Socialist Challenge No. 273, 10 December 1982
The scan: sc-no273.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive)
Uncorrected machine reading of the whole issue. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from the scan and has not been corrected or cut into articles. Each page gives the headlines first, then the columns in order, so one article runs on into the next. Expect misread words. Use it to find things; quote from the scan.
Page 1 scan of this page
Challenge After Tory lies, the truth... FIVE MILLION UNEMPLOYED
No. 273 10 December 1982 Unemploved and strikers 10g
Socialist
NO JOBS
NO HOPE NO FUTURE
LAST
register,
jobs. part of the
Research WORK says
In decreased.
tain:
WEEK the government found another way to lie about the unemploymentfigures. By using a computer count at benefit offices,
than the Job-centre it managed to 200,000 from the out of work total
Not that the 200,000 will get
They will simply become invisible' army unemployed. But the "invisible my is much, much, larger than the 200,000 lost in the new count.
According to the
Department. the total of jobless is not the government's admitted 3,063,000 but five million! LRD claim that the total of unemployed women is double the government's figure, total for men is at least 50 per cent greater than the official estimate.
As LRD explains the government conveniently leaves out of its estimates people in Manpower Services Commission temporary schemes; those seeking part-time
but not claiming benefit; disabled people and temporarily stopped workers,
For women active in work the figure had slipped to 61 per cent in 1981 but if the number of women active in the labour market has gone on rising by one percent a year as it did in the seventies LD
this should account another 500,000 women.
1979 the government's General Household Survey found 120,000 men and 240,000 women unemployed but not registered, so that wiped 360,000 off the official unemployment figures. And that figure has been steadily rising as job opportunities have steadily
This is the real face of Tory Bri-
five million unemployed. This is the reserve army that the Tories hope to use against those in work. This is the threat that it wants to use against the
Women's demonstration
Fight Cruise missiles
demoralising
'lose' made by working people
cause outbursts of ar-
Labour
Area
taken no while the
worried Thatcher.
say that
redundancies solidarity side parliament.
head of
public for week
and these Tory
wide,
Tory plans
queues.
hasten the government.
Sunday 12 December
Greenham
Common
10am onwards unions and the right of workers to
The Tories see this as a way of
the labour movement and aiding their efforts to claw back all the post-war gains
No doubt these revelations will
protest emanate from Congress House No doubt Labour's Front Bench will demand of Thatcher that she change her policies. And no doubt Thatcher will ignore both the TUC and the Labour leaders. Why should she take any notice when she knows that up to now they have protested and marched but
action. Certainly Bill Sirs' actions as the steel industry has been carved up have hardly
The left inside the trade union and inside the Labour Party must
mere verbal protests are not enough. They have to insist that every struggle against
backed by action inside and outThey have to in sist that Labour puts itself at the
campaign resist unemployment and that it links that campaign to a commitment that when returned to office it will launch an immediate programme
works and a 35-hour
demonstrations, strikes occupations it must resist attacks which are designed to smash the organised power of the working class.
active and vigorous campaign could show people that the
can be defeated. could also show that there is a socialist alternative to the dole
This type of campaign could lead towards a Labour victory at the General Election and certainly
downfall of this
Page 2 scan of this page
On the block vote
Socialist Challenge has been debating Alex Kitson's proposal to give Constituency Labour Parties twice as many votes at Labour Party conference. Alan Freeman discusses the issues with Reg Race MP nent in setting up the new left wing 'Campaign Group' of MPs.
How can we win control of the NEC when the block vote controls such a decisive section of it?
ment Sid
line with VIeWS.
with
members.
But another
think Parties
of the
argument 15-20 per
But he has the money
local level,
has that
the that's SO,
fifty per votes.
Organise left trade
I also
tion of Campaign Labour
y to shite
the
the
trade
that changed. would women different
ways
the NEC.
crudeness, like, of
the left
90SlS slate.
but some delegations
entirely,
But,
trade conference any
has been promi-
ed in any mandating about the way their people should vote in the NEC elections.
union conferences It's all very well
mandating for Deputy
when
advance
the was made when Tony Benn stood. But
the NEC.
resolu-
who party policy, example
idea. some
I think
mean. more about
vote on of
viable.
to the to voted for the
the CLPs.
con-
isn't You
Deputy election
55 cent
for candidate. This was
it was 1930s
block vote was
page 2
established. I think there's
Isn't
dangerous principle
La joint
La labour one?
leaders
Labour conference?
Now that
kind block-
USE power
greatly by the
CEPS
growing ween
The left
the trade with the
tuency are, let's
more
people that
Ilal some come across with when they
the block vote, really won't do.
telligent
WIEn
accountable.
the point.
There's implicit
in giving more to individual members:
sense activity
Attack on
Newham North
West Labour Party
Patrick Sikorski (Newham North West GC)
IT ISN'T JUST the Bermondsey, Hornsey, Manchester parties which face witch-hunting as a result of the decisions taken by the NEC on 24 November.
neighbours dealt so ably with Reg Prentice a few years ago, have just re-selected their MP
ridding the constituency of Arthur Lewis and adopting GLC Councillor Tony Banks as their future prospective parliamentary candidate.
But the NEC refused to ratify Tony's selection despite the fact that this was the second time Newham have gone through the procedure.
After being rejected the
time round Lewis, MP for 38 years and obviously a firm believer in his divine right to represent unis particular part or the East End, appealed and ine whole process was frozen for several months.
Labour Party
active in her or his
trade union; and
there, at least in
theory, discuss what
the local and national
Labour Party is going
to do. Are you in fact
devaluing activity of
the individual trade
union activist?
No, not at all. We've go
try and overcome thi
division between the trade
unions discussing collec-
tive bargaining. and ine
Labour Party, discussing
politics. I think we're not
devaluing the collective
bargaining at all. What the
argument reflects is a con-
cern that the trade unions
don't talk about politics
accIsIons
way individual
trade can
local
than
fighting for the
unions discuss
and
make
political
both.
They've fight on
with
which is im-
mOSt
them.
issues.
some of
which of which the
union the local
campaigns industrial
whose
It finally seemed that they had succeeded in
every single 01
Lewis,
ecl both Michael
supported the new
Reg Race MP
- do
uHOHs collective in-
stitutions.
HaVe
trade
an employer somehow
from them. can't be done, the gift. It
One final
attempts create rank file
in
NEC accepted Lewis of Militant's for 'natural
Wiene
the on November
on l: Help
But that
com-
fought and won the right of re-selection.
A special meeting the GC on 9 December will take a resolution from ward branch which prepares the ground for an open campaign similar to the one which looks like winning in Bermondsey.
SERG resolution pointing out that these attacks on the constituencies finally lay to rest any illusions witch-hunt were ever aim-
which the political and the
involved. Do you think the direction which
constituencies the constituency with
ed solely Militant, mediately
DaIS
ty.
If Newham will be the
view resistance the witch-
Against Witch.
tion to
December.
Hard
perhaps most the NEC takes hard line,
form CYCE affiliated organisation and on the
for Bank's and reselection
with the left
Deputy
which
leader leader by an and that
cesstul. all the
wing could throw against us.
and such
East Ham filiated both Newham North West and Bermondsey parties won support last Wednesday for both Banks, and Tatchell's candidatures addition it is hoped to MODULISE support from Newham for the Londor wide 'Defend
Oppose Expulsions' at Town Hall on Saturday 11 December. Hound
John Golding has beer reported as telling Frank Allaun that he is prepared to go on month after month hounding the lef and its policies despite the damage to Labour's elec tion chances and the boost it gives to the Tory press line of the divided party".
The left must be just as
as Golding. The right must be forced to back off. If they sense any weakening they will tempt to ditch the socialis policies adopted by con ference even
more thar Healey and Foot have already done
Page 3 scan of this page
Grim anniversary in Poland
Right wing try to discredit CND
AS THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY 'State of War' underground resistance movement remains inLach not been crushed. But General Jaruzelski has
been able to gain the initiative through a combination of repression and skillful political manoeuvring.
munist were realistic enough December's blitzkrieg class had not destroyed Solidarnosc as a mass movement.
During the last year the security. police have been working flat out to weaken
the EnG underground activists and
workers LIC through using violence against street! Yess ce against ki pron
occasions and through wave after wave of arrests.
With some 5,000 resistance activists now in jail, them number of key regional
the underground leadership has experiencing growing dif-
ficulties Judging the state of opinion in the faczones ane ravine Is sud porters around its in-
But the regime has posessed another weapon at least as powerful as its
security police, in-
OWI deed more so. ine great authority amongst the population, including the
working
which
Cathole hierarchy
has no basic interest in see-
ing Solidarnosc's survival
independent
workers movement. The
real secret of Jaruzelski's
successes against Solidar-
nose has been his tacit but
ticle Mr Jenkins -not CND - comes to
Left'. alleged to be behind thre The people who heinous crime are 'the peoPlebour Party as a broadiy who destroyed based force of progress in other words anyone Eric Heffer leftTrOn wards.
According to Jenkins, the poor middle cass political dupes in the ranks of CND are being shaken down by the nasty Trotskyist DIotters and their Bennite co-thinkers. there is HOTC to Jenkins campaign than meets the eye.
His second complaint is that CND against opposition of EP Thompson, re-affirmed the paigning slogan *Britain out of NATO, NATO out Thompson thought it was necessary to have a slogan which emphasised the dissolution of nuclear DOUT alliances. Let's look at the sober and objective way in which CND's new friend
of Poland's approaches, Solidarnosc's
Its organisation and leadership has still
The group of generals and civilian com
Party politicians around Jaruzelski
to grasp that last against the working
real and firm alliance with the Church bureaucracy by Archbishop Glemp.
The alliance has not extended down the Catholic laity, of course, nor to many of the parish priests in working class areas. Individual bishops have broken ranks on occasions Glemp himself has faced strong pressure from below. But with authoritarian structure and ideology which is the equal of any , Communist Party, the Church hierarchy has been able to drive a pe underground mover underground movement and large parts of the population.
Glemp has achieved his results by seeking to suggest that the Church supports Solidarnose while at the same time publicly opposing everything Lial Solidarnose does to strug gie for is nguts. Everv single national protest action by the underground has been deplored by the Church hierarchy as being likely to endanger peace and stir hatred. And Glemp has been able to pursue this course in the
LAST WEDNESDAY'S Guardian carried an extraordinary article by Peter Jenkins entitled 'How the Trots Highjacked the CND. In the ar-
who supports the SP but the defence of CND against its alleged highjacking by the Broad
What Mr Jenkins is really complaining about is that the CND national conference we reported last week, decided that it had to continue to prioritise support from the labour movement, as a crucial part of its strategy
Jenkins puts it:
Here he (Thompson) the the without honour Hongary and Polandure apostle confronting the hordes of British TrotFor that they were. British Communists are to Eurocommunism British football fans Europe.
Having turned out to support the Labour Party But had now arrived Mr their support to CND lost and amenomen Was Britain voted out NATO' the Now any right thinking cam- Guardian eate would feel for poor EP Thompson faced with the baying, simple-mindedtisans ignorant Trotskyism. Except of course every single work Jenkins' piece lying nonsense, designed to spli and defuse CND's cam
knowledge that he was protected from attack on the part of Solidarnose by the mantle of religion.
