Socialist Action (LSA) Vol. 4, No. 4, April 1981
A different group, and a different paper from the IMG’s Socialist Action of 1983–88. The League for Socialist Action were supporters of the US Socialist Workers Party’s tendency in the Fourth International who split from the IMG in 1976 and rejoined it in 1982.
The scan: Socialist Action v4 no4 April 1981.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive)
Uncorrected machine reading of the whole issue. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from the scan and has not been corrected or cut into articles. Each page gives the headlines first, then the columns in order, so one article runs on into the next. Expect misread words. Use it to find things; quote from the scan.
Page 1 scan of this page
Socialist
Support people of Ei Salvador!
Central America and the Caribbean is the most important place in the world today. It's there that the two main forces contending for the future of humanity are in most open conflict.
It's there that the imperialists, led by US President Reagan and backed by Thatcher - the forces that want to hold back humanity within the confines of their decayed and rotten system - confront working people determined to fight for and make a socialist society in which meeting human needs comes first.
Today it is El Salvador which is most under the gun from our enemies - Reagan, Thatcher and their class. They want to stop the people of El Salvador winning their liberation. They want to stop the people of El Salvador building a society where wealth is owned by everyone, not by a handful of big companies, for that would set an example to the rest of us and inspire us into struggle.
They also want to roll back the revolutions our brothers and sisters have made in Nicaragua and
20,000 say
STOP THE
TORY
RACIST
LAWS
By PHIL EDWARDES
strations yet against the Tories' racist offensive.
Organised by the Campaign Against Racist Laws (CARL), forces from all over the country - particularly the immigrant communities of the Midlands - travelled down by train and
Action
For a Class Struggle Left Wing in the Labour Movement Grenada, and they want to bring revolutionary Cuba to its knees.
THREATS
Reagan is escalating his threats, saying that the time has come to "draw the line" in El Salvador as his press secretary put it on February 23.
A flotilla of more than 40 US warships - including an aircraft carrier - has been assembled in the Caribbean.
The February 25 Washington Post said: "These vessels and aircraft clearly could be used for some kind of blockade of Cuba or to enforce some kind of US threat to take action against vessels that cross a certain line off the El Salvador coast."
Under a plan approved on February 27 by Reagan's National Security Council - an unelected body of toadies from the big corporations, military brass and other social riff-raff - Washington will send $ 25 million more in military aid to the murderers ruling El Salvador.
On March 2, another $ 25 million
No Nationality Act!"
coach to register their protest.
The mood of the marchers was both angry and defiant. flected in the slogans - "Kill the Tory Bill!" and "Racist Maggie out,out,out!" the march made its way from Hyde Park to Trafalger Square.
CLIMAX
The demonstration was the climax of a major campaign, launched by CARL, in the previous months. Meetings and regional rallies had been Over 20,000 turned out in London, held up and down the country to April 5, on one of the biggest demon- draw attention to the racist proposals the Tories are pushing through Parliament.
The Nationality Bill is only the latest in a series of such provocative measures. Earlier moves include the decision, last year, to tighten up the racist provisions of the 1971
Continued on Page 4. and financed by Washington.
Immigration Act.
This was reBlack people, "fishing raids" on
- which rang out as legal immigrants" and increased
police harassment of the Black community.
NATIONALITY BILL
main thrust is to cut down still
same time, allowing whites the same free access as before.
mean that thousands overseas -
- will be rendered stateless.
Vol.4 No.1
This has already led to a doubling of the number of deportations of
factories in search of so-called "il-
the route.
The Nationality Bill - if passed - will deepen this racist attack. Its
further on the rights of Blacks to enter this country - while, at the
Such a colour bar will not only keep Blacks out, however, but will
currently registered as UK citizens
Continued on Page 3 /
CONTENTS:
LABOUR RIGHT REVOLUTIONARY GRENADA EL SALVADOR/CUBA NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT H-BLOCK RECLAIM THE NIGHT POLAND GLC ELECTIONS
81 Freedom fighters in El Salvador. They are part of massive struggle to overthrow murderous dictatorship armed
BUILD T.U.C.
JOBS MARCH
A GIANT rally in London on May 31 will mark the climax of the TUC's march for jobs from Liverpool to London. Mass meetings are planned in every town on
As Colin Barnett, TUC Northwest Regional Council secretary, put it: "Liverpool, like Jarrow, will become a symbol of the nation's rejection of policies that deliberately create unemployment and the desire of the British people for a return to full employment.'
The response will be great. Unemployment is now running at the post-war peak of 2,484,000. A million of these have been thrown on the scrap-heap in the last 12 months alone - that's at the staggering rate of 3000 a day.
Tory budget proposals will add
P. 2 P. 3.
P.4 P. 5 P. 6 P. 6 P. 8 P. 8
Price 15 p insult to injury. They will mean a further quarter-million workers idle by next year.
RALLY
The TUC march can become a real focus for the anger and resentment building up in the labour movement against the Tory jobless drive.
Such a move is none too soon. Despite the escalating dole queues. the TUC's response to date has been one of masterly inactivity.
Their main thrust has been to meekly protest the Tory strategy and pin all their hopes on the return of a Labour government - armed with the "Alternative Economic Strategy" - in three years time.
Such a stance has been of little help to workers, up and down the
Continued on Page 2.
Page 2 scan of this page
Labour right launch SP
Socialist Action opens conference discussion
PAGE 2 BY BOB SWART (Streatham CLP)
With all the razamataz of launching a new soap powder, last month saw the formation of the Social Democratic Party.
The twelve Labour MPs who split in March have been joined by nineteen peers and one Tory MP. While most will consider this to be a good riddance, many are still concerned at the damage that might result to Labour in the next election.
The SDP are projecting a confident image. They claim that - if they can come to a pact with the Liberals - they will win over 40% of the votes.
CAMPAIGN
The capitalist press has boosted the Social Democrats. Shirley Williams and Bill Rodgers, hardly known for their socialist views, are portrayed as "moderates" resisting the "extremism" ol the Labour lell.
This press campaign is, of course, predictable. After Thatcher's disastrous term in office - in which even Tory economists are slating her policies -the media recognise that tne Labour Party could be returned with a landslide victory at the next election.
After all, up to a few months ago, the polls showed Labour with a 24%
By TONY ROBERTS
ON March 17, Socialist Action opened its pre-conference discussion period. Lasting a full three months, it will afford all members time tor serious discussion on the major tasks facing socialists in the period ahead.
The climax will be a two-day conference at the end of June - attended by members nationally - to concretely work out our orientation over the next yeal. supporters are aiso encourageu to attend, and there will be a special session where they can find out more about our ideas and activities and ask cuestions.
The conference this year will be a vital
AS LIC Class struggle intensifies - both in Britain and international scats gave mon opportunities to advance their ideas. Two key issues, which will occupy the pre-conference discussion stand out.
Continued from Page 1. country, faced with their region being turned into an industrial wasteland now under the Tory axe.
The TUC decision to promote a series of regional rallies - of which
the Liverpool to London march is
the climax - was only undertaken
because of the groundswell of opin-
ion building up among the grass-
roots.
POLICIES
Even these actions have been giv-
en no real cutting edge. There has
been no attempt to unite workers
around a fighting plattorm that
could challenge the Tories head on.
Their leaflets have had, as their ma-
jor thrust, the call for import con-
trols.
Import controls won't protect
jobs. They will merely provoke
similar action by other countries,
creating a trade war in which all
workers will suffer, as happened in
the thirties.
There is no mention at all of the
need to fight for the 35-hour week,
even though this has been official
TUC policy since 1972 and was re-
affirmed at the last Labour Party
conterence. No call is issued to
workers to fight redundancies by
work-sharing with nọ loss in pay.
Equally, no call is made on Labour
lead. The capitalist press are worried sick that, under pressure from a leftward moving membership, a future Labour government could no longer be relied on to do their dirty work, like a Wilson or Callaghan.
This is why the press is backing the SDP-Liberal alliance. They hope that if the Tory vote is drastically reduced, they can prevent Labour gaining control by splitting the vote. After all, the SDP hopes to catch most of its support from discontented Labour voters
CLASS BASE
In reality, there is little chance of Labour losing out in the long term. As the recession deepens, workers will be forced more and more towards Labour as a party to fight for their class interests.
It should not be forgotten that the shift left in the party results mainly from growing discontent in the unions and not - as the media like to portray it - from the CLPs alone. Workers are looking for solutions to the problems they face and they naturally turn to the party they built: the Labour Party.
This explains the radical stance taken by recent conferences on nuclear disarmament, women's rights and unemployment - and the growing tend-
The first is the growing radicalisation in une abour movement vocialst ac tion members will be concentrating on what concrete steps are needed today to build, in the unions and Labour Party, a class-struggle left-wing that will champion the demands of all the oppressed and exploited.
A kev aspect of this will be our orientation towards the unions - particularly the industrial unions which are the backbone of the fight against the Tory gov-
CLASS-STRUGGLE
The conference will, of course, be taking up a number of other issues within this framework - the struggle for women's rights. against Black oppression. etc - which Socialist Action members nave been active in.
The central task of the conference, however, will be to see how these struggles - which have often been
Build TUC jobs march!
councils to resist the Tory cuts which have created thousands of redundancies. On the contrary, while deploring the cuts, the TUC advises local government unions to meekly go along with them.
ACTION
It is the lack of class-struggle
policies - and a willingness to fight
for them - that gives the Tories
the chance to get away with their
jobless drive.
The miners' strike, which stopped
the pit closures, shows what can be
done when a sector of the labour
movement takes action in a deter-
mined way to protect jobs. It
shows the Tories up for the paper
tigers they are.
