Socialist Action No. 4, 8 April 1983
The scan: 004-apr-08-1983-SA-UK.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive)
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Page 1 scan of this page
ACTION CND CHAIN RATTLES
No. 4 8 April 1983 30p Unemployed LAST WEEKEND Tories pulled every dirty trick in the book to try to
the anti-nuclear demonstrations avail. Michael Heseltine was- despatched to Berlin wall. Thatcher was furious in the Commons.
But still, in demonstrations up and down the
SHOC than 100,000 people turned out
oppose the Tories' nuclear plans.
Easily
In the Berkshire 'nuclear valley' CND easi-
achieved its 14-mile human chain.
And in Glasgow 20,000 people turned out for the march following the dramatic "die in'.
At the same time half a million people took part in anti-nuclear demonstations in West Germany.
Together the demonstrations in Britain and Germany are tremendous rebuff to Reagan's missile plans.
Time
But time is running short — the cruise missiles and the Pershings will be in Europe by December at the latest. The time has come to capitalise on the bloody nose which the Tories received over the weekend, by stepping up the campaign.
The next target is the YCND festival to be held on 7 May, when thousands of young people will show they want a future without cruise and without
• Weekend demonstrations — see page 3
paign of the government.
and virtually none from the trade unions.
This absence highlights
the question which CND
now has to face - what to
do from here, with only
AcTioN SoCiAList
Last weekend's demonstrations were a victory for CND against the crude stage-managed smear cam-
But there was an obvious and crucial weakness. Both in the Scotland and the 'nuclear valley' protests there were very few labour movement banners,
eight or nine months to go before the arrival of the misslies.
CND leaders explained
SoCiAlist
at the weekend that their main perspective is for stepping up civil disobedience at the bases and for
ILaSS door-to-door 'peace canvass'.
Neither of these things on their own will maximise the potential for mobilising hundreds of thousands against the missiles.
CND ference voted in favour of an increased orientation to the labour movement and to ensure that the jected TUC/Labour Party demonstration later in the year came off.
The CD eaders are bound by these decisions to plan a demonstration actively mobilised by the TUC and the Labour Par-
TORIES
ty. Hiroshima Day on 6 COL-
August can be the starting point for tion. pro- The unions
back a campaign to ensure the maximum success of the May strike, which should be used as a springboard for further industrial action.
The issue of disarmament needs to be
Where does
CND go from
here...?
forcefully raised People's March for Peace and Jobs.
should No one should argue that CND should launch a call for a Labour vote in the election. But it is self-defeating to power organised labour. nuclear Labour and Union CND have a par-
inside:
The
Falklands
War a
warning
to the
labour
movement
ticular responsibility
this fight. If Labour Party
and trade union branches
aren't drawn into
struggle
the labour leaders do not
keep pledges
unilateralism, then it will
be surprise
disarmament
movement doubts on the value of orientating to the
labour movement.
Now we need to redou-
ble our efforts to take the
anti-nuclear message into
the factories, trade union
branches and Labour Par-
ties. the Then civil disobedience
at the missile bases and the
peace canvass will be part Trade or Huge -and potentially
unstoppable social forces.
Pages 8 and 9 Alain Krivine
on the
Mitterrand government
Page 7
Zimbabwe the legacy of Lancaster House
Page 13 MODERN TIMES the
the the
Oh, shut up! Somebody has Michae Heseltine
Page 2 scan of this page
Labour youth unite against witch hunt
2 Socialist Action 8 April 1983
CND
ershing
ETYMOLOGISTS among our readers might be interested to know where the Americans got the name of the Pershing missile from.
American 'punitive' in 1916 to deal with Pancho Villa's guerrillas. The expedition numbered 12,000 men plus horses and artillery.
ern Mexico, unable to locate Villa's forces, the expedition was withdrawn, failure! Pershing later went on to be the General in command of the US expeditionary force in Europe in the First World War.
• we caa •DIl missile is as little successful as General Pershing's Mexican expedition ...
What a record!
CHARLES PUGH, team for the National Nuclear Corporation, told the Sizewell 'B' from the problems of the reactor would building Sizewell 'B'
company designing the rest of the plant learn from inelr past inistakes.
earthauake tault and back to front. Four of Bechtel's plants are among 'those having the most severe accidents in the last lau yvald
plant - at West Valley. years leaving behind 600,000 gallons of high level waste in leaking tanks, radiated fuel in storage ponds. *6 April-9 April Kings Peace' (021)-458 7481 ace Co tre i Women's Peace Group, at Sheffield
Centre, 8pm. * Wed 6 April Meeting, 'Nuclear Disarmament and the Labour Farty . At the Memorial Hall, rickering, N. Yorks, 7.30pm. Speaker: Bob Cryer MP. * Thurs 7 April Film, ine acam smita centre kirkcalov. * Thur 7 April Aberdeen CND meeting discussing END. Starts 7.30pm at 24 Adelphi (off Union St), Aberdeen. «oI Aoi canoago agans mne ams rac Na tional supporters meeting, Newton Terrace, Glasgow G3. Details contact (01)-278
*8-10 April Nuclear Free North Atlantic Conference Mitchell Theatre, Glasgow. * Fri 8 April Film: 'Guide to Armageddon', organised by Orpington CND: At 7.30pm, New Village Hall, High
Orpington, Kent •M Ann veeulng.
At Moot Hall, Town Hall, 8.00pm. Speakers, prospective parliamentary candidates for the tuencies: Rav Allen (Lab). Geoffrev Williams (Alliance). John Stevens (Alliance), plus Francis Barker of Colchester CND. *Sat 9 April GLC Bunker Party, 7.30pm Riverdale Hall, Lewisham. *Sat 9 April Organised by Nottingham YCND starts 7.30 at Clarendon College, £1/50p unwaged * Sat 9 April Conference for workers in the Electronics industry concerned about peace. County Hall, London SEI. Contact Dave Guiness (01)-272 8896 *Sat 9 April Meeting. 'Britain and Nuclear Weavons' organised by Hull END. Speakers Bruce Kent and Kevin MčNamara Road, Hull.
zNU ANMHIMAmerica - tromhiller to Mxi Phoenix Cinema, 52 High Road, 1.30pm. Organised by London Region CND ZNDIIADInADerocer CNOOrDIC speakers from Greenham Music Hall, Union St, Aberdeen ue r aioni lvieelint. the Bluebell pub, Lowgate Hill. Starts 8.00pm. Organised by Hull END *Tue 12 April Film 'The War Game'. Organised by Campaign for a Nuclear Free Sutton. Starts 8.00pm at Carshalton Public Hall, High St., Carshalton, Surrey. * Wed 13 Apr.
CND on 'Nuclear Weapons, 'B", speaker Chris Church. Starts 9.00pm at the Albany Pnatin wic kename Med *14-20 April Films 'Atomic Cafe' & 'No Nukes' at Unit
Cinema, Brierfield, Lancs. Contact BANANA Mag, ze ne son osoy camberley C D, Detais from dearie Knoanis Te: Camberley CND. Details Camberley 64697. *Sat workplace organised by Southampton CND. Starts at 10.30 at Transport House, London Rd., Southampton. betals trom aunsow koa boutoamotoa * 16-17 April Gay CND Event at Caxton House, 129 St Johns Way, London N19.
Lyme Street, London NW1.
UNV evenss s e reruldr iving a round up of useful facts, news and dates of
forthcoming events in the Anti-Nuclear movement.
reach us by the Wednesday, one week before publica tion. Send to CND Events, Street, London N1 2XP.
EVENTS
General John J Pershing was the leader of an
expedition sent into Mexico
Alter nearly a year of wandering round north-
having been a total
make sure that the Pershing Il
director of the joint project
public inquiry that lessons learned advanced gas-cooled implemented This may be 'so. But will Bechtel, the American
These mistakes include building a plant on an
installing a reactor vessel
They designed the first private reprocessing
It wn coee eov ıx
and
Norton CND 'Festival for
Meetings, films, music. Contact Pete Williams
, 'Eight minutes to Midnight'. At
Friends Meeting House, 16 'Cruise and Nuclear Weanons'.
Colchester consti-
Rock Against Cruise Missiles Rally.
with bands, speakers, refreshments, etc.
MP. Details from Hull END, 372 Beverley
London N2, starts
meeting with Common. 7.30pm at The
'Civil Defence in Britain'. At
Meelng organisea Dy wickencalu , Nuclear Power and Sizewell
from Marie Knowles
10 April Dayschool on building CND at the
Details from Gay CND, !
column in Socialist Action,
The listing of events is free and the details should
Socialist Action, 328 Upper
tended the Laböur Party
This was summed up by the conference's invitation to a representative of Hammersmith North Constituency Labour Party to immediatelle SOCOK from the
after Howell. explained: 'Uur party VOLCU whelmingly to reject the aiclals from the expel Militant. Now we are asking for support for our campaign to reverse NEC's decision. bv ing other CLP's to take the salmie stand as Hammersmith North and Islington Central.'
By Redmond O'Neill
The LPYS committee also issued important statements ing YS support for Youth CND 7 May Rock the Bomb festival and for Lne Peoples' March Jobs.
Nevertheless what was remarkable at this conTerence Wars une c cuol by the LPYS leadership and the mua ullly delegates of active ticipation in the mass campaign against the for example, the day after 100.000 people, women, had demonstrated
Green am couiiol the, YS conference treated to lectures about how 'pinning nappies on fences won't
SLUD Bomb' and 'women-only activity divides the working class'.
hll cuergenly tion tore for YS sup-
Greenham DOIL OI women's call for women's day of action on 24 May was overwhelmingly rejected on recommendation national committee
resolution TOO Was arguing for full YS volvement in Youth CND. Instead a motion was passed demanding that Youth CND fight for the election of a Labour government, and pointing out that only socialism can end the arms race.
This kind of Methodist preaching from sidelines to the real mass movements, typitiec policies of the /S leader ship. Worse, however, was the attitude to oppressed sections of society.
Gay
Resolutions rights were kept asual at ys conferences. agenda has While there were meetings ror trade union groups and black workers there were
O BICA H CCUILE women members of LPYS. On the platform's recommendation the mo. tion arguing for an annual
women's conference • similar to the Labour Party women's conterence was voted down. All this in the interests of 'unity'.
One debate was missing from the conference altogether policies for the election. porters, who constituțe the overwic mucv uomanl current of opinion in the
NEARLY TWO thousand working class youth at-
Young ference at Bridlington over Easter weekend. The Labour Party national executive committee was represented at the conference by right winger Dennis Howell. One message he'll be able to take back to London with him is that Labour's youth is united in rejecting the witch hunt which he and his friends have orchestrated within the party.
conference and
platfor Howell that agreed
Dennis Campaign formed the basis platform uniting Labour's ranks in-
Denis the general elechon
'Militant supports programme and will fight
UVC
to see it NEC to (Militant, 1 April)
How is it that Militant and Dennis the agree? Quite
winn- because both politely
nore the fudging in document on what are undoubtedly the issues, namely nuclear disarmament, inCodrawal Prom the BEC! comes policy national Sitting through
veekend it is quite pbviou
pledg- why, despite hundreds of
the thousands of youth involved in actions against the Tory government, the YS membership has grown so painfully slowly. thumping and about the socialism won't convince such youth to join the YS. of
par- Minority
Tories. But what was most en-
couraging about
mainly year's conference was the
emergence of a significant minority who was break the YS out of this sectarian an uch oNDs (rample, the inge meeting was attended ov meda volla. understood that if
resolu- want CNDers and supporters of to Will
Treerna LOTHON socialism, participate struggles there 1s the Labour Party committed OI UnC
So demands.
A inmeeting.
Labour
On floor
the
BIC campaign agains witch The!
mament.
off the
become
LPYS the Party this itself in votes of Steph Grant, for and Pete Cashman, 18, the 18 percent of the total vote in the elections. Alternative
This conference shown thát there is now the beginnings of an alternative leadership the YS. Over the Labour's year the task will be to brgeneral ing mnited alternative to Mill- this together
suptant and the right wing of the Labour Partv For the first
Socialists con-
on the
with the document
this
implemented'
Howell can
simply ig. the
decisive unilateral
this
Tub-
rhetoric merits of
this
want to
They you young
then you have
in their and show that wing of the
LPYS able to link up witt the left wing of the Labour Partv and win thousand. number of of youth to the YS through
meeting
conterenc
delegates
a united
argued discussion
ference
represent
amendments topic.
