things to come During the past three weeks two important workers' struggles have occurred in Portugal. One, at the textile factory of Manuel Goncalves, Lay. represented a setback for the working class; the other, at the multinational firm of Timex, shows the likely future development of strugOn 4 February the Government decided to hand back the factory of Manuel Goncalves to its owner of the same name. This is the first time that a company previously taken over by the state has been returned to private The bourgeoisie, both in Portugal and internationally, hope that this move will be the first of many. The latter are concernea nor pecause men anterests nave been taken over in the past, but because a svstemade anempero ae-nadonause the economy can only be carried through in a situation or poncal stability were the working class has suffered a decisive It is quite obvious that the present militancy of the workers movement will not permit the generalisation of such moves. Indeed, the Azevedo Government has been forced to insist that no workers can be sacked for attempting to oust Goncalves. He had wanted to purge 17 of those responsible for his removal.
Goncalves was kicked out of the factory last August for financial ma oracuces - trom sorose ne conducted a campaign to get back, and eventually managed to win tne backing of over half the workforce.
Using the cover of the sectarian campaign of the Socialist Party leader ship over the summer months against the Communist Party and the revolutionary left, right-wing parties like the PPD (ropwar bemocrane rarty) and tne CDS (Social Democratic Centre) began to encourage the more politically backward workers to engage in violent attacks against the left. In the town of Villa Nova de Famalicao those supporting the purging of the Goncalves management were attacked. Since 25 November the ngut nas intenstea this poncy or STATEMENT These provocations provoked the Villa Nova Socialist Party to issue tne Taking account of recent events which have occurred at the textile factory of Manuel Goncalves and elsewhere, the "(1) Denounces the climate of intimidation existing in various factories physical threats, some carried out, and black lists which precede nothing other than a fascist process, which brings back (2) Supports the struggles by workers issions. threatened by political victimisation which are taking place in numerous redundancies by all means at our disposal.
(3) Reaffirms, to all the workers, that the real solution to their problems will come through the destruction of capitalist society and the construction of a statements ake us snow me cea possibility of building a united front of the whole working class against the bosses. advance of economic and political reaction. They also indicate the tensions within the Socialist Party, where since the events of November a left current has emerged led by the minister of agric ulture, Lopes Cardoso. He now ranks alongside CP leader Cunhal as the persor the northern small farmers, egged on by workers control, and the fixing of the hours of work, with a perspective of the necessity to establish a rational working It is within this framework that a number of recent struggles have broken out, the most notable being that at the announced 700 redundancies and a three dav week for a further 500. After protests the bosses generously offered an alternative - 610 redundancies and half pay for the rest, or 1,200 lost jobs When the workers - who have a nistory of struggle since ine days perore - still refused, the Timex management locked them out. Some thing which was made illegal after 25 April! Preparations are now being made to occupy the plant, with the support of the local trade unions.
When Timex built their factory in Caparica in 1971 it was as part of a general pattern of multinational investment. Their new plants in Scotland, France and Portugal gave them access to the EEC, EFTA and Brazilian markets. In Portugal they had a workforce of mainly women • uncualica, youns, vaury pard. and working a nine hour day with an unpaid 45 minute break.
RECONVERSION None of the Timex factories in Europe brouuce and assemoie compicte watches For example, in Portugal they merely assemole me paris. cleariv mat makes u difficult for the workers to do a Lip' that is, use the factory to produce watches to finance their own struggle.
Instead, as has been demanded in other industries for example, the Lisnave and Setenave ship yards - they are calling tor the reconversion of the whole sector. As they say themselves:
Portugal spends a fortune in currency to import precision pieces. We know that wo car reconverL me machmicry In une Timex factory in Portugal to produce such instruments.
Demands like this are increasingly being raised in Portugal today. simpl because the generalised world recession nas mut nardest at is weakest capitals! link - the Portuguese economy. Large sectors of the economy are working under capacity; unemployment stands at 17 per cent of the labour force; and the muitinationals are still refusing credit and spare parts (for example lilty buses stand idle in Lisbon garages due to the failure of British Leyland to dispatch spares)
The only solution for the working class lies with the reconversion of sectors of the economy; the development of generalised workers control and the elaboration of a workers plan to solve the crisis. To do this will mean extending the tentauve steps so rar taken toward: the coordination of the workers commCONFERENCE The Time workers have called for the coordination or workers employed by the multinationals; Fiat, Havas, General mectric, and General Motors have replied favourably. Already Plessey and ITT workers have joined forces against their respective multinational British workers can play their part in the Portuguese revolution by taking up the role of the multinationals and the Labour Government in sabotaging the Portuguese struggle. Almost all the British firms involved have been engaged in this. To give just one example, all stocks from the Portuguese Timex subsidiary have