If the TUC were to take a leaf out
of the miners' book, there is no
doubt that they could stop the
Tories' attacks in their tracks.
would be guaranteed a mass response
from the grassroots who have turned
out in their thousands in the protest
rallies in Liverpool and Glasgow re-
cently.
START
The action on May 31 will un-
doubtedly attract a mass response
The TUC must not be al-
arailt.
lowed, however, to consider this as
a one-off protest which can then
need class solutions to their problems.
ency for Labour to lead mass action in the streets against the Tories.
ANSWER
that lost radour me tastelecuo, -have no answer to the problems facing working people.
Representing a last-ditch attempt to cling to the "middle ground" of class
waged outside the labour movement -can become part of the fight in the unions and Labour Party for a fighting lett-wing,
that only by winning the ranks of the labour movement - particularly the industrial sections — can the rights and gains of any sector of the oppressed be defended.
INTERNATIONAL
gle. Unlike many insular political groups in Britain, Socialist Action doesn't believe that the struggle in
our class around the world.
ary struggles in Central America - in El Salvador, Grenada, Nicaragua and Cuba - which are in the front line of last November.
They
carefully be forgotten.
ing it as the start of a mass cam-
its insane policies.
that can protect jobs now.
For the 35-hour week!
Shirley Williams and David Owen (above) may be courted by the capitalist press at present. But they are unlikely to cut much ice with working people who
The SDP - representing the policies
just and equal society.
It is becoming more and more evident
for them.
PARTY-BUILDING
Ism
The second major issue will be our response to the international class struggle
Britain is separate from the struggles of
A major part of the conference will therefore be devoted to the revolution-
into a fortnightly. announced last month.
working people.
Iner
HARSH On Liverpool unemployment march
one basic alm
lower wages.
They have to be forced into see-
paign against the government and
INDUSTRY They have to be forced to use it
as a stepping stone to other actions
around clear class-struggle policies
No cuts - no rate increases!
compromise at a time when class polarisation is deepening, they are looking for a social base that no longer exists.
Cials
This does not mean, however, that thev cannot - in the short term - get enough support to endanger Labour's electoral chances next time around.
Beating off this threat will nor be achieved by expressing "regret" at the departure of renegade MPs, as Labour
the fight against imperialism and for a
Socialist Action supporters will be discussing the concrete steps needed to publicise these struggles in the British labour movement and win support
It is under these two flags - the neec to turn to industry and international-
— inal ine socialist Acion conicI' ence this year will take place.
Being able to implement such positions will mean, of course, strengthening sociansi Achon as a current buni around clear policies and extending our influence in the months ahead. A whole session of the conference will be devoted to this task and turning our paper - which is at present a monthly -
The conference, while being an important time tol soclaust achion:
Budget fuels crisis
By MIKE HOPKINS (Stoke CLP)
MORE inflation and unemployment -
these are the fruits of the Tory budget
They spell
another round of belt-tightening for
Tax increases will take about £5 a
week out of the family purse. Less
purchasing power will mean more lacto
ories grinding to a halt. It is estimated
to the dole queues by 1982.
At the same time, the increase in tax
on petrol and other consumer goods will
push the inflation rate up by two per- people.
cent, thus eroding pay packets still fur-
Howa's budget has, of course,
brougnt torth nowls of protest trom the
Labour leaders who have denounced it
as the "harshest" since the war.
Harsh it certainly is but, from the
Tory point of view, it is strictly rational.
Ever since coming to power, the Tory
government has been pursuing
That has been to create mass unem
ployment so that they can terrorise
workers into accepting speed-up and
The aim of this is to create
a new "streamlined" British industry ca-
pable of competing overseas. The budget
certainly fits in with this strategy.
The net effect of Howe's budget will
be to deepen the present recession still
further. Whole areas of the country wil
be turned into industrial deserts to inti-
midate workers into accepting the 10
ries' rationalisation schemes.
This is what is worrying big business
SOCIALIST ACTION leader Foot has done. It will only occur if Labour moves boldly out as a party which champions the rights of working people and their allies
Only by showing that the Labour Party is willing to fight for the unemployed, women, Blacks and other oppressed layers will Labour be able to reauce tne social Democrats to tre rump they in reality are.
STRUGGLE
Such a perspective will also mean fighting off attempts by right-wingers in the party - such as Hattersley - to overturn the democratic gains of the last conference.
The "Labour Solidarity Committee", set up by a wide number of Labour MPs, share the same ideas as the Social Democrats but lack their courage in "going it alone". If they succeed in imposing their policies on the party -and overturning the democratic gains of Wembley - they will kill the party's chances in isolating the Social Demo-
Socialists in the Labour Party have tO ment Toot and nal to ensure loa the gains won are not clawed back. They have to fight to root the party more and more among working people and get it to adopt policies in their class interests.
will also afford some time for com-
rades to relax and discuss informally.
DEMOCRACY
During the pre-conference period -and at conference itself - all members of Socialist Action will be free to write and argue ior whatever positions ther feel are best-suited for carrying the or-
canisanon lorwardma tae benoo adeao. Socialist Action places great store on such internal democracy.
At the same time, supporters of the paper are encouraged to attend the pre-conterence discussion sessions -and the conference - in order to get a
more rounded view or tne postuons o. sociansi Achon and tne lasks lacing revolutionaries both in Britain and internationally
For further information about the Socialist Action conference, write to: National Secretary, Socialist Action, P.O. Box 65, London, SW16 INN.
who have equally shown a dislike for the
Tories' strategy. The CBI is frightened
that the attempt to control the unions,
through unemployment, could push
hundreds of profitable businesses to the
wall. In the first two months of this
year, for example, over 3000 firms
went bust
Despite the outcry against the budget,
however, even from big business, the
Tories are pushing ahead with their
disastrous policies. • e cornered all
mals, they are hitting out widely at the
jobs and living standards of working
Talk by the TUC and Labour leaders
of this being the "harshest budget" in
memory will not help. It will not help
the thousands pushed onto the dole, the
thousands pushed onto the poverty
line and the millions more faced with a
dramatic drop in living standards
What is needed by the Labour leaders
is not rhetoric but action that can dety
the Tory policies head-on.
JOBLESS
Over the past few months, the TUC
and NEC of the Labour Party were
lorcea - under mass pressule - le
mount a campaign against Thatcher's
jobless drive. One hundred and fifty
thousand people turned out in Liverpool
last December and over 75,000 in Glas-
gow a lew montas lalet
Next month, the TUC is organising a
mass Liverpool to London march. It is
building actions such as these that will
begin to reverse the tide. Mass actol -
around real fighting policies - could be-
gin to mobilise the support of millions
angry and frustrated by this anti-working
class government.
Page 3 scan of this page
20,000 say "No Nationality Act'
Grenada after two years of revolution
APRIL 1981
Continued from Page 1.
living in Britain could suffer a ser-
ious erosion of their democratic
rights. They could, for example, be
denied the right to vote or hold
office in the Civil Service.
DIVISIVE
The attempts by the Tories to
introduce such measures is not, of
course, accidental. They are clearly
seeking to set up a suitable scape-
goat for their policies of increased
unemployment and social service
cuts.
They clearly hope that the anger
and frustration building up will be
turned away from them and onto a
scapegoat easily identifiable by its
colour.
Such a thrust has already led to a
growing number of assaults on
By JANE ANSELL (Tottenham CLP)
Members from a number of CLPs
turned up to a March 29 meeting aimed
at co-ordinating efforts to build labour
movement support against the Tories'
Nationality Bill.
Chaired by Charlotte Atkins (Battersea
CLP), the theme that ran through the
meeting was the need for Labour to be-
gin taking a stand on the issue.
DIVISIVE
CARL national secretary Mike Rodney
pointed out that the present Nationality
Bill was only the latest aspect of the
Tory racist campaign.
Such bills, he suggested, create a clim-
ate of racism in which police harassment
and thug attacks by the ultra-right are
becoming an everyday occurrence. The
New Cross firebombing was a foretaste
of what was to come.
"We must remember," he went on
however, "that this racist offensive is
not aimed only at Blacks. It involves us
all. Thatcher hopes to divide the wor-
kers' movement, to pick us off one after
another.
"If we in the unions and Labour Party
allow her to get away with it, it will
undermine our ability to get a united
response to any of her attacks on demo-
cratic rights and living standards"
PRESSURE
Rodney was followed by Ian Martin people can never be defeated," declare billboards throughout revolutionary Gren- of world capitalism. ada.
Two years ago on March 13, the people of this Caribbean island ended the brutal dictatorship of Eric Gairy and began the construction of a free Grenada. Under the leadership of the NJM (New Jewel Movement), the people of Grenada had - for the first time in 400 years - taken their destiny into their own hands.
ANNIVERSARY
The people's support for the government, and the changes already brought about by the revolution, were clearly expressed at the spirited march and rally held here on March 13.
The march and rally - culminating weeks of celebrations across the islands of Petit Martinique and Carriacou -were attended by delegates from the two other revolutionary governments in the region - Cuba and Nicaragua. Prime Minister Maurice Bishop, speaking at the rally, discussed the progress of the revolution, the tasks that remam, and its overal ponucal perspectives from the standpoint of wor-
Black people and - as in Deptford
murder of thirteen young West
Indian youth.
FIGHTBACK
Black people have no intention,
however, of becoming easy victims
of Tory "divide and rule" tactics.
The thousands who turned out on
April 5 - particularly the young
Black youth - show that they are
determined to fight back.
What is urgent is that, in that
fight, they should receive the sup-
port of the labour movement which
was only marginally represented on
the demonstration. Only a few
trade union and Labour Party ban-
ners were to be seen on the miles-
long march.
Such support is vital because the
Tories' racist campaign is aimed not
Labour activists back CARL
Labour MP John Tilley.
of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants and John Tilley, MP for Lambeth Central. Tilley pointed out that, unlike in the past, there was growing opposition to the bill from Labour's front bench.
