Socialist Challenge No. 212, 7 September 1981
The scan: sc-no212.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 THE REAL FACE OF THE LABOUR RIGHT
TONY BENN FOR DEPUTY
No. 212 10 September 1981 IN a fanfare of publicity the Social Democratic Party have captured another former Labour MP and stand poised to win control of their first Borough Council, in Islington.
to the hands of the extremists nationally and locally', and that there is 'no chance of them winning back control'
This is a lie. What has really happened is that Labour Party members, sickened by years of right-wing policies and domination of the Labour Party, are seeking change. to democratise the Party so that these policies will be carried out.
This process of democratic change had advanced a long way in Islington. Michael O'Halloran was certain not to be re-selected as
25p Unemployed and strikers 10p
Socialist
They claim that the Labour Party has 'fallen in-
They are fighting for new socialist policies and
MP for Islington North, and many of the councillors who resigned had failed to be renominated as councillors for next year's local elections.
foist their policies by fair means or foul on the Labour Party, and because of the growing sup. port for socialist policies inside the Party.
Islington is the shape of things to come Labour's right wing will use every trick in the book to sabotage the moves towards democracy and socialist policies. They are not prepared to be accountable to Labour Party members or to sup. port policies democratically decided upon by the Party conference. no doubt use the splitters to try and blackmail the Party into dropping demands for democracy and socialist policies. With 3 million unemployed and the disastrous experience of the last Labour government fresh in their minds working people are not likely to heed Healey's appeal.
P SDP SDP SD
They defected because they could no longer Labour's right wing leader, Denis Healey, will
The truth is that on the right wing of the Par-
agree politically with the SDP. For them, staying in the Labour Party is just a tactic to push through their 'moderate' pro-capitalist views. be prepared to co-exist with a Labour Party dominated by the left. Those who shouted loud and long about 'unity' during the days of right-
left looks like winning
ot this world can't stomach.
aspirations of the labour movement.
without the right wing if necessary.
NOT
ty, particularly in Parliament, there are many who
But everyone knows that these people will not
wing control are only too ready to bolt when the
Tony Benn said last week that Thatcher fights hard for her class, so Labour should fight hard for its class. That's what the Healeys and Hattersleys
Labour activists should refuse to bow down to blackmail from splitters and potential splitters. If the right wing want to stay in the party they have to recognise that they have no god-given right to high office or to veto the democratic and socialist
Those aspirations must be carried through -
MARCH FOR JOBS
JOBs
BOMBS
B'HAM 19 SEP
So farewell then, Michael O 'Halloran
THE battle to unseat O'Halloran and his cronies from their PUsi tions of power in the Islington Labour Party has been a long one
having failed with every dirty trick and manoeuvre to retain support in the local Labour Party it was inevitable that they would look elsewhere to further their careers and pursue their right wing policies. At last Tuesdar: press conference the latesi ploy of these SDP coun cillors was to absurdly claim that the local party had been taken over bv In ternational Marxist Group infiltrators.
Rates
But the battle is still not over. The SDP now have 22 councillors in Islington the Tories two and Labour 28 But the SDP claim that 3 or 1 more Labour councillor: dre cossacre switca to the SDP, which would give them a majority on the Council.
And there is a lesson for the left in all this. The main issue which the new SDP councillors promised to campaign • arouna was rate rises. The Islington suo cuculary rise this October, which includes a component for the GLC and ILEA, works out at f70 over six months. or almost t3 a week tor al average working class household
The Labour left in Is lington and elsewhere has to drop its suicidal polic! of supporting rate rises of a number of Labour coun cils in London may fall to the SDP next May.
See editorial on page 2 on Labour Councils Under Attack
TONY
B
Page 2 scan of this page
Editorial
PO Box 50, London N1 2XP Phone 01-359-8189/8180 (editorial and distribution)
Labour
Councils
under attack
LAST week's announcement by Environment Secretary Michael Heseltine that he will introduce new legislation in the next parliamentary session to curb local authority spending marks a new stage in the Tories' war against Labour councils. Having failed to authorities to implement drastic austerity measures Heseltine now plans to plug all the legal gaps which Labour councils have used to avoid cuts and rent rises.
Socialist Challenge stands with all those in ine labour movement Heseltine's attempts to slash social spending and to shackle local government
But the new Heseltine Bill will have the merit of making the debate inside the labour
that halfway-house positions Tories' cutbacks will be removed. It will leave total capitulation to the Tories, or an all-out fight against them as the only two serious options.
In the past weeks, authorities have tried to course. asking local people if they would 'prefer' rate rises or cuts in services. The option of opposing both was not even put. Not surprisingly only 25 per cent bothered to vote and the ratepayers lobby won out.
The Lothian Labour group, under fierce pressure from Scottish Younger, finally agreed to f24m of cuts - only to be told that this so-called 'compromise' was not enough either and that f30m of cuts was needed.
In both their best intentions. have been left doing the Tories' job for them. Elsewhere Labour councils making service cuts through gigantic rate rises - some more than 100 per cent.
In London the GLC rate supplement to pay
thousands of people. It is a guaranteed voteloser in next May's local elections.
As local Labour manifestos for next May one thing should be crvstal clear to them. pious promises is of no use to anyone. Manifesto commitments can only be paid for by smashing the government's cash limits.
All other solutions such as 'compromise' cuts or rate rises represent doing the Tories' job for them and discrediting Labour councils into the bargain. As the left makes advances inside the Labour Party it has to avoid like the plague becoming identified with massive rate rises. This approach is an attack on working class living rent rises ana cuts in services
The job of Labour councils is not to implement the Tories' anti-working class policies but to mobilise working people against them. That task cannot be implemented if the council is busy levying rate rises or making cuts. This point has to be at the centre of the current debate within the labour movement on the selection of councillors and the manifesto for next year's local elections.
and of referendums
Socialist Challenge 10 September 1981
'persuade' local
fighting against
simpler. All the on fighting the
two local Labour steer a middle'
Coventry council held a referendum
Secretary George
Coventry and Lothian whatever
the Labour
have avoided
noreos
Anel bartles discuss their standards, in the same way as
COVENTRY
*• Cir of SKILLS
Pd OPPORTUNITIES Page 2
rights
By Bill Peters LAST THURSDAY, 3 September, at a works conference held in the Plant, BL management again recognise Alan Thornett in any senior capacity should he be re-elected in the elections due in December.
Thornett, well
known as a member of the Workers Socialist League and as part of the militant ¡caucronio lo lue assemo Plant, has remained victimised 101 ove. years now.
In April 1974, refused to recognise him in any trade union capacity.
Alter a month-long strike they restored his recognition as sectional shop steware. ou cornnueor refuse to recognise him as (COULY CORVCHOT
For the past four years he ha beet elected deputy convenor
secret workers in the plant. Each ume bL nas rerusea lo recognise the results of the Daniol.
Last year, BL person-
CuTeCLOl Geoffrey Armstrong gave an under-
namonal COnference that BL would recognise hornett should he be elected in December 19o1, providing they had not been able to establish a legitimate case against him in the meanwhile.
By Helen Slyomovics,
Cardiff North CLP
AT A packed meeting called by
the Wales Labour Co-ordinating
Committee (LCC), Tony
relaunched his campaign for the
deputy leadership of the Labour
Party.
Attacking the Tory press he explained to the 1000-strong newspaper owners were not press barons for nothing and were frightened at the real possibility of a Labour government with socialist policies their wealth and status.
In outlining the policies on which he stands Benn reaffirmed his commitment to the abolition of the House of Lords, unilateral nuclear disarmament, drawal from the EEC, and a return to full employment.
We have to unite the party around socialist policies and not individuals, said, noting the movement the Labour Party is making to the left.
But it was his comments on the role of the army that drew some of the strongest applause from miners, workers and labour movement militants. 'Our troops are in Ireland and should be
New Leyland
threats to
workers'
Cowley Assembly refused to
He gave an undertak ing that complaints would be dealt with as they arose. and no dossier would be compiled.
Now, dossier has been compiled ane issues brought in which create dangerous cedents for the trade union movement.
BL are quoting as a major part of their case two incidents which happened outside of working hours and are therefore nothing whatever to do with BL.
The first Alan Thornett's presence on the picket line Adwest Engineering in Reading on 14 July 1900 - during the works annual holiday.
After that picket hornett was convicted of obstructing the highway. second incident, also last year, took place late on a Friday night after Trades council meeting Oxford Thornett was convicted of giving a black eye to Mick Soans, the then
Tony Benn: 'rekindling a
socialist South Wales'
police to use plastic bullets.
Benn
audience that
10r€ powerjul.
woula ena
Clwyd the
with-
imised by the 'he cracy, stated: socialist South Wales.
LCC is setting itself that task
steel-
that can achieve these aims.
Home News.
Cars
Levland workers president of the Trades Council. An argument had arisen after Soans, member Communist Party, called Thornett a 'scab'.
The other part of BL's case is 3 strikes which have taken place in the transport department, where Alan Thornett one of the shop stewards, since October 1980.
These particular withdrawn,' he stated whilst also commenting that it was the army teaching the
The strength and responsiveness of the audience showed that though the labour movement in Wales has been slow to mobilise around the leadership battle due to the stranglehold of the bureaucracy, this mobilisation is now becoming
united movement around Benn's policies is now possible
This was reflected in the contributions made by other speakers — Terry Thomas from the NUM executive, Ann
Wales Euro MP, Wayne David, secretary of the Wales LCC who chaired the meeting, and Derek Gregory, Wales LCC chairperson, who criticised the Wales MPs who oppose Benn.
who has himself been vicWales labour bureauWe have to rekindle a In supporting Benn's campaign so strongly the Wales
Now it should organise discussions with its supporters to consider how the LCC can become the campaigning left
Alan Thornett
weyland LONGBRIDGE
JOINT
SHOP-STEWARDS
SAY
under attack from Edwardes again allegations will be dealt wIll
because the
AUEW is involvec Bu management have made no effort to substantiate the allegations except to say that they 'hold the acresponsible representatives credited
TGWU Oxford district secretary David Buckle leading the trade union delegation at the works conference, told management that what employees do in their own time has got nothing to do with BI
Their position was totall unacceptable and a failure to agree was registered
The issue will now be the subject of a nationa conference
Making the activities of employees outside of
Socialist
Challenge
more information fill in the form below
Name...
Address
Age.
Union/CLP (if any).
Send to: Socialist Challenge, PO Box 50, London N1 2XP.
Photo. Laurence Sharham (IFU
working hours subject
for the BL disciplinary procedure is a very serious development indeed, particularly since BL is the pace-setter for wide sections of the employers.
and their South JD L African chairman now want to control the private lives of their employees in Britain as they are able to do successfully in plants in India and in the South African apartheid state.
The management of the Cowley Assembly Plant want to go back to the days when the plant was run by Billy Morris who had workers in the of fice for displaying Labour Party posters in their windows. or sacked them for joining a union.
If you would like to be put in touch with Socialist Challenge supporters in your area or would like
Page 3 scan of this page
The Good, the Bad,
By Paul Smith THINGS are looking gloomier for poor Joe Gormley, president of the National Union of Mineworkers, wing fix-it merchant.
Joe faces the prospect of having to hand over the NUM Arthur Scargill next March, admits that 'I do not think that there is anybody who can stop Mr Benn becoming the leader of the Labour Party eventually'.
Gormley's statement decision of the NUM executive to back down from choosing whom to support in the Labour deputy leadership contest. and instead to ballot branch meetings.
Doubtless the majority of the executive would have preterred a vote tor Healey: the branch ballot system favours a vote for Benn.
Despite this NUM decision, Healey camp are becoming increasingly optimistic - in public at least. Last Friday Healey boldly announced that he By Brian Heron NEITHER Denis Healey nor John Silkin were at the launch party of the new Labour Party magazine New Socialist. Despite their absence, maybe because of it, the journal got off to a good start.
The initial orin run was Icall 10.000 and of tearing circulation
Labour and Tribune the ex house journal of the Labour left, its prospects 1ook origil.
New Socialist •Dvious v aimed at the mos dynamic and growing section of the Labour Partv
the Bennite Left. wants to expand that constituency by taking in the controversies of women's liberation, the disarmament campaign and other radical movements.
It Is pernaps not sur-
therefore that the LISL edition has a bit of everything, from the sociology of skinheads, to Poland, to the 'socialist republic' LUW LULL trolled by Sheffield City Council is fighting the CuLs. Bones
gazincentre piese of the
magazine's issue nowever Is ine interview with the three candidates 101 Labour's ucouLy leadership. Their answers show, beyond doubt, why every working class person has so much interest in the present battle in the
abour Party.
What is at stake is the political soul of the labour movement.
Healev makes no bones about the fact that he is the direct
SULECSSUI Callaghan and Wilson. In response to the how to rebuild Britain's economy and restore full employment, Healey replies with all the old formulas now enthusiastica ly.
More union support for Benn
was "certain' ever leadershin. while more mole' the
and arch right pecting Healey to win.
presidency
and now
This is followed the in the first round.
greater proportion
the be very close.
and who?
60p Stuart Hall-Policing America's new Vietnam a as town.
Lewis Minkin- Union blo Skinhead culture
New Socialist: theory hits the Labour Party
defended by the Social Democrats His models are Japan, Austria, Norway and the verner ands. policies he says have beer Dasce strategy for industry and national - social •consensus ... He
of winning the deputy preposterously his camp announced that they had a
Benn camp: who had revealed that benn's supporters were ex-
This story sounds a little KGBish for those who want to defend us from the Bennite East European conspiracy. And their celebrations are a little premature.
