Socialist Challenge No. 233, 18 February 1982
The scan: sc-no233.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
DEFEND LAURENCE SCOTT'S WORKERS THATCHER'S BRITAIN!
No. 233 18 February 1982
11111111131/08
By Billy Partlan
and Pete Rowen
Laurence Scott
strike committee
'THIS is Thatcher's Britain.' That's the verdict of Laurence Scott strike committee after police smashed up our picket line on vesday. the day the police occupied Openshaw Manchester, where we've now been on strike for ten months.
It was the day when the forces of law and order showed what life will be like under Tebbit's law. The police aided and abetted Laurence Scott manage-
to dismantle
motors from the facLOr. All leave has been cancelled throughout Greater Manchester and 400 to 500 police led
25p Unemployed and strikers 10p
Socialist
by the Tactical Aid Group (the same as the Special Patrol Group) laid into our pickets as 10 lorries went in the back.
Denis Barry. convenor, was snatched from "The 200 strong picket as diversion ano o . steward, Phil Penning. were anestes. police made quite
whose side thev were on despite pleas that thev are impartial' They wouldn't even
'legal •LTe SIX pickets.
Our DOSS Snipe, hasn't on o the had
police Tebbit's Territorial Army but the active support of engin.
union leaders, Boyd and Duffy. The
two of them have sabotaaed everv stade of our struggle. But after ten months fiant for jobs, we're taking on Boyd and Duffy as well.
We have launched a campaign, using rule 14 in the union's constitution, to demand a ballot Tor lne removal of the executive.
As rank and file support pours in, Boyd and Dutty have hit back. In a vicious red smear artiCien sunday press and Daily Mail, tney accuse us or trying to topple Duffy in order
Labour Party and replace Michael Foot with Tony Benn.
Denis Barry is not surprised: 'Boyd and Duffy have to go flying to the gutter press for
help. We haven't got leadership. They're about useful as woodworm a cripple's crutch. Duffy told one of us, "I'Il tell you what democracy is: it's doing what These people have got a
Too right. What happened on our picket line this week is the sort of Britain that the likes of Boyd and Duffy want.
They're not concerned
with fighting for their members' interests, in Tighting to save jobs.
And the other trade union and Labour Party leaders? They've much to say on Tebbit's
bill but where are they when Phil e need them AS Penning Sole •Empty against rebbit are not enouch
we need support for battles like ours.
The best way defeat Tebbit is here on Laurence Scott's picket line. we movement support. We want ine wnole move ment to get the our rule enolneers 14 campaign. to support Everyone should raise the issue at every Labour Party and trade union meeting they go to
Back the 24 hour picket
Laurence Scott, Louisa St, Openshaw Tel 061 231 4434 Rush money and messages of support to G Fryer 20 Roundcroft, Romiley, Cheshire
INSIDE THIS WEEK
Bernadette's election
campaign p.3
London fares fight p.6
The courts against
the labour movement
pp.8-9
We want the miners and other trade unionists black Laurence Scott and ducts. With that sort of Mining Supplies support we can win.
We're determined to SUICK OUL. Without support, not only will we lose our jobs but what we have seen in Manchester this week will only be a foretaste of Thatcher's and Tebbit's Britain.
Manchester
Train
drivers
vindicated
By Brian Grogan
THE McCARTHY tribunal report on the train drivers' dispute
vindication of ASLEF's stand. recommends the paying of the outstanding three per cent and the placing of the flexible rostering issue back into the normal negotia ting procedure.
This favouras come is lesthici Jetermination
nad more powerful voice ir
eien :Acagr cotted it
British Rail they could break t! as a union. Insteas got a bloody noie
But McCarth demands that ASLE: way, in advance principle of the eigh
day. o
comply wit: would allow defea! :::. snatched from the jaw: : victory. Strike action mus: therefore continue BR pays up — withou: :.*.
British Rail is still cr the trail of carnage. Know. ing what McCarthy
to recommend 2U1ll2 came out on the eve of re announcement with threat axe 16,000 rail jobs. It biame: this on the drivers' actio:
despite the findings c: McCarthy.
The drivers have opered un the road tor all rali workers to overturn the flexible ment forced down their
NUR secretary, Sid Weighell
United action ot ai. railworkers .is needed around the fight to save jobs and Weighell's policy of destroying them overturned.
The flexible rosterin issue is only the first ste of British Rail's efforts io destroy 38,000 jobs
There are six other pro. ductivity points including single person operation o CHOR TOCO NO CeR
The drivers have shown that this attack can be halted. This lesson now needs to be driven home.
See pages 4 and 5 for fur ther information on the rail dispute.
Page 2 scan of this page
BE No truce from
-Editorial
PO Box 50, London N1 2XP Phone 01-359-8189/8180 (editorial and distribution)
SDP brought
down to earth
THE Social Democratic Party brought down to earth with a bang last week. Its main problem was not the party's precipitate decline in the opinion polls. Nor was it the series of defeats for the leadership at its first constitutional conference a spectacle paid to its much vaunted image as a party above internal dispute.
What plagued une SDP unavoidable decision it had to make to vote for the Tebbit anti-union bill. By dexterous footwork, the SDP has so far avoided taking stands which bring it into collision with the trade union bureaucracy. However, the class struggle finally caught up with it.
The vote for Tebbit revealed the real objective of the SDP: to provide a safety net for the Tories ensuring that their attacks will persist into the next parliament. Even if the majority at the next election votes to throw Thatcher out, the SDP are offering themselves as a junior partner in a 'national government'.
The SDP has taken a systematically anti-working class stand ever since its formation. The Tory media's jibe that half trusa. SDY without policy is only a nait truin. leaders have furiously Leyland workers, they have denounced the
given vociferous support to the Common Market and the British 'deterrent' railworkers, and they espouse a host of other reactionary causes.
It didn't need the vote on the Tebbit bill to know where they stand. budding 'gang of four' in the
Duffy, Chapple, Sirs - have been forced to attack the SDP SDP's virtues in his union journal, was forced Sirs, w10 was to describe them now as 'nothing more than pale pink Conservatives'
This is a body blow to the SP and why the party split three ways in the Commons vote.
All those involved in the leadership battle
are agreed that their task is to divide the
Labour movement from top to bottom. The
present electoral success does not even go
half way. A rather bigger job is required.
has to break some of the unions from the
Labour Party.
Such a task cannot be done
breaking the back of the organised Labour
movement The SDP's problem is the failure of That-
cher to date to succeed in this. The Tories and
the SDP are not alternatives. They are terrible
For the SDP to be of lasting significance it
depends on the working
prior defeat. Meanwhile, however, the class
struggle doesn't wait. Choices willy nilly have
to be made. This is why there is a battle over
the SDP's direction.
Hattersley declared last weekend that the
Labour Party should seek to destroy the SDP.
Good. But if this is to be a serious rejection of
coalition with them,
not enough.
The SDP policies which Hattersley and
others spout out have also to be rejected
and the SDP fifth column inside the Labour
movement moved from any position of in-
fluence. If the Labour leaders took such a
road then the SDP
marginalised.
JOIN THE FIGHT FOR
SOCIALISM 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:
London N1 2XP.
Socialist Challenge 18 February 1982 page 2
By Paul Lawson
ting any
was
Campaign,
absolutely which put
was the jority of the
selection
wing,
the Committee.
attacked British
Foot, the Bishop's
but now even the
trade union Weighell and Socialist only recently praising the
anti-union
withoul
the questions are:
class sutterina a
union rights
the men Bathgate
then strong words are
Tories
would surely be Socialist Challenge, PO Box 50,
OVER THE PAST ten days it has become perfectly clear that LabourS right wing has no intention of respec-
'truce' in the party. On the contrary: the witch-hunt against the left is going to continue.
Last weekend Roy Hattersley, ing to a meeting of the Labour Solidarity
spent his left in the most vitriolic terms.
• Michael Foot has made his intentions
clear. First, he attacked the Sheffield, Heeley, CLP for not re-selecting Frank Hooley as their MP. Foot said it was a 'deplorable event. For Foot and the ma-
Parliamentary Labour Party the democratic reforms of the constitution are OK so long as they are not used!
The right wing of the party is continuing to pursue their campaign against the
of Militant supporters parliamentary candidates.
Meanwhile, the Organisation Committee, against the objections of the right
has given its endorsement to Militant supporter Pat Wall as the candidate for Bradford North. But it seems likely that
NEC will overrule the Organisation
In a long interview with Chris Mullin in Tribune, Michael Foot makes it absolutely clear that he is giving no guarantees that Militant will not be witch-hunted further after the report of the special inquiry.
Shore and Hattersley interpret Stortford 'agreement' as carte blanche for them to attack the left, while the left wing keeps its mouth shut.
The answer to those who argue that a
is necessary inside the party has been clearly given by the editors of Labour Herald, whose editors include Ted Knight and Ken Livingstone, in a special editorial.
Challenge endorses every word. The left must not disarm itself in the face of a continued right wing offensive.
Labour Herald
AS THE Tory government prepares to
confront the entire movement with its-
the Labour Party
must ask itself frankly whether it can
meet that challenge without first tak-
ing on its own right-wing.
Everyone is for unity and working now for
the defeat of the Tories at the next election. But
What kind of 'unity' and
how do we ensure that a future Labour govern-
ment will not betray its supporters?
The first thing the Party must do is lend un-
conditional support to all workers engaged in
battle against the Tories in defence of jobs, ser-
vices, living standards and, above all, trade
The Parliamentary Labour Party does not
seem to be able to make up its mina, but we
must surely stand alongside the train drivers,
striking against redundancies and Leyland, councillors workers struggling to prevent the
destruction of low fares schemes....
Lessons must be learned from what has
happened at local government level since the
took office. failure by the Party
leadership to co-ordinate and lead that fight en-
•Labour Party
couraged the Tories.
That is why the recent meeting at Bishop's Stortford and the supposed justifiably worrying the rank and file of the Party. The right-wing see Bishop's Stortford as a 'victory'. Despite the denials of those present, there has been no authoritative statement to the Coll al y Therefore Bishop's Stortford adds to the confusion among the Left and in the ranks of the Party... There can be no compromise with the rightwing on questions of policy or the witch-hunts which were started by the leadership last year after the intervention of the Social Democrats in Parliament. The fight to confirm the selection of Peter Tatchell as Bermondsey's candidate and the lifting of the inquiry into 'Militant' become separate issues for decisions in commitand tee rooms.
So the silence since Bishop's Stortford by some on these questions is worrying for the movement, and must not be allowed to continue For if we permit the witch-hunt to go on unchecked and unopposed, how can we ensure Ted Knight, and Ken Livingstone two of the Labour Herald editors
Witch-hunt goes on
Labour right
Rees, Healey and Varley. They won't abide by a truce
"peace pact' is general election?
mous probicus. fronted will capitalism, millions out of work....
their interests only.
must not
Combination
ford should
that a future Labour government will be different to the Wilson/Callaghan administrations which so bitterly disappointed Labour supporters and led to the defeat at the 1979
The next Labour government will face enor-
Primarily, it will be economic Crisis of with devastated industries and
But there is no likelihood of these questions being fought out if the right-wing are allowed to dictate conditions for 'unity WICH SCIVO
The Party must take sides with every strug gle against the government. A failure to do will only lend comfort to a Tory government which grows more desperate every day..
Labour Councils throughout Britain should stand shoulder to shoulder with the unions as they battle for their very existence against laws aimed at taking them back to the days of the
the kind fighting unity the Party needs. Bishop's Stort-
be repudiated and a strategy developed along the lines which leads to victory, not betrayal and deteat.
Page 3 scan of this page
Time to start a fight
By Geoff Bell THE ELECTION SLOGANS of the three main parties in the Southern Irish general election are 'Give us the go-ahead', and 'We do a better job' meaningless apolitical banalities. Yet when the results of the election are known this weekend they will bring to a close what many commentators have described as the most crucial election in the history of the southern Irish state.
One statistic debt per head of the population in the south of Ireland is higher than Poland's.
So ingless election slogans, and we may voters apathetic and cynical about the whole business?
The answer is that even by the standards of capitalist parties there is little difference the recent recoras or promises or eno Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Labour parles
Fianna Fail is the traditiona Republican and it will win most seats LAUS Weekend That does not mean that it will form the government.
It won most seats at the last election seven months ago, but ended up in opposition the coalition between Fine Gael — ne most conservative and former fascist party - and Labour, whose politics make Denis Healey appear to the left of Leon Trotsky. Fate
The coalition fell from office by the votes of two independents WIlO had previously supported the government. seems that the new Dail will be similarly evenly balanced.
In that respect the fate of independent candidates wil be particularly important.
Of those, Provisional Sinn Fein with seven candidates He one the largest number. But their chances succes are greatly hampered by policy which insists that if elected tne candidales woll t lake their seats.
best-known independent, Bernadette McAliskey, who is standing as a candidate sponsored by Peoples Democracy, Irish of the Fourth International, has dogmatic. Throughout the campaign she has made it clear that elected she would lake ner seat.
But this did not prevent her opponents contending the opposite. In-
deed one feature of Ber-
campaign has ot slanders
directed against her.
Secret
It began in the first few days with a report in Dublin newspaper that she and 400 of her supporters had held a secret meeting in which people were frisked and at which l lists were made of illegally obtained money from 'northern sources' Such
meeting ever took place
and bernadette Was 10k
in Dublin on the
even
courite crete.
'We work for all' - in other words
illustrates why: the foreign fice for
HoMing People
BERNADETIE
CALISKEY Nº1
swollen from 20 to 200.
The next story carried in most papers suggested 1o be able to sany a gue
Calvassile allegation had _originally come from members of the Unionist party the north But that did not prevent it being reported as fact.
Again the story
complete fiction. As well, ten agent save hate elec.
their phones cut off periodically during the election campaign.