Despite this, however, he insisted unal tne only way to deleat it was by building mass action on the streets. He went on to say that, if the bill was passed, it was only by building up more and more pressure that we could be sure that an incoming Labour government would repeal it.
DISCUSSION
A wide and stimulating discussion followed on how to involve wider layers "A united, conscious, organised, vigilant kers and farmers around the world. Bishop began with a look at the crisis
CRISIS
"As we meet here today for the second anniversary," he said, "we do so at a time of great crisis in the world, a time of big international industrial crisis, particularly in the Western world.
"We do so at a time, comrades, when millions of people in the industrialised Western world are roaming the streets looking for work...
"A time in the world, sisters and brothers, when we are seeing daily runaway inflation. A time in the world when we are seeing a worsening of the balance of trade for developing countries. A time in the world when there is a great deterioration of the conditions of the rural poot of the poorest countries in the world.
BLOOD
Bishop then turned to the response of the Reagans and Thatchers to this crisis. Their "solution", he stressed, was to demand even greater blood from the neocolonial countries, as well as from their
of the labour movement in struggle.
Brent councillor Bernie Grant crit-
paign to issues such as bad housing,
unemployment and the cuts.
sweep everything into one basket," he
for Black rights. Such action, he went
Labour Party.
form their own committees to advise
ACTION
adopting a resolution calling for the
to pledge to repeal any new racist
aws.
Ing called on Curs to:
organisations and other anti-racist
groups to speak at party meetings;
representatives to the campaign;
proposals and calling on Labour lead-
ers to lead the fight against them.
own workers.
the workers and farmers of Grenada run the government - not the super-rich.
FORMULAS
ties for progress to be made, that it is possible for the country to continue to move forward in the face of these diffic ulties. We believe that there are ways of achieving this objective."
systems lot une poor mn tnel countnes
the quantity and quality of health care in our country. We have moved to triple the number of dentists in our country. We have moved to establish for the first time in our country after 350 years free medical attention for all of the
socialist
ction
On April 5 CARL demonstration.
only at Black people who will bear
the brunt of it. It is equally design-
ed to weaken and divide the overall icised those who sought to tie the cam-
"There is a tendency on the left to
said. He called on Labour Party branches
plans
to take the lead in pioneering the fight
on, would draw people into the Labour
action
Councillor Grant also argued for the need for Blacks in the Labour Party to
the party on the fight for racial equality.
The meeting ended by unanimously
Labour Party to take the lead in strug-
gling against the Tories' offensive, and
As steps towards winning Labour support for such a perspective, the meet-
* invite speakers from CARL, Black
tion.
* affiliate CLPs to CARL and send
* pass resolutions opposing the new
While capitalist countries are in crisis, Bishop went on, Grenada has been able to new schools.... While others, brothers register real advances for its people. It has and sisters, are cutting subsidies and been able to do so for one simple reason:
people."
Because of that, Bishop could confidently state: "We believe in Grenada that it is the Grenada revolution - and because possible even in the face of these difficul-
Bishop outlined some of the gains made it and provided aid and encouragement over the past two years. "While others are to local counter-revolutionary elemcutting back on medical care and medical ents.
we have moved instead to double the num-plained that the mobilisation of the ber of doctors who are available to add to people in all aspects of the revolution
La primary task.
As Bishop concluded:
people in all areas of the country today:" expand your memberstics erer forete:
arot kees/socianst Achion
labour movement and prevent it
from offering a united response to
their anti-working class policies.
Labour
abortion
conference
By CAROL REES (Peckham CLP)
THE labour movement conference
on abortion, called by the National
Abortion Campaign last month, drew
more than 300 delegates from trade unions and Labour Party branches up and down the country.
Faced with the erosion of abortion rights since the 1967 Act, the conference was called to win support take up the issue seriously. throughout the labour movement to extend a woman's right to abor-
Following the Labour Party conference decision of 1977 in favour of a woman's right to choose, and the massive TUC mobilisation against the Corrie Bill, one aim was i to ensure MPs voted according to
"While others are choosing to close their schools, we are choosing to build
cutting grants to their schools, we are looking to expand our facilities for our
Because of the example provided by
of Grenada's close ties with Cuba -imperialist powers view Grenada as a direct challenge to their continued domination over the Caribbean. From the early days of the revolution, they have ihreatened Grenada, sought to isolate
In order to counter this, Bishop ex-
- including the People's Militia - was
A second primary task was to devel= international solidarity with Grenada
Heast 104:1 form more friendship argarisatiors, and
PAGE 3
ahead, building growing support in
union and Labour Party branches
so that they can add their massive
weight to the opposition that is
now growing up.
The labour leaders have to be
forced not only to oppose the Bill
in words but to help mobilise the
labour movement in mass action
against it. They also have to be
forced to pledge to repeal it when returned to office.
BEGINNING
As Tony Huq (Bangladesh Work ers Association) put it at the rally at the end of the march: "This demonstration is only the beginning. We intend to go on fighting until these racist laws are defeated." These words must become the rallying cry of the whole labour movement.
party policy and not according to
their "conscience"
Speakers Terry Marsland, assistant secretary of the Tobacco Work.
ers Union, and Jo Richardson MP backed the call for a woman's right to choose.
Here is an opportunity to test out the newly-won rights in the Labour Party. Now that we can reselect our MPs, we must ensure that the! are all committed to voting in line with party policy on this issue.
That is, that they support this I?. bour Party policy to "provide by statute for all women to have choice in termination of pregnancy"
PREREQUISITE
Abortion rights are a prerequisite to a woman's right to work. As it is working-class women who suffer most from the lack of abortion facilities, because they can least afford to pay, trade unionists must
Conference agreed to support any national rally in support of positive legislation and to take the issue back to trade union and Labour Party branches.
It was agreed that these aims would be furthered by setting up regional conferences in order to get local activities off the ground.
in America, Canada and England. We appreciate the material support you have given to Grenada... We ask you to answer the propaganda against Grenada. We ask you to push the slogan: "Come and see for yourself. Do not let others tell you about Grenada. Come and see it for yourself."
The above is based on extracts from an article by Malik Miah in the March 30 issue of Intercontinental Press.
PACATION FUN SOCIALISTS
Garad
A stable tom: Socialist Acror
PO Bar 55. London SH'!! IN!
Page 4 scan of this page
Support the peo
PAGE 4 Socialist Action Forum Discussing El Salvador at Socialist Action forum.
By DAVE BELL (Hackney CLP)R
THE brutal US-backed dictatorships in Central America are crumbling. The struggles of ordinary people have changed the face of countries like Nicaragua and Grenada. As Reagan sends in more "advisors" and arms, El Salvador too laces a chuca ponie
Last month, a Socialist Action forum discussed the freedom struggle there. GREETINGS
The meeting heard Phil Hearse of the El Salvador Solidarity Campaign, who brought greetings from representatives of the Revolutionary Democratic Front of El Salvador.
Tracing the history of the struggle, he El Salvador has been concentrated in the hands of a few families. has kept the people in absolute poverty thanks to the unremmitting support of US and Western imperialism.
But over the last few years there has been a resurgence in the mass struggle.
Revolutionary organisations have grown and formed the FDR-FMLN which has the support of most Salvadorans.
Hearse called for the support of all progressive forces in Britain to join in solidarity with the Salvadoran people.
INTERNATIONALISM
Gary Erlisker of Socialist Action explained why internationalism is a central feature of the struggle for socialism.
The international ruling class, led by Reagan and Thatcher, take El Salvador very seriously. In them, the working people of El Salvador and all countries share a common enemy
Our support for the struggle in El Sal-
a moral duty. It is a totally necessary part of a common struggle to fend off an oppressive class of international rulers.
national minonnes.
following demands:
on the dole. to offset inflation.
To be tied to increases in the cost of living * For women's rights
* Fight racism.
the troops out of Ireland now!
on coal. Explore alternative energy Iesourcco.
ment to allow all currents to argue for then pout or view to be mandatory on Labour leaders.
The struggle in El Salvador
Erlisker also pointed to the working-class nature and base of the struggle.
This has enabled the revolutionary leaders to launch several general strikes.
He pointed to the courageous solidarity of Cuba, Nicaragua and Grenada with El Salvador, explaining how these countries are also on Reagan's hit list.
Also of crucial importance, he said, was the widespread antiwar views of American workers which had made a farce of Carter's registration for the draft and acted as a major brake on keagan Erlisker called for stepping up solidarity in the British labour movement: "By doing this we can contribute significantly to the victory of the Salvadoran people, we can help lower the cost they have had to pay with their lives in their showed that since the 1930s the wealth of fight against their and our enemies
"We can deal a massive blow to the This ruling clique attempt of Reagan and Thatcher to bring us closer to the day when they hope workers of different countries will kill each other on the battletielas createa Dy capitalism, the battlefields only the ruling rich have anything to gain from "We can deal a massive blow to Thatcher and Reagan's power, making it harder for them to attack our rights to jobs, to social services, to democratic rights and to human dignity."
Pointing to Fidel Castro's call for an emulation campaign of aid to Nicaragua, Erlisker said, "We'd like to take a leaf out of Fidel's book, because we think it's a pretty good book. down a challenge to all socialists, to all progressive-minded people in Britain. "Let's see who can do the most to build broad solidarity with El Salvador.
Let's work together and compete in that healthy way.
Socialist Action supporters will be takvador is not an "act of charity" or simply ing the issue into their workplaces, union
and Labour Party branches and putting it up front in the paper, he said. We will be urging the broadest possible campaign.
What We Stand For
Socialist Action sees as its central aim building, within the labour movement, a class-struggle left-wing fighting for socialist policies against those which lost Labour the last election and disillusioned thousands of Labour supporters.
