Socialist Action No. 173, 23 October 1987

Socialist Action (IMG / Socialist League) · 23 October 1987 · 12 pages, 15,357 words read by machine

The scan: 173-oct-23-1987-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.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Page 1 scan of this page

"A NEW 19292

No. 173 250

1900

1700

23 Oct 1987

AGTON

BUILDING AN ALLIANCE FOR SOCIALISM

yesterday: down 22.6% 39

40p Sanctions against South Africa now! see pages 6 and 7

MONDAY 19 October a huge blow to the ideology and economy of Thatcherism. In one day 13 per cent was knocked off the value of the London stock market - 23 per cent off the value of shares in the United States. It was the single greatest collapse of the stock markets in one day in history. the basis that Britain was sweeping to prosperity on a wave of share ownership. And only a month after Bryan Gould assured us at the Labour Party conference that a fundmental issue Labour had to face was to become a party of shareholders. new recession of the US economy even if shares should recover. The Yet this is only four month after a general election was fought on only issue is how deep and how long that recession will be. A US economic recession will send its effects throughout the world. what it is — completely and totally irrelevant compared to their basic The real truth is the following. The crash on Wall Street means a In that the issue of share ownership for workers will be seen for

'issues of jobs, wages, conditions, and the survival of the welfare state. panic in London, and the closure of the markets in other centres is the coming economic and social conditions to the play of market forces. , established much more quickly than many people expected the total absurdity of basing Labour Party policy on share purchases by As Tony Benn told Socialist Action: 'The Wall Street collapse, the workers. downward plunge or whether they are turned around. What is clear is that the carefully built up confidence in the "Thatcher revolution' will It explains why the election had to be held in June. It has And this is regardless of whether the stockmarkets continue a home to Monday 19 October was a major turning point in both British and roost of policies which subordinate political,

not recover. world politics.

Page 2 scan of this page

The crash of '29

2 Socialist Action 23 Oct 1987

SOCiALiSt

ACTiON

The US attack on

Iran

THE FEAR emanating from the world's financial markets almost overshadowed a second important event on Monday 19 October - the United Staes Navy's military attack on Iran with the bombardment of Iranian oil platforms in the Gulf. This was accurately characterised by the Financial Times as 'the most serious US move undeclared war on Iran in the Gulf.

The Thatcher government immediately gave total support to the US attack - about which it had been informed in advance. The Foreign Secretary Sir Geoffrey dicated that British naval forces in the Gulf might take similar action when he said that any country with naval forces in the area might be called upon to take 'action in selfdefence' similar to that of the US.

America's other imperialist allies in the Gulf rapidly followed the British example. The French Navy has begun live bombing practice in the area, Dutch and Belgian warships are on their way to back up Britain, France and the US. Even West Germany has agreed to send warships — in direct violation of its own constitution.

Within the US the Reagan administration's action has met the full support in the Democratic Party controlled Congress.

The US escalation against Iran shows once presence in the Gulf is nothing to do with its claim Iraq is continuing to step up its attacks on international shipping carrying Iranian oil with complete impunity.

The US intervention in the Gulf is aimed at dealing blows against Iran and propping up Iraq in the Gulf war — with the aim of stabilising US domination of the whole area.

In these circumstances socialists must defend Iran against imperialist attack -demand that the British and other imperialist fleets are pulled out of the Gulf.

The latest US action shows once more that the campaign for an arms embargo against Iran is purely a proposal to disarm Iran whilst the US deploys gigantic military forces against it and must be opposed. The latest events should convince all socialists of this. The demand for an arms embargo must be dropped. Instead demands must be stepped up for immediate withdrawal of the US and British fleets from the Gulf and an immediate end to the attacks on Iran.

As of this issue the price of Socialist Action is increasing to 40p. We have managed to maintain the price at 30p since our launch in 1983. But with this economy, by uncontrollable price movements. We Issue are hope you will agree Socialist Action still represents better value than all its competitors.

far' in its

Howe inof military action more that its

to 'defend freedom of navigation'.

and like the world

BY CLOSE of dealing on 19 October 1987 shares on the New York Stock Exchange had fallen 22.6 per cent in a single day. This surpassed the crash of 1929 when, on 28 October, shares fell by 12.9 per cent — and by 11.7 per cent the next day. repeats itself. The 1929 crash started a three-year slide which brought share prices down to just 15 per cent of their 1929 peak. No one can yet say how long the present slide will last. But the crash of "29 is the only thing this century which compares with what has just happened. What brought it on, what course did it take, and what followed it? Answers to these questions can give some insight into what is taking place today. ALAN FREEMAN reports.

LIKE all recessions in the history of capitalism, Ine basic cause of 1929 was a single, simple fact: GeCsions to invest, to buy, to sel. and to produce in a

prie me individ take and

privale individuals companies No UlIC therefore decides what iS going on. It is outside the control of any human agency.

As JK Galbraith summed it up: 'On the evening of the 28th (of October 1929) no one any longer could feel secure mme knowledge that the

SLOUU reade to pre panic ere rence" The

valle market had reasserted itself impersonal force beyond the power of any person to control, and while this the way markets are supposed to be, it was horrible.

Market

The market may be uncontrollable but it still has its laws. One is the cycle of

which has recurred unfailingly

the early ninteenth century

cycle endemic capitalism.

This law was at work in 1929 and determined that, as night follows day, the slump 0l 1941, boom years of the roaring

'20s, were to be followec

the recession the

1930s.

But 1929 surpassed all previous slumps in intensi

what has taken place so far in 1987. What explained it?

Like the crash we have just seen, 1929 came at the

end of a prolonged 'bull' (rising) market share

prices which, by 1929, was

fuelled speculation

Share prices depended not

on dividends paid out,

dividends,

evel

but on the fact that in-

vestors expected prices to

keep on rising. MadhouseR They bought in order

to sell. An economic

madhouse in which share

prices were expected to go

on rising indefinitely had

been crealed

There is an element of

speculation in every boom

- which always tips it into

a slump. However the ex-

pectations of were

not just ill-founded. They

were wild.

The months before the

crash saw superlatives trip-

off every tongue.

Led by those mighty

knights of the automobile

industry the steel

austry 1cuU

ausu.. UlIC

respected authority with a

classical bent, 'the market

has gone forwara like ine

phalanxes Cyrus,

History never parasang upon parasang and again parasang upon parasang.'

As Walter Baghot wrote 50 years earlier: 'No one is SO credulous when they are happy. No one who wants to understand the frenzy around Thatcher's privatisation proposals need look any further than 1928-29,

Then as now, even as it became obvious the market was built on air, no one could come out and admit it even as the world collapsed around them

On the Friday before the really big crash Wall Street, The Times told its breathless audience

that the financial community stood 'secure in the knowledge that the most powerful banks in country prevent t walte recurrence of panic.' leagle • the oil baron, said his business had known no tundamen tal change to justify conColl The air resounded to

'fundamentals' rather like Nigel Lawson in fact Charles M Swab, , the steel baron fundamental said steel was making gress' towards stabilit

the Baldwin Locomotive works explained that the fundamentals were sound' President Hoover spelled this OUL the hard of thinking: 'the fun damental business of the country, that produc-

and distribution of HOS commodities, on

and prosperous SOUTC basis.' Broken

"Fundamentally', the world was on the verge : of its biggest recession of the

entire equilibrum of the world economy was broken up.

Though Britain had won World status as world economic

fast ending hence And the USA of 1929 had IOL yet secured through the recession and the war that followed, its position

world capital's new ruler

The 1929 crash produced chaos, in large part, because no capitalist statt coulds act as stabiliser of the 1929 divided the capitalist world into protectionist trading blocs wilch eventually resolveu their differences on the battlefield. Leader

Out of this chaos, the United States emerged as undisputed leader of worlo capitalism. One hundred World Wars l and di so million died that the centre of gravity of world capitalism would shift from Western Europe to the United States

La further ts taken 40 years for the United States to exhaust these reserves and become capable, again, of stabilising the world economy

After 1929 the circle of

New

decline was clear. Th stock market crash left in dividuals and firms unable to repay loans to banks because they had borrow. ed money from the banks against the value of share which had now drastically devalued the stock market crash followed Dy. d. Dant. crash. Crash

And as the banks col lapnemy dried up and th lapsed credit US economy was drags into slump. Then, to try t

its domestic States, Like the United State every othet capitalist state the world, turned to protec tionism. And with protec tionism the world economy ollapsedml

ncontrollable slun

It is pointless to try to speculate what will happen

1n History

inere mechanical repeat of 1929.

But et 1929 tain As after world will never be same again

Page 3 scan of this page

treet's blackest hours

Why the crash occurred

News

dollar dropped sharply, Mir James Baker,

Asury Secretary, went into urgent talks

he West German Finance Minister

Nob Petroleum shares plunged 34p down at

he Gorernment's offer price is 330g, It

easury said the sale would go ahead

VONES

USTRIALS

Fi West German mark MONDAY 19 OCTOBER saw the greatest crash in share prices in a single day in history. The New York Stock Exchange fell by 23 percent in one day almost double the 13 per cent fall on •Black Monday, 28 October 1929. As the Financial Times put it: Every word in the lexicon of fear was used to describe the mood on Wall Street as the market tried to open in the morning.' But why did the market collapse when it did! And what are going to be the consequences?

day the

the United States.

the world for

In

attempted cheat this 1970s

oil. The 1973, oil recession followed than

world price recovery

1973, the States early But this could put on recovery is insuffi- competitors balance of

payments

line

forces the -HOrate of

the

rate of Japanese The real beneficiary in economic growth since

1973 has been the United States. From World War

until the early 1970s Western Europe grew

rapidly than the But policy United States. Since 1973 Western European growth recession the has fallen behind the US any Cast The US has even reduced heading: world the gap between its rate of growth and Japan. 1973 slowed

But this relative of the United mand for, price of, oil.

