Socialist Challenge No. 244, 6 May 1982

Socialist Challenge · 6 May 1982 · 16 pages, 22,290 words read by machine

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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.

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Page 1 scan of this page

Challenge

SLAUGHTER Demonstration 'Stop the War' 'Negotiations Now' Sunday 9 May, 1.30 Embankment, London

No. 244 6 May 1982 25p Unemployed and strikers 10p Inside:

Socialist

MalvinasFalklands coverage

STOP

THIS

TORY

In memory of

BOBBY SANDS

1954-1981

pages 2, 3, 4, 5 and 13

As we go to press, Britain is on the verge of all-out war with Argentina. An Argentinian warship has been sunk outside the 'exclusion zone'. Argentinian patrol boats have been blown up, and people killed during the air attack on Port Already dead. If all-out war takes place, then the death toll is likely to higher than the total population of the Falkland Islands - and there will be many deaths on both sides Such are the bloody fruits of That. cher's decision to go to war.

not out of concern for the fate of the islands' population - which is aally more in jeopardy. fighting to world role as power.

There geographical, historical or other wise for the islands being British They rely for their schooling, their health care, and even their post on Argentina Because of the immigration laws many Falklanders do have the right to come to Britain. And everyone knows that even. tually sovereignty will have to be ceded to the Argentinians.

the Falklands are British hundreds of young people are being sent to their deaths.

The fighting worse. As the war escalates, the British fleet will come under air attack, and the mainland may be bombed by the task force. The British fleet is armed with nuclear weapons, and the fleet commander has the authority to use them if necessary.

put a stop to this war. The support given to the task force by Foot and Healey must be repudiated Miners' leader Arthur Scargill has joined Tony Benn and others in calling for the withdrawal of the fleet. Before an tragedy takes place, must end.

Scargill's Call

Arthur Scargill

Miners leader called last Monday

withdrawal of the British fleet.

Scargill said: moves could plunge us into a war

which will produce

losses on both sides. They propose the threat of a nuclear holocaust

with wider Falklands Islands are 8000 miles away from Britain and can in no way be regarded

British territory. and labour movement must cam-

military action.

Peter Heathfield Thatcher should anguish being felt by thousands of parents arising from the war policy she and her government are pursuing.'

planes and

Stanley airstrip there are hundreds of Thatcher is fighting this war

She is preserve Britain's imperialist

justification

their food supplies

even

But to preserve the myth that

can only get

Argentinian The Labour movement must

even "this wer and Derbyshire Peter Heathfield for the

'The Tories' warlike

incalculable

involvement. The

sovereign The trade union

an immediate end to

said that 'think of the

Page 2 scan of this page

DOWN WITH THATCHER'S WAR

Workers could not be held back any longer'

change this. pease dictators'. do with Thatcher's plans. volved in arming

Wing Galtieri.

Argentinians working class forces Galtieri's undoing.

the Malvinas back from Britain.

The following is an interview Gómez, an Argentine socialist who currently lives in the United States. At the time of the

visiting her family. ducted in New York City on 22 April, shortly after Gómez's return to the United States.

appears in Intercontinental Press, New York.

How did the workers movement and the political opposition respond to the recovery of the Malvinas The response of the people was first of all immense lov that the Malvinas had been recovered. But this did translate HELO popularity for the government. In fact, people were Sayilly things like: 'For once, the military is doing what it should be doing defending rather than running the government'

The CGT leaders, who were supposed to have been indefinitely,

all released within

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Send to: Socialist Challenge, PO Box 50, London N1 2XP Socialist Challenge 6 May 1982

BRITAIN is now in the middle of full scale war with Argentina. This is what the wanton sinking of the 1938 vintage Argentinian cruiser General Belgrano with over 1000 on board actually signifies. This ship was outside the British imposed 'exclusion zone'. Clearly, from now on, any target is fair game.

Thatcher is intent on re-taking the MalvinasFalkland Islands. To do this, she will have to attack the Argentine mainland to prevent Argentine air superiority coming into play. It is claimed that there have been no British casualties so far. The further action promised by Thatcher is bound to

Michael Foot's position is in tatters. Having egged on the Tories war-mongering, he is now baulking at full scale war - a development clearly implied from the beginning. No wonder support for the Tories has now shot up to 43 per cent. To most workers who have been duped by his jingoism, Foot now simply appears to have lost his bottle.

The slaughter of several hundred Argentinian workers in uniform exposes all the cant that this war is about 'fighting fascism' and refusing to 'ap-

Fighting fascism has nothing to

As recently as five weeks ago she was still in-

this gang of thugs called the Argentinian junta. Right at this minute she is working hand in glove with the Chilean fascists.

The latest events in Argentina have given the lie to those who gave Thatcher the role of overthrow-

The facts are proving that it is the

The junta will be overthrown, however, as a consequence of the battle to take

Those who really

Eyewitness report from Argentina:

Malvinas takeover, Gómez was in Argentina

The interview was con-

This is a shortened version. The full text ap-

published in

two days and invited by the government to attend

authorities on the Malvinas. The CGT's response was a statement saving something like this 'As everybody knows, inis organisation does not exist so far as the governConceilicu. We have been considered illegal. So there is no war that our organisation can government that does not right to exist. recognise Nonetheless vul iccal the ranks of the army are maue up of workers and the sons of workers. So we CGT leaders are going to page 2

want to Argentinian claim. demonstrations since.

Arthur Scargill,

Malvinas-Falklands.

Support

South Atlantic.

who will be go to the Malvinas to congratulate the soldiers Denal or the Argentine people.'

The newspapers published this statement, and the government had to let the union leaders go to the Malvinas.

What about the role of the US government how was this viewed by the people?

The reaction was immediately one of suspicion The occupation of the Malvinas LOOK every-

one spy pete said

thing Hally OCODIC was that the junta had seized them in order them over to the Yankees.

As this rumour spread, the government had to come out and state clearly that it was establishing Argentine sovereignty UVEi the Malvinas and had no in-

Editorial

PO Box 50, London N1 2XP Phone 01-359-8189/8180 (editorial and distribution) overthrow fascism must support the

With the junta's need to gain popularity through the recovery of the Malvinas-Falklands, it has had to let its bitter opponent, the Argentinian trade union movement, organise. tide against the junta and boosted the confidence

of the Argentinian workers

On 26 April, tens of thousands of workers rallie in Buenos Aires to demand 'No Yankees, English! Long live Argentina'. This then turned into the largest public condemnation of the junta. More than 40,000 people chanted 'No to the government! Yes to the Malvinas'. There have been other such

Britain is an oppressor of Argentina. Britain has no claim to these islands, over 8,000 miles away, as

Joan Maynard and others have now explained. Whatever the political hue of the Argentinian government, socialists must demand that the fleet immediately returns. This implies ac cepting Argentinian claims to sovereignty over the

Foot will continue to dither and be dragged behind Thatcher until this position is stated unequivocally by the Labour leadership.

for Thatcher's war is skin Despite the fact that Labour leaders have backed Thatcher, three-fifths of the British people are opposed to any actions leading to loss of life in the

If the Labour leadership were to give a clear alternative lead this sentiment could easily be turned into real opposition as the war now becomes more generalised.

Action by the Labour movement is more urgent than ever to stop Thatcher's madness. No quick British victory is possible. Further intensification

FALKLANT

MALVINAS

ARGENTINAS

Demonstration in support of Malvinas recovery but also calling for overthrow of Galtieri

tention of giving them to anybody else Washington miscalculated They thought would be easy to get the regime to back down was in desperate situation and would not have the backing of the Argentine people.

The junta miscalculated too they they would have US sup port, or least Ical neutrality. Once Reagan's position became clearer, the regime had no choice but to mount a show of popular support for the taking of the Malvinas.

The day Haig was to arrive for the first negotiations, the radio and televiSIon all government controlled - called for a big rally at the Plaza parties all lent their sup Mayo. opposition

The

that the This has turned the

No law'.

Course

deep. the war. • THE END port to this. As for the CGT leaders, they responded by saying they could not participate ficially, because that would mean giving suppor they cale on alr

they dividuals and as workers to

Argen. tines to celebrate recovery of the islands

When Haig's

bialit landed, he could easily have been brought by helicopter to the roof of the Casa Rosada (presidential palace). But instead the government had him driven by car all the way from the airport. The entire highway lined with people. They drove him right into the Plaza de Mayo, which was filled with nearly 300,000 people waving Argentine flags and chanting Slogans. Haig must have

of the attacks on Argentina will inevitably lead to a widening conflict.

backing given to Britain by the United States involves military aid. Now, it even emerges

British fleet carries weapons which the fleet commander has been given authority to fire

The slaughter of the hundreds of Argentinian seamen shows that the Tories will not baulk at mass murder. If left to themselves this will be extended to the use of nuclear weapons.

Given the ferociousness of British aggression even right wing governments in Latin America will be under pressure to turn their paper support for Argentina into active assistance. Brazil has already offered military back-up.

Revolutionary Cuba, has offered to support Argentina 'with all means necessary', adding that 'It is necessary to stop aggression and impose

Such generalisation of the conflict is inevitable if Thatcher is allowed to continue on her present

Many Labour Party bodies will be meeting for the first time for several weeks after the local elections. From here and from trade union branches resolutions must bombard the Labour and trade union leadership demanding a clear cut call for the fleet to be withdrawn and all British troops taken off the islands. Mobilisation for the 6 June anti-Reagan actions must include the demands for the recall of the fleet. This needs to be targetted as the occasion for a massive show of working class feeling against

PERTINE been scared, but he could see how much the Argentine people uppor the ecovery of the Malvina The majority of the crowd was made up of working people public employees and industrial workers. Many middle class people turned out as • well. And many of the chants were the very same as those chanted on 30 March. You never heard any slogans like Long live the junta' or 'Long live Galtieri'.

Instead favourite chant was 'The English are gone, and now • it's Alemann's turn!' Roberto Alemann is the minister of economy, and the main target of the workers' discontent. PeoPeroni and ante also chanted •Viva 'Se va a dictadura

tactical nuclear militar!' (The military dictatorship is coming to an end!)

Leftist groups like the Montonero Peronist Movement and the Communist Party participatec openly in the rally. The CP youth had a big banner. and led chants ot 'The people united will never b defeated'.

At one point, General Galtieri came out on the

he and Haig were going to ICDICSCITI the Argentine people in the negotiations with Britain People responded with booing and whistling - their way of saying, you don't represent the Argentine people, we do!

Four weeks ago, the Argentine armed forces were talking openly abou sending troops to help the US imperialists in Central America. Now their relations with Washington are extremely bad.

Inside the country, the situation has turned com

'etely around. The work. Ing class Is galling con fidence and coming out of six the WORS defeats in its history. The

has been weakened tremendously in relation to the workers.

Before March 30, there was the danger of another big wave of repression But now the government is

no position to do anything other than grant

more conces sions. Even if Galtieri were

fall and

somebure general take power, they would immediately have to

And if back from fighting Britain, the Argentine people will take things into their own hands.

Page 3 scan of this page

ONE VOICE has not been heard during this war: that of the rank and file of the Labour Party. Local elections, the most important in years, have absorbed its energies and most branches have suspended regular meetings.

1о ock uo vores in ones a ves cabour s iroll bench has been throwing them away by tens of thousands.

When Socialist Challenge first began contacting MPs to mobilise opposition to the war, one after the other told us that speaking out against the war would lose votes for Labour.

Yet Thatcher's showing in the opinion polls has risen to its highest in years. As we go to press it is too early to tell whether this will be reflected in the local elections.

But one thing is sure: no povernmeni will carry out socialist

while its ¡cauciship follows Foot's jingoism.

Labour cannot but lose out. If the war goes well for her, Thatcher will take the credit; and if it goes badly Foot will be unable

make her take the blame.

The front bench's stand greatly increases the prospects for coalition.

for refusing to attend all party talks! CONT YOUR

JOBS

NOT

UMBS

CND

Ralph Simmons.

Who speaks for

Labour?

But while the activists slog away on the doorstep

In spite of its much valled retusal to the government blank cheaue'. front bench spokespeople have supevery DUIICU military action so far undertaken.

Within the Labour Party the spectrum has been shifted dramatically the right. Benn and Hart's motion at the NEC. printed on this page, received only eight votes against fifteen. Backbench Mrs nave gone so tar as 1o put down an early day motion attacking Benu in the Commons.

This attack, presented as 'humorous dig', shows exactly where Labour's right and soft centre now stand. beside the Tories and the SDP and Liberals against the DarLy.

This drift to the right can and should be halted when Labour activists return from election campaign to May's consti-

MISSILES

GRUISI

NO

TRIDEN

OVER 400 people marched through Manchester last Saturday calling for 'no war with Argentina, bring back the fleet'.

speaking on behalf of the CP. announced that an ad hoc committee against the war would

By Alan Freemar

tuency and branch meetings. 2. one party leader put it 'after 6 May

Bishop's Stortford sticking plaster will come off'

The pretence of party unity has ceased to exist.

Reporting Labour Party reaction, the media Healey and Foot, and from Hart and Benn, as if they were speaking for two different parties.

Yet 'party unity' has served yet again as the reason for avoiding a clear break with Foot's stand.

At the NEC Eric Heffer abstained on Benn's motion in the interests of party unity; and the supporters of Benn's motion voted for Foot's motion

More dangerous still, Judith Hart and Tony Benn accepted an amendment to their own motion so that, instead of calling for the total withdrawal of the fleet, it called for withdrawal to South Georgia.

This change neuters the motion. the presence of the fleet in the South Atlantic any shape or form, that is the cause of the present conflict. The war will go on until not a single British

RECALL FHE FLEET

ENO-WARE

WITK ARGENTINA

be set up during leafletting next Challenge and Revolution Youth.

