Socialist Action No. 171, 25 September 1987
The scan: 171-sep-25-1987-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
THE TORIES!
Tony Benn on socialist policies; Ken Livingstone on left unity; support the miners; the Liberals — 'Owenism without Owen'
No. 171 THIS YEAR's Labour Party conference is almost certain to take the Party in exactly the wrong direction.
What is needed is drawing up plans of four years of resistance to the Thatcher government.
This is not just what is needed to defend working people and their families, it is also what is required for Labour the next election.
In four years time it won't be how slick is Labour's television broadcasts, or whether its leaflets are printed in colour or not, that will determine whether Labour wins. It will be how far the trade unions have advanced, how far local government has been defended, how far the struggle internationally has advanced.
Labour lost the last election when the miners strike was defeated - and Neil Kinnock helped sign Labour's death warrant for the election when he failed to support the strike. If the miners had won Thatcher would have lost the election. Because the TUC let the miners be defeated
INSIDE:
SOCiAisE
ACTION
BUILDING AN ALLIANCE FOR SOCIALISM
UNITY ON
THE LEFT
TO FIGHT
Labour went down to defeat. If Labour loses the fights outside parliament then it will lose the next election as well.
Top of the list at Labour Party conference should therefore be how Labour defends the unions and Labour councils under attack — starting by supporting the miners overtime ban. Second should be support for the liberation strug gle in South Africa. The conference should discuss defending women and the black communities. Support for peace in Central America, and a ringing condemnation of Reagan's policies of supporting the contras, should be a next item on the agenda. The discussion should continue on how to get Britain out of Ireland. A central feature of domestic policy should be to use the chaos in the SDP to appeal to voters who misguidedly voted for it at the last election to return to Labour.
But what will we, in fact, get from the party leadership? First and foremost an attack on hard won democratic rights in the party under the Labour conference special:
25 Sept 1987
THE GULF!
guise of 'one member one vote - a move to break any accountability of MPs to their local Labour Parties and to allow Robert Maxwell and Rupert Murdoch to play a decisive role in Labour Party selection procedures
Second, there will be no mention of those fights actually taking place against the Tories. Arthur scargill and ine miners will be wreated as al embarassing irrelevance at best, and at worst as a threat, to Labour's attempt to rebuild its support. ' Any council attempting to defend services would be condemned as looney left".
Third instead of discrediting, ridiculing and weakening the Alliance the right wing — led by Eric Hammond, Gavin Laird and members of the Fabian Society - will be seeking to rescue that anti-Labour outfit by voting for proportional representation and discussing in the corridors Lib-Lab pacts.
We could go on. But the issue is not what to denounce but what to do about it.
Here there is no doubt. The most crucial issue
30p
BRITAIN OUT OF
HANDS OFF IRAN!
is to unite the left in the fight against the Thatcher government. Today the most important source of confusion and disorientation in the labour movement is that a number of figures regarded by the majority of the working class as on the left, starting with Neil Kinnock, are breaking up annd disorganising any fight back against the Thatche government. But hundreds of thousands of working class people don't understand that as yet
- nor will they sort out who on the left intends to fight, and who intends to fake, without a real struggle being waged against Thatcher. And hundreds of thousands of people will find themselves engaged in fights with Thatcher's government regardless of whether the party leadership wishes them to do so
It is this unity in the struggle not ritual denunciations, which will sort out the situation in the labour movement. It is what is needed for the fight against the Thatcher government - and for a Labour victory. That is why it should be taken up.
Page 2 scan of this page
'Owenism without Owen'
Right wing Labour offensive in Birmingham
Socialist Action
ACTiON SOCiAlist
Why unity on the
'left?
SINCE THE election unity on the left has become a popular, and Why?
That can only be understood in terms of the three currents which today exist in the Labour movement -against the Thatcher government.
Neil Kinnock intends to take the Labour Party far to the right of anything which most people imgoined when he was elected party leader. more, he is committed to a bloc with a right wing
This year's TUC congress and Labour Party conference have defined politically, and industrially, more clearly than ever before. At the TUC it voted for no-strike deals. At the Labour Party conference it will vote for proportional representation - that is, in practice, for a coalition with the Liberals.
The Kinnockite majority of the party is verbally against such policies of the new realist right. But it is totally paralysed from fighting against them, among bloc with this right in running the party. Thus Ron Todd argued against no-strike deals at the TUC congress which put off the whole matter. unions, and soft left, reject a coalition with the Liberals but adopt policies which, as Tony Benn has rightly put it, "ideological coalitionism'. Or put more precisely which make labour's distinguishable from the Alliance. A precondition for a serious fight against the right's policies is breaking off the bloc with it in running the party.
That leaves the position of the 'hard left'. This will, as its main task, be waging the fight against the Tory government. But the hard left is also a minority inside the labour movement. It cannot lead it in its own right at present. The demand must be that the soft left joins with the hard left in the fight against the Thatcher government — not in order to 'expose' the soft left but in order to actually wage the struggle against Thatcher. That, inevitably, means the soft left breaking off its bloc with the right — not as an end in itself but because the right has not the slightest intention of fighting against Thatcher.
That is what the slogan 'unity on the left' means concretely today. That is why it is a correct slogan. It serves the interests of both the labour movement and the left the two must be the same. The voice of the
'soft left'?
BRYAN GOULD is being built up as a 'soft left' candidate for the NEC — in particular by the Labour Coordinating Committee. As a certain test of his soft left credentials who do you think he voted for in the 1983 leadership and deputy leadership elections?
Kinnock and Hattersley? Hattersley and Kinnock? Heffer and Meacher?
Gould actually voted for Peter Shore for leader and Gwyneth Dunwoody for deputy leader.
1als way oul posiuol was only seven Gwyneth Dunwoody, treeson. Jonn Gilbert, McGuire and Peter Shore.
Bryan Gould has nothing to do with the soft left. He is a right winger being given a left cover by
the LCC.
taken a little note of rather than being confined to d
pages 347 and 349 of the 1983 Labour, Party con-
ference report?
25 Sept 1987 decisive, slogan.
and how they interrelate in the fight
Kven
that right wing both other reasons, precisely because it is in a
— and then accepted an 'investigation'
The Kinnockite
amount in practice to
policies increasinov in.
Capital investment
mality of services
so right wing that
members of the PLP voted for it -
Forrester, Reg Bryan Gould, Michael
Perhaps this voting record should be
THE TIMES political editor, Robin Oakley, spelt out the significance of last week's Liberal Party conference in Harrogate perfectly: about freedom, justice, and apple pie, the Liberal assembly in Harrogate has provided an inkling of what a new merged party with the Social Democrats will be like: it will Owenite party without Dr Owen ...
Oakley went on: he
week from CalliC Richard one of
advisors, argued that
It is Owen's
the of recent years.
'A "new
been apSteel and a few around him
were to be
makers sail the new
what kind partsocial the
Democrats likely
been the Har-
Liberal (Simon)
val ly can-
croft, and
Paddy Ashdown, (
the They see
wider They talk
not get mixed with the
in
their bones The centre of gravity LICW DalLy
of
That, Owen's legacy.'
not Owen who has produced this 'shift' in the Liberal
«We shall not retain the support of working class voters by advocating the fringe activities which have attached themselves
the socialist movement
at the expense of other
issues which more
directly affect their
everyday lives. This
was the argument of
Birmingham's council
leader Dick Knowles
earlier this year in suc-
cessfully preparing the
closure of the council's
relations and
women's committees. It
was a potent reminder
of where Labour's right
wing stands issues
like equal oppor-
tunities, women, and
racism.
Labour lost five seats
'Amid the cliches respect for the individual
be an
Party. Owen was simply the occasion which allowed the real nature of the ineras to come our
The Liberal Party was
and 1960s by consciously taking a more left wing tactical line on a series of issus than the Labour Party. It stressed democratic rights. social reform, loca government and interna tional issues against the
wing bureaucratic leadership of the Labour Party. Issues
Steel A00 -tion law Peter
of the played a
the against
The Liberals
as a tactic within a which re-
The kes
It forthe right
manifesto no matter what con-
Defence of democratic most
defence democratic
party.
WELC
allal" chy. Liberal
could ally
bull
the leader:
and
1C V party therefore
Party was. in just much in
in the Birmingham council elections in May and
scapegoats were needed.
Women and black people suited the right wing fine.
By Mick Archer
This year the Labour
group has decided to act
before the event. At
group meeting . LO discuss
next year's budget, leading
councillors proposed
rate increase of no more
than five per cent. City of-
ficers said inal
savings this year would in-
Cus ol lure lilal
£40 million, or seven per
cent, in next year's budget.
In reality the Labour
group is already commit-
tea to unis course. 1il lic
last few months vacancies
in the social service and
housing departments have
remained unfilled. Now
the council is involved in a
bitter pay dispute with
'right wing' as will be the
But new ore. cosmetic change of some signiticance
Steel intends to
rty. influence
tne
Late the of
real housing department
staff, WIld 41 c demanding end to Dovelly wares. Some take home as little as f60 a week and have to claim housing benefit support themselves.
But to make these cuts the Labour group needs to first silence its critics in the District Labour Party. Although the DLP wa. suspended earlier this year at the behest of the right wing, this situation could not last indefinitely. The
fish posthan to min the
positions reconvened AGM.
The right wing set about the task with its usual zeal. Right wing GMCS bureaucratically blocked delegates mards despite custom ing nominated by left practice of each ward having an equal share of the delegation. In Smallheath
election.
Steel made that road cleal Harrogate Naturally there was no talk of a pact with Labour - at present Steel is concerned
win UMCI many waverers from the Owenite camp of the SDP as possible. But what Steel did specifically rule out was an agreement. with Thatcher. And there is possibility whatever of the Liberals winning a majori tv. and as the not to become non-Thatcherit party, that only leaves Labour as a potential coalition partner. What Steel is doing by crushing the so called Liberal 'radicals', is making sure that the merged
and Sparkbrook CLPs
the sent one stoped hee
simply closed the wards down. Sparkbrook GMC called 'special meeting on the eve of the AGM so that i cout bLabou vacance closure of its left Sparkhill
wal u. Tactics At the first reconvened
AGM these tactics produced a tie in the elections for the vote of chair. the Yollowing meeting the
right wing succeeded taking the post of chair, vice-chair and secretarv bi a margin of about 10 out of 158 votes The defeated candidate for chair was Karen McCarthy, long standing DLP activist and
prominent member of the
local LCC.
