Socialist Challenge No. 274, 17 December 1982
The scan: sc-no274.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 •New HQ makes Britain prime target- Cruise missiles here in April
No. 274 17 December 1982
THE GOVERNMENT
ths earlier than
firmed that the Cruise
to bear fruit.
But the arms talks go-
ing on 1n Geneva
The United States
has flatly rejected a Soviet
Z5p Unemployed and strikers 10p
Socialist
SORCHESTY
some of the thousands of women who besieged Greenham Common last week
is planning to deploy Cruise missiles in Britain in April - nine mon-
announced date of December 1983. NATO spokespeople have con-
missile launchers will start arriving in April. Previously NATO had given December as the date for the placement of the missiles in order to give time for arms reduction negotiations with the Soviet Union
offer to reduce the number of SS-203 Europe from 600 to 250 in return Lot no bacchic ol
FEVENBRA
COTENAN
Cruise and Pershing. By bringing forward the date for the installation of the missiles the United States is making clear that it is set on its plan for the upping of its nuclear arsenal Europe, irrespective of wnat progress is made a Geneva.
Meanwhile, the revelation that the United States command HQ Wycombe in the of war shows just how Britain will be a prime
target if war breaks out. The local council in High Wycombe believes that any case the HQ will be used to programme Cruise missiles
The plan for the HQ also shows that the US has no confidence in its ability to tight a conventional war in Europ its installations in Germany would be quickly over-run - and it thus relying on a strategy of nuclear war.
WE SAY
No one in their right mind should believe that the Soviet Union intends
march into Western Europe The 'Soviet threat' is being used by the United States as an excuse for its world-wide military build-up, aimed at the developing revolutions in Central America and the Middle East, aimed at re-establishing the domination of the United States it the Western Alliance, and aimed at putting massive
socialist challenge
wishes all our readers
a happy holiday & a
revolutionary new year
CRUISE
NO TO MISSILE
economic pressure on the Soviet Union.
Thatcher is a willing participant in SWal plans. Britain is becoming the United States forward command Phee to fight a nuclear war.
April date for the missile launchers means that the fight against the missiles must be stepped up in the new year.
Above all the Labour leadership must demand
Photo: John Harr
no installation of Cruise mection and earl election and solutely unequivocal its in tention to send back the missiles if they come to power.
The 30,000 women at Greenham Common have given the campaign tremendous boost. Now the labour with its six million af filiates to CND mobilise its forces.
Page 2 scan of this page
'Kill LPYS'
says Labour
right
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE has obtained a secret Richard Heller, parliamentary secretary, who is a state official paid for with your taxes.
It is addressed to nine right wing members of Labour's Healey, John Golding, Russell Tuck and Gwyneth Dunwoody. It gives explicit instructions on how to put the boot into the Labour Party Young Socialists.
'Our first task,' it says 'is to kill the reprinting of the LPYS pamphlet on Northern Ireland.: The pamphlet, it seems, commits a terrible crime - it attacks the SDLP 'a fellow member of the Socialist International.
Since Trish voters have also given the SDLP the thumbs down in two successive elections, perhaps these voters should also be suppressed.
Mr Heller's views on building a campaigning youth wing for the Labour Party are equally instructive: he thinks the new budget (which has been £10,000) is a great improvement because there are 'no provisions for LPYS campaigns.
As for the newspaper: "Why have it at all?'
The nine NEC members have some
questions to answer:
Will they be applying to register? • If so, will their meetings be open to all party members as the register demands? • Will the source of their finances be revealed? • How do they
/outh vote while destroying the youtr organisation?
Watch this space for next year's gripping instalment...
WITCH-HUNT LAW to work with
'Campaign' group to
win union support
By Alan Freeman, LAW secretariat. ANTI witch-hunt campaigners will work with the new left wing 'Campaign' group of MPs
which includes Tony Benn to fight the expulsion of Labour Party members.
A deputation from the Campaign group and from Labour Against the Witch-
- which represents over 100 CLPs -has handed a letter to the NEC in support of Tony Benn's motion to CORSO AL ACTOR against groups of Labour Party members.
The two groups are now campaigning to. win trade port, following LAW's
irst National Council on Sunday December. letter CHES been sent
Socialist Challenge 17 December 1982 page 2
letter from Denis Healey's
NEC including
cut by
Young Socialists' propose to win the leading trade unionists asking them to oppose the witch-hunt, and fringe meetings are to be held all major trade union conferences next year in support resolutions promoted model by LAW and the Campaign for Labour Party
The campaign aims to win enough votes at the next Labour Party conference to overturn any expulsions and reverse the deciSIOn ESTEDISA a register.
Local meetings and conferences are to be held in all major towns early next year in support of policies such as unilateral disarmament and against expulsions, and LAW will
seek endorsement of Party corre Ces. regional Labour
LABOUR'S INDEPENDENT WEEKLY-
Tribune
LAST WEEK'S sudden showdown between John Silkin, Lord Bruce and the editor of Tribune newspaper seems to have blown up in olkins tace
A week earlier Bruce and Silkin announced that they had secured ргоху
Tribune's VOLC. founder shareholders with which they going to remove Chris Mullin from the editorship of Tribune.
Under Mullin's direc
tion the paper has been sharply critical of Lading Michaer oot, and Labour leadership has firmly opposed th
witch-hunt in the Labou Party.
Now, it seems, Silkin wants to have a private witch-hunt of his own. But he didn't have it all his own way. On Thursday 9 December the shareholders met and Silkin moved the removal
Mullin and George Hopkins from the Tribune Board of Directors and their replacement himself and Bruce.
His plan was to make a
clean sweep of the board of directors, which has
eight members, by cutting it to five members, remov-
ing two further Jour-
nalists, and relying on the
WEDNESDAY 15
DECEMBER was the
closing date of the
ballot of CLPD
members on whether
CLPD should
'register'. Greg
Tucker of Vauxhall
CLP discusses the
see Ta see
THE REGISTER of Non-
Groups ES
killed off last month. It
even nad an obituary in
Labour Weekly.
But the Campaign for
Labour Party Democracy
OCCIL intent risking
breakup over the issue.
It decided to organise a
consultative ballot before
AGM January
Labour Party
I Denis trales
(i Socialist Interiational).
LEYS Campains,
Rulum Mello
Richard Heller 6 Doc 1982
Front page cartoon in last week's Tribune.
support of Brian Murphy,
former TUC Press officer,
to secure a majority to
remove Mullin from the
editor's post.
Unfortunately he made
some sad miscalculations:
apparently he forgot that
Jack Boddy, a director, prominent
Transport workers
member - and Tribune a board of
CLPD - No registration
decides on the issue
Reasonable so far! So imagine the surprise when, receiving the ballot papers and statements for among Victor and against, you find them a statement from Schonfield (CLPD Treasurer). This spends two pages abusive ly attacking those who support CLPD for their own tactical reasons, but
CLİD EC on to list these members who are declared unfit for reelection and finally threatens cereary ag with the Secretary other (unspecified), if the AGN officers does not vote in favour of registration.
Annie Davir
John Goldine KI
YOUTE COADOPTEE: 3-30 Tueeday 7 December 1982 Cormittee Roco 8
rain task for this is to Will the reprinting of the LYS puphlet
on Northern Ireland. This is the usual Trut trash and its closing rages
oppose and disparage official Party jolicy. (Incidentally the ta phlet
allachs and proposes to cangain agairst the SDIP, a fellor merber of
Me Podget shons a welcome inprovement, since there is no provirion 1a
the Pideet for Socialist Youth is halved. (but wig have it at all?) and there
The poor LFYS now want £1500 for birthday cards!
than he can chew
uses the union's premises.
Mistake number one. The meeting then heard an impassioned plea from Jack JOIC for participation on the board: and journalists Sheila March and Sheila Noble retained their places on the board The final result is thus directors
All this on the spurious grounds that CLPD was set up make Annual Conference decisions binding.
Comrade Schonfield should look his membership card again.
Mine states: *We believe that policy decisions reached by Annual Conference should be binding the Parliamentary Labour Party and underLaKC LU -SCCULO the plementation of this principle.
It is one thing to de mand that the PLP im plements agreed policy. I is another to ask us to go along win our own expul from the Party CLPD
cc Reity Pothayd !?
Gromet Donna say 15
are some extra resources for hnlS.
Young Socialists: 'The budget shows a welcome improvement since there is no provisions for campaigns
Silkin bites off more
Broad Churchi
which Mullin's supporters still have a built-in majority. But Silkin will be back or more
However, he doesn't seem careful about his open LO I
base or support. Depor Labour Party, his own
rumoured to be discussing
should not defend ourselves from measures that seek to destroy democracy in the Party.
Sad
It is a sad state of affairs that Victor Schonfield should decide to use more akin to Sid Weighell and the Right in his attacks on other CLPD members. But since then the CLPD EC has compounded these errors by demole that the AGM agree to register. The CLPD Women's
Action Committee at its AGM last weekend oppos ed the register and *ex-
Denis Hovel? BT
Shirley Surnerekill 19
ursell Duch
Eric Vardey NP
I'creover (BLOODSTAINS, a censure motion agains.
outrageous antics. Taking a leaf from John Spellar's book - his constituency. has demanded that Tribune journalist Nigel Williamson be expelled from his own con SULUCCY DarCY CUVISE might well be advised to get motions sent to Dept ford supporting the idea.
LPD EC had iumped the concern that th
sun andre no register
-registe regardless of the ballot
The dispute has reach. ed a pitch whet Why the even a split is possible. itself is nearly deadregister when the
Perhaps the last EC cue 2 OBEE motion against expulsions was amended so that the Executive would not recommend defiance of expulsions. Yet this is the key issue facing CLPD: will it be an effective force against expulsions defen ding parties like Hornsey? Or will the tactics of those like Shonfield split destroy the campaign?
Page 3 scan of this page
-Solidarnosc one year after-
how to overcome what they call
relatively small
position to the military junta.
