Socialist Challenge No. 27, 5 January 1978
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Page 1 scan of this page
Socialist Challenge
COMPANIONS OF HONGUR
REVIEW OF THE YEAR Pages 7, 8, 9 & 10
The picket lines outside Grunwick and the fire stations were maintained throughout the Xmas and New Year period. They demonstrated the desire of the Fire Brigades Union militants and the Grunwick strikers to win their struggles. But what both groups of workers confront is an Important and powerful obstacle: the Labour Government and the TUC leaders.
Forit is an open secret that if the TUC had decided to back the FBU, organise solidarity actions, and campaign against the 10 percent norm, the strike could have been approaching successtul conclusion.
Instead FBU members stand outside their fire stations, Isolated and cold, If they are defeated it will have been the TUC, acting under Callaghan's instructions.
GRUNWICK
FBU
OUR
[Companion of Honour, or Capitalism's Hireling] not for himself but for the trade union movement as a whole in recognition of its services to the nation. This is somewhat of a distortion as the award was not offered to Arthur Scargill, the Grunwick strikers, or the FBU.
It was offered to Jones as the foremost Labour listenant of Capital. And there can be little doubt that he deserves It, though In all fairess it should be shared with Tom Jackson, Len Murray, Roy Grantham, and Hugh Scanlon [RIP]. It Is thanks to them that the Labour Govemment has been able to serve British capitalism, a fact recognised even by the anti-Labour ruling class commentator, Peregrine Worsthome, He wrote in last Sunday's Telegraph:
'Labour includes in its ranks a significantly higher proportion of rulers, with an instinct for Government, than does the Conservalive Party .... Labour looks now, both steady and astute, realistic and ruthless ...
Exacily! Steady and astule in defending capitalism. Ruthless in dealing with any working class opposition.
One lesson we have to leam from 1977 is that when a Labour Government is in power all the political weaknesses of the labour movement come right out into the open and cripple the class struggle.
5 January 1978 AP GOT YOu 25:
FFICIAL ACKET
No. 27 15p OFFICIAL
PICKET
Apox demancis recognition
CALE THE TUC AND AND ABET THE est of Theops Te
THE MINERS
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HOME NEWS
Editorial
Socialist Challenge, Editorial 01-359 8180/9. Distribution 01-350 8301.
ADVENTINO UNSTUTT
The Tenth Year
TEN YEARS AGO the world was shaken by a succession
which shattered succeeded in inspiring a mass movement against the war throughout the world, A few months later France was shaken by a general strike involving ten millior workers occupying their factories. The ensuing politica
was restored only with the aid and collaboration of the FrECT LOTSH THEST.
Thren months aller the May avants in Franco. the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact subordinates invaded
Prague Spring and Duboek's socialism with a human face.
The developments of 1968 brought on to the political stage a new layer of militants not bound by the dogmas initially of students, their influence spread to newly radicalised workars and growin exponenato by une cavoruconary movement since the Twenties.
What has happened over the last ten years has
left, It is a fact that, in general, only the Trotskylst segment of the revolutionary left, or that which retained
survive and grow over the past decade. groups are in crisis, which is due to the precarious and INSTaDOSOLO SURROR SHENERSS IN ERINA, SORE have moved to explicitly reformist positions; have broken with their past and embarked on terrorist
and despair.
The dilemma which has contronted the bulk of the taly, deh Manesia current operates ate puli em italy, the // Manilesto current operates as a public
(BR) referred to the Socialist Party as a 'social-tasciat party and announced the SUNECHON disappeared, and the former could well relum to the PCI.
This dons not mean that the Fouch international oi other currents not afflicted with the above diseases should show any signs of complacency. Our central
period. Portugal marked an important fallore in this respect. We should try and make Spain a succese. if the French elections in March result in a victory for the Socialist Party and the Communist Party, the far lett will face a serious test, The next General Election in Britain wall controne ine torn mis county win emportant choices as well.
In that sense the appesrance of Socialist Unity is a analana Socialist Workers Party it could become a real pole for attracting forces in favourof class struggle.
CAL THRTYHHIS ПАЕ НВОЗНЫ ПЕ TINH O REA autonomous movementsboing the most important -
politics. Furthermore what has been brought home with a vengeance is the central importance of socialist
democracy. begun to take these questions seripusly. One of the rosuns i brain waste Runne 07 Challenge:
In the coming year we will continue our fight for
nee world We will a dender overage to potat
prisoners throughout the world and try and launch campaigns for some of them with the help of supporters groups in this country.
The best way of showing that Jimmy Carter's 'ooncem for human rights is utter demagogy is to ideas into practice capacities on many fronts, Whether we pass these tests depends on us. Denouncing the betrayals of others will mine bally acid ran a pals
allemator ay thomsands of workers engaged in
Such an arganisation should be booed on the
32B/9 Upper Street, London N1.
The National Liberation Front in
American morale and Socialist Republic to destroy the
the result was the largest The Maoist
others imminence of armed DEAR SHO •women's and gay liberation which have forced the
The revolutionary left has only recently
Soclalist
We will Give extended coverage to political
put our own will
OUR POLICIES
ACCORDING TO popular belief, British industry is beset with restrictive practices, defended almost to the last barricade by recalcitrant tradeunions whose members are. by comparison with workers in other countries, lazy and irresponsible. This is the popular interpretation of the idea that productivity in British industry is too small in comparison with Britain'scompetitors.
Were productivity higher, that is, were the Inbour cost of producing goods and services lower, then the goods and services produced would be cheaper. So people would want to buy more, and this increase in demand would generate increases in employment in order to produce the higher output. Further, the increase ir demand would make it worthwhile for capitalists to Invest in more factories and more machines, and the bigher protits would provide the funds For this incrensed investment Finally, higher investment would generate further increases in prodactivity, and so
NOT VICIOUS
This cycle is clearly a vituous" one rather than a "Vicious one, produces self sustained growth. Moreover, if the Increases in preductivity which begin the cycle are oriented towards the export-producing sector, then the cycle could be 'export-led' and therefore could anticipate the increase in imports cuused by the increase in demand consequent upon full employment. This would avoid the necessity for the sort of 'stop-go' policies which have characterised the British soonomy since 1945. Lastly. sunce productivity growth would enable carnings to rise without a corresponding rise in prices, everybody benefits.
Now it is quite true that productivity. measured as output per head in manufacturing indusity, has grown more slowly in the UK than in other major European coun
Over the period 1955-1973 manufacturing productivity increased ar average annual rate of about 5
3
The economy in 1978
• not better,
ФЕСЕ темет torneALs jump in Thing standard
new seal
of approval
per cent in West Germany, France, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands, as against 3.2 pe cent in the UK. This may not scem a big difference, but tbe cumulative effect over nearl 20 years is substantial. Fron the beginning of the period ti the end, manufacturing outpul per worker increased by just over three-quarters in the UK compared with nearly one and a half times in the other five countries.
Furthermore, because of low productivity growtb, unit labour costs (growth of money wages divided by growth in output) have risen much faster in the UK. Between 1964 and 1974 unit labour costs in manufacturing industry grew at an average annual rate of 2.7 per cent in the USA, 4.7 per cent in France, 5,5 percent in West 5.8 per cent in Jpan, 6.2 per cent in Italy, and 7.1 percent in the Ok. And because of low productivity growth, in the decade or so to 1973, real earnings per bead in manufacturing industry in every comparable country (except the USA) grew al at Icast twice the rate nchieved in the UK.
STRONG PRESSURE So what then are the prospects for 19787 First of all there will be strong pressure to keep wage increases as low as
SOCIALIST UNITY STEERING COMMITTEE Sunday, 15 January, at noon Venue: please note change (nearest tube: Angel or Highbury and Islington)
-The interests of worker and capita
BD ME Incconciate on won
a an intersational scale, This unily will in in
run be decisive in defeating both in turnalbi noitec in the Wee and the bruis
In Aritain it implies demanding the imm Bale withdrawal of frilid troops free Intoe ne lening the Irish people driemies their on
much the same
Britain wins INANCIALT
OECD urges steps
to boost world's
stronger economies
SAMEET MARCUSER TRIA POSTI
possible, on the argument that
Britain cannot afford rises in
wul labour costs bigber than
her competitors. And secondly.
there will be pressure 1o
improve productivity by in
creasing the amount of output
produced by cach worker.
These two poenomena
comprise what is meant by 'the
restructuring of capital'. it is a
response by the capitalist class
to the lact that the rate of profit
toD low
accumulation successfully
Money that would be used for
investment in industry if profits
were high cough is instead
used for speculative purposes
or is invested overseas. But this
for ever, since the money so
used ultimately has its source in
the production of goods and
services; for these to expand
then productivity has
increase.
So capital must be restruc-
tured, through mergers, take
overs and bankruptcies, in
order that British capitalism be
made more efficient. Which
Endustries then will do well in
19787 Food manufacturing
chemicals, especially soap and
detergent, mechanical and
electrical engineering, especial.
ly industrial plant and stecl
bave all more then matched
increased import penetration
with higher export sales in the
last few years. The same can
- 328/9 Upper Street London NI
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involved in activilles hy Socialist Challenge se porters in youreres, hilin thefor below and send! fo-us:
Fam interesied in mure informaiion shout se wilies in my area Trauld like addadonal literature and enclose 30p O COVer Cosis. (Delefe if mot applicable)
NAME....
ADDRESS
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SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 5 January 1978 page 2
by CPS Britain's 1978 surplus will be bigger than
W German'
OECD sees risks in European recession
hardly be said for metal manufacturing vehicles (except tractors) and textiles. Indeed, over manufaccuring industry as a whole from 1968 to 1976 imports rose from 17 per cent to 25 per centof the UK market, and this will probably increase thereby reinforcing the necessity for restructuring
UNEMPLOYMENT UP
Now it is true that all fore casts suggest a small rise in living standards next year after the severe squeeze of this year. Earnings will rise slightly faster than prices, but profits are still too low to support аду sustained expansion of invest ment, Consequently. the
not be sufficient to reduce unemployment. Doomber unCIPIDUCHE stands 1,428,000 or 6.0 per cent of the workforce, alld the Government subsidy training prog rammic covers another 33,000 people. But the labour force is growing by 10,000 a month, and all forecasts suggest steady increase in unemplayment. Thus real growth in the economy will be small, and more people will he without jobs. Those with jobs will see a cmall rise in their living standards, aod investment may continue to increase — but the
15 of contouce toysson in order to continue the restructuring of Industry, Indeed we could say of the British ccononty as was once said of the dying Prince of Wales: 'He is not better, he is much the same
1f you agree with these principles and want to be
Page 3 scan of this page
People of the year
Members of the Grunwick strike committee. Top left: Mahmoud Ahmed, Bill Heywood; seated: Vipi Magiani, Jayaben Desai; Paper censors women's adverts
HOME NEWS
made an indelible mark on history. enlerprise. attempt to deprive Grunwick of its essential services. to handle Ward's mail.
forces assembled against them.
Committee about their experience of the struggle. dress machinist before ste dress machinist before took a job at Grunwick in 1974. She had left the Gujerat state in India to live in East Africa when she married, and in 196 the Tamily cane to Britain. Grunwick is her fiest expericace of a strike. It is unlikely to be her last.
'50 many Asian peopic say that the unions do nothing fo them", she says. "So they don't Join or they But what they mist do is paying their
raise their voice and ask the
cadership what's going on.
"They have to stand together, organise themielves, and join with the trade union movement.
*The Government doesn't
kant to do anything about Grunwick - that's what we've observed the whole year. 1 think we have done everything possible. But the union hasn't acted properly. and the TUC didn't move.
