Socialist Action No. 158, 6 February 1987
The scan: 158-feb-06-1987-SA-UK.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
SOLIDARITY with the NCU
No. 158 THE NCU STRIKE was solid this week as the union staged the first indefinite national strike in its history.
In Manchester, no local exchange
working properly and Bank's links with the City of London have been hit. Six exchanges are regularly going down in the north east. In Cardiff police transmitters went off the air and a number of local exchanges are down.
20,000-line exchange down for a day in Swindon. London 50 exchanges are affected, with four down altogether. Heathrow
was seriously hit aHOOTL weekend.
complete solidarity smashed the first calculation management - that a union with a right wing history and leadership wouldn't see its members show total
SoCiAlist
ACTION
BUILDING AN ALLIANCE FOR SOCIALISM
solidarity in an all-out strike.
central London, is working under capacity.
Barclays fortnight have evaporated
individual return to work.
their supervisors went In
over the the engineers strike,
has recruit scab labour of seriously, they with the NCU leadership.
British Telecom's strike-breaking HQ, set up in Camelford House in
greatly Boasts by BT that they would break the action in a
as no response has come to a series of letters sent to BT workers calling for an
BT have hastily signed a deal with
union, and have sought to head off strike action by 1986 their 34,000 clerical staff fighting over their own claim, to try to isolate the NCU engineers. Having failed to dent
British Telecom are now concentrating on trying to
from among management and outside firms. Most
are also involved in negotiations held behind closed doors
6 Feb 1987
NCU general Golding has been reported in the national press as favouring a two-yea deal on wages with separate talks on conditions, as part of the coming year's negotiations. This is part Golding's long-term strategy selling jobs return for increases.
Golding has made an offer to the company that if they sign a strings' deal to settle the outstanding
claim he will put a deal or broductivity to a ballot vote of th membership for 1987, with recommendation LO would allow BT to get away with the 'strings' simply a year later than they'd intended
Given that BT wants to cut at least a further 30,000 jobs by 1990, this line is a disaster. Golding's supporters have been arguing that the strike is
Fight Racism.
Campaign Forum Rally John simply to get
negotiating table. But feeling in the union has hardened against such a deal.
The strike started as retaliation of against victimisations of union's overtime bad. But action is wage now firmly directed against any str-
Kings and for a decent, 10 per cent rise. NCU organised. At key buildings, pickets - essential to combat BT's plans for a scab workforce - are being set up. out of their This organising strike headquarters. This
rank and file involvement is the way both to defeat BT management and block Golding's manoeuvres The NCU from other workers.
Standard Telephone and Cable which installs some BT equipment to pro-
Defend Labour Councils!
Speakers include: Linda Bellos, Tony Benn, Bernie Grant, Arthur Scargill, Dennis Skinner Lambeth Town Hall, Monday 16 February, 7.30pm
NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS UNION BT to return to the
during the
al C getting 24-hour
Union branches, locked offices by BT, are the employers. privatisation
is getting solidarity Overtures (LO
30p vide maintenance in BT buildings during the strike have been rebuffed by STC workers. Sacked printers at Wapping have joined picket lines.
Labour parliamentary candidates Diane Abbott, Sharon Atkin and Alan Simpson have been at picket lines and NCU mass meetings. London NCU branches have called a mass demonstration on 4 February.
These beginnings of support must be turned into a massive movement of solidarity by the labour movement, to ensure the NCU wins. A victory fol the NCU would be a major blow to
Tory and all It would damage their plans for other Ila tionalised industries.
A victory for the NCU would strengthen the labour movement as a whole. It is a strike the whole labour movement must support.
Page 2 scan of this page
IGNORANCE
2 Socialist Action 6 Feb 1987
Action Socialist
The other side of
Labour
SOCIALIST ACTION'S attention is normally on the developments going on in the left of the labour movement. positive solution to Britain's crisis is going to emerge. are taking place in the right and 'soft left', which the left will ignore at its peril.
The first is the resurgence of the Labour right. The theoretical organisation of this is be ing carried out by the revamped New Statesman
its new editor Statesman has firmly broken out of its woolly rut and been given a sharp new right wing cutting edge. In successive weeks it has carried articles against unilateral nuclear favour of tactical voting for the Liberals and SDP, in favour of the alliance with the United States, and joining in the attack against so-called looney councils. developed a sharp political cutting edge not seen on the Labour right for many years.
It is important to see where that has come from. John Lloyd was, editor of the Financial Times — as well as a guest contributor to Marxism Today. He is a reminder that the really powerful pro-coalition right wing force in the Labour Party is the right wing trade
union bureaucrac
none in the EETPU, Golding in the NCU the right wing of the parliamentary party. PLP right wing has also been in action with the publication Roy Freedom. The latter is evidently intended as the major intellectual statement Labour right EETPU, or NCU leaderships are committed to equality', Hattersley's than stout defence of their members differentials is rather laughable.
The other important development is inside the 'soft left'. In a major speech last week Tom Sawyer, deputy general secretary of NUPE, attempted to define a coherent soft left position in the unions, the Sawyer tries to take into account the increasing role of women and black people in the labour movement, loser, trade union links with the Labour Party.
But Sawyer was catastrophically wrong in how he saw these demands being taken up. While criticising the new realists, he sided with them in accepting the shackles on the trade unions proposed for a new Labour government.
If the unions are shackled there will be no defence of low paid workers — or anyone else for that matter. NUPE members should be seeking to bloc with Labour's campaign left, not the new realiststing out that the greatest mobilisation of support of women and black people around a union ever seen was in the miners strike led by the so-called economistic Arthur Scargill.
The other development on the soft left is the one we print at length on page three: the decision of the LCC Ireland to call for British withdrawal within the lifetime of one parliament. vote in our opinion. So far Labour's left has not succeeded in getting Ireland placed firmly on the political agenda in the way they have succeeded with Labour Party democracy, the demands of women, support for the black demand for the withdrawal of US bases. posed decision by the LCC opens up the way to joint work between the Labour Committee Ireland, Labour Left Liaison and the LCC to call for British withdrawal from Ireland. It is also lilkely to provoke a vicious backlash by the right wing of the LCC itself.
Labour's campaign together politically and organisationally the Campaign black-led left Labour councils like Haringey and Lambeth, and the influence of the LLL extending out into the student field. But it must do so in a party where the where the 'soft left' is becoming increasingly incoherent.
It is here that a
But significant developments
John Lloyd. The New
disarmament, in
New Statesman has
of course, industrial
the AEU leadership, Hamand The Hattersley's book Choose of the resurgent
although the idea that the AEU,
central theme, rather
"new realist right.
and the necessity of tighter, - and Sawyer was dishonest in not poin-
consultative conterence
This is an important
community or the The pro-
on
left is itself - with Group forging closer links with
right is strengthening and
AIDS
THE GOVERNMENT TV and leafleting campaign on AIDS is now in full swing. It is turning out to be just as dismal and reactionary a flop that it promised to be. ANNE KANE reviews the campaign so far. VOLCANIC pneumatic drill pummeling a bare rock face, chisel on an icy smooth granite tombstone hammering out its deadly message, apocalyptic musical accompaniment. Or,
tor cinema goers, the information' you can
from icebergs
svan floating menacingly above deep, dark, frozen The chosen images for the DaD. Tory public education' campaign AIDS imparts more information
practices phobias the Thatcher cabinet than it does about the acquired immunity deficiency drome.
Leaving aside for a moment ne all-loo-readabie sexual imagery, this long resisted then
diu vaunted media 'education' campaign is a bizarre combination of global admonishments to 'not ignore AIDS, it could be the death of you' with references to the fact that you can acquire AIDS through sexual contact... full stop! Deaths
After six years of peoProm suffering and dying
AIDS Britian alone, the first few weeks of long-awaited government action on AIDS has produced a campaign that palliative to a public out- MOTe than get vial _election. Instead
vital information "safer sex', high-risk sexual activity, preventative care, making help and advice easily avaiable - intormation specific heterosexual and gay men and women and to young people through our television screens we have received a series of coded signals about "sex'
The well-publicised €20 million spent on this callpalgh years after the first record ed AIDS sutterer in Britain and five years after the establishment of the Terence Higgins Trust. The government has back Walkie! the number of sufferers to a recorded total of in December, 293 of whom have died already.
government ures, an estimated 4000 people will die of AIDS in Britain over the next three
A clear and intor.
won't fight
mative campaign could
have prevented this rapid
growth of the disease, and
still can prevent a com-
pietee losion men.
government. has
made clear, with this cam-
paign dedicated to innuen-
« accretion that it
has no intention of willing-
such a cal
paign, like that which has
been left to a charity, the
Terence Higgins Trust, to
provide, combined with an
intensive programme of
research. Research
Instead, until the end
ot 1986. the government
had spent a pitiful £3.5
million total on publicity
resenten and treatment
Even the effectiveness
this sop has been hamper
ed by health service cuts
While
the ministers were cautioning
gay men and drug addicts
not to give blood from
August 1985, government cutbacks had prevented any blood monitoring bet-
ween 1983 and 1985. This
cuts
statements BMA
ago over wnc could
electorally inspired publicity since
January LIC need
lack
HIle research, and
health Care Indeed the valenna hand declarations
possible, that 'public
Cite we Now we have the government
AIDS In short,
pre-
and high on the Values'
government. The main
plicit' leaflet delivered through your letter boxes, is not information but encouragement monogamy
The central idea is that
AIDS
DON'T DIE
AIDS must be contained
controlled through strict regulation of sexual
activity, than
geared
OI through
researching effective
treatment The
ing on the
condom.
For rather
resee have
was Hellenc
banned television
UVC selected cinemas.
essively limited campaign are quite straightforward. I he government is willing to take only the most minIlal chores lo assure pud• lic opinion, in order not to breach its own reactionary moral code.
serious educational
flooding schools and colleges with clear factual material, and an open and funded wall alri about 'safe sex' — would involve recognising the extent of
relationships among young people and
have it off
CONDOMS CAN PREVENT
AIDS
¡ervical Cancer
Chlamydia
Gonorrhea
Syphilis
Other STDs
PREGNANCY
sanctioning to some degree lesbian and gay sexuality and sexual activity outside of marriage. Instead the government has wholly ac. commodated its campaign to its reactionary moral offensive, which has inthe Powell Bill, the rands the Powell Bill, the on bookshops like Gay's the Word, the media campromote a minimal educa tional awareness of lesbian and gay sexuality, and support for right wing coun cils such as Nottingham which refuse equal opportunities to lebsians and gay men.
Assaults
In this context police assaults on the gay community, such as raiding iterature at customs ane pubs and seizing quite logically on the in-
While the central axis of the government' campaign is the bolsterin of the family by arguing to contain AIDS heterosexual monogamy AIDS will continue to br falsely 'gay plague'. Violence agains
gay community will continue in an atmosphere of fear and ignorance, and AIDS victims will still have nowhere to turn.
The real action needed on AIDS is clear. It is being avoided by the government at all costs.
government-funded information campaign, low in terror and with the
News
Have it on
before you
kind of facts people need must be fought for. It is a disgrace that such a cam paign is left to the sole ef-
of the Terence Hig gins Trust
A generation of young people have learned
but fear from the government s medla call paign. Even with this cam paign several colleges hav reported that students are simply not being supplied with the information material by the government.
A basic factual campaign sull nas be organised and must be parlicularly directed schools. Contrary to Mrs doms and sit education Gillick's should made available to all young peo. ple.
Resources
More than anything, huge resources must be channelled into the research for a cure. The demagogy of Fowler that 'education is the only vac cine' is a cynical abuse of the failure to find a cure so far
The real meaning . is that money is being denied o researen Inere is no cure, there can be no cure therefore will seriously fund research to develop one This must be opposed and a campaign waged for adequate resources for research to prevent many thousands of deaths.
Page 3 scan of this page
LCC votes for British withdrawal from Ireland
Politics Today
voted by 30
came from Brian Gibbons, and supporters of the Workers Party in Ireland
• final vote. position reversed at the LCC AGM.
but we entirely agree with its central proposal
develop on this on the left.
