Socialist Challenge No. 235, 4 March 1982

Socialist Challenge · 4 March 1982 · 16 pages, 22,055 words read by machine

The scan: sc-no235.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.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

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Challenge STOP THATCHER STOP REAGAN

EL SALVADOR SOLIDARITY DEMONSTRATION SUNDAY 28 MARCH HYDE PARK LONDON

No. 235 4 March 1982 25p BRITAIN is supporting the increasingly hysterical campaign being waged by the United States government against the revolution in Central America. British ships are participating in a threatening naval exercise off the coast of Cuba called Operation Safe Pass.

This exercise will within a few miles of Havana. and involve landing marines at Guantanamo, ONCHERS TOUR BASE REDA Britain is going ahead with sendina TVVO -DOSETVERS fake elections being staged in El salvador - most European countries have refused to do

The naval operation the Cuban coast comes in the wake of the fantastic allegations about the war Salvador made by the head of the CIA, William Casey.

According to bizarre allegations the war in El Salvador is being run 'entirely from Managua', the capital of Nicaragua. Involved in running

war are supposedly Cubans, Russians, East mans and the Palestine Liberation Organisation, as well as the Nicaraguans themselves. In fact the only 'outsiders' in El Salvador are the US who help run the army.

The reason for this hysteria is not difficult to find. As one top US official put it last week in El Salvador we are within inches of losing control over the situation entirely.

The brutal Salvadorean dictatorship IS by tine left-wing hammered the FIMLN forces. And in Guatemala the left-wing guerrillas are making increasing headway against the right-wing Garcia

As Mexican Lopez Portillo pointed out last week, the danger of US tervention in the region is very TED..

It is an outrage that Britain, virtually alone among United States' allies, is giving open support to the states policy of rebression

Unemployed and strikers 10p

Socialist

CARIBBEAN NAVAL THREAT

Poss near

in El

Casey's

Ger-

officers left-wing

president

in-

the

United

Cricketers

caught out

apartheid regime.

In a sport-crazy coun try the isolation of South Africa from international sport has been an effective method of hitting -InE morale of the white rulers

THE TOUR of South Africa by twelve English cricketers to play a series of so-called test matches is a massive propaganda coup for the

the confidence of black population

It has contributed to the broader struggle against the apartheid regime. The carefully planned tour involves huge finances some half a million pounds to pay the players alone

The plavers have been lured by fat pay cheques to compensate for probably being banned from playing in international cricket ir the future

But their decision to go to South Africa does not depend on money alone They all know full well that test cricket with South Africa was broken off by the white cricketing naand New Zealand triy tions

only with extreme reluctance of the game were faced ir the early 1970s with either banning South Africa from test cricket or facing the best cricket players the West Indians - refus ing to play the white teams. In addition it would have meant the Pakistanis and Indians adopting similar attitude

Expelling South Africa was therefore necessary to keep international cricket together. But it is an open secret in the cricketing world that the upper class reactionaries who run cricket would love to have South Africa back in the fold

But there is more hypocrisy involved here The tour has been loudly condemned by the Tory government. But, as former England cricket captain Tony Greig, a sup porter of South Africa points out, the cricketer: are only doing what polit

SO LETE nent do every Africa'. E deal

ng with Sout actly.

What really boosts South Africa, and enables the apartheid system to survive, is not sporting maks oor much more Im portantly the bless of pounds INVES MET poured in by the Western capitalist countries, above all Britain, together with the trade and defence links WnIch the Western powers have.

Thatcher willinot con demn the English cricketers; neither will she condemn the English bankers and the multinaSouth Africa affoat. tionals are keeping

Sanctions will undoubtedly be taker against the cricketers by the cricket authorities probably they will be banned from international cricket. This of course is something which we sup port.

But with the rugby tours by Irish and 'British Lions' teams. and now the

South has been gradually breaking TURE sporting boo iong as business and governments with South Africa, it is difficult to persuade athlete:

do otherwise. Geoff Boycott, Graham Gooch and company are just do ing what British capitalism has been doing for decades - making money out of apartheid

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Steering committee to set up simple forum

-Editorial

PO Box 50, London N1 2XP

Phone 01-359-8189/8180 (editorial and distribution)

International

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY, 8

March is a tribute to our history and a

celebration of our future.

15,000 women garment workers march-

ed through the streets.

worked in dirty.

ten or twelve hours a day. There were no

toilets or teabreaks and talking was for-

bidden. Many became blind by the age

of 25 from sewing tiny beads on to the

finery of the wealthy. They marched for

equal pay.

mothers

trade unions. Two

Zetkin, revolutionary leader of the Ger-

man women's movement called on all

socialists to celebrate that day as Inter-

national Women's Day.

last 74 years? In the current economic situa

tion and with the warmongering policies of

Thatcher and Reagan, women are suffering

disproportionately.

and women's pay is as wide as ever - 25 per

cent on average (except in Sweden and sur-

prisingly Italy). In Britain women's pay is 60

per cent of men's

passing of the Equal Pay Act.

for women as it is for men,

government is considering the introduction

of measures to stop married women signing

on altogether.

reserve army of labour, prepared to take poor

conditions and low pay when they're at work

and flexible enough to be thrown out of work

when there's unemployment.

happened and many women have struggled

since the heroic example of our sisters in

1908. Women are stronger and they expect

Page 3 scan of this page

International Women's Day

A festival of

struggles

Women: Portraits from Life

RALLY FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

Speakers include: Mary Vinns, United Mineworkers

abortion rights.

Entrance; Cl and 50p unwaged.

M the Camden Centre, off Fuston Road

Doors Open 5.30pm Bookstalls and displays, light refreshments

available

Birmingham International Women's Day Public meeting Tuesday 9 March at 7.30 The Fighting Cocks pub Mosely, Birmingham Speakers Mary Zinns, United Mineworkers of America Mary Crawford, on women in Ireland Letitia on women in Latin America Mags Lamplough, Revolution Youth Banner Theatre Group with their play Women at Work £7.50 waged, E1 unwaged

past and future

South West Lancashire pit head woman 1886, from Victorian Working

oramence and memoer or ane Socialist Workers Party. US.

Speaker from the Nicaraguan

Speakers from the Fourth International, including Irish section.

Speaker from the campaign for

Speakers from the action commit- CARDIFF tee for a womans right to work. ad this page.

3.30pm.

March.

Rights

salutes International States.

By Rose Brooks

stout hearty

pit thrutching corves, years

it? answer:

me!'

From "Victorian Portraits from Life

co working m one rames continued they were underground in 1842.

THEI

last which

mine which is being worked.

Woman miner from

US tours Britain

Meet Mary Zinns of the United Mineworkers of America and the Socialist Workers Party. USA THIS TOUR, sponsored by Revolution Youth and Socialist Challenge s building up support as preparations for international Women's Da and the 5 June Labour Party event on women's rights draw nea

Mary Zinns will be meeting Shadow Minister for Women's Affairs. Joan Lestor, and other MPs at the House of Commons

Miners leaders in Yorkshire will be discussing with Mary in spite of

official Ne sure icy mich is waits Mary an frie follown the meeties

Make sure you meet up with Mary ar throughout Britain

Saturday 6 March at 2.30, under auspices of the Wales Women's Rights Committee, Friends Meeting House. MANCHESTER Monday 8 March, Lesser Free Trade Hall Peters Street, 8pm. Organised by the National Abortion Cam paign and the Action Committee for a Womans Right to Work. BIRMINGHAM — Tuesday 9 March, see ad this page. GLASGOW - Wednesday 10 March - Partick Burgh Hall, Burgh Hall Street, EDINBURGH - Thursday 11 March, Chaplaincy Centre, Edinburgh University. Bristol St at 7.30pm.

LONDON - Friday 12 March, Camden Centre off Euston Rd. MANSFIELD - Sunday 14 March, Civic Theatre Lounge at SHEFFIELD. BOLSOVER, NOTTINGHAM, LEEDS - 14-17

SOUTHAMPTON - Thursday 18 March, Conference Room, Civic Centre at 7.45.

BOURNEMOUTH - Friday 19 March, fringe meeting at Women's TUC.

For further detaits phone Judith Arkwright at 07-359 8371.

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE

Women's Day 1982. As our

contribution to the struggle

of women for justice and

liberation we have organised

a series of public meetings

across Britain for Mary Zinns,

a woman miner in the United

It is women like Mary

who, with our support, are

breaking out of the ghettos,

charting new paths and

destroying the myth of female inferiority. In so doing

they lead the way for all of uS International Women's

Day is born from struggle:

significance.

'MARGARET Pallett was

woman of 45, with a very black face. She worked below ground in the

from goes old to eighteen, demands when the women were turned

When I said. 'Did you like

She gave me the usual "like it? Aye! an I'd gaw dahn again, if tha'd let! work in the mines

Working Women: should Margaret Pallet was one of many women in the 1860s who said they lik-

to work secretly, often • Lubmar made redundant, disguised as men, many years after

forbidden cleaning jobs The and grand daughters worked on the surface, at the pith lasi. to the potead wor

two pithead WOmE retired from No 10 Lowca Pit, Harr ington in Cumberland on 1 July 1972, 130 years after women were forbid- lous wretches

underground and three years before the Sex Discrimination Act.

Far from allowing women to be miners, the SDA said that, No female PUEE shall be employed in a job the duties

ordinarily require the employee to spend a significant pro- tacked because portion of time below ground at a cidents.

following meetings

born among the poorest, most deprived and suffering of women in a 1908 strike about 129 women who were burned to death in a fire in 1983 New York's garment district.

Since that day 8 March has been used by women to unite on those issues we consider important - war, food suffrage, abortion, childcare, equal pay. prostitution

Its history has been marked by mass demonstrations, rallies, meetings and heroic 1983. struggles. Unfortunately, it has also been marked by the efforts of official labour and communist parties to trivialise and undermine its

Women miners-our history

This was lightly modified in prac tice in 1978 when the National Coal Board appointed a woman as deputy exist. medical officer for South Wales who

underground work women

The Equal Opportunities Commis sion in 1979 confirmed its support for the ruling of the SDA

Today, neither the Coal Board not the National Union of Miners think that women should be allowed to

In the 50s the Coal Board and the NUM agreed that disabled miners

given preference for pithead jobs and as the women retired they were replaced by men.

In some cases the women were Work in canteens, on switchboards or alternative

arguments about whether women should work in the mines began in the 1840s when the appalling conditions were first exposed.

But moral outrage was more pro minent than concern for their welfare Pit women were called "coarse, licen-

The Wigan pithead women who wore trousers under their wide aprons were considered to be outrageous,

though women miners elsewhere continued to wear dresses.

At the same time dresses were at

they caused ac

Deaths of women were sensa-

tional Socialist Challenge/Revolution Youth weekend school Women's oppression and the fight to build a women's movement 13/14 March, County Hall, Waterloo, SE1, Creche provided Open to all Socialist Challenge supporters: Tickets: E3 for /WD rally and school from J Arkwright, PO Box 50, London N1 2XP.

In Britain this year there will be no major event to celebrate women's day, but we can not permit this ir

This will be the 75th an niversary of international Women's Day.

We should organise now to call on the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, for the TUC and the Labour Party to call a mass international demonstration on 8 March

Women should take the lead in the fight for • Jobs not bombs • A womans right to work • A womans right to choose tionalised missing the point that safety conditions for all miners didn't

A favourite argument was that

made jobs dangerous because they were not strong enough to save themselves in an emergency

STRE pithead women scorned these criticisms and were proud of their strength.

They knew what women doing manual work always find out, that many jobs do not require Amazonian strength so much as learning a knack

how to lift and carry with the minimum of effort.

Pithead women were needed as a source of cheap labour for the coa owners. ror alone time te womer had the support of their fathers and families because it was quite usual in mining areas to have a daughter at the pithead whose wage was an impor tant part of the family income.

However official union policy supported their exclusion

As a Wigan miner put it: 'Strip the women of their clogs and flannel trousers and let the unemployed men of Wigan step into them and take their places at the pitheads and in stead of women receiving 1/6d let men have 2/8 or 3/- for the same labour and see if Wigan does not im-

Pithead women earned one third of men's wages, being excluded from the mining unions until WW.