The support for us has not died. From the rank and file it is the same. The TLIC has to use that support, that strength and TABUSET PAT COLLINS worked at Grunwick for six years as a van ay of many action Pat and On Il July six other drivers marched out of the gates to join the strike. He has no doubt what it would mean to lose it.
'Other workers in a similar situation', he says, *will feel there is no point in striking, and probably not much point in
TE WAS H would be a big blow to the WHOIC TOVEHICH
It's been a wonderful fight. I've been very surprised tha people who knew nothing about trade unions could
Students fight
for nursery
hy MARYROCHE
THE NURSERY at Liverpool Polytechnic is safe from closure -lemporarily, It is finunced by the scudents' union. and if students vote to close it at next month 3 general mecting, they would be kicking oul 20 children, putting four people out of work, and forcing parents with children at the nursery to leave their courses.
The attempt to close the nursery is being led by the student union Dresident a rugby fanatic, who wants to use the money for sports facilities— for himself and his friends.
The Worsen's Group and Socialist Society at the Poly
In 1977, the women and the men who bad marched out of George Ward's gates to demand basic trade union rights
Whatever the eventual outcome of the strike at Grunwick - now in its 16th month — the pickets who massed in support of the predominantly Asian strikers showed the intolerance of the workers movement for the sweatshop conditions that continue to glorify the flag of free
The leaders of that movement well deserve Fleet Street's accolade as their People of the Year. The Labour Government, which has bowed to the Law Lords, and despatched coachloads of uniformed thugs to Wilesden. The TUC, which dutifully took the 11 July mass picket for a tour of NW London's back streets, and has obstructed every
The Rats of the Year award is reserved for the leaders of APEX and the postal workers' union. As 1977 drew to its miserable close, APEX suspended from union membership the Gramwick strikers who upset the TUC by fasting on its doorstep, while the UPW imposed fines of up to t500 on its members in the Cricklewood sorting office who had refused
Socialist Challenge has no difficulty in selecting our People of the Year. They are the Grunwick strikers who continue to battle against such despicable opposition within the workers' movement, quite apart from the array of state
These are the comments of some members of the Strike
bocome so active, I wasn't in a UNION Tor most or the time 91 Grunwick, but now I feel that the only hope the working class
the threats and so on.
And the larce of Ward's so-called ballot, when we were all crowded into the canteen so people could look over your sharked andyou were let inno shoulder to sec what doubt what would happen if you wanted a union MAHMOOD AHMAD who comes from Pakistan, worked at Grunwick or Just three weeks before the strike began.
The struggle, he says, changed his life. *I's all been experience. I've been learning all the time.
Before the strike I couldn't have spoken to a crowd of people, argued Case 11 court, spoken 10 MPs about our problem. Now 1 can spea to a crowd of two thousand..
I've become much more after near come crose come lighting NAFE and the National Front; dealing with the problems of immigrant people in tltis couttry. I've joined the National Council for Civil Liberties and l'm a member of Brent Trades Council. *T think the strike has encouraged Asians to take an active role in the unions. About half the Grunwick strikers are women and you just wouldn't expect Indian women to be to a picker line and arguing that wasn't right. Now they're the leading people.' have established a Nursery Defence Group to link up with the campaigns of the National Organisation of Incernational Socialist Students and of Broad Left members. Local communily papers and the Women's Action Group in Liverpool are demanding that Social Services provides the backing to expand thenursery.
Ourdefenoe group has scored its first success by mobilising students to vote to keep the nursery open. This is the kind of local activity chat is necessary If the campaigns of the National Union of Students against cuts. unemployment and discrimination are to be more than paper policies.
MTH
slanding front: Pat Collins, Kamlesh Gandhi:
THE IMAGE of women is, of distorted by the newspapers, which at the same time are happy to suppress news and information on women's rights. la Hull, this censorship also extends to the advertising columes,
When the Hull Working Women's Charter Group recently held a conference encitled "Women's Oppres
GRUNWICK
STRIKERS
NCERE
by PAULINESTANTON
sion', we arrempted to advertise ir in the Hull Doily Mail. When the secretary of the group first ring the paper she was told after a pause — that as the title of the conference might cause offence!), she would have to
to placebe advert.
When then ensued was a
USTIN!
ridiculous charade of taking the advert in, being told by the counter staff that it would bave to be dealt with over the phone and then, no, it couldn't, etc. Theadvert never appeared.
Meanwhile, the National Front is regularly allowed to advertise in the paper, as is the anti-abortion Life outfit. The National Abortiou Campaign hashad its adverts banned.
The Working Women's
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 5 January 1977 page 3
KERS
JUST BEEN 'ON MOLIDAY?
Charter Group in Hull has complained to the local branch of the National Union of Journalists and to SLADE. We bave also written to the editor of the Hual Duity Mail, which happens to be owned by Westminster Press - the company resisting the demand for a closed shop by journalists in Darlington because this would be a threat to "press froedom'!
Page 4 scan of this page
Interview with West Midlands FBU strike leaders
'They're crucifying us!'
HOME NEWS
FBU picker of TUC General Council on 21 December, Fire Brigades Union's West Midlands region. PETE
of the FBO. Just interviewed for Socialist Challenge by Bruce Young.
"This isn't a strike in the normal sense, argued Geoff Poxon, 'where an employer bas Timited resources, If you take on
got limited resources.
"They call in the army, they call the police force, they call in the media. They call in the whole damn structure of the State.
And they're mobslising against as very, very effectively; to crush a group of workers"
Geoff Poxon and Pete Bilson areleading members of the FBU in Wolverhampton. They were militants before the strike began, and they are militants now. But as Geoff Pozon said:
The greatest political lesson of anybody's life is a strike, and both men have learned a lot from the first strike in the history ofthe FBU.
Reviewing the progress of the strike, Pete made the point that the Government has operated a two phase strategy. 'The first one was a shame campaign and the second was a starvation campaign". But for Bilson, the
Whatever
happened
to the
miners'
pay claim?
GEOFF POXON is secretary of the 'E' division of the governent?
BILSON is chairperson of the Wolverbampton branch before Christmas they were
biggest stab in the back came in General Purposes Committee
General Purposes Committee of the TUC and its asGrunwick, we support you -
TUC votes
THE TUC General Council WU), Sirs (Steelworkers), Chal voted by 20 to 17 not to support mers (Boilermakers). the FRU strike on 21 December. Those who voted to defy (Agricultural Workers), Dyson the Congress policy of oppos- (Dyers and Bleachers), ing the 10 per cent limit were: Gougan (Garment Workers), Scanlon (ALEW) (NALGO), Daly (NUM), Patt ATT), Spanswick (COHSE). erson (TGWU), TT), Jackson (UPW), Weighell (NUR), Allen (Shopworkers), stained. Jack Jones was on holEccles (GMWL), Baker (GM- iday.
rejection of the firemen's case".
point: "You've got hypocritical I expected
members are getting 17 per cent that down'. rises under thetable. You've got Lawrence Daly and other so support the strike meane that
out and crucify 35,000 people, for what? For a socialist shoulders.
*No, for the sake of the CBI, the Tories and the Lib-Lab is essential. We have used our pact Geotf said he was not politically naive', but even then the once we've used that ultimate decision of the Finance and
the form of the Finance and surprised him: We expected this Sub- them to come out and say, same immedinte claim, but for all
Basnett (GNIWL), Bottini Mac-
Drain Maddox (Bakers), Lloyd (UC Smith (UCA. Christopher (Inland Revenue).
Harry Unwin (TGWU) ab
and then forget it. never Geoff Poxen detailed the expected fed val support, rat whose support. But tbey even turned were reports of many members
The failure of the TUC 10
And they go organising the strike and the
supportit attracted fell on other So how could the
Tasks RICH PALSER
It was just six months ago that the miners' national conference decided to reject productivity dealing, and instead submit a claim for E135 a week. Since then the right wing on the NUM executive, led by Gormley and Daly, have tried manoeuvre after manoeuvre to reverse or over-ride that decision.
They began by continuing to productivity deal. A national was then held, wittich again re-
Give scheme. So the erocutive came up with a loophole. They sanctioned the negotiation of incentive schemes at local leve which — by creating differen wowe races in caco arca and splitting support for the LI35 have precisely the same effect as a national prodactivity deal.
But weakening the lighting unity of the union is exactly what Daly and Cormies are
strike bewon!
For Pete Bilson: *Solidarity
ultimate weapon — by striking - and we have to win, because
weapon, there is nothing else we can use. We bave to maintain
claims that nught occur within - the fireservice in the future"
For Poxon, the key to
money: "If we don't get the finances in we'Illese eventually. So it's all to do with how to organise collections, contribu-
left and the trade unions that counts,
-Ithink this strike shows that the left is disorganised. It's rallied tremendously, and the public have, around the banner of the fireman's strike, but it's still disorganised.
POLICE SYMPATHY
When the strike hegan, there
of the sympathy for the strike. The experience in Wolverhampton suggests differently. Geoff thought that 'iniLially they were aLlin favour, but now, let us be after, and now they hope that the more local deals that are
concluded in easily-worked pits
and areas, the less support there
will be for a fight for the nat ional claim.
COMMUNIST PARTY
This was recognised by the
left wing on the union execur-
ive, based on Scodland, Kent,
Yorkshire and the South Wales
arcas. But
lefts Like Mick McGahey of the
ved to pledge themselves to
increased nroductivity.And
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE trutbful, they haven't helped us at all.
'We've had old age pensioners giving us 2p, but these policemen who're carning the equivalent of E80 and 100 a. week and who are riding on our back their secretary says that if the firemen get 30 per cent, they want 30 per ceot - haven't
themscives
NO WAY
"We've asked them if tbey'll bave a collecting box at the police station, no way tbey'!! touch that. They say they toast
Behind army moans
Xmas was the escuse used fur a billeted in the poshess botel in th
series of moan stories
scab troops. Collections were beld, night.
popular press mus full of sob stories officers ut Weymonth. Doree
* The major appeal for the scobs the fire brigade headquarters an
ame from one sounce Luyds Underwriters, who manage the
Doang very mices are the scal truops in Harnstaple They une behave"
no stegs were taken to begin to
organise a fight for the El35
ciaim.
A call for a national delegate
conference to plan the action
for the E135 claim, if rejected
by the right-wing dominated
executive bould have been
called by the areas supporting
the claim.
This conference could have
been built into a really authorit-
atise nationa conference. thr
ough the sort of campaign
launched in the Yorkshire arca
during the ballot on the nation-
al productivity deal with
speakers sent to pit-head miss
mectines, special issues of the
arca papers explaining the pur
pose of the conference, and so
Ол.
Instead the left tried to stop
the allempis to split the unbon
by using the courts. Kent area
Nun mico to get the courts le
halt the national ballot on an
incentive scheme, and were re-
5 January 1978 page 4
maintain neutrality. They keep talking about orders. Well, 1 read that in the Nuremberg trialsas well'.
NO ICE
The latest offer from the employers cut no ice with either of the men. Pete pointed out:
members is not a wage increase In money terms, it is a wage cut. At present some of our members qualify for the family inconse supplement. But with ten per cent on the basic wage they montget it.
•In money terms we'retalking about perhaps a E3 increase in take home pay with the loss of all those allowances which firemen can pee al present le help food and clothe thei children.
Both Pere and Geoff argued there were even problems with the present FBU claim of average manual earnings plus 10 per cent. The average wage being publlshed in the New Earnings Survey which is at least Ter montis out of date when it i published. Neither is under an illusion about the dit ficulties of witting even chat claim.
Inthisrespect, said Geoff, the betraval of the TUC cannot he minionised?
ACCEPT CONDITIONS
They went against their own Congress ruling for free collective bargaining. They col munion that was on official and nationa. strike to accept the Government's conditions, the same conditions the Congress voted against by accepting free collecrive bargaining'.