States has not been

rise in the productivity of world has

fallen This

the

both the

competitiveness. has

been brought about by the

States using the competitive ation of the world Western aad is potecical Europe The

во этот every other of its pro-

arket to its advantage.

aday the real rela-

was US manipulation of the system. Immediately after Reagan was

Foreign

consequent the

pound, Gullals deficit.

effect was

on world

the

this had

United became the nation

ceed its

that US

deed.

US

rected.

gap.

policy.

fraud, in

against those monelary

30 per cent

flood- assets, ment

rate of the

borrowed. and US

holding

of LCIS dollars.

United

US stream of

and

States cheap. consistently

balance of pand their

1987 mies, $150 rapidly chief debtor world.

US USE

would ex-

by $750 pense of

economies.

the dollar

This in-

many

i balance

exchange

would

expensive,

were

of the meaning. a tax, States

cove vir suares

countries

govern

fall

70

robbing

billions

trade

exports

econo-

their

of its

their own

Capitalism

Ger-

as of its

It has been

markets to

West

Yuppies

aghast

at end

of boom

From Charte Brenner

government budget deficit because it is not prepared. or more exactly is not able,

the existing political relation of forces, to tax its own working class enough to finance US government expenditure. The US millary build up of the last eight years has beer financed, and US politi cians have bought their popularity, at the expense of the United States trade rivals, not its own working

rs, not so is the

Cass. workers, not COSTSC ot the States trading partners The economic pain the US was causing them was al

increasing their own domestic political problems. As it is the United States which is now in debt to Japan and West Germany, economic leverage to hit back. Deficit

On monthly

huge deficit indicatin

Iwa. sight.

Germany

its which uterest

which probabl

ing US into recession

. On

day. Then Mondas

with in uncontrollable The

paroxysm. as the

meltdown

asserted itself.

next.

Socialist Action

What now after the

crash?

AFTER THE stock market crash what will happen next? That, of course, depends on whether the _ decline continues or is turned around.

20 October, day after

replied following the stock market

to tighten

wave of

deepened still further

met by

theory

and

authorities therefore

money in

New stock market Tuesday Monday. cent nigner

HOWe WCCI earlier.

last are not

reserves the world

situation for repre-

such as Lawson.

sound'. literally absolutely irrelevant what British economy what its underlying

The fate

will noW be totally

present

alter situation whatever.

For the above its means.

not at the expense other

US

of

And

Oct 1987 3 them to The second that

steps its

Unite Class States political this

Certain

crease transatlantic trade the United

States of paymells

Western Europ and elsewhere either by further the by

proter

buropean capitals fear

the States -ability finance the

European

United States.

and States

recession.

explosions 'third world'

United will be

world — cluding world' economies.

at-

of the

competi-

economies.

the

Philippines and South Korea. get worse.

Finally, goes

means greate!

its The working

classes

own classes in

the market

ing economy.

clear ove the next

simply

watch. • major

Its

tacks on working

the

world greatly

Page 4 scan of this page

Attempt to ban Sinn Fein

4 Socialist Action 23 Oct 1987 New attack launched on Black Section FORMER regional organiser for the Labour Party Black Section Paul Sharma has launched an attack on Black Section through the

Tribune.

Writing in the pages of the 16 October issue, Sharma calls for Black Section to 'come in from the cold' and apply for affiliate status to the Labour rally.

He attacks in advance those who he believes won't agree with him as the 'Mojahaden faction' who are involved in a nory war agallist luc leadership and any talk of compromise Is heresy'. The inflamatory language in which the article is couched makes clear. that this is no comradely dialogue.

In fact, as Sharma ASTMS delegation to Labour conference ASTMS delegates to Labour Party conference took two major, contradictory, decisions.

Firstly, having decided not to support the EETPU nominations for the NEC, a delegate meeting arranged on the Monday of conference was pressured into reversing this decision. It was argued that EETPU support would probably get ASTMS president

Doug Hoyle elected to

Conference greetings

At Blackpool and Brighton we all did hear,

The state of the nation was made quite clear.

Maggie's Britain is a wonderful place Poverty has vanished without a trace. Even Neil is a bit obsessed, The docker, £400 a week possessed.

Should he get more whilst others get less?

When many do not even a home possess.

The realities of life they have a sting,

A divided nation is a rotten thing.

You have ten and I've got one

Leaves, I think, a lot to be done

Ere we reach the Promised Land

Where all will be a happy band.

I listen and look whilst leaders talk

Then go outside and take a walk,

Come home again and write these notes.

We deserve more than rhetoric for our votes.

John P. Mathieson, October 1987

WINNING THE

MAJORITY

Labour's policies for women A conference organised by the Labour Women's Action Committee

Saturday 21 November Speakers include:

Diane Abbott MP, Diana Jeuda NEC/USDAW, Rose Lambie TUC/COHSE,

Audrey Wise MP

himself must perfectly well know. tar from denouncing it as 'a sellout of which he claims some Black Section members

as calen already been put forward at the Labour national executive -and firmly voted down. It is not the Black Section but the party leadership which has already ruled this tactical 'compromise VUL

Not surprisingly, the article has already been

labour movement, anti-black national press. The Guardian published a story based on it perore me oncud article hit the streets.

The political issues raised are important

ones for the Black Section and for the Labour Party as a whole. Socialist Action will be returning to this question in the pages of its future issues.

the NEC.

The result of this

reversal of the decision

cost Margaret Beckett

her NEC seat. Hoyle

failed to get elected.

Secondly, following

the appeal against

expulsion of Felicity

Dowling of Liverpool,

the ASTMS delegation

voted 14:12 in favour of

Dowling remaining a

member of the party.

Being the only union to

support her, this vote

accounts for the

majority of the 400,000

votes she received.

Ann Pettifor, Jo Richardson MP, «

Regiora 103 a pm

proposals designed to exclude Sinn Fein from local office and possibly fined or jailed.

six counties who vote for Sinn Fein. News, the paper supported by Sinn Fein.

BOBBY Sands was elected MP for Fermanagh/South Tyrone in April 1981. A year later, the British amended the Representation of the People Act to disqualify people convicted of. political offences from standing for election for a period of five years.

successes

introduced which made

well-off.

entered council

never been British What the British alre

demanding that

republican candidates

nounce all public expression

of support for the IRA: the

new law would require can-

didates in local elections to

'declare and undertake that

if elected they will neither

support nor assist the ac-

tivities of any organisation

proscribed in. NOTICI

Ireland'

Line British govern-

ment's proposals

viously directed at Sinn Fein

and in particular at those

forums from which Sinn

Fein does not abstain: the

local councils. Among the

ditterent ontions examined

the British have ruled out,

for the time being, the idea

ON 12 October Northern Ireland secretary Tom King announced government and any future Assembly in the north of Ireland. It is a further and serious attack of democratic rights there

King's proposal is that in future candidates will be required to sign an oath not to 'support nor assist the activities of any organisation proscribed by law in Northern Ireland'. It proposes that breach of the declaration would result in offending councillors being disqualified from

The government's intention is straightforward: to disenfranchise the substantial minority, 30-35 per cent, of the nationalist community in the

The Thatcher government has spent the two years since the signing of the Anglo-Irish agreement trying to politically defeat Sinn Fein and build up the Social Democratic Labour Party (SDLP). Gerry Adams' victory in West Belfast in the June general election showed that this strategy had

So now the Northern Ireland office is moving to simply deny electors in the north of Ireland the right to elect candidates of their choice to

This is an attack on democratic rights of the most blatant kind — one which the British labour movement would tolerate at its own peril. It certainly involves the north of Ireland but sets wider precedents. If Sinn Fein can be disqualified from public office for supporting a 'proscribed organisation', then why not exclude Dennis Skinner or other MPs for supporting the miners, or the hundreds of Labour councillors who have broken Tory laws? The issue is yet another illustration of the fact that where the Tories are unable to win the vote they try to abolish the

King's proposal strikes at the very core of democracy — that electors have the right to elect whoever they want to represent them. It is the people who decide who will be the government — not the government that decides who can be elected. The people of the north of Ireland have the absolute right to elect whomsoever they wish to represent them. That is why every trade union and Labour Party organisation should be united in demanding that Tom King's loyalty oath is abandoned.

For Sinn Fein's response we reproduce here an edited version of the front page article from the 15 October An Phoblacht - Republican

period in

republican

The criminal'

dealt with criminal courts, the British This may the

electorate.

hand, brought by Well the British

person's

give a Six-

used by evel

come: also their jaSL line of

defence.

na-

arms to establis!

in

to court voicing opicompletely Sinn

loyalist who

cillors. the British may bring

situation.

new proposals was, on the

favourable. spokesperson for the Association of OUP coun cillors 'welcomed' some

At form of legislation last!' exclaimed the Alliance Party. Paisley predictably muttered that the whole thing was DUP

whitewash, The

on Sinn The

declaration incidently, does not make it unlawful to sup-

port the UDA's attacks of nationalist homes and its

random assassination

Cal valu

Attitude

The SDLP's attitude was an example of unprincipled hypocrisy. It did not object to the proposals in principle, but because

would make which would be difficult to enforce

A more principled objection came from British Labour spokesperson Kevir McNamara. Identifying the proposals McNamara 'sop unionists, ed the British government: 'Why don't they prosecute if they have evidence?' Indeed the arsenal of laws already in esistence to prosecute people for expressing opinions already includes the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the Public Order Act

The new proposals, furthermore would constitute a breach of the Northern Ireland Constitution Act of 1973 which makes unlawful 'for an authority or body to require people to HiKe oath, make an undertaking or as declaration' as a 'condition of their being ppointed

clause had been introduce

News

to allow hitherto debarred nationalists from taking of fice years later, the British definition of democracy has seeming! been amended on 'If such a declaration abjuring the use of force for WaNe stipulation of membership of parliament, the House of Commons would be empty and there would have been no Falklands war.'