Heady with success the
News
INOS
party an absolutely reliable prop to ensure that all interests of capital are safeguarded in a coalition will Labour
'Centre'
What is humorous is that his operation is being regarded by some, notably the Communist Party, as a British politics into a 'Cen tre-right' and 'centre-left' (the Liberals). Both fragments of the
are securing the same goals One with
owenism with other chi. other
There is no other ference between them.
the fight into the Euro constituencies and the CLPs. Birmingham East Euro-constituency meeting after barracking ov rizul wisers. while in Sparkbrook fresh charges are being prepared against Amir Khan and Kevin Scally. In Selly Oak the
with disbandment over not left winger Bob Whitehead's membership card
In the midst of all thi the LCC held one of its
regulal meetings. It was addressed by LU(
Hulme. Apparently oblivious to what ing him. stressed the twin danger to the party of the hard lef and the right wing. of his audience seems, a little dumbfound.
Page 3 scan of this page
Unity on the left
Politics Today
KEN LIVINGSTONE is ticularly associated with the demand for unity on the left. Last month seven members of Labour Left Liaison and the Labour Coordinating Committee executive issued a statement opposing a pact with the Liberals and calling for unity on the left. Socialist Action asked Livingstone how he Labour Party conference and why he stressed the slogan of left unity.
THIS is probably going to be the toughest conference for the left this parliament. The election campaign was professional which credibility to the party office. techniques were actually taken from
Dioneered by the GLC, therefore by the left, but that won't be acknowledged. At the same time the vote at the election, because professional presentation wasn't filled out with real strategy or content, was bad - which will demoralise people.
Also, as yet, many on the 'soft left' don'tunderstand how far to the right sections of the party leadership are prepared to go. Therefore they do not yet see the need to recreate, on a principled basis, unity on the left and break off the bloc with the right wing.
It is therefore vital that the left doesn't get carried away by events at one conference but has a strategy for going forward over the next years This means looking realistically at the smuanon lial conronts us.
Media
Capital, today, is completely committed to a Thatcher government. There was no wavering in any section of the media on this. This is why it is even more foolish than usual to base and moving turner teasie right. ess and moving further to the right. that will happen, as during the last - parnament, 1s tnat the press will praise right wing attacks on the left during ine ima-term years and unen, no mat-
how far the party moves to the right, turn round and attack Labour during an election. Meanwhile because Labour has attacked its own supporters, it will have demoralised a section of them and its vote won't go up enough to win an election.
Coalition
This is when demands for coalition with the Liberals/new merged Alliance party, which are already be ing raised in the far seeing parts of th right wing, would come out in full flood. That approach won't win an election no matter how professional our preschlanion.
The truth is that if Labour had adopted a more left wing approach during the period leading to the last election - most obviously on nuclear power and women's rights — it would have done better.
Labour would not have won. The gap after 1983 was too great to make up in one election. But I believe we would have won 34-35 per cent of the vote, and won 50-60 seats instead of 25. Most important support wouldn't have been vulnerable to the scares by the press. constantly moving to the right we are building on sand and leave ourselves vulnerable to the types of attacks the Tories will inevitably run leading to an election.
The left must emphasise that a bloc with the right wing doesn't simply produce policies which are wong, but that it produces policies that are unpopular.
¿there is the danger of the same development as last time taking place
ers and organisations are
par- !.. of the LaDwi
six years Labour'!
saw s a luxury which
necessity to overcom
e of the election, the
icular mean Labour's
gives it to shift Party policy
The t a joint slate with the
and
Once a after this election. We can already see it on an issue like unilateral nuclear disarmament. This is where policy becomes interrelated with the situation in the party. Because the right keeps probing to find out what the 'soft left' will accept.
Salami The right would not come out with its challenge on unilateralism until it was sure it would win on one member one vote (OMOV) - it didn't want to fight on two fronts at once. strenuously denied that it wanted to change policy on defence. right believes it has won on OMOV so It is re-opening the detence issue which Hattersley said he wasn't going to do. It is a pure and simple salami tactic which the right will continue to pursue as long as part of the soft left remains in a bloc with it, and as long as it is not confronted with a united left.
This reflects the real relation of forces in the party. The truth is that none of its three currents - the right,
the soft left, or the hard left - has a majority. This is where I fundamentally disagree with who wrote in ribune recently that the soft left is now running the party and can do with it what it will. As Ani Marie rame Soft leat cane even Tribune the 'soft deliver party. At the last election it couldn't deliver on nuclear power or, on a real campaign for a national minimum wage. One right winger, John Cunningham, was able to effectively veto So it any central Labour campaign against nucical power.
Now the
Bloc
the party in a bloc with either the right or with the hard left. And many tually know it. Talk of 'going it alone' on the soft left comes chiefly from those who favour a right.
although he's not really part of the soft left at all, declared that for the
hoices.
shadow
Robin Cook take votes
can't even
on women's demands in the
with Tony Benn!
because wouldn'i accept it.
The reality is the soft left can run or Dennis Skinner
they're
bloc with the adopted.
Jack Straw in the Tribune group,
d. Developments sinc
narrow inner Party cr
ind the opportunities fr
First the attemp
Liberals. Second the dec
p of MPs for the Shadow (
and
rism Today and leading
dden agenda for the P
the same dyna
with th
tel left' wing. cabinet he wouldn't take votes from the hard left. But he was careful not to add that he wouldn't from the right either. unity.
Because if he had he wouldn't have got elected! So this section of the 'soft left' holds you can have an agreement with Roy Hattersley, or Gerald Kautman, but you can't have an agreement
Members But the reality is this argument can't be presented openly in the party the party membership Labour Party get members are discussing whether they are going to vote for David Blunkett whether VULC TOl David Blunkett or Gerald Kaufmann.
But the hard left must have different tactics to the ones sometimes Issue. Sometimes sections of the 'hard left' seem to go in for 'social fascist' tactics — attacking those the soft left closest to them as the most dangerous. The result is the hard
Socialist Action 25 Sept 1987 3 left isolate themselves. Instead the hard left should be looking, wherever it is principled, to achieve unity on issues with the soft left.
There are manv issues to do it on
unionising temporary and part-time workers, on South Africa, on Central America, fighting racism, in supporting women's demands, Ireland.
The hard left and the soft left should be coming together or par ticular initiatives. The Women's Ac-
Committee is holding a conference in London in November on women's struggles and policies for example - which involves the hard left
the soft left. The • Labour Coordinating Committee favours a policy calling for British withdrawal from Ireland in the lifetime of one parliament — and that should allow working together.
Differences
I am not saying that people should gloss over their differences. I am not
for example, because someone in the sott left disagrees with them because Militant or Socialist Organisers disagrees with them.
The hard left is making a drastic mistake if it believes that refusing to • work logelner Wil 'expose the soft
For something: like that. won't. If a right wing/soft left. bloc runs the party it will simply result in further defeats That will breed demoralisation and the strengthening of the right — not a growth of the left
The hard left has to say to the soft left, 'Look there is a choice. You can either form a bloc with the right, which won't get us anywhere, or you can form a bloc with us'. It is only by unity on the left. that the Labour Par. ty and trade unions as a whole are going forward. The left is not built on defeats. It is built on victories.
The hard left sometimes has a cute wrong wew o war une so left' is. There are certainly some peo. Phemselves sore left who have decided to call
for totally opportunist reasons. There are some 'straightforward right wingers who are doing a sort of entry work for the right in the Tribune group in parliament for example. But the great ma"jority of those who vote for "soft left' candidates in the party are on the left
Opinion
Various right wing members of the Labour Coordinating Committee (LCC) may call down anathema on lett unity but members in tne part won't take it. The soft left represents a current of opinion in the party not a disciplined trend. The majority of its supporters in the party want left.
- not unity with the right. The Guardian or the New Statesman may specialise Sillcals planted stories, but eventually desire for left
Provided, understands that what the рагу membership is interested in is not internal fighting but policies which take the labour movement forward
Take an issue that concerns me — Ireland. We must have a battle in de movement, unfortunately, in orde t
through the poli!
not taking up the issue 3: ziate I order to have a me: =377 prepared to have a fe: = = to get Britain our of Ireiani proach has to be applied :0 ==]
It is only when the left put forward policies which correspond : IDe interests of the whole moremen ta it gets support. These are ie ison the left must absorb.
Page 4 scan of this page
4 SIXTY STUDENTS attended what turned out to be a sharply contradictory 'Democratic Left' (DL) conference over the weekend of 19-20 September in London. DL, the 'soft left' current which leads NOLS and the NUS, held its conference following the 'left unity' statement issued by leading figures of Labour Left Liaison and the ICC, including Ken Livingstone, Peter Hain and Joan Ruddock.
Both the build-up, and the conference itself, were dominated by this discussion on what political and tactical alliances should be forged on the left. The 'uni-
supporters before the Concice.
The keynote speaker on Saturday, Keith Vaz, under the theme of 'Left Unity: The Way Forward or sune sulev As he explained, Vaz is a
both the Tribune and Campaign Groups. He gave his reason for supporting a principled unity on the left and aiming for a common agenda. The failure to agree a joint slate between the Tribune and Campaign Group, for example, that shadow cabinet was a poor reflection of the make-up or the PLP, he explained.
While noting some bad ommissions from the unity document particularly on lesbian and gay rights and a Welsh assembly Maz concluded by saying that he hoped it would be supPorted the eins
cited the GLC perience SOL positive campaigning which could achieved by a united left and as perhaps the only successful Labour administration there has been'
Despite this very IMMEDIATELY AFTER the Thatcher announced that education reform would
white paper, Higher
tober or November 1987.
The bill proposes replacing the preseni University Grants Council with a new 'Universities Funding Council' ; replacing the National Advisory Board with a 'Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council'; and forcibly transferring 90 polys and colleges out of the control of local authorities to this new body.
Both the UFC and PCFC are intended to be appointed by the secretary of state for education and are composed of 50
businessmen, with
final power resting. will
central government. These
bodies
powers to vet the content
colises.
would be required to sub-
mit a tender for their ac
tivities, in competition
with each other - called
contract funding.
The proposals for
polys and colleges form a
major plank of the Tories.
onslaught on local coun
cils. Transferred' colleges
will their
land, buildings and
equipment previously
owned by local authorities
which will be handed
over by the government,
This proposal, hand in
hand with the abolition of
the metropolitan councils
Socialist Action 25 Sept 1987
'Dem Left' discuss left unity
positive contribution, the consensus of the meeting was unfortunately against the statement. Against some voices support trom the floor, leading figures of the DL opposed
usually the MOSu spurious grounds.
