Socialist Challenge No. 77, 4 January 1979
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Page 1 scan of this page
Socialist Challenge No. 77 4 January 1979 15p
1979 DEATH
TO
SHAN
Page 2 scan of this page
Who killed Malcolm
OUR POLICIES 2
EDITORIAL
Socialist Challenge, CULOTSI 01-359 8180/9. 01-359 8371.
Iranian masses
climax.
began exactly a year ago on 9 January 1978.
Western
The same untortunately. majority of the left in Europe and North America.
exile'.
South Africa and Israel,
explain its
the West
Western Europe. In general, the political grip
politics. This delay may repercussions can revolutonary left throughout
aevelooment.
move towards social-democracy by
of Leninist political strategy.
and social-democratic reformism.
The explosions in Iran,
the severest stresses where it is weakest.
CHOEmOUS
automatically dispel all illusions in these institutions
Spain in 1976.
fear. Once that disappears then everything is possible.
enormous political reserves at its disposal.
the year for them and for us.
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Socialist Challenge 4 January 1979 Page 2
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1978: year of the
THE STRUGGLE in Iran dominated world politics in 1978. The and abolish the monarchy. This now appears to be approaching a
The first blows in the anti-Shah campaign were struck as long ago as October 1977, when tens of thousands of people started allending poetry reacings, Inese cultural galerings became a focus of political opposition. The first mass street demonstrations
Neither repression nor limited concessions were able to contain
press and media underplayed what was happening in Iran till the situation exploded with semi-uprisings and general strikes. It was only after a lapse of seve same us thatnally, cam ede said for the evening.
can be for the overwhelming
Today it is perfectly obvious even to the most obsequious apologists tnat time has run out for the Pahlavi tamily. The bulk of it has already established its residence in the luxurious Beverly
The overthrow of the Shah would destabilise one of the strongest pillars of the imperialist system in the Near East. Its oil supplies to
coupled with its strategic vis-a-vis the USSK, south Asia, and tne on states in ine Gull,
significance for imperialist military and political strategy. This has been further stressed by the despatch of American warships to the Gulf to prevent 'outside interference'.
However, while Iran has become the central focus of the world political struggle, it has been followed closely by Southern Africa and the Central American states. The events in these three continents have cast a long shadow over the successes of capital in
The defeat of the Portuguese revolution in 1975 and the failure of the Union of the Left to win the French elections last year have been clear signs of a decline in the level of political struggles in ¡sterions so soner then twas in the period 1925 Thee economic struggle has yet to find a real expression in national
only be temporary. but one already be seen in the stagnation of the Western Europe and America. Its failure to respond to Iran is only one index of this
The development of 'Eurocommunism' has signified a further
the Western European Communist parties. Ine turocommunist neorencians, nowever. have raised a number of important questions regarding the nature of bourgeois democracy. They have also challenged the very basis
It would be futile to deny that the pessimistic analysis of the Eurocommunists has found a receptive audience amongst certain layers normally responsive to the far left. What is required is a creative but concrete political perspective which shows the very real possibilities of a revolutionary alternative to Eurocommunism
Southern Africa America demonstrate once again that the imperialist chain suffers
It is true that a successful revolution in the West would be of sia importance foothe future operative. pothe last year has
ICCUUCTELIYC bourgeois-democratic institutions through which the ruling class mediates its rule in the West. To imagine that the mass struggle will disproved by France in May 1968, Portugal in Autumn 1975, and
It is the lack of these mediations in the three continents, together with their dependent economic status, that makes them a source of constant worry for the United States and its junior partners in Western Europe. Thus at times of mass upsurges, dictators like the Shah or Somoza have only one means of quelling disturbances: naked coercion. This is only effective while the masses retain their
To summarise: 1978 showed the inter-relationship of world politics and world economics in a very vivid fashion. It revealed the continuing vulnerability of the semi-colonial world. It showed that despite grave economic crises in the West, the bourgeoisie still had
The year should be dedicated to the Iranian men and women who have fought for 12 months without respite and without aid trom anvone. It is they and their dead who are our neroines and heroes of 1978. The fall of the Shah in 1979 would be a good start to
Cambodia on
consistently '50s.
Tribunal on Vietnam.
As investigators
Ma cOm travelled to Cambodia Nor Veal 1 1900-0/
We Sihanouk's Cambodia at a time position when that country appeared to
placid and Malcolm was at that time a strong supporter of Sihanouk and his regime, which at that time was trying to steer a neutral course
At the height Sino-Soviet split became an avid supporter of the Maoist line and remained committed recently. It capitalist Sino-Japanese rapprochement which compelled him to write me mrs cancal aracie on the of its policies of the MCDUDHIC North The regime which he felt closest to in recent years was the cambodian she santed s record, downplayed its crimes, supporica lis pontical projects
In fact, Malcolm became the
aDOlOLISE Cambodians in the Anglo-Saxon world. It dishonest to conceal these facts simply because circumstances of his death.
Malcolm Caldwell was one of the few observers permitted to enter the country. He was a and Central privileged guest. That is what makes his murder in a State Guest House in the Cambodian capital an extremely bizarre event.
UNANSWERED
There are a whole number of been unanswered questions which
remain.
The Cambodian ment and the Daily Telegraph bare been eage Vietiamese Diane government. But not a single piece of evidence has been cited to substantiate this fantastic claim.
It is an assertion designed to shift the
death. absence of any evidence we can do nothing but reject it as a convenient slander.
The questions which arise are the following:
Guest House guaras. Jiven une camboutall
revolutonary socialsis de
• To build
1
black people, gays
THE FIRST WORD
Murder in Cambodia
Caldwell?
MALCOLM CALDWELL, who was shot dead in
23 December, was a left-wing writer and lecturer. He was extremely active in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in the late
He was an active and committed supporter of the Vietnam Solidarity Campaign in the Sixties and played an important role in the Bertrand Russell War Crimes
for the and and
together its guests.
unaffected.
shoot an dead?
has bite support een of the depopulated Malcolm and a officials and armed to it until ver was the recent murder?
SPECULATE
People's been Cambodian government.
-JOE mentioned would be leader Pol Pot. of the tragic of getting very regimes he supporter
Strip to North Korea
told the Koreans uncertain terms.
But the
would indicate
works'.
So Governruling clique murdered Vietnamese considerations,
through this visit. responsibility for the
was treade CarTICU OUL provided with
Capitalism is in crisis. The leaders of the Labour Party and the trades unions
offer solutions that are in the interests, not of the workers, but of the capitalist
believes that the two vital tasks confronting
broad-based class strupel tendencies
class-collaborationism in the labour movement. These should be non-exclusive
in character grouping together militants holding a wide range of political views.
* To begin to fight for the creation of a unified and democratic revolutionar
socialist organisation which can, through an application of united front tactics,
begin to be seen as an alternative by thousands of workers engaged in struggles.
Such an organisation should be based on the understanding that:
The struggle for socialism seeks to unite the fight of the workers against the bosses with that of other oppressed layers of society — women - struggling for their liberation. This socialism car only be achieved by creating new organs of power and defeating with all
necessary means the power of the capitalist state.
well-known assertion that enemies of the
active. - then surely some minimal protection should have been provided for
Why were there no guards? Is ine situation so unstable unara few "terrorists' can walk into the State Guest House and
"honoured guest"
If it is, then clearly the regime
in Penh.
And why did it take an hour
half for government to arrive on the scene after the
None of these questions has
answered by the
So all one can do is speculate about a number of possibilities.
Inere is a possibly ina Malcolm was eliminated by the ree me ise auerse ascovered
unpalatable facts and LUCH interview with the Cambodian
Malcolm was quite capable
with - On hi he was disgusted by what he saw and
SO
evidence ol ine American journalists with him
pleased with his interview and with what he was shown. He is even reported to have made a
one would have to discount any notion of
having him Apart. trom COuC the UN Secre tary-General, Kurt Waldheim, is due to visit Cambodia soon was and the regime stands to gain some international credibility
So it was hardly in their interests to have such a scandal on ine eve or walanel s vIsit
Secondly it is always possible
government hostile to Pol Pot Harrowel
the murder assumed. destablise the hold of the ruling
3
opposition
This seems to be the most likely possibility. The vicious
haracter of internal struggl
n the Cambodian ruling par is well-known and there has already been one massive purge in the leadership.
Owes FREELANCE
The third possibility is that it
group •OTi freelance opponents of the regime who wanted to stakes Dow
But if they could carry out such an action in the heart of Phnom Penh with impunity, then all one can say is that the regime is extremely shaky and
base of support even his one had
Whether we will ever find out who killed Malcolm Caldwell is
Our socialism will be infinitels more democratic than what exists
"socialism' in the USSR and Eastern Europe hase discredited -netalism in the eyes of the millions of workers throughout the world, We are opposed to them and will offer full support to all those fighting for socialist democracy
The interests of workers and capitalists are irreconcilable on a world scale. Capitalism has not only created a world market, it has created world politics. Thus we fight for working class unity on an international scale. This units will in the long run be decisive in defeating hoth the imperialist regimes in the West and the brutal dietatorships they sustain in Latin America, Africa and Asia
In Britain it implies demanding the-immediate withdraw al el-British-troop from Ireland and letting the Irish people determine their own future
The Communist Parties in Europe are in "Euro-communist nor the pro-Moscow wings have ans meaningful strategy for the overthrow of the capitalis state. • socialist parties are more necessary than ever before. Conditions todas are more favourable than over the preceding three decades. But such parties car only be built by rejecting sectarianism and seeing internal democract not as luxury but as a vital necessity. This means the right to organise factions and
a moot point. The character of the Cambodian regime itself precludes any real inquiry
But the fact the Cambodian regime could not salequare une nue or even It staunchest supporter in the
should DrOVICe room for thought for those who
look at these
gover had scrip and
had deep and funda mental differences with Malcolm. He was in his last years extremely hostile to Trotsky ism. But the manner of his death fills us with disgust and despair.
We offer our condolences to
wife, Lynn, and their children.
TARIQ ALI
crisis. Neither the
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If our strike continues, the goverment will fall
throat.
to RICHARD CARVER.
He begins by organised.
Immediately the strike com-
SOnIC representatives. people organised and planned for the strike together.
But these representative were not the leaders of the strike. They came together to TOrM the staff workers association, because under the aDOUr staff employees don't have any unions or sylucales.
You as representatives were directis assemblies of workers?
Yes. We started our strike and after three days the labourers joined us. The result was that
producnon dropped about 800,000 barrels a day the average production is about 6.5 million a day.
About 250,000 to 350,000 of that domestic Iranian consumption, the exports. This meant that 40 ICSL ocean tankers were kept idle at Kharg Island because there was no oil to be exported.
THE SHAH must be living out of a suitcase these davs (though no doubt a very regal and well-packed
Wale. Tearing dran to thenholiday reportedly on the verge
STOr medical reasons'. RICHARD CARVER reports.
In fact, the Shah has just about had enough. And the emergence of Shapur Bakhtiar
candidate for prime THUSICI HEIS given possible exit.
deputy leader of
DEKDURE the liberal National Front, is an avowce monarensE me nan hasreportedly assured Bakhtiar
assigning royal power to a regency council.
But Ardeshir Zahedi, the ambassador Washington
-tO and therefore an important gauge of imperialist thinking, denies this version of events.
LUCKY
Whatever the truth of these reports two things are clear: a Bakhtiar government will be at best a nine day wonder and ine snan will be lucky to last even that long.
The main power of the opposition lies with working class, and particularly the strike wave headed by the oil workers.
For two months maximum oil production has been only half the normal output. Now it is between 5 and 10 per cent of normal - not even enough to meet domestic need
Oil workers are backed by
INTERNATIONAL
Iranian oil worker speaks
IT IS the oil workers, more than any other section of the population, who are holding the knife to the Shah's
But it is rare for Western readers to get a first-hand account of what is going on in the oil fields. Last month a leader of the clerical workers in the oil industry in Ahvaz was in London and gave this exclusive interview
explaining how the strike was
What were vour demands at this stage?
At the start our demands were These welfare demands: for example, for increased wages, schemes, housing and medical
But because our strike was a erecion orne movement o. the masses in Iran, the strike
There were three political demands: abolition of martial law, support for the teachers, who had been on strike for about two months, unconditional freedom for the pontical prisoners
What political forces involved in the strike. We have heard reports that the ludeh Party plays a role leadership.
No. No political party or group had any active role in SHEIK CA The movement of the people in Iran is not followed
There are socialists, there are Moslems, there are National Front but most people have taken part irrespective of what these people say.
Shah packs his suitcase
strikes in other including the public services and Iranair.
The regime has introduced domestic oil rationing and cut all exports. But many workers suspect government olding back on oil supplies to create greater domestic hardship.
CONSUMPTION the From Paris opposition leader Ayatollah Khomeini has called tor workers to continue produce enough oil for Iranian consumption. possible by the fact that most Iranian STrIKeS are work-to-rules or
Oil in 1977 accounted for 77
How does the strike relate to me rengious opposition. wnen we went on suke wi found that there were leaflets hanging on the walls. we decided not to let them put these up because some workers said that our strike was not political.
So the representatives together and talked matter: do we have the right to take them away
conclusion we reached was that we are fighting for democracy so these people can hang them benefit
on the wall.
But would you say that the majority of oil sympathetic to the religious heaters Yes. of course. Our religion 1s Islam and it is obvious that the majority would be sympathetic to them.
and
Did pontical discussions take place in the course of the strike?
were about those three political actanas came to the strike and they would in the happening and
communicate with each other and Iney would advise us wnal
our to do.
I was wondering, for example, if at the point when the troop: occupied the question came up workers taking over control of the oil industry for themselves? When they sent soldiers into sectors, per cent of government revenue
and 87 per cent of foreign exchange earnings.
EVIDENT oil For all the evident distortions that the of Iranian development, indusdeliberately TalisatIon
the technology from imperialism.
The military might and long stability monarchy was bought with oil money.
Iranian oil is also important LO LIC world financial economic system.
Is made world's fourth
producer and second largest rcally CADOrECL sit-down All the major imperialist
powers receive a substantial portion their
a over 105
or should we
wall h
workers are
corridors of the
DOmCumCS SoCaKer.
what would •Was let us assemble.
WC In Abadan
workers
main office there until night.
Curtew refineries the
of the went out arrested. demand),
(3 per cent).
would have been
Iranian oil industry gets 14 per need from Iran.
the Pahlavi
may increase
an oil producer,
Iran is the
larges oil
be out of domestic production.
Ahvaz and Abadan, we went to the central office in Ahvaz.
Everybody gathered in the badly
main office, bayonet outside. We gathered outside in -TOTCCO kianey. Iney
car park, but again the! a Tested forced us to go back and after nobody died. three or four days they didn't
It was some of the went to une renner and sat there in front of the
They let them sit
Was at 12.00. At strikes end? 11.45 they told them that they had to go out, because if they
they would be
They refused to go so the back to work.
obliges
Shah's
one capitalism.
threat consumption from Iran, including Japan (16 per cent of The
West Germany (11 terminology per cent) and the United States dated,
economic
British Petroleum has a 40 per cent stake in the foreign 'no win consorl wich contos Ene
By and Britain Vickers, cent of its domestic
But Britain's oil revenues Chieftain
because of the shortage. Although Britain is
supply. member of an oil consumers' it Is also a CRISIS cartel, the International Energy the
One of the main ways Britain could meet the shortfall created bv the lack of ranian of would respective
domestic oil But CUIC IEA The
they PLONTa
soldiers attacked them with bayonets and one of them was
injured because the had torn off his - were taken to hospital and some of them were
not a matter occupyins ine lactory or once - they just sat down and said WC dIC HUL LOmE LO TOYO
How did the first wave of oil
This was the first strike most workers had taken part in and
• about 25 days thev tired and said they wanted to go
Yes Britain to increase exports by the amount of the shorttall before it can keer more for domestic use.