Such a left-wing should support not only policies in the interests of working people but also their allies among the youth, Blacks, women and oppressed
It is only by showing that Labour champions the rights of all the oppressed and exploited that a really united offensive can be organised against the Tories (and their right-wing allies in the labour movement).
Socialist Action believes that a fighting left-wing should be built around the
* Hands off the unions! No curbs on the right to strike or picket!
* For the 35-hour week! End unemployment by work-sharing (with no loss
of pay) and introduce a mass public works programme for those already
* Oppose all wage curbs. For wage increases to be tied to the cost of living
* Open the books of all companies claiming inability to pay a decent living
wage or threatening redundancies. Nationalise those that put profit before
* fax the rich not the poor. No cuts in social services - for social spending
For the right of all women to abortion vil demand, free nurseries, equal pay and opportunity. Support NAC. Repeal all racist immigration laws. Defend the right of Black people to organise as they see fit in the community and labour movement.
* For the right of all oppressed nations to determine their own future - Get
* End the war drive! For unilateral nucles disarmament.
* For a safe environment. End nuclear reactors and base an energy policy
Socialist Action supporters, while fighting for the above demands, seek the
widest possible unity of all forces in the labour movement around concrete
They also seek to encourage the widest democracy in the labour move-
Continued from Page 1 more in arms and equipment was announced.
Scores of US "advisors" are in El Salvador, giving assistance to the dictatorship's army in torture and murder of working people.
US HYPOCRISY
At the same time as the Reagan regime - like Carter's before it — is trying to batter to death our wor king class brothers and sisters in El Salvador, Washington is trying to make out that the peoples' struggle is engineered by Cuba and the USSR.
This is barbaric hypocrisy.
When fighting a regime armed to the teeth by Washington, the Salvadoran people have the right to get arms wherever they can. This is what people fighting for their rights have always done, including the American people when they fought for their independence from Britain.
Moreover, as the recent ITN eye-witness report on El Salvador and the arms issue concluded, most of the arms are captured from the dictatorship or bought on the international arms market.
Most of the Salvadoran guerrillas who have any military training, the programme showed, did not get it from the USSR or Cuba.
They got it from Washington, and have since gone over to the side of
the working people.
TERROR
Continued television and news-
paper reports have confirmed that
the bulk of El Salvadoran people
oppose the dictatorship and back
the Revolutionary Democratic
Front-Farabundo Marti Nation-
al Liberation Front (FDR-FMLN), We'd like to throw
which is leading the freedom
struggle.
They have shown that the US.
backed junta is carrying out mass
murder to terrorise the population
into submission. They and Reagan
know there is no hope of the junta
winning the hearts and minds of RIA *
By JAMIE McLAUGHLIN (EEPTU)
and for decisions
irretar
alone has done that.
Said to the dictatorship by the military'"
CAPITALISM
PRESENTEa
Last May, over 5 million Cubans mobilised in the 'March of the Fighting People'. They protested American threats against Cuba, the propaganda around the emigrants and declared their committment to the revolution.
LAST December, a leading member of the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) in El Salvador - Cayetano Carpio - attended the second congress the FMLN. of the Cuban Communist Party in Havana.
He was accompanied by representatives of the freedom fighters in Nicaragua and
the people. The freedom struggle
The junta's terror is so widespread that 53 American congresspeople (MPs) have introduced legislation to cut off all US military
One of them, Rep. Barbara Mik properly: ulski of Maryland, who had been on a fact-finding trip to Central America, learned that rape is a "systematic method of terrorism" Women refugees, she said, "told us babies are thrown into the air and used for target practice. Women are quartered, their breasts cut off. Everywhere I went," she continued. "I asked Are these atrocities also committed by the left?' No they answered. 'aiwals
This is the real face of capitalism. the real face of those who rule over our lives. This is what Reagan, Thatcher and their class is like
Cuba— Revolut
continent.
AID M0EI
Speaking of the brutal repression
launched by the US-backed El Salvador
regime - the intimidation, rape and mas-
sacres systematicany vanita out -
Carpio explained what Cuba meant to
"At this historic stage," he said, "so-
cialist Cuba, with the daily progress it
makes in building a new society, is the
bright beam which inspires all the patri-
SOCIALIST ACTION
underneath the beauty treatment, the posh accents, civilised manners and expensive clothes.
They believe they have a divine right to inflict their miserable rule on the rest of us.
They see El Salvador as "their"
"their" problem.
But what business is it of theirs to be telling the people of El Salvador how to run their affairs?
What business and what right have Reagan, Thatcher and thei class got in El Salvador, torturing and murdering people, people of our class?
All their terror has not defeated the people of El Salvador, however. As a statement issued in late February by the FDR-FMLN said:
"The government of President Reagan cannot impose any position on the Salvadoran people, because they have already had enough of imperialist domination..
"For our part, we are open to political solutions which do not betray the interests of our people.
ots, revolutionaries and democrats on the
Carpio's speech is no accident. As th Salvadoran masses deepen their struggle for freedom, it is the example set by the Cubans which both inspires and guldes then.
The new Reagan regime in the USA has accused the Cuban leaders of "exporting revolution" and are threatening a blockade against them. It is not guns, however, that the Cuban revolutionaries have exported to the freedom fighters of Central America - although that, in itself, would not be wrong. It is a different kind of aid.
Last January Richard Jacobs, a representative of the Peoples Revolutionary Government in Grenada, spelt out exactly what kind of aid this was. NO STRINGS
He explained how the Cubans have
sent technicians to Grenada to repair
their water supplies, doctors to care for the sick and economic aid - such as fishing boats - to help their economic
recovery. This fits in with the assistance
the Cubans have offered similar fighters
worldwide.
Cuban leader Fidel Castro pointed out,
at a mass rally in Havana in January.
that there are currently up to 50,000
technicians, engineers, teachers and doc-
Page 5 scan of this page
›le of El Salvador Tories launch
APRIL 1981
But we are not intimidated by
the threats of the United States.
Our people's will to struggle and
the solidarity of the peoples of the
world will once again defeat un-
just imperialist aggression."
STRUGGLE DEEPENS
Although the junta and Reagan
try to make out that the freedom
struggle is almost defeated, the
opposite is the case. As Swedish
socialist reporter Lars Palmgren put
it in an eyewitness account in the
March 16 Intercontinental Press/
Inprecor: once you delve a bit
deeper "you see the official sto-
ries crumbling before your eyes".
In a market town, Zacatecoluca,
the army reported having killed
150 guerrillas but the only evid-
ence they could show was one
Belgian sub-machine gun, one Chin-
ese rocket-launcher and eight gren-
ades.
At San Vicente, a garrison col-
onel told Palmgren, "The guer-
rillas are everywhere around here". tors serving in countries as far afield as Angola.
And what is significant about this aid, as Jacobs explained, is that there are no strings attached. Comparing it with "loans" from the capitalist West, he
"And I think one of the most profound experiences that we have had in our relationship with Cuba is that they never asked us to adopt a position on anything, at anytime."
EXAMPLE
But the aid offered by the Cubans is not only of the material kind - vital though this may be. Even more important, as Grenadian Prime Minister Maurice Bishop recentlv pointed out. is the ex. ample they have set for all the oppressed ul Lall HInCHICa
"But most of all," he said, "you have given the world the example oi a small country and a small people in number being able to dereal United states imperialism at Giron."
Bishop was referring to the Cubans smashing a US-organised invasion of their INTERNATIONALIST country in April 1961. The attempted invasion came after the Castro leadership, armed with a burning desire to ena poverty and corruption, had overthrown the Batista dictatorship and the US corporations and established a workers state in Cuba.
It is that example which served the sandmastas wnen they toppled ine
Are the guerrillas in control of
villagers around here, he asked
right-wingers. "Yes, they are
everywhere,
saying many people in their vil-
lages had joined up with the free-
dom fighters.
The liberation forces are cur-
rently reorganising and prepar-
ing for a fresh onslaught against
the junta.
INTERNATIONAL AID
The people of Nicaragua, Cuba
and Grenada are rallying solidarity
with El Salvador.
Around the world working people
- who watch the latest news of El
Salvador on TV every night - are
in support of our brothers and sis-
ters there.
Most importantly, in the United
States there is mass working class
opposition to the dangers of inter-
vention in El Salvador.
Young American workers have
no desire to die in El Salvador for
the US government and big cor-
onary example
Somoza dictatorship in 1979 and which, today, is guiding the FMLN in El Salvador.
GAINS
I ne (uban leaders sno wea tnat only a revolutionary path - a path of standing up to the US-backed regimes, arms in hand - could free the people from poverty, repression and exploitation.
1 ne gains or tne cuban revoluuon, compared to the rest of Latin America,. are only too obvious. small country with limited resources, the Cubans have been able to erode all the vices that cripple US-dominated regimes from Guatemala to Chile.
As Maurice Bishop pointed out: "Over the past 21 years, you have wiped out illiteracy. vou have removed drug-taking as a problem, you have built a strong system in education and health care. and vou nave expanaca ana aversea your eco nomy."
This is the attraction of the Cuban road.
Another thing that marks out the revolutionary Itaders of Cuba is their internahonausin. Unlike the Kremlin bureau-
encourage anti-imperialist struggles arouno mae word.
Cuban troops fought alongside the government of Angola to beat back a South African invasion. Cuban troops
ing their rights too.
about the wisdom of President
many European governments.
LABOUR PARTY
the freedom struggle.
are paying with their lives for
and Reagan.
just help the workers there, as
" the rightists replied,
nity.
people is our struggle:
Victory to the Salvadoran
people and the FDR-FMLN!
US - HANDS OFF EL SALVADOR!