But if the TUC sell-out made the strike more difficult to win it and the strike itself has had other effects. Effocts which will bring lirtle comfort to the leadership of the TUC. Geaft Poxon's hna comment was Ot bow the struggle as a whole had affected thestrikers
'Political consciousness has risen a hell of a loc. Ir's bard to gauge, but tibitkitbas. They're more ready to sand up for tbemiscives, and they're more ready to stand up for orber people. Thar isthe main thing,
- the Imperial. It costs E11
* On 14 December young Amm
HE CATTIED
A spokesperson I for the Army
This doesn't sound
jected Yorkshire, Kent, and
South Wales areas applied to
the courts to stop the executive
COLUMNE LEAST OUT
ily schemes. This, too, was pre
dictably rejected.
*l beiieve tbis judgement
should firmly convince tUL
trade unionist chat it is useless
hoping for juscioe in the courts
of this land said Arthur Scar.
gill after the event.
CHANCE DIMINISHES
With each week that goes by and euch local incentive
scheme thalisintroduced - the
chance of a unified fight for the
I135 claim diminishes. The left
already Gormley and
may well be exposed as being
union splitters, but once baving
splitthe union it will be too late
to do anything aboutit. It is not
too late to organise a nationa
delegate conference row.
Page 5 scan of this page
A New Year message
Leyland management's New Year message toits employees is Solihull, argues that if the effects of corporate bargaining
HOME NEWS
rather like a Christmas tree — much the same all the year round. The message is shortand simple: "We are in crisis; you carry the can'. PAT HICKEY, shop steward at Rover
Leyland's Managing Director, Derek Whittaker identifies theproblemas low production. poor productivity, a declining market share and serious financial losses'. Whittaker
to set one group of workers against the other. He points to Ford as the main enemy for Leyland workers, because they раласо то таке 30 рет cent 01 the UK market, and oust Leyland from the market. leadership - permanently. In the Leyland Mirror be notes that Ford had taken leadership in the first 11 months of 1977 and that if they achieved theiraim "we have failed".
He goes on to reveal that the Joint management counch nad Workers at Leyland Cowley assembly plant have delivered their verdict on two year's betrayal by Reg Parsons, notorious transport workers union senior steward. In the union's recent biennial elections Parsons was thrown out of the carpeted office provided by Leyland management and workers pinned their hopes on Bob Fryer. The vote is a triumph for revolationary millitants of the 5/293 branch of the Transport and General Workers' Union which has constantly officialdom.
The votes for Bob Erver are in affront to union bosses.
Fryer led TGWU workers for 16 years, until he was betrayed
ago. And to rub salt into the wounds of both Lesland anu union officiah, workers also elected as depuly scior stew ard Alan Thornett, Jeader of the Workers' Socialist League.
Over the pase two years, vis. orous efforts have boen made 10 renoe the TGWU to a came 1ool of management. Parsons
from British Leyland
Work harder, lose jobs
drawn upaplan to deal with this
union/management participation body. The proposals which IMC rubber-stamped include: improved contimuity of production tie, no strikes important in view of the otber of or lor get about one operator, one
levels and Improvod product - or redundancies and speed up.
Following the vote on the corporate bargaining package the company are in no mood the hang fire. These 'improve ments" are to be implemented in the first six months of 1978 - Or eise 'the company will reduce in
Left wins Cowley vote
- a branch stood firm against attacks from JOHNNY HAINE reports from Cowley.
played the role of Front man for district secretary David BUckle Ja Chese moves. Thi Parsons-Buckle dua consistently attacked the unity of the workforce by destroying the
and attempting to set up yel another tame TGWU branch.
now, Ine workers sou ma called a balt, forcing the officjale to "postpone" the verdicts a kanuaron cours set un hs Huckle with tbe intention of
and participation schemes are to be met, a fighting unity across Leyland plants is vital.
size and jobs will be lost. A rather strange alternative, since
proposals In volve subscantial loss of johs as well as a worsening of conditions.
PARTICIPATION
The participation committees hawe been centre Buolved n the discussions on these proposal. Tase bodies hare Doel
waised by the Communist Party as orcating a situation u which the labour force have greater control over their future by taking part in major com pany decisions. Of course the participation committees have done nothing of the sort. They have participated in discussion on the implemeneliminaring the revolutionary left.
But, Important as the votes are, the struggle is far from
•Lesland. realine possible effect of a revolution-
Mac plant refuse to recognise Thornett This cynical affront to PONTA ers" democracy must be chalienied - and little reliance can be placed on the TGWU ofticJals who have tine and again tried to scab Thornett in the hack.
FIGHTING POLICY
Apart from this important rocognition issue. key tasks face workers on the plant. Fryer shoud mount a lighting policy at once policy which gives Corley the chance to fight back again-
tation of decisions taken elsewhere. It is rumoured chat
SCLOSE being discussed involve the shedding of about 9000 employees. But the participation committees are keeping quiet about such
It is clear that manning levels will be a central issue for Leyland management in 78. A recent dispute at Kadford Axles points to the future. Despite massive lay-offs as a result of the strike, Whitaker declared that manning levels "Tundamental principal and be would not concede on thisissue.
Although plant leaderships are well aware that the Radford dispute was helping management sharpen the axe for other plants, nothing was done to support thestrike or prepare the membership, Discussions around the incentive scheme on
mittee are another aspect of this attack onmanning.
UNITY
The old answer of each plant going its own way will not be sufficient to moet the new problems. It is necessary to fight these attacks when and where they stnike. But we must also fight for unity across Leyland cars at rank and file level, to combat the centralised strategy of Leyland management, and the "unity" of the union leaders in the joint union/ management committees.
It is essential to deal with the
existioe plant leaders with a leadership committed to strugale, to defend the interests of Leyland workers. That task can only be carcied our in the struggle for a fighting unity in Leyland cars. • Normally our reporters try to avoid the use of words like талліне" which historically reflects the domination of men in the workforce, in this case we connor think of on alternative,
waffing" would refer to white coffar workers, We will be publishing an Under Review article on the use of language in CREAUTIOUS
it the government-backed Ley. land offensive. Top of the list must be the rejection of cor porate bargaining and the submission of a 1100 a week claim with cost of bring prosision. Depsite the difficulties un att-
the shackles of the Lahour Durecal aware controls
WITHDRAWAL
Socondly. complete with drawal from the participation fraud is essential, to be replaced with a fighting, independent shop stewards movement, The involvement of the entire workforce is crucial in fighting for such a programme of action. Only by the most open forat of workers' democract can Figer and Thornet! RID, hold and consolidate Tost teacher scadersap 8e curry the workforce forward.
Has the
AUEW claim
Compare the following two statements: 'Our Labour Government's achievements on behalf of the working class justif les it expecting trade unionists to have reasonable regard to the Government's pay guidelines if we are to continue our attacks on inflation.
That was John 'Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam' Boyd, General Secretary of the Engineering Union, writing in the union's journal in November. Contrast it with:
*This National Committee instructs the Executive ConCHESTER MC SOETCESERIOI of Shipbuilding and Engineerine Unions to seek bs negotia lion a minimum time rate of E7D for skilled workers, E55 for labourers, the rate for semi-skilled workers to be in aco ordance with the existing for
UNANIMOUS
This resolution was passed UnanimOusiN by the nationa commitice of the Engineering Union on 14 November. The claim will mean an increase of 66 per cent in the minimum time rate, which currently stands at 642 a week.
Many engineering workers already roceive a similar weekly wage, but for the more poor ly paid sections of the induscry time rate will mean major in creases well above tbe Lovern ment's 10 per cent Jimit.
Nor will better paid workers simply benefit from increased overtime and shift allowances A victory over the Engineering Employers" Federation — who will resist any such increase in the minion Cathe FOLL would open the way for better pald workers to further increase their wages above the minimum.
NATIONAL ACTION
in addition, the claim in cludes demands for a 35-hour week and 35 days holiday a year, which if won could go a The Broad Left in the Engineering Union will be fielding a candidate with a difference in the union elections to be beld in the West Midland: No 16 Division next Mareb. Mick Rice. a shop steward al Lucas BW3, is standing for
of newly Crested Brutiotham south district on a programme well to the left of the run-of-tbe mill Broad Left candidate.
It includes demands for a 35-hour week with no loss of pay, a sliding scale of wages which would automatically compensate for rising prices, nod opposicion to racial and sexual discrimination.
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 5 January 1978 page 5
been burnt?
long way to reducing unempl oyment in the industry. NeithCT EDe EEF Dor tbe Labou Government are going to readily concede the claim. National action will be required to win
There are few signs of any preparation lor national light being made by the union leadership. Scanion, fresh from voting against supporting the firefighters at the TUC, is no more Hacy to leid a ten
HE SALVAEME for the claim than la lobn Bord.
The same national committee meeting which decided on the claim also instructed the AUEW's district commition to call special beetings shop stewards to begin the process of mobilising the membership to win the full claim; these TEPH SHOULE SARC PHICC OC fore the National Committee is
It said that the national committee should be recalled as soon as the EBF replied to the claim, to consider what action sbould be taken if the reply is not favourable
Militants should demand that these special shop stewards meerings take place, and argue within them for a nation al conterence of delegates elected front these meetings to plan the struggle OVEr claim. It is only by full rank and file control over negotiations aod action for the claim that a
ched.
The recent Broad Left national conference called. for shop stewards and convenors national conference in the New Year. It is time the Broad Left came out of its long sleep and bezan to orpanise that confer ence, so that the Scanions and Boyds are not allowed to get away with treating their own members with the scorn they have shown for the firefight-
Left Broad
Left candidate
Rice is also demandiog greater democracy within the AUEW, and to back this up bis election campaign will make Strenuous efforts to brine the issues to the membersbip. Plans are underway to visit branch meetings throughout the new district, together with arranging
shop stewards committees.
The local rag, the Evening Mail, will undoubtedly be intervening on the side of the right wing, and whether or no the left obtains a right of reply, it is planned to produce campaign kaflers and organise door-todoor canvassing.
Page 6 scan of this page
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Page 7 scan of this page
THE WORLD IN1977 RICHARD CARVER reviews the year when everyone ran flat out to stay in the same place.
1977. Sadat and Begin, Charter 77 and Bahro, the neutron bomb and Star Wars, punk and skateboards, and the Silver Jubilee. And farewell to Gandhi, Bhutto and Bandaranaike, to Rabin and Bert Lance, to Agee and Hosenball, to Marx and Chaplin, and Presley and Prentice. Farewell too to the unity of the Communist Parties.
Yes, a lot happened in 1977, but nothing on the scale of the victories in Indochina and Angola which requires a complete reassessment of the world political scene. Many of last year's developments could change the face of world politics. But not yet.
Since the defeat of the Portuguese revolution and the anti-imperialist victory in Angola carly in 1976 there has been no fundamental shift in the balance between the classes on a world scale. And in that sense 1977 looks very like 1976 a year of shifting and shuffling and wait-and-sec, with massive explosions just around the corner but never quite happening.
Nowhere is this more obvious than in Western Europe. Much of the year was spent waiting for governmental changes: in Britain the fall of the Labour Government; in France the victory of the Union of the Left; and in Italy the entry of the Communist Party into government.
GOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT
In the event, the Italian Communist Party arrived at a governmental agrocment (though not with ministerial posts) with the right-wing Government without any ballyhoo. After all, its policies now are hardly different from when it was in 'opposition', In France the Union ofthe Left has all but fallen to bits and the long awaited govern-
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
ment may have to be long-awaited for a while longer. And even in Britain the opinion polls now raise the unheard of prospect of Labour returned at the next election.
Of course none of this alters the fundamental social forces at work. A working class upsurge and the accompanying crisis of the traditional parties is still long overdue in each or these countries... but not in 1977.