No coherent critique or alternative was argued tor. Simply it was claimed that the statement was
ullily 'purely negative, was antileadership', and necessary because alliance with the Liberals had ever been mooted. It was also said that we must firstly carclully what we mean by 'working Cass and even that the statement must be rejected because it was 'macho'
It is ironic that this refusal to support a Vill cipled unity of Labour's lef
and so take the high ground in arguing for the same in the student left -was set against reterences throughout the weekend to the crisis in support for and problems with the image of the DL. The most telling point was made by leading
OL figures who contrasted their weakness and the position of the "soft left' in the Lavour rally. speaker anel speaker referred to the DL's tailure to keen support due to having a purely negative
undemocratic, electoral
Students and the attacks on education
general election,
be targetted as a first priority. Now Kenneth Baker's Education Meeting the Challenge, originally published in April 1987, looks set to go to parliament in the form of a bill in Oc-
and curbs on 'political'
advertising, parallels the
'opt-out'. scheme for
schools in move to
destroy local democracy.
By Robin Laney,
Kings College,
London
The changes proposed
represent a continuation
of government attacks on
the strength of the NUS.
In 1981 the
nent changed the funding
of university student
unions from being a direct
OI students
grants to being in the con-
trol of s. This removes universities
themselves.
financial independence
from the SUS and
dramatically curbed
political activity.
The introduction of l
'full fees' for overseas
students
horbitantly high and ar-
bitrary figure - halved the
number attending British
educational establish-
ments.
These facts, and the
proposal to make member-
ship of NUS 'voluntary',
are designed to renove the
oi a campalgning
student movement able to
defeat such proposals by
mass mobilisations.
Along with the core
curriculum in schools and
machine with NOLS and NUS.
The political alliances being built by some of these figures of Labour's 'soft left' are in sharp contrast to the isolationist stance taken
this conference. Moreover the centre of gravity amongst students, as seen in the turn-out for demo after demo, is way to the left of that in the party.
It is hardly surprising that such disillusion Sul round the DL. The policies
NOLS
support lor British withdrawal from Ireland, the Labour Women's Action Commit tee, for unilateral nuclear disarmament. for the south African liberation struggle,
defence of the Nicaraguan revolution, and other democratic left policies — place it firmly in ine with the politics of the Campaign Group and Labour Left Liaison. Yet the who lead NOLS and NUS reject the unity salemiell Wildi Wildi would mean for students.
Students can hardly fail to draw the conclusion that there are those within the DL whose support for these •oncies Is vascu luic u
the conceite siN weigh
they succeed in doing) that a desire to ensure they are implemented most successfully.
Nonetheless, NOLS' policies stand. Sunday's converence took anemare contradictory decision. should be argued agains and reversed in the interests of students and the left as a whole.
testing at 7, 11 and 16, the result of these proposals if implemented will severely restricted access
higher education for WUlK'
It will
GUSLIY than students. perennial
sideration.
been consulted white
the widest mobilisation possible.
national
precisely the
The for
clear the NUS
Was
education on
14
trol The
conference WaN
subscribed, with 250
participating
ed away
The NUS
tober. be sup-
similar NUS
should Its backing
behind events,
wel as
THE BARRAGE of legislative attacks by the Tories on local government and the inner cities — introducing the poll tax, outlawing contract compliance, and subsidies to housing, Education Authority, and ratecapping — are designed not only to economically squeeze local government, but also as a major political attack on the labour
jor metropolitan areas in the general and local elections. The Tories have progressively been driven back
unionism.
In her first two terms of office, Thatcher concentrated her offensive on driving down trade union rights and tried but talled to cul off trade union funds to the Labour Party. A key goal of Thatcher's third term is to break up public sector trade unionism and base in the cities. Unions like the NUT, NALGO, the CPSA and NUPE are all in
front line •alongside
cuts in government grants and,
destroy the
break up
Party -
Populat call paigns can be mounted
T.ne whose
vices are be degraded.
for defeating and rebuilding Labour.
the GLC.
attacks
the Labour
black and a
organisations.
Unfortunately the response of Labour coun-
cils has been accept Tory cuts - ruling out the possibility of building up a
THE first impact in Lon-
don of the Tory govern-
ment attacks on local
government has been the
decision to cut the Lon-
don Strategic Policy
Unit.
The unit was established
jointly by a number of Lon
don councils
following the abolition of
the GLC to continue some
of its London-wide func-
tions, for example on the
police, women and race.
The London boroughs
financing LSPU decided
just before the summer that
nev wee not ll a busitiul
to continue paying for the
Defend local
government
breaking up the Inner London
movement. The Tory Party was decimated in the ma-.
and defeated in the inner cities. At the same time local government is a major bastion of public sector trade
campaign against them. Instead they are preparing to implement cuts and not campaigning against them
Council leaders such as Margaret Hodge, who
Statesman that services will 'be defended by attacking jobs, conditions and
are wrong and deeply divisive. The only beneficiaries of councils
the effects Tory attacks onto their worker will be the government.
By Terry Luke,
Islington NALGO
Executive (personal
capacity)
Similarly, attacks on the
NUT by the Inner London Education Authority undermine rather than strengthen the necessary united campaign of teachers, and parents and pupils against the break up of ILEA
That why council leaders like Steve King and Martha Osamore in Har-
ingey, who unsuccessfully
tried to win policies of no
cuts in jobs and services to
unite the council, the
workorce and une com
munity, have to be
supported.
Unfortuately, the Lon-
don Fightback conference
on 20 September, whilst be-
ing a welcome initiative to
broaden -sistanice TeNance on
London level, did not take an adequate approach.
Labour councils carrying out cuts. and talled to pro-
vide framework for a
campaign against the Tory
which we fight for Labour
have l
counci leadersmos tem-
selves to participate in.
While Laboul council
cuts have to be totally op-
unit. This is a major blow to
London, as it is now robbed
of any serious London-wide
planning and monitoring
By Jude Woodward
Over the summer it was
agreed by the LSPU staff
that a campaign to save
LSPU was not realistic.
They therefore decided to
campaign for redeployment
be da slall allong
the London boroughs.
Redeployment of those
staff in situ and many are
already seeking completely
alternative employment,
would mean each borough
posed this by itself is too narrow a framework for the fight to defend local government against the
lory attacks. The frame
LONe against the poll privatisation proposals, and all attacks on local government.
Defend London Strategic Policy Unit workers
taking on responsibility for around 20 to 25 staff - and probadly less
Although this redeployment was originalv agreed London boroughs are none • principle, some of the
dragging their feet, in par
ticular Margaret Hodge an‹ Islington are refusing come to any definite agree.
Labour Parties and
NALGO brancher
therefore asked to support
LSPU
Tne Call
paign passing model
along
following lines:
'This ward/GC/LGC/
branch etc notes the threat
News
Local government workers facing cuts have to link their fight to defend JOUS and the defence of local government as a whole. A campaign council-imposed cuts will
• Dall of this overa! fight. ding up or SPU. We sup the win
port the demands of LSPU
NALGO/NUJ for a collec
tive redeployment agree
under which each
constituent borough
. LSPU will take an equa
share of LSPU staff.
recognise the importance o
this agreement being reach
ed quickly and mandate ou
councillors to pass a resolu
and council/instruct branch
officers to reach an agree
ment through negotiatin
channels that the Londo
borough of one ninth of LSPL wil
staff.
Page 5 scan of this page
Government alarm on MacBride principles
News
TOM KING, the secretary of state for northern Ireland, flew to the September in a dramatic effort to stop the growing band wagon of support in the USA for the MacBride principles, which deal with eliminating discrimination in employment in northern Ireland. The MacBride principles have already been adopted by five American states: New York, necticut, Rhode Island and New Jersey.
King's visit is a last ditch attempt to persuade six HOIC state! not adopt These are:
California, Illinois, Michi-
an, Minnesota, Ohio and
By Redmond O'Neill
Bride means that funds
US at present account for
Six counties and are the
The were nobel peace
They deal
-both direct indirect
The support for the alarmed British
tent that ap-
full-time
Sean out that
state legislature, adop-
scrutiny.
The govern-
Reagan The US to
last Belfast
Bride 'extremely ive'. have been by American of
of Industrial Ireland is timetabled for debate.
Four deal with
discrimination in employ-
ment in northern Ireland.
They reflect the major im-
pact of the MacBride prin-
cipies and or lie Labour
Committee Ireland's
on this issue in the trade unions this year.
The LCI hopes that this year's conference will commit Labour to a campaigr against employment
discrimination, which will
majority for the MacBride principles in the party in the
future. At present, Targe number of unions, particularly those with
members northern
Iciana, are nol preparea
to take a clear stand for acca measures arals
employment discrimination and still less on the
question of Irish unity and
self-determination.
United States on 19-20
Massachusetts, Con-
ment in
The has
Protestants. Major
bill
The British
attitude WaN
the september
the US': eradicating
ment be the
aim in
vestment.
:to dic-
or may. Nor
dealings with their workers'
in Britain and
and Ad-
(ICTU), because of
genera secretary,
criticised the failure of
to
Labour conference debate on Ireland
TWELVE CONSTITUENCY Labour Parties have submitted resolutions or amendments on Ireland to this year's party conference. This should ensure that
This includes the Transport and General
Workers? Union, whose northern Ireland organiser, John Freeman,
prominent opponent the MacBride ciples. In a letter to the
September issue of Marxism Today, Freeman categorically opposes the principles on the tradi-
ional grounds used against «iLdiscrimination measures
that they would reduce job opportunities.
He argues that: 'In Belfast, unemployment is concentrated in the north
• the
Protestanbs are in the cass.
Protestants
Belfast are more likely to
experience labour market, disadvantage Those
who live in East Belfast.
discrimination principles
unionist-
Committee have been
government inaction on
posals their OWIl.
endorsing the principles, Kevin MacNamara,
'far from Mac-
• Recently Charles
prime south, the principles
only John
which the Anglo-Irish
campaign That-
All these
Tory The
major for nor-
as we
niversary.
This difference more significant than those betweet Protestants Catholics in West Belfast.'
This attempt to dissolve the discrimination " that results in over 30 per cent unemployment amongst Catholic males compared to over 12 per cent for Protestants, does not hold wate The US C of geography precisely trace the lines of the nationalist and loyalist communities and are periodically reinforced loyalist intimidation.
of industry in loyalist areas
LUCI systematic discrimination by public and private sec-
employers against individual Catholics
to esolone Labour Party conference,
SheffieldHillsborough and Tottennam CLPs, aim commit the next Labour government to a policy of
withdrawal Ireland within the lifetime
Unemployment% King: a last-ditch attempt to stop US states adopting antiron is likel • discrimination likely to be debated this year's Labour Party conference in Brighton. And the conference against discrimination in employment in northern Ireland called by the
Employment Discrimination
in Northern Ireland:
Labour SUDOUrI
Committee
Railwaymen
establish British
Ireland of policies U120
the LCI itself at this year's AGM, to push up the vote for British withdrawal the 400,000 it received at last year's party conference, towards the one million-
plus votes which issues like Black Sections. remova ot US bases and so regularly secure.
