Socialist Challenge No. 213, 14 September 1981
The scan: sc-no213.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
KICK OUT THE TORIES
No. 213 17 September 1981 25p
Neil Kinnock
Socialist Unemployed and strikers 10p
BENN
FOR
Joan Lestor Tribune
Sharing a Tribune platform with Benn in happier days - now they are plotting against him
Michael Foot
the MPs
Foot has
Stan Orme.
leadership contest.
tion to abstain.
Field, Robert MacDonald,
Exclusive!
Eleventh
hour plot
to stop
Benn
AT LEAST 20 'left wing' Labour MPs -egged on by party leader Michael Foot - have joined a last ditch conspiracy to stop Tony Benn becoming deputy leader of the Labour Party. the
Socialist Challenge has exclusive 'divisive' and totally reliable information that
- members of the Tribune Group - are organising behind closed doors to abstain in the crucial second ballot for the deputy leadership on the eve of the party conference. Michael
secretly advised MPs to adopt such a course of action.
Other leading MPs behind the plot include Neil Kinnock, Joan Lestor and
position.
Although these 'lefts' are pretending that all they are saying is 'don't know' in the battle between Healey and Benn, they are fully aware that, if their plot is successful, they will ensure that Healey will win the deputy
The concrete evidence of these moves is a letter, being privately circulated for signature among Labour MPs, which makes clear their inten-
Socialist Challenge knows that at least 20 MPs normally In associated with the 'left' of the party have already signed the letter.
Likely signatures include, as well as those already mentioned, Frank
Kilroy-Silk, Oonagh Norman Buchan, An-
MARCH FOR JOBS
JoBs
NOT
BOMBS
B'HAM 19 SEP
drew Bennett and Jeff Rooker.
In a further move by the 'gang of 20', Neil Kinnock, writing in the forth-
coming edition of Tribune will argue
deputy-leadership contest
If the 20 were to abstain this will be the equivalent of 400,000 votes in the
trade union section at conference. It
will cancel out the support which pit-
head ballots of the miners' union are
expected to give Benn.
Kinnock and Lestor represent con-
stituencies which have already come
out in favour of Benn. Many of the
potential abstainers are in the same
Kinnock and Lestor also
members of Labour's national ex-
ecutive, and are voted onto these
positions by the constituency section
of the conference. This has come out
in overwhelming support for Benn.
It is because they fear an angry
response from conference delegates
and their constituency members that
the 'gang of 20' were planning to keep
their moves secret until the last possi-
ble moment.
releasing the information
available to us, Socialist Challenge
has now made this particular part of
the conspiracy impossible.
Now the real left in the Labour Par-
ty need to urgently organise against
this pro-Healey plot in its entirety.
Page 2 scan of this page
Thirteen of Islington's sixteen SP councillor/defectors - this wretched bunch of careerists have been subverting the Islington Labour Party
Editorial
PO Box 50, London N1 2XP
Phone 01-359-8189/8180 (editorial and distribution)
No tears for the wets
MARGARET THATCHER is pre-
paring for
unions. That's the only interpreta-
tion
shuffle.
The Tory leaders is
herself with those who think that now is
the time to go for the kill. The temperate
Jim Prior is banished to Ireland. In his
place comes Norman Tebbit, popularly
known as the 'skinhead of Chingford' -
no offence meant to skinheads who are
not associated with the far right.
all the fighting talk and resolutions of
last week's TUC are so much hot air. Re-
cent history supports such a view.
Fate
observed the carnage of the last two
which have emanated form the rank and
British Leyland and Laurence Scott are
of the same ilk as his favourite Tory, Jim
Prior: that he too will go quietly to a cor-
not in the hands of union general secre-
taries. As the miners and Laurence Scott
take on rank and file leaders who are not
as compliant as the TUC 'wets'.
ing an opposition within the Tory Party
Heath, lan Gilmour and Peter Walker. In
minister Gilmour spoke of the new Tory
crew facing shipwreck 'on the rocks'.
The rocks in question are the working
class.
Course
Thatcher is that they prefer to go for a
rather than a quick stab at the jugular.
course. British capitalism is in too deep a
to clear the decks for a fight. As a start,
that means Tony Benn as deputy leader
of the Labour Party. That process can
then be taken right through the Labour
Party and the unions, on the shoulders
discontent'. We need armageddon.
industrial strength needs to be mobilised
to bring down the Tories. Nothing less
Socialist
Challenge
If you would like to be put in touch with Socialist Challenge supporters in your area or would like more information fill in the form below
Name..
Address
Age.
Union/CLP (if any)
Send to: Socialist Challenge, PO Box 50, London N1 2XP.
Socialist Challenge 17 September 1981 Page 2
war with the trade
of Monday's cabinet re-
surrounding Thatcher has obviously decided that
They have stabbed in the back
real challenges to Thatcherism
Thatcher presumes Len Murray to be
Fortunately, the fate of all workers is
Recognition of this reality is producThere is nothing progressive about
It needs the workers to pay the
The workers movement now needs
don't need another 'winter of
By Mick Sullivan, Islington North Labour Party ISLINGTON Labour triguing and unenviable choice on Friday -how to respond to a Social Democratic Party proposal to cut the rates.
After last week's much-heralded defections and their council tion victory the SDP now have 23 councillors and the Tories two will is 22 more of Labour' s councilors şeriously considering joining the SDP, the Labour Party could soon lose control of the borough The issue that threatens to bring it all to a head is the rates
The Labour council recently agreed to raise a supplementary rate of 20p in ine *. Inis was to cover the GLC fares reduction and the ILEA precept, plus a local supplementary rate to recoup Heseltine's penalties for council 'overspending'.
Rise
This rate totalled almost £3 a week for an average working class household.
Following last week's successes the SDP have tabled motion
meeting that the local supplementary Tale dropped. Ironically Heseltine then announced that the council will not be penalised by £2m, so the local supplement was unnecessary ally way
Labour councillors are now left with the choice of dropping the rate rise with the SDF claiming the credit, or holding on to the money even though it isn't needed which would also drum "The support for the
Labour left strategy of rate rises has
this impossible nomin
impossible 'no-win situation'. Drop
Socialist Challenge DUDUVILES in Islington Labour Party have argued against rate rises, and for linking the dropping of the supplementary Tale with a commitment to no further rate rises next year
It is an indictment of the rate rise strategy lnal ll
Labour Party and carrying out vicious anti-working class policies for years councillors face an in-
IN the 2 DY DAVID NORRI years • since he left the Trotskyite International Group to Join the Labour Party Mick Sullivan has come a long way.
The tacled telephon tell ser whom Istin
Labour Party. borough's
Daily
has allowed the Islington SDP splitters to appear as champions of the people's interests.
rol as the Sunday Times admitted last weekend the defection to o Halloran; MP, Mid six. the SDP Michael teen experienced Labour COULCIU mixed blessing for the SDP.
O'Halloran's parliamentary career began in shady circumstance: in 1969 in Islington North Labour Party. He won Labour's nomination
landi date on the back of at
least three votes delegates who were ineligible to vote
False addresses, bogus union delegates and . the ferrying specially recruited old age pensioners to vote at crucial meetings remained O'Halloran's stock-in-trade to retain his power base
The Islington North Party was suspended for
-Labour Party
REVOLUTIONARY SOCIALIST AT CENTRE OF
to the
2230
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1981 SiX months in the late 1970s after expelled Keith Veness for criticising O'Halloran in loca paper, and reinstate him despite a nanonal execuuve ruling Una the expulsion was unconstitutional.
The rest of the local Labour Party had its pro blems too. Tyrant of th local years was Councillor Bil Council for
Bayliss
ounce that the by
announcing that the East Islington Labour Party was 'full up', and could
This blatant method of
This grip was too much for the national executive who sent Bob Mellish, no left winger, to sort bavliss out.
The defectors to the SDP have run the council as a private clique for years, just as O'Halloran
private fiefdom Labour left have rightly
under threat
The rise of a hardliner
Socialist Trotskvite
press once e North Islington 1 Да ноте ол the new
been organising for years to remove these enemies of the working class from office.
This struggle has spilled over into a struggle to remove the other two right wing Islington MPs George Cunningham and John Grant. Both face a real possibility of removal through reselection
One might have thought that the SDP had already scraped the bot-
tom of the barbious en-
ting these dubious ington defectors. But no their latest ploy is to try and create a witch hunt
Party against the left.
So-called International Marxist Group infiltrators are blamed for the Labour Party's move
it alleged rinklean es
alleged ringleader The SDP have enlisted that well-known labour movement newspaper, the
ISLINGTON DEFECTION
hend perdice ty the people Daily Mail to lead the witch hunt.
But the events of the last week in Islington show who the real infiltrators are
It is the SDP and their right wing allies in the Labour Party who have in filtrated the Party, and who use it solely to win positions power and further their careers. They are te ones whose policie. have nothing in commor WILD labour movement
Socialist Challenge supporters are a growing force within the Islington and national Labour Par-
That's because we're
rely the Labour Party
Labour and to win it to socialist policies
The best way to defend the party against the ravages of the SDP is to continue the fight for such policies and for the Party to firmly oppose bans anc proscriptions.
Page 3 scan of this page
How to fight the SDP
By Steve Potter IT'S been a good week for the Social Democratic give socialists cause to worry.
The defection of the right wing of the Labour Party in Islington and the
Dy-elechon within inches of hijacking, victory have them, their first local council.
of DuDucation their first set of policy
was warmly greeted by the press.
leader of Liberal has threatened to back SDP Candidates agamst tnose or his own party who don't
the latest MORI opinion poll shows increased electoral support for such a Liberal/SDP link-up
Up noW the response of the Labour left to these events has been Lavase these achievements, comparing them to previous split-offs from the Labour Party which subsequently disappeared. Comparisons are made with Desmond Donnelly's Democratic Party which split in 1968, the Democratic Labour Association of DICK Taverne and the Scottish Labour Party which Was formed in 1976.
But the SDP are much WORC formidable proposition. Apart from the and free publicity they receive from the press they are quietly confident of raising the
tinancial port to enable their party to fight a general election.
*No serious efforts nave yel made CLU raise money. But I don't think that it would be inhibiting, factor.' (Roy Jenkins, Observer 8 March 1981.
The reasons for the enthusiastic sponsorship which the SDP has enjoyed compared previous right wing splits from Labour Party
resos on sabi deterrent
against further democratic
in the Labour Party by providing a stick
the right wing inside the party to beat the left with. * to deprive the Labour Party of enough votes at both the general election
1982 have Labour majority. * to provide insurance
Tory vote in the next
vote next general election.
For all these reasons, and tor the foreseeable future, the SDP is here to stay How should they be
fought?
The SDP stick must be taken out of the hands of Healev. Shore and Hattersley and used to beat them with.
Support
On politics. The right
wing claim that the grow-
ing shift to the left in the
party is building support
for the policies of the
SDP. The reverse is the
case.
disarmament
Healey will yield nothing
to David Owen in his sup.
port for Britain's nuclear
Party, and that should
deterrent, for Polaris and for continued membership of NATO He has made it clear that he will not serve in any Labour government committed to unilateral disarmament.
As against Labour Party policy Healey continues to be part of the pro-BEC lobby that has its acknowledged cheer leaders, Jenkins, Owen, Rodgers and Williams.
In pleading the case for 'voluntary' incomes policy the SDP leaders are only proposing the same wage-cutting policy that was implemented Healey under the last Labour government.
It is Healey who is building and feeding support for the policies of the SDP, not the left. Healey's policies are the policies of the SDP.
Disrepute
On Labour Party democracy. Healey claims that the process decided by • the abour Party conference to elect its leaders has brought the party into disrepute and aided the growth of the SDP.
The most prominent of Healey's backers, James Callaghan, says the same thing, calling for a reversal of the reforms decided to restore to MPs the unchallenged right to dictate party policy in government.
But once again it is the right wing who are aiding the attacks of the SDP on the Labour Party by echoing their attacks on the
of the StrUCture Labour Party.
The threat of the SDP to take enough votes from Labour to prevent the Labour Party winning the next general election is one that needs petaken seriously. Given the changes in electoral boundaries and the growth of the SDP, Labour will have to win a victory similar to the landslide achieved 1945.