THERE are no short easy solutions to the so-
called 'Irish Question'.
For centuries The British presence Ireland has
circcuy affected politics and the issue has
fusion and bitter mistrust
the bloody dissension of the Neil
issue as one of the greatest political and moral challenges facing an
20ministration.
Successive British policies since 1969 - from power sharing direct
rule and now the Anglo Irish Agreement have all been short term and pragmatic. Far from pro-
viding a long term solution a have been bocaces to
such a solution
Meanwhile Labour Partı polthe goal or on minted whilst committed Ireland, contains no strategy for achieving it
and in practice will allow the unionist veto to prevail. However, radical Labour policy change must be engaged to unfreeze the present destructive deadlock and to unlock a new dynamic.
Any serious historical assessment Britain's colonial and imperial
conclude that the imposition of partition
4110l democratic. Throughout the world Britain's colonial policy of divide and rule was wel known and
Ireland, faced with repeated rebellions, British policy was to promote and foster sectarian and religious division.
At the end of World War I, Britain faced determined national Independence movemeni and in the last all Ireland General Election of 1918 over 75 per cent of the people voted for a freee and
an end to British sovereignty. Bntain reacted by imposing partitio by retaining six counties the North East tition by retaining six counties in the North East be favourable to Britain's interests.
THE LABOUR Coordinating Committee (LCC) consultative conference on Ireland on 24 January
tavour of kritish withdrawal from Ireland within the first parliamentary term of the next Labour government. The paper proposing this was moved by Peter Hain and supported by Ken Livingstone and Labour Committee on Ireland student officer Conor Foley. Opposition
Gary Kent of the ILP,
all of whom accepted the Unionist veto. The position will go to the next year's LCC conference for
This vote is extremely important. It opens up the way to both Labour's main pressure groups — the LCC and Labour Left Liaison — adopting a position in favour of British withdrawal from Ireland. Opponents of the position for withdrawal are expected to carry out an all out campaign to get the
We are printing here in full PETER HAINS's paper. We would not agree with every aspect of it.
that Labour must withdraw from Ireland during the lifetime of one parliament. If that can be agreed as the central demand then united work can rapidly
Thus not only was the most fundamental democratic right of all -the right of Irish people as a whole to determine their Ilagrally denied but also an artificial, unworkable, Settarian, discriminatory, undemocratic statelet created that remains the cause of dissension today.
It is necessary to aismantle the injustice of partition, to tace un to the tion that Britain's presence is the root cause of the to stand up sectarian legacy that earlier British administrations fostered, to remove the reactionary Unionist veto over political
the negotiation Irish so that the Irish people as a whole can determine their destiny.
British withdrawal holds the key to this. Until occurs, the loyalists in the North will continue to play the unionist card and ICTUSC LU tace up lo tne reality that they have to co-exist peacetully and equitably with the rest of the Irish people; similarly, the minority in the North will continue to respond in reactive and at time violent manner.
Policy objective There will be a committment to British withdrawal from Ireland within the life-time of the next Labour government, the dissolution or the Union and its replacement by a freely negotiated structure for the whole of Ireland in which the rights of each section of the community will be guaranteed.
Strategy A demand for immediate British withdrawal is simply not practical as it would leave vacuum which violence and dissension would _conunue amstend the Government should declare intention withdraw within its term of office and immediately convene a constitutional conference to agreee tran-
new structures. the union
and withdrawal will be accompanied by the endeavour sechne Unionist involvement as to
that is to the constitutional, political, economic and tinancial ar. rangements that would replace the Union, and the sequence and timetable of steps 1n the dissolution process.
Constitutional COl ference: It is proposed that
Constitutional Conestablished Terence
elected representatives trom par ties North and South with
determine the structures of a new Ireland and to enter into negotiations with Britain over ine transitiona arrangements or transfer of sovereignty.
The conterence will he empowered to make malority decisions. It will be free to agree a new Ireland structure, whether federal
unitary or whatever. The only framework that the Government will set out are that civil
Te MOs pended should be guaranteed and that rights to dua citizen ship, whether British or Irish, will remain open for the people living throughout Ireland. Further that, at the outset of the process of the constituCula conterence LaKS the Labour government will enter liv an agree ment with the government of the Republic of Ireland, lnal in the event of failure of majority to agree within the Constitutional Conference, that Ine Labour Government will irrevocably dissolve
and transfer sovereignty to a unitary state of the Republic and elected representatives in the North within the tive year lifetime of a Labour Parliament
Economic support: the reconstruction fund: Given the historical role of the British presence and the effect of the 'troubles'
the Northern Ireland economy, I must be rignu that the Labour Govern-
Relatives of Bloody Sunday victims on the commemoration march
Peter Hain
ment accepts the responsibility of providing im-
mediate and indeed ongo
reconnection alone an
lines of a socialist 'Mar-
shal Aid' plar for North-
ern Ireland. . Thus not only would the government provide economic invest-
ment now but also enter
with the newly agreed constitutional entity to pro-
vide economic subventions
for an agreed period into
the future to guarantee the underpinning of the nor-
thern economy and its integration into an all Te a coner
Further, Britain would join with the EEC and
other countries
organise, with no strings attached, long term package of economic aid.
relating and investing in and revitalising the nor. thern economy, the Labour undertakes via the Fair Employment Agency, implement the MacBride principles to assist in the process ending discriminatory employment practices.
Call for end
hostilities: In the light of the Labour Government's accaratul of dissolve the union and establish the Constitutional Conference and the steps outlined above to ensure civil liberties and
support, the
Labour Government
would call for a cessation
of all offensive military ac tivity .by. , all parties and organisations to allow the
process of dialogue and
discussion to take place in the best possible atmosphere to achieve a successful negotiated solution.
Policy statement: The LCC should campaign for
policy statement along
lnese nnes to be adopiec
by the Party. Only by embarking radical policy initiative with political COVICLOI and
determination can Labour
permit the Irish people as a whole to determine their own path to peac and reconciliation and finally bring to an end emnity between Britain and Ireland. In the event t of agreement
new Ireland structures within the constitutional conference then the union will be dissolved and sovereignty transferred to the agreed structures again within the five year litetime Labour Parliament.
Creating the right con ditions: steps that the incoming Labour government can undertake on both the civil liberties and tront to create the rohi conditions and atmosphere for a successful Constitutional Conference. Indeed, many of these steps should be taken within the first few days of
Government coming to power.
Civil liberties: The Labour government will immediately allow to lapse, pending repeal, the operation OI the PTA (Prevention of Terrorism ACLI the (Emergency Powers Act) and to issue the relevant orders and guidelines to the military and police authorities to cease offensive, aggressive or provocative patrols or policing forthwith. Labour will also end the use of plastic bullets, the practice of
degrading strip searching the abolition of the non jury Diplock Courts, the use of •supergrasses and reter to appeal courts oi independent tribunals
of convictions that give rise for concern colicingthe and prison policy: government will ensure the withdrawal of troops barracks and institute an immediate review to determine the operational use of arms only for defensive purposes or protection of threatened communites This review to b to the existing police force services as well. The UDR (Ulster Defence Regiment) will be immediately stood down and abolished with appropriate compensation
FIANNA FAIL say they'll be spending
a cool million on the election camoatar
(we think they'll be spending five times
much)! The Progressive
will be laying out hal as much again -
million And another £1½ securicor
robbery in Dublin's Fairview on Mon-
day
Whichever party got its hands on the
Securicor cash, it wasn't Sinn Fein - anc
we re so strapped tor cash that were
having to dodge paying our bus fares
time we down to
Viontrose to give out about its ant
republican bids
in short - were short
Feeling the pinch.
Unable to make ends meet.
Posters, leaflets, manifestoes, envel-
opes, canvassing cards, transport, tele
prone calls, lighting (need we go one;
cost money.
Sinn Fein is standing 27 candidates
in 24 • constituencies and although we're
wealtnier tan Ene estaolishment partie
in omise energy and to ed por
we still need
revolutionary message
Socralist Action 6 Feb 1987
agreed The Labour government will announce establishmen. commission to draw up arrangements to provide for new Northern Ireland police force with a central co-ordinating body that will be acmocialically de countable to local munities.
On prison policy, following the suspension and later repeal of various repressive Acts there should be a review of convictions under these Acts undertaken immediately and an undertaking offered that a general amnesty for prisoners convicted under scheduled offences calegories de Insutuled a part of the constitutiona conference process and British disengage-
Seei
ELECTION FUND
Democrats
curiell
RTE
Pleas sent you can, whether it's f1 or £100 lection Furn ESE Detain = to get of
Page 4 scan of this page
The Broadwater Farm
Socialist Action: 6 Feb 1987 4
Ireland
Unfree
Sinn Fein's
election campaign
THE GENERAL election in the 26 Counties takes place on 17 February. Sinn Fein will be running 27 candidates in 24 constituencies. John Joe McGirl
Amongst the 27 is John Joe McGirl, a lifelong republican 1983. MeGirl has served on Leitrim County Council for 20 years and was elected a member of the Leinster House parliament in 1957, but refused to take his seat as part of Sinn Fein's abstention policy.
This will be the first 26 Counties election since that policy has been removed. The party considers that it will be the election after this that will be the first real test of the new policy. But the major parties will be doing all they can to ensure as small a vote as possible this year.
Prime minister, Garret FitzGerald has called for a united campaign against Sinn Fein and the government has ruled that Sinn Fein's candidates will be denied access to the Dublin broadcasting company, RTE.
Sinn Fein has issued a manifesto, out Sinn Fein's policies on unemployment; the debt crisis; agriculture; social justice; women; youth; culture and the environment.
It explains that these policies are 'sensible short-term steps' but emphasises that 'neither this
full economic and social potential separately'.
The manifesto prioritises the policy of British withdrawal and the right to self-determination for the Irish people as a whole.
'We stand on our record as the only party which has consistently asserted and worked for the right of the Irish people to national reunification and freedom' it states.
Trade union
conference
A MAJOR trade union conference on Ireland is being planned for 28 November this year. Entitled 'Ireland - the cause of labour?' the conference is initiated by the Labour Committee on Ireland.
It will centre on employment discrimination in the North, wiere Many discriminatory recruitment policy. Unemployment in the Six Counties is two-and-a-half times greater amongst Catholics than amongs Protestants.
Nobel peace prize winner and internationally respected lawyer, patron. MacBride is associated with employment discrimination code, the 'MacBride Principles'.
The first session 'Are you listening?' and will be the occasion for Irish trade unionists to give a first-hand account of the situation.
Repression in the miners' strike and at Wapping has alerted many in the British labour movement to some of the realities of life in the north. The British NUM voted for British withdrawal at the Labour Party conference.
In NALGO, the national executive convened a meeting of branches which have moved resolutions on the Irish question over the past two years with a view to scheduling a major discussion at this year's anna concicice. weekend schools have been organised.
To build on such developments and promote the conference, fringe meetings are planned at many trade union conferences and a campaign for broad sponsorship for the conterence in underway
S
and Sinn Fein's vice-president since
14-page election For real change. The manifesto spells
forestry and fisheries;
the Six-County statelet can reach their
firms have an openly
'Sean MacBride is the conference an anu-
of the conference is called In ASTMS a number
show trial
A SHOW TRIAL on a grand scale is taking place now at the Old Bailey. It began on 19 January, when six youths were charged with the murder of PC Blakelock during the uprising on the Broadwater Farm Estate in Tottenham which follwed the death of Cynthia Jarrett. But it is not only the six youths, three of whom are juveniles, who are on trial there — it is the whole of the Broadwater Farm's black community. As the regular press releases from the BWF Defence Campaign point out, the state is 'not concerned with justice but with revenge on a community which defended itself'.
Many people Have already appeared in court on trame-up charges arisi98s uprising. from the 6 October
Of those, many have been charged on the basis of 'confessions' made while in police custody immediately following the rebellion.
some cases, the police simply haven't been able to make the charges
Muller, Stephen Edwards, INCILY. Hassan Chris Newell and Peter Gray, all charged with affray on the basis of confesNOTa evidence. found not guilty. In fact, one of them was first nam-
ed in an elaborate 50-page
another youth who was later proved to be outside London on the night concerned.