How can the junta boast has re-established order when hundreds of clandestine periodicals continue to appear, testifying the breadth of the resistance movement? SOW can claim that it has silenced the
wiel clandestine radio broadcasts are continuing and growing more numerous. despite the seizures radio transmitters that have been announced with a great furor on TV?
Boycott
How can the junta hope that it has gotten the support of the privileged layers when the actors and
managers are continuing the systematic bovcott ot the TV they started in the wake of the 13 Decembe crackdown? This sort of protest, which few people expected to last more than
few weeks, should be pointed out.
Not only does it involve very serious material loss for those conducting it but it shows that the junta has not succeeded breaking the aulance Derween the workers and the intellectuals that
wasone of the bulwarks of the Polish revolution tollowing the August 1980 strikes.
How, moreover, can the military claim dominate the situation when the new unions they
Tanks batter down the gates of the Gdansk Lenin Shipyard last December. THE PROBLEM of the bureaucrat-generals is
disorder.
What they mean by this is continued unrest reflected in constantly occuring strikes, even though these have often been isolated and subjected to severe repression; innumerable street demonstrations, both violent clashes involving
groups and impressive mobilisations of several thousand persons; and various sorts of demonstrations of massive op-
set up to replace Solidarnosc are being massively boycotted by the working class? Not even bribery has been successful.
For example, the Polish railroads offered a wage aHea week vacation in a socialist country of your choice to anyone who would agree Lesson
LO STULL committees for the new unions. They got hardly any takers.
So far only three per cent of the 40,000 enterprises in the country have been able to get together the 15 candidates required to set up an organizing committee.
Cynical
In this context, one can understand cynical tone the minister of social at openly adopted
fairs in an interview about the impact or the trade union law on public opinion. It produced a postoperative shock that has still not worn off. People are bitter, full of resentment, distrustful cautious, and fearful of being ostracized by others Will take at Building the new unions least two to three years.
The restoration of order on the trade union front is not going any betthan the
What progress has been made, then, towards achieving
understanding'? According to the underground
HOTC thar political prisoners have been sentenced
from three to ten years. Another 5.000 are awaiting trial. That is quite a lot of victims government that boasts of
eing the champion of national harmony.
Since the regime has no carrots to orrer it is using the stick. This is the meaning of the moves that are being made on the eve of
siege to grant the government special powers enab ing it to proclaim a state of CHICE CHCY if necessary.
One of the lessons of the past year is that the workers are not themselves be intimidated easily. Despite the repression and the thousands of firings, it cannot be said that the rebellious mood of the Polish workers has receded notably.
The fact that the regime is deeply divided over what attitude to take to sondarnose makes the
of a 'national accord still more remote
It would be possible to think that this might be no more than the usual sort of factional WIGHLIC in the Polish CP, 11 the party itself were not in a totally dilapidated state.
Jail
*You have a choice between being fired, going to jail, or joining the Party', workers caught drunk or stealing have been told at the public transport depot in Poznan. *If you are in debt, the Young Socialists and we will wipe it out. the chairman of the CP youth organisation promised in Bialystock.
International
imperialism and the new cold war which 'We don't meet very often
We don't care what are, the only thing that matters is your presence
As a Gdansk worker said *the situation is dif ficult, perspectives. But these gents who rule us have even less.
In this SILUCO! the workers clearly perceived the Catholic hierarchy's appeal to them on the eve
of the planned action not 10 November, as a resun strike ot a deal by the church with the regime at the expense of the resistance movement. 'He dropped Solidarang many - underground
workers leaders said about Monsignor Glemp, the primate of Poland
would be wrong, however, o suggest tal
priests embrace the views of their superiors. There are many stories of arrests and roughing up of priests who support the ac tions of the underground union. Views
And it has become impossible to keep track o the number removed from their churches by Catholic hierarchy itself because they showed too much sympathy for the Views of the resistance movement.
The fact remains that in renewing its appeals for social peace as a quid pro quo for the release of Lech Walesa and permission for the Pope to visit Poland
showed clearly which camp it was choosing. both the church and the bureaucracy on Lech Walesa to undermine the underground opposition. *Lech Walesa's decision enter into dialogue with the regime
International Viewpoint. over the problems of achieving national understanding represents a disavowal of this and its policy confrontation, the French CP pape l'Humanite wrote, for ex ample, on 13 November. Error
What role Walesa will actually play in the period opening up remains to be
But whaTever titude he adopts, it would be a tundamental error to think that the position of a single person even if he is a charismatic leader can determine the whole future of a movement
November 1982, strike highlighted the problems that the union is experiencing
Without making harsh judgements, many workers expressed their concern about the lightminded way, as they saw it, that the Provisional Coordinating Committee of Solidarnose (the TKK, the underground leadership) called a general strike that they did not feel they could carry out.
In fact the strike call was not followed by and large. How could it have been otherwise when for a week every worker at a key point in production had a military man on his back?
ATERN SULDARNOSC PREPARES GENERAL STRIKE
will appear in the new year edition o
But those who are so anxTOUS LO SCC unC enG or tEe resistance movement should not chickens before they are hatched. Ten thousands of people came into the streets in the wake of the 10 November setback itself. And just before Lech Walesa was released the Gdansk shipyard workers had started preperations to go
November to make up for the 10 November failure. Dead
No, the outlawing of
Sold noses no he
The workers no longer believe in any possibility of a na tional accord, and they expressed this torcelul terms after the delegalization of the union. They are not going to change thei minds overnight because Lech Walesa was released.
The problem is then not so much whether the resistance movement has reached a crossroads and entered into a period of ebb. The most important question is how it is going to prepare itself for a con frontation that inevitable, even if it is deferred.
It is necessary then, to prepare Ior. mIs test oI strength. The only weapon
International
Viewpoint
The latest issue is largely
devoted to dossiers on in
OOP Has Also contains
articles on the gro
and the menwar benee America
Somalia and Ethiopia.
the workers have for such a confrontation is - and that will remain true - the general strike. But in order
carry SUL cessfully, the movement first has to be capable of taking on a series of tasks
However, the fundamental problem, one that is particularly evident SIECE the failure of November, is the problem of leadership. What needed able to clive collective leadership closely in touch with the reality of the undergrounc movement and to offer
DCLODCU tives and tactical methods that show the workers the road to follow
In the coming period, the Interregional Commission to Defend SolidarHOSe includes workers representatives trom lo regions and is working out an action pro-
may be contribute to the forma tion of such a leadership.
What is certain is that the underground movement more than ever needs international support. It needs material aid. It needs support for its fight to win the release of all political prisoners, and for winning the restoration of democratic and trade union rights. It needs sup port to keep Solidarnosc alive.
from The Other Booksho Individual 65p 328 Upper St., London N Subscription: year POS
out to rue Richard-Lenoir, 93108 Montreuil, France.
Socialist Challenge 17 December 1982 page 3
Page 4 scan of this page
Tory hypocrisy exposed
By Brian Grogan THE DECISION • to ban Sinn Fein leaders from Britain reveals stability of British rule in Ireland. The British government will do anything to prevent the truth of the Irish situation being put across to British workers.
Tory Home Secretary, William Whitelaw invoked an exclusion order under the terms of the Prevention of Terrorism Act against Sinn leaders, Gerry Adams, Danny Morrison and Martin McGuinness. Two these had been invited for talks with a group of GLC councillors including Ken Livingstone. Livingstone has accepted a subsequent Sinn Fein invite to go to Belfast some time in the new year.
The use of the exclusion order against supposedly British citizens ex-
Britain's claimed right to rule the North of ireland.
It also underlines the reality British eland. Ali the in relation to Ireland. excluded men are elected members of Prior's 'Assembly' they refused rights
everyone else.
record British rights pro-British elements, none for opponents.
The British 'free press' has weighed in in favour of free speech. In one of its
Stool pigeons:
IN THE LAST several months there has been a spate of arrests in Northern Ireland. subsequently charged on the basis of testimony of informers. and the RUC as a result of the breakdown of solidarity in the Catholic communities there.
contestably greater support that exists for Sinn Fein since the hunger strike. In the New Year there will be a series of show trials resting on the evidence of such informers. So Brian Grogan asked Gerry O'Brien, a representative of the Relatives for Justice a group based in Belfast, to explain the situation to Socialist Challenge.
HE KAL when are com
include up to 40 people at a time. They will be uaece solely on inc Dasis o an informer's word.
The current widespread use of informers has to be
the background DRIEST TOPIC SIC LOCHICUC Over Tease caned half.
In the early 70's the Brits
that the police the statement I made was under duress and threats by the police.* prisoner on remand, Crumlin Road Jail, signed 14.4.82
relied on internment to try to
cruse ine resistance to snas
occupation but pressure forc
abandon this.
hey turned to forced confes
sions Haue unue uuress
mainy Carted Qui
But again. following the Bennett which
brutal and
human treatment
1OTCed methods.
Starting November
1981. they have developed a
informers
systematically put away peoSocialist Challenge 17 December 1982 page 4
SINN FEIN BAN
graphically the continuing in
periodic pieces from British intelligence propaganda, it carried as a supposed front page exclusive 'secret files' showent thathe armed senders.
the armed struggle against imperialism. Much better to get Sinn Fein's views from
captured documents rolled up tightly and hidden in a pencil case'! than to near things trom the horse's mouth
These documents sup posedly "blow apart the riction used by sinn reir that all they share with the Provisional IRA is a common political objective'.
Hard
If what this scribbler is
volvement in the armed struggle by the sinn rein leaders, then why has such 'evidence' LIUL CYCLI been used in the rigged Northern Ireland
COULD A previous attempt to convict Gerry Adams as member of the IRA was thrown out of court through lack of evidence'
Internment by the back door
People have been
This has been explained by the Tories
Such developments in no way square with the inPorthern inlarg
Irish
RUC, have perfected DOLICC.
number ot teenniques for
creating an informer.