The unions knew the owners were using women to divide the community but they came to the wrong conclusions by excluding women from all mining work

Constant attempts were made to amend tuning legislation to stop women working in the mines. When an attempt was made in 1911, the Wigan pithead called meeting of 2000 supporters

Elz: pithead worker, moved a resolution against any interference and asked local MPs for SUS COT

Their cause was taken up by the suffragettes in Wigan and the pithead women began to join a union, the Na

Federation of Womer Workers, which intervened in severa! local wage disputes

All attempts until 1975 to exclude women from the mines defeated. It is ironic that moves which women fought successfully for over 100 years should slide in as part of legislation which was claimed to be in the interests of women.

Recommended reading: By the Sweet o Their Brow, Women Workers at Victorian Coal Mines, by Angela V John: Croon Hern. Landon

Victorian Working Women: Portrait from Life, Michael Hiley: Gordon Fraser Socialist Challenge 4 March 1982 page 3

Page 4 scan of this page

By Janet Maguire, secretary South East London Medical Branch ASTMS in her personal capacity THE PROPOSAL by the government to charge overseas visitors for health care is anther attack - this time wrapped in a racist package -on the principle of a national health service that provides free health care for all those who need it.

Tory propaganda paints a lurid picture of roreigners descending Britain to abuse our health

insinuating that oo vigg. wealthy oil snieks get treated on the NHS.

This is nonsensel In my ten years health way weathy shiek, or fer worker 1 have yet to that matter any weathy foreigner, being treated on the NHS.

Private

The wealthy overseas visitor, ike our own rich, preter ine sacision pampering that private treatment dishes out to its well-off clients, than

By Kumer Sen and Chris Guthrie

and anti-racist activists

April to free the Bradford 12.

The 12 Asian youths who

aoste se dus tor tha ne

conspiring

April at Leeds Crown Court

REWI DESE DOOLEV

but convicted can

sentenced to ten to fifteen

years

Their national network of

GETenCE COTH ELS CrOUCHE

together BROD:e

discuss broader questions

facing the black community

the

specifically how to build the

campaign. Bill

There was a general con-

CenSUS -InaN rEICHE"

government is attacking the

democratic rights of the black

communities through the Na

through con-

TOnERSY

tinued harassment by

police USING TEmDed

oregar re gran o

and by the increased

under the ENE pUncH

pretence or proservig av

and order.

1. 1881 wasa said,

year of black political action

Free the Bradford 12

National demonstra-

tion Saturday 3 April Assemble 1pm in Savile Mount Park opbosite the Trades Clut Chhate vn Hosc Leeds 7.

Rally and cultural event in

Leed on dom Mers Dare

of Leeds Crown Court on 26

Socialist Challenge

NHS CHARGES TO OVERSEAS VISITORS

Racist attack on

free health service

having treatment on the

The proposals will victimise black people. How do you decide if OUTSI Or HouE resoie with black or brown faces CE HE OES Vda interrogated their CUENdiL and whose pasports will be demanded.

This will mean that until they can prove their natonality their treatment will be deterred, which could have serious or even fatal consequences.

This is anther step in the Jirection towards establisning the principie that health care is just a commodity HIKE anything else and should be paid for Bradford 12 national conference

Unity needed to defend

victims of Tory police

A CALL went out from a conference of black

at the weekend to build the national demonstration in Leeds on 3

with the rebellions in the city areas METHY O UCA EE WItA Me mODis BOrS CEdiS the Nationality Bill and the -TOSS LETE Anwar Ditta victory and SUCCESSTU CO PS ONS CodinS! aRDOREUOn

THE BRADFORD 12

4 March 1982 page 4

Thatcher has sent her advisors to the United States to cast their eyes

their method of GVD health care. American capitalism has a simple way of dealing with running its medical system.

you are unlucky enough, O DUO CHOUCH not to have insurance, tough luck, you do not get any treatment, even if it might mean that you die!

Such a scheme must warm the hearts COT the Thatcher monetarists.

Ever since the last Labour

governa started cutting the health service, private insurance scnemes have been booming in Britain

Now with Tory government in office the DEVEIE SECTO is having a field day.

By the end of 1980, the number of private health insurance S HOSCHOLS totalled 1,647,000, which

OPTERCI lewvers for the Bradford 17 stater that polic

were deliberately intimidating

black communities and youth.

who hat

defended the St t Paul's Bristo ESS MOUWEC DUE LAL COF

spiracy laws MBE DERMOUSI

been used against activists in the move. Ten CH0 HOUC DuD One of many local marches to free the Bradford 12

Home News

you include their dependents represents a privately insured population of around 3.5 million. This represents crease in one year of 29 per cent.

A delighted BUPA is predicting that by 1985 ten million people will be in private health schemes.

Private beds already account for seven per cent Brish hospitbis all available beds in

Buy

If this attack on NHS is to be fought, we have to start from the vital principle that the NHS must provide a completely free health service

•HEED whether they are British WER SHOS

Furthermore we must be all private

COdES schemes which enable the rích to buy their way to the top of the queue at the expense of the working people.

These laws have to be challenged

The need for a general

based on OOIECd CarDol national unity of the various defence campaigns was

While Labour Parties and trade unions were denounced

TACISL by SOmE sadl delegate TrOm emphasised their director.

Its aims

system.

American civil rights movement.

Road, London N4. dismissa/ to a reprimand.

•PRESSURE is building

supporter.

weeks after the trial

dismissed.

The Newton Rose Defence

don N4, phone 01-272 4889.

peal heard.

Private medicine also leeches off the NHS, taking. away trained personThe trade unions and the Labour Party must

exDAenCR On WnBa OGa Labour Party and trade union Sha ori. This had drawn in par ticularly winning tent anolemen tee india consis

YORKET RESONANO MIRE committee.

A spokesperson from the Bradford 12 National Mobilis ing Committee stated that the struggle for democratic rights

"UPDATES

•A BLACK civil rights movement. Black Rights (UK/ has been launched by the Carib bean Times newspaper and the majority of Britain's ethnic minority organisations.

One of its first projects, starting on 1 April is a 24-hour Help-on-Arrest Scheme. Barrister Rudy Narayan is to be convenor and first

include: implementation of a British Bill of Rights: assisting black people to fight successfully at all levels of the legal

Black Rights (UK) will be sponsoring delegated conference on the 20/21 June 1982 in conjunction with various leaders of the

Black Rights (UK) can be contacted c/o Rudy Narayan, Tower House. 139-149 Fonthill

• THE ONLY black firefighter in Lancashire who was sacked for allegedly failing to salute an officer and appealed to Home Secretary on the grounds of unfair dismissal has won Whitelaw's support,

Whitelaw has now reduced Roland Steven's

for dropping of charges against Newton Rose, the East Lon don black youth sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a white National Front

It seems that the judge - who retired two

completely contravened legal rules by giving the jury an ultimatum to give their verdict in 15 minutes or be

Committee can be contacted c/o 76 Stroud Green Rd. Lon-

Picket outside the Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand. London WČ2 on Monday/Tuesday 8/9 March from 9.45am when Newton Rose and his three friends will have their ap.

New proposals will subject black people to interrogation resist these measures unlike the electrical union, the EETPU which has negotiated private scheme for its members.

The Labour Party must

O WID SEO DaGk Homes MOD as A ComMon strud gle with all working clane

against Tory government

slow the

SU HOLCE HUn abour movement has beer about takine up ocence or black people it has to be wor T UICH 30C

The immediate focus ot the campaion is 1o bund sup

tion

violence and abuse

time to challenge the deportation threat.

tions.

Write protests to: Timothy Raison

fice, Queen Anne's Gate, London SW1.

were both born here

arrested as an alleged illegal entrant.

Mohinder to India

must be stopped.

March at 4pm,

ParK

Contact the defence committee

youth.

local black community.

committed to tonalising al private hospitals and clinics and rescinding any legislation TETSE compels visitors pay for health care. port now and to oppose thi USE ONSPECCY laws us boltical attack on the bac community Petitions, statements of sup background materia/, model resolutions are available from PREE VODO AORISIRO COITALE!

Box JK. 59 Cookridge Leeds 2

• The Home Office is threatening to deport Mrs Santosh and her two children of Houns/ow West London because it claims that she was not 'head of household" when she came to this country two years ago and that she practised material decep-

Their "'proof" is Mrs Santosh's involuntary residence with her brother-in-law by whom she had two children after the death of her own husband and from whom, she says, she recerved only

The local Law Centre has now taken up Mrs Santosh's case and she has been granted extra

Protests against the racist and sexist immigration laws should be made from black, anti-racist women's, trade union and Labour Party organiso

Home Of.

• Mohinder Singh came to Britain in the early seventies, is married with two children who

In early November 1981, while coming back from London he was stopped by police on the motorway. He continued his journey but half an hour later was stopped again and

The Home Office is now trying to deport

away from his family.

This flagrant use of police computer files

Public meeting Birmingham: Saturday b

The Ark, Cavendish Road Community Centre, Cavendish Road, Rotten SohoRd, Birmingham 2e orme 59 4679 •SOME of the circumstances surrounding the killing of Terence May in South London are emerging at the trial at the Old Bailey of 15 black

The defence is claiming that the pub which was attacked prior to Terry May's death was an organising centre of National Front forays into the

Page 5 scan of this page

Tories leave young people to 'rot'

What's the truth about St Saviour's

By Toni Gorton IN A FURIOUS exchange Employment Secretary. Norman Tebbit accus ed Tony Benn of creating a 'time bomb of dis sent and encouraging wild among youth.

wild expectations? We are a rich country ... is it a wild expectation that people should have the right to work?

In a further statement Tony Benn declared that 'the real crime is that three million people are out of work and that while the

spending £10bn on Trident, it leaves yours poopie to rot on tne streets

This confrontation between the policies of the IVY COVERTERLARG INE Labour left arose from the 3000 strong youth lobby of parliament on 25 February organised by the Labour Party Young Socialists and the YOP Trainees Rights Campaign.

ST SAVIOUR'S Junior School in

gauntlet of security guards, master, Arnold Cowman,

disciplinarian with a will of iron.

What's Sharon Walker really the 'big, black and really

racist, anti-working prepare the way for more police repression?

MARK TURNBULL.

ADAMS, a parent area - give their views.

OVER the past fortnight, the local and national media have unleashed another witch-hunt against ane Toxteth district of Liverpool. immediate targets are the Punior School Sad their pupils Saviour's parents. But it was an excuse tor a more cenera orgy of slander and abuse against the area.

Last summer's rebellion was a clear warning to the government and local authority that the people Toxteth, especially the youth, were not prepared to accept the burden the present economic crisis.

Incidents that are commonplace in any school -fighting and bullying have been distorted out of all proportion.

Articles

•raile engineering

tion at work, branch or your local Labour Party.

N1 2XP.

last week Tory

expectations'

In reply Benn came back: "What are these

The lobby and rally highlighted the dangers young people under This ory govern

They showed that young people face: • unemployment rising to 50 per cent in some areas • government subsidy to the bosses which encourages them to pay their young workers less than 140 a week in some cases as little as E10. • risk of physical harm because trainees aren't covered by the Health and Safety at Work Act.

Toxteth reopened on 1 March amid a welter of publicity. As pupils and their parents walked the

the new headwas sworn in as a

the truth about St Saviour's? Is

nasty 17-year old, the Miss Big who ran a reign of terror as described by the Daily Star? Or has the gutter press embarked on a campaign of

class lies designed to

La teacher, and PAUL both from the Toxteth

Stories about mafias' and protection

lurid imagination of the gutter press.

And treme re

emerged February Sunday which explained that blaming the children or parents was pointless Sunday Times pointed out that in the immediate period leading up to the disturbances there was a severe crisis in staffing which was not dealt with by the local authority.

Last summer six experienced teachers left the school and were not replaced by staff. In December the school secretary - a person vital to the running of the school - was severely injured and the new depu-

REVOLUTION 20

now out on •Poland •El Salvador • YOPS • disarmament • Labour Party

Revolution is indispensible to winning youth to the fight for socialism. All Socialist Challenge readers and supporters should think about selling Revolu-

college, at your union

Subscription for six months £1.50; for a year E3. Bulk orders available on sale or return, phone Revo Youth on 01-359.8371 or write to Revolution, PO Box 50, London

At the YOPs lobby on 25 February • militarisation through army-run holiday camps for young unemployed.

compulsion by withdrawal of social

or Anned serena Steen in ----

Sharon Walker -victim of racist gutter press

ty head also went on sick

lea this left the head

person already suffering from high blood pressure

taking tull-time teaching supervision of school lunches and the headmaster's sibilities as well.