March and rally, Saturday April 25 Assemble 12.30 Speakers Corner backed the Ethiopians in fighting off the US-backed Somalian invasion. The Cubans have supported and given mass aid to the new revolutionary regimes in Grenada and Nicaragua.
This is because the Castro leadership knows full well that, if the revolution in Cuba is to go forward, then it must link up with workers around the world fighting imperialism. after 50 years of Stalinist degeneration, the real principles of socialist internaDespite being a tionalism. PRINCIPLES
than ever before cond Congress of the Cuban CP, on December 20 last year:
coles. prestige is the confidence that all the words revo monames must nave unal Cuba can be counted on...
are people in the world who negotiate with principles, but Cuba will never negotiate with principles."
It is Cuba's refusal to negotiate with principles wnien is way It las won lne unbridled hatred of the imperialist posses in washington. should win the unbridled respect and solidarity from workers the world over. Its fight is our fight.
porations which every day are erod-
This mass support for the strug gle has forced some capitalist governments to have second thoughts
Reagan's course. Criticism of US policy has come from Canada and
arms policies.
The Labour Party has adopted a position in support of the FDR-FMLN. The party's National Executive Committee is sponsoring an April 25 demonstration, along with the T&GWU and El Salvador Solidarity Campaign, in support of
PROPAGANDA
By taking this campaign into our factories, unions and Labour Party branches, we can help the people of El Salvador win, and we can help lower the cost that they
fighting our enemies, Thatcher
Victory in El Salvador won't
obviously important as that is. It will weaken the capitalists world- viet cities. wide and weaken their attacks on our right to jobs, social services, CIVIL DEFENCE democratic rights and human dig.
missile alert.
The struggle of the Salvadoran
US Hands off El Salvador!
tion within 48 hours".
Speakers include: Michael
Foot MP., Ted Sullivan (Nat.
Sec. T&GWU), Eric Heffer
MP., Dr Salvador Moncada US RECORD
(Representative of the FDR)
bomb came into being. the Soviets. , follow suit.
ARMS RACE Castro has re-introduced.
And, far from waning, those principles are today being applied with more vigour
As Fidel told the Se"Our revolution's prestige derives from our loyalty to prin-
And more important than the
"Principles are not negotiable. There
It is also why it SW16 INN
nuclear offensive
By TERRY VINEY (Ravensbourne CLP)
THE Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament has grown rapidly over the past year and may make unilateralism Labour Party election policy by the autumn.
Clearly worried by CND's growing impact, Tory Defence Minister John Nott is to launch a "soring offensive" t‹ build support for his expensive nuclear.
The "offensive" will not only take the form of open argument, backed up by ministerial speeches and news items
It will use all the tricks of the media:
Soviet Union is an "aggressive enemy", ana tne use or trivia to onsel concerr over expansionist policies.
The aim of this propaganda is to restate the argument for nuclear deter. rents and support for NATO programmes such as US cruise missiles.
We can expect the propaganda to be subtle. With their new weapons, MX missiles, Trident II, Cruise and Pershing, for instance, the US is planning a first-strike capability in which they can hope to win a nuclear war. Meanwhile they complain that the soviet Union na: developed a "killer satellite".
In fact, the only things it will "kill" are other satellites sent to obliterate So-
Closely linked to Nott's programme are plans recently issued by the Home Office. These plans put Britain on a 48-hour
They have been issued to local authorities, the police and the fire
Doubling the grant for civil defence in the coming year to ty million, the home Office says "... it should be assumed that there may be as little as 7 days warning of attack; and the basic essentials of plans should be capable of implementa-
Part of the plan is to carry out surveys to identify "areas like car parks suitable for use as communal shelters".
Leaving aside the callousness of such directives, the object of these proposals is to make us "think nuclear"
The only alternative conclusion is to assume the Tories don't have any confidence in their own "deterrent" arguments.
That may be so. Western powers neve: have seen their nuclear weapons as defensive. Just look at the record. The US
* dropped two atom bombs on Japan tour vears before the Soviet atomic
* had a delivery system 12 years before
* had its first medium-range missiles six years before the Soviets.
* had its first intercontinental ballistic missile two vears before the soviets
* had its first nuclear submarine 6 years before the Soviets.
* had its first submarine-launched ballistic missile 9 years before the Soviets.
* had its first multiple targeted warheads 5 years before the Soviets.
Current US expansion of arms expenditure can only make the Soviet Union
By backing this war drive the Tories are accelerating the arms race.
Reagan's administration plans to spend an extra s3z.o blon on acience. 1i wants to establish a military presence in
New from
Pathfinder:
"Revolt in El Salvador" gives
both a background history of El
Salvador and traces in depth the
current freedom struggle which
is shaking the Duarte regime -
and its backers in Washington.
Available from: Socialist Ac-
tion, P.O. Box 65, London,
PAGE 5 the Gulf area, in El Salvador and Angola
Already assistance and military equip ment have been promised to Saudi Ara-
All this reflects the statement of US Defence Secretary Weinberger when he stressed the determination "to regain the strength we have lost".
Such a view lies at the heart of the re. cent US arms build-up and the Tory determination to back it
Until the end of the Vietnam war. the West was happy to carry out "detente with the Soviet Union while dominating Third World countries.
The victory of the guerrilla army in Vietnam dispeiled all that. A spate of uprisings and revolutions followed.
The US were thrown out of Iran. The white settler regime was dismissed of in Zimbabwe. Nicaragua's tyrant Somoza fell and a successful revolution took place in Grenada
Now the butcher government in El Salvador is struggling to defend itself against a massive popular uprising.
DOMINATION
For the US it means one thing. Its objective of world domination is threats ened. A new programme to expand nuclear weapons is designed to regain the initiative for Western imperialists.
There is nothing in this war policy that will benefit working people. It will only mean further cuts in welfare services.
Every cruise missile the Tories put in Britain is a nuclear target. Every Trident means 4000 less homes.
CONFIDENCE
CND has never been so strong before. Not only should Labour Party leaders like Foot be held to their word on unilateralism. The campaign now has the forces to win layers of support among trade unionists.
Last monin s labour movement con ference must be built and acted upon. Unilateralists should gain confidence from the fears shown by the Tories in their propaganda campaign.
Revolt in
El Salvador
Page 6 scan of this page
'Our struggle is your struggle'
Why 'Reclaim the night" is no answer
EDUCATION FOR SOCIALISTS ~ What is Internationalism?
PAGE 6
Letter from H-Block:
This letter, originally written on two pieces of toilet paper, was smuggled out of the H-Blocks in March. Socialist Action received it from the Manchester Women and Ireland Group. It has been abridged for reasons of space.
"...I address this to your organisation as my comrades and I are well aware of vour work tot treedom ano mustice.
Firstly, I will briefly outline the history of our prison struggle so that you mav be abe to look at une situanon objectively and judge for yourselves the merits of our cause.
In June 1972, after a prolonged hunger strike by Republican prisoners, the British government was forced to concede to their demand to be treated as political prisoners. This was the status they held until March 1976 when the Brits, who at that time were trying to depict the Republican Movement as criminals, decided to once more break their promises and to withold political status from any future political prisoners.
But as you know, we refused to be "criminalised" and since 1976 my comlades and i nave been kept in sontary confinement, naked but for a blanket..
FAST
Last year, having explored and exhausted every possible alternative, we, the Blanketmen and women decided to hunger strike to the death in a desperate effort to regain political status and to bring an end to our miserable existence in these jails.
So, on the 27th of October last, By LIZ EASTON (Tottenham CLP)
Last Christmas, the National Union of Students (NUS) conference passed a motion requiring the union to organise a national "Reclaim the Night" march.
This was in response to the growing sexual attacks on women and the barrage of films and adverts glorifying violence against women.
Ine aim or the march was to assert the right of women to walk unmolested at night in the streets. As such it was a di-
to what was happening.
DANGER
While understandable, however, demonstrations like Reclaim the Night, which
ous logic.
Some sections of the women's movemell, no nave promotea such actions, have raised a number of demands which muluat Marsner penalties on sexual offenders and a curfew on men.
Such calls are dangerous because they suggest that men - and not society - are ago.
Every month in the pages of Social. ist Action, there are articles about the struggles waged by working peonle to liberate themselves from the injustices and exploitation we all face. Notably, we have covered the crucial struggles lanug place In nicaragua, ri salvador. Poland and Ireland.
Our desire to put the spotlight on these struggles is not simply that we find them 'interesting" or "exciting". intenalonal Issues are key because tney lead to a basic understanding of our society and the means through which we can change it.
DIVIDED
The world is divided into different counties or nanon-states. own language, culture and law. But in te majonty or tnese countries, poverty, racism, sexism and unemployment form
seven comrades within these Blocks
commenced a last and were soon
joined by three women in Armagh
and finally by another thirty prison-
ers...
As the fast progressed, support for
our cause snowballed and pressure on
Britain increased - so much so that
Thatcher, after her meeting with
Haughey, stated that she believed the
situation could be resolved without
loss of life. This could only mean one
thing (since) there had been no weak-
ening in the resolve of the prisoners
on hunger strike: an offer was immin-
ent.
SCABBED
On the 53rd day of the hunger
strike, when Sean McKenna was only
hours away from death, a document
was presented to the original seven men
on hunger strike. This document, pre-
pared by the colonial Northern Ire-
land Office, contained detailed propo-
sals from the government concerning
changes in the prison regime.
On detailed examination of the doc-
ument, the hunger strikers found that it satisfied our demands for political status and, with time running out for Sean, an end was called to the hunger strlke...
As a gesture of good will, we de-escalated our protest which would also facilitate the transition; but there was no transition - we waited, and waited and waited. As time went on, anticipation turned to suspicion and finally to anger. We had been conned, and at the root of violence against women In this way, they actually play into the hands ot the lories who are seeking to split working people, Black and white, men are women.