NEC the
revealed
combined
29, strong anole lllall) supporters
.ed around.
Hundreds ates has stickers
La large within with Peter coming Ine o aLIoSu
into long the rights has debated
time in ferences,
Liverpool demo organised by LPYS — why not support YCND?
years there is a wing of the
women and gays.
Gay YS challenges
leadership
FOR THE eighth year the age in a row, there was no
on gay arallist pay yuull rights at the YS con-
even though LalllDalkl "This document branches had sent in a only string of motions on against
on this
an election year men, YS leadership seem to tnink inat tne issuc or gay rights is too hot to navy and handle. But there was a legislation
feeling even and importuning.
Militant rigpps should not only ae that 'Young
should discussed but campaign- against
sentences of deleg wore the Gay YS 'Gay 16 OK' their
- and Gay YS organised
Iringe meeting tation.
Tatchell on
Tatchell said 'For too issue of gay not been YS tion on even though very much longer
News
TRAINE ES
YoPS
PAY US A LIVING WAGE
Photo: JOHN HARRIS
DICHIC CAMPA
participation in campaigns As Steph Grant, Ox-
CND and champion- ford YS candidate for the ing the struggles of all op- NC put it, 'We need a new pressed people, including kind of leadership in the
YS.' of consent law specifically discriminates
He said of Labour's
document: makes weak CoLuL Cs discrimination.
The manifesto should be pledged to lowering the age of consent to 16 fo:
Legislation to the armed extension forces and the merchant
repeal of soliciting
lesbians custodial be DIulcLlcu Lale and lesbian mothers should be pro tected against removal of children. on the Photo: GM COOKSON
• grounds of sexual orien.
The success of Gay YS at the YS conference shows that the YS leadership will not be able to retain their backward posi-
gay rights for
Page 3 scan of this page
News
THE FLARES went up at 2.20pm on Friday, ( and with it the balloons and a whoop from the demonstrators. CND had easily achieved its aim of completing a 14 mile chain linking Greenham Common, Aldermaston and the bomb factory at Burghfield.
For well over an hour it had been clear that the 14-mile link up would be a success, Mavbe there were a few breaks in the chain, but for miles the demonstrators lined both sides of the road. Everyone knew that the 40,000 police figure coming over the transistor radios was a joke.
The mood was ecstatic
the Tories' elaborate plans smear the demonstrators had been defeated. Thatcher raved in the Commons, Heseltine went the
photo: GM COOKSON
Photo: GM COOKSON
Berlin wall and they even arranged for a couple of Soviet journalists to be thrown out of the country
coincide with the demonstration. All to no avail.
A plane flew overhead (who paid for it?) trailing the Tory message 'CND Kremlin's April fools'. But the demonstrators were not taken in.
Ber in wall! we're worried about — it's you and Reagan' read one poster. At Greenham itself 100 women invaded base.
On Thursday women blockaders closed down for the day, blockade Greenham
up by the police.
The siege of nuclear valley was an unprecedented success for the peace movement. The fight to stop the Cruise missiles is WE CANICE.
CND's 70,000 rock the Tories
SKETCHING FORBIDDEN PHOTOGRAPHING AND PROHIBITED PLACE
bomb factory in
Socialist Action
Photo: NICK OAKES (Photon,
The perimeter of Burghfield, the atom
'nuclear valley'
GRE
20,000 in
By Tony Southall (Secretary Labour CND)
SCOTTISH CND's city centre demonstrations in Glasgow on Easter Saturday assembled around 20,000 in horrific weather, which included a blizzard half way through the proceedings.
The march began with a five minute 'die1111 of 4000 George Square, which simulated me eneds or a mcca explosion. It continued with a march to Kelvingrove Park for a rally.
The keynote speech was by Ruddock who angrily threw back Heseltine's claims that CND was playing into the hands of supposed 'enemies'. Prison
"The government is increasingly frightened by CND's support. It 1s looking at every possible way discredit public response we are getting.
She reiterated CND's determination to go all the way in opposition to the new generation nuclear missiles
In an interview before the demonstra
speaking or a tado force
speaking 'a task force of 3-5000 people prepared to carry out uncomfortable and unplea sant tasks and prepared to risk being arrested and going to prison'.
8 April 1983 3
ON AM
Photo CM COOKSON
Scottish demo
The Glasgow demonstration was widely representative of the
movement of Scotland and the North of England Unfor. tunately however ners from the : Labour Party and Faslane
If cruise does come to Britain this year it will not be stopped by 3-5000 volunteers, how commendable their 11U actions.
the labour movement is capable of mounting the mass direct action which will be needed.
As a first step Labour CND members in Scotland intend to build a bi
April demonstration riople's initiate the March for Jobs.
On Easter sunda 2000 people demon the strated outside the British Polaris base Faslane. Addressing the demonstration Margare Morton of Scottish CNI set a cautionary tone of She argued that wir or in the against cruise missiles
would not be over in 1983. CND stood on a programme of complete unilateral nuclear disarmament. therefore needed to prepare for a sustained and consistent struggle for this end
Page 4 scan of this page
4
The spy
who
stayed
in the
warm
BLUNT'S DEATH has sent the press into a lather about the crime of treason. What has really got up the noses of Fleet Street is that Blunt is a product of the very establishment which runs Britain, and its own press.
all in the eyes of our ruling class.
But what made Blunt, Burgess, MacLean, Philby — and who knows who else — 'go off the rails'?
When they were Cambridge students Britain was gripped by recession.
Fascism had won in Italy and and significant number capitalists thought it might be a good way to 'solve Britain's problems'
Nor did • The Labour Party look much of an alternative. Labour government of 1931 had
benefits and its leaders had aesertea to joll with the Tories and Liberals to form the National government.
At the same time the
Bury workers
THE TRADE UNIONS in Bury have launched massive campaign against the local council's privatisation plans.
The long standing dispute was brought to a nece when the council broke an agreement with the unions and an arbitration finding, and invited tenders for the refuse coi-
lechon services
The local authority
workers responded by br-.
inging the borough to a hal: with a one dav strike on 2 March. More than
What do you think
of Reagan's new pro
wonderful!
Marvellous!!
Socialist Action 8 April 1983 •Letting the side down' is the nastiest crime of
Communist International dropped the disastrous ultra-left line of the 'third period' to pave the way for Hitler
By Bob Pennington
in Germany. By then it was trying to build alliances With the Cabitailsi democracies'.
'realism'
pealed to the middle class and SOCIE who distrusted the willingness of the British ruling class to oppose fascism.
privatisation fight
NALdO members and a ninety cent of the similiar proportion of the manual side supported the
By D Greenhalgh, Bury NALGO
strike call.
Union plans now in• CUde leaflets and demonstration to show the extent of opposition from local people to the council's privatisation plans. unity of the unions and the support of ine local people can yet stop the Tories' plans!
A PIECE q™ ACTION
All that stuff about lasers in space was only a momentary aberration! dis true self now shines forth! He is a dove:
A peace monger!!
Anthony Blunt
Stalin also had another attraction. He held state Dower. To these people who had been brought up to respect and admire the might of em-
and its power, the transition from one state power to another was not too difficult.
When Blunt was recruited to MIS he must have appeared the ideal agent. He CanC
family, read the right newspapers and hac been to the right school.
During time he gave the USSR information about Britain and its allies. He no nem ow the allies were plotting to put Dack regimes Hitler had driven into exile. He con firmed the suspicions of the UsoR that the allies were hoping that Hitler's Wermacht and the Red Army would bleed each other to death in a war ol attrition so that the AngloAlicticall alliance could take debilitated Europe.
Blunt committed the crime of giving the Soviet Union information that
socialists pron she lab of
Party that was
message from the South
West regional conference
of the Labour Party. The
motion carried by
250,000 to 150,000 at the
annual gathering in Exeter
on 26 March.
Tony Benn addressed
a packed conference fr-
in the streets!!
the war-time pact with the Allies guaranteed them but which the duplicity of Churchill ana Koosevell denied them As a Marxist applaud the that Blunt and his contemporaries gave awa Britain's war secrets. This helped to defend the USSR in the war against fascism.
Blunt, Philby, MacLean, Burgess Blake shook the confidence of the rul ing class in their sinister institutions like MIS and MI6. Anything thạt wreaks havoc and chaos in the secret service is good for the working class.
Agents
But Blunt and his fellow agents were children 01 Britist establishment and formed by that and their class background Angry and frustrated at the laci of action by the Tories to resist fascism, which they saw as a threat to Britain they looked another source of power as an alternative.
Vote against witch hunt
of. inge meeting organised by Tribune supporters of Labour Against
By James Carroll
the Witch Hunt (LAW) to attack the witch within the party. He was joined on the platform by These new proposals portenda millenium universal peace and love!
I can't understand why people aren't dancing
All their lives they had seen that you got results by influence and by knowing the right people who could manipulate cass struggle and mass acon was was out or tell experience and understanding
Their hopes thus lay noi In the class struggle but in an alliance between *democratic capitalism'
the Stalinist bureaucracy. This is why Blunt and the others could serve the 'socialist' USSR whilst remaining when its secret police butchered framed
ELS
"It is also why Biunt could be the Queen's art historian, accept his title from his monarch and resettle in the establishment that had spawned him. He never dipped his feet in the cold waters of working class struggle.
He temporarily swop the warmth of the establishment for that of the Stalinist
But like vulcaulialy good homing pigeon he went back to the roost. Chris Mullin from Tribune and John Gardener, national council of LAW.
The success of the con. Lorene resoon gae LAW campaign means
VIOSLOI witch hunt will remain top priority for West countri socialists in the coming
simple "I'M NOT IMPRESSED" would have been sufticient!
either
IRELAND
UNFREE
charged with organising the hold up.
no jury.
Medical evidence
The Gardia
WEIC
cash or the
possession of the Provisional IRA
unprecedented statement to the
had committed the robbery
States neccesitated by his torture
Kelly is still in jail,
organisations like
previous governments.
In Dublin a
race, Blackrock, Dublin.
Snake solidarity
urgent. Send those letters in now!
News
The case of
Nicky Kelly
THE ROBBERY of a mail train at Sallins in County Kildare was used in 1976 to launch a massive attack on the newiy formed Irish Republican Socialist Party. After a series of raids holding 40 for questioning, four were
One of these men was Nicky Kelly. At his trial there was no evidence, no witnesses and
The basis of his conviction was a concocted statement which he had been forced to sign after what was euphemistically described as 'in depth' interrogation.
Nicky says that the reason he signed the statement was to stop his interrogators beating him up.
consistent with such beatings was presented to the court by two doctors. This detailed that he was extensively bruised and that there were swellings on his body. One of these doctors was the medical officer in Mountjoy prison.
- the Irish police claim that there was no ill-treatment and that Nicky signed the statement voluntarily. It is rather odd that having volunteered his own guilt the Gardia never found out from him where the money was or ever persuaded him to tell them where the weapons
Probably the reason they never got either the
guns was because they were in the who made an and that Nicky and his two co-defendants were completely innocent.
The Appeal Court eventually released the other prisoners after protests over the laked evidence Meanwhile Nicky Kelly had skipped bail and wa under-going psychiatric treatment in the United
As soon as the other two men were cleared by the Appeals Court he returned to Ireland only to lose his appeal on a legal technicality. So Nicky
, a victim of a frameup.
Friends of Nicky Kelly, supporters of justice and
Amnesty International have protested about the case to both the present and
'Release Nicky Kelly Committee' meets on the first and third Wednesday of each month and is assembling growing support. We ask our readers to get their organisations to send letters of protest to the Irish government demanding Nicky's release. Copies of these letters should be sent to the Committee, c/o 11 Deans Grange Ter-
• The Irish Republican Socialist Party have just announced that Nicky Kelly plans to go on hunge strike from 1 May if justice is not done in his case.
with Nicky even more
Page 5 scan of this page
News
VOL
Photo: CHRIS DAVIES (Report)
Trico women went on strike for equal pay
equal value
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice has ruled that the UK government has not fulfilled its EEC Treaty obligations on the right of women and men to claim equal pay for work of equal value. This was the final verdict in legal proceedings that started in 1979.
