Socialist Challenge No. 255, 23 July 1982
The scan: sc-no255.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive)
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Page 1 scan of this page
Challenge The traitors
sack 'em
No. 255 23 July 1982 25p
Michael Foot, Labour Party leader JARD
T.U.C
BETRAYED
ASLEF
"WILL THEY
• Unemployed and strikers JUp
Socialist
of be BETRAY THE NHS?
IF IT weren't for the man in the Queen's bed, the looming spy scandal, the setback on the Falkland's war inquiry, and une determination
the healthworkers Margaret Thatcher would
feeling on top of the world.
While the Metropolitan police are proving unreliable in their jobs, Thatcher's lads in the TUC have proven very effective in theirs.
ASLEF's Ray Buckton was right. His union could not meet the Tory offensive by itself. It needed the support of the official labour movement and, despite the solidarity of the train drivers, the blossoming sup-
port of rank and file workers and thousands of pounds being poured into ASLEF's hardship fund from unions such as the miners', the Tory lickspittles in the TUC sold ASLEF out.
But more than ASLEF they sold out basic trade union principles: • the 8 hour day • the democratric right of train drivers to have a say in their own working tions • the defence of jobs while unemployment soars to unprecedented levels • the defence of the na. tionalised railway network, at a time when the Tories are selling off public ser-
Murray, Weighall,
the Tories. loud and clear,
British Rail,
that they'll condi- alone. But
defend
dole queues grow.
Foot, Murray,
OFFICIAL
UNEMPLOYMENT
TOTAL
LARGEST YET
3,190,621
vices at a fast rate of knots.
Chapple, Drain, Jackson have given a green light to
They have said go ahead with your plans to sell off
shed 40,000 the Jobs, and carry your attack to the rest of the class.
The TUC 'leaders' have said to the healthworkers
have to go it most of all they've shown that they will
the unions of against ebbits anti-union Bill due to become law in a couple of months. They also intend to sit back while the
Weighall,
all of them have to go! It's not going to be asy, it means organising a struggle for democracy and accoun tability in the unions and the Labour Party so that these leaders are forced to act in
interests of their members = 00 080 dev c
The labour movement needs a fighting leadership that will take on the Tories. Railworkers, healthworkers, miners and thousands
other workers have shown in action that they've had enough of this government. We have to organise now to bring it down. That means kicking out Foot, Weighell, Murray and Co.
Page 2 scan of this page
we could have won'
Editorial
PO Box 50, London N1 2XP Phone 359 8180 (Newsdesk), 359 8371 (distribution) We could have
won!
IN ONE of the sharpest battles this Tory government has launched against the labour movement, the ones who have come out with flying colours have been rank and file workers who have shown magnificent solidarity Millions of workers saw the government lead a deliberate attack on jobs, working conditions and even on the existence of a major national union.
The determination of those rallying behind ASLEF makes the cowardice and treachery of the right wing bureaucrats that much more bitter. jaws of victory.
The TUC's Finance and General Purposes Committee put the final boot in. whole disgusting mob Terry Duffy, Frank Chadole -trick in the book to scab on the struggle. Right wing Labour MPs also joined in the dirty work. Michael Foot was condemned for being 'too closely identifed with ASLEF'. Yet Foot himself informed the drivers that he was withdrawing his support if the TUC's 'peace formula' were not accepted.
The actions of the right in the trade unions and the Labour Party reaffirms the urgency of waging portical labour movement against the present leader. ship. The right could have been and can be defeated. Scargill, Buckton and Benn made a courageous stand in the face if the massive onslaught from the Tories and the right wing
the labour enough.
The base to launch a fight against our
misleaders Tories is there. shown to the health workers, in defiance of the anti-union laws is evidence of this. So too
is the growing opposition to any purge inside the Labour Party.
But when the crunch comes, the leaders of the left have not confronted the right. For the last ten years, since the struggle against
the Tory Industrial Relations Act, right wing, in alliance with its friends in the Labour Party, spirit of the working class. When the miners brought down Heath, Wilson/Callaghan government whose right
wing policies gave Thatcher victory at the last election.
Socialist Challenge has argued consistently for Labour Party/trade union action.
want all those forces who are fighting against
the Tories for jobs, wages and a decent stan-
dard of living and against the witch-hunt in
the labour movement as
forces to bring our present leaders to order.
We have had ten years of betrayal, cowar-
dice and anti-working class policies from the
present leadership.
the left to organise has been clear.
Socialist Challenge
fighting for a class struggle left wing - one
that will fight on the side of the workers, not
the Tories,
the City.
The betrayal of the TUC and the Labour
Party has to be turned into a nail in the coffin
of the leaders of the trade unions and the
Labour Party. There are fights to come -
rail and elsewhere. The decisive battles are
yet to come.
A fighting left is essential if these are to be
won. Foot, Murray
organised the right.
Scargill and Buckton to start organising the
left.
JOIN THE FIGHT FOR
SOCIALISM If you would like to be put in touch with Socialist Challenge supporters in your area or would like more information fill in the form below Name.....
Address
Age.
Union/CLP (if any)..
Send to: Socialist Challenge, PO Box 50. London N1 2XP.
Socialist Challenge 16 July 1982 page 2
with ASLEF.
Defeat has been snatched from the
But the Sidney Weighell, used every throughout the
was not
and hence to bring down the
The solidarity in action the TUC
have held back the fighting
had the
We
La whole, to join
Throughout, the need for That is supporters are
their bosses and their friends in
on
and Weighall have It is time for Benn,
'With
ASLEF MEMBERS felt they could have won the strike. In the days before the TUC sell out, thousands of pounds flooded into the ASLEF funds. The furniture union FTAT offered a loan of £10,000 and gave a donation of £100, the maximum allowed under their rules; the print union SOGAT sent €1,000 and AUEW-TASS £5,000. London District Council of NALGO sent letters to its 110,000 members requesting financial support and backing on picket lines. Govan Shipyard workers donated £1,000.
Support from the National Union of Mineworkers was overwhelm-
President Arthur Scargill declared that the attack on ASLEF was an attack on the whole trade union movement, with the lall ovalu agent of the Tory Govern-
'We will respond with equal determination' was the attached the initial d €10.000 donated from his NUM executive.
Instructions were sent to every pit not to allow coal to be loaded on trains and encouraging. to send their own donations and members to the picket lines.
Similar solidarity actions were building up in steel, engineering and car plants, GPO sorting fices, among health workers who joined ASLEF pickets and millions of other workers who saw this as an opportunity to take on the Tory assauils their move-
Despite the scabbing Weighell, NUR role members and the majority of the NUR National Ex-
Committee were ASLEF. The Glasgow and West Scotland Destrict Council of the NUR pledged full support and eighteen of the twenty six member NUR National Executive Committee made a donation to ASLEF fund.
The Annual General Meeting of the NUR also voted overwhelmingly instruct drivers not to cross picket a decision ignored by Weighell.
District Council of the NUR, Terescue 7,000 members agreed to set up a
committee SOCKOU coordinate the response of ASLEF allu NUR
TRAIN DRIVERS back at work under the sur-
render terms of the TUC know that the battle is
far from over. Even if union leaders were to ac-
cept every single
British Rail Board is out to get, the Board still
wouldn't be satisfied.
In fact, management's
demand for higher pro-
ductivity, lower wages and satisfied. Maybe the Board fewer can never
nas startea to enorce nex-
ible rosters thanks to its
and Dullyllg
and by playing on
cowardice the TUC
But it will soon have fresh
demands. The blackmailer
always returns for more.
members in the event of the sackings. ASLEF branch officers on London Transport pledged that they would call out their drivers if the sackings went ahead, bringing London Tubes to a standstill.
Seventy one MPs signed a statement, 'We pledge ourselves ready to assist ASLEF members in and outside Parliament in any way we may asked' Noticeable were the absent signatures LInG Wilcu hunters Foot, Healey and Shore.
Backing oming fro
undreds of Labour Pa ties throughout the con-
organising collections and solidarity rallies
Here we give just two of the many reports we received from Socialist Challenge readers of the solidarity meetings in their
These showed the al cas big possibilities for united action against the Tories.
In Hackney EIGHTY railworkers, health WULACIS trade unionist ITONO Jocal factories Tolned
public yeong aall called Hackney Stoke
Party to and support the health workers and local strikers at Hawker Siddles
The meeting's collection was divided between the three disputes calling resolution
carried "The NEC of the Labour Party to organise national
lemonstration in defense o the ASLEF ASLEF as a union. continued Casicite
'We also call on them to publically support the Tripl the NUM in oreer to called b acichu coos alu workul concluons ol talworkers.
In Lambeth
'WHEN Margaret Thatcher say's we're holding onto 1919 concluons. wnal she means 1s
The blackmailer who
came back for more
productivity plan the
At British Leyland, we learned this lesson through bitter xperience When
Michael Edwardes unveil ed his first corporate plan to save ine company, ne and the closure od thres and the closure thret plants would 'put BL on the road to recovery'. . The alternative? The closure of British Leyland.
The second corporate
-Solidarity
called to defend ASLEF that she wants train drivers to
back pre-1919 condi tions is how Andy Flett driver TON Waterlo ASLEF, summed up
acked meeting organised b Lambeth Labour Parties plan needs 10,000 redundancies. Three years and 36,000 jobs later, the company announced yet another round of closures and redundancies.
Sackings weren't the only measures taken. The company's main aim was a
nd, an all-out attack w stewards?" the shop
organisation.
All existing working agreements were thrown out. Longbridge convenor Derek Robinson was sacked. Other convenors were threatened with dismissal.
such solidarity
Frank Gorton, Trade Union Liaison officer for Hackney North Labour Party speaks to packed meeting of rail, health and engineering workers
called support the
WORKCHN health
workers. iu peoole amended
including a delegation from
ASLEF health
unions NUPE, TGWU and
By Pat Hickey, British Leyland, before it was axed.
Shop stewards were vic-
tims of similar threats.
When hinto effecte dides the
came older
workers were forced out.
Frequently they left their
jobs under the guise of British Rail worked redundancy.
British can
learn from this. Blackmail
needs to be resisted from
the start. The disgraceful
role of Sid Weighell and
the TUC can best be
fought by
fight against the Boards
plans Management
doesn't have a blank che-
que to do as it pleases!
ASTMS.
Collection sheets were distributed, and individua
to help picketing arrang workplac
neetings for both groups o WULACIS
ex-deputy convenor, Rover
The implementation of the productivity plans wil require the cooperation ol the drivers. There will be room for resistance even at this stage. If this round is made easy, the next round will demand more. And it will be harder to resist
A rearguard action now is the best way to keep the troops in good order for the : next battles. And it's vital if the accounts with the leaders who retray are going to be settl-
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We are angry
What railworkers told Socialist Challenge
By Pete Grant, ASLEF,
DRIVERS walked into their depots with heads held high on Monday. We were filled with pride in our union and in the wider labour movement which rallied behind the drivers to stop the Tory's plans to smash ASLEF.
But we are also angry. Angry with the right-wing scabs from the TUC who betrayed our struggle. In fact, after two weeks of all-out strike, the return to work has been forced on ASLEF alter the most treacherous betrayal of the working class by our OWI leaders the TUC SUCC the 1926 general strike.
The Finance and General Purposes Com-
of the TUC dominated by right wing sLaus "Hand in hand with the Tory government and the British Rail Board, ASLEF Se scas forced suspend the strike leaving train drivers to fend for ourselves, as victims of flexible rosters.
Set back
The drivers are soundly defeated or dejected. The betrayal is only a set-back, not a defeat for ASLEF. tion of the British Rail
to crush ASLEF.
Harry Turner, ASLEF, Manchester No. 1 branch
'THIS right wing TUC
lets the trade union
movement down and
union principles. I wish
everv success to the 71
Labour MPs who had
the guts to stand up and
back us. I hope they can
beat the opportunists.
'We in ASLEF will
not accept that any
class move-
ment denied their
rights and although on
this occasion it appears
we have lost this battle,
we will continue to fight
inside the Labour Party
and all working class
organisations
defence of working
people. In spite of Mag-
gie Thatcher's jingoism
we shall not be over-
come.'
John Sidebottom,
ASLEF, Longsight
branch, Chairperson.
'I'M disappointed that the
action has been called off.
But I disgusted with
the TUC. Some of them,
like Weighell, Chapple,
Duffy and Sirs are nothing
but traitors to their own
class. Il we na recelvea
the backing of the TUC,
we the
strike and defeated Teb-
bit.
'Some of the leaders
put their money where
their mouth is — - like the
MPs who supported us
and Arthur Scargill. The
response from the shop
floor workers was really
heartening. What we need
now is a real campaign to
rally round and get rid of
some of these people who
lead their unions and the
TUC.
'Although they are
disillusioned, we will all be
going back to work solid.'
Willesden branch. Sidney Weighell did all in his power to help these terTinie But ASLEF has not been crushed! And LUCY lave OlLy partially succeeded in getting flexible rosters into operation
The agreement reached allows the Board to operate the rosters, under protest, only at the 71 depots wnere they wert posted last week. No new rosters will be imposed un-
final agreement has been reacnea.
