Socialist Challenge No. 254, 16 July 1982
The scan: sc-no254.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive)
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Page 1 scan of this page
Challenge We're backing
SUPPORT HEALTHWORKERS 19-21 JULY
No. 254 16 July 1982 25p THE strength and determination of the train drivers has forced off. It was not prepared to face the massive controntation that would have ensued if it had gone ahead with its threats sack drivers or shut
Faced Taiwavo. massive show from ASLEF, Tories have against the wall. whole labour movement has to throw its full weight behind the train drivers and the health workers to give the final blow to Thatcher.
Ever since the dispute on flexible rostering started it has been about bringing workers to heel. ASLEF was the union that back which brought down on the union the venom Tory government, British Rail and the Tory media.
Despite all attempts
NUR leader, Sid Weighell, to break the solidarity strike it has failed to save him from the wrath of BR. Parker and the rail bosses have calmly up the week agreement and told Sid to go and get lost.
What is at dispute is not simply running a service more even running a service at all. The stakes are much higher than that - they include the future of the trade unions and the future of the Tory govern-
Unemployed and strikers 10p
ASLEF
British Rail to back
the train down the with Ine of solidarity BR and the their backs Now all rail
dared fight
of the
by
of the
guaranteed-
stake in this
'efficiently' or
Socialist
ment. This is why Weighell's treachery won't work.
Now the issues are so clear the labour movement must respond with singlemindedness mination of the rail bosses. The TUC must call a day of action in support of the railworkers.
Foot has at last said ASLEF must be backed -him drop the witch-hunt in the Labour Party and turn his full attention to supporting workers who are fighting in the front line Tories. Let him Labour front bench onto the picket line. every single member in the Labour Party to support the picket lines, collect money for the strike and urge solidarity action in their unions.
Thatcher would like to do another 'Falklands' at the ex-
of the healthworkers. organised labour movement can defeat her and Parker. labour movement can back the Tory offensive and settle accounts with the people like Weighell friends in the Labour Party, who are building such a movement. ASLEF have struck blow on behalf of all trade unionists.
Socialist Challenge is with ASLEF. Make sure you are.
the same and detergood; let
the
against the take the
Let him call on
rail and Only the strength of the
A united roll
and his
obstacle to
La vital
INSIDE BRITISH
RAIL ASLEF - WHO NEXT
standing
firm HEALTH -
days of
action
CENTENARY YEAR 1980
4kg CROCREESY
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Private medicine
Editorial
PO Box 50, London N1 2XP Phone 01-359-8189/8180 (editorial and distribution)
How to stop
the Tories'
'Ideal World'
'AN IDEAL world might mean no pay increases at all.' This was Sir Geoffrey Howe last week explaining the aims of his wages policy.
The Tories new policy is part and parcel of their current offensive against the unions; their Falklands' on the train drivers and health workers. ing to hold pay rises well under the current 4 per cent for the public sector.
Three days earlier the Chancellor gave his view of his 'ideal world'. In a speech to the summer school of the Tory party in Cambridge he outlined the Tories would carry out if returned to office at the next general election.
• Further attacks on the unions through compulsory balloting proccuures. minimum rates in industries covered by councils • Deregulating rents in the private sector • Reducing controls on health and safety in industry • Reduction of taxation on investment income • Privatisation in local government, with services being put in private hands • Privatisation in social policy particularly in the health service with the introduction of private insurance; voucher systems in schools to encourage private schools; loans for students instead
If the Tories were elected back into office and if they were allowed to put these policies into effect the result would be the destruction of most of the social gains made by working people since the Second World War.
The prospects for rolling back the Tories' recent advances are not so bleak. With every inside the government in the period leading up to the Falklands crisis start to make the issue an embarrassment rather than a votewinner. Neither ASLEF produced any easy victories for the British Rail management.
The key issue now throughout the labour healthworkers and the train drivers, taking the lead from the mineworkers conference last week, which. put treacherous 'support'
Michael Foot to shame.
But there must be a response politically too. The Tories are using the spectre of a general election to frighten away potential support for ASLEF. The blackmail can be confronted is by the Labour Party declaring itself ready to take on the Tories in united action with the unions.
The Labour Party and the unions have to use the healthworkers' action on 19 July and support for ASLEF as the beginning of a campaign of industrial action against the government.
The fight for an alternative to the Tories must come out loud and clear from the labour movement.
government committed to policies. Such policies would include: • End unemployment! For the 35 hour week! For worksharing without loss of pay! • For the nationalisation under workers control of the commanding heights of the economy! • Instead of a programme of remilitarisation a programme of public works to meet social need and employ the jobless! • Against incomes policy! For wages, benefits and social expenditure against in-
The elements of such a programme are already in Party and TUC conferences. What is lacking is decisive leadership from within the labour movement; a leadership as devoted to the interests of our class as Thatcher and Howe are to theirs.
The elements of such a leadership are to be found in the decisions of the mineworkers conference, the 'new wave' of the left inside the Labour Party against the witch-hunt, and in the mass ranks of the disarmament movement.
Socialist Challenge will be fighting for the building of a new left wing that can draw on the strengths of this movement so that we can begin to see the way opened to our 'ideal world' - not that of Sir Geoffrey Howe's.
Socialist Challenge 16 July 1982 page 2
attempt to
The government will be seek-
programme that the
The main points
Abolition of wage of has the offensive against
swing behind the
the faltering of Len Murray and the
only way this
There has to be a fight for a
socialist protection of
policies endorsed by the Labour
By Bob Pennington AS THE NHS visibly crumbles before our eyes, the private health sector is booming. By the subscribers in Britain bas 1,647, i thich in- end of 1980 number cluding their dependents represented a total of 3,577,000 privately insured people. In 1981 there was a 27 per cent growth rate. The expanding privale sector has deliberate government policy as Tory Health Minister Patrick Jenkin within one month of the Tories taking office, he said: it is, policy to welcome the contribution that independent medicine can make to the health care of the nation.'
By 1980 the Health Services Bill was law, and the private sector had green light to go full speed
Private hospitals with under 120 beds can now be built in any health district without authorisation from the secretary of
kegional Health Authorities no longer have
first offer IO government departments when they are selling surplus land. ine guide line on the question of sale
Regional Health nutnoritics to consider giving priority to private medical interests. As added inducement TOT people to go private, the government gives firms big
incentives buy nearn scnemes Ior their staff. Return
Given declining NHS, and the support of
the private sector is seen as a lucrative mela of HIYCOL-
Dunedin Private Clinic is a 38-bed private hospital in Reading run by a consortium of consulLOCATHUMISESTICS UC shows that its shareholders reaped a 55 per cent return on their capital.
No wonder the big three American 'health industry' firms: Humana incorporated, the Hospital
The Wellington does better than this - but have
you got £1,600 a week?
cashes in
health
been encouraged by
made clear when
of course, the government's
Corporation of America and American Medical
al c all scrambling to get a piece of the action
The latter firm in their report : to US shareholders say 'Responding the rapid growth of the private health sector in the UK, AMI opened its fifth and largest facility, the 149-bed Alexander Hospital in Manchester.
The tables show the
these three US-based firms who are able to exploit the crisis inside the health service.
Although private hospitals right now provict oliv 10,000 Deos against the 480,000 provided by the NHS they know that the government
wants to increase the involvement of the sector to at least percent, so there is plenty of room for investment.
The Midland Bank which coyly describes itself as the 'listening bank' has obviously been listening to Patrick Jenkin and to the clang of the cash registers in the private sector, because it has stump up f100 million for one company to build 50 hospitals by 1990.
What makes private medicine such an attractive proposition is that it has little or no training
The overworked
Profits before
people?
-Solidarity
N.H.S Private medicine booms
Profitability Return on equity
5yr av manua
Humana
HUA
AMI
and underpaid workers are trained by the state-run and state-financed NHS. while the doctors are pro• ducts of the state financed medical schools and universities.
A nurse in the NHS in 1981 after getting the last
Learning around £80 a week before tax. Meanwhile a nurse working for the privately-run Medical Personnel of Lon-
• Yorkshire Even-
ing Post 14 December,
1979 reported how an
81-year-old man,
was nearly blind
wanted his wife, who
was senile and mental-
ly retarded, to go into
hospital, as he could
not look after her. But
no beds were
available. In despera-
tion he strangled her
and killed himself.
• On 30 January
1980 the Daily Express
reported that
woman of 79 badly
needed a hip opera-
tion. However, there
was a 40-year waiting
list. Her surgeon could
only one such
operation
because of a shortage
ot bees and theatre
space. She was
number 40 on his list.
• The Inequalities in
Health a report headed
by Sir Douglas Black,
Growth
Return or wales total capital Last 12 5 yr 5yr av
33.6% 9.2% 39.8%
8.9% 27.6% 20.9% 22.1%
don, which is the agency of the American company Merican Medical Europe
was grossin £38 a week
more, as we I as getting a daily travel allowance and shoe allowance.
The private sector is therefore able to drain away trained staff from the beleagured NHS, and the latest pay offer can only accelerate that process.
For years now we have
found that babies of semi-skilled Un. skilled workers were twice as likely to die in their first year as those born in middle class families. 'Longstan. ding illness' the 1980 report remarked, was twice as among unskilled men than among profes sionals, and two and half times more common among unskilled women than profes sional women
• The Guardian reported on the August 1981 how T7-year-old patient was found dead in Northumberland psychiatric hospital. The man had died of starvation. The pathologist said he was surprised'... from his general appearance that he was
patient in the
Dinn Lahour Racearch Fahruar
PRIVATE MEDICINE
been moving in the direc-
health
system. The principle tha
health care should
available to every one who
necas il witnout ine con
straints of cash, or
privilege, stopping peopl
getting treated,
undermined. Peoples
nealta needs are being
cynically manipulated for
protit.
Unless the labour
movement sides with the
fight of the health workers
for better wages and con-
ditions and supports their
fight cut-backs,
azallis.
the health of all the work-
ing people will suffer. The
defence of the NHS
literally a matter of life
and death.
hospital for several months.
• However, cheer up. All is not despair and gloom on the health front At the privately-run Well. ington Hospital there are £5,000 diamond and ruby necklackes in the hospital shop if you want to buy you favourite patient a lit tle trinket. There is G-Plan chrome leather furniture none of that cheap nasty plastic stuff.
On every floor there are emergency trolleys and there are balconies overlooking Lords cricket ground it
get bored wat ching coloured TV and
Smokee salmon. This is freely available to everyone. All you need to do is to pay Humana they own the joint - a pid. dling £1,600 per week!
Page 3 scan of this page
Another Attack on
Our Health Care
THE GOVERNMENT are striking another blow at Britain's deteriorating health services. Last week the closure of the Royal Dental School, Leicester Square, London was announced.
The Royal is one of the six dental teaching nospitais in London Ina has been providing-training for CeSS nurses, and technicians. Patients have aISO able to get free treatment
Une Roval which cludes specialist dental
available WOrK elsewhere. claimed such treatment is normally LOO expensive and people will have to seek orvale realment lo replace the facilities now available at the Royal.
Again closure both patients and staff, and yet again, will give a boost to private dentistry, which is exactly what the government vnat Is happening in your hospital?
The stores department in our hospital have been on selective sunke achion for the past three weeks. Last week incalle Sterile Supplies Unit were
They have been picketting
that only deliveries for emergency use can get in
We're having a levy of £2.50 a week on all union members to pay strikers
paying up. None of the unions lave paid strike pay date. and somemes you can lose a lot of money even on a ore dav suke because of the way DOLUS svstem is worked
We're going 10 LUl tinue this selective action and we want to have a demonstration the Wednesday afternoon of the three-day action. There is a joint union action committee and every decision is taken to a mass meeting so we've got full involvement. means that the action has been efTecuve wares nave been closed
Everyone here is solidly behind the strike. They
eel they' ve got nothing to loose. The West workers are the strongest
the union. Whateve .he outcome the unions will our region my union we're getting about fortythree new members month and then the joint unions committee WICA WI De SUORZCI HOV on other issues as a result of the strike.
the TUC Heam se bices
Health services committee and the union leaderships. None of them nave allec for
trike action on 19-21 July They 'urging intensive industrial ac-
The pay for 1 April and now, near-
four months later
they're calling three days
Action. A lo ot people think it would have been better to call all-out action from the beginning. Apart
from anything it more money this . Lots of local hospitals like ours are
things but it's
wants. Meanwhile workers at the Royal are starting a
keep the lospita open, which they have linked to the 12 per cent pay claim, as they see the fight on the 12 per cent as being tied up with the campaign detend NHS.
Dental school workers members of ASTMS and NUPE will therefore be taking strike action tor the claim. and against the closure. Other health workers in the London area are urged to give their support to the rally at 2.00pm Leicester Square on 21 July, which is for the claim and against the closure.
Help us to win
despite, rather than because of the Health Services committer.
On the 19-21 July what can we do to support the health workers?
• If you haven't done so already, propose that your union takes one-day half-day strike action in support of healthworkers, in paracular. vou belong to any of the following
WIU have hac discussions with the TUC
na pledged their support
EEPTU GMWI NALGO, NUPE, TGWU, ASTMS, COHSẺ.
• Find out what demonstrations and rallies are taking place by contac-
mittee and make sure that
acaboul Party send a delegation.
• Organise collections in vour workolace. through your Labour party etc. Don't forget, none of the workers have been paid strike pay.
• Some healthworkers are already organising go rouna workplaces to
rum up support Why not get your Labour Party o trades councils to organise this on one of the three days take workers round to all the workplaces in the area.
• The health worker and the railworkers have a
common They are both in ine toretront of fighting this Tory government.
Make sure al
very minimum that your
. down the picket lines. The Labour Party nationally and locally should be com-
workers in struge if its the possibility of an
early election they're worTeu Doul. more reason support workers against the bosses and against the Tories.
hey claimto represent the
workers — OK let them do it!