The way to beat the SDP threat is to start to build for this type of vic tory now. Last July's Warrington by-election, when the media ensured a high VULC for Roy Jenkins, showed that the only way to achieve such a victory is through mass political action, channelling the enthusiasm of the whole
working class against the most unpopular Tory Cover cal since the se
cond World War
Part of the fight for a victory over the Tories and the SDP is the necessity for the next Labour ment to be committed to socialist policies, clear break with the
Wilson/Callaghan/Healey governments which decimated living
standards and doubled
unemployment.
The fight against the right wing is a precondition for the fight to return
a Labour government.
Healey is allowed to retain the deputy leadership,
Who pulls the strings on Denis Healey? there is no way that sufficient support and
be • zeneralcu to beat the SDP and the lories.
That's why the fight against the right needs to
Lakel end inside the Labour Par-
and deferred 110 because of the SDP threat.
Home News
Plotters of the world unite - to keep the Labour
At the weekend Tony Benn called the proposed alliance between the Liberals and the SDP game financed by City of London bankers terrified that Mrs Thatcher might turn out to be Britain's last Conservative prime minister.
The game is that those
Party out of office
VOLCIS the Tories in droves at the who will abandon
next general election will, instead of voting for the Labour Party, be attracted towards the SDP/Liberal alliance. . The Tories would then form coalition government with the SDP and Liberals.
The stakes in this game
Birmingham Labour debates strategy
WHATEVER steps are taken by a Labour government actually challenges the right and the power of the capitalist class to invest where they want, to move their capital how they want, to sack workers as they want, will lead to a massive sabotage by the capitalists of the economy of this country'.
Pat Hickey, former deputy convenor at Rover Solihull, put his finger on the dilemma facing supporters of Tony Benn's alternative economic strategy in a debate last Saturday with Roy Hattersley and Audrey Wise in Birmingham.
We heard the right wing variant of the AES from Roy Hattersley, Birmingham MP now bidding to succeed Wilson, Callaghan and Foot as the next right wing leader of the Labour Party Hattersley pins his hopes for a revival of British capitalism on a re-run of the 74-79 Labour government-incomes policy and all Audrey Wise, ex-Coventry MP, espouses Tony Benn's policies of plann ing agreements and state spending. Some of these policies we can support, like restoring the cuts, others we reject, like import controls.
But as a strategy, Benn's AES has a major flaw. As Pat Hickey, a Socialist Challenge supporter said: 'It does not say anything about how it is going to force the capitalist class to accept these planning agreements, these extensions of public ownership, in other words about how it is going to mobilise the strength of the working class.
The meeting, attended by 100 people, was organised by New Socialist magazine as part of a Week of Labour in the Birmingham area. Week of Labour debate culminates in the mass demonstration called by the Labour Party on unemployment this Saturday.
Labour Jobs Rally
Aston Park, Birmingham 19 September, 1.15pm Michael Foot March leaves Calthorpe Park, Pershore Road, at 12 noon are high. The SDP and make sure that the Liberals have already bankers' game fails i stated representation that proportiona will be the to Labour victory now mobilise for
price for coalition reform that could mean against the righ the end of the tory Party wing in the Labou as the major ruling class Party, against th party. Tories and agains
The only way to the SDP.
Socialist Challenge 17 September 1981 Page
Page 4 scan of this page
TUC 1981: waiting for Benn
IR YOUTH - JOBSE
Socialism
With A
Human Face
THIS year's TUC adopted a more radical set of policies than any in recent times. issue which dominated the whole conference was the deputy leadership election of the Labour Party.
The radicalism of the policies adopted by TUC (see box) indicates the pressure of the rank and file in the unions fo socialist policies. Needless to say however the TUC was silent on the struggles of the working class taking
their like Laurence Scotts. Youth
And the youth rebellions over the summer were mentioned as if they were events on the moon rather than a challenge to the abour movement to do something to get rid of Thatcher.
the Tories WE C TUC
NUPE LIC vaunted wit, compared her the talking
in-
HOW right wing Decisions of the TUC * Rejection of all wage restraint under any government — for the first time in 15 years. * Clear support for unilateral nuclear disarmament for the first time in TUC history * Support for a £25bn public investment plan to deal with unemployment and reconstruct hour week and a campaign against overtime * Special emphasis on the fight against youth unemployment and the use of YOPs schemes to undercut union rates * Support for the right of women to work and a national campaign to recruit women to the unions. It will work for changes to the sex Discrimination Act in line with positive action
for women
* Joint TUC/Labour Party action to resist public expenditures cuts to fight hiving off
nationalised industries and for re-nationalisation
without compensation of hived-off state industries * Action against any further anti-union shackles pronosed hv the lories * Immediate withdrawal from the EEC without a prior referendum
Socialist Challenge 17 September 1981
?
HEALEY
But the
NUR leader Sydney Weighell's blusterings be taken seriously that the triple alliance of railworkers, miners. and steel workers would be thrown into the battle to sector industry In the be- preserve
cent negotiations • with British Rail, Weighell signed an agreement which. fi implemented, would cost 78,000 Jobs and lead hiving off whole sections of BR.
Then David. Basnett, right wing leader of the General Municipal Workers Union, mouthed fine purases about mobilising shackling the trade union movement by the Tories.
Not only has he not lifted one linger to fight the present Prior laws, but on the eve of the congress
decision to throw the block vote of the GMWU behind Healey who notorious for his failure to defend trade union rights.
But the TUC's huffing
Page 4
By a POEU member THE right-wing leadership of the Post Office Engineering Union has trick in the book to ensure that our union casts its votes for Denis Healey in the Labour deputy leadership battle.
The POEU conference in June saw the opening shose aest POEU's votes. Eve of con-
HICCUITCA ed by the Broad Left and the right-wing Mainstream
were addressed by Benn and Denis Healey respectively,
The Broad Left had offered the meetings into a debate, but the right wing declined. They also declined to debate the issue on the
the conference itself. no the National on- conference the ecutive Council majority came up with a scheme to ensure that tne union's vote goes to Healey, while and puffing had a pur-
Its tuture direction will be decided by the outcome of the deputy leadership battle.
If Healey wins, there are many let-out clauses in
wing resolutions which can accommodate to nas poncies
For example, while rejecting
Donces under any government, the TUC simultaneously endorsed a Labour PartyTUC liaison committee document callng TUC to enter into a new torm ot social with future Labour
Many of the resolutions had similar escape clauses
But the adoption of left policies showed the TUC hedging its bets on a Benn victory. As the bosses' magazine, the Economist, put 'The unions are divided over the deputy leadership... But
policies the unions backed this week...
Home News
How the right rigs the ballot
2220
dirty
maintaining of democratic respectability. Their answer was a "consultative ballot'
ballot has been organised by distributing voting every single member through their local union branch, regardless of
wnetnel not they pay. the political
› the Labour Party Icvy le
With over 35,000 POEU members having opted-out of the political levy, that means that more than one-in-four potential voters in this ballot is anti-Labour.
The general treasurer of the union, David Nor-
claims that the POEU has been forced to those of Mr Benn.'
Highlight of the conference was an unscheduled event not official agenda: The New Socialist-sponsored deputy leadership debate. was
Healey and Silkin agains Benn.
had the
support for policies.
why we support campaign lor
who the debate. Silkin
Silkin to
with the left of the TUC
while
TUC
include every member because of the 1913 Trade Union Act. He claims that LIC UNION vice which said that every member Was entitled vote, but the membership has never seen this reputed advice.
Under these circumstances least one local branch, Westminster. has taken it's own advice. Their counsel has said that far from forcing the union to include every member in the ballot, the 1913 Act allows the union to exclude those who don't pay the political levy.
Consult
Just to make absolutely sure that if all else fails entirely their as the entirely their way, NEC and Stanler nave made it quite clear that this
consultalve ballot and the delegation to Labour conference is in and Labour Party leaders.
Healey pugnaciously attacked the left and Benn in particular. He may not have won much sympathy from the audience but his sharpness put Benn on the spot. 'You are not just going for the deputy leadership, but the leadership of the whole party,' Healey accused.
Benn's reply, that he was the only one of the three candidates to have
THE campaign
Turkish COCAII Dogan
received boost last
Blackpool.
Dogan is facing deportation from
this country, his
asylum has been turned down. He
will receive a death
returned to Turkey's ruling generals
who have already executed ten peo-
ple during their first year in power
ns cames tonave been a socialis
militant.
An emergency resolution moved
no way bound by the outcome. clear case of 'heads you lose, , tails we win'.
In response to this blatant attempt to hijack the union's 78,500 Labour conference for Healey, the Broad Left has tried to campaign to ensure the maximum support for Benn.
A national leaflet calling on members to back Benn included a special statement from Benn himself.
He outlined his port for the repeal of the British Telecoms Act. for renationalisation without compensation of any parts of British Telecom hived. off to private industry and for an immediate reduction in the working week to 35 hours to share out Tune benefits of new technology.
Countering the union journal's call to 'vote for the leaders who can win' voted for Foot in both rounds of the leadership election, dodged the issue.
Policy
For example Benn explained that people need to KOW Labour government will mplement party policy 01 unilateral disarmament o the DOlICy front bench spokesperson.
This is true - but who
TUC backs Turkish socialist to save the life of by Bill Deal of the Fire Brigades
Tarkan week at
Activists in application for
SentenCe
fice should be
Campaign, WC1N 3XX
Post office engineers union
the Broad Left leaflet called on members to «Vote for the policies that can win' clear many POEU members that the NEC and Bryan Stanley have put their own narrow sectarian interests above
itself. It is obvious that backs the policie that by and large correspond Coll ference decisions, yet they have done everything possible to ensure a volc for Healey opposes them.
Whatever • the outcome of our farcical ballot, the : the democratisation of the labour • movement and the fight for socialist policies has to go on.
The days of the rightwing domination of the Labour Party and the POEU are numbered. The next election we're after is for the post secretary of the Poetera.
Grodan (Socialist Challenge)
Rajan
appointed ses munilatera
unilateral disarmament, to his front bench position defence? Michael Foot whom Benn claims to support If Benn is right that the
Party is about policies not personalities then it's inevitable that he will come up against Foot as party icauel, „wno doesn t sup port party policy.
Union supporting Dogan's case was passed overwhelmingly under the section of the TUC Annual Report on repression of Turkish trade unions
the labour movement
by campaigning in their branches for action to save Dogan's life.
All resolutions, letters, messages of support directed to the Home Of.
sent to Friends of Dogan Tarkan, c/o Turkey Solidarity
BM _BOX 5965,
Page 5 scan of this page
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Page 6 scan of this page
LONDON • 24 OCTOBER • LONDON • 24 OCTOBER
CND THE BOMB
On
Poverty
By Mary Jacobs ONE out of every two school leavers will be placed on a Youth Opportunities Programme this year. Sounds good? Well just turn that statement around.
One out of every two school leavers at least will not have a job to go to this year. Inal s wilal Il Ically means. That's not a future for anyone. And even it you do manage to get on one of these schemes, other than reducing the unemployment statistics, you're not likely to get much out of it.
The trade union movement nas at last woken up 1o the fact that YOPs are a cheap form of labour that offers little or no training for young people, and ceritaly no job at the end of
Ghost
Now youth themselves are fighting back against lousy pay and conditions.
In June, in Consett, which is a ghost town after the sieel works closed down a year ago, YOPs workers went on strike.
The northern division of the public employees' union, NUPE, have launched Callell unionise young workers on YOPs. On 28 August they held a rally in Newcastle.
Over so young workers attended despite losing :4.50 from their 'wages
Tom Sawyer, NUPE
sculclaly, writing in Labour Herald,
that 'many workers see the part of the
• areaucracy which has
'eer instrumentai in chan-
ing them from the dole Socialist Challenge
TÔGETHER
WE CAN
STOP
Schemes
queues into schemes which are unable to provide real training or work experiences. They know that after a short perod they will be back in the pool of the unemployed Permanently Future
And that's really the nub of the problem. What youth really want is not better YOPs schemes but a job. They want a future. Fighting for the right for everyone to WOrK Isne best way the trade union movement
supphe Souts to Youth
lunched by the Tuac, ea tional Union of Students and other organisations including the National Association for Asian Youth, is good news. The campaign aims for jobs and a voice for young people, under the slogan 'Give us a future'. Festival
The first maJor national event will take place in November. A Jobs Express will travel round the country, finally arriving in
festival, demonstration and lobby Or ramere
As trade union membership declines drastically because unemployment, it's easy to
cynical motives of the TUC in this 17 September 1981 Page 6
Jobs not bombs
TUC decision
boosts CND demo
By Brian Grogan, Blackpool.