Unfortunately the
resolutions tie the call for British withdrawal in the lifetime of one parliament
scrapping renegotiating the Anglo. Irish Accord. laudable in itself, this may obscure the increasing support being won for the
205470% 1215%
FERMANAGH
Labour Committee Ireland for 28 November port in the British trade has received major DUD union movement, with
Gill, Peter Heathfield and Jimmy Knapp.
IRELAND:
CAUSE OF
LABOUR?
The Origins
The Facts
The Future
A conference for trade unionists on 7o november ?.
The Camden Centre Bidborough Street LONOR NIN (opp St Pancras Station)
For delegates pack and further information, contact Ireland: The Cause of Labour?', BM Box 5335, London WCIN 3XX
policy of British withdrawal the trade unions and CLPs. reall Lnert resolution from Nuneaton which aims to suppress the debate within the British labour movement on Ireland denouncing Sinn Fein as fascist and Clanning 'constructive part to play the resolution of the conflict'. The aim of this is outlaw the dialogue with Sinn Fein initiated by the GLC and many other Labour councils.
The effect would be to i debate or Ireland the elected representatives of 35 per cent OI TRe community and the main proponents or mic solution. of British withdrawal and self-determination Ireland. Thus the resolution is simply an attempt to introduce censorship in to the debate on Ireland which is only just beginning in the labour move-
Socialist Action
Labour Party
conference
tation. Since our campaign
number of
historic election of four black Labour MPs.
Our successful an-
tingham anti-
policies
the of black
must Ical the against racism. by movement leaders give
in Azania
not comes to
The Party
cam-
committee.
The year
after 14-month battle he
expelled from his
four Birmingham MPs
in the city.
Rally more fighting CLOC internal disputes instead
and turt
poor ome
them leaders
fantasising about women — the majority of the population.
This will include discussions on part-time work and low pay, on the TUC department and women's representation in the trade
umons, on local govern
ment tees, on improving legislation on rape and por-
nography and on the
of the Labour women's organisation.
laking up low Labour won from
25 Sept 1987 5
Black Sections and
BLACK SECTIONS have won significant gains in our fight for black political represen-
was launched there has been a three-fold increase in the
black councillors, three black leaders of Labour-controlled councils and the
women, and other oppressed groups as 'chasing rainbows'
United the working class back call put Labour
Divided we will continue to be defeated by • the ones.
By Marc Wadsworth
ship's
and Asian totally failed. played no the general
for victory
where the old whiteLabour Party has repeatedly
leadership and Fleet us, we
London, Man
'Winning the majority'
The Labour Women's Action Committee is organising a conference in Lambeth Town Hall, South London, on 21 November, to look at some of the key developments of last year and initiate discussion on the policy priorities Labour must have to win the support and involvement of
women in the June election and how to build up support, the conference will discuss the link between these policies structural changes within the party.
Registration costs £3 (£1.50). Credentials and background papers available from Anne Kane, London Organisel Broadway Hous Jackman Street, London E8.
Page 6 scan of this page
Solidarity, policy and pror representation
conference at Chesterfield, in
representation.
AFTER THE deputy election in 1981 the left took the decision, which I think was correct, that it should play its part in trying to win the election and concentrate on policy.
Second the miners became touchstone. view you may have future of society, if you a there when the going gets you are of no use.
These steps were followed by the article in New Socialist, nism without Benn' signalled not just a realignment but some sort of break in the left.
The Campaign Group has confirmed the views it took when we decided to go along with the miners and printers. We have also attempted to reopen the debate on policy in the party. For this reason the Campaign Group has produced three major pamphlets - the third of which will come out this week.
The first was A Million Jobs a Year - to tackle the question of how you restore full employment. The second was Ben Lowe's pamphlet arguing for withdrawal from NATO, for peace and for non-alignment. The third is on the trade unions - with a forward by Jim Mortimer.
Board But it is clear that there must be
a more general policy response.
Therefore the idea was developed Group, by the Socialist Society, br members
the Conference
Economists, by Jim Mortimer and
people of that type, that we needed
a conterence which would
not at the performance
ministers, not at the internal strug-
gle within the Labour Party, but at
the changes that are taking place in
the world and how socialists should
respond.
We wanted a broadly based
conference with as many consti-
tuencies as possible, with the Cam-
paign groups, with union involve-
We also
Labour Party conference so that it
didn't get diverted into tactical
discussions about how to handle
that conference.
ference 1S about
Labour Party matters.
In addition to opening and clos-
ing plenaries, and a large number
of workshops, there will be three
mini-conferences within the con-
ference.
The first will be on peace and
non-alignment and the direction of
American policy in the Gulf and
Central America. The domestic im-
Socialist Action 25 Sept 1987 TONY BENN announced earlier this month that the Campaign Group, the Socialist Society and Conference of
Socialist Economists would be holding a
November, to discuss socialist policy.
Socialist Action asked Benn to explain
how he saw the role of the conference, and also his views on one of the key issues that will be discussed at Labour Party conference — proportional
leadership
the British people,
tion about socialism.
strike Whatever about the the worktorce, unions
'Ben- about the role of the unions. which
ties, tion. Strong
necessary
OlIC might
Labour Party.
Owen has now, merger deal.
Campaign
Socialist inflict further
look of Tory Campaign
coordinating
wanted it after
also the same
Indeed the coninternal Then, voices of despair began.
Jay said we
abandon Clause 4.
plication will be that if you can lift the cold war fear from the minds of
then you left from both of them and us an inhibi-
The second will be about the shape of the economy, the changes in technology, the centralisation of power, the shifts in the nature of
and about how organise in entire areas which have been neglected. There will be a great deal of discussion
The third conference is on the question of state power, civil liber-
democracy, and discrimina-
We considered that if you are going to defeat Mrs Thatcher you have to attack the clutch of ideas that are behind her. This is all the
because of the vacuum that has opened up in what
call the 'centre' of British politics — and also in the
If you take first the 'centre'
probably, split three parties - Labour, the SDP and the Liberals (because a section of the radical Liberals won't go along with the merger). Mclennan, the new SDP leader, has insisted that the new party's support for nuclear weapons will be part of a
That whole initiative has collapsed - except insotar as the fragments that are left can be financed, used, and supported to
damage the Labour Party. That was what they were about in the first place.
Second you have from some people in the Labour Party the
same responses as after 1959. I
mention this because, in some re- the spects, I played the part in 1959 of
the campaign.
I ran the television, everybody said
it was the best campaign we had
ever had, and at the end of it we full
were defeated! The response was
— it was said that we
had been defeated, but that the
leadership had been established.
almost immediately, the Douglas should change the
name of the Labour Party to the
Democratic Party. The editor of
the New Statesman, a man called
Johnson, said nationalisation was
an albatross which should be drop
ped. Hugh Gaitskell said we should
I am not saying that there are
but having lived™ exact. parallels, through that period I do know that very strong parallels exist and that
lessons are relevant. that does not however, is that Harold Macmillan was well to the left of 1987 Labour Party policy in his commitment to
employment, welfare detente.
Socialism
The only way to deal with this situation is to have an absolutely open discussion about socialism. The response isn't to do what the Independent Labor Party (ILP) did in the 1930s when it got disgusted and left the party, or what Stafford Cripps did with his Popular Front, or what the Bevanites did with their parliamentary fraction - just being difficult within the House of
Tony Benn at the Notts miners gala. With him are Raquel Dixon from Nicaragua and Ray Chadburn, Notts NUM
Commons with few, or no roots outside parliament or in the trade unions. the heart of the matter so as to win exist, the support of the majority in the
Labour Party and trade unions — and in so doing to educate a lot of other people fed up with the SDP, and fed up with the Liberals, and fed up
with the Tories.
making conference. word 'forum' would have been better, because after a forum nothing happens except another one.
Coalition
be discussed at Labour Party conferer tion d inevitably be followed
ANODESSED DRAGA
coalition.
We must attempt to go to
policies. never
note in history.
Weare not proposing a decision
Perhaps the
that they plan
succeeding, On one question that is going to
proportional representa-
have always opposed it. PR followed
by
And coalition does whole number of things. First it is aimed to prevent the election of a Labour government with radical
With PR there would have been a Labour government - including the government of 1945. Proportional representation must be the shortest suicide
Future
Second it denies the electorate a chance of influencing the future. You vote for the candidates and the party of your choice but then, since none of these parties are capable of
the real policy which you are governed is decide after the election. PR means thai there is zero vote for any polies
- because nobody knowi what the policy is. until after the
Page 7 scan of this page
No arms embargo against Iran
dection is over.
Third certain forms of proporconal representation destroy the very strong link between the MP and the constituency - and any element of accountabiliit Sixty to eighty people come song each weeK my
argery. Truthfully, unless you are
repared to address your mind to
cal problems, and fight for the
cople coming to see you, you're
ot rooted in the community.
Evade
Fourth, PR allows politicians
evade responsibility. At the end
the parliament they say 'Well I
an't like it, but it was the price we ad to pay to get the support of this
oup or that group.
at least can see policy making
in the open,
ortional
What happens under tional representation would civil service establisment governs.
Italy has had
ments since the war. None of them had
advice and were particularly powerless in
Wrong
are wrong.
At present
up
call. step
propor1S that the
60 govern-
any particular power in the decision making process of society
dealing with the economy, or the financial sector, or the civil service.
There are people who support PR on the principled grounds that until you win over 50 per cent of the vote you can't change anything I respect that view but I think they
1980
Tanks
1987
1980
Combat
aircraft 1987
1980 77, 40
Combat
helicopters
1987
1980
Artillery
1987
Source: The Economist estimates RONALD REAGAN and British government are whipping
hysteria in order to force an arms embargo against Iran through the UN security council. Labour Party conference will also debate and be asked to support a similar
Socialists should clearly reject the proposal to introduce an arms embargo against Iran. Its content today is simply to disarm Iran in the context of the huge build-up of US, British and other imperialist warships in the Gulf.
Moreover is the height hypocrisy. The United States has supplied arms to Iran. Britain London to be used as the chief base for Iran to buy arms. Their proposal for an arms embargo comes when they have sent their own fleets into the Gulf. The demand of socialists must be for the withdrawal of all US and British warships and military from the area.
It is ridiculous to think that the bloody hands of Reagan and Thatcher can play any positive role in the Gulf. The US and British call for an arms embargo is not for the sake of 'world peace' still less is it for the sake of the oppressed and imprisoned inside Iran
the US has raised no objection to Khomeini's internal policies.