Them someone
keep incommunicado
or seven days.
time to either bribe, blackmail
or psychologically pressurise
people to turn
They have been known to of *I now deny any involvement with these crimes or people asked me to pick out and further sav that
fer as much as £100,000. But
frequently they use
hlackmail.
ror example, i came 1c
our notice that one person
who owed several thousands
under the Payment
force savmenrel arrears aren
early Payment is raken
ad failed to inform the
that he had gone back to live
wite. they
threatened to charge him with
this offence if he didn't "co-
But support of Sinn Fein for armed struggle is a matter of public record Not only did the last ard theis (conference) of Sinn Fein pass a resolution insisting that its candidates for office should be
Ene!
After the RUC has successfully 'coopera-
of the informer, a large or peopie maybe 40 or 50 would be ired and taken to Castleraigh. The Special Branch would then read a to the informer for example.
I have since spoken to both Road Jail, and asked them why they told lies about mysell
them if they would them in serious offences,
day made his affidavit.
allegations. prisoner on remand February 1892
vou consnire to commit er
Fi with one of the lifted people present?) who would
then be charged in court and
remanded in
This an hunt to interimen
-to two year
by remand
The informers themselves when mey are cooperatin: often are put into isolanion u England. Several times, thei
families would be taken away against their will.
Africa or Miami. They asked me to give evidence agains people they named to me.' prisoner now on bail
Taken to barracks; held for-
TOM Ine reatives puts them under strain. We know in-
• out of twelve or so Cascs CULMISIE formers where the informers have retracted their evidence
Ireland.
Danny Morrison, holding Whitelaw's exclusion order and wasted plane ticket
support for the armed struggle. But recently Gerry Adams spelt the matter our in une following terms: •Sinn Fein and the a nave unc same ooted. tives. The IRA engaged armed struggle. sinn Fein would not only defend the once they have been able to contact cur an Konives or muscena developed as those methods. We attempt to reconce organise the relatives of those pressurised become the case McGurk and Mallen for ex-
• and .. . in 'C' wing, Crumlin
hey said unal me borce nac conen mem tor coral or fences that they (the police) had offered all sorts of deals to
point out certain people and involve , and testy acainstmemin coun They agreed to this to try to save their own skins. On the
detectives visited him and offered him immunity if he would go through with his false
ample, we were able to bring their relatives into the courts and tere were retractions m Enose Suations it was after ENOS LWO cases the put pressure on the Department of Public Persccution ing in the Bill of Indictmen This is an ancient law utilised to avoid me necessity olde
until the itself. Yer another means of pressure to turn informer' is the threat to
They offered me £50,000 and a safe passage to South
use informers WHO TONESES. We had the case or someone rom ne Markers area Belfast. After he he was himself im mediarely arrested and charg ed on SECT TO TIC WASTE CH anommer Intorner
IRA's right to wage armed struggle but have the job increasingly of popularising support
He went on: *honestly see no other way by which the British can be forced to withdraw trom this coun try except by a mixture of
FIX you UP
FOR LIFE,
DON'T
AND WEY
FIX You
FORLI
into the use Diplock Courts which sit without a
In normal courts. ther wouldn't get away win in
If successfully sentenced through this actualiv get 20 vears or so. they get away with it they will have carte blanche to deal
everyone they like
So we appeal to everyone in Britain to nein break the war or stence surrounding these methods. We ask you to expose the way that they try to
struggle which involves properly controlled inter active armed struggle
Tories double standards in banning Sinn Fein has underscored this proposition once again. As Owen Carron, Sinn Fein
CO-OPERATE
AND WE'LL
say this is legal; that it 1s just
The legal system is just be
like my wife and all my debts. prisoner on remand 2.5.A2
ina userto whatever boltica decision they wish to imple
ment Even
North, have come Very warev do mew speak on dues tions let alone something so
Westminster MP explained there can be 'no electoral answer to the pro blem of Britain's domination of Ireland. As he went on: "This typica hypocritical British deci sion. The response of the British government ever cince 198 has been to 19 nore democratic decisions in reland"
Given this, the response of the Labour leadership had been even more scandalous than its normal pro-Tory stance on the Irish question. Michael
dorsed Whitelaw's Labour spokespencannon Ireland, Concannon only opposed the action or the grounds of the obvious political credit Tory actior
has tony be Sina backed
Ken Livingstone Good This, together with sympathetic mutterings emanating from certain members of Labour's Northern Ireland group MIS should become focus for demands for Labour Party delegation Fein at the time of Ken Ireland to mee Sinn Livingstone's visit in the New This should lead to Labour Party backing the demand to get the troops out. A demand supported by a majority of Labour voters. how far the situation has gone and what the polenual lo
They said that there was no way out for me except sign and take the deal, and they would take care of all details
mobilising opposion Is
Due to legal constraints we
names of those who have made statements and others
Page 5 scan of this page
Buying shares doesn't mean workers control
Militant and NUR elections
Telecoms
is 'democracy through shareholding'.
company
nationalised industries.
To be sure, if every one the 245,000 British Telecom workers
LI3.000 spare atter
Christmas they would be
able to buy 51 percent of
the shares in BT. In reali
ty, the multi-national
vultures that are gathering
our wealthiest
public asset will share the
carcase our berween tem.
Yes, you've got the idea -
THUHCY DUYS VOLG BY Hazel McPherson
THE MILITANT tendency which ritualistically
proclaims itself the 'voice of Marxism in the labour movement' has decided against supporting the only class struggle general secretary, Geoff coming elections in the National Union Railwaymen.
In an LUCIC 0 Bob
branch of the NUR, which will shock
YOUn workers who buv and sel their paper, Militant has revealed that has no stomach for the fight for policies which it claims to support.
recommend support for Jimmy Knapp
the southern region and now an official at the national headquarters. Knapp IS seen as challenger the right wing domination of the union. As sucn even a victory for Knapp could have the eltect of confidence of the militant wing of the union.
so we are not indifferent to the outcome of the clections.
But our standpoint is how best to mobilise and ceas up rank file workers to fight the class enemy. Our main enemy is the bosses and the Tories. We are not terested in replacing the right by the left.
Lead
There are some on the left in the union - who Party for a lead ook
who see things in such electoralist terms. For them, the struggle for a left victory takes precedence over everything.
They see the call for rank and tile action let alone real struggles that
as being a barrier to electoral victory ol the lett as they imagine such action would scare off the 'middle ground'
These people have prioritised for
SUDOULL Jimmy Knapp as a means
blocking with the Rocerates order isolate those individuals THOSE strongly with ex-general secretary Sidney Weighell. Militant's stance towards Knapp doesn't challenge such an approach.
Even if Jimmy Knapp was the only, challenger to
ONE of the best stories currently being peddled
The idea is that all those who own shares in a company can vote to control the policy and profits of the unlike all these 'unaccountable'
Not that workers hav-
ing a share in private
company would give them
any more say in its runn-
ing. Privatising Bi means
completely subjecting it to
the laws ol ine market.
That means screwing the
workers for the last ounce
of profit. Holding a share
or two would not alter
that.
What all this talk of
'democracy covers
candidate for
Hensby, in the up-
of
the right wing Militant's approach would be wrong. Any left wing campaign would have to be really critical. means would have to emphasise
approach which stimulated rank and file mobilisation and be aimed
clarifying Knapp's political half-hearted literary queries.
To date, Knapp has failed to state where he stands on key issues facing rail workers - like over the productivity offensive and the wages erosion. He nas no recora or organising railworkers to oppose these attacks. Record
Geoff has included in his cam many of the poll : platform
ed by railworkers to meet the bosses' offensive policies around which he
as a creditable record of struggle
There is a single transferrable voting system in these elections ou ucc is no chance of splitting the vote and leting in the right
Russell, in his article himself suggests that militant railworkers might do well to seek assurances (rom Khann job losses, pay and conditions. But even this misses the point. not verbal assurances from Knapp that is required but a com bative and aware rank and file which such
policies interests of railworkers.
Militant is concerned
that if the right wing in the NUR win, then they will carry the witch-hunt from the Labour Party into the
3318 I foolish in the extreme to put their hopes in the election OI someone like Кпарр. The only defence of the left against witchhunt is a combative and
Russell's shamefully dishonest article is headed 'NUR presidential (sic) election gives rauworkers
crude Tory hand-out to its
friends The asset value of
BT is £15bn. It is definitely
the growth industry of the
1980s. Yet the bian is te
sell it for the bargain base-
ment price of E3bn.
More
they will then use
revenue give tax-
cutting bonanza to these
same friends. As we all
know, the result of That-
cher's tax cuts has been
one of increased payments
for ordinary working peo-
ple - taking into account
national insurance con-
tributions and the
massive concessions to the
upper bracket. the opportunity to elect a leader that will lead a campaign to defend jobs and services. But he offers not
By John Bailey
The workforce is
picketing to stop 75 scabs and even
suaded not to go in as a result.
Every day from
seven am DiCKeTs atner. At 7.20 a lone
Banner that has Bon dran
arrier hat has
and the security of man er and the security
Trade Unions
The alternative to the Tories is not to defend the nationalised industrie iney are. Nationa ised B amounts to little more than public funded Research and Development project to make the operation a fat picking for the ITT and Ericson multinationals of this world. It means dedicating 'development' to the needs of big business.
Public ownership must provide a service for the
quires planning laroin. Industral not the law of Railworkers lobby Weighell. He paid the price for always ignoring the ranks
La shred of evidence that Knapp's campaign, as it is presently being run, really represents such an oppor-
Raindi dispute: action needed
THE STRIKE for union recognition and against the victimisation of union members at Raindi Textiles and Supreme Quilting in Smethwick is still going on.
largely women, some of whom get as little as E36 a week. They have been
extended this to the homes of individual workers who were per-
Snor While aler transit vans each carrying 5 or 10 scabs start arriving Workers stand in front of them. to talk to the scabs inside. The drivers force through the line and the policeman
expansion should not benetit the entrepreneurs. asset strippers and
bureaucrats. but reduce charges, provide free phones for pensioners and those innovations that benefit
class. must allow operation workers control, to reduce the working week, expand the workforce and determine an intensity of work decided by workers themselves.
