought a drink.
Silkin endeavours to challenge the funding of the Benn campaign were taken the Sunday
Telegraph on the weekend. Featuring Socialist Challenge's 'Benn for deputy' badge, newspaper sought to show that our profits on 15,000 badges could be as high as £3,000.
That would be good were that the delegates would have raumbs ven resolute Tony Benn. fectively denied by the
chairperson, CONCENCe Stan Pemberton
He refused to allow reference back of the standing orders decision
could be VOlt taken, and when this was challenged chalett, or BY Alan
Cowley, Pemberton won the Issue on a confidence vote.
The bitterest blows to those in the leadership of the Labour Party and the TUC who want to stitch-
Healey-type up a gramme for the next
abour government came early on in the conference. Role
On the very day that the TGWU delegates gave a resounding No to any incomes policy, the TUC-Labour Party Liaison Committee which played such inspiring role during the premiership Wilson Callaghan entited Econ document 'Economic Issues lacing tae nexi Labour government'.
Lurking among the desultory proposals is
'national economic assessment of the prospects for the growth of the economy
to embrace such issues
as the share of the national
income going to profit, to
Home News
LISTEN for a moment to the words of John Silkin, candidate in the Labour Party deputy
"Let us once and for all show that we are holding a democratic British election and not
Silkin in pursuit of his main Benn cam-
news for our business manager, but as our editor's comments quoted in the Sunday Times made clear the discounts fered on bulk purchases meant that We n would be happyat break even.
Talen more to say on such matters than about his own or
much for she inspirays
much for inspiring leadership he has to offer If anything he can less confident now about Benn receiving he TGWU's vote even o the first round (Silkin's main purpose in standing).
This unremarkable rightwing nobody could end up with backing only from the agricultural workers' union, a handful of constiearnings from employment, to rents to social benefits, and to other incomes'. in oler woras, tney
forward that they want
forward what want just at the moment, but they do give notice that plans for « Labou comes policy will be formulated in due course The renewed opposi tion to such a policy by Britain's largest union will
tuencies, and 40 to 50 of
his pallid chums in the the Parliamentary Labour Party.
Benn's real opponent
Denis Healey, lurched into
clast week by ducing his own list of supporters. The hundred
names included trade
with union
distinguished record of service to the labour move-
ment.
There was Duffy and
Boyd of the Engineering
Union, supporters of in
comes • policy, the bomb the Tories' postal
system and much more besides. Gladden
Tom Jackson of the
Communication Workers
added his name, which will
doubt gladden the
hearts of all those of his
LUCIOCEN who have
wondered what on earth
has happened to their liv-
ing standards under his
leadership Bill Sirs,
overseer of the massive
redundancies in steel, also
featured.
Healey: keeping quiet about his policies
JOBS NOTA
GMWU
Icauch, who is the main Foot and Healey in the TUC leadership.
Another blow was struck over the Tories cuts. While the TUC's strategy against the government's policies amounts to politely asking
the TGWU tor a change. delegates voted for official strikes in support of public sector workers taking
These gentlemen cer tainly provide useful reminder of Healev's own record and intentions. a wo omner supporters nave also declared themselves
Harold Wilson and James Callaghan. Fresh
Their performance in office is too fresh in the memory of the working class to be worth commer ting on, although it is as well to note that both o these former Labour Party
implacably hostile to the democratic changes which have been
Labour renegade David Owen had his own Healey's campaign in a TV COLESU interview last week. He attacked Healey for running
personality campaign against Benn, rather than stating plainly where he stands on the policy issues.
Since Healey's positions are in fact close to
BOCa Democratic Party, Owen may be hoping that such
Silkin: who? direct action against spending cuts.
The motion was carnea against tne execulive s advice after three votes. during which the proposal gained increasing suppor While DECSSUIC needed to put this policy into effect, it starts to las the basis for mass action to get rid of the Tories.
NATO didn't do well, either The conference overwhelmingly carried a
honesty could be a votewinner for the SDP given the left's squeeze on the Labour Party leadership
If evidence were needed that more than perSonalues die stake the deputy leadership election, it could be seen at the Benn meeting at the TGWU conference
1ne main speaker wa. Dennis Skinner, who received a standing tion after he explained Benn's added for good measure how delegates should cas their votes on such matters as left members of the party executive whose seats are under threat
It is a measure of how far the left has come that an MP felt able "interfere' in a union conference in this way.
Leaders of unions like ISTC and
(shop-workers), both of which voted for unilateralism and withdrawal from the Com-
Market, must be wondering quite where the Benn tide is going to take them.
APONS"
resolution confirming its long-standing commitment to unilateral nuclear
The motion called for a campaign 1n the labour
Cruise and Trident, and to close all nuclear and around Britain. There
FaSO mediate reduction in conventional arms spending the delegates decided.
Page 3 scan of this page
'The South Wales NUM is totally committed joint Labour trade union actions that's why we the 4 July Cardiff march.' DES DUTFIELD, president of the South Wales NUM, the mining area to strike last February, talked CELIA PUGH and BARRY WILKINS about miners' strike and struggle against the Tory government.
WE haven't won achieve in the strike, but it has been a big climbdown by The temptation was longer. We had massive public and spontaneous trade union support.
We had to take into whether this would be susceptible to media stalcillciils saying won all we demanded. want people turning against us. We'd achieved a psychological victory for a lot of people who had lost hope. They realised that the government invincible.
This is why we took the decision for suspending rather than calling off the strike. We still have a mandate to strike if they try to shut a pit anywhere in Britain, on grounds other than exhaustion.
i caE lmoes are wov have been disappointed didn't go as far as a general strike.' haveto be caretul about how we aDDIy industrial action. A lot myself included, wouldn't have been heartbroken the developed into a far broader one. It's the only way workers in this country are going to retain anything.
We should have organised fight with the weapons we have, dustrial action
It's true that people felt let down that we didn't extend the fight, but at
same time, omnes ren ade loc strike had started to protect the mining industry.
The Triple Alliance wondertul instrument it people went into it sincerely. But have you seen the OCLVTe Gormley, Weighell? It reminds me of the Three Stooges at the pictures in Treorchy when I was a boy
We think the biggest to make the Wales TUC
of substance was at the vizarlibaliull beginning of last year. When they had the opportunity they blew pronuscu BIlaNs action. postponed it and then they threw it Oul. Then we had the Day of Action, marches and what have you.
It's impossible to divide the political from the industrial at the moment
I don't want to undermine the initiative of the March for Jobs and the other marches that have taken place. But personally I don't believe in them any more. They have no impact on a
to Party and
support
vice-
first
to
the the
all we set out to
the government.
account
that we'd
we didn't
wasn't
people may that EmaNe
We
of people,
fight had
an
in-
government
you're wasting useful energies.
could be a
action.
Sirs
It's
al tic molicil.
oboltull
into an trom the TUC
it. They coltuly
rirst ther
of a hat. the closure of Slaice nurses in the community, weight. situation
and, Lee Jeans are they small
equipment used in the mines.
to be systematic.
NURM as intransigent as this one. If you're having no impact then
We should have an organised fight with the weapons we have, industrial
impossible to divide the political situation from the industrial
If the Tories are allowed another from are hoten el reach a
we'll reach situation where we can't recover this
There's got to be real mass action, HOE DON INCOEVOOVNIV dL LIC.00!
It's got to be on major issues a hospital for inWe cannot leave it un to the they hạve who HIcal organised 111" dustrial action against any attacks.
proud.
Occupations like Laurence Scott good -and isolated. Tune Laurence Scott people spoke to us last week and we asked them tor a list of
It's no good just one pit blacking this, it has
2 SOUTH WALES AREA N.U.M
PENRHIWCEIBER LODGE
SP-
The South Wales miners' led the struggle to save miners' jobs last February
Anybody who assists in getting rid of this government and replacing it with
Labour government should be very proud
As trade unionists we don't get rid of governments. The declared tion ot the 1974 miners' strike was not to get rid of the government. We went against the government on the issue of decided to gọ for us. The y weet to the The government country for backing. It was the coun ry that got rid of them
Creating the conditions for getting rid of the government is something else. This takes place through our actions and unashamedly so. Anybody
assists In getting, rid government and replacing it with a Labour government should be very
Arthur Scargill is our candidate. There will be a handful of people against him not because of who he is but because of the image the media creates that he is a wrecker. media is owned by the capitalists it is understandable that they put across their own message.
Tories aren't
invincible'
SER®
presidency is tied in with democracy in the union. Over nas beel Houring or accisiols ative schemes a fem on s ago it centive schemes a few won the dav against the South Der byshire resolution scheme. The NEC went back on this because inten- the lads, as he puts it.
We think Benn views of the class. We don't think any 'Silly to us
He of this defeated him
ties, Tasker Watkins and Denning, to say he was right. He got it introduced that way. It was a year of shame for this union.
The Benn campaign is the same. You have to give credence to people when they speak until they break that lt the credence.
spoken along the lines of conference policy and accountability
:We showed the
don't think any Jusuce lo us
.year
Wembley
Co-ordinating laterat positive.
how olic! gc
bombs places
are those witl
Wing imperialists. colonising.
nav. working class
to meet.
ty
Arthur's campaign for the miners'
many years there ing industry.
: years supporting the
'Joe knows the feelings of DEFEND JOBS!
reflects working
Billies' do justice
Then he got in his but-
Up to now he hasn't. He's
Everything he's said is acceptable
but the media try to scare off susceptible workers. We think Benn reflects the views of the working class.
•Silly Billies'
The NUM is in a bit of a funny
Lostion on the Wembley
decisions the nanlonal delegation voted for retaining the old system. The next conference will be clear cut. There is a resolution to reaffirm the
«CSOn was Yorkshire amendment calling for support tor Benn but it appears to havı been debarred by Gormley.
We look favourably on campaigns and initiatives like the 18 July Labour
Committee ference. People can assess the best opportunities in their own unions tor ad vancing what they want — the tactic mav be ditterent in altierent unions But you have to get the people who are active to make their presence felt. In some unions it's a hell of a job We've affiliated to the Wales LCC
The argument for multi-
disarmament isn't We should unilaterally disarm.