In one way this is all a very big compliment lo
Bernadette's campaign has become a focus for the left's opposition to austerity measures in the 26 counties. The campaign ended with the canvassing team having
McAliskey. Irish establishment are very worned lal sne mignt get in.
which LOUI members are returned and bv the middle of the campaign most observers were agreed that she would either win the election or come very close. Fight
The message that Bernadette has been hammering home was summed up at a public meeting on the
before polling She said: 'The backs of the
Ireland
McAliskey election campaign
Irish working class are to the wall. If I get elected thev'll know we're coming out from that wall fighting. The one enduring instinct working people have is to know when to turn and start a fight. The teeling 1 going from door to door is that that time is now.
I've met people who heard James Larkin speak and haven't forgotten what he stood for. I have
people WHIC looked at the ten young men who died on hunge sirike and that changed and affected them deeply
"And so our campaign
has hecome bigger ever day. We started with 20 canvassers and ended up with 200. We not knocking at doors making promises. We are saying
come and join the fight" • We are standing on
ticket to build democratic organisation which says that the cause of Ireland is the cause of labour
The McAliskey cam.paign has generate: m... interes: media Bernadetie has been filmed by Belgian, Wes Canadian and US TV. just because she is interna-
tionalv tamous. it is also because her candidature is cne of the tew noteworthy stories in an election in which the main parties are
outside observers indistinguishable
This in turn means tha! the outcome of the elec-
Will Suleau change. The only possible new development on a na-
ther wing Labour Party, whose coalitionist policies have over the last decade lost what substantial working class base Labour once had.
As union leader Matt Merigann said from Bernadette's platform at the weekend: "The working class are totally bereft of any political leadership. Our campaign is to try to give a lead to the anti-imperialist struggle and give a class dimension to the struggle for national
s:-
THE THEATRE. 309 REGENT ST LONDON W1.
Socialist Challenge
unity and independence."
In that however well Bernadette does there will be a major opportunity after the elec.
LON. organising fightbacks which are bound to come.
As Bernadette told the press cut cicuce last wee, 'If you go on telling peopl who can no longer pay for the crisis: on telling them that are no Jobs and ina are going te
on telling peopie:.= children school, then some da! they'll turn on you A: they say in Poland: •• 1 hungry nation eats its government"
The Irish general ele:tion has seen no such teas: but has at least ensured that the knives and fork: have come out of the drawer.
IRELAND: TIME FOR
TORY POLICIES TO GO
LABOUR MOVEMENT CONFERENCE
Bernadette Mi Aliskey
ONIRELAND
speNding
18 February 1962 page:
Page 4 scan of this page
The train drivers need your help
LES HUCKFIELD has been the main parliamentary spokesperson for the traindrivers' union ASLEF. He has spoken up and down the country defending the drivers' case. sponsored by the Transport Workers union but speaks for the drivers' union in the House of Commons because sponsored MP of its own. Brian Grogan spoke to him.
Are ASLEF O supporting
mainly because it's VOUT parliamentary job?
No. fully support the stand that ASLEF has
But LaKcIl. aSO because my father was member of ASLEF for 46 ycals.
Do you think the dispute is broader than the issue of flexible rostering? It's been sug gested that the aim the Rail Board smash ASLEF as
There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that trom the very Dec ing what BR has been trying to do 1s first ot all. to isolate ASLEF by doing SULLIC SULT of cobbled together deal with the NUR and then going for a direct confrontation after
He is actually
ASLEF doesn't have
that.
The difficulty has been that much of the argument has been very technical level and most of the press has been working overtime conceal real issues in this dispute. Which is quite simply that last. August BR committed itself to paying an additional three per conditionally. They have now ratted on that deal.
Since a part of the whole plan is to isolate The drivers on tastest
do thera think siSid
you think Sid Weighell's role? He has consistently taken the side of the Board and tried to put the responsibility on ASLEF.
Well, far be it from me to intervene another union's internal affairs. But I do hope that both the executive and the membership of the NUR will take very careful note of what
ASLEF needs you!
page 4
Les Huckfield their general secretary has been doing and saying and act accordingly
But isn't something more serous neededi The drivers are fighting
flexible rostering and job loss as it affects them. But the attack on railworkers. Shouldn't ASLEF be making appeals to other railworkers to come out in their support, against Weighell if necessary?
Let's look at the origins of the dispute historically. First of all. the Board turned down a tribunal
Trade Unions
award last July for the three per cent. They / then reneged the ALA agreement of last August in favour of the three per cent and now Sir Peter raker maserse knowi that he may not abide by the current inquiry neadec by Lord McCarthy if that goes in favour of the 3 per cent being paid.
This means that the Board three times running will have turned its back on and rejected an arbitra tion award in lavour of ASLEF. I would hope that this would merit not only support from other unions but also support trom luc trade union movement as a whole in favour of ASLEF against managemen
which has a chronic difficulty in sticking to any understanding or agreement.
There is no doubt that this is not just an isolated dispute of one union against one management. It is a principled stand be-
made by ADLE OI behalf of 1 as a adole. No movement as a wiluic union, nor the national executive of the Labour Party, nor the shadow cabinet, nor any part of the wider range of the labour movement can stand on the sidelines. They will have to get involved because fundamental principles for which we have fought over the years are now in jeopardy.
What should the Labour Party and Labour Party members be doing?
It would very much help if we could get a declaration of support from the waramellan the shadow cabinet. So far lney nave been ambivalent if not positively muted on the affair, although Alber Booth, shadow industry minister, lias culle vul u late and declared some support. What needs to be remembered that the TUC General Council has
Manchester
By Duncan Edwards •We can't afford to lose!' said Peter Gunn, (ASLEF Manchester No 1) speaking in a personal capacity at meeting organised by Manchester Socialist Challenge.
The speakers, Peter Gunn, Bob Barrow (chair Newton ASLEF) all agreed the roard and and a Kings Cross the Tories set the thing up Like workers at Leyland and BRITISH Steel the railworkers had been picked out. Services
'The Tories call Luddites,' explained Bob
'It is they who are the Luddites They want to smashup British Rail. I Is they
who want to take us back netore wnen we wor
the 8 hour guaranteed day.
It is not us that want to go backwards
'In the last 30 years the number of footplate men
has fallen from 90,000 1o
24.0W. Any more culs ! staffing levels and there won't he a service at all. 10
per cent of drivers are on
the sick because thev can l
lake the stress of the job.
In the same period that the
workforce has fallen Over 20 CUTI the
number middle and
senior management has in
creased hy over per cent. I is ihe workers that
are paying for
improvements.
given its unanimous backing as has the Labour Parțy NEC. But much more important have been the many resolutions which have come in trom shor stewards committees district committees and rank and file members of many trades unions.
Despite the usual murmerings from right wing engineers' leader Terry there been the constant volumes
support engineering union district councils up and down the country.
The initiative by the Manchester Labour Party including the Labour group on the council to organise : a major rally in City Hall is the kind of attempt to secure wider involvement from the move ment that will be needed for ASLEF to succeed.
Would you support the call for a coordinated one day stoppage by NUR members in London?
Well, this is not the first of the actions by NUR members. If it is going to be more coordinated so much the better There is no question that this type
Labour Party calls
solidarity rally
'The Tories give British Rail as mucn casn as iney need to smash ASLEF But when it comes to lav ing out money to improve the they don't want to know. scivile The Board nave renegea on their agreement to pay the wage increase, saying it must be linked to productivity by which they mean redundancies or peter parke gets a 24 per cent wage in-
and only crcase four day week Who's paying for that? It comes out of a cut in our wages and conditions
'If we los the cight hour day, it will mean the
4000 drivers' jobs by 1985. But this is only the thin end of the wedge
With the proposals on the
McCarthy Tribunal: It's the
ASLEF (personal capacity)
The strike is still 100 per com
come our with any othe
decision than it came out
with previously •He's difficul
now nev can co pack o
what they said about the ?
It should he
graned I separately
iscussions on productisin
The problem is the solati
issuc. I ther recommend go
of action will help defeat the Board.
If ASLEF is to win an outright victory, it will have to take all-out action. Inis wilt involve It in secondary and flying
well developing blacking in a way that challenges the Tory anti-union laws. Would you support this?
There is no doubt about it
be necessary to break the law in defence of fundamental trade union principles. The who e movement should back the drivers in this eventuality.
You are involved Labour Liaison '82 a
the Labour Party which aliciel Labour Party activists and trade unionists What should this formation be doing in relation to the ASLEF dispute? or other in aison ons
Liaison should be the coordination of the various Broad Left movements in the trades
I certainly think that the traindrivers would benefit from this kind of liaison. one-man open station concept, , tens of thousands of NÜR jobs
rail are seand inge needall
railworkers. united fight back. Industry
"If the drivers lose, all workers will lose. explain-
Cross. unior will be smashed. This dispute is being used to pave the wa!
Tebbit's anti-unior laws £20,000 for each scab and an attack on the very right to strike.
All the speakers agreed that unity and are indispensable
The news ind Manchester City Labour Party is to sponsor a rally to help the railworkers get the support they need was warmly welcomed.
small print that's the problem
By Fred Orton-Jones, chairperson Birmingham
ing back though the
has gor firm directing The
agreement that "orson go
The problem arin"
Hesible rostering of at abou dommen
The: i chink the executive will hand in
Page 5 scan of this page
Building a new leadership in the NUR
THIS FRIDAY, 19 February, a day of strike action and a lobby
called the action elected a steering committee.
BRIAN GROGAN members - CHRIS FRANCIS from Cannon St,
from Streatham Hill depots.
'Friday's action is an coordinate NUR members' whelming opposition flexible rosterings and all the other productivity strings that are also in the pipe-line'. explained Brian.
'It's the first stage of the battle to get a recall of our AGM ference). We intend to ahead whatever the arivers response 10 the McCarthy Tribunal.
'Weighell claims that 25 per cent of the depors have agreed to flexi roster. ing, Chris added. 'then how come haven't met anyone that supports it?
•Part of the steering committee's jobs 10 develop a nerwork so that we can compile accurate information.
nart and arcel of a campaign from elow Weighell. He is not representative of the membership's views.
But Percy was quick 1o sav: This is not an action against the union as some people have tried to make out. Friday's action is part of a campaign to get the NUR leadership organise national action.
Chris pointed out: "You've got to realise that Inis is ine urst ume inal Cannon St guards have gor
and Kings Cross with Padi and so on.
'It such an action had happened before. would be in a much better position. But at least now
action under way.
Percy exnialed that Friday's action was still on
Kac case. *The Western Eastern
touch and go on Our (Southern) region. We've been out a few limes over the past weeks.
"The reaction
management was to lock us out on the three days of the drivers" action as well.
pockets in a big way. So it's a big step lo lake unless people are convinced that they are not going lo be isolated again.
'We're all being witch-hunted by managemen. Chris explained. searching everywhere for the "ring leaders
*Our excrutive seen to have more sympathy for management than us. H'e know That the Western
it mecting with manage. ment on hausday
"Members of the NEit will also be in attendance. all pressing to eer the action called off wond' pur it past them 1o use
•Last time ther gor in
nels that the inction Wo
of the National Union of Railwaymen's headquarters has been called in London against flexible rostering. The meeting of representatives of the 25 London depots that
spoke to three of its
and BRIAN WHITEHEAD and PERCY FLOWER
seven southern region
depots had been called off.
It was a lie, but it confused
everybody.
'We are fighting
build an alternative leader.
ship.' Brian said "This is
why whatever happens on
Friday is not the be-all and
end-all. Hopefully it will
beginn-
ing.
further meeting of
London guards,
signalmen and platform
staff has been called for
Monday February,
Friends Meeting House
custon Rd. LOONCE 7.00.
say why they
wón't quit
an effort to save their jobs. comoany took them against them to end the sit-in.
defence of their occupation.
been cut off by the employers.
occupation is being jeopardised by this.
over occupations.
they were served court orders.
Inis alspute,
trade unions.
urgently defended.
By Judith Arkwright WOMEN at the Hoover factory in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, have won their fight against discriminatory lay-offs. At the same time they have helped the male workers to save their jobs.
with 140 of the original 200 redundancies. This is supposedly because the economic situation has changed. But in reality, this victory is largely a result of the resistance put up by the women.
The history of the struggle is not a proud one for the local engineering union. But it holds some important lessons.
When the 200 redundancies were originalv announced, the union leadership negollarca whereby the bulk would hit the unskilled women workers, But women workers at the plant - led by stewards Jackie Trailor and Pat Goode appealed to the Equal Opportunities Commission
such discrimina-
Plessey workers
THE WORKERS at the Plessey plant in Bathgate, West Lothian occupied their factory on 25 January in
Two weeks later the count and got an
Here we reproduce the statement made to the court by the Plessey shop stewards committee in
Since they have defied the order to quit, the management has sent all the employees dismissal notices. This threatens the redundancy payments of the workforce, many of whom have between 10 and 20 years' service. All the phones into the factory have
Despite the occupation having been made official, funds for the workers have not been coming in as much as thev need, and the continuation ot the
Finally, the Plessey workers are the first group of workers in Scotland in many years to defy the courts
The British Leyland workers at Bathgate felt unable to take the same action when
therefore, assumes a significance much greater than the 300 jobs involved. It could be crucial to the development of a mass movement against the Tory government in Scotland, especially against the attempt to use the Tebbit Law to shackle
All activists in the trade union movement should
discuss how best this occupation can be
Hoover women win their fight
Management have decided not to go ahead
tion and won their case.
They were actually in favour of fighting all the redundancies, but they were not going to allow the local union leadership the easy option of putting the brunt on them.
The local media jumped on this so-called *sex war' with glee In fighting discrimination, the women re-opened the wowe orbae on ow ae redundancy threat should be handled. he men. suddenly faced with the reality of the scope of the redundancies. out
Trade Unions
in defence of their occupation of the Bathgate plant in order to save jobs.
seek proper
would be on our side.
munity could change that decision. tion. This is a totally illegal act. cupation on products in demand. strike - for the first time in the history of the plant.
Confused and divided br the misleadership they had
duelieu their action not against the Illallagemnelli, the women who had had the bottle to fight for their rights.