Agree
The Board has had to back down and agree that the rosters will have to be negotiated. More imporlantly, agree that the negotiations will within framework of the McCarthy report, Decision 77 of the Railway Staff National Tribunal
The Board has already complained how this decision gives them very little
and that flexible under these practically workable. Disruptions to
Ronny Ogden, ASLEF, Manchester No.1 branch, secretary of Local Departmental Committee 'WE ARE absolutely
lisgusted with the
rUC' position. They have sold us down the river one hundred per cent. The this dispute affects every working person
The TUC Finance and Genera: Purposes Com-
mittee must be taken to
They have given away the democratic rights of trade unionists to strike.'
Bill Taylor, ASLEF, Openshaw branch, branch officer
'I THINK we have been sold down the river by the TUC. I have not been a miveant ought d haved! militant in and I show TUC what a picket has to do.'
Peter Gunn, ASLEF, Manchester No. 1 branch, secretary
'THE TUC Finance and
General Purposes Com-
mittee has let us down.
have introduced
Tories, and it's not even law yet. I'm speaking at against che meeting
witch-hunt and I will be telling them
that it's not only in the
that this
witch-hunt is taking place, but in the unions
as well. And it's against
the interests of all work-
ing people.
Gwyn Hyde, ASLEF,
Cardiff, branch
secretary
•THE TUC pulled the plug
out on us. We've not been
beaten by the government,
nor Dy
Board, but by the TUC.
We looked to the TUC for
Miners handing over cheque to ASLEF
services are inevitable as drivers find ways to sabotage the rosters.
The left-right divide in the labour movement has come into sharp relief. The
U1l1V1l • leaders have come out firmly in
of the Tory government. Tony Benn's
LMANSIONE
HAT UNION O
Solidarity: miners and railworkers
backing and they turned us
'Chapple and Duffy are not prepared to support the principle that a union cannot accept TOe imposition working conditions without negotiation. They are Conservatives as far as we are concerned
*But Sid Weighell is the
He wanis to get rid ot.
wants to get rid of ASLEF, it's a thorn in his side. He is hand in glove with the Board.
'If the TUC hadn't sold this strike we would definitely have won
ASLEF members were solid.
'In the whole of Wales, only one ASLEF member
went to work and only a tiny of NUR
drivers. Support was given by the miners and was starting to come from other unions. But we've been thrown to the wolves because the TUC thinks this is the wrong time for a General Election.
'The government is attacking the right to strike and this will lead to attacks
other sections of
workers. The health sertroe le if the Tuil carries vice workers
E
support on the picket lines and the magnificent solidarity of the miners and Arthur Scargill's firm stand will not be torgotten. And it has given the left in the unions a fantastic opportunity to bring to book the traitors who are masquerading MEMERS
on like this. Ine TUC is backing away from the government and it's bloody disgrace.
Colin Grey, ASLEF Waterloo Branch, Local Departmental Committee Representative 'THE TUC decision was wrong. It will be seen as a retreat which the Conservatives and the Peter Parkers of this world are enjoying immensely
'ASLEF is now the sacrificial lamb because of
The ASLEF Executive
have vul remarkably well, they're in a canoe without a paddle
'The of Sid
disgusting.
'The should
OUIICI
the fire sive picket line. also en-
_ oo o lne
leaders of the working class.
Drivers back at work also remember others who gave so muca succour lo the Tory Press. The : scab
that their time has come. 'Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee' Noel Kirton secretary of ASLEI branch Thornaby-on-Tees 'The news came through when I was at our branch meeting. There was an imne de moder trom the floor to disaffiliate from
TUC moved amendment that we should condemn the ac. tion of the TUC and this
was carpeid ted nimt si.
pointed out that we'd had strong support from local trades councils
Middlesbrough and Stockton, including £100 from Middlesbrough trades council. I said it was the TUC's leadership we should be criticising, not local activists.
"The strike was solid this weekend, , there were
at al around Teesside. The members are
hostile the TUC, they feel completely abandoned. We depended a lot on TUC support and Lae genuinely thought they would get it
'They are sidarieighel hostile to Weighell since local NUR officials have been visiting the houses of NUR members who have been supporting our action, telling them they must go through the picket lines on Monday.'
ASLEF pickets
Don't mourn,
organise!
By Duncan Edwards and Redmond O'Neil! MANCHESTER drivers.
the news stunned by that the strike was suspended, held a mass meeting last Sunday and registered their disgust with
gle. meeting about 400 drivers passed the following resolution:
'The Manchester Area branches of ASLEF mass
is disgusted with the Finance and General Purposes Committee and condemns the committee for the lack of
uppol shown to
AŚLER strikers. Th Shadow Cabinet of th Labour Party has also failed to support the struggle and both are responsible TOT introducing Tebbit
ment.
ASLEF is
mending to the conference
ference to enter into negotiations rosters.
Socialist Challenge
.96605
Birmingham N.::S:
officials from a nurie branches decided launch a campaign to aler the local labour movemen: against the treachery. The tours factories, district commit tees, union and Labour planned to win support for explain the role of the right wing TUC leaders A mass lobby i of the North west TUC is being organised by ASLEF Luly. ASLEF wil be cali branches Sunday, ing the meeting dissociate itself from the TUC Finance and General Purposes Committee's betrayal.
What happens
next? • The strike has been suspended, but the BR Board has not been given a blank cheque.
The rosters already posted in 71 depots are being worked, but under protest. The Board has agreed that even these are provisional. They are subject to future joint review agree
The Board now has to enter into negotiations on the introduction of the rosters on a national scale. As far as the TUC's 'peace for. mula goes, any agreement will be based on the McCarthy tribunal recommendations
committed recalling the union's Annual Delegate Conference. At the time the strike was suspended, the executive had not yet decided what it will be recom• ASLEF will have to get the backing of con
on the
23 Jüly 1982
Page 4 scan of this page
Israel's minorities'
By Ros Kaplan A FEW YEARS AGO if you'd asked an Israeli who and where the Palestinians are, you'd have been met by derision and a denial that such a people existed. The Israeli state had said so, rewritten pre-1948 history, changed Arab place names to Hebrew and destroyed the tell-tale signs of history and existence in what was now Israel and what Palestine. Over 350 towns and villages were razed to the ground. Arab 'Jaffa' became 'Yaffo' - being turned into a trendy ethnic district for artists, cafés and night clubs...
Yet the Palestinians remain cleaning streets, working as garage attendants, on building sites, in restaurants, canning fruit in factories, clean-
hospitals and as seasonal workers in kibbutzim fields.
The state calls them 'minorities' euphemism for Arab.
According to the state there are no Arabs only Muslims, Christians, Druze and Bedouins.
They are the Palestinians who managed to escape expulsion by the Israelis after the '48 war - the fate of 800,000 of :heir people 170,000 see ned and for Years were forgotten. were concentrated the villages In the Galilee, Triangle area and the Negev desert.
Today these al cas are still predominantly
Arab despite state plans :0 'Judaize the Galilee' and move the Bedouins off the land; the population has risen
dramatically to 500,000.
the PLO and against Zionism.
fices in London's Regent Street.
ference will be in the autumn.
The LCP can be Mansions, Holmleigh Rd., London N16.
Socialist Challenge 23 July 1982 page 4
another people's
used to be called From 1948-65 the Palestinians in the new state were subject to the Emergency Regulations of 1945 (a legacy from British colonial rule once used against the Palestinian Jewish community) - in effect meant military rule which held them as prisoners in their Villages no travel without military mits, imprisonment without trial, political organisations banned, and for a farming people worse still their ands confiscated.
This policy in part reflected the colonial aims of the state. Unlike South Africa, when was built on the oppression and exploitation OI the black people, Zionism sought to expel the indigenous population, isolate the ones wno re mained and replace Arab • Will exclusively Jewish labour.
The Histadrut General Federation of Hebrew workers in Eretz Israel was set up in the 1920s to specifically keep out Arabs from the labour market.
The emergency Regulations restricted the
Labour
Committee
on Palestine
A LABOUR Committee on Palestine, comprising Labour Party activists, has been formed to campaign, inside and outside the party. in solidarity with the Palestinian people and
The committee opposes the Zionist Israeli state as a racist, exclusivist and expansionist state. Its first public activity has been to picket the El Al of-
A public meeting is being organised in London's County Hall this Friday evening, July 23. The committee is to hold a fringe meeting at the Labour Party conference and its founding con-
contacted c/o 28 Carlton
Public Meeting
Solidarity with the
Palestinian people!
Israel out of Lebanon!
Recognise the PLO!
County Hall, London
Friday 23 July 7pm Speakers: Ken Livingstone, Stuart Holland MP,
Palestinian and anti-Zionist Israeli speakers
Wall spells out the message movements of Palestinians
LO WINS Today there are only 6 mixed (Jewish/Arab) the whole state.
Between 1948 and the sixties a struggle in the israell Zionist establishment raged over whether
Isolate or exploit the growing. pool of Arab labour. The 'exploit them" camp won. Employers and the state cast a greedy look ploitable labourtorce with this potentially few any rights, that would out of necessity LaKe lower Wakes than Jewish workers and who could be laid off first in a recession which would DIULCCi Israeli jobs and material privileges andprovide profits for the ruling class. In the sixties the Histadrut took in its first Arab members a ne even changed its name to the General Federation of Labour!
marked • israeli phase TOI
They occupied the remainder slate. pre-48
International
ISRAEL BECAUSE
TOCCUPIES OUR LAND
The Occupation of East Jerusalem is an outrage to the Arab world
Palestine (the West Bank and Gaza Strip) and a part hts. The Heights. occupation meant not only more land but an added 1 million Palestinians under direct military rule (note, in 1967 they said they were only going to stay a few days 15 years later they are still there and are now saying the same about Lebanon!)
The military and administrative apparatus needed to maintain a col ony and the elevation of
perialist Israel LU ally junior with im- an escalation of US arms and
soon orehe israeli work
force was needed to run this. It left the Arabs as a
economy The porential
potential Cullully.
Arab workforce is ПОИ third that of the Jewish even though they are one sixth the population.
The Palestinians inside
borders)
АТЕН
SNAC come from the Occupied Territories. They are the Israeli Bantustan. estimated 80,000 workers travel into Israel every day - they are not permitted to stay overnight
The massive land ex-
* Ernest Mandel on 'Socialist Democracy' * John Harrison on 'Economic Crisis'
propriations in the ter-
ritories (contrary to international law) for military and settlement purposes has created a large pool of mobile labour. Farmers and now BICW class are often hired on a daily basis under miserable conditions, for lousy wages, paying taxes to the Israeli state and getting nothing in return no social security, fringe benetits health care and so on. Just like the Arab villages inside Israel have Decorat workers' dorNOV LOWS SU the territories change for Israel.
The Israeli state depends very heavily on the Arab workforce. They are crucial to _the economy. The official numbers of workers is prolower unan really They mask the numbers who registered. work seasonally in agriculture or factories like the • year old girls from Gaza who pack fruit in Tel Aviv and the Arab women who work in sweat shops in the villages for the
The 1960s saw another significant development that of the Liberation movement. In
Led. It became the political expression severa million Palestinians living mostly in the Arab worl as exiles to fight to return Palestine. tion movement and the oc Cuballul the of Palestine ended the isolaof the Arabs Israel. The desertion of the Arab countries. the attack and expulsion of Palestinians by King Hussein in Jordan (Black September 1970) showed the Palestinian in the fight against were on then own Lebanon
The seventies inside Israel saw the founding of the Arab Nationalist movement amongst the Palestinian students Universities Abn al Balad (Sons of the village), nationalist movement in the Villages leaders of both have been in and out of prison and some under house arrest for two years
of the Occupied ritories have waged a long and hard struggle against military rule demonstrat through and
International
'Debating Socialism'
Weekend October 23/24 Central London venue
* Bea Campbell & Val Coultas debate'Sweet Freedom' * Ken Livingstone, Frances Morrell & Alan Freeman debate 'The New Labour Left' * Mike Davis on 'Exterminism & the Cold War'
* John Ross on 'Break-Up of British Politics' * Bernadette McAliskey & Perry Anderson atso invited
Tickets: Just f4 for whole weekend, £2.50 per day. Creche provided. Write to: International 'Debating Socialism', PO Box 50, London N1 2XP
Mark the date in your diary now - 23/24 October!
tions, and the latest and most militant uprisings in the last seven months have been met the most violent Israeli retaliation since the battles in Gaza in the early seventies.
of Lebanon has arisen out of the Israeli policies toward the Palestinians such
demand the destruction of the PLO. In 15 years the Israelis have been unable their will on the Occupied Territories. Milson civilian administration is no better than the previous military rule, the Israeli collaborators the Village Leagues are hated,
population is solidly the behind the resistance, and the Arabs in Israel are identifying more and more with, and supporting the rebellion in the territories and the general strike in the Golan.