The policies are important too,
can you disagree with Benn' for unilateral disarmament? thest rubbish Satcu cil about the Soviets wanting to drop
on us. We know that leaderships differ and threats exist on some
the Soviet people themselves are similar to us
The only people who don't agree
La mental chink who have delusions of grandeur about be-
They'd prefer to be
The argument for multilateralism isn't a positive one at all. Everyone is waiting for someone else. We should unilaterally disarm , that comes first.
I've always said that as miners we
responsibility generally. It's not one we've assumed on our own; it's built up over decades. It's a history we have
As I said at the Welsh Labour Par-
conference, if the miners win everything without strings, if others are losing their jobs and communities, then we haven't won a thing In the second part of the interview printed next week DES DUTFIELD talks about the jobs fight in the min-
SAVE WALES!
KICK OUT THE
TORIES!
FIGHT FOR SOCIALIST POLICIES
A SOCIALIST CHALLENGE
Defend jobs! Save Wales! Kick
the Tories! Socialist Challenge pamph/et on the fight for socialist policies il Wales, 25p from 108 Salisbury Rd, Cardiff, Wales.
Socialist Chällenge
2 July 1981
Page 4 scan of this page
How the bosses ripped off BL
By Alan Freeman TWO YEARS ago the
magazine, which has the ear of most bankers and industrialists
this country. echoed what many of them thought about Edwardes'
Plan for British Leyland.
The article savs this• it we close Leyland now, there will be an outcry. So let's do it slowly.
'At least' reckon
many cabinet ministers' concluded, the Edwardes Plan mean that Tory government cannot be accused of having acted evematicall has when BL eventually to be
two would years' time after another say.
bout of industrial disruption'.
In other words, when the time is ripe we can blame the workforce, and
Two months ago BL
announced that the SD1
saloon plant at Rover
Solihull was to be
closed by spring next
year. A campaign has
been started by militants
in the plant to press for
action, up to and
including an occupation
of the factory, to save
the jobs threatened.
Here, deputy convenor
PAT HICKEY continues
his diary of resistance.
MONDAY I go with the Rover delegation Brighton lobby the Transport Union conference. The coach is increubly sow. lever conna over 50mph. Nevertheless the mood on the coach is good. Agree to split a bottie ot gin with 4 others on way back.
Arrive late in Brighton.
We had intended to be there L01 12-12.15pm catch the 12.30pm lunch break, but arrive 1.15pm — the journey has taken more than 6½ hours. There is a disnute about what time we should Slall Dalk - a vote settles it for 5pm.
Lobby starts at 1.45pm quite good show, everybody turns out, plenLy ol placards and chanting. We have a leaflet explaining the situation, calling on the officials to give a lead and to support any action necessary including occupation.
The leaflet also gives details of our 15 August demo. Some of the lobby
Socialist Challenge 2 July: July:1981 Page 4.
shut the whole thing
But who is really to blame BL's present state! Ine workorce de the traditional scapegoats.
Yet BL's labour costs of Toyota and under half worker are two-titths of Daimler-Benz: And the number of vehicles produced by each Bi worke
- 8.7 in 1976- compares favourably Ford
Will UK's 5.6 and Vauxhall's 6.8.
different story emerges when we look at the bosses' side: above all the history of BL before and after nationalisation.
Because the root cause of BL's decline is chronic underinvestment.
By 1978 BL's assets
totalled £5375
employee, while Ford Uf
had £9450 and Toyota a
We stick to our guns'
grabs Brian Mathers and put the pressure on. GrenVllle Hawley evades capture.
Afterwards have
drink, a meal and lie on the beach. Three of the blokes
101 a SWIl their underpants and challenge me to do likewise. I am abour to accept, remember that are very see ane nave cole at the back. I decline. We leave at 5 pm and arrive in Birmingham at 11.15pm.
Tuesday Get busy on the 15 August demonstration, sorting route publicity with Mick Clarke to Transport House to organise circula-
•ranches with district secretary, Sean
Agree the speakers and sean takes responsiolllly for contacting them. Then on to see Clive Wilkinson, leader of the City Council, to get acceptance of the narione.
In the afternoon write bulletin 5. Start by draw-
staggering £150,000. Yet in the six years between the
BLMC through merger of major British car companies, and its nationalisation, the
doled U Ul £70 million in dividends and £61 million in interest payments. Profits
During the nationalisation process a special committee under Lord Ryder investigated the company. They reported:
'Profits before tax throughout 1968-74 have been inadequate ... despite this low level of profits BL has over the period distributed nearly all of them as dividends.'
How did management gel away with it? Firstly, they failed to allow properly depreciation This meant that they could declare, as profits, money ing the lesson of the mass meeting: those who want-
had been allowing the 'cut and run' minority to make the running.
People must get stuck into the debate with these elements, who are being used by. the supervisors to
Raise the prospect of
offering all extra 6-8 weeks redundanposition point to the 13.6 cy pay to buy off the UCI rate.
Challenge the pany to open the books and make much of the fact that Michael Edwardes has not
debate his plan to 'save' Rover.
Wednesday Meeting with management in morning where we attack them
quesnon of overtime. They have been using the need for a certain amount of overtime to keep the Pete one that he w going on 40 hours. recommend an overtime ban at the shop stewards meeting.
Also say that we think there is an increase in the SD1 production programme, which management
The de vile to conceal. plant is short of labour, due to management makIng people redundant enough labour to staff the their problem place.
Almost unanimous support for the shop stewards' meeting, parlicularly wich we pollil out that any shortfall in programme SHOW Cal caught back when the TR7 ceases by increasing SD1 programme to take up the slack.
Agree a mass meeting if management threaten layoffs.
Socialist Challenge supporter on shop stewards committee points
TGWU conference decision to support
Home News
Edwardes: uses the workforce as scapegoats which should rightfully have been used to modernise old equipment.
Ryder pointed out the cupation against redundiscussion on at ae will dancies, and starts need to do to fight the closure when it comes to the crunch.
Agree need for mass miccung Immedlalely alle. 6 July national conference and begin the preparation for a fight.
In the afternoon I am quietly tipped member of management to
results in a detailed table showing that by 1975, in all maustry wnere normal turnround for plant
TG WU 29TH BIENNIAL DELEGATES CONFERENCE: BRIGHTON 1981
The Rover workforce picketed the Transport Union conference. Now it's preparing for a demonstration on 15 August
'watch my step as they're out to get me. What relief, thought war paranoiac!
Thursday Management pressure for lifting of overtime ban. We stick to our guns. I get a verbal warn ing (first stage of disciplinary procedure) for absenteeism. I point out that all my absences, bar one for a dental appointment and one lateness have been for
eight years, over two thirds
BL's equipment was older than eight years, and over a thira more than twelve years old
Second, they decreased their working capital by around £100 million. They started paying their creOTTOTS and gelling their debtors to pay them amount money were holding in the bank fits.
Claim
Then the government stepped in. But no penalty was imposed for what the owners had done.
In the first two years of nationalisation alone over £80 million went in interest payments.
What would happen if BL was closed? Surprise,
FIGHT MASS UNEMPLOYMENT
SUPPORT THE ALTERNATIVE
ECONOMIC STRATEGY
DEFEND TRADE UNION RIGHTS
trade union activities
around the campaign.
Management replies
that they will not authorise
any absences in connec-
man poston to tne
company's plans. Shout
lour allu lakc a Dass - • al
good stuff to relay to the
members.
Friday In the afternoon
we are called to meeting
leaflet replying to our cam-
surprise, first claim would be exercised by the loan stockholders. According to the Economist, closing BL would mean handing over £170 million to those parasites.
Net result? Under private ownership BL worker made £1,000 to
Dosses pockets while BL investment went down the drain
Under nationalisation, these same bosses take a
foots the bill for their greed and incompetence. And when BL folds?
The taxpayers hand these same bosses nearly a quarter of a billion pounds for the inconvenience
Edwards calls it viability. We have another term BLOODY ROBBERY! DAILIUNI paign and giving details of the closure schedule. They also declare their intention
move some plant out during the summer nondays In July.
We challenge the management's figures on the savings involved in
SIC CC the closure schedule and promise to bottle the plant
arse in the holiday. Watch this space
Page 5 scan of this page
for social justice'
By Toni Gorton ACCORDING to Len Murray, TUC general secretary, 'the time is ripe to produce this Chater for Black Workers as part of the TUC's total campaign for social justice.
Certainly the time
seems rotten-ripe as blacks lose their jobs at twice the lace ot Whites: as raid factories in search of "illegal'
immigrants. as racial violence increases daily.
The charter, launched on 16 June,
was prepared by the TUC's equal rights committee in consultation With black organisations like the West Indian Standing | Conference and the Indian Workers' Associa-
TO Chaper is promone
purpose of the
the integration black WUIKCIS the
to argue against racism in the workplace. ana to nei black workers overcome language and other disadvantages.
Recruit
The TUC launched its charter with the St Paul's, Bristol. and Brixton events in mind.
The anger of black people and their determination to take matters into their own hands can be seen in the new political structures that are developing, such the New -TOSS Massacre Action Committee, the Asian Labour Party Alliance and the various defence committees.
The TUC is attempting to get control of this situation by sorting out its own house.
The charter proposes the removal of barriers which prevent blacks from
office the use special
black members; culcaliulial Halcildi, use of union journals; baiting racism at work; using social clubs; the TUC
opportunities Cuudi clause; job recruitment policies and industrial language training.
While the charter useful as the basis for discussion it has important shortcomings.
The frustration felt over TUC inaction on racism was summed up by
Anti Nazi League Day of Action Against Racism
Coventry
Friday 3 July
Mass leafletting of workplaces, schools,
shopping centres and housing estates
For leaflets and information contact Coventry
ANL, PO Box 75, Coventry.
'The time is ripe
the National Front and local Asians
West spokesperson for the
Indian Standing Conference at the launch of the charter. Crisis
'We can't see the TUC sitting there talking about persuasion. Positive are required positive answers to the crisis we are in. The talking nas got to stop,' he said.
Len Murray answered that the TUC can only persuade, it has no authority to compel unions to do anything, and then proceeded to say that 'if there is any instance of racial discrimination in the trade
we want to know and we'll take action.
But what sort of action isn't spelled out.
in reov to a question about the lack of support
black workers dustrial disputes, Murray
Len Murray and Bill Keys visit Brick Lane in East London during the 1978 confrontations between
• did the TUC do enough?
replied that workers were not automatically right, are unar scarcomorit should go through the "norma LOUC union grievance machinery.