HOR •OOVIOUS ECCSOnS. the Western media have studious. ignored the Church hierarchy's real political role under martial
aw. Why destroy the great myth of the Polish events Communist crusade? And Christian it is still possible to find
people on the left, even in-
fluential people, WIIO SCO Solidarnosc as the pawn of reactionary bishops.
Yet since the law formally banning Solidarnosc
issued October. doubts about the Church
leadership's role cannot be
seriously Glemp,
Communist
than his predecessor had in
negotiations
should be based on ine
premise that Solidarnose is
a thing of the past.
In return, the hierarchy
Can CAPCUE a variety of
concessions for itself in the
As the regime's
LULUTC
spokespeople gleefully
eclare, relations with the
CuTeR Baye reached
'higher level' than before
martial law.
The Church
bureaucracy in reality
always feared Solidarnose
always feared
as it nas
every popular, democratic
movement for ow. Unlike
tion from below.
the regime itself, the
Church leadership could
not stage a coup against
workers'
but on the contrary had to
maintain its own popular
support by a policy of as
not in , the
Let's leave aside who
whether or not Thompson is an 'apostle of Euro-communism' Any Guardian political columnist 38121 they Trotskyists were the
forefront of opposing the The Russian invasion
Hungary, and have given much more unequivocal of
support Solidarnosc than the Eurocommunists. But let's leave that aside as well, and the implication that Trotskyists, Bennites and of the like have the political
level of football hooligans. The political question of should get out of NATO issue, that Britain
has been policy of CND from its early days. If the campaigning slogan
International
dissimulation and doubletalk.
General Jaruzelski has
just declared that the an-
of the State of War will be marked by the lifting of martial law. was also announced that SOme of the political
prisoners those the Warsaw area — will be
released.
Solidarnose's under-
ground leadership has said
it will disband if all those remaining
some 600 or so are released. Archbishop
Glemp may at this mo ment drafting
Christmas speech along SLIC lines that national reconciliation is at hand as
Comminis Party leader Glasgow march for
30 years, has now accepted Solidarnosc
By Martin Meteyard
ON SATURDAY
happened one year ago.
TUC and Council of the Labour Party.
the Labour Party,
speak.
normality CND DIS THE PATH TO PEACE DISAR
F OH. WHEN THE SAINTS COME MARCHING IN..
ried at this year's con-
Terence had been put ever
three years ago it would
laye been carried over-
whelmingly. The many
new supporters of CND
may not be so clear on the
issue, but according to the of survey carried out
CND's 250,000 strong
demo last June, 68 per cent
of those questioned
against British Parterpa
tion in NATO. Mr Jenkins
of course is in favour of
Britain remaining
NATO.
The campaigning em-
phasis carried at this years"
conference reflects an ob-
vious fact • that Britain is
part of NATO and not the Warsaw pact. Unilatera-
lism means getting out of
the imperialist nuclear
the Second Coming of the Pope approaches.
But socialists and the Western labour movement must continue to tace the stubborn facts of life, on earth, in Poland for or dinary workers: their basic have been crushed and there will be no socialism or democracy in Poland unless they are restored General Jaruzelski's Military Council for Na tional Salvation. VROI for Poles Crow. In reality the Polish workers have been facing attack by a Rook, pro tected by a Bishop. 11 December the Glasgow Polish Solidarity Committee will assemble in Blythswood Square at 10.30 am to demonstrate against the imposition of martial law which
Sponsors of this event include the Scottish
Keith Hickson of COHSE will speak for the STUC and Jim McCafferty of the NUM will speak for
Marek Cartecki from the Solidarity Trade Union Working Group will also
Although the government is 'lifting' martial law on 13 December, this demonstration is an excellent chance to show that this action by the authorities in no way represents a 'return to
The Gdansk agreements of August 1980, which recognised the workers' right to form independent trade unions, remain a dead letter. The recent trade union law from the govern-
By Phil Hearse
Sun attacks CND
• SALVATION
Peter Jenkins is part of a right wing campaign to nobble CND in the yea when the Cruise missiles are due to arrive. here 1s a division of labour here Tory Party Central Office pouring forth dozens of speeches and arnicies attacking unnatela The Socialist Challenge post 28 November included speeches by Margaret 'hatcher, Norman Tebbit allu Cecil Parkinson on this theme.
The Tory press are har ping on alleged Russian connections SEBE extraordinary fact that Bruce Kent has actually visisted Russia, that TASS
ment is nothing
federate nationally until 1985
ned. The latest victim
year this union has
The Polish masses state's attack on the
support that we can.
The Glasgow demonstration that direction and strengthening solidarity in the movement.
reporters went to the CND conference and so on.
The aim of these at tacks is transparent CND is either consciously or unconsciously playing into the hands of the Russians.
ne ammer by Peter Jenkins and
sophisticated and more
CND is made up of worthy people, quite rightly alarmed the nuclear threat, who are being led up the garden patt by British Trotskyists. Instead, they should i give up campaigning on leave the labour movement to the right wing and get on with worthy and ineffectual.
The beginning. of
unilateralism by the Labour Party and the TUC are CND's most valuable assets. CND Hay Haye only about as many individual members as the SDP, but six million
The publication of the Guardian's red-baiting
attack on CND by Peter
Jenkins coincides with
December issue
Marrism Today,
theoretical
discussion journal of the
Communist Party. In it
the Guardian's red-
baiter in chief and anti-
Bennite slanderer
featured in genteel
discussion on complex
questions of political re-
composition and class
DEMONSTRATE AGAINST -
MARTLAL
LAW
MARCH ON SATURDAY 11th DECEMBER FROM BLYTHSWOOD SOUARE 10.30am. TO THẾ CIT HALLS CANDLERIGGS • FREE INTERNEES • NO FAKE TRADE UNIONS • END MARTIAL LAH \ SOLIDARITY WITH SOLIDARNOSC
more than a means establishing puppet bodies in the factories an even these unions will not be allowed to cor
At the same time unions are still being bar is the actors' unio which was outlawed last week. Over the la:
mounted cripplin boycott of state radio and television in prote: at martial law. The state justified the ban o the grounds that it was necessary to sober u the politicos active within the community
are still resisting th rights to organise ir dependently and we must give them all th
can help be step towarc British labor
trade unionists are affiliated To ignore political capital, to let it be won back by the right wing
be the most extraordinary folly Next August LABU Party, and the CND are organising a joint day against the missiles. This can be an immense show of strength against the Tories' nuclear lunacy To achieve its aims over the next year CND must above all remain united in action and firm the labour movement is its Culd ally. CND has nothing to fear from British Trotskyists the Bennite left or the labour movement. Its enemies are the Tories, the Labour right wing and the SDP including EBel full-time polemicist on the Guardian.
The Great Moving Right Show
hegemony. We Challenge always read Marxism Today. It's always to know what the chie constable of Devonshire the Italian CP. the Polish and bureaucracy the SDP are thinking But just occasionally couldn't Martin Jaques and company be bi cautious who they down and discuss with?
Even bad taste has its
Socialist Challenge 10 December 1982 pa
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candidate for general secretary democratic NUR'
GEOFF HENSBY, dington No 1 branch of the National Union of Railwaymen and of the influential Guards and Shunters Grades Conference is campaigning for nomination in the battle to succeed Sidney Neighell as general secretary of the NUR.
3 challenger to the right wing domination of the union is Jimmy Knapp organiser for the southern region and now an official at the union headquarters. He at pre sent is reported to have gained 200 nomina tions.
office in the union. But gaining office is not an and in itself. The crucial nobilisation and combativity of the ranks in fighting the bosses. Even the victory of a candidate like Knapp with no record of organising he membership against the productivity of fensive of the Rail Board or the wages erosion of railworkers can boost the ranks' confidence.
fice. What recommends him above Knapp is nis concentration on mobilising the ranks ais role in the flexible rostering and other strug. gles of militant rail-workers in the last years nas shown.
some of the issues in his campaigns and exolains why he has joined the race even given the head start of Jimmy Knapp.
WE MUST grasp the opportunity to put the
VUR back on the tracks For years the union has been in the grip of vicious right wing helm ship under the helm Weighell. This showed itself in a witch-hunt launched by Weighell against rank and file members like myself WHO audacity to say things were wrong me tac caactsmp.
Change
"The time is right for a hange. We need lemocratic NUR that LICCES the needs of the nembers. SURS means nore accountability.
that ill officials should be subect to regular reselection Any national officer who nas done a job of work has nothing to fear. Only inlividuals who have acted contrary to the interests of
he members need worry.
SHOT Weighell,
about lyination. s
wasn't really that which
This downfall.
Weighell usurped the authority of the National Executive Committee, who became uneasy anc
Mines
Key election
By Andy Miller On 15 December 32,000 Nottinghamshire miners will be electing a new full time official following the death of area secretary Joe Whelan.
The result of this electior could change the balance ine nanona. execut ve Com mittee of the National Union of Mineworkers as its winner
member from the area.
At the moment, the balance is 1 to iz in lavour or une lert Ine victory of Ine rignt wing candidate would give the right the majority on the NEC are very high. Miners this election growine cal Tora wavc or pit closures jobs
The NUM cannot
A right wing
NEC would block any chance
OF UNC
in a position to begin to cancel
wing candidate is Henry Richardson nic was recenty electee From the branches to serve as NEC member until June. RichardSocialist Challenge
secretary of the Pad-
Another candidate who presents himself as
previously an
Socialists are not indifferent to who holds
question is Geoff Hensby is a serious candidate for of-
- as
In this interview with Celia Pugh he raises
frustrated. This
became clearer day by day.
Blake example flexible rostering. This was a maOF SCL-OUE
"During local negotiations, union representatives are finding
Union
ead office put out lots of
propaganda claimng that guards wouldbene-
from told us that guards would
cent reduction in unsocial
hours. This has proved to be a fraud.
*The Board say that they sever pre unid this. it was only the union ficials who made these claims. They say we should Have one all sal print on the agreement which spelt provements to conditions would only take place l economically possible.
Pity
Weighell didn't It's great pity
put much propaganda out to support the national rail strike on wages and productivity. One of the principle reasons the Board has been able to get away with what they are doing is son stands on the basis of supe port for NUM policies. planks or nis platorm are: no premature pit closures; retirenent at 55 for all members; a
with no loss of Day. anc TALC PEOLCCHUH!
officials.
Nottinghamshire has for do the righ wing. That can be Changed! vear. ine stranglehold of the right wing
wing area executive.
HIS LO WI SOLd SUDDOIL FO
policies ISHI officials
must transformed into a campaign-
To start with that means getting out to ero at to every miner the case against pit NUM's policy to defend jobs. 10 December 1982
because Weighe made contradictory statements.
'One minute he said he complied with the NEC decision for action and the
The was giving LICAL statements to the undermining these decisions. This caused confu-
members did want to
defend HILO DaLLIC wages, conditions and the industry, but Weighell steered a course away from this.