UNEVENNESS
The same sort of staggering, stuttering, grunting unevenness marked the international capitalist cconomy over the last year. Already 1976 had seen the beginnings of a besitant and inflationary upturn, particularly in the strong est capitalist economies: the United States, West Germany and Japan. That recovery has continued Into 1977 though it has faltered as the year progressed. But the crisis of overproduction has continued. With a vast excess of productive capacity it has proved difficult, if not impossible, for even the strongest cconomies to attract productive investment.
The weaker imperialist countries have fared worse. The inflationary increase in consumer demand which helped the partial recovery in the US, West Germany and Japan could not be repeated in countries Britain and Italy, above all — with high intlation and balance of payments deficits. In such conditions the ruling class was forced to do the exact opposite: bold down consumer demand by "austerity" measures which constituted a brutal attack on working class living standards.
Buc there is no cause for complacency on the part of the imperialist strategists. Nothing decisive has turned in their favour. With the significant exception of Britain, where austerity
was policed by the trade unions, the working class has generally been successful in nullifying the impact of gosernment policy on their pay packets — even in places like Italy and Spain where the fight back has run in the face of the workers" parties themselves.
The rise in industrial production has been most marked in the dependent or semi-developed countries, such as Brazil, Iran, South Korea and Hong Kong. In each of these cases this has been achieved at massive cost to the working class, in terms of both extreme poverty and severe political repression. This increase in production has sharpened trade rivalry between the imperialist and dependent countries and among the imperialist powers themselves -and this in the context of an overall contraction of world trade
As always, while it is possible to make these broad generalisations aabour the cconomy, there are no such easy conclusions in politics.
TWO FORUMS
There were two obvious forums for developments in world politics: the Helsinki recall conference in Belgrade and the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks. On the face of it neither held out the promise of Kissinger-style "detente" lasting much longer. Although we are promised a new SALT agreement in the near future, US arms developments - such as the cruise missile and the neutron bomb which Jimmy Carter claims are not covered by SALT — are bound to provoke a response from the Soviet Union — and justifiably.
If you took any notice of the human rights thetoric at Belgrade you might be reinforced in the view that East-West relations were crumbling. But not So. The stuff about the sanctity of human life is strictly for holidays and is not to be used when you are concluding an arms deal with the Shah of Iran or faced with dissidence in Poland,
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 5 January 1978 page? Czechoslovakia or East Germany
Equally Carter and US Imperialism Inc. have no interest in stimulating an opposition in Eastern Europe which could "destablise" the West. Hence Solzhenitsyn and Bukovsky are trumpeted for their perceptive observations on the Decline of the West while Marxists like Bahro and Biermann are ignored in jail or exile.
SOVIET BUREAUCRACY
The Soviet bureaucracy has become even more uneasy in its relations with the imperialist powers since the runn ing sore of 'Eurocommunism' chose 1977 to spill its unpleasant contents on a half-suspecting world. The signifi cance of Eurocommunism is dealt with elsewhere in this review. For the momeant it is enough to say that the Soviet bureaucracy brought Eurocommunism on itself. Where its policies have not been inherited wholesale from the Moscow line, Eurocommunism's criticisms have their root in the brutally undemocratic practices of the East European regimes
The loss of these instruments of foreign policy in the imperialist countries has tended to force the Kremlin into an cver closer relationship with the imperalist governments themselves. There was an appropriate symbolism in the visit of Soviet President Brezhnev to Paris, when he refused to meet the French Communist Party leader.
In this context the perennial problem of the Soviet regime only becomes more acute: how is it possible to in crease the Soviet sphere of influence -primarily for strategic reasons with out upsetting the international status quo by exporting revolution? 1977 off ered no answer to that dilemma as the Soviet Union scood by helplessly while the Americans took the initiative in the Middle East, and two states, both sup plied with identical Sovict weapons. slugged it out in the Horn of Africa
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SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 5 January 1978 pageB
North America
THE FIRST year of the Carter
administration has been one of severe
attacks on the US working class. Civil rights were threatened in a number of
areas,
The Hyde Amendment virtually
ended abortions on Medicaid. Since a third of all abortsons were funded br Medicaid, this is a serious sethack for
working class women. Allen Bakke, a
white engineer, got a court to rule in
his favour that positive discrimina tion for blacks in college entry was illegal, while formes beauty queen Anita Bryant organised a nationwide anti gay campaign.
la the labour movement itself things were more positive. Steelworkers Fight Back organised a serious opposition to the right wing leadership of the steeiworkers union and the end of the year saw a national miners strike in defence of union nights.
The dominant political issue in Canada continues to be the national
Quebecois government, clected at the cnd of 1976, has spent most of the year preparing a nationai referendum
Canadian ruling class has organised an anti-Quebec
campare. through fear of the bourgeois than of the militant Quebec working class.
in a worsening economic situation the Canadian unions have tried to negotiate a British-style Social
with a signal lack of
Middle East
Palestinians during night operation near Jordan
PEACE or war? The question everyonc was asking about the Middle East he the tune 177 was out We woo t provide an easy answer here. Much of the left has too quickly dismissed the possibility that the Israeli-Egyprian
could lead smashing of the Palestinian movement and the consolidation of capitalist rule in the area.
Al the beginning of the year Egyplcan President Sadat looked the most anlikely superstar. In January tens of thousands of workers demonstrated against food price rises, forcing the
This was a massive turnaround only
movement in Lebanon and it looked
Infitah, an coonomic opening 1o DeOBASTO, nad manitescy tauco and the upsurge of the masses was bound to scare off those fes investors who
A good year for human
Parti
Anti-black demonstration in Chicago
PQ
SOLesS. The end pf the vent sim revelations of the extensive veillance operations carried out by the RCMP, the federal security police, against working class and Quebec nationalist organisations. One of the
A star is born
had been foolish crough to bank on Egypt's future.
Al first the new right-wing Israck leader Menachem Begin Jooked as unlikely to negoliate with the Arabs as Sadat was to survive. Bur that left out to the the other variable in the equation: the
enthusiasm of the Carter administrat-
maintain the Zionist state and sabilise the newly rich
One thing is clear: such a solution will not work until is finally -ind liquidated. But chat is not completely suled our, The Palestinians have been effectively disarmed since cbe Syrian invasion of Lebanon, and the military protection of the newly 'rejectionist" im- Sytian regime can give them little
hope. The Tripolt pact of anti-Egypt Arab states can offer the Arab masses bothing, even it it survives longer than
wrongs
objects of the RCMP's attention was SuT- the Trotskyist movement. The three groups of supporters of the Fourch International Israci certainly sees chat arined confrontation will be necessary to inipose its solution. Even as Sadar was annalem braeli jets were bombing South Lebanese villages. Still, it is a long way from knowing what needs to be done to actually doing it. Many orber people have tried to smash the Palestinians. and they are still there Arab bourgeois
The Iranian dictatorship finished 1923 iD true form, arresting some the Palestinian 12,000 oppositionists in a few brutal physically days of murder and renewed repress-
Tion. No doubt Carter's human rights policy has the Shah trembling in his boots. But the year has also seen the emergence of open opposition to the Sisab. with numerous the summer acd massive mobilisations towards the end of the year.
intation
HCIT
democracy fell swoop.
Socialist unified in August to
The Zaire.
bucking American. -open letters
For to
West Europe
Strong state
AUSTERITY wasagain the keynotein Western Europe last year, Yet, with the exception of Britain, it was an
wach didil work.
France, Spain and Italy workers were able to mantain nvine standards. while in the Netherlands and Belgium there were mass strikes to demand indexation of wages to koep pace with
Nevertbeless, there were positive devclopments for the ruling class us
Portugal the Soares Government miraculously managed of the year, while in Spain, equally from dictatorship to bourgenis
continued with the first elections in 41 years.
Still, the Iberian peninsula remains imperialism's weak hank. The Spanish working class in particular has suffered no docisive defcat and in strike after strike has shown its refusal to accept the dictates of cither the right-wing Government or the mass workers" parties. It is chose parties which must take the credit for the maintenance of bourgeois Spain. It was their consistent failure rights or living standards, and even on isolated the more militant soctions of the working class in their fight to do away with the Francoist regime at one
Then, in Ocloher, and Communist Partie signed the Monclos Pact, a social contraci walen ams co solve the Suarez Government's biggest out-
the economic crisis —at the expense of the working
Monclua its counterpart in the Italian six party
Africa
Solidarity wi
IN AFRICA 1977 was a year of in one way oranotber. Whenit came to direct military intervention it was the French w homadeche running.
Their first outing was in April when French troops and military supplies were sent to faire in holster the Mut separatat im ate
came after rerclations of ait imperialist plan for the invasion of Angols, based on
Giscard continued to work towards the establishment of a reactionary aliance of French-speaking African states, The next chance came towards the end of the year, when French
-TOF the Moroccan Mauritanian occupation of Western Sahara took the form of direct military support.
The major imperialist power, the United States, seemed content to take streas the nob-legal' character of its Anglo-American plan for Zimbabwe was presented as more Anglo than
The Ower-Young proposals Contain nothing startlingly new They represent yet another attempt to patch up a neo-colonial regime, a projec which bas so far won the support of neither the Smith Government nor any of the significan: black nationalist organisations, Smith still refuses to giveup white settler power and prefers кату io neonaie an acconal serie ment" with those sections of the black nationalisis not directiy engaged in the armed struggle,
The Patriotic Front, which bas the backing of the front-line states, is not ready either to negotiate with Sotith
accept the Owen-Young proposals Conscoucony Tack Daw been the object of the most brutal
REVIEW
Schmidt consoles Schleyer's v governmental pact, which legitim the months of tacit Communist Ps support for the Christian Democr Goverament. Nevertheless, opp tion this class continues to grow. In the unions cl struggle groupings have begun emerge while. more Italian society has been paralysed viblent confrontation between far and right.
In France, it has been a yea political realignment, with break-up of the Gaullist monolith a of the Union of the Left. The Fres follow Italian and Span boumergains ir gours Bar soeway governmental power, prefercing consolidate is working against erosion by the Socialist Par
The year's MOSE development has been the stepping
fighte
lan Smith assaults by the white security forc often in Mozambican territory
It is not just the imperialisis M are in disarray. Soviet foreign pol broke out between Elliopia WITTERIETH - boli Soviet-armed backed. The usue was the fate of Somali nonsads Living in the Ogad controlled by Ethiopia Eritrean nationalist movement c tinuing to make gains and the grav of an urban opposition, the Ethiop dictatorship is looking more and mu
Page 9 scan of this page
' THE YEAR
of the West German aminst the left, activities of the Red Army Fraction. The Social Democratic Government 1s now at the height of its confidence, with the almost total backing of a quiescent working class so much so that it feels quite confident about murdering oppositionists in jail and orchestrating a witch-hunt against some of Germany's most prominent intellectuais, The West German strong state is regarded with envy by capitalist politicians from Eondon to
an increase of inter-govermmental co-
On a more positive note, the past year has been one of consolidation and extension of the women's BIN CICHE- In southern Europe in particular it is winning increasing support from working class women
h freedom
unstabic.
In the racist stronghold of South Africa repression and resilance. The mas symbolic event was the murder in jail 01 black consciousness leader Sleve Biko, with its undisguised barbarity
This quickiy followed by the outlawing of all the major opposition organisations and a number of
Nevertheless, indication of the strength of the opposition that the regime was not
vins admirers
wich-hunt and is an important influence on the
independent women's movement las KUWE CANE AN ARDE ME HOST important industrial struggles been led by women workers. In Italy a number of aspects of oppression, such abortion,
political organisations national political crisis.
1977 has also seen a growth of international co-ordination movement, conferences in Paris Amsterdam in the summer provided a basis for continuing international co-
campaigns, women's unemployment, are taking increasingly
s still priority
able to repeat the mass murder of summer and Christmas 1976, despite
student protests.