THE TUC for the first time in its history went on record in favour of Britain unilaterally renouncing nuclear weapons. also came out against the missiles, and against the Trident project for the removal of all nuclear bases including those of the US
trom this resolution. the multilateralist case was decisively rejected by conference.
argued his case on the basis that nuclear weapons made Britain a target for aggression rather than a defence against it. This approach gave, ty to the backward rantings of our very own trade union baron Sir John Boyd, assumption that imperial Britain was somehow or other a victim of aggression.
campaign. But if this can
really develop Into a na
tional campaign against
organised
by the trade unions, then
we should all be suppor-
ting it.
In the meantime,
young people are fighting
for better conditions. The
whole labour movement • should take their
demands.
Jobs not Bombs
The resolution siting of Cruise
It will be very difficult for the right wing to draw any
An amendment arguing
Larry Smith, national officer of the Transport Union
therefore, some credibili-
who was able to start from the
BAN
THE
•BOMB
))
JOBS FOR YOUTH
• An increase in the training allowance of £23.50, which has been increased since 1979 • The end of the 12 months time limit on schemes.
Free travel to and from the schemes Improved holidays. • Adequate ances for clothing, footwear and safety.
brought into question.
Africa in Angola and other southern African states.
party.
presently 78,000 jobs are being traded Nonetheless,
demonstration on 24 October,
the neutron bomb for
dustrial unions is fully utilised
thousands
Bombs.
next Labour government is actually implemented.
BAN
THE
¿BENN
Garland
• Full benefits of the Health and Safety at
• Improved monitoring or schemes by trade resent ties or m unions, including workers themselves • Proper training designed to suit the needs and interests OT YOP workers themseives • A return to full and proper employment.
Britain's imperialist role on a world scale was noi
Nor was Britain's full backing fo the mad adventures of the US in places like El Salvador and by proxy through Israel in the Arab East and South
So no clear links were made between the priorities of our profit-oriented system and the drive for remilitarisation and nuclear aggression in which Britain is the guilty
This was despite the fact that Ray Buckton, of the traindrivers union, in seconding the motion was able to note that a mere 3 per cent reduction in arms snendin would pay for electrification of the railways for which
, the adoption of this motion by the TUC removes every single barrier to building a truly massive
Ine cale sel by eND to protest the siting of Cruise and the decisions to produce
use in the curopean theatre
This madness can be stopped if the power of the in
While the TUC tops hav no intention of mobilising this strength, the terms of this resolution on unilateralism and government aid for alternative thousands may west no have alre the
activists understood the significance of the call for Jobs not
This is also the way to ensure that the now certain manitesto commitment on unilateral disarmament of the
Jobs not bombs
British Airways is
pleased to
announce..
NINE thousand redundancies. plans by June 1982.
to keep their jobs to suffer too.
would be held over till 1982.
window. And 'voluntary' redundancies by June 1982,
Of BA's employees.
days, is attempting
offered three jobs.
blackmail.
will not take good care of its workforce.
Barnes Flexible
Packaging
By Duncan Edwardes WORKERS al
weeks
involved redundancies Peter Woods, plained,
Alan Grounds,
work.
Clums
be in a position to win it ourselves ing from local MP, Bob Litherland.
But as Peter Woods put it,
win
treasurer, Len Hughes,
'Jobs not Bombs T-shirt. Red and black on yellow Ideal for all employment and CND demos. Only £2.99 incl p&p. Sizes medium and large Orders to SCL T-shirts, PO •Box 50, London N1. Cheques payable to Week'.
That's what BA
And not only does it want get rid of nearly one-sixth of the workforce, it wants those that manage
BA management has announced that there will be no pay rise until September 1982. The last rise was due in January this year but was frozen until April. Part of that deal, which the unions agreed to, was that an increase in the London weighting
doubt if there are not 9,000 management will use that to further hold down the wages
British Airways, like many employers these
to trample previous agreements made with the trade unions. BA has an agreement that anyone who is redeployed will be
Now management has arbitrarily announced that only one job will be offered, and then out on your ear. The trade unions should not give in to
Not fighting for better wages and conditions will not save one job. Certainly British Airways
Barnes Flexible Packaging, Cheetham Hill, Manchester have followed in the footsteps of Laurence Scott. For the last three
240 workers have occupied their factory which is part of the Smurfit group. Management had announced closure of the plant after the workforce had refused to accept a 'Survival Plan' that
NGA print union striker ex 'If we'd accepted the redundancies it would have been a victory for management in printing and packaging throughout Britain. They were taking us on because we were well organised.
The dispute has been made official by both the NGA and another print union involved, SOGAT
NGA Father of the Chapei said that a national meeting of all NGA stewards within the Smurfit group agreed to impose an overtime ban, a work to rule and to allow no transfer of
Early in the sit-in, Laurence Scott sent a delegation. Alan Knight, a member of the electri-
'union, found this very useful.
'We have learnt a lot from Scotts. We have to rely on our own strength. Of course we want national help, but if it's not forthcoming we want to
Support has started to come in, including back-
'Overtime bans and work to rules are not enough in a recession. We need to stop production in all the other factories to
Send messages of support and donations to: The
Argyl Si, Heywood,
Page 7 scan of this page
AS WOMEN at the Lee Jeans factory in Greenock get ready to return to work after their six month victorious struggle to save their jobs, workers in a small textile firm in Sweden have just embarked on the first occupation ever in that country.
The similarities between the struggles at the two factories are obvious. Yet again, women are holding the line against the vicious effects of TUC Congress Women have the right to work-official
By Tessa van Gelderen LAST WEEK'S TUC recognised that it needs more than words to give women a fair deal. What is needed IS action. positive action. That is, the trade union movement should vomen to get jobs
The TUC "to give particular attention to identifying and opposing any barriers to the participation of girls and women in present or future training and employment programmes.'
implement the Women in Trade Unions and the recommendations positive action, recognised that the present Sex Discrimination Act is not adequate.
Free collective bargaining has not achieved equality for women in the workplace; now there has to be a campaign to change the law. The delegates strategies are needed to encourage women to and actively participate unions.
This point was brought forcibly home to conference when bank Cameron presented the TUC president, Alan Fisher, with a shopping bag. It was her way of protesting that women are 'stereotyped' by men.
In a speech which as Ivy Cameron herself said would not have been made twenty years ago, sne accused male delegates o leaving their wives went ott to union meetings
'Men cover their language at meetings! she said, selves sound important.
Laude that this vear's Tud. reaffirmed that 'women as well as men have a fundamental right to work', meant more than just words.
Perhaps the increased number of seats for
Sweden's first factory occupation
Led by women
the world-wide system.
solidarity 70 women
they did it....
the story....
Swedish women workers in occupation: We'll keep on till
In
support special measures tor
General Council was called upon
affiliated unions
the TUC have
recognised that new
in trade
union delegate Ivy
at the kitchen sink while they
'with a mystique to make them-t. which
capitalist It is important to show the women in Sweden
and the women from Lee Jeans are hoping to. pay them a visit soon to give them a few tips about how
PETER LINDGREN of the Swedish section of the Fourth International, KAF, takes up
ON THE first day of July, most of the Swedish working class packed its bags
Now build the demo
THE NEXT important event in the agenda in the fight for women's rights has to be the demonstration on a woman's right to work called by the Labour Party.
For every five jobs lost by men, nine are lost by women. It is becoming urgent that the • Labour movement as a whöle takes some action to put a halt to this and to draw attention to the specific problems which affect women in the economic crisis.
Building for the demonstration is an important opportunity to mobilise trade unions, Labour parties, youth organisations in defence of women. have to begin that Labour Party to set the date for the demonstration and to seriously build for it.
Petition forms are already available and the following motion should be put through to trade unions/Labour party bodies.
This branch of Labour Party for a demonstration on a woman's right to work early next year. the growing unemployment amongst women in comparison to men and recognise the urgent need for the labour movement as a whole to take up this We urge the Labour Party NEC to fix the date of the demonstration as soon as possible to ensure maximum mobilisation throughout the labour and women's movements. We must act swiftly to stop the Tory project of sending women back into the home and fight to defend the hard won rights which women have gained.'
Further information from 374 Grays Inn Road, WC2. Send letter Labour Party, 150 Walworth Road, London SE17.
women from two to five this year -"can unal in Tuture. those at Lee Jeans can get more support from the TUC than just a telegram It's these women who are leading the fight for a woman's right to work, not the TUC.
Women
and went on holiday. On the second
day 70 women textile workers went
back to work determined to defy the
dismissal notices they'd received.
It is the first factory occupation in
Swedish history. The factory is in the
north of Sweden in the small town of
Solleftea. It is a region with very high
unemployment. The factory is part of
a combine, Eiser, which is owned by
the Swedish state.
Illegal
Every other factory owned by
them in the north of Sweden has been
shut down and 600 dismissal notices
announced in the south. Despite the
holiday period, the occupation atracted a lo of attention.
came from the local social democratic
leadership, although the action is il-
legal, from hospital workers, soldiers
and trade unions.
But support at a national level was
not forthcoming in the first month.
Social democrat leader, Olaf Palme
VA
VI GER INTOP.
women's organisations and
now, to urge the
welcomes the call by the
We note with alarm resolutions the
will women workers like
said that, although he had sympathy and understanding for the women he could 'not support this clearly illegal action'
The leader union also said 'stop the occupation, it doesn't create one single job
both the employers leaders were forced to change their tune: The company agreed to meet a delegation from the occupied factory
non-distribution pants for the Swedish army!
ference of the main textile union sup ported the occupation and forced the Support leaders to call a political strike against the government. right to work, a human right. We do not accept further dismissals.
in the textile industry. We support th Eiser workers demand for new jobs.' Such events and support are rare in-
A CRITERION
deed in
There of the main textile the women should
But as the occupation continued and the union United
Walter it had been threatened with of 27,000• under-
Even more significantly, the conuntil
'They demand the if necessary we've won.
'Instead, Sweden needs more jobs
tremely Your Bank.
Name of Account to be debited
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Signed... "Anarchy, theft, class-war, Bopping the Fuzz."
Guardian
"Packed with ideas of imaginative lunacy...
IMMENSELY
ENJOYABLENot
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Socialist Challenge
the heavily bureaucratised unions of Sweden.
are many similarities with the Lee Jeans occupation. First and foremost, women lead the struggle Both regions suffer very heavily from unemployment. Trade reformist leaders give, at best, half. hearted support.
Both occupations have relied on the support from the rank and file of the labour movement . The workers in
women Jeans conthey won In Sollefte the women will 'continue until Christma:
We will keep on until
This first ever factory occupation in Sweden will almost certainly be a long drawn out battle. It is an
important test for the Swedish working class.
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE BANKER'S ORDER FORM ....kloyd's Bank, 19 Upper. St. London N!... .....0179678.
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....And on the same date in the month thereafter Box Office 930 3216 Credit Cards 379 6565
17 September 1981 Page 7
Page 8 scan of this page
CHILE: HOW THE
By Phil Hearse ON THE morning of 11 September 1973, almost exactly three years after the Popular Unity (UP) coalition had come to power, the Moneda palace in Santiago, the residence of Socialist Party president Salvador came under attack from tanks and aircraft. The left's military coup - was coming true.
Allende and his bodyguard came out of the palace with machine guns, scanning the sky for the attacking planes. Within hours dead. The 'peaceful road' to socialism in Chile had come to an end.
In the days that followed the coup, the right wing and the army took revenge against the left. In three days 30,000 socialists, communists and trade unionists were killed by the military forces. Thousands of workers who had been told by the Communist and Socialist parties to assemble in their factories were unarmed when the army attacked.
A reign of terror followed which has not ended to this day. The shadow of the torturer hung over Chile as the experiment with a "peaceful road to socialism' was dismantled. To understand why, we have to look at what the Popular Unity coalition was trying to do, and how it went wrong.
In September 1970, Popular Unity's candidate, Allende, won the presidential elections. The right wing made the mistake of standing
SUPPORT THE STRUGGLES OF THE CHILEAN AND SALVADORAN PEOPLE National demonstration Assemble Trafaigar Square Sunday 20 Soptember 2.30 pm o ocakers representative o he FDR, aden Livingsnde, Scargill, include Michael
and Ron Hayward.