Ironically, this was the point which the management caved Women workers are now allowed work on the assembly line and the bulk of the jobs are saved for the une bene
What the favourable Hoover se memen shows is that the fight for equali-
terests of all workers. It is the Tories and the bosse who benefit from divisions.
Al this moment in parliament the Tories are considering measure which will prevent all married women with working
Statement by Plessey Shop Stewards in the Court of Session, Edinburgh, on 4 February,
LET US make it clear that the way Plessey notified the workforce of its intended court action (around Spm yesterday) has made it impossible for us to
legal advice or representation.
Although we have come to court to make our case heard, we come with few illusions about the ourcome of the case, but let us make it clear that we feel that this is an industrial dispute, and not a legal issue. If there was any natural justice, then it
From the start, Plessey has stated that their decision to close the factory was irrevocable and no alscussions wun ine workrorce or ine com
Plessey stated that all the machines and products were obsolete, we have now exposed this a lie. Plessey have admitted that there are viable products in the factory, and certain machines are go. ing abroad — machines that were bought with huge government and SDA hand-outs over the
This is a very rich multi-national company with huge profits (around f100m for this financial year) but they cannot pay the workforce one week's wages owing, for work done before the occupa-
In contrast to this, the workforce, who are mainly women, many with decades of service to the company, have conducted this occupation in a most responsible manner — paying careful attention to safety, security, care of machinery, and we are continuing development work during this oc
husbands from signing on the employment In other words they are saying that married women do not have the right to work.
The Labour movement in its entirety should reject this. It must fight for the right of women to work in order strengthen the fight of the whole working Class United we stand, divided we fall - and the Tories know it.
Women workers Hoover, Plessey's in Bathgate and at Loveable Bra in Cumbernauld showing how to fight. The whole LOVCHEC would do well to follow their example.
Build for the womens right work details wr 5 June Gould, 150 Walworth Rd, clopram and castle, Lon don sci.
per cent — the highest in Scotland
achieve by taking this court action?
tidy up their business before closing the factory.
power of the law should be used for?
achieve by occupying the factory? -
dals' here?
which is already beginning to be mobilised.
Finally let us
workforce hold this ambition.
tons and message ot support should be
Murphy, su Main st, raulanouse
'Plessey Joint Shop Stewards Fighting Fund'. coverage IP presents week in and week out.
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Intercontinental Press, SCD, P.O. Box 50, London NI 2XP
The workers are not just fighting for their jobs,
but are concerned for the future of the communi-
ty, the young and future generations. Unemplor-
ment in Bathgate is at present around 23 per cent
and it is estimated that the redundancies and
closures at Plessey and Leyland would push it to 30
We cannot emphasise strongly enough ine
stark contrast between the attitude of manager:r:
and workforce. What do the management nir:::
16 days
work between now and the end of February, to
be no more than a vandalised shell. Is this what ine
On the other hand what do the workers want 1o • years, not
days of work; jobs for the young and a thriving
community for the future. Who are the true 'van-
No one should underestimate the support we
have in the community, the District Council, and
from the MP as well as the wider sections of the
trade union movement. There is massive support
reiterate that this is a trade
dispute and not a legal matter. The workforce are
motivated by one admirable objective - to save
our jobs and to save jobs for Bathgate. It would b
foolish to underestimate the power with which the
Money is urgently needed to assist the fight. All dona
West Lothian. Tel
Fauldhouse 70924. Cheques should be made payable to
Save up to 25% on a subscription to
Intercontinental Press.
No other magazine has the in-depth political reporting and news
• On-the-scene reports from Nicaragua, Poland, El Salvador
• Interviews with class-struggle fighters and revolutionary lead.
: Minister Maurice Bishop, Bernadette
• Translations of key documents from the world revolutionary and
nuclear arms race, to liberation struggles in Southern Atrica, t from the
Enclosed is [ $4.65 for three months of IP Socialist Challenge 18 February 1982 page 5
Page 6 scan of this page
CHALK FARM
you proposillg to oniy collect 10р fares from 21 March on vour own?
A: No, we decided that we would send it as a recommendation to the London DUS COLlC CICC LU ZU lUl- ward to the LT unions
defence committee where all the unions will be meeting next Wednesday. They'll be discussing the One-cav sacc wcs
first step. Then we'll have hour v withdrawals and then you've really got incin.
B: A one day strike, that's just token.
A: But it's the start of the Lallivalzi.
B: That's the wrong way to hdl l lt. The one hour irikes, the non-cooperation beautiful. in the last resort, yes then re should strike.
What do you aninK needs to be done build public support for эпу action we
workers may take? Photo: Mornina Star
i: H'e're going to get our
ambers out and about
:h petitions and leaflets .d létters for MPs. We'll : iaising with Fare Fight.
con't think we should
Many Tennance •Lilt ELC. even though it is a _anour council C: My own opinion is that this fares increase won't go ihrough at all. I think the campaign and the massive publicity might sway things 4: This Fares Fair is not a socialist policy. It's commonsense. I think the campaign's winnable but have to sell-out on wages and onema CoRe Ons B: A lot of LT workers
understand the Jon't situation. Partly because :hey don't go to branch meetings, but they' re slowIy coming round. 4: Ils up lo us, it's up to every branch really. We're coma co or out • bulictll We've had some good oranca MuCelcs lately. People are actually coming because :hey're concerned about this.
What we have :o get across is Socialist Challenge 18 February 1982
GARAGE
to be faced with a 30 per cent drop in our standard ot living. Our wages anc conditions are going to get worse and worse.
DO VO SAC ONTOV Won't Pay as a last ditch attempt?
A: It will certainly be difficult sell the members because you will be breaking the law and you will get a lot of hassle. I don't think it's necessarily a bad tactic.
But the 10p thing has not been well received. It means putting conductors under discinlinarv threats
KEEP FARES FAIR
andih y'te caroo pay.
aDoBl Can't Won't Pay Campaign.
We'll have to see what happens with the one-day strike. some of the officials in other garages are very reacionaly
As for an all out strike, we Te d long way off having the will among the rank and file membership
actually carry that through. long way off.
I'm afraid.
page 6
The
budget for London buses will go
not include
standards.
MARTIN
Helen,
La benefit FARE maintenance
Transport.
Box Office, London WI.
grouping
change in
dancies.
FARE FIGHT
FARE FIGHT
FOR JOBS
recent Law Lords' ruling on London Transport means that fares will double on 21 March. What has not been so clearly publicised is the effect on jobs and services. The revised
Transport will mean
of one bus district out of a total of eight. 1.100 conductors' and 1,100 drivers" jobs will go and these figures are for this year only and do
the tubes London workers face a fierce attack on
HELEN works on the buses and on the tubes Both Challenge supporters and they discussed the situation with Tessa van Gelderen. Afterwards
together. with Pam, worker, spoke to representatives from Chalk Farm garage where the workers have decided to collect only 10p minimum fare after 21 Mar-
They were concerned not to have their names printed because of the red-baiting that exists inside the union. 20 FARE FIGHT Campaign BENEFIT
THE performance of CAN'T PAY? WON'T
PAY! at the Criterion Theatre in Piccadilly
Circus on Monday 1 March at 7.30pm will be
performance in support of the FIGHT campaign of low fares, on
Tickets for the benefit are available from the Criterion Theatre Piccadilly Circus.
Tel. 01-930 3216, Credit Card sales
tel. 01-379 6565. Prices £4.00, £6.00, £10.00.
FARE FIGHT is a broad, non-sectarian of London Transport passengers
and workers formed to campaign
the law to allow the
reinstate its low fares policy and to prevent
both reductions in service and staff redun-
For information uhout FARE FIGHT contact Han-
nan wcner e1 -0/4 z0
For information abou CAN'TPAY? UOVTP1Y!
contact Rose Glaisher tel. 01-267 6724.
700
Transport
their living
Socialist
another bus
for the
London for GLC to
Tos CaNt Pay unin Pay
campaign' and what the GLC is up to generally in respons to the Law Lords' ruling?
Helen: My first reaction to
kalpalg! apart from the fact it's prett impractical, is it's just a cop out on the question of redundantese people on the GLC are saying that it's somehow ust avucs ol l las arla se all thev have to do is to en courage the consumers to pro-
lewie Wise innd een like
Wise and Livligslollt should d( and the TOURO the garages depots calling on the workers
antak
that the wil SupPUl wialever mey ao whelner it . all out strike action or a fares strike.
Martin: Monted wil is a pottical at we're
which Laln acilalicis Dollical resoonse UnIOR ¡unsie ıs wa we gave not had from the leader on the cil Che , Ken Livingstone
Be situation a: present in the unions is that sonle kind of protest stoppage is ilkel
Ind a propaganda campaig
. Without a clea political lead this paign is unlikely to succeed in leversila ilic Pav cámpaign is a blind alley First because it still leave the GLC question open 1 of wher
• going 1o gel money to pay wages and keer ine service runnne Seconc because don't have
like the level and even among the organised workers let alunc ine unorkaniseu basseneels Tessa: It's true that the Can't
Won't Pay campaign by itself won't achieve anything But the Fare Fight campaigns that have sprụng around London are attracting
number. people many in the Labour Party and •from London Transport
think the 'Can't Pay' neonle would see themselves within these general callivaisis,ale as Valerie Wise
BUILDING
MASS SUPPORT
said rotas ever one keses
Everyone kee coming back to is What ca you avlizow call you leyCIsi une caw toros occison.
wnat's the feeling where you work? What do LT workers think is the answer? riartiu The teeling on abes is mrt we vetosu ure u itiative and a prolonged guer
struggle ib er orane dondiin i wages
when neol. Hl ly galasc, Ine unor said there would
cente! pulkory redundancies comini tey no-one believes
've heard before
maily pespie ale opposer o use one cay surke oe! proposed because they don't
because they see it as • Aa o red. politicai gesture e tus we saoula co lol al all out strike.
couple on the s thought it would be
together to discuss lilanl. now we coue eet ne union lo do something more than jus pass resolutions , O O9an:se one day sirike
A's no ac popler ord o week's notice ju moulft We decided io call a ooov oi ine mass meetn2 stewards and local reps which
going decide = how the union will the fare increase. anu icuuncanci.
were proc a eae calling for an immediate one
Be which should be
ihe same day as one of the ASLEP's strikes tant for as to build unity with the ASLEF drivers Tessa: whole
of campaigns that
lave been set ur on this issuc
have links with th iransoorl umuls:
Martin. camdan Improve London Transport which existed before the Law Lords ruling has been the main organisation in getting all the trade unions on Lor
Transport in a liaison com cen initiating
conterenc February organised lobbies of the GLC and so or s is ine tirsi ime ever ma all the unions have met on one
Fight has been organısing metings willcI have altlaclcu They've orecs workers
leaflet London
I ransporl garages ac Duls
You must get the sort of
mass support that will defend London Transport workers if they do break the law by say waging a lare Sinike
Page 7 scan of this page
Leyland workers defy Edwardes and the Tories!
By Patrick Sikorski 'THIS ISSUE is a national one. There are two thousand jobs at stake and the whole future of bus and truck manufacturing in the UK.
'I want to know what the national union officials are going to do about this strike for jobs. I want to know what the Labour Party and the TUC are going to do about this issue!'
That was the statement from Mick Coyne, chairperson of the Leyland strike committee in Lancashire, emerged from a morning of talks with Leyland Vehicles management and national union officials at Ine Cross Hotel, in London last Monday.
The talks were lobbied workers rom al rae nive Leyland and Chorley representing all the hourly paid and staff unions who have been on strike since 21 January.
The militant lobbyists greeted their convenor with a deatening wardes Tories Out!' and cheerer massively in front of the press Calliclas when ovne reboric Dack ol the first few hours of talks:
'Defend your right will be no sell out at Leyland Vehicles! There will be no sell out of the 1855 jobs which management want to get rid of this vear. I he issue todav at Leviand Vehicle. and nationally is the right to work!'
The lobbyists were in a determined mood and were as unimpressed by the three van loads of police who turned up and attempted unsuccessfully to more them on as inev were Dy
BL. Board to stul down are anie of
Board to shut down the whole of Leyland Vehicles unless the strike is ended this week.
A senior shop steward said that they were there 10 give full support 1o strike committee and to impress on the full time negotiators and the company Endinere was golng to be no turning back from the basic demands SUIIKC
These are: no redundancies; no more oursourcing of components of work or hiving off and instead, the maintenance of the manufacturing base in Leyland Vehicles and finally, serious negotiations on the trade union alternatives.
However it's clear that Vehicles chairperson David and his team were under strict orders IrOm • Howardes Leyland Board who met Wednesday, to have no truck whatsoever with the union demands.
WORKERS at the rusk mill of the T Lucas factory near Bristol, who occupied the mill to prevent 53 redundancies on 5 February, have not been left to fight alone. A mass meeting of the rest of the 250-strong workforce at the site voted on the following Monday for an all out strike.
Now the strike committee is campaigning for broader support, starting with a rally on 19 February which will be addressed by Tony Benn MP for Bristol South East, Phil Penning of the Laurence Scott strikers present v fighting closure in ManChester. and Colwyn Jones, the Lucas conventor.
Jim Walker, a member of the strike committee, told Socialist Challenge that TAP about movement was already showing a willing response to neur
implemented
production at and Ils niving
when he
then another 2,000.
Asked if
Charing
by 200
plants
chant of 'Ed-
and TV
to work! There the widely
the
of the
. no iransier
Leyland
Andrews.
rest the
week
Support grows for T Lucas
appeals.
'Money has been
labour movement
Last night we collected
over £100 from the City
buses branch.
'The CPSA (civil ser-
vants union), the
Labour Party. the
Socialist Workers Party
and the International
Marxist Group have all
scut us Cast.
'We have been asked
to address
labour movement
bodies throughout
Bristol and Avon, and
we've even had money
retired Lucas
worker'.