By Jude Woodward
The sole reason for the pressure from the Us for an arms embargo is to ensure the outcome to the Iran/Iraq war that it desires, and at the same time to apply pressure on the Iranian regime on a series of questions concerning US policy in the Gulf.
brutal reactionary, should give not the slightest support to the efforts of imperialism to impose its policy by force in the Gulf.'
Patrol
The bombing of an Iranian patrol ship by a US helicopter last Monday was not a 'snap judgement' according to the Pentagon. It was the logical next
in the military and diplomatic policy pursued over the last months by the US in the Gulf.Its goal is to force Iran to back off from its war with Iraq.
This intervention has had a number of elements - the direct build up of the imperialist fleet, the attempt to impose the UN ceasefire resolution, the call for an arms embargo against Iran series of provocations and incidents in the Gulf itself, ranging from the reflagging of tankers to this direct military assaut on Iranian ship. military offensive, with British support, can only escalate.
The military build w by Britain and the US in particular sir e the end of July, is itself the exten n of the policy over the last five years. The chief goal of this policy has been to defend Iraq and prevent it being decisively defeate by Iran in the war. Alongside this the US has sought to place pressure on the Khomeini regime to pursue a policy that is more conciliatory towards US policy in the Gulf.
Over the last five years, as the table reproduced from shows, the flow of arms into the area
2,700
#ANTANAAAA 332
F=1,000
the has overwhelmingly been to the benefit
of Iraq. The US, Britain and Sweden have had a public policy of not selling arms to Iran since the overthrow of the Shah in legal and illegal arms sales continuing but always with strings attached and at a significantly reduced rate.
successfully 'persuaded' and Italy to cancel important orders. The chief arms suppliers to Iran today are China, North Korea, countries in the Eastern bloc. Iran has of also received US weapons left behind in
Vietnam. allowed
Policy
simple policy of cutting off all support to Iran. As the revelations of 'Irangate' demonstrated. prepared to sell arms to Iran in certain curcunstalle. cumstances have nothing to do with the trivial matter release of hostages. The goal is to shift the policy OI the closer to that of the US in the Gulf, or so bord a win there dietha. supports policy Alongside this the US also promotes alternative secular capitalist forces inside Iran — but to apply pressure on, rather than replace, point in time.
cern about the outcome of the war in the Gulf area. took place in repressive state apparatus up by the roots and destroyed or weakened many of its key elements, including the ofsocialists ficer corps of the
police, and upper echelons of the state bureaucracy.
was unable to impose its own solution to the situation which unfolded in Iran, and the bourgeoisie was able to secure an alternauve or lls own Khomeini's standing as the key exiled opponent of the Shah's regime strength of the solution imposed. Khomeini was the only force acceptable to the Iranian bourgeoisie command the support of the majority of the Iranian population.
However weakness of the bourgeoisie is that it had to rely to a high degree on the inand a stitutions of the Islamic church to im-
pose its solution structures to have survived the revolution intact. The clergy were also able to The US play an enhanced social role due to the
identification of the church with the movement against the Shah.
However the around Khomeini is exceptionally weak as an institutional structure, its ability to survive has depended upon a continuous reactionary mobilisation of the population, particularly bourgeoisie, framework of Islamic fundamentalism.
which Khomeini carried through his counterrevolution, shoras and working class organisation, Economist rolling back the mobilisation of women
by the imposition of the veil and other
*x1,000,
4,000+ national
This has not stopped
mobilisation Since 1983 the US has stepped up its winning.
and destruction South Korea rights.
Israel and
tory, However the US has not pursued a from the
the US is more than
these
Khomeini regime ceptable,
directly.
Khomeini at this the area.
The reason for imperialism's con-
The revolution which Iran tore the Shah's Iran/Iraq war.
army, the secret
However the working class itself Kharg
against Iran. tremendous personal
was chief the face both
who could qis.
of the
- the only serious
ment
established
the petty the ideological the region
This mobilisation was the basis on
destroying the
Iraq.
Socialist Action 25 Sept 1987
_ 1,740
•*********** 445
53, 500 * Serviceable natess sarg, defeating destroying
struggle, destroying democratic rights
The war gainst Iraq, which began as a just war of defence against Iraqi invasion, was also rapidly turned to this end
1 cal lullal of the population and their acquiesence the of civil and democratic After the initial invasion was defeated the war was prolonged by Iran - becoming reactionary on both sides.
From 1985, and even earlier, it has been clear that Iran was winning the war against Iraq. And this is when the problems for US policy in the region began to intensify
Khomeini has never been a satisfac-
nor sufficiently stable regime noll or view _ot us im perialism. It was an emergency solutior to the situation created by the over throw of the Shah. The hostility to both the US and Britain, which has been a clear element in the popular mobilisation creates important problems for US policy in the entire Middle East.
Confined to the borders of Iran Khomeini is an unsatisfactory, but ac-
alternative to more deepgoing social revolution in Iran. Certainly the US has no objection to Khomeini's repressive internal policies. But exported beyond its borders it threatens to destabilise a number of regimes in
US imperialism is pursuing a policy of, on the one hand, seeking to build up forces supportive to it within Iran, and also to prevent an Iranian victory in the
Arms supplies, particularly of aircraft, to Iraq now gives it virtually unchallenged superiority in the air. Iraqi planes have been virtually unchallenged in stepped up bombing behind Iranian lines, on Iranian shipping, and on the
Island oil terminal in recent weeks. Most seriously of all the US and its allies have now put their fleets into the Gulf and will, if needed, use them
Any arms embargo against Iran is simply to call for it to be disarmed in
of a direct US military build up, and in the face of a growing arms superiority on the side of the Ira-
call against both countries is a fake. First the US will continue to supply Iraq. Se cond the most powerful forces in the area are now the imperialist fleets.
Attack
While continuing to call for a settle.
…of the the basis of previously agreed frontiers, socialists should give no credibility to the clau of the US or Britain to be seekin "peace' through the UN. Only Iran and Iraq can agree the terms of a peace. Nos should we call on the imperialists to police such a peace through future arms embargoes or other measures - thai is a pure cover for their own policies
The well publicised nature of the Iranian regime is used to cover over the far more reactionary and far more powerful role of the United Siales. It : also used to cover up the equally rea tionary regime of Saddam Hussein is
Page 8 scan of this page
8 Socialist Action
deepens
rasants in the open on by ore and
peasants in the throw of the Marcos dictatorship is closing fast. President Corazon Aquino has responded to the failed coup attempt led by Col. Gregorio Honasan not by mobilising workers and peasants but by further moves to placate the military.
by the military high command - Joker Arroyo and Teadoro Locsin Scareer who serve as as justice minine September. Arroyo from 1979-80.
Her placatory moves have simply served to em-
forces. right-
ment the
paign the mass
People's Coup leader still at
transmits
press In
appeal Manila radio Honasan reiterated for the
increasing militarisation
dro scuiciary
the New coali-
for PIess
Ale-
Many leaders have forced
sought by the police.
cond leader to
November leader and
murdered. ( ing associated with attempt.
Massive mobilisations then Aquino to
coup pIol. Enrile, now
parliamenLolly Aquino, still closely linked with Honasan.
The coup attempts, the manoeuvres of the Aquino
25 Sept 1987
Philippines crisis
their over-
The two members of her cabinet most opposed
— were sacked last Thursday, 17 replaced
government, repressive campaigns both of the official military and of the unofficial armies still held reflect the divisions winers big landowners the country's ruling class over how to deal with the continuing striving for land and labour rights by the country's toilers.
This is also preoccupying the US government. waste cas main firmly behind the
Following governea the defeat of the coup, the White. House announced that the president gratified and relieved that President Aquino resolved the crisis faced by
government over the past two days'.
At the same time there Washington is hedging as indications that bets and certainly pressurising Aquino take a strong line. There were strong rumours to the effect that Enrile hid in the US embassy at the time of the and that Honasan relations with the CIA.
according to the Herald Tribune September, senior White House officials warlicu against Aquino turning with a fractious military' following the LouD alr tempt.
The US wants stability ana Inal means appeasing the military, many of whose centra officers it has trained. US officials say that though just 14 of the Philippine battalions were involved in the coup, y0 per cent of the highly politicis-
sympathy with it.
US bankers meanwhile are increasing pressure for repayment of™ the coun-
try's $28.5 billion foreign debt. Such pressure underlay the government's decision to increase oil prices by 50 per cent. The oil price hike would have had devastating impact on living standards as transport COSLA would nave been pushed onto an already poor people.
Four million people followed the general strike call, to protest the rises, initiated by the
the largest mobilisation since the overthrow of Marcos and the occasion for the Honasan
COul two days later.
The protest became a focus for wide discontent of the popular masses. It was supported by the pro-
Trade Union Coverical Congress of tne Philippines, by student tions, and by the Peasant' popular Oraalisa. Movemen1 of the Philippines (KMP)
The KMP has been growing fast. Failure of the Aquino regime to implement reform have been met by intensited demands from a land hungry peasantry. Those with land are being bled by punitive mortgage payments and exorbitant rents, and find themselves scissored between high prices for fertilisers and ir
and low prices rigaton, Tor me Droduce.
Popular demands for land, democratic rights and defence of living standards inevitably strike the central role of the US itself. Opposition has grown not only to debt repayments but also to Washington's ance of the _Clark airfield and the Subic Bav naval base used not only for maintaining its domination over the Philippines but over the entir strategic region Pacific.
How to stem the tide of the mass movement is the prime concern of both imperialism ana Ine country's ruling class. Cracks have appeared amongst them - but whether it be oy government action or another coup attempt, deeper repression is on the way.
the autumn which will lead to the signing of a treaty that scraps all intermediate-range nuclear weapon-
between Soviet and US foreign secretaries,
does it represent? CAROL TURNER reports.
THE arms-elimination treaty that the USA and Soviet Union look set to sign would be the first of its type. It would remove TONI Europe all nuclear missiles Will of between 300 and 3400 miles.
That means the USA would remove 332 Pershing 25 and ground-
aunched cruise missiles silualca In Drilal, West Germany, ( Italy and Belgium, as well as halting their deployment in the Netherlands. That means
scrapping 462 Soviet
'S-20 targetted Europe and 221 more pointing at Japan and China. As British media was quick to claim (after years of a dirty propaganda war against the women's peace camp), it would include the cruise missiles sited at Greenham Common.
The prospect of such a treaty has been piously hailed as 'an historic first by the Western media. would also be the first arms treaty of type
igned bi Ronald Reagan
luring the whole of hi presidency - just what the doctor ordered to shore up
the Us premier's flaggin
olitical fortunes, and n doubt a not-insignificant fact determining the timing of the announcement of the treaty.
wonemeless. ment which led to a reduc-
Whatever Reagan's inten- only welcomed tions, it is a step towards eroding the cold war
Soviet arms deal?