Action to enforce the TUC's proposals is crucial to black workers they need action to change their lives now.
taking on the bosses, the demand has to be for quotas of blacks to make up for past discrimiHallo l not simple 'equality'.
The TUC has to recognise the right of black workers organise blacks within the unions.
Inform
There should be 'TUC action centre' sel
well publicised and able immediately
inform workers of their rights and provide whatever Lance necessary The 'monitoring' that is proposed is unclear.
The TUC has to cạmpaign vigorous v against racism in the community with leatlets, and demonstrations.
it has tackle the government head-on with the questions of unem-
racist legislation like the Nationality Bill.
Anti-racism
Deportation victory!
THE Home Office has reversed its decision to deport
Jaswinder Kaur, the Leeds textile worker around whom
a vigorous campaign nad been bullt.
o Sir Keith Joseph, her MP, saying
ase is finely balanced but you will be pleased to hea
thạt... I have exceptionally decided to reverse the depor-
tation order against her
eie added that he had "considerable sympathy for
Mrs Kaur in view of the way that her husband mistreated
her and their son, and I have noted the large number of
representations that we have received.
Police picketed
ABOUT 50 people picketed Holloway police station on
26 June protesting at police inaction over a racist hit and
run attack on a black woman
broken hip and nearly lost one eye when two white men
drove their metallic purple Ford Cortina Mark 2 at her
on 18 April. She is still in hospital. No one has beer
charged.
For further information contact the Rhoda Gerald A
tion Committee c/o 76 Stroud Green Road, London N4
Defence
In situations like Coventry, the TUC should be sending teams of people
WULN with Luc 3OCd trade unions, Labour Party and black movement to contront the fascist terror, using all the resources at its disposal
Around 51 per cent of all black workers belong to trade unions — a higher proportion white workers. They look to the trade unions as a primary
Toes.
DEFENC Timothy Raison on behalf of the Home Office, wrote
'Jaswinder
and allow her to remain inKhoda Gerald ended up with two broken legs. a
source of defence.
The TUC charter will be a step in the right direction it it is used to develop and strengthen blac organisation and pontica action.
It is unfortunate to say the least that will be in distribution because of its prohibitive Cos £50 for 1,000 copies.
Inalviaual copies can De obtained from the TUC ; ConHouse Russell Street, London WC1
BLACK
WORKERS
A TUC CHARTER
FOR EQUALITY OF
OPPORTUNITY
Stop fascist
violence
By Davy Jones
violence, following last week's
Islington.
Fascist thugs fractured
Sheila's skull with a lead-
filled cosh. Fortunately
Sheila is recovering well in
hospital, following
operation.
Islington Trades Coun
cil heard Wednesda'
that the fascist attackers
had threatened all other
socialists in the area with
similar violence. A collec-
lion or snella was takel
endorsed
Nazi League for a march
and rally from Is angtor
Green to Chapel Market
on Sunday 12 July at
10am
Similar resolutions are
also tabled for local
Labour Party branches
this week - Sheila is a
of Islington
Labour Party. A number
of trade union branches
have held collections and
•Dasscu con-
LOCAL anti-fascists and labour movement bodies have called for a rally and march against fascist
assault against Sheila Malone in the Other Bookshop
demning the attack Messages of support have come from the Caribbean Seamen's Union and numerous left bookshops Socialist Challenge ap peals to its readers and things. First, if you live in supporters London please come to the rally and march on Sunda! 12 July to express opposition to fascis violence Second give gene. rously Other raise money Sheila's convalescence and for improved security measures at the shop.
Already • more thar. £100 has been raised fo:
Sheila, and a similar surr for the shop security. Send cheques the Other Bookshop Appeal Fun 28 Upper St, London : 2XP.
MARCH & RALLY Against Fascist Violence Sunday 12 July 10am Assemble Islington Green, NI
Supported by Islington Trades Council
and Islington Anti Nazi League
Socialis: Chaltange 2 Jun 195 Pagan 5
Page 6 scan of this page
Mansfield Irish march witch-hunted
The weekend I went to Belfast
kansriek
Chad Ador idle
IRA SUPPORTERS on Ireland.
PLAN MANSFIELD
'SACK MP' MARCH
witch-hunt has been launched against the demons tration's organisers, Labour Committee on Iretrated by the local and backed by the right wing Labour council.
The Mansfield Chronicle Advertiser the demonstration Sed Sack Ma March: the Labour council refused to allow the rally to take place on Labour Party has said it the Labour will organising Socialist Challenge 2 July.1981, Page 6
Ireland
THIS Saturday, 4 July, sees the latest stage in the campaign to change Labour Party policy
A demonstration and rally will take place in Mansfield, the constituency of Don Concannon, Labour's spokesperson on Ireland.
The The demonstration press partisanship
as Labour's headlined be demands
'IRA
Mans- Irish political prisoners. Hysteria
council Mansfield sacking of
which has hysteria, London
day, Sunday,
hitting
the H Blocks been called Democracy Belfast, and John McAnulty.
H Block
centre and outside the rally was challenge this.
had Through
that the rally held in
the Royal stabulary • Peaceful They Fergus tempted megaphone.
WaLUis
When
offered
down and became abusive.
ended bruising.
The
barracks. being Orange peacefully through by the RUC It Catholics
side the city centre.
counter-demonstration, and even Michael Foot has
slogans the call for break in Labour-Tory bi
on Ireland, the sacking of Concannon
Irish spokes support view of the
is the call for the Concannon created the which the MP CAROL TURNER, a Labour councillor in the
borough Belfast at the weekend to take part in a 'councillors against the H Blocks' march.
She ended up being arrested on the Satur-
addressing a 10,000 demonstration on being interviewed British television on Monday and generally
the headlines.
Challenge of her eventful weekend. The 'Councillors Against
Rally' had by Peoples councillors there Fergus O'Hare
demonstrations are never allowed to take place in Belfast's city
by meeting city hall the an attempt to
By 2pm about 300 peo-
turned up. megaphone Fergus O'Hare announced
would a lew That's when the police -
Ulster Con- moved in
tried to stop speaking
The cops had been waiting for us in side streets in jeeps and 'meat
they tried to move us on we sat down on the pavement. It was a peaceful protest and we the
no resistance.
About 40 to 50 people sat
the RUC rough and
People lost shoes, had their coats torn, and many
with extensive
RUC arrested 34 it ot us. and carted us awar to Musgrave Street police
While we were roughed march was beian
adjacent streets
seems tha Book only
demonstrators are stopped
Once in the police station we were locked up in cells for more than nine
has fuelled, by saying that the march amounts to 'intimidation'. He has further slandered the march organisers by saying these people threatened what they were going to do to my wife on 4 July'. Nonsense
This complete nonsense. target the Labour Committee on Ireland rally policy. The committee's
British troops should be withdrawn from Ireland is shared by 69 pe cent of Labour voters, according to a recent opinion poll in tne wally siar.
Neither is Concannon correct in his claim that his
are totally in line with Labour's policy on
London councillor arrested
Southwark, went
Irish and
Carol tells Socialist
hours. Most of us weren't allowed to go to the toilet
was no food Illegal
. young woman who
had also been arrested was
was 14 years of age and it is
hold
this young. She was eventually released after
and a half hours.
I was 'interviewed' by a sergeant harangued me, saying shouldn't believe all the
'lies' about the Army, RUC and the H Blocks.
Someone in a nearby
cell refused to give name when he was interviewed - insisting he was
Tony Benn!
Morale was good in the
cells. We sang and chanted slogans, and played guessing games to pass the time
Six councillors were ar rested. Two from PD, two
Irish Republican Socialist
Party members, one from
Irish Independence
Party and myself. Jokes
There were jokes about
how we were seen eter
finally brought us food
after more than four hours
was unpalatable,
about how the councillors
being fed
casseroles.
The first prisoners
were released around
10.30pm. Everyone
out by midnight.
discovered that the press
had made great
about a London councillor
being arrested
Belfast evening paper said
it was London leader, Ken
Livingstone, who
sponsor of the rally.
the political prisoners When visited Bobby Sands on his death-bed hunger striker he was total Tories' hard-line attitude. Yet before Sands'
Parts national has called for concessions UHC SUICIS The • Labour Mansfield has had some in Duceeos LCI by
the Irish issue.
Support
Case Mansfield 1S strongest area of support for the type of policies the campaign is putting forShe Fergus O'Hare:
arrested too
two stration
the Falls Road sonstown on the outskirts of Belfast. 10,000 people took part. There was no ment from the RUC or the Army because of the size ot the demonstration. his march was
pressive, slogans. oil trea mined to carry on.
Useless
there was about the conditions of the hunger strikers sister of one of the strikers spoke of a meeting she had with Charlie Haughey, the premier, 'useless'
meone who had come to they Belfast to
everyone in Party Is a but non. jokes the success the
ValiDatel with had
tention labour movement the issue or une pollica prisoners was
Wing movement Labour Party TUSS Labour/Tory
ship on Ireland.
the There was
reception to my speech. People came was a wards and said,
ward lodge Concannon
told in the phasised which and since restricted death the Labour
cacculive
debate on right in
attacking the accusing the com-
"personalising' m octobe Ireland
ICAL seems that hardly the Hicalstillle Saturday
day.
We bail
COL the court.
On Sunday it was the ed in
We marched up DOCK CHOI cventuall
I to Ander- point what More than
harass-
city centre.
very im-
with bands and
• The people were a
• su Celet
that
At the rally afterwards observers
statement other members and
wilci flashy
I was introduced as so-
show that not don the Labour Don ConcanI told the crowd of but
H Block in Ireland has in bringing to the at
the British
I reported on the grow- spect
the to break bipartisan-
good orders , "Te's good alen nolly Park, here. Belfast.
miners' is among those who have threatened to join the counter-demonstration.
should be emthat the LCI, is ar organisation meticers to the Lad individual Party, has spent the bulk of its activities on attempting to promote a policy
Ireland within the party. A climax of that
Labour Party conference
where a major debate will take place on
A further LCI demonstration there would be the
SUCH for committee to take. In the
the democratic right to demonstrate must be defended in Mansfield this Saturday. wished me good luck for the court case the next day.
those of us arrested on
appeared court at 10.30am on Mon
Many of the defendants were not even allow. ed into court to hear the charges against us
We were harassed and pushed around outside the court as we waited in a cor ridor to hear the outcome
were remanded
There was a demo of about 50 people outside
When the hearing was over we all marched to the Europa Hotel for a press conterence
Some people were assaulted but we succeed
demonstrating and allowed into the Europa where the
was made that we tried do on Saturday was illegal, then
al " rested that morning when we marched through the
Right
At the press conference we emphasised the point
democratic right to hold meetings. appealed for international
including Labour Party • to come and observe our trial.