Again, the Sunday Times debunked another myth when it described Sharon Walker as 'bright, highly imaginative 11 year old who is good at games

Sharon's mother, who is unemployed and trying to bring up four children ov herselt, tinds it incredi ble that if the charges made by the Daily star were true that she has never been contacted by the school.

Youth

security unless youth go on training schemes.

the declaration presented to Employment Secretary Norman Tebbit on behalf of the lobby, the

LIVERPOOL EDUCATION COMMITTEE

SE Saviours GiE.

Greet

This excalast bed vanit aflects Shoes

had work tim

Stor

Soniantan

Witte

at dawing. She is way.

Falot Sham o

to work had rant ye she they dustrue If she contanues

One Fore

Claims TORT school violence follows under-use of the cane can't be pursued in this case. Saviour's hit the headlines in 1977 for being a school that used the cane. Rather it is clear that caning caus ed violence in the school 5 Teache p Society of posed to Physical ment, toid us: 'in the incident that sparked off the rot in the school seven children had been sub jected to a mass caning.

We have information that this is not the first time groups of children have been caned.

Both teachers and council officials knew tha trouble had been building up in the weeks leading up to the half term but many

possibility of more inner city unrest was pointed out:

"You seem to be wan ting to guarantee social upheaval and a sharp risc in strikes on the one hand

GIRL, 10, LED

SCHOOL

TERROR

parents only got to know about it on the televisior news. This was due to the lack of communication between the school and parents.

Some parents had begun to organise the parents association but had received little thusiasm from the head master

As well as te smears against St Saviour's, the local paper has waged a consistent campaign of

assassination against members of the Liverpool 8 Defence Com mittee

The fear in the com munity is that there is a deliberate campaign justify any action that the police and the authority might take in the coming

and despite the efforts of JOHN HARRIS socialists to channel the anger of youth into positive political channels the real an emers ban

last summer's urban unrest on the other

Four main demands were made of the government: trade union rates of

for trainees: quaranteed lobs at the end of the scheme; free trave to work for YOPs; and five weeks paid holiday a year

Youth don't have to be "trained" to sweep floors BUM SaUSIO USENE DUE what under the YoPs of them do

They need genuine skill training on socially useful projects building the schools, hospitals, homes and railways

The trade unions have to recognise the threat to the working class as whole if the union-busting tactics of the Tories are

MAGGIE

GANGS PARENIS

months.

In an attempt to deflect blame from the Tory government and the Liberal Council, the media have yet again used the accusation that left wing groups have stirred trouble

Nothing is said about the rolloie caused Thatcher's policies Since

made Michael Heseltine the Minister of Merseyside, he has stood by his pledge that the pro blems will not be solved by spending money.

Indeed he has cut back on Liverpool as anywhere else. E25m in grants are to be • cut, two

are to come from education.

branch secretary of the National

unchallenged

If the bosses are paic to hire non-unionisec young workers in place o unionised workers then the affects will be enormous, both for the super-exploited youth and the organised strength of the working class.

Already government wage cutting over the last

years threaten reduce real income to 4 per comediate tales to

Immediate the forthcoming conference to defend the rights of youth and the trade unions include: • a massive campaign to recruit young unemployed into the unions; •the right of trainees to elect their own represenTaEVES •the LPYS to lead the labour MOVEMEN paign for unionisation of YOPs

Girl of 10

CANE led school

a wreckers

Union of Teachers, Jim Ferguson, said We thought after the riots the council would see that we need extra helo in these areas, but just the reverse They are taking teachers out.'

Not surprisingly, the branch recently voted to LONE industrial action against the Liberalcontrolled council's policy on relief teachers.

A meeting has been arrangec the parents and council ofticials on the first day bac after the holidays, but it is already clear that Tory and Liberal proposals of more

more to the problems offer no answer facing the working people and youth of Toxteth. Socialist Challenge 4 March 1982 page 5

Page 6 scan of this page

Central American

Pay your money and take your choice

By Paul Lawson THE UNITED STATES is if Nicaragua didn't 'shape up'.

In particular, Reagan stated Inat United States 'Dissatisfied' with the 'human rights performance Nicaragua, in particular in relation to the private secThe of skie endians. tor the economy and

As Megan Martin reports on page seven, the ISSUE of the Miskito Indians is being used by reactionary forces both inside and outside Nicaragua hysteria against the Sandinista government. Fate

The US's concern with the fate of the 'private sec-

disioyal remnants Nicaraguan bourgeoisie requires no great explana-

is always concerned for the human ngs or capitalists.

By Bob Pennington YOU CAN stop moaning about the exorbitant cost of nukes. The Reagan administration nas offered the British government real bargain. We can now buy the US Trident D5 missiles at knockdown prices which start at £200-£300m in 1983-84 and will reach the modest sum of E800m by 1987-88, cutting our missile bill to a mere 8000m.

In order to take advantage of this super sales crestle montaver give up a tew luxuries. As Mrs hatcher dent housekeeper for BriIS PUSE of telling us, there is only

CHIE must be spent wisely and well. Cost

So with missiles coming in at E85m apiece — a little more than the cost of three hospitals with 1000 beds each clearly we can't waste the Socialist Challenge

4 March 1982

US Prepares

intervention

re-doubling its preparations for possible military action in Central America and the Caribbean. When the new Nicaraguan ambassador to the United States presented his credentials to President Reagan last week. Reagan took the unheard-of step of launching into a tirade against him, threatening all kinds of possible consequences

Reagan's direct warning to Nicaragua is part and parcel the propaganda offensive being waged against the revolumoney on extras like these.

When a Tornado aircraft costs E10m you canhardly expect the govern ment to lash that amount out on 833 houses.

Next time you have to fork out Christ knows how much for a train trip console yourself with knowledge that instead of 56 advanced the government wisely spice to mvest me teum on a nuclear hunter killer submarine.

JoBs

NOT

page 6

tionary forces in the

in the light of the extensive military preparations being made by exile forces in co operation American, Honduran, Guatemalan and Argentinian governments possible invasion of the country.

In addition the preparevons ceine made for possible military action Nicaragua, Ine 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 Squure

Mr Murdoch's Sunday Times is very excited at Mr Reagan's February offer and even thinks Mrs Thatcher could present it securing or even creeting jobs in Britain.

With the redundancies Mr Murdoch planning among his staff he pro bably thinks a few new jobs would not go amiss.

Mind you, if D5 starts doing what it was made for, the last thing we need worry about is whether or not some British company is getting a piece of the ac-

BOMBS

Stop the missiles

United States has revealec in the past week that war ships have been sent to the waters off El Salvador.

electronic surveillance ship has been sent monitor developments in the war Obviously the intercepted radio messages from the guerrillas won't be ket for

consumption of CIA, but passed on to the American advisors who cent of the salvador ear cent of Salvadorean officer corps for use in the war.

Force

The US is also sending a naval task force the first ShIT Which the destroyer USS Deyo, the Gulf of Fonseca between Nicaragua and El Salvador.

Hine tosk or ts force will be to interrupt happies gong to te Salvadorean guerrilla

movement.

in his speech to this week's meeting the Organisation of American States Reagan that a third of the total aid going to the Caribbean

from the US this year will go to El Salvador.

Reagan's speech was described advance putting forward multi-million aid-scheme for the area. It turned out to be the announcement Reagan s war chest to keep communism at bay.

For the United States

tion from nuclear weapons

Anyhow the benefits do not lie in job creation. Surely Mrs Thatcher has explained often that the JESH she wants is overstaffed industries That is why nutty schemes to build more hospitals schools, trains, buses and other such social luxuries

They not only pamper people but because they are labour in. tensive they create more jobs

What is the USe 01 working for nearly three years to get all those peo ple on the dole, only to spoil it by setting them back to work again?

Cash

different. The cash goes into capital in HERS VP industry where profits are high and sophisticate technology replaces labour Britain is finally getting its priorities right more and more money for weapons. bigger profits for the arm's turers, and no fancy lux unes like welfare

and the reactionary forces in El Salvador the March elections

STOVICE desperate attempt to provide the regime with some legitimacy. Britain is to send two observers to follow the elections, while many other countries have rerused tion of the support which the Thatcher government gives to Reagen's central

American policy.

One of othe central demands Reagan's health.

And if the nice reserve army of labour that has now been

we can always go Reagan bombs nonsense, knock down no-

OTCE

POLAND & THE LEFT

OLIVER MACDONALD

NOTE

AQUÍ

REPUBIKA D - SALVADO Salvador demonstration on 28 March will be that Britain dissociate itself from US policy and follow black Africa.

tral American revolution.

$71 equivalent Oliver Poland cheques

a British Economic Disaste

CND: JOAN RUDDOCK INTERVIEWEC

the example of France and Mexico in recognising the FDR/FMLN forces legitimate political forces.

OUT NOW!

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Page 7 scan of this page

By Megan Martin IN RECENT weeks the international press has carried reports of alleged massacres of Miskito Indians by Sandinista eastern part of Nicaragua.

the denials of these claims by the Nicaraguan and Honduran authorities, and the UN Commission on refugees. Instead there have been further stories of an offensive begun Sandinistas to foil a plan by the Miskitos to secede.

Atlantic border with Honduras?

Part of the answer is simple Bands of exSomocista National Guards trained Florida - are operating from camps in Honduras.

They have carried out a string of murders. robberies kidnappings. one denies the

existene of these merica.

North American connection is also clear. nEV. MEGINNE camp for Nicaraguan and Cuban exiles seeking to overthrow those governments was opened with public celebration in Florida on 27 December.

Some sections of the Honduran army have been operating counter-revolutionaries.

On 29 December a Honduran army plane crashed

Puerto Lempira, just outside Nicaragua on Honduras Atlantic coast

Among those on the plane was Steadman Fagoth, a

Miskito indians: used as

Nicaragua

Nicaragua:

the threat

of counter-

revolution

troops in the north-

The bourgeois press has scarcely reported

by the

What is really happening on Nicaragua's

coast? What is going on round the

former leader Nicaragua's Miskito population and now in exile.

The Miskitos are the three Indian groups the other two Sumos and HE IS Ramas hi English with black, speaking descendants of slaves, make up the majority of the population of Nicaragua's Atlantic coast This 'coast' comprises the entire eastern bo per cent of the country but has cent of the On HE-DEE It is a totally separate reality culturally, linguistically, and historically.

The Atlantic coast was affected by the Spanish Conquest which took olace in the rest of the region in the 16th cen tury. The first visitors of any number or frequency were English buccaneers a pawn by counter-revolutionaries

Later, the English established sugar plantations and lumber camps in the area and, after their capture of Jamaica, brought in thousands black slaves to work. The COASTE ClEa Mosquitia, became British protectorate

On the Pacific side. Nicaragua its

and after a short time as part of the United

rovince Central Amance it became ann dependent nation in 1828. In 1880, England withdrew the status of 'protectorate' tor the Mesoutia and the area became under Nicaragua with the right of self-government.

But, in the last years of the 19th century. as US mining banana interests grew in we dred. a declaration of the "Reincorporation of the Mosquitia was made by the pro-US President of Nicaracua Zelava

The indigenous people have never since really

the territorial boundaries created by the Europeans and 'The Mosquitia extended

Honduras. People Rio Coco and families lived and farmed on both sides.

All during the Somocista years the Atlantic coast was more or

Central America

Nicaragua 1 Fuch repressots 44 miles

PEGUCIGALPA

HONDURAS

Pacific Ocean

less ignored by the Managua government. Even the presence of the VET013 WAS limited. Somoza's interest in the area was concen trated on a propaganda campaign, encouraged by the US, to convince the coastal people that their greatest enemy was Cuba

*War Games' were held in the area, supposedly I preparation for a Cuban attack. The culmination of all this was the launching of the Bav of Pias opera tion from Puerto Cabezas in 1961 Victory

Immediately after the victory, the few American companies stil operating on the coast either pulled out or were nationalised The new government was faced with factories and

disrepair unavailability of spare parts, and a lack of trained management and technical personnel.