European law says that all member states. should provide for equal pay for work of equal value their legislation. Our Equal Pay Act says however, that women can claim equal pay where they do the same or broadly
where there has been a job evaluation scheme that has given her job the same value as a man's in the same workplace.
The European Court ruled not satisfactory and that snould be possibie to clalm equai pay for work of equal value where there is no system of job evaluation.
The government is now obliged amend The Equal Pay Act which could have important im. plications for thousands of
But instead of amending the Equal Pay Act and allowing discussion in the House of Commons, the government troduced draft order under Section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972. Section 2(2) allows a designated Minister to implement European Community obilgation by oracl. Sec. tion 2(4) of the same Act
Anti-choice
campaign
MALE ORDER
reported a few weeks ago
groups were clamming
distribute million
leaflets over Easter
one for every-abortion
done under the 1967 Act.
A reader sent us a
leaflet been
pushed through their
all-
abortion group 'LIFE'.
The picture on the
front allegedly shows
fingers holding
10-week old foetus, with
just the tiny feet show-
ing. The whole tenor of
the leaflet is to appeal to
the emotions ... a picture
of a bouncing baby (not
caption, 'But for
LIFE..
Equal pay for work of
Civil Liberties) enables an order to amend an Act of Parliament.
An order, like statutory instrument cannot be amended, bypasses committees and only allowed 90 minutes acoale.
The Draft Order, which the governmen ublished in February totally inadequate. In many ways it puts women in a worse position than at
The Equal Pay Act has already been criticised for being Cullica and difficult Order will make it more se operate. The
and presents women with
all osl impossible obstacle race if they want to claim equal value with a man.
he biggest problem facing the majority of women is that they work in low paid, low status 'women only' workplaçes. They are not covered by the provision of the Equal Pay Act because they cannot compare themselves to a man doing the same or broadly similar work.
The concept of equal pay for work of equal
enable woman to compare herself will a man doing alteren work but of equal value.
LIFE are obviously
hoping appeal
tU
ecologists,
campaigners, anti-racists
and even feminists with
their propaganda:
"The double standard: to
condemn apartheid, sex-
discrimination yet to ac-
cept discrimination
against the unborn ... to
baby seal-
culling but to turn a blind
eye mass culling
pre-born human beings
... to demonstrate about
a possibie lulure nucita!
holocaust but to ignore
the silent holocaust of
the unborn already hap-
pening all around us...
• Counter leaflets
from the
•volute
National Abortion fam-
paign, 374 Grays Inn Rd,
London 101-278
0153).
BRIT By Jo Morris (National Council for
This Order must be opposed. It will do nothing to encourage women to claim equal value with men. will make equal pay claims even more difficult and complicated unan al oresent.
• Women may be faced with huge costs
Women will have an added burden of proof in equal value cases • Equal value claims can be dismissed before they are even heard • 'Experts', untrained in cuually legislation, have a decisive influence on the Industrial Tribunal • No guidelines equat criteria as to how value may be establisned
Successful equal value claims are most unlikely m view of the obstacles the government have placed at every stage of proceedings.
The labour movement should campaign to get a firm commitment from the Labour Party that a future Labour government would introduce an amendment to the daual Pay Act or equal pay work equal value.
Motions opposing the Order should be put forward to trade unions at national and branch level as soon as possible.
• Further information can . be obtained from: Women's Rights Unit, NCCL, 21 Tabard Street, London SEI 4LA
Save the Unborn Child
THE POLICE BILL is still at the committee stage in Parliament, but the police in Hackney have decided they cannot wait the few months for the bill to become law.
If not the letter, then the spirit of that oppressive legislation guides them in their actions.
On Saturday 26 April Cirus Noor, a young black man, previously arrested at a Colin Roach campaign demonstration, was taken by the police off a bus.
His crime was to break the bail conditions imposed upon him by coming within two miles of Stoke Newington police station
The bus had originally stopped because a police
was blocking its passage. The police claimed another Jasoline. Mark Hunte, was making V signs at them.
By Tim Wright
While 'dealing' with Mark the • LOUS noticed Cirus. Forgetting Mark, they took Cirus to Stoke Newington police station where he was held over the weekend
The Stoke Newington and Hackney Campaign (previously the
Family Support Committee Defence Campaign) contacted MP Ernie Roberts Stuart Holland and Jo Richardson wno pnonea ine ponce station to make sure he was left untouched
Cirus was up before the magistrates day 28 March. Much to the surprise or lie ponce, ne was let free, , the magistrate imposing the sallic bail conditions as before.
The court hearing was not without incident. The picket which had formed that morning to protest about Cirus's arrest was constantly harassed by the police.
The picket dissolved as his case came un and his friends attempted to ente the court. inside heard a woman's scream was then locked, and in the ine cool lobby were made.
Police on the rampage
Country-wide black people fight harassment
• waiting appear witness for Cirus, asked to leave the courtroom required by law. - he was refused.
He was then grabbed three policemen and dragged through anothe door from the court. Mark, 16, and less than 5½ feet tall, was then charged with threatening behaviour.
Five of those arrested in the lobby had nothing to
Rape in
Marriage
JOHN TILLEY MP has
Private Member's (sic) Bill to make lape I Illaillage d criminal offence.
This is in response to "campaigning by women who are outraged that married women don't have the right to say 'no to violence, rape and intimidation from their nusoanu. because marital LaDe is not
The Rape in Marriage Campaign is a group of women campaigning for the law be changec and all women are welcome to join
The campaign can be contacted • at 374 Grays
9841/354 2401 or 992 5054.
HUSSERS
SLUE
IN
YAll
do with the original picket. The sixth, Ace Kelly, was arrested for the third time since the death of Colin Roach.
A meeting called by the Roach Family Support Committee on 'Thursday
March demands for the dropping of all charges against those arrested during the campaign.
Sue Carlysle, a Tower Hamlets Labour coun.
MALE
Women for Defence A NEW pressure group has sprung up in response to the campaigns waged by women in the peace camps and the disarma'Women for Defence" put the obvious Women for War it has been
Socialist Action 8 April 1983 5 cillor, suggested from the platform tha the labour movement of East London should begin its public and noi wait for the decision of the Home Secretary.
With almost 100 arrested and the arrogance of the Hackney polic all-time high, a public in quiry could investigate not only Colin's death but all aspects of Hackney polic ing.
ORDER
formed Lady
mits that doesn't know much about war or nuclear weapons and this ignorance is reflected in campaign's first pres meterse worse
contains some very nasty people it pro claims. How true: all-Tory Women Defence campaign be s no exception.
Page 6 scan of this page
Sandinistas drive back invaders
Socialist Action 8 April 1983
WORLD
Zia's haven
PAKISTAN dictator
particular of repression 'Islamic'
the of the
Searching for the
Zia and the
Consultative another when the
of was altered to make the evidence one man
of two women.
drive cars; for (customers excluded) and the segregation of higher
Last Karachi a born
after abandoned Dy Ils It' was assumed be
Calvi saga
THE decision of the High Court to overturn the inquest findings banker Roberto Calvi, found hanging, Blackfriars bridge, has
lighlighted a papal scan
lal which will run and run.
The gist is this. Calvi Banco Ambrosiano in Rome, which
went bust last year. Ban-
co Ambrosiano had received millions from the Vatican bank (lOK)
by papal sidekick TUlI and financier
chbishop Paul Mar-
cinkus (of US origin).
Ambrosiano then
"laundered
through subsidiaries in
Bahamas,
Peru, Nicaragua, Lux-
embourg and Lichtens-
tein Where
the
money going?
NO Ult
can say for certain. Only
don't peteve that the
Vatican never interferes
in politics.
Suspended
sentence for
Anna
founder member
Solidarnosc whose sack-
ing in Gdansk started the
1980 strike, Las been
given suspended jail month
scullcite
at the end of her trial in
After the
December coup in 1981,
Anna returned the
Lenin shipyard and was
there among the workers
when the tanks broke
down the gates. She was
interned but released in
J. The state prosecutor
demanded three years in
jail on the charge that
Anna had helped to organise strikes after the Jaruzelski coup.
the trial number of witnesses retracted their evidence.
The suspended sentence is seen as a victory TOI Solidarnosc, who are building up support for the demand for an amnesty on political prisoners still held
Star '83
GUESS who's coming to
Common!
No, not cruise missiles. Pilots and planes from Chile.
They'll be there in July for STAR '83, an in-
air tattoo
alacentrating on econ
attack reconnaisance' (STAR get it?).
Who the military of the Chilean junta permission to come over? certain well known Minister of Defence who keeps talking about the 'defence of freedom'.
Further details can be
obtained by sending postcard to the Minister WhiteRal. Defence, MoD,
Applicants must
answer the question
which is more revolting:
a) Cruise missiles
b) General Pinochet
c) Michael Heseltine?
Poison
attack on
Palestinians
struggle civilised
300 school
of Jenin,
poisoned gas
attacks several
girls'
The gas causes diz
ziness, water-
also
cause
women.
on the area.
Ecological
disaster
AN ALMOST un-
precedented ecological
disaster is hitting the
Arabian Gulf
, Qatar and Kuwait.
Wall. Because of Iraqi
shelling of an Iranian oil
well, its platform has col-
lapsed allowing millions
of barrels of crude oil to
flow into the sea.
The oil slick is the size
of Belgium and gotting
bigger. Marine life is be-
ing devastater. Experts
won't cap the well until
Iraq promises not to at-
tack them.
THE LATEST attack on Nicaraguan territory is rightly seen by the Sandinista government as a 'new phase of the aggression against Nicaragua which has never ceased since the triumph of the Revolution'.
Some aspects of this invasion are frighteningly obvious. This is the largest single act of aggression carried out against the Sandinista government.
The government estimate that around 1200 counter revolunonarics have invaded the country: Although seems
revolutionaries Cullite. carry only small arms and
infantry, the Sandinistas
that 'the awal C Somocista force which has
Nicaragua penetrated quires air support Honduran territory for its
Sandinistas fear I ne that frequent Casues put down what they call the 'genocidal forces' could used by the United States 'to provoke border clashes between our forces, and the Honduran Army which could end in war with the United States and its puppet
including Honduras.'
Honduras York
according to the New Times, has at least 150 CIA agents for 'the most ambitious paramilitary and political action operation mounted
by the agency for more
than a decade.
The details have recently been made public by a former Argentinian
military advisor Honduras, Hector rances
who was sent to Central
America
'evaluate and create condi-
tions political and
military operations by
revolutionary
forces, and to obtain
statements by politicians
and other sectors
favourable to the counter
revolutionaries.'
ETHIOPIA
War and famine
years old.
to a relief worker.
Many of you will have
seen this piece of film and
similar reports of the et-
fects of the two-year long
drought in Ethiopia
International relief
agencies are appealing for
funds. Britain has manag
princely £250,000
while Reagan has refused
'communist'
aid to the
government of Ethiopia.
By Hilary Driver
The Sunday Times
bolstered Reagan's argu-
sent fallen ine West had
from West had
been diverted to the Ethio.
pian army, and was even
being used pay
Ethiopia's arms bill to the
Soviet Union
Nearly three million
people debught lected
the drought
threatens to repeat the pat-
tern of the disastrous
famine of ten years ago.
The famine follows
hard on the heels of other
problems for the
military regime (called the
DERG: Last vear. in
massive campaign code-
named 'Red Star', the
military attempted to wipe guerrillas who are
Oul
justly fighting. for dependence for Eritrea.
The beginning of the Argentinian strategy was to create what they termed 'ideological frontiers' which would assist the counter revolutionaries to
and pool their Wille resources.
By Murdo Ritchie
This was carried out in many countries before the 'contras' (counter revolutionaries) Callic agreement in Miami and "at the beginning of 1982 constituted the Nicaraguan Democratic Forces (FDN)
the FDN
seems either unable or un-
build itself among important sections of the anti-Sandinista op-
position to the SOULI of
Nicaragua in Costa Rica, around Eden Pastora, the
around the
former Sandinista leader.