But other verdicts show the truth of the BWF
Defence Campaign's claim
stalle-
sanctioned revenge. Simon MacMinn, for callulc. got seven years for 'throwIng untret stones' His sentence was reduced to three yals on appeal.
Jason Cobham was fined £200 for 'threatening behaviour'.
Many of those already brought to trial for such
offenses were first charged
Take the example of twins
Douglas
who four and three and a half were sentenced
years respectively for atfray and burglary.
The Douglases were arrested one month after the
uprising, with
murder. One police office
even cance cal le the brothers was 'the
the death of
ringleader in
PC Blakelock'.
They were interviewed for four hours during which police officer
SUPPORT FOR black people's right to self-organise
within the Labour Party will be an issue at the TASS
annual conference this year. The South Wales region
has submitted a resolution opposing Labour Party
Black Sections for discussion in Bourenmouth at the
end of April.
Ken Gill is chair of the TUC
race relations advisory sub-
committee and of the equal
opportunity COULICC LU
which it reports. So far he
has studiously refused to
take a position on the issue
of Black Sections.
least some of the
Morning Star wing of the
WHOS Broad Left
backing the South Wales
resolution, which was pass-
ed by the all-white,
preponderantly male
meeting of the South Wales
A crude resolution
from the Cardiff branch of
was amended by
tricked Earl into writing a note wile was tick bass ed to Mark after which the 'confessions'
were made
that the teo Douglases
that two Douglases had anything to do with the death of Blakelock, the police then charged them with the offences they were eventually tried and found guilty of.
By Carol Turner
Or take the example of Simon Planter, a 20 year old who was sentenced to three and half years for 'admitting' his role during the uprisings. He too was initially arrested for the murder of Blakelock. Planter's 'admission' was made to Detec. tive Constable Rex Sargent
Ilas a record violently assaulting a youll What emerges in this
series of trials is that the method of getting many of
the Broadwater Farm def
the threat of their being charged with murder.
But the details of these
frame-up trials hardly
compare with the treat
ment of the six currently in
the dock at the Old Bailey
Already the press has had a field-day. following the first day of morning
their trial, the scab Sun
carried a front-page
headline "Face of man or
riot PC murder charge'
together with a half-page
picture of a smiling black
showing the con-
fidence the British press is
beginning to feel carrying
such oveniv racist filth sc
prominently on its pages.
All the trial judge has
done is warn jurors not to
read the newspapers No
whatsoever has
South Wales TASS attacks Black Sections
Swansea.
The Swansea version
nas now gone lorward le
the annual conference. But
He co Dou resolutious
is the same.
By Annie Brady
Cardiff's references to
Black Section, such as one
which 'rejects the idea that
ana tease are selle
that been self-
appointed can represent the
interests of the labour
movement in its anti-racist
struggle, have been amend-
however, remains the same.
Group News:
been taken against papers like the Sun. Even the so-called liberal Guardian has carried the sort of gores blow-by-blow accounts of te proseculon cviacice that are only a thinlydisguised racism.
In this climate it has been necessary to vet 40C potential jurors before 12 acceptable to all parties could be found. Out of those 400, only two black people were found. They have now been reduced to one black on a technicalily
The six on trial for Blakelock's murder have faced the same problems as other BWF defendants in relation to confessional legden batles After all the legal between defence and prosecution at the outset of the case, the judge has ruled that 'confessions are admissable evidence.
What has emerged from the proceedings tar — and wilal 10 lews• paper other than the Guardion had deigned to men tion is something the Broadwater Farm community has known all along: such a police raid to take over the estate as that wich cook place Ionow
Ken Gill
The assumption is that black peopie are from the working class and that their fighting for their particular interests divisive This is a familiar argument from Militant supporters within the
Labour Party.
It is an argument which
WINSTON
SILCOTT
IS
Photograph reproduced from the February issue of Campaign Joan Maynard addresses the Old Bailey picket on behalf of the Campaign Group on the first day of the show trial ing the death of Cynthia Jarrett was planned for a long time That is why the 3WF Defenc , Campaign and their supporters called tor a public enquiry on the events of 6 October 1985, and why the police were so opposed to one.
Superintendant Couch has now admitted court under oath, that such a police action as the one that followed Cynthia Jarrett's death was Dann ed for at least a year. This has been corroborated by the evidence of other police officers.
that the Broadwater Farm Defence Campaign called
or an enquiry was to brin
• light the lac of cover said which eatend the • le raid, conditions wnich Blakelock's death. That too has been brought out during the trial of the six.
officers have testified that their manoeuvres on 6 October were dangerous, without cover by other police con tingents, and that they anticipated they were covered
The police have always
well hidden.
Fleet Street's gutter press has obliged by not recoun-
Roy Hattersley and the rest
the right wing feel perfectly at home with. It is also one wilch Has leu lit LPYS representative on the
tee, Linda Douglas, to sit on the scab Black and Asian Advisory Committee set up to deflect the struggle for black self-organisation and
within the parthe South Wales resolution argues that the creation of Black Sections leads to 'segregation' within the par-
Its assertion that con terence clain that the Labour Party is a racist organisation' deliberately ignores the institutional racism that exists across sociely macg the Labour Party. Its posi-
party members struggling to
News
ting that aspect of the trial.
The outcome trial of the six Broadwater
them yours charged wit
murder
Foregone conclusion. her
foregone conclusion. proceeding at the Bailey should be called by their name: they are a show trial.
Martha Conore Tole
Socialist Action Broadwater Farm trials actually show that black people have waltitud years is coming to light The thing we have to learn from is that the brutality and injustice that has been dished out to black people over the years
is being dished out to th whole abour movement from the miners to the print workers. We hope that these experiences will be used in a positive way to
oppressed people against our oppressor.'
tion about the pickets ana other activities organised Befence the Broadwater Farm tact: BWE Defence, Cam Campaign paign, 12-16 Tangmere, Broadwater Farm, Tot
London N17 (01-8081 667/885 3752).
make their voice heard in ine way uncy across 'the real debate on how to fight inequality and racism in Britain', is totally
unacceptable.
The backward politics which this resolution
represents stand in ironic
contrast to another resolution submitted to TASS
TASS in South
Wales are resisting moves to
abolish their regional struc
ture and integial
branches into English
region of the union
The issues raised by the
South Wales resolution on
black self-organisation have
already been firmly dealt
with inside the Labour Par-
ty by Black Section and its
supporters. must
taken up inside TASS with
equal force.
Page 5 scan of this page
SmaN
monstre
stuarnis '(NISS) STON e v c .
spaa]
OL
Play auer pue
NISS jON
(9861
4709
pue Jo S, NISS
0 pardale 10 1 sapatos sans se
Ing 347
pal
элен
adoad
Sn pola e paradas 1e47 Кодов
pase]
лавашев
Use JO
reuosiad -pe
Male эм pue
model
1ư8[x 0[
01
0A.P172019 Sue
NISS
Aquo,
JO эчі
1110 ошом IO JI
DIle
BITANT TOT sdoon
PauL
311 1
·OBA DATADA paral Sn -pe
• 1e
pue
parodap OTAM
Jo
486111 sn jo spuesnou
sn
160-
чопи
Jo
tqnop ou alos
01
Jo uodn arne asa4]
MOH Лиеш suna op
ISOW ue
Tent
1847
Ч8y 00 5i 34010] -pe
10u BOCU
da e de ven
Jo punoJe
эле эм
IM 1
Sutura
S! pue sppe
inous ueu od ш.І,
deee
элец
Ses of ara Inous
ISOM
¡enxas JO
Пало pue 1э10
$367
O ISIVOOS
11D TATITOA Antes „a8pnq
pre
quoq uosud pue stuesead
saguas SAN
Jo
s,04M
ATuo ssep puy ou
Ing
step очм
Top pino an pue
aq пешом pareniod are"
10
SIU7 pue
Page 6 scan of this page
Crisis in Labour's
Socialist Action 6 Feb 1987
IT IS vital for Labour's future, and
for its prospects at the election, to
build its youth organisations. One of
the features of Labour's 'aristocratic'
past was that it failed youth just as
much as it failed women or the black
community. In
socialist parties built mass youth
movements. But
scarcely more than a rump. Today
both Labour's main youth organisa-
Left
THE ULTRA left in the Labour Party is declining in influence while simultaneously becoming fragmented. The National Organisation of Labour Students (NOLS) will not engage in dialogue with far left factions which merely seek to give renewed credibility to an emphasis upon internal conflict and crude attacks on the leadership.
To waste precious time on inner-left debates is to distract ourselves from our main aims of winning the support of young people for Labour and of developing the radical policy commitments which Labour already has; for example, the pledge to introduce a £35 a week minimum allowance for all in 16-19 furLner education the one proposal which could do more than anything else to increase working class access to higher
Similar changes to what is happening on the left nationally are being mirrored, to an extent, within the left of the student movement. Militant are caught in a nosedive of decline and don't seem to know, or even want to know. The Socialist Organiser front — SSiN — were finally exposed for their opportunism at NUS winter conference and greater clarity in political debate should further succeed in exposing the crudity of their aims.
Groups like SSiN pretend to be more sophisticated than Militant's approach which sees, for example, the women's
as simply irrelevant and divisive. In fact, SSiN are little different and see women's demands as optional extras, welcome but dispensible additions to the 'real' class struggle. In the final analysis and in their refusal to support women students electing a NUS women's officer, the commitment of SSiN to feminism is exposed as superficial.
The emergence of Campaign Student, however, is significant in that there now exists a more formal representation of LLL within NOLS and I welcome this opportunity to enter into comradely debate with people who believe they are
serious about left advance in the student
movement. Campaign Student appears,
at least temporarily, to recognise the dire need for a respite in head-banging. The
response of the democratič left in NOLS
to Campaign Student should not be
negative but should not spend an ex-
cessive amount of time considering the
nature of a possible relationship with
what could easily become an incestuous
process of inner-party bridge-building
and bridge-burning.
Reject
I reject Polly Vittorini's claim
(Socialist Action, 9 January) that the
'Democratic Left' only exists in order to
keep Trotskyists out of the NOLS leadership. Democratic socialists lead NOLS
primarily because we believe fundamen-
tally in the ability of NOLS and the NUS
to develop the ideas and build support
for the politics of democratic socialism,
not because of a fear as to what SSiN or
Militant might do if they
Labour's largest youth section.
Labour students have led the NUS there
other countries
Labour's was
The Democratic
has been a firm and clear shift to the left. The NUS is now a mass campaigning more union cically identified by number of students with the Labour Party. Hardly a result of what Polly reters to as 'crisis leadership'.
I would support an approach to Campaign Student which sectarian but firm. I reject Polly's inference that it's not possible to support WAC or Black Sections if not affiliated to LLL. NOLS will continue to support the demands - and work with - WAC Black Sections, the Labour Committee on Ireland, and groups like the LCLGR in a constructive and supportive way. NOLS does not, however, view these groups as in any way our property to be peddled as a sign of "leftness'. I hope Campaign Student teels the same.
Furthermore, Polly and Campaign Student continue to talk of Kinnock as the major obstacle to be overcome and of Kinnock's 'anti-working class leadership' (Socialist Action, NOLS should be both cautious and entirely realistic about the potential of a Labour government under the currentleadership, it is irresponsible and naive in the extreme to see Neil Kinnock as the main enemy facing the left. The left has got to cease defining its politics simply on the grounds of its relationship to the party leadership.
Role
By concentrating on the party leadership, the ultra left effectively see the role of social forces outside of the party in exactly the same way as the Labour right — ¡e social forces are seen to have a passive role. Class, sex and race are effectively displaced as driving societal change. At the same time and as part of the same process, the main axis
for changing the character of the Labour Party flows through the changing of
leaderships ie, more left wing men on the TUC general council, the NEC, NOLS and LPYS national committees, etc. For
groups like the CLPD, the manoeuvrings
and demands imposed by capitalism are
thus combatted by simply getting the
NOLS will continue to see that the
whether we can ditch Kinnock as party
leader. The crucial issue is whether we are
capable of breaking out of a parliamen-
tarist tradition and a Labour chauvinism.
and thereby generate a "Third Road'
strategy which will be necesary to defeat
Thatcher and maintain a radical Labour
government in office.