Edwardes and the Tories are determined that the Corporate Plan must be
the last letter. This means the complete phasing out of trac-
Bathgate in Scotland off to private manufacturers, and the reduction of the Lancashire operation to one assembly plant employing a maximum of 2,000 workers.
As Mick Coyne said after the talks: 'We've no democratic rights that lot upstairs are concerned. I thought the days of the Victorian employer who would hire and fire at will were gone.
'But it is clear that they will sack 2,000 now and 2,000 in a few months and
The had any hope for the negotiations he replied: 'My hope is with the membership and the rest of the work-
Leyland mass meeting cheers strike on
They have no hesita. tion in asking for sup•ecause as Howard Cook from the committee ex-
+ LUCA
Part of mass Lucas meeting
Trade Unions
ing class movement. We can achieve our aims if the rest of the movement stands up to be counted. They've already closed
Defend Jobs
Support Leyland Vehicle Workers
Smash the Tebbit Proposals Demonstration and Rally Saturday 27 February ASSEMBLE 12 noon Leyland Civic Centre, Leylalla. Lanils.
Speakers:
LV Leyland Strike Committee; Tam Dalyell MP West Lothian; LV Bathgate speaker plained: 'We have supported the recent fights against redundancies at Laurence Scott and Staffa's.
Scotland.
Leyland Vehicles
strike meant closure worker's home
Bulletin
Able in Leyland
dancies has
and the Tories.
Combine stewards Leyland.
'We've thought of it future. Whope that we investing the will get the same type of support. Then we can get back to normal and start investing again'.
The closure of the rusk mill at the Bristol
down Corby, Shotton, , Skelmersdale and
the towns South Wales and This has got to stop complete closure unless the strike is called off, the union olncials were aircady caving in and running for cover. The AUEW
with responsibility lol Gerry Russell, could oniv respond to the bosses poston by saying that if the continuation of the
then that would have to be reported back to the member-
ship eyland workers have had the closure
threat pushed down their throats for the last two weeks by the local and now the national press and television. The com.
sent unree hellers to every
The threats and letters have been answered in the weekly Strike Committee
which is distributed to striker and as many households as possi-
Defying the latest round of redun-
• meant the truck and bus workers confronting the Edwardes plan
. To be successful they will have to mobilise the rest of the Leyland
The Cars Combine leadership must be forced to implement the decisions of
Vehicle. combine meeting held a week last Saturday. Most importantly the Leyland strike commit tee should take advantage as soon as possible of the decision of that meeting empowering them to call a meeting
throughout whole of Lobbying Leyland Vehicles talks
site is part of the management's drive for greatel productivity.
Over the last two years there has been a five to ten per cent increase ir productivity.
Now management wants to throw the workers on the SCal heap in order to transfer production to a modern plant at Birstwith near Socialist Challenge
Bathgate workers stand firm after double threat By Ralph Blake THE 3,500 workers British Leyland Vehicles plant in Bathgate are standing firm against redundancy despite threats from BL Chair. man Michael Edwardes and JCB one of the Bathgate plant's largest customers The strike committer continue strike on Wednesday 10 February in the face of this double threat. Edwardes is inrealening close the Bathgate factory unless worktorce go back li work. And JCE the Staffordshire based cavator makers, who ger LOCU from Bathgate - threatened is withdraw their orders if there was not a return to work at the factory by Fr day 12 February.
Leyland Vehicle management said that this would mean the loss of ar extra 200 iobs at Bathgalı But after the deadline has JCB annivulls. that they were orderir.g only half the engines the normally get from Bathgate from anothe supplier.
After the strike ic. mittee had decided io it tinue with the strike. my Swan, the stewards 'We are now going Monday's meetin BL managemen: tion of strength duolner WOLAC Socialist Challenge: went fighting on our be slain on our knees Harrogate employing something like a third of the present numbers Unions in the Bristo and Avon area are being
SUTINE Tune messages of support, ano send delegations Lucas picket line tion sheets can be obtain. Lucas or ones d Moravian Kingswood, Bristol
Public rally
Defend T Lucas-Kingswood strike against redundancies
Speakers Lowen Jones. Lucas conveno Tony Benn, MP for South East Bristol Phil Penning, Laurence Scott
Linden Hotel, High Street Kingswood
Called by the Lucas Strike Committee
18 February 1982 page d
Page 8 scan of this page
-JUDGES RULE O TEBBIT'S NEW ANTI-UNION
The Bill and
you - what
it says
POWER TO THE COURTS The Bill will allow employers and union-busting organisations to courts against workers scale not seen since 1901. *Unions will be legal immunity for range of industrial actions. * Judges will not only arbitrate but will be able to fine and imprison trade unions as well as award massive costs against the unions. *Individual scabs can bring in the Previously employers could do so.
CURBS THE RIGHT TO STRIKE The Bill drastically reduces the right to strike. Only industrial action against an immediate employer will be legal. *Blacking goods, organising a
cross someone line supporting outside the UK become illegal. *'Political' strikes outlawed: so striking against government policies, cuts and against trade with South Africa can bring courts down on you.
UNION ORGANISATION UNDER ATTACK It will be illegal for employers to sack an employee for nonmembership of a union unless 85 per cent of the workforce (by secret ballot, have voted for such an agree-
*Closed shop will be outlawed *A firm can employees without sued for unfair dismissal. But should a union against a non-union member
persuade them you've guessed it, it's illegal.
'Union-only' tracts will be banned.
ENCOURAGING UNION-BUSTING A f2m fund will be established to 'compensate' those scabs sacked for refusing to join a union in the last five years There is a grand total of 400 people who will benefit from this clause, while 4 million are thrown out of work by Tebbit go real aim is es.
real aim courage organisations like the 'National Association Freedom' (now Association) behind Grunwick's Ward to whip up an anti-union climate.
Judges be acting 'in accordance with popular demand restraint of arbitrary powers.
Socialist Challenge 18 February 1982 page 8
both
use the on a
deprived of
wide only
refusing else's picket
workers
all this will
also oTe
against unemplovment,
Chile or the bankrupt shackle
Led.
LIlc
legislation course)
arrangements
Unions. dismiss striking
being lesson?
take action
to join...
clauses in con-
unions against the
en- of
for Freedom
which Was
George
can then caim to
for the alternative. union
What's
behind
the Bill?
By Alan Freeman THE UNIONS have had to fight for their rights from the day they were born. The bosses tried to ban them in the 1830s,
them in them in 1927, smash them in 1972. They fail-
Union members have had to fight their own leaders tor their rights. Ine shop stewards were formed to break
TUCs wartime industrial truce in 1914. In 1949 Labour used wartime
1o bring dockers to court.
And in 1969 the union and labour left wings united to defeat Wilson's anti-union laws through the Liaison Committee for the Defence of Trade
Have the bosses learned their
They've prepared the ground with unemployment. They use SDP as insurance against a repeal of
But most important of all, Tebbit's Bill is a political attack that aims to build up reactionary popular feeling, isolate the militants and split the
It isn't an industrial relations act: it's an Employment Bill. The Tories say they're defending 400 poor op Dreause say didnt join unions. They scabs who their say the 'unions have too much power' and are wrecking the economy. Like all clever tyrants they want to convince the frustrated 'little people' the country that they defend freedom
horror that will follow ner cowla
Tebbit is recruiting a scabs' army
professionals and self-employed. And he'd be hapov to sign un demoralised workers who can be made to blame "strong unions' for their condition.
His arguments are bullshit, but some people will swallow anything Of course, private capital is causing economic decline but the unions and Labour Party haven't come up with.a clear, democratic and planned
Of course the black democracy am tre amons ac
1902. and confusion by using the courts.
is an attack on parliament.
should override
their hands.
smash Tebbit as they did Heath they choose.
Lne
campaign of the 1971-72.
to use the new law.
jobs
when enolen
that "there are clear
of funds at risk
'sorry,
the Labour Party.
courts or slute parliament's name.
five dockers, and the NE(
Tories at- This kind of resistance
Bill Keys demands
of a amend the
associations;
Appeal purposes.
fend it — but the right wing in the Labour Party have muddied up this whole issue by anti-democratic practices and smear campaigns against
The Tories aim to cash in on this
Ther will claim that resisting an unjust law •
Lord Denning has already proved the courts' value. He even says they
parliament if necessary. He is elected by no-one and accountable to his paymasters. If the labour movement accepts the Tories' term of reference it will play right into
But these terms of reference are also accepted by Labour's right wing. An The TUCand Labour Party can
But Len Murray and the AUEW leaders are not calling for a
same kind as They want to have talks with the CBI and persuade employers not
This is perfect for the Tories. will place a selective weapon in the bosses' hands which will be used for steady attrition, in selected test cases. The Economist explains what comes next: 'The impact is meant to come lean advisers to tell union executives exist for union
precedents that such-and-such a strike could put our
Then the Duffys and Weighells of this world will go to disputes and say
brothers and sisters • we'd love io help hut our hands are tied'
This relates directly to the fight in
Foot says he opporat this means montic with the extraparliamentary action.
which speak
This is glaring hypocrisy. In 1972 the TUC called a general strike to free
cluding Foot - ununimous/ hacked
which
EMPLOYMENT secretary Norman Tebbit's new Bill against the unions has been unveiled. It is one of the boldest attacks on union rights since the notorious Taff Vale judgment of 1901, which gave birth to the Labour Party.
Here we explain what the Bill means and how it can be fought.
Employment
BILL
To provide for compensation out of public
funds for certain past cases of dismissa!
for failure to conform to the requirements
union membership agreement;
workers, employers, trade unions and employers relating to
respect to awards by industrial tribunals law make provision
Employment
and the procedure of the for connected
Tribunal; and
Presented by Mr. Secretary Tebbit
supported by
... Secretary Whitelaw,
• Exchequer,
bit. Foot's witch-hunt is innoculating the labour movement against Bill Keys.
But Foot leads the NEC and Murray leads the TUC. The Tories will exploit this weakness. Tebbit's bill is an audacious gamble designed to set the labour leaders against the rank and file, and built up reactionary popular feeling to isolate workers defending their rights.
It is a political manoeuvre which calls for a political response. Much more than the right to strike is at stake - if union organisation is allowed ic fall into Tebbit's legal meat-grinder. we will lose the weapon which ha: won us every democratic right we now have.
HAND
OUR I
with NO NO Tearing up Bankrupting agreements union funds
FIGHT THE
YOUR NEXT GOVERNMENT
Page 9 scan of this page
BILL
IN 1972 Heath's industrial
Obtainable from legislation was reduced to tat-
ters. The same could be done
If Bill Keys' proposals on
Labour Research Department this page were taken up and
acted on by the meeting of the TUC executives on 7 April; if io aits me ding o 3 Mareh the rank and file were organised by the Liaison
r Resear from its meeting of 27 March;
and if the Labour left organised active Labour resistance to the courts and Dept, challenged Foot likewise, this Bill would not
UFF last two minutes.
There are iwo connected reasons why Tebbit's Bill will not fall so easily as did Heath's.
Firstly, the union leadership is not so readv to resist. Bovd and Duttv's scabbing reflects real advances for the
HUNS Secondly,
political confusion leaders have taken militancy and confidence Both shopfloor Labour Party activists face a fight on iwo fronts.
Tebbit in the courts - and to do so they should win over
per poster; members and combat the treachery
and cowardice of their own leaders.
This needs politics.
JAIL Bill Keys' call to action may not be perfect. union leaders is lalking abour a fight.
But how can it be put in will not be done, hopes. by simply order TUC General Council and executives.
If we want action we NO prepare our own ranks. Trades counis 5 posters. Cls. shop stewards district committees and all bodies of mits on the Trade unionists labour avcilcil
pledged to: ght to strike in prison
*a campaign of resistance to stop the Bill *non-participation in the courts if it goes through
EBBIT BILL
*immediate aCron anyone attacked using the Bill Local conferences should prepare days of action and esstalc.
Fighting Tebbit is part and parcel The Battle of Saltley Gates - 10 February, 1972
Committee
Party
to do
unempfoyment and
sown by the their toll of
militants and
They must stand up to
their own
But if implemented it would
practice! as the LCDTU pressuring the
must first
should be defend
Tories co-ordinate ths
Why I am inviting people
to break the law
Run Tebbit, run?
LORTHERN COC
UNITE NÉCDOM
TOR
Tebbit's law would have banned the recent day of action against the cuts in South Yorkshire of the fight against Heseltine, for Jobs, and for democratic rights. In each one of these struggles, it is the strength of the unions we have to call on. Anyone and everyone fighting the
: should be brought into the campaign.
From this basis it is essential to commit the leaders too. Union ex-
'THIS will go down in history
as the battle of Saltley Gate.
The working people
united in a mass stand'.
Ten years ago, with these
words, Arthur
celebrated one
union movement's
victories. The
holds lessons for today.
Unemployment Tobbla is Heath nurs pe parin a ad ane nedir
ponce al the umions.
occupations had proved that it was
one thing to have a law, and quite
another to use it.
"This is a small firm and it would
be possible for a small number of peo-
ple to get them out'
judge to issue a writ in 1971.
was a big factory you would need
2,000 police with teargas.
Heath's industrial legislation - 10
be lorn up by the dockers four mon-
later had
cemons duos sur ne ma• 0ееле!
the postal workers and now prepared
resistance. mutual
campaign
uusulld hunting, Smaso
One t Labour
figh: against Tebbit
practical
level MPs the
Every
asked
tion
practical test now.
just by their words deeds.
judgment way -will
The battle of Saltley Gate
By Tessa van Gelderen and Alan Freeman
have victory.
L WAS.
