Socialist Action No. 9, 13 May 1983
The scan: 009-may-13-1983-SA-UK.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive)
Uncorrected machine reading of the whole issue. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from the scan and has not been corrected or cut into articles. Each page gives the headlines first, then the columns in order, so one article runs on into the next. Expect misread words. Use it to find things; quote from the scan.
Page 1 scan of this page
KICK OUT
TORIES
No. 9 13 May 1983 THE TORIES have opted for a 9 June cut-and-run election before policies result in electoral unpopularity.
By the editor
But the labour movement should welcome this opportunity to deal blow against the Tories and their Liberal/SDP allies. There are three steps to this goal.
Kick out the Tories! The Tories must be defeated! Another term of office for Thatcher mean: • the implementation of the Police Bill - a further step towards a police state. • a new round of Tebbit's attacks on unions • the stationing of cruise missiles and the beginning of a new generation of nuclear weapons with Trident
30p
THIE
• continuation policies. that put profits their before people — continumore ing mass unemployment,
cuts in services and selling off profitable parts of the public sector.
For a Labour victory! would Labour can win! That's
the lesson of the local government Where the Labour Party waged a determined and principled against the Tories
the Alliance, as in Liverpool,
victories can be won.
The Tories defeated action as the workers showed this year. That's why ongoing ac-
SoCiAlist
ACTiON
of March,
redundancies
Thatcher's Britain:
a guide to the ruins
pages 8 & 9
election elections.
campaign and ment, black
can be through mass tory have water guidelines
tion around the People's Fight
the campaign against the Police Bill, the industrial action against Party
in British Leyland should not be called off but stepped up
year! tionist
These issues have to be put at the centre of the
campaign.
Labour should link up with these campaigns -with the women's move-
movement and workers in struggle.
Socialists for Labour Vic-
produced for local Labour Parties to help them to do just that.
for socialist policies! There must be no retreat by the Labour
on the socialist policies passed by Labour and trade union conferences over the past
In particular there must be a clear pledge from all sections of the Labour Party leadership and from their trade union backers that coali-
pacts with the SDP/Liberal Alliance won't be used to junk those policies.
The national economic assessment mustn't be allowed to be used as a Trojan horse for a new social contract as Denis Healey has already threatened.
By fighting for socialist policies we can prepare to meet whatever government emerges from the general election.
9 JUNE 9 JUNE
VOTE
LABOUR
election
THATCHER has not given us much time to prepare the election campaign.
We want all our supporters out on the streets fighting for a victory: building the May
24th women's day of
action against the bomb, the campaign against the Police Bill and making
we offer the People's March for Jobs turns massive rebuff for everything the Tories stand for.
Sales
In the weeks ahead, the sales of SOCIOLAY Action rocket.
We hope the extra ingeneralca by the election campaign result in hundreds of new regular readers who will go on fighting for socialist policies whatever the eventual outcome of the election.
All
out
for the
People's
March
5 June
Boost Socialist
Action in the
To help do this, and to help build a socialist campaign, we want to produce loads of extra publicity.
We want to produce a pamphlet, explaining Socialist Action's views on why socialist policies are needed.
Posters
We want to produce posters and thousands of badges saying Jobs Not Bombs! Vote Labour!'
We will be holding rallies in the big citie with international speakers.
To do this we need more than our usual Spring Appeal. We are asking supporters to make a special effort this week to send us money to help fight the Tories.
Quick
We would like to get at least a tenner from each of you to help kick Thatcher out. as we want Thatcher ou quick we your money in quick!
Surely it's worth a little CAL boost Socialist Action through the election? Dig in deep. Get those tenners pour ing in!
Page 2 scan of this page
The women of Greenham Common have been an inspiration for the whole labour movement in the battle against the missiles. A Labour victory for disarmament
24 May
Events
Local action * Glasgow. women TOI Peace are organising a lun-
George Culic Sauare from 12-2pm. Dlus a festival and vigil in the evening. For details of all actions in scotland ring Ann hane оп 041-423 1485
swansea. Swansea woN no cabour rarly
are organising wonnen march to ounty Hal with
lie-in. For details of a
in Wales ring Liz Forder on 0222-566548. " vaneneser. Manchester Greenham Support Group is organising actions
Ine centre of the where a numan wed will de
For details of all in the North West McNaughton rineyanon on 0532-670289. * Oxford. The East Midlands 24 May CommitWomen Oxford Labour Party
and Oxford Women's Peace Action are
together plan non-violent direct action on ine day. ror delals ur all al tivities in the central part of England ring Andrea Heath on 0533 555466 * Hornsea. hamies Agalosi the Bomb are planning a 24 hour fast and vigil from 12 midnigni 23
the money spent on arms that could be used io. pay for tood for those
the semi-. colonial world
Women for Disarmament plan to picket local factories and hosptials
= welfare and jobs and expenditure arms uclalls Weatherby on 01-340 2715.
