Of all the Eastern European countries, Hungary & the one most often quoted as an example -in both the Western Communist and the bourgeois press:
The first, looking for a model of socialism tess hideous than that of the Soviet Union, has As for the bourgeois press, striving to show the convergence between socialism and capitalism, it has enthusiastically underlined the of a market economy. But the facts are now increasingly calling both these conceptions into guestion.
Of major importance in this development has heen the recent trial of Miklos Haraszti, a 28year old poet given an 3-month suspended sentence for the illegal distribution of a manuscript describing his experience as a worker in the Red Star factory. The manuscript, called Piece Rates, is a detailed report in which the author vigorously attacks the system of work and the mode of payment in Hungarian factones, describing them as non-socialist' methods. It was, in fact, originally commissioned by a Hungarian publishing house, but censonlip prevented its publication, and when Haraszer gave it to friends to read he was prosecuted as a result EFFECTS OF REFORMS very mild. But the case takes on a much wicker the recent economic reforms are now begrining to be felt by the working class. A certain lechno-bureaucratic layer has beneliled directly from Liese reforms, and enjoys a steadily uproving standard of living. But for the working class the retorms have meant wage stagnation coupled with increases in basic food prices. renis, and the cost of services.
These development; have produced consider way the present system Junctums extent that a section of the top Party bureaucracy is thinking about curbing the full application of the reforms. The fear of a working class explosion, similar to that of 1970 in Poland, cannot be far from their minds.
In such a situation, it is not surprising that boasted about this land of democratic freedoms, many young Hungarian Intellectuals -who did not go through the demoralising experience of defeat in 1955-have supported Haraszti, and appeared us witnesses in his case. Topether evolution of the country towards the conditions they form part of a new layer of young people who were ridicalised at university by the Vietnam war. Haraszti, for instance, was a member of the solidarity committee with Vietnam, soon dissolved because of its "non-orthodox" prations Later he played a prominent role in several politico-literary events after heing expelled from university, and suffered constant police harassment as a result. Then, unable to peblish he became a factory worker, and wrote what is now the cause of his present troubles, HUGE CAMPAIGN Haraszti's that shows just how sensitive the ruling bureaucracy is under the skin. A huge campaign against the 'New Lett is today under way. with long articles in the press and hastily manufactured judgments in the courts. Almoil all the leaders of the Instilute of Sociciony have already been expelled for devationism': now a group of workers and students ir Ivors On the face of it, an -mouth sentence seems supposedly being tried for subvertionism.
The aus of Liek campaien is clear: lo prevent importance at a time when the consequences of at all costs coming lopeller of the intelligent. sia aad working class ailitank in what could he a revolutionary explasion. Thrus the comection of Harsh Ran ladicater for Die Detone as weli as a warning. If romas lo Beseen whether the waring wit be berded by these To when it k daecled, or if on the contrary will only stiffen tie detcrinication of the soune atelicealsa lo ask furtber emharrassine quascion about the workers had openly declared that: "It is not only the management of Lip that has been challenged, but the whole employing class.
So, rather than taking every measure necessary to extend the struggle and involve new groups of workers around their own demands, the reformist bureaucrats with the CGT to the fore instead did their best to hold it back. "It is not a question of mindlessly copying fogms of struggle which, while positive in u given situation, could prove to be not so good and even detrimental, in other cases", declared CGT leaders. Indeed, the 'major lessen' of Lip, according to Etienne Fajon of the PCF. was that it showed the correctness of the Linion of the Left's Common programme put forward in very clear position on thus, too. It is necessary to act, withour losing an instant", wrote Raymond Geily in the PCF nowspaper I Humanite. It is a question of negotiating. Nothing more, nothing les.
The Giraud plan pruvided the perfect opportunily for the PCF and the CGT Inally to call off all support for the struggle. Having done their best to sabotage such sobdanity actions in the Paris rally on 7 September and the phenomenally successful march on Bosancon' on 29 September, they then proceeded so ine every conceivable manoeavre to persuade the workers to end the strike such as calling for u secret bailot in an effort to weaken the workers' collective solidarity. But all this was to no avail-en 12 October, the general assembly ofal the workers voted by 626 to 174 le resect the Girand plan, and the talks were broken cAl STRUGGLE SABOTAGED The Girald plan world have involved not only 169 redundancies, mut also the lowering al wage levels and the splitting up of the lactery into in component parts. thes weakening union urganisation of the plant as a whole The were laby aware that the outcome of any tilke world he dependent on the halance ol fores in the beat class struggle oucside Free Ireland Forum Alistair Rewick on The Role of the Troops Out Movement, Friday 15 February at 8 00 pm in the General Picton pub, Caledonian Roed 15 mins Kings X tubel through regular mass meetings involving the rest of the workers as well as these who have been re employed. Moreover, the worker must estublish that it is they and not the management who will decide who is to be re employed firstwith priority poing to those who bave been faremost in the struggle. At the same time it is dearly necessary to elect a "contral committer. subject to immediate recall, which cao supervise the details of this, prepare further proposuis, etc. This is particularly baportant because of the way in which the last sec of negotations were con ducted by the anion dele pites, without any real involvement of the mass of workers until the final vote.
It is clear that while the scrike itself has the last elections. As for action, well, they had a ended, the struggle at Lip is still far from over. Already the events of the last nine months have inspired tens of thousands of workers to followthe example of Lip in developing some of the most advanced tactics ever seen in working class struggles. Now the Lip workers hive the further opportunity of writing new pages in the history of workers" control Their slogan Lip for all, all for Lip" sill remains as valid as ever JOHN MARSTON (British Section of the Fourth Internations) 97 Caledonian Road, London N.1.
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