Pay the
Health
Workers
Pay the Health workers
badges available
at 25p each
Orders for 10 or more
badges 20p each
Orders for 100 or more
- 15p each
Cheques payable to 'Carno anterorses line sere to Badges 'PO Box 50 London NI. Why not get your
branch to order some?
Giur
mands South Wales miners show the way
Solidarity
give a lead
JANE KELLY is a member of Peckham Constituency Labour Party management committee, and is the delegate from the constituency party to this year's Labour
the fight of the health workers.
We have given support to the health workers in the Kings Health District, over £64 has been collected at LP meetings. We have invited speakers the GMC, the branches and to the women's section from the unions involved.
At the June GMC, we decided to go along to the bicker une 10ca hospitals on the last day of strike action. We also took the LP banner on the march trom cast Dulwich Hospital Jubilee Gardens The march was joined by other union branches
TowU
manesa
AIR DEAL
TOL
HEALTH
SERVICE
WORKE
Labour's NEC must
Party Conference at Blackpool. Below she tells Socialist Challenge what her Labour party has been doing to assist
from Peckham and Southwark and on the way we picked up pickets from other hospitals as well as members of the public.
At Jubilee Gardens the march was joined by workers from the Lewisham area and also Kent Hillices who brought along their banNICI We have set ourselves
the task of building on the considerable support that exists in the Peckham area for the health workers. We recognise that up to now this has tended • passive, so we musi
says Janet Maguire, a
London healthworker
alliance with the health workers and other trade unionists, turn it into a more aclive, campalgilllg support
The Peckham CLP is organising a public rally on 21 July, the third of the three days of action planned by the health this month. The platform will include health workers, trade union
Wan workers to take suppoet meeting other action.
Peckham CLP, along with a number other
•Parties, is doing what the national Labour
should doing. Building solidarity action is the responsibility of the entire , labour mvoement, and it is time the NEC gave a real lead.
Socialist Challenge
Socialist
Challenge
FUND
DRIVE '82
Derail
Thatcher
Express!
THE PRESS and media is going, into top gear in their ef. forts to break the train drivers' strike. Every express that left a London ter minus last week was given virtually send-off champagne and boasted about on every single news broadcast.
The health workers will be given the same treatment during this
solidarity ac tion.
How necessary it is then, support socialist who despite having millionaire backers, advertising from the monopolies, no
newsagents keep the banner of workers uni ty flying every week
Last week we formed our readers that we were £4000 short of our quarterly fund drive target. We held open the appear tor one more week to try and make the total.
However despite an excellent judged by our normal week's income -£900 we did not make our total. As result of the £900 will be
towards NICA quarter's total in the normal way
serious situation. The £4000
needed for five issues of
issues in the coming
with the Tories. Please organise
fund sulfillic raising events Socialist Challenge now and let's try to make up last quarter's deficit by October.
Our thanks this week to R Davies
MB & RTD
E London Gale
16 Juty 1962
Page 4 scan of this page
TASLEF STAND
What railworkers told Socialist Challenge
By D Ellis
confident. The
MOTO
movement.
labour policies.
drivers' side.
The future of trade union organisation in this country is al stake. As a delegate at this year's miners union conference said last week, ASLEF is defeated, we'll be next'. The labour movement is pulllig itself tour-square behind the drivers.
Arthur Scargill called for a conference of the Triple unions and the miners' conference voted unanimously to sunport ASLEF. It also pledged uncompromising
JUposition to Tebbit's anti-union laws, which al c already being used against
drivers. defeat for would open the door to a massive use of Inese laws against the labour movement.
The Labour leaders have pledged support as well. Thirty Labour MPs. including Tony Benn, were on the Kings Cross picket line last week. Benn visit to che pickerline in his followed this with own cor vies turner and plans for visits afield.
Labour Party resolu-
are flowing into ASLEF's offices. Pressure
mounting from the
Birmingham
Bood Smith Son-ones spoke
ASLE shop steward
Birmingham
'THE British Rail Board with Ine assistance or natchers government attempting to
smash ASLEF. But
solid, deterWith continue TUC assistalice as possible we car call a much needed victory for the working class of this country over the most sione before Tory
the wal ana drallist rarker and kose's lunade concies tor our vita nationalised industry.
If Thatcher an election in the next few months or
policies have created, I'm sure The working class who
and solidly
witch-hunts are ended and a Brillicall the workine class Doucy exo ain-
them by the labour movement.
Pete, Birmingham ASLEF
THERE are only five scabs
at New Street. Despite the
Board our pikers sid
effort on behalf of the board cket is
attitude blokes tremendous
The rail board's threats have only stiffened
Socialist Challenge 16 July. 1982. page 4
THE TRAIN drivers are standing firm. Pickets are being increased and the mood is more and determination of the drivers has set an example for the whole labour Every trade unionist has a clear choice to make - to back ASLEF and defend our unions, or to line up behind Thatcher's antiLast Saturday Michael Foot made his choice when he came down on the
ranks of the labour move-
ment is not bending under the massive scare campaign the press. That's the background to Michael root's decision to make his stand
the Durnam Miners' Gala.
Foot said, 'The Tories are planning to break the spirit of working people in Lous Coldly. They want to smash the unions and CIcale WOIK force'. We agree.
Now what's needed is a national demonstration called by the Labour Party Hallulla. committee. This could unite all working peoble who their future is also at stake in this battle.
Margaret Thatcher wants a victory at home to follow up her so-called victory in the Falklands. The Tory press are calling for blood in this war at home. We say to the labour
leaders: •Mobilise your troops in defence of our organisations'.
Len Murray has a clear responsibility. He's in the best position to call for full backing from the other
resistance and cerarmina.
can be adjusted any time
by management at their
discretion and our disad.
couple and Parker will be
on us wa no some!
can be necorates
new, sane and sensible rail
chairman that can end this
nonsense finally.
Adrian, ASLEF driver's
assistant:
I'D LIKE to explain why
we're against flexible rost work At the moment,
WOrK rOster
Week cycle, you do the
same shift for
Even then one
can have a • Startle atternoon and With this sastem. 88rv more.
possible to swop a week's Nor with om at de
You can do this
ment be cause of the 8 hour HIU
day and the 40 hour week.
The new system British
Rail proposes will mean 35
and 45 cycle will be
over o weeks and 312 hours
Week T wont be bossiniA to sace nobody debe
because
working the same hours in a week. One bloke will be
COHSE members solidarity and ASLEF sent pickets rail unions, to endorse the appeal for Triple Alliance conference, and to call for a united stand from every working person in this country.
The Tories have declared war on us all. ASLEF is in the front line. Michael Foot's can help to forge a united
losing hours, another gain.
ing it's very unsociable to because driver now
you'v
night life.
Fi ne new syster even worse
because where people can
own lience now, they can't do
It with flexible rostering
your girlfriend
wife's
might be week
an go out with her. So it's
not just
about me o nour
ady IT S aDoul having
some kind of decent social
life too!
North
east
solid
Dave Carter to
branch
secretary of Thornaby-
on-Tees ASLEF branch
and representative in
the North east.
I'VE just come from
packed branch meeting
where the feeling was
tremendous. The strike
has been solid in the
North
CObi • SO
despite the media trying
to undermine
stories of how many
trains are running in the
South east.
We've just passed
unanimous motion to support
COH.SE
CANDS
alicall fo
to Dudler Rd response to nrOW back these Tory attacks. A vic-
ASLEF 10I pave the way for a Labour Government committed to solid defence of trade union organisation and to a massive programme of investment in the railways, based on social needs rather than capitalist profits.
fully There is convers strik executive's strike
call.
possible
sackily.
depots throughout the region.
mean that there
will be even fewer trains runn-
ing next week as we are makHeR mentions to appeal 110
picket lines from now on and
our VWIS are orad
tically 100 Del cent solid
aireddy.
The Board has threatened
us with the sack on one hand
and on the other there were
collect our pay calling for
pay calline
volunteers to work Sunday
overtime!
Ray Buckton has written
o every
ana consuluenci
Labour Parties explaining ou
case so we offering
speakers locally
reports and to ask for supNothing moves on Western Region
**
strike at Dudley Rd Hospital brought their banner down to Saltley as a sign o Hospital in return.
Refuse workers refuse REFUSE workers from the
wind vo8 vrons with London's refuse to be transported from Brentford and Ruislip to tips outside the city
volca over reTuse send rubbish on cowboy lorries.
Management have
WE assembled at two
o'clock in the morning
tion. We tried to
keep our destination to
Aylesbury a closely
Daily Mail had already
reported the OiCKeL depos ry the only
depot the south
where the twenty
drivers are scabbing.
The transport
Aylesbury was cramped, bl
everyone high
searen of any concealed
trances which the scabs could
ing ine town was completely
Area Manager
Saltley
been tryine to mumicate them, and have threatened a lock out. Pressure needs
put or the Labour the heat off
continue to refuse to break
starts cumulate, there should be quite d stink..
Flying pickets at
Aylesbury Depot
dead except for the police
there to greet us
Late the morning
(ricklewood denol increas
ing our numbers to about 30.
Although
cessful in stopping the scabs,
picket aller tne weekend
During the morning we
gave leaflets explaining
our last
wert given some school
youth We explai out in their
school
were fighting for their future
; well as ours. As the picke
arew io a close. we were oerer
mined to return with suffi-
numbers to close the
depot down.
Mass
picketing
stops
Altringham
trains
AT FIVE o'clock Monday morning 40 pickets arrived Altringham station from all over Manchester to sure no drivers took out
ASLEF needs
ASLEF members have
strike steike leg station and because
they £13 a week off thei
social security. so ine corer
com or money is a vial task jor all trade unionists and
Party
solidarity with them.
sheets can be from you
170770 neaconarter
Stratt
Scab trains
trains running on
British Rail since the
the dispute are
specials' not part of
the timetabled service. It is
normal workine smartels
BR for workers to have the
right to refuse trains which
Cho normal ser
work normal NUR
worker. Cal
retuse to co-•oerate witn
these scab trains But the
the ASLEF branch passed a
resolution asse to work
guards to , refuse
scab trains, notice:
have gone up in the depot a train. Local radio had •Gen stressing trains from Altringham
running
along with trains from Bury.
After a successful picket.
some union members left to
Bury to repeat their vic Coules secretary AStEr was very happy with Northwest District o the morning's work.
kend of over sun divers
weekend of
was calculated that of 3,600
doari rom BUry and Altringham • only nine drivers had reported for duty
The area stretches head Carlisle Crewe
One thing he clear yom
Britare of ail country
Rail's mongering has failed to break scale the drivers' determination
Bob Barrow from depot pu
'Out of the 500 drivers at ou
done ine executives stand ¡ anyone coule ne cent behind the strike, ther the overwhelming majority o members in this area are
Bristol
Terry Stewart, Bristol District Labour Party spoke to ROY WATKINS ASLEF a driver organising the picketing Bristol's Bath Road Depot.
Page 5 scan of this page
ING FIRM
your cash
your Labour Parti
ano sheets for the Hardship Fund immedalery.
money
issues at stake to workers and their families.
ord Station
Picketing at Stratford
to this effect. But will they
union it ney are treaten-
with disciplinary action?
Acton and Ealing NUR passed
The ConTUSIOn which NUR railworkers are faced with:
branch the NUR NEC instruct the membersnip Dossioe not co with Unscheduled scabb-
shuttle further reqi NEC to instruct officials circulate conccuon sneers to the membership for the ASLEF hardship fund' OUR STRIKE has been 100 per Western Region cent solle. there are Tne
3,296 members of ASLEF and not one of them crossed the picket line. Only a Tew trains nave moved the Bristol area and
hey've moved them the picket
and Lne owners wen Throven ine raroles the many side entrances
hroughout the depo
VUR driver depot, some 18 ci, neve snown us suobort. yet even inrouar their own strike last week
Mate Sar Asociaton Members
Transport
are manny management and far as we know they've crossed over.
We've had
SUOSCO. donstrom Nure members already and other unions
Council
ASLEI meeling sion solearty.
This government is try. ing to pick off union after
BR Board with dic laricu ine same orush as tar I'm concerned.
Socialist Challenge can
support the strike wil be welcome iney snould sent money. port to local convenors. also like to see the print the truth about strike.
depot, chairperson of the ASLEF branch there.
are getting the full backing membership but from their EC as well.
Our picketing is legal.
All we are doing is protecting our own men no matter wniere une After all we're all ASLEF, we all work on the railways which are a Haunansed
and nationwide.
Hustly
Kings Cross to Newcastle then we can picket from Kings Cross to Newcastle.
We're asking the labour movement to give us your help! We've been told that the Transport and General Workers'
Union supports us - this comes mrom lei general secretary. Yet when
go to places ike Sealink buses from VIC
TGWU members are driving these buses laugh at them and practically try to run over ucH.
member. at this meeting today said, Roy Watkins ASSASS
Birmingham
back-to-work
move smashed
carry on the strike.
there and nearly all voted for the strike.
'Picket from Kings
Following a mass meeting of drivers at Kings Cross
spoke to ANTHONY DENT,
THE MEDIA has been trying to put over that men are coming in to work right, left and centre which we know thev re not. The BR Board have had to admit that the strike is hardening and men who felt that they were going out on a limb now realise that they
not only from their
'you're lucky to see a lot of us up here without the tire marks' We would have See full support from all trade unions those attilated to the TUC.
We're not sure if there are trade union members We know that there are cowboys doing some. but it ther stop you can't tell. We understand that things like of household rubbish from the concentration depots around London is moved by lorry because the trains won't take it.
But who are these peole ho are driving these lorries? they're trade unionists what the hell are they doing breaking strike? If they're going to Call themselves Laut
A PETITION for a return to work got
wide publicity in the Birmingham area.
In response the ASLEF branch at Saltley
Depot called a mass meeting on Sunday
9 July and won overwhelming support to
There was an 85 per cent turn out and
99 per cent voted to go on with the strike
not just on the issue of flexible rostering
but on the future of the union as a whole.