Scargill of the trade
why it lost. yutalesl
victory still
fine speeches show naa aoublea in
preparing,
biggest
through it
said the only
'But if it Birmingham.
tic bosser
provoked huge
non-cooperation defence The TUC Labour Party should be asked to coordinate and lead such activity with a
days of demonstrations and if necessary
stop the reaching the statute books; to support all resistance if it is passed; and to have nothing whatever to do with actions brought under the new law
But just as important is the fight in the Labour Party. It is useless going into battle with one hand tied behind
backs. Labour's NEC and the PLP right wing reject, and are witch-
the policies needed to Tebbit. Trade unionists and ward activists alike should fight inside
Party defeat Healey-Foot team as part of the same
How can this be done? It is a very
unc ilel! Councis great resources the labour movement can use. Labour Party branches can help co-ordinate action by linking up with affiliated unions at rank and file
and councillors have influence and access to the public which they can use, not just by condemning Tebbit but by pledging and organising action in support of every victim of Tebbit and against this unjust law
It is when the public see that trades Jons ceraack rom ennı and councillors from Heseltine inredtened ovune same uoges ano ne same police forces, and are prepared u : a colliicli ucicle ul cari other, that the! will understand why
unions must be defended and Labour must be supported.
councillor, every MP and GMC in the country should be support resistance, participation, and defence, and take part jointly with the unions in drawing up practical local campaigns of ac-
Conferences and the should be asked tor a mrm pleage lo take a similar national stance.
The battle between the left and the right in the Labour Party has so far been a battle for policies. The outcome of that struggle is being put to a
Candidates, MPs and councillors should be judged, not
but by their
If this becomes the touchstone of
in the Labour Party, be open to a real fighting allance that can defeat Tebbit and Healey. This is our task.
to take on the miners.
The Financial Times saw an easy Exactly six weeks later it ate - anu lal is wha
the miners' dispute turned out to be,
it said, 'the active support of the com
munity as a whole essential
guvenmenl tanca lo oolam il. l nal l.
This support was not won with their worth to the country halting all movement of coal, tor this they discovered two new weapons the flying picket and the mass picket.
Saltley Gate coke depot held the remaining stockpile police were shepherding 800 lorries
each day. On Friday
February miners began to pour into
On Sunday all
leave was cancelled and on fuesdav
after a successful first day's picketing,
and cons
everything they had — alsations, iron
bars, lorries driven at pickets, and
widespread arrests.
By Wednesday they thought they
By Bill Keys
Trades
policy: 1 The trade usc organisational strength 2 The call for
and 3 and
rata basis Fund and mean it action,
in- 4
Development associated bodies
5
as its objective
6
partite bodies
7
the legislation.
8
closed shops. 9 No for ballots
and | will explain why.
working people We cannot watch this government destroy our movement. are tacked we have the
ourselves and wil!
The making o laus against the trade MenE tasteni
majority of working people non-
NEC of these things
did little that
majority
orael uremse ves life the
government. ing factories were ollowing the call for Sargill had
The
the stage was set.
by
coma control maters
as far as away. callic thousands upon thousands
and
dumbfounded. 'The
police Scargill afterwards.
the gates". 10 February, the depot shut with
coal board
opened for working people
Socialist Challenge
General Secretary of the Society of Graphical & Allied
Reproduced from Tribune I do not seek confrontation but I certainly will not flinch from it. It is for these reasons that SOGAT will be inviting the TUC to adopt the following
union movement its collective financial, and industrial
TUC to have DUWCI to co-ordinating action where it is considered that legitimate trade union action has taken place.
The TUC to set up a special fund t Cattontee . to on a pro Let us call it a Fightin
Withdrawal by the TUC from National CCO ICILE Council and its
Withdrawal by the TUC from any government body which has the application of guvenment cconome poncies
To review activities on other tri-
To instruct trade unions not to sit on tribunals that are dealing with issues arising from the proposed
Non-compliance with ballots on
union must accept funds
Does this mean that one is inviting people to break the law? Yes it does,
The rights of working people and their standard of life were not given by some enlightened employer. Nor were they given by some enlightened
They were fought for bı
stand idly and of reaction If we are at right to detend defend ourselves ite
.C d.. union müre.
mind of those people in power which retlects their deen enmitv toward; he
Thev are not promoting true law To be true law, it must nurture life and promote the common good. Ine government's policies on law do none
One should remember that Hitler
was legal. The government of South Africa works within its legal framework, imposing
majoris orssie corapte sonsine
people, passing regulations that give the appearance of legality to their dark deeds. Mere
ana mere law are not enas l They must berelated to
Iț is for these reasons that I shall continue to speak out against this evil had won. But the day was being used for something else: nearby engineer-
being contacted, support which won from East District Committee of the AUEW and from the Vehicle Bulders. A meeting of 400 stewards endorsed the call and
Things began quietly. With 1,000 police, the chief constable thought he
Then it happened. From Rovers, Acocks Green, trom the nearbv tactories. and trom
Rover Solihull six miles fulllal over the railway bridge. The police stood
chief constable _ot kırmingham took a swift decision, said
'He said "close : At 10.45am on Thursday
Saltley gates had closed on the
closed on the police, and closed on Heath. But a new door had
18 February 1982 page 9
Page 10 scan of this page
What's it like to be
Where you can buy
Socialist Challenge
Scotland ABERDEEN:
sale every Sat 1-5pm Safeway,
Hamilton.
Wales BANGOR: Sat 10-12 town centre. CARDiF every sat in bure low! 10.30-16. 430 availabic 1-0 boss NEWPORT: every Sat in town centre
every Sat
Oxford St, 11am-1pm, Saturdays. England
1985 Books,
BIRKENHEAD
BARING ASSOC
ore info phone 643-0669.
BOLSOVER: Cross Keys, every Fri
Bookie, A Soun
Progressive Books, Berry Si.
10.30-12; Fou
10.30-12. Phone 653216 for
further details.
Bookshops BANGOR: Rainbow Holyhead
Bangor surth yea Book hanse. Bittolarks, 110 Chelen.
BIRMINGHAM: Ulner booksnop
BURHAM: Durham, City Co-op
Bookshop, 85a New Elvet ILFORD: South Essex Bookshop, 335
Wolverto
LONDON: Central Books, 37 Grays
POSTERS: The other Printshor 061-236-4905
SC Events and he right mend e
County Warlo all Socials chaper dup.
Socialist Challenge 18 February 1982 page 10
MANCHESTER SC sold 11-1pm Sat
EMS son sale every a
outside Days of Hope Every Friday outsid nchtim Destra anchore ten, and ouse weird London BRENT: SC sold Willesden Junction TALING SO
every / Wed, Highbury tube and , I0am
Brixton tube NEWHAM: SC sold Sat llam
Norin wemoley oR station BAN EMP F 19tr6 50 i Shore ington Church St, London NI6.
Union Citee.
Meeting on DHSS restriction
Massland, Jay Malaba.
tons. Thur 25 Feb 7.30pm. Briton Ponenter C Bride all B
from Azim, phone (01) 328 Garden, with live band and
Tickets: £3 i Arkwright, PC Box S0, London Ni
By Judith Arkwright HAVE YOU EVER wondered what it's like to be a woman miner? Do you think it's right for women to work down pit? Do you think it's carrying feminism too far? Well, it certainly can't happen here - or could it?
are sponsoring a tour by Mary Zinns of the United Mineworkers of America to debate and discuss all the issues involved up and down Bri-
miner for three and a half
Is • On steering committee of the coa emolovneut oroccl
as well
women have become miners in the USA, most of whom work underground. Meanwhile in Britain, instead of opening up new areas 3IO] women to find jobs, thev're being thrown Oul of work at twice the rate of HICH And HISLCaU women getting into better paid jobs, women's pay in comparison to men's has actually declined since the Equal Pay Act was passed
Debated
It's clear that radical new policies are needed to reverse this situation and to challenge Tory moves to
push women back into the
home.
Positive action policies and other policies to make
Not
cumulated discrimination arallist being debated in the labour movement.
The TUC has taken the position that changing the
Books for South
been
four years,
of the world.
send Marxist litera-
Ghana, Nigeria, Zim-
response to apocal
more important than ever
that we have a steady flow
of income. The best way to
ensure this through
bankers orders. All you
have to do is to fill out the
form here and send it to
your bank.
If you can, send a to us at: Books
for South Africa PO Box
50, London N1 2XP, or, at
a woman miner?
Socialist Challenge and Revolution Youth
present law is necessary to
inoperationa woothe Mary Zinns - US coalminer
Your Bank...
Name of Account to be debited.
Account Number..
Our Bank.....
Account No....... 130300661..
Sorting Code.......T-91-21.
Amount to be paid
First Payment due..
Signed....
least, advise us that you have sent in the form It will be money well invested.
If you can't manage a regular donation, send us
-Socialist Challenge News
— Kally IOr Illella
Free Trade Hall, Peters Street. 8om. Organised by Books for South Africa Bankers' order form BOOKS FOR SOUTH AFRICA
Trustee Savings Bank, 16 Craven Park Rd...
..Harlesden, London NW104AB.
...Monthly
And on the same da the month thereaft
notch as you can.
Revolution is on the order ot the dav Africa. In Namibia the struggle Hole ill tense. The need is urgent.
Street, Birmingham 13.
Wednesdav 10 March -Glasgow - - Phone 14-425 2649 for details.
Thursday 11 March
Friday 12 March - London
- Rally for Internationa Womens Day - Camden Centre off Euston Road. Sunday 14-Wednesday 17 March - Sheffield Bolsover, Nottingham,
Thursday 18 March Southampton I - Conterence Room, Civic Centre, 7.45pm.
Friday 19 March -Bournemouth, Fringe meeting at Womens TUC.
March 8th 1913 to commemorate
Entrance: fl and 50p unwaged
Al the camden Centre oruston koad
Friday March 12th at 7.30pm
avalabit
T-shirts.
selection
Current Special Offers
Combined and Uneven Development by Michael Lowy Nicaragua by Henri Weber Trotsky: A Study in the Dynamic of his Thought
Revolum Today
Mail Order
*Mary Zinns will also be speaking under ine ausoice of other bodies such as on Saturday 6 March - CarHouse. International Women's Day rally organised by the Wales Women's Rights Committee.
For further details not listed here phone 01-359 8371. Ana why not order a copy of our pamphlet? 'A Woman's Right to Work - - The Case for Positive Action'.
Contains information, suggestions for positive action policies and a socialist
uneranon ORDER YOUR COPY NOW. Price 65p (incl postage).
RALLY
FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY
A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO WORK A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY was first celebrated on
the strike of women textile workers in New York. Since then women the world over have been moolised on inis dav to snow iner strengin and to meni logelne. On Friday 12 March women from different countries of the world will be meeting together to talk abour their struggles and the fight
Speakers include: Mary Vinns, United Mineworkers
of America and member of the Socialist Workers Party, US Speaker from the Nicaraguan womens movement speakers trom the rourin interna tional, including Irish section.
Speaker from the campaign for abortion rights.
Speakers from the action commit tee tor a womans rant to work
Doors Open 5.30pm Bookstalls and displays, light refreshments
The Other
Bookshop
328 Upper St, London N1 Open 10 - 6 Mon Tues Wed Sat 11 - 7 Thurs Fri
Large selection of Marxist and left books, feminist literature, pamphlets, posters, badges, postcards, Literature, posters, badges, Technals on Poland secondhand books.
Usually Our Price
£4.50 £3.50
£2.95 €2.00
£2.95 €2.00
£10.50 £4.75
No. it order eric sod 20 , L for p. Orders
Page 11 scan of this page
Women fight Tory attack
WOMEN all over the country started putting the message across to the Tory. that we will not permit any back door changes to the 1967 Abortion Act.
London February, 2000 women marched. hitting the lia. tional headlines they called for the charges to be dropped against doctors who are threatened with prosecution for illegal abortion. Similar actions took place in Bradford, Brighton, Cardiff, Leeds, Manchester, Bristol and Scotland.
Because all previous attempts 10 restrict womens aDOROT through parliament have failed, the Tory
cvctll ment, through the Department of Health and Social Security is changing grounds for legal abortion
what canea "statutory instrument'.
Wording
Simoly bv changing the wording in the aborLIVEI notification 1Ullll which has to be filled in with every abortion, the DHSS is trying to remove the social grounds Tauc. DOVCILV. Cliv o1lment for abortion. Ts has reterred proDHSS has referred
Huntingford and ICSSUl another doctor to the Director of Public Prosecutions for refusing to
fıll in this new torm and thereby performing abortions illegally.
SWP and the
Labour Party
! RECENTLY left the Socialist Workers Party having been an active member for four years. I have decided to join the Labour Socialist Challenge supporter.
The SWP is the biggest far left organisation in this coultv wt dooul a.ul members of whom a fair number work in industry.
year ago developments the Labour Party wouldn't
merited nave much coverage in the SWP's
Socialist Worker.
Daver. Borker cas had ro pisy recently, Socialist more attention.
In terms of united action, SW has been clearly
I WAS surprised to see Jonathan Silberman (Socialist Challenge 21 January) claiming that 'there has not been a military coup in Poland'. He does so with the best of motives, but | think he's wrong. And arguments he produces are distinctly odd.
Jonathan tells us that what Characterises Lne Soviet bloc is 'that the state is based on ar 10 -terlocking system of the leaders of the party, the army, government ministers, the trade unions, and on'. But what's so special about this? With
sulile slight modifications, doesn't it generally sum up Lile Wav Inl waiCh the capitalist sare also
A woman's right to choose
government
Professor Huntingford and other doctors have shown they are u cual cu to defy the DHSS and dePUT
MUGHAN
ON TRIAL
OT PETER
INTINGFORD
Over a million grounds which DHSS seeks to outlaw fend a woman's right abortion on non-medical grounds.
Further, the DHSS has LOW LOU lal retreat for as Peter Huntingford pointed Uul ul
Party as
saying, 'We have got to stand shoulder to shoulder ingstone? But what form WILN Benn and •oes mnal united action take?
The SWP admits that a battle has to be waged inside the Labour Party in order to link up socialist ideas with the battles going on inside the unions, on the picket lines, around Laurence Scott and so on.
The trouble is that the SWP is going to leave it to
A coup or not a coup?
some of the supporting
operates!