This is the democracy want. The 'shares' issue is just a diversion.
tunity.
Russell's only argu-
ment against supporting
Geoff Hensby is that
the next
Derson to dang use
van will be nicked From now
on pickets only bang the side
away from th policeman
ut the van
The T&G has circulated
information collection
sneels Inrougn us local bran
ches and also other unions
Collections beer mad
ncluding a substantial one at
FLUCAIC salare
tundraising Soda nas beer
arranged jointly with the
Labour Party
The leadership of the T&G
would clearly like to win this dispute -DU wine conccung money is vital and motions of
STOP
The Tory
Phone
Vandals.
British Telecom to you - keep it that way NO PRIVATISATION many see him as an out sider' That would be good advice for betting on horse race. But the class
General Workers Bromwich, West Midlands.
SUDDORT Sandwel Labour Party will be discuss ing the
are still going in and cles. This DHIYALCYCHICIC SHOW
mination of the strikers alone is not enough. The weight of the whole movement
used this strike
At the weekly meeting th
IGWU leadership have bee
that the strike is
-DICACL Would be a rous to acuy!
Michael Foot came down
belongs
struggle demands mor principle. This appears t be more than Militant an Russell can offer Donations can be sent to D His Victoria St, Transport and
Union. 9/1 Wes
the picket line and said he su ported the strike. Militant the Labour Party fighting for him to give acti SuP P.S. Raindi is running it
scab whom chauffers in i his own car.
by wants good intentio WHE the offici Tues Only massive suppo from the playing by our rules, not tho Tories, can reinstate tl sacked workers and score real victory against the bosse jobs and conditions offensiv in Birmingham
Socialist Challenge 17 December 1982 page
Page 6 scan of this page
1983 THE YEAR
By John Ross ONE ISSUE will dominate international politics more than • any other in Western Europe in 1983 - the struggle to prevent the deployment of Pershing Il and Cruise nuclear missiles. The outcome of this fight will affect the class struggle in every part of the world.
The struggle to prevent the deployment of these weapons will be extremely hard. They are a central part of the current imperialist military build up. But the movements are also mous. At the beginning 1982 opinion polls showed 58 per cent of the population of Britain opposing the introduc tion of Cruise missiles and 56 percent opposing the Trident nuclear submarine
In the November '82 elections eight out of nine US states elections voted 'Yes' to a nuclear freeze. The decision
Norwegian parliament allocate funds to carry out NATO's decision to install Cruise missiles was only carried on a 77-76 vote.
The anti-missiles and anti-nuclear
movement penetrated extraordinarily deeply into the workers movement. In West Germany even before the fall of the Social Democratic/Liberal
government third of the SPD opposed the missiles. In Britain the Labour Party conferences since 1979 have voted against the missile programme and in favour of unilateral nuclear disarmament. In 1982 it was a two thirds majority.
Ine Trades Union (TUC) has for the first history come out in Watera Finally the demonstrations against nuclear weapons in summer 1982 — with over three million people participating in Western Japan. Australa. and North America — were the largest demonstrations on an international question since the Second World War.
But there should be no illusions as to now important it is to imperialism to install these weapons. They are a central part of its military build up.
Imperialism has thus commenced disorient the anti-nucter lICW round of — starting with Reagan's announcement of the deployment of the MX missile.
In order to understand how the anti-missile movement should con. front these manoeuvres, start by rccaling wnatrole the nuclear build up in Western Europe plays in the overall international offensive of imperialism and the present stage of the international class
Imperialism's military build up is aimed primarily at confronting the colonial revolution rather than war with the Soviet Union. In this respect it differs fundamentally from the military build up of the late 1940s and early 1950s, which was indeed aimed
Socialist Challenge 17 December 1982
OF THE
MISSILES'
anti-missile
enorof
proalready al bulging ine momentum military assault on the USSR.
(SDP/FDP) around one-
threats or deals. colonial revolution
Congress
time in its
favour of NLF defeated the disarmament. their puppets in
held
Europe, Central America would
of survival.
The US ruling class believe
manoeuvres to
movement
tion.
we should
counter-
29 November).
fear
deed the military potential
page 6
for
But imperialism cannot engage in a military build up against the colonial revolution without also trying to neutralise the Soviet Union by either
At each step in the economic and military aid from the USSR to libera tion forces has played a crucial role.
It was the economic and military support of the Soviet Union which supplied the weapons with which the
Americans and Vietnam, which maintains in existence ine cuban workers state, and which made possible the Cuban intervention in Angola Any new workers' state tormed ir 1930s
necessarily seek support from the USSR and agreement to or refusal of this would in great measure determine its chance
does non is fomenting US revolution. As Henry Kissinger put it in a recent interview, "There are some American conservalves in boul par ties who luxuriate in the myth of diabolic Soviet planners implementing a master plan for world revolu-
No one who has actually dealt with the top Soviet leadership has encountered such types. If they exist, they are well hidden from foreign visitors. The leaders one in fact encounters are tough, ruthless and persistent. But they have originated no profound initiatives; they have usually avoided great risks. They have ex- Wal. panded into vacuums created by irresolution or weakness. (Newsweek
But if US imperialism does not world revolution led by the Kremlin', it takes very seriously in-
of the
Soviet Union. The US also knows that in cases of imperialist irresolution or weakness* - by which it means suc cessful revolutionary struggle led by others — the Soviet Union can supply major material aid to consolidate the Serenion ays ina chea, e hiopia, ferent ways Cuba, Angola, and could happen again in Nicaragua.
As result each imperialis military build up against the colonial revolution also involved an maments build up against the Soviet Union. For example the massive American military prostatinc against the colonial revolution which took place in the late 1950s and early
WaS accompanied simultaneous one against the USSR. Decisions of December 1957 and May 1958 of the NATO council led to the deployment of American Jupiter and Thor intermediate range missiles in England, Italy, and Turkey. Major
naval bases for nuclear marines were established at Holy Lock in Scotland and Rota in Spain. The construction of 1000 Minuteman nuclear Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, and of Polaris submarine launched missiles was ordered Kennedy. These remained backbone of strength into the 1970s.
This nuclear build up against the USSR took place simultaneously with a huge conventional military tion which culminated in the Vietnam
The attempts by the Soviet bureaucracy to negotiate a halt to the arms race, for example through the unilateral Soviet troop reductions ordered by Khruschev in 1959 were ignored. Kennedy and his Secretary of Defence McNamara calculated on the economic superiority of the United States to outproduce the Soviet Union
, in dif-
ar-
and crush all obstacles in their path. It was only the strength of the Vietsub- namese revolution, and the crisis the
effects of the war produced inside the imperialist countries, that led the US ruling class to reverse its position and embark on the policy of 'detente followed in the early 1970s.
Detente the sidered a move to
'peace' by the US ruling class. It was simply a move to reconsolidate the situation in imperialism's home bases and prepare for a new offensive. As Kissinger, the chief escala- 'detente' put it, 'what could we do
otherwise than to mosphere when, in this country, the political climate (under the impact of the Vietnam war) was almost that of civil war.' He explained, Nixon conceived detente as a means to create a satisfactory relation forces and to promote a certain world (Politique Autumn 1982)
AMPAIGE
NUCLEA
ARMAMENT
1% N was in no sense con"liberalism' or
organiser of
arenas calm the at-
*President
Internationale,
While of course the missile build up in Western Europe and the United States is not the only factor in these Soviet decisions — it would for examDie be a much more decisive confron. tation with the United States for the Soviet Union to arm Nicaragua than it was Ethiopia - nevertheless there is no doubt that the American military escalation is both hitting at the col onial revolution and affecting many
of the world revolution through its pressure on the USSR The stakes in the anti-missiles and anti-nuclear weapons movement are enormous not only for the workers of the imperialist countries but also for the USSR and the colonial revolution.
There is no doubt that the resistance to the missiles in Europe is qualitatively greater than foreseen by imperialism. From their statements it
Page 7 scan of this page
obvious that neither Carter nor Reagan expected massive resistance inside Western Europe. Talk *theatre weapons', possibility of 'limited nuclear war' in Europe consideration of 'warning nuclear explosions' was the very opposite of what was required to get NATO policies through.
The United States of course expected protest action against policies. But while a few tens thousands protesting in Europe, 100,000 in the United States, may seem large it does not deflect the policy of imperialist governments. US imperialism carried on the Vietnam war for years against the opposition of the majority of its population. Tourne round or protests
weapons would have been swept aside.
It was the truly colossal scale of the opposition actions which had not
been foreseen by imperialism. These are not on the level of demonstrations but on a scale which could deflect government policies and provoke political crises.
The fight over the missiles in Western Europe has become a struggle involving huge international class forces. If the NATO decisions can be implemented and the missiles brought in, then the United States and EuroDean imperialism will gain an enor. mous military and economic lever against the Soviet Union. It can use this to "damage the economy of the USSR and force it to fui down its economic and military aid to struggles in the semi-colonial countries.
Similarly if the attempt to bring in the missiles is defeated then would impose a major defeat on imperialism, greatly relieve the situation of the Soviet Union, and leave the USSR with a greater potential for its own development and for of struggles in the colonial world the In short the outcome of the fight over the missiles in Western Europe will affect the class struggle. Compared to, for ample, its victories in the East. imperialism continues to tace massive problems in its programme in Western Europe. It is in the two areas of Central America and the struggle over nuclear weapons, combined with the grinding tight over austerity, that imperialism faces its mediate problems. Building the mass actions planned against the missiles in 1983, defeating the new manoeuvres
against that movement is a decisive the task next year. Stopping nuclear missiles being Europe is the greatest blow that the West European
WORKS strike for socialism in 1983.
'protest'
Greenham Common
By Jude Woodward
against Cruise
this base where the
sited.