All the 20 whoksigned the petition were
Cross to Newcastle'
MPs at Kings Cross unionists then let them support us.
We see sure ike a is
political strike. government the
of the railways Davullasici
board. The government can say it's not interfering but I have no doubt that the government is determined to crush the union.
ASLEF is more or less the fourth one line because we are only about 24,000 small union and should be easy to pick off.
Unfortunately what
this government does not
Wednesday 21 June at
photo: W KING
movement.
stituency Labour Parties
workers
realise is that we still have lte SDILI those members who formed this union over 100 years ago in Sheffield. I cannot see the men breaking.
Our members were absolutely delighted by Tony Benn and Labour MPs coming to our picket line on Wednesday. They only wish that a few more MPs backside in the House would OTI Commons instead of falling asleep during the debate and come out and show solidarity with the workers
Public meetings Hackney North and Stoke Newington Constituency Labour Party DEFEND THE RAILWORKERS
Friday 16 July at 7.30, Stoke Newington Library,
Edwards Lane London N16
Hackney North and Stoke Newington Labour Party Young Socialists 7.30, Centerprise Bookshop, o kamasano dien sa London ad
POEU meeting on
Rail
Metropolitan North West Branch of the POEU will be having Ray Buckton as a
speaker at their branch meeting on
Wednesday 21 July at Meritage Hall,
Church End, London NW2. Nearest
tube Hendon. 6.15 pm.
Open to all POEU members Joint rail health
meeting big success
THREE south London Labour Parties held a successful meeting for health workers and raildrivers.
including drivers from Waterloo and Charing X depots and health workers from three local hospitals heard local MPs John Tilley and Stuart Holland, along with others from the labour
Lambeth Central, Vauxhaland Norwood Con-
who sponsored the meeting also look a collection for the striking
ing around €6m a day!
Remember
per cent reduction in their number
• Footolatemer
worked
creased by 11 per cent -
Taken from Locomotive the ASLEF journal for its very life.
md in endy term nons
early 1981 Gonna ter
nationalised industries.
of defend jobs and conditions.
closure plans quickly disappeared!
put the
fighting body. unel next eerne analake collection sneers
Newnam s main snooong brecincts
and health workers 4 to regularly support the picket line
Ham Trades Council to meeting
ty demonstration
A collection of £18 was taken.
Entry £l, ASLEF members free.
Tickets available from
What it's all about THIS is what BR would save by introduc ing 7 to 9 hour flexible rostering for foot plate staff: • 1982 €0.42m • 1983 E1.7m • 1984 €3.2m • 1985 €3.8m And by pro. voking this strike by ASLEF they are los
• ASLE's record on productivity is nothing to be ashamed of. Footplate staff have suffered heavier job losses than BR workers as a whole. Between 1950 and 1981 the number of railworkers was reduc ed by 66 per cent. But footplate staff have seen a 73
• There are more chiets rewer incians for even ten men on the footplate in 1969, eight remain. For every ten managerial staff, there are now thirteen
working 8684823 money. Last year BR got three per cent more work from its train crews measured in loaded train miles • The cost of paying for train crews is falling as a proportion of total operating costs. It fell by one
Administrative costs are still increasing at a faster rate than train crew costs. Last year train crew costs, measured in straight money terms, in-
- about the rate of inflation.
But administrative costs rose by 14 per cent. • Since 1950 there has been a 73 per cent reduction in footplate staff, a 250 per cent increase in the aпочто таттє сатива ду васи rootpiateman. bu a E100 million fall in rail investment finance
Triple Alliance
call by Scargill
ARTHUR SCARGILL, president of the Miners Union, has called for a conference of the Triple Alliance. At no time has this been more necessary than now, when ASLEF is fighting
The Triple Alliance - involving the steel,
was re-formfrom the Nationalised In of the luC. response to the war Thatcher declared on the
Today it's little more than a piece of paper in the hands of union leaders. But if it were transformed into a fighting force of rank anc file workers it would be a powerful weapon to
Thatcher and her friends have certainly had to take notice of the Triple Alliance. In March last year, the miners took swift strike
stop the proposed bit closures backed up by the rail and steel workers. The
Full support for Scargill's call at our depots and at the pit head - demanding a date be set for a delegate-based conference - will really
Alliance on a grass-root footing That's the best way to get a strong, active and In the Labour
Party
JUST THREE days after the beginning of the ASLEF strike, the Plashei branch of Newham North-west Con stuency Lavour rarty invued e soeaker trom ine suraz ford branch of ASLEF to its meeting. A resolution containing the following points was passed unanimously. 1 To circulate all branches and CLPs in the Newhan borough calling on them to invite an ASLEF speaker to 2 To produce several thousand leaflets explaining why the Labour Party supports ASLEF for distribution in 3 To organise a fundraising social for the train drivers
5 To call on the majority Labour group on Newham Council to declare its public support to the train drivers 6 To instruct the CLP to approach ASLEF and West
organise a public solidarity 7 To call on the regional London Labour Party and Inc National Executive Committee to call a national solidariSocialist Challenge
Social for ASLEF
Wednesday, 21 July 7.30-10.30pm
The Orange Tree Pub, Stonebridge Park.
Harlesden, NW10
(Dollis Hill Tube, then a 266 bus) healthworkers 50p Socialist Challenge
Soeialist Challènge 16 July 1982 page 5
Page 6 scan of this page
By Gordon Smith
verness last week
message to the
union rights.
Miners' leader Arthur
Scargill set the theme on
the first day when he said:
It we do not save our pits
from closure then all our
other struggles become
meaningless Without
jobs our members are
nothing EnCY Ilave lu
I hope therefore
power ...
unal conlerence will
dorse my call to make opBy Toni Gorton ALMOST one year ago the photo which shocked the world appeared: US air controller leader Steven Wallaert being dragged off to jail in leg irons and handcuffs.
Reagan's offensive against the US trade unions and also what his best friends Margaret Thatcher and Norman Tebbit have in mind here.
mended that Reagan's firing of the 12,000 air controllers should become the model for other countries. PATCO was forced to admit defeat last week when it declared bankruptcy. we draw any lessons for the ASLEF strike?
likely be a railworker as Reagan has forced a 60-day 40,000 locomotive engineers and is setting up the machinery to smash them as well.
check list of earth' policy against PATCO in-
• denial of food stamps and unemployment com pensation • Federal Communications Commission ettorts to black out news coverage deemed 'pro-PATCO • Federal Administration attempts keep PATCO strikers jobless giving unfavourable references potential employers • general harassment through trials in 33 federal
$150m in fines, 75 and 75 pending trials for participating in an illegal strike, wire taps, FBI surveillance and crude victimisations to force strikers Dack work.
Thatcher, Tebbit, and Parker's scorched earth poncy mcluaes.
deduction of £13
social security WECK TOl benefit on the assumption of a non-existent £13 strike pay use of the Tory press, radio and demoralise, confuse and intimidate the strikers, give the bosses' side and not the workers' • threat of sacking of all union members, renegoti-
contialis and force them to join another union • threat of closing down the rail network
the 1980
Use Employment Act to stop support picketing from other unionists.
Despite the 12,000 air controllers winning the support of rank and file
throughout workers Socialist Challenge 16 July 1982
DELEGATES at the miners conference in In-
spelt out a very clear Tory government. Mine workers are ready to fight. Ready to fight pit closures, ready to fight for a decent wage for the job. Ready to fight Tebbit's attack on trade
position to pit closure its central task.
Some 12 pits have beer closed and 18,000 jobs los the mining since February strike. Delegates not only overwhelmingly UDDUSC ciosures. but supported a resolution irom Kent demanding the replacement of those lost
PATCO - lessons
for ASLEF?
It dramatically illustrated
The British weekly The Economist recom-
Can
The next US worker in chains could very
postponement of a strike called
USA, air controllers overseas, ine comolalon of the union-busting Reagan and leadership of the US proved too much for PATCO.
The air controllers are highly skilled workers and
fic ected that the air traf-
system couldn't operate without They thought like the coal miners, 'you can't dig coal with bayonets' but some 9,300 strikebreakers ing at least 105 military ing at least military
Beader rep of phe was
the leadership equivalent to the TUC -the AFL-CIO AFL-CIO It decided against calling on its affiliates to sup port PATCO strike and ARL-Canst a boycott. preslaenl Kirkland denounced those
demanding active union SuDoOrl calling Lucil 'midnight-gin militants'
The AFL-CIO meeting that voted not to support the air controllers did vote TOI Incensed millary spending. bind of the American labour movethat leadership is tied hand and mouth to two big capitalist parties. The Democratic arty went along agan with everything wanted. In fact the battle Do months earlier by the months earlier by the Democrats This strike didn't have down the drain. page 6
jobs backing the de-
mand with industrial ac-
tion if necessary.
Delegates made short
work of the Tory lie that
low wage increases
necessary maintain
jobs. Many pointed to the
massacre of the pits which
took place the 60's.
Over 500 pits were closec
and 500,000 jobs were lost.
Anne same me waces el
to what Arthur Scargill
called an sullie lever
Accordingly, conference
backed a claim for a 30 per
cent increase in the basic
minimum wage.
In his opening address PATCO leader Steven Wallaert Striking coal miners in 1978 tore up Jimmy Carter's Taft-Hartley orders to return to work and through militant struggle. won their case
The union leaderships
the gangster-led teamsters union to the 'progressive' machinists union are running before the Reagan offensive. Wage cuts, wage freezes,
Trade Unions
Miners - ready to fight
Scargill pointed out the
connection between jobs
and wages in the industry
allu the wider political
'We by calliul.
ourselves, tackle the pro-
blem of unemployment
to solve that we need to get
rid this government
which is using unemploy-
ment as an incomes policy
and as a means of weaken-
ing the trade union
movement.'
Conference called for
'militant resistance to the
application anti-trade
union laws' and demanded
that the TUC initiate
strategy of total opposi'no-strike' pledges, are the call from these officials.
They couldn't sell these to their own members and at the same time support the air controllers SO they scabbed on PATCO
A new leadership and a Labour Party is overdue in the USA. Here we have to fight to draw the ranks of the labour movement tor and bottom solidly behind ASLEF
tion based on deeds not words'
Delegates who also
voted unanimously to give
total support to ASLE their dispute and urged miners to show solidarity by joining the railworkers on the picket lines.
Motion
This first conference with Scargill in the chair saw fundamental . organisational changes being set
motion which are aesignea to turn ine unior
more democrațic and effective fighting unit.
On the picket lines
sufficiency
by strikers. final resort.
In September 1925 the Organisatior for Ene Maintenance of Supplie was formed. It said 'This Organisation of Citizens general community, will place its entire resources at the disposal of the constitutional authorities.
The OMS was given strong support by the govern. ment.
The_leadership of the British Fascists greeted the OMS and their organisation virtually disappeared
варваро
FIVE RAILWAY
CRASHES
Sequel to Blackleg and "Voluntary " Labour
FOUR DEAD The attempt to work the intricate mechanism of the sisten by " volunteer labour has already had a tragic sequel.
No fewer than five serious passenger want accidents occurrea vesterday and morning-two of them reeulting
Ine worst occurred yesterday alter no0n on the L.N.E.R.
Edinburgh.
While a number of wagons were being shifted from the "p main line a passenger train from Ber 1510K manned by a volunteer crashed into them Three people were killed, 16 injured 4poaL lie some ame toe
One immediate result is that the miners will be seen to mean business over th years' pay campaign. If no agreement in negotiations Base cancey early November an immediate overunne Dal wil be posed and a special delegate conterence convened
10 one serthere tele
The Suructure union is to be reorganised with all fulltime officials to stand for • re-election every five years.
Smaller craft
and al cas amalgamated reducing the numbers or seats on ine
Who drove the trains in
the General Strike?
THE strategy of the Baldwin government in preparing for a general strike was regional self. organised by trusted people of military and civil experience to be backed up by civilian volunteers to staff the services vacated Troops were to be used only in the
into it. On Monday 3 May at the onset of the strike the OMS handed over its organisation and membership of 100,000 lo the government. had managed to train 144 bus drivers, 1,322 lorry drivers, , 640 railway operatives, 91 i alliwal workers and assorted OLlICIS The managed to recruit some
So trains , that moved at all did so with labour drawi Undergraduate volunteers in FoirIste jerseys and plup-lours
jumped and 'Cramlington. cozenes overturned No one was killed.
At Bishop's from Cambridge crashed
The goods engine coaches were partially wrecked
This morning an British railway " and blackleg falled to stop At teer " tionary severely injured.
of 24 hours-are a grim
at St. MarAccidental death to the down Man, ling at crew, man, veered u an electric railway, express
NEC This means that larger areas such as Not tinghamshire and Yorkshire will have more keeping with then larger membership and remove the right base.
This conference is seen by most NUM members a one of the most important in recent vears. Policy ha been decided which Wil provide a clear programme action union leadership, and there is a Concence that tions carried will be acted from the middle classes and upper Class univer sities. The , problems are shown by the accompanying article from the TUC strike bulletin of 11 May 1926.
The lack of ability to anything Devone shuttle service without the rectal Crew. wan highlighted by the strike Westminste Worker on 12 May 1926 which said: 'We understand that luncheon cars are to be put on trains run ning between Westminster and Blackfriars.
Details laken from The General Strike Britain's Aborted Christopher Farman.
Ine/ Available Other Bookshon 328 Upper train from Edinburch to King's Cros
the line between Annitsford The engine and five calent
Stortford goods train
senger. train standing in the station.
passenger derailed and the statiol One body has been recovered from the wreckage.
electric train from Selhurst. running into Victoria Station
and collided coach Hull on Monday night a "volun ran me cogie mu воше sur wagons. Ho himself was
These accidents-al within the soac
commentary on the claim of the companies and the Government that something like a ''nor mal " train service is being restored.
was the verdict returned to-day at the inquest on U
out uniond engineer's draughts.