Many Israelis the potentia threat from Arab workers if in the tuture thev organise other workers against the state. More immediately, Sharon and
believed that Begir defeat of the PLO Lebanon would mean an end the struggle Palestinians under their rule. They give no credit to local initiative and
The PLO ir ordanusallol the last year did not break the ceasetire they suc-
ceeded in imposing it on all
tactions within the movement and was succeeding
in its aims to be taken as a
political force in
the on the future of the West Bank
and Gaza.
The Israelis didn't
want this - - and therefore attacked. Israel's
plans for the territories
promoted then
1102
genocide although
true that there are other
long standing on
redsulls
Israel's agenda ter-
and the
establishment alla O1 d Chris-
tian Maronite (Phalangist
state in Lebanon to be a
future accomplice with
Israel in patrolling the
Middle East.
Even the defeat of the
PLO in Lebanon will not ind the resis aralesinithe
million Palestinians
under Israeli rule
Although it will be a big
setback, can recover
the building of a
world-wide solidarity
movement that supports
their fight against Israel
occupation.
Page 5 scan of this page
strike
ing: 'If that's what the TUC do to the railworkers, what can we expect?' It's
to any hopes that they may have of bettering the present offer.
But does that mean that these workers now face a long up-hill battle on their own? That must not be the case. The health WULACIS and their allies Call. and must, take advantage of the enormous goodwill that exists in the labour movement for the case of the NHS staff. Furthermore, that goodwill has been more than words and messages of solidarity.
Miners, dockers, steel workers. transport workers and others, have downed tools and marchea in alliance with LICI health workers. They have been prepared to lose money and to defy the laws on picketing, in the cause of another group of workers. That is a power-
take action
and lively
ed.
Singleton Hospital was also able to send women to support other nickers mine area such as the one to Mor1slul Hospital. Here there WaS support amone LIlC membership for the nationally called strike action but due to weak anu uliccrlall Icauclship from union officials the hospital had actually aeamst slokle. il was LIc: 0llly hospital in the entire county not to strike.
The DICKel which had
CONFIDENTIAL memo circulated to officers
presumably other departments dated 14 July 1982 referring to the TUC call for general support for the health service unions on 19 to 21
with simply by stoppage of pay but it has now been decided for all departments, that if it occurs in furtherance of a dispute outside the
to disciplinary proceedings.'
from work appear
rule could include going on demonstrations
political activity.
Spread the
EVERY HEALTH worker must be ask-
a good and a sensible question. For the workers to rely on the good offices of Len Murray would be kissing goodbye
ful base from which to build, and it contrasts with the meaness of spirit that chokes the corridors at Congress House.
Solidarity
These workers recognise that more than a wage claim is at stake. The measly increase offered by the Tories, according.
Fowler, the Social Services Secretary, means a freeze ol ucw monev ior growtr Recruitment, the NHS until 1985. a sorely understaffed NHS, is to be further cut back. Ancillary workers' jobs are to be cut and NHS services are to be папаса back over lo tne private sector. working class is
South Wales workers
WEST GLAMORGAN hospital and health workers with only one exception decided to take strike action in support for their pay claim. In Neath there were emergency services only and Neath General Hospital was picketed by 170 workers from NUPE, NALGO, ASTMS and T&G. In Swansea there were strong
pickets at all the hospitals. The main hospital Singleton provided emergency cover only and a picket which began at bam ensured that any blacklegs would be unable to go into work unobserv-
representatives from NUPE and ASTMS persuaded postal services and non essential supplies to respect the picket line.
Coilc hospital, VIOWO l reasanl steward rwwn Jones saio toe porters and kitchen staff had Occil determined LaKC ll dustrial action. The hospitals domestics also were on strike. cclllld. Clinic LWU speech therapists, both members of ASTMS staged a oIcKeL wuich scvelal oi lici colleagues mostly office staff
Civil servants threatened
in charge of all Inland Revenue offices and
July. It states 'Hitherto unauthorised absence
for industrial action has normally been dealt
civil service, staff will in future also be liable
Management has been asked to notify im-
mediately any staff who either take absence
committed
breaches of the rules of conduct. This last
or pickets, since tens of thousands of civil
servants are restricted from engaging in any
By Bob Pennington
faced with an onslaught
Lae uaot UolON and determined attack •v nene arast uue idea of a free health service for all. Because this is be. ing more and more recognised by the activist. in the trade unions they have seen the importance of rallying
roulu lo uci fend the NHS This support has to be built on Health workers have tour the workshops, the coalfields, the docks, the building sites and the offices asking for solidarity strikes
Nationally the health uuons snouu. m aalc. with unions like the WUCS. COuvCIC ference of all labour movemeTuI oreausauons support the 12 per Call. anu dre cady aru willing to take action to defend the NHS.
This is the best, in fact, It is the Ullil als Weilu Thatcher and her govern-
and of course •lbille those super-scabs who sold out ASLEF and who given half a chance will do the same to the hospital workers. ane members oI NAru and the post office refused to
Amoulance arvers mn uoe county were responding only
cases. The binclseucy oreakine or wne rau sulke nas convinced many health workers of the need for supDOTT Irom une trade umons and members of the labour movement. West Glamorgan. the NHS strike
hae sa tsum ort onsh sicke,
from supernealers WOIKS public transport and NUM Brynlliew, all of which had representalive on une oickel line. addition the bus
have decided on an mul s slovbaze l syllloally.
On Wednesday
JuLY there was a rally callea by NUPE. Representatives from omner unions as well as Irom the womens movement and labour Dectee to aureno.
A hard life
A TUC spokesperson complained last Friday:
Our minds are so heavily concentrated on the rail dispute we'd almost forgotten there was a healthworkers dispute.
For the overworked bureaucrats at the TUC, selling down the river was ob-
exnausung business, which has Hn ConL that the NHS unions have to wait before the TUC leaders could concentrate their minds how to sell them out!
Solidarity
CAMDEN
EXOCET
LEN
MURRAY!
An admirable sentiment!
5,000 militant trade unionists marched through the streets of London avionaay solidarity with the healthworkers. Kent workess and Rolls Royce miners, office workers were amongst the Hlally who Callic out.
Anger was expressed not merely toward the Tory
support of the healthworkers.
government but toward the sell out policies of the Trade Union leaders especially Murray
LCI who did not dare show his miserable face on the platform.
'More Arthur Scargills is what we need' was the echoing cry of the day.
The speaker from Pad-
ACH
London trade unionists demonstrate ir
dington ASLEf promised continued support to the healthworkers and . ote Tanlasu Tes Donlst won't let you down like the TUC let us down. If we've have had the support from the TUC we could have won rail. vul We weren't let down dispute on the
by the rank and file but the TUC General Purposes
P
COuLi LIVE
151. Ale
MAC-
Committee.'
Ray Buckton sen: telegramme promisl. that the railworkers wou live to tight another dar
And if th demonstration anything to go , by the the healthworkers w be with them.
Socialist Challenge 23 July 1982 pagl
Page 6 scan of this page
Left divided over witch-hunt
By Alan Freeman DEEP tactical divisions surfaced in the Labour Party left this weekend over the witch-hunt
the Campaign for Labour Party ecutive committee decided to place three native options' before the Labour Party conference in the form of amendments to tabled resolutions.
The meeting supported the first and third of these
- which rejected the Labour Party NEC's register and its report on the Militant tendency - in line with the democracy campaign's policy,
oppose expulsions and boycott the register.
But 'option two', as it became known, provoked a heated debate and was eventually passed by only twelve votes eleven.
After an angry discussion on Sunday consultative meeting called by CLAD to discuss action
the witch-hunt, arallisi substantial changes were
Victor Schonfield reported democracy campaign's decisions to a consultative meeting on Sunday severa: constituency Labour Parties and pressure groups within the Partv.
Labour Abortion Rights
Labour Parliamentary Associa-
Labour Action . iVii.
Peace. Independant Labour Publications and
National Association of Labour Students. He argued that if Labour's conference failed to reject CLPD had to adopt flexi- register outright, ble tactics.
Option LWO was
ISOLUTIOL which called on Labour's NEC amend Clause Two of the constitution dealing with conditions for membership. Such a move would delay any action for a year and place ultimate control over explusions in conference's hands.
Most delegates at the meeting, slated this proposal. dubbing *pseudo democratic register'
Mandy Moore of the Labour Abortion Rights Campaign dissociated herself from Saturday's
which she had voted against.
•We cannot accept the stipulation that our group should be open any, Labour Party member, she said, going through the proposal point by point. as a 'fallback' option ference failed to oppose the register.
After which this text was substantial changes were made.
agenda.
Line 17: Add at end:
Accordingiv it instructs tr
solute powers to determine the conditions under Labour Party members may organise within the Party.
ty Constitution on the following lines:
Socialist Challenge 23 July 1982
Labour Party Witch-hunt
At a tense six hour meeting on Saturday 17 July
Democracy's ex'alter-
'We are not open to antiabortionists.' Nor could the abortion campaign accept point (e) which would entitle anti-abortionists to attend as observers. "The Labour abortion campaign is not prepared to end its association with international organisations, whether or not approved by the Labour Party,' she added. •The abor-
tional and we have indispensible contacts with women's organisations abroad.
Finally, the Labour abortion campaign would HOL divulge membership lists which could fall into antiLAC Hallus abortionists.
Reg Race, MP agreed.
The witch-hunt was haphe said, because the right wing nad LOSI control of the party but the left wing had not gained it.
The wing was inererore pel the left piece by piece if necessary by removing all who oppose it.
Estimating that around 40-50 MPs opposed the register, he said that the onlv sensible tactic was to boycott the register and refuse to co-operate with its implementation. 'Once you concede the register,' he said, 'you immediately isolate The right Milliant. could them pick off opponents one by one.
Leading figures from the Labour Parliamentary Association backed the boycott proposal, that they would support any Consumerci which refused to expel people. If CPD's 'ootion two' were carried, they said, the Labour right would leap at it with open arms, and use expel people and claim authority from the democracy campaign.
This was amplified by a delegate from the broad
union COHSE. controlled by Her eculave the right wing would
It is not really an alter-
CLPD's 'option two'
THE TEXT which follows was proposed by the majority of the executive of the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy on Saturday 17 July,
if Labour Party con-
Sunday's consultative meeting, at severely criticised,
The text is cast in the form of an amendment to a resolution already on the conference
• suspend implementation of the recommendatior of the Militant Tendency Report. In particular Conference rejits the principle of giving the NEC ab-
which groups of It instructs the NEC to bring forward amendments to Clause II (3) of the ParLine 3 (as per September 1981 printed Party Constitution)
page 6
Labour Party Conference
native at all,' she said, 'but
witch-hunt in another guise.
No vote could be taken because the meeting was consultanve Socialist Challenge supporters met with very broad agreement when they said that, had
CLPD executive not put forward option two, there would have been a real possibility for a united campaign the left around the principle OTI non-cooperation with the register, and a refusal to
expulsions. The way to construct such a united campaign, they argued, Was three initiatives which sougnt lo co-vluilale au tion: Militant's open conference on 11 September;
conference convened by Hackney North Labour Paregistered Alliance, ar Party
Delete all atter 1946 . pressure group activ. ies providing that:
Clause IV
Party; c) their structure is open and democratic;
d) any Labour Party member is free to join them;
an observer;
Party or the Socialist International;
counts are submitted annuall
should be
Labour Party
SOURS GOD FOR BRITAN
broad co-ordination which had been formed to link up all organisations refusing to register.
Keith Lichman of Hackney North explained why his party had called a conference. 'It is the Consuluency rarties wno will first face the threat of exbustons and bossible said ions if they refuse to comply, he said. 'Our party simply will not operate in this way. We cannot do it So we want to co-ordinate action between those Con stituency Parties who take the same stand. We hope to write to all Constituency Parties to ask them to attend a meeting on 4 September. "This will establish some form of operation, call a full conference in October after the Labour Party ference, and will seek to
_Id: 'will be free to conduct
a) their aims are consistent with Party's objects as defined in b) are not engaged in the promotion of Parliamentary and Local Government Candidates other than those endorsed by the Labour
e) any Labour Party member is entitled to attend their meetings as 1) do not operate their own internal discipline or are associated with any international organisation not supported by the Labour g) details of their aims, officers, employees, membership and ac
to the NEC
Any group found by the NEC to be in breach of these rules
given a period of not more than three months to put an end to such infringements and may be ordered by the NEC io sus pend its activities. but the final decision must be left to the Parts Conference that immediately follows any such decision by the
argue for a boycott policy at Militant's conference.
Bob Labi of Militant dissented, arguing that individuals were expelled from the Labour Party it was better for their constituencies to accept, rather than risk suspension and disaffiliation.
The delegate from Tottenham Labour Party probably best summed up rank and file feelings when he explained his reaction
voung lor expulsionis *My brain might accept the
said, 'but my arm would simply
SOCIALISM TORIES; / SDPE
Letter from
Hackney
North to all Constituency Labour Parties
Hackney North and Stoke Newington Constituency Labour Party Member of Parliament: Ernie Roberts M.P. 12th July 1982 Dear Comrade
Party's radical wing. could never do by democratic means.