I returned to London later that afternoon to be
the airport by a limousine from Thames Television.
I was interviewed for Thames News For a LonGreated as was in Belfast councillor
the people Belfast it's just an everyday occurrence
*Carol Turner and the 33 others arrested in Belfast on Saturday face the pro-
very least, massive fines and substan. tial legal costs. Donations are urgently required.
Send cheques, posta
John North Peoples Democracy, Con-
Bookshop, Avoca Andersonstown,
Page 7 scan of this page
Labour women back Abortion Facilities Bill
By Ann Fiander, POEU delegate to Labour Women's conference 'IF THE Labour Party is not convinced that abortion is a right, what have we been doing all these years? The next Labour government must make abortion legal.
This was the appeal of a pensioner at the annual women, which gave ovelWhelming backing to all emergency resolution sup porting the Facilities Bill ne is wareh comes ur in parliament on 1 July
make NHS abor tion facilities mandatory.
It represents a historic point in the struggle to estabilsn in law practice a woman's right to choose, and a change in
Vauxhall CLP
resolution
This Conference believes that a woman's right to con-
trol her own fertility is fundamental to the Labour
Party's commitment to equality for Conference therefore demands that the next elec
tion manifesto and any subsequent manifesto should
incorporate this, and a future Labour Government
should take action to change the law so that
• Abortion on request is made freely available through
the NHS and existing inequalities or provision are
removed by statute.
• All private abortion clinics are incorporated into the
NHS and all abortions performed tree or charge
• Abortion daycare facilities are provided in all areas
of the country.
• nere are increasea Tacities tor birtn control in the
NHS with centres set up to provide counselling on all
aspects of contraception, abortion and pregnancy.
• All forced sterilisation accompanying abortion or
childbirth is banned.
• Medical practitioners whose conscience forbids them
to perform terminations of pregnancy are legally
bound to refer patients seeking abortion to channels
wice a aboron car be one
LEE. TEAN
SIT
Lee Jeans women are marching from Greenock to Edinburgh see Scottish George Younger and then to rally commemorating the historic UCS work-in
Escape the Royal
wedding!
Join the blow-out in
Boulogne
IF its getting you down now just think about
the day itself! Lewisham Socialist Challenge
has got the answer
from London on 29 July.
Accidentally
engineers' test line last week to order tickets
and the demand has been so big that the
engineers are getting really ratty answering
the ohone -
The real number you should ring is 01-691
8759 as soon as possible. The cut-off date is 9
July.
the strategy of the abortion Luveillal from defending women's isting rights actively campaigning for free abortion on demand. Bro sar of the Facilies Jo Richardson says one should have any illusions that this bil could become law at this time. It marks the beginning of the camconvince the Labour i Party and trade Secretary State, - come with them on a Boulogne for only f10 return
we publicised a post office
unions to ensure that the next Labour government is committed to implementing it.
Labour women demanded that them party support the decriminalisation of abortion as long as fifty needed mas ago. But masses of women
190s to the end th in the
1970s to detend the Abortion Act before this Occanic varry Doncy. The Labour Abortion Rights Campaign (LARC) was set up in 1977. It aims to comNOIL BLOC
_P policy The LARC three point legislation plan covers making abortion facilities mandatory on the NHS; accrilalisanon anu en-
abling a woman's right to
choose Delegates to Labour Party conterence should be mandated to vote for
the Vauxhall CLP resolu-
LOR which is in line with
the LARC plan.
Speakers be arvall
ranged for local and
regional trade union and Party meetings,
and literature is available.
TOAST
THE ROYAL COUPLE Red and black on white 20r each dius sae. do for ordere
Birming home fpost paid her
Birmingham's Bookshop, 137 Digbeth, Bir. mingham B5 BDR.
Other Bookshop. Birmingham's
Home News
Jo Richardson MP speaking to NAC/LARC lobby of parliament on 24 June
If the Labour Party is to be a party for working women it must show aouv • cereno ano extend the rights of women.
The abilty to control our fertility the key By Jamie Gough
ple from all over the
taking place there.
face of the gay scene in the town, the Gemini club. connection
women being able to make real choices about their lives.
For further information about the LARC plan contact them c/o PC Box 110. London SE21 8ND
LESBIAN#
STRENGT
500 women march in London on 27 June for lesbian rights
Gay Pride versus the police
FOR the first time in its ten year history the national Gay Pride march this year is to be outside London. This Saturday 4 July gay peo.
country will march through the streets of Huddersfield to protest at the vicious police witch-hunt that has been
The police have aimed at nothing less than driving all gays in the town back into the closet. They have massive. ly reinforced the insecurity of gay people who dare to meet other gay people, and closed down the main public
They have interviewed between one and two hundred blackmail and intimidation to obtain confessions and various 'offences',
Dudley.
all termination within their area.
the previous vear Stan Orme Frank Dobson Hugh Brown Martin O'Neill John Tilley Reg Race Peter Shore
What the anti-abortionists say about the bill paign.
Barbara Burnham, Protection of the Unborn Child
KATE CLIE
raided the licences
All this is, unfortunately, dinary.
closure of the club.
LU DIUSCULC SALI
ple who have pleaded guilty to avoid publicity.
their actions
Ipm; workshops, theatre and disco to follow.
Socialist Challenge
What is the bill for? The purpose of the bill is to overcome the tremendous variation in provision of NHS facilities which means for example that 97 per cent of abortions done in the Devon area are done on the NHS compared to 6 per cent in
What the bill says
1 That the Secretary of State should ensure that District Health Authorities provide facilities for
2 That to calculate the extent of the facilities required reference should be made to figures available relating to all terminations carried out on women ordinarily residing in that district in
3 That no payment will be required from any woman obtaining an abortion on the NHS.
Labour MPs known to support the bill Joan Maynard Alf Dubbs John Fraser Jo Richardson Stuart Holland Ernie Roberts Abortion clinics are getting like the gas chambers operated by the Nazis during the last war. Albert McQuarrie, MP for East Aberdeenshire Miss Richardson and her allies now want to make NHS gynaecologists ... carry out abortions as though it was some sort of pest control cam-
Chelmsford Society for the the names of other people in interview. They repeatedly
Gemini and opposed the renewal of its
scarcely out of the orWhat is unusual about Huddersfield, is that loca gay poopic rought vack. Incy launchea a milltant cam paign against the police, whose first act was to stop the
It now seems likely that the police are backing down on their prosecutions. Earlier in the year they threatene
people over the next six months.
Significantly, they have now reduced this to six, all peo-
A really big demonstration this Saturday can provide much-needed solidarity for gays in Huddersfield, and ensure that the police pay the maximum political price for
Assemble Huddersfield Town football stadium al
2 July 1981 Page?
Page 8 scan of this page
We're not fighting to we're fighting for th
Jude Woodward, Municipal Workers Manchester Women discuss social issues Where I'm working we've discussed the family, Thatcher, the war drive. Women are drawn into the forefront very quickly. When they go into the Labour party, and become active in the unions, they understand very quickly the need to take on the leadership.
Martin Collins, Municipal Workers Manchester We will not succeed in changing British society if we don't succeed in changing Britain's domination of Ireland. How can you go from the perience to taking up socialist policies? How do you take up jokes about Bobby Sands? We have to explain democratic rights under attack. As we move towards a revolutionary leaders will be in jail. stand in elections and the right may well have been taken away unless we oppose it now. we nave to look to new types of levers when we take up important issues like Ireland.
Redmond O'Neill, General and Municipal Workers Manchester Militants who get involved are faced with all the political problems. they are looking towards the Labour Party and that is why we have to have supporters in the Labour Party, supporting Benn's campaign. Our newspaper is very important; it means we can begin to organise our forces. venor of Schreibers and a Challenge supporter told us that the reason he likes Socialist because nicated nes spapered seen in his life. most
Militants will accept you as a socialist — they are looking for political answers.
Socialist Challenge 2 Jury 1501
Ann of the General and
Union, positive action is Photos by Pete Grant
and more
answers to General and
Union, present
the church work place ex-
that the of all workers are
PAT HICKEY, convenor They may want to Solihull,
OSCUSSON. meeting at a timely moThere mood for a fightback. 'We have ner's successful occupy for TOUS and Scott and Hopefully soon, plant will also take action Union, to stop the closure. the theme that the policies That is why have followed in the past WICH the Labour
now quatee want a national leadership Phil Davies, con- against the Tories. But it is
Socialist not Just a leadership,
Challenge is
bigoted, O SOVC LIC CUSS HE LIC H
of class?'
Pat the shop
Page 8
Shirley, Post Office Engineering Union, Aberdeen The main difference between our programme and the Alternative Economic Strategy is that ours is based on class action. The reformists argue that positive action for women will split the working class in the fight against unemployment. We disagree. Such a fight is part of the ampaign, part of the bulld up to get ru we've been able to raise the question of
because we ve had women inside the union. There's no way you can do it from the outside.
Reports compiled by Tessa van Gelderen
AS THE working class comes more
under attack vicious Tory government, it is seeking
fundamental questions that are being posed.
How is our society organised? Why are billions of pounds spent on Trident and Cruise missiles when there are 3m unemployed in Britain?
More and more militants are finding that the answer given by their
leadership -government to change course, to ally themselves with broad forces such as
and chambers of commerce, are not the answers.
What is needed is socialist policies that confront the Tories head on. And
deputy organisation SD1 Rover opened. the twin al C Tories'
growing the the seen Gard- look
Lee Laurence Jeans. government. *The my own explained
stewards
Pat went on to develop
of the leaders of the
and which they follow
are totally inadeto be for fight Party structures of the unions. question OI but of prowhat is going unions, not just to be a current of opposition or the working an electoral machine.