He volan. as a passenger quart om stepped on a live rail, and was instantly killed
Page 7 scan of this page
50,000 at Trotskyists' rally
MEXICO
The results of Mexico's elections, now finalised, confirm the gains made by the PRT (Revolutionary Workers' Party, Mexican of the Fourth International). With over
million votes the party has at least 12 deputies in the Mexican parliament. TIM WRIGHT HANIBAL YANEZ report on the final rally.
50,000 MARCHED Mexico City on 26 June in one of the most spectacular events of the PRT's campaign.
Busloads gathered at 4pm around Revolution
1910-l / revoiuton.
Red flags and banners waving, they marched the five kilometres Tlatelolco Plaza where on 2 October 1968 hundreds of students were gunned down. by the Mexican Army and secret police.
The marchers came from 30 of Mexico's 33 stales. thousands ocasallls in their cotton shawls and straw hats; workers from the huge plants run by imperialist corporations like Renault and General Motors; Indian artisans halting Spanish and shouting their slogans in their native tongue; office employees, leacners, sucet vendors, shantytown dwellers, former political
relatives of the DisolcIs. peared', women's liberation fighters and gay rights activists; and militants from movements of solidarity with El Salvador, Nicaragua and Palestine.
As they stepped off, rived ana the neat, oreer y dissolved hundreds and thousands rushed 10 greet
'Rosario Ibarra, candidata Sulllg proletaria'.
Rosario's candidacy has been the sensation of the presidential election campaign. She speaks directly those propelled into struggle against the stifling domination of the PRI (Institutional Revolutionary since the revolution virtually the sole overcll vally. ruling patronage and terror measures.
The ferocity of Israel's genocidal
war in Lebanon proves, yet again,
that there can be neither peace
nor justice in the Middle East until
the Palestinians'
are recognised. ROS CAPLAN ex-
plains.
Palestinian Diaspora
Total Palestinian
million: 95% stil
and more than 50% in historical Palestine
le. under sracn occubalon.
Country Nos in 1975
Israel 436.100
390,300
West Bank 758,400
Lebanon
lordan 644,200
ilac
Egypt 39,000
Libva 10.000
Saudi Arahia
Kuwait 194,000
Gulf States 29,000
Who are the Palestinians?
They were the indigenous
Palestine before 1948 Palesnin Arabs 48 Te Musim ( wri
startling
section
and
through
which com-
OI
shirts or
speaking
'disap-
Rosario ar-
Talk. then her, Party), carried by reading "The equal
Who are the Palestinians
and Druze pedolls Jewish communities. were mainly small peasant farmers.
national rights
Ottoman (Turkish) the British who after the First World War
Arab world
Europe.
What is the State of Israel?
14.1
9.3 land. 5.9 Did they succeed? Arab. chelled tion in the 0.9 LIOnISI
now peoples of
majory were
new Lionist state.
PRI
ROSARIO IBARAA
CANDIDATA DELAU
OBRERO CAMPESINA POPULF
EL 4 DE JULIO
VO-TA-AST
'4 July; Vote Rosario Ibarra, Candidate for Workers, Peasants and Popular Unity.' Giant Banner greets 50,000 marchers in Mexico City
The rally was front page news in tion. every major newspaper. El Universal
story anO banner oppressed and dispossessed want a change: Rosario' ed, over a huge picture of the demonstra-
religions, nomadio What few an• unere were d SIllal ine Palestinians
Was Palestine ever independent?
No. The people living in this area had been
the Empire and then by YeaTs uv a mallualc Luivi Ine next Col onisers to arrive were the Zionists from
Lionisi colonisaton or ralestne wiln tne help of British imperialism aimed to create ane exclusie of hie indagein papori ..
: expense of the indigenous populațion Uniike the previou• accupation• ii aimed lo exper ine raleslinlan arare dred ile
against Zionist colonisa Revolt of 1936-39. defeated by the British and Zionists and in Palestine 300,000 A rats and declared the allicy U 070 their
wacu State of Israel on three-quarters of historical Palestine. Only 170,000 Palesti-
inside the borders of the nians
International.
The people marched four lanes
across, in a sea of red flags as far as
the eye could see. In front, arms link-
were Rosario and her husband
Jesus, with the central leaders of the
Vlestineappened the rest The areas which the Zionists were unable to gain control of - the West Bank and ares an a en cupin tie or 15 were occupied by
. In 1967 Israel invaded these
Where did the Palestinians go after
I hey tlea to neignoouring Ardo Stales all' Pecame eiled merici ee orte hone wer
Jordan and
kierem old seic dll bailubi.
nocne cze cas reines the reme 12223
How nave the Paiestinians survived as
•eonie with national identity despite the diaspora? .Their determination to return to Palestine,
with Palestinian Arab supported the ou dla nomeo now nem lezal lci country aneane renesson oi ue r aesul-
by the Arab regimes led to a new phase of Palestinian existence in the 60s -
the Committee of Relatives of the Disappeared, holding a 30 foot banner covered in pictures of the victims of repression. tingent of more than 300 candidates running for seats in the PRT siate; then a marching band from the northern state of playıng 'Bandiera Rossa' and Mex ican fanfares.
After scores workers, casallls organised by the PRT came the other groups that had joined it to form an electoral alliance. But the overwhelming majority marched hammer and sickle flags of the PRT Huge banners announced the region, union or peasant federation of the contingents.
From the chair Margarito Montes, general secretary of the Independent Revolutionary dinating Committee leader, explained, 'This campaign has been around the big issues of Mexican politics; but it has also been a campaign against imperialism, in solidarity with all those fighting around the . world for their liberation. We want to dedicate this rally to the Palestinian people, who are being massacred by ally lal Lope ner perialism. He was continual shouts of 'Death to Yankee imperialism!'
VRIĞHT (Socialist Challenae Chanting
pueblo al peasants, the people to power') the march arrived in the late evening.
Greetings Mason the American Workers' Party, candidate for governor of California, denounced the US 'merciless offensive of hunger and war against the workers and farmers of the United States, Latin Ameríca and the world.' were read the crowd burst into applause and chants of 'Se siente, siente, la Cuarta esta presente'. (You can feel it, the Fourth International is present).
When it came to Rosario's speech no one had left, despite the late hour and intermittent rain. the rally the crowd had been chanting 'We Rosario'
Rosario, wild; all rose and remained standing throughout her speech. She began by of Le e re vo roą mak ing up the Palestinian Resistance Move-
• call for
The resistance used to be based in Jor dan. In 1970 King Hussein launched a bar
attack the help of Israel and the US massacre. known as Black September. left yu dead ana tens or inousanrs either imprisoned or escaped to Syria and
The centre of the Resistance was forced to go to Lebanon
various organisations Palestine Resistance Moremen: developei Why support the Palestinians? Exile. Thers strugales for na hana libera-
struzie lor nalota. . ton, ineir rignt lo relurn to ralestine ls a
, anti-imperialist struggle. werst d teat Sori darily wilh ther strugales mccuca urecay.
1 nere rollowea a con-
Zacatecas, proudly
of contingents of aol cholell.
and students
through workers, holding the LOWII sluucllls.
radical
Peasants' Coor-
and PRT
build one
the Mexican
US imtry! interrupted by
May
O pedos, amnesinos,
('workers, the dwellers
read out from Mel
Socialist of this
also independent
government's
After his greetings
Throughout
and 'Rosario, Rosario!' Now they went mass armed strug-
were EGYPT lottd
At this mo-
i genocide
THE REDISTRIBUTION OF ARAS
Socialist Chaflenge
calling for a minute's silence for those killed on 2 October. Then, fist in the air, she shouted angrily 'Remembe! October the Second!' and fifty thousand took up the chant
'We have found, she said 'that the Mexican people are learning that it is not enough to fight for immediate demands, to shout that we want a plo: of land, food, that we are hungry that unemployment is high. That':
'The people have understood tha: only when they link their struggles
solidarity, that walen the the peasants, the shantydwellers, men and women all together decide to ad vance hand in hand and organise then the scattered economic struggles become a revolutionary struggle to:
change this country
'Companeras and companeros we spoke with thousands of Mexicans, who although like me have no party, know that they are going io
Thousands of them! We can tell you that we felt the socialism that lies waiting to spring forth from
scorned by the PRI. So much the worse for them: because this people is going to make the socialist revolution in this coun-
'Very soon we will have the kind of Mav Dav we want — a jubilan
Day, a May Day in which the workers will march hand in hand witi
peasants, the shantytown Lic. wolucil . the sluucil They will raise their fists and sing and smile and laugh, for on the balcony o: the National Palace will be the poor
country, its real represen tatives. Venceremos!'
The crowd burst into shouts o 'Rosario, Rosario!' which subsided only when the band struck up the firs: few bars of the 'Internationale' thousands of fists were raised in the air and thousands of voices sang ou the song of world workers' unity.
Angel Parra in
concert 7pm 23 July
Camden centre, Bidborough
St. WC1
ickets £3 from Carila Resources centr
01-359 2270
SIDON PLEBANON 16 Juty 1982 page?
Page 8 scan of this page
WESTERN EUROPE V
The increasing economic clashes between West European governments and the States have gained growing publicity in weeks. They were spotlighted by the United States' decision to place new restrictions on the import of Market produced into the US. More important still was ban on any foreign firm from using US logy in the construction of the huge Soviet Union to Western natural gas pipeline. This unprecedented was denounced even by Thatcher, who threatened openly violate US law to British firms to finish the contract.
Behind the economic clashes is more fundamental. is the attitude European working to NATO, the Alliance, and all aspects of the links of the European states to the States. ( JOHN looks at the issues involved.
In order to understand the real significance of what is now taking place between Western Europe and the United States it is best to start with a very broad time scale. This allows the really important features to stand out clearly and the secondary ones, which can obscure the fundamental trends, fall into their perspective.
We can take as a starting point the recent visit of Reagan to Europe. those who have entered politics in the last fifteen years it might seem obvious that there should be demonstrations against the visit of a president of the United States. Only the tremendous size of the protests in the different countries would seem striking. In reality however something much more fundamental is involved. The historical tradition in Europe is not of mass opposition to the leaders in Europe...
the trary of support for them. When US
United
recent popular enthusiasm
history. They first
Common the more 'sinister'
steel German steel
Reagan's on.
War similar
techno-
the war to win it for democracy.
burope
port in Europe.
decision
has determination States to defend to allow His assassination
experience. something
This of West
class "Atlantic
other
imperialist
United ROSS Europe Call be various European countries these extremely
Wing the 1980s.
COLICE.
The political changes To was the Vietnam
Europe
very itself as the 'democracy' 'totalitarian Yalta - the end of World War 2 when America enjoyed popular support
of the United States but on the con-
president Woodrow Wilson came to Europe after the First World War he was greeted with some of the largest mass demonstrations of
CVeI seen
hysteria. Throughout the 1920s it remained the typical language of the Social Democratic parties in Europe to contrast the supposedly 'democratic' and 'peaceloving' United States to
and 'reactionary' barons, Prussian army officers, British imperialists and so
At the end of the Second World
sentiments were widespread in many European coun- Salvador tries. The United States was acclaimed as the country which had entered
Even as late as 1963 US president Kennedy enjoyed mass popular sup-
His 'Ich bin ein Berliner' ('I am a Berliner') speech of that year was hailed as symbolising
of the United pean 'freedom' at allisi 'totalitarian communism' in Europe.
in November that year was authentically experienced by millions of people as a great traumatic the blue.
period
the United States was acclaimed as the coun-
try which had entered World War 2 to win it for
democracy
It is when this historical perspective is seen that the real significance of the protests during Reagan's visit to
understood. One Europe million people in the streets in the
against the visit of a ÚS president! That constitutes a major transformation from
the the United States in Europe. Obvious ly such a major shift must have profound forces underlying it. Grasping
important understanding the dynamic of world politics which is and will develop dur-
Politically there is no doubt that it into
war that was the single most decisive event bringing about a change in the attitude of wide Laters of the po ulation ins Westere
imperialism:
United States ruling class portrayed
great defender of and 'peace' communism'. But Vietnam it was waging a war of unparalleled savagery which only too
obviously had nothing to do with either of these supposed goals.
rrom that time widespread suspicion existed in Western Europe concerning the motives and policies of the United States administrations. Other events, such as the widespread publicity given to US involvement in the 1973 coup in Chile deepened the sentiment.
it was the Vietnam war that was the single most
decisive event that
changed attitudes in
Western Europe
This is why the US role in El
for example regarded as a continuation of its Vietnam type policies. It is why tens of thousands of people demonstrated in many countries in Western Europe in Spring 1982 in solidarity with struggles in Central America. enormous demonstrations in Britain, West Germany, and other West Euro-
the NATO decision to deploy a new generation of US nuclear weapons in Europe, and the protests during Reagan's visit, therefore did not come out of
They were a development, on a vastly greater scale, of a whole
of increasing distrust hostility towards the United States and opposition to its policies. World Economy
Underlying these political shifts however, and giving greater mass force, were even more profound changes on the economic
The support historically joyed by the United States in Western
was not created "ideological' factors. The working class in Europe of course lost greatly from the existence of capitalism. Nevertheless within that framework
West European economies throughout most of the twentieth century benefitted from the strength of US imperialism.
The simple figures show the process. The United States refinanced the European economies after the chaos and destruction of the First War. Two and a half billion dollars in the values of the 1920s, vastly greater today, went from the United
Germany and Europe following 1923. Only this aid allowed a recovery of the European economies from the Maamatically selled in 1929 wen time collapse the crash of the American economy brought ruin in its trail throughout Europe and the world.
European capitalism
could not have been rebuilt without US sub-
sidies
Exactly the same process of US aid, on a vastly greater scale, followed the Second World War. United States loans and grants to Western Europ from 1946-1958, starting with Marshall Plan, were over 25 billion dollars. There were in addition enormous indirect benefits to European capitalism from the strength of the US economy. For example the driving down of world oil prices by the United States from the 1950s alone gave support probably as great as under the Marshall Plan. Once again European capitalism would not have rebuilt without these US subsidies.