It seemed like an aid to ble protest to organise.
trances the entire international
Middle
momentoes,
greatest im- is an inspiration to us all.
amperansin
US stopping Cruise deployed in nuclear
women only protest wrong
class can
An inspiration to us all
WOMEN braved sleet and icy rain to make a massive protest
missiles at Greenham Common last Sunday. 30,000 women 'embraced'
influence of the 9 mile perimeter of the air-
first Cruise missiles to arrive are due to be
mous task, a virtually impossi-
from being grouped at the en- weapons.
base was surrounded in ten minutes flat!
And everywhere women had hung Sunday,
drawings, children's clothes, toys and photographs of loved ones. It was a massive protest that couldn't be ignored by the bosses" press, will rattle the government, and
Of course some people mutter with sour grapes that it was all wrong for it to be women only. While it is vital to understand that working men have just as much interest as women
and stopping that doesn't make a
Women spend most of their lives weapons this year. as domestic slaves, degraded and oppressed by stultifying domestic tasks.
In the eyes of men and many women, women are the weaker sex, wives and mothers, not politicians or fighters. When this weaker sex' these wives and mothers, shake off the what
and emerge in the vanguard of the fight for a future for the whole of humanity then it is an inspiration to us all, both male and female.
And that's how Sunday's protest has to be seen. As an inspiration to the whole movement against nuclear lives
We have to follow the inifiative of the Greenham women to go out and build bigger and bigger mass actions against Cruise and Trident.
i deanon to me mass protest of
700 women pledged themselves to risk arrest in an attempt to block the entrance to the base on Monday. The labour movement has to respond in kind and be prepared to defend any women arrested in the fight against the missiles.
Tony Benn went to Greenham on Sunday to support the protest'. The best support that he can give, along with all the other sympathisers of the Greenham women in the leadership of the labour movement, is to fight for the labour movement to build the most massive opposition to nuclear
And that will also be the best way to defend anyone arrested at the Greenham airbase gates.
Photo: John Harris
Greenham Common. on Sunday was a women-only protest. Next time perhaps it will be mixed But that shouldn't make any difference to
the labour movement does about u. In lactories and workplace. up and down the country it's women in particular who oppose the missiles How often do you hear women say: I'd do anything for my kids.' And It's true women will and often de make incredible self-sacrifices for the
of their children, and their futures. Today EI Salvador thousands of women are in the guerrilla army. Not because they are more 'peaceful' than men, but because they have the courage to fight for a future
Among working women in particular there exists are enou reserve of anger, energy and will to fight against the threat to everything we hold dear. This reserve has to be tapped and can be tapped in the present fight against nuclear weapons. But it cannot be tapped by circular Lenes from Greenham Common
The organised labour movement has to call these mighty forces into action. If they did the next Greenham Common protest, women only or not, could be three, four times
size. National demonstrations could be a million strong. And Cruise missiles could be stopped.
Socialist Challenge 17 December 1982 page 7
Page 8 scan of this page
Basnett issues a call
Where you can
buy Socialist
Challenge
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Socialist Challenge 17 December 1982
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page 8
By Bob Pennington IN FIVE YEARS time, the Mall could be running with blood as the TUC economic committee led by its chairperson, David Basnett, general secretary Workers, storms the Winter Palace.
economic matters was addressed by the TUC's answer to Lenin. Unlike the impatient far-left inside the Labour Party who have blown their
Basnett, the 'red mole' of Congress House, has hitherto played his cards close to his chest.
Now, even he has had
outflanked by Militant, and outdone by Peter Tatchell's urging of parliamentary activity, the old bolshevik has finally revealed his true colours.
Last Saturday he warned the conference that another five years of Conservative government could LUTIL the Lauc unions towards 'insurrection and civil disobedience'
We understand that the secret committee of TUC bolsheviks, which basnert leaas, are aistaro ed that Basnett has broken from the entry tactic and openly declared himself.
Some of them thought that Britain's four million unemployed had proved too much STor even an adept 'entrist' like David
stomach Others thought maybe it had been
But it was something SCOEs Ear that which had made him untur the scarlet banne of revolution and sound
The Kornilov revolt
By John Ross IT IS sometimes believed in revolutionary politics that united action, the united front, is some sort of right wing policy. The 'really revolutionary everybody and go it alone.
The falseness of such an idea is shown by the Russian Revolution of 1917. Probably the single
grease were the
the one where the so sheviks cainee une sug port of the majority of the working class. was one of the greatest examples. history of the application of the united front.
At the beginning of August 1917 a great right wing purge was being car ried out by the provisional
Russia.
This government was dominated by the retormust parues (Mensheviks and Social Revolutionaries) in alliance with the capitalists. Under its Prime Minister Kerensky, it had imprisoned Trotsky, forced Lenin into hiding, and was disarming the working class and smashing organisations.
Emboldened by these moves the most extreme
wing forces Russia, grouped round General Kornilov. decidec to overthrow even the provisional Government aimed to restore the situa tion prior to the overthrow
the Tsar in February 1917. The provisional government itself, torn between its fear of the working class and its fear of Kornilov, remained paralysed.
General Municipal
Last Saturday a Labour Party conference on
openly arguing for Marxist ideas,
the toscin rallying the bureaucracy to the barricades.
the new redundancy
01ference: *Another five
of ent •from on economic affairs could
an insurSCLEONSE trade union
committed to civil The
of the
luBled
Naturally his heart bied at the thought of all his old trade union chums who have so loyally kept as listle trouble to he sine the system causing as possible, being tossed onto the scrap heap. Thẻ stipends would go, the use of the state car would be lost, no more five or six course lunches, and who
The Bolshevik leadership made
government, began the class •WOLKILLE
ties which arresting imprisoning
leaders
This tactical LUTH.
visional Practical collaboration polemic inside the
A few
provisional government then and
more important groud however started id
support it was nervisional
SuDDOrt provisional government as it was bet-
Kornilov. This Lilal debate was to become very important in later history and was used by the Communist Parties under Stalin and his successors as
justification for their policies of support
progressive' capitalist forces.
Lenin however ex-
Trade Unions.
would supply the free
booze and Havanas whic are such a necessary
of union official's life?
ment con that ar the ern
for the union bureacracy, then that is really class war and can only be answered Like any serious revolutionary action. honary David Basnett knows the difference bet ween important issues like that and the odd irplained with extreme clariiy the basis of the united front and the attitude to the Kerensky government. He wrote: *The Kornilov revolt is a most unexpected... and downright un DelevaDy snare events
'Like every sharp turn, it calls for a revision and change in tactics. And as with every
be caulous nor to occome principled.
*It is my conviction that
JR)) slip into defen cısm or (like oiner bolsneviks) into a bloc with the Socia Revolutionaries ting the Provisional
attitude solute y wrontane cipled
Even now we must not
heres govern ment. This is unprincin ed We may be asked: aren't we going fight against Kor nilov? 0 course we must! Bu this is not the same thing:
which is beine sienneg over o some Bolsheviks who fall into
compromise
selves to bo carried away by the course of events
*We shall fieht WE CE fighting againstorator
st as Kerensky's troops a
but we do ot support Kere
contrary, we ex-
a suone arterence DUL IL I.
be forgotten
to arms
Basnett chats up Len on the need for the revolutionary road
relevance like an imperialist war the Falklands, or the siting of a few cruise missiles here.
But David Basnett will not lightly embark on the revolutionary road, so do not pack your bag yet on the assumption that Albert Sle and t - Frank Chap
and Terry Duffy going to instruct report with rifle in hand a Trafalgar Square next Sunday. He is prepared to call off the insurrection if Lenin explained: *What, then, constitutes our change of the
*We are changing the form of our struggle against Kerensky. Without the least relaxing our hostility toward him, taking back single word said against him, Withol renounce me asK of overthrowing him we sal that we must take into
unt present
shall overinro We shal approach the task of fiehtins him in a different way, name
point out to the against Kornilov) Kerensky
vacillation.
This has been done in the past as well. Now, however, it has become the important thing and this constitutes the change
In practical terms the Bolsheviks supported the struggle against Kornilov
verbal position. But the Bolsheviks called for struggle to be carried out in a tar more radica and thorough going way than the prepared to contemplate
senin wrote *The all important thing now
intent to
campaign demands -to De oresented t Kerensky arrest Milvuko capitalist leader), arm the Petrograd workers, summon
the government will relent its ways and - Такс the bureaucracy to its bosom again.
As he says: 'We want to play our role with a government working towards agreed consensus objective within pluralistic
transate into plain English that
we will not over. throw the state if the government lets us bac into the act.
Helsingtors troops (ong sup Kronstadt, Vyborg and
Petrourad dissolve the Dum (the reactionary Parliament),
peasants workers control over gran and factories. • ctc, etc. We
It these demands not only to Kerensky, and not so much to Kerensky, as to th WOTKCES SOlCICE: neasants une nave peen cur Tied away by he coo struggle against Kornilov.
keep thusiasm, the sureral and ofe deal with the general and ficers who have declared TO Kornilov, urge them to
nd the immediate transfe of land to the peasants,
necessary zyanko and Milyuko dissolve the Duma, COS down Rech bourgeoi papers stitute investigations against
Not by 'supportin Kerensky', but definately by fighting Kornilov, the
Bolsheviks plaved the kes crushing,, was
role in the rightest rebellion. inev and not the provi sional Government who Were the From then on Bolsheviks commanded majority sup port in the Russian work ing class. Three months later they overthrew not merely Kornilov but Kerensky as well. It was because their policy every stage corresponded to the objective interests the working class that the Bolsheviks gained this vic
and created the first LOV workers' state the world.
Lenin To the Central Com
RSDLP Volume 25 of his Collected Works
Page 9 scan of this page
Commemoration of the death of 13 guerillas killed in the war of liberation. Gladys Baez a guerilla who survived the defeat speaking to part of crov 'Nicaragua is at war'
On Friday 10 December, world news reported the deaths of 75 children in a helicopter crash as they were evacuated from an area near the border which was under tack from revolutionary forces hostile to the revolutionary government of Nicaragua. ANDY TOUR was in Nicaragua for the 19 July celebration of the third anniversary Sandinista-led against the dictator Somoza. He is presently touring Britain with a slide show and he spoke to Toni Gorton about what's happening Nicaragua today.