In fact the most pessimistic reading of the line up of trade union votes gives Benn a first round score of 1.2 million.
basea on the 1 ransport and General Workers supporting John Silkin
If Benn picks up the TGWU vote in the second round it will give him 42½ per cent of the union section of the electoral college. With the overwhelming majority of MPs going Healey's way and an even
of the constituenc parties supporting benn. the result wil
ject of GMWU national official Warburton of 'trying to ensure a decisive ma-
New Social
Use conten might have added incomes policy, and at least in the case of Japan a rate of exploitation of the workforce that means an average worker turns ir 3,000 effective work hours year compared with 1,733 hours in Britain.
Even this limp pro-
Labour Party
jority' for Healey. Behind the last minute flood statements and statements is the growing realisation that Healey and his right-wing backers can only lose.
Warburton has pointed out that 'in the interestst of the party and the future (read: 'the right wing') it has to be a fairly convincing win for Healey. But this is the least likely result.
Only a series of blatant bureaucratic stitch-ups have preventea Ine leaderships giving expression to the immense rank and file pressure in favour of Bendlive Jenkins of ASTMS and Alan Fisher of NUPE order by their national conferences when they tried to prevent any expression of support for Benn.
There was a near-riot at the biennial conference of the TGWU to get the decision in the hands of the conference. Whatever else happens, the Benn campaign has lit the fires of the fight for union democracy.
St
81
FIRST
100
GO%
gramme of class collabora-
tion is subject the
hawkish Wills ot the
IMF, ament show d. bout
showed.
should the IMF require a
mid-term correction in
lavour ot another savant
dose of deflation and mass
unemployment why
counter-
union
were both called to
stop
the
culs
'I think I'm going to win'
Denis has a proven track record in this department Loo.
• Silkin's left credentials (designed to let : uncomfortable union bureaucrats off the hook of the Benn/Healey choice) rest on his apparent commitment to planning agreements, import ant exchange controls.
But he is obviously uncomfortable in the policy realm. His appeal,
rests on his accep. tability to everybody. His candidacy was certainly
acceptable to Heale
position to whom Silkin' stand was designed split.
Benn's
response re-
the Alternative Economic Strategy, unilateral nuclear disarmament and the fight for democracy inside and outside of the labour move. ment.
Benn's proposals create such hysteria among the ruling class and in the millionaire press not because of redblooded socialism but for three clear 1 casuris au parent in the interview
In the first place Benn's committment
the struggle for democracy and accountability in the about movemen baces powerful weapon in the hands of the ranks to dea
thei leaders the very same leaders on whom the sur vival of British capitalism depends. Reform
Second, Benn presents a combined package, involving radical reform of the political system as wel as a programme for the economy
The implication is not lost on hundreds and molares o workers
Speakers: Ken Cure, AUEW executive, Ro!
the political system serves the ruling class whoever is in power.
Most important, and despite the tact that Benn's policies by means add up to a socialis programme, his fight has come to represent ine pro spects of radical change in the system. It encourages a Ber says he freeing favour ourselves from the stranglehold that capita nar lifer Success against our Success against the right wing the Labour Party will remove a scare oosacco mak ing that freedom a realit
New Socialist Debate Labour's Alternative Strategy
Hattersley, shadow Home Secretary, Pat Hickey, former deputy convenor Rover: Adam Sharples, Labour Party research officer, Audrey Wise, LP parliamentar!
candidate
Sat 12 September 7.15pm,
Admission 40p
Assembly Rooms, Digbeth Civic Hall.
Birmingham
socialist Challenge fo September 138 bage s
Page 4 scan of this page
El Salvador: guerrillas on the offensive again
'Green Berets'
in Honduras
By Fred Murphy Members of the U.S. Special Forces ('Green Berets') are now in Honduras, which is ruled by a military dictatorship and borders on El Salvador.
The Green least one of the Monouras-- Salvador
Most more Salvadoran refugees in Honduras fled the Salvadoran junta's terror campaign, which as lakell more than were among the victims destroy operations carried out by the junta against villages that sympathise with the revolutionary forces in El Salvador.
In early August it became known that Washington had sent twenty-one 'military instructors' to Honduras.
Border
Raymond Bonner of the New York Times spoke with one of these instructors - US Special Forces Captain Michael Sheehan
at the Lar Virtud, Honduras, refugee camp near the Salvadoran border:
Captain Sheehan was accompanied by two senior ennistea men win extensive experience Vietnam. camouriage Jungie M-16 automatic rifles.
"Thev said thev were Forces battalion based in Panama and that they and five other American soldiers from the same unit had been assigned to help the Honduran army patrol i neir primary objective, control the Salvadoran refugees streaming in to escape the upheaval in their coun try Captain Sheehan said that the (US) National Security. use of Special Forces units in Honduras in support multary Salvadoran guerrillas. A unit would soon be based in Lar Virtud. he said.' (New York Times, 9 August). Vigilance
Captain Sheehan also spoke with a reporter from the Pacifica radio network of the United States. sieve', Sheehan told Pacifica. damn guerrillas in and
Concerning
"the helping the guerrillas. cordoned off
Sheehan's ominous statements served to corroborate earlier warninos bv Charles Henry Bazoche, Honduras director of the United Nations High Refugees. duran government, that Salvadoran refugees were being kept 'under constant vigilance and military control. It gives the impression that they are prisoners.'
SUPPORT THE
STRUGGLES
OF THE
CHILEAN AND
SALVADORAN
PEOPLE
National demonstration Sunday 20 September 2.30 pm Speakers Michael Scargill, Alex Kitson, representative of the FDR, Ken Livingstone and Ron Hayward. vesoile the police ban demonstration will go anead as a rally. soclalist Challenge urges all its readers to turn out to
struggles Organised by the Chile and El Salvador solidarity campaigns.
Socialist Challenge
Berets are stationed in at
camps along the border where
than 40,000
20,000 lives. Many OT search-andAll three wore unitorms and carried
from a Special
the border.
allies. council nad approvea tne
acallst Special Forces
and
'This border is like a 'The god ths, out as they my refugees, Sheehan 350 ma ority or unem are They should all be
Commission In a 21 July letter to the Hon-
Bazoche complained Foot, ATLAUT Madame Allende,
this marches
of the Latin American &
10 September 1981 Page,4.
By Phil Hearse LAST WEEK the El Salvador defence minister José Guillermo Garcia held a press contference to announce that 'we are in total control of the country'
As he spoke the lights went out, when the guerrillas of the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) blew up power pylon in the San Salvador region.
The destruction of power supplies by the guerrillas is part of a nationally co-ordinated campaign of sabotage which is crippling the economy. This sabotage campaign is just one part of a new offensive being waged on all the major military fronts by the FMLN.
The success of the prescut olicuisive llas collic as a sharp blow to the Duarte junta and its US backers, especially since they were confident that the failure of the guerrillas January offensive to overthrow the governmen nau the tide in their favour.
The United States is beginning to realise that despite its huge inflow of arms and advisors, the war
going very badly for them and their Salvadoran
Last month the FMLN launched a big offensive
the 'Eastern Front' capturing the northeastern town of Perquin
staging attacks throughout the Morazan region.
Morale
Over the past six mon-
spokespeople have admitted, ar-
losses have totalled 1,350 casualties, including
killed other words government forces have suffered 12 per
Casualic in half year, a bitter blow to their
Another worrying feature for the government is lne incrcasig acculacy Guerrillas hit another pylon
International,
another of the guerrillas' ground fire which is putting military helicopters repeatedly out of service. Tactics
While the government forces are doing badly militarily, the sabotage campaign has damaged the economy considerably. 75 per cent of the country has been without power at one time or another, and one business in three has had to close down for a period The shrimp fishing and fish cannıng industries have virtually ground to a Hall The government's
response has DeCI LWO• fold. Attempting a re-run
Vietnam tactics, its forces have been engaged
scale cleanup operations, making broad sweeps of the country with helicopters and infantry divisions. Just as in Viethave very limited success these operations
guerrilla which simply melt away
been a sharp increase in The l repression in towns. The legal aid office
diocese of San Salvador claims that 536 civilians
• Metapar
• Santa Ana
EL San Salvado
FIC OCEAN
Pugliese
areas over the past month. were murdered by para military forces May killed in 1981.
Corpses
The night-time murders have taken on a grisly new icature, over lne past dredse i headless corpses couple months hunhave been found, the result of the activities of the government 'death squads
The new 'weapon' of the dead squads is the elec-
While the military and for the Duarte junta, it has suffered a severe political reverse in last week's joint statement of the Mexican and French governments recognising the opposition forces as the legitimate pontical representalives ol the Salvadoran people.
All these features are leading to sharp conflicts within the country's ruling circles. The main private enterprise grouping, the Productive Allance (AP) has been leading a campaign political forces against the government. They have accused Duarte of being 'little better than a marxist tyrant' (!).
Right wing plots Support revolutionary
Grenada
Revolutionary
GRENADA
İs in no-one's backyard
American strategy in crisis
SALVADOR Above map shows conservative estimate of FMLN activity. Fighting has been reported in many other
against the regime among employers army ficers are nothing new. bu speculation now rife about whether the Duarte junta will survive until the planned elections in 1982, or whether the Christian Democrats m the will be replaced by military
The United States anc its international allies are
presenl backing the project holding elections in an attempt to give legitimacy to continued right-wing governnell
But the head of the electoral commission Jorge Bustamante recently admitted that rural areas — some 60 per cent or ine populaton — are unlikely to be able to vote. Of course, the political co-ordination of the
the Revolutionary Democratic Front (FDR) would be banned from participation in these elections.
Elections
Even if the elections go ahead, it is most unlikely that they will constitute a successful political manoeuvre. Elections will NICILIC de-mobilise resistance isolate the
internaLionaily.
AS solidarity
test being run by Flypress and Badger Ltd.
by the Flypress collective on
political content,
technical standard of artwork.
receives 1,000 free badges.
entry form to Flypress and Badger
Lane, London SW2 or phone 01-274 5181
The four colour
bought for 20p
don N16
Guerrilla strongholds Persistent guerrilla activity
HONDURAS
MORAZAN
San Miguel Overshadowing all the
in the military struggle Despite the support for the revolutionary oppositions in the the course of the war is now becoming one of classical rural guerrilla warfare.
Control While the government forces continue to control the major towns, the countryside is increasingly in the hands of the guerrillas.
The • United States risks becoming ever-more deeply involved in a Vietnam style conflict.
Its military advisors are attempting to imposs all the techniques of the Vie nam war - 'strategic ham search and destroy operations, and helicopter attacks.
But these techniques are coming up against the lundamental problem of counter-insurgency techni ques, that it is impossible win militarily when the guerrillas have already won politically. It has now become impossi-
win, even American aid and arms for the junta will delay the revolutionaries' victory.
activities are stepped up in response to USA military action in the Carib bean, this new badge has won a design con-
Entries in this monthly contest are judged
their radical graphic design merit, The winner
You can enter your badge by writing for an
52 Acre
Grenada badge can be each and a stamped selfaddressed envelope to The British Grenadian Friendship Society c/o 4 Windus Walk, Lon-
Page 5 scan of this page
By a supporter of the Namibia Support Committee AS WE GO TO PRESS, the latest reports of apartheid South Africa's invasion of Southern Angola (Operation motorised column is pushing north in the sparsely populated south Kuando Kubango, heading for Mavinga, miles from the border.
attack. (FAPLA) and the South Africans is still continuing in the over 350 miles away.
pursuit' raid after SWAPO guerrillas, it is now clear that Pretoria set out consciously to harass and weaken the Angolan government, bombing least six villages.
Sending huge armoured convoys of British centurion Lanks alic SWAPO fighters Dolnuess. As the Angolan Ambassador said in London last week 'You can't catch flies with vinegar'. Whether Or not the American administration likes it, Namibia will be independent with SWAPO in power. You can't stop the wind blowing with your hands.
The Western
are collectivel however, pursuing a more complex and lethal strategy 1o counter and Teverse ind gains made by the libera-
and the black working class Angola, Namibia and South Africa. Profits
They are dependent on the enormous super profits made in southern Atrica and the vast array minerals strategic (including the capitalist world's money commodity
and rock by cheap black
rock by cheap black lavour power
The British, US, Ger-
French, South Illal.
African and other capitalist powers are being forced into maintaining ine system Inrough a lwopronged strategy.
On the one hand, they rely upon the coercive use of their regional DOLICE man - - the South African
SLalt (which they ensure_now has much military equipment as the French
forces). On the other hand, they use every trick in the book such as: economic ald, leadership, black nationalist
shortages their material suppes. as well as the diplomatic
spying. bribery and terror operations picked up trom years oi experience in creating neocolonial states
all uss Africa to bludgeon SWAPO. the MPLA and their allies into Tactics
There are important differences
Lactics within the imperialist camp. But the overall strategy remains that OI holding down the African working class and their peasant allies.
At the centre of the
confrontation DI CoCIlL the Namibian revolution
the hotpoint Southern
and crucial to developments in the whole sub-continent.
While the imperialists, including South Africa realise that they can entertain no 'solution' without
the prospect of a straightforward SWAPO
intolerable. would
Protea) indicate
east province
This considerably extends the range of the Fighting between the Angolan army
South West Kunene province
Contrary to South African claims of a 'hot
towns and several
give a huge boost to the struggle in South Africa, possibly leading to a white Nationalist Party split.
Zimbabwe, the former white regime could bomb and the liberation movement, and bribe their rear-base ales into submission, sucsequently grafting the black nationalist leaders onto the old Rhodesian state structure.