Interne tonal sondeny will hacks of South Africa grew in 1977 so mech sothat the United Natioes Tell obliged to impose 15 years CULTIED black Solidarity with the southern African
strug dle will continue to be te cog priority of the international workers movement 10 1975.
strike in Chile — OCLACEU
standarus in Argentina.
policy. have
women's
CHARTER 77.
last year intended to ne Launched
of the Irencctuals, Socialist- Stimulated
and
with tepression
and handed out to murter and slightly arrogant
countries which
197%
the increasing intellectual lyescaped a militarycoup
behind her Congress Party.
theopen.
detectors trom Congress.
an arms
Latin America
1977 HAS been a year of rising working class struggle in Lacin America, and, significantly, this has spread right into the heartlands of the continent's military dictators. The dictatorship. end of the year saw a copper miners"
the fiest openly since 1973 and mass strikes in defence of living
Wape increases of around 40 per cent made a large dent in the junta's wages
general
In Brazil there were the largest mobilisations for nearly ten years over the summer, Despite mass arrests
East Europe
the Czechoslovak human rights manifesto, was a good Polish workers, symbol for events in Eastern Europe
and was probably
by a group of the manifesto quickly interise debate OIL human Behis among the workion class itself. Inevitably chis was met
trom the burenu cracy, with exemplary sentences being
77's most representatives. and leaven-knows-what being dealt to the Jundreds of known activists who have circulated the document.
The rising struggle in the workers states was the most important new element in the political sirsation in The 1976. It began to challenge the glib
of Western revolutionaries that it
would spread to the
That mood of militant challenge the burcaucracie regines has spread in
Jiu valley, the
One of the main features has boen
convergence 01 and class opposition. In Crechoslovakia the initiarive came from the intellectuals,
South Asia
THREE of South Asia's dictarors -disappeared in 1977, and the fourth, CHI KAREN DE CREDE SOCAT BASTOW
India's Indira Gaudbi was list 1o
go, overconfident after two scars o
Emergency' that the masses were stil
But the relaxation of repression only gave the signal for opposition to come out in
In tbe absence of any real alternat ive from the working class parties it was the righr-wing opposition which righe wing which seized the advantage, joined by many
30 I HS Janara — an unscable alliance stretchMR BOSS WINDING WIKI Conned the new Government: But
force the release of a large number o
lo Pakistan Zullikar Ali Bhutto tries, in
ion result, but he made sure of thing by rigeing the poll. This quickly back Fired as mass unrest spilled our onto the streets. There were eveo indicat-
Iron heel begins to rust
there have been repeated student demonstrations, stoking a crisis which has even led to division among the political supporters of the
But the most explosive confront ations have again been in the semi-democracies ofrhe northere hall of the continent. In Colombia more Han 50 people were killed as the Government tried to put down a
strike MCULEMACT Nevertheless, workers continued to demonstrate against the Cavern ment's pay policy and its attack; on democratic rights. 300 union leaders
Charter 77 symbol of 1977
in Poland quite the reverse. The
intellectuals of the Workers Defence Comitice won an innariant victor! in 1977, securing the release of most of those jailed for their part in the June 1976 strikes against food price rises. The regime continued its assault on democratic rights on a more surreptitious level, as shown by the marders of a couple of supporters of the Workers Defence Committee. The
opposition, MOst politically sophisticated in Eastern Europe. began a process of political differentiation in 1977, with a more ASSE BROS SIR BRIE committed to workers" democracy,
dramatic events in Czechoslovakia and Poland stimulated the growth of an opposition in the most quicicest of the workers states. Rumania Paul Goma launched an open dissident movement modelled on Charter 77, but was forced into exile by the end of the year. In the summer and autumn the miners of the
vanguard of the Kuman A working Cass. Stuck IT defence of living standards. When
with the strikers he was denounced as
Dictators fall-right wing gains
ians that the working class was beginning to organise its own demonstrat-
osition parties. But it wastbemilitary
the Pakistan Vators All iance, which cook the initiacive and
law. The elections they promised have
Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka also cut short a long periad of dia Emergency rule to cry and gain a popular mandate, In a truly remark able clectoral reverse it was again th
benefitted, but thi time Jeaving the Tamil independence movement as the man opposition. The ngot quickly tried to deal with that threat by pogroms against the Tantil population.
In a year when nuclear power be cane a polacar issue aan? coun
Australia it occupied the with the attacks on civil rights by loderal and state aiminstrations for a wnie l seemed that the Fraser Government, installed two vears ago by a royal
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 5January1978 page9 were jailed in Peru after a nationwide Peneral stoke desist brice resis July, but there too major strikes continued in the copper mines and elsewhere. In December there were lunther strikes against the austerity plan, imposed by the demands of che International Monetary Fund,
In both Colombia and Mexico the demands of the mass struggle have prowed a powertul stimulus towards the reunification of the revolutionars
organisations have come rogetber to
SCLEONA International, each of about 1,000 a representative of the "proletarian bourgeoisie"
In East Germany too there has heen a more open working class opposition since the expulsion of the poet Woll Bieriann at the cod of 1976. For example, a human rights protest in Berlin as poignantly timed to colncide with the opening of the European security conference at Belgrade. That
European bureaucrats, no doubt, hue coually so to catter nod the Weslern champions of "human rights".
From East Germany 1oo came the most important theoretical contri bution to oome from the workers" states, not just in 1977 hur for many ycars past: Rudolf Bahro's The Alternative. The East German regime, with its usual concern for stimulating a critical spirit, has jailed the author
But the outlook for the opposition was darkest in the Soviet Union. The Kreilin bureaucracy seemed deterinined to underline its desire to stamp out all forms of opposition inciuding, ironically, those wha were doing nothing when cans on tae Soviet Union to hmplement the Helsinki human rights agreement to which it has been a signatory. coup d'etal, might fall. But io the end the saggering political bankruptcy of the opposition Labour leadership outweighed the widespread opposition to Tory rule, and Labour was trounced at chepalls
Indochina remains as inscrutable as ever, with atrocity stories common currency in the bourgeois press and, sadly, nothing coming out of Cambo-
to make us disbelieve them Undoubtedly, many of the reports ure smears, but socialists still have a duty
Vietnam and Can bodia now appeare criticism, particularly since beat war.
In China the Mao era is decisively ended. Nothing remains of Mao's
cass Libe as Huaand Teng (back lora third bite at the cherry) bring in more of the bagpage of Stalinisan to deai with the increasingly mythical pang DE TOLTS The bureaucracy is taking pre-emprive action to make sure thar the masses never return to file as they did in the late 1960s, But Hua s success is tar arom guaranocu
Page 10 scan of this page
Crisis in the workers' movement
tary bases. Carrillo
The first impression is one of gross political buffoonery. He just seems like everyone's Favourite target - from the Trotskyists and the Kremlin bureaucrats to the imsperialist ideologues who doubt his sincerity. But behind the comedian Is a deadly serious development. For Carrillo symbolises 'Euro-
LONGTOICE DE would no doubt deny bur which is
There is nothing specifically
as there is little uniformity in the many phenomena which go under that name. But the past year has seen the culmination of two crucial
developments in the growing rifi
etween the Fast and West Euro pean Communist Parties.
First, the revisionism and class collaboration which has long been political practice of the Commanist Parties of capitalist Europe is rapidly becoming enshrined in the programuncs of these partes. Part. es which abandoned the dictator. ship of the proletariat in favour of the defence of bourgeois democracy as far back as the 1930s have now got around to dropping the idea in theory, to the dismay of their erstwhile mentors in Mos
MOSCOW'S BEHEST
But this has more than a formal significance. It also reflects an in-
at the behest of Moscow, as in the 1930s or the post-war persod, but from the particular interests of the national parties themselves. Even this in itself is not what most worries Moscow. The danger is that this growing accommodation to their respective national bourgeoisies could mean these parties final abandonment of the Soviet
'Intercontinental Press and the the apecial 10 issues (t2.50 Britain and Inland, E4.00 Continental Europe
Send me a t Ireland, E8.00 Continental Europe
end me a one year subscription |E8.00 Britain an eland, E13.00 Continental Europe - E19.00 airmai
Address
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
The year of Eurocommunism
One person has had more than his fair share of headline space in 1977: Santiago Carrillo, general secretary of the Spanish Communist Party. Carrillo denounces Moscow bureaucracy. Moscow bureaucracy denounces Carrillo. Carrillo backs Spanish monarchy. Carrillo backs US mili-
denounces general strike. crosses picket line at Yale...and is denounced in his turn.
Union.
The class collaboration of these
routine. The Italian and Spanish parties don't simply defend bourgcois democracy their stock-in-trade for decades but support the entire apparatus of the bourgeois state, even against the workers in struggle day-to-day interests of the working class are having to take second place to the governmental aspirations of Cartillo and Herlinguer.
AUSTERITY VEHICLE back ayerior go is mment attacks So Berlinguer is prepared on living standards, praising austcrity as a vehicle of social change, ort from strike the shie ort from strike aller strike. doubt part of the reason for the break-up of the French Union of Party's fear that the Spanish electmunist Party was overtaken on the left by the SOCIALS repeat itscil.
But a second aspect of Eurocommunism has emerged into the Tall light this year with the publication of Carrillo's unise and the State. For the first tume a West European Communist Party leader has produced more "human richts violations" in the workers states. Carrillo sis a theo retically coherent critique of the the workers states which, in its BIC AUNTIC LACLES INCARNED Trotsky's The Revolution Betrayed. To say it is coherent does not mean we agree with it, but its signiticance is that now everything isup for grabs.
Unwittingly che EurocommunIntercontinental Press
inprecor
International all he published tramalien sanguage carton of single united weekly joumal raflecling the views of the Fourth world events locather with documents of the sections or 1PH
РАВ-РНс мни кисяевег ші таемій на Ihа 1ru Issue of inprecor, devoted entirely to the current word aconamic
introductor
month subscription (85.00 Britain and - £11.00 aIrman] Band to interçontinental Press, PO Box 50, London N1 2XP [For annuiries outside Euroco wrile to: Intercontinenial Press PO Boi
Carrillo
that has been
And the
the workera states.
workers states explicitly identify IRST TOT
parties or union federation.
Nevertheless it has aect of Eurocommunism Eurocomm- crisis of Stalinism. -some time in 1977.
Zimbabwe before 1978 b out.
DAZZLING SUCCESS
TOES WaS We WERE SUCCESS of the Special Air Service TOCol in deline with the South Moluccan school siege in the NethCALLUS poison the water supply to appea to the big chers 000d will release the hostage children. Only a mind trained in the occupation of Bellast or Derry bought of that one.
Mogadishu. In the they didn't have the chance to join in the slaughter that was righted when it came to dealing with the Red Army Fract10n. The three Britons who led the attack had had their training with the Sultan of Oman, who continles to receive British troops on loan to deal with an uppity population. cration berween European governments in compilinginformation on "subversives them in this beavy-banded way was meant to be a secret. Inevitably, perhaps, it was British Home Sec retary Merlyn Rees — everyone's Idiot of the Year - who let the cat out of the bag over the Mogadishu
Carrilio's book, 's coherent critique of the basis of boreaucratic ruie in
ists bave provided a massive stimulus both for oppositionists in the ish and
many of whom pro-Moscow splits. with the Western parties, and for a thorough debate on workers' democracy in the Western workers movement.