Nicaragua has just renewed the state of emergency that has existed since May last year, what's the situation now?
Nicaragua is at war. That's the simple reason why the state of emergency has ocen mamtamca. Inere was a big artcle in Newsweek in November which
and that's what it is. That's why these children died.
Since Day One of the revolution, since 20 July, 1979 when the Somoza dictatorship was overthrown have been over 400 military attacks on Nicaragua: acts of sabotage, terror, physical attacks on people, buildings and military installations.
These have been carried out by the
Somoza. There are 5-6,000 along the Honduran border. These along with Honduran army personne oreanised by the us ambassador to Honduras John Negroponte who is in CHICLE -LIC military chief.
They've been working with $19m destabilisation of the Sandinista destabilisation government. They've been working
weld together revolutionary army which in the past few months has been transformed into a large mintary um poisca lot a full scale invasion of Nicaragua.
month to coincide with Honduran military which wete to be carried out along the Nicaraguan-Honduran border.
The army manoeuvres postponed partly because Newsweek article which has caused a big furore in America.
The Us has learned something in the past few years. That is, if they're going to overturow revoranonary progressive governments it is difficult to do it in one tell swooD.
This has been a slow war: in fact, the US administration has called it a 'slow motion Bay of Pigs'. It's meant to nave the same ellect but not to arouse the wrath of the American
peo The border is now a military zone
and that's where the Sandinista army and the popular militia are.
What does this state of emergen-
mean for the
I suppose we think of a emergency other countries as sme ror ue ocopie. nere It's more or a political measure which
support Nicaraguan people.
When we were there this summer the first thing that hit you is the level
mobilisation
oliticisation of the people at larg
there are many are constantly meetings, demonstrations, and discussions talking about what's happening in the revolution, how to take l forward, how against the counter-revolution, how
economic front as well as the military front
Nicaragua, of course, is still a very poor country. There is poverty there didn't seem to be any food shortage, the markets and food stalls were full. Certainly there was no malnutriLion.
Most of the people except in some
he master and secy. fo
running water and electricity. material gains of the revolution have been relatively very big.
Honduran
at-
counter-
de la
of the revolution
of his visit
in there are
Sandinista
counter-
expected this
joint US-
were of the people of
state
immediate hard.
the
and
pickets armed with up organise public toilets. thing going on?
Oh yes.
time army, but
revolutionary
by milicianos.
ding the entrance.
The two women illustrate the changing position of women: the traditional role of mother and the more recent one of soldier
When I was in Cuba in the early days of the revolution, milicianos
machine guns went with you and in the FSLN.
Is there that sort of ween
Through the popular Sandinista militia, which is not the full
everyone takes part in weekend and evening military training in order to defend the revolution.
All places which are prone to counter-
attack roads, tiny footpaths — are guarded
At the hotel we stayed there were these two of tnice young mincianes guar-
A lot of people have guns. There's been no attempt to
disarm the people, who have still got weapons from the revolutionary war.
The main thing is teaderse pp, the
absolutely trust their leadership,
When government measures are taken this is after a dialogue bet-
the FSLN and the through the mass organisations. Together, they arrive at what are the
primary tasks facing
Nicaraguan revolution
At every stage when the government issues decrees such as the state of emergency, or all the 101 decrees such as the formation of peasant cooperatives. nationalisation of certai sectors of DrIVaLC manufacturing,
measures are only taken after this dialogue'
The thing that is realised is that the laws are meaningless unless they're
done with the agreement of the people and institutionalised by the people.
people when things have to be done. For in-
YCAL flooded and thousands were made homeless and within snort space or ume. three weeks, they were all rehoused - rumive nousing yes and walls instantly dinista vouth and defence tees. them
have a revolutionary government and by and large a revolutionary people but you still have a largely privately owned economy. and is still privately owned, some 70 percent of manufacturing is as well.
course when manufacturing its very small industry.
overwhelmingly and peasant country. This is obviously an unstable situation
What is happening economy? Is there any attempts
diversify, industry?
In 1979 at the end of the war years it would be fair to say there was no Nicaraguan economy. Literally there was S3m in the bank, all the factories
Photos: Carlos Anaueto Currita had been destroyed, all the transport
wrecked. Homes were wrecked, herds of cattle even had been taken over the border into Honduras by the land owners getting out as could. It was devastation
So they had to start from scratch Reconstruction started from zilch. In three years given the objective pro blems - the imperialist blockade, the
The EVer the et bonie strides for
ward have been very big.
Nicaragua is now situation where it's sufficient in basic been a resusitation in coffee and cotton which were main export crops
There have financed by material aid from Eastern Europe, from Spain, France and Canada. people saw new granaries, new chemical fertilising plants. It's all still directed at
the sufficiency When you go about Britain show ng your slides and talking abou Nicaragua what things are people interested in?
They're interested in the role of the Catholic Church, women's rights and the achievements of the revolution.
war years and now plays a dual and
Because this relationship exists the
Lake Managua revolutionary
an incredibly identify something like tionary, - but a roof built by the Sancommit- nave an They just went out and built
These are very critical times. You
-WICI
ty towards it 50 percent of the
militant of YOU LaIK
agricultural
hierarchy place. response. the @DOUL It.
basic
is a tense one.
roads and so on had been tion.
tionary
quickly as they
having
somewhere
me cconomic strides TOr-
revolution approaching a children virtually self. would stalls there has adulthood
been new
the Soviet Union but also
We What Nicaragua? export and selfcelebrate in the
For
6747.
UTICSSOC
because they were so close to the op pression they played a very strong role in the actual war. There are very many
Nicaragua ULICSIS with whom the people very strongly nare althougrary is very reac
although plays diplomatic role depending on how it sees the balance of forces. The people church hierarchy. As long as it percelebrating the mass then that's fine
interfering politics then there is unbridled hostili-
When we were there there was a very good example of this. There was
revolutionary area in Managua called Santa Rosa where the local priest had a good reputation from the fight against Somoza.
He was transferred by the church
to some out-of-the-way There was immediate Within hours of learning
church with meetings and demonstrations inside the church. And a wave of sympathy church occupations took place in other neighbourhoods. relationship between the Sandinista government and the church hierarchy
The government sup ports religious freedom but will not tolerate actions against the revolu
Women were part of the revolu-
war and comprise an active part of the mass organisations and are part of the Sandinista government.
Women leaders explained to us that the big emphasis right now is on the right to choose and this means
children who will live Das! Somethere to live ee an
live, from resolution been had to the
women had lots because they knew many die without reaching
While the right to contraception and abortion is in the Sandinista programme and there is a formal right to them the objective situation doesn't put these things up front.
about solidarity with
It's obvious that an elementary duty of working people is to help defend this revolution against the US military machine and against our own Tory government as well. But more than this we have a lot to learn from and
Nicaraguan revolu-
Jurther information the Solidarity 20-21 Compron Terrace, London NI. Tel 01-226
Socialist Challenge 17 December 1982
Page 10 scan of this page
The Socialist Party and the Popular Front
Marxism and
IN this, and the next issue, Bob Pennington will describe how the Spanish Socialist Party confronted the last of the workers revolutions that took place in the years between 1917 and 1944.
Historical guide
1872 Small group of supporters of Marx expelled
by anarchists from Spanish branch of Ist Internanional 1879 Partido
(Spanish Socialist Party founded.) 1881 With a membership of around 1,000 party
1888 Mora and Garcia Quejido form the Union
General de Trabajadores (UGT) the trade union of the Socialist Party. Membership around 3,000. 1917 Series of revolutionary strikes
across Spain. UGT, along with the anarchist 7720771 the Confederacion Trabajo (CNT) play organising the strikes. down the strikes and restores order. however than 200,000. 1921 Socialist Party decides by 8,880 against
6,025 not to affiliate to 3rd International. Mora and Garcia Quejido take nearly half of the party militants into Spanish Communist Party. other CNT leaders attracted to communism also join new Communist Party. 1923 Following military coup of General Miguel
Primo de laborate in government. secretary general of the UGT becomes state councilor Election of Republican-Socialist ment by big majority. Monarchy abdicates. Largo Caballero Manuel Anzana and becomes Minister of Labour. Government persecution of CNT militants.
UGT has big growth. 1933 Victory the
Republicans and Socialists out of office. Government attacks tions. Within one year over 100 issues of El Socialista seized. 1934 Second International estimates more than
12,000 workers have been imprisoned. The socialist militia meeting halls are closed. In October general
Alliances, which Socialists, Left Communists.
Strike lasts 15 miners led by the socialists, in alliance with
peasants, take over factories, set up revolulionary tribunals to try and fight Foreign troops for 15 days, by using dynamite from the mines. Five thousand Asturian workers give their lives, most slaughtered by troops after they have been forced to surrender, 80,000 imprisoned. 1935 Resistance of masses continues. On May
Day a complete stoppage of work takes place. Enormous demandine an amnesty for prisoners. Large anti-fascist rallies are held calling for dissolution of Cortes and for fresh elections. play prominent role in these campaigns. 1936 As February election approaches left-wing
Socialists oppose joint election ticket with Republicans. Indalecio Prieto, rival for leadership of the Socialist Party, and a confirmed moderate, along with the Communist Party Republicans a majority. As a result 152 Republican 116 for the workers' organisations.