AFTER MONTHS of speculation, the United States and the Soviet Union look set to hold a summit in
sin Europe. The news was announced on Friday 18 September, at the end of three days of negotiations
Eduard Shevardnadze and George Schultz. But what exactly America and sapported by climate created Western • curope since tne end of the Second World War. undermine the defence of the Soviet Union. It : begins to break down the 40-year old myth that the Soviet Union is armed to the teeth and poised to invade the Cracito mot the West. cracies' of the
Removing some nuclear weapons trom Europe would also provide a massive boost lo use dulnuclear movement.
While Reagan has been quick to claim the credit, political leaders in West Europe have been less enthusiastic. Margaret Thatcher reattirmed, 'I will never give up Britain's independent nuclear deterrent... an interview with the West German Der Spiegel magazine, she explained: 'You must see defence as a whole, and I have already made clear that, in my opinion, should not disarm further in nuclear arms.'
The British media too
have conventional eme
conventional balance of weapons. They have also returned to their favourite: CuTe warnings about the "dangers of nuclear disarmament.
Monday 21 Septemher's editorial in the in dependent played this Lune Under the heading 'Avoiding, utopianism over arms', the leader article explained: This paper has argued that the double
What's behind the US-
zero option is inherently flawed because it involves Ine emmanon or an en tire category of weapons and so He over arall the ladder escalation upon which NATO's doctrine of flexible response
"The United States, concludes the editorial, 'will do such deals with the Soviet Union as it believes to be in its best interests. The extent to which such
Europe's interests will be largely coincidental. This realisation should now stimulate a reappraisal of Europe's out-dated distorting dependence on the United States.
War
Pursuing its European 'third force position, the Independent concludes: "The more the United States and Russia prepare to discuss the reduction of their strategic missiles, the more relevant the nuclear
deterrents of Britain and
Huro. pean security? The paper expressed fear over the 'decoupling' of the United States and Western Europe.
This is a minority view among the British ruling class, and the leader writer exagerates the differentia
between the interests of the USA and of Europe to drive the newspaper's line home
But the point made is a real one. Proposals for any nuclear disarmament
the United States in Europe additional pressures by the Wes european bourgeoisies for a build-up
Cavenda which they will have to pay for in Reagan hasn language
has decided Europe must pay more of its share of the arms race. 1 nIs Is part ot the • con troversy between the : US
International
and NATO allies over the Gorbachev proposals.
But the US not merely is quite happy to off-load some of the costs of the military build-up onto its European allies oul la much bigger fish to fry. Firstly Reagan arms deal to recover some of his Concle political credibility,
Secondly, a key aspect of the discussions with the Soviet leadership was over what are euphemistically referred to as 'regiona problems' - which is US South Africa and Gulf. The US has undoubtedly demanded more compliant attitude on towards Nicaragua, for example, in return for the arms deal. perfectly prepared to sell out quite a few revolutions for an arms deal
The agreement reflects both the power and the only partial success of the European movemen
1999. she mess it
. Its power is that it has forced a bit of a climbdown by the US - and a bigger one European allies. Its limitation is that the movement was not powerful enough to stop the missiles totally
and the people of Nicaragua and South Africa may have to pay the price for that.
The same power that was generated by the anti-missiles movement has to be directed against
of whatever behind-the SUCTIC 'agreements' have been arrived at between Reagan and Gorbachev
This issue will also face Labour Party conference. The emphasis of the parts leadership on the NATC commitment and on conventional arms spending is likely to be part ot a cal for big conventional
build-up wcabull.
Europe.
Page 9 scan of this page
What the peace accord means for El Salvador
International
the safeguards for
has described the accord as 'fatally flawed'. Reagan administration
further $270 million of contra aid.
article Salvador and the forces of the FMLN-FDR, the Farabundo Marti Revolutionary Democratic Front. ER Salvadoes president
Salvador's president Duarte tried to scupper the plan, drawn up by
Arias, which has become
Guatemala
peace accord. Now that he
Duarte is doing everything possible to prevent its successine
most spectacular episode in Duarte's antiArias machinations occurred mid-June, just twelve days prior to the summit meeting of the five Central American presidents which was due
to take pee 25 his
After receiving orders from envoy, Phillip Habib, Duarte movea to sel the meeting postponed. The breathing BaCC would allow Reagan administration to campaign for its UWIl "regional solution'. Few people thought that the
at the new scheduled date of 6-7 August.
But Duarte paid an
political price for his open acting as Reagan's lap dog. His attempt since February to block the peace moves has taken background of inst place the
advance both by the military campaign of the FMLN and of the resurgent mass movement.
Additionally, Duarte's inept and corrupt response to last year's tragic earthquake and the accelerating economic leaving his calamity government WaS
with no legitimacy whatsoever. Duarte was forced to sign the accord literally for his own survival.
Having signed it, Duarte then Circally
accord what knew was the opposite of ins stance against a renter- intentions, bolster
dialogue with the FMLN/FDR.
MASSIVE military assistance by France and the US has allowed Chad to carry out a raid on Maaten-es-Sarra in Libya. France has 1200 troops in Chad and runs the Sparrowhawk air defence' system which includes Hawk missiles, Mirage FI fighters, Jaguar fighterbombers, reconnaissance and Transall transport aircraft and radar units.
The French personnel
THE PEACE accord signed in Guatemala by the five Central American governments at the beginning of August has been strongly attacked by US president, Ronald Reagan. On Saturday 12 September, Reagan said on US radio that the plan 'falls short of
democracy and our national security'; and in an interview in a US magazine he
The pushing for continued contra funding. Congress is to be asked to agree to a
But the victory scored by Nicaragua has further damaged the Reagan administration, already severely bruised by the 'contragate' exposures. In the last issue of Socialist Action, JOHN SMITH explained the scope of Nicaragua's victory. In the following
The explains what the accord means for E
National Liberation Front-
backed media
revolu-
the that
for them, that they were Sandinistas.
But the accord con-
charted for five years by
for ceasefire, • ine pro-
of this process.
broad
'GAP' - within which the FMLN/FDR would Dal -ticipate alongside all secof the Salvadorean people, would exclude the ruling oligarchy and the
Over the past eighteen months, the demand for a peace dialogue has been taken up by the resurgent trade union and mass movement in the government-held cities. Support for the dialogue is a principal point of unity of the recently formed UNTS (Nationa Unity Salvadorean Workers), which the broadest alliance workers, farmers, slum-dwellers, and aturanta try's history.
never a or clever
part of FMLN's strategic perspective whose the Salvador
Yemocracy
The that with powerful alilly. and
steeled
US, France behind Chad aggression
and hardware have been decisive in the war efforts of the Chadian regime of president Hissène Habré
Lone vers orexene repression and struggle these classes would be able to exert their leadership of the GAP.
adoption of the GAP proposal cOrresponded to a fundamental change in the nature of the struggle since the formation of the FMLN/FDR 1980. What began as a civil war has turned into a war of nanonal noeration, a confrontation increasingly direci between ine peo-
Ps of El Salvador and the
of 1980 defeated by
1981 Ene and 1983, but the US
of the $3000
the
450
army, OI helicopter
Wales, the FMLN have
military
succeeded promoting
of the
their
last fa-
US counterinsurgency the
the point
agree meet the Will be the first face-to-face enwhich has over the last
targetted both opposition forces within the country and Libya. Chad
HOLD ON A MINUTE!! counter since 1985
Now Duarte is claiming the mantle Guatemala accord to place all sorts of absurd conditions on such negotiations: that the FMLN agree to
• down
zuricall claiming that the FMLN be treated in exactly the same way as the Nicaraguan contras.
This attempt to manoeuvre the FMLN into a position of opposition to the peace for which they have OCCH fighting, create divisions within the FMLN/FDR under the guise of so-called 'symmetry' — is already coming apart. call for Duarte to negotiate coming trom a wide arra of forces. This is because the parallel with the contras in El Salvador is not
'forced to sign
'NAPOLEON Duarte was forced to sign the Guatemala agreement because of the very deep
country Inos usel immersed in tne biggest social, political and economic crisis in its national history
ascontent and a popural concensus Ior peace ... conflicts or to control the army responsible for the death of over 60,000 compatriots and for massive violations of human rights disputes Libya's right to the Aouzou Strip in the south of the country.
It is now clear that Washington scouragi ing Habré to intensify at tacks on Libya. The US have provided Habré with Stinger missiles for its aggression against Libya.
The Stinger is a light,
anti-aircraft missile which the CIA has also provided to the Afghan contras.
Libya displayed to the world's press 18 such launchers that it had captured following its defeat of the Maaten-es-Sarra raid. Un-
the FMLN, who are unaffected by the accord's pro-
military funding, but the Duarte regime itself.
He is as much as creation of Washington as are the contras. The US imDUSCU Duarte UDUt Salvador's rulers. _ On several OCCaSIS. strenuous backing from the US was necessary scotch coup plots stemming from within the treme right-wing military High Command Now, with Diane distancing himself from Washington, factions the ministration may come to regard a military coup as a last-ditch means to scuppering the regional peace process.
Either way, the days of the regime are numbered. political-military weakening of his government. Ini
Duarte finds himself in the middle of growing popular
'Duarte, in his moment of greatest weakness naively attempted to isolate and defeat the FMLN with a smole aloomale mancouvre somely netner ac nor his troops, have been able to achieve and never
*The Duarte government does not have the capacity to bring forward a true national democratisation process. It has been unable to resolve the present labour
'The people demand the formation of a govern-
Statement of FMLN General Command. 11 August 1987. til then, Washington had strongly denied that it was suppiying sullgers Following the regaining of the Aouzou Strip Libyan leader Col Gadaffi declared that the war was over But, Washington's urging, Chad rejected the ocal moves. The US's bellicose designs have been backed diplomatic offensive. Last simultaneous week committee agreed on Chad's initiative to hold a general assembly debate on 'agression against and occupation of Chad by Libya'.
Nicaragua
sweeping law guaranteeing the political,
and the scalp collectors'
people are Spanish-speaking mestizos,
country's pre-revolutionarv leaders.
the contras.
Palestinians
are against 'terrorist'
action in similar terms. New Caledonia
colony of New Caledonia concerning the
'referendum' were a foregone conclusion
has been encouraging further settlement.
wishful thinking
pro-independence demonstrators further
the boycott.
Solomon islands — and by Australia. Name
Address
Action for E Send 10: Socialist Action Subs, PO Box 50, London NI 2XP.
Socialist Action 25 Sept 1987
World
in action
NICARAGUA has become the first country in the western hemisphere to adopt a economic, language, cultural and religious rights of Indians and Black people. The law established autonomous governments on Nicaragua's Atlantic Coast, where most Nicaraguan Indians and Black people live. Nicaraguan leader Tomas Borge described the law decision as 'historic' He said it was a 'kick in the gut of the Buffalo Bills
the hope for victims of racism 'from the North Pole to the South Pole.