Falklands Crisis

navy vessel remains south of the equator.

The opportunity now exists for the left to take the offensive Foot JOS credibility. His wornout reputation as

'pacifist' of the sixties has been discarded; and the polls show that he cannot even bring about a labour victory.

Labour's next conference should be the arena for a settling of accounts. Even at this late stage the Labour should consider standing a candidate against Foot for the thai are leadership, SO

the IssuC debated out as were the

of democracy unilateralism and economic strategy last year.

The NEC should be bombarded with motions calling for a Labour commitment T01 Lota withdrawal of the fleet,

Foot and commending Benn and

calling Labour to organise a mass campaign to get the fleet out of the South Atlantic.

The true voice of the party has been silenced

by Labour's front bench: now is the time for it to be heard. REFUSE to FIGHT the weekend, and a proposal for mass Saturday in Piccadilly accepted after being put forward by supporters of Socialist

Revolution Youth played a major role in building the

National Executive Committee on

second, from

of the fleet, was withdrawal to South Georgia

THAT THIS NEC calls upon the British Governmen to respono immealately anu favourably to the statemen

• institute oscuSSon: witt him at the earliest possible moral cano see beared pro moment to see how

SecretaryGeneral's stateme Was follows:

'In of the armed Argentine and British forces exchance between

which has taken niace over South Georgia island, it is imperative thai the escalation of the situation be halted. In this critical. stuallon Secretary-General appeals 10 both parties comply immediately with the PrOVISION of the securit Council resolution (1982) and to retrain irom an! Further ate cobreyer

which threatens to have serious con-

MAY DAY demonstrations throughout Britain have opposed Thatcher's war drive. In Bristol marches voted at the final rally for the withdrawal of the fleet after hearing Tony Benn condemn the invasion of South Georgia

nestenne d three thousand heard miners'

leaders Arthur Scargill and

9R OVER THE

SYKLAND ISLANDS

Gardens was

Labour's NEC on war

TWO RESOLUTIONS were put to the Labour Party

Wednesday 28 April. The first, from Michael Foot, Denis Healey and Eric Heffer, was passed with two abstentions. The

Judith Hart and Tony Benn, was defeated by fifteen votes to eight. An amendment to their motion, which originally called for withdrawal

accepted that it called for

sequences for world peace?

MikaiFoot

Dains Hala

Bhi Heller

THAT NEC which has consistently over deplored the appalling denia of human rights by the fascist Tullia and int sale while condemning the occupation Falkland Islands in clear breach of in ternaulonal law. there chomo be anechate hon in le regina region Falkland Islands particularly draws at tention to mose aspects mandatory Resolution 502 which the Prime Minister ig nores, namely, the preamble

May Day marches against war

Peter Heathfield call for an immediate end to military In Sheffield Martin Flannery told 1,000 people that the islands were taken from Argentina 'at the height of British imperialism's jingoism.

Five thousand assembled at Tower Hill in London heard Judith Hart

LAKER AIRWAYS

march, particularly among students and black youth on Moss Side

youth who declared war on the British state last summer, said a spokesperson for Revolution Youth.

Socialist Challenge

calling on the government c Argentina and the UK efrain from the use of threat of force and

an immedia: cessallol nostalLic that bol governments seek a diplomatic solution.

It also believes:

proper response for Britain port cueing orect neconadoes te secure a settlement which will safeguard legitimate in terests Falkland Istallucis 2. That the Falkland Islander: wishing to leave should be helped to re-settle elsewhere with gene us competion on sovereignl must negotiable

The NEC also

wishes io make it clear that the Labour

will not suppor government in a war with th

which could would but lives at risk; and isolate Bri

upon suspend nostludes : forthwith, cepting cease-fire and

South Georgia; and intends to launch a national campaign to win Dudle support lor l statement.

Tony Benn Judith Hart

condemn the drive and call for the labour movement to mobilise to stop the war.' In Glasgow 1,500 attended a May day rally where a resolution was passed calling for the removal British and Argentine troops and

UN Security Council resolution 502. 'The clearest opponents of the war are the black

6 May 1982

Page 4 scan of this page

WHICH SIDE

FMLN

Redmond O'Neil interviews Manuel Bravo, member of the diplomatic representation in Britain of FDR-FMLN

What is your attitude to the crisis over the Malvinas islands?

First of all, I want to deal with the hard facts. The islands belong to Argentina. The claim Argentinian people to sovereigntv over them is a legitimate Second,

UC. the islands do not belong

Britain. The British government's decision to send the task force is ar

Fact colvuilascuus onialism. It is using this to try to divert the British people mom us own mielnal crisis.

Third, the action "by the Argentinian military in reclaiming the islands is a legitimate action. All we demand of the ArgentiMan government is that

We support their claim sovereignty, and they should respect our right to sovereignty and self-determination Salvador. We demand, nererore mat mey remove all military aid

Ultd Salvador, and withdraw their military auvisuls from our country.

Collapse

Fourth, Alexander Haig has now

clearly on Britain's side What does this mean? 1 means the collapse of the

European lowers were

kept out of Latin Americ because the US government is allowing a European power to exercise

political, and clullulille. military muscle on Argen-

territory. The US Chall

waited until the last possible moment before speaking out.

Their last chance to remain on the fence would

Falklands: the graveyard of colonialism

Soc a is: Challenge 6 May 1982

Harrier Jump-jet have been if the Organisation of American States had taken committal position. . When the OAS supported Argentina, then the Us had to declare themselves. Sitting on the fence any longer meant losing the support of both sides.

The US have to put their two pacts into the balance their alliance with Britain through NATO, and with Argentina through the Rio Treaty of reciprocal aid. I ne result is clear for all to see. They regard their European imperialist allies as more important than Argentina.

So overall, I want to stress that the Malvinas conflict is not a football match where socialists have to choose one side and cheer on until the very end. What we can say is three things: page 4

First, Britain is a loser because its outdated big stick intervention will not alleviate its difficulties at home. The fleet destroy the dole queues.

Second, the United States is a loser, because it

exposed in the eyes of the Americas and the world. The history of our continent, from Canada to Latin America is the fruit of colonialism and imperialism. The US goal beere bring loyal

before being loyal members of the Americas with its anti-colonial strug gle, incy are loyal to lil perialism.

Today at the time of the struggle against colonialism by ci saivador, be it against Britain, the multinationals or puppet military dictatorships, the USA before else stands for upholding im-

perialist positions.

Thirdly although the claim of the Argentinian people for sovereignty over the Malvinas legitimate, and always will be, unc action taken by the diclatorship the Malvinas are also legitimate, nonetheless their scope for success is umied by the tact that the

Argentinian junta have chosen fight enemy's terms: number of Dalico. buals, tanks, sub marines and genera sophistication maments.

It is the anti-imperialist movements which are the

biggest weapons against Britain. What understand about the Malvinas crisis much who will win round one. Rather it is to realise what a tremendous crisis imperialism going through at the moment.

NICARAGUA

THE FOLLOWING statement by the Nicaraguan government was published in the 6 April issue of the Managua daily Barricada.

In light the delicate siluallon the dispute between the Republic of Argentina and the Uniter Kingdon Malvinas

ing statement yesterday.

Government of National Reconstruction.

anti-imperialist internationa policy, which i

feels that one of the causes of

disturbance

How does the over the Malvinas affect the prospects of a military intervention?

As a result of the positions the USA has taken against Argentina. Latin American dictatorship will be able to so blindly follow American plans in the

This will make intervention by proxy more difficult.

However, Galtieri and the section of power that he represents may be pushed aside by imperialism. That is to say, imperialism

manipulalt political crisis of the op-

Argentina produce a different base with a different approact to the whole thing and with whom Britain could settle the crisis, saving face and allowing the UN to act as a mediator.

Port Stanley in the 1800s colonial enclaves that con tradier the fundamental prin-

porary international lau.

The Covernment of Na

the South Atlantic from the diplomatic line-up.

after Reagan declared for Thatcher. newsagents,

CUBA

A STATEMENT issued on 29 April condemned the British invasion a sion off

herold

Argentina against tain Cuba's position was spelt out in a Radio Havana broadcast on 14 April, as follows:

The va vinas Islands crisis is drawing world attendon to te colonialish.

Lil in efferina paris at

Latin phenomenon has under narsh criticism trom the UN and the Nonaligned Movement.

The Nonaligned Movement's Sixth Sum mit held in Havana in 1979, recalled the long struggle the Latin American nations for their independence and sovereignty

The nonaligned leaders indicated that Latin America historically been one part of the world consistently victimised by Washington's acts of ag gression, as well as those of the European imperialist powers. The leaders expressed their conviction that col-

Reconstruction lionell

of the etons bathe Republic

Argentina resolve the colonial and illegal

Imperialism takes on the third world i

'THATCHER has won the diplomati struggle', our free and uncensored televi sion newsreaders tell us. The truth is slight ly different. The conflict in the Malvina has become a struggle for imperialism' right to carry on robbing; this is now clea

All the imperialist powers have nov backed Britain; Japan complied two day

In the third world Britain's action i seen as a re-assertion of colonial rights Even racist divisions have been revived. li 'The Falklands crisis', a glossy pro-Britis! war propaganda sheet which has just hit th

we are told that The Whit Commonwealth rallied to Britain's side'

Most significant of all, however, is th fact that those countries and movement

The long arm of the la onialism, in all shapes an forms. should be wipe out of the Caribbean an Latin America.

Shortly after the sum mit, on 12 October 197 top Cuban leader Fid Castro addressed the UT General Assembly on tr question of the Malvina Islands. As president the Nonaligned Move ment, he reiterated its firr of Argentina' right to regain sovereignt of the islands At the Foreig Ministers Conference New Delhi in February c 1981, the nonaligne accupation kingdom has minosed on! mentioned terrores. again states that it su! ports the right of all peop

Page 5 scan of this page

ARE YOU ON?

fighting imperialism have without exception lent their support to Argentina. This includes the guerillas fighting under threat of a US-sponsored proxy invasion by Argentina.

regime in Argentina, the people owe their misery to imperialism. guerillas understand something our own Labour leaders have not; that a victory for Britain will strengthen the hand of reaction in Argentina, and that a British defeat will allow the Argentinian people to settle accounts with their rulers. revolutionaries themselves also understand this.

prints reactions to American and Caribbean revolutionaries, SO that our readers themselves: whose side are Thatcher and Michael Foot on? in the South Atlantic countries ratified the understanding they reached on the Malvinas during the Havana summit. Unce again, Argentina got the sona vacking or most or the world's countries, which make up the movelical.

As Cuba's ambassador "The Malvinas are an in- Argentina said: alienable part ot Argentina, and Cuba has always maintained clear position on this point. We defended it in all international forums, we said it in every possible way. Even

and nations to evercise their

full and total sovercigny over

Mial

backing to the government of

the Argentine Republic in this

dispute Peace

In addition, the Ciorera-

ech peace through dialogue

Argentine govern

11CTI and the

relations with no lo carey

ou any action that could lead

norns of international lav in

resolve hese dirferences peacelull

of El Salvador,

The reason is very simple; whatever the

The Salvadorean

The Argentinian

On these two pages Socialist Challenge the crisis from Latin

can judge for our president, Fidel Castro, urged the restoration of the Malvinas Argentina during his student days.'

The situation is clear enough. Colloltd tion is between a Latin American country. belonging to the Nonaligned Movement. ana a col onial power who had been controlling part of Argentina's territory for 149 vcals.

GRENADA

THE FOLLOWING is the Slatewere of the People's Revolutionary Government Grenada on the Falklands (Malvinas) Islands crisis:

Revolutionary Corerninen Girenada favours peaceful, negotiared. political etile-

1/10 Falkland

between the United Kingdom and Argentina.

samo the People's Revolutionary (rovernment

sovercigney over the Island as just.

Oret the years, many lo-

temanonal Organisations

w/ст "e belong hare iden

quite rightly.

include the United Nations.

Nos Aliened Movement

Declaration of the United Secretariat of the Fourth International

A STATE OF WAR exists around Tine Malvinas islands. The conflict is not between

'democracy' and 'military dictatorship . It

between an imperialist power and dependent country that is still semi-colonial.

The Malvinas WelC sente Britain trom

Argentina part of its

Cas of armed colonial

expansion. They were used by British imperialism as its chief naval base to

guard the passage from the

Pacific the Atlantic oceans. They also provid-

ed a base for military ac tion against the Latin

tion of the Socialist Interna-

In e United vallony General Assembly

15140f 1960, 2065 o1 3160 of the question clearly stated a colonial problem The 1965 keso unon recauca ine 190 which inter alia stated - 'was

the cherished everi tre colonitom in all bringing the case Falkland Islands" Concern

pressed. a00lllc)n concern at the fact that cight

Share adopton of Resolution

gress naving peen noc te the

therefore thai British ments hare had ample oppor

Argentinians demonstrate against the English and the junta

FOURTH INTERNATIONAL

American mainland.

What is at issue in this conflict is not the right to self-determination of the inhabitants of the Islands as Mrs Thatcher claims. It is: • the survival and credibility of the tionary Thatcher

govell ment;

of the Antarctic; • the strategic position of the Malvinas in the South Atlantic;

discovered har lind bete

discovered around Islands.

That is what British imperialism wants to keep hold of. blatant hypocrisy is demonstrated by the fact that it has sup. plied the Argentine military dictatorship and in part even helped bring it

with the UN Resolutions

Aliened Conten

called for deUl 11 17 colonisanon, was realr

support for Argentina's claim.

The Latin American and Caribbean Socialist International ment of Cirenada JCweI Nove formy

support meeting held in Aruba during

Dur support for Argen tinas clami lo

strange.

The Peoples lionar! Government hear that indoes not support

conference given on Thursdas

declared that Cironada condemned the use

to power. To a large extent it will be British-supplied arms which will be firing

British ships.