There are few Militant supporters in our Party.
or expel anybody.
We urge your Party to: 1) Support our position against the witch-hun
if you have not already allyUUuy
County Hall,
send delegates
County Hal 5) Complete and return the reply slip below Yours fraternally, Ken cillal Vice Chair
Constituency Party
Secretary..
A dotes.
•1.
anybody
register or expe
• 3 We will senc
or our
Witch-hunt on 30 October
setting up the Campaign
• Delete as necessary
Beatty koad, London Nio
IS NOT FOR BURNING •BOUR RIGHT
Ernie Roberts Labour Parties Against the Witch-hunt
The NEC's report on the Militant Tendency and its recommendation to form a register of groups working within the Party is a transparent attempt by the right to witch-hunt and destroy the
It aims to achieve by bureaucracy wnal l
We have, nevertheless, written to the NEC informing it that we will not cooperate with the report's recommendations, and will not register
2) Write to the NEC expressing your refusai to register or expe 3) Send delegates to a co-ordinating meeting of Labour Parties Against the Witch-hunt on Saturday, 4 September at 2.00pmi a
Westminster, to plan how to promote this polic throughout the Labour movement, including the conference call ed for 11 September, to which we warmiy encourage Partes 1o 4) Agree to co-sponsor a conference of Constituency Labour Poi lies Ăgainst the Witch-hunt to be held on Saturday, 30 October a
We oppose the witch-hunt and will not register or expel • 2. We have written to the NEC informing it of our refusal to
- delegates to the co-ordinating meeting • Parties Against the Witch-hunt on 4 September at 6 4. L agree to co-sponsor the conference of CLPs Against the • 5. We enclose a donation of £___. towards the expenses of
Please return to: Hackney North & Stoke Newington CLP, 28
MTOM HUNT.
Page 7 scan of this page
The Guardian for 15 July, bewildering
gyrations,
total confusion.'
He was acclaimed for his handling of the witchDUOL Militant. Then he backed down on Tatchell. Next he bitched in for ASLEF, enfuriating Weighell and Roy Hattersley; so Weighell publicly attacked him. Hattersely simply denied that the Shadow Cabinet had taken any such position on the rail dispute; and by the weekend Foot had made special call to ASLEF headquarters withdrawing his backing from the strike.
Fight
This SUCCESSOR of fliplops has all explanation: Foot is the faithful servant of the trade union He who pays the piper....
What makes
Foot run?
THE PRESS has been in a quandary for a week: is Michael Foot to be labelled a hero or a villian?
commenting on his said 'Mr Foot Will have alienated those who thought the attack should never have been made, and those who expected him to deliver, while leaving the world at large in a state of
bureaucrats. When they are at each other's throats, he does what ne can to keep them together.
Most of the TUC were unhappy about the Tories handling of ASLEF. They are no longer consulted at Vumber 10. Government attempts crush the unions without consultation reave TheT leaders with little to do: so they nave to get le on une acu Foot voices their concern.
In the case of Peter Tatchell, STOOL a previous mistake. On the floor House Commons he had rashly announced that patchel would 'never' be endorsed as a candidate. But these days he has other interests ... calls the tune. Left, Healey. Right, Foot. Above, Len
to consider; at the 4 July meeting with GUI LOUs. which stitched up union block votes in favour of the register and the attack on Militant, mainstream Bennites in the Party and unions were not the target. They are still too powerful. The decks had to be cleared for an offensive concentrated on the 'hard' left.
Top
This offensive has two
smear the Bennites - and
himselt associallull with 'secret
of revoluCaucuse. tionaries' hopefully diminishing his appeal in the workers' movement.
carried through would make people think that Labour's doleful showing at the
Perl conspiracied racer
conspiracies, rather than by Michael Foot and Denis Healey.
Murray and chorus.
Labour Party
By Brian Heron
The way would then be clear to reverse those policy gains
the EEC and incomes policy which have made the Party unfit to govern on behalf of the British establishment. . But for the moment the decks must be cleared to carry through the attack
Militant and ine far left. If that creates the right atmosphere, the Bennites are next.
Right
The right wing are more than usually cynical about their motives. In public they that Labour can win the next election by ditching Militant; but successful witch-hunt would final nail in Labour's coffin. Ine register is in fac an attack on the whole Party • not just the left. The likes of Duffy are willing to accept crushing deteat it they think they
can crawl back into favour with the establishment. Power
Much of the right's support at Labour Party conference will come from those who do not understand that their proposals will open a civil war in the party, who imagine it wil buy a quiet life and win the next election.
The more serious is the resistance the witchhunt, the more difficult it will become to maintain
The bes way defeat the right wing is theretore the mos thorough and determined rerusal to upicmehl ll, a every level of the Party.
Michael Foot may br caught in the middle by the trade union bureaucrats: the rest of the left need not fall into the same trap.
NREGISTERED
SOCIALIST
NEW BADGE
OUT
'Unregistered Socialist Black and white on red background 25p plus p&p; orders over 50, 15p post free. Send your orders in
don N1 2XP. Cheques and
to Group.
By Davy Jones
with a magnificent £1140.
and mounting debts in
people to dig week's wages.
We have n01 been those in well-paid iobs who have sent us
workers
ple of thousand pounds
we would ask all
weeks wages? weeks waeds.
lUSI 7880 VOU' appeal
Have • made it more but the tilthy
have not had a wage rise for a whole year.
ot sewer rats
'However needs it, including me
thanks to everyone who has donated
WEST MIDLANDS Birmingham £887.00 woventry 50.00 overnamotor U.u Leamington NORTH WEST Livernoo 30.00 Manchester 1107.55 Preston 160.00 SOUTH WALES Cardiff 355.00
135.00 Newoort 250.00 SCOTLAND Edinburgh 289.50 Glasgow 299.55 Aberdeen 129.55 NORTH CASI
liddlesbor 100.00 YORKSHIRE
100.00 Sheffield 265.00 Wakefield ZU.U
0.00 Rotherham 0.00 York 0.00 SANDS Leicester 53.00
(COHSE) Ray
Williams (AUEW NC & LPYS)
7.30pm,
Socialist Challenge
FUND DRIVE '82
Week's Wages
campaign - over
£10,000!
MORE than ten thousand pounds has now poured into our campaign for a weeks wages for Socialist Challenge from our supporters. And again our Brent supporters have done us proud raising a full ten per cent of our total
We explained when we launched the fund almost two months ago that we faced a huge rent increase
weekv ocoer holduno tor me inrerests or workint
So we asked all our readers and supporters • deep into their pockets and to send us a
disappointed. It s not just • money We've had pensioners sending in their weekly che que, people on the dole sending us their paltry week. ly giro, as well as the low paid like nurses and health
weeks because we've had promises for another cou
. We want our supporters to rush us the final instalments from their areas. And
our readers not just our regular supporters and sellers - can you afford to send us a
Can you afford not to send us a
Des Stevens from Surrey answered those questions like this in a letter we have just received: 'I have
In ası week's issue and enclose a cheque for f5 for your Fund Drive. I would
caoitalist system refuses to increase my wages to date, even though I
Also, aue to tne manipulation in tne last budget of the capitalist money system, I actually take home less now than I did betore Aori _ surelvthev can on ly be described at best as being lower than the urine
your paper MUST go on - society
Below is a list of contributions by area. Our
Nottingham 290.00 bolsover 0.01 SOUTH WEST Bath 50.00 96.00 OTISLO OXTOr( Swindon Exeter 50.00
Brighton Portsmouth 0.01 Southhampton crawle 0.00 LONDON Ealing/Southall 548.00 Hillingdon/Homel 679 wer Hamlet 210.00 Newham 8g
Camder harined 20.00 Lamoeti Southwark 215 Wandsworth 213.01 Lewisnam Bren1 114 inaivicuals
TOTAL £.10.115.25 BRISTOL WEST LPYS RALLY Fight the Tories!
Defend Our Unions!
Speakers: Tony Benn, Stephanie Glover
Davies (ISTC) Cliff
Central Hall, Old Market, Bristol
Friday 30 July.
Socialist Challenge 23 July 1982 page.
Page 8 scan of this page
WANTED
FOR SCABBING
By Hazel Macpherson THE ASLEF leadership called off the strike. Buckton spoke to the press shortly after the decision:
"This was a battle that could not be won without Ine support assistance of the whole trade union movemenl — support forthcoming.'
A large share of the responsibility for that lack of official support must
to NUR secretary, WEIGHELL. For the first time ever Ray Buckton was moved to make a public statement Weighell's role. here can be no doubt that had the NUR given its support to the ASLEF — no matter how passive that support may nave been — the pressure on the TUC's Finance and General Purposes Committee to give official backing would have been far greater.
Instead Weighell stood at the head of the massive campaign against the
Socialist Challenge 23 July 1982
BRITISH
RAIL
e WHO NEXT
has Ray
Tory ministers themselves.
For NUR and
that was not
massive turnout from the ranks.
"advising' these
repudiating legal position
ambiguously cross the picket lines.
wouldn't be worth
money isn't available anyway'.
implementing and
ASLEF, his vicious public attacks have been taken up and quoted not only by the Tory media but also by
members Weighell's treacherous role has been clear right journal! from the time he used the AGM to call off their national strike despite the organising
against
His response to the possible sacking of the NUR drivers who had been told not to cross picket lines by the NUR AGM was to send out a circular
members of their — in other words an phrased invitation
His response to the possible lock out of his members was to say that it Weighell
going to cour (despite the fact that the BRB would be breaking a contract) and that 'the beheaded
probably
Weighell is far more interested in
plans of the BR management than in fighting for the jobs and livelihoods of his membership. He even went as far as to allow Sir Peter Parker to air his views in the pages of the union's
Inside the NUR Weighell is
massive witch-hunt those who are trying challenge this bankrupt class collaborationist line.
ASLEF and NUR members who attended the lobby of the TUC last week put the feeling of the majority of rank and file railworkers very clearly when they chanted 'Scab, scab, scab' as Weighell was escorted by the police to the door of Congress House.
wasn t Sid of the him, grounds or insanty.
Bob Black, Selhurst branch secretary, ASLEF
outline the most important.
Defend the
unions
OVER 25,000 ASLEF and NUR train drivers were threatened with the sack if they didn't return to woIK. Before being drivers would have to sign individual statements management's terms. at stake was the right to strike and the right of trade unions to collectively negotiate and act for their members.
If an entire workforce can be sacked and its then no worker and no union can feel secure. In the USA, sacked all the trollers, their prison in chains and their union PATCO bankrupted. This is what Thatcher and Tebbit are trying to do here.
Defend
jobs
THE rail industry others has devastated by job 15,000 jobs have gone in the past two years and are still disappearing at the rate of 1,000 a month.
The British Rail to use the six productivity items being forced on ASLEF and the NUR to get rid of 40,000 jobs from all grades in the next five years.
The Tories unemployment as a bludgeon to beat the unions with. They reason that no one is going to fight for jobs. conditions while there are over three million waiting in the dole queue. ASLEF wrong. and BR pulled out every dirty trick against them, including the threat of total closure of the rail network and mass redundancies. But ASLEF members stood firm.
Improve
working
conditions 'I HAVE been a train-driver's wife for forty-two years. My life like my husband's has been ruled by the railway timetable - and what a timetable!
'Over the years I've got used to it — not flushing the toilet if he's sleeping in the day, vacuuming at night, eating Christmas dinners by myself, pleading with the neighbours to turn the television down.
'There's just no room in our lives for any more "flexibility". Our lives just wouldn't be worth living.'
British Rail screams about the rail union's disregard for the poor
WHAT AS
WERE FI
THE ASLEF drivers stood united and solid in a strike o
reinstated,
accepting What was
union smashed,
Reagan air traffic conleader taken to What
HEALTH
Equality sleep, like many already been stipation loss. Over pain,
Board plans SOCIAL accidents, family
divorce rate, are using passivity.
safety, wages and better working
proved them
The government, press
work. satety
crime! total rostering.
Pickets at British Rail's Stratford d commuter. But consider the facts.
effect does the present system of shift work mean for the train driver which will be worsened by flexible rostering proposals.
96 per cent of train drivers work shifts. These are the effects:
disruption of body time (circadian rhythms), . sleep loss, poor
digestive disorders, gastric and duodenal ulcers, con-
and diarrhoea, respiratory problems, low back
neurosis, cardiovascular disease, chronic tatigue, depression, irritability.
disrupted social and lives, domestic friction, strained sexual relations, higher
JOSS loneliness, social and political
In the interests of health and
rail drivers should be working shorter early and late shifts to make a 33 hour week, counting hours worked before 6am and after 10pm as two hours instead of one; the irregularity of shift patterns should be reduced; special facilities should be made available, especially catering, rest rooms and transport to and from
Instead BR is proposing to increase the number of shift starting times in the same week; daily shifts of 7-9 hours instead of the standard 8 hours; widely ranging weekly working hours of between 30-45 hours; less regular free Saturdays which could end up working 10 in a row.