With SSIN combining
tionalism with opportunism and Mili-
tant's ultra-conservatism, the democratic
left of NOLS offers the only plausible
alternative for a mass, politically cam-
paigning NOLS. Campaign Student has
a part to play in the political regeneration
of the student movement, as Ken Liv-
ingstone has put it: "We must not allow
potential which is opening before us.' controlled Let's win!!!
Since Rob Minshull,
NOLS National Secretary
tions, the LPYS and the National Organisation of Labour Students (NOLS) are dominated by dead end politics: NOLS by the Kinnockite Democratic Left and the LPYS by Militant.
What is missing is the politics of Labour's campaign lett politics of Labour Left Liaison. But the beginnings of this are beginning to emerge. Last year the Labour Par-
This opportunity of a polemic with the national secretary of the Nafional Organisation Students is welcome. It is also in dicative of the growing impact of Labour's campaign left — in par. ticular on those supporting the soft left Labour Co-ordinating Committee (LCC) and its student coa large thinkers, the Democratic Left.
point - that the present developments on the left of the Labour Party have an echo in the student movement. In fact non- the political crisis of the LCC has its most pronounced character in the current position of the Democratic Left at helm Students (NUS).
tion to the developments in the student movement today. The alliance with Britain's 1¼ million students is a vital one for the labour movement. That alliance can only be created by the labour movement fighting with the majority of the formation of the education system
ism, and anti-gay. 9 January). While
of access
dards of students.
Disaster
struggles taking
Nicaragua, withdrawal from
forces behind
overturn NOLS democratic secular Zionist state in Israel
of the Middle East.
Support
is not theretore
of students
education and similar matters.
ment of opposi- cut back in spending on
living standards,
prevent us seizing the
within NUS.
current, -beginning to Labour
We agree with Rob Minshull on one
of the National Union of
Socialists should pay special atten-
complete trans-
to eliminate class privilege, racism, sex-
prejudice. A fundamental part of this must be the exten-
education and therefore the defence of the living stan-
A labour movement strategy involves convincing the student movement to take the side of the working class in all the great social and political
place both internationally and in British society. It includes fighting the Tories and other reactionaries, including in the labour movement, on such issues as defence of from parind, womenss British Ireland, liberation, and for defence of the black communities as well as students immediate interests. These are all central issues around which the alliance between the majority of students and the labour movement can be created. It is also the significance of the attempts to
support for Palestine and therefore to commit it to supporting a
which against the Palestinian people and as a etc. permanent threat to the Arab peoples
Kinnock.
Within this framework, the majority
have to know that the labour movement will support them nothing around their grants, housing, access to
The greatest blow to this alliance in recent vers was bic Laboul zvou
Wilson and Callaghan. This
restricted access to education, reduced
attacked student ing Kinnock. unions and did this as part and parcel of what is necessary. attacks on the working class. As a result Priorities the Tories gained more support tnar ever before in the student movement.
Our point is that Rob Minshull and the Dem Left advocate a strategy of tying the leadership of NOLS and thereby of the NUS to a Labour Party leadership of NUS, which is taking the party to the right.
This has already had disastrous results action
defend
ty Black Section succeeded in rallying the non-Militant left around Kingsley Abram's campaign for the youth place on Labour's NEC. This year they are running their youth organiser Steve Jomoa for the same position. Meanwhile in NOLS a new
Campaign Student, develop against twin dead ends represented by the Democratic Left and Socialist
GNE U
AURAN
Campaign Student, like the LLL
starts from what is necessary: to defend
the labour movement against the That- whole
cher government, to fight aparthied, to
free Ireland, to fight racism and sexism
However we find that when the
miners take actions to defend their
communities they get no support from
Labour councils like Brent
and Haringey attacked by the press and
the Tories for fighting racism get no
support. Even the workers at Wapping
more than lukewarm
scolding of Murdoch laced with denun-
ciations of 'violence'. Kinnock,
ported by the LCC, has opened a witch
hunt in the party and started the pro-
cess of trying to reverse such basic Irelanc
democratic reforms as the accountabili-
ty of MPs. We don't start off by oppos-
He starts by opposing
Consistent with its policy which
starts from support for Kinnock, in-
stead of what is necessary to defend the
labour movement and the membership
the Democratic Left have
refused to lead the type of militant
campaign necessary to students' grants and fight
Students in Socialist Or elections by STEVE basis of lis ROB secretar! is VITTORIN
the Socialist
forward for
CHAN
education cutbacks. NUS conference was so outraged that it rejected the
the Democratic Left-dominated executives's report and plar overwhelmingly. Subordination of students living standards and education to what is acceptable to Kinnock will have catastrophic political results for the Labour Party in NUS. Similarly policies supporting women, black peo Preland have not been pushed by NOLS British withdrawal in the Labour Party so as to avoid con flict with Kinnock who opposes the demands of Labour women's conference opposes Black Sections and opposes British withdrawal from
Rob Minshull and part of the Democratic Left support NOLS affiliation to the LCC but reject affiliation to the Labour Left Liaison (LLL). Yet Labour Left Liaison is precisely body created by WAC, the Black Ser tion, CLD and others to promote cooperation on the left around these issues. The LCC has given lip service to these campaigns but not real practical support.
The difference between the LCC and the LLL, however, is that the LLL
Page 7 scan of this page
youth organisations Black Section youth candidate for NEC
- a bloc led by
and backed in the
#Al.
I0A explains the
dign in the LP YS.
L.L. national
S. and POLLY
supporter of
debate the way ents. is entirely independent of Kinnock and pursues the demands of women and Black people as well as defending party democracy and opposing witch hunts whether Kinnock likes it or not. That is why the LLL, together with the Campaign Group, commands majority suport in the constituency section of the Labour Party.
Policy
Neither can the policy of the LCC and the Democratic Left of subordinating demands of students, black people and the Irish to Kinnock be justified even on grounds
electoral expediency. Kinnock's right-wing policies and attacks on party democracy lave OCCI electoral disaster. They have allowed the Tories to set le ponucal agenda respondingly disasterous results at the polls. Similarly, the democratic Left's subordination of politics and student living standards to what is acceptable to Kinnock will lose, no
Will, votes for Labour.
To move on, evidently Socialist Action utterly rejects the politics of SSiN - which is increasingly clashing with
FURTHET
EDUCATION
FOR
ALL
the Black Section and WAC. Its positions on issues such as Ireland and Palestine are brutally against the interests of the Irish and Palestinian people — and bluntly we regard the position of women, black people, the lives of the people of Ireland, million Arab people threatened by the Zionist state of Ísrael as fundamental issues for the student movement. For that reason Socialist Action will not be calling for a vote for the SSiN slate in the elections in NOLS — although we can vote for individual candidates supported by SSiN who do not share their views on such questions Ireland or Palestine. views of SSiN and Militant, with whom SSiN are in a bloc, as reactionary on these issues.
Instinctive
But equally obviously we are not going to call for a vote Democratic Left. Its politics witch hunt alone, issues we have outlined, rule that out. Again we can support individual candidates who publicly reject the politics of the Democratic Left on issues such as the witch hunt and issues we have outlined could be sup. ported. And, to make it clear, given the record of the LCC we regard every person on the Democratic Left slate as in favour of the witch hunt unless they publicly reject it — which naturally we call for candidtes to do.
The truth is that both the Democratic Left and SSiN represent a dead end for students - the first trying to cover over policies such as, support for witch hunts, and a failure to fight on grants, by tokenistic women and black people which are in practice not acted upon - and the lat-
over rotten politics women, black people, tional politics by a souped up rhetoric on grants. Neither defends the interests of students as a whole or, most imporlalilly. of the working class and oppressed as a whole.
We think that these twin dead ends are being exposed and politics represented Liaison (LLL) and Labour's campaign left are gaining support.
Attempt
Rob and the Democratic Left attempt the impossible task of trying to marry support for women and black people and the demands of the left with support for Kinnock. This is the key to the crisis of the Democratic Left because as the two are incompatible their combination produces paralysis. Finally since Kinnock's refusal recently to give a committment to restore grants to their 1979 real value, it has become apparent that you can't even marry support for SLicents demands with support for Kinnock!
NOLS has to make its alliance with the campaign left of the Labour Party if it wants to defend the interests of the working class, of the oppressed, and of students in this country. The first step
that is for NOLS to affiliate to student Labour Left Liason. That, not the excuses for Kinnock provided by Minshull, is the way forward to create a real new leadership for NOLS and the NUS.
representative on the Labour Par-
Labour Party,
and 120 struggles internationally.
core political
Wadsworth.
We regard the
Action.
on the Labour Partv national for • on LIC let alone the other
be seen as relevant to youth, especial-
agree on
be relevant to vouth in the 1980s thai
cheap-labour system of and YTS schemes.
positions
and interna- perspective, taking up the struggles of
black youth in particular. I Will also be campaigning against the Sawyer proposals and for the independence of Labour's youth organisation. This
LPYS is a mass movement of youth
the type which reflects the politics of youth. by Labour Left
labour movement and especially in of the Militant and others
economic
LABOUR PARTY Black Section is backing Steve Jomoa as its candidate in the election of the youth
ty national executive committee. Steve's campaign will build on the growing support for the demands of Black Section throughout the
and will take up the need for the Labour's youth organisation to relate to the struggles of youth on the streets of Britain and solidarity with liberation
"The campaign is about the
programme of Black Section,' said chair Mare
will develop specific issues relating to youth such as defence campaigns like Broadwater Farm and the rejection of the Sawyer proposals for the LPYS.' STEVE JOMOA explained his campaign to Socialist
I AM standing as Black Section candidate for the Young Socialist place
ecutive committee in order to pro-
perspective in the youth organisation. This is crucial if Labour politics are to
tant is stagnant. They have no interest organisation, one that relates to the real struggles of youth taking place on would not be able to control it. But to
is exactly what the LPYS must do: support black youth who are fighting in the defence campaigns and against
who are fighting unemployment and
Coll all de
oraanisanon are carrying on throughout the whole
Measure
So I will be developing the politics or ine allances black secuon benever it is necessary to build and which is reflected in our support for Labour Left Liaison and Campaign Forum. We want to see a labour movement vouth ir which genuinely reflects and fights for the interests of the whole working class and oppressed in society, as op posed to the class reductionist politics
That means support for the self-organisation of black people and for the demands of women through the Labour Women's Action Committee;
determination; it means support for unilateral nuclear disarmament and campaigning for the removal of all US
from NATO; it means support of the Palestinian people; it means support for the struggle of the people of Central America; and it means support
working class, not an addition to it. It will be about developing a consistent
port for struggles for freedom and
oiled machine, but it hasn't got the politics capable of responding to the
of vouth current v place in Britain and internationally. It hasn't got the anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-imperialist politics that can be translated into mass activity and that members into the Labour Party youth
up, the LPYS was a sort of holy cow.