The battle is now on to defend the civil rights of Northern nationalists, and in particular their right te who take up arms to defend or free our country. It will battle against hypocrisy. As Gerry Adams:

"We will not allow the British government disenfranchise the large section of the nationalist community which votes for Sinni Fein.

Labour Committee on Irelan

ind the Labour Party Irish Sectic

PUBLIC MEETING CIVIL RIGHTS

JUSTICE EXTRADITION

Chair: Clare Short MP

Speakers Ken Livingstone MP

Michael Farrell (author 'Northern Ireland: the Orange State?)

Speakers from the Birmingham 6 and Gulldford 4 relatives'

campaigns

Siobahn Crozier

(Labour Party Irish Section)

Page 5 scan of this page

Why time limits limit women's choice

KLERNAMONAL DAY OF AGRU

No free votes on abortion

News

THE LOBBY in favoar of David Altor's proposals to severely restrict womca's access to abortion, by cutti y time limits from the present 28 to 18 me - sharply bailt up over the last week. Altou will be clear when his bill is presented to F 28 October, ironically coinciding with the twentieth anniversary of the 1967 Abortion Act which it attacks, itself introduced into parliament by a Liberal MP, David Steel.

With the main aim being the 10 week cut in time

of the most serious attacks to cate on the terms and mnteation of that act If carried through it would in effoct make legal abortion im-

assible for women more

nodiately affecting 17,000

climate where all abortions were more difficult to obtain, would ensure a rise in illegal abortion and their accompanying injuries and deaths to women, and a rise in unwanted children and misery.

Proposals

The concerted media effort in the last week has донс то шакіь шсе ріо posals palatable, and a less severe cut seem Dositively reasonable. Friday's Guardian threw itself firmly into the ring on the side of cutting time limits by making its front page lead the results of a specially commissioned Marplan poll, with alarming findings: that

viewed were in favour of some cut in time limits, with strong support lor an lo week limit. This, and support selenen and others for a 24 week restric-

'short of a massive tactical error ov Mr Alton ana nl allies, a change in the 1967 Abortion Aci is now beginning to look inevitable'

Last Sunday's Observer followed this with a special colour feature on survival rates or premature vadics.

This campaign to make

both reasonable and humane Was capped Monday's press: Alton explained he would press on OVER THE last 10 years women have waged a long and successful fight to establish policy in the labour movement in support of the right to legal, safe abortion, and in defence of the 1967 Abortion Act.

the TUC to call a national demonstration against the Corrie Bill in 1979. However, despite the adoption of clear policy by the unions and by the Labour Party conference, the Parliamentary Labour Party has never taken a clear stand on the issue.

The excuse for this faiure has been a clause in the standing orders of the PLP which allow MPs the right to a position of conscience' certain issues, and therefore the Labour whip is not applied. These

cience have traditionally inclided abortion. Indeed it is hard to discover what other issues of significance now

No whips are appled on MOSCO Castribus-

apparently the still thinks it is a matter of personal conscience whether a

Defeat Alton's anti-abortion bill

for an 18 week limit, though possibly allowing for exceptions for women carrying a handicapped foetus, but that

was had hot set himself in advance against a 24 week amendment.

By Anne Kane

By now the main shape of the campaign is clear: Alton's 18 week campaign will continue, meanwhile a great lobby of support is be ing built for 24 weeks with arguments that this is

line with roelal Viadilly

in any case it compromise lo defeat Alton.

In reality either of these changes would immediately affect thousands of women as well as transform the atmosphere around the right

differences over 18 weeks or 24 reality they are about what steps are possible now in the fight against all rights to abortions, not about foetal viability, caring for disabled children, ensuring early

Alton has spelled this out: *Post-conception child has begun its developments as a unique new individual overriding right to life must

Take preccacnce before any other claimed right. Limits

A cut in the time limits to 18 weeks would be a very big step towards preventing all abortions. In 1986 5.649 women had abortion over 18 Weeks. Of these 2,694

this country in other WULUS women torced come to Britain and pay for The highpoint of this campaign was the decision by Labour MP endorses judicial murder. STIT reality only one Labour MP has favoured the return of hanging, and the votes are a loregone conclusion.

By Jude Woodward

Matters religious observance are usually the subject of free vores. Sunday trading was the sub-

while pub Ject 0l d willp, opening hours in the north ot re and are oi course a matter of consciences.

However the real I scandal is that the Labour Party conference

CONTRACEPT

private abortions because abortion (and often

Coli traception) is either illegal or very restricted in their countres. Ivany of tese women are from Ireland and Spain. Such restrictions themselves lead to these women suffering the additional strain late abortions.

Margin

However, the margin of error which doctors leave, of up to 4 weeks, means that actually many more women than this would be

out in July 1985 in a DHSS ruling applied clinics prohibiting abor tions over 24 weeks. so ir reality all women having abortions at 15 weeks and later would be likely to be refused.

Those most affected if this limit was introduced would overwnelingly

older

severely handicapped foetus, and women coming to Britain from other counvoted unambiguously and overwhelmingly that abortion should not be consheered matter conscience

Composite 40 to the Bournemouth conference of 1985 called for the 'abandoning there can conscience CONSC free VOLE 'women's fundamental right to decide whether or not to bear children'. Policy

Betty Boothroyd, replying to the debate for the NEC, called for vole against the composite

sought I free abolish the traditional vote for Labour MPs on this issue. Conference decisively rejecica

NEC's advice and adoptea the resolution by 5,305,000 votes to 611,000.

conference was not confused,

what it had

NU FURCED

tries. As with all other such bills, Alton's ignores the reasons which compel women such as these have late abortions: young women often do not

the signs, that older women may mistake

that the results of tests for severe disabilities known until after 20 weeks. and the many obstacles that confront all women from the lack of sex education through obstructive GPs to NHS waiting lists. Alton has made the rights of the disabled foetus his particular crusade arguing against abortion as 'eugenics' and ignoring that women demand that the choice be their individual right, not doctors. Alternative

Ivext lo unis, 44 weeks h being presented as reasonable alternative. Only 29 abortions took place over 24 weeks last year. This time limit would at the very least affect women needing abortions atter 20 weeks adopted. In addition to the

form in Betty Boothroyd's reply, the debate had been fought out on precisely this issue by women in a whole number o me ae delegation, often against the advice of their general secretaries and full-time officials.

Since 1985 however both the Labour whips and the NEC have simply ignored the conference decision. No whip was applied on the Powell Bill to amend the Infant Life Preservation Act. The NEC's statement •on acalla explicitly tions the right of an MP to a position or conscience or abortion.

Aim

The 1987 conference statement by the NEC on

Alton's Bill also included the issue of the right to a position of conscience. This

was not in the original draft drawn up by Jo Richard-

HANT MNDE

: LEGAL ARCA TON

ARTE Lei:

CONTRATPTEN 2,723 women last year.

Many women waiting for results disability tests would still be affected, with

difficult decisions under Bical picssuic

Viabillity

used in favour of the 24 weeks limit however, foetal viability. Alton peddles a straightforward decep-

weeks a child has sentience and it is no different except in size and weight from the child at 28 weeks. By 20 weeks... its heart is pump; ing 50 pints of blood daily.' In truth and even with the advances of new technology the earliest premature birth where a baby was kept live has been 23 weeks

Two separate issues are deliberately confused. First

insuring cariy abortions

vill not be helped by restric ting the upper time limits the reverse is true. To cut

with changing estimates of foetal

which Viablully, son, shadow women's minister but was inserted. It appears, at the direct instigation of the leader of the party.

Women in the labour movement have the right to demand that overwhelming majority of men in the PLP vote in line with party policy on this issue. 'The Labour whin must be applied in the votes against Alton's Bill

A model resolution is being circulated the Labour Party by both the Labour Women's Action

• te rigil Alton's Bill (FAB) cạm-

• calling tor the im-

votes against Alton's BitE adopted by CLPs, women's sections and branches of at-

filiated unions warded to the NEC, unior executives and to the coming round of regional conferences and national union olicicles

ABORTION

STERILISATION

these are — over 75 per cent of births at 26 weeks and over die or are severely handicapped opens the possibility ot lowering the limits. Which is of course the aim.

Second, no woman would opt for a late abortion out of choice. Lowering their necessity is very much in our hands - improving education, NHS facilities, rights of seli reterral, removing the right of doctors to impose their moral views on women, and research into early detection of severe disabilities. fellow liberal Clement Freud has . commenied Alton had chosen private members to deal with any of these issues, we could take his concern for women and children more seriously.

Support

Despite the chorus of media support for Alton's and others proposals, they are in essence the • ballle de all the other bills brought forward to limit the 1967

on David Alton's Bill and the

'conscience' vote of MPs.

This CLP/women's section/conference/etc:

reduce the time limit for legal abortion to 18

time limit for legal abortion;

(and' makes a donation of f..

3 notes that the 1985 annual party conference

free votes' on matters relating to 'women's

fundamental right to decide whether or not to

by the Labour whips, nor by the NEC which

'conscience' on this issue in the 1987 NEC

statement to party conference on Alton's Bill;

legal abortion.

Socialist Action 23 Oct 1987 5

Act, all of which have been defeated.

Labour Party and TU are The policy very clearly in support of the 1967 Act and a woman's right to choose. we car make sure that Alton is defeated and sent off into obscurity with Benyon, White and Corre it we us this policy to mobilise now against this savage attack.

Cut the time, you cut women's choice!

Fight the Alton Bill!

• Labour mo verter bodies can. * sponsor the new Fight the Alton Bill campaign, and help set up local groups * help it financially * invite speakers and distribute its publicity * send a delegate io its natensul pourge is againsi national policy against Alton, that your MP votes against the bill and tha support is committed nov for future demonstrations and action against Alton.