Despite
Organised a didarity campaign
acialist Challenge 17 September 1981
two candidates;
majority.
Allende,
nightmare - a
the middle class.
basic means of tionalisation Allende was
Nonetheless
the working class.
companies cut down Benn. increased
creased. grew. dIso
votes.
taken over, the
alarmingly.
parties.
Chilean bosses.
and the left.
Fool, Arthur
Allende, was ended.
the Chite and El Salvador
The
Page 8
Allende received the highest number of votes (36 per cent) but not an overall
Right from the start Allende tried to make concessions to the right wing; his cabinet contained as many members of the declining and right-wing Radical Party as of the much bigger Communist Party. The strategy of the Popular Unity government was gradually to carry out reforms in the interests of the working class, but not to go too quickly, for fear of alienating
Instead of the nationalisation of all the
to proace sea of mas place. Instead workers' mobilisations, during the first year of Allende's rule the hundreds of local Popular Unity committees which had been set up during the election campaign were disbanded.
the Popular Unity government did take many steps in the interests
The number of nationalisations was much greater than the top
envisaged for Britain by Wages and salaries were substantially
Free milk was distributed to the and money for public housing was greatly in-
. Unemployment fell as the economy Popular support for government Popular Unity got a clear majority
But the successes of Popular Unity were purchased at a high price. Because the big financial institutions and banks were not
government had to borrow huge amounts. Inflation began to increase
Ironically, the whole strategy of Popular Unity was to go slowly in order to win over the middle class. But because the gradual approach allowed economic chaos to develop, the middle class went over to the right-wing
The destabilisation of the government by the right wing took many forms. cally, there was an investment strike by the
Wealthy farmers took their cattle over the Andes into Argentina, rather than sell them in Chile. The press carried out a slander campaign against the government
As the economy got in worse trouble, foreign companies refused to invest in Chile The United States organised an international campaign against Chile — all credit to Chile
The US stepped up its contacts with the Chilean military forces.
In 1972 the political strategy of Popular Unity went into bankruptcy. The determination of imperialism and local reaction to wreck the economy made it impossible to win over the middle class.
whole STOCCUS of destabilisation reached a head in the autumn of 1972 when
on strike, leaving transport paralysed. country ground to a halt.
Popular Unity
policy
to socialism by mobilising the workers.
mass
supply
of revitalised.
25 Tony
workers in the industrial zones
elections
Military took over streets
REVOLUTION
WAS LOST
a bosses' strike was organised. Factories closed down; the middle class truck owners went
The
was itself divided. The right wing, led by Allende and the Communist party, advocated a continued 'go slow'
what they called 'consolidation'.
The left wing - the left of the Socialist Party and their allies — put forward a policy of 'advance without compromise'; to push forward
They were supported by the Movement of the Revo lutionary Left (MIR) outside the government
The workers had something to say about this situation. Against the hoarding of vital nepest and distribution to tay to break the
distribution to try to break the stranglehold of the black market. The support committees organised by Popular Unity were
Workers started to fight for control of the land through a series of land seizures. Most important of all, when the bosses' strike occurred,
the cordones industriales — set up factory and area commit-
Avianca
tees.
The factory and neighbourhood committees constituted embryonic workers power, the workers were beginning le take their affairs into their own hands. Popular power was
But the Popular Unity government opposed
he self-organisation ›osses' strike developed, the government d nounced the cordones industriales committees as illegal.
Instead of mobilising the masses, intervening to support the actions of the workers them-
Popular Unity called in break the strike. Trade union leaders toured the factories telling the workers to rely on 'legality'; to leave it to 'their' government to overcome the crisis. government the armed forces of the state had remamca intact. his faith in the 'constitutional' character of the army. No attempt was made to undermine the armed forces; no attempt was made to win rank-and-file soldiers to the side of the government. Meanwhile the inks with the United States
This situa of Popular U organisations class they ha of the govern its apparatus
1ic all the position the bourgeoisie government f the working they moved i
At the be right wing bu the army to the governm
Line wine the army to it ist' governm dreds of raid
Ash Allende constantly repeated unemployed The whole si
On 29 Jul Colonel Rol Tanks from military retained their attacked Ministry of the armed fo
V DUL COW
Allende. It gun.
The react ted coup wal fighting wen ties of Pop distribute art of 29 June demonstrate the reactiona
When demanded th and execute that the dei workers that carried out.
For Alle the last chan wing on the
workers had wanted to k ment.
But Alla precisely the the opportur the governm was to make
Allende i figures to j Christian that the mill agreed on 10
By these Allende onk right The m could overth struggle. On Chile went i tatorship and
Page 9 scan of this page
US and dictators team up against democracy
ion revealed the whole paradox rity. In the name of the working captured the decisive apparatus ent. But the bourgeois state, and
repression, stayed intact. remained the final guarantor of of the right wing and They tolerated the Allende r a while; but when it looked as if ass was getting out ot control, for the kill aning of 1973 pressure from the up. Middle class students from Jniversity demonstrated against of the bourgeoisie clamoured for ervene and overthrow the 'Marx-
The military carried out hunagainst left-wing strongholds
towns where the poor and red. left-wing political offices. ation was one of crisis. 1973 a section of the army led by
Souper attempted a coup. he Second Armoured Regiment presidental palace and ence. But only a small part of es joined the coup. - it was easiforces who remained "loyal' to med that Souper had jumped the
in of the workers to the attempspeedy. During the day, as the h in Santiago's streets, the par-
Unity met and decided to the workers. On the evening nore than a million workers n the streets of Santiago against
ende addressed them he 'hit the reactionaries hard'
plotters. The left demanded Do been disten earler should be distribute guns
and his government this was The defeated coup put the right
guns. During the day many cupied their factories and they
them. It was the decisive mo-
and Popular Unity acted in posite way. Instead of taking
to strike hard at the right wing, decided that the only way out ther concessions. ted a wide range of right-wing his cabinet, in particular the ocrats. When they demanded
also be brought in, Allende ugust. sty and desperate concessions, ignalled his weakness to the ary became convinced that they
him without too much of a September the blow was struck.
the darkness of military dicpression.
By Jerry Hughes, Secretary, Chile Solidarity Campaign two of its closest allies.
ternationally
propriate response to
General Haig has responded predictably, with a Soviet Union who he claims are inciting the El Salvadoran people, and indeed all those struggling for freedom and democracy in Latin America, to a revolutionary position would not otherwise be taking. This argument is wearing extremely thin.
Reagan cannot win support for his policies towards Latin America from his allies, except for support of the British government. So Reagan has turned to the dictatorships of America, just as the jeopardising US long term interests in Africa, he
the over their invasion of Angola.
Precedent
In response to the FrenchMexican initiative on El Salvador, nine Foreign Ministers issued a communique describing this 'very serious precedent' which 'far from contributing solution to the problem, by trying to bring it to international attention, promotes its worsenin The nine are no surprise: the Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, ombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay, Republic and Venezuela. Significantly, the US evell here, in that the most imporlail nation In wall America, Brazil, would not sign the communique. to
The dictators of America must be pleased that Reagan is not only supporting their internal fights they grating them into a continent- 'Communism' wide 'bastion of freedom'. is because they realise the impetus to all opposition fighters provided by the victory
and the possibility of victory in El Salvador.
Alliance
in August, US Ambassador to the United Nations, Jeanne Kirkpatrick, toured America to establish this continental alliance. . In some cases she went too far. Costa
to fight against terrorism. Nem with son raning tOP press
with some training for ure bonce
Such training would presumably be similar to that given to other police forces in Latin america, such as the notorious DINA in Chile (now renamed CNI).
Senor Monge, a. Social
THE SUPPORT given by Mexico and France to the revolutionary movement of the El Salvadoran people, both the FDR and the FMLN, has thrown US foreign policy in Latin America into disarray.
It has startled the Reagan administration into realising its inability to control the foreign policy of
More importantly for the people of Latin America, the position taken by France and Mexico has been in-
recognised as a positive response to the brutality and dictatorial rule of President Duarte in El Salvador, and particularly an ap
the reports last month of decapitations in both El Salvador and Guatemala.
Democrat politician tipped to vehe-
their patrick's kind offer: been fighting a lonely battle so far. Costa Rica offers a great they opportunity for States to show that the pro-
with democratically. people not to take the Marxistwestern the passive them an alternative. Favourable Latin at risk of more favourable response, is fully the military regimes of Chile, Africans Uruguay and ponding warmly to the idea of Brigade' rule in El Salvador. merely be stepping up the visers they President Pinochet's loyalty
Santiago in November
usual DINA team coming Col Washington - and so did not prevent Embassy Row Dominicar Popular Unity Minister Orlando Letelier, in September 1976. : failed The Chilean Government is Latin America. excellent example Latin CHOLICE ot fear the effects of the unsuppressable demands of the people on their against inte- internal security Pinochet position of monetarist policies This was going very well, necessary repression that went in with it was being efficiently and ago he introduced a new ConSOLACON Chilean people to rule for the rest of this century with himself at the helm This year, events in Central America Latin Chilean more strongly than at any other time since the military Rica that they are not prepared to let this happen. position are now working close.
Kirkpatrick Trade with: - the illegal Union *Committee approaching one workers in Chile).
In June the Trade Union Coordinating presented to Pinochet tional Petition of Chile, spelling out the basic demands of the workers. Pinochet has been
and logical the United
Argentina
Internationa to defend dictatorial
'adalready have pro-
Duarte. the assassination in
of former
It provides-an
how the
revolutionary
felt that his im-
unable to to and the
RoDen
national which sentencea ine
dictatorial the General
inspired by the But as
the SOWE prisoned,
take their place.
The political : 00° Exiled
National Coordinating visit to Chile, (which represent
millio: porting
Committee 'Nasion.
Even
Millions of books, periodicals, papers in flames
silence the open his rule that
reflects and has encouraged
It is now assumed in Chile demonstrations
executive
the Trade Union Coordinating
Committee were arrested, anc
Secretary President are still being held.
• soon as some activists are taken and tortured, im-
banished to remote tion areas of Chile or exiled, others (2.30pm
Just after Mrs Kirkpatrick's chucal tinne
Pinochet exiled pouring dine almands of the vince
demands tion of the trade unionists. Included in the four was a Christian Democrat, Jaime Castille, who is President of the Human Rights Commis-
and Pinochet cannot America. stretch to calling him a puppet
of International Communism Pinochet has spent the last eight years assuring the worlo of the stability of his rule, anc the crisis of the Chilean dietatorship reflects the threatened state of all repressive regimes in the continent. Support
The National Demonstra-
on Sunday 20 September organised by the Chile Soliarit Campaign with the support of the other Latin America Committees therefore comes at a
It will serve to further con-
: the Reagan administrabankruptcy of its towards Latin America, and will show that the British labour movement supports the struggle for freedom
democracy in Latin
By a massive turnout on the
20th we can show the Thatcher government the opposition in Britain to their support for dic tatorial regimes Latin America and demand that they stop harassing the governments of Nicaragua and Grenada. Challenge
British foreign policy has for too long been something that has gone unchallenged
Now is the time to stop this. In the demonstration September we must show the present government we are no prepared to sit back and watch them fund fascism and fight against democratic revolu tionary movements
In the Labour Party Specia Conference on Foreign Polic on 7 November we can start to ensure that the next Labour reflect the foreign policy of the labour movement. oi the multinationals and the USA.
Socialist Challenge 17 September 1981 Page 9
Page 10 scan of this page
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SOCIALIST CHALLENGE -by its readers? This is the direction our paper should go in, said Challenge organisers meeting last week. Socialist Challenge is your newspaper so read it, sell it and write for it. Why not use the paper to tell other Socialist Challenge supporters where and how you sell the paper
Keep informed about what is happening in your area in the build up to the national CND demon stration on 24 And it vou feel hot under the collar about something why us? We'd like to know how your co-workers reac articles have
we palhat do you think of our SuDoOrL tor the Benn campaign, the hunger strikers and the right women to choose whener or not to have chisociali
Socialist Walli Challenge to help you take up these vital issues in vour workplace, at your trade union or Labour Party
meeting and wherever you are active.
you, our readers and sellers, have to help us. Tell us what you'd like to see in the paper, tell us how the paper's been Bernadette McAliskey defies Spanish state
International
September 1981 Volume b Twumber
New Stare for Irel
in Freem
La paper written
those at our Socialist
useful to you and where it's let you down. And, in addition, one ot the best ways you can help us, is to sell the paper and get others to sell it too.