The fight pointed out that wing inside stewards
Frank Gorton, Engineering Union, Hackney, When the Transport Union voted against any incomes policy it was a rebuttal of Denis Healey's position in Labour government. In a situation of polarisation we can say a lot more than just vote Labour. There is only one force that can commit a Labour government to socialist policies, that's the industrial unions.
from the
native socialists have
The
the to get the railworkers.
tremely
from the
means stewards
level of stewards 'New
unemploy-
Pat Hickey the Labour the official was openin •We have to fight for
way. an evate the leadership of the trade
tant tability, and which for a left UmOL unions. committed to class stuggle "The
Amalgamated
the last Phil Davies,
group. those policies will also challenge the leadership of the labour movement.
But even having a clear alternative to the Len Murray's and Terry Duffy's is not enough. We have to be able to convince workers that such an alter-
will work. to be there, on the ground, not on the outside looking in.
sectors that will be decisive in confronting the Tories are those that have the industrial clout:
miners, the engineers,
At the same time, the crisis has brought to the fore whole new layers of workers who are radicalising ex-
quickly: young women workers, black workers are all
To operate
shop
side.
1926. We have to be
revolutionary
are
that Socialist can provide
up in a big around the bloc vote raised impor-
questions of accoun ment. democracy, Darticulally af- tant difference fected the major industrial
SLaLC is set', ship.
Pete
convenor of Schreibers in Manchester We didn't make our ties strong enough with other factories in the
dancies.
SOCIALIST PERSPECTIVES
oppression.
And to do that
most
It dealt the
side challenges workers,
stressed Pat, 'and Socialist
Chalenge supporters nave
to be part of that process.
have to be in the factory,
on the shop floor. in the
stewards organisa-
tions. This can't be done
effectively from the out-
"There is more opposi-
tion now than since belore
of it. We want to bein
party not
small
beginning. The framework
Challenge
Ten oriente in We want longer
to build a class struggle left
the and
Labour Party that is akin
Minority Move.
*But with one imporwe're
not fighting to be in op-
position but in the leader-
Evans, General ar
Municipal Workers Union, sh
steward, Manchester
We provide components for cars,
because of the crisis in the car industi even small struggles over a wage cla
come up against the question of redu in the front line when it unemployment, discrimin
Socialist Challenge supp last weekend to discuss h fight for socialist perspect dustry and why we need worker revolutionaries.
For a lot of supporters t only just beginning and ference was of a very practi
with the prob militants are facing in the on the shop floor, in the fa
But above all it took up tion of fighting for our pro
industry, a progra our misleade labour movement.
Page 9 scan of this page
McPherson, National Union of Railwaymen Paddington No 1
All the profitable parts of BR are being sold. Thatcher has declared war on the nationalised industries.
OR INDUSTRY
mes to n and
ers met
WE HAVE to we can s in inarty of
Transport Union. fight is
con- we need
unemployment, nature.
that kplace, together, гу. e quesame ine: that in the WORKERS Call
ploding.
TOTCES CaSS ment.
Pete Roberts, General Workers Union, North West London All of a sudden I'm on the trades council, I'm on a course for being shop steward and I'm a delegate to the Labour Coordinating Committee conference. And I've only been a Socialist Challenge supporter for a year. We need to concentrate
e in opposition,
e leadership
reject the Phil solutions put forward by the likes of Moss Evans,
against general secretary of the
According to him all being
to reduce is pany, moved. work a bit harder, tighten our belt, pull through it explained Phil,
there's light at the end of the tunnel.
industry more competitive. But We just need to get British the trade more and more the myth that
with the bosses to solve the crisis is ex-
Paddington,
Denny FitzPatrick, Post Office Engineering Union, Westminster spoke of the need to build a party of worker revolutionaries. We want to give alternative leadership to challenge the misleaders. We can only do that from the inside. Building a revolutionary party now is not an abstract task but a vital component of leftward moving
It's the differences that exist in the working class which makes such a party so necessary. Women and black workers wont just lead their own sectors.
Because they have to challenge the most entrenched labour bureaucracy on questions such as racism and sexism, they will be in a strong position to take on that bureaucracy on all other questions.
The party we want to build should be able to confront the key issues facing the - the war drive, Ireland, unemployIt will not grow in ones or twos but through the big political changes that are taking place. Do workers see our organisation as a useful instrument? They can be convinced if we're there with them.
We're being thrown up to the front because the opportunities are there.
Ailean and
Transport and
wage and payments.
on education to arm us for the struggle. clear way.
Fighting redundancies
Penning from Laurence Scott, explained why they had gone into occupation
the closure their Manchester factory. After nin weeks of occupation action was
stepped up to pretent supplies from the DaCi Coll
Mining Supplies being This is against Prior's law, 'but it doesn't seem to matter if 650 jobs are going up the road
This dispute will be won. If unions had moved like Socialist Challenge then we would have won already.'
Hazel McPherson from the National Union of Railwaymen
explained the rail.
'Callaghan Transport General Workers Union, British Oxygen, Wembley Alex Kitson, acting general secretary of my union, doesn't want us to share the work, but to share the pain. When we raise the demand for work sharing, we have to say a 35 hour week with no loss of pay. This means demanding a minimum
consolidated overtime The present economic and political situation forces you to come out with aspects of your programme in a
Elsie Broad, shop steward from Royal Pride striking for union recognition
fight against redundancies in *Some 38,000 jobs are on the line. agreement around electrification is Just bloodletting ine by ime. Each line has to be justified for productivity, ur viability and efficiency. supporters have take up the building of the TriAlliance with the miners and steel workers.
Control Phil Davies, convenor from Schreibers in Manchester, plained that the biggest mistake they made in their latest battle against redundancies was not keeping control of the shop floor and letting the full time OLLICCIs Lakc OVer Raghib Ahsan, shop steward trom Kover sollnull. pointed out that black workers are more and more convinced that there are no jobs for them. But many were not confident to take up the struggle.
However, black workers at Rovers were fighting back because 'these whites might not find a job, but we have no
gle world wide.
field Young CND
Nicaragua and Grenada.
Tony, from
oppressed people across the world.
Jacintha,
political voice.
ment.
of the working class, class collaboration. capitalism.
Democratic Front (FDR).
to tie the hand of imperialism.
stop us is to kill us all.
their struggle against closure.
the world over.
NS
for funds
Revolution Youth
first anniversary rally
ONE year old and going strong, if Revolution Youth's Rally held last Saturday is anything to go by. All the speakers at the rally stressed the decisive role of young people in the strug
As Bernie Kavanagh, secretary of Shef-
said: 'The future represented by young people. They will fight for the future that is being fought for in Cuba
And the speakers did represent those very struggles that are taking place now, against oppression, imperialism and the war drive.
the Grenadan New Jewel Movement, stressed that the people of his country identify with the struggles of all the
His call 'forward ever, backward never was a rallying cry throughout the evening.
from People's Democracy and the Dublin Youth Committee against the H Blocks, spoke of the involvement of youth in the struggle in Ireland where they had no
And Francoise from the French JCR, a sister organisation of Revolution Youth, plained of the important developments that are taking place in France with the election of a Socialist Party/Communist Party govern-
'Something has begun to change in France. It's in the air. We want a government
not a government of We want an end to
The struggle of the people of El Salvador against imperialism was taken up by Jaime Lopez, a representative of the Revolutionary
He explained that the 'crime' of the people was to be poor and to oppose the Junta's policy. 'We are asking the people of the world
'The only way American imperialism can
The rally ended with an appeal from Jed of the Laurence Scott occupation to support
The platform represented what Revolution Youth is about - building an organisation of youth, workers and students committed to fight imperialism, capitalism and oppressior Francoise from the French JCR (left,) Jacintha from Peoples Democracy and Charlie Van Gelderen who made a rousing appeal
is
Jaime Lopez, representative from the FDR of El Salvador ex-
Tony, Grenadan New Jewel Movement
LUTIONS
Socialist Challenge 2 July 1981 Page
Page 10 scan of this page
WHO WAS TI
Where you can buy
Socialist Challenge
Scotland
EE: SC available Collecti a Lane opp
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p, Fri 4.30-3.40, Sat 104. Fo
UANLEY: SC on sale every Sat mo
Wedge
1pm. The Piazza. SC also available at Poderian Precine, and 10.:30. 12.00
Bookshops
BIPMINGHAM: Olher Bookshop,
8Sa New Elve LFORD: South Essex Bookshop, 33: no Chuck Stee, Wolkerio Books. OXFORD: EOA Books, ve 34 Cowley o hochapel, Liverpool o here, IVERPOOL What's Left ar ta per col. inch. Deadine: or
T-SHIRTS: 'Solidarnosc' symbol, red n white, 'Jobs not Bombs red nall, mediume and tale symbol red on yellow, black on red. Fourth International symbol, red on *hite, red on yellow, SC Events
abour left?" with Clir. Carol
Southwark.
:MG notices
WALdO fration on Sat 1 August at July al Arge SI Com
Revolution Youth notices
298501
Pocialist Challenge 2 July 1981
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Conference of
Socialist Economists 1981
On the theme of
Exploitation and
Oppression -
Rethinking Socialist Strategy
Bradford University,
July 17-19 Booking/details: CSE 16 St
sipnonsas na, London s
SW4
Page 10
Revolt
A CONTEMPORARY
completely destroyed.'
If such a description is ac-
curate, that is reason enough to
celebrate the anniversary of the
Peasants' Revolt, which broke
out 600 years ago this month.
Here indeed was a popular
rebellion, aimed at overthrowing the established order, put-
ting the rich and the powerful to flight, and dividing their
property among the common
people.
For the ruling
barons the Church
and the ancestors of
Diana Spencer there was even more at stake
tain Leon Trotsky was to talk
of the need for
revolution' which was to emphasise that to survive, a revolution cannot be confined to one country.
rect, the leaders revolt in England had some inkling of such ideas.
Nations
600-year-old equivalent
of the peasants leaders: they might have come to their intents, they would Engrand, and e hereleter af England, and thereafter other nations would followed the same and taken foot and ensample from them.
Which suggests that Peasants' Revolt is worth amining. not lust because of its 600th anniversary, but because like all revolutions tul or otherwise lessons to be learnt hundreds of years after the events themSe ves
Take the example social contract, and incomes policies. Such notions were not an invention of Harold Wilson.