* Lambeth. Lambeth Women for Peace and 1a pour rarry women Diall a
camp on Clapnam Common South London
enreatenca Women's hospital to draw the links between women's
jobs and healthcare and their fight
East London.
South East London Greenham Women assenolns Peckham Rye to cover the
A creche will be provided.
ATAnooR mev move ollu
Newham. Newham CND
and NALGO are organising
lunchtime rally
leafletting hospitals about coverine civil acicule ca
penditure.
NALGO has voted to strike
on lnal day.
* Camden. Camden Labour
Party women are planning
to leaflet Euston station at
1lam where the North Lon-
don line carries the nuclear
waste across London They
are to be joinea by tne Lon
North Central branch
of the POEU who are sen-
dine represerves o joll
them. They hope to greet
the from the
workshops
SO WICHI
Manchester who will be pro-
testing that day against the
Serpell
•roposaIs
report. _LaDour
Party women plan to join
planned Isl-
ington.
* Islington. Islington
Labour Party women and
the North London
Greenham Women will be
setting up a peace camp
Highburv corner, where the
North London line carrying
nuclear waste also travels
followed by a peace picnic
in Highburv Fields. Men are
asked to support with the
creche, the picnic and will
he welcome to support the
march, allowing women to
lead it.
MAY
2
24
ENT • Ho
"ower Homes as
The East London Greenham support group Is •anning to eer be on. don hospital at lunchtime and events will also be taking place in Bow.
Square. Pensioners for Peace and women Tor World Disar mament will be on the steps of St Martin's-in-the-Fields church getting sonatures for the freeze on arms expenditure from 1pm wares. Later al oom womer from all over London are being asked assemble losetner at the end of the day. * Enfield. Enfield Greenham women are going to aestroy a cruise missile in the shopping centre and die in will be staged around a bunker site. * Dalston. Dalston WONT taking action outside army recruitment ollice " Woolwich. koyal Arsenal Co-operative Society giving
ing centre. * Greenwich. Greenwich CND are setting up a stall in woolwich market * Brighton. Where 211 began. Brighton Women for Peace are planning lots of action ring 0273-553466. * Peoples March Women's Day of Action called for 24 May. Festival taking place as part of IWDD in WarWICK I ne Employment Action Move-
sponsored meeting with local Lace union SocaKCi. dill women speakers from CND and Greenham Locdi llas cyclis entertainment Dianned. (LEAM meets every Tues-
8.00pm. Oddfellows Hall, Leamington.)
National unions supporting. * NALGO strike action being looked upon favourably
national executive Camden. IsIington discussing action. Poster stickers have
Nanonal executive taking similar attitude to NALGO
Information being circulated to branches.
NUR Information being circulatea delegations, promised for a peace train. along North London line goes ahead * ASTMS Information be-
I ATE Local
branches •considering strike action and information being circulated
raising day of action from
at national Dlallull Terence. no macon benne circulated delegates.
Greenham Women speak111g fringe Scarborough. 5.45 Monday
16 May. * Othel unions who have contacted the Greenham office include the London region of the lad who are organising three coaches to
visit Greenham on Sunday
Ring Fred Higgs
10II 81-1 14 418/ TOT derals. Kings Cross and Westham
NUR are sending greetings on ine cav ano so are several branches of the POEU on a
special green Women and
Telecoms postcard
more normanor special trade unior. leaflet and national poster
Ofcomoci me greennam
fice, 5 Leonard Street, London EC3 Tel 01-251 3133.
Socialist Action 13 May 1983
EYENBRAN
POTENTLY
THE FOUR WEEKS to the general election mark the best and possibly the last chance for CND to stop the missiles in '83. While CND has correctly not tied itself to one party's fortunes, CND leaders have a responsiblity to explain that the only party that will stop the cruise missiles is the Labour Party.
There have been worrying signs that this is not understood in reaches of CND. Some have inaicated unal CND has to anticipate a Labour defeat and find alliance with both the
Parti and the SDP/Liberal Alliance.
There has also been a reluctance some quarters for leading CND
figures, in particular Bruce
LABOUR movement conferences have begun to highlight the need to take CND into the unions. Conferences have already taken
GROT
Kent, to speak on the same platform as Labour candidates without candidates from all other parties be ing present.
This is a self-defeating and conservative attitude. CND should welcome participation on any platform to explain their policies of unilateralism but in particular it should NATO withdrawal demand to have a speaker
Take CND into the unions
place in Brent and East London and others are scheduled in South London 21 May and Greater Manchester on 28 May.