Depend
But Namibia has lack-
the equivalent white colonial state to do this. SWAPO's Angolan allies cannot be bribed through dependence on DOULO African trade routes and finance. Military destabilisation is the only means of trying to drive a wedge between this rear base and the Iberation movement.
South Africa's Muzorewa equivalents Namibia are dependent on a foreign armv. police and civil service, who take orders from Pretoria; and the Namibians have been so brutalv and extensivelv proletarianised that Pretoria has had to rely on openly into its Council uppets into its of VISICI and 'National Assembly', organised through the 'Democratic Turnhalle Alliance' (DTA), as a pseudo 'opposition' to bargain with SWAPO Measure
the racists are trying to
colonial (army, police ofe. pretenSOns
the ideological political
on
They had to
against sympa-
of conscription the So-
and workers' compounds known
time
But the imGroup' of Britain,
da, who directing
and
and Pretoria while the UN with are CA-. asperated their
bargain.
Coerce
The contradictions surrounding Namibia are now
Healey and the TUC are
i South
African
• WANDA 200 Miles BENGUELA
ANGOLA
Lubango 200 Miles calling for comprehensive sancuons against South Africa) that new imperialist offensive has had to be launched.
The 'coercive" part of the strategy has been extended to the open South African military invasion diplomatic Angola, wole the
battle has been extended by the Contact Grou cadership, now under Reaganite to demands for a renegotia-
the independence plan for Namibia.
Those in the Western capitals who supported the David Owen-Andy Young
allow the Namibians UN-supervised vote to a constituent assembly after withdrawal of the South Aft behind. Reage have been
behind. and
Thatcher have revived the Kissinger-Haig plan 1976.
International,
attack aimed
at Namibian
revolution
SOUTN AFRICA'
COLUMNS
NAMIB'
This involves drawing up the essential elements capitalist Namibian
assembly Washing-
ensure that • independent not accom-
other African
block that
bian selfunder at-
well.
The want prior Cuban withdrawal from racist
They yvet
to use Jonas Savimbi's terrorist group UNITA, which is now run as a wing of the South African ar-
as a whipping stick against Angola. Buffer
Hence it is no surprise that Pretoria is trying to
'buffer LUIIC Southern Angola so that Savimbi can claim support under the obsolete UNITA banner and South Africa
announce con currently that their Namibian DTA puppets wlll
governmental assullic 'power'.
This DTA constitutional farce naturally precludes autolity policy over uciclice _ane ters, and will do nothing to end or moderate the intensifying detention, tion, pillage rape and murder Dy lne racist oc
cupation of Namibia
in this brutal offensive has been totally obscured by the capitalist and even the
press, which have chosen to hammer Reagan
the surprising exception of
Daily Mirror!). • It 15 British centurion tanks British-supplied oil and brunnance watca being used butcher Namibians and Angolans to say nothing of Mozambicans and South Africans.
The British Labour leadership has played despicable role in this, they did over Zimbabwe. In the Namibian case they have flouted World Court and Labour Party conference decisions hibiting the trade.
Not only are Callaghan, Owen and Healey guilty, but even Tony Benn * signed
Socialist Challenge
Namibian uranium contracts which help finance South Africa's war.
The Namibia Support Committee, which has been working to raise this question the British labour movement for eleven years, is asking for support for a fundraising benefit Saturday Town Hall, Upper St september Islington 7.30 pm Bands include
Enchanters NSC is hoping Owen Cal con MP and SWAPO wil speak at the event
Tickets £3.00 in ad vance, £3.50 at door from NSC , 188 North Gower St, London NW1 2NB, phone 388 5539. A vigil will b held outside the US Embassy in protest against th US veto endorsi raids into Angola from 6
Thursday Vet ra Friday 1l September ton September until 9 am 10 September 1981 Pagt 5
Page 6 scan of this page
Free the Bradford 12
on phony charges and railroaded into prison.
Twelve young Asians,
conspiracy to damage property.
guilty.
The Bradford 12 are accused of planning to use petrol bombs skinheads, Prest York large stores.
Yorkshire police claim that they found 38 milk bottles filled with petrol on 17 July on a demolition site in Horton.
On 30 July two of the defendad Taria Mochmood Ali Were Gata-Aura arrested in dawn raids.
Their homes were searched and documents were taken aWay i including. the minute book or ine United Black Youth League. The rest of the Genoas were picked up in the next 24 hours.
During the next two days they were not allowed to see their solicitors and were continuously interrogated.
The police claim that they have 'voluntary statements wnien iney plan to use in ine prosecution.
The West Yorkshire police have a record fabricated 'voluntarv statements
In 1978 George Lindo, a black worker. was convicted or the basis of a voluntary state-
This Abeng St Matthew's Meeting
The fight against
racism
Brent Labour Party Young Socialists public meeting SPEAKERS from Liverpool 8, Brixton, Southall, Bradford defence committees and the Asian Labour Party Alliance Wednesday 16 September 7.30 at the Devon Room, Anson Hall, Anson Road, Cricklewood, London NW2
Socialist Challenge 10 September 1981
From the Bradford 12 support group - London A NEW offensive has been launched against black people. Black political activists are being brought up
members of the Black Youth League in Bradford, have been charged with conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm and
The maximum sentence is life imprisonment. With two exceptions they have been refused bail since 30 July when they were arrested. They are pleading not
quashed when it was revealed that the statement was in fact written by a police officer and The signed by George Lindo under
In the same year, Geoffrey Elliott, a white man was alleged to have given a detailed 'voluntary statement' to the Bradford police admitting to rape. This statement was subsecuentIv discredited when another man admitted to the crime.
The real issue charges against the Bradford 12 is not 'conspiracy'
It is the right of the black community defend when police protection is not available.
Most weekends Bradford is invaded by the National Front.
Homes. businesses and places of worship in and around Bradford have been firebombed.
Attacks on the streets are commonplace.
For example, on the 24 July two Asian-owned houses were gutted in a vicious arson attack. two white men were charged but released on bail; on 14 July an Asian schoolboy was attacked with a petrol bomb by a gang was
Public meetings
US plans to invade Grenada speaker
Fennis Augustin, High Commissioner of Grenada
Friday 11 September at 7pm Centre Gresham Rd, London SW9 Saturday 12 September at 6.30 70 Grange Park, Leyton E10
Steve Biko Memorial Service Saturday 12 September ace, Brixton Hill, London sw2 Bazaar, jumble sale, exhibitions, food 9.30am-3pm
Memorial service 3-5pm, speakers from the Black Consciousness
movement of Azania. Pan Africanist Congress of Azania and
Steve Biko Youth Organisation
Black workers'
conference
Saturday 12 September
Digbeth Civic Hall
Birmingham
Page 6
United of about shouting racist slogans and giving the Nazi salute.
Only two were charged and then only with stealing petrol for their bomb.
In Bradford police inaction over fascist attacks has
harassment of black •urvellance nas occi barticularly intense over the last 18 behind the Hollis Watched
Participants at a black conitself ference discovered were being watched and photographed by a police officer.
and friends of the defendanes
(living as far away as London) have faced interrogation and harassment.
On the 23 August the West Indian community Indian
Textile regular meeting place of the Bradford 12 defence committee was firebombed and gutted.
The police are treating it as an accident.
The case of the Bradford 12 comes in the wake of paramilitary repression communities in Manchester and Brixton.
The climate prepared where charges such as conspiracy can be against black people - charges which require much lower stancarus ot proot. defendants as evidence against them
twelve Bradford 12
Anti-racism
white youths
police racism fight the Immigration Laws
assault and They had
gone
direct police
people. children with her in Britain.
As know
paigns that that they it is not going w.
Tedives Exposed
centre in Hall, the ton, a black worke freed result of the
Led by the police,
of black repressive and Liverpool, system! Which has been
being ped!
brought Drop the charges!
Charge the fascists!
Free the Bradford 12! and allow the politics to be used
Group (London) c/o
youths' real Street, Southall, Middlesex Liverpool 8 demonstration - action needed to defend
crime in the eyes of the state has been first to successfully expose
and secondly to
campaigned for • Jaswinder Kaur wno was racing deportation because her marrage broke down and for An war Ditta who earlier this year won her five vear battle with the Home Office to have her
sources.
Anwar says: 'We all that it is because they have been active in these cam-
iney nave been charged with this rubbish. But
Black people are not going to take it.'
In addition some of the Bradford 12 exposed the lies of set up the West Yorkshire polce bi ampaigning for Gary Pember ton 1981
who was convicted on false charges but
appeal largely as a
Can the Bradford 12, fram- uprising.
charged with conspiracy and facing life im prisonment, expect a fair trial? fessor Can they expect justice from a
racist judicial used for years to criminalise black people? This trial must be stop
For further information con-
Bradford 12 Support 54 High housing;
higher
dustries
panding.
not to deal
predict defensible ment
little hope rovertents area. our
available
National picket
of the Director of Public Prosecutions DPP office 4/12 Queen Anne's Gate London SW7 Monday, 14 September from 10.30 onwards
NEW INSIGHTS
THE explosion that took place in Bristol a year ago and was followed by those in Brixton, Southall and other British cities have led to investigations, reports and recommendations from a variety of
Toni Gorton looks at three publications that give insights into questions of inner city problems, new moves on policing and civil liberties. Slumbering volcano?
Report of an enquiry into the origins of the eruption in St Paul's Bristol on 2 April 1980 This report provides a model by which other communities can
enquiries into such events as Bristol 1980 or Brix-
It details the moves which the Bristol Trades Union Council undertook in setting up an investigation into the St Paul's
lan Mikardo MP chaired the team which included Pro
Dummett, chairperson of the Blair Peach Enquiry, Bill Keys of the Society of Graphic and Allied Trades, a number of representatives of the West Indian Parents and Friends and Vull cus
Director of Education
ed invitations to participate.
rour main areas are coverec in the report; environment and
employment and unemployment; education; and community relations.
The report states: 'In examining why unemployment is free.
among young blacks than among young whites, the evidence shows that the blacks are more disadvantaged by the change in employment patterns because a higher proportion of them work in the traditional in-
which are shrinking and a lower proportion in the commercial sector which is ex-
'Another significant factor disadvantaging young blacks is direct discrimination
On the trade unions: 'the trade unions are also at fault in
naving adopted positive role in the development of an effective equal opportumues poncy
Discrimination is faced by black youth in getting into the Youth Opportunities Program mes and the failure of the YOP
with general youth
The conclusions of the En quiry are wide-sweeping in their scope. But on the employment prospects it warns 'All the cur-
economic indicators that the present inlevel of unemploywill continue to rise, policies of the Government re and economic male hope of employment in
employment im-
Against this background recommendations can be no more than palliatives.
Copies of this report are • from Ror Thomas, 64 Morris ka, Bristol /. sena sup plu. 15p postage, make cheques payable to Bristol TUC
Civil disorder and civil liberties Evidence to the Scarman Enquiry from the National Coun cil for Civil Liberties The NCCL decided to submit evidence to the Scarman • enquiry despite the call for boycott because it afforded
opportunity detailed comments about polic ing in inner cities and the threa that repressive solutions, affec ting fundamental civil liberties, might be sought.
Its recommendations include: a review by the government of racist immigration laws; that CS gas. waleı call non and dogs should not be us-
controlling street disorder.
The report points to the totally ineffective methods for dealing with complaints against the police and the lack of accountability of the police to the community.
The available from bookshops or direct
State research: bulletin no 25 August/September 1981 State Research produces bulletin every two months givhenormalon from public sources on developments in state policy, particularly in the fields of the law, policing, ternal security, espionage and unc bulllal y. It also examines the link
between these fields and business, , the Right and paramilitary organisations.
I mis Issue gives a run-auwi on the 'July riots' and believes that they represent a watershed in British policing
that resources Brixton were so stretched that a military liaison officer was drafter into Brixton police state Case troops had to be called in.
Other areas covered in clude: raids factories, police computers, racist attacks and new move. on riot control. Alaila Sereet, State Resear te 9 Poland 01-734 5831 r annum for dividuals community voluntary groups and trade unions Policing in the eighties critical conference in Cardiff on
Linnited TreE accommod tion and reduced rail fares available for early bookings
Registration £5 Furthe details from Penny Smith, Con Terence Administrator Faculty
Box Cardiff (tel 0222 ext. 2558)
Page 7 scan of this page
By Pete Clifford MANCHESTER Labour MPs, Charles Morris and Bob Litherland, are among many in the labour movement who moves by engineering union leaders to stifle support for the Laurence Scott strikers.
The strike against factory closure, now in its twentieth week, has receiv-
*UWIl support.
Almost 70 MPs have written personally endorsing the strike and over ninety branches and districts of the engineering union are known to nave sent protest resolutions to their executive. Restore
The campaign is to demand
IClO aLOT official backing, which was withdrawn July following
Wsaus ac tory deal between the
leaders and employers which did not guarantee keeping the factory open. Shake official backin eo the total
Backing, the total workforce are determined to carry on 10I ao Wule a necessary. Tom McNeil, strike committee representative, explained:
We're out to keep our jobs. We've launched a campaign in the labour movement to win backing.
This has started to shake Boyd and Duffy. So now they've done a job on the Labour Chief Whip, feeding him with incorrect information regarding the dispute and consequently all Labour MPs have been instructed to fall into line.