VIl In this conflict the in-

ternational workers' and revolutionary must give their full and en-

Argentinian over the Malvinas Islands must be definitively established and tionally recognised

British imperialism's war

totally war. We must work for it to end in defeat.

The Fourth International calls on the workers of all countries to give their support to the Argentinian nation in this con

The imperialist war drive must be fought head-on by the working masses everywhere and above all

and the Falklands

• mar force Argen

tina to establish control over

Equally, we reject the

in Argentina and in Latin America.

The Fourth International calls on European workers force their governments to end the blockade measures

Argentina. . In the present contlict these measures ac not target the military dic-

inev are almed against the Argentinian Lalol. The Argentinian

For the victims of repression will not benefit from them The benefits are arawn by the British imperialists. The European working class has no interest supporting any way whatsoever the in-

alliance, the alliance of its own exploiters against the Argentinian nation.

The TOUTE! tional calls on the British Rex Hunt, appointed governor of Antarctica -

threat of the United Kingdom

to use force to restore the col-

onials aus deciared

on 3

workers and their organisations to resolutely oppose the chauvinist

should Astena Cuer demonstrate in tens of thousands as thev did dur. ing the Suez conflict in 1yso to stav the crimina

City's warmongers. Not drop blood should be shed for the cause of the Falkland Island Company sordid interests the piunaerers or lne uccal

The people who are leading this conflict are those who are responsible for three million unemployed in Great Britain, for dismantling the social security system and causing a large increase in poverty levels throughou the country. The natural allies of the British workers are the Argentinian workers and the Argentinian nation, not the British capitalists.

Cause

The Fourth International calls on the Argentinian workers to defend the just cause of Argenti

sovereignty over the Malvinas by sustained class action and by class struggle methods. While working for the victory of Argentina in this war, workers will not give ut for an instant their intransigent oppositiol bloody military dictatorSIlID hey will continu their efforts to overthrow

and replace workers' and toilers'

which Bovertil alone capable of finishing the task of liberating the country from the imperialists' hold, of definitively ensuring democratic rights for the broad masses and resolying the serious economic

working masses, by taking the socialist road.

1 May 1982 United Secretariat Bureau of the Fourth International

Organisation Americar States. We therefore have deep interest in the achier settlement in the South Atlan ment of a Just dilu tic.

be clearly understood tha supporting country's claim does not sug gest support for non-peacelu means of settling the claims.

support justice of the claim, we would WIsh SIeD to be taken to en sure • transmon. realisation of Argentina's just

proceed without resort to force and violenc

Our policy the Falklands (Malvinas) DE U

Dased two principles we have long defended: we support Argen

over the territories as

use of force to press or selle What Clail Ministry Foreign Af fairs, Grenada

Socialist Challenge 6 May 1982 pago

Page 6 scan of this page

'They began to look at us like equals'

Equal pay? You don't say!

NORMA COCKSEY has Laurence Scott Electromotors in Manchester for one year. She has stuck with the dispute through thick and thin. fellow periences as a woman striker and a woman worker.

stator winder, is married with three grown up daughters and is a member of the engineering union, the AUEW.

What youl perience at work before Le SLnKer

We nad some hassle over us getting less money than the men tor doing the same job. When they brought in the Equal Pay Act we all got the same basic rate and the same bonus rate.

Then two of the men winders decided they wanted to be reclassed to get more money. They weren't skilled, only semi-skilled so they decided that

werc coine neavier jobs than us.

un maternat we were doing very small jobs that they couldn't do.

So what happened? Did they get a bigger bonus rate?

By Judith Arkwright THIS Tory government is on trial by the European Court of Human Rights for infringing the rights of women. According to the Treaty of Rome countries of the EEC - Britain, Italy have failed to comply with its regulations.

The charges against Britain are as follows:

Equal pay: the latest figures show April the average weekly iromen were only 60 per cent of men's, less than in 1975.

Social security: gross inequalities exist such areas fares, invalidity retirement Socialist Challenge 6 May 1982

Laurence Scott woman striker says

been on strike at

PHIL PENNING, striker spoke to her about her ex-

Norma worked at LSE for eight years as a

No, we took drop.

Union agreed to us taking a arop

How did the women react to this?

They had no choice. They were told by the union, you see,, that this was what they had to do, so they did

Not enough women were willing to get involv-

Photo:

In fight especially those in the rest of the factory who weren't affected.

Some peoole sav that women go out to work tor oin monty....

I go to work to get a decent standard living l've always gone to work.

From the kids being a AVEN

A.UE

Kigass strikers in Leamington Spa into fourth week of struggle

- a document signed by all member

Belgium and

benefits. These are exempted from Uul 'equality' laws.

Norman Tebbit, as the Minister of (un) Employment, replied to the European Court that women in Britain do get equal pay but the facts speak other. wIsc.

During the five years between the passing of the Equal Pay Act and its impage 6

Women and men on the march for Laurence Scott few weeks old l've done evening somewhere that I could take school holidays.

This is the longest l've ever been out of work. I've taken a massive drop in living standards.

RECOGNITION

1982 NOT 1912

plementation, employers were able to manoeuvre regarding women so that their work would not even

'broadly similar to men.

This meant that some cases the Equal Pay Act actualv led to an in crease in job segregation through designating

areas as women's work only.

The Act failed for two fundamental reasons: First, because so many

WORK part time.

Over 40 per cent of women worneis alc par umers. In April 1980 their average

Women's Rights-

I'm about 60 quid week light, in my hand that.

Which way did you vote on the dispute? hourly rate was £1.67 com pared with that for full time men of £2.87. takes no accal p of Ais. Equal Act The Act savs that vou are entitled to equal pay pro-

Lacc material differences bet-

and that of a man'.

Fate

Althougl women make up 42 per cent of the entire workforce they are only to be found in one quarter of all occupations generally in the least skill

When 1 first went into that mecling went wiln ine l-

of voting against.

But distening Tocher (AUEW divisional organiser) and the rest them talking about the things the boss, Snipe, got away with, how he'd never ed, lowest paying industries, occupations and grades

Employers have craftily argued that working Dare ser amatend difference barring women

This may be changed by a

but 442223 Concentration of women workers by manufacturing industry (November 1981)

Industry

Food, drink & tobacco Clothing & footwea Electrical engineering Textiles rapel, prinung & publishing Mechanical engineering ¿nemica s Metal goods All manufacturing industry

* at September 1981

Table 1.10

cannot afford 1o their fate the Icave hands of the courts.

Second, and most importantly, women are more segregated within the labour market now than they were in the nineteenth century. system of

attecting women and blacks exists within the highly stratified British workforce.

The Equal Opportunities Commission proposals for changing the

Government law to tne over a year ago.

that the Equal Pay Act be amend DIODUSEN ed to include a 'notional man', that is, a woman

been fought and how we were fighting for the next generation's jobs, I decid ed that we must pur up c fight and each meeting ! voted for it.

What do you think of Tne _role COT the union during the dispute?

Rubbish. I would point the finger at both the local officials and national. But without any doubt Duffy. Boyd and Ken Cure are the main reasons for not winning our jobs back.

Was there any time when you felt like walking away?

Yes, sometimes I felt that it was just a waste of time but would never have walked away. It felt like a waste of time because we were fighting everybody the government, ponce, the union. only support from other workers inal kept us go ing.

Did you have any problems with the men ir the dispute from the should be paid what a man would get if he were doing the job.

This would only apply who wall claim pay male predecessor or com-

who has left the firm

The concept of equal 4288882

Women as No of 1% non- % total women workers manual)* workforce

240,700 (23)

(10) 208,300 (31) 33 133./0

44.0 (44)

U9 40 105,900 (45) 27 105,400

1,645,000

Source: Employment Gazette January 1982 Table 1.3, December 1981

pay for work of equal value is also included the proposals; this would involve an equal value clause under which woman could compare her

job with a dissimilar job

incorporating similar

levels of skill or value.

Change

Such proposals do not really get to the root of the problem. The question of wno would evaluale ine jobs and what criteria would be used is not dealt with. The evaluation of

and arvisions into men's and women's jobs is at the heart of the pro-

point of view of being a woman?

No, I don't think we had

from Scotts but wen ou conecune dad tory gates some men look. ed at vou as though vou were only working for pin money so it wasn't important

But I do think that men s wavs or looking al women changed during the dispute - they began to look at us more like equals.

You have talked about

Discrimination

Act. Do you think they have been successful?

No. because there are far

ting equal pay and the men don't seem to want to sun port any fight for us.

ht we re to change this situation women have got

involved in union work

The Labour Party should bring in a law that will make sure women get an equal chance.

We'll only will Soclas gel solidarity of all workers blems laced with the existing law.

necessary change lan

casting such changes only scratch the

policy guaranteed minimum wage backed bv the TIC would probably be more effective in this instance.

Flat rate increases and inflation proofing should be fought for to raise basic levels..

The failure of the '70s has legislation of the shown the tate of women cannot and will not be decided by debares among friends in the EEC or by government committees but by the strength of the mass movement 10 force the issue rea equality for women and for the working class as a whole.

The Tories solution is

very radical 10 send

women out of jobs and in

to the home. The labour

movement must reniy will bold policies and with ad

NATIONAL UPRISING O PUBLIC EM'a OYEES

Page 7 scan of this page

Tribune : a forum for the left

-LABOUR'S INDEPENDENT WEEKLYNext week,

make Tribune

he saw Labour Party.

What does you being appointed editor represent and see me role o aroune over the next period?

Tribune is widely associated in the movement with what one might call the '50s left. If I'm associated with anything, it's the 1970s left, even the 1980s. In that sense the paper ought to begin to change. The level of debate will sharpen up.

am one of those who believes, rightly or wrongly, that one of the obstacles to socialism in this country

They are as much part of the right as thev have ever been in recent history Many of them are just as determined not to implement many of things in Labour Party policy and some of them are prepared to say so publicly.

Healey, for example, said that he would not want to serve in a government committed to unilateral nuclear disarmament. It's not a question of Labour being ahead of public opinion in the country we re ninpig along behind the public opinion.

cerned, perhaps as far as the Com-

Market Is conceicu. suspect as far as withdrawal from Ireland is concerned.

Tribune will not be the kind of paper where I expect all our readers to agree with everything they read. shall aim to provide a forum anybody on the left. I'm not talking about the left as between Tribune and Socialist Challenge. It Roy Hattersley has a message which he wishes to address to what he calls the hard lett he's welcome to have space in Tribune to do so and then l'Il give somebody the right to reply.

The editorial line will change from what it now is but the rest of the paper will be open to anyone who has something intelligent and informative to say.

But is it not the case that these

won inside the unions?

Oh yes, you bet your life. One of the most exciting things about the deputy leadership campaign was that it put

end to the idea of all • trade unionism. large fringe meetings at union con erences so me ucezarc al tric coll ferences were no longer the property of the general secretary or the leaders of the unions.

I would like to see the broad lefts in various trade unions encouraged and I would hope to give them space to do that.

There are [wo major issues would like to see developed. already gets an airing and that's the bomb and how we're going to get rid of Not just being sloganising but developing a practical

for its removal And another coullll y think Tribune has not forthright as it should have been is the women's movement in this country.

I would like to see Tribune becoming a forum for the great upsurge among women, to have an equal share in the society we live in.

TWO weekly journals of the labour movement have just appointed new editors. New Statesman's Hugh Stephenson is the compromise candidate between the left and the right and will probably take the magazine further into decline. Tribune, once the house journal of Labour's parliamentary left, has a falling circulation of only 8,000.

CHRIS MULLIN, takes over as editor. In the forefront of the Benn for deputy campaign last year, he intends to

the forum for the left in its broadest sense. recognises that he will be directly in competition with New Statesman and Labour Weekly which he believes has 'been nobbled by the establishment. ' He spoke to Tessa van Gelderen on the role

for Tribune and the present developments inside the

how do you you have?

very well discrimination. understand the problem.

It's the problem women the time

Party Well it is and it isn't

the key they're never Certainly Do you

eclaves and

by that time,

We cast tor him

away., 22228

non-political paper into the '80s? constituency

«ne

shrill and conference. from this which motion been scribed list.

the

He How many women journalists do

in mv situation realv do have to choose the best. I can't afford to go tor someone who can't do the Job

for reasons of positive think VOU may

444444444424/

But

on?

It tney aon t get that experience

going the

What should the Labour left be doing now about the witch hunt that

still going on inside the party.

Think rete

should stand for the national ex-

I was one of those who floated the

idea and I maintain an open mind. If

The were accepted as a candidate for Bermondsey I think the

standing would fall Michael Foot, editor of Tribune in the

section of the NEC is always over-subscribed and if you put up nine candidates for seven places, d you wl succcca m dong is creating a rift for the right to go

I think it's inevitable that the issue of a purge will be high on the agenda

A number of trade unions have already put forward a

purge or prowonder if they really understand how damaging that Is to Labour's electoral chances. It's a major dis racton trom the real issues in

country of unemployment, the Bomb and so manv other things

If people believed that by voting Labour at the next election, it woulc

Labour Party

get rid of nuclear weapons, it would withdraw from the Common Market,

put une callul inflation a priority That lessor would actually win votes. isn't understood in the demoralised and tired section of the leadership. 2228242222922222 The Labour left is not seen to be in the forefront of the mass campaigns such as CND issues raised around El Salvador, around Ireland and now Malvinas. The majority labour movement are against the Tebbit Bill and yet both movement and the left have not initiated action. 2222222283 Working people in this country are

demoralised because the biggest threat they face is unemployment. We have failed to communicate to people in the country that this is the most terrible thing since whatever. We've lost the propaganda war for the moment. I think the trade union leaders on this are doing their best. I think they more exercised about it than their members.

surely Tae members cynical of their own leaders who have not tought for jobs and so

That's right in some cases. It's right in the case of the engineering union. It's socciaculai that workers of Laurence Scott and many other places will tell you. But we have to recognise and all the opinion polls SnOW this. that even among trade union members, trade unions are unDoDulal.