HITO the population's low

I LEO

San Rafaeidel?

Masachs political meant they were unwill ing to undergo the wait or the sacrifices necessary to turn things around

This combined with some serious mistakes on the part of the Sandinistas, has created con siderable problems on the coast. Probably the bio gest mistake, now readily admitted by the Sandinistas, was in naming to the Council of State, Steadman Fagoth young Miskito leader

Fagoth was representing the india enous orga

MISURASATA (Miskito, Rama, Sumo

which has been formed with the of the FSLN after the victory. Throuch this action the Sandinistas helped to make Fagoth a hero to the Miskito people

February 1981

agoth and other leader

f MISURASATA were a rested. Fagoth was accus ed of fostering counterravo monary plans

ON 7 JUNE Ronald Reagan

comes to Britain.

This is the man who is trying to save

El Salvador from communism -

pping up the most barbarous and corrupt

military regime in Central America and,

as he made clear in

Wednesday the

American states, by flattening its people

with American military might.

This is the man who has launched a

new arms race on the world by boosting

American military spending by seven per

cent each year,

1984 his administration will have spent

one and a half trillion dollars on arms

34 per cent of its entire budget.

This is the man who is demanding

that American Cruise missiles should be

used to turn Britain into the biggest air-

craft carrier in history, and who wants to

make Europe the cockpit of a horritying

nuclear conflagration.

This is the man who has launched

monetarism on American working peo-

ple, imposing curs as vicious as That-

cher's and boosting unemployment to

seven million.

Reagan, like Thatcher, is a rich per-

was also identified as hav ing been an informer for Somoza's security force But as far as the local peoWIC COnCENTE was their leader and they protested his arrest.

Finally the govern ment freed him and withir a few days he had crossed over into Honduras He continued to innuence ine coastal people mostly unrougn ine racio station Radio 15 de septiembre operated ov the somocis ta counter-revolutionaries in Honduras

Combat

Its broadcasts received all along the coast and there is no effec tive combat to this pro paganda Communica tions media is almost nonexistent. Bluefields is the only place on ine Amanne coast with telephone and

ed principally from Costa Rical.

There are "and, in newspapers

Stop Reagan!

by pro

Tribune. his speech last Organisation twins of

tion. Hers

to the point where by phony

solidate the

ments

-cis nas Socialist Challenge

Caribbean Sea north, only the bourgeois opposition paper, La Prensa, araves Yet the achievements of the Sandinistas in two years, given the tremendously limited resources are considerable Villages are receiving medical provision for the first time Over 12,000 adults learned to read and write in the re cent literacy campaign in the SOCE languages Miskito, nish The English Spanish San dinistas are completing the tirst road to link the country s two coasts Many municipalities receiving electricity for the first time The revolution is strug gling to meet the needs o the indigenous people but the need for a military presence 803ASI the counter-revolutionary acuvity neigntens real dangers for the people

have called for interna tional observers to go into the area and tell the world the real situation

son's ruler. 86 per cent of the tax benefits he enacted through Congress will benefit families earning more than $20,000 and two thirds of his cuts in social benefits will be taken from families poorer than this, according to the New York Herald

Thatcher and Reagan are the terrible

imperialism. Thatcher has Britain four square behind Reegan's proposals for a Rapid Deploy ment Force to but down world revolu

the only European government to lend support to the

elections being sponsored by Reagan in El Salvedor on 28 March.

Reagan's visit will be used to con

'special relationship" between the British and American govern-

Bombs not Jobs for hundreds of millions of working people the world over.

Give the man a warm welcome. The Greater London Council of Trades Coun

called for a demonstration against him on 7 June in London.

Let's make it the biggest demonstration visiting head of state has ever seen.

4 March 1982 page 7

Page 8 scan of this page

Riot Budget-we

By Alan Freeman (All quotations taken from Fleet Street coverage of the Toxteth school riot)

The world is today in uproar over revelations that rebellion in riot-torn Britain is being fomented by an anonymous 50 year old schoolgirl. Fleet Street has refused to speak out for fear of reprisals. But this week, in an exclusive exposé, we name the tiny tot behind the terror: HER NAME IS MARGARET THATCHER

This hooligan in blue chiffon and her crew of infant muggers plan to hold the entire country to ransom.

My children tell me it is one particular group who are causing all the trouble. led by a very tough girl,' said a terrified mum. 'She beats up other KIds, thumos them unti thev do wha she says, said anther too scared to oe nanee

From her Downing Street hideout Iron Maggie' is plotting her latest COUL code-named Budget

Classmate 'Tiny' Rowland and his squad of bankers, bribed to the gills on the proceeds of property looted from the ill-fated Amersham school plan to bankrupt the nation's parents with insatiable demands for cash for their bloated lockers.

Bootboy Tebbit will then kick off a new wave of vandalism as hordes of blue-helmeted six-year

Roles on by ringleader 'Judge Dread' Denning, descend on Britain's factories in helicopters and lorries, armed to the teeth with iron bars and wearing balaclavas, teer the machinerv to bits

drive off with their loot to destinations unknown.

Despair reigns. The whole class

Britain's managers -

the right to rob Three per cent rises are tionate, says British Parker. He knows all about extortion, with a E60,000 salary.

Services CHeT

oung only manages £16.50 per hour

YOPs trainees get each week

But top prize Oxygen's David Giordano, private company brings him ten times CS C asts stricken nationalised pals. His recent 76 per rise will gross him £477,100 year.

The Tory Party is a caring party. and a glaring injustice will be corrected when the nationalised industries are sold off. Eedsare won't do much to troduce free competition dano's company sells 97 per cent of all industrial gases marketed in the UK. But we can rest safe in our beds, confident that every single one of Britain's ten thousand top managers will soon be free to rip us off by a cool half million every year.

Socialist Challenge 4 March 1982

name the culprit

lives in terror,

said one distraught mother.

"holiday camps' as slave labour, rounded

GETIN

Led. "Violence

teth.

lving in the icv orip diminutive despot's chman

knocking down buildings.

DrOTTK WIt! double his

But the mini-noodlums

world domination, Defence Fourth, Maggie's tioneer.

Reagan, self-styled America.

SCREEE Trident'

Britan's HOUSES hospitals at knock

fireworks ever piace.

egged

haven, and blow kingdom come.

The extortionists

extorRail chief

ManDavid

meagre Ore Luanns

goes to British

whose

poverty-

ndustry The banks cent pay

per

Thatcher's

double InIS in- bank, with extensive Gior in ine world.

controlled banks, seven

Nationalisation of the ferociously Tories.

page 8

*My ten-year old son stole E10 from his father to pay off the protection,

schoolchidren who so not tal in line are to be herded into military-style

Dy mini-matoso "mad monk' Prior and sent to Ireland to saive ana baat me trends to

Law-abiding citizens are outag-

must De THIEL VITH violence, said Anthony Steen, Tory MP for Wavertree next to riot-hit Tox-

But teachers and parents alike are

of fear. The lending inster hen'Environment"

Heseltine, who prides himself on his apeman image - is already ransacking classrooms, burning books, and

power, he plans to demands on the entire travelling folk of London. Classmate 'Spiderman' Parker has been narrowly prevented from closing down the entire railway network of the country.

ADanS have a sinister background. We can WW TeveG G Hev are anouatce by shadowy outside forces seeking

Minister 'Nott of the chief protec. has swung a daring secret deal with cowboy adventurer Ronald

-reclaeot of In a breathtakingly amCote named the duo plan to sell off all SCHOOIS and down prices .51 return tor ine most cigantic arsenal 01

assembled in one

Come November Iron Maggie and her chums will board a Freddie Laker Jumbo, ny ou to a canooean tax

the country to

We say 'Stop them now!'

Top of the pile are Britain's banks.

They have really done well out of

government, with

E5bn in profits during 1980 - a rise

protits. Barclay's dealings in

South Africa, is now the biggest

One third of all industry is now by the four clearing insurance CUTT from

panies and nine merchant banks.

banks parasites opposed by the ings.

Britain's investors -the right to shirk The seventy-five thousand richest people in. Britain get a total of €1,000 million each year - enough to build torty hospitals - and they don't have to lift a finger for it. It comes trom investments' - that is. from your labour.

The top ten thousand take a third of this total. They are the ones who made the Amersham International killing aided by their Tory friends. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. When the pickings

the sale of NauOnEHSeOIn dustries are up for grabs these

stand £3.000 million in a few days deal-

Britain is run by millionaires

of wealth and power is headed up by the tory government itself. No less than ten Cabinet ministers have personal fortunes over a million ponds. and three others are not far off

main sources: such as Baron Carrington's family fortunes

ОГ through investment dealing.

they live labour, and they will do anything they can th keep the money com. ing in foi

A BUDO

taxes?

Wing

Tax and living dropped

Grogan

recession,

The including Japan. eliminated

you had a job

are incredibly

capital

Millionaire's cabinet

A tightly-interlocking pyramid

Keith Joseph

Their cash comes from two Francis Pym

inherited wealth Peter Walker lan Gilmour money GOTHIC Lord Sames and share like Peter Walker's.

But the end result is the same

off the fruits of your

TATOe MCin ano tne THenes group.

The press is rife with speculation about the budget. Will Howe cut

Will he reflate?

One thing is sure: work-

people will get nothing from him.

The Tories came to office claiming they would cut taxes. But their own

Price Index shows what has happened: taxes have gone up for all but the very rich from a quarter to a third of gross earnings, so that

standards have dramatically.

Howe wants to repeat this 'achievement'. Brian

looks at the background.

Last year production fell by 15 per

the biggest drop in history With the economy inching OUL of

it is obvious that Tory regret is sheer hypocrisy. In 1981 profits, productivity and unemployment all went up while real wages and public sector spending went down.

secret Howe's budget but mass unemployment. The Manpower Services Commission has confirmed the TUC's estimate of four million out of work.

The fact is that unamployment i the only way the Tories know to ge productivity up. Last year this rose by nearly ten per cent in manufacturing Labour costs per COTTL OT OUTDUT which were rising by 25 per cent a year in 1980, are now rising by only 2 per cent per year. Both these figures are better thap any of Britain's rivals

But this wasn't done by improving Britain's machinery. Manufacturing investment is twenty per cent down on 1980 and still falling. It was done on the backs of the working class.

Hours worked per week have risen by eight per cent and if overtime was

880,000 jobs would be created. Wage rises were less than six per cent in private industry.

In short, you worked harder - if

- and got less.

This is why last year saw the beginning of a turn around in profits which collapsed in 1980, with a E3bn deficit. In the first six months of 1981 British companies got a E1bn surplus

These are real gains - but they

modest. in the las quarter of 1981 the rate of return on

which decides whether capitalsts invest of not - was a mere 2.25 per cent, compared with 5.4 pel cent in 1978 and 8.8 per cent in 1971. And Thatcher's burning problem is that she must reverse a long-term

by holding you down and shaking you till you rattle

These are the real wrekers

Remember their names:

Margaret Thatcher

Lord Carrington

Michael Heseltine William Whitelaw

George Younger

Poor Margaret Thatcher is not yet a millionaire But never mind -her husband Dennis is worth a cool f3 million and a director

companies in the Castrol

Page 9 scan of this page

ET FOR THE RICH

decline in productivity compared with Britain's rivals, that has been going on since me wor

The obvious way to deal with this would be through planned ment to raise productivity without destroying jobs. But this is unaccep taole to inateners cronies. Ine only way they know to solve their problems is to bash the working class. But will workers take punishment? This is what the Tory debate is about.

As the economy moves into upturn, however modest, the Tories are haunted by the question: will workers grab back everything they they did after 19787

The signs are not good for Thatcher. She has won major confrontanons, as in roras ana beyland, only because the union leaders scabbed.

Sir Keith Joseph

An arch defender of private

prise against unions.

should be with 500,000 shares in

the building firm Bovis.

betrayal

of the problem. invest-

modest Son into

further the construction industry.

reflation will demands. Yet if the boosted enough.

lost,

reverse postwar William Whitelaw

enter

So he CUd.

dustrial land in Scotland. near Penrith.