'But they' re not. We're getting new letters of
Railworkers:
By Hazel MacPherson, NUR Paddington No1 THE TWO major unions in British 180,000 strong national Union of Railwaymen (NUR) and the 27,000 strong drivers union ASLEF have formed a federation which is intended to lead to a single railworkers.
merger as an aid to implementing the productivity demands placed alongside the recent wages settlement.
A key element in this productivity plan is the new grade of 'trainman' which will draw in workers
cmiene reis creation or
ululs. creation this new grade along with other measures intended to intensify the work railworkers do, will virtually wipe out pattorm staff. As many as 30,000 Jobs are up tor grabs.
Militants the rail unions should welcome this tederation ~ vuL as a way forging unity to resist
'Everywhere
Boyd and Duffy go,
well go too'
have condemned
solidarity each day from MPs. Now we've written to the Chief Whip
questing he circulates our
reply to all Labour MPs think it's a disgrace the way that Boyd and Duffy seek to control Labour MPs, we're not prepared to accept it.
'We've spoken to those who becked us originally such as Charles Morris and Tony Benn, their support is still there. Lower
Under increasing pressure Boyd and Duffy are stooping even lower to sabotage the dispute. In a three page letter to all two AUEW branch secetaries and nart nous e they've condemned 'misleading material purporting inform our members of circumstances relating to the EC decision.'
With the rank of the union starting to challenge their breaking of the rule book, the union leaders in this letter nave tried shift the argument away from the rules. Boyd and
nOW explain the withdrawal of support Decause or tne workiorce accepting their redundancy pay cheques
Senior steward Billy Partlan explained the true story: 'Our divisional organiser JOLI SLOCIe phoned us from the Confed national conterence in Ayr and told us when the
Unity for what?
Rail, the
union for all
The Tory press have seen this proposed
the productivity strings. Such unity will not come automatically.
The llall cause of
existenc has not en the
existence
LWU unions, but the way that divisions fostered through the individual unions themselves. Inside Ine NUR each grade organised separately from each other.
Crucial to resisting the Rail Board's offensive will
uniting the different grades of railworker
cheques came that we should not put them in a trust fund or send them DaCk. but put them in our own banks. Back
'Dougie Daniels, our district secretary, even arranged a meeting with the union solicitor who told us to bank the cheques. For Boyd and Duffy it's a case of heads you lose and tails you lose.
The stewards committee have now mailed a reply to all the union branches. In spite of these problems the dispute is still very much there.
Denis Barry, the convenor, is confident that the management will not be able to move anytning oul of the factory. A 24-hour picket being mounted w.c czas cue cicouraged from other workplaces.
Next
TASS steward Phil Penning explained their nexi step. 'We don't intend to let Boyd and Duffy Everywhere they away with
go we'll be there too. We'll have a team at the TUC all week anu a loboy on lne inulsday. We'll be at the Birmne Ramo dento LOC Labour Party conference and we're hoping to get on Tony Benn's election platform.'
Donations and messages of support still required. Send to: 20 Roundcroft, Romiley, Cheshire.
N•U•R
and then eventually with the miners and steelworkers who, with NUR, make up the triple alliance.
The willingness of railworkers to forge this type
fighting alliance was seen in the preparations
LicalCICu strike. Sidney Weighell,
seci clal) the NUR, admitted this when he explained to the press
Home News
Laurence Scott workers lobbying the national meeting of TGWU had been persuaded to withdraw official support
Model resolution for AUEW
branches
country.
disputes (Rule 14.
AUEW National Executive). that the union 'had organised for war but sued for peace
What he failed to dis. tinguish was that the ranks had organised tor war and he had sued for peace. It is clear that , forging of unity and the building of the trin e aliance will have to be taken out of his hands.
the Confed unions last Thursday. Prior to the meeting the The meeting voted to endorse the AUEW leadership's line
The following resolution has been sent by the LSE workers to every AUEW branch in the
In view of the unanimous support for the Laurence Scott dispute from the 28 July 1981 Manchester North District Committee of the AUEW and the rules of the union with regard to procedure of deciding on the official status
Paragraph 16), this branch deplores any attempt by the executive to terminate this dispute against the clear wishes of the workforce expressed at two mass meetings (14 July and 23 July) and calls on the National Executive to maintain official backing for this fight for jobs. (For forwarding with your branch stamp and signature to the The age of the train means möre work and less jobs for railworkers
The newly formed Broad Left alliance of railworkers could play a key role in achieving this and encouraging the formation alternative enoership .To begin to play this role it ha. put itset at the head of a massive campaign against these productivity measures.
When local struggles
of no support. Despite this the number of resolutions from AUEW branches (see box for model resolution) is in creasing every day.
which the LSE unilaterally handed out.
emerged trom the meeting.
erupt, as they must, there
is a massive job of building
solidarity and unity with
other railworkers
and reaching out to the
miners and steelworkers
for support
Unfortunately,
date, the actions of the
Broad Left have not been
auspicious. The
forthcoming regional con-
Socialist Challenge
Inset: Denis Barry, convenoi Raw eggs At the meeting of the confed unions Ken Cure, main architect of the sell out explained that the confed could not officially recognise the dispute because the workforce had accepted the redundancies by banking the redundancy pay
management had
Yet it was the union's own solicitor who advised that no implication of this sort would ensue. No wonder he was the recipient of a number of raw eggs as he
ference will have the op portunity to discuss fighting action gramme The conference has been postponed twice now, just at a time when it Is most necaeo • in the aftermath of the pay deal.
Let s hope HA COS ! can get on the right tracks. 10 September 1981 Page ?
Page 8 scan of this page
WHY REAGAN WANTS THE NEUTRON BOMB
OMEN FOR
PEACE
By Will Reissner ON 10 AUGUST US Secretary of Defence Weinberger publicly acknowledged tagon is now producing neutron bombs
Weinberger was evasive about when the decision to proceed with the neutron bomb had been reached. But New York Times reporter Richard Halloran wrote on li August that other officials, including spokesmen in the White House said that 'the decision made last Thursday...
A glance at the calendar explains Weinbergers's reluctance to pinpoint the date of the decision to go ahead with the weapons. Thursday, August, was the thirty-sixth anniversary of the US atomic bombing OI Hiroshima, first time nuclear weapons were used.
To date, the US military which dropped a second bomb on Nagasaki three days later, remains the only force ever to nave used nuclear weapons against peopie.
About 140,000 people died
Hiroshima and 70.000 Nagasaki in the immediate aftermath of the US atomic bombings. A recent book, The Physical, Medical, and Social Effects of the Atomic Bombings, reports that the death toll in those cities rose by another 130.000 in the next tive years from the effects of radiation. Dying
Hundreds of thousands of others were severely injured, many permanently, and to this dav people are still dving from
traces tore cette be
traced the effects atomic blasts.
The initial decision Iculi bombs was made by President Carter, who argued that their limited blast made them ideal for use in Europe. But the intense opposition in Europe, who recognised that they would be the victims ol a immilca alomnic war , 1orced Carter to back down.
Instead of moving to full-scale manufacture of wcaoUIls Europe, Carter ordered
Socialist Challenge 10 September 1981
MARCH
printed from Intercontinental Press
that the bombs. often descibed as the ultimate capitalist weapon - differ from other nuclear weapons in that they produce far higher levels of deadly short-lived radiation and lower levels of blast and heat, killing people while doing minimal damage to property.
the the
Pentagon in 1978 to produce all the components of the neutron bomb and to store the parts in could be quickly assembled and 'deployed in Europe it the need arose.
The Reagan tion's 6 August decision was to begin assembling, neutron the tillery and missile heads trom the parts produced the under Carter's orders
Page 8
Caspar Washington claims that it
Pen- needs the neutron bomb to offNeutron set the Warsaw
numerical superiority in tanks in Europe.
Without the neutron bomb, the Pentagon argues, the forces of NATO in Western Europe could be overrun by a massive THERES A RUMOR GOING 'ROUND THAT WE WON..."
Soviet tank invasion.
But the neutron bomb is onone small part of a massive where they US nuclear
against the Soviet Union.
The stated purpose of this buildup is to enable adminstra- military to reestablish,
end of this decade, the absolute and overwhelming superiority over
Pact's superiority
the Pentagon's planners. nihilation of the USSR
buildup aimed While today US
enrecuve the Us by the
nuclear the Soviet
As long as the US military had an overwhelming nuclear
aimed ovel DOVIC Union, life was much easier for
ty. On
US troops could intervene 59, 0 around the world, while warn- which ing the Soviets that any military tagon response to such interventions
59 was
the
to be
weapons
winoe systems knock Soviet mand bunkers
suomaine Minuteman
new systems
strike strategy,
underground
Pershing RCOBB Cruise missile.
marines could result in the nuclear an-
nuclear
forces remain larger and more
Soviet Luci the growth of
Soviet nuclear forces since ine buildup,
mid-1960s means the Pentagon
is no longer able to threaten the
Soviet Union with nuclear
tack without risking mutual an-
Women's
Cruise
protest
Under President Carter, an arms buildup was initiated that
reestablish overwhelming US nuclear superiori
July 1980 . Carter Presidential Directive oracrea ine to develop plans and strategies for fighting and winning nuclear wars.
The underlying thesis of PD
that the Pentagon should fight and win such wars by staging a first strike nuclear attack against the Soviet Union that would wipe out the bulk of
nuclear force ground, while holding enough US weapons in reserve
able to incinerate the USSR if it retaliated with any
that had escaped destruction in the first strike. Strategy
But in order to implement PD 59, the Pentagon needed a
sennes oriew accurate enough out small targets like missile silos and com-
had already developed two such systems - the Trident
IlI groundlaunched missile. In addition,
underwater detection had been invented, enabling the US Navy to pinpoint the location of Soviet nuclear suomarines and wipt them out in a preemptive strike.
But to implement its first
the Pentagon needs four additional weapons systems: the MX Blockbuster missile, a higly accurate nuclear weapons capable of destroying
command posts
dent II submarine missile; the
missile; and the
Of these four new weapons
are already deployed, and the Pershing 1 and Cruise missiles are scheduled to be deployed in Western Europe, from which they could hit targets in the Soviet Union in as little as tour minutes
Through its massive nuclear
WaCa cost at least $200 billion over the next five years, washington hopes to return to the good old days when it could threaten the
Soviet Union with nuclear annihilation and thus gain a free
interventionist policies around the world.
So the neutron bomb is part oI a whole series of new weapons being added to the Pentagon's arsenal.
While the Pentagon claims that the neutron bomb is needca to counter a soviet lank In vasion of Western Europe, obvious v it would be equally et fective in neutralising Soviet tank forces during a NATO in vasion of Eastern Europe.
Planners
neutron bomb is not restricted to use on the plains of Europe more tikely arena tor sa H1OIC likely al Cic neutron bomb, as some Pentagon officials themselves have acknowledged.
planniels Chave gIven considerable thought to how US forces could seize Middle Eastern oil fields • In lne event of a revolution that top ples a regime allied to the US or as part of a US-backed inva
Page 9 scan of this page
By Jenny Flintoft
LAST SATURDAY four chained themselves to the railings at Greenham Common airforce base in Berkshire, one of the proposed Cruise missile sites. there until their demand for a televised debate between government representatives is met. Endanger
They want to use such a debate to demonstrate how Cruise missiles will endanger the ordinary Britain.
This action was a culmination of a 120-mile march by 40 women. themselves the Life' they walked, some with babies, ion. This is one of the reasons that the Carter adminstration stablished the Rapid Deployment Force.
Protected
The neutron bomb also plays an important role in the Pentagon's plans for any takeOVEI of Middle Eastern oil ields.
An 11 August report in the New York Times on possible ases of the neutron bomb pointed out that the blast from neutron bomb is intended to asses sor other protected without destroying as many buildings or other structures, such as oil nigs, surrounding areas as standard nuclear explosives.
The neutron bomb could also be used against liberation forces waging guerrilla warfare
some futur Vietnam. Even f IS militarv torces were ul sure of the precise location of guerrilla bases, few neutron Tullery snells lobbea into tne general area would wipe out the
while allow-
feminists
They intend to remain chers.
themselves and
flict. people of
role allies",
Calling Womens March for ing Us troods to move into the area in a short time.
The neutron bomb is not a weapon of deterrence, hope that it will never be used
Caspar Weinberger himself said that the neutron bomb is a valuable addition to our forces, which 'we shall probably want to use'
Pentagon has busily drawing up fighting a 'limited' nuclear war in Europe. This is part of the
Dae. words of New York reporter Richard Halloran, build a capacity to fight nuclear wars that range from a limited Sunke LETOUCH conflict to an all-out exchange.
Pershing II
Central to the Pentagon's plans for waging nuclear war in Europe are two decisions: the NATO MeNT place 572 controlled Pershing. II
misst es Western Europe; to proceed with the building of the neutron bomb
from Cardiff, taking ten days.
Newbury miles
Greenham Common) they were joined by CND groups from different parts of Britain, and a rally was held outside the base with speeches from the mar-
Front line
The first speaker, Pettitt, said: 'The people of Britain have never been consulted over the nuclear policy which has made them a front line target in any nuclear con-
'We will not accept the sacrificial
forced on us by the nor this squanderino resources, while the needs of millions of people throughout the world cry out to be met. There are 103 missile
In the Pentagon's view, Washington would option of fighting a 'limited built in nuclear war by launching only Europe-based missiles against Union and using the neutron bomb against Soviet troops. Macabre heer According
plans for
theorv 'limited' Europe while retraining in a su
CLOC Times launching any missiles against the United States itself. In turn the Pentagor any US based missiles against
protracica the Soviet Union.