Model resolution for Labour Parties

1 opposes David Alton's Private Member's Bill to

weeks, and other proposals to reduce the present

2 sponsors the Fight Alton's Bill Campaign and will promote its initiatives including the lobby of parliament and proposed national demonstration

...);

agreed, by 5,305,000 votes to 611,000, to abandon 'the idea that there can be conscience clauses or

bear children'(Composite 40). And further notes that this decision has not so far been implemented

included the right of Labour MPs to a position of

4 therefore calls on the NEC to instruct the chief whip to apply a three line whip in line with part) policy for all votes against the Alton Bill and any other proposals to limit the present availability of

Page 6 scan of this page

Why Thatcher prop up aparthei

Socialist Action ANYONE WHO had any illusions hat the British

acting

artheid should have lost ollowing last weeks

onwealth prime ministers conference. Not only did Thatcher re-

Many meaningtul

rainst South Africa, cepened her course by describing the African National (ANC) as a 'terrorist' organisation. For this she was greeted Pretoria, as BBC Radio put it on Monday morning, honourary citizen of white South Africa'. The British government is nOW committed to keeping power the most openly reactionary government in the world.

A report issued last week by Archbishop Trevor Huddleston for the i Anti-Apartheid Movement confirmed that throughout the last year the British government has been consistently and consciously breaking even limited existing sanctions against South Africa. The British government has failed to comply with I1 out of 14 sanctions formally agreed at the last Commonwealth summit in Nassau. • The US State department, in a report submitted to the Congress on 1 April, listed Britain as one of the seven countries still involved in supplying arms to South Africa in defiance of a Unice Nanons embargo • The Thatcher government has refus-* ed to terminate the no visa entry agreement for South Africans into Britain -which would allow the British government to follow Commonwealth and EEC countries and ban the entry of South African sports competitors • Official government backed trade missions to South Africa are continuing

another leaves next month. • The Thatcher government neither banned the export of oil, nor of computer equipment capable of being used by the apartheid military, police or security forces. • There is no embargo on military cooperation between Pretoria and Bri-

South

23

against

them

Com-

sanctions but she

Congress sidiaries in that country.

in

September 1986. year.

major Western nations

extensive trade

and to raise new money.

The South African vulnerable sancuous.

has Action against

Africa

Department of Trade and Industry still advises British companies to set up sub-

• Thatcher had simply introduced a nonsensical 'voluntary ban' on the promotion of tourism to South Africa. • Thatcher undertook last year, at the Commonwealth meeting on sanctions in London, to accept and implement any EEC decision to ban the import of which col, iron and steel from South Africa. A ban of imports of coal was blocked regime. by the West German government on 16

The same day Thatcher flew to Bonn and publicly endorsed Chancellor Kohl's anti-sanctions policy. A ban on the import of iron and steel was agreed by the EEC but 33,000 tonnes of steel products have been imported from South Africa into the UK during the first seven months of this

Meanwhile a report from the Starnberger institute in West Germany, commissioned by the West German protestant churches, has made clear that six

- the United States, Britain, Japan, West Germany, France and Switzerland - could bring the apartheid regime to its knees in a matter of months. It would not even re-

sanctions. It would simply require action through the international tinance svstem to forbid South Africa to extend old loans

South report concluded that: 'the economy highly targeted international By wielding effective sanctions, a small group of only six countries has the power to chop through one of apartheid's most vital supports — its integration into the world economy. As far as these countries are concerned etfective sanctions would entail a fairly small package of measures with negligible effects on their own 'economies.

financial ties of bout Airca to une worla economy• would swiftly push South Africa into international insolvency and provoke

massive capital flight, leading to fiscal crisis of the state, a cessation of investment, and an exodus of business people and experts - in all, to irrecoverable weakening of the apartheid regime?

This could be: 'backed up by the mandatory cessation of operations by foreign firms in such key areas as mining, energy, capital goods and banking

would soon bring about the complete collapse of the apartheid

Instead the international banks, with the support of their governments, had been propping up South Africanotably by allowing the 'rolling over' of its foreign debts in 1986 and 1987.

In other words the major Western states had been deliberately propping up the apartheid regime.

The Starnberger report kills stone dead the idea that the British and US governments refuse to take effective action against South Africa even simply because of its effect on their own economies - we won't even bother to discuss the idea that Thatcher, of all people, refuses to impose sanctions because of the suffering it would involve for the black population of South Africa itself!

Sanctions

Undoubtedly sanctions

Africa would involved porary inconveniences for the major Western states - but nothing they do not have the resources to cope with. The picture presented of years of hardship in Britain with little or no effect, is a myth. Financial action alone would rapidly cripple the South economy.

The reason for propping up apartheid is not primarily economic. It is political. The fall of the regime in South Africa would unhinge the entire situation in that continent.

The US first increased its covert support South African against its neighbours - aiding.

and Reagan

South African backed UNITA invasion of Angola in 1975-76, blocking any in-. ternational pressure on South Africa over its occupation of Namibia, and then, al South AHncan SuDDOIL lO wing UNITA in Angola and the MNR in Mozambique.

Direct Simultaneously tervention in Africa the United States stepped up its attempt to pressurise the Soviet Union to end its support to left wing governments movements in plained in 1975 that: 'our task is to find ways to restrain Soviet power over an historical period..

Soviet power around the world through a combination of political, military and economic means. reorganisation of US foreign policy, during 'detente', United States air and naval bases in Kenya and Somalia. Between 1969 and 1980 US investment in South Africa increased nearly tenfold - from $286 million to $2,500 million.

Since then the United States and Britain have done everything possible in practice, to maintain the apartheid static emitrate to pro Wreten - within the necessity to against leaders of the black states.? They are

providing aid to the frontline states — Len- primarily with the aim of increasing the

West's image and leverage. But this aid absolutely damage done to its neighbours by the South African incursions and the cost of the havoc created by apartheid backAfrican ed 'rebel movements' in Mozambique

and Angola.

perfectly aware that apartheid African regime - the regional super-

power' as its foreign minister put it this week — were to fall the entire situation Africa would change. action drastically reinforce the black popula. the tion of Africa against imperialist in-

propping the right ference last week.

with direct in- up In 190s.

and rebel Africa. Kissinger

by balancing off

Part of Carter's states. 2.

was establish black

future

Africa.

"The

position

compared

The United States and Britain are

if the South

on bluntly would

France

terests and powerfully reinforce the left. That is why Britain and the US will take no action to overthrow apartheid. That is why we had the farce at the Commonwealth prime ministers con-

To understand US and British thinking on that it is worth going back

"Kissinger report on United States policy in southern Africa drawn

This formed the startin• point of contemporary western polic to South Africa and outlined clearly US interest in the region. It noted: 'Racial repression by white minority regimes and the black African opposition to i pose two problems for US interests i the area: 1. Our interests in the whit states to the degree they are seen as a least tacit acceptance of racism affec our standing with African and othe

The prospect of increasin violence in the area growing out of

insurgency and white reprisa could jeopardise our intersts in th

'As noted neither of the 'problems' for the US was the effects on the black population of the racist regime in South Te racial probrenor souther

racial southern Africa probably will grow more acute over time, perhaps leading to violent internal upheavels and greater involve ment of the communist powers.

The report noted: 'The US takes the

that force is not an ap propriate means to bring about con structive change in southern Africa We have consistently resisted efforts to exclude South Africa from interna tional bodies and to extend mandatory sanctions or use force on southern African issues. Thus the US has made it clear that we have gone as far as we can in the direction of greater UN pressure

the white regimes. It also statec

that the United States Euro pean allies were even more blatant ir

propping up apartheid: "The Uk an

have adopted an even mor

Page 7 scan of this page

rained position on southern African

res, in their abstentions on the UN

Oral Assembley resolution deter-

ing that South Africa's mandate

South West Africa has

ated, on which we voted in favour,

the UK's somewhat more per-

policy on the arms embargo

st South Africa, which is virtually

id letter in the case of France. -Soul Alica because: There Is & report also noted that the

South Africa because: "There is a mous question whether pro-Western

dets of the black states could con-

their

ulations the officially

lared its opposition current

ration efforts. •Radical and com-

would be

neficiaries. '

The report concluded: 'our interests

hot Justify consideration of us

intervention athe area.

milarly economic South Africa are excluded because could lead to a orcement the

vement in their enforcement. mited. States excluded any action to elp end apartheid.

-Overthrow

It is true th at the original Kissinger sport made a drastic miscalculation on • likely course of events in southern rica, It foresaw the continuation of ortugese rule in Angola and Mozam-

we, Smith regime ¡nodesia', BIOr the indefinite future. at there is no evidence to suggest that ne US changed its policies after the col-

se of the Portugese empire in Africa mad the establishment of an indepenent black Zimbawe. On the contrary e United States began to increase its

olvement Africa following the cyclutions™ of the 1970s the overbrow of Portugese rule in Guinea

ssau, Mozambique, and Angola, the verthrow of Haile Sellassie in Ethiopia ad the downfall of the Smith regime.

The US first increased its covert support for South African against its neignbours South African backed UNITA invasion of Angola in 1975-76, blocking any international pressure on South over its occupation of Namibia, then, at a minimum, up South African support to the right wing UNITA in Angola and the MNR in Mozambique.

with tervention in Africa the United States stepped up its attempt to pressurise the ter- Soviet Union to end its support to left wing governments and movements in Africa. Kissinger plained in 1975 that: 'our task is to find ways to restrain Soviet power over an historical period...

Soviet power around the world through a combination of political, military and economic means. reorganisation of US foreign policy, during 'detente', Was LO United States air and naval bases in Kenya and Somalia. Between 1969 and | 1980 US investment in South Africa increased neariv tentor -the million to $2,500 million.

State

Since then the United States and Britain have done everything possible in practice, to maintain the apartheid state - within the necessity to prevent public embaressment to 'pro-Western leaders of the black, states.' They are providing aid to the frontline states primarily with the aim of increasing the Wests image and leverage. But this aid is absolutely tiny compared to the damage done to its neighbours by the South African incursions and the cost of the havec created by apartheid backed 'rebel movements' in Mozambique and Angola.