They have bought the that's thrown at them every don't think we can just blame it on the leaders That's an easy answer. have falled to persuade the country a large, for and seand. The of the things for stana. votes inside NUPE and

TGWU in the deputy leadership election showed that.

'50s. Will Chris Mullin bring the

244444 What is your position on Malvinas and why do you think up till now the Labour leadership has endorsed the actions of Thatcher?

44444444448

My own position is that we shouldn t have sent the fleet. At the same time

we should also recognise realistically

that to say: , let's leave it to the

Vations' is also the saying: "Let's leave the Falklands the hands of the Argentinians'

I don't believe the

should ever have got itself into a situation where the Argentinians were put

in position to take them over by force but given that they had, i do not ac-

MAY DAY of jobs SPECIAL

we ISSUE around

of the

labour

Unemployment moving

towards 4½ million?

I CARL SAMES We ahways have to win the arguments! are lar

DATA PROTECTION - too

22 little, too late are Is Militant really on the Labour Left?

the recapture Une justified.

example, in the Falklands you

miles away.

poison away.

day.

doing We against the white settler regime.

bad been appropriate which we involve you

Falkland situation

Photo: GM COOKSON

this is the issue

to whit:

tion from their internal problems.

Labour Liaison be convincea that ongoing permanent feature.

the content the taken up at the conterence 22283 Absolutely. 2442242233

the Market, incomes policy.

government

campaign such as the campaign reselection, the electoral college,

for the leadership.

The war for

Thatcher's face

cept that the risks involved in a war to

It's not an absolute principle. For

Are dealing with 1800 people who live 8000 n8 winh 5 milion boce dealing with 5 million Rhodesians who live only 6000 miles

all the same people who are now urging us to war, were not ver

anything at al

Again, an invasion might not have

there. Inal inign killing a lot of people

of the arguments against the present

It's a confusing and complicated issue. some people on the leit nave said, Argentina's a fascist regime, this

bash a fascist been regime over the head. I don't think

One mustn't be too cynical but the whole affair is a series of bankrupt

the Argentinian ed. regime, the Tory government and the have all found a convenient distrac- ¡cadersnp or une Lavour tarly wilc

'82 meets Saturday, 8 May. What do you see its role being in the next period?

I'm a little unhappy about the way it's gone so far. It worked extremely well

mittee when we had a definite issue around which to unite and it mav well work again in the future. I remain to

it should be an

who controls the manitesto is not going to be an issue at this con

erence. But it's still the case tha'

and should be

So there is a role for something like Labour Liaison '82 to decide to concentrate on a few key issues

Common

Where united front action works best is where you have a limited one-issue

for , for leadership and, who knows,

-LABOUR'S INDEPENDENT WEEKLY

Tribune

Don't

forget

Poland!

Camden councillors

win victory

week

Couri orouen inen CIne District Auditor. He had claimea that it was unlawful for the coun

have an aepenaent pay settlement jor loca. courei workers, curime ine rura strike in the winter of 19/8/19

other way, councillor: some defectors torne as mel ironically

as nen Livingstone - would have

liable . surcharge £950,000. The District Auditor hai brought the case in the 'interests of the plor,o00 legal cosas who now nave 1o 0o

District auditors it seems can't be surcharg-

Although judgmen reverses the recent trend of courts to openly side with the ruling class

judge made overtly political intervention Seven days before borough Justice Umroa decided that these are mar

erection

But as voters go the polls they might like to take note of one other

sull COLACION Camden had not been swayed by 'philanthropic They had been subjectea dustrial victory

pressure the Camaen councillors is really the victory of ine council workers inre years ago fighting for a decent Footnote on

Mellish

MICHAEL FOOT and his friend on the National Executive Commit tee of the Labour Party have avoid

Bob

outrem condemnuion u Mellis? e permonese MP nas declared his support for at least one

the official Labour Part

elections weel the nevie reruseu

stituency, Peter Tatchell, the NEC seems very reluctant to take the ap propriate action openly and defiantly breaches the COAYE RIOR

Socialist Challenge 6 May 1982 page?

Page 8 scan of this page

IN MEMORY OF

DEMONSTRATE IN LONDON

weeks

Reagan

backs

Thatcher

shock

By Davy Jones RONALD REAGAN your life: US President, propagator of nuclear Europe, butcher of Salvador, prop of right wing dictators from Guatemala to Argentina, and from Turkey to the Philippines, opponent of the Equal Rights Amendment for women, unionist, enemy of workers everywhere, and supporter of Thatcher's war in the Malvinas/Falklands.

Yes, British imperialism's best ally has 'come off the fence' and given its firm support to Britain's hostilities against Argentina. Much as it upset Reagan to dump his pet dictator in Argentina, he had no second thoughts about backing wal.

After all Reagan and Thatcher have a lot in common - monetarist austerity policies to attack the working class, war-mongering against the oppressed peoples of the world, be they Irish, Argentinian Salvadorean, and support for nuclear madness.

So the one-time actor in crummy movies threw the weight of US imperialism against the uppity Argentinian Junta that dared to challenge Reagan's favourite ally.

Fortunately, opposition

Reagan is growing. Reagan Reception Committees have sprung up across the country. And now there is even a Yanks Against Reagan group to show that not every American Reagan's deadly policies.

The Chile Solidarity Committee has announced details of its Festival for Peace and scheduled on Tuesday 8 June as an alternative forum to Reagan's speech to parliament. The festival in Central Hall Westminster from 1lam to 9pm will include speakers, stalls, tions, music, humour,

bookstalis and displays organisers include Chile Committee, Anti-Apartheid, Amnes-

International and El Salvador Solidaritv.

Meanwhile. Labour MPs John Golding, Roger Stott and John MacWilliam are under pressure from their sponsoring the engineers, to boycott Reagan's visit. Metropolitan North west London branch of the POEU has circulated a petition to all its branches calling on the trio to boycott Reagan's visit and to call for the whole parliamentary party to do the same.

Reception PO Box 51, London SWIO. National CND demo, June.

Picket US Embassy, Monday 7

Yanks Against Reagan can be conlacted at 7 Carlisle Si, London WI.

Socialist Challenge 6 May 1982

4

life and

•I WAS - this is

predominantly

war in

El

Twinbrook Belfast. intimidated gunpoint.

anti-trade

many houses

much

which he was bloody

Kesr prisoners

Thatcher's

Evolved

Lauses.

being El Belfast. interrogated

supports

•Freedom

exhibiworkshops,

113

Solidarity post office Committee,

Sunday

page 8

and Bobby

history of British domination of Ireland.

born Rathcoole, Protestant area of Belfast. I was keen on sports and wor a lot of medals for Protestant clubs. In y my family was intimidated Twinbrook home and versons of

outskirts Soon after this was trom my workplace at

'Shortly after this I joined the Republican movement. I had seen too

wrecked, fathers and sons arrested, neighbours hurt,

shooting and blood most of it our own people's.

In October 1972, at the age of 18, Bobby Sands was arrested for posses-

; staying. Sentenced in early 1973 to tive years, he spent the next three years in the cages of Long

WILl 'special category

Released in 1976 he became in-

in the Twinbrook Tenants

for a local youth club among other

within six montas ne was ali rested again with five other men after

stopped near the scene of bomb explosion on the outskirts of

All six men were brutally the notorious Castlereagh centre.

He joined the 'blanket' protest against prison conditions in 1977, and volunteered to lead last year's hunger strike for the five demands: the right to wear their own clothes, the right to refrain from prison work, the right to free association, restoration of full

MAY

8th

ONE YEAR AGO British imperialism brutally murdered Bobby Sands MP, in its war against the Irish people. As Britain launches war against another dependent country, Argentina, it is fitting that the labour movement should remember the Irish hunger strikers,

in particular.

Challenge recalls the story of Bobby Sands, his

This writings, and recalls the bloody

remission of sentences, and the right to organise recreational and educational facilities and to receive one visit, letter and parcel per week.

On 1 March 1981 he went on hunger strike. Five weeks later he was elected MP by more than voters in Fermanagh and Tyrone in an extraordinary rebuff to the Thatcher government's claim that he was a common criminal, not a political prisoner.

Despite massive international proSanas M die on 5 Milay 1981. More Thatcher finally than 100,000 people, almost a fifth of the entire nationalist population the North of Ireland, marched at his funeral.

In the subsequent months another nine hunger strikers died at the hands of British imperialism which refused to concede their modest demands.

The Republican struggle reached its highest point for maybe ten years during the hunger strike drawing inspiration from the heroic Irish freedom nignier, bobby sands

'I WAS only a working class boy from a nationalist ghetto, but it is reoress on mar crestes me revolu tionary spirit of freedom. not settle until | achieve the liberation of my country, until Ireland becomes a sovereign independent socialist republic. people, shall turn tragedv into triumph. We shall bear forth a nation.

BRITAIN OUT OF IRELAND

SELF DETERMINATION FOR THE IRISH PEOPLE

ASSEMBLE HYDE PARK 1pm

THE OTHER NIGHT

with shots

reader, 'are under military

30,000 similar to

South Ireland.'

Evidently

Bobby

in

too late.

History weighs heavy.

million from the native country

I shall

tiful.

We, the risen and not the last.

invasion in

Britain's blood

history in Irel

… on the news, the screen was filled

of the Falkland Islanders and life under the jackboot of the Argentinian invaders. 'Here,' said the news

scenes of life Compatr the North rifles. the powers that be thought that this particular analogy might be a bit confusing for the listening public so the same fim in the next bulletin was purged of its subversive

For 800 years the news has been doctored by the extent of the British oppression of the Irish and what lies behind their resistance. For 800 years the people of Ireland have suffered the fate of a people oppressed and exploited in the interests of the British ruling class. If the troops were removed tomorrow, it would be 800 years

The crimes of the British ruling class are known by every Irish person.

It may have been the blight that killed the potato crop in 1848, but it was the British rul- Irish in ing class who starved one and a half million Irish and drove another 1½

The landlords harvested the wheat and arranged for its export and sale under armed guard. Food was plen-

British profits held up. It was the Irish workers and peasants who were burlea. It was not the first time.

There are three threads that run through Irish history, from the first

1169, through Oliver with

MAY

March

8th

St 8am

Cromwell to Michael Foot Margaret Thatcher. The first is determination of the British rulers remain in Ireland, to exploit its : and people

Second is the resistance of Irish people using the weapons hand, be they ballot box and politi movements, or bricks and arma

The third is the combination cunning and brutality used by British trying to first divide and th

resistance. These th threads will stretch the road of hist that leads to the final ousting British imperialism from Ireland.

James Connolly, the worker w rose lo become ine greatest revolutionary leader, stood on shoulders of Marx and Engels, wl fifty years before he took up ar against the British rulers, saw Irela as the key to the making of a revo tion that would shake Europe.

Not only did Connolly see th Ireland's interests could only be se ed when as a nation it had brok from British domination, he also s that only the working class fighti for a socialist republic could unite t

their entirety all religious barriers, men and wom workers and tarmers

The last time the British allow the Irish to vote, they voted by sev ty per cent for Sinn Fein and for break with Britain. The Tory pri minister, Bonar Law, replied: 'Th are some things that are stronger th parlamentary majorities. " Bv tha meant the strength of the capital class that was prepared to defy t vote and the army who would

that class rather than

8 May Demonstration

assembles at 1p Speakers include Owen Cari MP and Ernie Roberts MP. 1 march sets off at 2pm to Cou Hall Westminster for a rally. the evening at 7pm in Brixt Town Hall, London SW2 th will be a social with Irish, Chile and Iranian music, and speec from Owen Carron, Daffyd E Thomas MP, and Brixt Detence Group.

Coaches for the mar leave from:

Swansea: Uplands 7.30am, Cen Library 8am.

Cardiff: Central Station 9am, stud union 9.15am Manchester: Polytechnic Cavend

Bristol: Christadelphian steps, 9a Sheffield: Tickets from Independ Books, Glossop Rd.

Leeds: Trades and Labour Club 8 am, University 8.45am.

Birmingham: Hall of Memo Broad St, 9.30am.

Coventry: Priory St, 9.30am. Wolverhampton: Faulkland coach station, 9.30am.

Page 9 scan of this page

BOBBY SANDS

nd

government.

belore ne was murderea by ine British, Connolly said that the partinon ol irelana would lead to a car. nival of reaction'. In 1921 it did just that. It divided the Irish workers, and led to the creation of two artificial sectarian statelets, North and South. Neither is democratic, neither is reformable, both stand in the way of the creation of a government stands for the workers not the bosses.

Britain spends £1000m a year on maintaining the army's which now enforces the border and partition. The economy of the South, already crippled by its dependence on foreign capital, is further wrecked by the cost of defending partition.

Workers in Britain gain nothing by our ruling class Ireland: from the days of Cromwell, when the suppression of the Irish led to the blockage of the revolution in Britain and the restoraton orle monarchy to loday, wiel our rulers' army acquaints itself with methods of combating mass struggle in the cities and puts anti-democratic legislation like the so-called Prevention of terrorism Act on the statute book.

The most reactionary part of the British ruling class, and the most reactionary the bureaucracy is based on Orangeism and Ulster Loyalism. By supporting the freedom struggle of the Irish and demanding the British get out, we can help create the conditions for our won victory.

Give Marx the last word — 'a nation which enslaves another forges its own chains'.

I FOUGHT a monster today and once more I defeated the monster's army.

Although I did not escape, I survived to fight another day. harder today than ever before, and it gets worse every day. trapped and all I can do is resist. know some day I will defeat monster, but I weary at times. I think and feel that it may kill me first.