Increasing •sales
means more people reading what we have to and it helps make the paper financially stable. This LUrT Will make it possible for jouraround much ore, and nalists out and occupations and picket attend labour movement conferences national
and the News from the Fourth International
prisoners. by Will Reissner.
six months ago.
Socialist Challenge News
Dear
Socialist
Challenge
and, perhaps more important of all, to talk to our supporters. So, if you'd like to have your say, why not pick up a pen and write lo us!
Checklist: • Try to keep letters to 400 words - preferably typed We may have to edit for reasons of space. • Get your local group of Socialist Challenge supporters to write reports on what is happening around the CND demonstration in area (and anything else of interest). Keep
Bernadette
McAliskey
takes a trip to
Spain
LAST Thursday, Bernadette McAliskey was refused entry into Spain and put on flight to Paris. She had Barcelona to speak at a meeting organisby the Revolutionary League (LCR), section of the Fourth International in the Spanish state The authorities had accused her of the offence of 'apology for terrorism' and for previously speaking at LCR election meetings. But they had a surprise in store for them.
On Friday, the day of the rally which was to celebrate 'la Diada', the Catalan day, Bernadette before thousands of Catalan supporters 'I am not a terrorist,' she said, 'nor am I an apologist for terrorism. 'The British soldiers are the terrorists British government are the apologists.'
Bernadette McAliskey had previously held a press conference in Paris at the headquarters of the the Fourth International -the LCR. On the same day as the rally in Barcelona, the French cupied the British consulate in Paris in support of the H Block and Armagh
THE third issue of the new-look Interna. tional is now out. It contains maior inter. views with Bernadette McAliskey about the stage of the Irish struggle and with a revolutionary Marxist active within the Polish Solidarity movement
There is also an analysis of Benn and British socialism by Alan Freeman and of the first six months of Reagan's America
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Page 11 scan of this page
- The death of Micky Devine-
tieth day of hunger strike.
in the H Block prison hospital.
McCauley, and Micky's uncle,
were with Micky when he died.
Republican News what happened.
I WENT in to the hospital on
Monday night and came out on
Tuesday for a few hours. I then
went back in and stayed there
until Micky died on
morning. I got a few hours rest
lying on a cell floor
blanket wrapped around me.
We wanted to make
there was always somebody at
the hospital near the end
inat micky wouid not ale a
lonely death, the way the prison
McElwees contact une
and Tom McElwee died alone.
gave Micky twenty-four hours
hours, and then Father Murphy
on Wednesday night said to me
that he couldn't see him passing
six o'clock the next morning.
Micky was not in a coma
and though he was slipping into
consciousness he could hear us
The
head to let us know.
couldn't have understood what
he was saying as his teeth were
sort of locked and his mouth
paralysed.
He was
hadn't been able to take water
four days. His bladder was full
up and, when he drank, water
and acid would have just come
out of his mouth.
Earlier Theresa, his aunt,
had wanted to put vaseline on
his mouth to ease the pain from
Micky's chapped lips which he
was constantly biting,
Micky said 'No
When lying in bed he was
always sliding down and would
need pulling up so that he could
just be in the centre of the bed By Gerry Foley in Dublin THE second national conference of the H Block campaign held in Dundalk on 6 September clarified the situation or the r block movement in irelano atter the deaths of ten hunger strikers. It remains determined and on the course it set more than a year ago, but is suffering from a loss of momentum and resulting problems.
The Dundalk conference registered me growin or the r Block campaign into a mass
Over 400 local action groups were represented, as against 20 in the first con terence a vear ago or ou al the end of the first hunger
The weight of the movepresence of Paddy Duty the ment was bellwether leader of the Social Democranic ano cabour ra-
who up unt now has generally
brink attending Block conferences
rrovisiolial Sinn Fein
and heavy-handed way than were given a list of candidates
vote on to the National committee politically narrower National resultine
Committee
The Sinn Fein leaders 1op-
most prominent leader in the
ly ninth in the field of 20
National Liberation Army died on the six-
Close relatives maintained a constant bedside vigil in the last few days of his life
His sister Margaret's husband, Frankie
Patsy Moore
FRANKIE McCAULEY told An Phoblacht/
with his hands outspread and balancing his frail body.
That Wednesday night, Fr Toner (the prison chaplain) was Thursday there and he prayed over Micky
ocrore Icaving.
We were coming back and wiin a
forth to the cell and at about
sure one o'clock in the
when we were waiting in a room
and we could hear Micky roaring in
Spain.
Prayed
doctors We then went to him and he
was freezing.
Changing him where he have vomited over himself and asked us to give them a ten minutes.
We sat with Micky and felt his feet. They were freezing. I went up his leg a could call it a leg, it was thinner than my wrist. his Fr Murphy had explained to
You me that when death was creep-
Wing Micky set in. stone cold, I felt his forehead and his ears and nose and they
pain, were turning cold.
We sat and prayed and at about six o'clock on Thursday morning Micky went into unconsciousncss pressed Micky's heel and said something about it being the weakest part of the body.
There was no response from Micky the next thing the walked but authorities must have known it was nearly over and sent for him.
This was about ten seven. I said to Fr Toner, 'Were you sent for?' and
H Block conference marks
growth of movement
laura McCror one of lose most responsible for tr and develonment of the H Block movement was not elected.
On the other hand the two telescalatives I CODICS a Hu LEC Kepubicar Party were re-elected.
Provisional leaders seemed to that an • error was made and that the composition of the commitice would nave Lo. Dt broadened by co-options.
The coverage of the con ference in Provisional' paper An Phoblacht seemed acsiencu lo reassert ine com mitment movement to a broad campaign. About a quarter of the space in the major article was taken up with icoortune Der nadelle s report for the na tional Committee It reaffirmed the strategy
also nored with approval that
ce hoed on
and
The medics were
HOUS
'Yes'. He started Rosarv anne Patsy bit, if . you there praying
I was watching the monitor which registered Micky's pulse and heart and the next thing I saw it go flat and bleep and coldness knew Micky His knees were They told us to get out of
the cell; we would have to wait Royal stabulary and identify Micky's body.
minutes to eight because I lookdoctor ed at my watch. The authorities
must have taken two minutes to contirm nim dead why they said he died at ten to eight.
went in and identified the body.
Toner
Micky's medal and and said that he would get me
past his personal belongings, which
I later got he said. There was his suit and shoes paign. An rhoolachi reprovporters who were aroused po those (kenublican
campaign's electoral orientation.
i ne uiscussiol on elec. tons was a very datel one It raised the issue of absten
versus Parliament, the most divisive
allul imperialist, movement, at least
1920/1 Civil War
The major successes of the second nuncer sirike Call nan nave been eector vice tories and there is increasing tions to advance the protest
But the present generation of Republican leaders have been participation as an inviolable princile uncle nave been signs of movement on this question tionalists al c all the
dosm as a smooolett
…ne contilci and eve SP Provisionals has also come to focus around group has moved away from abstentionism in the last few Hills
Phoblacht suggested a formula for keeping the issue from dividing the In fact, as the committee's
candleares ratner
Ireland,
The funeral of INLA Volunteer Micky Devine
to say the
and I sat
was sentenced four years ago.
and his glasses.
Margaret was dead.
left the Wednesday night.
Ulster Con-
come up, Micky died at exactly twelve
prison gate.
Bond
and that's
cop came in and Patsy
arrived with then gave me o'clock or
scapulars
as the Bogside.
Micky's
stand them, the sharp debate
went somewhat off target and
it was made clear. allyway,
that ine Republican move-
ment would continue to sup
port the committee and build
he campaign lo maller Wile
was adopica
by the conference'
One negative reaction of
the Provisionals to political
problems arising in the move.
ment has been to try to outlaw there were see effect,
several resolutions
hat called for thai
my Hallowiy ucicate
However Phoblacht
ting the broad comer of
broad character of
the this
planation accepted
the Republican
movement it would represent
a pontical step forward
The H Block movement able
achieve only a small part of
ine moad a woule nave nad
in the electoral arena because
of the divisions over such tac
tics. Since there is a limited
strike, anything less than the
effectiveness
threatens to be the margin of
defeat
Taster uner une mass nove
ment can ne extendedanis
which he wore in court when he Creggan
June 1977.
There were letters which people had sent into Saturday him when he was on the strike
And that was it. been hausted at the vigil and she had Next
prison at seven on We phoned her and told her about Micky's death and that she was not to boy
because that's what and they would have told her at the break them.
We left the jail about half eight The Micky's body was taken to Col eraine for a post-mortem. We
hearse at four parents Thursday afternoon Str Micky and six RUC landrovers, four in front of us, escorted us as fal
(injections). body was then given an INLA escort to the
leads to narrowing the move. ment and exhaustion Parallel to this it leads to ference The movement has indifTerence reached a position where it must make leap ward quickly or it will run out of steam This loss of momentum is indicated by the fact that many prisoners have abandoned the hunger strike and olners have erecave oee taken relatives
deaths of their loved one in
movement was shown when a number of suct dur talled the ference itself any mall on une molae Oi the participants.
Poland
Ine movement nas beel expanding internationally The week before the Dundall
Anu, march a pop en 10,000
phenomenal
support of me nunger sinke The impact of the protest
has roused intense identificanon and symbally we know against overwhelming leaders Nowa Huta told me in earl ALLUSt. we are ike ine ills in that we are also capable oi such heroic acts. If the Rus-
Asians invade we will resist, like them, to the death The potential impact of ten men starving themselves
did and continuous until his military funeral and burial last
One thinks, 'Ten men, how many more have to die?
Ne have ours now over us week 'Big Laurence's' people waiting for
thing. Then the Devlins after that and another
wil go on hunger-strike another. They'll never
Micky's last request was that if he went into a coma Margaret was not to sanction medical intervention
bond between them, she being seven years his elder, and his only sister (both their
are dead) was very said to Margaret: 'Now, there's to be no needles
You are going to come under a lot of pressure because you're the only one
September inclusive.
mittee in London. demands of the prisoners.
17 Sept. (Murray St, Camden Town NW1)
the protesting prisoners.
to death one after the other is extreme aespite the disappointment in Ireland at the decreasing reaction to each successive death The impact of the H Block movemen: groW Socialist Challenge
He always called me Mc.
Cauley, and he said to me: 'McCauley, look, you go with her, every were sue das to go in nere and watch these bastards. Sign nothing. They'll say to you they want to give you something for my eyes. Michael hadn't very good eyesight and he knew they'd go first He said to me: "They'll say to you sign for something for my eyes or " Nains in my head Just say. I don't want anything I'm depending on you to pull that through.
I told him I would, and told Margaret, and she said she would be backing Micki whatever he wanted. And she back nim, although she wasn't : there at the very end through no fault of her own Decision The doctor had come in to me and Patsy and said that he could bring Micky round before he went into a bad condition. I said we were standing by his last wishes. local priest from the Creggan, told Margaret that he had something to tell her which she should always remember if she ever had any doubt in her mind about what she should or SHould a nave core Micky had told him that ho was worried about Margaret signing to get him treatment.
But, according to the priest Micky had told him that if Margaret signs to get me treatment she'll only be prolonging my agony, because as soon as come round again I'm going back on the hunger-strike. told Margaret that she had nothing to worr about as thos WCTO Micky's very words to him. He said h ladn't told her before becaus he didn't want to influence her at the time; it was her decision. she should know that Micky was totally determined to go back on hunger-strike.
Reprinted from An Phoblacht/Republican News 29 August 1981.
Relatives of
Hunger strikers visit
Britain 17-20 September Relatives of prisoners in the H Blocks (including hunger strikers) will visit London, accompanied by Owen Carron MP during the period 17-20
The mass delegation is being organised by the National H Block/Armagh Committee in Ireland and is sponsored by the H Block/Armagh Com-
Maura McCrory, a spokesperson for the relatives, states that this 100-strong delegation is coming to Britain in order to impress on the British people and the international community 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
A Rally to launch the delegation will take place in the London Irish Centre at 7.30pm on
Speakers include Owen Carron MP and relatives of the hunger-strikers. The rally will precede a social where there will be an opportunity to meet Owen Carron and the relatives of
dramatically in the next months but the defenders of onsoners ana or numan non. aeo makenew exerton.… mobilise ine potential sir. pathy for the prisoners ars weld it into an irresistas force 17 September 1981 Page:
Page 12 scan of this page
Solidarity challenges the leading role of the party
Polish workers aim forself-management
By Davy Jones AN 'ANTI-SOVIET AND ORGY' was how the Russian news agency Tass described the first national congress of Solidarity in Poland. This comment says a lot aDoul the Russian socialism.