Flexible rostering means bad health, disrupted social lives, lack
passengers workers; loss of jobs - up to 45 per cent. Flexible rostering is a
It is just one example of the measures proposed in every industry to increase productivity and profits at workers' expense. The British Rail bosses complain that ASLEF is questioning their right to manage the industry as the Board see fit. They demand
submission flexible
ASLEF told British Rail that
Page 9 scan of this page
LEF DRIVERS
ues affecting every worker. Toni Gorton and Socialist Challenge railworkers
they have no right to manage the industry at the workers' expense. This example of workers'
inspiration to millions workers who don't want to submit to the same conditions.
July '82 from a special leaflet on the "human Cost COT Available from the British Society Social Responsibility in Science, 9 Poland
concon wi Arthur Scargill Defend the
guaranteed
day
THE EARLY labour movement struggled for the right to be paid for a guaranteed forty hour working week regardless of the amount of work available. It was only in the '70s that dockers won right.
They tell us that technology means a shorter work week and increased leisure time. There's masses of leisure time alright due to unemployment!
Meanwhile, those enough to be in work are forced to speed up the job, increase productivity and work even hours.
The world wide crisis means that the capitalists
CHTING FOR
veto is their profits - so they.
of
COSLS.
This is closures, sackings, Rostering'.
for to take less worked British Rail's railworkers to
of this overall scheme.
mean
on a particular day,
to 45 hours.
With
will start from then.
further
And that's
follow.
people not
profit
BRITAIN needs
cient movement of freight. this Such sysicall advanced dreds of private road
companies
profits. of important. lucky off the freight trattic that
longer private road haulage sector.
satisfied with this, economic denationalise,
privatise the rail system.
payers'
systems
hands aren't able to sell what they produce at prices that will guarantee
produce its less and try to maintain their profits by driving down wages and
what's behind the layoffs and redundancies. Workers are forced
money tor hours and to produce more. for this attempt to get abandon the guaranteed eight hour day is part
British Rail's flexible rosters
that drivers will only be paid for the actual work available
with the working week varying between 35
Today any driver working over eight hours a day gets overtime for the extra hours.
flexible rosters drivers will be paid only the basic rate even for the nine hours and 45 minutes shifts, and overtime pay
British Rail plans to go even
— it wants the work week to vary between 20 to 60 hours!
the model every management will now want to
Railways for
its railways.
More than this it needs an integrated transport system, planned centrally and working in the interests of passengers and the effi-
rational transport cannot exist where hunand rail are cutting each other's throats in competition for
That's why nationalisation of the transport system is so
But Thatcher has already sold system.
once went by rail to her friends in the
Not she intends to hive off and
The most profitable parts of British Rail are being sold into private industry. Cratwick Airport Rail Service is Victoria-
just the latest in a long line of assets to be put on the market. If the sale goes through a new fleet of electric trains will be built at a cost of t6.Sm; these trains will be operated by BR - paid to do so by private owners.
The profits of this service, built by millions of pounds of tax-
money over the last few years will be in the hands of Thatcher's private investors.
The results of Thatcher and Parker's policies will be two rail
one made up money-making routes in private
and the other of loss-making public routes.
The Labour Party is drafting
election manifesto. This should commit the next Labour Government to nationalise and re-nationalise the whole road and rail network. When Labour first nationalised rail in 1947, they paid massive compensation to the private owners. We're still paying
today. Next time, private owners should be the ones to lose out, they deserve no compensation. As well, Labour should draw up a plan for major investment.
Ray Buckton
Investment in public transport is vital to the economy. It doesn't only mean efficiency, safety and jobs for the workers in the industry, it means keeping the rest of British industry alive. It means jobs, in all the related manufacturing sectors, such as catering and textiles.
It is money well spent. The cost of electrification would be less than the cost of replacing HMS Sheffield. The Tories spent over £650m * their outing in the South Atlar: i deir budget for '81-'82 calls fur over £12,000m in defence as well as further billions on a de luxe nuclear weapons
The ASLEF strike cost an estimated f6m a day. But the total savings that BR will make from flexible rostering over five years will come to just over f9m. We say jobs and services, not bombs.
Duffy, AUEW Chapple of
Sapper, Al
WE ARE very grateful to the TUC for helping us reach this understanding. the acknowledge the great help we have had from the TUC James Urquhart, British Rail's operations director.
that the TUC leaders crossed enemy lines in the war against the Tories.
Finance and General Purposes Committee, the inner cabinet - has turned on ASLEF and the rest of the labour movement who supported the traindrivers. While 'grave concern' at BR's decision to sack strikers, the TUC Finance and General Purposes Committee ASLEF in the back. In so doing it has turned on the rest of the labour movement, who supported the train drivers.
that Thatcher wasn't joking when she Falklands spirit to declare war on the unions. They knew that when the crunch came over the ASLEF and NUR sackings, the trade union would have rallied as it did to release the dockers a decade ago. So like the TUC general strike they rushed for cover.
than the right wing dominated Finance and General Purposes Committee, wheeled out to deal with the lorry drivers strike in This ten-man body includes scabs like Terry Duffy, Tom David Basnett, Geoffrey Drain and Len Murray. It can avoid the complications meeting of the Council where position would such leaders as Scargill of the
Drain, NALGO Basnett, GMWU TOOL
TUC traitors
and
What more damning proof
have
The TUC to work.
expressing solidarity
steel, has stabbed
the traitors
These misleaders realised
the
called on the
movement
Pentonville unions cowards of 1926
And what better vehicle
fightback. which was last
1978.
Frank Chapple, Jackson,
of a full TUC General firm left op- has come from halt.
Jackson, UCW
oirs, Inoic Murray
miners' union. This right wing Mafia of Labour Praty witchhunters have taken it upon themselves to extend attacks on extra-parliamentary action
left policies. They threatened ASLEF with expulsion from the TUC unless it ac. cepted the Committee's deal with the British Rail Board and instruct its members to return
These enemies in our ranks must be brought to order. The unity and resolve of the train drivers and the overwhelming
of other workers prove there is a mood to take on the Tories. The struggles in
British Leyland, Fords and now rail show that unless
of the TUC , are dealt with, workers will be scabbed on every time. The left in the unions has to take
offensive to make sure this doesn't happen again.
Arthur Scargill has called for a conference of the Triple Alliance of rail, mine and steel workers to transform it from a piece of paper into a fighting force of rank and file workers to defend jobs conditions and
ASLEÊ workers are organising to lobby the North West region of the TUC calling for it to disassociate itself from the TUC sellout and organise a
Railworkers are also making plans to lobby the recall conference of the NUR special General Meeting to demand action against the Rail Board's ultimatum.
The demands of those lob. biers should resound through the conference hail when the TUC has its annual congress in early September. The last year
brought enough treachery. It's time to call a
Socialist Challenge 23 July 1962 page 9
Page 10 scan of this page
Chile - new trade unions grow
THE TEN year Gerry Tuite in Dublin last week, for offences allegedly committed in England, landmark for Anglo-Irish security.
He had been charged with possession of weapons and explosives with intent to endanger life and damage property. The prosecution's case was mainly based on the testimony of British police officers, flown over under heavy guard to Dublin's Special 'no jury' court for the 2 week trial. A second trial on the charge of conspiracy to cause explosions is due to begin in October.
A trial in Ireland for offences committed England is unprecedented.
Il was une only way Tuite, captured in Ireland 18 months after escaping from Brixton remand prison, could be nailed.
many decades, Republicans run from Britain or Northern Ireland were immune from prosecution in the South due to a law banning the extradition prisoners wanted for political offences. But this was cumvented in 1976 by the
SLOW (Jurisdiction) Act, enabling a trial to be held in Ireland instead.
Solite Minister Haughey used the against Tuite, in relation
ON 21 JUNE the Ministry of Defence celebrated its 'victory over the Argentinian dictators' with a world arms sales
representatives General Pinochet seized power in a
bloody oaney tis to.
resistance has been growing in Chile — though it won't be getting Thatcher's
recently interviewed a trade union ac-
What has been the effect in ( Chile of other oL Iot in Latin America?
The revolution in Central America, especially the Nicaraguan revolution, has been a great stimulus LOlS Also the struggles in El Salvador, Guatemala, Argentina, and Peru. We do not regard ourselves just as Chileans struggling against Pinochet, but we identify Latin Americans fighting against imperialism.
What
rOdOlTL strength of the junts?
The junta is not as strong as it was during the iirst years after the 1973 coup There are divisions within Ine army. The main disagreement over Socialist Challonge 23 July 1982
British 'justice'
in Dublin
prison sentence received by
was a new 'co-operation' on
events in England,
despite its explicit referral
acts done in Northern Ireland'.
GOWCVCN. this open
display of the united deter-
tain and Ireland to smash the anti-imperialist struggle, comes as little surprise.
Since the mid seventies, there has been increasingly security cooperation between the two Bovelllicails such that the South now spends Elm a day on border security. Internal repression against anti-imperialists the South has been stepped up and an armed Special Task Force established to crush Republicanism.
All this is happening in a country wracked by one of the gravest. economic and political crises for 60 years.
Unemployment, now over 150,000, stands at an all time high in the nebuDIc. Ana me country's foreign debt has reached f11bn, having trebled over three years. The interest on this debt is an enormous burden on
economy, and Socialist Challenge 9
where Socialist Challenge on this
economic policy. There is
'nationalist' tendency opposed to Pinochet.
They say that the country's resources should not be in the hands of a few monopolies. They also want more state intervention in the economy, for cralldC tOTeSaCumDOnE and encourage exports. Obviously their concern is because OI today's economic chaos, because they are democrats.
They do not have in mind bourgeois democratic project, but a fascist one The pearance of this tendency, however, does not mean chat the junta is undergoing a serious crisis.
What the economic situation? Since the coup, wages have been cut by half in real
'page 10
By Piers Mostyn
Anglo-Irish talks still on the agenda renders totally vulnerable to foreign exchange rate changes.
On one day recently, £zSm was added tọ the foreign debt Sulbi because of a rise in value of the US dollar.
maenL is also chronically unstable. In the last year there have been two general elections, both producing hung parliaments. The latest hangs on Haughey's wheeling and dealing in pursuit of votes.
His Finance Bill June relied three times on
terms; unemployment is about 20 there are 175,000 on wages per Ccull. and
of f14 a month. The health and education services have suffered Pinochet's policies have destroyed national industries and creased the national debt. All in all the economy now a shadow of what was.
What is the political parties' position?
Most seek to get rid of
and replace the Pinochet junta with bourgeois GeMOCAUC government. However, there are revolutionary parties that seek to overthrow him through armed revolution. All the parties are involved
U10ll work. The unions are multi-party.
What is the legal status of the unions?
The majority are (SCHllegal. Their activitles just about tolerated, but limited, through harassing them - jailing them, for example and banning public meetings. The junta recognise that if they drive the unions underground they will be more difficult to control.
At the moment they
paniticaely, but they aiso
politically, but also repress them. During the copper mines strike they usca plasuc bulets, wate] cannon and tear gas. Last year over sw were detain-
International.
the Speaker's casting vote
get through the Dail (parliament). Many people expect yet another election before 1983, but
foresee any greater stability.
So Haughey desperately in need of solutions and political support. He clearly expects LILC and farmers to pay for the crisis. But with a weak and unstable ruling class, it is unlikely that he can crush their resistance, unaided.
This led him to make limited concessions
ed, 68 of whom claimed to have been tortured.
What is the strength of the unions?
Collective bargaining restarted two years ago. Strikes are on the increase, and have been increasingly combative. First they were about wages, now more political. Trade unionists
increasingly bold in their actions. They collect for strike funds on buses, they demonstrate outside newspaper oftices and TV stations and also the churches
Mainly what has been achieved is a new determination to struggle. In
demonstration in Santiago
mieno ovneol low wages and poverty. More Lilalyu WCIC rested. From January March there were
HIU1C than 300 arrests.
After the coup many of the best working class cadres went into exile, 30,000 died, 2,500 disappeared. A new generation ot activists has inherited a destroyed workers' movement. Now we are beginning to get organised again.
Could you tell us more about the unions today?
Most of the trade union leaderships seek conciliation with the employers and the regime. But the best is the ČNS (National Co-ordinating body of
to nationalist sentiment, strongiy revivea wilh last year's hunger strike, such
the refusal DaCK Thatcher's boycott of Argentina
But, despite this stand the South's rulers are still keen to pursue the 'AngloIrish talks' though sacrifices will be demanded in return for the much aCCOCO ecorome and political support of imperialism
The direct extension of the British penal system into Dublin and Tuite's conVICDOI one such pound of flesh.
Trade Unionists). who nave Geni ta's abuses whose lea in jail.
However, too bureaucratic. not recognise the struggle against has to be ( rank-and-file. SanLaO. Ou are rooted
nove unite the si have est themseve as leadership. the Maipu which org; UIHORS
In Vicuna Mackenna there al organisation called Solidarity which supports any Nunke struggle, organises union SCHOOIS. ana publishes bulletins, and so on.