Francés is clear that
this operation requires ex-
traordinary contributions
of capital' from the US
This money was used 'establish encamp-
ments, salaries to thousands al ills and pay of A YOUNG CHILD with stick-like arms and legs and a swollen belly is being fed through a tube in his nose. He weighs only 10 pounds. He's two and a half
Chances of survival? 'Not very good' according
The press would have
us believe that the famine
is. due natura Cause.
and the 'natives fighting
among themselves'
But the spectre of star-
vation is not a God-given
retribution. It can be trac
ed directly to the legacy of
colonial rule im-
perialist domination.
A few facts and figures
help us make sense of the
causes of starvation and
famine in the world today.
LOTE million
people hall of them
children - die every year
from hunger. America has
so much grain stockpiled
preserve market price
and profits 140 million
tons • that it has decided
to take one-third of crop
land out of production.
Cost
Us sipresent, it costs the
billion a yeal
store the grain. The na
tional
Bangladesh $10.4
billion.
Malaria kills one
million children a year in
the African
alone. The cost of a world-
wide campaign
eradicate radia be sa billion disease
- the
provide economic assistance Counle revolutionary leaders, and pay the salaries of Argentine military advisors which from $2000-$3000 a month
Often 'fake com-
were created to odes provide cover for operations such as stores, Jumber industries' and
Various offices and buildings were equipped with this money cluding Coullici revolutionar radio station, Radio 15 de Septiembre.
Francés pointed out that other assistance was given, and that in 1980 50
Somocistas were sent Argentina to be trained in guerrilla warfare
This was to prepare them to become instructors tor counter revolutionary camps in Central America and Miami.
added that the Honduran Forces and the contras otten carry out clean-up operations and searches together There is also constant exchange of advice and information between forces and Honduran military installations are used stores for the contras
military equipment.
late December of last year the head of the
CIA, William Casey,
Honduras for
discussion with the US am-
John
Dassalul. Negroponte, who the US
newsweekly Newsweek
saw overall
command of operations.
solitar aid to
Honduras officially
$13m, although. it is pro-
bably much more. It has
recently received Hercules
transport aircraft
phosphorous bombs, and
Millions stárve while capitalism profits
sum invested in the world
in arms and military spen-
ding every 36 hours.
Five hundred million
people in the Third World
suffer from
malnutrition. If the world
was a village of 1000 peo-
ple, 240 of them would be
starving.
The West builds
stockpiles of nuclear
weapons and grain. Milk
lakes, butter mountains
and the rest keep
bolster profits while
millions starve all over the
world.
The TV and the papers
focus on the famine
Ethiopia with no mention
of the true cause,
real effects, of im-
perialism's wonderful
free-market economy
adaptable air ground fighter bomber, The A-37 'Dragonfly".
There has also been a massive increase in the number of foreign military advisors in Nicaragua the last twelve months. Various Latin American governments were heavily
Big Pine man res
Pine' manoeuvres in early February this ycal
HAHOCUVICS were clearly seen by the Nicaraguans as a provocation, and while they took place Nicaragua remained on armed alert.
Managua 30,000 demonstrated these manoeuvres. 'Орегаtion big was ine largest military ever held Central America and it involved over 7000 participants.
Due to the swiftness, agility and skill of the San-
PERITREAT SUDAN
Addis Ababa .
KENYA
International
dinista People's Army ana ine incompelcice o the Somocistas this incursion has been contained.
The latest casualty figures are 300 contras of whom 205 are dead, 97 members of the Sandinista forces of whom 57 were killed. So far the "cells' of 'contras the cities have been silent and no attacks have been made. Unconfirmed reports exist that segments of the legal opposition have been arrested or have been placea unaer houst arrest In his report Frances also stated that part of the strategy was to introduce a 2000 strong force Miskitu indians from Honduras in order to tomass uprising among the Miskitu people.
The latest communique from the Sandinista government StaLes that 'Politica pluralism mains in force. Production and life continue for the normal, but with international Nicaragua assistalle not alone, main selfdetermined and l1l' dependent. • Argentinian aid to 'contras' continues.
See pages 8 and 9
Nicaragua: Invasion
Emergency public
meeting Speshers invited from the fabour and solidarity
movements Friday & April, 726pm, Main Hall, County Hall
SE1.
More information from Nicaragua Soldarity Campaign 01-226 6747
SAUDI ARABIA
Fi SOUTH
Massawa NORTH YEMEN
RYEMEN
QULF OF -•Áden ADEN Djibouti -•Berbera Diredawa
ETHIOPIA Ogaden
SOMALIA
INDIAN Mogadishu OCEAN
Page 7 scan of this page
6THE ACTION INTERVIEW
Interview
Photo: CARLOS AUGUSTO GUARITA (Photon)
Alain Krivine DURING the two years since the election of the Francois Mitterrand Socialist Party-Communist Party (SP-CP) government there have been many illusions in the British left.
For example, New Socialist published an article last year entitled: 'Mitterrand, far good'. ALAIN KRIVINE one of the main leaders of the far left slate ('Voice of the workers against austerity') which stood 4000 candidates in the French municipal elections. told Brian Heron how the left must fight back against the pro-capitalist path of Mitterrand.
How do you explain the poor showing of the Socialist Party and the Communist Party in the first round of the municipal elections?
This election was the first since Mitterrand came to power, and thus a national political test. During these two yeals, anu especially during une last six months the government has implemented a policy of austerity freezing wages temporarily and increasing social security charges.
The initial gains for the working class are being eroded by this pro-capitalist policy. There was a deep disappointment inside. the working . class that this government is applying an austerity policy even deeper than the previous right wing government.
At the beginning of '81-82 there were a lot of illusions as far as the government. was concerned - witn the exception of a small minority of workers linked to the far left. But for the majority of the working class there was a situation of social peace.
The workers were waiting to see what the government would do.
As you know, last, June government changed its policy and imposed an austerity policy with a wage freeze. In the local elections which took place before municipals was saw the phenomenon of abstention by working class voters - two or three per cent of the voters who usually voted for the SP and the CP decided to stay at home.
political parties of the bourgeoisie who were in sharp retreat after the Mitterrand victory in 1981 used the austerity policy to take the offensive. For the first time in a very long time the right wing parties have been able to mobilise a lot of people
For example they have been able to organise big street demonstrations during the last six months in nearly all the major towns mainly middle class, but still a big mobilisation. During the municipal election campaign the Gaullist leader Chirac, was able to organise a meeting of 80,000 people in Paris. At the same time the CP and SP organised a meeting of less than 4000 people. Even the extreme left got
SO was
recent He the
the
La rally of 8000 people. And that was repeated in all the major cities France.
This reflected a total demobilisation of the working class and the official left parties. wanted to use this election to show that a new majority had against the left, and this project was only thrown back in the second round of the municipal elections when the working class abstainers keep out the right wing. But in the first round of the elections the working class abstention in most industrial cities was very big.
has taken the path
of capitalist austerity'
Mitterrand (right) with finance minister Jaques Delors
of and second round of the voting the
the working class abstainers, because So the right wing that they had lost votes. emerged
Will the left leaders respond to the warning of the elections to modify rallied to their austerity policy?
On the contrary, as we've seen in the last few days, because the government refuses to take any fundamental anti-
Alain Krivine
*The Mitterrand government
Immigrant workers in France suffer harshly from austerity policies and discrimination
During the week between the first
CP and the SP made a big campaign applied even
using rather 'leftist' language towards
they understood that it was on the left
unity'.
after . who VOLe the capitalist measures it's caught in a trap. Austerity is going to have to be
HOIC foreign speculators and the bankers manoeuvre against the franc.
This is the kind of thing which all reformist governments face — we saw it in Britain during the Wilson government when the IMF stepped in and again under Callaghan. They are saying that we have to have 'national
We will explain precisely the opposite - that if this government continues to capitulate to the bosses then
Socialist Action 8 April 1983 7 it will end in debacle, and that 'unity with the bosses' can only be on their
How did the CP fare in the election?
If we look at the towns where the CP
been traditionally
see the decline has been very marked. In many of the Communist suburbs
especially the 'red belt' of Paris -the CP lost between 5 and 15 per cent of its vote, usually around 10 per cent.
The credibility of the CP is declining rapidly. I think that we can say
three successive electoral disasters for the CP that they have a structural political crisis. I don't see how they can regain their former posi-
What about the far left organisations
supported the 'Voice of the workers against austerity'? There is an all-round loss of confidence of the workers in their traditional organisations, not only the SP and CP, but the trade unions as well which losing hundreds of thousands of members as a result of their leaders supporting austerity. But the hundreds of thousands who are fed up with the right wing policies of the labour movement leaders are in total disarray and have not in their majority rallied to a left alternative
Frankly speaking the far left has not been able to sufficiently capitalise on this disappointment. We been able to organise only a minority. The score we made - about four per cent of the vote — is not so bad in the sense that we made a very political
I want to make one qualification During our election campaign we had me people than ever before from
and coming to our meetings, even people who two years ago were following their leaderships. For example at Longwy, where three years ago you had a big struggle over redundancy in the steel industry. all
previous leaders of the CP including ex-full timers came to our meeting to discuss with us. Some have been expelled, others have left the CP. The one alternative today is the extreme left, all the centrist forces have collapsed
Two things are linked: building an alternative to the CP and the SP and explaining that austerity is not inevitable. The arguments of the CP and the SP that there is no alternative today, and that you have to wait for real social change, these arguments have some credibility because people don't see what a credible alternative would be.
So we have to develop in a concrete way a 'workers solution to the crisis', an anti-capitalist solution to the crisis. The difficult thing, always, is to make the link between our anti-capitalist propaganda and the concrete struggle, to avoid having just abstract anti-capitalist propagan-
The second thing is to build an organisational alternative Many workers who came to our meetings said 'OK, we agree with you, but the
organisations represented here are too small. When That's why we decided to to for we'll come with common slate with Lutte Ouvriere (Workers Struggle) and why we are fighting for a more long term unity.
Nearly 40 per cent of our candidates were workers not in revolutionary organisations, but who were prepared to stand up in their factory or union and say 'OK this time we'll go with the revolutionaries in a public way'. That's the potential that we have to build on.
Page 8 scan of this page
The Falklands wal
'When we started out, there were waverers and hearts. The people thought that Britain could no longer seize the initiative for herself. The people thought we could no longer do the great things which we once did. Those who thought that our decline was irreversible — that we could never again be what we were.
There were those would not admit it - even perhaps here today — people who would have strenuously denied the suggestion but -in their heart of they too had secret fears that it was true; that Britain was no longer the nation that had built an Empire and ruled a quarter of the world. Well they were wrong.
"The lesson Falklands is that Britain has not changed and that this nation still has those sterling qualities which shine through our history?
That was the central part of the message delivered by Margaret Thatcher to 5,000 ecstatic Tories assembled
Cheltenham race course on 3 July 1982, her first major speech after the Falklands war.
At the same time the lones were registering over 50 per cent in the opinion polls, enough to give them a landslide victory in an election. Since that time the Falklands has had a lasting effect on British political life.
Positive
As soon as the war was over the Social Services Minister decrying 'the lack of Falklands spirit' among the health workers long list of strikers who had this charge hurled against them.
Most of all the war was a terrible warning to the labour movement, that international political questions can be used to generale a carniva or rcacuon and that only a determined internationalist response can prevent it.
The invasion of the Falklands came like a bolt out of the blue. The usually 8 Socialist Action
taint-
who
who
nouncing the
speech over the islands.
who By Paul Lawson
hearts
The issue
and '40s.
Not Falkland Islanders Britain's greater duty to: of the
ple of the Falklands Islands.'
opposition.
dow.
interests,
was followed by Enoch
David Owen unanimity.
Fowler was
tions
• ULC OI •
was making cessful military engagement.