ALL MEN?
It is true, of course, that women are sub cello brysica altacks by some med must as blacks are suotect to harassment from some whites. This is no excuse, however, to see the enemy as men in rect and understandable reaction by some general. any more than for Black people to see their enemy as whites in general.
now can suck an ate de lec when it was the "male-dominated" labour movement which was instrumental last yeal, in Igning on the tory-led have hit the news recently, have a danger- attacks on women's abortion rights.
Calling for actions against "all men" are not just impractical. They lead to seeing the labour movement - which is the main ally in the tight for women's HAL- as an enemy. please ine natchers or eas word woo are seeking to divide up workers and take them on sector by sector.
For those who do not yet identify themselves with a socialist tendency, the left can often appear to have dissolved into a plethora of splits. Misinterpreting events, left groups have invariably lost sight of the Marxist method as set out by Trotsky when, with others, he formed the Fourth International nearly 50 years Below, Mike Rodney explains the principles of internationalism.
the largest problems for the vast majority who have to struggle for the basic ne. cessities of life.
More specifically, the world is characterised for the most part by a system by which people have to supply profit to the bosses who make up a tiny minority of the population.
The differences which exist between working people in different countries are more than outstripped by these fundamental similarities which they all face.
Recognising this, Marx stated over 100
y vals da that the system which creates
ll these inequalities, the capitalist sys tem, is the first truly international socialist order.
INJUSTICE
Like the great socialists who followed him, such as Lenin and Trotsky, Marx appreciated that, despite its interna-
though it is hard to admit, outmanoeuvred by the treacherous British
double-dealing and backtracking...
PROTEST
the Brits had reneged, we discussed the situation and what to do about it. We decided that there were only two alternatives open to us.
as it was before the hunger strike, in the faint hope that Britain might finally find it in her heart to treat us fairly, or we could once more commence CLASS JUSTICE
tacks.
when they hear people calling for
harsher penalties and curtews
contam une most nanome elements or
working people-often Black youth.
people the laws devised by the ruling class
men so punished will be working class,
nothing to eradicate rape.
CURFEW This can only
ary. Calling on the state to deny demo Trotsky, like Lenin, Marx and Engels before him, fought for international perspective. tional nature, capitalism was responsible for war and the massive social injustices confronting millions of people.
La hunger strike.
politicians who are renowned for their
When we were absolutely sure that FREEDOM
We could either continue our protest
Moreover, the demands raised by these
layers of the women's movement actu-
ally help the class enemies in their at-
They must rub their hands in glee
After all, prisons and borstals exist to
Their function is to enforce on working
REACTIONARY
If harsher penalties were introduced as fit punishments for rape or other sexual offences, it will not be male members of the ruling class who are sentenced. The
particularly Black workers. It would do
set out to challenge.
As for the imposition of a curfew, the idea is not only impractical but reaction-
cratic rights to working class men would
JUST SOCIETY
ety.
place across tre worle
To have opted for the former would fence. have, we believe, shown weakness on our behalf, so we unanimously elected for another hunger strike.
On March 1st, the fifth anniversary of the withdrawal of political status, Bobby Sands, a personal friend of mine, began a hunger strike to the death. Bobby, like the vast majority of his 500 or so comrades in these blocks and Armagh jail (on the blanket), was only a teenager when he first came into jail.
He has spent the last nine Christturn sociery into a ruling class paradise.
It is not hard to imagine what use the cops would make of such increased power supporting such a campaign? molaces like baxton or soutnan wmere they already operate vicious harassment against young Black people.
Giving the cops these powers would enable them to crack down not only on Blacks, but on any sector or the working class involved in struggles for their nguts - such as sulkers or pickers
In this sense, the demands of the Reclaim the Night supporters are reactionary and should be thoroughly opposed inside the labour movement. society.
They pose the outdated stereotype that women are "natural victims" of men who are "natural aggressors", stereotypes which the earlier women's movement
By posing men as the aggressor, they turn their backs on the labour movement and call on the Thatchers of this world lu take away une aemocrauc mis of workers generally. Is it any wonder that
To resolve these problems, the whole system has to be replaced by a more duvancea order, a soclanst order, wnich would enable working people to live in harmony, peace and freedom This involves a world-wide struggle by working people against the ruling rich.
This struggle goes on all the time, though its form, speed and intensity vary tom place to place. ror example while the workers in Britain or France struggle mainly around the issues of wages and working conditions, the people of El Salvador and Iran are rising up against their bosses and imperialist masters to kick them out.
No matter where these struggles take place nor what form they take, they are all part of the process wherein working people seek to create a just and free soci-
No matter where they are, socialists and workers must express solidarity and support liberation struggles taking themselves.
Failure to do this can be critical. If, for instance, workers in Britain fail to ahead.
SOCIALIST ACTION mases inside this camp, four with and five without political status. When he was outside, Bobby was a tireless worker for freedom. He fought for the freedom of all oppressed people of Ireland..
SUPPORT
The British government believes that, having defused the last hunger strike, they are now in a stronger position and can now much more easily afford to let prisoners die.
Bobby Sands and those who will shortly join him on hunger strike are under no illusions about the compassion of the enemy. They are prepared to die and very likely will die unless that massive pressure directed at Britain aurig une last nunger surike 1. once more applied..
You too are involved in a struggle and you know that at times of crisis. those who are not for you are against you. There can be no sitting on the
It is hard for me not to become emotional when the lives of our friends are hanging in the balance, but I ask for your support, not as a friend of the comrades in question, but as a brother of yours in struggle. Our struggle is your struggle, our victory is your victory..."
Struggle and Solidarity Jackie McCullan H-Block 5, Long Kesh figures like Mary Whitehouse, hardly a radical, has been to the forefront in
ANSWER
This doesn't mean, of course, that vio lence against women isn't a real problem It is. Women are abused - much more often in the home than on the street -by individual men warped by present vanilalist soviet
ine way lo ena suca violence is not t call on the ruling class which creates it to crack down on working class men. It is, on the contrary, to extend women's rights and our full participation in
By fighting key struggles such as for the right to abortion, to nurseries, to a job and so on, we can challenge those prejudices which are at the root of the abuse of women.
In this fight, the ruling class is our enemy. Working class men, on the other hand, are our allies. Both of us together nave everytning to gain by uprooting thi system which exploits and oppresses us.
support the struggle in El Salvador, it is because they have capitulated to the nationalism which the bosses, through Reagan and Thatcher seek to encourage.
If British workers support the struggle in El Salvador, not only are they helping the uprising itself. They will have dealt a blow al reagan and i natcher wno are holding down workers in their own countries.
SOCIALISTS
Unfortunately, in this country man socialists fail in practice to understand the importance of having an internationalist perspective. For example, the Militant groupig traditionally has given scall coverace or support o gera tion struggles in Central America.
Militant and other groups are charac. • terised by an inability to grasp, in practice the internationalist tradition forged by Marx, Lenin and Trotsky with whom they so love to try to identify
Internationalism must form the central pivot for all socialists in the struggle
Page 7 scan of this page
Militant ~ will it meet the challenge?
APRIL 1981 THERE is a growing radicalisation in the labour movement. As Thatcher's attacks bite home, increasing numbers are being forced into action to defend jobs, wages, democratic rights and the right not to be a victim of the Tories' nuclear insanity.
It is this fight-back which explains the deepening turmoil in the unions and Labour rally. Workers are coming into conflict with the pro-Tory policies of the leaders, some of whom have already moved house and others of whom are busy trying to barricade tne farlament ary Labour Party door.
In this situation, Militant, a large Marxist current, has some distinct advantages. Well-rooted in the CLPs and some unions, it is uniquely placed to lead this radicalisation into á real fight for socialist policies. How is it living up to the challenge?
CND
The remarkable thing is, that while being uniquely placed, Militant is being by-passed by the radicalisation. Far from being involved in the struggles erupting in the labour movement, it has either ignored them or lined up against them.
A clear example of this is with CND. A mass movement has erupted against Tory plans to turn Britain into a nuclear graveyard. Thousands of union and Labour Party members have taken part in actions on the streets against Thatcher's policies.
While being led by a confused number of pacifists and multilateralists, such mobilisations reflect the instinctive hostility of thousands of workers to Tory attempts to boost the arms race at the very time they are axing social services.
ATTACK
What has been Militant's reaction to
the growing anti-war movement? Has it
By MIKE SMITH (Southwark NUT)
THE disciplinary panel of the Na-
tonal Union or leacners (YU 1) Has de-
cided to get tough. Five officers of the
Lambeth branch have been suspended
from the union for six months. Nation-
al executive member Dick North has a
twelve-month sentence.
They will be unable to hold office for
a further 18 months and must under-
take not to "break the rules" after this
Willie.
The move follows a decision of Lam-
beth NUT to support the Lambeth day
of action against the cuts last February.
Despite Lambeth branch voting over-
whelmingly to take on the Tories, union
leaders have chosen to victimise its offi-
cers.
PRESSURE
All industrial action of the NUT has
to go to an "action committee" and be
approved by the NEC. This rule 8 was
adopted unact ngat-wung pressure I
1974 to prevent militancy on a local
basis. As a result, any official action is
ponderous and firmly in the hands of
Review:
Cuba for
beginners
Today, Cuba occupies a central place
in world politics. US President Reagan
sees Cuba as being behind every fight
waged by people for their rights in the
Caribbean, Latin America and ever
Africa.
How can this smalı country be such
a massive problem for Reagan and
four previous presidents over the last
20 years?
And how can it be such an inspir-
ation to literally hundreds of millions
of toilers around the world?