IHOSI nOoo Larl struggles are waged in Santlago. Valparaiso, and Concepcion. We want to build among rank-and-file nationally but have only limited resources.
How is this movement organised?
We think that a movement organised purely on dustrial branches sufficient. Such organisation is useful for economic demands, but not for the struggle against Pinochet. To contront Tne junta, arms in hand, we need terREOR OKSATONS that unite unions of all in-
THE TROOPS OUT
(Report)
7/8/9 August.
Photo: JOHN SMITH TOM member.
TonUuy
of internment
between nationalists
unrest simmer barely below the surface. The delegation
support peaceful
August.
Court Road, London W1
CHILE CUITURAL CENTRE PRESENTS
iAR
IN CONCERT
SONSORfO TY, Ghde s
dustries with neighbourhood colnnutlees. students and so on.
Trade unity
must be generated from the rank-and-file, not bv agreement between leaders. Last year we had a negative experience OI building the trade union movemenl trom above
The CNS submitted to Pinochet a document popular demands, called the National Petition. As a result Pinochet accused
Troops Out
delegation
Movement is organising its annual delegation to the North of Ireland over the weekend of
Anyone interested may participate; it is not necessary to be a
The delegation is intended as both an act of solidarity with the beleaguered nationalist com-
fact-finding mission. That weekend marks the 13th anniversary of troops be ing sent on to the streets and the 11th anniversary
Despite the relative downturn of the republican armed and mass struggle in the wake of last year's hunger-strike, hatred for British rule among the nationalist community, and the political divide
and loyalists, are both stronger and deeper than ever. Resistance and
will visiting Belfast, Crossmaglen and Derry, where it will meet loca people, take part in discussion workshops, and
protests. Costs are kept to a minimum (about £SO), accommodation is arranged with local people, and delegates will travel over night by bus from London and elsewhere on Friday 6 August, returning overnight Monday 9
Anyone interested in joining the delegatior should write to Delegation Organising Committee PO Box 353, London NW5; telephone (01) 278 8394; or attend a TOM meeting at 7.30pm or Thursday 29 July at the Roebuck pub, Tottenham
ANGEL FOR PEACE AND THE STRUGGLE OF THE PEOPLES OF LATINAMERKA FRIDAY JULY 23rd, 1982 - 7pmn. CAMDEN CENTRE - BIDBOROUGH STREET • LOMDOM WCI .
CNS of being communist and imprisoned its leaderSid nou teat. , But the working class They had not even discussed the National Petition.
DIUCU of the bureaucracy.
This lack of reaction emphasises how important is work amongst the rankamo mle. CATeT mistakes defeats and advances the last eight years, this is the major lesson.
Page 11 scan of this page
Nicaragua-rush aid
MEXICO:
ACIFIC
OCEAN
By Brian Heron 183 MILLION doliars lost; 39 bridges destroyed or seriously damaged; 25 towns and villages cut off; sixty thousand people without roofs over their heads; 71 dead. These are the immediate results of the devastating floods that hit Nicaragua between 21 and 26 May.
The effects on Nicaraguan agriculture are more serious over the longer term. 60 per cent of the maize crop has been
together with 300 hectares of vegetables; sh too anand percent in
banana crop Chinandega (an important region for the crop), anc 0 per cent of the cotton of the same region.
In the industrial sector 62 enterprises (41 Ila' tionalised and 21 privately owned) have been badly hit. This particularly effects the chemical, food and textile sectors.
This is a bitter blow to the Nicaraguan revolu-
And, the Sandinista leadership of the
expected, out of human misery and devastation the new imerialist campaign agains Nicaragua is taking shape
Eden Pastora, an old leader of the Sandinistas, Ma in Costa Rica since CIA in Costa since earlier this year. But the last period has seen the flight of several leaders of the bosses' organisation COSEP out of the country. These include capitalist Ilke Robelo and Dreyfus.
imperialists making big efforts to coordinate the forces of the counter revolution. It is no mystery where Robelo and Dreyfus move is designed to aid the line Their latest project of the imperialists - the creation of a government in exile. It is
mars
GULF OF MEXICO
COLOMBIA
to the revolution.
destruction of the
hoped this way to give
the enormously increased scale of
Nicaragua's borders.
took place at Los Planes frontier post WIll GOIduras, on April 26. Four guards killed. One eve-witness commented, and didn't know why they savage beasts were fighting. They kill
ple and toneure them. The-
ple and torture them. fight only to kill; we fight for the workers and peasants revolution, TOT our Nicaragua. Story
These counter revolutionary bands (the 'contras') are also active inside the country. Te story. is tell the whole story. May was Popular Health
day, which a tainted
childrer vacanted against polio. On the same
'brigadist' health team was slaughtered in Matagalpe region. On that occasion the 'contras' disguised themselves as members of plain the extension of the These conditions state openin see y They also explain behind the official slogan for the May day celebrations 'defend the revolution for the construction of socialism'.
There has been a huge mobilisation to deal
UNITED STATES
• JAMAICA
CARIBBEAN SEA
VENEZUELA devastation of the floods the disaster. And foreign journalists estimate tens of thousands have participated in rescue operations. Everywhere the contrast is drawn between the reaction of the Sandinista
OI Somoza after the 1972 earthquake. Aid
Somoza let the Nicaraguan people rot and pocketed the international aid. The Sandinistas have mobilised the
Illass organisations, the defence Commotees. the Sandinista youth organisation, the national women's organisation and the trade unions. The response the people themselves, after their revolutionary expeniences was aeschocu by Miriam Laslo from the Council National
Central America
ATLANTIC OCEAN
MINIAN
REP.
UERTO RICO
GRENADA SURINAM The Sandinistas have mobilised the people to combat the
Emergency.
The aid brigades, formed by the people themselves have
medicines to come to the
aid of the distressed.
Again, completely the opposite to the Somoza regime, the Sandinistas have hit hard at those who try to use the emergency to jack up prices. Two hundred recently sentenced by the government their ploitation of 'prevailing market forces'.
Allies
On 19 July 1979 the Nicaraguan revolution, led the Sandinistas toppled • Somoza. Three years into the revolution, not a day has passed when imperialism not at-
tempted to reverse the pro. cess toward socialism unleashed by that event.
The revolution was born in the destruction of the earthquake although its political traditions have its roots in the sandino movement and the Cuban revolution
The conflict with the capitalist class internally and the imperialists externally is reaching its breaking point around the effects of the May floods.
In this struggle for the survival of their revolution, the Sandinistas and
Nicaraguan people look to their allies and friends. The trade union and labour movement of this country must not be deaf to their call.
Send aid c/o Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign, 20 Compton Terrace, London N1.
"Captures dynamic
of revolutions'
and the Caribbean
Reviewed by Murdo Ritchie
Prior to the revolution in 1979, Grenada was a Caribbean island famous for its tourism and cultivation of nutmegs. However behind the picture postcard appearance 'golden sands and clear blue Caribbean waters' was intense poverty unemplovment of 30 pe 40 pea cent, poor reads
per poor roads and inadequate housing.
The prime minister, Eric Gairy known 'Hurricane' because of the mess his rotten and corrupt regime left the economy in - ruled for 23 years. He dealt with any opposition through a 500 strong group of thugs called the Mongoose gang
Likewise OI the American mainland, in Nicaragua, President Anastasio Somoza, while owning most of the country's industry kep! more than half the population illiterate; per cent had malnutrition: there was e
cent tale or lilan mortality, , and the lowest life expectancy in Centra America — all with the aic
the jackboots and bayonets of his National LIVIO Pretext
He was backed up by the united who have substantial interests in the region. In fact they have invaded Nicaragua twice this century. On the second occasion, on the pretext of 'protecting American lives and pro. perty' they intervened crush the nationalist movement of Augusto Cesar Sandino who gave his name and inspiration to today's Sandinistas. Mass
The US contemptuously calls the countries of Central America and the Caribbean 'banana republics' because much of the land is owned by US food multinationals who supply cheap fruit to the rich imperialists by mak labourers receive only star- sure the agricultura vation wages.
Because these countries have little or no in heavily dependent on one dustrialisation agricultural crop and whole national economies respona to me violent swings of the commodity markets. It is clear why the US have to go to great lengths support very repressive regimes.
Workers and peasants in Cuba, Nicaragua and Grenada have successfully fought back, nationalisin
their oppressors, removing
ing health care and educa-
Socialist Challenge
Volcanoes and Hurricanes: Revolution in Central America
'VOLCANOES and Hurricanes' is the very apt title of the latest Socialist Challenge/Revolu tion pamphlet on the revolutions in Central America and the Caribbean. The pamphlet, like its title, fully captures the dynamic, violent, ex. plosive, rapid and even cleansing effect of the successful revolutions in Cuba, Nicaragua and Grenada. And it covers the revolutionary strug. gles underway in El Salvador and Guatemala.
VOLCANOES &
HURRICANES
tion free to all. This is being dont despite siderable intinidation directly or indirectly from the US. Return
The weakness in the pamphiet is that we de not
of Somoza's Nicarasua 21 should total contro Collin ownership. 'everything trom trash collection parking meters to impo" ting Mercedes Benz' his monopoly of biood during the earthquake of several years ago deserves a mention.
On the other hand a comment on the innovative step of the • Ca tion of a Ministry of Mass the Grenadan New Jewel Movement in order to find ways to encourage a mass participatory would have been useful. Workers
However, these ander standing of the tae made for in which the 'Cuban revolution stands todav a an example of what can happen a govern ment acts in the interests of the workers rather thar private profits'
The example of revolutions throughout Centra America the Carib. Socialists everyspiere. Tris socialists everywhere. pamphlet is a very convin cing case for carrying out solidarity work with revolutions in Cuba Grenada and SHOW struggles building it with the EI Salvador
and Guatemala. Revolutes a Huricanes, Revolutior America and the Caribbea from East LonSocialist
Lon-
payable Hackney Book Group, 30
bulk rates available on re quest. 23 July 1962 pargo 11
Page 12 scan of this page
What will you be doing with your spare moments now that the World Cup is over? Or better still what should you have been doing when the World Cup was on as the machos were glued in front of the TV listening to the comments of Brian Clough as if he were Tony Benn himself? To both questions the answer is the same -reading books. Ah, but what book? The staff of the Other Bookshop have compiled a guide for your holiday reading. Most of the books are fairly recent; other books mentioned in the list are bargain buys.
A LADIS LIFE
IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS
Isabella Bird A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains Isabella Bird Published for the first time since 1880, the letters that make up this book tell of Isabella Bird's incredible journey through the Rocky Mountains with her 'dear desperado', Rocky Mountain Jim. £4.50 (1)
Nukespeak - The Media and the Bomb Audrey Crispin & others How the threat of the big bang is muffled by the media. John Pilger writes a stimulating introduction. £2.50 (2)
Wild Lilies, Poisonous Weeds Gregor Benton The very latest collection of the writings of the dissident movement in China. Informative and relevant. £4.95 (3)
Triumph of the People George Black The most comprehensive and factual account of the Nicaragua revolution. £6.95 (4)
Marx in London Asa Briggs The book of the TV programme. How to be a tourist in London and still feel revolutionary. £2.95 (5)
Six Red Months in Russia Louise Bryant Definitely not the book of the film, even though Diane Keaton's name features on the cover Graphic observations of the Russian revolution. £2.95 (6)
Sweet Freedom Bea Campbell & Anna Coote What the well intentioned male radical is reading this summer. An account of the contemporary feminist movement. £1.95 (7)
Freedom at Midnight Larry Collins & Dominique Lapierre The story of the struggle for independence in India. politics but a good read and good value. £2.50 (8)
Socialist Challenge 23 July 1982 page 12
Big Red Songbook Mal Collins et al
the camptire including Join the British Army Bum'. £1.95 (9)
Damnable Question George Dangerfield
crisis years 1912-21. Beautifully written and at a special bargain price. f2.95 (10)
Britain in Decline Andrew Gamble
beach. £4.95 (11)
Really Bad News
news from the excellent Glasgow
£2.95 (12)
The British Economic Disaster Andrew Glyn & John Harrison The best recent account of now
(13)
Ain't I a Woman - Black Women and Feminism Bell Hooks
sexism on black women during
ment with feminism £3.95 (14)
Black Jacobins CLR James
£4.95 (15)
Combined and Uneven Development Michael Lowy
Trotsky, A Study in the Dynamics of his Thought Ernest Mandel
originality price. £2.00 (17)
Darwin for Beginners Questionable
Buy one and grunt. £2.95 (18)
Forty-three big red songs for round
and 'Hallelujah I'm a
The best account of Ireland in the A useful introduction to Britain's economic mess. Read it on a Greek
Glasgow University Media Group The latest exposure of the bias in TV group. A feature is an analysis of TV's coverage of the Labour Party.
British capitalism is making paupers (20) of us all. Well, most of us. f2.95
AIN'TIA WOMAN
black women and leminism An examination of the impact of slavery, the historic devaluation of black womanhood, black male sexism, racism in the women's movement and black women's involve-
This comes in the good value department. James' classic account of the 1791 slave revolt in the Caribbean.
price
One of the very best of the last couple of years. An analysis and persuasive detence of rotskv's theorv of permanent revolution. £4.50 (16)
Mandel explains the relevance and
of Trotsky at a give-way
Jonathan Miller & Borin Van Loon The latest in the 'Beginners' series.