SAS units
tine aircraft Argentinian soldiers discover British marines at start of the invasion
8 April 1983
astute Economist in its edition of the week leading up to the invasion devoted fleet. only a small article to the possibility that British submarines might be in the
For the first time in two decades the Commons met on a Saturday, 3 April. Thatcher seemed in deep trouble. The Tories were angry at the delay in an-
invasion une was Foreign Office's incompetence in not foreseeing it. Thatcher made a bellicose tle
British sovereignly
But stil there were doubters would Britain really get involved in a Massive shooting war over faraway islands with a population the size of a village?
was settled Michael Foot's speech. He argued that the invasion was unbridled aggression comparable to fascist aggression in the '30s
only the defence of the was at stake, but 'uphold the rights of our country to be the defender oi people's freedom throughout the world, particularly those who look to us for special protection, as do the peo-
Foot's speech was the turning point in the debate. Any wavering about the despatch of the Task Force was dispelled. The possibility of building a really
madness was thrown out of the win-
Edward Du Cann, leading Tory backbencher and representative of City
jumped to congratulate Foot whom he said 'spoke for us all'. Du Cann down
Powell who echoed these sentiments. For the SDP,
completed the Only
The naval Task Force arrived in the South Atlantic on 22 April. During the had two and a half weeks it took to get there, nearly all serious commentators had regarded its sending as a show of force designed to get serious negotia-
Once again, the Economist talked about an inevitable agreement' which would have to be reached with the Argentinians. This was also of course the position of Foot and the SDP. But Willingly right from the very beginning Thatcher
preparations IOT a suc-
were despatched to Argentina via Chile to monitor Argen-
Nuclear
weapons were installed on the British
But the most significant evidence that Thatcher would not tolerate any serious negotiations was the sinking on 2 May of the General Belgrano with the loss of at least 300 lives. The Belgrano
made future negotiations — which the United States
desperately trying to get through Secretary of State Haig's shut-
diplomacy impossible.
Belgrano was sunk outside the exclusion zone on its way back to base.
The decision sink criminal act, designed by Thatcher to ensure a continuing military conflict which she could win
Part of the reason for that was Thatcher's determination to score a
political
military victory. But there was more to it than narrow Tory calculation
The Falklands war challenged Britain's world military and economic position. Despite the decline of the domestic economy, Britain owns £84 billion worth of capital abroad.
Britain thus remains a maior im perialist power. To protect what Foot calls 'our position in the world' tens of thousands of British troops are stretch ed out across the world in dozens of countries. British banks are among the biggest in the world. All this is in marked contrast to Argentina. Conflict
The small island with capitalism decided to use its military might to demonstrate very publicly the world, that Britain remained an imperialist power not to be challenged. Thatcher's determination to
Galtieri Was expression that. Her military victory may seem on the surface to have been a close run thing. But in fact there could have been
outcome to the conflict, especially once the Belgrano incident
made it impossible for American's to stay neutral and maintain their 'mediator' image.
Britain remains immeasureably more powerful than any semi-colonial power militarily and economically.
The full power of the press and television was mobilised to reinforce patriotism and national chauvinism Whine man papers done is le
boundless thusiasm, whipping up an almost racist hysteria against 'Argies', the rest of the press was effectively censored by 'news management'.
The BBC was subject to furious attack because a Panorama programme raised some mild questions about the
going
The
was a
through
Lord Carrington war. The recently revealed Ministry of Defence plans to effectively militarise reporters in the event of the danger or war, by prescribing who will be given military uniforms reflects the news management of the Falklands war. he rranks Report on the war laughably accepted the mecla ine on lne war and vindicated everyone involved -ington, Nott - the lot!
Thus the war strengthened racism and national chauvinism. It weakened the labour movement. lories an victory. sibility for all that, or at least that there was no significant national force to big challenge it, is directly due to the sanc-
to tion given by Foot to the sending of the
During the war itself Michael Foot bring at various times appealed to Thatcher to hold off OI chance. But he was hoisted on his own
petard. Once having agreed that it was vital to send the Task Force, he was in an impossible position negotiations once the military conflict the had begun.
A section of the labour movement and its parliamentary leadership, did of course call for the withdrawal of the fleet - notably Tony Benn and Judith Hart. But the demonstrations were too small to have a serious impact. importance lies in the preparation of ar alternative position on. the Falklands for when the question arises again, as il inevitably will Reaction
On an international level, Britain's victory only served the interests of reaction. No matter how reactionary the government of Argentina - and many people discovered character of the regime much later than the left who opposed the war - the conflict was seen everywhere as a war between a leading imperialist power and a minor power, which is still a dependent country, foreign capital.
The support given to Argentina by countries arose not from some sort of 'Latin American chauvinism', understanding that Britain was fighting to shore up world imperialism. The 'lesson' of the war is 'don't tamper with the big imperialist states or they'll give you a bloody nose'.
The Argentinian ment responded to the war with the slogan, 'the Malvinas but so are the 25,000 They supported the fight to get back the Malvinas but Because they never abandoned their position to the regime they did not suffer a big defeat through the outcome of the war. But that does not alter the fact that internationally was negative and reactionary.
Britain's victory in thè conflict was probably inevitable regime refused to take drastic measures to mut al britiso capilalsun s interests in the country. But that is not the same thing as saying that Fortress Falklands' Is a viable strategy. cupation of the Falklands will remain a
'safe' reporters
government/
• Thatcher, Carr-
It gave the The responand give negotiations a
to demand Their 'fascist'
Argentinian
dominated by to power.
vious
like Cuba and Nicaragua
but from • aI
and ultimately
workers move.
are area
disappeared".
the regime.
Argentina
victory and the Tories. The new "The New
The Argentinian
Ending British oc-
permanent objective of virtually any
government which comes The consequences are ob-
There will be repeated attempts to re-capture the Malvinas for Argentina. and in the long term the occupation of the islands is untenable. Eventually the cost of the occupation and the logistica. difficulties will tell. At present prices the government intends to spend f600m a year on the garrisoning of the islands — £1 ½m for each Falkland family.
Sovereignty
The conclusion is that the left must ensure that it is prepared to respond to any renewal of the conflict. The central question is that of sovereignty. •ONC there is any equivocation on the right of
sovereignty over the Falklands, then the central ground of the debate is handed over to Thatcher
Labour Programme Hope for Britain' merely argues that 'normal links with the Latin American mainland' must be restored, without adopting a clear position or sovereignty or British withdrawal
Unfortunately not even every section of the far left in Britain has passed the test posed by this issue. The Mili
Page 9 scan of this page
a warning to the labour movement
Argentina - a year after Malvinas
ant tendency disgraced itself, and its retensions to Marxism, all for a withdrawal of the British fleet to support the demonstrations called in this basis. In reality they placed nemselves on the right of Tony Benn nd Judith Hart.
Bipartisan
Socialist Organiser, quivocating on the question of Argennian sovereignty during the war, car-
The lesson of the events for the hole of the left is that if you give an ach erialism, then you will suffer political U11 opposing your
efeats. Thatcher rewarded Foot and he Labour leadership for uiescence by kicking them in the teeth.
The same principles hold true for he other central problem for British imperialism, where the Labour Party lso pursues a bipartisan policy - the ontinued occupation of the North of reland. The Falklands war was a terrile warning to the labour movement. Getting on with the "bread and butter' ssues of domestic politics, while the uling class is running rampant with var hysteria only prepares the ground or bigger and worse defeats.
promised elections in
1984.
fulfilled.
policies,
legal.
By Steve Roberts
Other piceipitale defeat by refusing to
Then,
Confederation
regime regime after
11:3.83) record levels
own
industrv telt the pressure. between falling demand, their ac-
rates
companies.
their own banks houses of cards ...
Minority of the labour movement stood out against the war ONE YEAR after the attempt to reclaim the Malvinas through invasion, the Argentinian military regime is on its last legs.
Faced with an escalation of workers action the regime has
October 1983 and a transfer of power in
But there are few signs that the workers trust these assurances or will wait to see if they are
The workers offensive against the regime reached a new peak on Monday 28 March when a 24 hour national strike, called for better wages and to protest at the government's economic
brought the country almost to a halt, despite being declared il-
The economy has gone into fur-
decline since the in the Malvinas. was to distract attention from the crisis that General Galtieri ordered the invasion of the Malvinas on 2 April 1982.
succession of political strikes called by the General
of Labour (CGT) threatened to bring down the military
established in 1976. That introduced the 'Chicago' economics of Milton Friedman.
The results were traumatic. According to Andrew Thompson (Times
'Interest rates shot up to attracting speculative capital from overseas which built up the foreign debt. Meanwhile domestic
saueezec cheap import and unbearably high interest
'At home financial empires were built by buying and selling banks and
Speculation flourished and millionaires appeared overnight, financing their own companies with
creating massive
As banks. and companies went bankrupt the government was forced to devalue the peso and in 1981 inflation shot back up to three figures.
Critics within Argentina describe
O WAR
Mothers of Argentina's 'disappeared' demonstrated in Buenos Aires
the policies as wanting Argentina to its original role as a primary commodity exporter "de-industrialising" the country?
The size of Argentina's foreign debt, already rocketing from its 1975 level of $8000m, was hoisted by the S40, 000m. These clear symptoms of s of the war lo a stupendous declining 'dependent industrialisa-
its third world neighbours in the Nonported Argeerinats claim as the ported Argentina's claim Malvinas, calling for negotiations between London and Buenos Aires to resolve the dispute.
This new diplomatic alignment by Argentina is reflected in the coolness of relations between the
and in the apparently reduced role Argentina is playing in repressive activities in America.
But the military junta has by no means changed its spots. Despite of-
declarations that the Argentinians serving in Honduras are
'to return mèrcenaries evidence in the Observer
(6.2.83) showed that high ranking
and Argentinian diplomats are playing a
central role in the present counterrevoluuonary Nicaragua.
Western Dy cluding Britain. from Rolls-Royce supervised the installation of gas turbine engines in the four warships currently being built for the junta in West Germany.
handed over to the junta in January. The ships are armed missiles, for which British Aerospace is listed as the sub-contractor respon sible for the radar-homing equipment.
US and The cosmetic changes in Argen-
tina's foreign policy are paralleled with similarly small changes at home. While those most directly responsible for the Malvinas defeat have been replaced the essential continuity of the only in the slowness in returning to civilian
rule. The coalition of the two parties
wno measures. trade government operations
The junta is also being militarily
Europe, British engineers
The first of these frigates was
with Exocet Port Stanley prominence.
they
Malvinas
regime has been demonstrated
Photo: GM COOKSON
the opposition, the Multipartidaria, raised the demand that the transfer of power should be no later than 12 October.
The government have decreed that elections should take place on 30 October, but the current joke is that another decrée will be made finishing October on the 29th.
The significance of the delay is so that the heads of the armed forces traditionally appointed at the end of each year would be in place before the civilian government took power, able to monitor and if necessary veto its
In the meantime there is still no answer to the question posed ever Thursday by the courageous women who demonstrate in the Plaza Mayo outside President Bignone's palace demanding to know the fate of the 25-30,000 people 'missing' since the military took over.
The workers movement is beginning to recover from the defeat of 1976 through the recomposition of the
union movement. Both the moderate (Azopardo) and militant (Brasil) factions of the CGT combined in last week's national strike.
But it was the Brasil faction who led last Thursday's demonstration to commemorate the demonstration 0l 30 March last year when the anti-
demonstrations were heavily repressed, on the eve of the Malvinas invasion.
The anniversary of the invasion has been commemorated by the junta calling for a Malvinas day on 2 April. But no major public events were held to mark the occasion and certainly the embittered veterans of the campaign now organising campaigns to expost the appalling treatment that rank and file soldiers have received since the
defeat, were given no was said of these who went to fight that had no political education unlike the seasoned militants who had participated in the struggles against repression before 1976.
However the bitter fruits of the
defeat, the accelerating social and economic crisis and the retusal of the regime to grant ans significant concessions, mean that an explosion of these two elements when combined can not be far away.
Socialist Action 8 April 1983 9
Page 10 scan of this page
Livingstone -LCC hits back
10 Socialist Action 8 April 1983
Labour's
Campaign
Document:
What the left
press said
ACTIoN SCAN
document
policies 1974-79.
Party
try and back wages.
new contract should rejected.
Plans genera
be drawn up based on defending conference which start to needs of class.
Victory!
Socialist
Worker
in the
and
balance wealth favour of working and
Labour any successful this pleage the last time words
the
could
Simple ment national economic assessment
It was precisely
disastrous social con-
how much Labour left talk of radical manifesto, all we've been is a pale
Editor: ALAN FREEMAN
Published weekly except two weeks in August and the
last week of December.