Parliament announces voted for the Popular voted for the right and 449,320 for the Cenelected president. Caballero insists that new government is based on a bourgeois programme and that it is up to Republicans to carry out their own programme; Socialists could therefore do no more than give loyal support to the government by their votes. Socialist Party adopts Caballeros position against Prieto who wants Socialists to enter covernment.
war against the Republican government.
ocialist Challenge 17 December 1982
Social Democracy
Democratico Socialista Obrero,
flare up
Nacional del promanent role in Army brutally puts UGT grows to a membership of more
Andres Nin, Maurin and
Rivera, socialists invited to col-
Largo Caballero,
govern-
out bitter Curres Meanwhile
Tight In -EnP elections,
worker's
proscribed, workers
UGT and the Worker consist mainly of
Communist Party members and
Anarchists refuse to join. days. In Asturias the
Communists give land to the
workers enteres and Moorish campaign launched all political
Socialist party and UGT
Caballero's
agrees give the
deputies are returned against
that 4,838,449 Front. 3,996,931
Manuel Azana a liberal Republican On 18 July 1936 fascists begin civil
page 10
THE ELECTION of the Popular Front govern-
than it did to the politicians, like Anzana and Prieto. Within four days of Anzana becoming president, the workers and peasants started to break open jails. They had decided to declare their own amnesty for the prisoners of 1934
While the Cortes deliberated in the manner
bourgeois paraments. tion, the masses acted. . Not D COCCE parliamentary Act that would force the employers to reinstate all those workers dismissed, the October uprising in 1934 they simply arrived at their workplaces with the victimised workers and inSERICLeS EN G Bosses reinstate them there and LICH
Peasants impatient to get their own and bean to
and take for dica dILCI area, the hated clergy were expelled from the villages. By June 1936, in Valencia there was scarcely a church still open.
Meanwhile the govern ment gazed with horror at the emergence of the downtrodden workers and peasants acting as an in dependent torce tighting for their own aims and in ICICOLS. instead of accep ting what the capitalist politicians were prepared to grant them.
Strikes
In parliament, Anzana promised that he would stop the strikes and seizures of the land. In Censors he protone press censorship April, only eight days before the municipal elec tions were due to be held he decreed indefinite postponement. In Spain's political climate at that
штора сІсс tions would have resulted in sweeping victories for the workers' parties.
As Ventosa who was a spokesperson for the
Catalan landowners hailed Anzana as 'the only man capable of offering the country security and defence of all legal rights, a squad of fascists and civil guards shot up a workers' street in Madrid.
On 17 April, the CNT called general strike against the fascist attack. At first the UGT denounced the strike, as did the Communist Party. But there was massive response to the strike call from the workers, in-
UGT members. The strike which nad been a gica success, received a belated and ungracious ment from the UGT and the Communist Party just before it was ended.
As the waves of revolufeet of the capitalists and around the feet of inel servants in ine cor tes, they began to discuss now to crush une workers movement Some tavoured the use of the military, but Anzana suggested using the workers eaders to do the job of Lool: bluc His solution was to get the Socialist
meant different things to the masses
leader Prieto to form a
Prieto was only too but Caballero warned him that only the Socialist Party could give him permis-
and right then the
Party was well to the left of
Meanwhile the Madrid party the largest of Socialisi adopted a new program me, which stated that the bourgeoisie capable of carrying out tne tasks of the democratic revolution and could no settle the agrarian question. sisted this could only be The programme 111
La proletarian revolution.
This programme was accepted the Caballero. Caballero man who had served under the dic tatorship of de Rivera and SECO SOCCE Minister of Labour in the Republican government of 1931, had
'converted' to revolutionary theory when for the first time in his life he had read Lenin, Marx and Trotsky during his im-
Accepting that only proletarian revolution could solve the problems of the democratic revolution
Socialist Party should break from -ERE Front Government pf Anzana.
Either lt could encourage the revolutionary
and use it to break power Spanish capitalism, or it could try and divert it back into th parliamentary channels of class collaboration. The Prieto wing of the party unhesitatingly always choose the latter course.
Law
On 4 June the govern-
Augosto Barcia, the syn-
sisted in the
the governdown the But unlike 1931 when
the UGT time sup-
CNT com
the left party of
demanding that the
feed the unemployed Miners in
calling condiMons On SIRe
ment put up money to make up for the loss of crops.
Then on 8 July the students Barcelona's
-BaC strike and called for the expulsion of the priests and their replacement by lay teachers. Invariably these struggles were supported by the local Socialist Par-
official Socialist Party counselled
and against these attacks on the old order.
streets the workers and the fascists
Dates the workers dealt the hardest and deadliest blows. Spain
truly embarking on the path proletarian revolution and civil war. Goods
Anzana was not able to deliver the goods for Spanish capitalism The right wing socialists under Prieto, and his allies in the Spanish Communist Farty cold not nold back the workers' movement because or tne power ol the mass movement, and the SECELLE socialists
With the armed forces led by the officer corps and the Civil their disposal the capitalists decided they either had to organise an insurrection or be swept aside by the rising tide of revolution. Spanish SOCAL and particularly the Spanish Socialist Party was now going to face its biggest test.
this issue. 'conversion' had its limits. He argued
'the government has not yet entirely exhausted
and that *trade union unity and the merger or une yarxist par
precede the Caballero therefore justified hanging
coat tails of AnSocialist abused the government but whenever it came to the critical ques tion they voted for it.
As Prieto stood for the right Caballero despite his newly learned Marxist language stood for the centre, on the left of the party were people like Javier Bueno, who writing in Claridad, paper of the left Socialists was demanding an end, not just the conciliations of Prieto but also to those of Caballero. Bueno. a leader of the Asturian rebellion urged a break from dependency on Anzana and the Republicans.
Across Spain, the rank and file of the Socialist Party took against the old the fight
Greed the Prieto leadership indignantly denied that the peasants of Badajoz who were led by the Socialists, were going to "illegally' seize the land, 25,000 peasant families inspired by their local Socialist leadership took over the great estates.
In once powerful base of Prieto, a strike was ace eas the government on 13 June which called dismissal of the Ministers of Labour and Agriculture, the strike was sup-
ported by 90,000 miners Meanwhile Prieto dared not take up Anzana's vitation to go into the cabinet, because in such a
of proletarian revolt would have destroyed any influence he had over the rank and file of the Socialist Party.
ON THE agrarian
and its free distribution to the peasants
estates for rental to peasants..
to guide industry
forced and remunerative effort.
ties'.
It came out
dole. during repressions
intact to prepare its counter revolution. organise the counter revolution No attempt was made to capitalist state.
stressed that quire a consciousness of the impartiality
workers got the Republican parties workers' delegation.'
Socialists and the Republicans a majority.
The official . paper of the Spanish Socialist Party recoiled in horror from the workers upsurge.
Socialista denounced the independent activity of the masses saying: *The system is genuinely anarchistic and provokes the irritation of the rightists'
As the upsurge of workers rebellion grew in the five months between February and July 1936, every big city had at least one general strike - the Party faced choice.
The programme of
the Popular Front
question it stated quite specifically, that 'Republicans do not accept the principle of the nationalisation of the land
solicited by delegates of the Socialist Party
Instead it contented itself with promises to stimulate exports, credits, and security of tenure for tenants and the state purchase of
On the economy it promised a more efficient system of protective tarifs, institutions
. and wanted to put the treasury and the banks at the service of 'national reconstruction, without slurring over the fact that such subtle things as credit can not be
The Republicans did 'not accept measures like nationalisation of the banks as proposed by the workers' par-
against subsidies for unemployment, which meant it was against
On the army and the police it lamely promised an investigation and punishment police abuses and the dismissal of commanding officers found guilty of abuses against the people. In its five months in office, the Popular Front government always put off in-
1934 thousands of workers had been arbitrarily executed. This left the reactionary officer corps
On the Spanish colonies the Popular Front programme was silent. The colonies were left in the hands of the Foreign Legionaires. This made sure that the Morrocan people saw no reason to ally themselves with the Popular Front, and that the army had a secure base to
deal with the The government promised 'mixed labour boards, a Supreme Court' and
'the interested parties acof their decisions.' Just to make sure that the
message said: 'The do not accept the control solicited by the socialist
This was the programme for which the
Communists gave the
Page 11 scan of this page
= A Christmas Carol
By Alan Freeman THIS YEAR as you scatter scraps of silver paper on your Christmas thought for one less fortunate.
of Alexander Howden's Lloyd's, the world famous insurance group.
Mr Posgate is rich. He gets a quarter of a million every year more than anyone else in Britain except British Oxygen's Joe Giordano. Mr Posgate takes more in a week than you get in a year.
But wealth, everyone knows, is the reward of a virtuous life.
This is why Mr Posgate was so upset when Lloyd's suspended him in September after Howdens was found E14.6m short on being taken over by the American company Alexander and Alexander.
He was so upset he has sued Lloyd's for breach of natural justice and loss of livelihood. As Lloyd's counsel Peter Scott plained to the High Court: 'In view of figures that showed he was earning many hundreds 01 thousands of pounds, Mr Posgate was concerned about even a temporary interruption of his activities.
Given what these ac-
ingham.
(price 15p).
The Battle of Beirut:
Lebanon by Michael Jansen (price £4.50).
people like Begin and Sharon. The invasion was
the campaign.
of the military men.
hostage by the PLO are blown sky high. work.
Michael Jansen
We refer to Mr Raymond Posgate, director
no surprise.
His assocates aes accused 'diversion of funds, benefits fraudulently or improperly obtained and the purchase of shares in a bank from the Alexander Howden Group, financed with money that derived from the syndicates and underwriting agencies.' Dead Aren't we lucky that the British buccaneering spirit isn't dead? Mr Posgate, who began life as a mere Oxford graduate, set up "baby' syndicates for 're-insurance. (Remember that word: you hoe nearing more or it.)
You SCC insurance people double as brokers professionals who ad their mones wend undert vise others where to writers people who put up capital to create firms which receive this money.
ANOTHER REMINDER that you can solve your Xmas present problems by shopping at The Other Bookshops in London and Birm
Both shops run a good line in postcards, one we recommend reads 'The birth of a man who thinks he's God isn't such a rare event' A book we can also really somed
This book documents with painstaking care me scar consoracanesows me corlusion between the US State Department and
La show run by the military as Asher Wallfish who is quoted by Jansen revealed when he said although the cabinet sometimes met twice a day it 'never held a proper discussion on the objectives of
Wallfish complained that '...as civilians we were like clay in the hands
All the Israeli claims that the invasion was a 'limited' military operation and no harm was intended to civilians and that Beirut was held
Covering the period from the start of the war in June 1982 right up to the massacres at Sabra and Chatila it exposes Israel's real aims which is for the extension of Greater Israel.