What did Solidarity's congress decide that So enraged Tass? First, they issued an appeal to the workers across the Soviet bloc. The appeal read:
the lying "misinformation" put out
vour countries we are the authentic representatives of ten million workers, DOTT out workers' struggles. Our goal is to struggle to improve the conditions of life ot all workers
'We support those
who have YUU chosen the difficult road of fighting for free independent unions. We believe that in the not too distant future we will be meeting together to exchange our Common periences.
Solidarity aCLVSS have realised that the best defence of their own gains would be the development of independent trade
other Eastern INORS bloc countries.
Second, Solidarity has appealed for the government to use the constituroerendum on major poli- tional provision tical issues to decide between the government's and Solidaritv's dratt laws on workers' self-manageLuCHt.
The government is only prepared sanction workers' participation. The union wants workers' councils to have the power to make the crucial decisions in the factory, including the hiring and firing of plant directors. Already WOIKCIS the giant Huta Katowice steel pant have voted overwhelmingly in a Solidarityorganised referendum to sack their director who recently shut down the local Solidarity
Wilhtlle press.
the government
Henryk Szlajfer is an adviser on self-management to the workers at the FSO automobile factory in Warsaw. We reprint below excerpts from an interview conducted with him on 22 July by Jorgen Colding Jorgensen.
How have economic deci-
been made up to now
slons i
Or Olarre) woloiG tiG Brc sent crisis?
ant ne resec autonomy of the enterprise roa or ine in this case, the direc-
:or
Borders from associations
Planning ill di planning body),
ministries, and eventually the arime minister or olner nzl
officials. Was ola V hierarchical structure.
On the other hand. the
:orally centralised mande
ment (not planning, the iwo
:erms management and planSocialist Challenge
ANTI-SOCIALIST
bureaucrats' idea of
won't agree to self-manage- referen•H OR LIC ment laws Solidarity has threatened to sponsor its own national referendum on the issue. The government desperately opposes the plan which threatens the ruling party's exclusive right to nominate people for all key posts.
Third, Solidarity
pealed for the holding of free elections both to local elections and to the Polish parliament. This amounts to the demand for the toleration of a multi-party system.
no secret that Solidarity activists nave been discussing for some time the possibility of setting up a new workers' Ai present al in Poland
present the legal political parties are closely linked to and controlled by the ruling Communist Parly.
The idea of the one-party state has done much to discredit communism in the eyes of the workers of the world. The right establish political partie. which respect the constitution should Mase norm in any post-capitalist society. Urganseu "pontical debate through different pollicai parties within the workers' councils would be the most etfective way to centralise. socialist planning.
Fourth, Solidarity appealed for public control of the mass media. Delegates to the conference were shown a TV camera donated by Lt e Belgian Free Trade Unions. The
platform CONCESS declared that if the state TV continued to slander Solidarity they would set up their own network.
Inere Colliel theme running through all LEC CANONS ot the congress - ICC elections, ning should be clearly distin•ormoned from teaen ouen created a social anarchy in planning.
indication of this that in tae ai nao ne
1970s alone, it was possible to spend more than 50 billion ziolys ‹about zom l soeclal investments, solely on ine initiative Prime Minister
Jaroszewicz himself. special investment destroyed the lulus sunoly cononc blan
What self-manage
and what
responsibilities would
take on!
In the maioritv of cases. we have only founding.com17 September 1981 Page 12
workers' councils, publicly controlled media and so UIL
Each would undermine the exclusive party monopoly on political life. Each WolSe tend push Solidarity in the direction
minees tor sen-managemeni factory ofe asho 1,0r 10 200 factory workers, 's not difficul iu cicci sutil a cusiiilice. But in ine oie lactories dna DEseS WIlAN or aJ.UwJ workers, it is, a much more difficult process.
This the first limiting factor. We should not expeci an immediate economic mira-
connected with selfHallazcucul.
The second limiting factor s ar mme leve oi lezisiallon We must carry out a fight for proper legislation three rights of the bill specifying the
Cente prises, and a bill on economic
cesiy od lima ion ime
necess needed to prepare
(nals. each committee tor self-management prepares. a
International
ТУІТАЛІ
NSZZ GDA:
Solidarity poster shows workers' self-management putting the country back from the cliff with the giant 'crisis' pushing in the
of challenging for political The logical conclusion of these step: that Solidarity- should no longer accept the 'leading role of the party' clause in the union statutes raised but not decided
Trevor on ine prooiems oi ine enterprises in which it works.
Getinten O.. seilmanagement is that all strate gic and tactical discussion and enterprise should be made at ine leve or tc cuce blisc u toe ser-management commi
The final goal of the novemenl sen -manage
managing,
socclal cramoci ol lue Darla
Socio-economic ment. rou coula call Inis ine Chamber the Self-Management Chamber. in direcaye represent ber Hi us the sell-Manazement comatee. hn e „àcocn vncn stitutions and it must have a aking power he economic and social mat ters of the country.
SAMORZAD
aver the edge. upon by the congress.
It is the fear • that this conclusion is increasingly being drawn by the Solidarity activists that lies behind Soviet
Ene Polish rulers' horror at the results of the congress. When and where did the movement. Siarr ano now
developed? Are there are • particularly strong areas
he discussIon startee in August 1980, but there have been a lot of changes in atnuces to seni-manaccmcht
in November. it was the government and CInE party
wanted start ce t management of course in a
as a counter probosa io ine recoenon u Solidarity as a union covering the whole country
Al that time I was not
possibi - io sult ave seer
wrong
If l am not mistaken, the first big enterprise to start the discussion and preparations for self-management was the
opposite direction. The party and the state are being pushed.
But. . the -politicisation within Solidarity is also causing growing rift within Solidarity itself between Walesa and more radical activists: This was expressed in the debate at congress over the union's
•Huta Katowice steel mill. But for many weeks, months, they were alone
As a social novemneal sen -managemen actua. started in April and is continuing still up to this day.
was created ir late March, the beginning
April. and composed
seventeen big enterprises : It is an initiative by tactor) committees • of Solidarit' those enterprises. The aims o this group are more in the area
trade-union policy anouar ine cussing self-management.
the working uroup con-
sists of representatives of self-
management committees
concentrates seli-lallazc
ment. (ot course Inere are
many members and leaders o Seun ino der o her en Working
Crou does nol ce ae
ple who are not members o
management committees are
PARTIA READ; structures which Walesa WOl
When the congress reassene es s wo weeks major question at stake is likèly to be the composition of the new Solidarity leadership bodies.
representative bodies for all :wOrkers in ine eerorise
Presently we are making
regarding Manasehichl.
proposs the governm ei
proposal management bill and what as vour resconse to i:
Well, I would rather simply tell you what the workers demands are. First of all. there are inree ols ina can
the enerprs the bill on
sel-management, and bie bill the bill
economi TCIOEE •emane or une worker. these •are selfmanagement must have the
: and not just co-manage participate the management
1 he self-management commiee llave fil0 ront o elect dismis directors and high-level ministrators and the director
responsible to • the self-management councils
Page 13 scan of this page
US aircontrollers'leader explains Why we had to strike
ing a view of America not usually seen.
Traffic
explained.
First off, I am currently served with an injunction prohibiting me trom supporting illegal strikes.
I'm here representing PATCO Local 238 and the PATCO north Jersey cluster. It encompasses PĂTCO controllers from Newark airport, Teterboro airport, Morristown and Caldwell-Essex County ports.
We can ourselves fortythree brothers hanging tough.
We're engaged here in what we feel is the greatest heavyweight fight ever staged. We've taken and we're remendous still standing and
holding tough
The first thing I'd like to cover is to explode some myths. Hopefully, you can take back some ammunition when people you encounter say, "Yeah. they should put 'em all in jail, throw awav the kev: thev had no right to do any of the things they're doing'
Greedy
Myth number one: We are 12,000 greedy sons of whatever that struck for $10,000 across the board. The economy being what it is, could they possibly be thinking?' Have you heard that?
It is not true.
There Were ninety-nine items in the contract PATCO
FAA. three that we considered most prominent, in order of impor
1) a reduced number of years to retirement
shorter work
3) a pay raise
Why would WCI ask for reduced retirement?
well, according horitis to the Federal Aviation own figures, 89 per cent of the controllers that have left air traffic in the last three years have done so under meaica. disability. The concept of the controller going years in a high-density vicinity is ludicrous.
There are statistics that the average controller is good for a maximum of seven years at a
high-density facility: After that, burnout - peptic ulcers, heart failure, to say nothing of wear and tear on a family struc-
ture from working a rotating shift.
Stress
The second thing we ask for in our contract
work week
Controllers in other countries seem to have recognised the stress of working a con-
troller forty hours a week.
They recognised it
France, in Canada, in Germany in England. work less
than forty hours. Let me re-
mind you that the controllers in
the US work five times the trat-
fic of any other country. Five
times.
We asked for a reduced
retirement. What they gave us
was $14,000 severance pay the
day you can't make it up the
steps.
THE photo of the striking US air traffic controller leader being taken off to prison in handcuffs and leg chains hit newspapers throughout the world, show-
We reprint here part of a speech given by Gregory Pardlo, president of Local 238 of the Professional Air Controllers Organisation at Newark International Airport in which the issues of the strike are
We asked work week, thirtv-two hours. they gave us was four hours overtime pay.
Time off
We do not want overtime, we want more time off. want time away from the facilily. we wanl a chalice to sec vul children grow. We want to not go weeks without seeing
our working wife or working husband.
Well myth number one, l hope, is exploded. can leave here realising that we
enterea me conceive vargalli ing arena asking for what we Tee we suv descive
The monetary the contract was indeed negoti-
able. . This was our asking price.
We knew we would get less
The problem was they did noT acates outwo lla l Issucs
or the other ninety-nine issues
that I spoke of.
They pertain to safety and
equipment Narnicialle
job proficiency, and on-the-job
training of controllers.
other issues were tabled, never
to be addressed.
The government asked for a
forty-two month
That would mean we would not
be able to ask again during the
admistration that's currenty
in office.
The Safe
Myth number two: "The
skies are safe.
J.te are safe? They
told the American public they
would cut traffic by 50 per cent.
And that would insure safety
because the reduced
could handle 50 per cent of the
volume.
That is a lie. Those who
own airplanes are still flyin!
hem. What they have done i
stopratie fifty percent he
the traffic.
traffic in American air space 1s
now uncontrolled.
Myth number twenty-bne months. We didn't rebuild this
need those controllers to begin
with. We're four or
sand overstaffed. We'll gear up
our system and retrain.
Since 1978, the
Aviation Academy in
homa City has trained 5,000
controllers. What they're say-
ing is that in the next twenty-
one months they'li train twice
that many.
Fourth myth -
touchy one: 'But they all signed
an oath. They knew what they
that they would never strike in
against the government. Iner
should all be locked up because
they broke an oath.
Anybody that's ever had
contact with the government or
gone into the service or applied When tired ford
ment job, they stick in front of
you a fat stack of papers about
sees luck
You sign everything_ because
your job depends on it.
PATO
wild 1 hope vou
portion of
and
All the
contract. I guess the biggest tool the
government has is the press.
And the press has been used to no small length against us.
now is meeting in this wherever possible.
But I'm not backing off ot my commitment that. What I'm saying to you is on the forms i signed 1 find that oath was number two.
The number one oath was I will faithfully support the Constitution of the United States'.
staffing I'd like to recite a little
something. It's contained in the First Amendment: shall make no laws abridging peaceably to assemble, and te petition the redress of grievances.'
three: "We Free
I feel it is a constitutional
five thou- point. If pressed, we will hold
out the United States is upheld in the Supreme Court
Federal a free country, a free man does
not have the right to withhold his services for what he feels is just remuneration? If that is the case, then 12,000 of us are better off now than we were three weeks ago.
this is the
us, partly because of what you see on the podium in front of
Now or Times adorat
They swore
New August boughl Attendents, with from Reagan to PATCO Presi dent Robert Poli.)
president knows Ronald Reagan to look intc tor a goveri what he characterised at that
time as the deplorable state of the American air traffic control
reneged upon.