Demand
*In my campaign I'll raise a demand that the
and the Annual General Meeting should reconsider me agreements made with the Board. We should withdraw from the GZLCCHICHLS on single ariver operation. The Board using these technological advances as
Rid of fobs instead of me
proving life and conditions
for rail workers.
of the treachery DArL that Weighell pushed through the whole of McCarthy's recommendations the Special this GM, thie balle has Despite this SGM, the HOL OCCH TOSt. It IS nOt Impossible to launch fightback even at this late stage. The Guards and Shunters Conference,
Trade Unions.
We need a
Geoff Hensby which draws 400 delegates. representing thousands of lla. powerful voice on this Another issue I'll take up is privatisation. une membership confused ERES When Gleneagle Hotel was sold, the NUR bought shares in the private consortium!
This is incredible "This is where the Triple Alliance has to play a
Interview with Geoff Hensby -
meaningful role. It hasn't done so yet. The threads of the Triple Alliance have to be remoulded in a credible way. We should engage in national industrial action to save industry from being hived off.
*My campaign will include policies for fundamental change and the policies a Labour Government should take up.
to develop seams
*Healey and his friends argue being LoC radical will frighten off the
When candidates prepared to fight on a platform of real socialist policies, people are prepared to back them. I! we had a Labour government that did what it said and carried out radica policie. for peace jobs, then it would get tremendous support.
NATO *Personally, I suppor unilateral disarmamen and the Labour ment must be totally com mitted to this, and that ingetting out of NATU *A Labour government will never get returned if it pursues the sort of Heales policies which producer the so-called "winter of discontent" It wasn't that people became Tories overnight. Disgust, frustration and apathy greeted the Labour government that had stabbed them in the back. *Contidence can be rebuilt.
I don't consider that me lemote in these ele campaign is splitting tions. Branches cast their vote through single BaSTe aDe Vote system.
If the system was first past Kent miners rallying to a fighting speech from miners leaders to save the Snowdown colliery. Area general secretary Jack Collins told the rally that the Coal Board 'had chosen the wrong pit at the wrong time.' Kent miners would take action to defend the pit where the Board had refused
containing millions of tons of coal
Arthur Scargill, union President, said that strike action was the only way to save jobs. He received a standing ovation.
post, maybe there would be grounds for thi argument. But this doesn't apply. I'll be calling for my supporters to make a se cond preference vote for im Even if i don't get elected but
breakthrough for the left in the union. All the can didates have a responsibility to come clear on the fundamental ISSUCH haven't heard what Knapp has to say , on these issues yet. It looks like he may tr to be everybody's friend
run campaign protect his vote from all sides.
Clear
*This is not clear and concise and the membership are entitled to better You can't stand in the middle of the road without eventually getting run
sider, Yuare on. say coict
side you are on. be talking of genera secretary erected fo another 20 years and it is
the necessary Call didate of the left has clear and positive credentials.
This is an opportunity not to be missed. Those who say I'm splitting the left vote don't see that my standing is complimentary to the left by raising all the ISSUCS
Photoe he MORNING CTAR
Page 5 scan of this page
Steel massacre goes on
Raindi's - the second Grunwick?
'RAVENSCRAIG trumpeted the Tory press. even if such a stay of execution is bought till after the tion, it will do nothing to stem the tide of steel job losses.
Last week saw 6000 steel jobs axed. The plan is to workforce from the 92,000 to 75,000 by the end of 1984 - with or without a major plant closure. Such job letting is, the Guardian explained, so that the Ravenscraig decision 'can be dressed up in suitable monetarist clothes'.
With the present Thatcherite
JOHN BLACKBURN, Midlands, stole thin hunder at the mass rally held at Dudley own mall the future Roundoaks steelworks at Brierly Hill.
His job was an easy one.
For the message of the
including the stee union officials, was that the only way to save moundoak. is through import controls makes do as the strike HQ for the strikers, now
Supreme Quilting. recognition and members but it has become about much more.
industry and beyond who are bearing such a
sweatshops up and down the country.
Jiti, a 27 year old Asian woman who came to Britain in 1968, has described -ACI WORK Y earlier in the week. 'I had
10 0 2 trousers day;
for each trouser. would often work 6 days a week and only take home £40 ог f45 рет week. I've taken home as little as E25.
If the machine's not working you're with no work to do and you get no pay.
The room at the temple is packed full, Asian men and half with women. As on the picket lines the sexes choose to sit together but the workforce is fully united in its cause to force PS Riandi to back down and recognise the T&G.
Avtar Jowl, the President of the IWA is adarcosing tae meeung. over the last few days the houses ot scab labourers have been picketed. On Monday 10 workers were turned back. On Tuesday five. On Wednesday three.
Despite no strike pay these strikeers are even more solid than when the strike began. The local labour movement is beginning to recognise the importance
spiration it is giving to workers in general. Slaves
Bob Badham, a Sandwell Councillor, has put a lot of work into the dispute. He brings £50 from his union branch and makes a speech which well recieved. The biggest round applause reserved for his attack on PS Raindi who has put an
saved'
But
next elec-
cut the present producers.
as down
On government has
and by finding a private
John Blackburn stole the show, because he muttered on less abour ruture moor controls and talking of the tap beswitched Sheffield and directed his fire Steel is no McGregor. told Lne YOU CHU 800 assembled stee workers. believe there is going to be a IT IS 4.30 on a Wednesday evening. The room at the Sikh Temple in Smethwick High Street
in their seventh week, from Raindi textiles and The strike is over union victimisation of union
The strike is quickly becoming a symbol of resistance for all black workers in the Textile
huge burden of the recession in unemployment and the the awful wages paid in slave labour
Had in the Sandwell Evening Mail to try and convince the general public that he is a good employer' the strikers are He pays good wages he says, good tood. in a good canteen. 'He ain't gonna his public UIL side', says Bob, *because the whole labour movement in Sandwell is united in telling the public that he's exploiting you for slave labour wages. Petition
He can afford to pay a security guard, he can af Tora to pay for a huge advert in the paper to tr and intluence public opiWhy can't he HUH. the money to pay you a decent wage?'
Bob promises that if PS Raindi or any of his riends apply to Sandwell for planning permission to sell the factory or to buy a new one he would ensure the Labour councillors would be as obstructive as possible. This is quite a different approach to one of the Ladywood Asian councillors who has signed Raindi's petition and condemned the strike for pitting blacks against each other.
An Asian spea his refers S&K's speech. It's clear Raindi's is not seen as an case but Asian militants throughout the area are getting involved because of their own experiences of trying to fight against sweated labour in
tories. The Asian com-
policies, the outlook for steel industry is more than bleak. Last week, the Brussels commission on steel demanded 15 per cent cut on flat steel products and five per cent on long.
Meanwhile, the government is deliberately smashing up Britain's foundries and steel wire
Last week, major wire producers agreed to shut
sites and 'consolidate at 14 others on the basis of a government bribe.
similar basis, the made a f40m hand out available to steel foun
then went ter Jack Bates, Roundoaks convenor. This was justly deserved.
Bates ranted and raved a Bill Sirs not being able to call asked verybody He rheiorical cuestons about wHener ine wHole or Dudev would close downs ne moaned about the short otice of the closure date Corby was given nine monmunity as a whole is watching the strike to way it goes. More and more workers understand the need for militancy to be channelled through
The T&G speaker captures this mood, making a ery radical speec given T&G S&K's where they encouraged the workforce to accept only partial reenstatement of the original workforce. "The T&G is 100% behind this dispute because you're 100% right morally and in every other and they re 100% wrong. This dispute has LaKe significance. Some people have called it the second Grunwick's but I prefer to call it the first Raindi's.
The brothers and sisters here are -UH a mora crusade. Together you will win. The workers united can never be defeated'.
The strikers clap at the end of each speech and at the end of each translation. They are not only polite but very patient as some of them have been on the picket line all day and the room is very hot. Every gesture of practical st enthusiastically DUEL welcomed
Busy
Socialist Challenge and Revolution Youth supBirmingham DULLCIS have been busy not only on the picket lines but raising the issue in the Labour Party and the Labour Parthe Young Socialists and regions five T&G Broad Left. We now plan to persuade the strike com-
of the labour movement in the West Midlands in sup
has been astride.
been called this week. Let's hope PS Raindi gives in sooner rather than later because if feelings here are anything to go by he's bitten off more than he can chew and he's going to have to give in somewhere along the line.
Trade Unions
dry bosses to shut and smash firms accounting for 40 per cent of capacity. Similar schemes are in the pipeline for five other industries.
A fightback must be made now. We cannot wait till the next general election. To continue to allow such massive redundancies. creates which undercuts Labour. But the destruction of plant and capacity undermines any revival plans which the Labour government may be forced to introduce.
and he warned the audience that if they did go for a hard and bitter others they might lose! and like Tange fit same gin. terchange the pros and cons of drinking
ine meeting - - in no uncertain terms, of course up to them to decide what to
MORE STAFF
cutback
the general
workers demoralisation support for permanent
intact.
economic ed 17,000
dable'
Valerie
Next cam Jeff Edge - a
"left"
councilor ne took a
Britain be a dumping ground
LOT CCAD LOCIRE BEDOELS
As ring yest his conclusion
•We're
ratepayers money
save whether D.H.S.S.
MORE STAFF
NOW DECEMBER 3rd
WE'RE ON STRIKE
FOR YOUR BENERT
Society
The main steel union, the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation should be developing a perspective around Labour's target of a 25m tonnes of steel a year from
present 11m. Instead secretary Bill Sirs offered this gem to rank and file
looking for a lead: 'MacGregor is now chopping off the underendable bits of the Corporation and keeping the big five
So, for him the threatenjobs are 'undefen-
Coultas reports on how not to fight closures.
public ownership or to being sold our to pavate enterprise Ane ne sine bennite We must, however, record the illuminating contribution the silver-haired CHIU nonal steel union leader Bill Sirs he went to every nossibit lengths to try to persuade the of his case.
Putting •onsin as neir answer ne
By Valerie Coultas
Day
strike
Success
NEARLY 400 of the 533 social security benefit offices were closed last Friday as a result of a one-day strike call by the civil service unions. There was a massive response from all areas of the country.
to a rally. It was in Erdington, Birmingham that the dispute began 11 weeks ago when the staff walked out demanding more staff to cope with the massively increased workload. As local Labour MP Jeff Rooker told the rally 'There has been a 22 percent increase in the number of claimants in the West Midlands, but a 2 percent cut in staff.
of the action to force the government to negotiate.
played on nationalism and racism to the hilt
didn't have
something for the workers to do as well man of BSO
The suggested
SUCCIWUL ACIS Darnament extraparliamentary action with a vengeance
what they should 1 parliament about, he made it clear that he was quite
-Drivansation Kouncoaks
Not surprisingly, rank and file meeting with
only hope they had was wit
will save my job' said a youn ed about the meeting
he suggestion that surely answci ldy
Manorasaron anone guarantee of a new plan for
steel workers' control Heads nod thought that this line could be
ing from Sirs and co. In Birmingham, over 1000 people marched Firm calls were made for the stepping up
Socialist Challenge 10 December 1982 page
Page 6 scan of this page
BERNADETTE McALISKEY: FOR IRISH FREEDOM
BERNADETTE recently toured America, visiting Paul, Minnesota; New York; Boston; Burlington; Vermont; San Francisco; Saskatchewan; and couver, British Columbia.