As Cuba for Beginners explains, the answer is simple: Cuba carried out a
identified with the feelings of thousands and got involved and built the campaign! On the contrary, their attitude was sunmed up by Rob Sewell in the March 29 issue of the paper:
"Those in the leadership of CND who imply that the struggle for peace must take precedence over the fight for socialism are completely misguided. Without the overthrow of capitalism, there can never be a lasting peace."
Sewell is correct, of course, to pinpoint the confused thinking of CND leaders. But what Sewell does - and what Militant always do nose the fight tor socialism to Inal growing up against nuclear missiles in Britain. It leads, in practice, to Militant standing on the sidelines talking about
NUT ~ Defend ILTA eight!
ine leaderstup Even so, the suspended Lambeth offi-
cers tried to secure support from the union s action commelice.
General Secretary Fred Jarvis instructed them to withdraw the can to action This was before the action committee had reached its decision.
The three left candidates for elections to ILTA - NUT's London body - have also been reprimanded. This is because they gave support to Lambeth's call Iot action while carrying out their election
CLAMPDOWN
This is clearly an attempt to discredit the left and shows why the NEC felt it important to clamp down on unofficial actions while an election was on.
These disciplinary measures coincide
with two significant events. First, the ILTA elections, where the three left
candidates came within 200 votes of
winning while over 300 votes were de-
clared null and void.
Second, it coincides with the capitu-
lation of the NUT executive to the
government on pay, by accepting a 7½
socialist revolution. Power was taken out of the hands of the big US corpor ations and Cuban parasites and put in
the hands of working people.
This enabled the Cubans to eradi-
cate hunger, illiteracy, poverty, un-
employment and all the other social
injustices inflicted on the Third World.
Racism was uprooted, and Black
Cubans gained an equal place - both
in practice and in law.
Big steps were taken in the fight for
women's equality. These included a
massive increase in jobs, the break-
down in job discrimination, guaran-
teed rights to abortion, child-care
provision and other services. Women
were no longer bound to the home.
Health, education and other social
servicestare now the best in Latin
America and - in many areas - are
ahead of the United States. The av-
erage Cuban life expectancy is now
longer than ot many workang Prop
le in the US, the wealthiest and
most advanced capitalist country.
The fight for socialist policies in the labour movement takes more than resolution-passing at conferences and branch meetings.
real struggle.
GENERAL stance, of course. It can be seen in
abortion
TUC was forced to launch a mass
Corrie's anti-abortion bill.
back down and the bill was finally percent wage settlement. Fred Jarvis had predicted confidently that the
Instead. defended it as "the going rate"
been talking about joint action with
HILTH 1
have the effect of suppressing grass roots activity and will keep policy-
Dureaucials
ganisations to the NUT.
needs funds. for information to:
27, Wheathill Road, London SE20.
For into the hearts of the ruling classes of the world. assistalle
bodies in these fields!
South African racists.
to read more in depth studies.
METHOD
on April 5.
in the labour movement. socialism while thousands are involved in
There is nothing new in this sectarian
ADAPTATION Militant's attitude to other struggles that have emerged in recent years in the la-. bour movement. Another clear example is that of the fight for women's right to
In 1979, under the pressure from women in the unions and Labour Party, the 60,000-strong demonstration against places.
The action was so large, it forced the government to
By JASON HILL
union would accept this increase and
For months the union executive has other workers and has now turned its in stoke on tient. back on the rest of the public sector, by taking an offer that most have refused.
Preventing militants from holding office is a novel step by the NEC. It will
making firmly in the hands of union
UNITY
We need to fight against these actions. Widespread support for the suspended six has come from many sectors of the labour movement and resolutions of support should be sent from all or-
In addition, the defence campaign
Donations and requests
'Lambeth NUT Defence Commitee,
Swart commented.
LABOUR PARTY
These gains by the Cuban workers
- as this book shows - struck horr-
Fences.
what nortited tem even more was
that the Cuban people and their re-
volutionary leaders believed in sharing
their good fortune with workers in
other countries. They provide not just
an example but a voice for the oppres-
sed of the world and massive material
Cuban doctors, teachers and tech-
nicians help people of many countries
overcome disease and illiteracy. Cuba
gives more aid than the United Nations
Cuban troops helped the Angolan
government defeat an invasion by the
Cuba for Beginners tells the story of
Cuba and how the revolution was made.
Because it is done in cartoon and hum-
orous form, it is an excellent place to
start exploring Cuba, before going on
What was Militant's attitude on this is. sue of direct concern to millions of working class women? Did they, like others, seek to mobilise the labour movement to kill the bill. No, once again, they abstained. They counterposed the fight for "socialism" to the real struggle under their noses.
Such a sectarian attitude can be seen on a number of issues - from the fight against the cuts to that against the Tory racist offensive. It was only under pressure that they joined in the CARL action
How is it that a so-called Marxist tendency can stand aloof from struggles involving thousands in defence of their rights? The answer lies in their mistaken view of how socialist policies can be won
For Militant, the fight for socialism does not come out of these struggles They do not grasp that workers, involved in action to defend their rights, will in. creasingv see the need lor socianst solu tions. On the contrary, they see these struggles as a diversion away from the "gospel" they are destined to "preach".
Thus it is that they continually abstain from them or, as in the case of CND, actually line up against them.
In many ways, of course, this almost fear of action stems from their adaptation to the arid traditions ol tne labout bureaucracy in Britain. Constant years in CLPs has bred an inward-looking attitude which finds itself more at home in resolution-passing than building struggles on the streets or in the work-
Moreover, it is this adaptation to the arid traditions which explain its backward attitude to the fight for women's, Black or other national minorities' rights. in action.
Stoke Socialist Action Forum
THE trade unions and the Labour Party
will continue to be the central arena for
the struggle to bulla socialism in Dillell.
That was the conclusion of a Socialist
Action public forum held on March 23
Discussion at the forum was lead by
Bob Swart who explained, "Wide layers
are being drawn into struggle. The
Black population is only one example.
The mass demonstrations against unem-
ployment, the cuts and nuclear weapons
all represent attempts by workers to
defend their rights and living standards."
Not only were these demonstrations
increasingly made up of ordinary work-
ing people, rather than the "radical left"
but also more and more of those workers
are realising that the lores cannot be
stopped except by a united response,
across all sectors of the working class.
"These workers now going into action
are demanding that their unions and the
Labour Party show their mettle. They're
approach of the labour bureaucrats," not content witn tne ao-noce
This could be seen in the radical shift
left of policy at Labour Party confer-
Moreover, the NEC has also been
CUBA foR
BEGINNERS
RIUS Cuba for Beginners, Rius, Pathfinder Press, New York, 1970. Available irom socialist Action. Box 65. Lon don SW16 INN, £2.20 (includes post-
PAGE 7 Militant's refusal to support the fight for abortion rights, to back CARL or the struggle to get the troops out of Ireland smacks of accommodating to the prejudices that exist in certain sections ot tae british about movement
This is particularly true on the question of Ireland where the Militant current, refusing to recognise the national struggle in the North and opposed to the Marxist position of oppressed nationalities' right to self-determination, have consistently refused to support the struggle to get the
INTERNATIONAL
This chauvinist attitude - and that is what it is - is part of a broader inability of Militant to view the class struggle on an international level. It is the most insular of the insular left groups in Britain.
Their refusal to support the struggle of the Irish freedom fighters, a fight championed by Marx and Engels, para lels their refusal, at the time of the US invasion of Vietnam, to become part of the mass movement tighting for thi Vietnamese people's right to self-determination
Today, that insularity can be seen yet again in their refusal to support the solidarity actions occurring with the struggle in Central America - in Nicaragua, El Salvador and Grenada - which is under fire from US imperialism.
BY-PASSED?
It is a rare occurrence for a Marxist current to, when the mass movement arises, actually abstain from it or feel threatened by it.
That is unfortunately the case with Militant. In the years ahead, as struggles continue to develop, either it will begin to lose its sectarian policies and adapt to the mass movement. Or - and this is the only alternative - it will be bypassed
pushed into actually mobilising on the basis of these policies. Secondly, big
gains had been made in democratising
the Labour Party
This is vital if the unions and Labour
Party are to implement class policies,
and not those of the bosses. It is this
that has forced the gang of twelve out of
the party - they couldn't tace the
thought of being held accountable for
their actions.
Swart also stressed the importance foI
socialists in this country of having real
solidarity with workers and peasants
around the world who are engager in
their own struggles.
DEMONSTRATIONS
The talk provoked a lively response
from the meeting. One person pointed
to the many huge demonstrations which
had baen organised by the labour move-
ment in recent months, such as at Liver-
pool and Glasgow against unemploy-
ment and in London against nuclear
weapons These were concrete evidence
of Swart's observations
A fund-raising speech by Ann Westcott
raised f8 for the Socialist Action fund
drive
The forum is the first in a new series
to be held in Stoke-on-Trent. For de-
tails of further forums phone Jason at
0782-813401
EVENTS LONDON Support the hunger strikers! Socialist Action public forum: Thursday April 16, 7.30 pm, Room 7, Friends Hse, Euston Road.
Revolution in Central America. Socialist Action day school: Sunday April 12, 10.00 am. For further details, ring 01-769-1160 STOKE-ON-TRENT Socialist Action Public forums, held bi-weekly. Contact: Jason, 281 3401.
BRIDLINGTON LPYS Conference. Socialist Action public meeting. Saturday, April 18, Southcliffe Hotel (opposite conference centre), 6.30 pm.
Page 8 scan of this page
No Soviet intervention!
GLC elections ~ Vote Labour
Published by Socialist Action, P.O.Box No65, London SW16 INN, England. Editor Terry Viney, Printed by Spider Web Offset (TU) 9 Rosemon: Rd.. London NW'3.