The United States and Britain are perfectly aware that if African regime — the regional superpower' as its foreign minister put it this week • were to fall the entire situation

Africa would change. drastically reinforce the black population of Africa against imperialist interests and powerfully reinforce left. That is why Britain and the US will take no action to overthrow apartheid. That is why we had the farce at the Commonwealtn prime ministers conference last. week.

already

nationalist perspective

Guardian. action

aiding Cune

Africa a modern world.' and

direct in-

rebel ex-

by balancing off destruction of

portant in this context. • Part of Carter's

establish Arms

from $286

ment with multilateral

growth of the

Not only

bringing about nuclear

tne South

would

the

Why Joan

Ruddock is

wrong

THE DECISION to spend the next two years reviewing party policy dominated Labour's recent annual conference. That review will be part of the leadership's continuing drive to cleanse the party of every last vestige of radicalism. Foreign policy will be a key area for the microscope, in preparation for which attacks on unilateral nuclear disarmament have

been stepped up. NICK BENNETT explains why defending •unilateralism — the crucial radical policy the right want to eliminate — is still central to the fight for an inter-

- and replies to an article by Joan Ruddock in the

'AS the disarmament process gathers momentum, the pro-nuclear fanaticism of Mrs Thatcher will become increasingly out of step with the realities of the world and people's perception of them, concludes Joan Ruddock writing in the Guardian on Friday 16 October. 'Labour has a chance to ofter the electorate a defence policy which carries the convicdon born or an allernative vision or lternational relations and which really does fit the needs of a modern Britain in

In her article Disarming needs of a defence policy review', the Labour MP most publicly associated with the campaign in this country against nuclear weapons argues that the intermediate range nuclear force (INF) treaty, on the verge of being signed by the United States and because and the Soviet Union, will be 'the cornerstone of that new reality'. Arguing that 'the significance of this agreement lies not in its mode of negotiation but in its objectives - the actual removal and

operational nuclear weapons', Ruddock however goes on to claim that unilateralism becomes less im-

However,

changed -

Unilateralism was never an exclusive road to nuclear disarmament, she explains. 'Unilateralists have always argued that independent steps, as well as being valuable in themselves, act as a spur to negotiations. Nevertheless the appeal of the unilateralist position (leaving aside its New

fundamental morality) proceeded partly from a general and profound disillusion- That is the

negotiations.

Thus the background to the dramatic "realities of the

European peace movéments in the 1980s was nothing less than a cynical mockery of multilateralism, with Western offers to the Soviet Union deliberately designed to invite refusal.' ment will

this view that uni- disarmament. lateralism will play a decreasing role in

disarmament profoundly wrong, it is also profoundly

There is going to be just as much cynical mockery of multilateralism' in 1987 as there was in the 1950s, the 1960s and the 1970s. And that is because the self-styled, 'multilateralists' in fact want David Owen to keep nuclear weapons. The government of the USA is no more sincere in its claim to want to gel na or nucical BeCA weapons than Britain, France or West Germany, the political leaders of which countries openly argue for maintaining nuclear weapons. That is not to say, of course, that the United States is unwilling to lose any nuclear weapons. The INF treaty is certain to be signed — especial

ly at a time when Reagan could use the domestic political kudos it will attract

concessions on foreign policy he hopes to extract from the Soviet Union through it.

Reagan's fundamental dynamic is no different than Thatcher's, Mitterrand's and Kohl's. He is every bit as committed

waters. to maintaining nuclear weapons - as the USA's response to the Reykjavik summit and its refusal to reconsider the Star Wars programme demonstrates

the relationship between the United States and West Europe has

and not just because of the US-USSR INF treaty.There is less support in West Europe for the foreign policies of the USA than there has been at any time since World War II.

fundamental reality underlying what Joan Rudock calls the

world and peoples perception of them'. The INF treaty is an effect of that reality, not its cause. Unless that relationship is understood, the anti-

get it wrong on nuclear the

For example, recognising the tensions between Western Europe and the United States, sections of the anti-missiles and labour movements are flirting with the cept idea of Europe as a 'third force. But it is false to assume that greater cooperation

US in Europe is a radical or 'leit' alternative. Essentially it is the view espoused by

and others. In fact the Guardian of Monday 19 October carried • a long article from Owen on the very sub-

What has to be made clear is that both these forces represent interests that are alien to real nuclear disarmament whatever rhetoric either side might indulge in from time to time to suit its particular immediate and sectional interests

In this context, and especially in the light of a clear and concerted campaign

Socialist Action 23 Oct 1987 :: by the right wing of the party to get rid of. Labour's unilateralist policy, it is quite wrong or joan kuadock to remal suck on the issue of US nuclear bases.

We have already seen a number of retreats on the clear statement of the 1983 conference which would remove all nuclear weapons from British soil and Moves

The 'Modern Britain' campaign launched last Decembe to fight the general election was one. Nuclear disarMalcul was firmly placed within the •framework of remaining in NATO. Nei Kinnock personally made clear the meaning of the campaign's pro-NAIl framework when, on the eve of his ill fated visit to the White House, he announced on the eve of his ill-fated visit to the White House, delay the removal of cruise pending the outcome of any INF talks.

Again, at party conference, there was no mention of the US nuclear bases by the leadership. They attempted to con fine the debate to Trident. Furthermore

instruction composite establish a working party was specifically to review timetable and strategy

There is now a clear strategy by sec the abandoning of Trident doubtless bargained away as part of a deal with the USSR - but to accept the

'nuclear," umbrella' as part of the NATO alliance, That is why composite 30 at Labour Party conference, so strongly

nuclear bases. It is also why Joan Ruddock is totally wrong to ignore this issue in her Guardian article.

The position must be clear. Labour

all nuclear weapons from British soil and waters including the Us nuclear baser Anything else is an abandonment of Labour's non-nuclear poliçy.

Page 8 scan of this page

The rehabilitation

8 Socialist Action: | THE first reason every socialist should demand the rehabilitation of Trotsky and Bukharin is elementary truth. The idea leaders of the Russian revolution, who spent years in prison and exile in the fight against Tsarism, lead the overthrow of capitalism on one sixth of the earth's surface, German spies, agents of the Japanese and guilty of sabotage and attempts to assassinate Soviet leaders. by Stalin - is one of the absurdities of history. Nobody believes it. To defend it distorts. the intellect and coherent thought impossible. declare brought against Trotsky, Bukharin and the others at the purge trials of the 1930s, are without foundation, elementary duty to the truth.

Such an action would clear the air of poison that has clouded it for fifty. years. It will help restore the conditions

lalullai debate socialists. It should be demanded every socialist.

But the Issues associated Bukharin and Trotsky are not simply historical. instead their rehabilitation will open the way for a serious discus-

LICH politics.

Bukharin and Stalin together symbolise ine most important issues i sociais strategy since Marx, Engels and Lenin.

Even the most important figures of Western Marxism. such as Gramsci, are essentially tributaries of one of these thinkers. Other socialists ple, Guevara, Castro or Mao-tse Tung

cannot remotely compare in scope with the political issues raised by Trotsky, Stalin and Bukharin.

Modern writers who claim to be embarking on 'new roads' in socialism are generally simpiy rencarsing In a less Ill telligent and coherent form, the ideas developed by one of Stalin, and Bukharin them did most of his "thinking' with the Debates

The great debates of Russian communism in the 1920s are still the seed bed of all serious discussion of socialist strategy today — and those who do not study them merely reveal their own ignorance. SOMET has produced nothing of the remotest theoretical or political interest in the intervening fifty years.

The reason Bukharin and Trotsky still command the stage of debate, and why their rehabilitation, or disgrace, is a directly political act, is that the issues they raised are not of simply historical interest. Marxist laeas ana categories reflect social realities:

23 Oct 1987 modern world

who helped

WOLC had Icaucis Lenin, Bukharin, - as charged Bolsheviks

Western renders underestimated To charges Stale strong sustaili bureaucracies is an capitalism.

amongst

by perialist states

with Lenin

Troisky, developed

and peasantry

for exam.

Distance in Russia,

the vital issue tionaries in Three basic

Trotsky even if the first of

tially adopted

pian society could be

secondarily

parties.

This policy pressures into the

The ideas of

Trotsky, Bukharin and Stalin remain relevant because the forces they dealt with are still the dominant forces of the

- the world as it has ex- of the isted since the Russian revolution.

The reason the great debates of the 1920s took place was because the Rus-

way sian revolution did not develop as its

anticipated. Trotsky, Stalin and all leaders had anticipated revolution wouid spread rapidly into

Europe. her had the capacity for class. resistance of the advanced imperialist

in particular their ability to social democratic USSR, successfully defending The fact that nowhere in closer Western Europe was a party capable of

created although such parties were to emerge later in the semi-coionial countries itself reflected the strength of the im-

traders

had despite

procome into ex-

Russia, but held

should proceed. developed - each

concessions tions - ine uto

single country of Russia. It advocated concessions to capital within Russia before most importantly concessions to individual peasants and small traders but,

with the

West. Internationally Bukharın was a pioneer of the Popular Front - the alliance of Communist and capitalist

introduced capitalist USSR itself. As Le is poredom the cassist marne second - the: international market to which we are subordinated, with which we are connected, and from which we cannot

is considering

murdered by

show trial in 1938, rehabilitation isolate ourselves.' Either, progressively, socialist revolution would be spread through the international class struggle

working class, or capitalism would finally break up the economic structure of the USSR preparing the

for capitalist Bukharin's policies strengthened capitalist forces and in the USSR. In 1927-28 they pro

an acute crisis in the concentrated in relations economy between the peasantry and the working

The essential policies adopted by Deng in China, and Gorbachev in the

in the last decaae — ine in troduction of mechanisms,

colaborator with the concessions to private farming among the peasants, acceptance of deepening sociai diffèrentiations - were pioneered by Bukharin. Bukharin's classic slogan or une lyzus enmen ourselves addressed to the peasants and privaie

was literaily raised in China at the height of the Deng period. It led to an acute crisis in China last year and this approach will inevitably do so in the USSR. In Soviet foreign policy it means closer reiations with capitalism

the welcome relaxation repression in the USSR itself. Gorbachev signifies not just the agreement on nuclear missiles but shifts rightward in the policy pursued by the USSR in Central America, towards Cuba, in the Middle East and in southern Africa.