run by the left. But what sort of a left is it that doesn't relate to the sort of politics that I have mentioned? Since the Black Section campaigned last year for Kingsley Abrams to be elected as the LPYS representative on the NEC it has now become possible
structive way because we want to turn the youth organisation from being a stagnant and bureaucratic body into a mass campaigning force that attracts presents LPYS leadership, the natural
Black Section has launched the campaign in the black press. Articles have
Times and West Indian News, interviews are taking place with the
campaign will also reflect this. first will be a tringe meeting at the West Midlands regional LPYS conference, supported and built by black
Section and organised by Youth Ac tion. Another is planned in Bristol, where I will share a platform with
Jagun Akinshegun who is vice chair ot the st Pauls communitv associa tion and chair of the St Pauls aparStruggles
paign raised the flag of Black Sections and the alliances we stand for inside the Labour Party Young Socialists One measure of the success of that campaign was the refusal of the platform at the national LPYS ference to count the votes in favour of the Black Section resolution debated
closeness of the vote. Although it lost on the floor of conference, the size of demonstrated the wide support that exists for our demands, including at
This year the LPYS representative on the NEC, Linda Douglas, is sitting on the bantustan Black and Asian Ad-
leadership has established to head-off
been told by Militant supporters that committee. Now she is not only participating in it, but at one point was jockeying to take the chair. It was onBlack Section that made it impossible for her to do that. This issue is one of character of the current LPYS leadership; it gives cover and support to the
tance of our campaign in the LPYS alongside the fight of bláck socialist councillors such as Bernie Grant, Lin-
with those black candidates who are begun to reeducate the Labour left on serious about building paigns and mass support for socialist
• Labour Party Black Section candidate Steve Jomoa can be contacted at 46 Som-
phoning (home) 01-57
Page 8 scan of this page
8 Socialist Action 6 Feb 1987 THE theory of permanent revolution was first put forward by Marx as a result of conclusions drawn from the revolutions of 1848 — above all the German revolutions of that year. In all the previous great revolutionary struggles from the sixteenth to the end of the eighteenth century - - above all the Dutch revolutions of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and seventeenth centuries, the English revolution 1642-49, and bourgeoisie had mobilised the widest masses in a struggle to smash to pieces the power of the old ruling classes. In Germany 1848, Iowcver bourgeoisie capitulated to the feudal
Vienna and Berlin, did not proclaim a
LUWI Germany to King Frederick William
wolkig
Vienna Ln e parliament, assembled in Frankfurt, called the feudal armies into the cities to crush the rebellions — thereby also
'German parliament'
distributing land to the peasants, attempted to limit the revolution, and sought to compromise with the old ruling class. It collapsed in a debacle
Capitalist
ace dede renc e c had broken down all obstacles to the rule of its own class. The bourgeoisie
Talled
that in earlier capitalist revolutions,
England in 1642-49 or
had been confronted with an extremely weak working class
of in.
prior lo
totally secure in its ability to control and utilise for its own purposes the struggles of the working class and
As Marx noted: 'In 1648
against the monarchy. aristocracy and the established chur-
bourgeoisie was allied with the people against the monarchy, the aristocracy and the established church. In both revolutions the bourgeoisie was the CaSN realiy headed the move.
bourgeois strata of the middle class had either not yet evolved interests which were different from those of the bourgeoisie or they did not yet
small, working class had begun develop both internationally and in
IN THE struggle against apartheid South Africa many of the same tasks that were confronted by countries such as Russia, Germany and Italy in the nineteenth century: the gaining of the right to land and its development by the majority of the the population; the forging of a nation state; the the
the OI
Germany. The bourgeoisie therefore
alone could have thoroughly smashed
bourgeoisie... at the moment when it
against itself the proletariat and all sections of the middle class whose interests and ideas were related to those
bourgeoisie was now more scared of
its existence, than it was of the old rul-
their rights and development. The key goal of the bourgeoisie had become not revolution but, as Marx put it: 'Suppression of every political of the proletariat and of all social strata whose interests do not completely coincide with the interests of the class which believes itself to be standing at the helm of state.' New epoch
and power of the working class the destroyed, the bourgeois democratic previous order could only be smashed completely through mass mobilisations. As Marx noted: 'The commercial and industrial sections of the bourgeoisie threw themselves into the arms of the counter-revolution for
the capitalist class had lead the struggle to accomplish the tasks of the souceos cenocac reducer even although it hesitated and vacillated on
bourgeoisie would, now take steps on secondary questions but would seek
scope of the bourgeois democratic revolution compromise with the previous rulers.
bourgeoisie therfore sought evel.
National
faces today
tional democratic But today
free into its own hands terms by gaining of
nothing more than
Connolly
in struggle, with revolutionary naits tasks, were clear. The bourgeoisie
HE Nene
revolutionary petty-bourgeoisie who still sought to carry through the tasks
democratic
and permanent
revolution
political liberty. These are tasks reality referred to in Marxism as a 'na-
revolution'. these national democratic tasks can only be carried through thoroughly by the cess of working class taking state power
- in Marx's establishing the 'dictatorship of the proletariat'. The and
«cueve flowed from the revolutions of 1848 was comeclv summersco Dye !
'Marx's theory of the distinction between the three main forces in nineteenth-century revolutions. According to this theory the following forces take a stand against the old order, against the aristocracy, system: 1) the liberal big bourgeoisie, proletariaca pett forse oisie, s thr
democratic republic; the third for a
Easter rising in Dublin of 1916 when he united in action the working class The state
tionary nationalist Irish Republican
The working class has tionary nationalist forces in a whole
the twentieth century — for example with the FLN in the war for Algerian independence from France, with the MPLA and Frelimo in the struggle to free Angola DOR'COS rule, with the ANC against the regime
In Russia.
China, Vietnam, and Cuba parties of the working class achieved hegemony
democratic forces occupying a subor-
role, and themselves led the national
bourgeois democratic revolution, and now attempted to abort the bourgeois therefore the working class could not
However the
why
LUL Y
that in our epoch the thorough carrying out of the national democratic tasks requires the taking of state power by the working class is termed the pro-
'permanent revolution'. JOHN ROSS looks at development of the theory of permanent revolution in the writings of Marx
Trotsky. of the bourgeois democratic revolution by revolutionary means Overwhelmingly the most important bourgeoisie was the peasanry.
sions of these class forces this meant the working class could not ally with the bourgeois democrats, but it could and must seek to ally with petty-bourgeois revolutionary revolutionary democrats and revolutionary nationalists. Again as Lenin democrats can and should the proletariat march now? With the Cadet
ocaNalll tionary democrats? There can be only Ole cuswer lo tis oie OekRolwl
revolutionary democrats: not with the liberals but with the masses of the
bourgeoisie in the struggle for the national democratic revolution against
Ine 1S, WILd
petty bourgeoisie cannot hold state power - there has never been a petty power can only be held by one of the society — the bourgeoisie or the proletariat. If state power passes into the hands of the bourgeoisie through the revolution then, as we have seen, the
1916-21 for example where bourgeois forces strengthened within the pettvbourgeois Sinn Fein and aborted the atonal democrauc revolution — åc cepting the pattition of the country and installing a reactionary church dominated state in the south. It occur-
Asian and African countries — where formal independence was gained but carried through and the countries remained neo-colonies subordinated to
Analysis
tional democratic revolution passed into the hands of the working classas in Russia, China, Vietnam and Cuba were ne tasks of the bourgeois democratic revolution carried through - and here, with state power passing into the hands of the wolkig Class, the proletariat then proceeded implement socialist tasks. As Trotsky put it summarising the development later: 'Marx regarded the bourgeois revolution of 1848 as the direct prelude to the proletariar revolution, Marx "erred" '. Yet his er-
and not methodological character. The revolution of 1848 did not turn into a socialist revolution. . But that it is just
also did not achieve democracy. '8
This analysis has been confirmed by the entire history of the 20th cen-
Where the dictatorshin ot the proletariat is not established naturally this does not mean inat no steps Ior ward have been taken. But it means that the bourgeois democratic tasks have been limited, aborted as li Ireland, and then followed by Zimbabwe, India, and many other countries. Only where the dictatorship of the proletariat has been established have the bourgeois democratic tasks been carried through consistently -as in Russia, China Cuba Vietnam. The attempt of Lenin to formulate ar alternative to this in the early part of the twentieth century in a theory of a revolutionary democrațic dectatorship of the proletariat and 'peasantry has not been born out by history. No caalllc of the revolutionary democratic dictatorship of the proletariat and peasantry has come into existence in any country
class in South Africa is and must ally with the revolutionary natinalists, the ANC, in order to carry through the struggle against apartheid. However in that struggle there are two perspectives. If the destruction of the apartheid state is followed by the transfer
bourgeoisie then the tasks of the national democratic revolution will be thoroughly transferred into the hands
desegregation of every aspect of life will not be carried through, a united nation will not be forged but rem. nants of racism and tribalism will continue. Only if state power is transfer-
Democracy
Charter supported by the ANC, the tasks of a thorough democratic ECVO HENI Africa, cannot be carried out without
means the working class in South Africa today must even now seek to organise itself separately from, and define itself independently politically, seeking the closest possible alliance
perfectly in Trotsky's book Permanent Revolution as: 'The dictatorship of the proletariat which has risen to power as the leader of the democratic revolution. '"I It was a perspective also outlined in the October 1985 resolution by the United Secretariat of the Africa: "A proletarian leadership will democratic and national questions are
solutions to these questions can only be carried out by the dictatorship of the proletariat as the decisive point in Even if certain socialist tasks must wait for later, only the dictatorship of the proletariat is capable of fulfilling and defending the demands of the national democratic revolution." simply by Marxist theory but, most importantly, by the entire history of
Page 9 scan of this page
West Germany shifts left
Pretoria cracks down on rail union
International
THE OUTCOME of the general election held in West Germany on 25 January showed an important shift to the left in the federal republic's politics. This shift took place right across the political spectrum. The right wing Chrisitan Democrats lost votes to the liberal Free Democrats (FDP). votes to the Social Democratic Party (SPD). The SPD lost votes to the Greens. The Green's increased their vote and gained an extra 15 seats in parliament.
For Chancellor Helmut Kohl's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister organisation, the tian Social Union
by Franz Strauss, their vote of 44.3
cent since 1949. The CDU-CSU lost two million votes and 21 seats. The junior partner the right wing government, gained two per cent - giving them 9.1 per cent of the vote and 46 seats.
estimated that 400,000 CDU-CSU voters switched support to the
and more than 700,000 abstained.
ine biggest looser of all was the ultrareactionarv He had campaigned for the CDU-CSU to gain an absolute majority in the elections and concentrated his attacks on the FDP. outcome of the election,
caractensed by CDU leader Kohl as in-
SULLIC walll ul losses' has discredited Strauss and lea to public rows inside the right wing coalition.
But the clearest and most dramatic element in the West German election result was the vote of the Greens. rrom fighting tne general election for the irst time in 1983, they now command 8.3 per cent of the vote and 42 parliamentarv seats. 'There were strong Green gains of seven per cent in Bavaria, the base the CSU, ascribed to the proposal to build a nuclear reprocessing plant none region.
now absolutely clear that the Green Party of West Germany is not the flash-in-the-pan its opponents picaicica.
World
in action
Philippines
under threat from pro-Marcos elements within the armed forces. The bodies of 18 peasants killed last week by the army in a demonstration outside the presidential palace in Manilla to demand an agrarian reform had barely been buried when on 27 January Colonel Oscar Canlas attempted to overthrow the government. The latest coup attempt takes place In tne wake or lucrcasing unres willin tae any hierarchy which is developing growing doubts about the Aquino government's ability to check
which occupied radio and television stations in the capital, support.
Ousted dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, was stopped by US authorities in Hawaii when he attempted
However,
himself to use force against the rebels because of the sympathy for the rebels within the army officers corps. After the firing of some tear gas shells and long negotiations between Ramos and
The liberals lost
The Greens, and the issues they represent, in paracular opposition to ine missiles, to nuclear power, and to NA'O. are shown to be an abiding element in waled outs.
By Carol Turner
The 1987 election results confirm the shift that has taken place in the left of West German politics since the 1970s,
Deci celerated by the rise of the anti-missiles movement at the turn of the decade and with which the Green Party has been most associated.
The CDU-CSU lost votes to its "left' both to the liberals FDP and to the Social Democrats. The latter, while they have gained from that process have not been able to provide the sort of policies that can stop the bleeding of their own vote to neir leIl ln favour of the Greens.
The will increase the cracks which are already beginning to show in the ranks of the Social Democrats.
Johannes Rau, the SPD's candidate for chancellor. rose DOWe during the right-left jockeving that took pace in nis party after the arrival of the Greens on the federal parliamentary scene 1983. Rau was pledged to naive no LUCK with any deals with the Greens.