These policies were of course carried on by US imperialism entirely used its economic strength as one of its great levers to prevent the spread of 'communism', to isolate the Soviet Union, to launch the cold war, and to
widely
The and en-
by World
! States
bring about the capitalist division of the European continent. licies were totally against the inests of the European, and world, working classes. However as long as United States direct and indirect aid to the European capitalist economies then these realities could from most of the population.
The West European ruling classes, who benefitted greatly from this pro cess at that time, were naturally only too willing to go along. On this basis of US economic strength and aid the great Atlantic Alliance NATO — was constructed, and workthe ing class support for it gained. This
anance was men used as a uncanertal backbone of the world imperialist system, from which many of its most aggressive policies on an international scale were organised.
Vietnam It is in this historical framework that the full significance of the Vietbeen nam war in relations
United States and can be understood. It was not only a political but a fundamental economic cult pout Under the strain of Vietnam the United States ruling class feared to create a still greater political opposition to the war by allowing its cost to
All these
West
be concealed
pay
- including
Wal West throughout between the Western Europe pean
1968-75.
pean and
fall fully on the US working class. Instead the United States used control of the international monetary system to tax, in effect, the rest of the world
for war mechanism was very simple. The dollar is the only currency accepted by every country as a means of paymen in international trade. To finance a large part of the costs of the Vietnam
the US simply printed paper dollars and exchanged them for real goods produced by its allies.
This mechanism is in etfect an extremely efficient, and legal, form of robbery. It continues to be utilised by the United States until the present day. It was in particular used with great ruthlessness by the US against
European "partners' the Vietnam war. The deepening of crisis in the West Euro-
collullica which resulted helped feed the major rise of working class struggles in that continent from
It was this situation which also signalled the start of the rising series of conflicts between the West. Euro-
United States capitalist
Page 9 scan of this page
THE UNITED STATES
classes. The French under de Gaulle began to fight back against the United States by exchanging the paper dollars for gold from the Us central reserves. The other European states started to join in May 1971 10 per cent of US gold reserves were removed in this way in a single week. These economic flicts, coupled to the massive political protests against the war inside the United States, were reasons why the US was forced to quit Vietnam.
After Vietnam
The Vietnam war therefore accompanied, and deepened, an historic change in the relation between the United States and Western Europe. The US had been historically a force aiding and stabilising the West European economies. Now its decline had made it one disrupting and dragging them down. It was the combination of
political and which explains the tremendous scope of the changes which the Vietnam war.
These economic trends were then
which followed.
the US was
government
The first major 1971. Nixon
dollars for gold, and in
con- imperialist rivals.
among the
fensive was the 1973
da, this Was nol United States and
to bring about the increases.
shifts
accompanied however also
Europe and Japan.
given. missiles
target first intensified much further by the events
By the beginning of the 1970s the US domestic economy was in open decline. In this situation
forced to strike back tion. against other economies with all the colossal resources still available to it.
attack came in ended the system whereby other states could exchange
imposed • Import restrictions around the US economy and devalued the dollar to make US Is on goods more competitive against their
the US was forced to strike back against other
economies sive seas the 19930 oil unice in-
price in. creases. Contrary to press propagan-
opposed by imposed on the world by "the Arabs'. On the contrary the United States government sought
Hally.
They greatly aided the profits of the US dominated world oil companies and tion helped the US economy to open up new domestic sources of energy. They
struck a tremendous blow against its 'allies' — Western
Finally in the 1980s, Reagan, a new twist of the screw was
Tremendously high rates in the United States sucked in ternational funds into the economy and helped maintain even longer the deep economic recession and the crisis of various governments in western Europe. Us Inel worsened the situation further by imposing import restrictions Ull from the EEC countries
It is against this background that the significance of the new clash between the EEC and the United States over the huge Siberia to Western Europe natural gas pipeline can be seen. This will supply gas worth 4-5 billion dollars a year and will contribute in a significant fashion to the energy supplies of Western Europe. It will also give significant foreign funds o the Soviet Union, of which at leas
art will go to buy West European in dustrial goods. For the United States, signeticantly delay the project, it wil • however, smash strike a significant blow against its West European allies.
The anti-missiles movement
Once these underlying economic and political shifts are understood, the full significance of the present anti-
and anti-nuclear weapons movement in Europe becomes clear.
It nas, as with the earlier anti-Vietnam war movement, a specific
of key importance for working class. But as with the Vietnam movement it is also a link in a fundamental historical trend the beginning of the move into opposition to US imperialism
West European working class. The anti-Vietnam war movement was the
great wave of Americanism' in Europe. The anti-missiles movement is the second.
the anti-missiles movement is the second great
wave of 'anti-
Americanism' in Europe
The underlying economic shifts, and the deepening crisis, are shown in the very different scope of the two movements. The anti-Vietnam war based and al best actively touched a movement essentially few other layers of youth. In the most important country Europe, West Germany, the student 'revolt' was totally isolated from almost all other layers of the popula-
There was even a significant electoral revival of neo-ascal organisations accompanying it. The movement in that disintegrated amid the blind alley of terrorism and isolation.
The movement against the missiles
incomparably larger scale. all The demonstrations on Vietnam were numbered 1n tens thousands. Demonstrations against the missiles, nuclear weapons, and NATO now assemble hundreds of thousands. During the autumn of 1981, a million or a million and a half people participated demonstrations
Western Europe against weapons in Spain and membership NATO. A million again participated in the demonstrations against Reagan's visit to Europe
June 1982; including 250,000 in
500,000 in West GerBritain and
The scale of these mobilisations is a real factor in world politics
Furthermore the social composiof these actions, and their political integration with the workers movemenl.. incomparably deeper than the anti-Vietnam war ment. The very scale of the actions of course mean that very large numbers
under of workers participate in them. In Bri-
tain both the TUC and Labour Party interest Conferences,
have been won to the demand for
US unilateral nuclear
Around 30-40 per cent of the W, German SPD has voted for positions rejecting the decision of its coalition government with the Liberals to accept the missiles.
steel isolated TTOM
various 'Green' and slates in West Germany, seen by the population as to the left of the SPD, have been regularly gaining 6-8 per cent of the vote in state elections.
In short the second great wave of opposition United perialism in Europe already has enormously greater Vietnam war the first. The changing economic and political relations between the United states and Western Europe make it absolutely certain that there will be a third and a fourth wave deeper social weight and political impact than that against the missiles -'and this is already the largest international movement the Second World War.
It is this working class opposition, and not the inter-imperialist economic competition, which is finally the most decisive part of relations Europe and the United States. Indeed it is this working class struggle which in the final analysis underlies the economic clashes.
West. European easily recoup the economic losses to This is the United States by imposing austeri-
ty cuts on their own working classes then they would not have to engage in such risky, and politically destabilising, manoeuvres as having conflicts with the US ruling class.
'anti-
It is because they cannot, because austerity attacks on the West European working classes destabilise the political situation in their own countries that the West perialists are forced to intensify their conflicts with the United States.
The way forward Finally however these new conflicts show a decisive part of the strategic line of march of the West European, and classes. NATO, student Alliance' and all the rest are not just
Many imperialist treaties. They are the central alliances Western around which its world system has
been organised since Suralls clashes, these have a major effect in world politics For thirty years, precisely because of their centrality, these alliances apcountry nuclear against move-
the United States
for the first time ever, some strain.
disarmament. countries.
Far from being population 'Alternative limit their scope
development,
form States imthis in practice. • weight than the antimovement which was
with far
Schmidt, any issue since
the pipeline. for
between Western The West
United
If the
imperialists could
it is seriously plans against European im-
demonstration
world, working Illass 'Atlantic
of imperialism
1945 Any tire
or threats within
greatest REACAN DONT CONSIDER YOURSELF AT HOME OUR RANCE!
30
... now millions demonstrate on the streets of Western Europe against
peared unshakeable. Now for the first time they are beginning to come under
Anti-NATO, and 'antiUS' feeling has become a significant factor in a number of West European
shown the economic and political developments mean that this is only going to deepen in the vears to come
The West European imperialists are forced to engage in conflicts with the United States but they want to
When for example Andreas Papandreou, in a significant
won huge successes in the 1980 Greek elections on a plat
which included withdrawal from NATO, he rapidly abandoned
austerity attacks on the Western European work.
ing classes destabilise
the political situation
the Wes Germar Chancellor and leader of the SPD, opposes strongly, in action, the US attemot to prevent the construction of
USSR-Western Europe gas But he fights equally hard NATO and NIOr the missiles to be brought into Europe
European ruling classes want to confine the clashes with the
States increased nationalism and to the working class accepting austerity policies to compete with US industry.
The dynamic of working class struggle however is quite different. It challenged the war in Vietnam. Now
challenging military the Soviet Union in Europe. Its dynamic is to clash with the entire 'Atlantic Alliance' system created since the Second World War.
As yet many currents participating in that movement still have outlooks which are neutralist and pacifist. Only a small part as yet would agree : with one of the banners in the West Berlin
against Reagan •Better gas from the East than rockets the objective role or NATO and ten West' alliance of Western Europe with the United States in world politics, that
sentiment already plays tremendous progressive role It will deepen and clarify much further in the years to come
The increasing clash of the West European working class with the en-
system of alliances with the United States is going to be one of the
political developments of world politics in the 1980s. . it is one revolutionary socialists must fight to develop in every way
Page 10 scan of this page
Prior's Ireland plans go through
Disarmament and imperialism
A suitable case for dumping. TORIES OUT, stop the war! Malvianas and Salvador! These slogans on the massive 6 June CND march signalled new stage in British politics. A small part of the labour movement was standing up to its own ruling class 's war.
Real wars have always had a devastating effect on 'peace movements Will the new anti-missile movement scatter before the increasing threat of US in-
Central America? What the balance sheet of Thatcher's dry run in the South Atlantic?
A brief glance at past peace movements unal suca orodens are nol the property of a few secLallalls. In the 1930s the Communist Parties began building 'anti-fascist popular fronts', many in the form of campaigns for world disarmament. Casualties of this turn still haunt CND's fringes, pedding grandiose schemes to invoke the goodwill of the world's leading butchers; outer orine real war of 1939 dispersed most of them mILo Cnci own ruling class's camp. War Twenty years later CND's first wave lost direction after the test ban treaty,. when the Labour Party dropped unilateralism the 1961 Cuban missile crisis receded.
CND
never the ranks of the workers' movement.
By the mid-60s CND's most ToCa seu SECUN were already looking at a smal South tast Asiar country where a colossal military conflict with imperialism was shaping üp
Vietnam. CND R whole, however, could not cope.
Will today's missile movement also have its DaCK BrOKeI aca war'? As E P Thompson said just before 6 June: 'A peace movement that doesn't oppose a real war is useless.
But profound difterences sedaae cocav anti-nuclear actions from
older ocalc movements'. They have a specific target, shared by Socialist Challenge
the evolution of the British anti-
tion between these campaigns and
onial revolutions.
all socialists and anti-imperialists: stop the latest range of US missiles being stationed in Europe.
threatens the most powerful à ee even NATO. It
enormously popular in the European wolkers movement. This places it
different category from the wild and wooly 'world peace' proposals of the 1930s.
In Britain gigantic forces have come out onto the streets in fear and hatred of the imperialists' nuclear policy and mistrust of its European and US leaders. Their breathtaking scale has censee overall control to the Stalinists and social demOcra
Real
Neither in Britain nor elsewhere Western europe have mass actions focussed on detente or arms talks. Instead they have striven to force governments to break from nuclear commitments.
consequence the movement plays an enormous political role in 'real wars' Fierce revolutionary struggle in Central America and the new up-
Latin America have combined with the huge anti-missile ment to make US rulers HUVE think twice about launching a decisive military 16 July 1982 page 10
By Martin Collins ruling class is split over the crucial issue.
They all agree that the Irish are ine last people who should run Ireland, and that British interests are best served by keeping partition, but how?
I ne Americans want lc rely more on the Southern
bringing Ireland more firmi under imperialist
cen brought isto ATO
brought into NATO and involved in the war drive, tne closer political links made with Britain might create the chance to carry out big attacks on
CND
Last week BRIAN HERON looked at
missiles movement, and the serious problems of orientation facing CND after a year's phenomenal successes. This week he discusses the connec-
the growth of solidarity with the col-
offensive Central nuCIa It would therefore be the
of seclallal folly to counterpose solidarity WIL unc Coola revolt lu building a broad labour movement alliance against the missiles. Best
There is a real connection between anti-imperialist struggle and anti-missile movements: their growth and success Cor the emergence of a
the emergence of labour movement current backing the PLO against Begin, ano une FMLN against Reagan.
One o sure demoisudtion against Reagans visit, coinciding with Thatcher's Malvinas war, was the first SCIUUS test of this conciu sion. The war undoubted-
ate into popular and labour movement support for the action. But the 250,000 did Come out despite chauvinist hvsteria. Ihe demonstration was a backdrop for at - Wal sellinic l. and several platform speakers
forced obDUst Thatcher's adventure albelt inconsistantlv CND itself, through the Ad Hoc Committee demonstra-
focus ror opposition to
focus opposition Thatcher's war.
This 'real war' did not destrov and disperse popular feeling and action against the missiles, which
International,
AFTER a marathon week of all-night sessions, Prior's Northern Ireland Bill goes upstairs to the House of Lords, looking set to lead to elections for an Assembly in the autumn. Beneath the 'get the wet' campaign aimed at Prior, the
Southern workers:
ICCS aly miove lel British and US profits.
Hla ulil! of the British ruling class backs this option. The Anglo-Irish talks have already proved usetul. Whilst the Trish government Gerry Tuite for the British, they are spending £l million a day on border SeCulILy.
But Tory back benchers and Powellites look upon any. , talks with the irish as a sell out. These 'empire want to llcll JOBS NOT
OMBS
CNO Anti Imperialist sentiment - aided by CND
therefore remains an enormous obstacle for the imperialists' drive to shatter the colonial revolution.