The following speech (abbreviated) was New York on members of District Council 37 of the American Federation
State County Municipal Employees. At the meeting she was with a copy of a resolution supporting the struggle of the people of Northern that was passed at the last AFSCME conference.
WE in Ireland have been struggling for independence from Britain since before capitalism itself But our present struggle dates back to the turn of the century, when a movement developed among small nations across Europe fighting dependence. Historically, the beginning of the the great anti-imperialist movements.
The Irish rebellion took place on Easter of 1916. Like every other combat between ourselves English. it was an ill-balanced affair. Facing the British army were several hundred dedicated young men and women. They came from Cummann na mBan, the Irish women's army; from Irish Brotherhood; and from James Connolly's Irish Citizen Army.
Connolly was one of the few people at that time who understood that winning Ireland's freedom required combining the fight for its national independence and the fight for the rights of its developing working class. He raised the slogan that the cause of Ireland is the cause of labor and the cause of labor is the cause of Ireland.
Over the years, the seperation of these two historic struggles has led to our inability to win our freedom.
Although the 1916 uprising failed and was brutally suppressed, its suppression had a completely different effect that the British government expected. In this regard it was similar to the results of the brutal manner in
the British allowed Sands and his comrades to starve to death in prison.
The deaths of the few of 1916 inspired the many. And by 1918 the movement for home rule and independence became a mass national movement in Ireland. was a general election throughout all 32 counties of Ireland.
In the 1918 elections Sinn Fein gọt 85.13 per cent of all the votes cast in Ireland. More than 85 percent of the population peacefully, ly, and by the ballot box, Ireland's independence. portant to keep in mind when we hear of the violence that came later.
How did the British government respond to Sinn Fein's victory? Britain declared immediated war on the rebel parliament and the Irish people. Gunboats sailed up the River Liffey to the capital city of Dublin and blew up the building in which the parliament was meeting.
Every member of that parliament that Britain could get her hands on was arrested and sent to jail England.
A war of independence began in 1918. On December 6, 1921, a treaty to end hostilities was signed in London by the prime minister of England and Michael Collins on behalf of the Irish Republican Army.
Under its provisions a 'Free State' within the British was to be established in Ireland's counties. And although the loyalist population wanted to remain under British rule - was less than per percent of the total and was concentrated in only three Ireland, six counties in the north would remain an integral part of Britain's empire.
The treaty's concessions to the British caused a civil war in Ireland which lasted until 1923.
I live in that part of Ireland that
Socialist Challenge 10 December 1982
McAliskey
North Detroit; St
Montreal;
Van-
delivered in 22 October to
and
presented
Ireland
developed.
for it marked
and the
Republican
Bobby
In 1918 there
democratica -
voted for
This is im-
sent
the Catholic population
population.
the overwhelming Irish people
ABse since then, grandparents down parents to myself and my in
to live under threats of greater violence.
you don't like it. become homeless.
Commonwealth
26 of Ireland.
those who the aw equality
equality in housing.
northeastern
introduced socialised housing, education
improving their situation.
page 6
Britain retained. The people I repre-
- and although this is not a religious struggle, historically we are
- make up nearly 40 per cent of the northern
Our forefathers - together with
majority of the - voted themselves out of the British empire in 1918. At no
from my greatmy grand children have we ever conceded the legality of the existence of the state we are forced
through violence and
We were given exactly the same choice as the people of Palestine: if
move out and But our people stayed where they were and became violent. the second-class citizens of Northern
We were denied equality before
the election system, equality in employment, and
It was not until 1947 - when a Labour Party government in Britain
socialised medicine, and that the Catholics of Northern Ireland had any choice of
In 1968 I was 19 years old. I was not a revolutionary or a socialist then.
THE STRUGGLE
I was not even a militant. I was a young Catholic student who simply wanted equality before the law and equality within the system
What made me a revolutionary and an international socialist practical experience. I saw what happens to people who ask for little. They get less! I saw that when people refuse to lie down and be walked over, they get kicked down. And when they have been kicked down but get up again, they are put in prison. When they find a way under the law to organise legally, the authorities change the law.
When people claim they support our struggle in Northern Ireland because it is violent, they must remember that it is that way because of those who own and control society, not because we have chosen to make it
Thirteen years ago, in 1968, took to the streets peacefully to demand that every person over the age of 18 have the right to vote in every election in the country.
We demanded an end discrimination in employment on the basis of politics, race and religion.
These were hardly revolutionary demands to raise in Western Europe in 1968!
In response to these democratic demands, the British jailed thousands of our people without trial. At 4 am on 9 August 1971, the
British army swept through Northern Ireland, and taking away the male members of our families to be interned in British concentration camps, was were held for years without trial.
In 1969, march from Belfast to Derry, a city that was Northern Ireland's prize exhibit of discrimination Catholics. We modeled that march on the civil rights from Selma to Montgomery.
Along the way we were attacked by loyalist thugs cannot uniformed and paid law-enforcement
officers of the state. 85 marchers required hospitalisation. kids, including me, got up, gathered our injured, and marched on.
But that was the last time we turned the other cheek. We reckoned that we only had two cheeks, and we had turned them both. Never again would our people walk and be beaten to the ground and simply say 'that's OK, I'I keep on walking to In August 1969 in the Bogside area
of Derry we fought back against the police attacks for three days and three most nights.
petrol bombs, which we had also seen on television, against police guns and simple LCarLOs.
In that same month, a loyalist mob systematically burned down the Bombay Street area of Belfast in a
breaking down our doors
where SUIC Calle
we staged a peaceful
Alabama
who were the
And those IRA As people
We fought with stones and
the many.
pogrom against the Catholic people
There too the forces of law and order' led the attack. In that situation a very few people with a very few guns
defend the neighbourhood and opened fire on the advancing loyalist force.
That was where the present phase of armed struggle began. It was not organised by diehard terrorists. general you find the diehard terrorists
positions government America of Western Europe
These were young people acting to protect their community. The present IRA was born out of fear of pogroms. And out of fear it could happen again the people continue to support the
La socialist, I recognise that even fighting another 800 years the IRA will never be able to militarily defeat the might of the British army, no matter how many guns trickle in from here and there. They cannot militarily win freedom for the Irish
I believe that because of the history of my own and every other country proves that freedom cannot be won by the few and handed over to
If you look at your own tradeunion experiences, you see that the might, strength, and solidarity of the trade unions has won through the blood, sweat and tears of the masses
Page 7 scan of this page
of working people. That is the only way anything is won.
People are only free when take freedom for themselves. must be armed with the ability to educate, to agitate, and to organise themselves to understand that their oppression is not something that just hits them understand that what oppresses me is also what oppresses him and what opPresses you.
Oppression, discrimination, and
occur ultimately to fight them we must fight them on a worldwide basis.
That is also why many of us come to look to you in America. We don't look to Ronald Reagan. We try to take our case to those who form the backbone of American society people who make America work, its working people.
the people with the most strength are those American workers who are organised through trade unions. There is no power on this earth greater than the democratic majority of the people organised through their own organisations.
We are fighting to change an irrational system that has barbaric priorities. Margaret Thatcher's COVCHICH which allowed hunger strikers to die, is now locked in a battle against people very much like you the health service and public employee unions in Britain.
For a year these workers have been fighting for a 12 per cent wage increase, wate government refuses to give them more than 4 per cent. Virtually everyone in the contry supports 12 per cent for the healthcare workers. They are supported by une ranway workers, te miners, patients who have come out hospitals to march with the healthcare workers.
But the British government said: You're not getting the money. We don't have any money!'
And in the middle of that dispute, somebody placed a wee tiny Argentine flag on wee tiny somewhere in the South Atlantic. All of a sudden money was no object! Every bathtub that could float was being refitted for war. Bands set to relearn to play "Rule Brittania'.
And in defence of this kind of these barbaric priorities, the SYSLCHE British have filled their prisons with
our young men and women. Ten of the finest young men that our or any they country ever produced died slowly in They defence of human dignity in last
year's hunger strike.
Can you imagine 74 days hunger strike? Can you imagine how many seconds there are in 74 days, and how many times you make the ing to give up?
To dead peace us cand
And authorities have taken away the right
to trial by jury in Northern Ireland. They have shifted the onus of proof from the prosecution to the defence. They have taken away the defendant's right to know the identity of cross-examine the Only last week they took away the - Ei
right of defendants to be presented with the evidence against them!
Britain has a problem. Britain's problem is that we will not meekly submit to continued British rule over our country.
We do not accept the argument that you should forget past injustices and start afresh trom where We maintain that where we are now is the direct historical consequence of the injustices of yesterday. If there is to be peace in the world, those historical injustices must be redressed.
We too have a problem - how to end British rule in our country and how to start building in Ireland a society fit for human beings to live in.
the of the island
flag and a new anthem.
did, nothing would change for the oron dinary man and woman in the street.
has an equal chance to be all that he or she can or may want to be.
people do not go hungry because it is British more profitable to close down fac
tories than to produce what people need.
heads. Ridiculous as it may seem, while we have the worst housing conCOUSCE
also have the highest percentage of unemployed construction workers. We society, change system.
Ireland they tell us that the building workers cannot build the houses we need because it is not profitable for the contractors, the big construction We are companies, to build housing.
tors don't want to build the houses people need fitable enough, we can get them jobs as construcuon workers. tionalise the build the houses ourselves. Isn't that reasonable?
education and for hospitals, but the
We don't just want to stick one land mass onto another and get a new
James connolly taught us that if that's all we
We want to build a different kind way to of society, one in which every child socially dangerous.
your money,
We want to build a society where
We want to build a society where people have a decent roof over their
ditions in all of Western Europe, we
least Africa
want to build a reasonable but to do that we have to Northern
Western
I say, fair enough! If the contrac-
because it's not pro-
We'll nabuilding industry and
When we say we need money for
bankers won't give it to us because they make more money financing the war in the Falklands or investing in South Africa, or building nuclear weapons to blow everyone to blazes, we say that's a totally irresponsible
Fact. It's irresponsible and
I happen to think that if you use
made off my work, to build nuclear weapons, that is socially irresponsible and your money should be taken away from you.
The kind of society I want to build is eminently reasonable and sensible. That's precisely why the British and American governments are terrified of our struggle. They fear our example
It's bad enough when people in Black Africa begin to talk like that. But a
aWay from America. And in the Third World, America can still wield power because it has more money than anyone else and can, in Henry Kissinger's words, use hunger as a political commodity
But we are right in the middle of
Europe and our example could spread into areas where the people are strong and unionised.
Moreover, when I speak or someone else comes to this country to speak to you, and you begin to examine what's happening in Ireland and are moved to do something about it, then you also start seeing your own society slightly differently.
When you see injustice in Ireland and try to redress it, you begin to look
want home.
just a bit differently on Nicaragua and Cuba and all the places in Latin America that you are told are trying to sneak up on here and paint you al red in the middle of the night while you're not looking.