International
WITH
Gregory Pardlo - 'telling our side of the story'
So mostly what we're doing
groups like october 20, 1980 of beCause
44s Capitol Street washington, D.C. Dear Mr. Poli: 'Congress
government for until the Constitution of
But can you tell me that, in
detober 20.
That oath rankles a lot of
Had of the Flight the letter
siden a De then-candidate
then-candidate milling suiciae
The fact is, that pledge was time had come.
RONALD REAGAN
sincerely. RONALD REAGAN
. 1980 letter from candidate Ronald Reagan to PATCO President Robert Poli
I'd like to apprise you of some of the problems as I see
The first and most important is that without the right to strike any labour union relegated to a position of col- LUC
Anyone ever approaching a strike realises that unless you the have the numbers you are comand we knew that without 80 We knew thi and per cent we would have to ac- government
ept whatever the governmen
offered. When 81 per cent of u showed up ready to walk, the
time,
The biggest problem 1 guess
Regar
we all faced was the strength ot the government The strength of the government is insidious when vou realise television and radio stations have to apply to
Federal collullicallull Commission for renewal of their licences. When you realise
Justice Department, FBI, the federal marshals, even the postal service, can be rallied
mustered behind this
Making ourselves available to sell our side of the story, in the hope that somewhere, some
the part of humanity in you deplores the fact that one
of our brothers was carried off in chains and leg irons; that you spent your tax dollars to have two teacral marshals waich I house-for twenty-four hours;
hat you spent your tax dollar
o lave FBI agents come to m house every sin hours for the spent ry-er tax dollars you spent your dollars anonymous phone calls received in the middle of the night, harassing my wife and children.
To touch you in some way. to let you know that this is indeed your fight too. If my union is busted, now strong lai you be? If you allow them to do this to us what will they even. tually do to you?
Lose
The precedents that are be
ing established in the conflic that we're engaged in will be used labour-management principle for a very long time. mised lab death we lose, organised labour we lose everyone loses Organised
labour as a whole will have suf
ple effect from what's being done to us is starting to be fel
hroughout aviatiol
What's happened is thi Ronald Reagan came into office and sweepingly deregulated everything: eliminated whole departments based on what he said was a mandate from the people.
The government is coming down on us. When we applied for our unemployment and food stamps, we were denied
They knew name
before we arrived. They won 1
exten there is a ap mool ses
beliet in human rights Y. It' ther
must support PATCO is the slightest bit of unionism
you, you must support PAT
The solution, as I see it, is unionism. Every union member everyone who believes unionism, must come to the forefront now.
tere possibly more dangerous side now to this: that being what we now know about the man elected as president of the United States
When confronted with
militancy in any form, he will
drop the big bomb
about that. Crushing a labour
union, shooting down two jets
over Libya - mavoe these art just separate acts, unrelated
Maybe they don't point to a
psychological meaning, mayb
they don't point to a proclivil!
toward violence. But ther
again, maybe they do. Stand
What this means to you i • Time fo
• you must lane aslall
silence 1S ended. You mu
stand up as Americans. I stan
before you an accused felon
This country was founded b
accused felons.
One of those, a man quit
wise, Benjamin Franklin, sai
something that I think
especially applicable now
'We must all hang togeth
or, most assuredly we will a
hang separately'
I am here embodying th
hopes, the dreams, the aspira
tions of forty-three of m
brothers locally and ove
12,000 of my brothers natior
ally.
No, we are not all rich. No
we are not all simply •greed
money-grubbers who seize th
opportunity to hold a countr
hostage
We are people who are b
ing held hostage by our govert
ment. Who are told take wha
are offered . or get out
believe that the American pa
ple cannot stand silently
while this happens. And Tho
you believe that too.
Reprinted from the Militan
Socialist Workers Party wetniy vuuci of the Ameris Socialist Challenge 17 September 1981 Page?
Page 14 scan of this page
Lowdown
Mets are magic?
By Bob Pennington
LIKE MOST of your readers I am fed
up with the way those
keep vilifying our police force. Now I
am pleased to tell you the Met have
answered back and produced a snaz-
zy information folder
About The Metropolitan Police', and a
catchy sticker with the equally catchy
slogan - 'Mets are Magic'.
Right from the start the brochure nails the
complaints. brochure
:..police officers like doctors, solicitors, bar-
risters and many other professions have their
own discipline code'. Now some awkward peo-
ple do question that procedure and ask 'How
come that Towers and Blair Peach
rather long list, should
themselves and their mates?'
But the Met put our fears to rest on that
score. They explain: 'Members of a particular
profession have the greatest interest in main-
taining standards in that profession, and they have the necessary knowledge to know what is allowable behaviour in various circumstances.
When you think about it the Met are right.
When an offence has been alleged the Deputy
Commissioner considers what disciplinary action needed and who qualified? Most of the long string of Deputy Commissioners have wide experience of corruption, , after all the Met and its officers made and still make a stack of money out of Soho's porn rackets.
London's gangsters like the Kray brothers could not have stayed without the odd magic Met. must have been aware of the Met's deeply ingrained racism, everyone else is
So clearly with such knowledge available and experience at hand, there is no need for independents to start meddling in the disciplinary procedures of our police force.
I think the Met make a most telling point in their remark about knowing what behaviour is allowable. You the readers think that it
use prisoners. You think it is wrong to frame people. You are even naive enough to think that the police should not be racists. But the police and the Deputy great experience know better.
If people won't confess to crimes they did not commit what alternative have the police got but to beat them until they do confess? If the police did not do that, the amount of unsolved crime in Britain would be staggering and the public would moan about vigilance.
If the police were not racists how could they make sure Britain's immigration laws were carried out? If we did not have a racist police force it would be very inconvenient indeed for their bosses in the state machine who use the police lo keep black people down. force is only doing the job it is paid for and that is why the Deputy Commissioners are the best judges of their behaviour.
In the brochure plaints are Important. there is a Latin auota. tion 'Quis Custodiet means who shall guard the guards themselves' As Ine Mel answers ourselves and judge ourselves.
FACTS ABOUT THE METROPOLITAN POLICE socialist Challenge 17 September 1981 Page 14
extremists
called 'Facts killed Liddle just to name two of a be investigating COme better
ter
business so long helping hand by Clearly the Deputy Commissioners
Violence against suspects and
Commissioners being people of
Black of police A racist police
under the headine Com-
ipsos custodes which,
we coppers will guard LO
people,
Letter!
Ireland-
MARTIN COLLINS stands on good and prov-
ed ground when he advocates a flexible tac-
tical approach to building a mass movement
in Britain in solidarity with Ireland's fight for
freedom. (Letters, issue 211)
It is more than likely that the workers will
move at first
which will be less clear than we would ideally
like them to be. Ideas always are
catch up with the events they express.
Marxism should
therefore be alive to any
expression of
mass opposition by the
British workers' move-
ment to ruling class policy
I cland ana be ready lo
initiatives of
mass action.
This should be no maton how confused
basis they are organised,
so as to be better placed to
win the workers to a class-
CONCOS policy free-
dom for all Irish political
prisoners, troods out now
selt-determination for the
Irish people, and for
socialist 32 county Irish
Republic.
I need no convincing of
the general methods Mar-
tin advocates, but whether
the Labour Committee on
Ireland's campaign is the
basket into which we
should place our eggs is
another question.
far as 1 am aware
the LCI's aim is to commit
the Labour Partyto a cam-
paign for a united Ireland.
Contrarv opinion
some ill-informed ultraleft
circles, the Labour Party
has always expressed its
support for united
Ireland.
It did so even as it pass-
ed the 1948 Government
of Ireland Act
by Loyalists as the Ulster
onstitution) Neither
does a commitment to a
united Ireland as such give
us a cutting edge against
the Labour Right today.
In New Socialist Denis
Ken Livingstone
Ken Livingstone should not have said that 'rate rises benefit our class.' Innumerable members of the working class have to pay rates.
I am old enough to remember George Lansbury and the Poplar Guardians who refused to raise the rates or to starve the people in their care. They went to jail.
Not many people of their calibre sem to be alive today, but unless we have them we cannot win.
Being no heroine myself, I cannot sit in judgement on people who are not prepared to face jail for their causes. But Ken Livingstone should have been honest, and stated that he had no alternative other than either
raise the rates Or to defy government by refusing to implement the cuts.
Then it would have been up to
especially the working class, to rally to his defence in defying the government.
I agree with you that we should
etes letters nes
which basket
under banners and slogans
slow to He NEC statement to one says he supports upcoming Party Con-
ference because it reaf-
firms 'the party's traditional commitment to the unification of Ireland as an ultimate objective.
Healey will vote with Benn for a united Ireland in October when they both vote for the NEC ment. Many of the Labour left rank-and-file are therefore going
ques tion the usefulness of an Irish policy which the Right can agree with. Is it our job to blur the dif terence between Left and Right on Ireland or clarify it?
The second problem with the LCI its deliberate policy of confining itself to Labour Party wards and constituen-
Workers trade unions, especially dustrial unions, will be decisive in constructing any genuinely mass movement and any orientation
the Labour Party should take this into account from the very beginning.
A debate has been going on in the trade unions
some while now and this will find some reflection doubt, the Labour Party conference. Unfortunately the line of divide in that debate has not been a united Ireland policy versus a 'partition'
should come clean
RODE COUNCIL
orner HIGH COURT
PRISON EQUAN RATES organised defend him against
attack.
Kathleen Jones, Shrewsbury
Letters
policy. Nor has it been for or against Concannon.
Instead has been
dominated in the national
conferences of the Scottish
TUC Trades Councils,
Labour Party LOUI
Socialists and TGWU either by the policies of the CPGB (special category status. withdrawal to bar. racks, Bill of Rights) or those of the Milltant tendency (Northern Ireland prison troops out, Northern Ireland™ Labour Party).
are utopian and reactionary but they politically conscious, militant workers because they appear to offer an independent role the working class in resolving the Northern Ireland conflict and opening the road to socialist development in Ireland.
This terrain of debate is precisely what the LCI campaign runs away from and why •those few who have tried to raise the LCI resolutions in the trade union movement have So far been easily marginalised.
On the single occasion the CI raised its head outside internal Labour
virtually the entire population of Mansfield turned out to give its tiny 'Dump Concannon' protest a bloody IIUSC
In the face of the evidence on the ground, I need to hear more than convince me thatne LEi campaign general won't just be an expensive diversion from our struggle to build solidarity with the Irish Revolution. Ailean O'Callaghan 1/647 TGWU, Brent East CLP
POPLARISM 1329-
Noreen Branson
anti-socialist
Monument
IT MAY INTEREST
readers in the Dorset area
to learn that a sports and
country club has been
up just outside Christchur-
ch.
Burton Hall,
Georgian mansion in its
own extensive grounds.
COSE ·200.000 A further
£450, 000 is being spent on
converting une bullang In-
to an exclusive • country
club, with a great emphasis
on wining and dining
Hotelier Richard Lee is
confident that despite high
membership fees (£125 for
single membership
£220 for full double
membership) he will soon
reach a target membership
of 3000.
According Lee,
'Burton Hall will not even
be open until October but
already have 500
members.
When it is complete,
Burton Hall, which is a
Anti-semitism
WOULD YOU care to
answer the following ques-
tion? Where does Socialist
Challenge stand on anti-
semitism? It is a question
which should not need to
be asked, but evidently it is necessary
A year ago a bomb left
by French neo-Nazis
ouside a French synagogue killed four people. Socialist
Challenge condemned the attack and stressed the need combat anti-
semitism.
Last week. synagogue in Vienna was attacked by two men armed with submachine and hand Jews were killed and twen- clauds ty wounded Clearly, both
cases lie all was to kill Jews.
But what was Socialist Challenge's response time NOTHING! what has changed in year? If anything, throughout Europe there han been anti-semi escalation anti-semitic cidents. The need for socialists to offer practical support and solidarity is increasingly urgent
The crucial factor accounting for vour lack of response that the murders li Vienna were not neo-Nazis, but members of a Palestinian splinter group.