Trotsky

The second line in the USSR in the 1920s was Trotsky's. Trotsky pointed out that the internal problems of the Soviet economy could only find a solu tion on the arena of world politics and economy - a foundation of the theory

permanent revolution: He wrote "There are two fundamental proposi-

in the theory revolution. First, that despite historical backwardness of Russia, the revolution can transfer the power into the hands of the Russian proletariat

the proletariat countries is able to attain it. Secondly. that the way out of these contraditions which will befall the proletarian dictatorship in a backward country, rounded by world of enemies, will be found on the arena of world revolution. The first proposition is based upon a correct understanding of the law of uneven development. The

•depends understanding of the indissolubility of the economic and political ties between capitalist countres.

"The colossal importance of the

of Trotsky

and Bukharin

ALL REPORTS from the USSR indicate that the Soviet government

rehabilitating the leaders of the Russian revolution

Stalin. The most politically important of these are Bukharin — executed following a

and whose appears probable and Trotsky - murdered in exile

Soviet Union lies in that it is the disputed base of the world revolution and not at all in the presumption that it is able to build socialism independently of the world revolution.' Issue

In this framework the vital issue in Soviet the USSR was coherence and morale of the Soviet proletariat as a key link in the international class struggle. As the Platform of the Left Opposition put it in 1927: 'The decisive factor in appraising the movement of our country forward along the road of socialist construction, must be West, the growth and the elements over the capitalist - together with an improvement of all the conditions of existence of the working class.

This improvement ought to be evident the materal workers employed level of real workers budget, medical aid, etc), in the political sphere (party, trade unions, munist youth organisations), and finally in the cultural books, newspapers, theatres).

Trotsky advocated as urgent task improving the material conditions of the Soviet striving to push the vital interests of the worker into the background, under the contemptuous epithet of "workshop narrowness" general historical interests of the work. ing class, is theoretically wrong anc politically • dangerous,' sidered the most decisive task was to improve the condition of the Soviet worker fidence and class consciousness as a decisive lever in the international class struggle.

Stalin

the

The third position Stalin. Stalin, advanced the theory of socialism in one country. Internationally Stalin sought alliances with Cabilalist Soviet foreign sur- became a series of alliances with foreign capitalist imperialisms, and forces within them — in practice making social democracy not Hitler during power Ill Germany France from 1934-38, with Hitler from correct 1939-41, with Britain United States from 1941-45.

Internally, Bukharin, come the capitalist pressures on the

by an agent of Stalin in 1940 and whose rehabilitation appears less certain. JAMES WHITE looks at the pressure to Bukharin, why the rehabilitation 0f Trotsky causes much problems for the Soviet leadership, and at the contemporary political relevance of the figures involved. through Perceived

Led.

maintain the backwardness

nationally.

the Nazi

of our productive forces

of the socialist

the expense

iroducing sonere number in each industry, • wages, character

housing. conditions,

soviets, com-

sphere (schools,

the most

workers: The

Trotsky , to contrast them with the regime

ministrative

Trotsky con-

because he saw their con-

has disappeared.

Stalin's

was that of for longer ticipated.

and forces The policy, from 1923,

Socialism

Nazism's rise to in 1929-33, with

France and the

however, unlike Stalin attempted to. over-

In Depth

far

rehabilitate

greater USSR, and industrialise the country,

violent repressive means proto-capitalist forces Russia, above all the peasantry, were smashed through forcible collectivisation of agriculture. At the same time the working class was savagely repress-

The beneficiary of this process was the Soviet bureaucracy. In the extreme

poverty of post-revolutionary Russia the bureaucracy became the route to material privelege.

Stalin's policy was disastrous inter

In Germany it helped lead to the victory of fascism and thereby

assault on the USSR. In France and Spain it led to tremendous defeats under the Popular Fronts.

Inside the USSR itself Stalin pur sued economic adventurism. He crushed any restorationist trends — but at

OI setting back Soviet agriculture by half a century and in-

al inflexible 'command

Economy

The Soviet economy has still not recovered from the calamity suffered by Soviet agriculture in 1928-32. When Hitler invaded in 1941 sections of the Soviet peasantry initially welcomed the Nazi invaders as liberators. Vast sec tions of the inflexible Soviet economy were characterised by waste.

characterised Stalin's "bonapartism' an aaapparatus attempting stand 'above' the policy of concessions to capitalism proposed by • Bukharin and the pro-working class line of Trotsky. It is because they represented the • two most important class Stalin's attempt to eliminate Bukharin and Trotsky's influence from history simply failed. Their political lines will be the basic choice long after Stalin's

industrialisation of the Soviet Union undoubtedly succeeded

had But it could not avoid the basic problems. It was and is impossible to build socialism in a single country.

reason for this simple. Capitalism itself has outgrown produc tion on the basis of a single state

La cale development of the productive forces, and therefore their internationalisa tion, even than capitalism. As Trotsky wrote: "To aim at building a nationally isolated socialist society means, in spite of all passing successes, to pull the productive forces backward even as compared to capitalism.'

But from the fact that 'the produc

Page 9 scan of this page

International

tive force

boundaries' economic impossibility of sufficient. . socialist society. vanced production forces how then ductive fo of a national violently sought under capitalism?

'...Th national basis . vanced countries a wholesale forces, th opposed to the tasks And: "To attempt ... off prope of economy within framework, tionary utopia.'

The the develope for inter tional CIVISION supranational of

significance for the : proportion to the economic ascent."

This i Stalin's policy of dustrialis In lurillg country cient ind at the expense agricultu tury

marked

by Gort this syste basic chr ing capit the Soviet Union,

Coser alliance with tionally, Union as internati the fore acain.

figures who symbolise those lines -

buknarin ana Ilotsky. Bukharin This is why it is far easier for the

bureaucracy to

than Trotsky. The rehabilitation

Bukharin is almost a political necessity.

Gorbachev is progressively introducing

the policies advocated by Bukharin in

the 1920s. The Soviet leadership almost

have to rehabilitate Bukharin because

without his books they

how to run the Soviet economy. But

Trotsky's line, one of deepening the in-

'the selfSocialist national capitalism,

struggle against it.

to

through development oI ine

within it,

...ad-

economically

of overtly

the effects of the national

Coully

economy

new more 'Stalinist' "The internaand the turned . back

modern

Union What the soviet bureaucracy of Soviet

struggle. inLines

But one thing is clear. back its doomed

long death.

which capitalism Mas waste and

capitalism and

interna- a world scale

overthrow. catastrophic, on a world scale

century is a (vile) hiccup. weakening

apparently obscure Bolsheviks,

of politics.

national

won t know

Stalin's purges..

ternational class struggle, is a the exact opposite extreme to Gorbachey's. Gorbachev is seeking closer links with inter-

not increased

Within the USSR itself Gorbachev's reforms will undoubtedly fail and lead

crisis as did Deng's in China although the much greater economic

USOK and tnt strength of the working class means that the process can continue for a longer period than in

backward China. At some point there will be the emergence

pro-capitalist demands which the bureaucracy will not tolerate, and revolt by the working class against

introduction of capitalist market mechanisms into the

the latter has in fact already emerged in a number of strikes. This will be followed by a relapse into a

period in which some of the 'reforms' will be halted or

- although, naturally, this will not involve a return to the depth either of a Stalinist repression or hyper-centralisation of the economy.

will not accept is placing the Soviet Union in the framework of the international class

Stalinism is although it will be a verv The fundamental lines for the Soviet Union, and all the countries

been overthrown, remain those of Bukharin and

strengthening collaboration with capitalist forces, or the international extension of the class struggle. One

leads to the restoration of capitalism on

The other leads to its Stalinism itself was

- and in terms of world history half a century, or even a

Stalinism is - and that is why other political choices are coming to the fore.

This is why the rehabilitation of two

organised followers on a world scale amount to a few thousand people, still has the capacity to create a major stir in

Because they continue to symbolise

the basic choices of our epoch Socialist

Action has added its name to the inter-

campaign for the rehabilitation of Trotsky. It naturally also supports the demand for the rehabilitation

of Bukharin and all other victims of

THE INDIAN government of Rajiy Gandhi has re

ected an appeal from the Liberation Tigers of Tam Eelam for a ceasefire 25,000-strong backed up by the Sri Lankan police are going in for the kill. To date at least 500 combatants have been killed. The Indian army's terror campaign has involved bombings and helicopter gunships firing rockets into towns. university where refugees have troops fired widly into a crowd killing 60 civilians last Friday. To hide its guilt, India not only refuses to provide information on civilian deaths, it has imposed a news blackout and denied journalists access to the area.

A massive refugee problem has ben created Gandhi's anu- lami 0 -fensive. Tanks advancing towards

Have

estroyed house Some

75,000 people • - half the population of the Jatina peninsula have been uprooted. Forced to tind shelter wherever they can, people have massed in

Hindu temples, schools and churche- without sanitation, water or food.

There are widespread fears of epidemics. At Kandaswamy temple, some 40,000 people could find no indoor shelter as torrential lashed the area. There are now 50,000

people on the campus at

Jaffna university.

By Jon Silberman

India's claim that its actions are a response to

'terrorist' actions by the Tigers are nothing but a lie

fabricated as a cover for

rorism. The Tamil Tigers

issued a 'categorical lave denial' reports that they had been relation

responsible for the death

of 200 Sinhalese people

in a

people's struggle' a Tigers

stalculeit explained.

such we never involve

ourselves in any attacks on

Sinhalese or Tamil

civilians. Also there has

been no evidence of any

killings.

violence, was perpet-

rated by the government

forces to create conditions

which will give them an ex-

cuse to attack us.