In an interview with Guardian writer Jonathan Steele at the beginning of January, campaign manager Peter Glotz plalnca even if his party won 40 per cent of ine orlacoming vole and the Greens left holding
valance Cory Aquino's government was yet again Canlas' rebel forces (less than 100 soldiers),
attracted a pathetically low level of The whole affair looks rather clownish.
despite the low mass support, the chief of staff General Fidel Ramos never brought
parliamentary power 'our position is very clear. We couldn't cooperate with the Greens, either in coalition ally other form. A minority govern-
would the country, and whether the chancellor is the Christian Democrat Helmut Kohl or our Johannes Rau will depena on the result.
The incoherence of the SPD's position
Calcul clearly on the question of nuclear weapons. Like the British Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock, Rau is pledged to supporting NATO and to increased
Kinnock he also intends to aruc from within that NATO should become non-nuclear But unlike
British Labour Party the SPD has no position in
nuclear disarmament. On
visit Britain December last Rau emphasised to Kinnock that
NĂTO's nuclear weapons against the recently relaunched SARHWU
Sello was detained following
raid took place at the Cape Town office.
During the raids numerous items were confiscated or 'lost' These incuacu copies vr a pellor calling the South African Transport Services (SATS) the government controlled transport corporation
recognise SARHWU and thousands of signed letters from SATS workers
from the company-controlled union in favour of SARHWU.
Latest reports indicate that Ntai Sello has now been taken by police Durban where he is still in custody.
The police action
Canias, the coup ended with the announcement
of the rebels formal surrender at a press
conference, 48 hours after it had begun. The
steps taken by
plotters are half hearted, despite the arrest of 13
high ranking officers and the order to arrest
three more. Some form of deal is expected with
those implicated in the abortive coup due to the
enormous oressure the army is exertine on the
government. (The people involved in last July's
coup attempt were sentenced to do 30 press ups!)
The army restlessness is due to the failure of the
regime to control the mass movement.
to the right by the regime. Juan Ponce Enrile,
one of the most provocative pro-Marcos
elements within the regime was sacked as
minister of defence in last December's cabinet
reshuffle but he was replaced by General
Raphael lelto, a counter-insurgency expert who
enjoys the confidence of the Americans. The
replacement of several minister by 'technocrats
who enjoy the confidence of financial,
multinational and national capital in the
December cabinet reshuffle indicates also that
the government is bent on giving confidence to
business circles.
The regimes's refusal to carry out a
comprehensive agrarian reform lies at the heart
of the growing peasant unrest and mobilisation.
Workers demands for higher wages have not
been met. The political democratisation of the
country remains limited: the electoral
commission has recently refused to recognise the
left wing Bayan Party's right to participate in the
election due in May.
on West German soil were entirely a matter for the alliance This unsuccessful at-
on the nuclear disarmament issue was clearl major factor in the election results and, together with issues such as nuclear power the general right wing course of declines from the pp cent of the vote in 1983 to from while the more left cent this wing Greens advanced from S.( per cent 8.3 per cent.
Relations with the Greens are now certain to dominate the internal developments in the SPI In the regional elections in Saarland 1983, Oskar Lafontaine, leader of the SPD left wing, captured
nuclear ticket. The Greens won no seats in the regional parliament, as against the trend in other regions.
Lafontaine has made it clear he is prepared to con-
THE APARTHEID regime has moved in hard
- the South African Rail and Harbour Workers Union. In early January the union's general secretary, Ntai
police raid on SARHWU's head office in Johannesburg. A similar folle hairpion othe union. union was revived in 1983 and had a formal relaunch at a national conference in October of last SARHWU has already established a nationwide organisation members.
By Rob Higley Organisation in the rail industry • has beer seen as Coated ration 00 out Confederation African Trade Unions COSATU. All COSATI affiliates have participated the recruitment and Aquino and Ramos against the All this takes place in the context of the shift
sider an alliance with the Greens.
Rau was selected by the right wing SPD leadership
the party's candidate head once this type to head чуре development. of his perspective of 'win.
overal mayority once more opens up the debate on what attitude to take to the Greens.
The fight in the SPD is likely to break out around the election of the party chair This is at present held by ex-SPD leader Willy Brandt, who is retiring next year. Lafontaine
announced that he will be running for LIC SU
Lafontaine's positions include the withdrawal of American nuclear weapons from West Germany,
NATO collialu
and closing nuclear power plants.
Brandt has beer giving Lafontaine backing - and dISU less thar
organising drive COSATU has issued statement calling for the immediate release of Sello and the recognition SARHWU as the legit102 c coresetlalve of railway workers.
"The SATS management determined to
SARHWU, the statement reads. "They are
the 1U1CC and the emergency regulations to smash the union But SATS should realise that railway workers
vient, cheap and controlled to the benefit of the minority right-wing government and for capitalist profit.'
Such attacks on SARHWU have been the price railworkers have had
pay LOSIONI union's long and broken
which dates back to 1936. The union has issued its own statement
The mass movement is seething with discontent, as the government faces increasing difficulties on the economic front: imperialism and business circles are not satisfied, they want the checking of the mass movement and the crashing of the communist insurgence of the National Democratic Front. The government strategy of offering a ceasefire to the NDF guerrilla forces while preparing for war to definitely stabilise that situation in favour of the national bourgeoisie and imperialism, is also in difficulties. The NDF has decided to suspend the peace talks they were conducting with the government.
Due to its nature the government simply refuses to embark on the only course capable of taking the country out of the crisis: turning to the mass movement to keep the pro-Marcos plotters in check; a radical agrarian reform; the elimination of the US military bases in the Philippines; repudiation of the external debt; and a thorough purging from the state apparatus of pro-Marcos elements
The beleaugered Laban-Unido government coalition hopes to regain the political initiative by winning a decisive majority in the 2 February referendum to enact a new constitution. Canlas abortive coup attempt is a clear manifestation that the army and the ruling class do not favour the course pursued by the regime but can do little which is decisive at this stage. The mass movement on the other hand will not accept any curtailment of their hard-won democratic rights and freedom. The situation is polarising rapidly and a colossal confrontation looms large on the horizon.
for the right wing CDU-CSU has left him discredited
thusiastic support to Rau during the election.
If Lafontaine wins this will open up the much closer relations between the SPD and Greens wing of the SPD will resist SOReLIEN- the right
Rau's right policy has been weakenec both by his failure to in crease the SPD vote and,
important,
on the recent raids.
'Since revival of our union in 1983, we have been on the receiving end of various attempts by the security police and railway police prevent legitimate trade union ac-
Our organisers have been harassed and
Ou members have been threatened and
• at work. lhes attacks have increased since we participated in forming COSATU - our federation.
of South Africa, news of such
has been COCOSION seriously curtailed since the imposition just before Xmas of the new government press censorship. Government regulations imposed al the end of January have tightened the censorship even further.
Despite this there is a growing of solidarity for SARHWU
Socialist Action 6 Feb 1987 9 Franz-Josef Strauss: his campaign for an absolute majority
creased support for the Greens.
political perspective for West Germany today must be exactly that 'Green-Red alliance - ar SPD government with the
the right wing CDU-CSUFDP coalition The clear swing to the left in the German elections makes that perspective more credible • and closer to realisation.
within rail unions Europe and North Anenca. Special have been organised in Holland, , Canada and Bri-
tain to help put organiser
n the field. In Britain, th NUR has launched a campaign to raise £2000 1n conjunction with union activists organised in Rail Against Apartheid, and has protested against the
• Letters of protest should be Botha, Union Buildings
Pretoria, South Africa and to the South African embassy, Trafalgar Square London SWI. Messages o support to SARHWU, PO Box 8059, Johannesburg, News Uppe SACTU, Flowers
Holloways, London 1119 COSATU,
louse, 268 Jeppe Stre
channesburg 20
International
Viewpoint
carries news, documents
and analysis of working
class movements from
world and is
indispensible reading for
all socialists
International Viewpoint is
available from most left
book shops or by post
from Other Books, , PO
Box 50, London N1 2XP
Subscription rates: 6 months
£9.50 (120FF); 1 year £18.00
(200FF). Make cheques
payable to PEC and send to
, 2 Rue Kichard Lenoir.
93108, Montreuil.
orders to PEC CCP
Account no 2-322-42T Paris
Bank transfers to PEC, BNI
Robespierre, Account
230179/90, 153 rue de Paris, 93108, Montreuil, France.
Page 10 scan of this page
10
Letters
The Irish in
Britain
SOCIALIST Action has begun to systematically analyse the position of women and black people in British society and in ine workme Class However there is another which must be taken into account — this 1s the consequences of Britain's long colonial rule over Ireland, its continued occupation of the six counties, and its neo-colonial economic domination of the south.
British imperialist
domination over Ireland is well known to have resulted in centuries of genocide, oppression and poverty for the Irish. But it also had significant consequences on the British social structure. There are at least three interrelated aspects.
First British domination over Ireland historically resulted in the depopulation of Ireland through mass murder, mass starvation, and mass emigration from Ireland to the USA, Australia and Britain.
Ireland is the only
Professional workers
Employers and Managers
Non-Manual
Skilled Manual
Semi-skilled Manual
Unskilled Manual
Labour's women's organisation AN article in your paper of 23 Jan has been forwarded to me in which you give a misleading and factually incorrect account or a
meeting of the National
Committee of Labour
Women (NCLW) which considered
reorganisation.
You write as if the
NCLW is under some
sort of obligation to
accept without question
the decisions of the WAC
A HOW any
women's sections,
courcus anu tiauc
unions were officially
represented at that
gathering?
Democracy in the NUS
WE are writing to you
in the interests of
democracy and debate
in the student
movement.
On 24 January 1987
Campaign Student held
a meeting to prepare Ior
the National
Oraganisation of
Labour Students
conference in February.
The meeting was broken
up by members of
Socialist Students In
NOLS, led by Socialist
Urganisel supponers.
They flooded the
meeting demanding
votes, attempted to
Socialist Action 6 Feb 1987 country in Western Europe whose population has been reduced over the past 200 years, and emigration has continued.
Emigration from Ireland was estimated to have reached 52,000 in the year July 1985 to July 1986. 38,000 of this total are estimated to have emigrated to Britain.
Second, this emigration to Britain has created a significant Irish ethnic minority within Britain. The 1981 census registered 850,397 Trish-born people permanently resident in Britain. This is certainly an underestimate and has subsequently increased One estimate o1 lie Irish population as a whole in Britain (first to third generation would put this at four million (See Irish in Britain by Kevin O'Connor). This Irish population in Britain is extremely
concentrated. More than 45 per cent of the Irish. born population in 1981 were living in the South
Born in
Born in England
Ireland and Wales
3.6% 8.3%
22.1%
36.5%
15.7%
24.8% 9.9%
The North West Region Women's Committee has made proposals which disagree on some points witn WAC. For example we are opposed to the abstract allocation.of a proportion of votes
account of the level of active participation and is no incentive to build the Labour women's organisation. The
decision to include both proposals concerning the
election of the NLWC, ie either at Regional or National Conference, was done because although the national conference may have
agreed to the change, all
Regions haven't. This
1cnt the cent a new right but of actually removing a right already
shouted speakers down including the chair throughout the meeting. One visitor, not even a student, proposed to delete a committment to a democratic, secular Palestine from Campaign Student's platorm Ior canaluale.
in elections. SSiN even accused Campalen Student supporters of being sectarian for refusing to allow them to outvote us in our own meeting!
The meeting was forced to close with no
vote taken, and
Campaign Student was prevented from adopting criteria for
AMPATIEN
IRISH
There are 38 Irish prisoners in British jails
East, 18 per cent in the North West and 12 per cent in the West Midlands. The table based on the 1966 census indicates the huge differentials between the Irish born and those born in England and occupations.
Thirdly, direct British rule in the six North East counties of ireland maintains, and is bolsteieu vy, a golesyue level of discrimination against the nationalist people of these six counties. A study from Belfast in Republican News (8 January, 1987) informant North
elections. indefensible that any organisation in the labour movement such as SSiN should use these gangster tactics to prevent a current witn which it disagrees from organising.