Soil
These facts show that novenetts and actions against the missiles create CILIC SOOr a CouS S arE ly anti-imperialist wing of the labour Its Huveicill first SROOL. are LOW emerging: Youth CND whose conference disbanded to demonstrate against the Malvinas war; Labour's Women's Conference, WnlCn voted against NATO and the war Atlantic; those in the health unions wIld acutanuct HOTe money for the NHS rather than Wal with Argentina all given political CNID Ad Hoe Committee. focus Benn and the
preserve 'all that British' They wad keep Britain's reactionary friends Ulster day when parliament no longer serves the ruling class.
But unionism's 'old days' are gone. collapse of industrial power came une smashing of Stormont, its pallane. destroved by nationalists who demanded civil rights. still has a sting though. In 1974 when the British tried
impose powe. Snare Sunningdale the Ulster
Council Strike workers showed that loyalists still nau tae Dowerlo velo Wild anyone else wanted even if they couldn't have "it all their own way.
BASILES
GRUISI
WITK ARGENTiNA
Such solidarity will not be built by delivering ultimata to CND change programme Our aim is not to divide support for CND against Cruise and Trident, but to give this radicalisation mass action, labour movement orientation
But as revolutionary socialists, we always point out the connections between imperialism's missile
colonial revolution. we argue TO1 action against these designs. We defend and build solidarity movements and actions the El Salvador campaign, the Si ara ua canh, campaign ane0 . . JOI amnongst CND's ranks support them in the process recognising that the anti-missile movement is a huge gain for all those fighting imperialism, throughout the world.
When Prior took over he said, doubt it i can make much bigger bloodv mess of the thing than it's in right now, so l
I have a go Hillelt as Wcl His devolution plan packaged something new, but really. just cob. bles together bits of old plans already failed. Call it Storingdale or Sunmont!
Prior's plan won't stop the IRA, and that's his main concern which is why the Anglo-Irish talks still quietly continue. Hou many concessions makes to the South and now many ne makes to ine hard line unionists is accaed. DOLOY the butfoonery in the House of Commons but
RECALL THE FLEET
S NO,WAR
REFUSI including p&p.
Enterprises Orders 10
political preparedness of the nationalists in Treland to resist imperialism every sen or une wav once une H-block campaign, the DUTC military pontics the Provisionals have led the dwindling of the mass movement so it has been possible for Prior to make big. concessions to the Unionists.
One thing is certain.
The troops and the prison camps remain The Labour leaders in Britain have done nothing follow party conference decisions, and tag along OCTRO the Tories We think the Irish should decide government they want. The only policy for the British is to get out
LAKER ANl
BST R TO
AR OVER THE
UALAND ISLANDS
RAYCUN
REAGAN
The T-shirt to be seen in this summer! Only f2.95 Cheques puyable 10 Cardinal
PO Box 50,° London NI 2XP.
Page 11 scan of this page
By Brian Heron IF YOU are a Constituency
the National Executive Committee.
tles the most significant since the
to expel the Militant tendency.
A set of rules have been established to do that. We print them here. But Harold kravman writing in Labour Weekly puts it.
While the register is seen as a way of bringing some wally groups into line. has become increasingly clear since the NEC agreed on it that Militant... . is not reckoned to stand a chance of being accepted. No possible changes within Militant would bring within the constitution, is said
Next to Frayman's article is the continuation of a front page piece announcing the establishment in
proHattersley and Rose. We are It is called 'Red Rose. to get the thorns.
The target of the witchhunt and 'Red Rose' alc exactly the same the Partv's hard won Dollcy gains and their guardians.
The register is the first move in an offensive aimed directly at the mass movement.
ed so me inter pas y. li
fused some in the party. is illegitimate, argues the Labour Committee, to organise 'a
aria willia party.
Perhaps after Militant the 'real left' will be allowed to proceed as before.
Maybe Healey and Shore will then stop accusing us of disrupting the party's electoral prospects.
Top
This is about as likely
Thatcher nationalising the top two hundred and fifty monopolies.
The register aims 1o identify, isolate and boot out a section of the party which the leadership intends, shall carry the can TOT aramalc
And if its terms were applied to the Shadow
cabinet — the real ValV
that are being contacted directly.
thern Ireland Campaign for Labour Victory Clause 4 Publications Independent Institute of Workers Control Labour Campaign for Gay Rights
Labour Committee for Europe Labour Committee on Ireland
mittee Labour Co-ordinating Committee
Association Labour First
Which hunt?
Labour secretary you are about to receive a letter from
Will it explain how to reverse the terrible electoral losses Labour have suffered because of the leadership's stand on the Malvinas war? Does it show how to reach out to the current wave of trade union bat-
arrival of the Thatcher government? Not at all. It will tell you how
within the party, which wages unremitting Conference decisions and has no intention of applying them in office then we might nave confidence in the SUlLIC LCC's line.
Point three, part A, requires that there be organisations in the party' Perhaps the NEC have in mind the Cabinet Committee under Callaghan which secretly decided renew nevalilie Programme. Point four in the same section requires 'all groups in the party' to 'open and democratic'
We await the production of the minutes of Bishop Stortford, and the vote in the movement on the decisions reached there.
Point six demands that 'No groups inside the party should be permitted to operate their own internal discipline expelled Tony Benn was trom front bench for applying that into Shadow Cabinet. IMF
'or associated with any international organisation not supported by the Labour Party ' Does the IMF or the EEC come under this ban? If so we had better look again at the affiliaTIons neatev and Shore. this briet detour serves any purpose it is to biow un the view that the register is anything other than a right wing inspired assault on the left.
Nevertheless the left is in some disarray. however, has given a clear lead. He stands opposed to the register, and that this latest right wing assault opens the door election. He says the party should base itself on the VasL ARE YOU ON THE HIT LIST? As the Register makes clear, even if you are not written to by the NEC you still have to apply for registration if you organise to defend your politics in the party. But we publish here the initial list of campaigns and organisations
Campaign for Labour Party Democracy Campaign for Labour Representation in Nor-
Labour Publications
Labour Campaign for a Scottish Assembly
Labour Common Market Safeguards Com-
Labour Economic Finance and Taxation
Party war 'no
Drop acetrom foreigi the
the
against the reflected the dispute and the stand of ASLEF.
Benn's positions serve every
be wholehearted support. But
there is an additional step which must be Those who oppose register need to organise opposition from all corners of the party and its affilated organisations.
We need conference of all who are not prepared to implement the right wing's rule. We must prepare combal expuisions and tic dissolution of constituen-
Benn NEW BADGE OUT
'Unregistered Socialist' argues
black and white on red background 25p
anger
Manifesto Group
Association The Tribune Group Socialist Action Labour Action for Peace
Labour Friends of Israel
Life Labour Group
Understanding
Labour Re-Cycling Group
Militant
Labour Party
Register of non-affiliated groups
of Labour Party members
Informing beer Party has their the intour Pairy pline or be Id be given a period of not more than three to all Labour Party members? if not, is the group prepared to
way in oriental reins in upone y the labor Paror
ship records and accounts wil be made available for
This Real Seta, no SE ST
Tories, cy parties.
Health organise the power of the ranks in battle unions to defend the left in de- the party. socialist's It is not a co-incidence that the right in the party feel free taken. ASLEF fights for its exthe istence and the Tories turn *the Falklands against the working class t is our section of the par v and our section of th national trade union nOse who are in the front line when it comes to fighting the Tories.
We need an between them pack une witch-aunt
UNREGISTERED
SOCIALIST
Labour Party Race Action Group Labour and Trades Union Press Service
Socialist Campaign for a Labour Victory Socialist Charter/Chartist Publications Socialist Environment and Resources
Labour Middle East Council Socialist Teachers Association
Association of Labour Groups Labour Abortion Rights Campaign
Labour Committee for Trans-Atlantic
Labour Parliamentary Association
League for Socialist Action
British Labour Group Brussels
We must
in the
walle IT FELL to David Steel to
describe the winner of Factor' the SDP
poll for leader as
the best pampered guts movement in the business
the Alliance: the SDP's
their place in the sun is alliance to throw 08ST
talking about socialism years ago'.
tion results lies a more fundamental orientation for the SDP.
the Tory
During the Malvina: the Tories
Alliance were
polls.
victory
the Tories have through the war bracing a significant
one will
standards, unemployment
The stalk Tory
found process which
defeat
classenkins' , affirms the
The seldiers of the Left
Denis Healey at 1945 Labour Party conference
delivers
for the Alliance.
membership Dally dependence sy'. Jenkins - who has
replace - is now
Tory voters. think replace the lories
candidate who 'stopped did not
istence to
British politices
But beneath the elec- going
breakthrough.' question of
Ruling class politics and
ticular are in deep trouble. Party In par- ty of the Tories
popularity soared. At its height, they surance against registered a twenty point lead over Labour and the them
squeezed back to less than twenty class per cent in the opinion Tory-Alliance
However, this political purpose.
extremely coalition support Thatcher's buil up emther sec tion of the working class and voters under twentyaround the willelved cop break Some
may hark balmy days of lision of classes on living
mass and the destruction of the welfare will act
crisis Enraveling of its bloc of and the the workers' popular support is a pro- ways.
can only be reversed through a
organised rorism Act, strength of the working
Died role victory re- class. basic role which the ruling class have goods.
Tribune RALLY
STOP THE PURGE
Tuesday 20 July 7.30pm
Camden Town Hall, London NW1
Tony Benn Jo Richardson Arthur Scargill Pat Wall
SDP - the membership
By Brian Heron
Owen stood for a left of centre asserting its infrom Liberals, whose aim was to ЗеНКІ.
million so soak is re the
disaffected , His aim is to in the popular affections of the ruling class. As he says 'we come into exfight for foothold on the fringes of — we are for the big
He is unlikely to succeed. What the ruling class fear is that the unpopulariwill pro. duce an unstable Labour government. They seek insuch an outcome, which will allow continue their onslaught on the working coalition govern ment would serve such a
The price of such would include head, would have the additional virtue of opening up furdivisions the Labour Party as coalition pressure steadily mounts SDP members back. to the Macmillan moderation, but they have just voted for a leader who to ensure the massive offensive against movement continues, albeit in new
'Gutsy' Jenkins, father of the Prevention of Teris now in position to play his allotfor the ruling The ranks of the SDP have delivered the
Socialist Challenge 16 July 1982 page 11
Page 12 scan of this page
Letter WAYNE DAVID, secretary of the Wales Labour Coor-
Viales LaCour Party conference (s
Wales claims that | do not understand the relation between the Wales LCC and Wales claims that i underestimate the political organisation of the Wales LCC at conference.
il is truc lic lcc uoc. not have its own delegates lo conterence or is own representatives on the Wales Regional Executive.
But LCC members at these meetings would presumaDly fight for socialist policies. As.
Wayne points out, J11dividual LCC. members fought tard against One person, one vote' and for
democracy on the Wales Labour Party Executive.
But against this have to balance the right's victories in support of the witch hunt, for wage conLOIS LaDoul government, and the final much
WCaNCI colution
Postal
points
Don't make money from the Malvinas' at the forefront
violence
IMAGES of violence ! find
repulsive. think injuring
oeove is never runny and nas
no connection with building
socialism.
am not against political
violence, but making a fund-
I write more in sadness than in anger as I often agree
with your political line.
M. Raymond
North London DAMAÇE A TORY
SENDA CHEODE DREENDIME
Incitement to violence?
Socialist Challenge 16 July 1982 page 12
Letters ATTE SETTER
Wales Labour
Coordinating
Committee
Committee, criticises my account of the
2 July). He
Labour Party. He also
that was passed on the Malvinas.
The main question we ao we build support for left wing policies against the right?
hrough cautious negotiations by politically organising against the
power the left? Although the LCC organised a fringe meeting and produced a bulletin, it
supportees o en cent
supporters ference on key issues. Two contrasting examples show Inis cically.
The resolution committing the Wales Labour Party supportilg Dead end
nationalism
How depressing 1o find your
June) advocating mal ine heman workin
ine terruorv ana resources or
of their consciousness.
Surely 'aim should be
Argentinian working class from the dead
nomasmane fake anti-imperialism) of both the military and the Peronists. Dick Berigan Birmingham
Disbanded
Constituencies SC HAS correctly said tha mentes evente anna CLP Executive threatens dispone nores or CLPs will agree.
But there is still an organisotondi Cuestion
declare themselves to he u new party.
I think that even mass ex.
woula nor mane l Dossoe o oure a new moss
arty to the left of the Labou
arty in the short term
Rather these CLPs should cemeno ine ron o neone in the area to join the Party, and demand the re-establishment
Letters
unilateralism the
manifesto was passed due
to the strength of feeling
on this issue in Wales and
not through any organised
intervention. However,
teeling against t orv cuts 1s
also strong in Wales. But
the Executive successfully
railroaded through their
opposition to the call for a
special Wales anti-cuts
conterence.
Finally, on the ques-
tion of the Executive.
Leading LCC comrades in
Wales have been removed
IWO . years running.
Without their presence the
right can promote their ac-
tivities on the witch-hunt,
and continue to stifle the
development oi a mass
campaigning party.
The Wales LCC
learn lessons from the left's
seroacks. rollowing
example of the Scottish
LUC, we must retuse to
have anything to do with
the NEC's proposed
register. We must build
mass support for socialist
policies, defeat the
Because of the
unions' key. role, bolder
steps should be taken to
organise left support
there. The Wales LCC
trade union conference,
planned for the autumn,
will be crucial to this tast
Helen Slyomovics
Cardiff North CLP Party Consillens and pror Constituency scriptions.
This attitude towards the official Labour Party would on/v be temporary, but it would further readersxpose the
and
stablish the basis for a nes burty i ine fonser term Chris Morris Hackney
Discuss entrism
publicly
SC HAS been concerned with герогиля ana milencie developments on ine anoni Party left, reflecting the ac
No pudie dre un
porters.
quences of this mov
Within a few months expulsions Militant 'fulltimers' will begir
de tha Milho nil in pra cine
defend those who will Just talk about
согрева stincts it will be in the former group.