As

from the Sinhalese

a succession

rebellions. The

to submit

ment. A

imposed and national holi-

possibility of supporters of

the Sankara

organising opposition.

Blaise Campaoré

who had Deen Cankara s

deputy the revolu-

tionary CNR (National

Council of the Revolution)

government • sought to

justify tne coup Dy bran

ding Sankara 'traitor

leading the country

The reality was

different.

Sankara's leadership,

and

have been

Indian army's anti-Tamil terror

and negotiations. The massed forces of the Indian army

"Tigers' and 500 non-

At Jaffna gathered : Indian tions, the British

Tamils from India decade

thi and

changed

the COLISC quences. caste

When independence

in 1948, the anti-Tamil governmen

the acts of the

govern. by its was the of 500.000 Tamils

of Tamils

the back mass

anti-Tamil Sinhala

the Tamils

1959.

In years that followed segregated, Tamils were

discriminin employ-

couraged setHements traditional Tamil In 1963

1977, and 1981.

people were killed as

•through programmes of house rail road building and vaccinations.

women's have been promotec Women

won the right to own land borrow money and choose their method of birth control, and equal pay.

The benefactors of the 1983 revolution have been the country's peasants, the overwhelming majority of the population and the small WoKe class Infant mortality and illiteracy have been substantially reduced. Land has been protected from the advancing Sahara desert by major tree planting programmes. Agrarian

Discrimination was ultimately enshrined the Lanka mecount Holy Lanka means Ceylon' in which, the majority Buddhist religion, the Sinhalese are seen as the chosen people.

and have,

history, the

But

sions the toilers

the uprising, the

with

Only by the Tamils winning just demands self-

united of the

forged. what the of Sri

treaty year granting limited

and Eastern

render of India's decision crush the resistance is

of a successful by the Tamits not in Sri

where government is meeting

such we never involve ourselves in any attacks on Sinhalese or Tamil civilians'.

This terror campaign should be the occasion for the British labour ment to redouble its efdemands supporting the demands 2500 Tamils currently seeking asylum in Britain

Since 1980 when their movement was founded, the ligers armed actions have been directed against the police and known torturers or tne onl Lankar security forces and goon squads.

Despite Commhiment huge military by the Indian as reform

tionalising the land and

its redistribution, and curtailing the

rights and privileges of the

In the Non-Aligned

Movement, Burkina Faso

collaborated closely with

Cuba. The weekend prior

to the coup, the capital,

Ouagadougou, was the

scene of a major interna-

tional anti-apartheid con-

ference

Burkina's anti-

imperialist stance brought

it into conflict with French

imperialism and its

regional clients. In 1983

shortly after the revolu-

tion, Mali invaded.

Last.

year, France's President

Mitterrand publicly

criticised Sankara

The attitude to relations

with Mitterrand appear to have been a key point of

difference OCLWECH

Sankara and Campaoré

with the coup leader said

by Guardion "vriters Lyse

Douset and Par! Webster

Socialist Action 230ct 1987 despite the misery inflicted on ne coou allon. desbile effort designed to point a massive

I to point a finger at the Tigers accusing them of being respondevastation, the Indian ar my talled to meet its self-imposed 72-hour deadline for the annihilation of the Tamil Tigers

The resistance put up

hashe Trien 250 inspila

been inspiring demonstration of courage and determination. Their strength lies the widespread support for their demand I for an independent Tamil Eelam, based in the decades long struggle the Tamils against racist discrimina non and violence.

The most recent explo sion of anti-Tamil violence hit the news headlines in 1983 when nearly 3000 lost their lives as goon squads backed up. by the Sri

'We are engaged in a people's struggle. As

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelama

Lankan police and armed Carniv unit volence. The carnival of violence pogrom left 150,000 Jayawardene that what he But claims called 'ethnic conflict' has

four year history are false. Divisions DELWEM the majority Sinahlese and fostered ever the mid-1800s when the British colonial ruler: found 'ethnic conflict' powerful asset its plunder of the country's resources.

to be 'an admirer' of the French president. They also describe Campoaré as 'pro-Soviet'

One of the first acts of the new release from prison, Souman Le Touré, a union leader detained 1n May following a strong attack on the government. Toure

leading member Lipad, the Burkinabe organisation with close relations the French Communist Party.

Another difference ap pears to have concerned the relation • betweer the government and the Com mittees for the Defence of

(CDRs)

Whereas Sankara always stressed that revolutions power was rooted ir the CDRs Campaoré stated as early as 1984 tha

'the grassroots level many criticisms and suggestions at us, but it is the top, the leadership which decides and the grassroots have to submit'.

Page 10 scan of this page

10 Socialist Action 23 Oct 1987

Khomeini regime

IN OUR last issue Brian Grogan presented a

minority view on the Socialist Action

editorial board on Iran. JOHN ROSS replies

putting the views of the majority.

BRIAN

develop. last issue Casse

case.

Despite repression

panied LilasolVe of the Khomeini

Peron . LO Argenti-

The is imperialism and the

Illasses

Walke

tions 'pressure' seizures land. Mass control

and the

Oppressed the MPLA Illl Angola, Frelimo in expelled Michael along with 25,000 US troops. While re-

organise military

'The govern- powerful, never-

theless which the

let "one land

foreign monopoly foreign But was the trade. at- nature of Khomeini

and forced the trades

progressive

'However,

reactionari than

- later the govern- diverting struggle

front and

students. the of shoras the Iranian

mobilised to

years, in Far from allowing, or

to defeat creating, the limited Iraqi the Gulf war.'

The Khomeini

Furthermore: 'Islamic fundamentalism the cloak under which the and na masses take up. their tionalist of the demands and aspirations.'

so, apparently we nave in Iran regime, Kho- SLaLC apmeini's, which bends to paratus. the revolution, Islamic regimes general, fundamentalism directly state "progressive cloak' under which the masses take up their demands. And and mobilisations take place

constitutes against Iraq as part of this progressive anti- meini imperialist mobilisations.

If this were true then the Khomeini regime, while 1979. doubtless • having certain regressive features, would essentially pletely 'progressive' bourgeois

physically shaneed regime of a type which we Despite doing have seen in a number of

This best to salvage what semi-colonial countries.

How does this equate with state reality?

First there are histor- whose position has 111y ical cases OI regimes through which, while thoroughly war it materialty bourgeois, created a certain which the

saLe workers and other pro-

The nature of the

rule

ficiently

used

tion revolution.

prestige Lasses.

smash

'rational' tions

Bani things

apparatus

ulasses

the centralised paratus,

wonders students,

with above all, fronting Masses.

ed.

Iranian CLIV sometimes

BOSTO

one force

conand deThat

ad-

MOUL ULCHE

which

the

more

fac-

The vital the Iranian

was

is bulwark of

powerful state ap-

in-

demands.

national and LIC

but,

Iranian Ild-

and Islamic

was the

regime

and bourgeoisie against im-

working

by

classical

country,

meini.

War

nian tinuously

But

war in 1981.

the Iranian

But chance

to an end a redaries. return part of its ritory

Its

supported.

wate was

is not even

was tol the

nian,

seized by

(of the

Irahave con-

has ssed the to defeat The

the ternal to

with the aim

JaDOO Wee

flict with

lost any

that tral prop

been ing

ones. its pre-wai It has been

that has

States Whose tivities

petty

Iranian alter the

has

mussels

decade

seized by

tify that

organisa Grogan

graceful SOCKIISL

the war

would be

For example

goal • the regime the slogan of

masses,

1S not',

there is

which

class

- allows

Khomeini the United Britain

ac-

that

than

disfor

Debate

BT 'guilty' of victimisation,

political vetting BT has admitted to an industrial tribunal that its sacking of John Deason in May was victimisation for trade union activities. In admitting guilt, BT's barrister Mr J Griffiths Jones said that the company voluntarily submitted to an order for Deason's reinstatement, but continued to refuse his reinstatement and would therefore pay the legal maximum compensation of £41,856.20. The company did all this without a shred of evidence being presented against them! In fact it is clear that the company took this course of action to forestall such evidence coming to light. NCU City branch member ANN FIANDER reports.

TRIBUNALS are stacked in employers' favour. Less than iwo per cent of all dismissal cases brought to tribunals result in reinstate. mentores o even test the tribunal's inbuilt bias to see whether o not it could get away with its victimisation unscather

Its 'pre-emptive strike drew angry remarks from

chall, Oliver Lodge, who said it was for • the tribunal to decide on an John Deason order for reinstatement on the basis of evidence. He did not necessarily think that such an order would be granted in this case the state could

Lodge condemned BT's stomach determination to pay compensation as 'irresponsible beravioli estate holders. The company, he said, had 'fallen on its own sword'. But BT's 'sur- victimised render' was only tactical. In the first place, John Deason would still be without a job.

If the company can ted guilt political away with buying out trade vetting.

activists even The at the rather expensive price of £40,000 — it will be more than satisfied. BT's profit some last year was £2000 million: that could finance an awful lot of victimisations Vetting

But more importantly, £40,000 was a small price to removed pay to keep the lid on the company's political vetting activities. was fully springboard for serious aware that if the tribunal had taken its normal course Deason's Deason's have requested that highly • lawyers could of Ior John the

sensitive documents, crucial Treadaway victimised to its case, be subpoenaed.

With the Spycatcher revelations concerning the involvement of BT's decessor the Post Office with MIS already gaining wide publicity; and with documents that Deason's activities.