It's all very well to point to General Jaruzelski's position in the Polish government - but isn't General Haig the present Secretary State? For matter, weren't Pinochet Is iA other Chilean generals the cabinet at various times under Allende?
Even the trade unions, although basically
the ITV programme 'Out
OT OUTI if the
now withdraws from the
battle it will oe lakeni
agreeing to the principle
of 'abortion on demand'.
What is needed now is
to bring the weight of the
labour movement behind NO
ЗАСК ВООК
1 ATTACK ON
HAD A LEGAL THE C7ACT
ABORTION
AND I
WASNT ILL
had abortion on non-medical
the doctors and behind a womans right to choose.
ANall of the calllpaign, 150 wulilcll have signed a declaration that they have had abortions on social grounds, because
Letters
others to do campaigning.. they will stay outside the Labour Party.
But the main reason for SWP abstentionism is that it doesn't understand the central role that the Lavour rarly Lell plays lI working Class SCOuSHess
At the moment, 1o a significant llolll! working class militants the left and particularly Benn represent a political solution to the crisis.
While the SWP can abstain, the mass of militant workers can't. It is
dependent organisations of the working class, are HIKCO HLO LIC LCHOCK ing system' of the capitalist state via bureaucracy. Look at the role of the American AFL-CIO in Latin America, for example - with little help from the CIA. And our very own TUC runs an international department which exchanges personnel with the Foreign Office!
Jonathan rightly says that the bureaučracy 'was torced to change its form of political rule by introducing martial law
Women's Rights
HAD A LEGAL
ABORTION
AND |
if the doctors are 'guilty of obtaining illigal abortions' then sd are the more than one million women who have had their pregnancies terminated ПОВmedical grounds.
etter letterSFrTERS
their party, whether they are individual members or not
Increasingly, the ai zuliciln around democracy, re-selection, accountability ai t [10| restricted to the Labour Party but extend to the unions as well.
Dutty, Boyd, Chapple and Co have got a vested interest in supporting the right wing in the Labour Party because they know that they could be next in the firing line.
Socialists have got to be seen to be fighting in
Poland. But how does this differ from what we would chere mintary coup else where? old muecuatusmos Ton suppress-
popular mobilisation lose their effectiveness faced with the self-organisation of the working class so the ruling class (or caste, in the case of Eastern Europe) simply changes the rules of ihe game.
In Poland, Ine old torm of political rule — the Communist Party was oa vase c! decision to impose martial law in Poland. It was casi aside as an inadequate instrument parliamentary rule is cast
WASNT ILL
The campaign initiated by the National Abortion Campaign and Labour Abortion Rights Campaign is gathering sicaml. Here are a few of the upcoming cvcuils.
Letters
the Labour Party against the right wing and for a party committed socialist policies and campaigning to give practical support to workers struggle.
It's a plly that the SWP who have fine tradition of anti-facist ac. tivity and support for workers in struggle wil not get directly involved in what is becoming an increasingly crucial fight inside the Labour Party IAN MaCDONALD (AUEW)
Hayes, London isne by crisic pines in time crisis. The army simply MOVPa into all areas of state activity.
i salk or a miltary
that 'talk a military coup in Poland... lets the ruling Communist Party off the hook' But thai doesn't alter the facts of the matter. Not to describe it in such terms risks letting the bureaucracy as a whole off the hook for the enormity oI wnat it na done to the working class movement in Poland, thereby dulling the response of workers in Bri-
tain. nad tha t, I'm sure, at
thing Jonathan would want. MARTIN METEYARD Glasgow
20 February: NAC/LARC
Hason commitee Hablic at Teping, Conway
Speakers from the TUC Union
cmoiovees ano Labou Party. 20 February: NAC national
planning meeting - van
chester 73 March: NAC/LARC
neaitn workers con-
ference
ENNY MATTHEWS
The campaign is sponsored UV. frlt avatonal abornor Campaign A DOrTOr Reform Association, Labour
WHIIUN 2,000 women marched in London on 9 February
in Cuba
sentences O1 even
about rape.
act.
brigade hardly prevent this
you say, cuanly unaamentul discrimination will continue'
vitual eliminatio
titudes that remain.
Wuhie weadi ena inuin afdred bes ae inse
voting by the whole pooulation in 1975
trol of joint property, raising children; equal rights to ticipate in
uctiviy women is punishable
solution does not mean putting the issue for with stiffer sentences
defend the rights of women
DENNY FITZPATRICK London
Party National Executive Committee, National Labour women s comminiet orisin omel sorgtaisa nonal Committee of
rionstocdivil and Public Ser
Ernment
Association. National unon or studenss women'( comminee , National Council Civil Liberties Richardson MP Dur. Tody Stan wwyrricer Orme Thorne MP wavis vit, slan For further information conluC aC 374 urovs Ini Koad. , London NI, phone 01 278 0153.
OUR BODIES. OUR LIVES
OUR RIGHT TO DECIDE
Rape virtually eliminated
THE widespread support among workers for stiffer
castration and hanging is something which can't be avoided in our discussion
Many who turn to these solutions see rape as an exceptional
Socialist Challenge should emphasize that violence againsı women — sexual harassment, at work, battering and so on is com moMost women know their attacker and many attacks are commisieu in new own nomes. omv asman minoruy gerreporieo
The measures put forward by the hang'em and flog 'em
You are right to point out that rape is a social problem and as
Inat is wny untu ine social and economic system in this unereu. anucks women ont
So why not point to Cuba where the revolution has seen the
of rape? The material advances (housing, jobs childcare, free abortion and contraception) have helped improve tre aves o cuvun women une are uiso oavine ine wow tor ini ideological battles to overcome the prejudices and back ward at-
There are over iwo million in the Cuban Women's Federation full ege timiy code was andro dy et after ongd incussion and 'by the support of the law.
It proclaimed women equal in marriage, provided equal con
decreed equal rights nave a joo or profession and parMoreover arseraminuton agains.
Stating that only a fundamental change can lay the basis for a he esue oftse. Either they fight
socialısm and genuine solutions or tney back ine status qur
A lroce union anek anour carrv camnalonto recooniso seyna harassment, and for a change in the rape laws is necessary both to defend the riehts dr inden und to expose the myth thai violence
Socialist Challenge 18 February 1982 page 11
Page 12 scan of this page
'The winter is yours, but the spring will be ours'
hundred people, by explaining the history of Solidarnosc at the Ursus tractor plant where Piotr was deputy convenor. Scottish Labour's support for Solidarnose grows
the industrial city of Poznan last weekend following riots to protest against martial law.
school students. Some 162 were punished by special courts.
The demonstration marked exactly two months since the Polish regime instituted martial law to smash Solidarnosc. It apDears marmouser cities
ike Swidnic, Wroclaw and Lodz there were protests on the same day.
The authorities used a massive military presence in the Baltic port of GdanSK to prevent any recurrence of the riot which oc curred there on 30 January when hundreds of youth were arrested. And Warsaw the authorities ent a militar of mornines
military vehicles hrough the streets on the evening of Friday 12 December to frighten the workers into submission.
the courts throughout Poland the #chorties are ruthlessly = peste oi Solidarnose
long jail sentences. Hundreds have
received terms of hree to ten years for trade union activities, organising opposition to martial law and other 'subversive' activities
Wojciech Lasocki, mechanic from the Ursus
plant near Warthe plant where Piotr Kozlowski of the Solidarnosc trade union working group in Britain was depu:! convenor, was sentenc-
three years' 1111prisonment for inciting a strike and distributing outlawed documents.
PIOTR Kozlowski and Marek Garztecki from the Solidarnosc trade union working group in Britain returned to Scotland last week for another tour of labour movement meetings. In three days they spoke to three mass meetings of workers, five trade union
Woeunes.
Trades Council, and
shop stewards committees.
The transport workers' union played an important LUTC Solidarnosc members spoke the Central Region of the TGWU and the union organised some
the other important meetings with the Grangemouth dockers, the BP tanker drivers at the Grangemouth terminal, and the workers at Plesseys, currently in occupation against redunCallo.
The Grangemouth dockers istened verv svmpathetically, mass meeting before their 8am shift began. Piotr and
Socialist Challenge
POLISH WORKERS SAY :
Most of those arrested were students and
Katowice four
miners from the Wujek
mine, where the
authorities admit to killing
at least seven miners last
December, were jailed for
up to four veer Soon for
organising a strike.
to face trial will be
Miroslaw Krupinski,
deputy chairperson
Solidarnosc's National
Commission, who attemp-
ted to re-form the union
leadership in Ine
shipyards in the days
following ine imposition
of martial law
Foreign embassies
Warsaw report steady
trickle of applications for
emigration from people
released from
internment
camps. This sinister
development follows the
cynical speeches
General Jaruzelski offer-
ing to allow those unhappy
with the Polish system to
leave the country
But despite the repres-
sion, resistance to martial
law is growing. Solidar-
nosc is regrouping and
reorganising for a major
offensive against the
authorities for a few mon-
ths' time The most . com-
mon grattiti in Poland in
the workplaces reads: 'The
the spring
willer is vours.
will be ours, Solidarnosc.
The Labour Party has call-
ed a rally on Poland for
Tuesday 16 March in Cen-
tral Hall, London
7.30pm. Speakers are not
yet decided.
Marek explained the situation in Poland and emphasised WILd militarisation of the worktorce Wally of the products from Poland were being produced using Doled, ab Fellow They appealed, Cranismouth dockers to unionists, consider blacking cargoes from Poland. The follow. ing day a collection was taken which raised over £90.
Threats
The Plessey workers, at their factory in Bathgate also gave them an enthusiastic reception. They were particularly impressed when Piotr himself to their demand for the right to work. Piotr also praised them for refusing to be cowed bv Court orders or 'sacking' threats.
Tanker drivers at the BP Grangemouth depol, a well organised section of the Scottish working class, nau an on lac sool coned tion which raised almost
18 February 1982 page 12
£25 after listening attenively to Piotr and asking some very good questions about corruption in the CP and among government officials.
Shop stewards' mittees Albion British Leyland's and the BSC Clydebridge works pledged their financial support to Solidarmuse 1hey asked for doland so that they could details internees send aid directly
NUPE hospital workers of the Glasgow East Branch decided find out about the plight
hospital WOrKETS Solidarnosc and to twin inel trade union branci with Solidarnosc hospital workers' branch. Other white collar unions, chietv NAI.GO and ine NUJ, also took the oppor-
on their campaigns in defence of Solidarnosc Defend
This support at the rank and tie level of the trade union movement is
Piotr Kozlowski (left) and Marek Garztecki from the Solidarnosc Revolution educational school last weekend in London. being to clared into
commit the HOVEN leadership of the trade
movement to actions to defend Solidarity. At its next meeting the Glasgow and District Trades Council, a very important body in the Scot-
trade union ment, will debate a proposal that they 'twin' with
HANDS
off
Budges: 2U0 + 11%
Bulk rates on ro.
quest. From PO Box 50.
London 2XP
Enclose moner/che
ques/postal order made
0111
manense
trade union the Gdansk region of Solidarnosc.
Through TGWU branches the Central Region national
the Docks Section of the TGWU will be asked to consider in what ways they
give to Solidarnosc. This will in clude consideration of
SAiPARTY
SOLiDARNT: with a
25p Socialist Challenge
PAMPHLET 2000 copies søld in first week! Order your copies now of the second edition. Just 25p or 20p for supporters groups bulk orders.
Socialist Challen
DEFENI
working group address They enthralled the conference, which was attended by more than one
blacking actions.
Motions calling for support for Solidarnosc will also be heard at this year's STUC and Labour Party Scottish conference
Solidarity Solidarnosc
11. Ring 021-773 5396
McCalman, 041-632 1839 Greater Manchester Polish Solidarity
Oxford Labour Committee on Banbury Rd, Oxford. Ring 0865 58238.
Drive, London NWII. Ring 01-458 1501
Kingsland High St, London E8.
London E13.
SW5. Ring 01-373 3492.
Labour Poland
By Davy Jones the Socialist Challenge Attempts are being made to have these conferences addressed by represenLauves of the Solidarit!
Trade Union working group.
Committees with
Birmingham Polish Solidarity Committee, c/o Roger Murray, 28 Blackford Road, Birmingham Glasgow Polish Solidarity Committee, c/o lan
, 18 Mossgiel Rd, Glasgow, G43. Ring
Com. mittee, c/o Jon Silberman, 51 Montrose House. Crete St, Oldham, Lancs. Ring 061-620 2885
Poland, 468
Eastern Europe Solidarity Campaign, 10 Park Labour Focus on Eastern Europe, Box 23, 136 Polish Solidarity Campaign, 69 Edinburgh Rd, Solidarnosc Trade Union Working Group in UK, 64 Philbeach Gardens, Earls Court, London
Solidarity Fund, c/o Cooperative Bank, 110 Leman St, London El.
Page 13 scan of this page
Solidarnosc and the left
The labour bureaucracy today-
By Davy Jones SUPPORT for the workers is growing. Solidarnosc militants have been touring factories and workplaces around the country rallying support, more solidarity established.
At this point the Solidarity Campaign has chosen to launch a vicious witch-hunt country including those who are supporting Solidarnosc's struggle.
Its January 1981 bulletin carries entitled 'On the left' which acais with the reacons from what it terms 'the totalitarian (Leninist) left in Britain'.
charges that the 'essential ingredients' of the left's Callpairl those of 'appeasement in general: the deflect attention from Soviet responsibility,
POLSH
Photo: JOHN HARRIS
By Ailean O'Callaghan OVER the past two weeks we have described how the formation of a privileged layer in the trade unions with interests more in keeping bosses than the workers is indispensible the tenance of capitalism in Britain.
The ability of this layer to impose its will lies in its political weight not in
its numerical strength which is minute
will strong membership of the unions.
.The political traditions of the labour bureaucracy were formed as a result of a split in the working class during the early period of capitalist development. A skilled section of the working class was won to the detence of the capitalist order by literally be-
ing bought off.