When they couldn't get away with a

- as with the traindrivers she had to retreat. And this is the root

Thatcher wants Howe to pump a

CENE proposed by the CBI. She specially wants the money to go into capital expenditure projects that will put new windfalls in the way of her cronies in

She is terrified that even a mild

encourage wage economy isn't British industry won't be able to take advantage of any expansion in world trade and

economic trends.

This is why the CBl is worried.

But the wets' propose something of a different order. They want up to E6bn to go into the economy, ditInherited a family fortune from steel

5,000 and a farm

ching everything Thatcher has fought for. They are worried that the four million unemployment figures

broken working fighting strength, and fear that further punishment will lead to confrontation. They see last summer's youth rebeilions as just a hint of what is to come.

Does this mean Ted Heath is the workers' friend? Not at all. He wants to back off today to come back tomorrow. He thinks it's safer than risking the whole system.

But his answer is unacceptable at this stage to the bosses. would lose valuable time and waste the opportunities created recession,

In other words, whatever the outcome of the budget, Thatcher's thug gery will go on until she is booted out. When he told Zimbabwe's landless DOCE TET noose To be came! he modestly forgot to tell them how big his farm was. It's worth £2 million.

is also a former director Barclay's Bank, Rio Tinto Zinc and

others whose African investments protected by his foreign policies

have

class's

1979

purchasing A retreat

by the

insurance contributions.

Michael Hese/tine

S SOUTE massive

well in the Haymarket

property and publishing.

Index rises 15.6pc

RETAIL PRICES/TAX AND PRICES

percentage change over 12 months

1980

The Government's tax and price index (TPI) has risen

would have to increase to power. The TPI movements in prices (the retail price index rose 12 per cent in the last year) but changes in direct taxes as well. It reflects the fact that the Chancellor did not increase Budget, as well as the increase in employees national allowances in line with inflation in His keenness tor counci house sale rails into perspective when we look a

Snares now estimated to be worth over E1 million

122

18 TPI -14

RPI -10

1981

maintain the

measures not only

This last Peter Walker Remember the later-Walker scan dal? Guess who Walker was.

Socialist Challenge 4 March 1982 page 9

Page 10 scan of this page

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page 10

Blacking - where

do you stand?

THE IDEA that all economic disruption in Poland only harms the ordinary people is contradicted by Jaruseiski trying to enforce a six day week, while Solidarnose is attempting to disrupt production and call strikes.

True, the bureaucrats deliberately create shor-

particular areas designed to fill the time that Polish people would otherwise spend building Solidarnosc. Thus, shortages effect every-day essentials.

Other kinds of economic disruption make the bureaucrats problems worse, both politically by increasing -THR which it is necessary to hit WWITC STARTETS economically through its

the Polish currency, magnifying interest rates.

All this makes questions about when and where to call strikes the crucial ones for the Polish WOKErS They nEWe weigh-up the effects of an

on the economy against the likely effects on their own morale and organisation.

This why Solidarnosc, at the same time as ing of certain goods these for workers' blackasks for food aid. decisions are not always as cut-and dry as in the Case still Solidarnosc is probably in the best position to make them.

No way has this ed Solidarose to appeal to vvestern governments 10 boycotts these would probably be indiscriminate reflect the preferences of Western capital. Most important in

Poland and Central America

IN continuing to build our campaign of support to the Polish workers it's essen tial that we place this in the context of the overall tight against imperialism and support for the advance made by working people internationally.

Such is the scope of our Polish coverage that it tends to overshadow

framework. A number of issues have coverage on the war drive generally and fallen as casualties of this error. on CND in particular has virtually disap peared.

At the time of the 3rd anniversary of the Iranian revolution and when imperialism is intensifying its opposition to the liberation movements in the Middle East, Socialist Challenge has done little to counter the increasing wave of antiArab propaganda.

I think it's very important for the heroic resistance by the Polish workers that we see it as part of a single process of worldwide social highest point of that is the advancing social revolutions in Central America ano

Reagan's astronomical The CanaDear. military budget for 1982 confirms the imminence of direct US intervention into ЕЛЕ СООЛ ПОЛЬДУ AEEELERNG TRE Dr gest gams mace by the BAD THSTE

such appeals though is the political role they would

by underlining Jaruzelski's propaganda ounter-revolutior

opposition to all workers' blacking seems to persist Socialist Challenge. Penny Duggan's claim to endorse the actions of the Massey Ferguson WOTKerS looks very much as though evaluation of the blacking as corresponding more to international workers solidarity than Cold War propaganda'l

Any confusion on this issue was ironed away by Davy Jones article

it he In workers' blacking from a HST OT SOldaNTy LaSKS Se for us by genuine Solidarnose reos in Britain

Most regrettable was that Davy's incomplete list was part of a reply to an anti-Trotskyite witch-hunt currently being conducted

some people in the Polish Solidarity Cam-

pal Piotr made it very cleat

to the workers here Massey Ferguson workers' blacking is sup ported by Solidarnosc. Its omission only nampers

"LOCOUTLE this witch-hunt.

LES HARTOP.

ASTMS member at Massey Ferguson's Coventry.

radical departure framework. cher & Reagan.

Soviet

echo it.

upheaval. The

Solidarnosc,

BRIAN LYONS.

Sheffield.

HE WOULD LEAP ON HIS BIKE

Letters

1 WRITE to correct a misleading impression given by last week's coverage on Poland (Socialist Challenge, 18 Februaryl.

Severa pictures Solidarnosc Piotr Kozlowski and Marek Garztecki were teatured -including OHH tham Socialist Challeng educationa Yet while one SCOOT. the accompanying articles called for opposition to a trade boycott, no mention Ww.d made anywhere of Piotr and Marek's appea

sider blackinfrom for trade unionists to con

exports to and imports Poland SURER Socialist pose any suggestion of a Challenge is right to trade boycott by the im-

only purpose would be to CUTLEC distort the economic development Poland (though the bureaucracy has already done a pretty good job on

the Western banian. The

the Western banks). nationalised property rela tions, which socialists (like Solidarnosc) defend as the Letter

working class in over 60 years.

Any criticism ie may have of Cuba and Nicerague, including on the issue of Poland, is subordinate to our common fighr against imperialism. The article by Phil Hearse /SC 11 Feb) represented a

from that basic

Rather than hailing the exemplary struggles of the Cuban and Nicaraguan people, Hearse's article was jaundiced completely by the issue of Poland - as it that was the determining factor in the overall policies and objective position occupied by these revolutions. It gave the strong impression that SC is retreating from support to these embattled revolutions at a time when they are most under fire from our common enemy - That-

The main theme of the Pentagon's onslaught against Cuba and Nicaragua is that they act as a surrogate force for the

bureaucracy Our coverage has done little to counter that charge. Hearse's article simply helped to

Rather than firing both barrels at Nicaragua and Cuba because of their line on Poland we should be devoting more space to publicise their overwhelming

is the best advertisement for socialism in over twenty years.

basis for real workers planning, would be further threatened. At ine same time all talk of trade

has the purpose of whipp Ing up Cold War hysteria

hide their ownl murderous attacks working people - as in El Salvador

But trade union black-

different thing. It is a politica/ tactic used by one group of workers as a focus and a lever advance the demands of workers else where. Provided it is pos ed in this way, as part of a campaign by workers in Britain to aid their class in Poland and this is how Piotr and Marek always presented it in their tours of Scotland we should have no reservations about endorsing blacking as one tactic the fight against the Jaruzelski regime.

MARTIN METEYARD Glasgow Ed note: Socialist Challenge supports workers blacking ac-

Letters etTer SETTERS

Write to SC letters. c/o PO Box 50, London N1 2XP.

Let's have

some history

It's good tO see Ine return of Arguments for Socialism as a regular series Hopefully the wur Mistory series will also be brought back.

It was very noticeable for instance that Socialist Challenge did not have an article celebrating the an-

of the Russian Revolution and explaining its significance. That was surely an opportunity missed.

As well as having articles on the major events

OT Word Mistory We newo article forgotten

to have the history that is or mystified by bourgeios history. For instance next

Christmas why not junk the quiz and TV reviews and have an article on the Christmas truce of 1914 -

rank and soldiers and to vicious crackdown by the high commands of both sides.

tions in support of the Polish workers insofar as wis part or a broade campaign solidarity

SUCHES adopting prisoners, twinning

raising aid for Solidarnosc, organi. sing a political paign of support in the labour movement and so on.

We are against it being elevated to the cantral demand of solidari ty as it is not a demand which is practically releVall CLU most British workers. and become a substitute to taking the other solidarity actions outlined above, particularly if it is in any way confused with support for the imperialists boycott

We are totally posed to any appeals to the imperialist governments to boycott Polish goods The Western

as much the enemy of the Polish workers as Jaruzelski and Brezhnev.

Letters

Finally should have

and just vital, we ticles on the history of our movement There comrades in our movement who are a living link with the international o Lenin and Trotsky. They represent the experience of half a century of strug gle by the Trotskyis movement. We have a lot

from that experience. Our sister paper in the United States, The Maltant, has a column called Our Revolutionary Heritage -and that's exactly what it is.

JACK LAVIN.

Mansfield

A small

point.

1 read your newspaper last week with interest especially the article entitl ed Tony Benn shifts on Ireland'

I think you should have left the 'f' out of shifts.

SEAN MCGUINNESS HAYES. MIDDLESEX

OF SUP

EGGING OH BASTARD:

Page 11 scan of this page

of 1927

By George Barratt In 1927, the Conservative

and Trade Union Act in order to restrict the powers of the trade union movement. was the assertion of the authority of the Conservative government after the massive class confrontation of the General Strike of 1926.

The 1927 Act was the latest in a long series of battles that had been toucht the movement since the repeal

the anti-trade Combination Act in 1824. During this period, the unions had increased enormously in strength but had faced continued attempts to shackle that strength in the courts and in Parliament.

The Trades Disputes Act declared general strikes illegal, and workers taking part in such an itI5-0 strike could sentenced to up to two years in prison. Manage ment could sue unions for damages in the law courts. Civil service unions were forbidden to affiliate to the Trade LEOn Congress, and restrictions were plac ed on picketing. Changes in the conditions for payment of the political levy threatened the financing of the Labour Party. whole series of rights that had been won by the trade

labour move ment since the turn of the century were swept away.

Illegal

Although it was still possible strike solidarity with workers in the same industry, it was declared illegal to coerce the government either directly or by inflicting munity This the com munity" measure completed process which had started during the days of the Genera Strike, when the High Court Judge Mr Justice Astbury had ruled that the so-called general strike called by the Trade Union Congress Council is illegal,

persons inciting or taking part in it are not protected by Trades Disputes Act 1908 Such

increased the pressure on the trade union bureaucracy, and reinforced their excuses for not fighting.

Picketing was severely restricted by giving wider legal definition

was widened, and the police could act against pickets it strikebreakers were exposed to 'hatred. naicule, or contempt'

The Trades

Disputes and

Trade Union Act

government of stanley Baldwin passed the Trades Disputes

The Act

At the turn of the century, the Taff Vale Railway

Company had sued

railway union for damages

resulting from a strike. The crippling damages awarded by the High Court had two effects on the trade

union movement.

First it supported the parliamentary pressure

group which suosequenuy

became the Labour Party, and second it seeked a change in the legal status of trade unions The Trades Disputes Act

1906 granted trade unions immunity from being sued in the law courts as a result 1919 police strike. lawed such strikes.

strike action. The employers disliked the 1906 act because they felt that it placed the unions HOOVE TORN 1927 Trades Disputes Act was

clock back to the good old days when trade could be intimidated by the threat of legal action.

The income of the Labour Party from ATfiliated trade unions was reduced by a result of the 1927 Act. Instead of the political levy being automatically col

TEBBIT'S Bill is an attempt to shackle the unions and attack workers' rights. This is not the

vicious anti-union laws were brought in and stayed on the

lected by the unions and paid to the Labour Party, the trade unionist nad-to sign special forms for conhowtons to be made to Labour Party funds.

he civil service unions had to be kept away from the 'pernicious of the Trade Union Congress in order to maintain the loyalty of the state apparatus. There were still bitter memories the

ice strikes of 1918 and

919. Even in the present

industrial by the police, armed forces o postal workers is a criminal offence.