Postal workers ballot for action FROM 24 October, unilaterally tearing up branches of the Union discipline and of Communication promotion procedures While recommending Workers (UCW) will

La 'yes' vote the executive be balloting their council is giving signals members on industrial that it is considering les action in pursuit of a than the all-out strike. three-hour reduction action that will be in the working week needed to win. It extended negotiations with no loss of pay for all grades. The annual fruitlessy beyond the

conference mandate, conference and frittering away executive council are important advantages recommending a 'yes' given the mass of mail vote, writes UCW building up before member STEVE Xmas.

BELL. There is a strong will THE basic week for to fight, particularly in most UCW grades is 43 the sorting offices. hours, with counter and Unofficial actions have clerical staff working 42 been common in the last

two years. A 'yes' vote in reduction in the working the ballot is probable. week was in 1965, from The government is 45 hours to 43.

The Post Office has letter monopoly and a offered a one-hour speeded up privatisation reduction for some programme. The grades providing they stronger the response of perform the same the membership, the amount of work in the more difficult it will be reduced time, combining to carry through eithe this insult with of these attacks

Page 11 scan of this page

More attacks from British Coal

In the Unions

YORKSHIRE miners leaders were told last Friday 16 October of the coal board's intention to close two more pits with the destruction of 1300 jobs. At a collery review meeting, the board named Wooley and Redbrook collieries as being for the axe. The closure move follows similar recent closure announcements of Wheldale colliery in Yorkshire, Kent, Renishaw in Derbyshire and. Cadely Hill in the Midlands.

A week earlier manageintention to impose changes in technology arrangements which would threaten both the jobs and safety conditions mineworkers. They

tional steel tunnel supports by roof bolts. Roof bolts cost f50 to install compared to £100 for steel supports and are widely used

the US coal industry which has different geological conditions

being notorious for its worse accident rate than Britain.

By Jon Silberman

They can be installed more quickly and with fewer mineworkers and their introduction s seen

another cost-cutting scheme which puts protits before miners jobs and conditions. Both the NUM and Nacods are opposed

16 Oc-

tover over 70 women

from the

tended

meeting Women

Against Closures

(WAPC) Sheffield.

were apart

TOm prevented

form extended

LLOI WAPC,

change

the Strike ended, the

WAPC has

the for

Birmingham NAIGO

EMPLOYEES of Birmingham City

Council have voted

overwhelming v tor a

one-day strike in support of colleagues demanding

a living wage. An

1100-strong meeting of NALGO members held 19 October voted to crike on neonowne day in support of clerks in the city's Housing Department who have been seeking a review of Day levels since August 1986.

According to NALGO officials some clerks take home as little as £60 per week, and those trapped in Scale 1 can take ten years to reach the maximum gross wage of f6246 ALGO organises 7000 of the city's employees.

Snowdown

to them as a sole means of SUDDULLs. Profits

"profits first' British

stock

future of of COCT

Justifydescribed

a British spokesper-

had

ASSCLS.

The coal

continue present

ban SHUTLCO

But the executive

me me

Mineworkers Campaign

LICI sacked), and the campaign against nuclear power stations, and their voice has been heard in the Anti-Apartheid Movement, international solidarity campaigns, trade union struggles and in campaigns in defence of pit communities against threatened pit closures and other issues.

meeting

Women

meeting national

Scale 1 and 2 clerks — the vast majority whom are under 25 or women - have been on strike since 21 September. Despite this, leaders of Birmingham's , Labour group have not moved an inch forward towards meeting their demands.

Workers lobbied the September and October meetings of the District Labour Party but the newly elected right-wing officers never saw fit to enem have a crace lo present their case. Strike

leader, Nick Hay has described the attitude of Labour councillors as

'shocking' and called on rank and file party & activists to give the strikers their full support.

meeting rejected

place the question escalating the action in the

through a special delegate

The CONC CECC CUlL ference move was backed Yorkshire, Durham, Kent delegates from and Notts.

Following this national executive meeting, the yorksure ared eaters decided suspend indefinitely their original intention unilaterally ballot their members over stepped up action favour of launching a campaign JOI delegate conference.

Cost

The limited ban had cost 205,000 tonnes in lost TOOCHOR in first three weeks, British Coal announced. The lost duction wortn f8.2m and accounts for less that four per cent of total output.

• An NUM research paper says that privatisa-

ly industry could between 170,000 200,000 job losses in electricity, coal, rail and

engineering industries.

Scargill, Heathfield

campaign against

code

ing offered for voluntary redundancy.

nack manower mie me

culually LICAL

bribes Heathfield explain-

of one year's wages.

point struck a cord in a

by making it clear that the

nelping to regenciale ull. thole must raise itself to

NUM on Saturday 17 Oc-

Not looking so good ... LAST WEEKEND NUM leaders Arthur Scargill and Peter Heathfield were in Notts campaigning to build the fight against the new disciplinary code and

attacks on the coal industry that lie behind it. Speaking to an audience of Notts, Der-

women at a Justice for Mineworkers social event in Whitwell, Peter Heathfield issued a stirring rallying call to keep up the fight against the coal board. He urged all miners to resist lucrative pay-offs now be-

• CHOCTS.

Will. three-fold significance of

„Lue

Does ance

ficials, and activists who

Although some people

six-cay

that the sole purpose

Ther on coster voivile

joShird, behind both the

THE stock market crash has not only dealt a devastating blow to the 'Thatcher revolution so-called, it has been a bad day for the right-wing in the labour movement. The stake-in-thesystem strategy of Bryan Gould's 'share-owning democracy' combined single union, no-strike deals pioneered by the leaderships of the EETPU and AEU is not looking so good.

offensive on the disciplinary code and six-day working, Scargill said, lies the Tory government's project of privatising both the coal industry and elecsupply. Scargill showed how these seemingly separate issues combine into one attack which is itself linked to broader issues suck as tue sledoud up of the nuclear power and the importation of Namibian uranium.

Closures

A further round of pit closures is at the very heart of the Board's plans and it is clear trom British Coals own figures that the Notts coalfield will be right ine nring ine whalever lit 'sweetheart' UDM might . LO believe. Scargill

BP

OFFER FOR SALE

N.M RotusCHuLD & SoNs LouTl

CIN BEHALE OF HM TREASURY

presented the Board's own figures which, make quite clear that an overwhelming majority Notts pits are 'uneconomic' _by Board's . standards.

At Calverton itself, for example, coal is produced al over £3 per gigajoule compared with Board's target of £1.50.

Despite recurrent reluctance • of the majority ot ine NuM's nanonai ex ecutive Scargill Heathfield both believe that majority of the membership stands with them.. In reply to member's question, Scargill said tha! favours putting the deci stan over spent i did in action in the hands of the

Evening a special delegate

Socialist Action 23 Oct 1987 11

Vauxhall

WORKERS at Vauxhall's Luton plant

strike action for a £10 improvement in bonus payments. Since August, when car and van production at the plant were separated in Vauxhall's Isuzu link-up, the company has calculated bonuses on a new basis. As a resul they have been lowered

Although the dispute does not directly effect Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port plant, the company has unilaterally suspended national wage HELORAROS CHILI over. Senior Colman GENERAL secretary of the NUR, Jimmy Knapp, has sent out a circular to all branches and district

concerning mobilising support for the striking engineering workers at Senior Colman in Sale near Manchester. The circular explains that after 'nine months on strike, the strikers are

national union backing is a real boost to the strikers and can be built on to win wider support for their battle for union rights.

Messages of suppo

ind donations to Seni Colman Strike Committee, AEU House 43 Crescent, Salford, M5 4PE.

Courtauld's

SHOP stewards from all Courtauld's plants met and decided to oppose draconian company attacks on their conditions.

The company had given notice to the National Union of Hosiery and Knitwear Workers (NUHKW) that all their members' contracts are to de terminated at the end of the year Courtauld's proposals 101 nev contracts for the 6000 mainly female workforce include introducing 24-hour working through continental shifts and night and weekend work; ending the right to tea-breaks; changing holiday conditions; introducing super-intensive time and motion studies using video cameras and splitsecond timing; ending

structures in order to negotiate unit by unit.

Pregnant

of

woman sacked AN apprentice the hairdresser sacked from her job because she was pregnant won £2066

compensation at a

and tribunal last week. This is the fifth such finding by tribunals in recent months but by no means gives job security to

women, The cash award is nititu and the Com

Appeal ruied in

March that a woman

seiected for redundancs

because she wa pregnant had not been unfairly dismissed.

Page 12 scan of this page

ALLIANCE SOCIALISM

Diane Abbott

TICKETS

* £7 for the weekend

£4 per day

(£5 and £2.50 unwaged) * Sir William Collins School,

Charrington St, London NW1.

Kings Cross tube

* Make cheques payable to:

Socialist Action Conference

Send to PO Box 50, London, N1 2XP.

Please send me

Name

Address

I/We require

Painted by are Enteritises, PO Box 50, London N1.

Printed by East End Offset Ltd. (TU), London E2.

BUILDING

= OR

The third annual Alliance for Socialism weekend of debate, discussion and agitation sponsored by Socialist Action SPEAKERS INCLUDE

Linda Bellos Peter Heathfield

Registration from 10am Saturday Sessions: 11-6pm Saturday 10.30-5pm Sunday tickets for 'Building an Alliance for Socialism'

places in the creche for children aged.

AN

Tony Benn Bernie Grant Ann Pettifor

Ken Livingstone

Saturday evening social

Marc Wadsworth

• Fighting racism -

Broadwater Farm to

Dewsbury

peace

the NUM

women?

• Glasnost and detente • Employment

of Ireland

Palestine

Labour • The Iran-Iraq war

• The way forward

3

7-8 November

WORKSHOPS INCLUDE

• After the Wall Street crash

• The strategy of the ANC • Defend abortion rights • Ireland - a scenario for

• The Coal Board's assault on

• Nicaragua must survive • The changing working

class — what policies for

• Which way for students?

discrimination in the North

• The EEC - for or against? • For a democratic, secular

• After the AES — a new

economic strategy for

• Defending unilateralism And two plenary sessions: • Campaigning for socialism