The monster is shrewd. with me, it humiliates me, and tortures me. I'm like a mouse in comparison to us glant, but when i repe the torture it inflicts upon me I feel ten feel tali for i know am right. l know that I am what I am, no matter what may be inflicted upon me, it will never change that fact.

When I resist, it doesn't understand. You see it doesn't even try to comprehend why I resist. "Why don't you give in to me?' it says. Give in to us!' the monster's army jibes. My body wants to say: 'Yes, yes, do what you will with me. I am beaten, you have beaten me.' But my spirit prevails. My spirit says: no, you cannot do what with me. I am not beaten. You cannot do what vou want with me. I retuse to be beaten.

This angers the monster. It goes mad. It brutalises me to the point of death. But it does not kill me. I often wonder why not? But each time I face it, death materialises before me. The monster keeps me naked. It feeds me.

which

occupation bourgeois

labour

I fought a monster today

But it didn t deca me tuay vocause I! had tried so hard to defeat me and Talled.

It was hard; see. I know why it won't kill me. It

wants me to bow before it, to admit You see 1 am deteat

It we don't beat it this murder me. keeps me locked up in a dark smelly tomb and it sends its devils to keep me

It plays

Each time the opens, the black devils attack me! They nearly won yesterday. It was inhuman. They beat consciousness. I think, 'is this really happening to me?' pen in this day and age?'

devils. There cannot devils. I'm mad. Yes, that's it; I'm insane. But my pain,

'Give in! grief are real

I'm right, I know I'm right. I must resist, I have nowhere omo may be my grave. I'm surround ed by a barbed 'No. monster roars at me: 'You shall never you want get out of here. If you don't do as I

say I shall never release you.' I refuse

lonely and somewhere afar I hear those familiar voices which keep me going:

WIll you, SO.

Don't let them beat you.

Danger the monster. It retreats.

This angered it once more you

soon it will Of this I am certain. lives MacSwiney, e tent the door or my tomb

door

me INTO un-

and, 'can this hap-

Monsters do not exist. Nor do

be șo many

suffering; and It must be all real. No,

to run. My

wire jungle. The

My body is broken and cold. I'm

need comfort. From

'We are We are with you.

I need to hear those voices. They

The

(First News,

voices scare the devils. Sometimes I really long to hear those voices. know if they shout louder they will scare the monster away and my suffering will be ended.

I remember, and I shall never forget, how this monster took the

of Tom Ashe, Terence Michael Gaughan, Frank Stagg and Hugh Coney, and i

Modern times

It is said we live in modern times, In the civilised year of 'seventy-nine, But when I look around, all I see, Is modern torture, pain, and hypocrisy.

In modern times little children die They starve to death, but who dares ask why? And little girls without attire, Run screaming, napalmed, through the night fire. And while fat dictators sit upon their thrones, Young children bury their parents' bones, And secret police in the dead of night, Electrocute the naked women out of sight.

In the gutter lies the black man, dead, And where the oil flows blackest, the street runs red, And there was He who was born and came to be, But lived and died without liberty.

As the bureaucrats, speculators and presidents alike, Pin on their dirty, stinking, happy smiles tonight, The lonely prisoner will cry out froi within his tomb, And tomorrow's wretch will leave its mother's womb!

published in Republican October 7 1978)

wonder each night what the monster and his black devils will do to me LOONTOW Th oalcome ive 1 mist. es.w. Will I overcome it? l must. Tomorrow will hundred and fortieth day of torture — an eternity. Yes, tomorrow I'll rise in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh. Yes tomorrow I'll fight the monster anc his devils again!

British

general Challenge

the hunger

That's revolution but to

PRO Hull Prison.

Huddersfield Coventry Middlesboro Southampton Cardiff Oxford Glasgow Edinburgh Swansea Hackner Haringey Wandsworth Brent Bristol Islington Swansea be my seven C&M Gardner

H Wicks R Patterson Hillingdon

supporter

Southampton MB RTD E Fredenburgh Various Sinn Fein POW department, Total Total so far

taken from The Writings of Bobby Sands.

5 Blessington St, Dublin. Price 60p.

Poem and story by Bobby Sands,

published by

Socialist Challenge

FUND DRIVE '82

Help us get

out the truth

on Ireland

SUPPORTING the struggles of the Irish people against their

oppressors has not always been the most popular cause in Britain. It has been left to the far left press in

and Socialist in particular to champion the cause of the Republican movement and

heroic struggle of the strikers and other prisoners of war.

why we need Socialist Challenge — to combat the press lies about the situation in Ireland. This week we received a letter from irist prisoners of war here in British jails thanking us for our support for their struggle. Make sure you dig deep in your pocket this week to help us keep up and extend our coverage of the struggle of the Irish people against British imperialism.

"The Irish Republican POWs in Hull prison wish to take this opportunity on international workers day, 1 May, of sending greetings to the English, Scottish and Welsh working class and its revolutionary organisation We would like to send warmest thanks to the individuals and groups who have practised true international solidarity with the developing Irish

1n the face of massive media-inspired hysteria and the intimidation by the state forces and anti-democratic laws.

'We would like to ask the workers, youth and national minorities not only to support the struggle for socialism and national independence in Ireland

deepen the struggle for socialism at home.

'While Ireland may be the grave digger of British imperialism, it is the English, Welsh and Scottish working class who will put it in the grave.'

Irish Republican Prisoners,

Our thanks this week to:

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Hude Vic Carso BIFU, Jackie Traylor, AUEW Hoover,

RADICAL NURSES Conse, shee

15 May lamelails 218 Heavygate Rd, Sheffield 10

• Ma

Women

I WAS astonished to read Eileen Murphy's article (SC, 8 April) attacking me for something! never even said!

For the record, I said 'The widely-held view in the mining areas is that the 1842 Bill was a gain for the working class won years ol struggle'. I do not share s Despite heavy editing I think this was clear from my letter

This is the argument that the Socialist Challenge supporter at Welbeck pit had to take up before and after Mary Zins' visit to the face where he works. We have

have when serious socialist miners who are neither Victorian paternalists nor antiwomen's rights put this argument to us. It is also

argument Militant redany seize on wuch lic want to discredit positive action policies in general

It is no answer to play down the terrible conditions suffered by women

underground work, slide over this to surface work.

My letter attempted to give serious political answer to this question. I tried to deal adequately with the complexity of the the movement for the ex-

womer ITON underground work. There was considerable working class support for this

While the movement was influenced and led by the middle-class who had no concern for the real interests of women mineworkers it not just simply a part of the bosses' ideological offensive. There was, as far as I can tell, a considerable working class component which genuinely believed this was ine way lo aciena lne li terests of women mineworkers and strike a blow against the bosses.

I can see no point in trying to pretend this sec-

tion of the movement did not exist, or that it was really all a conspiracy to secure lobs tor men.

What we have to do is explain wny the solution adopted was bosses'

solution, why it was not

the best way to defend the

interests of women mine-

workers, whv it did no

strengthen the position of

the miners or of the working class as a whole against the bosses.

About half of Eileen's article is devoted to an at-

tack on miners and their

that so readers in the NUM will not assume that SC sup-

ports the charge that the

NUM will not defend

women memoers or lne union.

No one would say that

the NUM (or any other

has perfect

record, and I'm certainly

not going defend

Gormley and his right

wing colleagues from the

Lancashire leadership.

However Eileen Murphy's

in the mines

view is very one sided, not to mention 20 years out of date. and drawn trom one small right-wing area of the NUM.

For instance Nottinghamshire recently gave full backing to the fight by wollcI workers for Ine same coal allowance as other surface workers. Yorkshire about to call an overtime

CONGRATULATIONS on deriving

the only internationalist position on the

Falklands crisis. A victory for the

military will strengthen their economic

and political lobby in Britain and in the

Western Alliance generally.

However, the article 'Argentina: op-

pressed or oppressor?' (SC 22 April)

raises the need for further widening of

socialist understanding on this issue.

The Argentinian economy is part of the

scaffold of world imperialism - th

rich and urban middle class benefit

whilst the majority suffer.

Hence the fact that the anti-

capitalist forces in the country are over-

whelmingly working class and socialist

inspired. In "third world' or fully

dependent economies, it is typically the

Letter ban on the same issue and

also fighting get cleaners incorporated into NUM/NCB agreements.

Eileen's remarks do nothing to help women NUM members fighting for equal rights or NUM members taking up fight for women's rights in their union.

JACK LAVIN Mansfield

Support Argentinian

workers, not Argentina

imperialist movements. nian workers.

Socialist Challenge.

MIKE HOLBROOKE Co Durham

Letters ATTA SETTER.

Editor reserves

letter over 400 words.

No sides in Iran

- Iraq war

FOR BRIAN GROGAN a revolution is a revolu-

into the realm of rulership

Revolution — my emphasis. CVG). By no stretch of the imagination can it be shown that the Iranian Islamic Revolution, under the leadership of the Ayatollah Khomeini and the mullahs fulfill this definition nor that it moving in that direction.

Just the opposite, in fact. the same page of Socialist Challenge 18 April Conte Brian's article, there is a report of ine congescarior of KARGAR, the 'legal'

He WoodC! of the HKE and the increasing harassment of HKE members, despite that organisation's devoted loyalty to the Islamic Revolution.

Brian heads his article 'Iran's victory renters imperialism Further on he refers to the 'consternation of imperialism This has hardly been reflected in the capitalist press — it made front of The Times and the Guar dian exactly once. Nor did it make an impression on that infallible barometer

change Shares were barely affected by the Iranian victory.

Of course, imperialism would not want to see a VIcTOry for Shi-ite Islamic forces. But, to my the Observer of 4 April summed it up rather realistically than more Comrade Grogan. local States (Saudi Arabia Bahrein, pre remotes ur

region, some comfort from the sight of these two rivals enfeebling each other' (my emphasis).

This reflects also the view of imperialism. victory for either peasant/rural population who lead anti-

The way in which European and American imperialism 'sub-contracts' its economic and political power (and in the process develops the country to its own ends) must not be ignored.

Application of Trotsky's writings in a 'bibilical' way would blur this distinc tion and lead to a wrong emphasis in the paper, leading many to believe we support Argentina, instead of Argenti-

The central slogans are right as is the emphasis placed on the issue in

Letters

Write to SC letters, c/o PO Box 50, London N1 the right to cut any tion is a revolution. For Trotsky, however the history of a revolution is for us first of all a history of the forcible entrance of the masses

over their own destiny. '(Preface to The History of the Russian Saddam Hussein or Khomeint will bring benefits the workers and peasants and the op pressed nationalities in either country. Victory will only strengthen hand of whichever of the reactionay regimes come.

on top The Islamic

the proletarian but step revolution backward in history, toward medievalism.

Marx wrote long ago. 'But we say to the workers and the petty bourgeoisie It IS better suffer modern bourgeois society, which industry creates the madation eas

the foundation of a new tha will liberate you all, than to revert to a bygone form o) society, which, on the prelesl of saving classes, thrusts the entire nation back into medieval barbarism'. (as quoted in Lowy's Combined and Uneven Development p/3 footnote).

That was written when the international workers' movement was still in its infancy. Today, in the age of imperialism in only the proletarian revolution can lay the basis for the new society. The urgent task for revolu tionaries in Iran and Irag is

create leadership which will take its place at the head of a mass move ment lo overthrow bot tyrannies in short, turn the two bonapartist-capitalist states into a civil war

Elsewhere in the same issue in connection with the dehate on Cuha, Brian writes anoul linking up

the new generation

revolutionaries of action

I agree with this provided

we do not lose sight of the

Marxist axiom. revolutionur! revolutionur movement? theory.

CHARLIE VAN GELDEREN

Page 11 scan of this page

Mexican PRT convention attracts 7000 supporters

Celebrating fifty years of world revolution

THE NATIONAL ELECTORAL convention held 28 February in Mexico City by the PRT, the Mexican section of the Fourth International, and its allies marked a

highpoint in the revolutionists' campaign for the general elections to be held in

The convention, held Ine cine varlecades centre of the Mexican capital, was not only filled to capacity but hundreds of people had to

allu slalrways. ALMOST attended the convention and

march that took movement

The PRT is supporting the country's best known humanrents acuivist. rosario barra •e recra for president. has sought to make her cam-

nationalist i allaud Revolucionario sulucional. m a doc with the

are the Movimiento Revolucionario del

and the Union de Revolucionario

The convention presidium indicated broad attracted by LIC cann paign. included renresen. tatives of an Artists Commit-

Rosario Ibarra de trade tivists; leaders movement. such as oregoro Paredes from Veracruz, Livio Maitan recalls his early days in the Trotskyist

Fausto Leon from Sonora, and Aurelio Vazquez Gomez ITON are PRT candidates); leaders of the

movement; as well as leaders of the shallylown aweliers assoclaLIons.

A new development was ShoWn presence several ex-leaders of the Mex-

Communist the Partido Socialista Uniticado Poll. ler by Joel ortega. a former CP Central Committee member, they came

their support for the call all

Also represented at the

dissident Was state commilice ral1100 Mexico.

Sociallet Challenge

DEFEND

Socialist Challenge News

The highpoint of the converon was a onuse speech by Rosario Ibarra de Piedra. She concluded by saying: "For

activist icall values unar wu come in orner areas after the elections. That

what we are mainly interested in.

The next major activity scheduled I lit candlen meeting to form a Front of the convention was will be port of Rosario

first Mexican woner have organised as women to defend and popularise their struggles through election paign Reprinted …from Internamonar viewpoint •I NEVER DOUBTED that only the Fourth Inter national could win the full socialist for said Charie that we fight for', said ValE Gelderen to the 150 people who callie to pay tribute to him at a party last Sunday.