This macabre scenario of limited nuclear war is the subNATO planning groups and 1n of intense discussion in the Pentagon.
Naturally the prospect of a limited 'limited' nuclear war in which agree- Europe totally holds little attraction for workand ing people on that continent As a result there has been and decision tremendous opposition on both
the missile and the plans
from women's example
which nuclear
Soviet
organiser Anne Ignorance
attack
"nuclear
of gested have the But Reagan
nuclear position systems is simply the Soviet BOVIC I formation campaigns.
At a ference, sisted that
ICSDONU
destroying when
the neutron
wulu lot scull
ting the same paganda drive. Ignorance
opposition
destroyed the Sovet paign against
Post. deployment plan
build ine the neutron bomb is
sites in Britain - we are calling on our sisters everywhere to follow these
Other marchers spoke of their total opposition to the kind of society in
war is possible. woman read from a letter from the
Peace Committee and Soviet Womens Committee.
'Don't believe the propaganda you hear that the Soviet Union is about to
Britain. We didn't ourselves out of ignorance and pression to invade and kill yet the Soviet Union is ringed by US missiles.
Pat Arrowsmith from CND suganti-weapons propaganda among British troops and US forces in Britain. She went on to say: neutron bomb and stockpile 11
and Weinberger stoutly maintain that op-
these weapons but the result of disseminated propaganda anu disill-
13 August Dress conPresident Reagan in'we have intorma tion that the Soviet Union spent about $100 million in Western Europe, Europe alone a few years ago,
Soviet first made of the invention of that
warhead. And don't know how much they're spending now, but they're star- fortunate
kind of proSure
bomb Weinberger chimed in that
weapons in Europe is largely a and tribute to the effectiveness of
propaganda cam- In this weapon popular
In an 11 August article by missiles. Post berger defense seineary
accusa decision argued that those who believe
immoral contro
ago.
into all the organisations One belong to. First strike the Many people weapons like weapons of defence. detence against nuclear war. missiles pull weapons, they op CreATen America®
defeat Russia. 'If every chain herself to
"CND shall stop Cruise missiles.
Foot backs
and
Brynmor John
Caxton Hall, with EP Thompson on nuclear disarmament.
the ambiguity which Michael Foot now personifies.
hugely
States by a Labour government.
Soviet Union to remove their SS-20 missiles from Eastern Europe.
John, a firm anti-unilateralist, as Labour's defence spokesperson despite which he had with John over defence policy.
John's complete opposition defence policy. ing in the party is summed up by the resolutions to this year's party conference.
disarmament for NATO, and only 4 support a multilateralist position.
Ebbw Vale
the anti-unilateralist
on the demonstration in Brighton called by Sussex Alliance for September, the eve of the Labour conference.
CND's national demonstration takes place in London on Saturday 24 October.
fall prey to the abundant misin-
about weapons, some of it innocently based on ignorance of the facts
most oI it 'deliberately by well-orchestrated progaganda campaign based in Moscow.
Opposition
the Weinberger claims, has been the centre of a Tne
propaganda campaign began minstration and that exploited both European tear and an un
impression of American indecisiveness.
tion's decision to move forward with production of the neutron
is certain increase European opposition to NATO
planato callie missiles ing
Cruise missiles Western Europe.
face tremendous opposition the the NATO valious governments claimed that the
to install the missiles would be coupled with arms
talks with the Soviet
Socialist Challenge
must avoid its mistakes of 20 years We ignore winning the labour movement to our cause at our peril. We must take nuclear disarmament that we
still think that Cruise missiles are But we have no Cruise are essentially first strike are weapons of ag intends to make Europe the theatre of a nuclear war to
woman in Britain has to railings and every man has to sit down in the road, we
multi-lateralism
At a packed meeting last week in London's
Michael Foot spoke together
The discussion at the meeting only confirmed
unilateral disarmament
While re-affirming his opposition to the
Trident missile system, Foot refused to say categorically that Cruise missiles would be sent back to the United
Instead, he argued, they might need to be used as a bargaining counter in negotiations to get the
At the same time, Michael Foot
persond disagreements'
Foot might also have said 'despite Brynmor
to Labour Party The strength of unilateralist feel.
Around 90 resolutions call for unilateral nuclear
British
Of these, one comes from Frank Chapple's EETPU and one from Michael Foot's constituency party in
Michael Foot is still trying to compromise with
wing. His latest statements add extra urgency to a massive turnout
Nuclear Disarmament on Sunday 27
demonstration is being backed nationally by CND.
Union that would actually lead reduction nuclear weapons in Europe and render the deploymen' decision necessary.
Since then, however, the Reagan adminstration's obvious lack of interest in • arms control talks has destroyed the credibility of this argument lll a sullluld impact of Weinberger's neutron bomb announcement, Washington Post noted in an 1! August editorial that 'the president has gotten himselt in
his decision once mento
decision on the bomb.. Mr. • Reagan has also handed Europe's burgeoning left, not to speak of the Soviet Union, a powerful propaganda club to use against the United States...
The Post concluded that "Already, the critical alliance effort to deploy new missiles...
WaN uphill struggle.
Prudence dictated that Mr Reagan reserve a move on the neutron bomb until he 1, ac climbed that hill Instead, chose to make it steeper. He may be moving NATO toward a laterul crisis
10 September 1981 Page 9
Page 10 scan of this page
Activists' guide to the autumn
Where you can buy
Socialist Challenge
Scotland
More info on GASCO SC sale sur Thuri Ist May
every Ford, 53 Elior Crescent, Hamilton or Hamilton son, I Forrest Crescent,
Wales BANGOR: Sat 10-12 town centre.
NEWPORT: every Sat in town centre
England
Cleveland
phone 643-0669.
BOLSOVER: Cross Keys, every Fri BRADFORD:
sl at rourth laca
SC available from
Sat 10.30-1.30pm sold soste Mononce and
Berry St Bank, High St; at BURY in the shop-
at Metro Books: at retene lar a Peters Saure tao. . 061-264905 1r.
bays of Hope bookshop,
outside yorksnire bant
sold Fri 12-2pm Sa10.90-K2.30pm in Cornmaeket Arms
What's Left
at prior to publication. Payment in PARE BOOKS? Ar
okshep, 328 Upper St, Oond othe
Make
badges and many more.
Youth, 20p each plus postage. Big dis • from Revolutio
Revolution Youth notices Bouth, 25 ount on bulk on Youth, PO Box 50, London N.
KL LUTION
YOUTH
Socialist Challenge 10 September 1981" Page 10
SHEFFIELD: SC on sale Thursday, Fargate 10.30-12.30pm salutuay, STAFFORD: SC on Sale Market Sq say. iro Mise sold every SamurSaturday at Coney Street 11-1.
London BREN!: Se sola Willesden Junctior ELING SC
Lalins ENFIELD: SC at Nelsons newsagents,
ndon Rd, Enfield Tow
Hackn sale
Sa 15 30 12 brouie wo saien KILBURN: SC sales every Sat, 10am
Thursday from treatham Brixton: Oval tube kiosk WEMBE SEN
Fri 6.45am al North Wembley BR Station.
Bookshops BANGOR: nouynead BRADFORD:
BIRMINGHAM: Other Bookshop DURHAM City Co-op
MY TON KEYNES: Oakicaf Books, OXFORD: EDA Books, 34 Cowley
LONDON: Central Books, 37 Grays
Community Books, rom labour and solidarity movemer INNER cites in Revolt",
01-692 7826
IMG notices IRISH AIL Fraction Sunday 20 September INfraction Sunday 20 POEU fraction Sunday 20 September
FURTHER Youth Revolt defence committees
There can be little doubt that the threat of a major US-inspired war has grown closer in the last two months. Reagan's provocations in the Medi-
threats Central America and the Caribbean and the unashamed White House backing of the South African invasion of Angola are winding up DICSSUIC Lild World to fever pitch
In West Germany 10
largest demonstration in West Germany since the war. And on 24 October the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament will be holding its own demonstration against the
One of the campaign's objectives this year is to make sure that the demonstration has weighty representation of Labour Party and trade union bodies. So make sure that your banner there, but most importantlv bring from your workplace. Poland
As Solidarity meets in its first congress this week,
of a massive invasion of Poland by Soviet Union to halt the process of assertion of workers
the Polish workers. off Workers Poland!' campaign in the labour
which has already organised demonstrations and rallies build a campaign against
Sociacc...
CRUISE
intervention is urging its supporters to be on guard particularly over the next NONLI.
There has been the most startling contrast between the concern and mass
heroic action of the hunger strikers in the H Blocks and the victories won by the campaign Ireland
such a response in Britain.
That starts to change at
Labour Party conthe end September where out of 48 motions on Ireland 43 ex press the aim for British troops be withdrawn from Ireland Ireland
Owen Carron, newly elected MP for Fermanagh au Doul vue des u visit the conference to preSeul VIew the prisoners, and the conference will
DCC however small, away from the shameful bipartisan policy on Ireland.
The need for systematic campaign in the 1A0OU movement becomes urgent. The Labour Committee Ireland will be joining with other solidarity organisaLONS in organising Labour Mor vement conference on 28 November to which they are urging all labour movement
ooures to send representatives.
The aftermath of the youth of the
questions into sharp relief.
Socialist Challenge News.
Lage
MISSILES!
BRITAIN OUT OFN
Unemployment another issue. All indicators continue to point
mountilg Tale unemployment over the next period
Firstly the police and couils alc puisulne laose arrested during and after with ferocity. Ine consis tent work of defence campaigns, particularly gaining labour movement support for those arrested will continue, although yet another ban meant that a demonstra "2 Planned in Southall
September has now been cancelled.
The Labour Party continues its campaign with the demonstration in Birmingham on salutaay 19 September. Pride of place
Spring leader tore e
spiring Laurence still fighting for their jobs arallisi luc opposition vi
the leadership botanit
leadership their Une as Jobs
The TUC, after the jolt Peoples March for Jotbs received from has organised a campaign for the autumn
azallls youth unemployment. train will carry unemploved vouth around ine country speaking at rallies, orcansmis de denonsa ting, culminating in a mass rally on 28 November.
The Tories will aiso hear the voice of unem ployed youth loud and clear on 16 October at the Tory Party conference
when a mass demonstra-
inem over organised by the Right to Work Campaign LaKe place in Brighton.
All eyes will be on the results of the elections for the deputs leaderships of the Labour Party for signs
LUC direction of the labour movement for the next decade Voting is still going on in the branches of the Labour Party and
by Owen Carron MP during the period 17-20
September inclusive.
mittee in London
Maura McCrory, a spokesperson for the
coming to Britain in order to impress on the
the unity of the prisoners' relatives behind the
hunger strike and to demonstrate in a forceful
way their full and united support for the five
demands of the prisoners.
place in the London Irish Centre at 7.30pm on
17 Sept. (Murray St, Camden Town NWİ)
Speakers include Owen Carron MP and
relatives of the hunger-strikers. The rally will
precede a social where there will be an oppor-
tunity to meet Owen Carron and the relatives of
the protesting prisoners.
trade unions. Rallies with Tony Benn on the platform will be taking place in every part of Britain this month. Be there Finally don't forget Socialist Challenge will b giving full coverage to al these events. We want your views on them and we want our views to the widest number of Les seite for it sel ile Cad those involved. So
Relatives of Hunger strikers visit
Britain 17-20 September Relatives of prisoners in the H Blocks (including hunger strikers) will visit London, accompanied
The mass delegation is being organised by the National H Block/Armagh Committee in Ireland and is sponsored by the H Block/Armagh Com-
relatives, states that this 100-strong delegation is
British people and the international community
A Rally to launch the delegation will take
Page 11 scan of this page
Handicapped
babies: parents should decide I AGREE with Yvonne Taylor in Socialist Challenge (27 Aug) when she argues that many of the problems facing handicapped antleren Locay are product of callous and hvpocritical attitudes
capitalist society. As socialists we have to fight Ior beler conainons ana lives for handicapped people.
However, it seems to me that this is not reallv the point question. What is being debated in the press at the moment is whether parents or doctors or both have the right to decide to take away the life support. severely maltormed babies.
In an opportunist fashion
Ine anaabortionists have uD alu a yuc al lic decision to take away a life support machine is murder (in the same way that they argue tis and l disagred think that in general we should defend parents and doctors who are attacked for taking such decisions.
The article is wrong to argue that in this instance
important; no one has rights aosurac new born baby cannot establish such a choice in practice on this particular GucsuoR. DonicDouv to make a choice though and I think it should be the parents.
his cholce does give parents absolute
children OVCI powers of life and death in general. But lee poll thạt this decision which ettects the lives the parents and especally the mother and they
al c шле опу реоріс guanted to take it.
typical of SPUC ana Lirt inat Iney nave no concern whatever on
Equality children parents but
about abstract.
Issue not much an issue of rights as one orwno decces skor that reason it is difficult and dangerous to draw out general principles in relation to it since it is specific I do think, however, that Socialist Challenge should defend the doctor currently on trial and the parents from attack.
J Arkwright East London.
Three months ago Sheila Malone,
ly attacked
to safeguard other counter staff.
The response has been
marvellous: to
give a olg thank you to une
nany who have donated
We're no giving
fascist intimidation, and
this
make sure we can stand up
L0 Lucul
So far over £700 has
been raised, enough to
send Sheila on holiday and
ıı÷o ol
work in the shop. The lay-
Letter!
I AGREE with Toni Gorton in hel article in socialist Chalenae Aug): we should control police, collaborate them. would have thought that most socialists would given a small cheer when John Alderson, Chief Constable Devon and Cornwall, ranks to criticise the ment s response to the youth uprisings, but we should promptly reject the proposals for community policing that he vances as an alternative.