You begin to wonder if that's no all nonsense. You begin to question all the rubbish that is spewed out or television, in the press, and in election literature. You begin to see that it has no validity.
And •VOL might actually begin changing the policies of America.
Someday in this country a broad American movement will come
that is not just IrishAmericans for freedom in Ireland, o
Americans for freedom Africa, or Chicanos or Puerto Ricans in defence of their homelands.
There's going to be an Americar movement for peace, freedom and justice at home and throughout the world. And do you know what wil happen then? There'll be no Ronal Reagans winning elections.
We in Ireland will fight on with or without international support. We will fight on with whatever means are at our disposal to empty our jails, to save our children from their bullets.
We will fight on until we win. It may not be in my personal lifetime because I don't know how long I will be permitted to live, but in the lifetime of my generation there will be a unite
But that alone is not enough. I
united socialist workers republic of Ireland because no one will look to the interests of the working people of Ireland but the workers themselves. Unless working people run society themselves, we will all have fought and died for little more than change of flag and a change of anthem.
There is a better day coming in Ireland, and America well. Whether we move together as a common movement, or whether we move first and you move later, a new movement will arise in the United States too. This country is a melting pot of ethnic groups that arrived here fleeing poverty and oppression. Many have links to their struggling people a
The complete speech is available in the US socialist weekly The Militant, 3 Dec 1982, available from 14 Charles Lane, New York, NY 10014, USA.
Socialist Challenge 10 December 1982 page 7
Page 8 scan of this page
Labour Committee
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EDINBURGH: Stop US inLCTYCHILIOI America Public Centa
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In to the Othe okshop, 328 Upper St, London N
HE
NO
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an
would
Socialist Challenge.
YOUR INSISTENCE
500 words is
You know that about 100 WRP supporters and
to the conference with Ted Knight's connivance and that there was no evidence that these people were either members the LCP or delegates from affiliated organisations.
At the time Socialist Challenge supporters the conference acknowledged that this was going on but refused they then proceeded to
in the bourgeois press which in
labour movement
Andrew Hornung, who would have made a good solicitor but makes a lousy revolutionary politician, responds by logicchopping and point scoring, -DUI nowhere con fronts the issue of the damage which has beer done to the task of building labour movement support to the Palestinian Cause
At the Labour Committee on Palestine founding conference there were undoubtedly problems
the Cree Bas Socialist Challenge supporters are not in posses sion of all the relevant documents and are not in a position to curate account of all ne give
problems.
Ted Knight alleges that on the door Andrew Hornung 'waved through' Socialist Urganisel supporters. Andrew Hornung alleges that the conterenc was "packed' WRP
If Hornung's SUDDUELCES. allegation is true, and our considered Judgement that Knight probably did mobilise Labour Herald an e WRP supporters in some strength, then this of course was incorrect and a breach
WOrKerS democracy which we condemn.
on Palestine
TWO WEEKS ago Socialist Challenge carried
Committee on
Palestine inaugural conterence, in which we commented on the walk out and the subsequent split by Socialist Organiser supporters and others. Andrew Hornung who led the split has submitted the following reply, following our refusal to publish a 1700-word reply which
amounted to full page of
Kaplan's report of the Labour Committee on Palestine conference (SC no 271) be limited to
most unreasonable: everyone knows that replying to mis-representation and malicious innuendo takes a lot longer than writing it. Socialist Organiser will contain a full
to rinsent because to pay wanted the LCP to remain united. Now Ros Kaplan the conterence was marred by allegations ( made agamst some the organisers by members of Socialist Organiser etc.
Stop evading the issue.
Were these 'allegations' rulothe a allegations are and I have private ly shown Ros Kaplan fur-
'A grave error of judgement' -
Socialist Challenge replies
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE makes two accusations against Andrew Hornung and Socialist Organiser. First that they irresponsibly split the Labour Committee on Palestine at its founding conference, thus creating a disastrous situation where there are now two Labour movement campaigns on this question. Second that
engage in a muckraking, irresponsible and scandalous campaign
addition to making it extremely difficult now to build any
campaign on Palestine, bordering on red baiting against Ted Knight and Labour Herald journalist Penny Cole.
But the essential queston is this: do you light sectarian stupidity with sectarianism. and breaches of workers democracy by walking out? This has to be judged concretely, and with ritualistic formulae and lawyer's arguments.
Andrew Hornung and Socialist Organiser have to answer: what would have been changed, what was at stake, by accepting the ex delegations to the COHECICHICC. CYCl under protest? As far as we could see, and Andrew Hornung does nothing to dispel our assumptions on this, there were but two.
First, what would be political platform OT LCP. Second, who would be the officers of Hor Lung believe she st- LCP. On the first, gerate the differences between the platform proposed by him and the one adopted - in other words that the passage on the reactionary Arab states "just reference. Even effect his argument is that there was not a substantive political difference.
Second, and we think this is the question which
ther evidence
say that
get the con-
ference
nonary
positions exist.
vote rigging.
3. seemed
however were
supporter) said
during
consider conference
4. You say the committee really think that the WH is "broad based
marched 100 members and
supporters Corin
Redgrave, Clare Dixon,
Alex Mitchell, Jean Ker-
rigan, Sheila Torrance etc Hornung, Greenstein and SO thought was decisive should Hornung and Greenstein be the secretary and chairperson of the LCP?
In our view the question of the officers was not a crucial question for a small labour movement campaign just getting go ing. We in any case would have backed Ted for one of leading posts because he is the per son with credibility and support the labour movement who has done most to raise the issue of Palestine.
There was no question of preventing dornung and Greenstein being on the steering committee. In the event, single member of the WRP was proposed for or accepted on to the steering committee of the LCP.
But Hornung and
into the CP conference in of 30 delegates'?
order to hand it over to a
"broad based committee"
something that the LP
had had since its incep-
tion
Since the events
Socialist Challenge comand
have blown the whistle on
Knight and the WRP is ad-
ding fuel to the witch hunt.
Comrades, we're not just
fighting for democracy
and against political
gangsterism. You cannot
help that process much by
writing whether or not
supporters of Labour
Herald or the WRP o
both packed the conThe truth is ference is irrelevant. Cer-
tainly SO themselves
mobilised their supporters
strength the Fascinating!
Firstly the facts: SO
which had been the biggest
single force in developing
the committee since its in-
ception can hardly be put
on a par with a mob hirec
have had no contact with
the LCP Secondly if SO
comrades not involved ir
LCP work had mobilised
in strength how is it that
there was only 'a walk-out To fight Zionism we must overcome sectarianism Greenstein were not
they wanted to ensure that they were the otticers. and solit the committee when looked as if they would not be. They should have stayed in the and accepted nomination to the steering committee, rather, than splitting and throwing the campaign inKnight to disarray.
Subsequently there have been gleeful articles in the Guardian and New Statesman. The Guardian obviously got their infor mation from Hornung and devoted whole "Diary' column to it which started And now an
every to or ors ber
Party press campaign was at best
Terror judgement. At worst it was a deliberate attempt discredit the LCP. using whatever weapons came to
as in ere thee
WRP it were just
other
mithin the look move.
overlooking dubious political methods
in a matter connected rades have argued that to with the Middle East - its connection with Arab regimes. 6. Those who walked out
of the LCP conference
have established a Labour
Movement Campaign fo
Palestine. To continue th
work done by the LCF
with the taint of corrup-
tion, the stigma . of vote
rigging and the influence
direct or indirect of the
WRP was not on.
7. Finally, why is Socialist
Challenge covering up for
Knight, Labour Herald
and the WRP Is it out o
concern for the LCP, fo
which did hardly
anything between its in-
ception and the con-
ference? Or are there other
motives?
The LMCP can be tacted by writing to LMCP
c/o 28 Carlton Mansions,
Hamleight Rd, N16. hand. gave the bourgeois press not only an opportunity to discredit any labour campaign on Palestine, but an opportunity to discredit the far left in the Labour Party at the height of a witch hunt. How stupid can you get?
Socialist Challenge iS in no way allied with the WRP, , and does not cover up for its activities. In particular, we defend Socialist Organiser unconditionally against attempts to use the courts to DICYCHIL fair political comment. But what Socialist Organiser did at the LP conference and subsequently is inex-
The , way out of this THICSS for Socialist Organiser and Tony Greenstein to
come back into the LCP. A refusal to do this is to continue to fight sectarianism with sectarianism.
Page 9 scan of this page
Home office threatens to deport South African political exile
FDR/FMLN launch new political strategy
THE Home Office has turned down
held in Strangeways Prison,
deport him back to South Africa.
Apartheid is campaigning against this.
banned African National Congress.
*I was taken to a room and
1 was interrogated and beater
oy six bureau or state secur
ty (BOSS) men. During this
and had strong UH CCICU
lace. It 1 blinked. turned m
Tace even SAUH V eyes.
then I was either smacked on EARLY in the morning November, Chairperson of Ghana's ruling Provisional National Defence Council, announced that an attempted coup against his 11 month-old government had failed. It now appears that the forces behind the coup were right wing although with the participation of a leading left winger. Walid Hadad asked KOFI socialist, events.
How did Jerry Rawlings coup on December 81 differ from previous military coups?
Like Rawling's earlier coup in 1979 this one was led by the lower ranks of
armed forces. From the start left wing activists
both mintary and civilian — were part of the ruling PNDC and massive support was immediately forthcoming
HIUH WUIKing people shown in huge demonstrations.
IN AN interview in the US newsweekly The Guardian Ruben Zamora, Salvadorean developments in the FDR/FMLN that have been fraudulent elections on 28 March of this year.
*The war against the government the funCanIcuia Suaron wiRin the country,' he said.
However,
DCCalse ormre war, within the dominant groups of society there is an internal confrontation between two historical projects. -I ne repressive FMLN guerrilla
the plea for political asylum of Anwar Mahomed (41), currently
and is threatening to Manchester Anti
Anwar Mohamed was detained by the SA security police in December 1974, after a chance search revealed him to be carrying a leaflet issued by the
the face or I received a blow my back or stomach. They LICYCI LIL CY d puleil al my lace. Dul diways du HIN DOU) ог а кіск аї іле баск ог my knee joint."
Anwar however refused to membership of any anned political organisation. nc was Licu Dul into sollary
Coup attempt in
Hhana deteaten
of Wednesday Flight-lieutenant Jerry Rawlings, MENSAH, Ghanian to explain the background to these
At the time of seizing power, Ghana's economy was bankrupt. Inflation was raging at over 100 per cent and a loaf of bread COSI more the minimum daily wage.
The cedi. Ghana's cur. rency, .was trading at 16 times its official Talc on the black market.
The cocoa crop, which accounts for 60 per cent of Ghana's earnings was suamccae rou ing areas due to lack of a leader in the El FDR/FMLN explained strategy of the made since the
and regressive project of Lic most daek ware secto1 of the oligarch гергеented by the Nationalis Republican Alliance (ARENA) and •EBC reformist proIVPICOLYS ject that is backed by the
Americans, ine Christian Democrats. and other sec-
confit the cfor torehd tird
end of
day they took me out of the
conmemen ane oor meto a
ci seren room where sawa
man ha ing ton thee ing
ground).
legs were tied behind his back
wuia rooc dha tus robe wa
extencee to ine pole in ine
ceiling it was inhuman and
they C iok away what
to me? I said •No' saw Lu ildouci They said
"It will, if l don't come up
with a confession.