Signed articles by contributors do not necessarily repre-
sent Socialist Action's views. These are expressed in
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Send all correspondence regarding subscriptions
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4 IN A RA == T i dompanied by a stamped addressed envelope.
* Morning Star
'Labour's campaign document doubtedly the most radical pre election
policy for
testifies what has
the Left.
serious
ment. specifically excluded. But national
assessment
pressurist unions into a so-
Tribune
LABOUR'S Campaign document good. It
com-
has been
and improved.
'It firm
key issues and Common
'The National Economic
"We will however of last and
strong brushed aside.
sales
KEN LIVINGSTONE'S leadership of the GLC has been an inspiration
the left throughout Britain and his article (Socialist Action, April contains some valuable points. It's therefore more in sorrow than in anger I write to correct his (mis) representation of Labour Co-ordinating Committee strategy.
He alleges that all went interested 'cosying' up to the right wing and that we're rolling over on our tummies hoping that John Golding will tickle them While these are striking new images to add to left rhetoric, they are far from accurate.
What the LCC has said is that made considerable gains in party years, both in terms of policy and the democratic reforms. The campaion document with its clear commitment to unilateralism and all the research into te com position the next Parliamentary
GREETINGS
Tyrone
O'Sullivan
on behalf of
Tower Lodge
Committee, NUM
'ON BEHALF of NUM
lodge
Tower colliery South
Wales, I would like to
give greetings and con-
gratulations the
launch of the new paper
Socialist Action.
lower lodge
welcomes the contribu-
non socialst Achon can
make fighting for
socausto and par-
ticular the support you
give to the struggles
miners.
'Miners fight not on-
ly for themselves but for
the whole working class
and we look forward to
vour new baber supoor
ting all workers struggl
ing for their jobs and a
Alf Lomas
(MEP London
North-East)
'I WAS very interested to
hear of the launching of
a new labour movement
weekly, Socialist Action.
Fi am in favour of
having as many
newspapers possible
putting forward
socaust om or view
our movement, par-
ticularly if the purpose of
the paper is to unite the
movement behind the
policies of the Labour
I find myself in
disagreement with the
views expressed
number of socialist
newspapers are
already in circulation,
DUL would campaign
for their right to con-
saue thei
setaie on ali
the issues in our • move-
ment is essential'
Party bear witness to this.
vance has
sec-
ship at stages.
Ken is
right
been to significantly
in the
Ine has made
Labour
the right 'common
SULICLy problem, sen, be reduced
alone. have to HOOK at National Union Public
vote for
secure future for themselves their communities.
"The struggle against
oppression is an international Iron EI Salvador to Solidarnosc in Poland.
'Socialist Action will
I am sure support the international struggles for
peaceful, democratic socialist society.'
Tyrone O'Sullivan
KLMNOPORSTU
LJK
Postal Points
DID Alan Bleasdale cross a picket line or not?
If so, why is he on page 1, and the strikers on page 14? I'm a steward in the GMBATU I'm sure about your priorities. GARY HAYES, Acton. She is afraid
She is alone
She put 3 million out
of London 'an inspiration' Healey and recent Na-
Union Mineworkers ballots to see this.
These have taken against
decline of
Labour been more interested internal
opposition to Thatcherism.
Ken ourselves
portance many of
nore Labour and
Racism
AS A MEMBER of Bat-
agree with Patel's disgust (Letters 1.4.83) at the 67-3 (not 57-3) vote to select Alf parliamentary candidate over back canucate Russell Profitt.
Both candidates are on though neither are pard the left the lefts
Russell ran on a slightly more left platform than Alf opposing import controls, favouring troop
LETTERS U
MINOPORST
We agree completely with your concern Boys from the Blackstuff author Alan Bleasdale scabbed on the GMBATU pickets outside Grosvenor House film award jamboree.
Our point on the front page of Socialist Action no. 2 was to comment on his effective use of prime TV time to speak out for the unemployed. of work
MT
Livingstone's leadership from the labour movement's base.
pond - in two
unity, price
around the
document This
the left
for Labour's radical policies, than
withdrawal from Ireland and pledging support for Labour's conference policies as the basis of the manifesto. He also stressed the need for Labour to adopt black parliamentary candidates
Most delegates, however, plumpec for Dubs on the basis of his known record on anti-racism,
ties, his stand against the Malvinas war and of being Mpopular constituency
This political decision is understandable but my view wrong and totally underestimates the importance. of and need for
What a boost it would have been for the sacked hotel workers if he had also brought attention to their dispute.
WE WERE annoyed to see the new Socialis! taking up the Solidaros 102L youl UWI masthead Whilst we
that VOUl Socialist VICUCCOSSUL Challenge has given sup port to the Polish union. so have many other groups
ana papers
don't think one group has the right to annex their world-known logo other than concerned, ups directly eg
Solidarity Cam. paign. We'd have thought
Letters
for exists.
Ken says:
plan for
for socialist policies.'
paigning almost
NIGEL Organising Secretary, Labour Collier
positive action in the Labour Party.
The political consequences will reverberate well beyond the bounlams of black daries Battersea people's and anti-racists' perception of the Labour Party's willingness to act on its own policies Paul Boateng will I understand, be HUW probably the only black
candidate put up by Labour LOS general election. As Russell said problem that you've got to face up to.'
PETE COOPER, Battersea CLP.
other Solidarnosc supporters would be less than impressed by your paper's opportunism.
Mushroom Bookshop workers, Nottingham
Socialist Action has no inappropriating the Solidarnosc script for itself alone. We adopted the script for two reasons.
First, act of solidarity with the outlawed union, whose cause want. continually remind our readers about.
Second, because the message of Solidarnos closely resembles our vision of socialism: the fight for an alternative to capitalism and Stalinism, for genuine workers' democracy.
Write to us!
This is your page. Send us your comments, criticisms or even congratulations. But please be brief — letters over 300 words will be cut. Write to: Letters, Socialist Action, 328 Upper Street, London N1 2XP. (Tel: 01-359 8180)
Page 11 scan of this page
REVIEWS
LOCAL HERO is a humorous film of how the siting of an oil terminal changes the lives of the inhabitants of Ferness, a Western Highland village, and of the oilman involved in the deal.
and his distinctive style glows from every inch of its footage.
MacIntyre successful executive with the US multinational KnOX Oil, wno nas buy the coastline and surrounding Furness for an oil terminal.
However he does not reckon on the cunning of the inhabitants who know OI the dovance through the local accoun tant and hoteller. Gordon Urquhart. Under Urquart's leadership they up the price by delaying selling their land.
It is during the period that Macintyre waits for their final answer that he
T CHOICE
World War III Sunday 10, 8.15, Monday 11 April, 9.00, ITV A NEW Hollywood armageddon starring Rock Hudson as the US presi-
dent. The Russians start
it (surprise, surprise) by invading retaliation for a US grain embargo. There's more to be said.
Nothing doing
Tuesday 12 April,
10.20, BBC 1
'NOTHING much hap-
Dels in this film
because it's a film about
doing nothing says the
producer. It's actually
about six unemployed
kids trying to fill their
out-of-work days and
the resulting apathy and
anger.
Just what we need
another apathetic Illm
unemployment
that doesn't give any
ideas about fighting it.
Local Hero goes national
It is the Scots director Bill Forsyth's third film
begins to fall in love with the village and gradually appears more unshaven in each MacIntyre knows he is successful with als expensive house car, but a personal life that is as empty as his wall to wall carpeted flat.
By Murdo Ritchie
The close knit munity or a small vilage gives him a greater identity than the multinational ne works for. This despite his clear role in the company and the immense power he wields when compared to
Vietnam
Monday 11 April,
9.00, Channel 4.
START of a massive 12
part series on according
to the blurb) the most
televised war in history.
Not really the most
significant aspect
but it does look like it's
going to be a very useful
series.
The first episode ex-
amines the roots of the
wall and includes the
story of how the British
collaborated with the
Japanese to
French back into power
in 1945.
Falklands
propaganda
Every day, all
channels.
AFTER iman on what
have an item on
seems like every news
bulletin in the last year,
coallics al C
have more than one job yet verv little real power
The film's idealisation of rural life is a sore point with me. It made me think back to the problems caused bus didn't arrive or when missed the last L1 alli 7.10pm out of the village I lived in, or the ridiculous
paid for basic essentials which knew were much cheaper thirty miles away in the city.
Benefits
Fortunately the film realises that in some respects people are similar to townsfolk in LUCI modern conveniences and cultures with punk rockers and motor-cycle maniacs periodically appearing on the scene.
While the Ferness people want the benetits that their newly found wealth now falling over themselves bring andrier helpings one e aliveisary Argentinian invasion.
Everything from Port •Stanley's first fish and chip van to soldiers
them the stanbehaviour that wealth
when the men are oscussine tic au vantages and disadvantages between RollsRoyce or a Maserati when one points out: 'You can't put four lambing ewes in a Maserati.'
The film is really a 19th century morality tale dressed in 20th century clothing by a skilled tailor. It would be too superficial to say that it is harking back to some agricultura. utopia and ignoring the benefits that industrialisation brings.
Rather it points out something that all too often forget which
mercasille wealth alone is not sufficient improve 'quality of life'. To do that social relations also have
become richer and fuller. with blown off feet cop-
with life and not regretting a bit of it.
What's missing, of course, is any reflection on the politics of the war. That could be just too embarrassing.
Between
friends
A novel by Gillian E Hanscombe
exchanged among four women.
to feminism is very negative.
correspondence with Amy.
Amy is a feminist who lives with a man, Tim, and she is trying to work out a non-oppressive equal relationship with him. Amy also has a child, John.
Amy introduces Meg
the fourth central character of the book Jane.
Jane is radical
feminist living communa.
In the nogro or of ngland.
in the north England. Jane rejects the idea of any sort of relationship with men, so that for instance when she and Meg become lovers she will not tolerate Meg's young son even as a visitor to her commune.
Through their letters
the four women examine and discuss events in their
ranging, from domestic crisis arısing
Amy's child mumps, to the rape of Meg by France's husband
The women also talk through their political activity.
But centrally the book follows the intense debates of the women about relationships - the ones they are in, the ones they want and the limits of what they feel is possible. The four represent a very wide spectrum of outlooks almost artificially so.
The cynical feminist reader almost begins to
as the characters are ine
as the characters are troduced one by one. Yet
they are developed through the book, the women do become real believable people.
Their letters explore and debate a great many of the crucial issues of sexual
Edited by DS Bell and Eric Shaw
Reviewed by Chris Bertram
in English this collection of articles is welcome.
Unfortunately its
academic and commentarist approach means that it does not deal thoroughly with the movements and events it covers.
However, it is still a valuable book for socialists in Britain, who wall to learn something about their counterparts across the channel.
most interesting feature is David Handley's essay on CERES. British socialists have some value ool doou the CERES being the left
French Socialis Party. Whether he meant to or not, Hanley explodes that myth
The CERES is deeply attached to the French nuclear force and admires
Cranies French 'national serenderse
Socialist Action 8 April 1983 Sheba Feminist Publishers, £3.95 Between Friends is written as a series of letters
Frances is a researcher living in Canada. She is married to an egotistical playwright and her attitude
Frances is a friend of Meg, who is the central character of the book. Meg is gay. She is living with a woman, and she has a young son. It is Meg's questionings about the relationship between women and women, and women and men, that lead her to start a
politics from their dif ferent viewpoints.
One of real strengths of the book is that brings sexual politics to life by exposing the sometimes conflicting attitudes of women have different politics and outerent experiences issues of sexuality and the •relationship! between women, and between women and men One of the weaknesses of the book is that sometimes does this in a very academic and teacher-like way.
For instance, Amy writes Meg an eight page letter. This letter covers tne topic or sex aischilla tion, compares it to race discrimination. examines a series of possible consciousicas raising exercise for men wishing to understand how women exlooks at historical location sexism and examines the possibility of heterosexual sexual intercourse without
The left in France
(Published by Spokesman University Paperback price £3.95.)