For the Eurocommunist parties are still caught in the cleft stick of Stalinism: their rapturous support matched by any similar cothus-
proletarian democracy ommodation particularly not within their own
been this doubly welcome. - the most dramatic expression of the
which has provoked Moscow lo its most ex The obvious treme responses. Carrillo's book brought an unprocedcated public rebuke from the Moscow journal
British troops around the globe
Ireland and the Green Goddesses; Bermuda and Belize; Mogadishu and Assen; Hong Kong and Zimbabwe. The common denominator is the presence of British troops at
Of course there is only one mili operation. tary representative of Britishi im
mentioned:
Lord Carver, the Resident Com- Decembe
. But the increasing tendency for Britain to throw its military weight around raises the theeat thar there may be a few more in
The first of Britain's overseas tary
Regi-
The lactic there was te shore ail deposits,
could лате
Stu, the SAS surpassed itself at
Netherlands
- an omission muda expedition Of course, the increased co-op-
and dealing with
CUROCORMONISM & and the STASE SANTIAGO CARRILLO
New Times, while both the Swed
British parties bac
All this upheaval, at the same me an a Deepens socal mic political crisis, presents increased apportunes for the at len, 3ad ty it has not always been able to on workers" democracy has so oftof sectarianism and political acc
towards Stalinism that the attempts of the Fourth International to opco up such a debate over the past year bave been
balance 1977 was a good year for revolutionaries, though шлете ате зародо!
• ones in Europe are Has and We Germany 7 JUTE the entire spectrun from Mao-centrists to Trotskyists
Rattling the sabre
The two Caribbean outings Belice in July and Beeruda in scale. When Britain first sent its Harrier jump-jets to "protect the Helizeans from Guatemala years ago, NATO military observers sat in ships along the shoreline watching this unresisted display of military hardware. The 1977 expedition too was Little more than a showense for British mili-
technology. Except, of course, that some people - like Socialist Challenge - pur around the malicious rumour that British intervention was not unconnected
considerable off-
TROOP PROTECTORS
In Belize there was at beast the pretenoe chat the troops were protecting the population against the Guatemalan dictatorship. The Ber-
WES DUI dressed up in those humanitarian terits. Two blacks faced the death senlence. The colony's millionaire Prime Minister was afraid of pop ular reaction, so deferred the deci sion to Foreign Secretary David the Gaitskellite mould, told tbe with the executions, and sent the able militant protests Owen must be jostling with Jim my Carter for recognition as im perialisa's "Man of the Year', A part from the heroic defence of White racismo in Bernuda Owen had the distinction of being the
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 5 January 1978 page 10 thrown into disarray. In Germans, repression has only increased the isolation of the far left, while in Haly political bankruptcy and the logiam in the workers movement bas turbed lett politics into a game of musical chairs,
in Portugal the picture is not ils bleak as might have been expect.
While such as the PRP, have disappeared from the face of the carth, olliers. Uke the Trobkyists of the LCI
ave made modest advances. Els where in Europe things more positive. In Spain the Trotskyists, newly unified, have been in the leadership of a number of important struggles and are grow ing into a position to challenge the large centrist groups that dominare the farleft.
In Scandinavia, particularly Sweden, the revolutionary left contin-
ITIC INCE COA united far left slate got astonishing results in the municipal elections in April. Even in Britain, home of the rost nervasive sectariamsm and disunity, there are signs thai a unification of Lhe revolutionary let is more than just a pipe-dream.
Outside Europe the forces of the Fourth toternationa, also registered significant advances, unifying soctions in a number of places and winning new organisations
in Latin America, Yet the crippling weakness of TE ULCERIE
Africa and Asia, above all be
still mains,
The crisis of Stalinism and the emergence of cracks in the Social Democratic monolith in Western Europe will bring us new opportunities in 1978. Ir is up to us to seize tbem List British Foreign Secretary for some time to visit the South Afr ican and Rhodesian Prime Mini-
The umpersalist powers have left direct military intervention in Altica up to the French this last year. But when it comes to political
Owen-Young plat for an undema . No doubt the bulk of the ratic transition to a neo-colonial Zimbabwe was formulated in Washington. But it is the British Government which has been enthusiastically and none too successfully touting the plan around Africa
BACK BREAKING
Even with two black nationalist lenders suring dowo to nepotiate with lan Smith (which is not what Britain wants anyway) imperialism still has the problem of how to break the back of the black resist ance, to impose the Owen-Young plan. It is a bit early to say how that will be done, but we can predict another bloody year in Zimbabre in 1978, with British imperialism, faithfully administered by the Labour Government, bearing most of the blame.
has seen the same old story, only mote 30,10c 3car stepped-up repression in the North of Ireland. But atibe same time the exposure of police brutality and ine masterous deaths or two Do dercover British soldiers began to reveal the truth about the British occupation.
And the Brits ended 1977 in the way they intend to continue i 1978: a trade union leader in jail and an opposition paper suppressed. Three cheers for tbe defenders of democracy.
Page 11 scan of this page
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Page 12 scan of this page
Indo-China
Because imperialists tell lies, because confused Journalists
State Depariment propaganda, we cannor afford to be complacens, To become
apologists of Phnom Penh or HEMOL Pyongyang or Tirana, caneor be a serious option for any revolutionary marxist. We have to confront a numher of truths, Powever wanesent they ma seem. " That is what we wrote last September in this paper (Democracy and Revolution in IndEchina, 15 September 1977)
in Cambodiaand Vietnam.
Today we confront a situation where Cambodia and Vietnam have broken off diplomatic relations and are in a state of war. Cambodia has charged that the Vietnamese entered Cambodian territory
plantations, burned forests, strafed the people children and old ones alike -and raped ond killed women." The Vietnamese havestafed that Cambodian soldiers
arpetrated utterly inhuman
Himes, raping, cutting foefuse from mothers" wombs, disemDowns us and barneRy childrenalive.
As the capitalist throughout the world gleefully speculates on the outcome of IS AUNTS AROUSS H
SPAIN
to discuss policy in the FAIRBAIRN reports.
Trotskyist
trade union
conference
MADRID — Some 2,300 miliTants arcooco tre rurst tracc union conference of the LCR
Fourth International. The LC, another Fl group which is in the process of unifying with the LCR, also participated.
In the build-up to the conference, which took place on 1l December, a text outlining the main ideas of the LCR's programme had been discussed by members and sympathisers in hundreds of workplaces. Then they come to Madrid to share their experiences and mark out a clear line of action against the wany aacks on workog cas living standards MOw onen up the way lo a ren. Change in society.
CONTINGENTS
The attendance showed that the LCR has the beginnings of a serious implantation working class. Contingents came from all parts of Spain, despite transport problems. About 30 percent came from the
INTERNATIONAI
O DIA Iry and unruvel what is going on in countries which not so long ago inspired anti-imperialist sentiments throughout the world. Whose propaganda do we believe? Is is impossible to make an immediate choice, have because there is no was in which rhetorie information borated. The fotal monopoly of down BUD exercise Dyine sate in both countries makes a choice difficult. urgent need for a body like the Bertrand Russell Foundation to "have send a leam of observers to the area immediately.
However any sober estimate of the situation involves asking the question:
Which country stands to guin press anything from a nar? And here we are forced to the conclasion that It is not the Vietnamese December in Spain was action-packed. On the second of the month 200,000 Basque workers came out on strike against attacks on workers' living standards, despite the opposition of the Socialist and Communist Parties. A few days later Basque women held four days of discussion on how to fight their oppression, and the Spanish Trotskyists held their first conference
trade unions.
Basque country, some 25 per cent from the central region around Madrid, and 15 per cent STRATIOnIS Thirty-six per cent were wo-
from satisfactory the per centCOL WOOLLINS IN BE SC against women with jobs outside the CARERS SES
Stop this insane war
military conflict. Its leaders
have alreudy called for nego-
flations and clearly hope to
settle the conflict around u
tahle
The Cambodian regime muse
now possess one of the bestthen are in A military
HERES WIRC
conflict? The answer could well
He in the desperation of a regime
whose rule appears to be basec
exclusively on coercion. The
purges which shook Camboda
several
Khymer Rouge of all elements
opposed to the lise of the
present leadership. A regime
which
espect to have a buse of populur support at home. Hence the deplosment nationalist
becomes he corro- importance. In thus sense a conflict with the Vletnamese servesa usefol internal purpose. It cun be linked to a 'centuries There as an oldstrugele'.
The Cambodian President
Khieu Sumphan has wccused
Vietnam of wanting to make
Camora a member or ins who profits? Vietnamese-dominated anion
of Indochina, This in itself raises a namber of impurtunt
questions.
needs a favour the creation of a federa-
The majority was affiliated
to the bigger unions, the Work-
ers Commiasions (83 per cent)
and the UGT (11 per cent), but
MATICECIL AGE NICH-
bers of the anarcho-syndicalist
CNT and some four per cent
belonged 10
(USO. peasant leagues
Almost a third work in the engineering industry, nine percent cach in building
and educacion. Other sectors well represented were textiles, health, chemicals and graphic FRED
her 500 held unson posts an
COLLELLE
AUSTERITY PLAN
The background to the con-
ference was the ruling class au
infarous Moncloa pact, and
ections, which are more or less
controlled o the Coveromicat
With the former having been
signed by the major workers
parties, and the latter having
already produced a debilitating inter-union rivalry, the conference dealt with the need for class independence, class unity and workers democracy.
Not Jong ago millions of wor kers witnessed a television de
bate between the general secre percentage of taries of the Workers Comm-
UGT, which degenerated into a
vital.
has military internationalism, med up in the
this
were
seizure of the
population China sea.
ultra and chauvinistic
kes these countries are ruled.
of глен
benevoient Tendership.
While, on the one tenury processeven more.
socialists other unions
rexponse to this the
and about
militants.
Time
same time promoting
recallable delegates.
laid the ployed, and disabled
dion of Indochinese republics, this cannot he done without the approval of all the people Involved. Here the question of internal democracy becomes
One of the churpeteristics of Stalinism asa political ideology
been its strident antiaptly sumformula "Socialism in One Country". It is
dominates the thinking of the LSSR, China, Cumbadio and, to a lesser extent. Vietnam The Sinoto the present, the Chinese
Vietnamese Paracel Islunds in the South
grave manifestations of this devlation. Naturally we cannot wiehitaway for it isinextricubly tied to the whole way in which In our article of 15 September 1977, we wrote that, the future intimately bound ap with the question of democracy.... the lack of democracy distorts the internol developmem of the revelation even wish the moss confllets:
and enlightened Moreover it pro vides imperialim with one of its tramp cards. ' We can now add development of the revola-
As socialists we are for the peaceful resolution of all
sectarian slanging match. This public display of pettiness and disunity when the working class laod with extremely serious threats to its living standards had a demoralising effect on many militants, not to mention coc majority or workcts woe have yet to join any union. In
centra theme of the conference was: * Trade union unity, against the social contract — a need intensely felt by many rank and file
again, basing themseives on their varied practical experiences, militants stressed the importance of working within the main unions to ships and challenge them for
WOULLESU grassall workers, of assemblies and
country,
At the end of the day those who had attended were left with tion as women. tbe feeling that the LCR had
basis for a credible inter-union strategy for developing the self-organisation of the whole class around a prog ramme capable of meeting the immediate needs of all workers
especially those worst off such as youth, women, unemThe same time beginning to im er hase of the capitalist class. days'.
chy and "dual TORTETCTEE
by TARIQ ALI
Khieu Samphan Weft] and Prince Sibanouk in happierdays
Involving postcapitalist sates. We are in
republics, but we believe that these are only possible where the consent of the masses has been obtained through free and impurtial referendums or elec dions. Any forced federations will orove to be totally counter.
MUJER LUCHA
POR TU LIBERA CION
JUNETE!