As Britain's oil prices already exceed the new OPEC rates, the
discomfiture could mean greater profits for at least
section of British
SHORTAGES
This has been kept very quiet by the British press. WIENERG
of a tanker drivers strike, they are extra keen to blame oil shortages on workers Tamer than on cartels
Nevertheless, international capitalism has no interest in the fall of the Shah. No winners in
without the Shah' commented the city pages of the Daily Telegraph.
paper's geographica might be outDUT -ITS pungent analysis: businesses trading with ine sian are in c
situation', announced solemnly
British Aerospace and the Ministry of Defence must be wondering whether the yet Shah will ever pay for those
tanks and Rapier missiles that they continue to
consumers by the cut-off are South Africa and Israel, with 90 and 60 percent of their
domestic needs supplied from Iran.
apartheid regime is
The company also tricked people by threatening to sack people if they did not go back to work. Some people who had 20 or su years wii tic commodes knew that if they were sacked they would lose everything and
had to think of their families.
So they went back to work but some people stayed out saying they would stay out to the last. And they did
But we found that about 4 million barrels a day was being exported. So we said: this is not a real strike because all this oi is being exported so we had better go back and talk to these people and encourage them to go back on strike.
And that's what's happening now?
Yes. Another thing is that they brought in about 200 retired workers to come and operate
production -UnILS They failed so they brought in 200 sailors to do the work. So we decided to go back and organise another strike.
What do you think will happen HOW"
I think if our strike continues,
tor LWO MOHIS. government cannot continue and has to fall.
Do you think the strike will continue!
Yes, I think so.
Until all those demands are met? reluctant to use up its stockpiles
with the protracted political crisis in southern
CONS because of the relatively small part played by oll in its overall energy needs and is still on the verge of introducing restrictions on oil consumption.
Israel has always tried to diversify its sources of oil to avoid just such a crisis as this, but Iran assumes an obvious importance as the main oil
OUTSICE the Afro Arab bloc
Israeli leaders have deemed it politically sensible not to publicise the problems caused by the oil shortage, but they have had talks with the US government in Washington on whether to launch a contingency plan for the emergency supply of oil.
PROBLEM
The US faces a political problem here, since it is also prevailing upon Saudi Arabia to mercase is exports to cover the Iranian shortfall.
But political problems might
resolved by the old-fashioned method of the gunboat. • Pentagon has sent a naval task force from the
accompanied by unconvincing denials that this has anything to do with Iran.
The coming days may be ones of celebration at the Shah getting his CORIC LD DaLICC They will also have to be ones of watchfulness at what the world's rulers are up to next.
Socialist Challenge 4 January 1979 Page 3
Page 4 scan of this page
Support
workers By our Labour Staff
The pre-enristmas settlement between the BBC and ASSOCIaTIOn Broadcasting Staffs was the sort of Xmas gift Mr Callaghan could well have done without.
averaging around 13 especially significant in that it cent,
was the first wage increase in the public sector which was a long way past the five per cent barrier.
he outcome of the BBC strike can only have added to the determination of unions who organise manual public
calling a day of action on 22 SCIVICC workers. They are January in pursuit of a claim
35-hour week
and a hall million workers are affected, and the National Union Public Employees has stated that a failure of the employers recognise ine Justice or our demands' will produce a series
collection, water supply, sewerage and hospital services.
The Government's strategy
with unions involved — chiefly NUPE and the General and Municipal Workers' Union involve attempting to split off The l WILl industrial muscle by offering them a settlement above the rest.
Thus the offer to the water and sewerage workers which will be made public January is expected to be in excess of five per cent by means By David Wax Our Court Correspondent
The decision of Mr Hugh Scanlon, the former leader of the Engineering Union, accept a life peerage has come as no surprise to those who have followed his career of late.
In his years as President the Engineering Union, Scanlon soon discarded his
militant views and embraced
the prevalling pontical ortno
doxies of the TUC General
Photo: JOHN STURROCK (Report)
COUnCH
He went on to become one of
the staunchest supporters of Mi
Callaghan's economic
social policies. His defence of
wage restraint played
part in preventing
major trade union opposition
to the Labour Government.
The peerage designed as reward responsibattone accepta
Scanlon's acceptance
stands in contrast to Mr Jack
Jones's refusal to enter the
House of Lords. Mr
described the members of the
House of Lords as 'robbers and
parasites.
Mr Scanion refused to grant
our correspondent an interview
Socialist Challenge 4 January 1979 Page 4
Season of industrial
ill-will looms
In an interview on BBC Radio's "The World This
Weekend' last Sunday, the Prime Minister declared
that for the success of his Government's pay policy,
'we rely on people's acquiescence'
industrial action by lorry drivers and public sector employees give the new year prospects for such
'acquiescence' a decidedly gloomy tinge.
Lorry drivers enter the pay fray
of "re-grading"
The union leaderships are, in pay some ways, adding ConTUSIOn. demonstraton and lobby of Parliament are planned for the 'day of action' on 22 January, but unions have not specifically called for strike action of all those involved on was malady.
It seems obvious that only militant action by involved WITH TOrCO employers and the Government to concede the 40 per cent claim of these low-paid workers.
The suspicion is that already the union leaders are preparing for a compromise and the are expected to meet Government ministers next week.
By then the Government may for a E60 minimum wage and a be facing a more immediate
problem.
Haulage drivers in Scotland, and Mersevside have voted to start strike action this week in pursuit of claims which in some instances are as high as 50 per cent Lorry drivers in other parts of the country are meeting this week positions. A national stoppage drivers industry to a virtual halt within a couple of weeks as most of industry relies on deliveries for their supplies.
But to be successful a strike by haulage drivers would need BUIC accomoanica determined picketing Strikers would be faced with potential large scale scabbing and there would be a definite prospect of the Government moving in the Army to smash such a strike, as it has already
Mr Scanlon declines offer to explain
why he joined band of
'robbers and parasites'
Mr and
clearly for
and declined our offer of free space to explain his views.
Jones Mr Ronald long-standing militant in Engineering field, told "Our Times': "As far as we're concerned Scanion died some years back. If they
proposals. prepared to do
threatened action of the petrol tanker drivers.
To add to the Government's new year National Union workers WIll be negotiations with the National Coal Board later this month.
The NUM is claiming a 40 cene macrease all those workers and a £110 a week
the basic wage.
Despite these problems, it would be wrong to assume that ne rovernments day Doncy now in ruins. In his World interview Mini er Seiem its 90 Par of settlements reached are guidelines Although this may be an exaggeration, there is no doubt that ine type of mintant acaor neces by the Frederker is e necessary INSTCOCHE various claims now on the table are to be successiul
The Government is assisted the continuing silence iror the leaders LICH Although committed by the
could bring votes at the last
opposing the ›ay poncy, une icaders or ulc ÚC are doing nothing to assist daily ineir millions of members now preparing to go into action.
Demands from every level of the trade union and movement for the TUC leaders to actively assist and coordinate the various struggles now on agenda successful tactic overwhelming and final defeat of the pay policy.
DESOVITE
IS AVEWS
want to bury him in the House Lords then Thompson, DUSIneSS
the Union in Shel-
Scanion is considering the title of Lord Tolpuddle, but this has yet to be confirmed.
OUR TIMES
Threatened
over - the
probiems.
of MineFrom Kathy Lowe
determination by for face provincial journalists to
WETA increase, the
begine Natibnaak nion.
National •Weeken the Prime of managements
within the pay ine sirikers
strike
union's history — solid.
print unions'. -consess lo
Government's Certainly, pickets
with freezing
reminiscent
labour around the country.
could prove
the newsprint. bonuses, and even forfeited sack for refusing papers breakers.
leaders are anes
special leaflet for
spelling out the
need for
With the
will come journalists for help.
Meanware association,
table
their thing.
per cent guidelne, equally adamant renorted that MI
Local journalists hold out
for f20 claim
NUJ North London Branch
In the face of renewed
local and con- graduates tinue their strike for a f20 a
across-the-board of the employers are radicalism. of Journalists reports that scores
nave nOW industry offered to do local deals with
man. like the Birmingham 'Post and Mail', offering to meet the claim annual
Although they receive no strike pay, NUJ members are refusing to be bought off and
of 9,000 the journalists - the largest in the COnICICHEC
has stayed
A major problem, however, is what an NUJ spokesperson described as a very disappoint ing lack of solidarity from the union.
coping wealTe from heavy treatment from police,
the bakers' strike, have dealt a serious blow to the Christmas profits of their bosses by stopping 120 papers
Help has come from the beginning from the Transport
picket lines Union, whose members have been instructed not to deliver
Magnificent support has alsc the pickets come from NGA, SOGAT anc NATSOPA members in some parts of the country, who have
Christmas faced the TOUCI produced by strike
But at many other printing plants, strikers nave come up against an absolute absence of trade unionism', says the NUJ.
Printers with police escorts and with approval from their
crossing picket where, as at London's "Barnet Press', , they witnessed the arrest of eight pickets just before Christmas.
Deeply concerned about the situation, the NUJ is preparing
rank and file members of print unions
journalists case and pointing out that the
solidarity is not a introduction of new technology hanging over the entire printing industry, the NUJ believes that the printers
employers the Newspaper Society, has graciously offered
return to the negotiating
providing journalists call off their strike first.
Thestrikers aredoing no such
long since thrown out the Government's 5
they are about not appee local and praliase.
local and provincial journalists have become in- OTOS
earlier creasingly militant in the 1970s.
With fewer jobs available in Fleet Street, the incentive to 'get on' has been weakened, and une growing numoc! of
who have been recruited have brought in some
spirit of student
Take home pay as low as £45 a week for senior journalists -in a sector of the newspaper
which highly profitable — is reason enough for the present picket lines
Year after year at the NUJ's
conference, the union said leadership has been condemned for settling with the Newspaper Society employers well below
demands set by the
The determination of members to prevent these behindthe-scene deals nas brought about more democratic forms or orcansalon within the
The £20 claim was decided on broametin local sensane local newspaper that journalist chapels, and this same broad body will have to decide on any offer
Four weeks on strike have tion. made us even more anxious to win our demands.
But we need your help, on the
and financially.
There is a local paper near you, so why not pop along to see what assistance you can give to
And while you're there, cash donation would be highly appreciated. With no official strike pay, donations can make or break the strikers' unity.
OTTO DIX's 'Portrait of the journalist Sylvia von Harden', 1926,
showing in the excellent exhibition 'Neue Sachlichkeit and German
Realism of the Twenties'. The exhibition, at the Hayward Gallery
in London, ends on 14 January
Many of Sylvia's present-day counterparts on The Times' woul
be more likely to be found on a picket line than at the House of
Support
workers
Union solidarity outlawed by judges By Geoffrey Sheridan Legal Correspondent
The victory of the Daily Express' in winning from the Appeal Court legal protection against trade union solidarity
SILS editorial employees will have important repercussions for all workers.
The decision, which came on
December, confirmed an
High instructing the National Union of Journalists to lift the boycott of Press Association copy being operated at the 'Daily Express'.
Lord Justices Denning Lawton, and Brandon unanimously decided DOYCOLL in support of the provincial journalists strike was not justified by any of the Trade Union Acts.
Lord Denning, Master of the Rolls, who presided, said the boycott was too remote from the strike. It is not sufficient for a trade union leader to want to advance a dispute,' he said
Denis MacShane, the NUJ president, described the deci
the biggest lega interference in an industria dispute since the Taff Vale ruling in 1901.
*It means trade unions can't help each other, Mr MacShane
So far the TUC has offered to do no more than finance an appeal to the House of Lord: Yet only four weeks ago it tir ultion a leaders accusine
union accusing judges away workers rights.
Citing cases such as that of Gouriet v the Postal Workers which put paid to the boycott of South African mail, the TUC document nevertheless warns
unions snoBie emphasise the positive aspects of the legislation passed under the present Labour administra-
Those that remain, that is
Since the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act of the present Government has been a central plank of its pact with the unions, the union leaders clearly feel unhappy about th judges remova of the immunities it offered
Their recourse, however, is not to me own memoCr whose collective defiance of the Law Lords' decisions would render them unenforceable.
Page 5 scan of this page
Fighting divide and
Hugo Blanco for Socialist
Cheshire Homes don't care about workers
HOME NEWS
now been joined by
two thousand.
writes PETE CRESSWELL, workers' strike committee in Liverpool.
Social workers face
three-pronged attack from the
the Government
union, NALGO.
Over the past few weeks the employers have shown signs of weakening on the demand to replace national negotiations with local ones. But now they are being whipped into line by the national employers" organisallOl
A secret letter, sent to all CIDIUYCIS. said that negotiations must be resisted,
they would be used to maintain a constant upward movement throughout wage freeze,
back, writes BOB PENNINGTON.
During the General Election millions will be discussing and debating political questions, sc the left has to show that it has a coherent socialist alternative to the policies of the right-wing Labour leaders.
It has to hammer home that
alternative call only achieved by mass action.
Speakers at the Socialist Unity conference, to be held in London, will include Blanco. a acade pea chist sples spe on tod
chief SUUKCSOCISON FOCEP, a united left slate in the Peruvian Senate.
Another speaker will be Pat Arrowsmith. WHO independent Socialist candidate for Cardiff West and has been active in the campaigns
nuclear destruction.
She is a campaigner women's and gay rights for the withdrawal of British Troops from Ireland
The Socialist Workers Party
FIFTEEN women workers at the Leonard Cheshire Home for the physically disabled in Liverpool, have been sacked for demanding union recognition.
Liverpool Women's Action Group have been supporting and talking the women involved.
une women had al been recognised mem sers NUPE for over two years, but
NALGO social workers
SOCIAL WORKERS on strike for pay regrading have
colleagues in Rochdale and Manchester, bringing the total on strike to well over
But the social workers, some of whom have been on strike for over five months, face a difficult new year,
secretary of the social
country"
In other words they would lead to higher WAV Ene workers want them!
This letter also reveals thai the Government is the saying that the regrading will nave o come our o mey pay claim. It accepted, would mean that no deal could De bale oul uni next Even then it would have to local COmIC •UNC allocated for the overall claim for all members the As well as clinging to the
Unity conference
THE NEAR certainty of a General Election this spring makes the Socialist Unity National Conference to be held on 3 February an important event for the left.
Despite a growing discontent against the policies of
unemployment, the bloody ireland, and increasing attacks on democratic rights, the left has yet to build a coordinated national fight
has been invited to send a speaker to the conference.
Workshops will include one on the election and Ireland. An been Michael Farrell, a leader E copies Democracy, to participate in this session. be Another workshop wil be on how to campaign for a socialist alternative where no Socialist Unity candidate, Hugo or class struggle candidate is mass Standing.