The party was paying

tribute not Charlie's 50 years of activity in the Trotskyist movement, but the other founders of the movement in Britain.

Many of these pioneers were recanca in a gang speech by Harry 78-year old British Trotskyism. Harry paid particular • tribute to Starkey Jackson, secretary

HOVE ment in the 1930s, tragically killed in the 2nd World

also explained

Gelderen had played in the struggle of the Trotskyists in Labour youth organisation before the

Most of all, Harry Wicks paid tribute to

PR

TELEVISION canal 11 Lunes 49 de abril

21:30 a 21:45 haras canal 2 Martes 20 de abril

19:45 a 20:00 horas

• PROGRAMA ADICIONAL By Paul Lawson

Charlie's unceasing activity in fighting for Trotsky-

ideas the broad labour movement.

founder of the Trotskyist movement

bring greetings

Crite was world james,

James, Water author of Beyond a Boundry and The Black Jacobins. CLR James explained how he had met Charlie and, writing about the Italian invasion of Abyssinia in had discussed his ideas with him.

R declared Tom vist,

CLR declared with you in spirit, if not In detail' and expressed his pleasure in seeing so many young people laking up the fight.

Hosted by Pam Singer and Stella Coyle with songs from Alan Freeman and Chris Guthrie the participants followed the course revolutionary struggle over fifty years.

Bringinge greetings

from United Secretariat of the Fourth From left to right: Harry Wicks, CLR James and Charlie van Gelderen

-EI PRT en radio y TV

• pointca de potronales

amigos y

Martes 20 de abril

XEX

11:00 ¿ 11:15 horas

XEB

• 12:00 a 12:15 horas

XEW 18:00 a 18:15 boras

XEQ

• 19:00 = 19:15 horas

_ DE 5 MINUTO:

Canal de TRM 19:00 horas International Livio Maitan explained how isolated the Trotskyists were in the early days. He recalled speaking at an Italian Communist Party meeting as a young man. 'But', said the workers there, 'if what you say is right, then Togliatti wrong And even more Gees very 'and Stalin must be wrong'! When he

all the workers sale ves thought he was crazy

Steve Potter national secretary the IMG, spoke of Charlie's role ir helping to build the Trotskyist movement in Italy and South Africa as well as in Britain. As a young serviceman during the war, Charlie helped to organise the first Trotskyist group in Italy, and still possesses his membership card member number one of the Italian Trotskyist movement.

at the Trotskyist himself said spective of restion had that the been fulfilled - the past fifty years had seen revolu tions all over the world.

Socialist Challenge

One of the features of the PRT presidential campaign has been regular 15 minute radio and TV broadcasts

advertisement reproduced here. So far the PRT has done pro

on Poland, America, women's liberation, trade union struggles, and the 'socialism we want'.

Some people argued that your revolutionary fervour declined with the years. he said but his hadn't. 'So don't betray don't give up the fight was his message.

Nonetheless, he expressed his pleasure at the founding Revolution Youth. *It on you shoulders', , he said to the

comrades 'that the struggle will be carried forward.

And he paid tribute to the women's movement. It was its existence that had changed the ideas of men like himself and which had made him realise the importance of fighting sexism

Livio Maitan explained that the Fourth

Interna tional is in its 'pre-history'

- the real history of the rourth international wil be written when we build Hass revolutionary parties.

And when we do, it will have been made possibl by the unceasing devotio of comrades like Charlie.

6 May 1982 page 11

Page 12 scan of this page

gangsters fallout

Nicaragua - new threats to revolution

EL SALVADOR

By Phil Hearse AFTER THREE WEEKS of wheeling and dealing, the right-wing dominated Constituent Assembly in El Salvador has elected a new President - Alvaro Magana, President of the member of the Party of National Reconciliation Hipotecerio Bank. (PCN).

elect a Constituent Assembly — all the parties who participated were right wing or ultra right wing and left wing forces.

fascist ARENA party, headed by death squad leader Major Roberto D'Aubuisson. His party, in alliance with other right wing parties, now have sufficient votes Assembly to outvote the Christian Democrats.

For the United States the outcome of the election was a rassment. D'Aubuisson is well known as the leader ot the death squads, and despite his popularity inside the anti-communist Nicaraguans prepare to defend their revolution

By Michael Baumann and Jane Harris

positioned themselves in

ritorial waters off

government extended

tion was attacked from a new direction.

Adding fuel to the im-

perialists' fire, former

overna commarucr cucu

Pastora ('Commander

Zero') who describes

himself as the 'most loved

of all the commanders,

but who is currently busy

reopening the business in-

terests he nela in Costa

Rica before the revolution

chose week

publicly declare his 180

Socialist Challenge 6. May 1982

New President

as right wing

Magana leading

The fraudulent elections on 28 March to

were boycotted by the revolutionary

The result was a surge of support for the

in the Constituent

middle class, to make the leader of the death squads President would isolate the US's support for the Salvadorean more internationally. 1 here nave been three weeks of wheeling and WHILE WASHINGTON is talking about opening negotiations on relations with the government in Nicaragua, four US destroyers have

Nicaragua's the Atlantic Coast.

Nicaraguans are wondering if this new act of aggression is a step toward a naval blockade.

On 15 April, the very day the Nicaraguan

the current state of emergency for 30 days, the Nicaraguan revolu-

degree turn to the right. betrayal the revolution. he delivered an anticommunist tirade, declaring that the time had come to straighten things out' in Nicaragua 'by driving. the government out with bullets'

Ten months ago, Pastora left Nicaragua, telling friends he was headGuatemala to con-

page 12

dealing to try to find a President acceptable to the three ruling power torces now in play - the army, the United States and the Constituent Assembly: In D'Aubuisson and his sup incallil porters inside the Constituent Assembly staged

which outflanked all the horse-

First, D'Aubuisson himself was elected President of the cond ARENA pushed through assembly number of constitutional changes which have turned the administrative plu cedures upside down.

The assembly voted to itself the power to elect the President and Vice-President of the Republic, the head of the electoral commission for

year's presidential

tinue Che Guevara's inter-

nationalist heritage.

Yet on 15 April, he per-

sonally invited some 100

Journalso lo alcws Lon

ference in a luxury hotel

outskirts San LICI

José, Costa Rica, with the

opposite goal in mind. At

the press conference

Pastora read a two-hour

long statement.

He accused the nine

commanders Ine

Nicaraguan revolution of

betraying inel OCODIC

'alienating' US im-

Deals l He said this

could cause the United

states to attack Nicaragua

and 'could cost the lives of

200,000 people

Making no reference to

the complete military en-

circlement OT Nicaragua

Central America.

election, all judges including those of the Supreme Court,. and all government ministers. In other words, whoever gets appointed President, 'A TOUISSO anu his

use their Collel the Assembly to call the shots.

But D'Aubuisson, besides not being able to get the agreement of the United States to appoint himself as President, had to contend with another potentially hostile factor

the army. In El Salvador the military split into two - the army proper the 'paramilitary' National Guard.

parallel army, , if anything more Ol utal and murderous than the army.

The death squads are particularly linked to the

by US and other counterrevolutionary forces, Pastora argued that Nicaragua was engaged in

dangerous military buildup.

He complained of the alleged Cuban and Soviet "military presence Nicaragua, calling on the Nicaraguan people to 're main on a war footing' long as a single foreign soldier remains in the country.

Pastora threatened 'military action' to change the course of the revolution. He complained about land and factories being confiscated.

Nobody would deny that Edén Pastora played a significant role the

Nicaraguan revolution

He narticipated in the armed opposition actions of the 1950s. In the 1960s he helped in recruitment and carried out logistical work for Sandinista guerrilla operations.

He lived in exile until he returned 'Com-

August,

1978, attack on the National malay imprisoned through

which many

Sandinista leaders were freed. During the final of-

fensive he became the

military commander of the

Southern Front.

After the revolution

Pastora was assigned to be

vice-Minister of Defense

and was placed in charge

of the Sandinista People's

Militias. Indeed, Pastora

was very popular.

Roberto D'Aubuisson, National Guard. The Salvadorean miltary has historical links not with ARENA, Dal alive newcomer on the political scene, but the Party of National Conciliation.

The army made a 'very strong suggestion that Magana ought be

Evenelected President tually D'Aubuisson was forced by this pressure to

But he could not accept that getting rid of Somoza also meant getting rid of a whole system of rule propStates for more than a cen the United tury, which denied peasants access to the land they worked and kept the vast majority the population submerged in

iliteracy, hunger, disease, and other ills. These social evils exist throughout Latin America — except in Cuba. They cannot eliminated without challenging the capitalist

Pastora, businessman who comes from a landowning family.

willing to break was lul with his class and go all the way with the revolutionary process. become its open enemy.

When he lett Nicaragua last year, allelutionaries fighting in allegedly Guatemala, every effort

made maintain friendly relations him, 'despite increasingly disturbing reports we received about the type of persons of dubious moral standing, and forces hostle to ine nicaraguan people and our revolution that he was surrounding himself with'

Commander Ana Maria of Salvador's FMLN issued a statement expressing confidence that

Pastora's betrayal would • in no way undermine the

Nicaraguan revolution.

'When a leader betrays his people', she said and goes before television

El Salvador hard man agree. When he made the proposal Constituent Assembly he was booed and hissed by the supporters his own ARENA party, who wanted no compromise

They, like D'Aubuisson, understand that despite the sweeping powers of the assembly, Magana backed by the army and the US can create an alternative

EL SALVADOR

cameras and reporters lo

declare his treason, this does not divide the revolu-

tion from the people, but instead carns the traitor

the hatred of those who

formerly believed in him

Her words were borne

out

throughour the country

their

militia cards which still

bear Pastoras signature

In demonstration

downtown Managua 17

April, hundreds of militia

members showed their

support for the govern

ment by burning their old

membership 'We

don't want a militia card

signed by a traitor!' the!

chanted

power centre.

The EI Salvador government is bound now to be permanently racked by ver inhe diferencer But whatever the of style and emphasis bet ween Magana and D'Aubuisson, the outcome for the people of 1

Salvador will be the sam

bloody repres

HOIC SION

PUBLIC RALLY

Film Pre niere DECISION TO WIN (The First Fruits

EL SALVADOR

GUATEMALA CUBA THE BRITISH LABOUR MOVEMENT includin Dr. SALVADOF MONCADA of El Salvad‹

7.00 pm Saturday May 15th Conway Hal Red Lion Square (Holborn e

Perhaps the

welcome response

Pastora's betrayal cam

from Commander Jaim

Wheelock, Nicaragua

Minister of Agricultur

Development and Agr

rian Retorm. The da

ollowing Pastora's pr

conference, Wheelock i

nounced that 28,000 mo

manzanas of land (1 ma

zana = 1.73 acres) wou

be distributed to peasan

around the country, as it

revolution continued

fulfill the pledge that

campesino be

From Intercontinental

Press

Page 13 scan of this page

American socialists against Thatcher's

war

barrage for a lot longer Reagan's war drive.

Thatcher's adventure.

of self-determination'.

series of questions and answers

tionary solidarity with the Fourth International.

which side are you on?

The the British, are an inalienable part nations

sovereignty over the islands Britain has held the islands colony

seized them by force 150 years ago. London should give claim to its colony and stay out.

But much more is nov involved than the islands done. economic, and diplomatic clary.

OCIWCCIl one of the world's mintiest powers and a country oppressea by imperialism. In this conflict, we side unequivocally will lne coulltry that is the victim of imOctalisili We demand that Bri-

tain turn its fleet around, lift its economic embargo, and recognise Argentine sovereignty Over Malvinas.

Your position is clear enough. HOL convinced. Isn't there a real dispute over sovereignty?

* glance ai the map will tell that, geographically, the Malvinas are part Argentina. Historically, ine story is ine same. In une 1700s Britain, Spain and France all made claims on the islands.

The Spaniards bought out the French and drove out Spain governed the islands, as it «le buenos Ares and mosI of Latin America. When Argentina declared its independence from Spain in 1816, it claimed sovereignty over all of its territory and took control of the islands.

In 1833, however, British warship took the islands by force. The Drusa rules nave enored Argentina's protests for a century and a half.

Yes, but whatever the historical merits, how can you side win ine

EVERY EVENING our 'democratic and freé' television and newspapers bombard us with pro-war propaganda. Over the North Atlantic, American viewers have been getting a similar

The TV and media are full of denunciations of Argentinian aggression against peaceloving Britain who, with no empire left to defend, is 'standing up for the right

Socialist Challenge reprints on this page a

which were carried by the American revolu-

I guess the last answer wasn't clear They have held it by force years the According to the imperialists' moral code, if they steal someone's land and hold on io ll long enough, it becomes theirs.

Whenever oppressed peoples anywhere the world fight to regain control over their own territory, they are called the 'aggressors'

What's more, Britain refused every Argentine effort to negotiate in good faith. In 1965 Argentina finally got resolution passed in the United Nations calling on the British to negotiate. As recently as this past February, Argentina's diplomats at the UN pressed for a speedup the drawn-out talks. The British refused.

what about the residents of the Islands?

Margaret Thatcher says Britain has no interests in the islands and fighting solely for tite right of the islanders to self-determination. course, don't really believe her, but isn't the issue itself important?

Falklands Crisis

The real issue of self-determination Argentina's right to exercise sovereignty over its own

having the British meet anack ine samos ano

Black.

capitalism in more

tish absentee landlords. A

cent of the land, rain The FIC

has

OlIC legislative councillor from

OI

shareholders Argentinian workers demonstrating in favour of their recovery of Malvinas-Falklands

What's MOTe Britain's racist immigraton law ine Islanders no longer even have. the right to move to Britain.

The islanders are vic-

British 100 -perialism. The will Dencill. above all. trom a worldwide movement that can force the British fleet to turn back.