One of the reasons for the Peasants' Revolt was an tempt by the ruling class of the 14th century to impose a wages
•his first surtaced in the year 1351, three years after the Black reduction of
eu workes doe o oe mand more for labour.
Malice
Le dematens the saatuie er
wage demands. the Statute Labourers was passed year 1351. This proclaimed:
'Against the malice of servants who were idle and unwilling to serve after the pestilence without taking wages it was recentiv ordainec by our lord the King, with the assent of the prelates and others of his council, that such servants, both men and women, should be obliged to serve in return for the salaries and wages which were customany during the 20th year of the present King 's reign.
freeze wages at the level had been 1347. remarkable how the lang
Geoff Bell marks the 600th
anniversary of the Peasants'
chronicler wrote Peasants' Revolt: 'No longer restricting themselves to their original grievance and not so satisfied by minor crimes, they now planned much more radical and merciless evils: they determined not to give way until all the lords and magnates of the realm had been
of the ruling class and its hack journalists have so little changed since then. workers parently, "idle'
'outrageous wages'.
Migrant
didn't work. A recent article in feudal limes on leaders Revolt offered this judgement, Lady no doubt with an eye to the contemporary situation:
fort was made to control prices And it led to the growth
permanent
aspect of migrant labour, illegal unions and strikes.
that of 600 years ago did not only have wage demands and of the 1381 ale cor- strikes to worry about.
Today, cher's concern is how to raise money to pay for all those lovely bombs, instruments of war which she says are necessary to defend us. 'The kings and lords of the tour teenth century faced a similar problem.
have between
England soon grew hostile to it have They appreciated idea of fighting the war, nor of naving to pav for it the ex- Richard II recorded a mutiny in message
This army in 1380:
success- men at arms and archers were retained to set forth in our services on this present expedition across the sea
of the received wages wage freezes, disregarding their service to us
they then returned from said coast to Maidstone, in ourselves. atJustice
by its a uu luci levied. Three population than the last, were imposed bet
Tween 1377 and 1380. When the their scarce government sent special com-
series of taxes in 1381 the storm broke.
Essex tacked a group of tax collecin the LOIS armed body of men headed by a
chief US LICC rougher treatment number of soldiers were killed
outrageous
trom a wider area were involv. ed, and within a couple of days nobles the revolt had spread to Kent
recorded bowthey, prospered
how they, Io kill al ine lawyers, Juror and royal servants find. lords and other notable people flea towaras London. allempl lo
direct its attention towards the and
of the in 1351 were, apand demanded - Just as we are tola today -
The Statute of Labourers
the Peasants
'It was unfair because no ef-
of
The ruling class today and
Margaret That-
missiles, and other
The Hundred Years' War
England and France
from King
We have learnt that many
and for that reached the coast and from US; but
the the town contempt
To meet the cost of the war
oi special taxes were each heavier
another
In May, the people of the
village of Fobbing at
A few days later a large
received even when DUILCIN opened the gates.
On this occasion villagers
opened
Church 'prospered target
they could
Meanwhile all the grea rustics,
The rebellion also began to
tune
Contemporary drawing depicting peasants' leader Wat Tyl
10,000 and 50,000 - marched into the centre of the capital, their entrance assisted by sup-
city who
Once inside the marchers
prisons, ransacked bulldings, and beheaded some of the most hated lords and
leaders. special was the Savoy, the residence of the hated John of Gaunt, where 'the company of
incited to a wild fury, invaded the duke's hospice'
The Savoy was burnt to the
but the tens «ousarus wio ov now na taken over the streets of Lon don were not an undisciolinec
mob with no aim but to loot
destroy. A meeting addressed by one of the leaders of •LEC revolt, Dall. was described thus:
'At this time the commons had as their counsellor chaplin of evil disposition named Sir John Balle who advised them to get rid of the lords, archbishops, abbots and priors
and their possessions would be divided among the laity
For which advice he regarded as a prophet by the commoners.
When King Richard Il eventually agreec meet the leaders of the revolt he was presented with series of
Page 11 scan of this page
IEN A GENTLEMAN'
aving his head chopped off
demands. These 'Required that henceforth no man should be a sert nor make nomage or anv
Of service to any lord, but give four pence for an acre of land.
'They asked also that one should serve any man except at his own will and meurs of reguiar covenan Rebels
To buy time the King agreed to the demands and the rebels,
this time by Wat Tyler, celebrated by seizing the Archbishop of Canterbury and beheading him Encouraged his success, Tyler went back to
see the King the following day and present a more radical set of demands. Clamour He and others "began to clamour for liberty, planning to by
become equals of But this time the King and his advisers were ready for He was grabbed and had his head cut off.
And that was the effective end of the rebellion. The marchers broke Some returned home, thinking the first series of by would De mel as agreca, olners
fled after the death of Tyler.
MANCE
As is usual with unsuccessful revolutions, the ruling class tried to ensure that the revolt would never be Repression was the order of the day: "The time came for the King to punish the delinquents. Lord their lords. Robert Tresilion was therefore
sent by the King's command to Tyler. investigate and punish had risen peace. 'He was active everywhere and spared no one, so causing a in saisarrav great slaughter. He condemned
some to beheading, some to
demands hanging, some
through the cities, and some to disembowelling,
before them were still alive,
repeated. Trust
of 1381. those have been different? against his
was placed i4-year-old King
to drawing would
followed by
King was The
serfs,
labourers,
"rustics'
letariat',
This
support'.
He looked
that i ne
whether
the
ample
massacre lords.
the burning of their entrails
while the victims and then their execution and the division of their corpses into quarters.
land
explains why
Thus ended the great revoit
Could the outcome
The leaders of the insurtestion made a numbe: ci Tislaxes. rust was ine ...s bad
the
just confined to believing iha:
implemen: ire the demands presented to him, bu:
.a... in the whole way the rebels saw
the monarchy.
One of the slogans of the revolt was For King Richard and the True Commons', and the belief was that the young
being manipulated, almost held captive by the lords who surrounded him.
No doubt he was something of a cypher for his advisers, but
recognise that when it came to the peasants versus the lords his interests lay with the latter.
Artisans
revolt was not strictly confined to the peasants or the
who were virtual slaves on the land. What evidence there is suggests that the most active were the richer peasants,
and even some small landowners.
lhe leaders of the revoll certainly came from outside the
Particularly promiwere what could be described as the 'clerical pro-
such as John Ball, who objected to the corruption of the Church.
group, one recent witter on tic revol conners was the 'medieval equivalent of
a radical intelligentsia, , bringing to the movement an ideological
Common
Ball's politics went beyond those outlined in the first set of demands presented to the King.
to the time when 'everything be in
'we may all be equal and loras be no gicale. masters than we be
It was Bal who during the course of the revolt quoted the amous des, 'When Adam delved and Eve
pho was then a gentleman?'
egalitarian of Ball were probably shared by other leaders of the revolt, but
such political consciousness extended to the ma- jority of those who took part in sert
the unrising is ditticult to sav
It is true that the events of 'Jun days without their blemishes. For ex-
Londoners who took
Flemish settlers, whom they regarded as com petitors in the labour market.
Manorial
the Overall, however, the participants in the revolt confined their targets to the ruling class, its property and the symbols of its rule. There was widespread burning of manorial court rules which recorded the obligations of the peasants towards their
These included not just rent but a host of feudal dues death duties, movement and marriage, and various services the lords could call on the peasants to perform.
When the rebels destroyed
the such records they were attacking in effect the entire system of
ownership whic! feudal society was based. This
when the ruling cass caroecier wrote of the events of June 1381 they tended
of the lords felt a: the sima
Treatment
The mede ce=e
Sacais: Saliença
For instance, claimed the peasants 'raised the whole country and forced the people to follow, breaking into homes, consuming all the food, killing men, spoiling and destroying houses
How familiar such reports are today when strike leaders are often accused of "torcing' workers to come out on strike, or 'terrorists' are accused of all manner of horrors they never committed
Even after the revolt was over, the allalysis • of 'experts writing a few years later bears a stark resemblance to present-
of the trenomen "lazy' British workers who 'ex-
get something nothing'.
Taxation
The Peasants' Revolt, according to one account, was caused 'because of the ease and riches that the common people were of
Despite the obvious slander there is an element of truth in this. Although the immediate causes oi the revolt was taxa tion and an unpopular war, would be wrong to regard the Peasants' Revolt as an act of desperation.
Generally speaking, the peasants and those just above them on the social scale had a relatively the couple of decades preceding the revolt. The attempts of the
gains were the underlying cause of the rising Feudal
The suppression which followed the 'June days' did
advancement by the 'rustics' Despite defeat isolated outbreaks continued. More importantly the whole feudal system began to evolve away from the old strict two class boundaries of lord and
It is significant that the revolt took place in those areas where the feudal economy was must mausinalisca, wnere lo first hints of capitalism had begun to appear.
Some of those who part in the rising were identified
be termed early agrarian capitalism, which was already becoming
LIUC economic system working
land than old, strictly feudal ways.
The Peasants' Revolt helped to speed up this process In the decades which followed serfdom although it was never formally abolished
steadily eroded and gradually disappeared.
Tragedy
This may have happened regardless of June 1381
The tragedy is not so much the failed challenge to
prevailing economic
It is located in the fact that while later
Contene
the revolt been achieved what had not been and is still not achiever As the moro porracal egara rian ideas which insoires leaders of 1381 the aborto
nesse?
gost
ersri
Fil gugr
Page 12 scan of this page
Polish party leaders try to hold the line
New York rally
hails socialist
lawsuit
By Michael Baumann, New York City 'DEFEND the Bill of Rights Secret Police' was the theme of a rally here on 6 June that drew close to 700 participants. The rally was sponsored by the Political Rights Defence Fund, which is supporting the Socialist Workers Party
Young Socialist against government spying.
The first speaker was Morton Sobell, the codefendant who served fifteen years in a federal prison following the witch-hunt tria! that resulted in the execution of the Rosenbergs in 1953
He stressed an McCarthy tor Surviva ero go vernment s campaign to brand Today
everything it doesn't like as 'terrorism' is going over like a lead balloon. ding ovation.
