As the Labour Party meets in conference at Blackpool a wave of anger and resentment against the policies of the Wilson Government is beginning to sweep through the working class.
Workers at NVT are fighting against Government attempts to close the factory. The Blastfurnacemen have won at least a temporary victory. On Saturday 20 September, 7,000 people took to the streets in London protesting at the collaboration of Wilson with the counter-revolutionary leaders of the Portuguese Socialist Party.
The removal of Prentice in Newham has encouraged party activists to initiate similar action in Hammerto crush it in the embrace of NATO and the Common Market. as several Spanish groups - LCR-ETA (VI). PSOE and FRAP Ucracy - I conmit tnemselves to the Portuguese solidarity movement.
tinue on the road to socialism and a workers state.
smith North and Hayes & Harlington.
These struggles are just the portents of even bigger struggles to come. However, the weakness inside the workers movement is that most of these struggles remain unco-ordinated and lack a central organised focus. Nor do they share either an agreed programme or agreed aims for united action.
INITIATIVES Many different initiatives are taking place. The Tribune Group has called for the establishment of a campaign to defend the Labour Party Manifesto. This winter the Institute of Workers Control is organNearly 7,000 people marched through the streets of London last Saturday to strike a blow for the Portuguese revolution against the attempts of Wilson and his cronies Apart from large contingents organised by the International Socialists, the Communist Party, and the International Marxist Group, there were also a number of trade union banners - including the AUEW, Ford Halewood workers, T&GWU International and London Bookshops branches, UCATT Midland Region, EEPTU Glas gow, NUR Feltham, NALGO Tower Hamlets, NUT Wandsworth, NUJ Book branch, APEX Holborn, and CPSA British Museum. Trades councils represented included Southwark, Nottingham, Leicester, Brent, Islington, Camden, Croydon, and Coventry. There were also a number of branches of the Labour Party Young Socialists, as well Greetings to the demonstration came from several groups in Portugal, among them the CUF co-ordinating committee of workers' commissions, the executive of the Transport Workers Union of Lisbon, and a.mass meeting of Plessey workers. Arter a raily in hyde park a large number of demonstrators marched to the Spanish Embassy to protest at the eleven death sectences so far imposed by the Franco Unfortunately the impact of the demonstration was marred by the attempts of members of the International Socialists to disrupt the Hyde Park rally. After a tremendous speech by a representative from Radio Renascenca, the next speaker was announced as Juditi Hart MP - who, whatever her other failings, has consistently spoken out against the manoeuvres of imperialism and right-wing social democracy to frustrate the workers' struggles in Portugal. Immediately IS members tried to drown her out with shouts of 'Social Democracy - Out. Workers' DemIt would be hard to think of a more inappropriate combination of slogan and action. All the IS action achieved was to discredit the whole mobilisation, and pro vide the the Labour and trade union bureaucrats with the perfect excuse for refusing to Nevertheless, the possibilities for building such a movement are now excellent. The next step must be to establish local committees in every area to carry forward the campaign. Everything must be done to ensure that the reactionary plans of the Labour leaders are invarted, and mat te rortuguese workers are tree to con ising a Conference to discuss the fight against unemployment and a campaign for the Manifesto. number of organisations have sprung into existence to fight on tion Campaign has fought a consis(Amendment) Bill. The Medical against the cuts in the NHS on 1l October. Within these campaigns there are many different political Tribune, Militant, the Communist Party, the IMG, the IS etc.
different issues are necessary it is particular issues. The National Abortent battle against the James White Committee Against Private Practice now supported by two national unions - is organising a Conference organisations and groupings such as Whilst many campaigns on many
ропида red weekly o september 19/3 The situation in Portugal seems likely to provoke a major row