The majority of the country's three million concentrated on the country's Pacific coast. On the Atlantic coast, there are 182,000 mestizos. There are also 75,000 Miskito Indians and 9,000 Sumo Indians with their own languages; and 26,000 Creole Blacks, 1,750 Garifonas and 850 Rama Indians who speak English. Divisions amongst these communities were fostered by the
. The autonomy process initiated by the Sandinistas has gone a long way to winning them to the revolution and uniting the entire country against
AT LEAST 41 people were killed in a terrorist air raid by Israel of the Ain Khilwe district of south Lebanon. Ain Khilwe, with a population of 50,000, is the largest Palestinian district in the area. The Israeli air force has bombed the south Lebanon region 20 times this year. Contrary to Israeli claims that the strikes
- that is, PLO - bases, dozens of civilian homes have been bombed.
«Washington, however, has given immediate cover to israel cmarges or terronism' • Last week, the Reagan administration closed down the PLO office in the US capitol justifying its
The overwhelming majority of indigenous Melanesian Kanaks — some 83 per cent boycotted a referendum in the French Pacific
country's independence. The results of the
designed to give a democratic facade to France's •continued colonial rule. A 57 per cent majority of New Caledonia's population are European 'Caldoche' settlers, and the French government
The claim of French government minister for overseas territories, Bernard Pons, that the 98 per cent majority in favour of staying part of France was 'a great victory' was really more
Only 58 per cent of those eligible voted. Films showing police clubbing
underline the flimsiness of the government's case. Only repression can maintain their colonial rule. Voting returns in the referendum were subject to huge regional variation. In Hienghene, were Jean-Marie Tjibaou, leader of the proindependence Front de Liberation Nationaliste Kanak Socialiste (FLNKS — Kanaki socialist national liberation front) is mayor, the turnout was 13 per cent. Several polling booths failed to record a single vote. The FLNKS had called for
The referendum has been condemned by governments of other Melanesian islands — Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and the
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Page 10 scan of this page
10 and 77 Labour Party and other organisations. African coal'. JON SILBERMAN reports. SOUTH African unions were represented by
DISEKO of SACTU. Ine eyes oI people in South Africa are on unis confercace he said. 'The demand
from within South Africa itself — it was reaffirmed by this year's. COSATU congress'.
ANC executive
member, FRANCIS MELI answered a question from a miner concerning the ANC's talks with Africaaner intellectuals. The statement they'd made in Dacca this summer nemed to weaked tre apartheid regime. Meli sala tal uness peopic fully understood what the ANC was doing they couldn't be expected to gave whole-carcu support.
Meli emphasised the close relation between the struggles in South Africa and Britain. 'By engaging in solidarity
partheid you help t
iberate yourselves'
SWAPO 1cv1 coctically!
PANDULENI ITULA reminded conference to Tenemper me ourer sce of apartheid — IS occup son of Namibia neva colone recent miners strike in Namibia and the tremendous repression faced by the newly
This conference, Itula predicted, would be very important, pointing to une successful campaign to win the release of Namibian trade union leader, Ben Uulenga.
ROSE KNIGHT, an NUR member, spoke of the coal boycott work done by her anti-apartheid group in
Doncaster 'Last November we organised a demonstration jointly with the miners and we marched past
Gunners Wharf, an unregistered port where South African coal is coming in. The key thing is to be constantly mobilising out on the the streets'.
Socialist Action 25 Sept 1987
Ban apartheid coal
FOUR HUNDRED and twenty-eight delegates crammed into Sheffield's City Hall last Saturday for a conference jointly organised by the NUM and the Anti-Apartheid Movement. The conference was called to organise action against the importing of South African coal, leading to its total banning. The list of conference participants included 103 delegates from NUM and Women Against Pit Closures organisations, 126 from other unions (including five national unions), 84 local anti-apartheid groups, 38 delegates representing 14 local authorities,
One of those unable to attend was Cyril Rampaphosa, general secretary of the NUM of South Africa. Ramaphosa was denied a passport by the South African authorities. Pretoria said that in order to travel, Ramaphosa should apply for a passport from one of the designated 'homelands'. Doing so would not only have been against his principles, it would also have resulted in the miners leader becoming an alien in South Africa, unable to carry out his duties as the NUM general secretary. The conference condemned the travel ban imposed on Ramaphosa and adopted a '12-point programme of action against South
'National action needed'
JIMMY NOLAN was at the conterence representing Liverpool dockers who recentiv refused to handle a caro or uraniun because it came from Namibia. He welcomed une conrerence and resolutions that had been coder by cir unions for sanctions. *Now we need some action on a national basis' he said. 'Deep crisis of SA coal'
EXECUTIVE secretary of the Anti-Apartheid Movement, MIKE TERRY said that the South African coal industry is in crisis'. He applauded the action campaign of the NUM, pointing out that 'the French government took CGT union federation refused to unload the coal *Shell may be the world's largest multinational company. But the people can speak and force even that companv out ot south Africa and Namibia' he said. 'Inspired by Winnie Mandela'
BETTY HEATHFIELD representing Women Against ril Closures told the conference not power of women in this or any other struggle'
She paid tribute to the large numbers of women from the mining communities present at the conterence.
The anti-apartheid struggle is special to coalfield women, she said. They had been inspired by South
African Women like Winnie Mandela who had given her husband to the movement: and Ruth Mompati, forced into exile, who answered Thatcher's claim that sanctions would hurt the black majority with the words "how more hungry can my children
e. and how much mor
an my children suffer?
'Build for 24 October'
DOREEN WEPPLER, NUR, showed conference a copy of a union pamphlet reporting her and NUR executive member, Geoff Revel's recent trip to South Africa, during. the rail strike there.
'We learnt a great deal from the fighting spirit ot those people she said. Weppler is secretary of Rail Against Apartheid, a rank and file-based campaign in the rall industry supported by the NUR executive. She called on all delegates to build the forthcoming national demonstration for sanctions on 24
and and ensure that trade union contiucells were as strong as possible.
SARAH GOFF, representing Nottingham AA, spoke of the 300-strong demonstraton in Worksop to protest South African coal the previous Saturday, 12
september.
Led by a banner which read 'British
solidarity with South African miners', the march tollowed a labour movement conference earlier this year and has, said Goff, paved the way for a new AA group based on coalfield communities.
From the chair NUM general secretary, PETER HEATHFIELD, spoke of the importance of building on the conference to develop an action campaign. Heathfield said that we should be more than a *resolutionary movement.
cess.
passport
racist had said
issue a Scargill confrom veyed
passport was in
Scargill went on 'makes this conference
our into those re-
yes, those of our and sisters South Africa. the claim that South coal was
LUSI
1s Ker the economy Willis explained It's South Africa's second most export
The total pro-
comes,
be in
that One
Denmark and moved
record of the British
salicululls Willis
BAN
against their regime?
Scargill chronicled the appalling conditions facec
South African and 'The walleri coal, the old anc the diamonds the produce is stained with blood' he said, as he spoke of the 48,000 miners have have lost their lives in the industry this century, and the daily violence faced by ordinary men and women.
'Union organisers are not allowed within a mile either of the camp or of the mine itself Namibian miners leader Ben Uulenga, had been rested immediately on his return from Britain
He paid tribute to th miners who in the space of five short years had built such an outstanding trade
Scargill said that ull. the decision of the South - and that includes ending
To the suggestion that there was no adequate SUOSU LULO for South African anthracite, replied that 'Swaziland is capable of producing anthracite just as good as
Africa' By changDOLLE thracite, he said we would Swaziland not only be acaling will South Africa but also lending beleagured Front Line States. The courage, tenacity and skill of the
neone use routel States needs our support.
Willis countered those who said that sanctions weren't the best
Way. 'Those wno the right to demand the meals of their iberation
said. Sanctions are demanded by the liberation organisations and trade unions in both South Africa and Namibia. 'We don't impose action on them they • demand 11 and our job is to give it.
"Their battle is our battle. Their freedom is our freedom.'
African miners to call their union the NUM after the British union was a striking confirmation of the principled course adopter by both organisations: of the historic strike of the British NUM in 1984-85 and of the historic strike of the South African NUM just concluded.
Arthur Scargill •said that the recent miners strike had given an indication of the real strength of LIC DON A COCOOC ' As the result that strike, there can be no doubt that the South African NUM has gained in status both nationally and internationally'
Scargill spoke lity the special responsibility the British labour movement because of the enormous £12 billion worth of British investments 'help
KCCI a val Lice afloat' and he spoke of the importance of the international campaign to boycott Shell.
'You have to be op timistic and you have to have vision' Scargill said in arguing that mass action campaigns are effective, as
Programme of action
against South African coal.
following are the areas covered by the programme:
• Raise the demand — coal sanctions now: • Coal communities action against apartheid • British government and EEC must act - coal
sanctions now!
• Stop South African coal imports now!
• British mining houses out of South Africa and Namibia - South African mining houses out of Britain! • No technology and equipment, recruitment, or
researen for me apartnera mining maustr
• No agents for apartheid coal • No apartheid propaganda • Local authority action against apartheid • Solidarity with the Namibian and South African miners
cent of South Africa's coal exports. In turn,
equipment.
African coal are Exeter, Avonmouth, Dundee Ipswich, London, Trent, Goole, Ireland is also heavily involved At least 16 South African pits are directly 01 indirectly controlled by foreign-based corporations
of all South Africa's I CAPULLS Fields. Roval Dutch Shell. BP. Lonhro. Burnett anc Hallamshire, and Total.
Mines has established an office in London.
material from which the above information is taken
In the Unions
the anti-missiles move. ment and the women at Greenham Common hac proved. 'By sanctions, we know we wil be speeding the day wher apartheid is confined the dustbin of history?
Scargill said that the demand for sanctions had to be backed up by trade union action now. He cited the examples of the Liverpool who recently refused to handle Ne imagnient Dandes 'magnificent' strikers in pointing to the sort of action necessary 'Each step take, each decision that we make, each action that we undertake helps speed the day when our brother like Cyril Ramaphosa anc (NUM president) James Molas car appear on : platform like this withou naving to beg tor permission to travel from the country of their birth. 'It helps speed the day when we can have on this probadly greatest of our members albeit an member Nelson Mandela.'