Socialist Action
Poland:
By ANN WESTCOTT (Salford CLP)
Solidarity, the independent Polish trade union federation, won another important victory on March 29.
Threatening national strike action, they forced the Stalinist government to Dack down on the use or repressive tac tics against Solidarity members and Polish dissidents.
in paruculal, tne government agreed to hold an investigation into the police alton al byagoszcz waco tea to tne severe beating up of union activists involved in a sit-in of the provincial Assembly Chamber.
The Bydgoszcz action was only one of a senes ol lnug-uke lactics launchea by the government.
Making use of the 90-day no-strike period which had been agreed with union leaders, the Polish authorities had begun to arrest and intimidate union activists and launch a scurrilous anti-Semitic camara to anyde workers.
As Warsaw Solidarity spokesperson Janusz Onyszkiewicz put it, on March 7: "It looks like pressure is building up at all levels, starting at the lower level with tne narassment or our activists and ending at the higher level with the detention of Jacek Kuron."
SLANDER
Kuron - a leading Polish socialist -was detained by the police on March 5 for so-called "slandering the state" and ordered to report twice a week to the local police station. Another leading dissident, Adam Michnick, was also threatened with arrest in Wroclow.
Uther reports of thug tactics bv the police on trade union activists had become known. In kaaon, lour youtns were beaten up on March 10 for telling a man not to tear down Solidarity posters.
Even more scurrilous was the distribution - obviously under government super-
By JANE ANSELL (Finchley CLP)
THE GLC election on May 7 will give Londoners the chance to show the Tories what we think of their policies.
Uver the last four vears Horace Cutler has led a Tory council and the capital has been in rapid decay.
Along with government policy nationally, the GLC has engaged in a vicious onslaught against the services of working people.
Cutler boasts, for instance, that "the present Conservative adminsiration has cut the pre-1977 (Labour) programme of 6,500 annual housing starts to almost nil."
And that's not all. The best housing owned by the authority is being sold off
hope of moving into better accommodaLOR.
TRANSPORT SLASHED
The Tories are slashing transport servIces Too. Al a time wnen more and more railway stations are working part-time, bus services are facing cutbacks. For this deteriorating service, bus users have forked out for four fare increases in two vears
For those using the tubes, it's even worse. Since coming to office four years ago, the Tories have raised underground fares by 300 percent.
SCHOOLS
Nor are the Tories too worried about London's school children. wnue tney
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vision - of anti-Semitic leaflets.
RACIST
Such leaflets and posters called upon
the Poles to rise up against "Jewish"
chauvinists" attempting to "usurp pow-
er" through Solidarity. They were either
unsigned or signed by a previously un-
known organisation calling itself the
"Generation Always Faithful to the
Homeland".
Calling on workers to "stand firm against this attempt at anti-semetic ac-
tion", Solidarity indicted the government
for it. Some CP members nad been seen
sucking up tne posters ana aistrouting
une readers
There is nothing new in this. In
March 1968, the Stalinist leaders
sought to suppress a mass student
struggle for democratic rights by carryme out a vicous anu-emsa wich -nunt
which forced thousands to leave their
country.
RESPONSE
The Polish Stalinists' despicable actions,
however, only served to alienate more
and more sections of society. Solidarity
by launching a 3000-strong demonstra-
tion on March 8 in Warsaw to commemorate the student struggle.
In Lodz, Radom and Wroclow, workers
in Solidarity called strikes in protest against the victimisation of local union members and the attacks on leading dissidents such as Kuron.
Most important of all, the events at Bydgoszcz in which three Solidarity members were beaten up, unleashed a national protest. strike were made unless the government was prepared to back down on its repressive tactics.
PROVOCATION
There are two main factors behind the Polish Stalinists' provocative actions. The first is that they know that their have led to large-scale redundancies among teachers.
buy privileges through private education, the state education system which all workers' children must use is going to the dogs.
Not only do they want to hold back schools spending power. They planned to break up the Inner London Education
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Soviet bureaucrats.
might end up in jail for their crimes if workers win control of the country.
try and crush the workers' movement. It is a question of self-survival.
frightened of the implications for their own country should the workers in Poland win. called for "urgent action" against what
PLEASE
DONT SACK
MY TEACHER
Tories wanted to break up the Inner London Education Authority - which would
Authority and turn over to local councils the job of running the schools.
Had this been allowed to happen, richer boroughs like Kensington and Chelsea would have offered far better
as Lambeth or Southwark.
By LEN WAGSTAFF (Salford CLP)
factory in Manchester took bold action last month to try to force their boss to
ber and Allied Trades Union (FTAT).
rate for their work, the workforce -mostly women - have been on strike since February 27, and briefly occupied the factory in March
tried numerous tricks to break the struggle for recognition.
Polish workers fight for full democratic and political rights is under threat from
jobs and special privileges - their better housing, food and country homes - are
No doubt they also know they dating threat.
ANTI-SOCIALIST?
Their existence as a privileged caste is mcompaoe wan true workers acmocracy and this is why they are driven to
The second factor is the continuing pressure from Moscow officials who are
The Moscow Stalinists have mek recentlv.
JOBS ries have done nothing.
doner.
changed.
CONFERENCE are called lor
opportunities than poorer boroughs such
WORKERS at Royal Pride furniture
recognise teir union, te rurniture, lim-
After four months of negotiating for wages to be paid at the nationally agreed
Royal Pride boss Robert Nowak has
factory.
so."
GAINS they call "imperialist and reactionary forces" and have held Warsaw Pact army manoeuvres on the border as an intimi-
Articles in the Soviet media have presented Solidarity as little more than a front for "anti-socialist" conspirators. But nothing could be further from the truth. Solidarity brings together the most class-conscious Polish workers the best defenders of socialism and de-
This was summed up by Brosniko Gere-
AS One ol Solanty e advisers, he said: the Polish system was
That time they were stopped in their tracks by the Save ILEA Campaign
London's dockland is now a disaster zone. As protits fell. big business interests stripped the docks of its jobs.
ALnouan une area represents ore or con don's greatest assets, with opportunities for housing, jobs and industry, the To-
All this means less jobs. One in ten of the country's unemployed is a Lon-
With a purposeful programme to revitalise housing, transport and the services generally, all that could be
io wonder lnal at Labour s Wreatel London conference there was overwhelming support for a policy against the cuts. Its manifesto plans to reinstate council. all cuts in the bus, underground and British Rail services. A 25 percent remurdon m London 1ransporl lares. mo dernisation of tubes and a "lorry ban' there
Labour will refuse Tory plans to hand over 70,000 council houses to local boroughs and to carry out a programme to •uu more come nouses ana to modernise council estates. Labour opposes the sale of council houses.
Most working people have had
Women workers occupy
Dismissal notices were sent out. A section of the workforce was offered a rise just Delore a secret ballot took place and finally, the strikers were offered the full pay agreement, including back pay ing in. and improved working conditions - providing the union was not recognised.
But the workers know that the right to organise is vital it they are to defend their right to jobs and decent wages. uney nave retusca to buase.
Nowak managed to obtain a court order to end the occupation, but the picket remains solid and no stock is leaving the
Salford.
APRIL 1981 being challenged "not because it is socialist, but because it is insufficiently
Workers in Poland do not want to go back to capitalism. They want to go forward to a situation in which workers themselves democratically decide how the country should be run.
This is why Solidarity's growth has been so rapid - taking in, according to the Economist of March 14 about one million of the three million CP members themselves.
Solidarity has grown because more and more sectors of the population -workers, farmers, students and intellectuals — see it as a loice to ngni arbitrary arrests, censorship and the privileges of a small bureaucratic elite.
They identify with it against the anti-socialist forces of the Stalinist leaders Who are prepared even to use the wors racist filth to protect their own perks.
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
In an interview with Italian journalist Oriana Falluci which appeared in the March 8 Washington Post, Solidarity leader Lech Walesa pointed out: "If the government says "This is a mess, we resign', Solidarity should take the responsibility and I should take the situation into my hands."
Falluci, wanting to make sure she had understood him, asked: "Did you really say that should the government fail, Solidarity should govern and you would lake une stuaton into your own hands?"
Walesa replied: "Yes, I said it." This is what frightens the bureaucrats in Poland and their mentors in Moscow - the idea of workers taking over society and running it in their interests as they have in Cuba and are doing in Nicaragua and Grenada. It is an idea which workers in the West, faced with growing attacks on our rights, should identifi with totall!. enough of Toryism. They want a party that will defend their jobs and services.
But the Tories have one trump card. Labour councils have aroused doubt and mistrust by the way they have pushed up the rates. At a time of government strin gency measures, it is working families wio can least allora suen massive lalt
Labour councuors nave sorated work' ers from the struggle against Heseltine's cuts. Instead of leading mass protest - through the unions and Labour Par ties - Labour councillors have substitutea the class lor tnemselves
Since councillors cannot replace the working class in the fight against the Tories, they have effectively turned on working people instead.
TIGHT CONTROL
That is why Labour Party members have to keep a tight control over the acmons or tael representatives on ta
Al tnose elected onto une urle musi be made to understand that it was not simply the electorate who put them
Because they stood as Labour candidates and not as independents, they must carry out party policy.
That means sticking to conference decisions. It means accepting re-selectior if necessary. It means sweeping London clean or lory wreckers and winning back our hard-won services.
Labour movement support for the Roy. al Pride workers has grown steadily. Mass pickets are held outside the factory every Monday, and donations are flood
Labour MP Frank Allaun spoke at a meeting to support the strikers, which was well attended.
Donations can be sent, payable to "Royal Pride Strike Fund" , FTAT, 37 Anson Rd, Manchester MI4 SDB. Dele. gations to help the picket, can help from
7.30am, Royal Pride, New Bridge St,
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