After a week the police let
Anwar go. He feared however LClSDOEu mismanagement and corruption.
Jerry's COUD LaVe working people the hope that this would be ended
How did the PNDC seek to involve the people of Ghana in changing this state of affairs People's DCICHICC Committees and Workers Defence Committees were set up in the towns and villages, within the army and workplaces. These are popular organs acmocracy sel up to bring decision making the broad mass of people.
Their role has been to expose corruption and the hording of essential commodities, to enforce some price control and to in-
self-help programFLICS
Recently the WDC at the partly-British owned tors inside the Salvadorean
armye continued,
"These inside one stare fighting inside state for the leadership of Salvadorean sone tyas This confronta-
resulted in the dispersal of certain social Torces LA8T previously more or less supported the COveEHeTE secaius this they have started
other CADIOLO dILCE natives.'
This DLOLLLDLCU the FDR/FMLN to launch its
policy of convergence' This policy recognised that the March election solved the problems of representation for the *most backward sectors of oligarchy' but created
problems HaSSIVC other organisations in the
and that the FDR/FMLN will 'have to CULLILE Y approach those other
SCU tors that, because of this crisis, are moving away from the government.'
Sectors
Convergence does not LCULOSCILE policy united front because, objectively, it is not possible to establish a united front with these sectors. Already Iot the de ted fron
the democratic
progressive sectors.
He stated: "The united
International
that they might detain him again.
anuary 1975, while I was g HTn f orning of oid hme that two niack cars home
and they WCIC aE my noUsC were mere tor a DOuL three hours waiting for me. I knew immediately
from BOSS (wher that they were white men.)
border to Mozambique, using Anwar ACEUSS the a forged passport
He then stayed with in Mozambi sister who lives que and found work there as an accountant. However the GOYCHHCHE Sool dllcwards Ghana Textiles Printing Company attempted to take over the factory. was attacked by police who wounded a number of workers.
The government intervened, seizing the assets of the company and ordering the expatriate manager to be deported within 48 hours.
The PDNC has also mobilised a student task force to evacuate cocoa to the ports, helped set up a national women's organisation, established a training school for ideological and military training of leaders of the PDCs and WDCs and has established People's Courts to try
OCODIC LOT corruption and economic sabotage.
What has been the reaction of imperialist coun front is a more organic strategy in that you present to other forces the idea of forming a structure, however COOse might be. But it is a structure in which eve yood gets together under one umbrelia
Converge
Thee is dilterent of convergence in that we are not asking EOse omeT forces to join In common structure with HUS. Is Instead a policy of convergence LEYIEE LOWORK OUE WIa. objectives we have in comLHOH
*Basically there are two objectives: to fight against the fascists in El Salvador, because they want destroy not only the FDR and the FMLN forces, but as well these other forces.
'And secondly, to try to fight together against the danger of massive American intervention El Salvador, and the problem of regionalisation of conflict that the current American military intervention is producing in Central America.
This strategy is directed at the 'institutional Catholi Church and 'all those peo ple that have some sort of OrLalSaLOn within the church, Democratic Action,
ordered all SOUET African passport holders to leave the
He the od noo s aki tn.
where he
51401 Socal language and could not lal DermissIol Io wOrK soon left for India, where he lived from June 1976 to Apri 1979, first and then at grandfather's
village
WHIC O sidycu unu ms eranoratne
Anwar eventually came to England.
with nowhere to return to. He found work,
TIESL I a Longon nolcr ana men a. cost clerk in Bolton. In May Jerry Rawlings tries and other menta to all this govern-
They •d C trying destabilise the regime. There have been threats of foreign invasion through neighbouring countries and there have been some recent clashes the
01
Cn vane cr dit rm
Advance credit international institutions and firms have been cancelled and there have been threats of economic CmlOarEO On top of this the world price of cocoa has continued to tal!
Within Ghana reactionary bodies such as the Ghana Ваг Association a newly formed politica Democratic Union, some of Dalrty. the Popula
Christian Democrats, and the part of the trade union movement that is outside the FDR.
*The long-range objective of this policy is, on the one hand, to present to the Salvadorean people a more clear scenario of choices Where democracy? Where is socia change?
Andaliyer e ip restan hipd
brutality, repression reactionary social measures? In that sense it is to some extent to clear the political arena in terms of choice for people.
1981 he found himself overtaken by financia I problems though issued cheques CYCL
hi DalIN accoulL H Lonte eventually he was TunGs In arrested
and charged with deceptior
cight monins im
imprisonment SCTVInE his Since then he has been held in sentenc MOnERS prison while the Home Office decide what to do with him They regard him as an illega
Manchester Anti ADartneId Is supporting CaIE CT0 Ti DO1LICa]
chrouan pres ay pig ane
pickets at Strangeways Prison
and the Professional
Bodies Association have attacked the development
of the PDCs and WDCs.
On the other hand
countries like• Cuba and Libya are exploring areas
closer economic ulKS while loans have been
sought from East Europe to rehabilitate ailing in-
dustries.
Why did the latest coup
occur and what is the future of Ghana's revolution?
Since names and numbers of civilian and military arrests haven't been disclos-
ed it is difficult to assess the threat to the PNDC and its implications.
However, it is reported that the right wing with an
'ultra-left faction within the army was responsible. It is also implied that the divisions were on a tribal basis as the people involyed were reportedly from Northern Ghana.
This latter view superficial as it ignores class divisions. However we can De sure tnar im-
perialism will these divisions to destabilise the revolution.
The lack of a united front of the maior lett.
wing political movements
could be at the basis of the
*slow pace of the revolution' which prompted this
"Another objective that, insofar as those other sectors develop a struggle against fascism Salvador, the government will become more isolated internally - not only externally, where they are quite isolated at the international level. Therefore the contradictions inside the government will develop more acutely
*The third objective is to develop the possibility for a democratic society, a society for real social change for the people
Finally, he explained the purpose of the
FDR/FMLN' call for 'dialogue' and 'negotia-
Map shows sites of recent guerrilla attacks Socialist Challenge
gates from 9 until |lam
Last week the Home Of
reconsider his case, lcc was Lnev sale tey wou this com bined with intimidation of the picket b Khall Pi ison officials, wil
campaign until Manchester AA Ucuidil
WI! - noL oe deDortea Lo SOULN ATTICa
Manchester AA are demanding that Anwar's long and fearful wait by dragge our no ionrer ane matne wil
.given political asylum Britain
The campaign is now sup ported by the Anti Apartheic BUYCICE -UIE national SCalC
adventurist intervention.
So far the June Fourth
Movement, Jerry's
original power base, and
the Kwame Nkrumar
nevorunonas SUaTes
have merged to form a
more radical united front.
The National
Democratic Movement
which believes Ghana's
revolution is in Iis na-
tional democratic' stage -
has not joined this front.
Immediately following
the coup attempt, tens of
demonstrated in favour of VULACLS
the Rawling's government
sle aind demanding eo-
ple demanding
removal of top civil ser-
vants. This clearly in-
CICaLeO aunG grass roots
sup ponat reninse nooys
TematEs
seen is how this support
can be channeled into clear
policies, first, , by ensuring
that the PDCs and WDC
remain representative
democratic organs of the
people.
Second, whether there emerge clear
economic direction which
Call DICaN TOSHE
economy from imperialist
domination and satisfy the
basic needs of the im-
poverished masses. It is in
this light that the debate
around whether to accept
the IMF conditions for a
loan must be seen.
tion': "There is no point in
just sitting down to talk;
what for? For us dialogue
is a means to approach
negotiation.
That is, dialogue for
achieving certain objec
tives. And the objective
for us continues to be fun-
damental one: to achieve a
political settlement of the
struggle of El Salvador.'
'Our objectives are to
achieve peace, democracy
social change, and respec
for the rights of our peo
ple. Normally those are
not the objectives of either
the American administra-
tion or the military govern-
ments of our countries.
10 December 1982 page y
Page 10 scan of this page
In the preceding parts of this series PHIL HEARSE traced the growth of the German Social Democratic Party, the most authoratitive the Second showing how it bureaucratised and reformist -and how it betrayed the
of Hitler
Nothing is easier than to ridicule the social democratic bureaucracy (who have) struck up a Solomon song to socialism. Yet, forgotten that the reformist workers have a thoroughly serious attitude to the question of socialism. One must have a serious attitude to the reformist workers. Hence the problem of the united front rises up again in all its scope'. Leon Trotsky
Out of the defeat 1918-19 revolution the Weimar Republic, SPD founders created most perfect constitution in the world'. Between 1918-23 the SPD leaders participated in several generally with 'democratic' bourgeois allies. But the shape of the German workers movement changing.
In 1920 the majority of the Independent Social crats (the USD) fused with the small German Communist Party. For the first time since the outbreak of the war, the German workers had a mass revolutionary party, the KPD.
Throughout the Weimar Republic German capitalism staggered from crisis to crisis the most unstable country in Europe. But after a temporary economy during 1924-28, again in 1929. It was collapse which gave the Nazis their sensational breakthrough September 1930 elections, ultimately their victory in 1933.
But why did the Nazis gain from the crisis. Why were the swaggering stormtrooper thugs (human Trotsky called them) able to mobilise behind them millions of middle class people ruined by the economic crisis? The answer lies in the policies of both the social democrats munist KPD, under the direction of the Stalinised Russian Party.
In 1921 the KPD tried an ill-timed and badly supported putsch which was easily put down. botched when a planned insurrection was called off, but eventually went off at half-cock. These defeats led to a downturn in the class struggle and, with the tem porary economic stabilisation, a drift back to the SPD by the workers. But the down turn did not last long.
In 1925 the KPD launched a
Socialist Challenge 10 December 1982
Marxism and Social Democracy-
leaders party of
International, how the
became
victory.
3. Social
Democracy
and the rise
it must not be paign proved
working class strength and combativity. of the I his resurgence of emerged whose 'the
vote reached its
governments, весатте
their
was from their mis-leaders. A
Democrisis to boot.
Expose
Communist disastrous ultra-left turn Germany remained called "Third Period".
upturn in the crashed this economic
in the and guise.
be under
dust'
manoeuvre aimed at
and the comtion in defence Communist working class.
Again in 1923 it
SILUaLIOH rank and file.
banner. This militant (majority) reformist tion, the ADGB and
*page 10
German revolution of 1918-19.