GIVEN THE dearth of books on the French left
Hanley tells us that when Finance Minister Delors called for a 'pause' the government's reforms as early 1981, Chevennement, the CERES leader. was the person who leapt to his defence D.S. Bell's essay on the Communist Party contains nothing new or startling original. have some historical inaccuracies. He blames 'com munist instigated strikes' in 1947 for the split in the unions that led to the forming of Force Ouvriere.
There is much contrary evidence to suggest than an unholy alliance of rightwing social democracy anarcho-syr.3!:a
11
GOOD
BOOK
REVIE
Reviewed by Hilary Astor
penetration by the penis
The letter includes sentences such as ... if we are told about a fight between a white man and a black man, our subliminal response is different trom our response to hearing about a fight between two white people or between
black Our
sperson becomes superim
posed on the incident.
Right on sister - but it is a bit difficult for many people to understand this without the help of a dic tionary, and it is also a lit tle indigestible on page 18 of a novel.
Whilst it may be convenient for the writer to have
central characters se
form somewhere near the front of the book it can be a little turgid, and lt is guaranieca lo • Шако anyone who is not already involved the debates hurl the book from them in frustration.
For anyone who is already • involved 1n who has a curiosity about the theory and reality of
diffind it is an interesting end interesting book which WOrL reading.
Much of the book's more up to date material has an ironic ring in view of the recent austerity measures of the Mitterrand government. • The article on the Socialist Party tends to show Mitterrand standing out against
capitalist world rather than • one who is picking workers pockets.
Another weakness of the book • IS ItS lack
of the revolu tionary Whilst th centrist PSU gets an ap pendix none of substantial Trotskyi organisations to the left c the Socialist Party and the CP gets a mehtion.
All in all it ise:: diarpoirime=
Page 12 scan of this page
12
DIARY
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Labour Movement Conference on El Salvador County Hall 14 May 1983 10am-5pm Speakers include: Judith Hart, Alan Sapper, Jenny Pearce, Salvador Moncada (FDR/FMLN
representative in Britain).
Trade Union, Labour Party, and LPYS branches are invited to send two delegates each. Fee £2 per delegates: send to El Salvador conference, 29 Islington Park St., London N1 (359 Socialist Action Bankers Order Form
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Page 13 scan of this page
Zimbabwe the legacy of Lancaster House
Surplus Value
WHEN the African National swept to power in 1980, Africa's struggle freedom took a big step forward. It was rightly hailed as a great victory and the harbinger for the final liquidation of white minority rule in southern Africa.
But the victory could only be consolidated if the new regime carried out the programme for thousands of Zimbabweans had fought and died: in particular, a thoroughgoing agrarian policy which would give the land to the peasants who had formed the main force in the liberation armies, and the raising of the living standards of the urban and rural workers.
If he had wished to effect his socialist rhetoric, Robert would have had to break
House agreement had the specific intention of binding the new Limbabwe regime firmly in the coils of imperialism. The longest section oi ine which was signed by Joshua Nkomo as well as Mugabe, expressly forbids the seizure transferred on a 'willing seller, willing buyer' basis (Section 16). harrier is reinforced by tae british government, which is committed to paying half the cost of resettlement. Should Mugabe defy this clause and seize the land, British funds would be withheld.
When ZANU came to power in April 1980 with a huge majority, it had a clear choice. It could faithfully carry out the neo-colonialist mitments of the Lancaster agreement or it could mobilise the people to take the revolution forward on the road to socialism. This would entail grave risks. It meant seizing the land of the 4600 wealthy white farmers who own 38 per cent of the country and produce 90 per cent of the coun try's agricultural goods, per cent of its foreign currency.
Exodus
If Mugabe had embarked on such a course, this would almost certainly have resulted in a mass exodus of the whites, taking with them technical know-how. There have been a temporary set-back of the Zimbabwean economy. This is what happened in Mozambique Angola and, as in these countries, South Africa would have embarked on an immediate policy of destabilisation with both economic and military Hicalls.
Mugabe made his intentions clear even before the results of the elections were known. In an interview with the New York Times (5 March 1980), he said:
'We recognise that the economic
and that whatever
we must build on that. We are not
going to interfere with private pro-
perty whether it be in mining or the
This one promise he faithfully adhered to. not carried out is the land policy for which the militants fought.
still African families cramped into the old Tribal Trust Lands. nomenclature in no way improves the fertility of the land, or the misery of the families living there.
While the rich white farmers have been able to consolidate their positions, the black peasants have had to be content with rhetoric. In the winter
MugaDt 54,000 families would be resettled in the coming three years. In January 1982, that target was raised 162,000. In fact, three years after the ZANU victory, only 20,500 families
Zimbabwe
Union
for which Mugabe with the This
Nkomo
agreement,
must
This legal BOTSWANA comHouse
earning 47
their would
and
Mugabe have been resettled. By has government development of a middle
ter between it and the peasantry.
commerce and industry ideas we have
has four commercial banks; What he has three building
700,000 has
The change in
of the people.
World Bank
perts
announced that
because of high transport costs. to
ZIMBABWE
MOZAM
SOUTH AFRICA encouraged the layer black farmers who could act as a buf-
As in agriculture, we find the same contradictions in the urban areas.
70 per cent of the assets are owned by multinationa companies. The south Atrican
Anglo-American owns almost the entire sugar industry, dominates mining and has interests in
six finance which societies and many other industries. So powerful is the influence of Anglo-American that
been able to pursue policies
terests, and in no way in the interests
Thus it was able to persuade the
and the cabinet finance a new power station which ex-
Anglo-American now has an outlet for the low grade coal which it mines at Hwang'e and which is almost unsaleable it other parts of the country |
Bernard Chidzero, the Minister in charge of the National Development
By Charlie van Gelderen
Plar, is quite frank about the direction of government policies:
'Government recognises the need
to stimulate private sector invest-
ment by creating & lavourable in-
vestment climate and
fiscal, monetary
other financial measures' (Guar-
dian 24.3.83).
To this he could have added that the government would also create a 'favourable' political climate by re-
it took over from the Smith regime, which restricts unions, bans strikes, and ensures a low-wage labour force.
MOTO, pro-ZANU journal, published in Harare, in what may very well be the last issue in which it is still allowed free expression, gives a very clear picture of the actual situation in Zimbabwe:
'Both the right and the left
have ideological reasons for dis-
agreeing with the governel.
There are people on the right both inside and outside Zimbabwe, who
would like to reverse
achievements of independence,
seeing as they do a threat from the
government Prime
British troops train Zimbabwe army
Mugabe
present government's because they feel that it does not
taking to a socialist transformation
and people who are frustrated with the
Space and quality of the change.
people who are unhappy with the government for purely tribal and regional reasons, which they place above the national interests. such disenchanted people in Zim-
the elections.
"There are
reasons for walca are Intriasicany mixed will the political lack of meaningful employment opportunities and unchanging relationships means of production. The years of hardship during the struggle gave way during the election campaign to high expectations society. As the months went by after independence guerillas still found themselves in the assembly points, frustration Minister built up.
Socialist Action 8 April 1983 1963) distant
babwe.
conditionally
The babwe
were
government. of the
Africa.
dangerous.
trained by cluding the
BBC
photo. LA
law and who rof
There are also people on would
direction
fought for it. "There is yet a third group of
sectarian destiny
There would have been
free from whichever party had won
parties (ZANU
also economic dissident activity
and peasants.
After Africa, country
of a new trol the and the
13
'Chances OI educallor and
achieving skills that they sacrificed
struggle have not
materialised.' (MOTO, March
It is very important to distinguish between those whose dissidence springs from the criticisms and frustration of the combatants, who see the aspirations for which they fought and made sacrifices disappear into some
future, anu lie avoweul. counter-revolutionary forces backed by and based in South Africa. Their
directed against the sovereignty of the people of Zim.
Revolutionary socialists and the whole labour movement must un-
defend Zimbabwe elements of counter-
frustrations of those who fought in the battles for liberation is quite another matter. These frustrations are by no means confined to the Matabele areas although these have been given greater prominence in the press here and because Matabeland is the political base for Nkomo's Zim-
African People's Union. (Although it should be remembered that Nkomo was still a member of the government when the armed forces
sent into Matabeland to deal with the dissidents.) But the primary responsibility for the diversion of the discontent among the people into tribal lines belongs to the Mugabe Framework
South Africa, of course, is taking full advantage of the situation. Undoubtedly the Pretoria regime has infiltrated people into Matabeleland to stoke up the fires, especially members
so-called Matabeleland Brigade, which is trained in South
confuse these two elements — the genuinely frustrated and the South African agents is highly
The media in this country has largely concentrated on the Koreantrained Fifth Brigade and its reign of terror in Matabeleland. But the bulk
Wim babwear is being 165 British officers, innotorious Task Force whose activities, though less publicis-
ed, have been equally effective in sub-
duing the people, both in the Ndebele
and the Shona areas.
It was illuminating to hear, on the
programme on 2 March, a British officer defending the activities of the army in Matabeleland 9s 'necessarv for the maintenance 01
order.' Lord Carrington, master-minded the House agreement is on public record supporting the move towards a one party state in Zimbabwe.
The British labour movement has an important role to play in defence of the democratic rights of the people
Zimbabwe. Labour's election manifesto must make it clear that it
not regard the restrictive clauses in the Lancaster House treaty
sausal. must, especially, withdraw Section 16 and give uncon ditional financial aid to the Zim babwe government so that it could seize the land of the wealthy white farmers and give it to the people who
While it is for the people of Zimbabwe themselves to decide their own
socialists internationally must give every support to those who are striving to establish trade unions
bureaucratic control manipulation by any of the political
For ZAPU); it must give aid and encouragement to growth of co-operatives in manufacture and agriculture and other forms
of self-organisation by the workers
the Republic of South Zimbabwe is the African with the most politically sophisticated working class, with a history of militant struggle against the multinational oligarchies which con-
country's economy. The
emergence of a workers' party with a
socialist programme, and in alliance with the poor peasants is the road for. ward for Zimbabe.
Page 14 scan of this page
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Page 15 scan of this page
In the Unions
photo. GM COOKSON
Would you buy a used Social Contract from this man?
Wage Restraint and Rising unemployment
1975 February
July: Social Contract Phase 1 agreed
1976 February
July: Social Contract Phase 2 agreed
1977 February
July: Social Contract Phase 3 announced
1978 February
July: Social Contract Phase 4 announced
1979 February
February: Concordat agreed
Olga Maitland admitted: 'We are all Conservatives?
Unemployment in UK 791,000
1,304,400
1,421,800
1,508,700
1,452,006
Percent 3.4
5.5
6.0
6.3
6.1
Lady Olga and the Bomb
AT LAST ordinary peo-
have taken up the issue
with addresses in sW1,
Wimbledon and the proletarian heartlands of surrey goi together launch Women for Defence.
Their leader, Olga Maitland, daughter
Lord Lauderdale, Sunday Express columnist and would-be Tory MP knows the campaign nas a vit or a problem.
She admitted: •We are al... Conservatives.
Lady Maitland wants across to women. So being non-patronising she said: 'We are going to ex-
one syllable what it is all about.
Unfortunately she did not explain in words or one synable tar sne and her mates are for nukes. Perhaps she
LABOUR'S CAMPAIGN document Hope for Britain contains much that the left will welcome — particularly the pledge on Cruise and Trident and the statement of intent to withdraw from the EEC. left have little reason to throw their hats in the air. At the heart of the document is a new Social Contract.
Making campaign pledges reality will governmental
need a battle. history of defeating left history of defeating DOLCICS The fight for socialist policies needs to COLLUC during and after the general election.
By Pat Hickey
So, the Labour left's uncritical welcome of the campaign document, particularly of the tional Economic Assessment
tain.
Contract, discredited •OIC and
NEA more fully
leaves no
LADORS campaign is a Trojan horse in which the right wing 'are hiding.
The New Hope resurrects the promise of the 1974 election campaign to 'bring about a fundamental and irreversible shift in the balance of wealth and
economic
notebook
now looking for suitable
monosyllabic WOTUS
justify us all getting in-
cinerated. policeman's
lot
BEING MIS-
UNDERSTOOD is the
inevitable lot of •Ene
British copper We al
know how hard the Wes
Midlands police force
has been irving to get
close to the public.