Basque women's days
BILBAO — Between 8 and 11. Vizcaya factories made written Let someans weapo ted happened. About 3,000 women Trom au over Le BaSQU
botb North and Sourh, muct to discuss their situ-
After an international meeting of women in Paris in MarJune, the Women's Assembl of Vizcaya called together all the other feminist groups in the Basque country, and a co-ordinating body was set up to pre pare this event. Apert from taking care of the technical preparations. tbis body see up a number of commissions to dr-
With the texts presented by otber groups tbere were 24 pap ers in all, of which cighr dealt
first day. The second day centred on the problems of patriar.
membershipand there was a vigorous debare between the radical feminists and a rather ill-delined class struggle current. Only two political organisations → LKI (the Basque Trotskyists) and EMK (Contounist Movement of Euskadi) - presented papers and bad any real presence in the
The third day was devoted to the question of work, both in side and outside the bome Three women's groups from
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 5January 1978 page 12 productive. In all this sordid political mess is intermingled the dispates between the LASH and China. Both stutes should he uware that its contineation would he counter-prodective for all sides and their influence should he stilised to setcle and not exacerbate the conflict. CURLAOLON The final day was supposed to be given over •to the bresentation di generil alternatives and perspectives before the conference closed with festivitics. However, only women who had been working in the neighbourhoods had drawn their experiences togetber into a set of down-to-carth proposals. They decided to campaign for birth control centres in the neighbourhoods - a Recessity for working class wo
Otherwise, apart from agrI to supporta State-whe campaigns for sexual freedom
yment, things remained very much up in the air, Perhaps this lack of conclusions is the most negative feature of an otherwise very positive venture.
So what was so unexpected? Hado'l there been similar wo men's days in Madrid and Caralonia? Yes. but although in the vanguard of many coonomic TO TACTI struggles, Basque country has tended ro lay bemo bo bener quesapn. relating to social oppression. Moreover in the whole Basou country there are hardly a cou ple of hundred women organi sed in autonomous groups. Tbe DOxE SeD ost De to CaDICaliSe on the interest and potentin this conference hus revealed.
Page 13 scan of this page
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Page 14 scan of this page
In the forthcoming weeks, the editorial board of Socialist Challenge groups to organise discussions Socialist Challenge will be printing another balance around an assessment of the paper, and encourage sheet of the progress of our newspaper. We will be individual readers to join local groups and take part in including plans for a national conference of Socialist this discussion. We will be allocating regular space to Challenge supporters an initiative projected when ensure this debate is reflected in the pages of the paper, As preparation for this conference, we urge the experience of their activity with other readers.
COMMENT
the paper was first launched.
iS YET another ex-member of
SWP]. I wish to disagree with
N. Stones!
Challenge 15 December!
support, general,
criticisms of the paper made by But the that
Itself.
reunity them,
organisation.
CUTES and
revolutionary
paper,
In TVIN
Is it really to 'underestimate
patronise working
militants" to belleve that they
Interested in Prator Rabbit and
Interies with David Hockney. Impressed exclusive
'one of Brilain's most famous
living painters'?
No. In its present form
Socialist
Challenge
- EVENTS
NORTH WEST
6-8pm, Thursday
vailable formeetings. Duplicating facilities available.
WARRINGTON Socialist Chal-
ange group meets regularly Ring
SOCIALS offices for delaila. 061-236 2352.
prate for termer har
BURY Socialist Challenge group
away wanesday. pub, In Bury New Whitatiold (near Whilefield
LIVERPOOL Socialist Challenge
Tip meets fortnightly on V
Big Flame is right
Socialist Challenge Is directed toward a very narrow range of
precludes Its development
and these
Identity
attract
of the
later It. cadre
of Its sales to,
directed solaly
deny the
class
STOrOSORTS approximation to the for that a popular revolutionary paper
mass readership.
Socialist Worker,
non-sectarian approach which characterises Socialist Chal-
NORTH EAST DARLINGTON Socielist Challans Saturday Nonhern Rack on
Challenge sales on Saturdaya outside Boots in Cleveland Centre, 11-1pm NEWCASTLE Deciles Challenge a shop in Northumberland
SCOTLAND
Get Queen Street, Glasgow Tel: Street, 041-221 Conn 10-4 6.00pm. Wide range CLACALIENS
Dons nolange acries Iron CLUED SINH SC sales outside Boris Icomer of Reform Street) each
EDINBURCH SOGASL Challance
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Tel 031-348 0468
SOUTH WEST PORTSMOUTH Socialist Chal7.30pm at Wiltshire pub upstairsi.
lenge -flous and esotent intellectual.
Ism replaced by news, analysis and theory geared toward
avallable to them.
Unfortunately, the creation and development of such •
of stylistic synthesis, dedicated
than exist in the ranks of the IMG alone. left is Perhaps Big Flame, Workers Longue, gic, snowe now ou aside their suspicions and act upon their
Editorial Board to try to make left intelli- Socialist Challenge Into some:
paper they would like it to be. which Their reluctance is under It Socialist Challenge probably will degenerate into a Deft owes Comrade Stone appears 1o lavour many others would regard it a a matter for deep regret
and support
and
drew
710005051
however, I Unlike showing them that they t
coals, and thal there is no real safution to their problema
LONDON
High Row. GREENWICH/LEWISHAM Social-
too weeks. For details ring Ray or
Socialist 01-659 1187, weeks. Base or write Nell cto P
Soclalist
NT 2XP
weekdays
Road. Londen SW11. second Wed
HARROW Soclalist Challeng supporters meet regularly interested please 50, Loncon NI. 2XP
HAMMERSMITH Socialest Chaldetalis from: London ING. PO BO
- but with the preten
class militants and
In Socialist
with Socialist Challenge emulation In
it requires the application of more
Socialist Challenge;
doubts
THO
СПОГО НПО
be INCUCHI organisations?
Comrade Stone The IMG has such a
operate. Il has
TONY HEAL, Hull
No watering down
workers in the
If is our task sa revolu-
prevent this, by But those with ness myth, To quote Lenin:
loaders of a certain
meets ovory of
ditch too against her letter.
Scargill a5 a socialist markist theoretician) many others,
way 98 one roblems CHEES
and hope that local groups will use the space to share
Think again Big Flame
THE LETTER from Big Flame
Challenge 11
their refusal to work closely
opinion arguments reflect a funda
We will only become involved when the
what kind of paper it should be'. This kind of ultimatum to are only
attract those very same independente involved in Socialist
Flame on would seek to encourage I.e. those who are quite rightly suspicious of any organisation
have all the WEAT KING answers. Are Big Flame now to
amongsl
never claimed to be the infallibio guide as to
NOW GOODI on countless SHOULD today They have bear
made to feal culture and sio-
quence do not balong to them.
where and at all timon the Hers
In defence
Arthur
LIKE comrade Diane Grims
am angry, but man aver caricature of Arthur
It seems to me a favourite To pastime of many comrades on the revolutionary left to attack
leading comrades in the wide labour movement (who are as
for their lack of a complete 100 percent marxist thought band.
To Clar to my own position
mere working class need opposed to
recognise the subordinate role of women in
recognises the of homosexuals,
problems of all oppressed having minorities within the frameWON DE LOONLISE SOCICEY. variety of problems exist which
The teratoning to o
revolutionary left than
whole. The fact that Socialist
Challenge Is, in practice, the
line paper of the ING [a fact, by
never beer disguised by the ING is the sole responsibility of those organisations, like Big Flame, which are not prepared to put to the test inside an organisa-
taclical differences with other tendencies
The IMG does not hide the fact that it disagrees with Big
whom Socialist
on how revolutionary regroup. ment is to be achieved, and in
needed. But it does not hold up these differences as Holy Writ
- the MG Is quile prapared ic function as a minority within a
way radically different to
itis tragle that Big Flame see the concept of revolutionary
bean its advanced, most cuftidesire to descena to uno level vatori reprosontatives The any broadening which MCE DO NO OXIDASION editorial control to othe
Marciat Taft besides the ima, watering down of content or
MIGH can only be eradicated when man ends the exploitation of does
man. Thai task can
sectionalised struggle
achieve the desired TASHTS BORER BARRAS EE raise working class conscious
defend Arthur Scargill and the Yorkshire Miner, As a regular
as well as Socialst Challenge,
SWP dominated Collier, I believe it fills a basic
example the questian of raising the issue of Grunwicks. Prior to this it was
very difficult
role of the state. .L.8 police repression of trade unionists, the role or the SPO
witnessed it at first ones. hand, a certain breakdown of ENOU TENS OCCUTTLE
It was onca sald, 'The first
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 5 January 1978 page 14
Socialis
Socialist Challen
GRUNWICK: FIGHT
THEIR FLOOD OF LIES unity as a much narrower affair
this as little more basically, than an extension of their own ideas. The comrades of Big Flame must be urged to think again.
PAUL ORTON (Sheffield)
Socialist Challenge
Socialist Challenge
DOBSON AST TIP OF THE ICEBERG battle is for men's minds', but
Do we bombard them with Althusser, Lukaos, etc because even TO BICHU COT CON MERS! works, what's the point if the miners dont read them,
still, can't STER understand them?
1 see the first part of the task
as one of building a trade union conaciousness given the
which does not follow any pre-determined path. For
one joins The Party (SWP)
immediately follow
filists. Stale Caps Anti Fascists, Anti Sexists, Anti Fl
Nichol and Co require a certain amount of time to instill their
have written or tried to write an honest letter, hopeful that
aware of It It in reality not good -enough, but it's the
To conclude 1 was angry. very angry, at Joe Gormlay and
appalled a: Sadat's visit, and !
horrified British
disgusted the Labour Government. If we're going to rackets anack me ron
DICK HALL Worsop Main Colliery, M. Derbyshire
Page 15 scan of this page
Challenge
A MEETING of the Sheffield
Socialist Challenge support-
ers group held on 15 Decambar
passed the following resolu-
tions:
1, Sheffield Socialist Chal-
Challenge has been relatively successful terms
xpansion of readership. It ha
aloo to receive the support!
any major organisation other
han the IMG. We therefore fee
the there urgent nationar
the convening Socialiar Chal-
conterence
assessmant of the role of the
paper since its launching in
June and to discuss the next
Very promising, We have nasdy anched 7.500 copies Revolutionaire la SGF BRANDON In Jesus and the Zealots (1967) widespread reluctance. among Christians to take seriously tha politice of Jesus Christ, ar Peter Wallen's piece (15:31 Decambert 1s anvinino to go by, It is true of some Marxists too. Wollen seems to rely on
sources for his two main theses that, 1. the message of as was costa er wordly (well-known ment to the other world'), and
passive 3 'man in the midale who never took sides.
There was a tme when Marxist wotars le a Kautsky Foundations of Christlanity 1908) were more thorough in their analvs 8. While Christian Marxist writers such as Conrad Noel, The Life of Jesus (1937)
Hope of the Christian Church (1985) drew very heavily on the
in early Constianny. Recently Marxist writers in Latin
Basis for a
conference
concrete steps in the campaign
revolutionary organisation.
documented of amongst Socialist Challenge
call for one page of the paper be controut ong 1o the deous
3i2. Prior to the conterence of
Socialist Chavenge suppor ers, we call upon the editorial
about i) the size and compo-
For a 10,000 sales target
Jesus was on
our side, OK?
America (e.g. Boning, Alves, Gutierez) and in Europe ie.g.