Community policing is iron fist in the velvet glove. For 51 weeks of the year you get the soying, une inuraton into une
THE Liverpool NALGO typists' strike, now entering its tenth week, is the only current struggle over pay in the country, said John Deason, National Secretary of the Right to Work Campaign at a meeting in Liverpool on Thursday, September 3, 'heroic struggle'.
May Sutton, a member of the strike explained that the typists were fighting against low TUC. Some of them have cenned worked for the City Council for thirty years and still earn less than £50 a week.
We're not giving in to fascist threat
Temberanthe Oger Boks op, as vicious-
and hospitalised by fascists.
Socialist Challenge, which runs the shop, launched a special fund to pay for a convalescent holiday for Sheila and improve security
out has been completely transformed statt - and as an added bonus it has given us much more space in the shop We've installed alarms, intercom system and direct
Office to the cour ow want to instat close CIrCU televiston and although the bulding
Letters etters- nERe
nas been the
the worth for the last few years. with
Evo al d out. have
of Pauline Roe
broke sworth street.
socialists want to •once o mem. out we
ad-
measure that the une role
weaken their ine working class.
Typists lead 'heroic' struggle
describing It as
Many are single parents or upporters of familie
The 400 strikers ar growing more militant as the strike goes on longer. w nile Ine aspute nas been referred to ACAS Sir
Liberal TONCA leader of the City Council
put in a night alarm system
as back-up.
We also hope to ex
pand the service our shop
is giving the left and the 'labour movement. Cash
for this is coming from our
£100,000 expansion fund,
from which €2,000 has
been allocated to expand
stock
we want to feature
books and pamphlets of
special interest the
labour Livy bicille In
cluding areas such as black
liberation.
Both these funds are
still being held
Donations to une onerd
Malone fund should be
made out to lhe Shella
Letters
etters
Control thepolice
schools, the 'low profile' that
scene in Hands- taken
when it comes to the crunch the
off and the truncheons ticers. reader of Socialist Challenge will forget the picture
The head smashed open on a Hand-
What's the alternative? Well
get rid of the agree are not strong enough to do that. Instead we have to take every police force.
tends to expose police ability to attack G Roberts
That's why we should be in
has asked the typists to return to work in exchange lor negotlations.
The typists' response has been to extend their picketing and send delegations to London and the TUC to publicise their Casc. Meanwhile, some sixty senior council ofNALGO in order to break the strike.
Council manual work. ers have backed the typists by aemanaing bonus pavments that have been held Malone fund', and to our £100,000 drive to 'Socialist Challenge' Thanks again to everyone!
This week our quarter Iv na ure tascu Lo [hanks to Lewisham £166.00 Aberdeen 92.00 Nottingham 63.00 Bristol 50.00 Hackney 100.00 MB (Scotland) 25 .00 Middlesbrough .00 Liverpool .00 Glasgow 88 Bolsover Haringey 27 .00 Birmingham 151.00 Southwark 67.00 TOTAL £955.00
Anger is no substitute
SOCIALISTS have a responsibility reach as wide an audience as possible particularly now. Socialist seeking to win new readers but 1 am worried that we may be putting obstacles in the path to our politics.
Selling the paper outside Metal Box factory some months ago, one worker vocally scorned the paper because, as he said, it's biased. My comrade instantly replied, 'Of course it's biased... favour of the working class.
I was impressed both by the speed of her reply and by its sentiment, but now I'm not sure. I think the man has a point. Socialist journalists have a harder task than their bourgeois counterparts. Not only do socialists have to provide facts and counter the media's distortions, but they also have to arguments which
SOLDARNOSC
favour of the type of measures
by the Greater London Council which seek to scrutinise the police, hire and fire senior of-
disband all elite aroups like the Special Patrol Group and the immigrant snatch squad.
debate about whether we should have trade unions in une ponce fol more to une doluu whether we should have police in the trade unions) can wait for other letters, but most would
that democratic rights should be introduced into the
So a loud 'no': to community policing and 'yes' to control.
London SW14
because of the dispute.
Other NALGO members* pay rises have also been withheld. Flats and houses are not being let because of
Council of revenue.
Messages of sunport. collections and donations should be Senne Strike ommittee, Duchy Chamoers, I nomas Liverpool 1 (051-227 sireel. 1521).
J STRAUTHER Liverpool MANY
to militants
Challenge is
то вете on
and argument
standing.
ting. Or.
Rob Jones provide London E9 be used by
OFPOLAND1
Miami. I was struck by
ship.
over 250 controllers and their families.
before).
at Oberlin,
in Poland.
MARK TURNBULL Liverpool
OFPOLAND 2
ding why Polish
price rises. Fair enough, perhaps.
question: Why
in support of the H
Polish counterparts JILL BELL NW London 3. 2
A lot of the time we fail in these three areas because we rely only on our anger Isse. Most of the paper smacks of righteousness, and unreasoned bias in favour of the working class We do not have a monopoly on anger and it is no substitute for clear analysis
Emotive words may help and pad out a paragraph but they do not aid underThe crimes of capitalism are stark enough to withstand stark reporas Lenin preferred to say facts have hard heads.
I don't need someone else to be shocked, indignant or horrifiea for me. I can do it all for myself.
THELESSONS
I HAVE just returned from a visit to the United States where I attended several metings of the air traffic controllers' union (PATCO) in
• their determination and the strength of their collective leader-
They have mass meetings every night of
The controllers remain confident, despite the at tacks they have received from the govern. ment (they've all been sacked and a number have been jailed) and their lack of strike ex. perience (they've never had a national strike
One of the features of this strike which particularly stands out is their identification with the workers of Poland. On the picket line
Ohio, some strikers carried placard saying: 'I would rather be a controller
At a picket near Chicago, the Polish flag is flying. And the union in Miami has produced a badge which says 'PATCO - Solidarnosc'.
THELESSONS
ANYONE who saw the television programme last Sunday about Polish TV will have been struck by the sheer hypocrisy of the British in.
Self-righteously he kept demanTV news did not cover demonstrations against food shortages and
But it's a pity no British journalist asks the
don't British TV and the newspapers cover demonstrations in Britain
Block prisoners and hunger strikers?' British workers, particularly media workers, have a lot to learn from theil
Soçialist Challenge 19 September 1981 „. Page 11
Page 12 scan of this page
One year of Solidarity
By Joe Singleton THE threat of a sp:ead of the 'Polish disease' is a nightmare which haunts the stalinist bureaucracies Europe.
Challenge (20 August) the Husak regime in Czechoslovakia, the Soviets invaded that country in 1968, is preparing a massive show-trial of 19 supporters of Charter T7, human rights movement.
The afraid. On 14 June a new body announced its existence: the Preparatory Committee of Free Trade Unions in Czechoslovakia.
'Above all', said the first statement from the Committee, 'we wish to defend the right of our working people, their inBy Davy Jones AS THE TUC meets in Blackpool, the world's second largest independent union movement held its first national congress in the shipyard city of Gdansk, representing just under 9½m members of Solidarity have been taking stock of the past year's historic events, and planning the extension of the gains of Solidarity's revolution.
The took • ace arallist background of deteriorating relations between Solidariiy and the government: a union printer was arrested in Katowice for publishing anti-Soviet
caricalules and the official inquiry in-
March's police violence in Bydgoszcz reported that it could not find those responsible.
Two major questions
June CONTHCE with the government were central to the discussions airst day delegases voted te the congress. On exclude PoiISA and radio from the congress in protest government's refusal to allow Solidarity have some say in how the congress uas reported
The continual barrage
Sanuc aralllsl Solidarity in all the official
well the nicula government's attempts to CenSOl the union's OWIl Journals, creates a permanent source ot contlict
More serious however
the dispute between Solidarity and the government over workers' selfmanagement. Un lne an- versary of last summer's
he authorities raised the șrice of bread by 400 per :ent.
Co-opt
The government uses the enormous economic
demoraise Polish workers into a sense »- honelessness. wule dlempting to co-opt the indaritv eadershio into schemes of joint responSOluly and mallaecllicill o: the economy.
There is no doubt that sators of the masses are Fred after the tumultuous sruggles of the past year and in danger of becoming disillusioned WIlLA darity's ongoing conflicts zith the government. At ine same time the debate zithin Solidarity the zionomic crisis has hastened a broad politicisation of the activists.
They realise that the a onomic crisis is not their fault. They know about the appalling economic mismanagement over the years and the corruption ofi the, bureaucratsir Thsa ü, workers' councila, enly to Socialist Challenge
of Eastern As was reported in Socialist
put in power after
the Czech prominent Stalinists have reason to be
the
tion of Poland. Some 912 delegates
conclusion, in a counly wnlce ciams Lo ve cli munist, simple: the workers SROUIC TULIC caaOTOaa r Network
The movement for workers' self-management began varce when seventeen of the largest inGusial workplaces, «uKe the Lenin Shipyards CIOuSK the Huta Katowice siwlworks in Upper Slesia. and the Ursus trac. tor plant in Warsaw, form ed the Network.
This body drew self proposals for mana cemere urougn unc establishment of workers councils, which were aD. proved by the 208,000 Solidarity members in the enterprises.
July all CVClI broader body called the Working Group was set up atter conference in Lublin of workers' councils, self-management committees and Solidarity committees from fourteen regions. The Working Group decided to OHU dEC L efforts with the Network to promote discussion and vi callsa tion workers' selfmanagement.
In response the recent Communist Party congress approved setting out a Bill in the Polish parliament workers' selfmanagement.
These mild proposals would checuvery Henve power in the hands of the zoverumetil workers' representatives would only participate in, not control, aspects of the
SOLiDARNOSC
management of the enterprise, wnose otrector would remain appointed by the authorities.
But the workers have seen these so-called &. workers' councils before. After the 1956 uprising as many as 80 per cent of the Warsaw enterprises set up
10 September 1981 Page 12
terests and demands, voiced at various times, during personal discussions, at meetings, in tactories and elsewhere.'
The majority of those arrested are
cultural AACECS academics. The Husak regime is well aware of the important role played by
Polish intellectuals (Committee to Defend the Workers) in the events leading up to Gdansk 1980.
In East Germany also the regime is reacting harshly against any demonstra-
support among East German Gdansk shipyard weTKe see them reduced powerlessness the bureaucracy tightened their grip. This time the want such WULKCIS cils to have real institutionalised powers.
The draft Bill on selfmanagement drawn up bv the Network envisages real lying DUWC. wild shopfloor workers whose democratic asschiDlIcs would control their representatives in the councils. The Bill visages the councils taking all major decisions affectung the nant including the election of the plant direcLU1.
Conflicts over this last point have multiplied. behind the iav Tecerl airline workers strike
International
'Polish Disease' spreads
their criticisms
and the
around KOR
been
are amongst those
where a compromise solution was worked out. In a few cases the workers have won the right to nominate their own director — in the Warsaw rorytecanic chemical factory and the Falbet pretabricated housing plant.
Now workers at the Huta Katowice Steelworks are organising a referendum on the acceptability of their director.
The government sees the demand WOlKer elected directors as a direct Lullcdl LU "nomenklatura' system whereby all important DUSLS in Poland are given to people on a party-approved list. It would represent a serious inroad into its already seriously threatened monopoly of political DOWCL.
Powerful
But the movement for workers' self-management is growing more powerful
— Some 206 of the largest enterprises in the Warsaw
workers for Poland's Solidarity.
According to a recent report of the West Berlin based Human Rights Working Group there has been intense discussion in the factories and work-places of East Germany in recent months around
question of the democratisation of the state-controlled union in the GDR, the Free German Trade Union (FDGB).
In the past two months alone the report says that seven workers have
arrested in four big industrial plants in Eastern Germany for publicly expressing their support for Solidarity.
supporting tne movement region now have selfmanagement committees.
And Solidarity's conference is likely to make co-operation with the government over dealing with the economic crisis conditional upon agreement to workers electing their own plant directors.
Beginning
Having achieved independent trade unions the Polish workers al c coming realise that these are only a beginning for establishing real Forners power. T sother forms stitling political monopoly of the TIHIIe burenucracy beine ai c therefore now challenged — their contro of the media and of the economy.
The nettle that Solidarity's congress has to grasp is the need to unify the workers' movement round the perspective of preparing тог a comprehensive challenge the power bureaucracy.
Zeiss-Jena works
Union machine-tool factory in
enborg and
chemical workers in Rudolstadr.
Another worker by
do as the Poles had done.
10,000 marks to Solidarity.
(Based on
Press and Labour
Europe). for workers' self-management
3-4pm from Chile and Turkey.
Admission £1.50
Organised by Chilean Anti-Fascist Committee, Com-
and the El Salvador Solidarity Campaign
These arrests took place at the Carlin Thuringen, the Gera, at
the steelworks Maxhutte in Unterwell-
at the Wilhelm Pieck
the name
Detlef Abramson was imprisoned last
autumn for ten months after he stated
publicly that the East Germans should
In January of this year a doctor by the
name of Wilhelm Koch was imprisoned
by the East German authorities for 4
years for having contributed the sum of
information from Palach Focus on Eastern Turkey Solidarity Events Saturday 12 September First anniversary
of the fascist coup in Turkey
Picket of the Turkish Embassy 43 Belgrave Square, London SW1 Organised by the Committee for the Defence of
Democratic Rights in Turkey
Sunday 13 September International day against fascism
5pm Rally Chairperson — Ernie Roberts MP, Speakers -
Ken Livingstone GLC Leader, Bob Wright, AUEW Asst Gen Sec; Eric Hughes, UCATT NW Region Sec; Roberto Vargas, FDR; Cllr Phillip Bray, Sec Hazel Grove CLP; speakers
7pm Solidarity Concert with Pueblo (Chile), Raul Valencia (Chile) and
Melike Demirag (Turkey)
The rally and solidarity concert take place in the
Camden Centre. Bidborough St. London WC/
mittee for the Defence of Democratic Rights in Turkey
Page 13 scan of this page
Turkey-one year of dictatorship
with known fascists.
uprising among
class of Izmir.
panied by tanks and helicopters.
and fifteen
coup
workers from Taris
their part in the mass resistance.
dictatorship.