SC's embarrassed silence belief that exposing and oppos ing such an act might compromise your solidarity with the Palestinians against Zionism
In reality rightening concession to plain anti-semitism and will be of no comfort to Jewish communities or to Jewish socialists struggling for a united fight against
So please make it clear: where does Socialist
listed building, will offer
members an carte
restaurant. outdoor and
indoor heated swimming
room,
five bars, squash courts,
an informa bistro,
sauna, solarium and jacuz-
zi, plus of course a disco in
lne nall s cellars.
It is monstrous, that at
a timi when people are
committing suicide
because they can no longer
face being unemployed
and hungry, CUTES sort of
'establishment' can be
let alone
completed.
But then, at least as far
as Lee and his cronies are
concerned, the
unemployed are
Burton
nothing but a monument
to decadence and humbug.
It shows what a sick socie-
ty we are living in!
Kevin Miles
Dorset
Challenge stand on anti-
semitism?
Dave Rosenberg Jewish Socialist Group
We reply
Dave attributes to us policies and intentions didn't on or the Vie a don't have attack simply because we can't and covere the lett - the TOOL the left press didn't cover it either.
We don't support or solidarise with terrorist
attacks, whether they are car-
out by Nazis Palestinians anyone eise for tat matter
Neither do we think that such attacks in any way contribute to the struggle of the Palesti nian people for their na. wonal rignts Naturally, we would draw distinction between the Jewish communities in curope and institutions and agencies of the Zionist state
of course, within the framework
struggle ity with the struggle the Palestinians
We rigorously distinguish between the historic Jewish Communes and the settlement be ing established on the borders of Israel, on the West Bank and elsewnere, with the intention of extending the
borders 01 the Zionist state would join with making une distinction between Judaism and Zionism, the blurring of which has played into the hands every brand anti-semitic ideology.
Editorial Board
Page 15 scan of this page
By Toni Gorton Many of the key issues confronting black people in Britain today were debated at the Black Workers ingham on 12 September.
ne numered or so nar ticipants agreed that Britain is a racist society. But
fundamental line of
who look the trade unions blacki source of defence of people, and nose wo argue inal the unions are so racist that onlv black organisa. tion outside them can combat racism and defend black people.
Projects
The conference aimed to lay the basis for black caucuses wilala te lanons and to provide ideas and as uncle v so suck as black history; the TUC
Charter for Black Workers; black women workers. tne Nationality Act and positive action.
In terms of attendance and firm projects the conference can only be
Momentum builds up
behind Bradford 12 BETWEEN 150-200 people, mainly black, picketed the Director of Public September in protest over the arrest and detention of the 12 Bradford Asian youths on charges of conspiracy.
excellent bulletin has been produced with interviews of the relatives.
dants c/o Bradford 12 Support Committee, London c/o High St, Southall.
Southall, Luton and Bradford.
Hear the case for the Bradford 12
21 September — West Green Community Centre at
7.30
National picket
from London job description BRADFORD cop.
clothing. police should 'check and search
cosy type hats.
Recommending
our attention.
jeans you're a mugger.
cosy you better arrest it on
When a leading police off.==e premise that all black youtt
charoes of conspiracy?
bias against racial minorities?
the job description.
Black workers debate
Changing the unions
Conference held in Birm-
described as a limited success but still represented a small SECU forward those fighting for black rights.
Women
in a powerful slaltment on behalf of black women, Trudi de Haney, a research officer for the General and Municipal Workers Unlon in Nottingham declared that Dack Wolen as an appendage in the fight for racial and sexual equality. 'We can't allow this', she said, 'we won't wait until black men have won equality. 'We have passed the stage of brothers giving us a hand up. 'We will conquer these deliberately contrived divisions between men and women, black and white.
Prosecutions 14
A series of public meetings are planned and an
Send donations for the bulletin and write to the defen-
Support groups are also organised in Leeds, Leicester,
1 October - Bradford City Court, coaches leaving
Prejudice - just part of the
detective superintendant Richard Holland told a seminar this past weekend that police have to discriminate against people on grounds like race, age and
'To detect handbag snatchers and muggers! he said,
young athletic West Indian youths wearing jeans, T-shirts, and multi-colour tea-
tougher powers of arrest he "Policemen must discriminate and surelv society expects us to do so on their behalf and thus to select such people for
So that's official folks! If you're young, black, and wear
And if you want to be a good cop ever-re wi
'sus
are suite =---25 a-=. chance have the Bradford 12 who are presently up on police
How can anyone pretend that police brutality arises from
otticers superiors like Holland and Oxford justify and proclaim their
It might as well be admitted - prejudice is just part of
'What is needed is an urgent campaign In the trade unions'
Tackling the question of so few black faces in the urade unions sne aenounced the idea that the cause Was apathy of black mer and women.
'If the trade unions don't take up our struggle then why should people get active if there is no viable prospect of achieving anything', she said.
She pointed out several developments which indicated at least some trade
Apathy
In addition she pointed to the increasing number
paign in British Leyland Lowicy Workers Rights Commitlee to stop ine searching or black workers.
"The fight black women workers in Grun-
apathy that's the problem.
'We can't allow our frustration with the trade
LANDON SPORT CT
anti-racist
ON 14 September,
fascists and the police.
said,
300 i B8 when their
dismissed.
Anti-racism.
NUPE positive action pack available for £3
unions and their lumbering progress to side track No issue is more central than that of equality. 'We have to put the equality fight into mass politics f mainstream working Bernie Grant, a London division officer for the National Union of Public Employees spoke of the the old white trade union terms like 'blacking' and 'black leg'.
He concentrated on aspects of employment which had to be changed
DROP
TAC Bradford 12 picket outside the Home Office in London
Case dismissed against
dismissed and costs of £100 were awarded against the police.
The story starts on 4 July earlier this year when he was driving through Southall on the day following the confrontation with the
In front of the burned out Hambrough Tavern he waved to some Asian youths and shouted 'No National Front in Southa!!'
Fifteen minutes later he was arrested and charged with usir? abaste language like! Car: *0"
Another witness showed him as noving inner. money io the Asian women on strike at Grunwicks and Chix.
To top it off he showed the court pictures of his part-Asian grandchildren and his Anti Nazi League membership card.
Somehow he managed to convince the judge and the case was
A Pack for Negotiators such word-of-mouth recruiting and internal advertising which power to certain groups to
eep the workforce white He a SO mentioned the plans of NUPE positive action ena discrimination. Liberals
In an aside he declared himself the National Front - 'the vouth Will LaKC care of them on the streets'.
Bill Morris of the transport workers union anti-racist Donald Tomson had his case
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
Black and Minority Ethnic Workers
NATIONAL UNION OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEES (LONDON DIVISION)
who is also on the TUC equal rights committee argued that was necessary to fight with the trade union movement not against it to take political as well as industrial action, for example putting forward black candidates for MPs.
He declared himself 'fed up with organisations in the
It's Jack the Ripper in charge of a blood bank.
Questions were raised about how the unions should relate to the unemployed; the situation of the black disabled; the quota system to ensure
rolek represent Common
role the Common
Market creating unemployment; the nature of the alliances with white workers; language difficulties; deportation of Filipino domestics, etc. Argued
But the three positions how blacks should organise remained unresolved. The organisers argued that a separate black organisa. tion necessary, to progress the fight within the white labour movement; a
Photo: MORNING STAR
by a spokesperson from
Saint James Avenue, Tickets f3 in advance, £3.50 at door
the Brixton Defence Campaign was that an all-black oreansalvi necessary, capable of uniting all black people in their defence; and a third Call IIOI Socialis Workers Party members that unity with whites isolation to back onic isolation' only formations In summary, Trudi de Haney wholeheartedly supported the right black workers to organise separalely, but adaco cannot go around the trade union movement.
Charges Bernie Grant demonstrated how the tant in and venes is about jobs and wages: my branch Hammersmith - we gave f300 to a woman whose son had been run over by a police car during the recent riots that's what being in a about...
That's £300 collected from low paid workers.
The conference ended with a unanimous vote in favour of a motion from the Brixton Defence Cam charges against those ar rested in the youth upris. ing earlier this year and specifically the Bradford
Public meeting US plans to invade
Grenada
speaker U Whiteman Grenadan Minister of Foreign
Affairs
Sunday 20 September
7.30pm at Saint James Hall
West Ealing Sponsored by the New Jewel Movement support group
(UK)
BENEFIT
Saturday 19 September 7.30pm Islington Town Hall, Upper St, London N1 Bands include Split Rivitt, Tropicana and the
Enchanters Owen Carron MP and SWAPO invited to speak
iron sit 188 North Gower St, London NW I 2\B Te
01-388 5539
Socialist Challenge 17 September 1961 Page
Page 16 scan of this page
BOSSES,
By Pete Clifford ARTHUR SNIPE, the JR of Doncaster, owner of both Mining Supplies and Laurence Scott, has done it again. Whilst workers at the Manchester plant at Scotts continue their strike against closure, he's shown his true blue colours. In the last week Snipe has: -
* paid record 104,000 guineas for a colt at the St Leger sales;
* oougni unree other colts for 40,000 guineas and told the Se orting Chronicle that he had hundred or two horses in training'. Two days later he sponsored the Mining Supplies race at Doncaster which Was jockey Lestor Piggott
* made 436 workers at the Scott's factory in Norwich redundant. They're 10 join the 650 workers at Manchester who received their notice back in May.
Furious
The strikers at Manchester are TITORS TASS steward, Phil Penning, says, 'He can spend all this on four legged animals which will run a few times
but doesn't give a damn for our future.
It's now 21 weeks since decided chester they had decided that they
sawhere else to go the
stay fight. strikers' actions have forcco smipe to negoulale
This was set back by a deal between the engineering union, AUEW. Snipe. Boyd and Duffy fell at the hrst hurdle when. pleading poverty, Snipe
an which wouldn't even guarantee keeping the factory open.
Stifle
Thev then withdrew official support and launched a vicious campaign to stifle labour movement backing. Now the chickens have come home to roost. More workers are to lose their jobs due to the folly of Boyd and Duffy.
underlines even more the national imporcance of the fight at Scotts.
Their action has set an example for the rest of the labour movement. Refus-
accept Boyd and
Duffy's manoeuvres a national campaign is gathering steam to force a change in the AUEW and win the
struggle.
Such a victory at Scotts would be a massive inspiration to all those facing redundancies, not least
all the Norwich workforce.
Socialist
Challenge
THEY SHOOT
DON'T THEY?
NO SELL OUT -LAURENDE SOOTT
NO SELL OUT LAURENCE SCOTT London Ni
Financial support
urgently needed. They've o
had no strike pay for six Briar
weeks. money
urgently to 20 Roundcroft,
Romiley, Cheshire. Photo:
Scotts pay a visit to the
TUC - see page 5.
LAURENCE
SCOTT S
SIT - IN
SNIPE
NO SELL YORKSHIRE OUT (LAURENCE STRIPPER SCOTT
FOR 2 TAXIS Laurence Scott strikers give a message to TUC
SOLIDARITY
WITH
NO SELL OUT I LAURENCE SCOTT
CND
SOLIDAR
WITH
LAURENCE
SNIPE
NO SELL OUT LAURENCE SCOTT
JoBs
NOT
BOMBS
RACTICE WHAT
YOU PREACH
FICT
SEI
REDUNDANCES OUT
SCOTT
Only three weeks left
'We've reached £10,000 of our but we need another £6,000 weeks if we're to reach our £16,000 target.
Tho from k sob who
asked us to print a standing order form every week, so he can take one Will do! (see page 7.)
Special thanks this week supporters Stockport who sent us another £73 from the sale John Lennon posters. and from Birmingham and Leeds supporters who have both sent us another £100 Also worthy of special mention is £4.30 from the Alan Lenton sponsored haircut' which has clearly been the social event of the summer cute West London.
Thanks to:
Socialist
(real value f3.15!)
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OCT 24
Photo. PETE CRANT (Socialist Challenge)
LAURENCE quarterly fund drive in tne next unree
K Wood £30.00 Stockport 73 Birmingham 100 Leeds 100 OWL 4.30 Hemel Hempstead 8.60 Coventry 30.00 Wolverhampton 39.50 I Parker 8.00 Bolton 4.00 Swindon 31.00 R Pietrasik 3.00 Southampton 46.00 Middlesborough 35.00 Oxford 105.00 Cardiff 90.00 TOTAL £707.00
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