However the conditions which
allowed this aristocracy of labour to
struggle of the Polish
and more and committees have been
bulletin of the Polish
against socialists in this
treat repression as an inter-
limit responses (if any) to directed ones, Jaruzelski alone. And will typical hunters' sleight of hand it Stalinists and Stalinists with the sallie
Socialist Challenge totally refutes this distorted picture which only weaken the Call
SOLIDARNOSC
Kozlowski and Garztecki from the Solidarnosc working group at the head of the Birmingham demonstration earlier this month
changes in the capitalists
I nis
centration of with the tionalisation of
mainthe world market This
troduction
the millions-
the engineers upside down.
developed
solidarity movement in this country and harm the cause of the Polish workers.
Socialist Challenge and the SHOUTER International have fully and without qualification supported the struggles of the Polish workers une bureaucrats. Since August 1980 we have devoted page after page explaining what Solidarnose is fighting for and why it should be supported We have never 'blamed' Solidarnosc for 'facilitating the coup' as PSC bulletin article suggests.
Since the imposition of martial law last December our solidarity efforts have been redoubled. Our supporters localv have been in the forefront of organising highly successful tours
C'MTE BIRMINGHA
develop were soon undermined by the
position of British brought through inter-imperialist competition.
Slage ol British capitalist development was marked by the con-
ownership. the raproduction techniques, the merger of industrial and banking capital and the carving up of
economic upheaval stimulated British workers to organise themselves on a massive scale.
In engineering for example, the in-
lilass DIVUUCLIO methods struck at the status of the craft workers while at the same time encouraging the organisation of the unskilled in an unprecedented way.
In less than two decades this process turned the trade union outlook of
From the 1890s onward a pressure
Amalgamated Society of Engineers to organise on a class instead of a craft basis.
The 1898 lock-out proved to be
of workplaces and labour movement bodies, establishing direct between Solidarnosc and workers in this And we have supported and helped initiate many solidarity marches, pickets and rallies.
Covered
We have not 'covered uD or une berlicious role of the Soviet bureaucrats in their attempts to crush the Polish workers.
Throughout the breviou. 18 months we explained that the existence of a mass democratic independent working class movement, Solidarnosc, was a direct threat to the continued existence and privileges of
the Soviet and Polish
bureaucrats.
ARITIY
the last stand of the ASE as a craft union, an organisation of the Labour aristocracy. The inevitable rules revi-
the ASE came in 1912
This was only part of a more general process. Industrial were formed for the first time massive scale Because of participation, the wave of industrial unrest between 1890 and 1914 was accompanied by a growth of socialist COLSCIOUSIC S among a minority of workers.
At the same time the 'deskilling of the modernised industries led to a rapid shrinking in the size labour aristocracy, though not in the privileges of those that remained.
A new section of these privileged workers was the growing
The special attention to this layer, as a way of blocking the new workers offensive drawing them into the administration of the state. Their growing privileges intertwined with the political tradi-
But all the slanders and innuendo of the PSC bulletin article are a cover for political difference with Socialist Challenge That Is, we believe that solidarity with Solidarnosc is a matter for workers in this and the organised labour movement. We don't believe InaL Thatcher, Reagan, the SDP/Liberals or any oinel Doureeds figures can or will give any help to the Polish workers
There is widespread evidence that the international bankers put considerable pressure on the Polish and Soviet bureaucrats to crack down on the workers 'to solve the economic crisis And the leaders of the imperialist
— Reagan, Thatcher, Schmidt and co shed only cynical crocodile teas over ine repression against Solidarnosc. They teared the rise ot a mass democratic and independent union as much as the bureaucrats OI Eastern • Europe.
Nor do we agree with the PSC bulletin's articles stated priorities for campaigning! "The most important tasks are: to break GREATER
MANCHESTER
Manchester torchlight rally last month
Manchester and Birmingham
tion of attachment to the capitalist Order
the general secretary of one of the most important unions stepped into a job in the Labour Bureau formed by the liberal politician on Mundella Marxist the Board of Trade, forerunner to
the ministry Tebbit now heads.
The process of integration took a big step forward in World War as militant union leaders were drawn further into
official administration. This was consolidated on the back of the defeat of 1926 general strike.
The series of mass national strike of the waves between 1910 and 1914 gave a
big impetus to political support of the working class for the Liberal Party and the forma labour tion of the Labour Party. gave The bureaucracy went along with
this idea of a Labour party but only so as to impose Liberal-Labour policies on it!
While organisationally, therefore, the Labour Party represents a big step
all links by the TUC, unions and the Labour Party with Soviet bloc 'unions' and parties which all support ine repressior in Poland; industrial action against trade and contracts with Poland and the Soviet Union For us, the most effec tive solidarity work would be to build a political cam paign inside the labour Last material aid for Solidarnosc, to build direct links between Solidarnosc and British workers, and organise campaigns of rallies, marches and pickets in support of the Polish workers
End
These should demand an end to martial law, the freeing of Walesa and all
restrictions Solidarnosc's right to organise. These are exactly the demands put forward by the new National Commission of Resistance in Poland itself Campaigns which concentrate their fire primarily on an economic boycott Piotr Kozlowski from the Solidarnosc trade union working group at a
Socialist Challenge porters played a key role in organising the solidarity actions in bott As early as 1886,
the President of
forward the
The
the break from bureaucracy
campaign and ministries
labour'.
Socialist Challenge
have two problems. • First mey tan into tne ordit ol all the hypocritical Cold War campaigns of Reagan and Thatcher, who aim to willo up an-commons propaganda the better to allack tell own working classes.
Second, an economic boycott of the Soviet bloc will have little or no effect on the Soviet bureaucrats.
They will use such actions as an excuse to step up their drive against the workers of Europe political campaign solidarity with Solidarnosc both helps to isolate the Soviet and Polish bureau crats and aids the workers in inis country 1n their struggles against Thatcher's own austerity and anti-union drive.
Socialist Challenge is optimistic about the opportunities for building a serious movement solidarity with Solidarnos where it really counts among working people.
We don't think that such a movement will be helped by the witch-hunting type of article printed in the last PSC bulletin.
POLISH DARITY VAIGN sup
ARGUMENTS for SOCIALIS
for working class, politically it represents the interests of the Labour bureaucracy.
Labour Party leadership plays the same role as the trade union
As Leon Trotsky put it: "The same leaders guide trades unions, betray the general strike, lead the electoral
later at the
"The Labour Party and the trade unions — these are not two principles they are only a technical division of
18 February 1982 page 13
Page 14 scan of this page
Unions threaten South African regime Murder of Neil Aggett
pions of free, democratic Poland, they are strangely silent not so strangely
lynchpin of imperialism in the region.
What is happening to active trade union leaders in the apartheid republic has been brought forcefully into public view by the death in detention of Dr Neil Aggett. Neil is only
of one licially trade unionists and political activists who have died at ine nanas or lne South African police.
which asu Cast aroused world-wide hor. was the murder of Steve Biko, the Black LOnsciousness leader. Dr Aggell s case Is excepola. only in that he was the first wale person to meet this i ate.
He was because his activities organising black
the Rand as Secretary ot the food and Canning Workers Union.
Under South Africa's draconian laws, the police can detain any person almost indefinitely without trial, without ac-
legal advice Africa idH far as the great majority of its population is concerned
the black working class they live perpetually under emergency law in a police stale.
South Africa's white ruling class have shown increasing nervousness at the growth of trade unionism
Grenada 1982 :
From Pat Kane in St. Vincent
1979, has designated Economic Reconstruction'. economy is suffering mismanagement and
San Diego, California.
tions for debt default. Twelve years later,
tune had grown
dollars.
The new revolutionary
government estates bilal
it saved 2.5 million dollars
during the first year of the
revolution by eliminating
waste and corruption.
The
announced a whole series
of economic measures
increase the island's pro-
ductivity. the
government has made con-
siderable progress
break the island's
economic dependence on
the international capitalist
But the collapse
in cocoa, nutmeg and
banana prices has severely
affected the country's
struggle for selfSocialist Challenge 18 February 1982, page 19
WHILE the 'Western' politicians led by Reagan and Thatcher are masquerading as the cham-
trade unions in - or perhaps about the fate of trade unionists in the Republic of South Africa, the
among black workers, and the militancy of the strikes over the last two years.
There were at least 170
19ik, by of them illegal.
of them illegal.
Of the 90 strikes organised by the Federation South African Trade Unions (FOSATU), 53 were won.
The government has trea to control tne trade union movement by reouring unions to register under the so-called Industrial Conciliation Act which the unions see as a device to hamper their growth.
They want instead factory-level agreements on shop stewards and wage-bargaining rights. repression of unionists is escalating.
YEAR OF ECONOMIC
RECONSTRUCTION
THE government of Grenada, the tiny Caribbean island in which there was a revolution in
1982 as the 'Year of The Grenadian from years of exploitation under the former dictator Eric Gairy, now a resident of
Gairy returned to power in 1967, after having been removed from office in 1962 following a corruption scandal. Earlier that year he was declared bankrupt as a result of 17 prosecu-
the time of the 1979 revolution his personal for-
to an estimated 8 million sufficiency.
Last year the government developed an asphalt plant to construct the runof the new internaway tional airport and carry vul road repairs. The island's roads Have Decli neglected for thirt years making them very difficul to repair.
Last year it also opened the first ever agroindustries Wall Callul fruit and fruit drinks. and nousing bruel allie free primary health care all established 1981.
This is on top of the benefits in education, new agriculture co-operatives
Through militant action, more than 30 such
have been agreements forced on employers.
A meeung or twelve of thions held oma targe
Langa, Cape Town in August last year passed the following resolution:- 'We accept that trade unions are public bodies and accOrdingly we do not object to providing nor lalion with respect to our constitution finances and representivity. However,
subject ourselves to control by
other than our allyouuy own members. We therefore reject and resist the present system registration insofar as it is aesignea to control and in terfere in the internal aftairs of the union... , Il 15
internationally recognised right of workers to withhold their labour. Moreover. under present conditions and legislation, strikes happen freArmoured cars on patrclin Soweto. South African and a reduction of 25 per
the island's unemployment since revolution.
the international BUL.
economic crisis has had its ettects here. Cocoa prices have collapsed to less than half the price of two years
Nutmeg prices have
fallen, but through
creased technical aid to farmers there was
bumper crop last year.
Grenadian farmers get only 0.023 brusn bence
per pound for bananas
from the British company
Geest. Geest also insist on
special packaging which
costs nearly much.
While export prices
fall, imports oil
other goods spiral through
inflation. TOUTSH
been badly affected by the
propaganda campaign
against the Grenadian
revolution. in a ranaom
study by the Grenadian
mission in New York.
articles in one month were A found attacking Grenada
Despite these
other difficulties. in economy has shown considerable growth since the revolution. According to
the International Mone-
tary Fund, WINCISIO
International,
quently because of low wages, inadequate bargaining procedures that workers have no alter-
side the law. It is in any event the duty and function of the unions to stand its members.... prohibition financia support for workers will be obeyed. unions agree to support each other in the event of any union resisting ticipation on the Industrial Council.
It is because of the militancy and solidarity shown by the unions as typified by the Langa resolution that the aparuncle authoritie. nave resorted increased LU repressive lucasule. against black trade unionists and whites like Dr Aggeti who support them. The Langa meeting took a decision to continue resisting banning detention any possible' and warned that the a
friend of the revolution, in and 1981 there was a five and a
half per cent increase in agricult cent increase in per cent increase quarrying, 14.5 per increase construction and overal
tiona. Product. in a tiny island of only 113 square miles and a populaand tion of just 110,000. the
This growth has been achieved because of political government. Mass ticipation and control are
continuation of this practice 'could onlv worsen the already deteriorating dustrial LOll The unions also agreed to give every help in the so called homelands, The
permanent emergency prevailing en Republic The taken over by the new 'rul- lici
Ilig Class They were particularly par- concerned with the situa-
tion prevailing in the latest these independent statelets - the Ciskei and agreed send delegation Minister Sebe to express their 'extreme displeasure at his anti-union stance' As a protest over tne death of Neil Aggett there were nationwide last Thursday. At three of South Africa's ports Cape Elizabeth and East Lonand don work came to anal way for 30 minutes as black
steveaores aownica louis In other parts of the Western Cape, there was a massive response to the call for action. Students University Witwater01 srand staged a lunchtime protest meeting, was addressed by the pri cipal Professor DJ Picass. Will said: civilised nation should not allow this sort of outrage to happen'
There is no record ot any protest from Ronald Reagan, Margaret chers, the Pope, other of proclaimed evangels free trade unionism.
Grenadian premier Maurice Bishop
the Concistures government's 1981 saw the development the island's organisations, ticular the National Youth Organisation and the National Women's isanon, and ine extension of the system of 'peoples democracy' which allows the participation mass of Grenadians the of Louill y the democratic institutions
will be instrumental par- solving the
economic problems.
gets
By Paul Lawson situa-
AS THE deteriorates, where
of
Salvador. try.
Chief
There
The United States this situation strikes
biggest
Haig, US
a0
castern destroying
munication
the conducting
government trucks which
country.
will happen
whatsoever, tions with
That-
groups banned or any
self
OT
plained
the relationship undermining
joke.
vising the
elections were
wing parties
of the strategy. wing death
mass
par-
into a very Organ- Salvador.
Tine
the standing
their
These the fake
decisive stage.
El Salvador
Elections
farce as US
desperate
military situation the United States
getting increasingly worried about the possibility of a victory of the left wing guerrillas in El
Following the destruction on 27 January of a large part of the Salvadorean air force in a guerilla attack on the llopango air base near San Salvador, the FMLN guerrillas have launched military atacks all over the coun-
every sign that the military effort of the Salvadorean army and National Guard is collapsing.
in a response to is doubling. military aid, and a debate about whether to send troops is going on Alexander
Secretary of State, already made it clear that the US will
'whatever is necessary' to prevent a left wing victory.
