One of the biggest weaknesses revealed by the Chrysler fiasco is the lack of an anternative worners oroovamme vor me motor industry, developing a plan which can detend jobs and suggest alternetive one nstitute or workers controna organised a conference for Saturday 31 January which aims to discuss these questions. The chairperson is Audrey Wise MP, and among the speakers will be brian seacemore Mr. Linwood conveno John Carty, Ford Dagenham convenor Sid Harroway, Rover Solihull AUEW convenor Peter Nicholas, and Leyland Longbridge AUEW convenor Derek ur course the vital tning is to organist a mont aroune an alternative workers programme, and none of the invited speakers has actually done this. Never theless the opportunity for militants from all the major car plants to come together is important and Red Weekly will be carrying articles on what it sees as une tasks or unis conterence in ine light of the Chrysler setback.
The conference starts at 10.15 am at the AUEW Hall, Smallbrook Ringway, Birmingham. Details of registration from Ken Fleet, IVC. Bertrand Russell House 45 Gamble Street, Nottingham.
NEW 'MODERATE' Last week Alan Thornett, a leading member of the Workers Socialist League, was elected as cnairman or the ransoor d General Workers Union 5/293 branch at Cowley. His opponent, described in The Times, Telegraph, and Express as a 'mod erate, and supported by Reg parson's right-wing leadership of the plant and Communist Party supporters at Cowley, was tom nITe Tom White is certainly a 'moderate", having stood in elections for Ryder's class collaborationist participation committees He is also a member of the Workers Revolutionary Party We have yet to see Gerry Healy's "dialectical' explanation of this
lessons of the 20s and 30s 4 Unemployment Red Weekly 8 January 1976 militants had been dismayed and enraged by ine capitaton or me orcial cadets during the General Strike, and disgusted by the failure of the 'lefts to fight these betrayals. The policy of building 'Red Unions' and organising workers separately, away from the infections of social democracy, contained a certain appeal Thus the movement set a course for isolating the struggles of the most advanced workers and the unemployed from the wide labour movment, and in doing so let the official leaders off the hook completely. This was seen in the character of the unemployed struggles in the early 1930s.
HUNGER MARCHES The hunger marches continued. In 1932 in Belfast and Birkenhead the barricades went up as workers opposed the Means Test and cuts in unemployment benefits. On 13 September 1932, 10,000 unemployed in Birkenhead demonstrated to the Public Assistance Committee. Hundreds of police were drafted in from across the water in Liverpool, and skirmishes took place between police and demonstrators and some arrests were made.
Two days later, at another peaceful demonstration, the police drew their batons and charged the crowds. That night the town rallied to a protest demonstration which was again set on by the police. A fierce pitched