CONFERENCE adopted a detailed action programme
. Its implementation will be South Africa is the world's third largest coal exporter after Australia and the USA. The UK receives 1.6 per
South Africa is the second largest importer of British mining
The chief British ports dealing with South Colchester, Ramsgate and Southampton. The port of Derry in the north of
The following five companies produce over 25 per cent
Consolidated Gold
To counter opposition to the mining houses and their agents in Britain, the South African Chamber of
Copies of the full action programme and background are available from AAM, 13 Mandela Street, Londor
Page 11 scan of this page
Support the miners
In the Unions
tacks. JON SILBERMAN reports.
AMID calls for tougher action, the NUM started its overtime ban last Monday, 21 September. At first, the ban will be limited to coal cutting ana development WOTK overtime, the union's national executive to 9 at its 17 September
on Arthur Scargill said that this * dustrial action that is going to be applied and the decision of our members in the individual ballot vote allows us to siep up te action as the days and weeks go by if we feel it necessary.
ung on mounting support
Durham miners leaders
described as the 'soft option' adopted by the national executive. They called for a meeting of the executive in Labour Party conference to
Durham
Durham NUM secretary, Davy Hopper callweekend working, and a time work and holiday working. "There is general condemnation the coalfield of the current action as ineffective he said. The Durham area council will be recalled on 5 October to consider the situation.
meeting the
NUPE nurses for
Nicaragua
SIX nurses from St
Mary's hospital in Pad-
dington, London. are
going to Nicaragua.
l'hey will be taking
medical equipment
along and have been
raising funds for pur-
pose. A Billy Bragg
welch brougal in a
much needed £1800.
cing their own fares.
They will be staying for
Wapping enquiry call
AN enquiry into police violence al tne nirst anniversary demonstration
during the News International dispute has been called tor in an authoritative report
published by the
Haldane Society of socialist lawyers.
The report contains
substantial evidence to
call: 120 statements. back us use enou 200 photographs and 25 reports from legal observers.
The main charges in the report are that police used truncheons and makeshift weapons
THE MINERS have started their action. The entire labour movement must now rally behind them. Old links should be renewed. NUM members should be given platforms to explain their case. Their struggle against the coal board's new disciplinary code is vital not only for the coming battle in the pits but also for the entire struggle against the Tory government's at-
Yorkshire® excecutive
Tuesday, 22 September, also
called for 'tougher action'
Yorkshire president Jack
Taylor reported that 'the
beneve Inal
you're taking action against
the Board, it should be
effective.
Escalate
'My view is that even-
tually it will escalate - it
should be as quickly as
possible. The Yorkshire area
would be balloting on 21/22
October for action short of
a strike, ne sala, adaing 1l 10
comes to a strike, so be it.
Yorkshire, with 34.000
members, is the overwhelm-
ingly largest a ca Lne
NUM. But reports from the
significantly smaller NUM
of Notts indicate a
similar pressure amongst
memnoes for
tougher line.
Pressure
Lancashire area presi-
dent, Roy Jackson reflected
the strong pressure in that
alca ll acal or sensed u! action if the board hadn'
moved within a fortnight.
Scargill said this 'clearly demonstrated the trustra-
Danger OI
members, who see British Coal's new disciplinary code
tivists and our members who disagree in any way with the board's dictatorial management.
A meeting of the Scottish area affirmed the executive's stand. Scottish area secretary Eric Clarke said that hoped 'this three months and helping to build a new health centre.
Staff nurse Annie
Squires explained 'We felt that by visiting and working with the Nicaraguan people we would discover the truth and it would help the Nicaraguans realise that they are not alone in their struggle'.
at random, that mounted police charged people taking shelter at speed and without warning, that thev smashed windows of first aid vehicles, and that jourIlalists and photographers were singled out for attack.
Commenting on Home Secretary Douglas Hurd's rejection of demands for a public enquiry, one of the report's authors, Tony Gifford QC said 'He acted not as a d. police authority, but as a police mouthpiece'.
support the miners. The code takes away basic rights put "under the discretion of management' now ready to move into action.
philosophy prevails. But the coal board appeared to be in no such conculatorv mood. They have told Arthur Scargill that in view of the overtime ban they had unilaterally suspended the industry's guaranteed five-day working week agreement - the first time this has happened in 40 years.
boss Sir Robert United!
STRIKING engineering workers from Sarmcol in South Africa visit the picket line of Senior Colman strikers in Sale, near Manchester, where they are greeted by strike leaders Tony Lowe (righti ano Graham Wyatt (to his right).
The Sarmcol strikers, National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) have been on strike for twoand-a-half years against the British-based multinational, BTR. on a two month tour of Britain, organised by the TUC, showing their play about the strike
The long march'
One of the touring strikers is NUMSA executive member, Khayo Madlala (centre right in the photo). He told Socialist Action that iney won peer overwhelmed by the en-
they'd received in Britain.
Engineering workers
formerly employed at the British BTR sub-
'Still fully backing the miners'
MEMBERS of Lancashire Women Against Pit Closures (left to right: Margaret Mitchinson, Sylvia Pye, Dot Kelly, Irene Pennington and Marge Short) have rebuffed suggestions that coalfield women are any less in support of the NUM than they were during the strike. 'Once women are told what the code entails' they told Socialist Action, 'they're sure to meone for things completely away from the pit. The complete right to say who works is
ed wives' who opposed action against the code as 'propaganda'.
Commenting on the cracking 74 per cent ballot majority in favour of action in the north-west, they pointed out that 'we didn't have that level of support during the strike — so a new unity has been forged in Lancs. ' What would this unity mean? "The ball is now in the Board's court' they said, pointing out that the Women Against Pit Closures group would be there to give suppori. 'We've been ticking over meeting fortnightly. We're
Haslam warned that suspension of the guaranteed week could mean miners being sent home if they refused to carry out 'normal' working because of the ban.
Policy
The board rejected the NUM's last ditch attempt to resolve the Illatle. by sidiary, JE Hanger in London itself the scene of a long strike had expressed their solidarity and given Jinancial support. The South African strikers would be visiting other BTR workers.
Contact with the Senior Colman strikers was first made at the Notts miners gala and renewed during the TUC congress in Blackpool.
The Manchester workers are finding increased support for their
' They described media claims of 'unnamnegotiation, refusing talks at ACAS. Instead they insisted that they had the right to decide whether miner works at a ros an a distria. ir respective tribunal finding the miner's favour. A condition of talks was that the existing disciplinary
arrangemen has existed for 40 years should be ripped up. cause. Twenty Labour Party organisations locally have 'adopted' strikers ames. some have started street collections while local busworkers are organising an outing for strikers' kids and provided transport for travel to the miners gala.
• Messages of support and donations to Senior Colman Strike Committee, AEU House, 43 Crescent, Salford M5 4PE.
Socialist Action 25 Sept 1987
'It's about getting rid of
union leaders'
Scott at Stillingfleet in the Board denies that he was sacked under the code
production for.
'Ever since the strike, the Board have been looking for ways of attacking
was suspended for two weeks the dat remined work after the strike. The Board said that I wasn't the type of person they fell fit to be employed in the industry, talsely claiming that! had serious charges pending against me.
"As Hasiam openly admits, the code would give them the abilty IO victimise anyone they decided
"fit" to be employed.
'That people who want a strong and effective which what we iry to have at Barnburgh When
look strike action, the pickets came OvC We told them ther wouldn't need to aacill.
Burnett said that the reason that the Board parHeulary necaca ine nev code now was because of their plans for flexible working and privatisation They see Arthur Scargill carrying the union's flag against this. thev ca take action against union leaders and trighten the rest the workforce through mass sackings of
can out their
'This also goes for dealing with opposition to the six-day working — it's all part of their master plan.
Pits in Selby now produce 60,000 tonnes per week. If they go on to sixalay working, they'd produce more on the sixth day than Barnburgh produces
Dock labour scheme threat
ANOTHER attack on
the dock labour scheme
is threatened. The
Grimsby Landing Com-
pany is moving to break
away from the scheme
In its attempt to make
30 registered dockers
Tell all
The TGWU is in-
sisting that the company
finds alternative work
for its employees. The
umn as totally rejected the company's plans to use the lem.
porary Unattached
Register to reintroduct casual labour into the
London teachers against
Baker
LONDON teachers have
voted to maintain their
fight against Baker's
legislation. They have
position despite harsh
measures museu lo
their employer, the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA). In docking the pay of teachers who refuse to give cover for absent colleagues ILEA
11
'THE CODE has been introduced mainly to sort ou leaders of the trade union movement' Bob Burnett president of Barnburgh NUM told Socialist Action 'It's quite apparent the way they've sacked Te
Selby coalfield. Th
but he was sacked for carrying out union policy, im plementing Yorkshire's policy of no weekend coa — and that's what the code's designer
Bob Burnett
in a week. That'll obvious-
ly means more pit closures
and the concentration o
production in highly pro
ritable pits. The code aimed to attack the leaders
of the opposition to this plan.
Bob Burnett said that
following the overtime ban
aecision or tae nanonal ex
Area Council had Yorkshire
Area reluc
tantly called off the firmer Policy is coad taken
Scott's sacking
Under the original area
ban, overtime other
than for safety was ruled Ou There's strong feeling that the position of the na tional executive needs beefing up he said new area ballot will allow us to step up the action. I
one of those who
perhaps wrongly
favoured calling off the ac tion during the Frickley strike to allow a united national campaign. But the national campaign we had in mind was stronger than
what's been adopted
'The present ban must be just first step to much stronger action.
docks. The T&G onl
accepts use of the TUI in disciplinary cases.
Last month, the union's 13,500 dockers voted by two to one in favour of national strike action tollowing a similar move by the Clyde Port Authority at the Greenock container terminal. The 24 threatened dockers were found alternative employment. Unless a similar solution can be found in Grimsby, another national ballot will be held.
has shown its determination to carry through attacks on icacles rather unan Joll with them to fight the Tories.
By a majority of three to one, the Inner London Teachers Association voted to continue to refuse cover in defiance of Baker's diktats.
Page 12 scan of this page
ALLIANCE SOCIALISM
Diane Abbott TICKETS
* £7 for the weekend,
£4 per day
(£5 and £2.50 unwaged)
* Make cheques payable to
Please send me.
Name Address I/We require.
BUILDING * Sir William Collins School, London
Socialist Action Conference
FOR The third annual Alliance for Socialism weekend of debate,
discussion and agitation sponsored by Socialist Action
Linda Bellos Peter Heathfield tickets for 'Building an Alliance for Socialism'
places in the creche for children aged.
AN
Tony Benn
Ken Livingstone
Marc Wadsworth
3
7-8 November
SPEAKERS INCLUDE
Bernie Grant Ann Pettifor
The weekend includes workshops on : left unity, the crisis in the Alliance parties, racism, women, trade unions, foreign policy, South Africa, Ireland and many more...
← Socialist Action No. 170, 11 September 1987Socialist Action No. 172, 9 October 1987 →