Campaign Student's aims are to build support tor the seltorganisation and the demands of women and black people, against all witch hunts of socialists from the Labour Party, for lesbian and gay rights, for British withdrawal from Ireland and for a united Ireland, for removal of
STRIKE
shows that the
in the six counties is 12.4 per cent. This is just 1.1 per cent above the average rate of unemployment for
Great Britain'. But the rate of unemployment for catholic men in the
staggering 30.2 per cent
- nearly three times the British level.
Only the social conditions which British socier nooses on le Black communities is comparable to the results of British colonial rule for the nationalist areas of West Belfast, Derry and so on.
fighting racist immigration legislation and a determination to build an active campaigning women's organisation than the do on the question of the election of the five seats on the NEC
Please produce your evidence that Militant historically opposed the Labour women's organisation or stop repeating the old lie.
Anne mccule yui
refer to, the initial timetable proposed by an officer was rejected! It waste cal dullill uf three months would be necessary for a thorough discussion. You appear to believe that the
quicker the consultation
e the fewer involved anc the less time for thought, the more successful you would be in getting your
all US bases from
Britain, for breaking all
links with apartheid, for
a democratic secular
Palestine and against US aggression in
Campaign Student is
fighting for NOLS to
affiliate to Labour Left
Liaison and its
constituent campaigns.
This platform makes
Campaign Student a
clear alternative to other
NOLS and
bull beats is
NUS. SSiN's politics are
quite counter to the
above. For instance, at
December NUS
conference SSiN
opposed the right of
women students to elect
their own representative
onto the NUS executive.
MALTEE
An analysis of British society must take into account Britain's relation to Ireland, not only for British politics, but also for British social structure.
One result of the exposure of the anti-Irish frameups in the cases of the Birmingham 6, the Guildford 4, and others will be to encourage the Irish in Britain - whom the frame-ups and the Prevention of Terrorism Act were designed to intimidate - to increasingly make their presence felt.
Redmond O'Neill
proposals adopted
You're probably right. You say 'time is no guarantee that the trade union rank and file will be consulted' That's true but lack of time will guarantee that they
and then the responsibility would rest not with trade union bureaucrats who may be afraid to take the issue to • ner rank and lie our with the NLWC.
Finally, you say
Militant should no longer be supported as a section of the real left. Neither the right wing, nor much more importantly, the working class is likely to take the slightest notice of you. Margaret Creear
• Socialist Action will be replying to Margaret Creear's letter in our next sue.
SSiN also oppose the right of the people of
Palestine to return to their homeland and support the continued existence of the Zionist state of Israel.
Campaign Student will continue to organise. and assert its right to do so without intimidation, : disruption or wrecking. We call on
all organisations of the
our right to organise in
NOLS and NUS.
Kingsley Abrams South
Robin Laney Kings
Colleg London, and
Polly Vittorini NUS
London executive.
(Officers of Campaign Student).
Inside
The Bill has gone through the
can teacher assoc allulls -
Trafford in Manchester to Suffolk.
call
of the
wider labour movement and by parents.
By Bernard Regan,
Judith Judd said that the union leaders sidering stepping up
coupled with an Doc.
when all will be put right. opinion polls however
members.
on the Labour government's agenda of mapping out such a strategy,
the Baker Bill today Association (ILTA)
Fifty members
against the Baker Bill.
threats from
voted unanimously for further action associations pay
the action
action and to
the seven suspended officers.
reinstatement
ing print workers and others
When leading Broad Left supporter
cher's expression the enemy within
be expelled.
paign,
secretary,
WCI
News
the unions
NUT fight hots up
KENNETH BAKER'S Bill to abolish the negotiating rights of 400,000 teachers looks set to become law by the beginning of March.
House of Lords with only one minor amendment.
Inside the union demands are growing for a one-day national strike. Throughout the countr
- branches of the NUT - have been holding special meetings and have
this effect from Leeds to the bulk of associations have also endorsed the
Such an action would be a major blow to the Tory government's plans. It would be the launching pad to a continuing campaign of resistance to any imposition of conditions under provisions
legislation and ultimately for its repeal. It would be a focus for a campaign of support by the
Suspended National Executive Member and ILTA Officer,(personal capacity)
A report in the Observer on 1 February by
were conthe action. unhinow.the leadership of the NUT has insisted that the cam paign against Baker should be a low profile one concentrating on writing to MPs and petitioning Margaret Thatcher. These suggestions were to be
appeal to one of the European courts to protest at the removal of our democrati right hen the House of Lords adopted the Baker proposals without amendment and the European court dismissed the case of the GCHQ workers the bankruptcy of these ideas became clear for all to
Although protesting that the NUT is a 'nonpolitical' union, the Kinnockites who lead it have been trying to sell the idea that teachers shoul hang on and wait for the next general election
The fluctuations in the make an equally dubious approach in the eyes of the mass of the
Even if Labour is returned at the election, a real campaign of resistance to the Baker Bill today will be the best way to ensure that its repeal is high
But instead the leadership Of the NUT has turned on the centre of resistance to
- the Inner London Teachers of the ILTA council, which represents 13,500 NUT members in the inner London Education Authority area have been suspended from the union for organising a one-day strike
• 13 January, this year 6000 ILTA members took strike action despite
their employers and Fred Jarvis through the centre of London on the coldest day of
The mass meeting which followed the marcl The local action conference meeting on Saturday 31 January fixed 5 March for
Activists inside the NUT will be stepping up
pressure on the leadership to call official nationa.
immediately and unconditionall
reinstate the whole of the ILTA council including
The ILTA Defence Campaign received a boost
last week when Peter Heathfield, NUM general
secretary, added his name to the call for ILTA's Gins on Labor Ps, Silentnight strikers, Wapp of the Campaign
The fight to defend ILTA is an important one Don Winters
treasurer of the NUT starts, using Margaret That-
to describe
critics of the executive then it is clear that some ir
the union are hoping that the ILTA leadership will
• Messages of support to ILTA Defence Cam
John Campbell Road, London N16
Copies should be sent to Fred Jarvis, NUT Genera
Hamilton House, Mabledon Place,
Page 11 scan of this page
Lessons for the NCU
In the Unions
NO MATTER what the super-profits of BT are, if the telecom wages and conditions for years to come. That was the verdict of an NCU rep after London's North Central Internal Branch had voted for all-out strike action. The BT strike is the first major national strike since the end of the miners dispute.
movement, they are equally high for the employers and the government. Thatcher and BT management are doing everything in their power to keep the Telecom engineers isolated. JIM DREW looks at the lessons of the miners strike and the Wapping dispute for the NCU.
UNDERSTANDING that
the NCU are to map out a strategy to win.
The NCU HO C chose a strike against BT than did the NUM or the print unions. BT suspended its own emplovees tor the 'crime of refusing to work
The union's members had only the choice of seeing the entire ability regulate the situation at work destroyed or engaging in an all out strike.
Despite their denials the government is right behind
newly privalisea management - just as it is behind Murdoch's multinational and just as it was behind the nationalised Coal Board. The government needs the Bi manage ment to crush the NCU for ine success or Its entire
privatisation programme.
Then it can do a deal on an
programillic mass redundancies with a house Lille DUDLICOD union.
The government enacted its trade union laws in 1980 and 1984 precisely for these situations. They have already been put to use against SOGAT and NGA to seize those unions
tacked under earlier legislation. The courts will be after the
NCU the moment they feel the industrial action biting.
Both Wapping and the
In Brief
Caterpillar
SHOP STEWARDS from
throughout Scotland
have been called to a
special conference on
Thursday 5 February in
solidarity with the Cater-
pillar factory оссира-
tion. Organised by the
Scottish TUC, the con-
ference has the backing
of Glasgow Trades
Council.
It is the latest show of
support for the Caterpillar
workers who took over the
plant in Uddingston, Lan-
arkshire, to fight against the
company's closure decision.
The closure decision has
been motivated by the US-
based multi-national on the
basis of their international
COLDULaLC plan. has
nothing whatever to do with
Wapping, miners..
workers lose this one it'll effect our
If the stakes are high for the NCU and the labour NCU,
the back to the members'
again.
- and are lac
balloted - but that won't
its
the unions OYCL their
'giving the
key
strike contractors
The
on the
the NCU will
such arsena was
11111C1N lor a
with
mass the
people's needs and everything to do with
in the closed.
The workers have used the occupation as a rallying focus for support for their struggle. They have
time Wake assemble a 'Pink Panther' tractor which they are giving to famine relief via Bob Geldof.
The workers' determination to feed the world and save their jobs
nas received support from workers in Caterpillar factories in Europe and the US. American union
leaders sent a message ol support. Bill Knudsen, chair of the United
AULO
Workers branch in lowa where 1300 Caterpillar workers' jobs are threatened marvelled at the Uddingston deter-
mination. It shows 'the
of feeling' he said,
FORCE "they're real fighters'.
Caterpillar bosses at the
firm's headquarters in Il• linois are reported to
LNCI officer John Moynihan addresses mass meeting
of the miners Wapping
informed.
T.ne preventing
blocking picketting.
victory. why it's
vented for
tion'. illegal.
been hit law
injuncuon
leadership TINe towel. The
LOll LICI
with the
NCU
been
advisor declared 'We just can't understand why your cops aren't in there busting heads!'
The workers have received backing from
leaders of all unions on site. Labour's front bench
spokesperson on industry,
occupation as has AEU
sericlal y Gavin
Laird.
John Brannan, the convenor said 'We recognise the hardships that may follow when the money dries up, but there is no time limit to our determination. We have nowhere else to go and we have justice on our side.'
Brum
ONE hundred and
eleven workers have
been locked out by
Joseph Pray Ltd in
Birmingham.
mem bers the walked out in November
1986 when two of them were sacked for working-
At the Wapping annover 24
on
rally
now
- and
ment settle the
will the
Campaign
the miners
tough The union
The gross
hour week
per cent an extra бр
Those that
Major
and
• For further information phone 021-525 5275 Messages of support and Strike Fund, 324 High Street, West Bromwich B170 8DT.
NUM FOR THE first time since
establishment of the UDM. the Coal Board has
the NUM certain recognition in Nottinghamshire. At Bolsover colliery where the NUM has always maintained majority mem-
sold awa
far because Manage
NCU
demand pay deal without important.
Golding
mediate with B
build
dominated Militant
an electoral
duce Broad Left.
• and turn
the union.
arallls
bership the has recognised the NUM's right to carry out inspection specified under the Mines and Quarries Act.
Merseyside
BUS DRIVERS sacked by the Chester-based Crossville firm have occupied the Liverpool depot. They were sacked on 26 January after taking strike action on 5 January rather than take secondhand buses with serious steering problems.
The dispute is the product of the Tory government's deregulation of the
to effect on 26 October last vcal. Delegulan. volves the dissolution of the old passenger transport execulives and reorganisation of local transport on the principle of all services making a profit.
Many services put out to tender in Liverpool
Socialist Action 6 Feb 1987
COMMUNICATION
Picket points
of 'What do we want?
through the city centre.
spective Labour parliamentary
support.
group after the branch was locked out by BT.
pickets as they did during the miners strike.
ment to date.
funds.
toured picket lines to express support. City NCU
produced a strike bulletin and solidarity sticke
in on Monday.
Golding's phone is being tapped
plain about the tapping
- done inefficiently.
porarily out of service
pen to miners!
• New members The
members as a result of the action.
Tommy Hanley
TOMMY HANLEY was Cardiff branch Secretary of the National Union of Seamen, and a Communist Party member. He died last month in tragic circumstances, aged 47.
Tommy was highly respected intne South Wales labour movement.