Jack Barnes, national secretary of the Socialist Workers Party, explained why the SWP had reBy Davy Jones THE POLISH Communist opens in two weeks' time. It will confirm the process of 'socialist renewal' opened by last summer's massive strike wave and deepen the fears of the Soviet bureaucracy.
The majority of delegates to the vartv congress have „OW been elected. Hightv per cent of them are new to such con-
Trabajadores
Hugo Blanco beaten up by police
peasants struggles in Peru and a member of the
Fourth International,
guards on 11 June in the capital Lima.
street vendors. Blanco
general secretary of their union and the police at-
fracture and arm injuries. He was released from
hospital on 17 June.
the PRT presidential candidate.
Sodialist Challenge
Against Cosullay
on ine
Alliance trial
Washington important difference with the 'capitalism is fighting
Sobell received a stan-
As party congress draws near
Party congress
ferences and a third are members of Solidarity.
These are the delegates who are likely to lead the campaign sweeping
CONACIO
HUGO Blanco, veteran leader of the workers and
was badly beaten by civil.
The attack came during a demonstration by
went to the aid of the
tacked him. He suffered contusions, a minor skull
IN MEXICO the Revolutionary Workers Party (PRT), Mexican section of the Fourth International, won its battle to be on the ballot in the 1982 elections. Hugo Blanco is seen above at a rally in Mexico with Rosario Ibarra de Piedra,
2 Uuly 1987 - Page 12
jected a government offer to settle the suit for monetary damages only. Referring to one of the documents released by the government in court a few days earlier, which admits that the programme to disrupt the left was approved by then-president Eisenhower, Barnes said:
'We believe that no amount of money on earth could buy this. It is proof positive that what we have is not a runaway FBI but a conscious decision by the president of the United States to instruct the federal police to carry out these activities.'
The fight against the frame-up on bombing
charges of the NASSCO Three, Diego trade unionists convicted the night before
testimony ot an • FBI provocateur, brought to the rally by Gwen Ferguson, presidentelect of Ironworkers Local 627.
A speaker who drew a particularly response from the audience was Ateni Shakur, a member of the National Black United Front and one of the Panther 21 defendants jailed in 1971 on frame-up bomb conspiracy charges.
Black activist and entertainer Dick Gregory,
been released following a protest at the House asked for a moment of silence for the murdered children of Atlanta.
One of the things we've found out through the SWP suit, he said, is that 'this mess has been going on tor more than forty vears Carter, they're all the same.' He continued: 'I want to thank the SWP for not compromising in this struggle. You've got a whole lot of people's at-
changes to Ine party's hierarchical structures.
But two thirds of the delegates are not elected from the workplaces but Cnosen …from provincial party conferences. The Dally larger provinces like War- Hiculucis the
Usa Wi and Katowice have not been to tne torenron of the radical movement.
ACIC S LICICIOIC EKCIY LO be majority for the mouc alc reform' perspective of the party Ieducs like Kania and General Jaruzelski. Key Kania's programme does not challenge the fundamental bases ; of bureaucratic rule in Poland. He does not call for a separation of the functions of the party and the state - at present party nominates members to all The kev bosa luc slalc Nor will Kania sanction real democratisation of the party - recallability of officials, the organisation of tendencies or rank and file 'horizontal' structures.
SUDOOTLS the 'renewal' movement in the short term while working in the long term to restore the authority of the party over all aspects oI socIal and political life, particularly over Solidarity. A major part of this approach is to try to divide Solidarity by the daily attacks on its 'irresponsible elements'. Case In the last week atens ave dec cc o step up censorship of Solidarity's national aru local publications. In the Irst such case the editor oi Pila oas beey Summion ed colety muletin DeLULUI
International,
San
was
warm
from jail in
White
tention.'
LBJ, Reagan. infringement of the 1946 censorship law.
In Poznan a new hardline (TOTUl emerged claiming 400 members.
appealed radical Ias editors and others alleged-
spreading 'anticommunist' ideas to be
The has bulzcu. also complained that the Katowice forum, which received the explicit backing of the Soviet bureaucrats brief appearance last month, was harshly treated and 'misunderstood'.
The Soviet leaders are desperate to shore up support within the ranks of the Polish Cotans! Party. They are terrified of
Morton Sobell and other speakers at the New York rally
A total of more than $8, 700 was contributed in pledges and donations to help further the work of the Political Rights Defence Fund. This, combined with the collection at the door, brought the evenPolish workers have set up new 'popular universities'
the destabilising effects of LICtOVel ot cadre a1 every level of the party.
Cadre
Already some 50 per cent of local party cadre have been replaced and in the regional party gresses s as many , 90 рег old party leaders have been turfec out of office. In Suwalki province in north east Poland entire party leadership was removed in elections. Equally serious is the loss of some 100,000 working members from the party since last August The source of the crisis
DEFEND
THE BILL OF RIGHTS
AGAINST SECRET POLICE
King's proceeds to more tnan $10,000. inside the Communist Party and the worries of the Soviet leaders is the conti nuing existence and growIng LC ZL the Independent union
HiUYC ment, Solidarity.
One important development is the growth
coDula universities linked to Solidarity. They offer courses and discussions round inree inemes problems Traised workers' rights Littt buildra and artistici dabiate building Solidarity; outside the normally heavily-censored nels; and discussion on general political, historical and scientific questions outside of the Stalinist framework.
Chairperson Annette Rubenstein, summing up the response put it quite simply: This case is today what the Rosenberg-Sobell case was in the fitties.
These universities receive wide-ranging support more thousand attended a debate or the economic CrISIS in Wroclav anc there are regulariy between 100-300 people, WIKCIS. their tWICt weekly sessions.
Solidarity itself is ap proaching its first national congress the end of August. Regional conferences have been held in vi coalaliul where Solidaritv's draft gramme and statutes has been discussed. Next week Socialist Challenge will look at inls draft programme as well as giving further coverage to the upcoming party congress.
Page 13 scan of this page
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Page 14 scan of this page
By Tom Marlowe
EIGHTEEN months
cent of the votes.
According
authority in the country'.
Today, Bani Sadr is on
the run, and is denounced
as the son of a dog' by
demonstrators in Iran.
The fall LIle
president has been com-
parea by his opponents to
the overthrow of the hated
Shah.
false com-
parison, but what the
ousting of Bani Sadr does
show is that the series of
complex events and
manoeuvrings which beSaah have still some tay with the
to go before the outcome
of the Iranian revolution is
clear.
Bani Sadr represented
a cast some or lie con-
tradictions which have
been present in the Iranian
situation in ine last two
years.
His father was promi-
nent ayatollah and an anti-
monarchist. As a teenager,
was active in
mobilising support for the
National Front govern-
ment which was overBy Geoffrey Sheridan WHEN it comes to job security, no one would put any money on George leader of the French Communist Party he has orchestrated the biggest election defeat in the party's history.
In last month's Assembly elections, all
of LIC party secretariat lost their seat with the exception of Mar chais himself. The number
Scals held by communist deputies plummeted from 86 to 44.
If such a collanse had been part of a dramatic swing to the right, Marchais could no doubt shrug his shoulders and expect to Kons oute tru want! until he collects his pension.
But the elections for the presidency legislature have rocketed the Socialist Party power and brought the French workIng CaNi something rarely achieved
elections: an absolute majority of the poll.
Seats
In the Assembly, where the Socialist Party increased its seats from 270, the combined left has 333 seats compared to the 154 held by the right alliance
With such a trail. of wreckage behind him, Marchais's strenuous negotiations over the
be held by Communists can be seen in Socialipt Challengo 2, July 1981 Pago, 14
Why Bani Sadr is on the run
ago Abol Hassan Bani Sadr was elected President of Iran with 85 per
to the constitution of Iran he thus became 'next to the leader, the highest
thrown by CIAengineered coup in 1953.
Arter une coup, Bani Sadr joined the underground movement where he allied himself with the socialistic Islam associated with Ayatollah Sensens He took part in the NO HORSINE Pahlavi dynasty, was jailed after the failure of the revolt, and was later exiled to Paris.
There he studied at the Sorbonne and worked on a uncsis walca allaca al conbining the ideas of traditonal Islam and Marxist
The thesis was never completed. Perhaps Bani Sadr found the combina-
coct, but when he was elected president anales saw these two strains in his philosophy competing for dominance. fiance minister, immediately after the revolution, ne nabonalisea
France's new government
Communist
ministers are
part as a determination to deliver some consolation to the party faithful.
One quoted remark by Marchais indicates ine chaps wouldn't understand it if it LUtE negotiations) breaks down Poland ' That over comment also points to the political vice which is shrinking the CP's influence among the working class.
Francois Mitterrand's tactics in sain Harold oresidency make Wilson's supposed cunn ing look distinctly Since 1974, when Mit-
the banks and insurance companies, but as the one-time secretary meini he achieved his posiot influence because of the support of mullahs the Islamic
It was because Khomeini withdrew support for Bani Sadr that he power Even Delore le had been elected presi dent he had incurred the wrath of some of
Hostages
He had spoken out in favour of a compromise on the US hostages issue, and had tended to advocate ConcessIons Iran's national minorities. At the sallic because of the fragile of his among the mullahs, he had tried to secure his position by attaching himself to the officer corps in the Iranian Army.
Bani Sadr attempted to balance LIC various tendencies inrown up by the Iranian revolution - di bit ICIC Islamic fundamentalism inere. concessions to the
a likely
to speed
partys decline
terrand failed in his second attempt to instal himself in the Elysee Palace, he has shaped the ailing Socialist Party. into the most successful social democratic party in West Europe.
Variety
Recognising that social democracy of the rightwing variety would not win mass support in France, Mitterrand concentrated on outflanking the CP through an alliance with its leadership.
was the Union of the Left, which
International,
army elite in the middle antial rhetorid and rounded off with It did not work and it never could have. The funthe damental. question posed
during the outbreak of the revolution was which class would rule.
The alliance of conflicting elements Bani Sadr tried to construct was an attempt to suggest that this question was not relevant. the Because he personally
was associated with the more socialistic aspects of the revolution he has tained support among the more left wing parties Iran The only notable ception is the Communist Party who, following the line of Moscow is searching for 'stability' in Iran, whatever the class nature of that stability..