In this third part he shows
how the Social Democratic
were powerless in
face of the rise of Hitler, and
ultra-left
tarianism of the Communist
Party contributed to Hitler's referendum for the confiscation of the lands and riches of the German princes. hroughout 1926 this cam-
immensely popular; German workers, cluding many social democrats, threw their energies into this campaign. It proved to be a turning point. Just a couple of years after the defeat of the stormy struggles of 1923 the German
Was regaining its the the workers miners movement was reflected in the out- defeated. come of the 1928 election: the SPD vote went up from 7.9 million to 9.15 million. Those of the KPD went up from 2.7 to 3.36 million. The Nazi
all time low of 810,000. SPD leader Herman Muller transport
Chancellor; the social democrats were back in office for the first time since 1923. Here was the op- Nazis portunity for the KPD to begin to break the social democratic workers
growing radicalisation inside the working class coincided with an SPD government, and an impending world economic
But just at this point the KPD under the guidance of the Stalinised
International made its the so-
Thaimann and the other KPD leaders social democracy had now become 'the left wing of fascism'. They called the SPD 'social fascist'. They argued that it was more dangerous than ordinary fascism because of its left-wing
Thus any united front with social democratic workers could only
communist leadership, hence a 'united front from below.
Lenin and Trotsky had always ex- ment, plained that the united front was not a
'exposing' the reformist leaders, but a genuine pro- aLICHIDI posal from the Communists to the rerormust organisauions or Joml de- even
of the crucial of the Only if the reformist leaders turned down the united front proposal should the Communists try to build a united front 'from below' evitably going direct to the social democratic
The KPD now made any form of SPD united front impossible. Its appeals to the social democratic workers became appeals to assemble under the KPD
insane course was deepened by the policy of ignoring the
union federa-
'Red unions'. Up until 1924 the Com-
Hitler with Von Paper (centre) munists had held many positions of influence inside the ADGB, but now they built the RGO (Red Trade Union Opposition) as opposition unions to the official ADGB
In the Berlin metal workers strike in 1930 the RGO accused the social democrats, in completely justified way, of collaborating with the Nazis to break the strike. In the
miners strike in the same year
RGO isolated the communist
and the strike was quickly Perhaps the most bolically criminal episode of "Red'
the transport workers strike of 1932.
Berlin was part of SPD-controlled Prussia, and thus the demands of the
workers were directed against a Social Democratic state government. Opportunistically,
among the workers supported the strike. Correctly the KPD did too, but then made the criminal error of collaborating with the Nazi trade union federation in building support for the strike. Nazis and Communists stood shoulder to shoulder in the streets collecting money for the strikers. response of the social democratic workers to this kind of collaboration can be well imagined! This kind of alliance with the Nazis most famously occured during the 1929 referendum against the Prussian social democratic government organised by the Nazis. After some hesitation, the KPD backed the referendum dubbing it the Red referendum'.
Smash
A united front policy would have been precisely the opposite. While explaining to the workers the repressive policies of the Prussian state govern-
the KPD should have fought shoulder to shoulder with the social democratic workers to defeat the Nazi
overthrow the government and replace it with an/
more repressive one. Instead, KPD policy went as far as jointly organising with the Nazis to smash up SPD meetings.(1)
The economic crash of 1929 in-
polarised German politics While in the 1930 elections the KPD vote went up 1¼ million, while the
vote went down a clear move to the left amongst the workers — the Nazi vote increased spectacularly from 800,000 to over six million. While the KPD ultra-leftism had gained some small short-term successes, it has been incapable winning the bourgeoisie, ruined by the crash,
behind the workers movement.
The leader of the Centre Party, Bruning, an extreme right winger now took power. His government was opposed by Communists and Nazis indeed the KPD called it 'fascist and in doing so confused many about the real character of fascism -3888- the fact that if the Nazis took power
all working class organisation would be destroyed. After all, if the government were already 'fascist', would the Nazis be so bad? This was precisely sym the logic the KPD drew in coining the
slogan 'after Hitler Berlin spreading the criminal illusion that
Hitler's rule would be short-lived and followed (!) by socialist revolution. Decree
the Bruning's
defeated on its budget base votes of the KPD,
deputies, decree. The sanctity of parliamentary rule, so dear to the Weimar constitution and the SPD leaders, breached. Bruning's represented a form of Bonapartism. The the combination of some parliamen-
tary forms with one-man dictatorial rule. Weimar was on the way to being overthrown.
The SPD was now faced with a choice. Should it combine with the 'extremists' to overthrow Bruning or "tolerate' his government, by ensuring that a vote of no confidence would be defeated? SPD Muller ensured that Bruning should he defended as the ast against fascism. mist leaders collude in the destruction of democratic rights. In 1932 Bruning was followed by the openly anti-parliamentarian von Papen, on the basis of a sharp move to the right among bourgeoisie. The right wing bourgeois parties were declining, their support going to the Nazis and the right-wing SLaLC nationalist Stalhelm ("steel helmets')
militia.
Against workers movement. elections Nazis 13.7 million votes, million, KPD 5.3 Party 4.6 million. Even at this last desperate stage, the victory of the Nazis Was not similar workers parties had formed a united
front to defeat fascism, Hitler could have been stopped. But a united front just Was precisely
wanted.
After Hitler's victory, destruction of the petty powerful labour movement, the social
democracy and Stalinism contended
workers us thus democracy capitalism
government. WHeE
by the joint SPD and Nazi imposed its will through the unemployed.
was being rule fact
revolutionary social democratic
Reichstag leader
bulwark Thus did the refor- ev of Nazism
general organiser
the whole hand to
the SPD in
them stood only the
The July 1932 most radical showed the polarisation:
SPD 8 million, Centre versa.
inevitable. If the
union list neither side capitalist and the world's most
with one another to argue who was responsible. Both were The lessons of Hitler's victory are some of the most crucial for any socialist, class conscious worker, to remember.
Hitler was impelled to power by the German bourgeoisie when all the traditional parties of Weimer Ger many were incapable of solving Germany's economic catastrophe. social democrats, by their reliance on parliamentarism and their failure to go beyond reformist tinkering with the system also failed to give political answers to the crisis. German social
which rescued during the revolutionary crisis of 1918-19, was now repaid for its loyal services by being strangled
But the KPD also failed the test by its chronie sectarianism towards the reformist workers. In a situation of chronic crisis it was always able to re inforce its forces from the ranks of
But through its refusal of the united front, by its refusal to engage in a serious dialogue with the SPD cadres in the factories, it laid the basis for permanent division and the continuing hold of the SPD bureaucracy. Nothing is simpler than
verbiage against the mis-leaders; and nothing more fatal than the failure to challenge them in their own bastions through the united front.
KPD-Nazi collaboration see f
Krebs (J. Valtin) "Out of the Night"
also Albert Krebs (no relation) The Infan
Paltin was a communis and Albert Krebs the gauleiter of Hamburg. It is important to remember that the Nazis, in orderto buila a plebian base, presented themselves as an
especially the
money dustrialists and to shore up their base,
MIne unemploved, by denunciations of Jewish capital". With
government from 1928-30, the Nazis and power Prussia. LACE IT the Communists appeared as the two when the KP was de During the perios During the the 'main enemy there were many defections from the KPD to the Nazis and vice-
This was the product of the criminal ultra-leftism of the Stalinists After the RGO was banned in early 1933 Comintern reports speak of many Communist workers vonne or me No grade unio list in preference to the SPD free trad
The 'anti-capitalist' policy of the Nazi caused them many problems with their
backer many internal strains. As is well known. Hitler resolver these conflicts in 1934 by the Night of the Long Knives' when Strusser and the other radical hrownshirt leaders were murdered.
Page 11 scan of this page
Books for Xmas
YOU WANT A DIARY or you have a friend who needs one? Then two old faithfuls are strongly recommended. The Spare Rib Diary for 1983 uses the ticularly like their quote from Boudicca who raised 80,000 tribesmen to fight the Romans, when she said: 'Better masterless poverty than prosperous slavery! (Price £2.75)
taken images of liberation as its theme and as always has got the message across. £2.50)
The Crossing Press of New York have produced an excellent calendar which is edited by Joan Larkin. As she says in her pretace: *In compiling the Women Writers Calendar I wanted to extend the networking processes WITC have touched me, and to TCR OHC WHO WIHC. whose lives are changed by women's writing. Nice to have a calendar with good feminist dards. (Price £3.95) literary OL CUlE"
Pluto have got two real good SUVs Arguments for Socialism series t makes vou Sick proposes policies for reshaping and democrallsing the NHS which go far beyond anything the Labour Party has put forward. With Fowler and na eeow Ge Wan path against the health ser-
this book by Colin VICC.
Thunhurst makes useful, IHISLTUCLIYC reading, whether you work in the NHS or are just one of those millions who needs
Richards Minns in his book, Take Over the City takes the LILyabdiL dHu shows how that whole crooked set up operates.
He provides the kind of arguments you need in the puo, ana ar work, on wil we should take it off the bowler hatted-brigade and give it to responsible peo-
TAKE A WALK through any British city and one soon becomes aware of the message of big business writ large Sometimes frustration or objections to a particular sexist or racist ad have induced people to destroy or change the slogans.
Belfast the numerous murals soon catch the eye. Mainly painted by republican youth with the approval depict resistance themes political prisoners to support for the armed struggle.
Many of these paintings have been vandalised but this time the culprits are British soldiers WIO use the cover of darkness
alic olu destroy the The North of Ireland may be the most oppressed area of Western Еигоре with some social conditions, but as Tar as nearts and minas ge the nationalist areas are HOcraca tOnC
Cormac, the radical Belfast-based cartoonist. accurately reflects that balance of power in his work. On the surtace his subjeet matter, which includes Brilish soldiers and the paramilitary RUC on the streets Jovalist murder
anesr d portr. th
ZEOOCCE depressing.
Cormac's cartoons never are: they are full of life and vitality because the people
theme of women's history. I par-
The Pluto Big Red Diary and Directory has
(Price
Py produnes e tho acaial-
produce wealth. (Both cost £2.50)
We all have the proDiem or wnal to buy the kids. So much of the run the mill stuff is racist, sexist and reactionary. But who wants to give an inquisitive, intelligent eight-year-old, story about heroic
young Komsomol who col
lected silver paper for socialism?
Three that are different The Twits by Roalo
Dahl (price £1) - if you were still between six and
ten years of age you would
laugh yourself silly at this ingenious and very skilful story about trouble amongst people and animals.
The Nigerian authoress
Buchi Emecheta, says the
Sunday Times, and
"natural born writer' her two books Titch the
Cat and Nowhere to Play
prove that for once the
unday Times has got it right. H DOuL CHaTenald for children. What better
recommendation? Tiuch the co 12a50, 3.05h £3.75.
Titch the cat
published by Allison and
Busby.)
Jill Posener has a long
record of activity in the
W OHCS MUCL aLIUI
Movement and her book
of photo journalism shows she has put it to good use.
Cormac Strikes Back!
on huge billboards.
On a similar walk through republican West
of the local community, they
from defence
are off their knees and freedom is in the air.
collection of Cormac s work, wmien spans the past ten years, has now ocen pubisned in book
bad taste
Dear Mr. Tebbit. ve
d eeng time dole for
long but I
can't afford a bike
The collection of recorded graffiti in Spray it Loud is humorous, sharp, and at times angry. It guaranteca 1o make you
hink. One I liked in parCCLIdE W hitelaw' s White Law' (£2.95).