Can you tell us about the
situation immediately prior
to the coup?
When the Generals seized
power on 12 September 1980
50,000 workers were on strike
and another 100,000 were due
to come out. Between 15 and 20
DeoDiC welcocle Kuneu Py yout iol vice das or most-
youthful victims of right-
wing terror.
Turkish industry was runn-
capacity, and the Turkish parliament had been unable to
elect a Head of State for six months.
It was up to the army, the only state institution that had remained remotely stable, step in — as it had twice before
Turkey, from 1960-61 and
1971-73
- LU sual alilcc future for capitalism.
Parliament was dissolved, political parties banned,
workers on strike ordered back IO WOrK.
A estime 15 ATOS
were arrested largest army took swift control
of one of NATO's most imporlall countues.
What is the significance of the coup in Turkey for work-
trie people in other coun-
Ireland-
By Loretta Loach
labour movement Ireland — Time for Tory policies to gó'
Scheduled take
Ireland.
This vedt number things have widened the cracks
Labour's slavish acceptance of Tory policies. First was MP Patrick Duffy's attack on what he called the 'me-tooism' between Foot and Thatcher on the hunger strike
Soon after this, Tony Benn called for the withdrawal British troops and a policy which promoted the unification Ireland. Since May, GLC Leader, Ken Livingstone has repeatedly condemned Mrs Thatcher's stance on the hunger strike as well as that of his own parliamentary readers
An eyewitness report
ON 8 February 1980 the workers in the massive state-run spinning complex of Taris in Izmir, Turkey went on strike against their employers' attempts to sack dozens of trade union militants and replace them
'The Turkish police were joined by the army in laying seige to the plant for three weeks, sparking off an
the shantydwellers and working Demonstrations and street were finally ended by 10,000 armed troops accom-
On 28 May this year, nine months after the military montns arter une uprising, wele sentenced by tribunal to between 2 and 29 years imprisonment for
This week is the first anniversary of the coup. Socialist Challenge asked a Turkish socialist recently returned from Turkey her assessment of one year of
The coup in dramatically changed the international balance of forces in ine Ivaale zast. une country with the largest SOCASI organisations, most militant and working class, the politicised Kurdish movement in the region Support for the coup from the Western governments was immediate ine sick man et NATO' had been cured (for the time being), and the powerful Turkish working class ment was defeated.
Sorihe enolvenion n
the Soviet intervention Afghanistan and NICiUL instabilitv the to countries in the Uncle Sam is surely rubbing his hands with glee the swift successes of the Generals in Turkey. Here is a cop for NATO's southern flank.
Just why was resistance to the coup so slight?
The Turkish left was rumoured be Detrel armed Turkish army but the large left groups were bitterly among themselves.
Overwhelmingly composed of radicalised youth, organisations lacked any links with the working while politically they tended to
a new initiative
THE Labour Committee on Ireland and the Committee for Withdrawal from Ireland are planning a major
_conterence the theme
place London on 28 November its aim is to widen the debate on Ireland within the labour movement and to urge that the Labour Party and trade unions have a positive role to play in solving the problems of the British presence in
There have been similar developments in the union movement in the last six months. The Scottish sharply opposed the attitude HuneC kc anu mne Asoca-
toe granades Conncils reed
tallll demands as the only solution to the H Block crisis.
Over 50 resolutions on Northern Ireland have been before this year's Labour Party conference.
The overwhelming majority of these are critical of the line pursued by the Labour leader. ship and call for a positive com-
substitute armed struggle for mass activity. large section of socICLy Wa. Weay creasing violence on the streets accepted cvilaoic. cven we comecut The was tied leaders. battles
democratic 1977-79 had politically 187 Turkish working class military
an alternative in a dependent economy up to its neck in debts to imperialism.
So what is the character of the present regime?
Turkey The regime is a military dic-
tatorship barbaric kind.
Turkey was are Carouru
eight DISOLCS.
the been more have been sentenced to developed death.
most oppos 15 a. dances to the tune of Turkey's It is big capitalists turn, are only junior partners to Western capital.
Workers
been replaced
move- Referee Committee'
already imposed vicious wage cuts while the bank interest rate is a staggering 60 per cent. perla At the
other economy is being 'opened' and Dallll Middle East,
currency try and at the early altiall
vestors.
What about the future of the junta?
Prospects for the junta are mix-
achieved political stability with than the relative ease; on the other hand
their economic goal is to defray Turkey'ş enormous divided
imperialism -difficult.
Austerity
these
won't
real crisis — working people have to SU VC LUCHI
class,
Seat ana will be sure to resist tur. ther wage cutting. of Status
trade Address.
TUC
Tory Return to: to the
mitment to the withdrawal of British troops from Ireland.
This conterence provides an important opportunity to carry
laid the debate on irelana into ine
wider trade union and Labour ino velctt leading Trish and British trade It will unionists.
International.
guerrilla
Turkish of the in
as lil
Turkish working class CHOrSE
But Bulent Ecevit's social-
government from Culi ictery disarmed the
Social democracy just isn't
of a particularly Already there 100,000 political youths have
executed while hundreds
They have silenced all
which
who,. their
organisation has 'democratisation' by Which has 'High the comyculioll
This will
time the
restrictions lifted lists foreign in- capable'
each region.
is to construct Ón the one hand, they have
which will new civilian nothing but firm r mad this will be debts tions.
measures alone economic the junta?
If the wans to
Labour movement
conference on Ireland
Saturday 28 November
The Theatre
309 Regent St,
London W1
l agree to sponsor the conterence
Delegates attending conference.
Labour Movement Organising Committee, 1 North End Rd, London W14.
We urge
ference
Denis Canavan Roberts MP Stuart addressed Thorne MP Richard
Turkish police in action
And in the long term?
In one month the process of begins with ot somelning called a constituent assembly.
CursIsI 160 members plus the five-man jun-
• forty of these are pičked directly by the junta while the rest are selected by them from
LEUSIWOrENV and persons to be presented by the governor of
Undoubtedly the intention
La panoply of harsh and restrictive legislation Stances
guaranice Inal any will be administra- regime. tors of repressive state institu-
not What can the labour movement in the European countries do to help bring down
assist dictatorship goes, go under circum- campaign
Conference on Ireland
you get delegated from your TU branch/CLP. Sponsors for the con-
include Joan Maynard MP, Clive Soley MP
MP, Ernie Bob Parry MP, HO ana Star Sid Bidwell MP Balfe MEP, Peter Hain LCC (personal capacity).
Friday 11 September Picket of Turkish Ambassador's Residence and Chilean Embassy (with Chile AntiFascist Committee)
NW1. 5.30-7.30pm Saturday 12 September Picket of Downing Street 'Save the life of Dogan Tarkan' 11am Rally Against Dictatorship NUFTO Hall, Jockey Fields, London WC1 2pm
own choosing leaving its mark permanently ana prominently on any future
Repressive institutions do
go away, they are kicked out by the class struggle.
The Turkish working class has a long struggle ahead of it It is up to us outside Turkey to
developing broadest possible international
of solidarity British troops should get out
Devonshire Street,
isolate the junta
Despite the bloody record of
the applause
for Turkey's safe return to the
Free World echoes
editorials across Europe.
The Turkey Solidarity
Campaign is organising a week
of action to mark the first an-
niversary of the coup. The cam
paign can be contacted at BM
Box 5965, London WCI. Socialisi Challenge 10 Sapienoer I inpe 3
Page 14 scan of this page
The fight for nurseries
Abortion rights on trial
THE fight for adequate childcare provision is a fundamental one in the fight for women's rights. Until it is accepted that women should not necessarily have to bear full responsibility for children, then our right to work and our right to participate as free and equal people in society will never be realised. But childcare in this country is still a luxury for the few and, like everything else, it's under the Tories.
Only 38
OI under fives in the United Kingdom receive some sort of day care. But much of
Huisery classes, pre-school play
- is part time and doesn't …cover normal working day.
Less than one in a hundred under fives have places in local authority day nurseries Private nurseries cater for the 10 per cent who can afford it.
Registered and unregistered childminders provide the bulk ol ine full day care for the under fives.
Lack
Of course it has not alwavs been as bad as that Just after the Second World War when women's labour was required by the
there 903 SLaLc borough nurseries in Bri-
compared to 453 Lalll. 1970. How cynical that the lives women and children can be chopped and changed in this way to suit the needs of an elite.
The appalling lack of childcare provision forces women back into the home
what should be a collective responsibiliiv. It forces tem to take part time or low paid jobs
which fit in with nursery
The fight BOURS. nurseries vital for women, children, and for A SERIES of trials have begun in Belgium against anyone who attempts to help women obtain abortions.
The law in Belgium is a vicious one. Anyone who performs abortions, gives information to women or aids them in any way in obtaining aull abortion can receive up to five years imprisonment.
About 40,000 Belgian women a year obtain abortions. these calculated that a possible 20,000 are either back street abortions or are extremely costly operations performed by exploitative Joctors.
But some reactionary •orces in the establishment have suddenly decided hat the implementation of _oe LOO public prosecutor ancounced his put on trial about 30 or more doctors. counsellors and even people who have merely spoken in public in favour of abortion.
These trials, which regan on Wednesday of ast week will of course create a precendent in the interpretation of the law.
Such a vicious reaction
the part of the establishment to the simșle need for women to exSqgialist, Challengei, no Seatomber 1981 Pratilte
the quality of life of everyone.
Labour Party is currenv working document which sets out the different facilities needed. It is vital that the campaign is steppru up ool against ine Tories and to commit a future Labour government.
There are many areas for discussion.
Childminders provide the most common form of
and whilst provision is so inadequate elsewhere should demand that child minders are registered and recognise that many women prefer the individual attention the child
But this kind of provision, ol course. lets the welfare state off the hook and is not necessarily adequate.
Workplace nurseries are another option which are becoming more popu-
¡nese are ol a new idea. In the textile towns in ine nortn tney usca to be d feature of factory premises tor a traditionally female workforce.
Goal
Although expensive, on any women oreler such facilities. The convenience, however, may be ourweignec by Tne fact that when a parent loses
MUSCLY place goes too. It could be ercise control over their own bodies and exercise choice in their lives, may
for the ca a bic church
which hasn't made up its mind yet where it stands on the trials.
The attack has met with from the pro-choice move-
trial in Brussels was picketed by about 1,000 women, trade umonists and Socialist Party members demanding an end to the trials
taken completely out of the realm of the law and treated like any other
This picket successfully frightened away a small group of fascists who had come along to support the prosecution.
Catholicism very strong in Belgium and half the workforce is organised
LEC The which is supe sup ported by the socialist trade unions is careful to point out that it is not imposing abortions on other peopie — ills menicy say-
a weapon in the hands of ine employer.
Our ultimate goal has to be for the provision of slale run tree nurseries to meet the demand. One year ago, and for the first time in this country, a national campaign was launched to fight for this aim.
campaign significant
because it brings together disparate local campaigns and with its national focus is able to take the issue up with the maor trade union. Hor uriner intormation con. tact National Childcare Campaign Victoria Park Square, London E2 Demonstration outside the Brussels court
impose itself on the thousands of women who need and want abortions and are forced to the back streets.
The issue is provoking a crisis for the government.
Democrats support the demands of the pro-choice
Women's Rights
When women's labour is in the 'national' interest, nursery places are forthcoming
Led around the following demands:
provision, toy libraries, Every Nursery democratically parents,
for local parents, want employment.
to be hamstrung by their
to be hamstrung their coalition WITN Chris. tian Democrats. Unfortunate v for them the Issue has been brought to a head and women will now con-
keep the pressure for an answer to their demands and for the defeat of the reactionary
The National Child Care Campaign is organis-
• Local Nursery Centres which would make full time provision involving both care and education and which should develop facilities for the local community such as after school
drop in centres.
Centre should be controlled, giving staff, local people and local groups the chance to participate fully in the management and running of the centre. They would employ and provide opportunities for training
thus offering those who it an alternative community-based
• We support the unionisation of child care
initiative. prominen medical professor in stasses invest written to the public prosecutor asking to be prOsecuted himself because he and Dractices
Coulse they frightened to touch him
and the provision of training facilities for
down the
nursery and nursery education, and to
field where they have been excluded.
• We stand in
adequate provision.
paigns,
with appropriate
own much needed services.
Your Bank
Name of Account to be debited
Account Number.....
Our Bank.........Socialist Challenge.
Account No............0179678...
Sorting Code........... 30-94-57
Amount to be paid.....
First Payment due..
Signed..
because he well respected.