Macheveci Have proDuced studies political dimensione of Jesus. is tale to soy that Dol 91 Peter Wollen's claims are under serious dispute.
otherwordly"
totally discredited even by 'establishment theolJesus message was dominat-s vor old nas ocan tor years. by the Ineme of the BUSCO DECOD MARTE WEN a long history in Judaism and not otherwordly at all, The idea contradicted by vast amounts. of New Testament evidence In lact, the entire Bible is emphatic that God in on the side of the poor, and much recent black theology nag stressed inis c.f. James Conn God of the Oppressed, 1977). social revolutionary tradition The carly Christian Fathers
were far more extreme in their condemnation of private
sition of all the local SCGs (i.e. their IMG/non-IMG if the degroo to which they have operated "Readers Groups" ventionist groupe, lil whether the IMG operates as a separate organisation where the SOGB are interventionist. b) In the case of discussion Documents producod Dy The SCGs, for esponsible for the financia for the creation of a unified distributing them to other and auminis rative burden d
SO To place We call upon the editorial on the local IMGs to make
avallable to SC supporters all omar one material, pastand present, relating to S discussion d) To make every effort k
Ideas supplements relate to the central questions involved over groupment eg-the nature if the Party, the Programme)
) To make space avallabl @her organ sations
al To obtain Information pos that The contence
be open to all SC supporters so L am concerned, I dump modern sociallets - c.f. S Basil, St Ambrose and St Jon it course, Christian histo
to its discredit and the IMG claim that Stalinism has parallel in the Christian's claim that the Christian establish-
Roads
the
I WOULD not dare lo sugges THERE HOLES DUENSI Challenge else but reader of their paper to criti cally examine the my book which was reviewed in the & December Issue. Yet Iwo things run confrary to the oper Socialis: Challenge was set up to fosteron the inft.
First, the publisher and price
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE
either or. nier delegates
In the locality
board acts as.
Sommed, speakers credentiais the pape to be
arrangements for a
responsibility the necessary credentiale.
conference of supporters:
organisation base
brands of reformiam
on the cles
TEDUCE
of
For never have revolutionary organisation. rates ourselves when possible.
better than Socialist
broader audience, some 30 Marxism belier than
socialism
would do anything
Spokesman Press.
i content of
1 argue that
Challenge
5 January 1978
local SCE 2) That othertendencies on the left should be Invited to send
#n088 politice in should be distinguished from SO supporters for the purpose o voting or nar bue sonors
For appoints, a conference arrangements
with Supporters
abling of agenda, etc. 4) That
pre-conference compositing meeting, to 1s sudience open to all SC supporters with
Our group also adopted a
Conference declares its aim to ficht for the creation of a new revolutionary socialis
dissolution of 001104031 revolutionary programme sharply differentiated from all the now
and embrace
complete internal democracy
with the not to to ender
TECHICH recognise that the formation of such an organisation does not
DILADE regroupmant - Le. the fusion prepared
existing organisations but on the basis of an agreed
TOMSAEET programme the project should currents. involve those unaligned mill
been, in now
waist we would argue that
Harrow supporters' verdict
A Socialist Chailanoe Sun porters Group has been formed In Harrow with the follawing
1. To Initiate and encourage united left work in the area. We HOYE SCONCO DY SUESESURES
Council that meeting is held in a personal friend. occasional political education meetings
3. To help bulld Soc/alist committed.
We all feel that the aims of Socialist Challenge arr level very commendable and that it like
on the whole, an excellent paper. We intend to get more people to both buy and sell the
contribute to it SHHE
The group has formulated
becauss it addresses itself to a
and al- in the though we appreciate the need for parhape one long theoreti- industrial cal article per issue, we feel
ments have discredited Christ-
lanity. But at a time when many they
Christians for the first time fo
years, are taking
suggest thai Marxists could do
outdated views of Christianity
think the Mathews Factory, London LEECH,
power, has failed, any
The
(Socialiam and Parliamentan
TO CTICE
lemocracy Is obtalnable from
Gambie St., Nottingham, price 21.95).
Second, the editors head the Targus that the mashes masses any exercise complete self-determination through a bourgeois in the West
parliament'. I will personally
award any reader of Socialis
with a year's 'smashing'
pege 15
the specific scope, and unsectarian nature of SC
made substantial sides many millanta in thes Britain and becomes a democratic trallat organisation based on a principled revolutionary prog
Groups active organisations which | intervene
new vanguard, 8G will always national be in danger of accomodating
promicing twin a lead
Although there can be blueprints, we recognise that
cannot be simply the arithmetical growth of one or more of the present rovolutionary organisations and would in fact involve the
such orgeni-
a organisation
to HUG NIN are LOLIE
tionary sociallet programme. This means that forces who do not consider themselves to be Socialist Challenge supporters The cannot be excluded from this
Cand w8 recall to discuss the and of ormation of a new organisa
Many revolutionary
However, In the event of tallure to win such forcas to the project of the formation of a
revolutionary fion, we should be prepared, if GROUP
that the overall effect of the should paper is too intellectual. The
is chiefly written by and for an elite of revolutionary intelleo. tuada wes reinforced by obituary on Clive Goodwin. We think Tariq All should not have USHILO SHAH SCOUNTS AIT
The many columns of smail print are unattractive to anyone who is not already 100 per cent
Througnout the paper. too high a theoretical
assumed. We would more articles on basic Ireland. political education. Every day militants come under a barrage of cliche-ridden reactionary propaganda absorbed from the mates. The pager thould ar mass media by their nem in me cano Taota information and theoretical
The editorlal board ghouk
less themselves, and commission more items from those who are actually involved
various activities
struggles and Ireland. Also the readers
subscription to thai journal i
can point out any
statement In my book in
support of that proposition.
Regarding the content
ave Bailey's renow, I have n
got the space to reply in detail
most Important
point is that Bailey fails to note
a censon the pat ti
and reject the
reformism of Kautaky, the CF
and the traditional Labour left
Balley proposes the Insur-
recionary road to i socialism
the smashing of 'bourgeois
perliaments, the smeshing o
all bureaucracies, and th
'dictatorship of the proletarlat".
The raformist road to socialism
but has
Insurrectionary road showe
sign of suodess
advanced capitalist democ.
Leninist-Trotskyist
strategy shows little sign of
success, al least in the West
Bailey and others have a duty
evaluate such a
strategy. Would they advocati
a dictatorship of the prolo-
Lenin, must be 'unrestricted by
laws'? Such anarchistic
statements go a long way f
explain the tallure of Leninism
Would they support the
of the British
COMMENT
necessary to forn such ar
SOCIA ST Challenge supporters
1a thie and, Conferenon
to consciously campaign o
to consciously campaign
formation of revolutionary organisation. We also call for the formation and building of Socialist Challenge in the class struggle.
Conference should elect e
COIT mittee based on SC Supporters Groups reflecting both political composition
groups. The Committee should continually discuss BUIL
intervention of Socia/ist Chal-
TOPIAIIS!
Challenge should be alecled by conference and be responsible
committee in between terences. Only the national coSTOOLER! COPENHLEH and conferance can alter the composition of the EB
Co oromating committee should organise
conference before the 1978 lo SECESH overall role of the paper. the supporters groups and the
tionary organisation.'
SHEFFIELD SOCIALIST CHALLENGE SUPPORTERS
nat loave journalists, but should take the
without being asked).
We need articles on Ireland
reports to a polliical analysis of the situation. Items should
Republican struggle The editorial board should com
write about the growth of rank and file movements and the
currently taking place in
JILL SIMONS Tor Harrow Sociailst Challenge Support ers Group To intrase thi
Parliament. as advocated in
the resolutions of the Sacond
Comintern Congresa? Il Is
asking the working class to
smash a slightly democratk
institution before any other
replacement has been proven
In power. Would they sugges!
that the complete abolition of
bureaucracy desirable o
Bolshevih practice"
after 1917 and even the
position of the Left Oppositio
Socialist Challenge is heen
to denouce reformism, and
ollen doos so CONCHAE
basis and to posilive affect
But there is little evidence in ite
COPLE LO SUROSHI WISE NOTI
Britain scenario
Hussia 1917 ia likely
repeated. There Is no evidence
that a revolution on the lines of
that one, even if it emerged
would have much chence of
succesS
It is simply imesponsible lo
suggest that such an insurrec
strategy Is the only
Trotskyist left stopped claim
ing that it has the strategica
oo might join the search for
ew affective third road
socialism which takes account
of the modem conditione in
which we live
GEOFF HODGSON, Manches-
Page 16 scan of this page
Lobby Parliament 16 Jan. THE FBU STRIKE CAN BE
Fund drive successful! Special Offer
WON
Labour Government.
limit on wage increase.
Only a political illiterate could imagine these two events are not linked, and Callaghan's brazen announcement illustrates the serousness of t TUC vote on 21 December. In executive the FU this respect the TOLS setmand a recall of the Te should be taken up throughout the labour movement.
DETERMINATION
But the FBU strike cannot wait foc the TUC. The real determination of the strikers has been shown by their solid refusal to return to work over
Socialist Challenge
WANTED
for arseD and Murder
IGHT FOR THE FIRERIOHTERS LENIN HAD the last laugh at Xmas, as Socialist-Challenge
the New Year just over the routed EiR had come in The final total was £1812.38, ams a car success or u paper and will help us survive in 1978.
The final total would have been around E100 higher if it bad not been for the tragic
CAUSE: 21 December — the TUC General Council refuse to support the FBU strike. In reality it is an endorsement of the 10 per cent wage limit of the
EFFECT: 1 January — in a radio interview Callaghan announced he will be aiming to introduce a fourth round of incomes policy, with this time a five per ceat
SOLIDARITY EVENTS * Support Conference for trade union officials. Thursday 5 January, culled hy SE Region TUC FRU. * Liverpool Trades Council Conference. Sunday, 8 Jan-
toria Street.
Phone: 051-236 2051.
Mass Rally, Meeting House, Euston.
Thursdas, 12 Jammury.
March and lobbr Parliament. Monday, Junuary.
the Xmas period. That sacrifice
to the 17 on Council wha firemen toturn their words into SILENNI
They should organise inside their unions for a day of mass solidarity action by otber trade unionists with the firemen.
Instead of making gestures of support by giving a few thousand pounds, they should have their unions make massive interest free loans contributions to the FBU strike Tund.
Amongst the 17 on the Cinema, among the cinema's creditors was Socialist Challenge.
Socialist Challenge
and London
Liverpool.
Friends
16
the General General Council was Ken Gill
from the white collar section of
Communist Party member, The Communist Parcy can Lake a major step in solidarity action by TOTALL Committee for the Defence of Trade Unions towards winning the strice.
Instead of slowly building its conference on unemployment announced for February, and should he organising for a day of solidarity action with the Larench If these steps are not taken, then Terry Parry and the In the effort to make the Unfortunately: Winter target our thanks to the
following supporters: ar bankers orders
Regivered with the Post Office an e newshaper. Published by Reigorest Lid, for Sociale Challeue, 328/9 Lipper Strees, London NI.
alongside them.
Parry and the
action with the firemen. Socialist Challenge,
excellent value,
Subscriptions porters
Name
Address. t32s.00
Icadership of the FBU will be as mach to blame as the 17 who supported them on the General Council. Each time they have called an action or supported the ones initiated by the London Region of the FBU, they have failed to call on otber trade union leaders to mobilise
other FRU leaders must put this right by calling for a mass turnout by al
TWISTIE WHILT and lobby of Parliament on l6 January, and go on to name tbe day for national solidarity DUE TO the rise in the price of wonders for
have to increase the price of our subscriptions, but they are still
When postal charges are laken into account, you get the paper cheap, and of course you are sureofacopy. sent
also work
Domestic: 6 months, L5; 12 months, £10
Abroad: Airmuil, E16.50. Surfuce, £10 per annum. 1.
I enclose a donation for the Fighting Fund of
Complete and return to:
Socialist Chullenge, 328/9 Upper Street, London Nt.
WANTED
GENES: TROOPS OUT
TERREMEN NOME
BLOODY SUNDAY 1978
National Demonstration in London on Sunday 29 January Assemble: Shepherd's Rush Green, 1,30pm Called by the Bloody Sunday Commemoration Demonstration Committee
Britain Out of Ireland!
Self-Determination for the Irish People
our otherwise
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