Admittance to the conference at the Holborn Assembly Rooms will be employed and students, 50p for the wageless. Bookings should Ine made through:
Pennington, SU, PÔ Box 50, London N1 2XP. *There will be for Unity social on 3 February at St and Matthews Community ISTINEONA -The hall is opposite Lambeth Town Hall, minutes from Brixton Tube.
when they wanted the union to negotiate wages on their behalf they were sacked.
The Home pays between 8lp and 89p an hour with nothing extra for working nignis
DETERMINED The women workers now been picketing the home for eight weeks and they are still determined to stick it out.
rule in the union
suidelines, this would tend to remnants of the 5 divide other NALGO members Social workers have pointed our unar ums is merew me u sign of the wt il become ast sign of what attack on NALGO's 1979 pay claim next summer
dispute the wages nanonal strike in its nistory
social then there can be little hope of wing more tana per cent in the summer. now
dispute, ENCOURAGING
Although some of the letter this mace gloomy strikers, there was plenty to July. encourage them too.
The letter is clearly a last ditch attempt to hold the line against local negotiations, and
NALGO torcia o te problems or une
growing number of authorities subjected to militant war in sent to
of
independent
PAT ARROWSMITH
Bob
a Socialist
five Details of venue to follow. They face many problems the Home is isolated, tney are few in number, they don't have bast caschience in wace union activity and many of them have big family committments.
Moreover in their "caring" profession they heavy pressure not to cut off have the hospital's supplies.
The Daily Mail in particular has already abusive attack on the women -
cent
from wOrkers
home its advantage.
Unfortunately
become an
effective
can't win this strike pay.
first major
force the
rejected November!
reading for
Deen
them to support the workers at the meeting.
planned for 26 January.
SOCIALIST CHALLENGETRADE UNION DAY SCHOOL
on
Rebuilding the Left in the Unions
Saturday 17 February 1979 Open to all supporters of Socialist Challenge in the unions.
Cruci te baser
they are in dispute.
Their demands unde
the Home. launched an
The employers are feeling the pinch and this should be the ideal time for NALGO to ram
NALGO's leaders do not agree. rirsus they forced Liverpool social workers to abandon their mos
picket lines threatening to withdraw all
Now they are pushing ahead with a special local government group meeting on 26 January.
At this meeting they hope to
social workers accept a slightly dressed up
of the offer they the CHu
The striking social workers have responded by organising against this sell-out. A letter
sent out -LO NALGO branches calling on
A lobby and rally are also
THE
members
conticence
reports.
which
consultant STRI Yet the
patients at risk
WICK. secretary
mine the even alleging that they were
What the Mail and the rest of the press don't see is that it is precisely because the women do care about the patients that
include an investigation of the standards of hygiene and medical care in
They feel that any existing
nalgo
OFFICIAL
A PICKET
Normansfield
inquiry
FAILURE of CURE leadership of the health service union COHSE DECK line.
and officials who led the strike at Normansfield Hospital looks set to become a major issue within the union.
A regional executive committee has recorded a vote of no
the general handling of the affair. MYRA TREVELYAN
The committee of inquiry
reported. on the tyrannical behaviour of the
psychiatrist at Normansfield Hospital for the
handicapped was careful to criticise the strike wilca leo to the inquiry
The report made it abundantly clear that the wretched regime at the hospital would never have been challenged and exposed but for the unofficial strike by nursing and ancillary
report castigates those who led the action, arguing that they failed to scck onda aoorova ror ne strike and that the walk-out put
Incredibly. Albert Spans-
COHSE general announced that the WOL! holding disciplinary hearings to exa-
acuons or member and officials singled out for criticism by the report.
staff and money. The workers,
as well as the patients need
recognised rights and decent
CONTROL
The local authority pays 95 per enome hector maring
Home and yet has control over running it or how the money is spent.
The women would like to
Now Spanswick and the union executive are in the firing
The executive committee for COHSE's South-west region, representing the members who work Normais e dna passed a vote of no confidence in te way tnar me general secretary on behalf of the national executive has conduc ted this whole sad affair".
The regional executive has offered its full support to the
taken by SEWO officials criticised its regional secretary and chair person.
It further "strongly deprecates' Spanswick's move to put the whole issue under wraps, by forbidding the regional execu tive from discussing Normans
They' ve ignored the ruling. intormed me generar secretar ables of dem elementand wiribe about some elementary presenting their resolutions to a full regional council meeting later this month
If the union leadership foolish enough to pursue its threats of disciplinary action,
-rank and file action could well
conference.
increasing number of union members have *no confidence in their national leadership. look into the Home's books.
In the meantime the women are determined to maintain and extend TRem picket while negotiations take place between NUPE BEnG Leonard Cheshire Foundation.
In January their case tor unfair dismissal goes before an Industrial Tribunal. The home
being kept open by non-unionised
WOrKErS ane local volunteers.
Socialist Challenge 4 January 1979 Page 5
Page 6 scan of this page
Bombs and boasts
IRELAND
Secretary of State for
BELL.
had made in the previous 12 months.
normality'.
On the same day as Mason's interview, three British soldiers had been shot dead in Crossmaglan, and on previous night five hotels various parts of the North of Ireland had been bombed out
As Mason spoke. members of the Roval Wister Constabulary were being questioned in connection with a number of crimes, including the kidnapping of a priest.
on une previous weekend, England had suffered a number of minor explosions. for which the IRA later claimed responsibility.
this constitutes Mason's 'return to normality". the Labour Government must hope things don't get out of Hand.
SPECTACULAR
In December 1977 Mason had said much the same. tide has claimed, 'against the men of violence'.
Mason was speaking then at the end of a year in which 8,000 Ibs of explosives had gone off in the North of Ireland. The total
1978 was also the year in which demonstrators PIERCE thousands returned to streets of the North of Ireland.
One of the most spectacular successes was the 15,000 who marchee August from Coalisland Dungannon marking the tenth anniversary of the civil rights movement
It is not lust the resistance of Socialist Challenge 4 January 1979 Page 6
THE THURSDAY before Christmas Roy Mason,
Northern Ireland, interviewed on Ulster Television, reports GEOFF
In what Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein was later to describe as 'one long ego trip', Mason told a rather startled interviewer about the wonderful progress he
There was, insisted the Minister, 'a return to
the minority in the North of Ireland which has shown the hollowness of Roy Mason's the boasts. exposure of Britain's repressive policies, which the Amnesty KODORE publicity around H eight helped to bring to light, started process which questions were being asked in bullam doout te irish war Inan in any other year since 1972.
DIVISIONS The now tamous Mirror campaign newspaper's own description Roy to set a date for withdrawal and the inability of the Labour Government to get a majority of the Parliamentary Labour Party to vote for more Westminster SCaES North of Ireland were further indications political disenchantment. "The Despite serious divisions in pro- the Irish solidarity movement, 1978 also saw a mercase in une numbers willing to be involved in various Irish campaizus i brall
HEALTHY The most non-sectarian, and accordingly the healthiest of the the various organisations, the United Troops Out Movement, has now something in the region of 40 branches.
For the first time since the introduction of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, a trickle of Irish immigrants took part in marches and other activities.
1978 ends explosively
was
were
the block
the time and the targets. more
Daily
The growth of the solidarity British
should BOYCHICHR exaggerated. -It IS compared to what is necessary to have a significant influence in British society. -OT the Nevertheless,
unspectacular growing discernable. There seemed no
reason to assume unis process would not continue in 1979.
Until, 1021 is, significant visionals'
the English cities and towns just before Christmas.
What political these bombs have? Whether or not the Provisionals want explode what turned out to be rather harmless devices is up to them.
A war is going on in Ireland and as instigators of that war, British imperialism has no right to expect their main opponents to operate within a set of rules arawnup oy bram.
It is Britain was not in Ireland; if the Irish people were given the right
bombs would not explode in Bristol, London, Southampton or elsewhere.
It is not bombs which have causea une trisn proolem. It 1s the British presence in Ireland.
Sp pe Deadline: Spiny Saturday belore Deadline: 3pm Saturday before Pouncauon. raymont in dovance
PICKET GARNERS: Main Oxford
Oxford St. Donations ur s strike pay is on • Garners Strike Fund Rm 84, WC2. 01-2401056.
SOCIALIST translators needed fo aterial in Spanish and Portugue: om ine Lan American lent. Pea contact: LAF, PO Box 50, London N1
›ENIOR Administrator reouired: Lose, Conson in trate YVOK
THE IRA's statement on the English bombs declared:
"To the English people. We
responsible for the widespread bombing attacks in your country on Sunday and Monday morning [17 and 18
remain complacent because of the nature of these attacks. We deliberately choose
'Your intelligence will con-
problems which, however, we believe we can overcome.
"We now give due warning to you, the English people, that in
still tiny by
Lacucal question For instance, a steady it growth News says
Pro- une working bombs exploded in colonial power'.
DEBATE effect will Certainly Unfortunately,
whether to
cause the struggling for.
self-evident that if should be trying, for liberation.
LICH
solidarity country
WHAT'S LEFT
Oxford London N1.
E6. All donatio c/o TGWU
12-13 Henrietta St., London SOCIALIST male
1450/9169
Prisoners'
salary 204.t
Provos' statement
the future both the targets and the timing might be changed. *For 10 years our people have suffered under your Army and despite propaganda misrepresentations of successive Governments we have considerable restraint. *We now ask you: Who are we to hold accountable for British murder in And we warn you, almost certainly we will severity of our future attacks to the performance of soldiers and the administration in Ireland.
Seen in this political context, struggle the bombs and the statement
the Provisionals explaining the bombs become a policy.
in a comment on the bombs the Provisionals Belfast newspaper Republican
HOSCIUIS extension of the struggle will activity provoke debate on Ireland by
class of the this uncer
"debate' will occur, but what kind of debate?
for many prising that British workers the 'debate' will be more likely to centre on
shoot or hang Provisionals, rather than on the
Provisionals are
In this sense the bombs are a diversion from what socialists in this country are trying, or the justice of the Irish struggle
The history of the Irish anG
movement in this ionals shows that when bombs go off, less people are prepared to demonstrate support of the Irish liberation
HILE Day Conference on Sat 20 Ja
Oxford St, London. Speakers Joan Jara, H Schember, A Christie rednesday F.C
Sociall Sheffield 6.
EDINBURGH munist Group
woman archaeologist a one: 0305666130 ar
seeks room Possible Any part on Pron
Squatters,
•FIGHT
Sherida
brutality prisoners inevitably considering civilian casualties. exercised *Politicians increased
gle for Ireland? should be
gear the
British British humanity occupied of Ireland.'
and less political debate takes place in the labour movement on Britain's Irish
Indeed it is only comparatively recently that Sinn Fein in Drain nas oeen willing - are! the a gap of a couple of years
All İrish Republicans - and even vague sympathisers - in
country face deportation
Prevention Terrorism Act; bombs give the British authorities the excuse to use those powers.
as more bombs explode fewer DCO DIE al t willing to stick their necks out.
A solidarity movement which can be defined movement composed of those willing to be active on Ireland on the side of the Irish people - is built by persuasion, by argument ovazanen
It cannot be built by force or by threats. By planting bombs
threatening 'heavy civilian casualties' the Provis-
put ina solidarity movement at risk.
may the Provisionals have decided that of such a risk is worth taking; that,
We ar Sheffield or more details PO Box p74 Case, inburg and Picardy Place. Wed 10 Jan at 7.30pr
THE STRUGGLE for a revolutiona
SOCIALS CHALLENGE now nas: stock of attractive hessian bags with two designs: in black, fight racism: ir
paim our 108012.2 main
RACISM" Good
mall side -it in doubt order a large £1.50 from our offices or £1.75 inc p&p
'Furthermore, any acts of
against defenceless of war would force uS into inflicting heavy
who call for repression as counter-measure to our strug-
national liberation aware that they gamble with English lives. 'We want peace but there will be no end to violence until the English people exercise a bit of
and get their administration at all levels out
reality, the Size and significance of Irish solidarity is such that there is not really a great acal al slane
Certainly the unwillingess of majority of the British working class to take up the cause of Ireland, and the open pro-imperialist views Labour Party and the Communist Party, are enough to try anyone's patience.
ALTERNATIVE
But the question remains: Is the planting of bombs a viable alternative? Will it produce a clamour for troop withdrawal? Or will it, as it has done in the past, be effectively used by British imperialism and supporters in une working clas: movement to confuse the issue, to stille debate supporters of Irish liberation? Only time will tell. But it could be that if the Provisionals carry out the threats contained in their statement then Roy Mason will find it a lot easier to attract support in the British a bour movement for mis ponc repression than seemed possible just four weeks ago.
DESIGNER recured work Socialist Challenge/ Fl Litho
Must be politically committe
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Apply in writing to Fl Litho 328/9 Upper St, London N1
For ring 01-359 8288
Page 7 scan of this page
'As a woman doctor I'm often not taken very seriously' Most of us only see what happens in hospital from flat on our backs in bed - and usually we aren't entirely happy with what we see. Sue is a junior doctor working as a gynaecologist in a London hospital.Here she describes what hospital life is like from her point of view
Is a woman doctor 1
very seriously. Applying JODS
like: Are pregnant? Do vou intend to gel married? When will you have children? I'm sure male doctors aren't asked these personal questions.
The social segregation and hierarchy in hospitals unbelievable. At the bottom of the pile are the ancillaries the porters, cleaners kitchen staff. They are nearly
In all the hospitals I've been incy nave a scodraic caniech and a grotty bar in basement alongside the heating system, while the consultants have a well furnished dining
consultants are nearly all white men. Many of them have been to public school.
BARRIERS
When 1
WES thought it possibie to change the ideas of my colleagues because | had this narrow view that it was medical education that was responsible
I worked in NUS with health students, and within nospilal we inca to break down all the barriers between the
We had a campaign for a joint student union and a Joint bar
We thought we could remove these barriers it was one way of getting rid of elitism in medicine. We really worked
SURPLUS VALUE
completely onct meuica students I think we were quite a threat in the medical school. The dean was worried and told other students thai they have anything to do with us: that we probably took drugs and were communists.
DAZE is
was riency win one orne lecturers and she was not to be friendiv with me Anyway, that whole experience made me feel that it's not worth bothering about the medical profession. was the my head against a brick wall.
Now, I go round in a daze cowards my medica concatues I don't relate to them at all. If 1910 napoc iealth service it will be because of the health workers taking action as they have in some of the hospital werk-ins, such as al brook wood By joining a trade union as a doctor, and not a professional was body, you are allying yourself
with other workers and making point. ion belong Confederation Service Employees which has quite a lot of skilled staff. But even in the my union people tend
deferential - I am usually the only: doctor at my branch meeting
STAND Sometimes one tries to take a stand about something, as in the second job I had where worked with consultants who
down Di did a lot of private work.
The very first morning I told them I'm perfectly prepared to look aner you
bour donate pate look They
shouldn't YOUr orivale
said 'Do vou emergency? private patients hospital, you won't go and look ater nemNV *They're your private patients. You got them in here, you look warned after them.
asking, they'd always relied on knocking the junior doctors
nurses — to do the nitty gritty for them.