JARROW
MARCH
Tom Pickard ALSON & BUser
Jarrow March Tom Pickard Just out. The true story of the famous hunger march and the events leading up to it. £2.95 (19)
Poland: The State of the Republic Edited by Michael Vale Valuable source material. Two eports on the state of Poland il
978 by a grou o coucal rall' members and intellectuals. £4.95
The Summer Before the Frost Jean-Yves Potel Poland again. An eye witness account of the rise of Solidarity. Contains fascinating interviews with the leading participants. (21)
Ten Days that Shook the World John Reed This is what the movie is supposed to be about. One of the first things anyone should read, and besides Trotsky's history, probably the best account of the Russian Revolution. £1.95 (22)
Insurgent Mexico John Reed Reed's account of the 1914 Mexican
volution. How journalism shou
written. $2.50 (2
The Fate of the Earth Jonathan Schell You've seen the TV adverts, it could be subtitled How Publishers Can Make a Bomb from the Bomb. Nevertheless, powerfully argued and relatively cheap. £1.95 (24)
Exterminism and Cold War EP Thompson and others The intellectual book on the bomb. Thompson and New Left Review renew old battles. £5.50 (25)
My Life Leon Trotsky
$2.00 (26
Paupers' Paris Miles Turner The motto of the book is 'sleep cheap and eat well'. It also covers getting there, getting about there and the sights and shops. For paupers and cheapskates alike. £1.95
Nicaragua, the Sandinist Revolution Henri Weber A sympathetic study of the struggles and politics of the Sandinistas in power. £2.95 (28)
*SUMMER
READING
World View 1982 Pluto's political directory. Facts and more facts on whichever country you spend your holiday. £5.95 (29) Fiction
Union Street Pat Barker The lives of seven working class women in the industrial North East. £2.95 (30)
Sturdy Black Bridges -Visions of Black Women in Literature Roseann Bell et al A collection of essays, interviews, stories, and • poems characterisation of black women in American, literature. £5.95 (31)
Lesbian Fiction Ely Bulkin A collection of short fiction by contemporary lesbian writers (mainly American). Expensive but recom. mended. £5.40 (32)
USA Dos Passos Not so pricey if you consider that it's really three books in one anc 1200 pages.
Dos Passos' epic story of turn of the century America is a real classic not to be missed. £4.95 (33)
MINTY ALLEY
La novel b
Minty Alley CLR James The only novel by CLR James. A good introduction to the 'Beacon' period of Caribbean literature. $2.70
Sula Toni Morrison The latest novel from this black American writer. £1.25 (35)
Gorky Park Martin Cruz Smith 'The thriller of the 80's' set in Moscow. £1.95 (36)
The Ragged Trousered Philanthropist Robert Tressell Another classic and good value book, Tressell reveals the truth of working class life during the Edwardian age. €1.95 (37)
Any Woman's Blues Mary Helen Washington Collection of short stories by nine black women writers, including Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, and Frenchy Hodges. £3.50 (38)
stories
Britain today illuminating the
African and Caribbean
Children
editors
the world £2.50 (40)
Peoples Too often forgotten John Mercer
(42)
Jan Needle
C. L. R. JAMES
Group
each (44)
Name
Address don N1
plus p&p
Young
People's
Books
Come to Mecca and other
Farrukh Dhondy Six stories about kids growing up in
- at school and in the streets. 85p (39)
ALLISON & BUSB
Third World Voices
for Children
I by Robert E. MeD Third World Voices for
Robert McDowell & Edward Lavitt
Anthology of 30 stories, legends poems and songs from various third world countries. In particular covering tolklore and customs' o black peoples in different parts o
• Suitable for ages 10-15
The Stories of Vanishing
With illustrations by Cuban artist Tony Evors. Thirty-three stories based on legends and folklore. tron around the world, answering such questions as 'How did the Kalahari bushmen discover fire?' and Why are there mosquitoes in Japan?' Suitable for ages 4-14. £2.95 (41)
A Capital Guide for Kids Vanessa Miles A London guide for parents with small children. Sights to see, places to go in and around London Also lists events that are FREE. £1.95
My Mate Shofiq
A sensitive story about Bernard, a young white youth who finds himself getting involved defending the Pakistanis in his school and neighbourhood. £1.00 (43)
Space Seven Series Sheffield Women and Education
A series of 4 non-sexist books, intended as supplementary readers to existing school reading Aimed at the 7-8 year old, they tell the adventures in space of six children and a female alien (Space 7). 60p
ORDER FORM Please send me the following titles (indicate by number)
Postage: Add 20% for p&p Please make cheques payable to The Other Bookshop, 328 Upper St, Lon-
I ENCLOSE £
Total
Page 13 scan of this page
Women in the Paris Commune
By Jude Arkwright 'In rebellion alone woman is at ease, trampling upon both prejudice and sufferings.' Louise Michel, woman leader of the Commune of 1871.
quote Marx, 'stormed the first time i in history, downtrodden proletariat, power. At the centre of that revolt were the most exploited and working women of Paris. Headed by women that the bourgeois Camp, dismissed as 'sinister females'; 'keentongued shrews' who salamanders and elves, the women rose up against reaction.
They recognised the need more than anyone for sacrifice and heroism, and gave their all. They knew it was women who had least to lose and most to gain in the struggle against misery and degradation. Because they iden-
ti change the livesing
to change the lives everyone, they saw the need to set up organisations that exclusively catered for women.
Before 1871, 62,500 of the Paris workforce of 114,000 had been women, but right up to the siege of Paris by the Prussians,
IN 1871, the working people of Paris, to
heavens'. For the the dispossessed, and
reached out for
oppressed of all the
historian, Maxime
were analogous to
they had been unorganis-
ignored by the
overwhelming majority of
male workers and even
Pro-
udhon, the French 'uto-
socialist' had even
written a thesis claiming
women were inferior.
The women leaders of
the Commune Louise
Michel, Nathalie Lemel,
Victorine Brochon,
Elizabeth Dmitreff and
many others. attacked the
men who had seen only the
plight of the male working
class, and had ignored all
the other forms of social
injustice in class society.
These knew
that their cause lay with
the Commune. But they
also knew that women had to prepared and encouraged to enter the male strongholds and to play a
and equal part them. They Saw the
the organisanons women, not as rivals to the male-dominated organisations, but as a complement to them. ana as a means ol strengthening Ine revolu tionary struggle of all workers.
In the Commune it was the women who that the revolutionary
discussed women's their lack of civil and
rights They raised the demand for equal wages, of the right to divorce, of the need for day-care and children's education.
Their clubs insisted on the duty of women to defend the barricades and to
arms. Une Comdescribed the women's clubs ana com mittees 'stockpiles of
and courage' The LIC women of the Commune showed both by their demanas, and by tell de tions, that not only could they fight against their oppression, but that they could fight the exploitation and oppression of all society.
ROSS
IF MARXIST theory is to be of any use it has to be a means of enabling us to understand what makes classes and groups in society act in a certain way.
It is no use just contemplating things — we
leave that to the
Call academics what we need to do is change things.
That is why we need a theory which shows
which social forces are goin g the direction
think is needed, and theretore must be supported,
and which social forces are against our aims, and must
be opposed. As Marx put
it, what is their 'law of mo-
tion'.
Marxism teaches
that we must be on the side
ment. This is say it has.
ment. why it has
always been on the side of
the exploited and the op-
pressed When the under-
dogs fight back
Lnel exploitation they
weaken the power of the
and
ruling casses.
courage all other oppress-
ed groups to oppose their
exploitation.
This is why Marx was
on the side of the North in
the US civil war and why
he said that one of his
heroes was Spar-
Luca
tacus, the leader of the
Review
"Louise Michel in prison at Versailles 1871
By joining in the class struggle and fighting Ior their demands, as well as
LIC most active
Tion of the herman pa-
tion of the workers, women won a number of vital rights. However, the
of the and the victory of reaction led to most of those gains being taken away.
It was almost 100 years before a new women's movement began to grow again in France on the native soil Coll mune. , But the struggles of LOuIsC Michel all her
mers or 1810 inspired
mollis inspired the women of the Russian revolution and are an example and an inspiration to every woman today who wants to free herself from the yoke of capitalist oppression.
Fighting for the oppressed
Part three of our new series by JOHN
slave revolt ancient Kome. A future socialist society will recognise the heroic and inspiring struggle of Toussaint L' Ouver-
who led the black slaves of Haiti, in the first successful slave revolt history.
The largest single crime
of all in class society ha: been the oppressior
women. For thousands of years they have been sub-
jected to physical, psycho-
logical and legal oppression, abuse and often torture.
Ruling classes have at-
tempted to educate women
in particular, and society
in general, that they are in-
ferior to men. Anyone
who has led a fight against
such oppression whether it
be on the vote, birth con-
trol,
the right of women to exer-
cise their own sexuality is
supported by the marxist
movement for doing that
Every form of ex-
ploitation opposed by
marxists. It fights the bar
barism of capitalist war.
revolts against
when it allows people to
refuses to spend enough
money on medical care.
Marxism condemns a of society which
allows four million people
Britain to be unable to
find job to support
Paris 1871
What is Trotskyism?
themselves. It is the fight
these denials of human rights which is the very embodiment of marxism. And marxism unhesitatingly places itself on the side of all those who
right of exploite don adad
tion exploitation and oppression. This is what Marx and Engels called marxism
the Communist Manifesto they wrote 'Communists have no interests separate and avall from those of the working class as a whole. They do not set up any sec. tarian principles of their UWIl. by which to shape and mould the proletarian movement.
The Communists are distinguished from other working class parties by this only i) In the national struggles of the proletarians of the different countries, they point out and bring to the fore the common interests of the
proletariat, independent of all nationality; ii) in the various stages of development which the struggle of the working class against the bourgeoisie has to pass through, they always and everywhere represent the interests of the movement as a whole
'The theoretical CONclusions of the Communists are in no wav bas. ed on ideas or principles that have been invented or discovered, by this or that would-be universal
reformer. They merely express, in general terms, ac-
springing from an existing class struggle, from a historical movement going on under our very eyes
Engels explained what marxism really about when he replied to a critic called Heinzen. Engels wrote Heinzen imagines communism 1s a certain
which proceeds form a definite theoretical principle as its core and draws further conclusions from that. Heinzen is very much Tolstaker Com munism is not a doctrine but a movement; it proceeds not from principles but from facts..
Engels went on to ex plain insofar as it is a theory, is the theoretical expression of the position of the pro letariat in this (class) strug gle and the theoretical
of the condisummalon tions for the liberation of the proletariat.
In the Communist Manifesto there appears perhaps the best definition of what is marxism, and why we need revolutionary ideas. It reads: "The Com
hand, practically the most advanced and resolute section of the working class parties of every country, that section which pushes forward all the others; on
olner hand, theoretically, they have
proletariat the advantage
Socialist Challenge
MARX
ENGELS
Manifesto of the Communist Party
" PROGRESS Publisher The guide to action by Marx & Engels
of clearly understanding the line of march, the con.
and the general results of the pro. erasar maovencul
A marxist revolution ary is not someone who has read Capital, or int Communist Manifesto,
supports when he cracks down on the Polish workers. . Nor is it someone who finds all
excuses not to fight British imperialism ove Malvinas In the world of the class struggle vou have to supoort the in terests of the working class and its alles at all times That is what revolutionary marxism is about and that
what marxist theory teaches us to do This why we ally ourselves with every struggle that raise the banner of the exploited and the oppressed
23 July 1982 page 13
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page 14
THE developing revolutions in Central America and the threat of US invasion has dominated world politics over the last three years. But a new crisis is looming in the big Latin American states to the south and the
ship is in deep trouble after its failure to regain the Malvinas. Revolutionaries received one million votes in Mexico. In Brazil, the Workers Party (PT) is one of the most rapidly growing independent workers parties in Latin American
JOHN ROSS looks at the new developments in the United States
todav:
scale. Debt so bargeint
Colaus
Just one figure can il-
JvC.
Mexico and Brazil. Argen-
These sums of money
American states to pay its
down. Inis. coubled with
The Economist in its 1982 of world banking wrote of one re cent scare: "Brazil ... had teetered on the brink of rescheduling (its debt payments). It pulled itself round but left the feeling that disaster for the international bankers could Delusi aromande conder Poland looked big. Maybe this was it; the end of international finance WC know it.'
The last time there was such an international accumulation of debt as this was in the 1920s. Then it was United States internal borrowing and loans to Germany for it to pay its
In 1929 there was a banking crash. And
knows where that endedi
This international debt situation is in fact just one of the first or the greal fears of imperialism over the new Latin American crisis which has been highlighted graphically by the Malvinas.
Latin America's
other crisis
The Argentinian military dictator-
1n
international capitalism as
its more important ally over the
a new crisis to its ¡llall.