The 1927 Act permanently out-

Fear and anger were the emotions felt by the ruling class at the massive withdrawal of labour during the honor Strike Over 162 million working days during 926, and the local Coun cils of Action provided an alternative power for the

ganisatic of society

defeat general strike the Nationa Confederatior of Employers Organisation: insisted on strong anti union legislation.

However, the Conservative Cabinet was wary

Trade Unions

first such attempt: in the aftermath of the 1926 General Strike.

statute books until 1945. George Barrett explains what happened.

because it still feared the possibility of a strong reaction STRE working class. So the 1927 Act was

compromise between the much harsher demands of the employers and what the Conservative COCHIE thought could get away with.

Thẻ trade union bureaucracy chose this time to increase its collaboration with the bosses and the government. Discussions between senior officials of the TUC and major figures in British in dustry Despite the onset of ipe opened world slump, the basic premise of these talks was that collaboration was preferable confronta tion and that the two sides should work together to increase productivity.

This betrayal by the trade union leadership was made all the easier by the new orientation adopted by the Communist Party. The CP had launched the Minority Movement. prior to the general strike it could obtain the allegiance of hundreds of thousands of the most militant trade unionists. But, the CP had been taken over by the Stalinist victory inside the Communist International.

increasingly "stalin ised Comintern now dic tated that the Communist parties take a hostile attitude to social democrats of all kinds. They denounced even elected rank and file officials. They turned their backs on the established union struc tures, split the minority movement and established their own 'red" trade unions which rapidly lost all influence with rank and Tie unim Labour

1929 government was elected But it refused to repeal the 27 Act. It was not until 1945 that a new mood for

inside the class brought a landslide Labour victory and politically impossible to keep these union restrictions on the statute books. The repeal of the legislation was accompanied with the tionalisation of the mines. The attitude of the private mine owners had been a major cause of the legisla tion in the first place.

Demonstration against 1927 Act.

The United

Front and

building the

revolutionary

party

By Allean O Callaghan THE reformist parties in Europe like

Labour Party political instruments of the labour bureaucrats to keep control of the working class. The revolutions between 1917 and 1923 demonstrated the need for new mass revolutionary parties in each country of the type Lenin built in Russia as part of a new, world party of socialist revolution. The Third, Communist, International was built in the wake of the victorious Russian Revolution. Leon Trotsky

The Third International was immediately forced to grapple with a problem which is still tre centrar one for marxists today. After the betrayals of the revolutions in Europe the ad vance of the working class had halted. illusions in the old parties were reinforced and the Communists found themselves a tiny minority almost everywhere. How could mass parties be built in this situation?

The Fourth World Congress of the Third International, guided by Lenin and Trotsky front. This tactic is still a central policy of the Fourth International, the world party founded by Trotsky after the Thra interatonal hao degenerated and been bureaucratised by Stain

are the main

common class enemy.

through thei blems tion

rather The hopelessly

the bureaucracy.

Socialist Challenge

ARGUMENTS for SOCIALISM

The tactic of the united front is based on the understanding that as the workers' move the capitalist enemy it instinctively seeks te maxiruse its unity and strength. If difference on programme prevent fusion of the workind class parties then the minimum demand of

workers is their joint action against the

The united front aims to show the worker.

own experience of struggle which programme, and theretore wich pal ty. genuinely expresses this need for workin class unity. Marxists seek unity in action wi the roformist leaders against the capitalists on the best possible terms. But even when the bureaucrats initiate such actions under thei own reformist slogans the Marxists support the actions while simultaneously advancing the revolutionary answers to the workers pro

The marspensible condition for Marxists entering into a united front is their complete freedom to advance their own ideas, avoing me most ruiness concism of the "partners' in action whenever necessary. This is one reason why a revolutionary newspaper. like Socialist Challenge, is so important for building a revolutionary party

The reformists are only exposed wher tested out as leaders by the mass movement The united front tactic is applied to the ques

of government with this Therefore in Britain Marxists fight for a

than Tory government Elsewhere in Europe the slogan of a Com munist Party and Socialist Party government is often raised by other sections of the Fourth International for the same reason

The workers! council, or soviet, is the Jughest form of the united front as it organises the whole of the working class in the struggle for power. But historical experience shows that soviets are not enough by themselves.

revolution succeeded in Hussr because the party was built to a point where it could lead the united front embodied in the soviets. To be successfully applied the united front tactic needs the revolutionary party to be built openly at the same time. • Correction. In the 18 February issue ar unfortunate editing error occurred in The Labour Bureaucracy Today. A key sentence in the article spoke of the labour aristocracy when it ought to have said bureaucracy. The whole point of the article was to show how the old labour aristocracy was replaced by

4 March 1982 page 11

Page 12 scan of this page

abour

y Martin Meteyard IS now nearly three months since martial

was declared ›lidarnosc has kept sistance, reorganising underground to meet is fundamental challenge to workers' rights. it sad to say it has received little help in this sk from the leadership of the labour moveent in Britain.

The Labour Party NEC USPO 0 GO annel * wake of martial law. d only now is it organis ¡ its first action a raily London on 16 March.

The condemnation of TUC issued

military crackdown, d general secretary Len irray the thorities for a visa to i rolane and indure in

But the

Cleveland Trades Councils back Solidarnosc

General Meeting

Association of Trades Councils to be forward-

ed to the TUC General Council. A copy was

also sent to the Polish Embassy. The resolu

tion is very similar to one passed by the Lan-

cashire County Association of Trades Coun-

cils January.

Challenge on 28 January.

That this Association of Trades Councils con

demns the hypocrisy of those who claim to defend

Solidarity while simultaneously:

/ Salvador and else here in Latin eric sid justifying the racist South African regime, b/ warheads in Europe pointing at the heads of workers in Poland and other European countries,

sabotaging the economies and preparing contingency plans for the military invasion of Cuba,

Grenada and Nicaragua. legislating to restrict unionists in their own countries.

Recognising that only the labour and trade union movement internationally can successfully defend Polish workers, we therefore call on the

TUC to campaign for:

an end to repression and martial law, release of all political prisoners, no intervention in. Poland by outside contries, d) food aid for Polish workers' families,

delegations from the TUC to visit Poland, speakers from the TUC and Solidarity to be invited to Trades Councils, and speakers notes to be Provice Dy

Trades Councils, 9/ a national labour movement conference to discuss the situation in Poland, and to organise solidarity with Solidarnosc.

cialist Challenge 4 March 1982

How to build

movement

support for

Solidarnose

Poland. In that time alive the spirit of

TUC too has done nothing to organise actve support labour movement for Solidarnosc task has largely been left to rank and file and Labour Party often

ty committees. It is they

up contacts between the tanks of the Bruish labour movement and the Cleveland

published in Socialist

conspiring to prop up military dictatorships in

attempting to escalate the number of nuclear

arresting and jailing strikers and pickets and the activities of trade International Department to page 12

Solidarosc members temporarily exiled in Bri tain.

In Scotland, for stance, tours organised by the Glasgow Polish Solidarity Committee have allowed Solidarnosc members Piotr Kozlowski and Marek Garztecki to Archbishop Glemp: doing his best to force Solidarnosc to compromise with the regime speak to mass meetings of dockers drivers, shop stewards COTEES building and engineering,

BL and Plessey Bathgate,

TOCO councils, and many other UTO COULED

One purpose of this is to build local labour movement support for Solidarnosc now, through financial aid, adoption

ternees and other suitable means.

Piotr and Marek have also urged workers to con-

blacking from and exports Poland where propriate as docks, for example.

But the most impor tant thing is to build up such a head of steam in the this issue that the and Labour Party leaders are themselves forced to organise action in support of Solidarnosc.

So, for instance,

organise support for Solidarosc was to be discussed this week by the Transport 8

workers leadership. The resolution was moved by the TGWU district committee on the east coast of Scotland after they were addresed by Piotr and Marek.

A Solidarnos speaker is also likely to address the national conference of the National Union of Journalists as a result of a meeting with NUJ activists in Glasgow.

This is the way to build support the labour movement for Solidarnosc Move every union get Solidarnose vited to address this year's

national conference

organise fringe meeting Poland well. Build up the pressure for Solidarosc speakers and a major debate at the TUC Congress and Labour Party conference.

Nothing less will do than for the TUC and Labour leaders to organise a national demonstration in support of Solidarnosc,

national tour of labour Solidarnosc activists, and a national financial appeal to help Solidarnose rebuild its shattered apparatus

requires a long and persistent struggle at

Any attempt

rank-and-file activists substitute themselves for this process risks harming rather than helping the cause of Solidarnosc Britain

Yet this is exactly what is being done by Socialist Organiser and London Labour Briefing, two small groups in the Labour Party who have organised what they call the first national labour movement march on Poland' on 13 March in

This national labour movement march' has been called at short notice by these two groups with no attempt to consult the local labour movement ac-

Have been orator go daris sup practical supSOTT TUE the last two months, no

posal through the officia SEWELLICE at the move ment, and no discussion with other socialists active

organising support for Solidarnosc.

inconceivable therefore, that this demonstration can in any

represent the real VVOY groundswell of support for Solidarnosc in the labour movement. In fact it could seriously set back the pro cess of organising that support, because it will be used by supporters of mar tial law as an examole o how little 'national labour movement backing there is for Solidarnosc

For these reasons Socialist Challenge will not be supporting the demonstration on 13 Mar

We the organisers to call it off and instead commit anamse ves working with other supporters of

force the TUC and Labour Party WILO on this question. That is the best the only - way to win real labour move ment for

SUBBUIL Polish workers today.

Solidarity with Solidarnosc tour

Britain later this month.

with the local solidarity committees

national.

bureaucrats and the working class

Kowalewski is a member Lodz Solidarnosc,

ing for the 'active strike'

in London on Tuesday 16 March. Tour dates Monday 22 March Oxford Tuesday 23 March Birmingham Wednesday 24 March Glasgow Thursday 25 March Manchester

analysing the following Kremlin

Solidarity with Solidarnosc meetings

3 March at 7.30 pm in Lower Town Hal

Solidamosc, on Eastern Erronel

Marys Rd at 7.30 pm. Speakers: Alan

March at 7.30 pm in TGWU offices, 259

Oliver MacDonald.

Salvador and South Africa campaigns.

Solidarity Committees with Solidarnosc

McCalman 041 632 1839

Place, Edinburgh.

Feickert, 28 Roundhay Mount. Leeds 8, Ring 0532 490927

11. Ring 021 773 5396

Jenkins, 87 Beattv

ASTMS. 26 Queens Rd, Coventry

Rarbury Red Oxford Rise 0865 08238 Fastern Europe Solidauty Camp-ngo

Karstand High St. 1 ondon 18

TENSES

Labour Paland the

JEAN-YVES POTEL, French Trotskyist and author of the new Pluto book, The Summer Before the Frost, and Zbigniew Kowalewski, a militant leader of Solidar. nose in the Lodz region, will be touring

Potel and Kowalewski will speak at a number of meetings around the country between 22-26 March, organised by Pluto Press in conjunction

Potel is a member of the Revolutionary Communist League, French section of the Fourth Inter-

His book recounts the struggles and debates at the Lenin shipyards in August 1980 where he was an eye witness, and analyses the different social and political forces in the Polish crisis — the Church, the KOR, the peasants, the

of the presidium of one of the most militant regional leaderships which was actively campaign

putting the workplaces under workers control. He was in Paris at the time of the military crackdown. He will also be speaking at the Labour Party rally on Poland at Central Hail

Next week Socialist Challenge will review the Jean-Yves Potel book and the new Penguin special The Book of Lech Walesa, as well as

latest situation Poland General Jaruzelski's visit to the

Battersea: Labour Party public meeting on Wed

Lavender Hill, SW11. Speakers include: Eric Heffer MP, Ron Keating (NUPE), member of

Oliver MacDonald (Labour Focus

Southampton: Trades Council public meeting on Wed 10 March at St Matthews Hall, St

Whitehead, Labour parliamentary candidate for Southampton West and Oliver MacDonald. Nottingham: meeting called by Labour Move ment Solidarity with Solidarosc on Thur 11

Mansfield Rd. Speakers: Piotr Kozlowski of Solidarnose trade union working group and

Islington: Labour Party public meeting on Thur 11 March at 7,30 pm at Manor Gardens library off Holloway Rd. Marek Garztecki of Solidarnose trade union working group plus speakers from E

Brent: Labour Party public meeting on Wed 17 March at 7.30 pm in Harlesden primary school, Acton Lane, NW10. Speakers: Eric Heffer MP. Solidarnose member and Oliver MacDonald.