But wnalever ine come, me inside ine Laboul Party will not be the same
and it is best to start preparing for that now. Mike Holbrook Howden le Weat
GEOFF BELL and Davy Jones (SC, 2 July, on the World Cup) seem to have torgotten a basic rule to socialists - • don't believe everything you read in the Sun or see on TV.
My experience at work
is different from the
hysterical picture they
paint. The Sun may be try-
ing for an orgy of national
fervour, but so tar iney
havn't stopped ordinary
•cope recorrisis alla cul
good football
whether played by Brazil,
Argentina whoever.
There is widespread belief
that teams like Honduras
and Cameroon have been
shabbily treated. Most
people would rather see a
team like Honduras go to
the next round than one of
Bays boring negative foot.
Yes, people
would like to think tha
England will win the world
cup, but being hopeful
they expected Brazil to
win.
Andy Miller
Mansfield
IN THE first articie of this series on
burg and Marx himself, devoted so
much of their time to the study of
theory.
This week he discusses how
theory is used and developed. Trotsky IN THE last issue we concluded that ideas and theories reflect the forces which exist in the real material world. Theory therefore let us study and understand the real world.
But how do we know if a particular theory is right or wrong? To answer this we should go back to our starting point. Marxist theory aims to change the world. A Marxist theory, like any other, is therejore correct or wrong insofar as it analyses and predicts or fails to do so - how the material social world really develops.
The Marxist economist Ernest Mandel explains this very well in his introduction to Marx's chief economic work, Capital.
'What Marx's Capital
ENGL
British fans Trotskyism, JOHN ROSS asked why the great revolutionaries of the past, such as Trotsky, Lenin, Rosa Luxemexplained ... was above all the ruthless and irresistible impulse to growth which characterises production for private profit and the predominant use of profit
for capital accumulation
'In fact, it would be very • easy 'prove' Marx's analysis to have been wrong if experience
that the more capitalist industry develops smaller and smaller the average factory becomes the less it depends on new technology, the more its capital is supplied by the workers themselves, the more workers become owners of their factories, the less the part of wages taken for consumer goods becomes (and the greater becomes the part of wages used for buying the workers' own means of production).
'If, in addition, there had been decades without economic fluctuations and a full scale disappearance of trade unions and employers' associations (all flowing from the disappearance of tradictions between Capital and Labour, inasmuch workers increasingly become the controllers of their own means and conditions of producLon en one cou deed say that Capital was so much rubbish and had dismally failed to predict what would happen in the
World Cup: hysteria hasn't caught on
PULSKA
Polish fans
What is Trotskyism?
real capitalist world a cen tury after its publication.
It is suficient to compare the real history of the period since one hand with what Marx predicted it would be, and on the other hand with any
motion', to TOW remarkable indeed was Marx's theoretical achievement and how strongly stands up against the experimental lest or mistory.
The idea that theory
tion' is particularly important. Marx himselt took up this point when he
Second Edition of his work. Here he took up the critics of Capital. Most, he concluded, tably failed had even lanlicl to
understand what he was trying to do. However the Russian critic Sieber so much neased Marx his understanding that h
exceos uni cluding the following
'The one thing which is important for Marx is to find the law phenomena with whose investigation he is concerned: and it is not only the laws which govern these phenomena given historical period that within
is important to him. still greater importance to
variation, of their development The scientific value of such an enquiry lies in the illumination of the special laws that regulate the origin, istence, development and death of a given social organism.' (our emphasis)
Marx comments:
'Here the reviewer piciures what he takes to be my own actual method in a striking and, as far as concens mav owa aooncauon of it, generous way: • But what else • is he depicting but the dialectical method?'
82
SOLIDARNOSC
The 'dialectical method" is precisely tha which Marx took as his own - although its earlier development came also in the grea German philosopher Hegel
This allows us to tie together Marxism's prac tical nature its goal 01 helping us to change the world. which studied last week and the fact that every Marxist category or idea retlects a material reality. The aim of every Marxist analysis is to lay bare the law of mo-
LICI development — of what is
studied, order that may foresee predict, change, and therefore act to influence the process of change.
Take the example of the state, which we looked at last week. The Marxist analysis of the state is a vew abour es ovname from which one vital con clusion is that in a decisive clash between the working class and the ruling class, the capitalist state will act with all its violence to defend the capitalist class. This allows make judgements as to how we should act to deal with the capitalist state during such
decisive confrontation.
revolutionary socialists such Hugo Blanco i warned thai only way to frustrate a COUD was for workers themselves to take power.
In summary, theory, developed from the study of the real material world and tested by its ability to predict change, becomes a force through which ourselves can enter into the process of change, and effect its development.
But precisely because it is concerned with change and development, Marxism is also immediately a theory and view of history
- Indeed it began as such. This is what we shall look at next.
Page 13 scan of this page
Duffy's nightmare
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BIRMINGHAM. Sturday a Augus
Ice in Solidarity win the Palerinian
FIGHT THE
INTE LEF
By Pete Clifford THEY thought that they had buried the strug-
gle of the Laurence Scott workers, when sud-
denly the uneventful proceedings of the national conference of the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering erupted, ( what really happened at Laurence Scott. With the long and bitter
bureaucracy was anxious to lay the blame for
their sell-outs at other doors.
AUEW leader, Terry Duffy, had a conve-
the alen scapezual form of an anonymous Mr
who he claims misled the workers, whereas John Tocher, Manchester
secreta blamed Duffy quite rightly, accusmilitant with the workers, being more
with the was employers.
At last year's conference Scotts was a big
the 650 workers of the Manchester engineering firm were then occupying their against closure. It was a fight to save jobs that took place against the background of the miners successful * resistance to threatened pit
and the victory Coses of the Gardners' workers.
also in Manchester, who
had fought back
compulsory i redundancies.
Scotts had lifted the ban-
ner on behalf of all those
who wanted to fight for
their jobs.
The struggle of the
workers came up, against
obstacle that the
employers and the union
bureaucracy could devise
Scott's boss,
Snipe, by payıng out
redundancy money, had
hoped to divide the
workers. The strikers ask
ed should they cash their
redundancy
not? Back came the reply
from the union who said
their legal advisors had
Police break picket lines
Laurence Scott:
Unions (CSEU) as the union leaders argued about
struggle over, the
confirmed cashing the cheques would not prejudice
fight. Anne sallie time they should carry on fighting for their jobs.
Nobody questioned this course, until the strikers' determination, particularly their use of the flying picket at his parent
in Doncaster, dragged Snipe the negotiating table. Duffy who had been taken aback by the determination the strikers, suddenly saw a way oul. workforce, he Ignoring the Hauc his
own agreement with Snipe.
Snipe offered
guaranteed three months' work, with a guaranteed two-day week. Before the occupation they had been offered a guaranteed three months' work, with a five day week before the final closure. Not surprisingly the workers tossed out Snipe's offer, and rejected the AUEW directive return to work
The AUEW circulated its branches saying that
Snipe had insisted on return of the redundancy
money and that Turner
prugress would be made
on saving jobs once this
Wal cracy done. claimed The tha bureau- the
workers had turned the
redundancy pay into
matter of principle. The
workers retorted by poin-
ting out, "The crucial issue
stake was
Trade Unions
pulsory redundancies and linked to that protecting the union organisation (November ' 81 issue of the strike bulletin). They also pointed out: "The redundancy pay issue was of no
consequence, this later provea when Snipe made a further offer which conceded this.
In an attempt to brainwash the CSEU delegates, and wipe out the betrayals of the bureaucracy Duffy 'discovered the mysterious Mr X who had told the strikers to cash their money. John Tocher angrily replied: You Vil ed the rug away should never reach agree
you should pu
forward formula and listen to what the lads and lasses have to say
Duffy and the bureaucracy do not operate like that. Scotts
had been a nightmare to Ine union leaders. Even when the strike was made unofficial the workers had displayed actermination. initiative and ingenuity, that had confounded both the employers and the right-wing union leaders.
Strike delegations toured the major across the country, a strike bulletin was distributed, speakers from the strike
committee shared Dial
forms with Benn and
Scargill Almost half of
the AUEW branches pro.
tested to the unlol
ecutive about their con-
duct of the strike. The
workers showed it was
possible to LaKe on the
employers and fight back
against the betrayals of the
union leaders.
Laurence Scott workers
showed organisations like
ine CP-dominated Broad
Left how fight the
Laurence Scott militants fought both bosses and bureaucracy bureaucracy, which continually drew back from giving a lead in the union against the bureaucrats handling of the dispute.
The strike was finally nroket last February. Over 500 police mounted a strike-breaking operation and escorted scabs into the factory to take away the machinery. Convenis, said
works convenor, this final blow was only made possible the assistance of Duffy and the other union leaders. Duffy will never forget Scotts. He knows the etfect the right-wing domination of the union. the small group of Scott's workers had. Scotts for the bureaucracy could be an harbinger of things to CONC
Unfortunately others did not want to learn the lesson of Scotts. Writing in Marxism Today, John Michroy. workers were claimer 'fatally the
weakened by the lack of
support from
workers' and the 'strike
Socialist Challenge
leaders were inexperienced
every, day compromise... According to Mollroy and the Communist Party, it all boiled down to the strike leaders not being active in the Broad Left.
This is just a cop out. The CP explains its scandalous lack of support in the fight against the right wing, by blaming it all or the workers. they can learn nothing
Lee Jeans as li dies
Jeans and Gardners which have generally been led by workers outside the influence of the CP
Whatever Duffy may claim, or the CP may write the lessons of Scott will
with many militants stay and many more workers
wil use the lessons of
Scotts in their fight agains
the Duffys of thi world
Scotts showed workers need a leadership which rejects alliances
with he employers and
which is consistently anti-
bureaucratic and
thoroughly democratic.
16 July 1962 page 13
Page 14 scan of this page
Poisonous Weeds
WILD LILIES POISONOUS WEEDS -Dissident Voices from China edited by Gregor Benton — (Pluto Press £4.95) Reviewed by Charlie van Gelderen
reasons, keep us well informed about the dissident movement in Eastern Europe. We do not get the sine reaction about the dissident movement ... China. There is a very good reason for
many of them democratic movement, by contrast 'is made up overwhelmingly of workers and technicians.'
It is only natural that in China, as in Poland, after years of bureaucratic op-
the DresS on usurped banner of Marx-
that people become disillusioned with the social order itself and seek solutions along different paths, ranging from Christ, Dada, Montesquieu, Toto and the young Marx to Trotsky.
Mao's Cultural Revolution, Walco was ostensibly launched to
the growin of bureaucracy and ine-
ruthlessly Cualitics. Was crushed as soon
genuinely threaten that bureaucracy of which Mao, the Great helmsman, was ine pin nacle. Nevertheless, it gave the their own power which was not completely eliminated when the movement was suppressed.
Fight
Similarly, when Deng Xiaobine began his fight back for control of the bureaucracy, he encou aged the ferment aroun the Democratic Wall. len that movement got r i ol hand and raised qur tio is about the whole sy! em ot Party rule in Chira, took steps to cur', t In February 1980, th: Four Great Freedoras' Including freedorn to put up wall posters . cre excised from the • onstitution and subsequendy was Toroiceen sell un-
RAMINI PERARA is a member of the Revolutionary Marxist Group
JUDITH ARKWRIGHT about the situation facing women in the Free Trade Zone.
The Free Trade Zone (FTZ) is an area that functions separately from the rest of the Lankan economy. Everything produced in the region is exported. Tax free concessions have been granted for exports to allow raw materials and machinery
De brought country. The main in-
are American, Western Euro-
Japanese Korean as well as some
The FTZ was established in 1978 when the United National Party came to power: It labour force of 19.500 workers of which almost 85 per cent Socialist Challenge
Wild Lilies:
THE capitalist media usually, and for its own
the Soviet Union and
this. Soviet dissidents are mainly drawn from intellectuals, highly placed. China's
state-employed manual
official journals in public.
Driven underground,
the movement, despite
harassments and arrests,
persistca and oegan to win
support among disaffected
factory The
Deng-led bureaucracy
responded by increased
repression.
Theme
Among the Marxist critics of the bureaucracy,
one theme is paramount:
proletarian democracy
cano De guaranteed
any supreme leader. The
SUCCHIV goodwill
that ne mades raper
with the masses
Mao and Deng could set
millions of people into
motion - is not the issue.
As Yi Ming, one of the
contributors to this collec-
tion, DUl 'Only
democracy and a socialist
legal system can bring the
Four Modernisations to
China brilliant future ensure and
The Hungarian
Revolution of 1956 anu
Tito's break with Moscow
inspired dissident currents
Flowers rise. and growth of Solidarnosc in Poland aroused great en-
thusiasm among the
Chinese workers.
The journal Lilun Qi (Theoretical Banner) hail.
ed it in an editorial under
the heading: "The death
knell LOIS TOT In e
bureaucratic class: China
and the Polish Crisis'
went on to say that in
Wornen workers in Sri Lanka
which supports the Fourth International in Sri Lanka. She spoke to
are women. Most of the
women come from rural
al cas. From their youth, they
nave been conanonedo
bend to authority, whether
Is new lames. SCHOOLS
or husbands. Buddhism
also blays a sulullz wall i
the lives of Sri Lankan
They
that they are born as
women because they sinn-
ed in their previous life.
Wages al C extremely low in the rural areas, so cheme sore regarded as a as a
source
when they come to the FTZ.
tney are pala sup. a day, which after two years in-
creases to the princely sum
of 56p a day. 16 July 1982 page 14
Review
Poland 'workers now realise that officials' wages are thirty times their own minimum wage. They see special Cars denvel uries to the mansions of the bigwigs..
'In China even though the economv is about to collapse, it has become
for Collol DI ALLICC bureaucrats build themselves private villas is this socialism? ...Shall
replace (the bureaucracv's rule) with capitalist private ship or Catholicism? Ab. solutely not!...