Despite being produced so quickly this is not a piece of 'instant' journalism, but a well argued and thoroughly researched piece of
THE BATTLE OF
BEIRUT
So it has become normal to
divert lunds trom com-
panies where you work as
a director or broker,
one you own!
As Scott put it: 'enor-
mous sums money
belonging to Howdens
syndicates passed, first to
respectable companies
the Howden
group thence to non-
respectable companies.
These included in-
teresting and far-off enter-
prises such as the Rea
Estate Company of
Panama, Re-
insurance, and Southern
Insurance Re,
$29m but was
found this year to be worth
only $1.27m.
Where the money had
gone was to a considerable
extent unexplained,'
says. Like all patriots, Mr
'osgate's friends are also
good internationalists.
Money has been traced to
New Southern
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Do not
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• LONDON
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Review,
Lloyd's Insurance Scandal -
insurance, a Liechtenstein tru These trepreneurs, thought big Not content with a Swiss bank account, they bought a wiss bank - Baneue al Rhone et de la Tamise. recovered from this bank. UCCI Soft They also had a soft for culture: among assets recovered numerous art treasures.
You may recall the leading Nazis started doing things like that near the the Second World War.
But why is Mr Posgate suing? One might nave thought, given the current
order, that he would have as much chance as Militant will have with John Golding. Lloyd's doesn't appear at The that
THE OTKER
BOOKSHOP
trouble
funny
the trouble with / SORTING LIFE CUT. 1S YOUR
have the right to stop him. It uses what's called regulation Wales means that it is subject to
restraint. It relies for self-discipline 01 the high moral standards and probity usually associated
Particularly the Tory MPs included in it ranks.
Ar Posgate is aggrie
d at being told off for d ing what all his mates are up to their eyeballs in. No
the Financial Times calls it 'the most serious crisis that has ever faced a City institution'.
It isn't just one individual. Lloyd's are now studying, relationship between Brookgate investments and its former subsidiary Fidentia Marine Insurance of Bermuda.' This seems to have been sold for a
328 Upper St London N1 101-226 0571)
37 Digbeth, Birmingham (021-643 5904)
TO NOTHING * MOAN ABOUT!
song to 'an unnamed party* with £7.75m on its DOOKS. a land-holding company in Cyprus and a small subsidiary in Panama.'
Minet
Then we have the sad
Minet holdings whose subsidiary PCW being investigated by the
Department of Trade after
director and founder Mr Peter Cameron-Webb and its former chair Peter Dix-
partners in intrigue
The good will of the banking community is at stake Sir Peter Green, Lloyd's director, wants to set up a special committee oversee Lloyd's relations with the press, who are attacked for hysterical ac-
Money - an
somewhere,
department of Socialist Challenge
your paper is in real danger them active solidarity.
Cardiff Leicester York Portsmouth Islington Keading Camden Leamington
Liverpool Sheffield
Wilkinsons, Cardiff Total so far:
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losed 1 January 1983 - 3 Januar
Upen from 4 January 1983
cusations' against respec table people is holder in 20 per cent holding Leresume company Cayman islands - - the Imperial Insurance Company with which, several Lloyd's companies have -you've guessed it - • reinsurance contracts. Where does it all end?
Bunch This tale is far from over. Ine banking com munity will soon own all COlE Britain's wealth. They bring in massive share of Britain's 'invisible income'. They have the ascendancy in the And just wouldn't do, would it, if Britain was - run by a bunch of crooks? "Tiny Tim' (Rowlands) might say 'Merry Christmas, one and all!'
FUND DRIVE '82
urgent question
AS YOU can see by the figures below, aven if the goose is getting fat for somebody's Xmas
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Remember it is the paper that has sup ported every struggle of the workers' move ment here in Britain, and internationally, and has always done its upmost not only to explain and promote these struggles, but has encouraged its readers and supporters to give
You can make sure that we go on playing this vital role by doing the following: sending an immediate donation yourself; asking people who buy the paper to give a donation; buying a subscription for your friends - it makes a good and useful Xmas present; selling a subscription to people in your union branch, Labour Party and/or local campaign group
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Socialist Challenge 17 December 1982 page 11
Page 12 scan of this page
Miners
By Barry Wilkins
the coalfields.
South Wales NUM leaders are already winn1112 support coalfields to extend the action. president Des of Dutfield, the South VICE Wales miners, explained:
nOu and January, we will be working to turn this into a national strike. We have they are wing ids that
dIC willing to strike over this issue.
Arthur Scargill, NUM presiket, would said that this strike spread 1ke throughout the British
As Des aiso explained: "We'll be looking for supporuns action rom other trade unions both regionally and nationally.
It is clear that despite the failure of the
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Socialist
Challenge
prepare for
showdown
with Thatcher
LAST WEEK an area conference of South Wales miners called unanimously for all out strike from 17 January unless the National Coal Board meets their demand for substantially increased investment and recruitment in
November ballot for strike
such as WHELORIL South Wales.
Scotland, Kent and Yorkshire remain willing to fight.
BeSG areas are confident that the supthe areas can be won either by Persuasion or pickeung in a battle for jobs and the future of the industry.
In February 1981 it was the South Wales who started off the strike which spread several areas and made the Tories back away from their plan to close 23 pits. But today the danger is even greater and the Stakes arevery much higher.
In the next eight years, the NCB want to close 60 pits some of which are in
SPECIAL OFFER For readers who fake 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 For multi-reader institutions double the above rates Send to Socialist Challenge, P.O. Box 50,
South Wales. And 17 out of the 33 South Wales pits are classed short lite by the NCB.
The South Wales miners responded magnificently this
to unel Jobs and communities by making bold demands backed up by the threat of militant
United
As Emlyn Williams,
the Wales NUM explained "The South Wale: coalfields will die unless we do something -LU get
capital.
This year the coal board is planning to invest only £30 million in South Wales compared with £1,600m in Yorkshire. We are deman-
have decide behalf of our children and also unemployed
LAN FREEMAN
THE BENN
HERESY
Mardy lodge voted 100 per cent for strike whether we accept the closure of pits or stand up and fight for the investment, the new pits and the neW JODS the industry needs. I believe South Wales miners will fight for their future. It's fight or die.
This strike decision takes the miners struggle to a new and higher level
a fight for the development and future of the industry.
AS Paul O'Sullivan from Trelewis Drift told Socialist Challenge, problems have beceme so
go onto the offensive. This Siosuser this against pit closure. IS the IITSL BIne since Thatcher was elected that workers have gone onto me attack to de mand investment and jobs
their industry.
By going onto the attack the miners are posing a big challenge to one of the main project of Thatcher's government
SCOW in areas like South Wales, Kent and and simultaneously to weaker the considerable power of the miners.
For Thatcher to give in would be a much, much bigger climbdown than in February 1981. Therefore
By Brian Grogan
evening in Armagh.
James Grew and
Caroll, were shot dead after
jumping
found.
These police
becoming a regular
N.U.M.
MARDY LODGE this battle could be lengthy one. Of course it is possible that Thatcher will try to postpone showdown by making tactical retreat until after the election. this would much harder than in 1981 diRe would substantial loss of face, giving the green light to other workers to go into struggle.
So as Paul O'Sullivan said: 'We are prepared for a long hard struggle this time. But we'll fight to the Des Dutfield tinish and win. he strik call has had massive backing irom pithead meetings following the area conTerence Evelyn Williams Emlyn Williams reported that over 80 per cent of South Wales
Police execute Republicans
TWO IRISH nationalist figures were summarily executed by members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary last Sunday
The two Peter Roderick Martin allegedly road block. The police 'assumed' they were about to be fired on. No weapons or explosives were
assassinations are now November three alleged members of the A occurence. were gunned down in similar circumstances in Lurgan. Later that same month two youths with no connection with any Republican
not a traditionally militant the pit but there was a 100 per cent vote in support.
be
At Penrhiwceiber
member
Challenge that
suve meetings covering all shifts victory for the only miners voted against the strike
Dai added:
NCB doesn' deliver the goods and it is very likely to escalate to a strike. Yes, onto the offensive and we won't go back to work on the same terms as in 1981
At Mardy pit there was a 100 per cent vote for secretary Ivor The secretary England gave his view of the battle ahead is the
Thatcher government's deliberate policy to smash public ownership and weaken the
organisation were also assassinated
ammunition.
Summing up these incidents,
license to kill
after serving SEVEN
sentence earlier this year.
prisonment he was a regular letter writer to
Socialist Challenge. Both he and Carroll were
supporters of the Irish National Liberation Ar
a miners have supported the muscle of the miners and
relewis Drift is the strength of the working class. definitely a strike against
South Wales miners and their leaders are very serious about this battle. They have learned lessons mom me rate or ene steel industry where weak
meant over 100,000 jobs lost in the last 10 years.
Escalation to a national strike together with support to orner unions will be necessary, and the Dai Davies, area executive this with the supput of pil determination
Socialist Arthur Scargill Most important of all a miners by have defeating Thatcher's policy for the coal industry *This strike would change the balance is certain to go ahead if the of class forces to the ad-
vantage of workers against the Tories. It would create national the best conditions for the we are going return of a Labour government which would then be under pressure to satisfy the aroused expec tations of its supporters to implement workers and Lodge not the bosses.
It is therefore vital for socialists to go all out to build massive support for the miners' strike in the trade unions and Labour Party. The miners must win! near Lurgan. They had the misfortune to stumble on three World War I vintage rifles without
Seamus Mallon, security spokesperson for the Social Democratic and Labour Party charged that police were operating 'SAS type patrols with
Peter Grew was only released from prison
years ot a :14 year During his im
← Socialist Challenge No. 226, 17 December 1982Socialist Challenge No. 275, 7 January 1983 →