Anyway, I thought that right was on my side; that they didn't
in the have a leg to stand on. Even the
latest Government were to reduce private beds. Sc And then I found out this was really disillusioning. I studied i turned and aty went to my was in the wrong.
to the WOMAN
Health
On the whole, 1 get on better nursing and with the nurses than I do with
the medical staff. I work with to be them rather than feeling that I
am ordening tem around. Inis kind of relationship is probably easier because am a woman But many nurses and sisters resent women doctors actually prefer Emergency Ward 10 relationship. They are not jealous of the male doctors, I suppose.
I am a gynaecologist, so my
scaredier, What scared scared of me.
Dalichts
mean in an If one of my
goes into real worries
reply was:
looking quite young. really freaked out.
They had a meeting with the FEARS
Without ever
and the
promises
qualms - and
union and
and less about it
contradictions.
medicine cures people
the flirting do BLES more developing countries,
severe illnesses,
derangements of
poor pension.
OVERDOSE
up eight times a
after taking an tranquillisers. medical
medical solution at all
blood pressure.
and uney re not very can't come in
La dead baby.
POLITICS
The caricature of a doctor is a bis male, often rather forbbiding
WHOLE they're not socialism.
They ask me questions. And working sometimes people tell me their
and anxieties patching up. which I don't think they would do if 1 was intimidating. So in some ways it's almost davanaze one a woman and
practice
WITn
It means that they'll tell me what their fears are. Just silly little things, usually, that are terribly irrational; which one can get rid of quite easily the will come out with it and say
Especially now that child birth is completely monopolised by medicine, a lot of women who become pregnant don't know anything about it They ask me: How will I know when I'm in labour? What's a
with. contraction. ur course, fault for this doesn't lie with
the knowledge of childbirth awaw Iom women. oroar women have come to know less
For me, medicine is full of
One of the Disees is unal oclore you begin your training you think that
Wher you go in to it you find that most of the things you are confronted with are social or to
with the political system.
stark in where malnutrition causes a lot oi pushed for it. things. But even in my first job the kind of people who came in severe filess people, because the
because they couldn't cope with little
health while living alone in a cold house on a
At night when I was doing beating. the cobr timese used for
night, Catholic, somebody who had come in
overdose of That wasn't a thing. You often
it and that it didn't have a
At the moment women come in to ante-natal clinic with high
means they should come in to hospital to rest. If they're wealthy they can get somebody else to look have atter their kids. but it thev' ve got to look after their husband
well oft who are theyennhey come back four weeks later with tremendously high blood pressure and maybe
who
The awareness that every oisease we come across Is more common in the lower classes — it's that kind of thing that I find most difficult to cope with.
This whole area is ignored with yet it's where most of one's work is. Doctors have to choose between cynicism or politics. It's my reason for fighting for
Even when you're cauy nara you are that you are
I do abortions as well, and that has raised some problems. I am completely in favour of a woman's right to choose, but in
actually very difficult when one has to cope
delvering somerning which is alive, or could be alive.
've only had one case of really late abortion and it sticks out in my mind. I've a real reputation in the hospital as an abortionist because of it
It was a 14-year-old girl. I think she missed school one day to come uo to ne nosoilar because she thought she was pregnant. She was nearly 28 weeks pregnant and hadn't told
She lived with her Tainer, wnom sne dian t get on
Her mother was in
ABORTION
There were great arguments. The consultants didn't know quite what to do. Somebody else said that we should not give an abortion — - she should be sent back to Nigeria with the kid, in Nigeria they didn't mind that kind of thing.
I stuck my neck out, saying that she should have it, , I fel all was important orac social worker there at the time tended lo agree. so we reall
In the end the consultant got a psychiatrist to see the girl, and
psychiatrist came out agreeing with us. So we did it, but it was a bit macabre.
ACHCHUESC from that
whole operating consultane
watch. consultant explained it all and made it into something awful. And then it came out and the heart was my
The nurses, who were mainly
became hysterial saving We must baptise it' The whole scene was horrible and it made me feel bad
PROBLEMS
Although it did not stop me from feeling that she should have had it, I think the abortion campaign has got to realise the problems that the people on te receiving end are going to
how should we cope with it. what we should have done, whether the same people
going to resuscitate babies at 30 weeks should be the same people who let one go a 28 weeks? Maybe there should be different kinds of staff?
The attitude of the nurses is very varied. here are some
completely for abortion, but there are others who obviously don't like it, especially the Catholic nurses.
medical thing. It's the same
people after taking overdoses.
The nurses feel that they went into nursing to do other things. Some of this attitude is passed on to the patients. The Tact that when people come in they're not a person, just a childhon
EFFICIENCY
In the labour wards, too, there's always this orientation Towares GO!) things quickly. Recently I was
Experiencing Childbirth by the Community Health Council in Islington, about women's experiences of childbirth.
They all make these points about doctors not having time to talk to them; the feeling of machine of everything being iy another baby a hurry.
It's all quite true, but the soluton uncy ponrayca that it was just up to the doctors to be nicer. It's not that at all After reading it I decided that I must really ask people more questions. In my clinic that night asked the women wnetner tney nad any worries
It was very good but my clinic didn't finish 8.30pm. It's not just a question of doctors being nicer - it's a matter of having more staff.
DIVIDED
I suppose I just feel divided
There are lots of aspects of medicine, particuSane area ta volve. in with women, that in theory really like. I'd like to learn al the skills involved, how to operate and all that, and I'm fascinated by the way the human body works.
It's a job 1 really like to do and I think in whatever system
WITH medicine. But the situations I find myselt in make me resent
work; they make me over-tired and there are all these contradictions which make me feel that I'm failing I'm aware of all the problems and yet as an individual it's quite difficult to know how to counter them
TOU HOUSE VOS were 20m1 to cure people, and then you realise that you don't really do much, that the causes of the problem are something
else anyway.
This contribution by SUE is taken from a conversation with JUDE WUUDWAKD. IT TOu know someone perhaps yourself! _ who could make a good subject for our At Work series do let us know.
WOMEN DECIDE
CONTRACEPTION
STERILIZATION
ABORTION
Socialist Challenge 4 January 1979 Page 7
Page 8 scan of this page
ANEW YEARR REVOLUTIOI
Britain.
THE YEAR leading to the fall of the Heath government saw some of the
class struggles in erCaLesL WOTKINE Britain since the 1920s. But there is still revolutionary organisation in Britain which has won the confidence of even a significant minori o workine Deooe. mnuccd. since 1974 the Labour MIUPO DV CIne UmOn DurCaucTaCes succeeded in imposing cuts in living standards and attacks on democratie rights.
This has led many in all parts of the British left to re-examine or question their assumptions. But, to be fruitful, Inis re-examinanon must start trom the fact that the last 10 years of world Dolllcs nave Snown capacities of the working class and its
independent against the class enemy and its state.
The struggles in the countries, France in 1968, Italy in the autumn of 1969, Portugal in 1975, Spain in early 1976, join and surpass the struggles in Britain up to 1974 as examoles oi this, and follow on the continuing post-war colonial fight ALaIUSE HOCEISHISHE and Stalinist domination In Europe.
The Labour government's attacks have succeeded through a combination the manipulation traditional loyalties and wrecking trade bureaucracies of each attempt at a fight back by militant sectors. But the reformist left, whether Labour COmmaniS. WaS "pressure politics' from leading even token resistance due to its inability to break with The politics bureaucracy.
Ene revolutionarv left does not suffer from this disadvantage. But it too has not succeeded in winning the confidence of workers so as to realise the potential for action of all those willing to fight.
In the past period, movements such as the women's movemert challenged aspects of society that the traditional left has
to ignore. left has failed TCYO ULIOLZEY
assimilate the lessons movements fully into its political practice.
The left's tendency to sectarianism
ane Gsuni 18s been an Boran!
cause of its failure to build a base in the working class, or even to win the
confidence of the
revolutionary activists. It is only one
cause among others, and does
alter the reality of the
differences which do exist — not only
Socialist Challenge 4 January 1979 Page 8
AFTER a lengthy discussion, the International Marxist Group and the International Socialist Alliance have agreed to issue the following joint appeal to aid the process of revolutionary unity in
Neither organisation believes that this appeal constitutes a
2150 HOWIY
is an important factor. socialist
government,
sexual politics, racism and fascism
socialism.
Significant, if limited,
Over acamne
struggles united revolutionary which is urgently needed. imperialist We believe
against Eastern tions:
Taha HmEcu way.
outright ary organisations, UNION
prevented by its
struggle rank-and-file women's organisations;
polities.
differences that have capitalist UYCECUREC activity, given that we on
But the to these
also be political agreement.
majority of
not political the TevOluEOnaN
on certain points of programme, but
•ITOm aterencesun history and tradition. Nonetheless, it
But despite these failings a whole laver of activists exists on the shop floor, in the unions, in community struggles against the cuts and for new resources, in the movements around
and in those against W10 are broadly sympathetic to revolutionary
developments owares unied acuViLa number of areas of struggle lead us to hope that it may now be possible to make progress towards building a
organisation,
that the extent and significance of divergences which still exist can only be tested through joint work between revolutionaries, as well as continuing political discussion.
In this process, we may learn in practice how to overcome some of the problems of revolutionary organisa-
*the political problem of the roots of reformism and the left's failure to overcome this except in a temporary
*the development of a healthy and democratic internal life in revolution-
and nOH to maximise the involvement of those new to revolutionary organisations, as well as combining those with an active and effectively united practice;
*the relationship between revolutionary organisations and wider class
organisations such LTEUC union groups,
*and how revolutionary organisations relate to personal and sexual
The signatories to this document believe that these problems, and the
divide us, can be Tne DOSIS -OTOT accept the fundamental positions of revolution. ary Marxism, and share a common political orientation on key questions. Such activity must of course be rooted in local work. But we believe that the time has come when its impact must
maximised by a national
The statement that follows is an attempt to outline the policies which
form such agreement. It is in no way meant to be
UnITeC organisation. Con-
siderable political discussion cancauon wiw pe recunrcu oerore substantial moves in that direction are possible.
But we believe that work around these policies will in forward the class struggle, and will provide the basis for testing out the possibulty or rurtner aovancetoward such a united organisation. We appeal to all those in agreement with them to join us.
We will work Tank-ane-He Tiss oreaTOTs 0 workers on the shop floor, in struggle
in the community to defend and extend publie and services. We WIll fight to rank-and-file based oppositions in the unions opposed to class collaborationist policies.
The struggle against the employers for the defence of jobs, conditions and social services cannot be waged successfully without a fight within the unions against the bureaucracy, and maximum possible organisation at rank-and-fle level. All shop stewards committees, combine committees and other organisations of struggle of the working class in the trade unions must be under the democratic control of rank-and-file workers.
Oppositions in the unions must genuinely be open to all prepared to fight. regardless of affiliations, not excluding sections of the union leaderships who may be forced to support fighting policies, and must include a perspective of fighting for the leadership of the unions. Such groupings therefore be organisationally indepenacnr or any ponncal grouping and internally democratic. detence of workers interests regure. among the chief policies to be fought
(a) independence of unions from the state; no incomes policy under capitalism; increases that workers uving standards,
(b) workers' democracy; election of officials, rank and file control of negotiations; no bans and proscriptions;
(c) workers' unity; against ism; against sexism; for effective combine organisations.
(d) for policies to meet the crisis; for the right to work; for workers plans of production; expropriation of employment, aganst public expende- firms unable ture cuts, except military.
practice the viability of building a unified organisation.
and
itself take
build
build
political
THUST
The
and DOLL LOCaH
the trade
wage
preserve
autonomous gay movelcu.
calls into question
building
WnICH CaDaHH
UCW OrEausaLlUH
provide
socialist currents movements, must
programme for a united revolutionary organisation. However, i does offer the basis for developing joint work in order to test out in
We will be circulating this appeal to many non-aligned militant: in the labour movement as well as those already active in differen
particular 2 We will work to build the autonomous organisation of women can nationally. In oppressed. particular, we will attempt to build liberation organisation amongst working class women and to take issues raised by the .cemanes women's movement into workplaces, the local community and the labour movements. We will work to build an
The growth of the autonomous movements of women and gays is one labour; of the most hopeful and important of (b) recent political developments, which -Ene COLEHUCE oppression of women in the family (c) draws ior it ability to perpetuate itself. Supporting and building these movements workers. must be central to the activity of any Socialists, while seeking to build within these respect ALICI
organisational autonomy from ar
political organisatio Only such autonomous movemen
succeed in uniting We support a women - movemen O OCI currents prepared to fight for its seve
We will fight:
for the seven demands of th women's liberation movement and support of all those fighting for ther and for the socialisation of domes
for a practice in the labo movement which encourages the fu parucipanon sr womeh,
for union branches, shc stewards committees, etc. to take u issues of special concern to wom
Wecommit ourselves generally to political practice that does not exclu women, incuamg Ol TaSaLio meetings at times compatible wi Cne-CarCCOHCs, prope
Page 9 scan of this page
ESOLUTION ON VARY UNITY
organisations.
names of signatories in the next issue.
creches at conferences, etc. will fight for these practices in labour movement organisations.
3. We will work democratic and active organisations including the ANL to fight racism and fascism both at local levels. We will work to struggle against racism into workplaces, the local HuB daune laDour mOYCHECHE
The fight against the growing racist and fascist activity is central to any attempt to build alternative; the far right feeds off the consequences of Labour s policic and is the most ruthless opponent of Dlack ane ome enmo uc mncude gays; ana WolCl WOrKIRE Cass.
We will fight:
(a) to destroy the National Front and other fascist organisations; for
mobilisations to stop HEAOS
Signing this appeal means an active commitment to fighting for revolutionary unity in the coming months. We will publish the
A series of meetings is being organised in a number of towns in
We fascists; (b)
of state racism; (c) build against the fascists; (d)
take the (d) organisations of 8n0-18SCSIT com- TELLELY s (f) with an effective
socia is!
and the entire increasingly -rom mes Pte.
We will fight for:
activity: (b)
(c)
(d)
5. ment.
world.
In
CIICCLIYC national
(a)
Irish
TTOODS support against immigration laws, police harassment and other aspects (b)
(c) for labour movement defence
for black self-defence; for support for autonomous the 020k COm-
to build the Anti Nazi League democratic and broadiv-based structure together with other organisations commited to the campaign against racism and fascism.
that We will work to defend and extend democratic rights which are
coming UnUCE attack cratic
opposition to all state bans on labour movement activity; against
country.
Editorial Board
any reliance on the state to ban fascist
for the repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the conspiracy and 'sus' laws, and of the Official Secrets Act;
right self-determination of the Scottish and Welsh people; support for Welsh and Gaelic language rights;
opposition to capitalist development of nuclear power.
We will work build solidarity with workers and oppressed people in struggle in other countries. In particular we will work to build a movement against British imperialism in Ireland and to raise the issue of Ireland in the workplace, the local community, and the labour move-
The interests of the working class
and the British are ine iauond-
movement's failure recognise and act on this fact has exacted a catastrophic price from workers in Britain and throughout the
addition working fo withdrawal from NATO, for support for all anti-imperialist struggles, for the withdrawal of all British troops from overseas, and the building of an
workers" unity across frontiers, have particular need and duty concentrate on:
Ireland: for the withdrawal of British troops; for the release of all
political prisoners; solidarity with those fighting British imperialism; for the building of an effective
OUI movement in Britain; for right of self-determination for the Irish people:
solidarity with the struggle in Southern Africa;
support for the struggle for democratic rights in the states under Sa ns Comnauon
Socialists are the best defenders of democratie rights in the knowledge that the lack of them in any society bears down most heavily on the oppressed and exploited.