Some cynical lefties
might claim they. have
been getting a little too
close to people of late
Mr James Davey
after being very close to
them died when his life
support machine was
turned off.
Then there was the
Labour's 'new hope':
the new Social Contract
The New
Labour's right wing cannot be happy. But the
power in favour of working people alle their families'*
The Social Contract of the last Labour governIcil was launched with similar promises on living standards, public ding and unemployment.
Under the Social ConLaCE working class living standards fell faster tha at any time since the second world war Unemployment rose from 3.4 per cent when 'phase one' was agreed in July 1975 to 6.4 per cent in July 1978 when 'phase four' was announced
Total public spending fell from an index of 100 to 75.3 in the three year: from 1976 to 1979. Thes attacks paved the way for the Tories. There must be no repeat performance The NEA proposes
tripartite National Planning Council between employers, trade unions and government. This will assess the likely growth in the economy and decide on the 'allocation of
tion of income between
trom employment, rents, social benefits and comes'*
This will lead to an agreed statement 'within
will maud
64-year old man the
police spreadeagled
the bed when they called
in to see him
Then 77-year old Mrs
Isabel Wilson got a visit
squad heir broke hed
squad who broke
door down.
Last year armed
'fuzz' held a mother and
her chidren when the
were searching for armed
robbers.
Rumour has it that
police suspicions were
aroused when they saw
the kids playing with
peashooters.
Anyhow, all is well.
The region's police com-
mittee gave Chief Con
table Sir Philip Knight:
their blessing
Tory and Labour
councillors joined
together to defend Sir
Philip and his force
Correctly they all blamed
the media. After all if the
press did not report
police brutality then
hardly any one would
know about it!
Socialist Action 8 April 1983 prices, employment and pay'
Underpinning this ap proach is belief in an identity OT interest between workers and employers. The document explains:
'Both the government and the trade union movement wil be maintain the momentum on jobs and steady gress on living standards, and yet i both will be concerned that their policies will not result in destruc tive inflation or balance of payments crises. Crisis
activities'
circle impossible.
in deep crisis In e demands of
One has to give way.
for the With the
incomes policy. the Social the that, 'ex perience
to weigh priorities and where
make sacrifices...
The continues 'pay will
dustry, shortage of labour willi
TUC secretary Len warned against the dangers 'creating expectations
the pact the
WORM'S
EYE
VIEW
Caroline
the giraffe
ONCE THERE was
called Caroline
Zoo in Argentina.
Unhappily she died. The government taxidermist stuffed her head and gave it to Martinez
HoZ,
La lollower Mason perminister Friedman, who WaN the country's economy
from 1976 to 1981
Like all good monetarists de Hoz
15 and the
rUC
Although the docu. ment makes much of the need to reduce unemployment, its only reference to reducing hours that •working time reductions will help to maximise the jobs created by output growth'
The NEA worked without back the demands working people while the employers press their at-
jobs and living tacks on standards
Statements promising no 'government-imposed incomes policy' are no guarantee against the so-called 'voluntary incomes policy' the -used under the Labour government to oppose the Heathrow engineers, the Leyland toollares Port Talbot electricians, the firefighters and many others.
Attacks
The 'concordat' agreed between the TUC and the Labour govern. ment on 14 February 1979 led to attacks on the right
picket with Jame. Callaghan boasting that he would be happy to cross picket lines
The new document assue too
... the unions with TUC help will have the respon sibility with the employers
ensure...tha disputes , are conducted with proper regard for the interests of the community and accordance with TUC guidelines'.
In the next few months union conferences will discuss the NEA. The lef sight up to the cont should fight
gress. It is the right wing'
Ve shoul light a fire under it. New are ritain A New Hope • Britain. All ourier. Rebuilding Britain, the join from Partners
Labour Party-TUC statement on the NEA. Copies of both
available Labour Party, 150 Walworth Road, London SE17. Steve.
believed in thrift and economy so he took the head for nothing
The fell from grace. Now he faces charges of financial irregularities
One of these is ob taining state property il legally Caroline the nationalised giraffe.
Compiled by BOB PENNINGTON. Send contributions 10 Worm' Eye, Socialist Action, 328 Uppe Street, London N1 2XP to arrive not later than Thurs day a week prior to publication.
Page 16 scan of this page
THE NEW HOPE for Britain, the Labour Party's campaign document, has been violently attacked in the establishment press.
This is predictable. The document contains many of the radical policies passed by Labour Party conference, albeit hedged around by qualifications. What is more interesting is the source of their ammunition.
In particular the Sun quoted a Shadow Cabinet minister as saying that the document was 'the longest suicide note ever penned.
By the Editor
-So what is the attitude of the right-wing majority leadership of the Labour Party and the Parliamentary Labour Party to the document? This is a difficult matter to judge because they are silent on the issue.
At last week's press conference launching the document Dennis deputy leader of the Party, sat in stolid and unhappy silence as the virtues of the document were extolled. He knows that if the Labour Party does go into the next general election on a manifesto which resembles
campaign document, will be further discredited in the eyes of the ruling class as a 'natural party of govern-
- in other words a party that can competently maintain capitalist order.
So what course is open to the right? And how should the left respond? has been much over-confidence on the par! of the left that the issuing of a manifesto in line with the campaigns document is a pure
Speculation over weekend has shown this not to be so.
The right wing, under the cover of insisting that unemployment should be at the centre of Labour's campaign, are in reality insisting National Assessment the new Social Contract should be the beginning and end of the document. Fudging
This is why it is wrong for the left to respond by defending this core of the document's approach. unambigious like disarmament and the EEC, conference bracing of the National Economic Assessment without a cast-iron
excluded all forms of incomes polic! would leave the left disarmed in the face of LiTS
such an offensive by the right.
The second string to the right's bow is
It is highly unlikely that Thatcoalition.
cher retain
leads in the opinion polls as the genera
election approaches.
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ез onoo fa nasnan l
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SOCiAliKt
ACTION
The battle for
Labour's manifesto
Boundary
Ine prospeci ed of the right.
'After all' they ed after the 1974 course they are righi.
RUOUN the aims.
Principles
that the Party These three
the exsllg right
There
past
Economic 'he tudong on committments the em-
guarantee that
her current spectacular On the other hand Denis Healey - Silent
subscribe
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Send to Socialist Action, 328 Upper Street, London N1 2XP.
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the Labour Party, taking into account the
Commission changes, would have to win a landslide vote on the scale of 1945 to achieve governmental office.
of coalitions and of reruns of the Lib-Lab pact being at the centre of parliamentary life in the next period is growing more likely. This again will provide the opportunity for the right wing to junk conference policies, on the basis that compromises must be made with partners.
In that context Michael Foot's speech against coalition last week is welcome. But again there must be a clear committment against coalitionism built into Labour's election campaign and hard questions ask-
Finally the right wing have been assuring the press that even if neither of these two stratagems work that they would junk manifesto policies once in office.
say terak wecthn o. general election'
No Labour leadership has ever respected the decisions of the
movement when in office. This is why the labour movement has to rely on extra-parliamentary struggle to achieve its
principles - for 0I• ference policies, against coalitionism and support for extra-parliamentary action are the way forward for the Labour left. They are also the best way of nipping the
wing's plots in the bud now.
These principles are the ones on which the Socialists for Labour Victory campaign stands. The battle for the manifesto has been thrown open again by the right. The left should settle the argument.
SPECIAL OFFER For readers who take out a year's inland subscription we are offering a free copy of Hard Times, a new book in the 'Arguments for Socialism' series by Bob Sutcliffe. The book normally costs &2.50.
Alternatively we are offering Alan Freeman's book, The Benn Heresy. For new readers there is our special introductory offer of 8 issues for $2. All subscriptions are posted first class on day of publication.
THE Tories plans to sell off British Telecom and to set up the rival Mercury business-only network have run into trouble.
selective strike action against the Telecommunications Bill and has instructed its members not to connect Mercury to the BT network.
The action is taking
place asains thestminsterr
Westminster areds agallst goverlnien targets.
Members of the London North Central Internal branch are expecting to be sent home by management for refusing to make the first Mercury connection, believed to be imminent.
BT chairperson Sir George Jefferson has not denied that 100,000 of BT's 245,000 jobs will go under BT management's current plans. Already BT union branches are being a Cel willl Hallascilcill calls for redundancies. Rental
Telephone rental and local call charges for or-
subscribers will dramatically increase cross subsidisation is ended under the privatisation plans.
Unprofitable rural services will be , especially hard hit,
I he NEC's welcome decision to call for action has followed a consistent campaign by «noi s Broad Left for industrial action lo Alll lc Dill, aus
for the implementation of union policy to black Mercury.
Howls of outrage will come from Tory ministers and their bootlickers in the press. We will be accused
taking 'extra-parlia'mentary' political strike action. So we are.
But privatisation of BT
was not mentioned in the
1979 Tory manifesto. Fur-
thermore one of the Bill's
clauses could have the ef-
all ino uawill?
dustrial action in BT, according to lawyers
The defence of a public service, of our jobs, and of
our ability to defend them
UNION BASHER Teb-
bit must be pleased by
the Defence Ministry
kidnapping of HMS
Keren over Easter
weekend.
Last month the
Ministry of Defence
Douclll this Sealink ferry
for £7.5 million for use as
Tito Stanley carrier between
Port
Falklands and Ascension
The Blue Star shipping
company - owned by the
tax dodging multi-national
vestev won the con
tract to manage the ship. It
offered the best deal
HANDS OFF TELEPHONES!
No plucking
Busby!
The Post Office Engineering Union is organising
demand that we take effective action now to stop the 1ory privalcels.
A representative unofficial meeting of POEU branches last week agreed the following statement.
'The undersigned warmly welcome the decision of the NEC to start a campaign of selective dustrial action against the Telecoms Bill and refuse the connection of Mercury to the BT network.
'We also welcome the plan to institute a national levy to sustain the action.
'However, we feel that it must be made clear to the membership this not merely a protest action but a fight to defend our jobs and defeat the Bill. we reer inal u would be especially useful to:
• call token local actions
to support the nationataction e.g. branch meetings
in work time
• support the branches taking action with deROTSUCESS or mass pickets.
the Labour
Party and TUC at all levels for maximum support.
Financiers
'We also feel that it is important that the industrial action is aimed at both the government and the speculators and finan. ciers who stand to profit from the sale of BT.
'We support the decision of the NEC to limit
action so as not to hit or-
dinary subscribers who we
need to win to our side.
'It is becoming increasingly clear that BT
management are already
tearing up our existing industrid relations and
preparing the way for
wholesale assault on our
drop in pay for existing
crew, promises of job loss
and refusal to comply with
union standards for ocean-
going facilities.
Seamen's union
members on board re-
jected the move from their
ferry rates to lower deep
sea wages. The NUS
demanded compensallon
for work in the conflict
area of the South Atlantic,
a more daunting prospect
Than ne catEuc waters O1
Harwich to Hook of
ronand
Before negotiations on
this ended, Tebbit's pals at
Defence stepped Fifty
five Royal Navy ratings and
By P Coope
'The time for action is now with us. We believe if
united and determined we can win.'
Seafarers storm against kidnapping
officers on board HMS Keren, plain clothes and at dead of night. The crew had been sent home for the Easter holiday.
As junior defence minister Jerry Wiggin ex ulted didn't want the ship blacked and! did not want industrial action. Did
send you expect them in wearing naval UATOIH and nave the whole port brought to a
By Sunday the ship had sailed
This is another assualt on the NUS whose 28,000 members are battered by •massive reaundancits.
(POEU London West Branch • Messages of support to: BOEU, Cresi cen Use. Stanley. 150 Brunswick Road, London W5 scrapping of ships and
breaking flags of convenience
The strike call from NUS general secretary Jim Slater has been a long time coming Leadersn defenc seafarers jobs, conditions and UltUl organisation is long overdue. And it should not be
Brenden or cr bore
arguments boys in the Falklands'.
Slater's blind loyalty to Thatcher's Falklands adventure only weakens seafarers in the face of the real enemy.
year of the
Falklands p 8-9
← Socialist Action No. 3, 1 April 1983Socialist Action No. 5, 16 April 1983 →