'The only right way is to build a system of proletarian democracy (which) organically links true public ownership with true democracy, so that each complements and guarantees other on the path to true socialism.
This book is essential
what happening China today and because of the lessons to be drawn for the Chinese struggles for all the existing workers states. threatened the bureaucracy
But there remarkable degree militancy displayed on the part of the workers, particularly when they realise that everything they produce Could Disputes, however, are contained locally by management and government and do not receive wiatsprcau pubicity.
In February of this ycal, Sri Lankan government to ratifv Convention the International Labour Organisation, which pro hibits night work for Wome rrom February 1983 management will be able to employ the night shift. For women this is a further set back to the already appalling conditions in which they find themselves.
Forced to move into
· 7L
Pluto A Press
The cultural revolution was brutally crushed when it genuinely
the urban areas, it is the women who have to look after the children and do the housework. They will be unabie to sicep in une daytime. They will also face increased sexual harassment and rape.
Any worker organised in a trade union in the FTZ would immediately lose their job. So the Women's Liberation Movement
OI Sri Lanka tries to organise and work with women in the FTZ. They have initiated campaigns against night work, for equal pay tor equal work, for the protection of women when they leave the factories and so on.
Both the and the body responsible for the region, the Greater Colombo Economic Commission, oppose these campaigns organised by
WILD LILIES
POISONOUS
WEEDS
Dissident Voices
from People's China
edited by Gregor Benton
women. Women's jobs are
threatened they par-
ticipate in such campaigns.
Nevertheless through
the Women's Liberation
Movement organising
centres and visiling women
in their homes there have
been some successes
The campaign against
night work has distributed
some 20,000 leaflets.
There was a huge poster
campaign which began on
International Women's
Day and continued for one
month. Most of the trade
unions, with one excep
tion have remained silent
on the issue of nightwork
for women.
But despite the uphill
tasks facing them the cons
tant threats from govern.
men newspaders as well d
more subtle types of
harassment. the campaigr
continues.
ly/August 198
Thatcher's
war at
home
Andrew Gamble on Thatcherism Sweet Freedom, Argentina, The Falklands,
July/August issue now out!
Singer on Poland;
Freedom'; Clara
Runco on Argentina;
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Page 15 scan of this page
Deptford cover-ups
IF THE union leaders in transport what to do, no such
employers' side of London Transport. They see their first priority as the smashing drive deal with A e drivers and once then they will be ready to take on the tube and bus workers.
That why they have delayed the introduction of new reduced schedules and the different days set for the buses and underground sides. This By Jeff King 'COVER-UP!' That's the only way to describe the Appeal Court judges' verdict on the Deptford massacre. Despite the fact that the South London coroner, ted making 'mistakes' and his statement early in the inquest that he favoured police theories that the tire was a result of an alleged scuttle between guests at the party, the Appeal Court Judges still upheld the coroner's court 'open verdict.
Dr Davies had summed up the evidence to the lurv without using any notes.
He must have had an excellent memory or was his mind already made up?
He included material never evidence i enhich is egary given sworn
bably helped the jury reach their 'open' verdict.
According to the families, he also omitted many crucial points of evidence: but then WHO walls bother with awkward facts
ENGINEERING workers at Massey Ferguson Central Parts operation factory In Manchester have been out on strike for two weeks.
ner baes nearest saga in a series of clashes
and Detween this multinational company. In the last year the Coventry factory of Massey's was twice successfully occupied against redundancy.
The issue at the Manchester factory is however
about say, vital test o
this strength for the unions. It vital test
comes against background of a series of pay strikes in the North west
engineers, notably GEC and Parkinson Cowan, and the Tory government's determination to impose a two per cent wage ceiling for next year.
Senior steward Dave Leonard told me: 'We're
The company has given us a final offer of £2.75 plus £115 lump sum bonus for a thirteen week period, which would involve twelve-hour shifts and Saturday/Sunday working and is only payable if company targets are reached.
United action to defend
London Transport
makes it vital for activists on LT to give maximum solidarity ASLEF in their battle witn britsh hall.
At the same time we must launch a campaign in
membership and abour movement
atleas July demonstration called
urans Dorl unions. and the South east Region TUC was part of this campaign. However, une union pureaucracy will have to
calling demonstrations. Only 1,000 people attended. This shows most trans-
continue
Dr Arthur Davies had admitwhen their mind is made up?
These little anomalies did nothing to disturb the equanimity of the Appeal juages, Lord Chief Justice Lane said: reasonable jury could have come to a conclusion other than an open verdict. He failed to add the obvious
especially with directions 11ke they got from the coroner.
The Lord Chief Justice who knows his priorities did not think a new inquest
Pay fight in North west
GOOOS ENTRANCE
Pickets at Massey Ferguson
'Last year we got
usual they dangled the
The company claim that they are in a serious finan cial position yet they have
making heavv in. vestments in recent years
our factory. This time the lads then dugh a By as es said
By a five.to one majority, Tine mass meeting on 2 July voted to
We've mounted a
port workers do not yet understand why they should take action.
The recent underground strikes were mainly successful Decause union loyalty and hard work by The postponement of the cuts WOn oy acul gives time to prepare for the next round.
Unfortunately MOST NUR and ASLEF bran-
Farc using this time. Often they are more
with debating concerned the thorny issue of what action to take against proven scabs. Branches Pall bearers at funeral of murdered Deptford 13 was desirable on 'econo mic, social or humanitarıan grounds Funny how these judges always put the money bit before the humanity.
asked
JODH Ld. KOSC the question the learned By Pete Clifford 24-hour picket which has prevented the removal 01 £14m worth orders. We're in for a stand here, we're not taking it'.
The stewards recognise that behind the low pay offer is an attempt to undermine union organisation. Although this pay strike since the factory was established • 3y the ago, the record workforce organising
News.
By Martin Eady and Oliver New
should re-affirm their
refusal to operate reduced
services and get the
membership realise
what is at stake.
In round two of the
fight we will have to bring
London to a halt. This
means the buses and tubes
must stop together. For
the first time, LT unions
are co-operating together
Trade Union
petence commutee
unfortunately this has so
tar been little more than a
talking shop. It should im-
mediately re-call the joint
shop stewards conference
to plan united action.
"judges had dodged: 'Did a
ghost kill 13 childrer
439 New Cross Road?' He
concluded: "We have had a
verv bad inquest and now
a very bad decision.
He announced that the
MASSEY
FERGUSON
JOINT SHOP STEWARDS COMMIT S MANCHES
the support from others is
rivalled by few. Only
month 150 workers
walked off their jobs to at-
tend factory gate
meeting with 'striking
nurses.
Engineering union Steve Taylor
steward
speaking health
workers march in Man-
chester said: "The issue for
us is the same as for the
health WOrKCIS alla
Just like British Rail, the dispute over • London Transport is political. We neta me poncal resource of the Labour Party and the GLC behind this fight. But the GLC has remained silent. It is putting all of its hopes in a possible future SUDS CY tron Lori subsidy was paid, in would Government. Even not be without strings, which means redundancies and reauced services Militants London Labour parties should rally around defence of serVIces OVCI • the next few weeks. Star
New Cross Massacre Action dominite into go ahead with plans estanisi an independen internationally-based tribunal to indure into the fire's cause and the reactions of the authorities. train drivers. It's about the future of our union
"That's why we'll be on
19 July and that's why we're calling for soldarity with Massey's, solidarity with the health and solidarity with ASLEF'
and donations can be sent to u mcuonala 10 Highdales Baguley, Wivenshawe, Manchester.
attack in tax
officer's union
By IRSF members IT'S which is organising a witch-hunt.
membership the steering committee
in 21 days
The executive was shaken by the advances
D Vi the lett at the IRSF Conference, where they won a series ot votes against the Executive Committee, including total overtime ban and a commitment to a flat-rate pay claim
Nearly 200 members attended the Broad Left's inaugural meeting at the conterence agreed
campaign within the rederation programme.
The suspension threat is a gamble by the Federa-
leadership which hopes to stamp out the Broad Left before it gains LOO much ground. ploy is likely to backfire nowever, as the six IRSI
Defend Pino Khan
things like beating up blacks, 'fitting up'
job to deal with such 'trivialities'
he rang the police.
Naturally our 'busy' police had not got the time to go and do anything Pino and his friends coul not wait longer, they defended themselves ally and drove off their attackers
But that did cause the police to move. Acting on a complaint trom a triend of the racists they turned up and arrested Pino anc
relatives who were tossed into the cells for the night
Pino now faces serious criminal charges of 'wounding with intent to cause grievous and actual bodily harm' and the racists who instigated the attack stay free Again the hooligan elements of racism have
N 50
AT A mass meeting Fri day 9 July engineering workers at Hawker Sid. deley Power Transform. ers Ltd Walthamstow, East London agreed by an over. whelming majority to continue four week strike for a 15 per cent pay claim.
They had been offour cent which they rejected and started a work to rule Management respond. ed by suspending two
mem. bers and the whole fac. tory walked out In "OTO test. The offer was then increased to six per cent but the workforce stood firm
Although this fac tory has no history of in dustrial action and Workers nor behey ing despite the to any union they stee into ente about the justice
Socialist Challenge
Left wingers under
not only the Labour Party leadership The oxecutive committee of the Inland Revenue Staff Federation has threatened to suspend from
members threatened with suspension are all well respected deLIVIsts. cluding one of the union' three Vice-Presidents, De Bailey.
Many branches have already protestea, and even if the six are suspend. ed, une strength ot the Broad Left will ensure that others will come forward to take their places and to tight for their reinstate ment The Executive Committee have accused the six wanting to split the IRSF, but the membership are likely to realise who the real splitters are - InOSi EC members who have voled proceeu to susi pend their union colleagues
IF YOU are Asian and attacked by white racists, please do not ring the police complain. ing. After all our police force is too busy, doing
peo ple so their arrest rates are up to par, and tak. ing the odd bribe to cover up for some big bank
Unfortunately, Pino Khan, an Asian living in Sparkhill, Birmingham did not know the rules of the game. So on 20 March this year when he was playing cards with his brother and cousin and their house was attacked by white racists
been helped by the blueuniformed hooligans the state to intimidate and frame and black peopie
ments do against
Asiall. all VUUU nent employing
our particularly those in
Further details from Defence • Committee Alcester
3567.
Challenge spoke Mervyn
union steward
the entire plant is in its refusal accept
dards There no from
they expected Not tine one has the
Give your • by in viting the erike commi to visit your place work. take official collec get a speaker lIon sneets Labour Party branch. Con tact strike ofice 01-527 8934 16 July 1982 page 15
Page 16 scan of this page
Challenge healthworkers
DEFEND THE PLO!
Demonstrate
Monday 19 July 1pm
Gower Place, WC1
Rally 3pm
Jubilee Gardens County Hall
NUPE
12%
LONSE
ALL
HEIN NHS SERICE National demonstration
Saturday 31 July Assemble Hyde Park.
March to Trafalgar Sq for rally at 2.30. Further informution from Palestine Solidurity Liaison Commiller e o THIS, Ox/ord House, Derbyshire Si, London E2.
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NUDE
THE Israeli Army is on the brink of an attempt to physically destroy
the PLO
US manufactured cluster bombs have been added to the nightElectricity, artillery barrage.
water, food and medical supplies have been cut off from the smashed streets of West Beirut.
And still the resistance continues.
This resistance has put
spoke in the wheel Reagan'S proposed military solution Opposition is building in the US against his plans to embroil the lucilausts directly the region Senator Percy of the US Foreign Relations Committee, opposing Reagan's proposal send marines described the Lebanon as israel's 'Viet. nam'.
Meanwhile Syria reported to have refused entry to the PLO fighters, ordered by the imperialists to leave Beirut. athists, along with Fgypt's Mubarak and the rest of
reactionary gangs which rule the capitals of The ao cancer before the Palestinian peo-
most extreme peril since
NUPE
and will never be the allies of the struggle for Palestinian homeland, whatever demagogy they are forced to make from time to time. resistance strikes a chord But PLO's elsewhere. They have stopped the Israeli Army, givment 00,000 strong in Israel itself. As long as the sinies of West Bee cole tinues then whole system of imperialist alliances round
world support Zionism within the workers movement shaken. And demonstranons in sondarily win ine PLO have featured in many capitals The Lebanon war has ex posed the real fun damental features class forces at work in the
For the imperialists n guaraantee f stability worth the paper it is written on. The are attempting to put their own militar forces on the ground. For the Palestinians, reliance on the Arab ruling class is an impossible option. For the world workers movement the issues are stark US Hands US off the Middle East!
Solidarity with the PLO!
Pay the
THE TORIES say that they cannot find the money to pay the health workers 12 per cent. They claim that the £700 million needed is 'more than the country can afford
So the workers in the NHS must struggle along near starvation wages - if they are forced to take the Tories' offer it will mean in real terms their wages have been cut by 15 per cent.
So according to the Tories ine health workers can go to hell ano the NHs can con. tinue down the slippery
decline demoralisation There are few, if any, more im. portant jobs than those that mean alleviating pain and suffering and saving human life Any sane ano civilised country would recog nisa that, and would treat its health workers
service Bricordingly. But Tory Britain
NOU sante humane, or civilised. It
country run for bankers and speculators whose government has deliberately run down the health ser. vice so that the drug companies and private
can enlarge their profits. If the Tory with its insulting offer more workers will leave the NHS services will decline still further and the health of working person will be place in jeopardy.
The working class cannot afford to stand
and see the health workers get clobbered What is at stake is not just the wages of the nurses, porters, cleaners technicians, the whole future of a health service which should pro. vide free medical care for all.
The entire labour movement has to rally to the support of the 12 per cent claim Such support will be the best defence for the health of Ine of the working class.
All out 19-21
July!
← Socialist Challenge No. 253, 9 July 1982Socialist Challenge No. 255, 23 July 1982 →