The experience of Stalinism Eastern Europe makes it essential for socialists to get across the fact that socialism is onlv conceivable as an immeasurably more democratic society than what we have today, and
every major revolutionary struggle (Russia 1917, Spain 1936 Portugal 1975) has createa demo
forms much more advanced han the ins uois or boureco democracy.
Joint work along the lines of this
OrOLEaC involves work of all our members in these
seeking to maximum all non-committed mili- alcas, tants and members organisations who agree in whole or of part with these DTOOUCHE ions are necessary.
The experience of joint togeLner-wIln COnCUTTCIL discussion, should enable us to test out the possibility of moving towards a united revolutionary organisation. The fundamental policies which in our view divided revolutionaries from reformists and centrists in today's coneltOls document Our which appeared in Socialist Challenge (6 October 1977).
A united revolutionary organisation must in our view accept the following basic principles: to (a) ionary organisation must see itself as part ol an international class struggle and must organise so as to draw from and contribute to the development of an internationally relevant political practice
(b) In all sectors seek to build the independent power of the exploited and oppressed, proving our right to lead in political practice rather than
SCEUE UD fronts opportunity to build involving all those who agree on demands and actions that can take the movement forward.
(c) Genuine internal democracy in the revolutionary organisation. Only OT TIRE DOSIS experiences of militants in different sectors be pooled and centralised and a political response developed. This implies organisational rights: tendencies and in this form.
NAME
ADDRESS
the next few months. These will be advertised in this paper and
speakers from both the ISA and the IMG will explain the basis of
the appeal and its implications for the future of the far-left in this
coordinating
involve to the
of other practice demands; and
whatever joint publicat-
organisation.
and work revolu lonar political
projects:
outlined In the Common Ground
Internationalism: any revolut- For
Organisation
Towares me
taking every unity unity by While
not
can the fragmented
TevO UOla minimum certain rights factions, represen- organisation.
SIGN HERE If you agree with this joint appeal and wish to aid the process of revolutionary unity, please sign and return We will be pubusning une signatories in forthcoming issues.
TRADE UNION OR OTHER ORGANISATION
POSITION HELD …............
Send to: Joint Appeal, PO Box 50, London N1.
tation of minorities on leading bodies, and among full-time workers , regular and open election of leaderships, etc. But it is not merely a question of the "right to oppose", but of a regular
that involves all RERCr membership in deciding the basic political line and perspectives of the
In order to develop this joint work
towards united organisation, the signatories will undertake not only local work and activity in particular sectors but also the following national
(a) supporting and building rank and file based opposition groups in the unions and industry, such as the Ford Workers Group:
(b) building the Socialist Unity electoral campaign;
(c) building a united revolutionary youth organisation.
United Revolutionary
To achieve all these aims, the organisatons and individuais who arr signatories to this appeal will work organisation. We will also approach crealon of a united such revolutionary organisations as the Socialist Workers Party and Big Flame for a programme of joint work as a first step towards revolutionary
We consider that the formation of a new organisation will be a significant step forward, we do
believe will be 'the' revolutionary party in this country. We will have to continue to work for the unification of all revolutionaries into a single revolutionary SOCaHs organisation in Britain. We call on all
and OrLallisauols independent revolutionaries in Britain to join with us to build a new
Chanes
Socialist Challenge 4 January 1979 Page 9
Page 10 scan of this page
THE STRIKE OF 78
HOME NEWS
What
happened
and when
24 August Claim is submitted to the 21 Septembe
22 Septemb
25 Septembe meet to, 26 September
vote to stop movement of Dockers a Tibi 21 Seotem ber
29 September discharge of ord carg
also join boycot 1 Octobe
Fi Call tota
make, West German Fol
Stewards pledge "ail possi rewards in London. 2 October
10 October
11 October
13 OCIODG
19 October London of Ford trade
presentatives from mann solidarity with British sentatives 20 October with Ford stands empt
After boycott action. 21 October
Between the Company and
23 October
Todd and Red Birch after ar of letters in which Birct describes the situation as a onasty mess
25 UClODel Union necollators decide k 27 October
penalty clauses on top of 8 pe
31 October Gon of 1 percent marg
5.15 per cent attendance allov
pay arranger
24 November Feeds to the day after coming
out on strike.
Socialist Challenge 4 January 1979 Page 10
A look back at Fords
one, whatever their politics,
offer would be so explosive.
-racionaly
cent ceiling?
Company
over what has pontical dispute. POLITICAL
Within
On 2 October,
pay policy.
With literally thousands
case of them all.
they stated
resolution calling
pay COOLLY. launched a
per cent.
SPIRAL
Il be less profitable a ers wives in South
few years ago.
caused by
class.
two key
as presenica Dy Group blasted the
REPLY
store living standards to contract levels.
people call this a siding
reply to the 5
and boosting pronts
Tion or une whole
THE ERUPTION of the Ford strike took British politics by storm. No
, forecast that the consequences of a 5 per cent
Coming in the wake of the TUC decision against incomes policy and for the 35-hour week, a strike by this
well organised and militant section of workers promised to be a powerful counterweight to the Labour government's wage-cutting schemes. All eyes turned to Ford's. Could they break through the 5 per
chairperson Terence Beckett expressed the situation as he saw it: "All key plants are on strike
been made into a industrial
La matter of days, the political impact of the strike had come even more sharply expressed
the Labour Party conference voted by 4,017,000 to 1,924,000 against the government's
hundreds of of workers WItH WagE claims pending, surely this was the green light for a generalised offensive against Callaghan and Healey... A united struggle by all workers over their own claims would strengthen the
The Labour Party NEC and all the trade union leaders understood this:
that they WORLE completely ignore that part of the
for *an active campaign against the 5 per cent'.
To back up their insistence on the
Labour leaders huge political offensive: the Ford Motor Company might have big profits but the economy cannot afford wage rises of more than 5
If such rises are imposed, they
gued, two things will happen. Fir
will shed workers to lenginen une dole queues Others will put up their prices, taking us back to the inflationary spiral of a
The Labour government. they said stakes its whole future on its ability to
the previous Tory
The only answer to Callaghan was and is a thoroughgoing socialist one putting forward a solution of the crisis in the interests of the working The Ford sement my splen
elements such alternauve wien mutants can now build on. In the first place the £20 rise
the Ford Workers special case
Twenty pounds was needed to re-
pre-social
answer to the productivity mongers: tie wages not to profit or output but to the rise in the cost of living. Some
scale.
The 35 hours demand also put for ward at Ford is an equally powerful
percenters. so ve unemployment not by tightening belts benevolent bosses will then shower us with iobs. Cut the working week and share the work, that's the socialist
Clearly other elements need to be added in. The problem of the motor industry cant be solvea in one plant
- however profitable. Nationalisa-
MOLOr THOUSLY including components, is the only sort of answer that Vauxhall or British Leyland workers will respond to.
Furthermore, the weight of this industry (together with steel) would pose the question of a workers plan
NO
which breaks with the capitalist profit logic for the whole economy. massive programme of useful public works is necaca to improve socia services and employ the jobless by, for instance, building more hospitals, schools, and houses.
Such policies need to be fought for by militant forms of action including strikes and occupations, not relying on negotiations.
This was not the approach of the trade union leaders, who instead went along with the Labour government's attempts to isolate the Ford strike. From the very first day, Ron Todd chairperson of the union side of the negotiating committee, argued that
RETREOW
Assembly Plant the claim was justified on the basis of the company's ability to pay.
The leadership inside Ford did not help. They completely embraced the special case argument of Todd and Co. They failed to pickets to factories like Vauxhall and Leyland calling for joint action by WITE the
demonstration called ten days after Theste attempt to launch a serious campaign in the labour movement to spread the struggle.
They turned down the offer of Ford's staff workers for "assistance" They turned down the offer of Essex
BALTH BACKETS
180 PER CI
They
into action.
organise flying
exception
fought through
thousands
Photo: BOB MURPHY (Socialist Challenge
Fire Brigade not to cross picket lines
made no appeal through mobilising lobbies, , etc. to turn ine TUC resolution against wage restraint
Even the letter they handed in at Downing Street in the first days of the strike simply concluded by appealing to Callaghan to change course.
But Callaghan and Co. cannot be
appeals. The final outcome of the strike proved this
Without doubt, it represented a victory. Seventeen percent is a long way irom te original orrer. Many
of workers have been inspired by it. But equally, it is a long way from the original claim.
Page 11 scan of this page
HOME NEWS
JONATHAN SILBERMAN
body plant in Dagenham.
Meeting the press on the first day of the strike, you were very confident about the relevance of the full claim and the Ford workers' commitment to it. view of that, how do you regard the SeCCH
The settlement was satisfactory one. Of course we didn't achieve every aspect of the claim.
But to move from the position of the original 5 per cent to ultimately the settlement of 17 per cent — made up by 9io per cent improvement ur wac basic rate, with a 5.6 per cent supplementary navment ana-wiln morovcmeus soliday pay to "time and a third meant that there was much satisfaction and the atmosphere within the factory S One O SUCCESS
On the question of the causes. the original attendance allowance contained 13 disqualifications
LOUN couple to negotiate the elimination best part of them, and ultimately we finished up with just five.
And of course now the workers position within the factory is to begin to look for ways of eliminating them in the ICAL GLICCIR Anther dissatisfaction
question of hours. We've had a 40-hour week since 1961. The virtually all the key plants.
leadership in Ford, writes JAMES DRAKE.
The combine was based on the clearest and most decisive demands for defending the standard of living of Ford workers E20 on the pay and one nour от пе Gay.
Having worked out its demands, the combine set its sights on the Coventry conterence decide on the claim. The Communist Party leadership advanced the vague demand for a "substantial increase"
A vigorous fight was waged among the mass or rora workers and tre stewards committees to mandate the convenors to vole Tor demands advanced by the combine.
The combine won. There was then a G.M mighty campaign of leaflets badges throughout Ford to convince every worker that the claim was not only right but could be won.
This was the origin apparently 'spontaneous' walk out in Ford plants up and down the country in the days immediately following the company's five per cant offer. WALK OUT
Rumour has it that it was confusion between a combine-led picket union-company talks shown on TV ane an acua wak oural Dagenham that led Halewood workers to down toos and start the walk out which really did precipitate the strike!
Throughout the strike the combine produced thousands bulletins, lobbied National Joint Negotanng Committee and won new supporters in the various plants.
In London, weekly meetings were nele or soaeeam supporters to decide the content of the MaSS CaBeLs
Union leader speaks
'An atmosphere
of success'
interviews Sid
raway, chairperson of the shop stewards at the Ford
reduction in the working week In 1961,
volume prior to the strike,
rigid in all question or nours. obviously budge one iota.
- in the new year
propaganda, broad activity.
Saarlouis.
penalty
of weeks .OI UIC in tne same poston,
scale.
was the in ine motor industy international scale. degrees of Ine urenl THE FORD WORKERS Group [the Combine] is the most important gain from the strike. The militancy of the 1971 strike was as great, but quickly dissipated after the return to work.
Now there exists an organised and militant left-wing minority in
The first vital step has been taken in transforming the union
This insistence functioning
socialist grouping attractive
which was to strang ehod to together.
GROUPS
had been set
EnC COnCICLe
al wagennam and year.
combine it is that, ot the
happen?
the Coventry conference
The combine
weekly all talks of the combine supporters.
SUBSTITUTE
and Langley stewards committees.
Har-
ana
mechanisation between 1961 and 1978 made it important that we get some
we were producing tn current model at 39 an hour. At peak
the strike? we were producing at 76 Cortinas an hour.
We found the company extremely
the negotiations on the •1 nCy wouldn't
Ultimately, on the trade union side of the Negotiating Committee, we unanimously agreed a resolution to retain the question of hours as a priority, and now
will be beginning a campaign of conferences,
DaNIs
I've just recently returned from a two-day visit to Germany, where I met Ford workers in both Cologne and
There is a general recognition of the need to effect international links of the nature that could assist us in putting pressures on the company to achieve a reduction in hours, because we're both NJNC
we produce the same models, and Ford production is extensively integrated on a European
So there is a need to develop campaign on a national scale which we would do in conjunction with workers
dispute the
Here to stay, here to fight
democratic and the combine's genuine independence from any one
made more non-aligned militants inside rora, and allowea une majony of the left opposition to the CP's
WOEK CHICCLIVCIY
By the end of the strike, new groups
up In Halewood; supporters won in most of the smaller
plants; and the basis laid for separate
groups in a majority of the five plants
All this from two small groups in
Dagenham and Langlev in lust over a
If there is a criticism to make of the
given its impact
before the strike, it should have been even bigger after it and with a larger
number of active supporters among
Ford shop stewards. Why didn't this other
Before the strike it was obvious that
a militant campaign had to be waged
both among the rank and file and
within the stewards committees and
the real
rank and file leadership, wether we
like its present composition or not.
Iran a successful A
Streue nowever aurug ue SuIKC
this approach was not so obvious and for
it was in lact questioned by some
The result was a tendency for the
combine to substitute itself for the
and through them the active involvement of the
steelworkers in Germany has led to us sending them messages of solidarity
we would be expecting reciprocaton if we were ourselves in a struggle around hours.
Can I ask you about the negotiating procedure and the state of the National Joint Negotiating Committee during
This was a radically different NJNC to the one that existed in 1971, with a significantly expanded "lay" Yet there were certain inconsistencies between this move towards greater lay representation and what went on.
There seem to have been points in the strike when the full NJNC had decided against further negotiation with the company, or negotiations only on the
full claim, and then individual full-time officials Todd or Reg Birch - acted to reopen negotiations..
You're right, the full NJNC completely changed. The day of the submission of the claim on 24 August was the first time we'd reconstituted the
with full-time officials, representatives plus the CORYCHUES The union side grew to 56-strong.
Some people would say it's a bit cumbersome WIlnaU involved, but actually it's improvement, because prior to that the convenors were completely outside the CEOLdLUIS
We've improved the industrial
mass of Ford workers.
Thus the combine took upon itself
the task of mobilising the support of
trade unionists.
supporters constituted flying pickets.
DEMOCRACY
Only once, in the third week of the
strike, did the combine's Ford Strike
News raise the demand for ether
regular mass meetings or a recall of
the Coventry conference.
consistent fight against
bureaucratic leaderships of strikes,
democratically elected
committees, for the right of workers
delegates to discuss and vote on any
company offer and instruct
negotiators, is not simply 'traditiona
Trotskyist dogma', as its detractors
maintain.
Coupled witn the imaginative
tactics and activities at which the
democracy by involving the convenors of each plant negotiating with the company. Il we could get that nationally INOuSTV. TaL COlVCIOS OE DaLS WCE engaged in negotiations employers, I think that would be a valuable development
Now the NINC chairperson, Ron Todd, the secretary, Reg Birch, and the vice-chairperson, Doug Cornwall, were available to meet the company at any time. And they met the company occasions.
This was three officers meeting three people from the company to discuss various questions. They had no powers of negotiation. They were purely in a position of attempting whether there was any flexibility in any aspect of the situation. to find After the two exchanges with th company they reported back to the full NJNC. It had been agreed by the NJNC section.