OK, I agree that it's absurd that the British im-

would be fighting anywhere for

self-determination. Look at their occupation of Northern Ireland! But, then, WAGL are tney fighting for?

Like John Reed said: specificY®" Can't MOre

Sure. Oil, for one. Some estimates have said the the waters around the Malvinas could rival the rich North Sea deposits. According to the Christian Science Monitor of 6 April, 'Bernardo F

Grossling, international expert formerly the US Geological and

American Bank, says "many

MOSI

Arco are engaged exploratory

Argentine

Argentina for oil OTI the the

quite fuss about

the reserves unknown And US overcal officials are

displaying humani-

But some US oil have

Sovereignty over the islands also bears directly on ownership of the seabed, the Antarctic, and the vast potential wealth there.

Of course, profits are at stake in a broader sense

well. What concerns London and Washington — is that the masses of the colonial and semicolonial world are getting the idea that now is a good time to take back what belongs them. They see the weakness of imperialism, especially since Washington was defeated in Vietnam. That is what Reagan is running up against in Central America today.

Okay, I see what London and Washington are up to. But your posi tion still makes me uncomfortable. How can workers support the bloodsoaked military dictatorship In Buenos Aires? Aren't they the immediate enemy?

It is not a question of

the military dictatorship. To support

Argentina against Britain does not mean to serve the millary regime. supporting the fight against despite the military regime. By supporting the struggle against British im-

the A Call. workers al c giving political support lo the regime, they justifiably detest. Their goal Is to bring down ine generals, and they correctly see a deteat tor Britain as a step forward toward that objective.

Class-conscious Argentine workers are the most resolute in the fight

the British. But they don't count on the military government lead an uncompromising

struthe last thing te.

thing generals want is to mobilise ine working pec ple in the kind of struggle it will take to deteat Bri tain. In fact, the government's occupation of the Malvinas was timed to curb the mass struggle and

ly shaky rule

But the regime's motives and intentions are not at issue. A conflict is under way between imperialism and a country oppressed by imperialism. In this conflict the workers have a decisive interest.

The struggle of the

workers and farmers government is m separalo from the struggle against imperialism. It is part of it. The Argentine workers and peasants. in order to bring to power a government that defends their interests, have to fight free their country from imperialist domination victory for Britain would increase the subjugation of Argentina to exploitation and oppression by foreign capital. The workers and armers wil suricl

On the other hand, if Britain fails in its efforts to bring Argentina knees, working people there will be in a better position to carry forward the fight against the military dictatorship and imperialism.

same plane'

Mexican

who balked at taking the side of China,

The

revolutionary struggle of the Irish

feudal aristocracy ... at all events, against imperialist miserable caricature of Bolshevism

perialist and reactionary. progressive Ho-Lavor.

neperber trioes

leadership of Abd-el-Krim

2. The French Socialist Party.

'We do not put

all wars on the

The following is from a September 1937 letter sent bo Merrean artisan Diego one on er the

Rivera. When Japanese imperialists opened up a war against China in Julv 1937. there were some communist.

which was ruled by the dictatorship of Chiang Kai-shek al that time. The considerations raised by Trotsky in regard to the Sino-Japanese war are also relevant to the conflict between Britain and Argentina to-

complete letter is printed in Leon Trot-

We do not and never have put all wars on the same plane. Marx and Engels supported the

even though in these two nationalist wars the leaders were, for the most part, members of

the democrats and Social Democrats spoke with hate of the struggle of The party of Léon Blum? supported this point

_ a pro gressive war. Lenin wrote hundreds of pages

which comprise the great majority of humanity. To speak of 'revolutionary defeatism' general, without distinguishing between exploiter and exploited countries, is to make a put that caricature at the service of the im-

In the Far East we have a classic example. China is a semicolonial country which Japan is transforming, under our very eyes, into a

China's struggle is

But Chiang Kai-shek? We need have no illusions about Chiang Kai-shek, his party, or the whole ruling class of China, just as Marx and Engels had no illusions about the ruling

workers and peasants. But today he is forced, despite himself, to struggle against Japan for the remainder of the independence of China. Tomorrow he may again betray. It is possible. It is probable. It is even inevitable. But today he is struggling. Only cowards, scoundrels, or complete imbeciles can refuse to participate

Let us use the example of a strike to clarify the question. We do not support all strikes. If for example, a strike is called for the exclusion of Negro, Chinese, or Japanese workers from a factory, we are opposed to that strike. But if a strike aims at bettering - insofar as it can - the conditions of the workers, we are

first to participate in it, whatever the leadership. In the vast majority of strikes, the leaders are reformists, traitors by profession, agents of capital. They oppose every strike. But from time to time the pressure of the masses or of the objective situation forces

Let us imagine, for an instant, a worker

ticipate in the strike because the leaders are

ultraleft imbecile would serve to brand him by his real name: a strikebreaker. The case of the Sino-Japanese War is, from this point of

If Japan is an im perialist country and if China is the victim of patriotism is the hideous mask of worldwide

Chinese patriotism is legitimate and

But can Chiang Kai-shek assure the victory? I do not believe so. It is he, however, who began the war and who today directs it To be able to replace him it is necessary to gain decisive influence among the proletariat and in the army, and to do this it is necessary

place oneself in the midst of the struggle. We

military struggle against the foreign invasion

weaknesses, the deficiencies, and the inter-

revolted against Spanish colonial rule in 1921 under the

After defeating the Spanish colonialists, they attacked the French sector of Morocco but were defeated by a combined Spanish and French ar

Socialist Challenge 6 May 1982 page 13

Page 14 scan of this page

Rail engineers fight closure

AS LORD McCarthy reports on flexible rostering in the Rail has announced 5,000 redundancies in its workshops.

Bolton, about 2,200 at Shildon, County Durham and 1,293 at Swindon.

are fighting mad. Telly viewers have seen the whole town of Shilden on the threatened loss of so many jobs central to the town's economy.

NIS GREEN, deputy works convenor at Horwick about the fightback.

On Thursday 22 April we took 80 workers down to Rail House in London to demonstrate, an Works, with 200 from Shildon

were about 400 in all.

Friday we had a mass meeting 2,300

explain the Clues lo situation, and Monday we had a mass walkout of the workforce noon march through the town of Horwich with the local people. Local labour MPs Roger Stott and Ann Taylor pledged their support for fighting closures.

The next big nion focus is the Railwaymen delegates

London May to discuss

Park Rd, London E7 or phone 01-470 2822.

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Socialist Challenge 6 May 1982

rail industry, British

'This includes 1,660 at Horwich near

The engineers at these workshops

will

march in protest ovir the

Socialist Challenge spoke to DEN-

fight the redundancies nationally. I'll be pushing for our union icaders lo call d national rail strike and to

of miners, steelworkers as well as railworkers.

This issue could bring COWE the Tory government. and that's where we should be aiming. now. We'l fight to the bit- The ter end to save our jobs.

We've got to fight this thing on a national level. link up with Shildon, Swindon and wherever we can get support. There's plans to cut 15-20,000 jobs up to 1986.

Just as the government are trying up British Steel and British Airways and hive off the:

Socialist Teachers Alliance DAY CONFERENCE on the Alternative Economic Strategy

and Labour Party Saturday 15 May Countv Hall. London Correct correspondence uddress: STA c/o 143a Ha

Socialist Challenge/Revolution Public meetings Denis Barry works convenor and strike committee chairperson Laurence Scott - the lessons

Thursday 6 May: Glasgon City Hall, Candleriggs at 7.30 Tuesday Il May: East London

ramily cenire, so Rectory ka, Nio al 1.30

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE BANKER'S

ORDER FORM _ Leman St, London El SHQ. 70267802

08-03-08

.Monthly

..And on the same date in the month thereafter.

best bits for private enterprise they're doing the same thing with British Rail.

Horwich, after they've cut most or the workforce they plan to sell the mechanised foundry — one of the most modern in Europe

= vale ill dustry.

Last week at the Crewe had GEC reps Works Cheshire, BR

in looking the place over, I'm sure for a similar motive.

It's a hard fight but we can win it. We've got to ook at une exocacie ol others as well. We've had the Scoti workers here a couple of times during their dispute. raising money, showing solidarity.

Now we need the experience and assistance of others to help us. As one oI the laas sala lo me le other day, 'We can make the laurence scott dispute look like a tea party: By Hazel MacPherson, Paddington NUR No.1

down its workshops and bring in private contractors, it will be railworkers.

The 5,000

STORY demonstration at Shildon,

against the closure of the local works, around Collmunity is based is an in-

of railworkers to fight for

Closure of the workshops just. one aspect this government's overall plan to shed over 40,000 rail jobs by 1985.

This attempt by the union's leadership tọ regain crediblity it had before the rail drivers' dispute cartel year comes only days before

on flexible rostering: The Wore stal will be coming up with a com-

general secretary Weighell's face

That is, to say 'no' to flexible rostering for drivers, to withdraw the 39 hour week and most important to offer local the Tebbit Bill on 29 April.

Trade Unions

Engineers working on trains AT SWINDON plans are in hand for demonstration on Friday 7 May. . Not only will there be the job loss but the apprentice school is to close as well. At one time there were 14,000 workers and only 3,500 remain.

The works committee has drawn up its battle which includes:

Unity needed to

fight rail closures

IF British Rail succeeds with its plan to close

major blow to all

negotiations for those who wish to opt for flexible rostering.

Therefore, if the national strike call is actually made, the leaderSnip will presumably DC looking for a muted and that it can shift responsibility trom its shoulders onto the rank and file.

It's not that we don't lead, but you don't follow'

a familiar refrain many NUR branch rooms.

However, there are many dangers. The militant response of the NUR membership in opposition to flexible rostering in support of ASLEF took the union leadership oy sur prise.

growing aw prodis tivity ll aste cts

productivity fou the example or on

example the ASLEF strike and the victory that they won will not be easily wiped out trom Workers from the Raleigh plant among 1000 lobbying MPs against

• pressure on the TUC for a tiaht for an invest ment programme and against the closures @ lobbying MPs on modernisation and electrification •a call for blacking of all work designated for Swindon

• talks with ASLEF, NUR and TSSA about blacking • lobbying the local the minds and memories of the NUR membership.

A national rail strike over workshop closures could easily develop into a major dispute over all rail that Weighell and the NEC - and this is the risk

We must base

the ASLEF ourselves on victory, actively campaign for the workshops and demand that the NEC makes its threat a reality.

Sir Peter Parker, British Rail chairperson, said that tiexible rostering was 'the first hurdle in the

National of Change'

AŠLEF made sure that the . government and the British Rail Board fell at the first hurdle. It is up to us to make sure that tne do so again at Beechers Brook.

• Drivers at Old Oak Com.

ended work to rule this week in prolest Ove

with 26 spare turns. Following inel victory the drivers went on to

s a resolution opposing the Star

Photo: Morning

permission on the land for anything not railway work •lobbying management about training schoo

The works committee had cooperated with

call retirement against OT ficial NUR policy.

Alaun Rees, works committee chairperson

Famous Names in

strike over low pay

Terry Stewart of the Bristol District Labour Party speaks to Joe Reddick, Alan Bunyan, TGWU district organiser.

When •aia the strike start and over what issues?

i was over cuesuon ol pay. The company had oftered us per cenl. what workforce wanted was a straigh! £10 across the board. The strike is really around the low paid workers

There are 350 workers at Famous Names, making confectionary of different sorts, probably the most well known is Famous Names Liquers chocolate mice. Over 80 per cent of the workforce are women.

Are the

Wower equal pay?

Well, it depends what you mean. All the women are more or less on the bottom grades, wnien is tol or a 40 hour week The women ale employed in packing, sorting , foiling, and cleanIng. Men here eart mOTE starting different grade from £65 for a fort hour week.

What been the response of management?

¡he management of the former firm, then called Caviner's, bought Goldsmith out. They changed the Hallid Famous Names. Each director paid £25,000 for iner share In e firm. Goldsmith was involved in

stripping, since this new management took

made over £1.6 million profit in the last trading years.

The strike started Friday and ACAS were called

Photo: Morning Star

now says, 'We let more than 100 men out of the door without fuss ho bothy repad us bother and this is

The leader the local Labour Group Jim Masters said, When took early retirement I thought I was helping a lad to get a job But there's been no discussion and the obvious step total closure.

TGWU shop steward and

in on Monday, so that's where we are at present. It'll be made within the next week

Are there other unions involved in the struggle apart from the TGWU, Food and Drinks section?

There's ACTSS and the AUEW. but they sellica for the company's offer separately us. The AUEW not handling any spares that are going through the picket.

The firm owns another factory • We understand Southpool. Liverpool. that the 250 workforce came out on 21 April when they were offered the same pittance of 5 per cent.

Why have they demand. ed £10 across the board • instead of a percentage increase?

Take management's offer of 5 per • cent, what that means for the low paid women workers. • I WOn [ even pav for their rise in gas bills

The strike is about low pay, and the shop stewards committee has the full support of the workforce to win this demand particularly that of other workers on higher differentials.

What support has been forthcoming so far?

The first we've had Bristol West LPYS. Easton Labour Party.

Duties shed be ser

seward.

KARBAKARAK nivu DUNSTER ROAD, KNO WLE, BRISTOL BS4 IBY

Page 15 scan of this page

Bradford 12 face rigged' jury

face life imprisonment if found guilty.

defence council protested the

was composed largely white middle class areas of Leeds.

The protestors stood directly

outsice Ine cot room chanting slogans aransl d rigged Jury and later marched through the city centre.

When people reassembled in the afternoon police made six arrests - three from Bradford and three from Leeds. The charges involv-

file bst the Panic Order

the Public Order Act. The six were granted bail and will appear in court on 5 May.

On Tuesday 27 April Judge Beaumont dismissed the defence application to discharge the jury.