Glasgow Polish Solidarity Committee. alon

18. Mossuel Re Glasgow 643 Ring

Edinburgh Polish Solidarity Committee, c/o Edinburgh & District Trades Council, 12 Picardy

Greater Manchester Polish Solidarity Com

Crete St, Oiham Lancs Ring 061 620 2885 Leeds Polish Solidarity Committee, c/o Dave

Yorkshire

Birmingham Polish Solidarity Committee, + o Roger Murray. 28 Blaklord Road Banghan

Cardiff Polish Solidarity Committee, c/o Mark

Avn Cardiff Ring Coventry Solidarity Committee, John Fisher c/o

Oxford Labour Committee on Polami 468

-10 Park

Labour Focus on Eastern Europe. His 78 136

Polish Solidarity Committee, 11 get Ha

7218 for london Speakers@ or 01. 249. 2665 fot out of London Sundamosc Trade Unson Working Group ai

Solidanity Fund

Page 13 scan of this page

Ireland

FOUR HUNDRED

jointly by the Labour Committee on Ireland and the Committee for Withdrawal from Ireland

of articles on issues ference MARTIN COLLINS looks at the tasks

withdrawal.

Mick Martin from Hammersmith Trades Council opened the conference by stressing that while Ireland had been widely aired within the constituency Labour parties it needed the same to happen In the unions

change in Labour's Irish policy.

The first session heard two widely differing views of the situation from Irish trade unionists. Inez McCormack, a NUPE regional officer from the North of reland. said that British activists had a lot to learn about the conditions tac ing the unions in the Nor-

Corrupted

First there was the 'normal" situation fighting the government tion), recently won his asylum in Britain.

Turkey.

THE first thing I'd like to do is thank all those supporters of Socialist Challenge who campaigned to prevent my deportaTOnI

In times like these, the hypocrisy of our rulers in

preserve their system of exploitation takes breath away. Having the go-ahead to torturers and dictators the world over, President Reagan sponsored the horrendous 'Let Poland Be Poland' show Then he invites General Kenan Evren, Turkish Head of State, to appear on it. Boggles

This man Evren, it should be recalled, is head of a military junta with ten hangings, hundreds of

of thousands of political

- in short a track record which makes General Jaruzelski a0082I

Truly, to quote

Trade unionists

meet to discuss

people, three quarters of them delegated from trade unions and Labour parties, met last weekend to discuss getting Britain out of Ireland. The conference, called

was a big step forward in organising opposition to British policy in Ireland and making a break from Tory policies. In the first of a series

discussed at the con-

of socialists in this country fighting for British

and the bosses against the

low wages leven if these problems severe in Ireland). Then there is the 'colonial situa tion'

By dividing up Ireland, and splitting the Irish VINCES Catholics and Protestants, between

the British rulers have Dara veed corrupted the workers' movement in

divided the unions with separate Dublin-besed and London-based organisinc workers of dif ferent religions.

Inez argued that the Bennite alternative economic strategy supthe status qua through its silence Ireland. What is needed she said, is a massive in jection of money MOTTE economy of the North, to make the Unionists an of

DOGAN TARKAN, exiled socialist editor and leader of the organisation Kurtulus (Libera-

battle for political Here he outlines the events around the trial of the trade union leaders in

Alexander Haig. it bog gles my mind'

Turkey the entire leadership of the malor trade union confederation DISK organising OVEr nair a mion workers are on trial for their lives On 24 December 1981 fifteen months after their CHEST executive members of DISK appeared on trial for the first time. The military prosecutor is demanding the death penalty for them. In nIS indictment nounced that preparations are underway for the trials 200 more DISK members.

An atmosphere of terron usands of stdiers sur- trial. round court and roadblocks have been set up throughout a radius of several miles On the second day of the trial the military prosecutor said:

This is a very impor tant trial. Both Turkish and world public opinion have a great interest in the trial everybody is watching us We must finish it without GUY LOUDE

ter they cannot refuse.

Unionist workers that the British gover ment was going to promote a united Ireland, and. that they could either accept the money and the SOOTICA decide to reject it, but get the political solution anyway.

Ignore

Speakers from the floor pointed out that if we already had a movement in Britain to withdraw from Ireland then it might make sense to start a discussion on how exactly that STOLE ve done. the moment it wasn't ter ribly useful. The other ord blem with Inez's view is that British governments have tried deal with Ireland by buying off the Unionists many times before, that was how they got to be 'privileged' in the

irst place.

The views of Matt Merrigan from the ATGWU were different. He agreed that the so-called bread and butter issues of wages and conditions do not lead to a breaking cown or Ine divisions Det ween workers. That he said. is the SITE tain and of the in Bri- Communist BriWorkers' Party in Ireland.

They think that if trade unionists ignore the issue of the division of Ireland as a country and concentrate

what problems Catholic and Protestant

Unionleaders on trial in Turkey

We are adopting the *war conditions regula tions la series of excep tional measures severely limiting the right to defence, demanded by the prosecutor and accepted by the judges on the first day of the trial) to finish this trial quickly.

This trial will finish soon because there GEE not any witnesses, and the

International.

workers have in common

wages unemployment, cuts etc., ten vou Can unity in action. This in turn will create long term atmosphere in which issues such as the

POTTERe socialist society can be discussed

Matt pointed out that such a papering over the cracks doesn't work. You can't turn your back on the tact of a British army of occupation. The national question runs through and shapes the ways in which

social

Sectarianism, he said will only disappear when its cause - the division of Ireland into two separate undemocratic statelets is ended.

Assembly

In Matt's view, a com mitment the Labour

withdraw from Ireland should be followed stitutional Assembly that by a selang up ora cor would seek to involve people from all over Ireland to work out the wav Ireland should be says, that's not the it. of run

socialists in Britain. There is a division of labour between militants in the two countries

Socialists in Britain should concentrate their attention not on working out how Ireland is to be run that is a job for the Irish. The British, should concentrate on building a movement that will get a

number of limited. Immediately after this trial we will open the trials for democratic organisations and the Republican People's Part MPs. The trials for DISK affiliated trade unions will follow them. There is little to add to that.

The DISK trial is impor tant to the junta because Defending the 'free world: NATO's junta in Turkey

government committed to withdrawing from Ireland

Revolutionary socialists in Ireland tend to snare inis view. in ine re cent Irish elections, Bernadette McAliskey. the Peoples' Democracy candidate in Dublin showed how the views of an Irish

might be put forward. She made i clear that getting a united Ireland and a united work-

. not by the generosity of a Labour government

new status for Ireland but by building

mass movement labour DISK represents the first stage of political con-

class in Turkey. at the head of all the mass political mobilisations of the working people in Turkey. Strikes

When the army took power in September 1980 54,000 workers overe strike, 48,000 them members of DISK. . In the nine months prior to the

reland against imperialist intervention,

Troops

The presence of British troops in the north is the BOS. pressing concern because it is their guns and plastic bullets which prop up the rest. But no less imPortant see ne was

and division Ireland makes it easier for workers to be trampled on. She argued for workers to take over factories, particularly Matt Merrigan, district secretary of the ATGWU, speaks to the movement conference on Ireland

coup there were seven Then year in we turkish times as many lost other year history. The junta's pro ject was to break the back of this movement.

International working class solidarity can expost these that they are. There is an urgent need to get out the truth about Turkey, fight for trade union and democratic rights, against torture, against executions.

when faced with redu dancies

Only if the workers - Ireland begin to take co trol of industry, can son

the running economy which has be bled dry by the prof makers organise movement against division of Ireland whic looks forward to a sociali republic holds 4.0 something positive Protestant workers just the crumbs off th capitalist table which a labelled "privileges' at th moment. 100

*SOLIDARTY CANS

should a member of NATO. Y a member of NATO Turkey Solidarity Can paign in this country or from Dishr tour speakers other unions to take plac at the end of March. It already sponsored by u Bakers Union, the Fi Brigades Union, and th National Union of Jou nalists at a national leve

NUM

Now we are trying 1 win support for the tour: local and regional leve Already the Derbyshi area of the NUM has aske

organise a meeting Readers who are able

get trade union or Labo

Party sponsorship for t tour should do so at onc

We are plannin meetings in all the majc industrial areas.

Details of

_from TSI London WC1/

Socialist Challenge 4 March 1982

page

Page 14 scan of this page

Bring London to a halt!

After the ASLEF victory: Guards on the attack

THE FULL EFFECTS of the Law Lords' decisions on cheap fares will hit the tubes later this year when hundreds of jobs are likely to be axed. London Transport has already frozen recruitment. JOHN GODFREY, branch secretary of Neasden ASLEF and chairperson of Brent South Labour Party, spoke to Socialist Challenge about the campaign against fares increases and job losses. IT WOULD be marvellous if we could have an all-out stoppage at this stage but it's not going to nappen. Last week was the finit meeting of THR unions London Transport. That was a big step forward, although Ive never been to such a meeting before.

United

We in ASLEF went to the meeting with a proposal to have a three day 'If we wait for government there won't be a service left' London in crisis: talk but no action

By Martin Eady, vice president London Transport district council NUR

MORE THAN 1,000 delegates from over 500 organisations attended

13ST of organisations including the South East region TUC, the

to debate the crisis. general agreement that the crisis was

But unfortunatelv little came out of the conference in the way of action. The Assembly had not been built as a specific

By Hazel MacPherson, Paddington NUR No1 AT THE Labour Party national executive committee last week general secretary of the railworkers union, accused Denis Skinner MP of attacking the NUR during the ASLEF dispute. All that Skinner had done was to speak at a meeting in support of ASLEF and to campaign for a resolution of support from the NEC.

ship are attacking the NUR through their attempts to thrust flexible rostering down the throats of the membership.

The fight against flexible rostering which began with a day of action called

the LOCa Departmental Committees upon a national campaign with chanenges BENE 3C tions of the leadership. the focuses upon the call for a special general meeung or me

this at New Street, Saltley and Bescott.

at our expense. - Jahn, Birmingham NUR

Socialist Challenge 4 March 1982 page 14

10 MARCH TRANSPORT STRIKE

stoppage, bet no amendments could re put. In the interests of unity we decided it wasn't the time to raise our proposal. It's sometning EnGI unions, especially the NUR, have agreed to a one day stoppage @ COM0201 15 00 ing to grow, maybe it's not such a bad thing after all.

It could be just a taster. we can always step the action up. We can't just on the day of the strike, 10 March, o

the next Labour call policies of the GLC.

given Residents ing to support the

the London tions.

Called by

GLC and the

There was

opportunity organisations behind Russell Tuck, assistant Russell Tuck and his like in the NUR leader-

union, which needs the backing of 200 branches.

At the same time the London LDC steering committee is asking that the union's grades con ferences be reconvened in order that Weighell's claim that 99.9 per cent of memoers suppor mexicie rostering can be refuted once and tot ai.

'A resolution from Notts, backed by Derby and all of the East Midlands calls for a vote of no confidence in Sid Weighell and calls for his resignation. We backed

All Sid Weighell's after is a knighthood

'One day strikes aren't going to change the government's mind

on 21 March when the tares go up, and that's all.

We have to have a consistent united campaign.

That's what I think should happen this Can't Pay, Won't Pay proposal.

ASLEF isn't involved the collection of fares it's not for us to tell the other unions what to do.

They ve got to decide for themselves.

Scheme

But i do think the only way we're going to win, there isn't an all-out industrial action, is for all the unions and the campaigns to come together under

GRANT

one umbrella. Otherwise all the collectors will be ted up with having different 0TES0T paper LO SOCESS. after all it can involve

labour movement event and so failed to give a political lead for a fightback. London Labour leader. Ken Livingstone

SEIG

Proof that the potential support was there was shown by the hostile reception

representative Association. Although claim. cheap tares policy he "extravagance' and the support it gave to gay organisa-

To involve so many people in criticis. The newes ane Law Lores auct on local services while the GLC's policies are reduced to chaos. seemed in

the assemes draw community the trade unions wno are taking on ine tories, paruculany the London Transport unions. That opportunity was sadly missed.