SID HARRAWAY that these three officers would be Ron available any time the company might wish to meet them.
Obviously 56 people can't do that major negotiating with the company, and so the chairperson and secretars had would make the presentations. During adjournments the trade union side would have its discussions and decide on formulations that would be put to the company. full-time In a recent pamphlet, Dan Connor and Bernie Passingnam pu people view that what we should be looking for in ine eno completely lay, full-time officials onlv in an advisor capacity.
Do you think an NJNC organised
combine excelled, this approach is the
only way the existing rank and file
leadership the
committees — can be challenged and
transformed and
Gemaas wOl
Otherwise we needlessly limit our
HIDaCL CHOns the
workers to those few thousand who
have a militant combine supporter for
a steward, and who puts up a tough
fight on the line.
MSTIS
overstated.
pudding is in the eating
Towards the end of the strike
Transport Union
Murphy lold the Dagenham shor
stewards committee (which technic-
ally has over 600 stewards on it) that
Ron Todd had reopened negotiations
with management over the attendance
allowance.
MANOEUVRES
This was at a time when the NJNC
union side
committed to the full claim. Murphy
was able to win the backing of the
stewards CORTHUCE
manoeuvre by arguing that as in 1971
there was a danger of the union chiefs
intervening over tne neads of tne
NJNC negotiators.
Combine Faced with a choice between the
NJNC negotiators
union executives. the stewards chost
the former.
But there was a third option: fight
off the union chiefs by recalling the
Coventry conference,
strike leadership, and taking the fight
through mass meetings.
However,
credible it would have had to have the
been fought for all along; in the Strike strike News; in the lobbying of the NJNC; in
auBe stewards Commuticcs
ISSUES their
Two
decided which will allow the combine
to continue to increase its influence
among Ford workers and build up its
support inside the stewards com-
as part of. the NJNC
strike? throughout
with the
agreed that the
being held
claim.
LWO scodl dld
StrUCtUTe.
stewards involvement establish reporting back distributed to
stewards.
OrWarU LIC
NJNC which presumably with
return to work. stewards penalty clauses
the workers"
57,000 Ford
in one plant.
point is deliberately But the proof of the
official Mick
and the unions.
still formally
this
and the trade SEXISM
itself that
electing a new
for this option to b SUICCHHES
WOrK
crucial issues have been
supporters wil
along these lines would have made any difference to the course of this year's
No, I don't think so. Because what's most important is the involvement of
membership in determining and securing the wage claim.
The claim originates on the factory floor. By this Easter, meetings will be
where people Cal forward their aspirations for the 1979
These will then go through all our
from BECCUES of the convenors to meetings of all the shop
So it's the continuous the membersmip to them the claim, reporting back the negotiations, which is the key to the overall situation.
, * I very much agree with your stress on membership involvement. But wan't this a problem during the strike itself?
During the strike the workers in the main attended the factory once a week to collect their tax rebate and strike pay Imost each week the shop stewards produced a weekly bulletin which was
the workers WACE reported what the situation was. So in that important sense the membership was involved through what we could call informal consultation with the
It wan't until the company made the improvement to 9.6 per cent plus the attendance allowance that we decided to formally consult the membership. The membership broadly - out of the 23 factories, five small ones voted to accept — rejected any strings or penalty clauses which brought us back to the negotiating table again. Then we had the final mass meeting when the NJNC recommended acceptance.
At the previous mass meeting, the NJNC had recommended rejection on the basis of the penalty clauses. Wher we felt we had got as far as we could in eliminating them through negotiations. we went back to the membership. And overwhelmingly the membership voted to accept our recommendation and to
mittees: the fight for the 35-hour
week, and the struggle against the
allacnea the
attendance allowance
Badges are being produced on these
themes, and it is hoped to produce a
regular four-page Fraud News early
this year. This will help break the
isolation that surrounds the struggles
CONFERENCE
national conference of all
combine supporters in mid-February
will finalise a platform for supporters
and what needs to be done to prepare
for the 1979 claim.
Two other things show why the
combine is here to stay. Its militant
opposition to racism should put it in a
good position to fight for POSTLEVC
discrimination for black and Asian
workers — ooi winn tuc conDal
At Dagenham the workforce is
close to two thirds black and Asian,
but this is not reflected in the
composition of the stewards and
convenors committees let alone
among the full-time officials.
Secondly, the combine remains
determinee to nanusex sm . This takes
predictable forms in the brutalising
atmosphere of male-only production
lines and night-shift working.
But it is also within the combine
the principle is being
maintained that wives and girltriend
(and husbands and boyfriends) of
Ford workers can attend, speak anc
vote at all combine supporters'
The potential of such measures was
shown by the swiftness with which
women comome supporters saunce
out the media-inspired wives "back to
at Southamptor
during the strike.
In 1979 the combine looks set to
grow apace. A number of estabished
contesting the
stewards elections in May, and then it
will be roll on the next pay battle.
Socialist Challenge 4 January 1979 Page 11
Page 12 scan of this page
WHAT can revolutionaries do outskirts of Lima, who are oc-
given by the women workers of BERGLUND of Interconti-
The danger of criminal'sectarianism
ment?
February.
Why did you occupy the factory?
We occupied the factory on 29 August 1978 after having been laid off since 7 November 1977.
At that time the management said we were only being given a month's leave. But when we came back we found the factory closed.
When we were laid off, we were already owed ten weeks wages. But we got no warning that une ractory was going to
BENEFITS
We asked the Minister of Labour if Lolas had the right to shut down a factory like that.
On 22 November we got a reply. The management did not have the right to do it, and the plant had to be reopened and tne workers wages paid
But nothing happened.
Wat Coas Wantee was to get rid of the older workers who 0210 BOS DaDE were employed on a permanent
fits until you have worked here for three vears.
An article in the latest issue of the Conference of Socialist Economists journal 'Capital and Class", entitled *Trade Unionism and the struggle for Liberation in South Africa', raises questions of the greatest importance to tne possibity or social revolution in South
JOHN HUNT discusses it.
The author David Hemson, a former official of the Textile Workers Industrial Union of South Africa who is now in exile in Britain. He is a leading activist in SACTU, the
trade federation, which aloned with underground African National COOLICSS
The AN has long been dominated by the South African Communist Party -one of the most pro-Moscow Crs. Ine SACP leadersnip or the ANC has advocated a blind reliance on a strategy of guerilla warfare as the answer to all political problems of the South African revolution.
Socialist Challenge 4 January 1979 Page 12
INTERNATIONAL
That is one of the questions
Hugo Blanco, the Peruvian
Trotskyist, will be answering
when he visits Britain in early
But part of the answer is
After its first appeal was turned down, Lolas appealed again and declared bankruptcy. Once again its claims were rejected, and on 29 August the ministry announced that if the factory did not open as soon as possible. the owners would be fined.
The very same day the doors to the weaving shops opened. Lolas was afraid that otherwise the police have broken in and destroyed the doors.
So that made it possible for you to get in:
Yes, there nothing prevent us. But when we went differehing things looked than bered.
Practically all the machines were gone. The office had also been emptied out and the walls were covered over. There was no electric power.
We called a general assembly to discuss what we should do. It was decided that we would not leave the factory.
Later we found out that our machines, or at least some of This the energies being concentrated on military preparations expense of developing strategy of mass action against the regime.
The SACP even denied that such mass action was possible before armed struggle Neither strikes by tens of thousands of workers in 1973, nor the strike! and demonstrations by millions of blacks in 1976, ACP away from this strateg his failure by the ANC elecuve leadersmip to assess the importance of these events
is among militants and sympathe thisers of the ANC.
CRITICAL
Hemson's article is the product of such hinking. He does not directly attack the policy of the ANC or SACP leadership. turns his considerable polemical skills against an article on
David Davis,
when they are elected to parlia- cupying their factory.
helped them.
ers talks
the Lolas textile factory on the nental Press/Inprecor'.
Peruvian women
workers occupy
them, had been removed to the cutting department. decided to keep a watch or them, too.
When was the attack on the factory?
It came on 19 September at filteen minutes past midnight. We were attacked with tear-gas grenades, SLOTICS would Lolas had hired 200 goons to do
the job.
But there were also tanks and police cars out in the street, and these covernment Torces manoe no attempt to stop the attack -even mouen We them directly for help.
The battle lasted four and a
quite half hours.
managed to drive us out of the cutting shop and dig in there. The considered the Textiles Populares, also ownca by Lolas. rity-two of us were injured nignung, some senously.
Is there any chance that the workers at Textiles Populares will support you, so that with their help you can occupy the ANC's appeared
journal African Communist, and which extends the logic of the SACP's politics into this field.
DaVIS argues
semi-legal 'unregistered' black unions in South Africa are at
was best militantly economistic,
SACTU representative of African working class' moved the He claims they played no
significant role in organising and raising 1973-74 strikes.
To back up this approach he has argued movement' either that the trade unions are not productive consciousness or revolutionary action and therefore obstruc
critical South African state is so strong
that all trade union activity useless and that Rather he advanced workers should leave
the country to training Hemson refutes the charges
which against the unregistered unions
The Workers, Peasants, Stu-
dents, and People's Front
(FOCEP), of which Blanco is a
leader, is the only party to have
Here one of the strike's lead-
So, we the machines?
recognised another one InCI signed contract.
For
and clubs. workers and
know that that their being laid off.
SOLIDARITY
Finally they
solidarity now?
cutting shop is now
property which is help us financially. in the that has helped us. The the SACP's by showing
working
For
'international workers).' the South history TOT struggle in South
demands in have at times
*within the insurrections.
Hemson says CLASSICAL
of socialist
together with armed therefore has been
seek military possible form
GUNILLA cutting department and get at
This is not likely. Lolas has refused to recognise the union cnosen by ine workers there. l
and sweetnear
example, the contract provided for laying off a lot of
included provisions for social benefits.
So the workers there do not dare support us, because they
would lead to
Where are you getting help and
From the people. We get food from the markets. Other unions
The FOCEP is the only party
day ZOOnS Stormed Ent factory, it helped us take our Focal to puccise orcase. always count on
that In fact state. *Independent trade unions have deepened the struggles of the black working class by raising he wales.
class issues and *Lenin SP ORS SOUPIED P10101135 struggle for union recognition, against shop steward victimisa tion, in defence of strikers, and the permanent organisation of workers
Through an analysis of the
working class Africa he demonstrates that mass suikes
paralysed state the repression and have shown the potential of developing into state.
should unions,
*These strikes are not the complete expression of resistance to apartheid (the problem of developing mass struggles
struggle faced by TOT InC underground since 1961) but no argues decisive challenge to the state is
without this prole"The disorganise production and the
IMG RALLY AGAINST IMPERIALISM
Speakers: Hugo Blanco, Peru: Mike Farrell, Ireland; Iranian revolutionary: and Tarig Challenge.
Friday 2 February, 7.30pm Camden Town Hall, London NW6. From 5.30 to 7.30pm there will be anti-imperialist exhibitions, Latin American folk music and dancing, and films.
Admission £1. Two tickets for £1.30, three tickets for €1.60. The reduced rates apply only to tickets bought before 31 January and the requests already received indicate you should book now Tickets from IMG, PO Box 50, London N2 XP Make cheques payable to 'The Week
THE African Study Group's
Publication No 2 is a specia
issue on women. The Group
hopes that these articles wil
contribute to highlighting the
struggies of nair our societ
against oppression and exploit-
Obtain copies at socialist
DOOKSHODS Or OracE rom DU
24, 182 Upper Street, Londor
Ni at 40p p&p
AMT UNCO TRAIN
Teachers' hunger strike in Lima
Hemson's position is both clear and classically Marxist.
argued that trade unions should be organised by industry, that they should be broad organisations, as open as possible in order to mobilise the
effectively.
"The aim of the unions is enci directly connected to their mass character their obiect would be unobtainable if they failed to unite all those who understand
necessity of struggling against the employers and the
It is for this reason that Lenin argued that Communists
support non-party and distinguish party from the trade union even
extreme
*Lenin describes trade unions as a "tremendous step forward
working class" and that the proletariat cannot develop without trade union organisation.
work of the trade unions is to educate and give
Ali, Socialist
AFRA STUDY GROUP all-round political development and a mink to workers ind and when workers organised Lenin argues it is fundamentally incorrect "even criminal" to be "critical" and disparaging. "The task revolutionaries is to convince
backward elements, work among them, and not to
thense ves artificial and childish 'Left' slogans." (Lenin)
COMBINE
When revolutionaries are forced through repression not
declare their intentions openly, work in open and legal (even "downright reactionary") organisations lutely necessary...
The task of revolutionaries is not to adopt one form of struggle and to reject the other, but to combine illegal forms of struggle with every form of legal struggle..
*Both the party and the trade
are integral development of a revolutionary working class movement.
Page 13 scan of this page
Chinese Marxist
interviewed
'Without
of those of the bureaucracy.
What are the main features of the present political ferment?
present ruling faction consists chieflv of two kinds of cadres of the Chinese Communist Party. One is the beneficiaries of the cultural revolution, with Hua Kuo-feng at its head. the omer is unc victims of it, represented by Teng Hsiao-ping. GRAVITY
At the beginning the specific gravity of the "beneficiaries" within the Comolaton much greater than that of the
Gradually, however, MOre HUTC victims' rehabilitated and with the ever-increasing pressure from below for more democracy legality, the relation of strength within ine ruling party Peking has changed in favour
Hence the epipolica
Hence new political
in China. larly in Peking.
Now we see that the Teng faction has become so strong that it has reversed the decision on the Tien An Men incident on 5 April 1976: from revolutionary it now becomes revolutionary.
It has begun to challenge the authority of Mao and re-evaluate the meaning or the cultural revolution.
Will that lead to the downfall of Hua Kuo-feng and his group and whole scare Maoisation?
I don't think so. Although I GOT!
kind of reshuffle will be made, I do believe that the Hua group can easily and willingly
Withune group.
As for the Teng group, in spite 0aV1g victimised at the hands of Mao and his crones. all
rehabilitated old cadres are
Neither politically nor ideo-
can they afford to
TopIcal
break with Mao- - much less So
their Russian counter
narts the Khrushchev s
Brezhnevs, did in relatión to
Stalin.
establishment of
since use the People's Republic of China
all policies adopted by the CCP
have OCCH aimed
INTERNATIONAL
internationalism,
Socialism
is doomed
THE TURMOIL of debate in China, including
fascinating contributions such as the 'China Youth'
article reprinted in a recent 'Socialist Challenge'
raises the problems of how far the bureaucracy is
prepared to go in overturning Mao's heritage — and
how far the intentions of the masses are independent
We put these questions to SHUAN SHAN, a
Chinese Marxist living in Hong Kong.
modernisation of China. And pontical and ideologica ditterences among une lcaders of the CCP can be reduced to now to acmeve une moochnisaAs the supreme leader of the CCr Mao nad tougnt our ang put into effect nearly
tion. foreign affairs, one-sided reliance USSR, then self-reliance and nnally making mrienos witn the Western world, especially with
In domestic affairs Mao tried was a long series of methods, from the rather liberal ones to the most tvrannical. Each phase with his policy was another because of failure.
and to exactly
Teng
DCCI
these CanO
PUTTING up a wall poster in China.