As well as fighting for the interests of seafarers he gave unstinting support to many different struggles,
Three hundred people attended his funeral. representing Hiall different organisations South Wales, including the NUM executive, several NUM lodges, the Well proceeded snapped to put into service buses they'd got from the West Midlands which had been mothballed there after September '85 report said
11 • Leicester The local union branch has published a 'hotline' to advise the flood of BT's much-lauded worker-shareholders now selling up to finance the
• Birmingham Five hundred engineers, clerical statt and sunporters marched on 30 Januarv. Chants
No strings!' echoed
• Nottingham Known as a traditionally 'moderate' area, the NCU is 100 per cent solid. Twice weekly mass meetings are attended by 1000 engineers. Pro-
candidates have visited picket lines as part of broad labour movement
• North London Strike headquarters are being shared with the local Wapping printworkers support
• North-west London Letters have been sent to exBT employees inviting them to strike-break. Heinz workers have shown support by donating soup to
• • Western London Supervisors have been asked to fill in questionnaires after talking to pickets in a management effort to regauge the mood of the rank and file after their disastrous errors of judge-
• Manchester Manchester STE voted for all-out strike action if any STE member is suspended. They are retusing to do engineers work. have put a week ly f10 levy on their members, collected £900 at one meeting for the engineers and donated £2000 from
• East London Diane Abbott, Labour's prospective parliamentary candidate for Hackney North ha
• Wapping Taking advantage of the dispute striking printers succeeded in marooning News International's editorial office through a coordinated call-
• Newcastle Media claims of sabotage by telecom strikers in Newcastle have been found to be completely unfounded. The cables were sawn through and reported a full week before the strike started! Needless to say, the gutter press have not printed
•Phone-tapping NCU general secretary, John
He has firn evidence that the state is organising against the strike at the highest level. But Golding didn't com-
- just that it was being
• TOS An NCU member with a week to go before retirement at the beginning of the dispute went to work. He was given a list of numbers to puttem
They included a number of local NCU branch officers. It doesn't just hap-
union is winning new Forty in Manchester, 100 in Birmingham; in the Black Country former members of the management "sweetheart organisation, EOTA, have come over to the NCU.
Labour Party, the Com munist Pir Closures and Womet Against Pit large seafarers.
An NUM lodge banne was placed near the coffin in tribute.
Musa Nogan, local seafarers leader, who worked closely with Tommy, said •Tommy had remarkable qualities. He learned the hard way and entirely self-taught He was the most honest person I've met in my lif His commitment to strug gle and trade unionism was total. We will miss him But at the same : time we have to be glad for his life and the example he gave
they'd especially heavy steering The occupation has action by dever trike action drivers from Crossville's other Mersey side depots
Page 12 scan of this page
Wapping
After the
Police riot
FOLLOWING THE police riot at Wapping on 24 January, when the commemorating the first anniversary of the strike was brutally attacked, Rupert Murdoch is now turning to the courts again SOGAT and the NGA. He is sueing the two unions for damages for activities at Wapping — which threatens fines of up to $250,000 each.
Subsequently, a meeting of union chapel committees at Rupert Murdoch's News International adopted
24-hour strike of Fleet St in notIOl calling for solidarity with the year long
NaThe determi
determination of the strikers has torced this dispute to the attention of wide layers of labour movement activists. With the telecoms strike, a new audience for the strike is open-
ed The police riot on 24
January was part of a decision to try to bring to an end the year long strike.
They hope to end the twice weekly demonstrations to the Wapping plant which have helped maintain the strike. Honne Secretary Douglas Hurd nas anteatereu tomatrouucc new powers to prevent these •CHOSL aLOIS taking place. The new Public
Order Act which comes into force in April will extend powers of the police to stop such demonstrations on what are in effect political grounds.
Evidence about the police riot continues come out.
Two press photographers were attacked one Eruises io with cuts and bruises his head, the other, the Morning Star's
Ernie Greenwood, was
hospitalised. The BBC's
Kate Adie was attacked as
indiscriminately
ponce
lashed out at all and sundry.
Jine riot ran late into the night. At least four local pubs were raided at closing time. At midnight, police
Name
Adress
I encios
Action for E
Radictaren ge & newsoaner wirt tne rost vlce
Pnhlighed by Cardinal Enterprises. PO Box 50. London N1.
Printed by East End Offset Ltd. (TU), London E2.
SOCiAList
ACTION
25,000 strong demonstration
tor a further attack on
snatch squads were conti-
nuing their intimidation.
police riot was
roundly denounced by Ar-
thur Scargill who reminded
the rally of similar action
during the miners strike.
doservel John
Bowden was another
speaker to give evidence of
ing with vood from his
ing with blood from
face, Bowden held up what
was left of his glasses after
hed been given a crack
from a truncheon simply
for doing his job as a lega
observer •Ull behalf of
SOGAT. Bowden pointed
out that the police violence
was all or a part win tue
imprisonment of Mike
Hicks but that nothing the
police could do would stop
peopie comine back ana ex.
ercising their right to
demonstrate.
New police tactics in-
cluded the spraying of in-
delible red dye
demonstrators who could
be subject to arrest perhaps
a week later simply for the
'crime' of having been to
Wapping
As the police riot raged
une osno successive
forays and charges - now
LIC caval y. now by
'gladiators' - speakers at
the rally condemned their
action.
SOGAT general
Brenda
secrear Deali
started her speech with a
conocm lor o rc Dorco
action. 'While we've been
Sou don cs prom sllc
said 'we've seen the police at
ane back oule ccuocraic.y
attacking our people — and
for no reason at all'. Dean
called on the press to 'take
SUBSCRIBE
Inland 24 issues £10 48 issues £20 cheque/PO payable to Socialist
Send to: Socialist Action Subs, PO Box 50, London N/ 2XP
LEGAL
OBSERVES
John Bowden note of that.
Peter Shore, the local MP and a member of Labour's front bench described the demonstration as 'orderly' and an example of people's 'free right'. Shore gave background to the police activity pointing to the way they'd disrupted the lives of local residents over the past yaA report condu :ied by 25 legal observers present at the march found 'incontrovertible evidence that police tactics were vocative, unlawful and unnecessarily violent'. The legal observers found that the TaCCO contravened guidelines issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers and 'were extremely dangerous
They have called for an independent public enquiry. The call for a public envulv nas aso oecumac u the print unions, the AEU and the Labour Party.
Women Against Murdoch has decided to organise picket of the Home Office to protest at
police v ence push for a public enquiry.
The aftermath of the polce riot is the new return to the courts by Murdoch. SOGAT '82 is already in a financial .crisis and Murdoch's aim is to force the unions to withdraw effective backing from the strike. notar Ine osul amons nave not mobilised their strength in pleet Street. where all print workers are facing similar attacks, to win the strike - and other unions have not come to the aid of the NGA and SOGAT. The police riot and new legal attack show just how criminal that policy is. The call for a 24 hour strike in Fleet Street must be used to help turn that around.
RATES Overseas
(48 issues only)
Europe £24 Airmall £34
(Double these rates
for multi-reader
institutions)
ZIRCON
fraud
potential political embarrassment for the ment.
The police have officially raided New Statesman Cloe BBC 01fices as well as Campbell's home, and all of the five other films in the series
been seized Margaret Lavi Thatcher her government claim this has been done in the in• terest Nouhing 'national security. could be further from the truth
As Campbell'S New Statesman article points satelite project is already material . on the spy publicly available. His contribution has been gather it together in one place.
But as Campbell's article outlines, government embarrassment two-fold. First: 'GCHO's directors have, from the beginning,
major problem with Zircon - hiding tons of sophisticated electronics that, to operate at all, has to be lauched into space and left in orbit - where everyone can see it
'So, „TOIL 1982 Ull wards, according to MoD
clear SOULLCO I Was GCHO and defence plan ners that there would'have to be a specially devised cover story for public and
Consulli dtion. But the cover story plan lido already fallen apart
'When any object is launched into space, its ex istence must be announced
the terms United Nations treaty. So you can't pretend doesn't exist. But you cạn lie or dissemble about its functions, in order to disguise its real job as the Americans do - • their spy satellites have been routinely announced "communications" or "data relay", or just launched without comment... Launch
'If Britain launches a satellite and doesn't say what its function is, that's the same as saying it's an intelligence any cover story, to be effective, would have to involve Skynet.
Campbell has exposed how the government intended to spy on the Soviet Union and the Middle East and the fact that these plans have now been foil-
He has also exposed the reasons.
Thatcher's
security
'NOTHING to do with security and everything to do with the government's own political embarassment.' That was how MP Robin Cook reacted to news of the BBC's ban on the Project Zircon film, one of six due to be screened as part of The Secret Society series. Cook was right. The unprecedented series of police raids launched since the publication of the New Statesman story on the Zircon project are aimed to whip up patriotic frenzy and cover over a
govern-
According to Sir Frank Cooper,
Serene atin he ziron
defence Zircon decision was taken: new GCHQ satellite was a matter politics". Britain's international standing, he plained was essentialiy based on trying to stand beside the Americans and specia. relationship on intelligence and nuclear policy.
By Carol Turner
now dominaled br sl inak.
intelligence (sigint) rith the America n n tate critical area, Britain's organisation, Itenham, badly wanted its spy satellite. The satellite would, "give us a standing in our relations particularly with the United States and our European allies'
Revealed Secondly and the factor that is causing most public Cuiva aoslcl Mrs Thatcher and her cabinet Campbell zevenet that: "Ihe satellite's existence and huge cost nas, till now, remained completely secret trom Darliament • • despite
1,82 mau, dertak no in
1982 that, after Labour and Conservative governments had deceived MPs about billion secretly spent on modernising nuclear warheads — the Chevaline •rosEanne the • Com mons public accounts committee would always receive advance information about expenditure on major defence projects .. 'Normally, intelligence
Be paid tor by nhe ild
paid for the telligence budget, nearly f1 billion a year.
About half of this goes to GCHO laundered uch by being misleadingly presented to as expenditure Dallalc ll on such diverse but innocuous items as 'RAF electronics' or w'armv bar racks services". But with GIECUI CSL Ci CHLI C year's budget for the whole of GCHQ, it was decided in 1983 that it had to be funded directly inside the real defenr budget.
• NEWC
STATESMAN
Kellner on the politics of city scandals • Arming for survival • Ars longa. Buchan brevis e Labour must be fashionable • Irving Penn • Tarkovsky article appeared
'As a result, defence secretary Michael Heseltine had to agree the project at a time when normal defence expenditure was already being cut to meet the costs of the Trident
rop dl ever permanent programme.
secretaries. committee the intelligence services (PSIS) and would have then been passed to the prime minister.'
This deceit has left the Tory red the
Cabine face But Mrs Thatcher has found an unexpected ally in the Zircon debacle in none other than ı Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock
From the start, Kinnock has been first on his feet to deplore "breaches of security and defend 'the national interest'. He has laken every •CołOs to attack the Tories for not one cue o cove u! the Zircon fiasco!
Demands
Hugo Young in the Guardian of 29 January reports that not only did Kinnock Howe's demand along Geoffrey
Be ne ut for reasons of state securi
but he also supported
injunction against Campbell's article (ineffective because was issued after the New Statesman hit the streets) and supported the ban on showing the Circon tim in the House of Commons.
The Guardian editorial described Kinnock's comNICHES 'pitiful'. And pitiful indeed they are. At
when the Labour leadership could have seiz-
SPY IN THE SKY
New Statesman offices were raided by police after this
ed the opportunity to ex
government Neil Kinnock has chosen to side with Margaret Thatcher and her cabinet. Methods
What the Zircon attal reveris KoL Lic Iccu lu tighter security, but the police-state methods of the Thatcher government Even the Liberal-SDP Alliance have approached the issue from the point of vIeW of freedom of information. David Owen and others have attacked Thatcher for 'deceiving parliament'
The purpose of the spy satellite is to keep Britain up with the nuclear Jones and enhance its standing
the world perialis powers. The Tories are doing this at the
of ordinary people's jobs and freedom — and that unpopular faci is what they are desperate to keep hidden.
GabOr S OO rollo to expose this. To compare
sec euve Margaret Thather's state with the consisten growing attacks on trade union rights, on the black communities , on Irish people, and on the women of Greenham Common. To compare the waste of resources on sov satellfite with the growing dole queues up and down the country.
Instead of standing in line to support Margaret Thatcher and 'the national interest', Neil Kinnock should have been denouncing her across the land.
← Socialist Action No. 157, 23 January 1987Socialist Action No. 159, 20 February 1987 →