The pro-choice movement planning big demonstration in early Oclover wilich is backea by the trade unions and the Socialist Party its ven important that the workers movement show that understands it is an issue
By Judith Arkwright child care workers with the aim of breaking
theoretical division between encourage older people and men to enter this
complete opposition to the rundown and closure of the present totally in-
• We offer our support and advice to cam
parents and staff in fighting these cuts and urde the trades unions involved ti support their action, such as occupations of treatenea nurseries, aerenaing start ratios
direct action, including strikes to defend their members jobs and our
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE BANKER'S
ORDER FORM
...Loyd's Bank, 19 Upper St. London N!
..Monthly
...And on the same date in the month thereafter. for all of us and if we defeat this offensive it will be a big victory for women in Belgium and everywhere else where women are under allack Please send messages and of support Marianne Swartenbroekx
1050 Brussels, Belgium.
Page 15 scan of this page
Leon Trotsky - the Balkan wars 1912-13
DON DAVIS reviews a new collection of writings by Leon Trotsky.
The War Correspondence Leon Trotsky The Wars 1912-1913. Edited George Weissman and Duncan Williams. Published by Monad Press NY. Price £4.95. Available in left wing bookshops here, in about six weeks.
THE Balkan Wars of 1912-13 are little known today. they left 500,000 casualties, redrew the map of eastern Europe, and provided a bloody prelude to World War
By. 1912, Ine Turkish domination of now Yugoslavia, Albania, Greece, and was coming to an ena. toman Empire, decaying within. was challended hv the im. perialist powers of Europe and the young Balkan nations
In Ine riST balkan Bulgaria, Serbia, and banded together to drive Turkish forces out of the Balkan sula. However, the war turned into mutual looting pillage by the oligarchies of the different Balkan states.
working
By W Kearney, (Transport Union) Reprinted from Building Worker. DRAMATIC introduction isn't it? You may agree after reading my story.
the building industry. Don't get me wrong -their work is far more important than carpet laying. Where the similarity comes in is like in a lot of finishing trades, they can come into a building which has taken two years to build, proceed with their ceiling installation, usually in highly skilled sub-contract gangs, and be in and out in four to eight weeks.
Competition between ceiling is tough. They work to basic capitalist lines, their objective being high productivity while paying the least labour costs possible. The money racket and labour rip-off are a story on their own. deserving a paze or even a book to tell.
There is another aspect of this trade that overrides the wrong side: the terrible health hazards faced by every ceiling fixer. Hazards that demand urgent, very urgent, action.
Fixers new to the trade, fixers who have been at the me or eased
- beware! For fixers like myself, who started in the ous ana carly ous, are now paying a terrible price.
From 1973 the first cases started to show.
Workmates of mine, with whom I have made contact since becoming ill, have all fallen victim to prolonged ill-health, complete finish their working
of
Balkan
by But
south
centuries-long what Bulgaria, Romania
UTC Leon Trotsky from
Germany, War,
Greece state sought
pense of the others
Penin-
quickly ine young
and dent on the undertake the
Asbestos -
with death
Ceiling contractors work on the fringes of
lives and early death. This
is the legacy we have, and
which a lot more will in-
herit
In the never ending
scarcoor big money,
there is total disregard and
basic ignorance
risks. The emphasis on
how many metres, how
much a metre.
metres done the more pay
(less 10 per cent retention,
of course!)
No mention of what pe of material, what typ nsulation and definite
Iy no mention or sately al-
rangements — decent scaf-
folding, face masks and so
on.
Many of the fixers who
started in the early 50s,
when suspended ceilings as
a specific trade got off the
were ex-chippies,
attracted by the ability to
increase tell carnings.
A lot, if not most, were
ordinary
Klaus
first as helpers and mates.
They then became fixers
themselves, always finding
they went liberal
Egged on by Britain, France, Austria-Hungary, Russia, the ruling classes of each from
increase their holdings and territory at the ex- family
Balkan capitalist classes were too weak and depen-
Leon y'eat powers to land retorm, in
plenty of work in a fast
growing allied trade.
Suspended ceilings
with their acoustic, ther-
Illal values. decorative
finish hiding unsightly ser-
VICES became
favourite with architects.
Architects delighted to ac-
commodate building
regulations.
of the strongest
regulations was fire pro-
tection: it vou titted a tire
rated ceiling you could be
in for a huge drop in in-
surance premiums.
The favourite fire rated
ceiling was asbestos
screwed up or laid in. That
is, drilled by hand, and
screwed, all at head level,
to a metal grid frame.
Dust
The laid in version was
handled the asbestos tiles
and laid grid
HilO
frames, always showering
himself with
dust. Then
with dust still rising and
trapped above, he would
then reach
above ceiling to secure tiles
with clips.
Both these applica-
tions, involved
and filing
Sawing asbestos sheets. Most of it
was done in confined areas
(usually all buildings had
windows in). Beams were
also cased, Was as • well.
tons and tons of asbestos
were used.
Not all ceilings were
Review
dustrialisation, and other reforms needed to modernise the backward, agrarian Balkans. Instead,
contented themselves with ripping each other off at the cost
the lives of thousands workers and peasants.
The big European powers eventually imposed a settement on the Balkans that perpetuated landlordism, agrarian backward. ness. and oppression of many different nationality groups, as well as instability.
Within less than eighteen months, the great powers themselves
war, dragging Balkans and all of Europe into the biggest bloodbath of history up to that time.
Leon Trotsky, still in his early thirties but already well known in the European socialist movement, arrived in the Balkans in October 1912 as the correspondent of the
Kiev daily newpaper Kievskaya Mysl.
The central leader of the 1905 uprising Russian workers in Petrograd, had escaped
Russia in 1906. He settled in Vienna, where he supported his
and his own socialist newspaper by writing for other newspapers
The War Correspondence of
Trotsky: The Balkan Wars, 1912-13, Is a collection
UCATT - the building workers' union
asbestos. Some were mineral tiles very irritating. On top reiisil wool not were rolls of always laid conveniently •but cut into sections then pushed, Shoved. squeezed ir between grid frames and lillu • position.
Most self-employed
use kids as helpers, do the and fibre glossing.
where
Myself first. married
an invalid,
are young. more lllan
dispatches he Balkans, Mysl.
Most Russian cheered on the Balkan countries of in their war against the
sensationalising atrocities similar atrocities and other Muslims living Balkans. This desions of the • Tsai been defeated in Russo-Japanese war ot 1905 looking to Turkey and the Balkans as a possible arena for expansion. the
Federation Trotsky, along with the young Balkan socialist wnom ne was in different view.
Russian intervention into
fairs ot the Balkans. that the underlying blems of the region could be solved only by a united Balkan federation. ach nationality group woul run its own affairs while uniting ir a federation large enough to allow the development of modern industry and strong withstand imperialist penetration. Unuke many the war correspondents
did it do enough?
ever they need a breadwinner. But they have none.
Husband and father cannot and never more, will provide.
Agony of body has been my experience. But worse still looking at my wile and are the agonies of mind.
I have to look at a wife that I cannot make love to; one part of the illness.
Life is, for me, as good as over. No pints of beer no spiced foods or curries;
coffee, no bacon and eggs. No smoke filled rooms in pubs and cinemas. Only memories of a job that I curse I ever
laid elecided recently to in-
quire into ex-work mates
ut of four one is dead at
three, under 60, are seriously il men. But the storv doe not even end with us
What about those labourers who swept the floors. After us, the scaffolders who stripped the
wrote from the for Kievskaya press
newspapers of
Turks, Turkish
suppressing against Turks
In reflected the
navine
Asia in the the
ment. wds He
prisoners veterans such Rakovsky.
parties with sive history, I ContaCL. look ?
While opposing redoing
reader argued
social pro.
1905-06
dable.
enough to
contemporary Reproduced
who take USA.
ULATT
LAND EMON
dust scaffolding; the other
trades working beside us;
sparks, joiners, heating
ventilation engineers.
What of them
What about the build-
ings themselves? Asbestos
last forever.
UUCo
These ceilings
peoples heads guide air
flows, tiles have to be
removed regularly for ser-
vice repairs above ceilings
Shops, schools, hospi-
tals, • Gods help the ero
wiere.
ple who work in the
premises when in time the
asbestos begins to
deteriorate.
Fixers are now falling
victim. They still will unti
proper safety precautions
are taken.
As I have mentioned,
you do not have to be a fix-
er to suffer the risks. Every
trade on the building site,
working near or in conjuc.
tion with ceiling contrac
tors, should protest and
demand strict safety pre
Socialist Challenge
their articles from government
releases, Trotsky, battled with the Bulgarian censor to get out his accounts of the massacres
Muslim villages in the First Balkan War. And he sharply at. tacked Russian liberals who, in their zeal to justify the war against Turkey, condoned the censorship.
describing these events Trotsky demonstrates the writing
which helped gain him fame Mussian socialist move.
brings heroic fighters, profiteering politicians
war, combat and socialist leaders as his friend Christian
The book is not a comprehen.
but a collection of many short articles. Instead of
the can pick out articles of special interest, like those on the Turkish Revolution of 1908-09 o1 the Persian (Iranian) Revolution of
100 pages ot notes maps, a glossary, and an index nelp make une events understan
And the combination of Trotsky's vivid writing and Marx. ist analysis make the collection readable and enlightening
from The Militant,
VCATT
CANVOCA cautions.
Ceiling
contractors and their fixers must be put in place not only for their own good but for the good of every innocent Lesan They have totally reneged on their responsibility in the health and safety line.
Their rat race, money grabbing approach must be halted The material they use on site must b queried and treated highly dangerous to every trade on site This will not only help construction workers, particularly the fixer at pre sent, but will impose and even prevent environmental hazards to completely
future.
Building Worker paper o the rank and file in the coi struction industry can be ob tained for 25p p&p from 22:
Peckham, London SE15 2NG • 10 September 1981 Page 15
Page 16 scan of this page
ANGOLA:SOUTH AFRICAN
DURING the last week 'defence' forces have been following up their invasion of Angola with widespread air attacks.
forced into conflict with the Angolan forces, the main aim of the South African attack is clearly to flatten the towns and disperse and terrorise the population of southern Angola. As we reported last week, towns as far away from the Namibian border as Porto Alexandre (250 miles), Cahama (160 miles) and Tchibemba (250 miles) have been bombed. The South Africans are hitting everyone and everything that moves.
The pretence that the South Africans are engagAn in a 'hot pursuit' of SWAPO guerrillas fighting in Namibia is so transparent that no one seriousv believes it. In reality the South Africans are trying to create a massive 'butter zone' in a devastated and de-militarised southern Angola, making it easier to ColOI Nallibidil colony. SWAPO
What this represents politically is obvious. The south Africans nave ae cided to abandon even the
going along with the attempts of the Western nations to negotiate "sellement Namibia.
More and more thev have come to realise that no serious senemen ca be made which does not eventually put the nationalist movement SWAPO
power. waste w strategy is worked out, the South Africans will bloody butchery to defend their possession of Namibia, which is legally a UN •roteclulalc
For South Africa and all ine Western powers which give them overt or covert support, the neca lo keep a firm grip on Nami
vital Ola strategic interests. The super-exploited black workers of Namibia provide a huge proportion of
West's gold supplies and a host of other minerals, including diamonds. Reich
Western capitalism is not about to give up those resources to a nationalist
The South African reich has been encouraged to carry out its murderous work in soutnern Angola
the attitude of the Reagan administration, which has given and a nod to the South
ROl evel
bothered with a ritual or
Socialist
Challenge
TROOPS OUT NOW!
South African
While the South African army has been
More ever, the British SHOVe Cul needs to be mobilised in solidarity with the struggle in Namibia and against the cold warriors White House allu Pentagon.
Struggle in Namibia - see page 5 ondon NT
Chemstar explosion
By
Tessa van
Gelderen
THE explosion at a Manchester chemical plant last Sun. day night confirmed the fears and the terror of all those who have to live under such threats. One person killed, another seriously injured, and a village is all too aware that it's been 'lucky', such is the enormity of living with dangerous chemicals.
SWAPO troops on parade
'The nightmare come true'
As Labour MP Tom Pendry, who has called for an inquiry into disaster, said, 'If it had not been for the vigilance of the fire service and if there had been a wind instead of a dead calm, there could have been terrible tragedy.
The Secretary of State had earlier
overruled d order by the local council to immediate v remove the chemical drums which local people had been concerned about.
chemnstai pre viously taken over the site from a printing firm COul no Maded because ce was liccucu the site has been allocated
'general industrial use. there is no need tol any other permission to be sought.
This rendous situation exists up
many instances not even known to the local com. munity.
The Guardian last Tuesday explained: "Thousands of firms own factories and warehouses In Britain with chemical stores close by or in the middle of large centres of population, but no one knows officially where they are...
'Regulations were drawn up four years ago mom industry opposition met strong
Socialist
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It is unfortunately the old, old story, as old as the profit motive itself.
Of there's always an outcry, after the damage done and people's homes and lives lie in ruins. Aberfan, Flixborough Seveso In nor thern Italy have all become definitions for tragedies.
But they are tragedie that could so easily have been needs had been put before a few people's greed The managing director of Chemstar, George Molyneux, said ne pected the plant to reopen eventually although he admitted local people did not like the factory being there.
Too right they don't.
As local Conservation Society Frank Swallow, put it, "This is just the nightmare that has come true . If they try to reopen the place, it will be over my dead body.
All the villagers feel the same.
There should be full support for • a pudic In• quiry into the Chemstar explosion. already. As the Sunday Times put it a long ago as 1976, grim equation: people plus chemicals equal risk.
That risk is unacceptable. But as more and more workers are inreatenea wiln ine aole even the little gains that have been made on the health and safety front will become eroded. Even one person's death is a tragedy
avoided.
Flixborough in 1974 — the unacceptable face
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