The campaign against flexible rostering has brought together hundreds of NUR members.

and file level should continue if the campaign is to succeed. We have set ourseives dong ten god to fundamentally change the union by demanding accountability trom - its leaders. This will require a battle throughout the union.

Worry

In June this year the NUR's general meeting will convene with LIVO TOUFICHIE to change the rules of the union on the agenda. The first aims make the general secretary open to election every ive years The second aims to democrause une compost tion of the annual general ILSE delegate from each branch

Railworkers should not feel that they are alone in the battle 10 bring their union leadership to heel The Laurence Scott workers are campaigning around Rule 14

News

breaking contracts.

So to be successful, the non-collection of farse scheme should be applied uniformly by consumers and operators. We're not going to stop the cuts just by industrial action alone.

ASLEF has just won a vic tory but the Tories could

DY British Rail's budget.

CHOUCHO for trade unignists to go to

say we want to keep politics

profits, they soon back down. If the Mc

eight-hour day.

wouldn't accept it.

Fred Orton-Jones, Birmingham ASLEF

AUEW rule book to gain support for the re-election There's not a trade tien the union executive

does in British Rail

help us. At the moment it's been agreed that there is to be no negotiations on these issues. be in extreme difficulties.

So what happens with the McCarthy Tribunal report on flexible rostering and the drivers lose on that question we in London

- John Godfrey, branch secretary Neasden ASLEF

out of it. Nor is it enough for Albert Booth, shadow Transport Minister, to tell us to wait til Labout government in 1984 which will reverse all this. It w wait till then, there won't be any service left at all.

Success We need political ac tion the community paressure to bear to fong Pres and counts. Con essure to bear on and operators have to get together in this campaign, meantime we have to make 10 March a

Euston

'If you hit them where it hurts, with their Carthy Tribunal report went back on the

ASLEF members

bureaucrat in this country who is not beginning to worry about her/his position.

'LONDON TRANSPORT workers are also facing the implementation of flexible rostering. At the moment there is some unity between our union, ASLEF, and the National Union of Railwaymen. The NUR is in the majority and ASLEF doesn't have the same weight in London Transport as it

But the victory of the train drivers will really

But if Sidney Weighell loses his bottle, we could

39-hour week on British Rail will effect us. If the

Transport don't have much chance of winning.

Fares Fightback

Calendar

Wednesday 10 March

• One day

Transport workforce!

Thursday 11 March

•GLC mass lobby

Meetings in Central Hall at 3pm and 6pm.

Saturday 13 March

2pm at County Hall

Sunday 21 March

• Fares up?

industrial action alone'

big success. 1 think there will be a good TESOONSH although we have to get to

Both the NUR and ASLEF are organising London-wide

for their TECTROCIS to explain the situation.

Queues will grow are cut and we'll

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strike of London

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Page 15 scan of this page

demanding the sit in should end.

workforce had

continued the occupation

in defiance of the earlier

court order and last Friday

141 of them were called to

court to answer why they

had done so. They could

have been jailed for this

that the occupation of action but they argued

the

factory was 1 leaa 5 terms

of section 13 1974 Trade

and Labour RelaAc This states that

an act done in contempla

tion of the furtherance of a

BISBUTO should not

be subject to court action

on the grounds only that it

interfered with the trade

business

another person

judge was undecided as to

whether this section of the

act legalised sit ins, but felt

he could not rule.

Success

Not. surprisingly the

march held the following

day in Bathgate had an air

celebration following

the court decision Over

1500 trade unionists main-

Messer from Scotland but also

workers from

Beeston marched through

the town to a rally at the

factory gate

Ellen Monaghan from

Lee Jeans that they

ad danced when they

heard of the Plessey

workers' victory the

courts. Both workforces

determined to save

IMPE jobs and had begun

their sit ins with this aim in

mind, not knowing where their support would come from. But in the course of the struggle they found that the labour movement and fellow workers rallied to their fight

Many of the speakers pointed out that the court decision was a historical one. AUEW fulltimer, Tom Dougan, pointed out that the industrial climate

SDP union-bashers

By Davy Jones MEMBERS of Islington NALGO, the largest union branch in the borough, have entered their second week of all-out strike against the local SDP council.

Since the SDP took ContrOl OT their first

corough detections of

through defections Labour's 'machineponticians they have been hell-bent on taking

local authority unions.

First, they refused to transfer Rob Webb from his temporary job to the

post which he had been ap pointed. After fruitless negotiations Rob was suspended by the management when he moved to take up the job on 11 January on the

PLESSEY BATHGATE

Round one to

the workers

By Neil Cruikshank and Judith Arkwright The Plessey occupation lives! Last Friday, Lord Kincraig lifted his previous order granted to Plessey management three weeks previously

created by the DIESETTE had couraged employers use the courts in order to fight a battle against the workers.

Plessey is one of 25 major companies who are arging Thatcher not to eflat the economy: it is also fully behind the Teb bit Bill. Much of the company's € 100m profit comes from the war drive.

Plessey makes telephones designed for use after a nuclear war but as George Wilson, Tass convenor at

3M COOKSON (Socialist challenge)

fares in their area advice of the union.

This prompted a walk out first from his department. and then the whole union branch on 18 February.

When the disciplinary hearing against Rob found him not guilty the Council denDerately provoked the continuation of the dispute by announcing closure children's union mass meeting the following voted overwhelmingly to continue the all-out strike. which nas been official NALGO national INE ex-

the plant commented

they have not yet worked

out how anyone is going

to be alive to use them.

George also pointed en- out that the workers had

won the court decision on

a technicality there

was always the possibility

that it could be overturned

by another court ruling. It

was essential therefore to

build support among

workers in order to have

the strength beat

Plessey, the Tebbit

and the Tories

Send donations

messages of support to Mary

Murphy. Main

Fauldhouse, West Lothian South Yorkshire bus workers lobbied parliament on Monday to protest the threatened rise of

ecutive.

Finally, when a solution was put forward by the negotiators of both sides conjunction with ACAS.

SOP councillors threw it out on Monday 1 March. union mass meeting the following morning

overwhelmingly to continue the strike.

If ever there was any doubt about the real union-bashing nature of the SDP. the provocations of Isiinaton Council be a lesson to us all. You can help expose them by suppor with resolutions of sup- Islington NALGO port, donations and so ALSO Strike HO Send to: Islington

NLF students LadBroke House, Highbury Barn, London N5.

Trade Unions

DEMO

fight for jobs

determination that

right to work Bill

women ANN MOONEY and BETTY KIRKLAND and

rights

JA: I see you're wearing a

badge 'I'm a Plessey

suffragette how does

your fight link up with the

suffragettes?

don't know who Dre tined the badge - but

with

courts. Like the suffraget

we have to defy a law which is out of date and we have to draw attention to We preht like theytaid, / did.

We're though, we're ordinary people trying to keep our Jobs we don't feel we should end the COURTS *hat shallenge JA: You mentioned that some of the more skilled men in the plant had left

occupation, All the women here seem pretty solid why do you think that is?

BK: Well, some of the

were highly skilled

ould find jobs but th mạyb ther

realisec that here for using erse ou out there for us. men involved in the sit in

Rule 14 OK

By Pete Clifford

lost the fight to keep

Neither Snipe nor the

the union

Since the

they've committed an

Billy Partlan.

by these people.

Tebbit? John Boyd calls for the

the Scott workers

they've received to

brutal eviction by bailiffs in August

FOR A WOMAN'S RIGHT to WORK

Plessey women

THE OCCUPATION of Plessey in Bathgate,

Scotland, has highlighted again the lead and

women workers prepared to make in the fight for jobs. It has been the struggles of women like those at the successful Lee Jeans occupation last year that has awoken the Labour Party to the burning Issue of women's rights. On 5 June, the Labour Party is organising a big event for a woman's

Judith Arkwright spoke to two of the

workers at Plessey Capacitators members of the clerical union APEX, about • both their fight for jobs and their fight for women's

When we go out or the delegations, the more women that go out more support we get We haven'i had saying women shouldn't work anyway or that women should stay at home AM: Yes, a lot of people say to us that the women eem stronger. I think me re more reluctant som times because they feel they've got to keep a wage coming in - they can't afford to go on strike.

That doesn't mean our wages isnt't important when I first went out to work the money did used to be for luxuries - now it's for paying bills JA: Would you see your self as women's rights as well?

AM: Well, we're fighting or everyone's rights here - men and women. But I certainly don't believe in the idea the little woman sitting the home. 1 might not campaign for women's rights much but | have my own ideas on where a woman's place should be.

WE'VE HAD to concede the fact that we've

the factory police beat us. it was This was how

steward Billy Partian summed up the feelings SCHO

of the Laurence Scott strikers who have been

battling ten long months to save their jobs.

massive police operation two

weeks ago to bust the picket line there has been a daily convoy of scab lorries in and out

of the plant under enormous police protec tion. Laurence Scott workers are determined to carry through the rule 14 campaign to force a ballot for removal of the engineering union they ve committed a injust plains

injustice, membership to stop their union being abused We're calling on the AUEW

With union leaders like these, who needs

banning of public sector strikes and he and Duffy want

the £6.000 bil! cover the cost of the

The whole labour movement has to res. pond to the rule 14 campaign. Getting rid of Boyd and Duffy would be a service to us all.

By Ken Glanfield NUT

against Heseltine's cuts, of the National Union of Teachers

shutting down schools.

London and the south east -don wide strike.

are

own employees.

evening. the

that

and Edwards in Leyland,

Saturday

Laurence Scott Strike Committee

Protest resolution for AUEW

branches THIS branch believes executive council has seriously mishandled dispute. As this is an issue of concern to all AUEW members the branch demands a ballot for removal of executive council in line with Rule 14, paragraph five. council, or any member thereof may be removed from office by a ballot of the membership of the union provided such a ballot per cent or more of the branches and not less than two thirds of the membership are in favour of such removal.

General Secretary. make sure it is sent to the AUEW general office, 110 Peckham Rd, London SE15 and a copy is sent to the strike committee, 20 Rounderoft, Romiley, Cheshire with donations.

Socialist Challenge

East London

teachers strike

against the cuts

TEACHERS in the London Borough of Barking

have been on indefinite strike since last Thurs

day. The dispute, in defence of 160 jobs and

has the official support Even more significantly, the union has for the

first time endorsed the call to picket schools,

which is aired at turning away supplies and

Wednesday 10 March

will be a day of action in Barking and official

delegations from the NUT will be going from

union did not support the call for a half day Lon- although the

On that day the Labour controlled council

will fix the new rates and the demonstration and

lobby planned will call on the council to fight

back against the cuts, instead of picking on its

Demonstration leaves Barking Park 3 p.m

Wednesday 10 March. Lobby council in the Despite their recent defeat, Leyland workers took part in the demonstration against Tebbit

Lancashire last

Support Rule

14 campaign

the Laurence Scott

Rule 14, paragraph five states: *The executive

is demanded by ten

The ballot should be conducted by the If your branch supports the protest resolution,

4 March 1982 page 15

Page 16 scan of this page

Britain!

By the Editor CONFRONTATION! That's the name of Thatcher's game over the next months.

fighting for a living wage, women fighting for jobs and with the whole trade union movement around Tebbit's union-busting proposals.

labour movement and Thatcher, nor with the SDP.

It's under these dependent press of the workers' movement is Indispensable: sounding the alarm; informing militants of the necessary arguments and facts to win round the ranks; giving workers in action a voice.

We believe that's what Socialist Challenge has done. • wernavonery, we nave been the only paper of the

coverage to the true voice of Poland Solidarnosc and we are making sure that Reagan and Thatcher's war drive is exposed through building

largest possible

YOUR PAPER is battling for survival.

istence is the

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ly on the advertising which keeps

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We are 3000 behind target!

Is to be successful. coming in!

Our thanks this week to:

Newcastle ADON Brent Cardiff Bristol West London readers Hackney reader Lambeth reader Oldham Southampton Hemel

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Boosting circulation is one way of ensuring its health but the bed-rock of our ex-

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