Lacc all
The of this huge for im-
is now developing Latin America both
the
the imperialist
investment small
Europe the United
LO C
centres of industry
pliant regimes
workforces.
The
War massive
some the
as well
South Korea and Taiwan. 1980, 37 per cent economy
for
International.
Brazil: an end of the stability of the dictatorships? by industrial production
higher proportion than Britain Mexico the figure was the same. In Argentina, started its development earlier, industrial production reached 45 per cent of the economy.
The second reason for the vast increase in deb was political. After the victory of Castro in 1959 the United States became determined to build up the Latin American states prevent any spread of the Cuban revolution.
The first arm of this was the seemingly unending SCUC military coups the US helped organise in Latin America
Brazil in 1964, Bolivia
the US became determined to build the Latin American states to prevent any
Cuban revolution
year and
1973, Argentina in 1976. These were aimed to crush the rising movement of the
regimes stability they had to be given the possibility to achieve economic success. This was one of the aims of the colossal inter national loans to them throughout the 1970s.
There is no doubt that for a period this policy brought major results in terms of economic growth
- although at the expense or appaling narasmp 101 the working The Brazilian economy panded continuously from 1964 onwards and by 1977-80 growth Wa. averaging over 6 per cent a year. Chile grew at 7 per cent a year in the same
four years, Uruguay at 5 per cent a year from
it ls ine Interes rales dolars. and 40 cents out oi
position of the military regime in that country is weakening from day to day they need only note that despite this situation it has now been forced to raise wages, culateres
and admit certain political liberties.
Finally for all the ma-
tor Latin merican stares
1980-82 world economic recession, deepened by the policies of Reagan in the United States, dealt a further crushing blow. The only possibility repay the debt interest had been a major increase in exports
which had been achieved in the 1970s. But the international recession meant a stagnation, , and then decline of world trade in which the Latin American states could not compete.
The result was rapid economic decline in the last two years. Argentinian output fell 6 pe cent in 1981 and then 4½ per cent in the first three months of 1982 Industrial production in Brazil fell by over 9 per cent in 1981. Stagnant exports, declining production, and soaring represented the end of the period of growth and with it the end of the stability of the dictatorships.
STated
Page 15 scan of this page
LT workers
brace themselves for new attacks
'DAVID HOWELL the transport secretary convinced there will have to be changes 10 provide better Sance and greater value for money at a time OT rapidly rising costs.' Sounds familiar?
It wasn't Howell speaking about British Rail but about
Transport. This shows the determination Ine ones to staten London Transport from the relative protection of the Labour controtec ulc and ser dismembering the capital's hansull service.
If the Tories were to gel control of the budget while at
maining toonholes through which the GLC could raise finance from other
soul loo such as une rates. men une
tage would be set for forcing LT's management to imple ment exacuv Ine sort or bro ductivity measures which are giving rise to such bitter opposton from the be umons.
Avoid
In order to try and avoid Inese LIC Labour GLC want millions on capital and £390
year. The scale of the problem they face is that the figures fo this vear are £192 million and £188 million respectively. seems that the Tories may be prepared to put up some lt not all of this extra money. anyone who that there won't be strings attached is living in cloud cockoo land. The productivity measures will be attached to this year's pay claim and will be linked to the outcome of
management working party set up in the wake of the recent Sirike azansl troduction of reduced timetables. On Underground these strings fil a closely typed page entitled
Measures to improve cency Incy affeci grade and the fools gold' be-
offered little package is an extra 2 per cent on top of the original 5 per cent offer. At present both the management ana tue unions are giving evidence to the LT
Wages Board. Their report is not expected unlu call
August about the same time as the dealine for the outcome or the working barly new timetables. Against the background of the set-back to
ne nant on une mainlic. the fact that their future is be-
decided
enerable llaze, VuL negotiating structure,
workers should be
to resist the re-introduction ot the reduced timetables. time they well be
sweetenco Dv a new pay offer which will look good in per
The sting
centage terms.
be in une very lone lal Ol DEO
ductivity strings attached to
any offer. For the last 3 years
have by dill
large resisted the strings at
tached to the annual pay of-
Ter. nis resistance must cul
tinue if the workforce is to et-
fectively resist the new Tory
now be done by Met', joining Exclusive Cleaning
the Tories carve up of council services.
The Wandsworth disaster follows two months of strike action by the refuse collectors, accompanied al. umes the whole workforce, manual By Bob Pennington
ingham Palace break in. Police advisor,
even if it means raising the ceiling!
some ol the more conscious, but
atriotic backbench
a CX Philip could not spend the montin une roval beeroom. ne could help to earn his keep by sitting This e night. rejected or the grounds that because of une unceran nours ner N0a -
jesty kept, it would involve Philip working on a flexible
Roy Hattersley,
DUl Labour s voice or moceranon was having none that Speaking for the Opposition
Massey Ferguson
strike: First round
to workers
By Steve Taylor, AUEW shop steward, Massey Ferguson, Manchester
rejecting a pay
familiar lines. On telegrams from
them to attend a mass meeting
regarding the company's wage offer.
There seemed to be a certain amount of collusion between local officials and management. When local officials were contacted they
directive had come from a no ever HOSTCHY
them to hold mass
meeting to get us back to
work
On hearing this, we im-
mediately issued a strike
bulletin, before the mass
meeting, countering
management's
and also the dubious game
being played by
ficials.
On the day of the mass
meeting the local officials
the
workforce, who refused to
listen to them. We decided
to give another broadside
Wandsworth bites the 'dust'
By Dave Benlow, branch secretary of NUPE LAST WEEK, Wandsworth Council agreed to privatise its refuse collection service with the loss of 216 council jobs. From September it will
the multi-national 'Grand (Southend and Eastbourne) and Pritchards (Wandsworth street cleaning) as the main industrial allies in
and white collar. But they returned to work, defeated.
One hundred dust pickets Just coula nol persuade the rest of the
Sack her not
protect her
CADGING FAGS off the monarch is the limit and such goings on have to be stopped. Parliament was quite clear on that when it oiscussed the buck.
, Eldon Griffiths demanded 'no technical measures be excluded from future protection of the palace'. He probably favours water cannon, armoured cars and a few Harmergers being deployed in une royal beacnamber —
The announced its rellet thal no harm came to the Queen' and the great irish ps sic say fog
alla slat gered. security, but none of them
putting a fag machine on th wall willen coulu Have saveu anne troubles une airsl
platoot, and Healey should
be relishing the whole affair, when cla more to slake coll Ticence Tacher Whitelaw than anything they have done from the front ben THE DEVELOPMENT of our two-week strike,
offer of two per cent, took 12 July, strikers received local union officials urging on 14 July.
Simultaneously, a company bulletin arrived, urging us to return to work and claiming there was a misunderstanding in our strike bulletin
to the company.
The stewards' committee said that instead of instructing members back to work, we should put to management our position: f5 on the basic rate will oar galning on tne excess.
After stewards' meeting Will COll with the workforce Dally standing outside the gate in angry mood, the company capitulated and agreed to our demand. vote was laken and a Illa jority was for a return to work so lnal negoulanon: could resume.
This was seen as a victory which could strengthen our organisation, although recognise there'll be more
News
Wandsworth district
workforce to extend their support. Endless deputations to workers in other boroughs were equally doomed because the union leaderships did not campaign TOT supporting industrial action.
In the two years since Southend privatised cleansing section, these leaders have no advice when faced with unese Our perience in Wandsworth
ca. but rumours that cabou
is planning its own break-in to
downfall
Government Call be dis-
counica. of Tony
Benn sitting on the bed asking
Elizabeth appeared peful of
im-
probable.
Three hundred and thirty
Intee years alter removing tne head of Charles I in the name
of progress, social democrac
at the violation of the privac
ot his descendant. Ho lUlls a
unese LADOUI leader. DO'
before this outeated Tene a
relic , called the monarchy, so
oil the mean.
mean: which
establishment rules in Britain
We do not need to suspend the
Bucksack Elizabeth and her whole Ingnam Palace should bloody family perience she could easily get a
job in a cigarette kiosk.
By Jeff King EVERYBODY from Jimmy Hill, the players and the South African Breweries, had the best intentions in the world when they set up a tour of South Africa.
The fact that John Barnwell sacked and unemployed manager, players luke IVIlKe Channor are on a 'free transfer' and
Smith of Spurs was hard-
nat porters, never mind the foo ball world, did not allow cash
intluence their altruistic desire to promote race relations on the South African football fields Ted Croker the Football Association's secretary was surely being narsa on these plavers wher he said: "The tour is nothing to do with morals: it is about that all that interested them Money It is hard to belleve was getting about £5,000 a gamie. Advent
The South African Breweries have a reputation secona to mone wach it conne to dealing with black people. Why, only a few weeks ago they uncl black labour force, selfishly demanding more money. Naturally the South Africal Breweries explained that they
£890,000 to pay the overseas whose tour was going to nelp black
people, and therefore they
Hau lu wage increases. It is what is known as i long-term interests being
nas snown inal.
you cannot compete with tenders offering loss leaders and high exploitanon or workers • you cannot negotiate
conditions of yvul work while under threat of privatisation
industrial action combined with intense community propaganda is the only way the threat will
• such action will only
Put the tanks in her bedchamber Football tour — altruism not cash? Was money his goal in life?
more important than im-
mediate gains
Now the ungrateful blacks
have gone anchored the
three or the too back teams to
refuse to play the collection of
has-beens and never-weres
Fortunately the whole Hill's financial
TOUT. 11KC
adventure in Amencan st
cer, is collapsing around tas
succeed if it is spread and co-ordinated on the widest level. Uniot icauerships should prepare all council
privatisation with industrial action
Labour Party should adopt a policy of
privatisations and make sure all its represenLauves doce Dyl
The council has now announced its intention to consider 'seeking tenders'
ears. We must remembe
however that had it been suc-
cessful. apartheid would have
been strengthened
Surely that means the
BBC ought at the very least to
Match of the Day. Somehow
Hill's strictures abou fair
ment. All hell has broken
out among sections of the workforce. One group of welfare drivers is seeking job security by trying to take over work currently done by the meals on wicels secuions
For the union leaders have refused
do about privatisation. Wand. sworth is paying the price for this wilful neglect
Tory Devon
THE TORY controlled
Devon Education Committer
attempting ban CND
Irom using schools and col
leges the county The
Education Committee
chairperson. Ted Pilley
that political organisations of
'contentious like HaluI C
CND should not be allowed ti
use council property
equipment
letter leaked to a local radi
station from a former Tory
party candidate to Pilley sai
the CND ban was niccact
because Tory fortunes were a
a low ebb.
Devon CND has reacted
to the ban and has set up a
broad-based committee which
has organised a petition and
will I be holding a mass lobb!
of the County Council on 2!
July. On the same date a lob-
by of the County Hall at Ex-
ere wake place
against the proposal to sacl
60 teachers because the Coun
cil claims it tailed to set asid
enough money to meet the ar-
bitration award of six
The Council had onl
hudgeted for out per cen
and wants to make up the dif
ference by the 60 sackings
Devon teachers have
voted to support no cover
and to take strike action nex:
Tern A campaign of lette
writing reachers to local councilors i parent. and
also being organised. the ban on CD nee
against the teacher's
needs the sunrise
Socialist Challenge 23 Jury 1966 pago 15
Page 16 scan of this page
Healthworkers are only too aware that they need the full backing of trade union leaders to win their claim.
alone
HUNDREDS of
thousands of health
workers took to the
streets and the picket
lines this week.
The three day industrial
action was the latest
step in the campaign
of health workers to
fight for a 12 per cent
pay increase and help
save the NHS. The
response of the hospital
workers was magnificent
in the face of the TUC
sell out of ASLEF and a barrage of
attacks from the media. And
despite threats of disciplinary ac-
tion to civil servants and other
workers, the health workers were
joined by thousands of other trade
unionists. The train drivers know from bitter experience that they
needed the full weight of the labour
movement to win their fight.
Hospital workers are now in the front line. They must not fight alone.
U
HOME NHS EX Rooistered .. • newsoacer with the Post CHicA Published by Cardinal Enterprises, PO Box 50, London N1. Printed By East End Offset (TU) Ltd, London E2.
Socialist
Challenge
They must
not fight
NUR
WORLD PUBLIC SERVICES DEFEND OUR HOSAD OU S THENS IT NT BREAD TONY NG MORROW
Rail workers, solidarise with health workers.
•GD tremble
ZOOL
Now the betrayal of ASLEF leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. Round the country hundreds of thousands of workers demonstrated their opposition to Thatcher and Tebbit.
HANDS OFF THE PLO!
ISRAEL OUT OF LEBANON!
National demonstration
Saturday 31 July Hide Park. Speakers darner March to Tratalgar Su for rally at 2.30.
Parther information tron Palesm Soldards diason dron. niter: » Is. oxford House, Derbyshire de. London 12.
halgo
IF THE TULCA
SUPPORT ASLEF
HOW CAN THEY
FIGHT TERBITY
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