Further Down on Mag-
gie's Farm into
Smas spirit with Steve Bel dealing with Turkeys and politics. The 'boring' old Turkey Trot, insists that
By Les Green
Cormac Strikes Back (Information on Ireland £2.50). Bemajority of the cartoons are from Phoblacht/Republican News, the Sinn Fein paper, but also included are many from the Bad Taste series
SOGaIISE Challenge, where Cormac turns his CaISUC .pen political themes in Britain.
Humour can play an important part in war and Cormac Strikes Back war humour with vengeance for a British audience as he cuts the enemy down to size lampooning British politicians, belittl-
Dear Mr. Fowler
you remember the
Britain had a Nationa oia cays wne
Health service which
was the envy of
.Review
Jill Posener
SP
RAY IT
LOUD
RENEW HIS INTEREST
IN CARPENIRY
without la credible and
fighting turkey vanguard
every turkey is a goner.
Luckily reformist realism
survives and the SDP
turkey scorn the mad trot'
and fulfill their ing all
function by getting
hung up. show that if sou ges Which 10
you are not
careful, trots will ruin
Xmas even for turkeys!
Not only turkeys, but Teb-
ing. British troops and
police and boosting the
morale of the oppressed by
depicting a valiant armed
resistance struggle.
Cormac's deft pen
coupled to a surrealist im-
agination multiplies the effect. which in its most
crazy moments seems to
outstrip reality, while at
same time prodding
the reader's mind to meet
it. A hun ed yoses lonee
the open layout
makes this a book easy to
read through in one ses-
sion. If you know SO-
meone depressed by the
state of politics in Britain, Dear Mrs Thatcher, et to receive eply to my recen CueCDOrRD
• LONDON
BIRMINGHAM
bit, Howe, Maggie and the penguin, they are all there. (E2.95)
Socialisın and Survival by Rudolph Bahro (£3.50) goodwill to all' ip is useru - aa tc ul
EIS USCTU anoze 1o star uhinking anil after the pudding we be allowed to enjoy it next year?
Bitter Fruit by Stephen Schlesinger and Stephen Kinzer. A dramatic and as. tounding story of how the CIA obliged the United Fruit Company of America and overthrow the legitimate government
Cormac Strikes Back makes the ideal Christmas present and pick-me-up гонса то оле It costs £2.50 and is available from most radical bookshops. It direca from the purishees: also purchased E3 including p&p from Information on Ireland, Box 189, 32 Ivor Place, London NW1 6DA.
The Other Bookshop will be showing an exhibition of Cormac's work from 6 December for two weeks, and Cormac Strikes Back is on sale there now.
SCORMAC
tertorst i asies AS GANGLMIA
become more and
more pronounced!
TE OTAER
BOOKSHOF
(021-6435904)
of Guatemala, and how Ike Eisenhower the US president gave it the nod LaL WaS DA anestoea! they are still at it in Central America. (£3.95)
Now the ones that | would like to have • said something about, but hard nosed editor and space called a halt. So unfortunately I cannot give them more than a listing:
World View 1983 (£6.95)
Women under Apartheid (E3)
The Other
Bookshops
don and Birmingham.
You
Rainbow.
angels which
particularly like, and
Duer Miller.
Friedman
have the uncensored poster.
Xmas opening hours
20/21 December 10-6 pm (as normal)
22/23 December 10-7 pm (extended)
24 December 10-3pm (early closing)
Closed 25 December - 28 December
Closed I January 1983 - 3 January
By Bob Pennington 328 Upper Street, London N1 (01-226 0571) 37 Digbeth, Birmingham
Through the Flower Judy Chicago (£4.95)
The Anti-social Family bs Michele Barrett and Mary Mclntosh (E3.95)
George Orwell - - a life by Bernard Crick (€2.95 Bresecher (E3.95) Frustration Claire These are just a selection of what's going. Call or ring either of these two shops but make sure that you use the holiday to Yhe best out of books liee these.
IF YOU ARE looking for presents like books, cards and posters either call or write in to The Other Bookshops, in Lon-
could also do worse than get yourself some Xmas reading, after all you cannot live on a permanent diet of the Queen jawing on about 'my husband and I' or Judy Garland flying over the
Instead of Xmas trees with Trotskyist
we suspect are ideologically unsound, we recommend our posters for decoration - women will
men should appreciate the poster 'Why men should not have the vote' based on the words of the American feminist and novelist Alice
That great epic 'Gone with the Wind' an IMF production, directed by Milton Maggie might not gerant mas late righd Ronnie and show on Channel 4. But we can let you
The Other Bookshop London -
Open regular hours 29 December - 31 December Open from 4 January 1983 at normal hours.
Socialist Challenge 10 December 1982 page
Page 12 scan of this page
VISIT
ter press, Tory
Loyalist leader in the
Commons, James
Molyneaux even went so
far as to threaten the Irish
community in Britain with
violence the meeting
went ahead. Speaking on "HE LATEST ATTEMPT o curb abortion
House of Lords. in he
louse of Lords. otes to 42 Lord Roberton's Abortion (Amendnent) Bill was defeated lespite backing from васпопагу ngures пке ord Denning and Lord .ongford. But hreat has come from nother quarter.
The fate of the bill ecame sealed after a lovernment spokesperon's failed
measure upport The Tories vidently feel that after he spectacular deteat f the Corrie Bill in 1980
frontal assault ibortion rights in Parlia-
book normally costs £3.50
TION (Usual price $2.95).
Subscription Rates:
10 issues $2.00 Overseas: 12 months only
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Registered as a newspaper with the Post Office. Published by Cardinal Enterprisos, PO Box 50, London N1 Printed by cast eno otiser Eur Lid, Longon ce
Socialist
Challenge
SUPPORT
SINN FEIN
THE DECISION by the GLC to invite Sinn Fein to discuss with it the situation in Ireland has set off a wave of hysterical opposition by the gut-
governout spokespeople, Loyalist politicians and Labour right wingers.
the Jimmy Young show, he said: *(the visit) might stir great deal violence in London ways and might react against the Irish community London and
Attempted curb on abortion rights fails
ment would meet determined resistance.
Pro-choice camLords drove the TOUSt of Lords the point home.
Similar considerations underiay failure of any the CHOLORES anti-choice MPs who came top of the Ballet for private members' bills to sponanti-abortion SUI measures last week.
John Corrie, for ample, chose instead to take up a bill on diseased fish.
The new threat to abortion rights comes from another direction.
The national planning meeting of the Na-
SPECIAL OFFER For readers who take out a year's inland subscription we are offering a free copy of Alan Freeman's new book THE BENN HERESY. The
Alteratively we are offering Henri Weber's book NICARAGUA - THE SANDINIST REVOLU-
Inland: 12 months £14.00/6 months £7.00
Surface & Europe £17.00/Air mail £24.00 Please send me..............................................
For multi-reader institutions double the above rates Send to Socialist Challenge, P.O. Box 50,
By Brian Grogan
England generally'. The
Labour leadership has not
seen fit to denounce inis
threat DUE THILO ULACLICC
dailv in Ireland by Loyalist
thugs.
Labour front bench
spokesperson OTE-
cannon predictably sided
with the Lovalists. t was
Don Concannon
striker
Bobby Sands bedside to weekend tion or abortion mignts in
Ine HOTO registering so-called "buff
introduction re-interpret the 1967 Act
allowing 3OCCI
medical condition to be specified for the
the terms of the Act.
The storm of protest that the new procedure THE FREEMAN BENN
HERES
Danny Morrison gloat over his imminent death. He made it
oCCl that he would be unwilling to meet with any Sinn Fein delegation. Michael Foot, whilst refraining from demanding the invitation be withdrawn, issued PESTE condemna-
Threats
But what are the Loyalist, Tories and the Fleet St scribblers afraid of? Gerry Adams and Danny Morrison are elected members the Tory 'Assembly'. They rest on the support of the
community in the North of Ireland.
The facts are that 13 sparked off forced
statement Health Minister Kenneth Clark that the new procedure would nave no effect on the provi
But increasing number instances point to the fact that the
while not prepared today to take
the pro-choice movement on abortion rights are introducing curbs through the back door.
Further curbs on a woman's right to choose whether to have therefore child or not will
remain threat.
FUND DRIVE '82
dole and
witch-hunting fighting the Tories.
wing been needed
work. That's
years of British direct occupation, plastic bullets and blanket repression of the nationalist population, electoral repressive 'anti-Terrorist laws, and every dirty propaganda trick in the book far from undermining increased it. The visit of Sinn Fein might just help to raise the curtain of lies and calumny heaped those struggling for their freedom from British domination.
United
Already over 50 perCent British workers favour British withdrawal.
It is to prevent this senti-
By Ann Potter
BILL
Another victory for pro-abortionists
The National Abortion Campaign will be using the temporary Christmas - a time for giving MOST OF our readers thoughts at this time of year will turn towards the yearly
But this Christmas will be
In the new year many more workers
and the complete and utter refusal of the trade union and Labour leaders to organise an effective fight
While thousands are being put on the
Tory attacks intensify, Labour leaders are more interested in
the left wing
Never has an effective left-wing op-
- one that fights both inside the Labour Party and the trade unions. Building such an opposition is a long hard struggle.
There is no royal road to victory. It means a long slog of patient dedicated
why we need Socialist Challenge; to give militants the facts and
OTE
In Fein
Gerry Adams
ment being translated into
action that every effort is
being made to prevent the
Opinion the
Parliamentary Labour
Party is divided. Deputy
Spokesperson
Clive Soley agreed to mee
with Sinn Fein.
ficers Labour's Northern
Ireland group of MP's
distanced themselves from
Michael Foot.
The bombing of the
Droppin Well bar in Derry
venue frequented by
British soldiers will now
be used as a turther argu
ment to invoke the Preven-
tion of errorism Act and
prevent Sinn Fein leaders
from entering the country
As we go to press it is still
TU CORRIE
ANTI-
ABORTION
defeat inflicted on the
anti-abortion forces t
prepare the women's
present to Socialist Challenge
the unions continues.
Brent Outer West London the
Hazel, Chiswick Swansea than
Sheffield Leamington MB, RDT, Glasgow C. Dunne Exter Leicester T. Mohun Mansfield/ Bolsover Total Total so far Total required by Dec 31
not clear who is responsible tor the Domolg although this prevented the sun. Mirro and the rest from immediately accusing the Provos. Yet the bombing will be used in Britain as a way of aiding the enemies of the Irish people.
But the root issue reimperialist domination of Ireland.
Such bombings would not
cupying Ireland military force • Wrinine the right of Sinn Fein open discussions SWEETE Labour Party will be a ste 231 C road. Ie British domination anc getulls troops out
KEEP IT
OPPOSE THE SAFE
CORRIE BILL
and the HOVCHHONE labour movement for the coming battles.
the arguments to take the struggle forward. And to do that we need money -which brings us back to Christmas
Everyone knows that there is more pleasure in giving than receiving, so we're asking you to give a Christmas
Such a present will help to ensure that the fight inside the Labour Party and
80.00 20.00 18.00 14.00 10.00 30.00
23.00
26.00 18.00 412.95 10,649.36 16,000
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