Defence council stressed the need for a jury that would take account of the particular and exceptional experiences of the Asian community.

One of the defendents Tariq Ali epresenting himself said: would be impossible to tell a jury of what my teelings and experiences are there is not even one of my own people on it.

During Tuesday's proceedings the judge received a telegram from Labour By Toni Gorton 'THEY have declared war on black people. They came here to kill and went for anybody who got in their way, black or white,

one died.'

As Frank Critchlow, owner ot the Mangrove Restaurant in Notting Hill savs. It's a miracle no one

killed in the police blitz on 20 April when 200 officers in full riot gear rampaged through the West London area. They extensively damaged two biark-owned terrorised the local people; seriously number including a boy of 12 who was hospitalised.

One local black councillor, Ben Bousquet, declared that was 'organised police vall dalism' and added: 'If this kind thing happens again personally will have no option but to sai that if violence is used by the police, the people should reply with violence themselves.

This kind of thing' has happened before and will happen again - with even greater ferocity. The youth

Brixton, Southall. Toxteth and other black areas in Britain last year convinced the Tories up their repression.

They intend to control the black youth of the in11Cl cities Wilalevel ute LUsL.

ON MONDAY 26 April hundreds from the Bradford 12 campaign gathered outside the Leeds Crown Court to demand the dropping of all charges and the freeing of the defendents who

Inside, the public gallery was packed as the

use of a jury panel which contained no Asian names and of people from the

MP Joan Maynard which demanded multi-racial jury.

The judge decided to release the panel until

Mav when it will be merg ed with a panel summoned for that week 1his contains just one Asian name.

Incredibly, the Judge thought would be comfort to the defendents to learn that a jury Danc

summoned from Bradford TOI Lue ToloWine week contained no Asians at all.

The Bradford 12 National Mobilising CommitLee declared "The escapable conclusion that black peopic DelS systematically excluded

tollow.

'One wonders who sits on the juries for Southall, Brixton and Toxteth.

Garth Frankland, secretary of the Leeds District Labour Party and councillor for Chapel Allerton said: "The moving of the trial from Bradford to Leeds and the subsequent presentation in Leeds of a practically

'A miracle no-one died'

man or woman and even a young boy. It's a miracle no

Policing strategy has 'refined' itself so that any incident, no matter how trivial, will be met with an all response with military type organisation and equipment. Warned

While Scarman may have warned against saturation policing operations I1Ke Swamp '81 which touched off Brixton lasi vear. une bonce nave over the past few months been regularit embarking on 'Swamp 81s' in many al cas

Black people have the absolute right to defend themselves from fascist and state harassment - by any means necessary.

The New Cross Massacre Action Cam-

the struggles Dalell against deportations and restrictive immigration laws have niaved a crucial role in the defence of the black people.

A victory today for the Bradford 12, the Asian youths threatened with life imprisonment on charges of conspiracy, would be a

set back for the SCIOUS Tory 'law and order' campaign.

white panel must give rise

SUSDICONS motives for moving the Ina are cast doubt on lne ability of the Leeds court to concuel aral ta.

'People like the Bradford 12 face the possibility of life imprisonment while racist white youths who beat up two black women in Chapletown have yet to be caught.

When Socialist Challenge asked cillor Lorna Cohen, Labour Harehills, an area will a large Asan come munity, for her views on how Labour Party and trade union activists can help LNe campaign, she called on them to 'bombard MPs with letters calling for support for for the

• anu Do nune out how the conspiracy laws are used against the working class and black and Asian activists.

•People should also take collections and send donations to the campaign which is still desperate for money.'

The events coming Wednesday mass icket

12 May mass picket

ridav 14 Mav: and th trade union mass picket Wednesday 19 May. National Mobilitie Com Contact Bradford mittee, Cookridge

Cheques payable to

Dejence

would inhibit the Tories in their use of the courts as a weapon against black militants. would a so ve a clear warang ro the 'frame ups' and politically police about further

restrain them in their use of CS gas, plastic bullets, and armoured vehicles.

All this would change the balance of forces favour of defence of the black community.

Allies within the white working class are alreadi being won who see that

1U1 democratic rights, for justice, decent living standards and human dignity is a fight black and white have in common.

Spirit

Margaret Thatcher and her 'muggers in blue' will omy be aercarea by the mass activity of the entire working class. Key to this is the leadership by black people.

Black workers at Grunwicks and Imperial TypeWales have already shown the fighting spirit thev can bring to industria disputes.

The spirit of the whole black community is bold and audacious, its LICH leaders among. the black youth being called upon to take it in the right direction.

VOLCANOES &

HURRICANES

THE PEOPLE are like volcanoes: no one sets fire to them, they explode alone. And Central America is a volcanic region.

Fidel Castro, July 1980

this new pamphlet.

tion to politics in this area.

bosture buck rares avanaste on reavest. return.

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picket Some of the over 500 protestors at Leeds Crown Court on the first day of the trial

Renalt he

Defence of the revolutions in Cuba, Grenada and Nicaragua and support for the revolutions in progress throughout the region are the twin themes of

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Moset Park

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welcomed at reduced rates. THOUSANDS OF GRENA DIANS living London packed into the monweatu Insutute London last satureav • TO the second ever Grenadian Festival. festival, now an annual main where renadians mee and exchange views and into mation. It was a huge success.

Sant rose for phe aren-

GrenaNot only is it a forum wacre renadian na come together; they and their friends can witness the gains of th circulate almonest une urchaulan con

revolution The method positively countering these rumour. als playin! many achievements o the revolution one of the main growth area! the bands, dance groups. calyp sonians and poets all attended une culture ShOW renecting everyday life in revolutionary

Grenad hall was ringed witt

stalls, ian food urenacial

Socialist Challenge

Bradford 12 broadsheet

Send to Cookridge St Leeds 2, Tel 0532-439500

Grenadian festival

alcrats. An important s:. sold products from Grenada

None of thes products before the revolution ara..c...

A tourist show encou:s: others who attended to he rena ans

day in wrena da

: with many things associated

to get the community here Britain together PATKANE, , who was inter.

las! weel

return from Grenada

cry speaking on this ex

speaking periences Pat has a slide snoW alle severar exnfor TONS liTe revolu tionary Grenada. So far he has 3 been to Mancheste Sheffield, Rotherham ingdon and

Havd ranaed in Lewisham .anx ton, Nottingham Mansfield Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

bour Your or trade main or a ton on Labour Party mation on tact 01 359 8371

6 May 1982 page 15

Page 16 scan of this page

FREE WALESA

HEALTH SERVICE

for a 12 per cent pay rise. On 29 April, the TUC

refused to take industrial action.

hour strikes, working to rule and banning non-emergency admissions in many areas.

Correll spoke to Steve Ferris who is secretary of Southampton Hospitals branch of the National Union of Public Employees, about the issues.

Health service workers have been made a "final' offer of 4 per cent. What has been the reaction of vour membersr

My members understand very well that 4

wclil. £1.50 per week full time

is a drop in real *OTKE! wages. With some grades

as hittle 144 weekly we can't afford to settle for less than the full claim 12 per cent.

Alan Fisher is in favour of taking the claim to arbitration. What is your reaction?

Arbitration takes the claim zul ul c darus orıne members, and relies on a supposedly HuC CICIl zody that will side with the Ecvernment.

As it is almost certain ic award 5 per cent or less,

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Socialist

Challenge

Health unions

- a fight for

wages and jobs

unions have backed widespread industrial action to win their claim

health services committee announced further that none of the 14 unions represented had

COHSE members are now carrying out two-

Socialist Challenge correspondent Richard

going to arbitration is tantamount to abandoning the tull claim. It we are go ing to will. will be larouga mass acnon. BOT dealings smoke-filled LOUIS.

HELP USS

HEL Will action include nurses?

Nurses form half the NHS workforce, about half a million, and I think it is

ticipate. essential This they will mean wal" stopping routine admis-

SOCIALIST

CHALLENGE

each 12 month inland subscription to

Weber (normal price f2.95) or Autobiography of

sions, and providing only emergency cover.

The government have tried to split the health ser-

vice by offering nurses 6.4 per cenksulanis would

mean 2.4 per cent coming

existing nicaltn

service budget, that Iwo ia about 5,400 jobs then be cut.

For these reasons would urge nurses to reject this offer, and fight alongside the rest of the health service to the full 12 per cent.

Doesn't the cash limit system mean that winning the claim can only

mean more jobs lost?

Settling lor 4 per Coll wouldn't save a single job. Mrs Thatcher wants to cut wages and jobs. If we are defeated this time on pay she will be back again to take more jobs.

We are determined to protect both pay and jobs, and torce her to abandon the NHS cash limit. That's why our claim includes a thirty-five hour week and increased holidays.

Can the government af-

claim?

Yes. Many other groups of workers have succeeded in breaking the 4 per cent limit: local go ver ment. workers got per. cent miners and firemen got 9 and the police got 13 - a small rise in real terms.

The full cost of the claim about £200 million. The present aaventures in tne iviaivinas could end up costing that much, wach saows the money is there. It only Teoue a politica dec!. sion by the government to use lt

How will you be able to take on the government?

we can only do this by fighting back on a national scale — - this dispute can't be won hospital hospital. It also means that

workers the NHS must unite in an agreed campaign of massive dustrial action, and we will need the solidarity WUIKCIS other industries.

My branch is in favour of forming an all-union strike committee, ine NUrt Annual Conference we will be fighting hard to see that the union leadership

Ul zansc US CN sort of strike action that we need to win.

PEOPLE SAY

rulers.

'Free our Lech, imDISOD Wojciech' they chanted, referring General Jaruzelski, prime minister and head of the Communist Party, 'Away with the junta' and 'Come and join us' were the other most popular slogans. On

Monday a further march of more than 20,000 people was broken up by riot police with tear gas.

This extraordinary display of Solidarnosc's continuing power and popularity comes in the wake of a series of spectacular actions by the undel ground opposition to martial law flying

civil disobedience SUIKCS. and the radio

ICLeNL broadcasts

The opposition is being coordinated by the new four-person national Solidarnosc underground leadership of Zbigniew Bujak from Warsaw, Wladyslaw Frasyniuk …TOH Wroclaw, Bogdan Lis from Gdansk and Wladyslaw Hardek from Krakow The Coordination is now planning a nationwide strike for 13 May, five months since the military crackdown.

The military bureau. cratic rulers of Poland must be territied at the open resurgence of Solidarnosc in public actions. So to0 must be

ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND

MAY DAY, international workers' day, saw the most remarkable demonstration of the continuing strength and support of Solidarnosc Poland's mass independent social and union movement. In two 'Illegal' marches in Warsaw and Gdansk, the Baltic birthplace of Sclidarnosc, one hundred thousand people marched in open defiance of the military bureaucratic

Thatcher and Reagan who cynically jumped on the Polish bandwagon to step up their attacks on 'communism' in the wake of the military coup.

That is why the labour movement must take the lead in organising support for Solidarnosc. An cellent opportunity develop such solidarity will be the national labour movement .conference in solidarity with Solidarnosc that has been called for October.

The Greater Manchester Polish Solidarity Campaign has issued an appeal for the conference which has already been endorsed Porish Soldarity Commil- the Glasgow

tee, Ken Livingstone and Labour MPs, Eric Heffer.

George Morton frank Allaun, Michael Meacher and Roger Stott.

The appeal reads: 'We believe that it is vital that the labour movement comes to the aid of our Polish brothers and sisters this time of need.

Millions of trade unionists throughout the world have been inspired by the strugPle of the Pe ish moratis genuine democratic socialism.

'The declaration of martial law 13

December last year has undoubtedly set back that struggle means but it is by all over. The 110

resistance is growing. They need our solidarity now.

allow the likes of Ronald Moreover, we Calliui Reagan and Margaret Thatcher parade unchallenged friends of the Polish workers.

'They support dictatorial from Turkey to Salvador They are no friends of workers in Poland or any other country. It is time for the labour movement to speak out for an end to martial law, for the release

Glasgow

Morgan, Durward

041-649 8958

Greater Manchester Polish Solidarity Committee

Lancs. Ring 061-620 2885

490927

South Yorks Polish Solidarity Committee.

617174.

Nottingham Labour

Solidarnosc, c/o 3 Elm Close, Nottingham.

Murray Blackford Road,

021-773 5396 ASTM5 2 Seans koad., Coventry. Solidarity

ASTMS

Oxford Labour

Road, Oxford. Ring 0865 58238

London NW1. Ring 01-458 1501

Labour Focus

Eastern

Kingsland High St, London E8.

Philbeach

01-373 3492.

of the interned/arrested trade unionists and for the I colul aliul. democratic and trade rights won bv the Polish workers through struggle August 1980; and against the hypocritical boycott campaign of Reagan, Thatcher and hope you will sponsor the conference build such labour movement camDalyu.

Picket Polish embassy on 13 May at Ipm to cincide with general strike call in Poland

Solidarnosc Solidarity Committees

5 Dur Vard Avy Ce, masg G4l. Ring

Avenue, Glasgow

Edinar Dh re Tra des dunil, 12 Picarayp cace. Edir

Gc/o call

Jon Silberman, S1 Montrose House, Crete St, Oldam

Leeds Polish Soldarity Committee, c/o Dave Feickert. 28 Roundhay Mount, Leeds 8, Yorkshire. Ring 0532

Bird, 279 Ellesmere Road, Sheffield, S4 7DP. Ring 0742

Movement Solidarity

Buray 28 Blackfo Road. Ciminea, C/0. Rager

Birmingham 11. .Ring Committee, John Fisher c/o

Committee on Poland, 468 Banbury Eastern Europe Solidarity Campaign, 10 Park Drive,

Europe, Box 23, 136 Solidarnosc Trade Union Working Group in UK, 64

Gardens, Earls Court, London SW5 . Ring