Now the Teng and his modernisation is nothing but either the direct continuation of Mao's (in foreign policy) or a return to one phase of Mao's old policies (in domestic affairs reminder of the hundred all remind
flowers davs).
Therefore there is no reason first for the 'orthodox on Iner represented by Hua Kuo-feng
not to comply with Teng's line. Ane Were Is aso no reason lor the "dissident' Maoists headed DY ICHE LO UCLaCE LCHISCIYCS from Mao That is to say, there will be no so-called though there will be a campaign by to disclose and confirm the
mistakes Mao made during the
adopted by last years of his life. group for Wil these
not.
circle
'hundred extremity to
versa.
Maoists reason here
country'.
CAPITULATION "de-Maoisation',
ever-increasing world capitalism In spite of
Maoists, especially between
common
Stance.
in China.
socialist cause.
down on tae new suppressed.
policies of particularly the
regime and gives
WILL Mao be consigned to the dustbins of history?
policies WHICH DOSLCES failed in their own time succeed Besides,
Over 26 or 27 years Mao's policy went in a sort of viciou
jumping from one •anoiner regime. ultra-left to ultra-right and vice
most measures was also his position of 'socialism in a single
As Stalinists and democratic Maoists on the fundamental question, Teng and Hua will definitely repeat Mao's failure.
it serves the
And the result of the present
will be either in the same vicious circle or capitulation before the
ourcauciacy pressure of This
all this, the struggle between the so-called
and the old bureaucrats of the CCP and the
people (youth in particular), is of great impor- tradition
It represents a new phase of the development of revolution country
It offers a new opening to the working people and all genuine revolutionaries
the CCP structure ol Will the Teng-Hua bloc clamy
'hundred flowers' movement as quickly as happened 20 years ago?
It depends on the scope of the country. movement and how indepen dent it is from the Teng faction which has benefited from it and therefore more or less supports сасу
Once this movement opposes the bureaucracy in general it is quite probable that it will be of China.
internatonal
What is your assessment of the
'China Youth' article?
Its primary aim is to provide the
the Leacerns : Teng group,
with a theoretical basis. important,
compact form popular dissatis-
faction with the bureaucratic
systematic
expression to the feelings and in the
ideas which up to now were
only vaguely expressed in Tien foredoomed.
using
пен reneers
ping, Qing This nation past.
An Men Square poems and wall serious and bold arismts trace out the origins of the bureaucratic and even autocratic opperssions China has suffered under the 'socialist
It also proposes a number of
AILS believe might help China advance onto a socialist anc
Broad. respect it is a very brilliant and important document.
it is mainly official, but partly unofficial. That is to sa!
interests of one group or une bureaucracy, out let the samed me it hammie or
DassCO limits criticism set down by the
'unofficial' element represents the
genuine and bureaucratic and even autocratic oppressions China has
out the objective reason for bureaucratisation and tyranny. the extremely long and unique
of autocial China and the economic and cultural backwardness of the
IDEOLOGY
But it fails to point out that
Stalinist ideology of the and the Stalinist-type the state also constitute an important reason for its bureaucratic distortion
And ine lalal Taun or tas article is the authors' position
SHILLIO They want to fight against all those evils simply by 'extensively developing demo-
and strengthening
legal system', and think that
this struggle alone IS quite enough to construct healthy socialism within the boundaries
To construct socialism is an
task. The idea
that it is impossible to construct
healthy socialism in a single
country is absolutely foreign to
the two young authors.
To develop democracy anc
strengthen the legal system is
which the
Chinese revolutionaries should
fight with all their strength.
But this strug le can bear
fruit only if it is properly placed
for world Otherwise it is
IN BRIEF
Farewell Teng
THE article on this page will be the last to appear in this paper
old Wade-Giles system of transliteration of Chinese names.
alphabet, now being used by Reuters and the
News Agency, old friends unrecognisable: Deng Хіао-
Guoteng,
Other names, however, wil not change: Mao Tse-tung and Peking for example. We will also be spared the confusion of the Chinese word for China: Zhongguo, meaning the Middle Kingdom.
week article WaS written and typeset before the changes were released - but take extra care when reading future coverage on Zhongguo.
Charter 77
THE Charter 77 opposition group in Czechoslovakia has recently pubisned a documen condemning official discrimi-
against travellers 'gipsies".
It blames the authorities for the 30 percent illiteracy rate among travellers and for the policy of forced sterilisation of traveller women in some areas The document compares the racism towards travellers with that shown towards Jews in the
Czech mates
STILL in Czechoslovakia and • still on the subiect of racism
recent visitors to the country
were four former SS members,
including Hauptsturmfuhrer
Werner Kalleis. One of the
places of interest they
was the site of the Terezin
concentration camp.
The whole affair was, of
course, an oversight on the part
of the Czechoslovak authorities
100 DUS HaraSSINE
oppositionists, no doubt.
Petrol prices
Our Coals to Newcastle
correspondent writes: British
Airways has been shipping
petrol from Heathrow to Iran,
apparently to fuel its own
planes. Last Thursday, for
example, it transported over
S00 gallons in passenger planes
Safety regulations demand
that the petrol must be put into
one litre containers - which
pushes the price up to f30 a
gallon!
IP/Inprecor
ntercontinenfal Pre 2 8: 1978 Year in Review
THE special review of the yea
in Intercontinental Press/In-
precor has become an eagerl
awaited feature — as well as the
index of the year's issues which
accompanies it.
This extra-large issue (Vol No 49) is still only 30p.
Subseriptions are f9 for one
vear, £5 for six months or £2.50
for an introductory offer of 10
issues
Write now to Intercontinen-
tal Press /Inprecor, PO Box 50,
London 2XP. Cheques
payable - Intercontinental
Press/Inprecor Socialist Challenge 4 January 1979 Page 13
Page 14 scan of this page
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE EVENTS
LETTERS
'Theory' and
experience
YOUR first article on "Marxist theory and the British labour movement' (23 November) conveniently invented its own tradition of an anti-intellectual, parochial reformism which counterpose to the amarist neory waien you presum ably have up your sleeve to educate us with.
By collecting quotations at random
British socialist arrogantly dismisses the complexity and richness of the movements which Willam Thompson, Kate Barmby, to name Robert Owen, Ernest Jones, Eleanor Marx, Isabella Ford, William Morris, Edward Carpenter, Hannah Mitchell, Noah Sylvia Pankhurst.
Against Ben Tillett there was also a strong strand of internationalism in the Independent Labour Party. For слатріс, Anic Davison, a clasgow socialist Jean McCrindle mcivicwcam baurul Daugnters remembered one of the precepts her ILP Socialist Sunday School as saying: "Do not think that those who love their own country must hate and despise other nations or wish for war whích are the remnants Da Bales
The writer of the article talks about lack of theory affecting 'even those altempting to be revolutionaries". Your use of even implies Marxist theoreticians avoid the errors of 'common sense' In reality, course, Marxist theory guarantee against all kinds of blind spots, wate Common won't take us all the way it is not to be
As for your even' in relation to the early Communist Party, I don't know enough to be sure anti-intellectual, but if it was, what? It was a tiny part of a much larger movement. It doesn't that all those Plebs readers. Ruskin College students, Glasgow political
• CORMAC
Publication on the
NORTH WEST
WARRINGTON socialist ing long Sals: 0526 alenge olice toi regulariy. Ring
GREATER MANCHESTER Socialist
Challenge. School students
support the paper and would like to get
Manchester SC Centre, 14 Piccadilly
Manches Socal done anger
Centre c/o 14 Piccadilly, Manchester with a view to orming a saltora se
NORTH EAST NEWCASTLE
49007
Socialist Challenge 4 January 1979 Page 14
mineony Clarions classes, minCIS.
British Socialist Party, Workers Esperanto. the Study
and dismissive of ideas.
the difference ana-incory anG
dismiss people's
you disembodied
creating a movement
life rather than
which Theory.
a lew.
E8
Tom Maguire,
Ablett,
in NALGO
and
of IT WAS
of 29 November
that
accepted; talks are continuing! of 2. no mobilisations
sense CISDULE Ene
and file group, if it was so Group.
mean rally and
workers, Liverpool on Letharpe Road. Mckenna& Brownin
Socialist Challenge from Green an bus who upstairs in the Spencer Hall shopping
SCOTLAND
For information about the paper or its
Nouri ternational puprcations
EDINBURGH Socialist
details.
Satura Ta 2m
(corner of Reform St) each
South Wales -theatre groups, members of the Herald League, the
left ILPers, the Society for of Sex Psychology, and Pete Socialist Sunday Schools were insular
Perhaps you might have explained
between being being against strikes, blinkered middle class theorists who
experience. An understandable antagonism to the latter has given rise to a crumpled form of class consciousness which it is wiser for socialists to respond to by
which uses Marxism as a means of seeing beyond the limits of our own experiences of
asserting *Correct writers Marxist education series in Socialist Challenge are not exempt from such SHEILA ROWBOTHAM [London
get
Rank and file
By
unfortunate that your otherwise full report (7 December) of the day of action by social workers on
was marred by some
1. Contrary to first impressions, the "ludicrous 5-level pay scheme' was not thrown out on 29 November by the NALGO negotiators, but was
Your Liverpool reporter, Pete Cresswell, rightly describes the recent
around this national mOST concerted demonstration of rank and file power in NALGO's history', but fails to give. any credit for this to the union's rank
the Nalgo
The call for a day's strike and action on 29 November came out of a
conference social organised by NAG 18 November and AND THEN I WAN YORKSHIRE
Chal-
land ol Walmgate
MIDLANDS
Challenge
Birmingham (021) 643 9209
attended by 250 rank and file members. Pete knows this very well since he was there (and voted against the call!) et. The standing confereNAGis
counterposes official leadership, is not a rank and file organisation. but a committee of delegates from strike Whilst it is useful for liaising between
sharing information attempting to give a lead, it is not accountable to, and has not produced a single leaflet for, the rank and file
NAG, on the other hand, is an organisation of and for the rank and file, which has produced 15 national leaflets in the course of this dispute, as well as many local bulletins. througt which the necessary contacts have been made with other departments
Surely the whole point about rank and file activity is that links and support for disputes in one section or department can be built in others. Whilst agreeing with Pete about wanting the strike spread to other districts, it is now absolutely vital to
support from other unionists, both within and outside the councils, so that the strikes which are so costlv and already several months old have the necessary effect on those
isolating social departments and stopping deliveries of fuel, paper and other essential supplies to all council departments, by stepping up picketing with help from neighbouring authorities not on strike, the rank and file will wage a much more economic, concentrated and politically effective strike, one which will have a much greater chance ol being won KATY GOLD (Camden NAG)
Role of state
racism
COLIN Talbot's article (16 November) is another welcome contribution to his series of articles on black liberation and socialism, emphasising the need for a specific political strategy to defeat racism.
MILE SECTAKIANS WHIC EIR FLUX BY NIGH
DORADST WINTER SOLSTICE EWSBURY Socialist Challenge sale aturday. 2-3.30pm,
detalis.
ORTSMOUTH 01230-145) seller York
Street,
It is, of course, true that socialists can no way ren uson une sale to defeat racism. It does not, however, follow from this that the state cannot which be, or should not be, pressured into
take anu-racist mcasures What differentiates British racism from racism in, say, South Africa or Rhodesia is precisely the minimal role of the state. and racism in Britain we are talking
essentially about immigration laws, and secondly, the racism of the state apparatus -importantly the courts and police There can be no doubt that the presence of racist immigration law legitimises and massively reinforces racist lacology unrougnour tne wnole of British society. The role of the state
struggle to abolish racist immigration law a key element in the anti-racist movement.
Similarly, no-one can underestimate the importance intimidation of the black communities Dy ine police trade However, I would suggest that this
continuing intimidation does not so much follow from direct action by the runng cement within tae state, bu from the all-pervasive Tacis ideology services institutions, including the police and
the courts.
Racial domination in Britain is, in the main, enforced agency of non-state institutions - the employers, landioras, etc.
As black resistance grows the balance must sure towares more direct forms of repression, rorole consequences ror me nature of the British However, it would be a mistake to argue that at the present reformist demands are impracticable or that state racism constitutes the principal form of racial domination in Britain.
TERRY DAWSON (Bradford)
THE LENGTH of letters printed will usually be kept down to quu woros in order to encourage as wide a range
letters may be cut at the Editor's discretion. Unsigned letters will not normally be published, although w will withhold real publication on request MET THE STAB BACK PROFIT SOUTH WEST
Tor details
Saturday. 2-33m outside Me t Ring Bath 20298 for furthe sommercial Road Precind
so Chain the slee
When we talk about state
first, racist
most
right.
won.
of the
and courts.
presence of within British
through the
trade unions,
with Lacne, one Loremel
state as a whole. organisation.
time
it as
OSCUSS
possiDie. tenancies, etc.
fron national
the
working
Little
SOUTHEAST Ner Satu Say in Dacey lace sap
bookstall Thursdays University of East Anglia
COLCHESTER Socialist copporters meet regulai. For deale
phone Steve on Wivenhoe 2949
LONDON
TOWER HAMLETS Socialist Chal-
sell every weekenc tube: Sun meet 10.30am, Whitechap (corner of Buxton St).
WAL HAM roMeo paper sales ever
turday, 11am-noon outside the po
Plaid Cymru
and the left
STEVE BELL's article on Plaid Cymru (23 november) seems lo Di saying to left Plaid that it is useless to work with Plaid Cymru and thus thei should leave immediately to devote their activity to building a united revolutionary organisation. Certainly particular left Plaid supporters do realise their incompatibility with the
What they're not sure of is whether Plaid can be reformed and
In no way should we pit the strategy of a united revolutionary organisalion against the many and variec tactics of building it. The majority of left Plaid probably don't yet see this strategy as an alternative. But the revolutionaries and Marxists among them are confronting the problem.
Revolutionaries outside Plaid particularly as many of them are
English, should realise that just as an emergent class struggle opposition in
Labour Party eventually part united revolutionary organisation, so the same holds true in Plaid Cymru. Let's
discourage comrades from fighting for such an opposition inside Plaid as long as, at the same time, they come to see it not as the be-all and end-all but as just one particular
stream, that will come WILD others in a united outlook depends a great deal on he achievement of such revolutionary left outside Plaid. The usual array of small groups can hardly encourage many of them even to view
realistic strategy. The revolutionary groups in Wales have reinforced this by their failure to
and ormulate posinons the Welsh language, bilingualism, the Welsh Development Agency, farm
Often failure has been turned into outright rejection of Wales's specific
problems at the very firs nure winess me aostendonism ( the Socialist Workers Party and the International Communist League or
referendum, hidden behind phrases like international unity of the
class -and building the revolutionary party (and not even an international one at that!).
wonder that left Plaid supporters are unclear on the next step and see the party as something worth preserving amidst a sea chauvinism that washes the shores of the labour movement and even its socialist ane Marxist a les Challenge has to turn the tide through discussion and work with left Plaid and the paper Y Faner Goch. DEREK DAVIES [Cardiff]
HAMLETS SW LONDON sales every Saturda
HACKNEY outside Sainsbury's
WALTHAMSTOW readers can bu
Britannia Pub, Mare St, EB. 4 Jan: Th
stroduced by John Boran (SEPOWer nuciea
LEYTON readers ters Newsagents. Challeng from Patel 120 tea bricce hoad cт
Page 15 scan of this page
A weekly dose of sexist crap
If you want to look ordinary use an ordinary hairdryer.
goggling longingly at tough handsome guys,
CJ, and RATS.
him'.
impractical garments feel like freaks.
with a one-track mind - boys, of course?
on....