The attacks have been aimed at
transport and comlinks major roads have been cut by guerrilla groups
patrols. destroying Cand generally disrupting the economic life of the
The United States is also becom ing increasingly worried about what
the much-vaunted elections scheduled for 28 March These elections have no credibility
held in civil war condithe main opposition
The State Department has now come forward with the bizarre suggestion that the left wing be allowed to stand in the elections from 'out would guarantee equal time on Ti the country saying and radio for 'the left'. It has not explaither this would include the DR and FMLN, nor what exactly it is in
between government and the El Salvador government which gives the United States control over such things
A target of the United States statement on the elections was the Socialist International. According to the US, the Socialist International is
the efforts to gei 'peace' in El Salvador by opposing the elections as a fraud
But in fact, the US's offer to ensure 'fair' elections is a fraud and a
Everyone that the Salvadorean army, which is super-
elections, would never allow an FDR/FMLN victory even if they were allowed to stand, even if
free of intimidation and organised in the countryside as well as the cities, even if the left
were freely campaign without their militants being made sitting targets for the right
squads But none ofthese conditions will be fulfilled.
It is increasingly clear that the Reagan administration has got itself
nasty cleft stick in El To intervene militarily wil bring about a political storm both in
United States and worldwide. Not to intervene could well mean
back while the revolu tionary guerrillas are victorious AS
elections approach, the struggle in El Salvador is reaching a
Page 15 scan of this page
against austerity
By Phil Hearse MILLIONS of Belgian workers joined a one-day general strike last Monday against the government's proposed austerity strike was accompanied by mass demonstrations all over the country.
It was followed up last demonstration of thousands of steelworkers in Brussells, which was wielding mounted cops. The violent scenes in Brussells are a symbol of the massive social tensions which are rocking Belgium.
The strikes and demonstrations ao the proposals are response of the Wilfred Martens government, with the crisis
Belgium's traditional such as textiles and steel. In order to make the working class pay lor the economic crisis, and to
restructure' In -dustry at the workers ex-
Martens Ine government proposes:
• A modification in the national 'sliding scale' of wages to reauce incomes by three per cent across the board.
programme of CUSUCS. redundancies and mergers in the steel in-
The reduction workers' wages in the steel and textile industries in exchange government financial help
By Phil Davies,
National Executive,
FAT (Furniture,
Timber and Allied
Trades) union
NATIONAL wage
negotiations with
sawmill owners have
reached
After rejecting the offer
OT per the
involved,
TGWU, GMWU and
FTAT met Friday
and
unanimously decided to
By Chris Guthrie
don for 27
the trial.
ment bodies for their endorsation.
already lent their support.
The
Belgium:
general strike
COSURD. The
Thursday by a
attacked sabre-
twenty per cent reduction in employers social security payments Mounted police flee demonstrators
Sawmill workers to strike
instruct their members in the industry to strike one day a week from 14 February.
They also ordered a complete ban on overtime and a reduction in piecework.
This is the first time in manv vears strike ac tion has been taken by sawmill workers The industry has never been renowned for industrial action. Thouah sawmill operators are highly skilled _in tel craft,
Bradford 12 campaign calls
national conference, demonstration
AS THE countdown begins to the trial of the Bradford 12 on 26 April, their defence campaign is stepping up the pace. A national conference has been called in Lon-
February, national demonstration is organised for 3 April in Leeds and a mass picket will take place outside the court on the opening day of
A special 'statement of support has been sent to all black, anti-racist and labour move-
MP Tony Benn and Ken Gill, chairperson of the TUC equal rights committee have
Bradford 12 are a group of young Asians who are charged with conspiracy to make explosives following the July uprisings
which will reduce all social benefits. • Ine introduction 'special powers' which will enable une governient lo rule the economy and the TIONS by executive decree.
This package amounts lo a massive attack on
some ware callicks estimate that it could, pushed through, result in an overal! per cent reduction in living standards.
wage rates in the in-
dustry have lagged
behind similar types
work
and building trades in-
dustry for many years.
During recent wage negotiations employers
havete loss high ages
equals 10ST • jobs.
redundancies have
escalated while pav has
remained low, so this
excuse is wearing thin
This time we're out
to show the owners
we're serious about a
decent wage by putting
last year. No petrol bombs were used in Bradford and the 12 are pleading not guilty
and it is vital that the black community and labour movement come to their support
for the campaign the conference has
don SE1 on 27 February
and the way forward in the campaign.
For phone 01-328 4523.
News.
CSC banners on demonstrations despite opposition of CSC leaders Last Monday's strike was organised by the Socialist FGTB trade union, to which most unionists in the Frenchspeaking south OI the country belong.
Unfortunately the strike was opposed by the CSC, the Christian unior strong in the Flemish-speaking north of the country Nonetheless, despite official opposition thousands of CS( joined in the which was solid in Brussells and the south, and partially successful in the north. Among the hundreds of red banners of the FGTB in last Monday's Brussells demonstration, there were dozens of green banners of the CSC
The of the CSC is complicated by its close links with the Social Christian Party (PSC), of the government OlIC parties in coalition with Christian Democrats.
LICI
rank and file of the che While many oppose the austerity the mcasuics. leadership continues to support the Social Christians and their participation in the government.
muscle behind Some our claim.
FTAT also dispute nationally over the furniture wage claim. The national executive is supporting any factory around the country taking industrial action.
The union is going for 15 per cent against the bosses' offer of only 7 per cent. The furniture workers have taken na-
twice in the last three years.
According to their London Support Group, this is a show-trial of black political activists
To bring together the widening support
been organised to take place at County Hall, Lon-
The agenda will include: the lessons of the July uprisings and the trials that have followed them; the political significance of the trial;
Credentials can be obtained from: Bradford 12 London Support Group, c/o 54 High St, Southall Middlesex
conference will be followed by a social at the Africa Centre, Covent Garden with live band and disco
ляно
This has led to a rank-and-file campaign in the CSC to break with the Social Christians and form their own political party
'Christian Workers'
Party', which would break with the pro-capitalist austerity measures of the
Despite the success of the FGTB-organised one day strike, the opposition of the socialist-led union remains hesitant and episodic. The Martens
against cuts
Barking and Dagenham are set to go out on of.
tional Union of Teachers in two years.
Ken Glanfield,
ecutive of the union boroughs.
What's the strike about?
It's about the jobs of 160 teachers and the level of education provided in one of the most working class London boroughs.
Last year, 80 jobs were
cut out of 1400 and now they're coming back for
Heseltine's cuts local ent ndi the case seven Barking and Dagenaam cent of are given as the reason.
This is a heavy blow any council, but the
TOTI
local council which is 90
per cent Labour has done
nothing to mobilise ор-
Ken Jones explains the issues
YARIA.
government shows no signs of backing down.
The Revolutionary Workers League, the Belgian Trotskyisl organisation, has beer campaigning for two years TOTI general strike defeat the right and impose a workers government.
Its most immediate campaign is for a united
East London teachers
out on official strike
900 TEACHERS in the East London borough of
ficial strike for three days from 16 Feb and indefinite strike from 26 Feb. This is the first such action sanctioned by their union, the Na-
La Socialist Challenge supporter and teacher in Dagenham School spoke about the issues to Ken Jones, secretary of the local NUT and a candidate for the National Ex-
in the outer London position these cuts.
They've had no contact with trade unions except to tell them about the cuts and had no contact with the local people Leaders of the council have stated that no social justice in these cuts' and talk about a national Call airli against the government' while in practice they do nothing.
What's been the response of the local unions?
The lead in the fight against the cuts - which affect other sectors besides education has been taken by the NUT, which represents per cent of the teaching force in the area.
front of the workers unions against the govern. ment, to the religious and political div!. sion of the labour move. ment proving an obstacle to repelling the offensie of the bosses and goverr. Hicill.
viner unica: na•:... been as militant 50 even 200 schoo meals workers in NUPE and GMWU for instance face the sack.
Over the past six mor. ths, NUT meetings of 30% have been CommOnDiake and workplace meeting have been held in almos: every school.
It is through such ai tivity that we've been able to get the backing of the national union
What are implica tions nationally?
For a long time a battle has been going on for the NUT to strike against job loss as well as compulsor redundancy. If this strik wins, that argument wil have been won.
More i that, vic tory in this area will encourage memoes dl uve
the country to resist the cuts. We are now the national focus for activity which will determine the
future LOUESC of the union.
We have called on the national executive to call a
solidarity strike throughout London on 10 March.
What are you doing
about getting support
in the Labour Party and
what is being done
locally to build support
for 10 March?
The NUT is handicappe:
in this fight by , not beire
affiliated to the Labour
Party.
Even so, the loca.
association is calling or.
local wards and consil-
tuencies throughout the
country to put pressure or
and Dagenham
Council not to implemen.
these cuts and to mount a
campaign of resistance to
government policy.
Socialist Challenge 18 February 1982 page 15
Page 16 scan of this page
Stop US plans to invade Nicaragua
We're not resting on our laurels — are you?
Nicaragua militia demonstrate in
ENTHUSIASTIC, that was the response to our new sellers' subs this weekend at the Socialist Challenge School on Poland. People took out subs, getting us off to a flying start. So now it's up to the rest of you to keep up the good work.
Special new sellers'
subscription Bargain of the year from SC is our new SELLER'S
SUB. It's only £9.50 for a year, or £5.50 for six
with your money to: SCD, PO Box 50, London NI 2XP.
And as subscribers we are offering a free copy of the 1982 Pluto Press 'Big Red Diary'. Make sure you're one of the first 36!
I wish to take out a SELLER'S SUB to Socialist Challenge.
I want a 1 year/6 month sub.*
I enclose £9.50/£5.50*
Name....
Name of Seller
Town
*Delete as necessary
Rani tered a‹ я newenaner with the Post Ottice
Published by Cardinal Enterprises, PO Box 50, London N1.
Printed By East End Offset (TU) Ltd, London E2.
Socialist
Challenge
Managua Just complete the form below and return
La Special Offer to the first 36
PERLD LA APLASTARA
ESE PEDRO AQAUZ. P
Meanwhile, we're not resting on our laurels.
As you can see from the other articles in this issue, are organising a tour and a big rally for Mary Zinns the Uniter Mine-
SPECIAL
OFFER
copy of
MALCOLM X
'reaction shall not pass' says the banner
workers of America.
All of this, of course, will CUSt money and need it in advance of the The airline won't wait until after the rally for their fare - they want
MCK EM
With each 12 months inland subscription to Socialist Challenge we are offering a free
NICARAGUA: THE SANDINIST REVOLUTION by Henri Weber (normal price f2.95) or AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF
By Phil Hearse 1 up Holl
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EL SALVADOR SOLIDARITY
DEMONSTRATION To coincide with the government's fraudulent elections Sunday 28 March Assemble Speakers Corner 1 pm March to rally in Trafalgar Square
IN RESPONSE to the dramatic advances being made by revolutionary and socialist forces in El Salvador and Guatemala, the United States is preparing an elaborate measures to defeat the struggle of the workers and peasants of that region.
Special plans drawn up by the CIA have been leak-
Washington Post. They reveal:
* A plan to set aside $19m for covert military action against Cuba and Nicaragua. * Money to be set aside for building 'a broad political opposition to Sandinista rule in Nicaragua * US suppor for antiCandinista exie forces Ir Honduras to be stepped up. There are 6,000 men in 20 training camps being readied along the Nicaragua-Honduras border for a possible invasion of Nicaragua, operation with the Argen11n121 Guatemalan and Honduran overnment
* 1,000 soldiers are bein trained in Argentina assist with an invasion of Nicaragua
to the Washington Post: Presi dent Reagan has already given his support to this plan. Argentina withdrew its ambassador mom he
Nicaraguan capital Managua last week after the FSLN accused the
Argentinians of being involved in activity to overthrow the government proposed in the Reagan- Among the activine. approved plan are harass-
ment raids by small groups of CIA-backed exiles.
would include al-
tacks on Cuban boats and
well as harasse involvemen ua
involvement
Argentina comes
As Socialist
Challenge exclus vel
reported iwo weeks ago, a
meeting of top brass from
all over Latin America was
Forl McNair
Washington last October,
Socialist Challenge
usual, but mark the
envelope 'MZ Tour'
A special thanks this
week to our Wandsworth
supporters who have given
€400 this year so far, and Inland: 12 months £14.00; 6 months £7.00;
series of military
and graced with the presence of Us defence Secretary Caspar Weinberger.
The new US plans all point to an invasion of Nicaragua being the decisive counter-blow which the wants to aim at the Central American revolution.
Over the past month the military position of the Salvadorean junta has worsened considerably Fighting neighbouring Guatemala has dramatically escalated and the four main guerrilla groups there have established a joint command.
These struggles gradually turning into regional revolutionary war. For the United States, to send troops to E Salvador is a ver risky
choice. Already TV film o a senior US officer carryhas unused com political
caused the us. Both Both domestically and interna tionally the US would br under sharp attack for a direct military move.
certain tha the US is co-ordinating and international counterrevolutionary force to invade Nicaragua, to strike a blow at revolution in the whole region
The threat against Nicaragua is a very im mediate one. Socialists everywhere should preparing to take action to defend the Nicaraguan people and all those fighting US-backed dictatorships in Central America with support for the EI Salvador national
demonstration 28 March
Ed Mahood who is one of
our most consistent con
tributors.
Our thanks also to out
other supporters in
cluding:
OWL £2.00
Anon 4.00
5.00
ATOE
Crawley 15.00
90.00
Camden 30.00
1.00
Glasgow
Brighton
Haringey
Miso
Islington
York
Liverpool
Bristol
Leeds
Bolton/Bury 104.
Wandsworth
Southampton 15.00
109.5(
Hackne
Aberdeen 50.00
Ed Mahood 10.00
Total £1164.0(
Grand Total £5927.61
But we're almost £2001
short of our target for th
period We should hav
raised £7850 so
dig deep!
← Socialist Challenge No. 232, 11 February 1982Socialist Challenge No. 234, 25 February 1982 →