Thus, the Soviet Union recently welcomed reactionary Ayatollah Khalkhali to Moscow, the man associated with stoning to death 'prostitutes.
Similarly, the Communist Tudeh Party Iran have not sprung to the defence of Bani Sadr.
Despite this, the bulk of reports from Iran sug Jack Ralite, Minister of Health
laid the basis for the working class unity needed to defeat the Gaullists.
To move towards the Socialist Party supporters, Marchais directed his par-
exthe
the of
gest that if new presidential elections were held and in Bani Sadr was permitted
to stand he would win easily.
This indicates that the Iranian masses have not French CP leader George Marchais: led his party to electoral disaster
, along the road taken b!
Italian and Spanisi
CPs, away from Moscow
and towards the social
democratic-like policies of
Euro-Communism
The vice tightened.
With little to distinguish
the CP's policies from
those of the Socialist Par-
ty, the French working
class considered the latter
to be more socialist and
democratic.
Then came the about
turn. To try and recoup
the Communists losses,
Marchais broke the Union
of the Left, hailed the Red
Army in Afghansitan, , and
told the Polish working
Bani Sadr - have the sands of time run out?
been cowed into
Islamic reaction, despite ine repression against op ponents of the mullahs
Bani Sadr's socialism was always limited. Accordingly, its implementation class to heed the Kremlin's wishes
During the presidential election campaign, he seemed far more concerned to prevent a victory for Mitterrand than to defeat Giscard. But now it's love at second sight. The CP has four ministers, gained at the price of divorcing itself from Moscow.
Wedded
For the party bureaucracy, firmly wedd ed to the idea of installing themselves in the state ap. paratus at both local and national level, the bells are ringing. Each the ministers can appoint 100 officials, providing a nice batch of obs for the party loyalists.
For Mitterrand, the participation of the Communists the Socialist government micals staving off a confrontation with
was dependent on the endorsement of the mullahs, rather than the self-organisation the masses.
That is why he is now in hiding. the unions. in which the
CP has considerably more or causallula strength than his own party.
There can be no relaxa tion or une vice The CP leadership will inevitably
compromised by anti working class actions of
Already civil servants have been told they
Call have a pay rise of only 3.3
cent, over which the CGT the Communistcontrolled unior threatened to strike. But to prove their worthiness ministers, the Communists will go for 'respectability' and that can only mean en dorsing anti-working class policies.
The crunch for the party leadership will come if
Communis militants very possibly unison with Socialist Party
Line take action 5 resist such licasulco
Page 15 scan of this page
Tory defence cuts - you must be joking!
TRIDENT, the new missile, will cost pounds! That's the latest estimate to emerge from House of Commons.
the time, the cost could reach a staggering f10bn. Despite the furore of the Tory backbenchers about defence cuts, the review of defence spending amounts to a real increase in expenditure, even if there are to be nine fewer ships for the navy.
tain's delence eriort. in order to stav in the nucea club, and to make the nuclear 'deterrent' more deadly, British defence spending will be re-organised to concentrate on more sophisticated jets for the airforce, and above all to transfer money to the Trident system.
strategy. Once conventional navy and army forces are being run down, the threshold response has to be made is lowered. In other words, it your only line of defence is the nuclear missile, then you have to use it if you want to go to war.
Turkey: state
terror directed
against working
class
Hall
sallic day two lett
LUC Sulla.
LUCI
Pena
of a social class over other
OYCL
ex-
epressive policies LIC
whose
improved submarine Britain EIGHT billion
the defence debate last week in the
But with research and development costs going up all
Nott's proposals amount to a rationalisation of Bri-
In effect, it amounts by default to a change in defence
at which a nuclear almost of the DISK leaders.
tiona weapon as far
one in which devastated by a Soviet counter-attack.
John Nott,
not the Minister of War'.
government to cancelling Trident, must be stepped up.
Against the Missiles
Bands include: Hawkward, Damned, picket on the Doncaste
Laurence
Iv cut oft Laurence Scot
COSC Van
News
Even in their own terms, the Trident missile is an irra-
• as the Tories and their militar chiefs are concerned. The only situation in which it could
Britain would be totally
in the most hilarious statement of the year, said last week, that he was 'the Minister of Peace,
But the escalating cost of Trident is not a joke. The fight for jobs not bombs, and to commit the next Labour
Northern Carnival
Alexandra Park, Manchester Sat 8 Aug, 1-10pm
Harlem Spirit
Laurence Scott
workers aim to
Poll in live ycars
- ne gol It 10]
We ve unclers
So we would andeal : U11
National strike to defend Mike Cooley Girling. and Maurice Wilkins from in
One
emphasised
The T-shirt to be
seen in!
Jobs not Bombs, in tasteful red and black on
either white or yellow T-shirts. Ideal for every unemployment or CND
demo. Sizes S, M, L,
only f2.99 incl P&P.
Orders to: : SCD
T-shirts, PO Box 50
London N1.
Make cheques payable
to 'The Week'. and Hooding into une executit
Page 16 scan of this page
IRANIAN REVOLUTION RE UNDER SIEGE
THE BOMB which killed Ayatollah Beheshti
Party in Teheran was almost certainly a provocation carried out by imperialist or other reactionary forces. No socialist can possibly support such terrorist methods. that the gains of the Iranian revolution are under seige from Party and their armed thugs - the so-called 'revolutionary guards' and the 'heztolhah' -the street gangs organised by the IRP.
The mullahs and Islamic fundamentalists are organising new attacks on the rights the workers, peasants and oppressed nationalities because their regime is in cris They have decided to repress every sign of opposition, including, CYCl the 'liberal' bourgeois op. position of Bani-Sadr.
The wave of repression, which with the banning of all opposition newspapers has culminated with the summary executions of dozens of members of the main left wing opposition group, the Moujahedeen, who together with the Fedayeen played important role in the over-
hrow of the Shah. Zealots
The revolution is being kidnapped by the zealots of Islamic reaction.
The political crisis which has led to this wave of repression is the result
the clergy-led government
resolve the economic and social problems of the country.
Since the overthrow of the Shah the masses have got progressively poorer
unemployment gets worse, prices rise, and the crisis is worsened by the SUBSCRIBE TO
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But the bombing cannot obscure the fact
the Islamic Republican
catastrophic effects of the war with Iraq.
The result is massive disillusionment clergy among the masses.
Shah presented o verem ent has The struggle against Bani-Sadr as the first two being the struggle against the Shah, second the mobilisation around the American hostages.
But until the bombing of the IRP headquarters the numbers mobilised bs the IRP tiny compared with these previous events.
Both the IRP and the 'liberal' Bani-Sadr reprebourgeois political forces. The bourgeois character of the Khomeini regime is demonstrated by its failure to mobilise the masses against the Iraqi Litical. its opposition to land reform and its attitude to the Kurds and other oppressed tionalities.
The IRP has svstemati-cally tried to co-opt and dismantle every form of self-organisation of the masses. While Bani-Sadr has defended certain rights, including liberty of expression, he represents sections Socialist Challenge for the incredibly low price of f2
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of the bourgeoisie and petty bourgeoisie who want 'stabilisation', creating the
concorre uning
economy capitalist basis.
Unfortunately the major left organisations have either tied themselves politically Khomeini (the pro-Moscow Tudeh Party, the majority of the Fedayeen) or to Bani-Sadr (the Fedayeen minority, the Moujahadeen and the Maoists). BOCAIS S give no political support to either side.
But today Iran is in the
The urgent need is for a unitec front in defence of demo. cranc nignis, to acical lic
fundmentalist Support
Despite their political allegiance to Khomeini, it is the Moujahadeen are in the vanguard of that struggle, struggle with which Socialist Challenge solidarises.
When Bani-Sadr makes demands in suppor of democratic rights, then revolutionaries should
support these demands,
while warning the workers that if they have to fight LIC Islamic fundamentalists today, they will have
Bani-Sadr tomorrow.
Only a policy based on the independent mobilisation of the workers and the Dome and Ban-
Khomeini and BaniSadr can take the ira nian revolution forward.
By Davy Jones
ing. Ten days previously the nearby Bookshop was
Stop fascist violence
FASCIST thugs burned down a community printers in Islington early on Monday morn-
Other attacked leaving Sheila
Malone with a fractured skull. Both buildings were on a 'blackspot' list published by the local National Front.
The attackers struck at 2.30am, starting fires in a
number of rooms, stealing money and equipment. Extensive damage was caused to the building which houses the Islington Play Association, the loca People's Rights service as wel the Community Press.
In recent weeks streets had been plastered stickers reading, 'Hitle) was right, Communism Is Jewish'
When fascists attacked the Other Bookshop the previous weekend they left a taped message threatening that all other socialists were fair game for similar attacks. It seems clear that they are using the "blackspot' list to select their targets. The list was published in issue 2 of 'Islington Press' published by the National Front at the end of last year.
Targets on the list include other left wing papers and bookshops, . Isl ington Town Hall and the
ethnic clubs local paper, and community centres abortion and gay rights ad
visory centres
the Guardian newspaper
The same issue of the
advert
in your thousands to the SAS (Specia Action Squads) 00x 40, Lope N
c/o PO Box 40, Islington. NF leader Martin Webster had admitted that Islington Press is their
Despite this obvious campaign of violence and hatred against local socialists and anti-fascists the police have yet to make
arrests for thes tacks. They even had te ring up Socialist Challeng to ask for a copy of the NI 'hit list'!
Nor have the three local Labour MPs opened their mouths yet to protest against these outrages il
their constituencies. Loca
have been more respon sive
The local Anti Nazi League and Trades Coun-
have called for demonstration against
fascist violence on Sunday
12 July which has been
backed by a number of the local Labour party wards
and trade union bodies.
Collections held for Sheila
Malone in labour
ment bodies have alread
raised more than f200
Racist and
violence is on the increase
are daily attacks on black
people by right wing thugs
Coventry And as
munderca
blood by racists.
must act to protect the
democratic rights of black
people and all those under
trom fascist
violence. A start can b
made a concor oy sut
porting the 12 July march.
Rally against
fascist violence
Sun 12 July, 10am
Islington Green to
Chapel Market Supported by Islington ANL and Trades Council
← Socialist Challenge No. 203, 25 June 1981Socialist Challenge No. 205, 9 July 1981 →