LOOK NOW
TOPENED Look Now and the first thing that hit me was "find out what sex means to you' naveto ine oul knOw thought I knew, but Look Now seems zo nink onerwsc...
Turned over. *Maxi-thick mascara — the short cut way to big fat lashes'. Wot I always wanted, then I'd get a boyfriend who'd love me for my thick lashes..could lead to marriage? and maybe a mortgage?
Clothes ad... who'd wear that in winter?
LUTO page. Well, reasonable feature. Interview Henry Winkler. Now 1 know wot he does every second of the day (and nite) and wot he used to do every second of the day and nite.
Turned over. Bra ad. Oh, how 1 WOnT TIrM mattering "nobody understands girls like we do', uney sava *a guide to glamour'. l'I have a flawless "Style 7' in sahara with HaLCr ICCK ODHOn
More fashion for the stereotype... my brains 'urt.
And now a saga of love and war, "torn between love and her King, Frances takes matters into her own hands '.
MORTGAGES
Turn more pages. At last something for a girl with a small piece of her own UnTOUChee DraIT SWO type luv stories where Dan Stracy, a iournalist. meets Nancy Schmould rik, an orphan, and they fall in luv, end with marriage.. clouds, doves, flowers and mortgage, etc.
Well, you can't have everything!
Wait, it gets better. Hear Now, for girls with complete control of their brains. Well, I think we will give them a star for effort.
But I turn over and Acne KIL ad follows. and why not rid vourselt of that fuzzy legged look this summer? More rasnon ana nnu-acnc rcazuc ad.
I must stop, parts of my brain are shutting down.. but something compelling me to have hair Farrah Fawcett Majors, a bust like Raquel Welch, and a loyal robotoid boyfriend.
Turn pages. Hey, if 1 use Lillets will 1 De abieto swim, nae and cna up on a sun-kissed beach? Maybe not. SUPERGUYS
Your Superguy....what a TOLICE Could vou resist a smile Ike
that? No. Neither could we. That's WIlY Paul Hartburn irresistible perfume to woo many a mindless moronette.
Enter another bra, nails, and hair ad. It seems like someone bears a grudge against people looking uke
wot they want to look like. They say:
Be yoursel bur keep
UNDER REVIEW
Teenage mags and comics
OUR NEWSAGENT has rows of them, brilliantly coloured covers displaying slim, pretty girls made up to their eyeballs, has his hand up her jumper, write VIV, STACEY, SARAH &
They are the British teenage girls' weekly dose of sexist crap and stereotyping, all designed to show 'how to get a boyfriend", whether through subtle encouragement or blatant 'go out and get
Fashion, slimming, even keep-fit are all there to make a girl more atractive to boys - and to make those females who are uninterested in proving themselves on the disco floor or draping their slim and clear skinned [vital] bodies with uncomfortable,
How can women expect to break free from their roles as the weaker sex, housewives to be and future Miss Worlds when they are being moulded like pink jelly into a walking fashion shop
We took two of these mags and two comics to show where sexism and stereotyping cropped up. You will be amazed — read
stereotype'.
Well, why do 1 — Carol'
AE CaSEI
like you - June.
Playtex rules OK.
at last, Or make-up? with ...modelling even?
care it some bloke wants to
LWaRL.
support Now. I'm me, and nobody
LO
nOIVWOOG lour ASHIC
pour like brain
ECLS this
witnin Ene
unless he already
Turn more pages. Problem Page.
*Please help me, I'm in luv with my grannie's chiropodist, wot shall I do?
"See head shrinker, then buy new bra, nail-varnish, hair colour, lipstick or even better drop dead. I don't care about vour pathetic problems. Imr just here to pass off products to plebs
Turn page quickly. I thought Heal Now would break up the monotony of bra ads, but I turn the page and...
Jobs. How about a cookery course?
Or shorthand?
Why can't I be a mechanic? I don't
•do a cookery course, so why can't I do wot
I will not submit to this fiendish method of brainwashing called Look
S gola stop me. I have spoken. SARAH.
super This ie the the malacI
Lots more
BEGINNING OUR NEW ROMANTIC SERIAL
A hi Berinv digilorious Valentino was
mastering the girl's resistance. - Lost in wonder, Lucy forgot her playing
Oh, wouldn't it be lovely, just me and him!
Berlei announce the secret of invisible support. Secrets. 4 shimmering bras with seamless cups that subtly shape you. And matching moulded pants so smooth they won't show through the tightest clothes.
Only some women have it.
What do you wear when you'te wearing
les pave
Lil-lets
2000 AD AND STAR WARS HMM, 2000AD and Star Lord should surve... ind fairy neutral. So 1 paid interesting up my 10p (earth money) proceeded to peruse the contents Title first..noticeable omission ol Lady — but forgivable, I suppose. decidedly male, The cover TODOL although I don't looked suppose robots have a sex, they're just there to help the goodies and duff up the baddies.
The inside with COVCE Barag provided an CHCOUIHC. warning me about 'the annual that could 'overload my thrill generators'.
The front shows a bloke astride his
motorbikecumspacecraft cum ecless rockine norse rusnIne Le
rescue of a beautiful, helpless
chained to a rock being mercilessly attacked by overgrown sea horses wearing goldfish bowls. Puke. oryl ae eay o sarira tie story! Judge
When a face can look as fresh at dinner as
it did at breakfast, that's not just a great face.
That's a great make-up.
through reading this story I just about began to understand it — it seemed to be mainly about escaped judges and giants kicking people's faces in and leaping on high powered motorbikes to secret passages — very moving! and So moving in fact that one judg
burst into tears, reprimanded for doing so -they thought he was being sott.
This looks like something I can write about Naturally all the soldiers muscly men, violent - and 1 thought that I detected a moustache on one of the robots. Must be male.
Thungg,
After a lot of action and violence they win (getting boringly able) and are congratulated by the happy townsfolk. kissing the Robot ecstatically and th oC WOndE around. reservedly and wave wine bottles in the air.
Huh, read on. time Ahh. Flesh
goody. No wait, it's Elliot's brothe guarding the gold - yawn.
Strontum person-sized dog tribe who have together WILE their overgrown hairy leek with an empty cream horn for its nose and spaghett arms)
Non-existence of female influence except for one part. The baddies ge drunk and start singing songs 'bout how evil they are and how strong men tremble when we howl'. Obviously strong women don't.
Seriously tho' folks, this comic is obviously aimed at young boys. If it had been for both sexes there would he characters of both sexes
VOICHE modest. being themselves presented with this sort of muck to
without. Lotsa Luv, CJ
JACKIE
advice was good
I did
W allt,
Chair.
me as 'problems'
solution.
They
Dorothy Squires.
From this
go on?
and was severel maybe page Robusters are tall
exist in the
prcaict
The blonde girl The offering a live hen The men (naturally) grin
of blood belong to
Dog - a story about a
teddy bear — me! VIV. 1 CrOSS caught two men "gronk' (an The
unemotional
Christ, wot chance do they stand of
when they
SHOTE
I WAS pleasantly surprised when I first opened Jackie to find that page two had an article on careers. The
Don't think this isn't for you because you imagine you're going to meet a really nice boy, fall in love and oe nanoy. cvclalci.
find it very hypocritical. though, when the article stated thai you should be you and do what you
when on most of the other pages I was being told what I should wear, which make-up I should put on how I can solve my problems ol spots, shapeless eyebrows, dark hair 'on my face, nasty nails and horrible
Funny. Those things never struck
I wondered if they had changed fie meaning of the word, but was assured by some acquaintances that the aforesaid things WCIC indeed matters difficult of settlement or
The next thing I came across was John Travolta and most of his private life and what sore ofi s but his
omitted the about whirlwind and passionate affair with
page on I became increasingly disgusted. Page 23 wa: entitled "Boys, Boys, Boys' - shall I
The stories were awful. 'It'll give a great chance to show you off to the iads and but only as long as you hold my hand'. No prizes for guessing which sex said which
The problem (that word again)
encouraged "typical" heterosexual relationship — "sound: as if Carol hasn't cottoned on to the joys of chatting up boys yet'
I was surprised and troubled by the amount of suspicion that seemed to
boy-girl relationship Hes naca al CutarCHCHt I've got a feeling he's seeing my best friend behind my back „.. . I don't want to talk about my suspicions because 1'm scared he won't trust me any more.
advice 610T1 encourart complete openness either, which I fee is needed in situations like this
To sum up: Jackie left me in no
doubt as to why most girls grow up ir the way they do. It is to feel they
normal society. -1 now understa why 0 n ne er e 110 this sort of 'normal society. because I want to be who I want to be
HAPPY ENDING
Socialist Challenge would like to thank the youth paper, Revolution for supplying these articles on comics.
The
Bookshop's
JANUARY SALE
Big reductions on politics, soci
ology, science fiction, and lots
The Other Bookshop 328 Upper Street .London N1 2XQ [226-0571] [nearest tube: Angel]
Socialist Challenge 4 January 1979 Page 15
Page 16 scan of this page
UFOs- the Shah's last hope? MAYBE the Shah is not alone. The sighting of UFOs over the space of Godzone has prompted the following speculation from DAVE WAX.
Stop the cuts - build the Fund Drive
Registered with the Post Office as a newspaper. Published by Relgocrest Ltd. for Socialist Challenge, 328/9 Upper St, London N1. Printed by Goodhead Press Ltd., 25 Murdock Rd, Bicester.
The Shah was sitting in his palace. His family had fled to the United States.
The people were defacing monuments erected in Domestic: 6 months, £5; 12 months, Abroad: Airmail, £16.50. Surface, £10 per annum. Multi-reader institutions: double individual rate Name Address
I enclose a donation for the Fighting Fund of
"Socialist Challenge'. Complete and return to: Socialist Challenge, 328/9 Upper Street, London N1.
Socialist Challenge
honour and chanting Death to the Shah'. His Chieftain tanks did not appear to be doing the necessary. his true Jimmy was on the
500
VIDELA
1000
BEGIN
1500
SHAH OF IRAN
PINOCHET
2500
SMITH
SUBSCRIBE!
€10
Cheques, POs and Money Orders should be made payable to
phone True, cahiagion head True him promised Queen as a New Year treat.
BUT Shah unhappy. He needed more dramatic support.
Why was Jimmy denying him marines to occupy Mashad and LADE Why reluctant to commandos on Tehran? Why, why, why!
The answers might have been provided by Alun Chalfont, but even The Times was not being published any more.
Shah turned on his diamondstudded TV set to watch the BBC news specially recorded and relayed by his private TV station.
His face lit up. UFOs had been sighted Zealand. He even smiled.
"Zahedi", he closest friend, alone."
AIR FORCE
one air torce ordered to the palace.
Phantoms immediately to New Zealand to
The UFO leader was to be promised anything if he (being sexist, Shah assumed it was a he) could save Shah's throne
The Phantoms left and the BIG CUTBACKS now threaten Socialist Challenge after a large shortfall in our quarterly Fund Drive.
With only another £165.29 in over the last three weeks, final total was a mere £1,401.96
compared with our target of £2,500
This doesn't mean that we have to close down right now. Income from bankers and pledges
came
This figure is slightly up on the last quarter, and probably accounts
Drive, as some supporters have turnca casual aullaHons ILO d regula, conle this m. help to tide us over, it was not budgeted for under the Fund
Name.
Address.
Callaghan had six months.
the English waiting.
was still writes:
unscientific poppycock.
Was
paradrop Israeli
CAU star, then their
- Ed) over New are the said his superior civilisation? we
chief was VISIOTS He was Commune. A:
establish contact his throne.
we must welcome beings-in-arms,
OUR FUND DRIVE
quarter, than SOUrCe)
this loss. the quality of the paper. appeal to our orders over the last to just over
is not to be threatened.
for a portion of the CUTBACKS
while this money can cutbacks
2 pm
Please supply
Shah relaxed for the first time
He is still
Our Inter-Planetary Corres-
pondent JOHN POSA DAS
above is a load of
Jane signung or uros in our certainly an
amponam cent. In tact it was
predicted by me many years
INTER-STELLAR
But the question which arises
is the following: if the UFOs
have reached us from another
inter-stellar
traffic is a few light years ahead
of ours (which is non-existent
Is it not obvious that these ambassadors SAnd it
that is the case, is it not obvious
that this civilisation must be
100 percent communist?
Of course it is perfectly clear
that the UFOs are the first
High
Command of the Inter-Stellar
such they are
not likely to aid Shah in keeping
They are our comrades, and them as spatial inter-
nationalists. Together we will
Drive (nor was it in the previous
when we raised more €2,500 on top of this So cutbacks of various kinds
will have to be made to cover
This will almost patchy.
inevitably mean a reduction in In the
we can do now is to group readers and
supporters to help us stop the range from
rot. This quarter we must get in parties
an absolute minimum of £2,500
if the whole future of the paper
thing-
And we hope to be able to
raise more than that in order to
restore at least some of the
we'll be forced to those
make in the coming weeks.
A major role in this effort
THE ALTERNATIVE IN WESTERN EUROPE
One-day school on Eurocommunisin and
revolutionary strategy in the West Introduced by ERNEST MANDEL and followed by discussion 10am Economic Policies of Eurocommunism and the Socialist Alternative
The State and Revolutionary Strategy Saturday 13 January, 10am-5pm Holborn Assembly Rooms, London (2 minutes from Holborn tube) Tickets £1.50 at the door or in advance from Socialist Challenge,
PO Box 50, London N1 2XP.
.... tickets at €1.50
will have to be played by local Socialist Challenge supporters groups. In the past, while some groups nave been consistenty good fund-raisers, the overall response has been
coming quarter we would like every supporters
organise two fund-raising events. These can
jumble sales to film SnOWS obviously the scale of the event will depend on your size
And you can be sure of one
we will provide any information or other assistance you need to help to get these off Ine grouna. Just write to us o. ring Dodie on 01-359 8371.
Meanwhile,
who did contribute during the final weeks of 1978. A happy New Year to them
we just hope there'll be one for US LOO Ed Mahood E10 Alloa supporter Lom Koche Robin Blackburn AnOI Anon
Anon L. Hodges Oxford SC group £36 R. Ford £9.14 J. Ma Middlesbrough reader C. Hapanovich S. Smith €10 Chris Bertram £10 A. Tortorella James Carroll £1.25 J. Strauther E10 Khamis Cambridge supporters €10 southampton EVIC TOTAL £165.29
Lottery winners
Just before Xmas we held the draw in our bumper lottery. The winning tickets were as OLOWS First prize (a portable 12-inch black and white TV): 1707(H Sheret, Stirling)
Second prize (a case of French wine): 42X4 (Tessa van Gelderen, London)
Third copy of fine (an autographed
The Second Slump by (M 2054 Simmonds, Manchester). fourth prize a record token 0685 (Robert Jones, Cardiff). Filth prize (subs to socialisi Challenge, International, and DOCISHESE Woman) (Richard, London).
← Socialist Challenge No. 75, 7 December 1978Socialist Challenge No. 78, 11 January 1979 →