AM
WE SAY
our Party platform. single relevant Labour
Let us just recall what a second term of Thatcher would bring us:
oi our existing nuclear weapons and the 100 or so American bases in this country • the stationing of cruise missiles Greenham Common and other bases from December 1983 • the introduction of a new generation of nuclear missiles with its current estimated cost of over f10 billion
Neither is the Alliance any alternative. In an article in last Monday's Guar-
The East London conference two weeks ago attracted over 100 delegates from over -unions, Labour Parties and CND groups. Jo Richardson MP, opening COl ference, said that the issue of cruise missiles should be central in the coming general election.
A striking London docker tol CND members, "Job: Bombs" must be at the neart of the message tha CND takes to workers defending their living standards and jobs.'
The need for CND to develop their links with the unions was emphasised by
NO TO MISSILE
dian Wayland Kennet of the SDP explained that the main theme of nIs party dual kee on the cruise
on the cruise missiles
But as Tony Benn has observed if there's one thing more frightening than Reagan with the only finger on the trigger. it's Reagan and Thatcher
CND must seize the opportunity of the election (peace canvass se press its
of CND can be used to build sup port for the meetings and demonstrations will be held in every town by
B! Dodie Weppler (NI R
Jenny Edwards, the trade union organiser of CND She revealed that out of 1000 CND groups less than 10 per cent, have had trade union committees
Reports in workshops
Brigade Union members showed what reponse CND could get in the workplaces.
Conference decided that the most urgent tas the tabour movement tir
labour movement Disarmament on 24 May, Women's
the Greenham Common Women's sup-
CRUISE
CND to build the cam paign against the missiles.
The International
Mament 2 May will
May will Halical be a national TOCUS OI CND activists make their the election.
'Jobs not Bombs' contingents can be formed b
CND on th monster June march against unemployment in London • at the end of the Peoples March.
• For a Labour victory! • Stop the missiles in '83! London Hospital in East outside London to highlight the links between welfare cuts and arms expenditure.
Delegates also agreed to return to their branches
get the TUC moving on its
decision COOl dinate European-wide ac tion on Hiroshima Day 6 August
• Since the conference two NUR branches have decided to send greeting
the IWDD rally
Trafalgar Square on 24 May
Page 3 scan of this page
News Socialist Action 13 May 1983 3
60,000 ROCK THE BOMB!
TWO DAYS before Thatcher's election announcement, young people from all over Britain made Youth CND's message loud and clear - stop the missiles and kick out the Tories.
By Jim Coutts
The festival was the first ever national event organised by Youth CND.
Over 60,000 youth turned up, filling Brockwell Park to overflowing. The march of 20,000 took one and a half hours to come into the park.
Values
The demonstrators joined thousands more to listen to the bands — Style Council, the Damned, Madness and Hazel O'Connor included. They came to hear the bands, but also to demonstrate their hatred for the Tories.
The tremendous success of the festival needs to be followed by many more national events bringing together the hundreds of thousands of people who want to stop the missiles.
Together we can stop the missiles in 1983!
YOUTH CND-A Futur
@ Without Fear. ®
Photo: GM COOKSON
Page 4 scan of this page
• No Gay News is bad news
4 Socialist Action
IRELAND
UNFREE
H Block Revisited
By Martin Todd A VISIT to the H Blocks of Long Kesh near to the second anniversary of Bobby Sand's death proved to be a grim yet heartening experience.
Passing through the gates, the doors and the checkpoints is a long and laborious procedure: it requires no provocation on the part of the prison warders to make the whole process a daunting and oppressive experience.
Locked in the back of a blacked-out mini bus to be shuttled into have plenty of time to recall the haunting images of the dying hunger strikers and the long struggle of support waged by those relatives crammed into the seats alongside you.
We are all thoroughly searched. Strip searching is now less common in Long Kesh than it is in the women's prison at Armagh. All of us are stripped of our identities other than the clothes we stand up in is a prison envelope into whien our paper money Is
We have been lucky today; no road blocks on the way, only average obstruction in the prison. I! is not always like this for those who regularly make ine long and Today we even get 12 extra minutes, the visit lasts 42 minutes!
Finally, into the room where the prisoners sit in cubicles waiting. something like it was before the men were forced long UVCI and to go on the blankets, it is almost a shock to see how well ine men look.
Easter and the celebration of the Easter Rising of 1916 is always a high point for those involved in the struggle to free Ireland but in these men seems to be the spirit of today and the future just as much as respect for the past.
We get the impression that the struggle in the prison has moved on, just as it has outside. practice the fight for political status was won, the prisoners have now achieved one way or another what they set out to during the blanket protest and the hunger strikes.
Their energies are organisation within the prison, mainly political and cultural education. because the nationalist community is slowly but surely winning. These men, some in prison for life on the basis of a signed confession obtained after days of police 'interrogation., them a time when Britain will be forced to leave Ireland.
We wanted to know what the prisoners and their relatives thought about Labour Party policy on Ireland. that the likes of Rees, Mason and Concannon still have a grip on Labour policy, they were all aware of the gradual but important changes taking place amongst the membership.
The point made by Ken Livingstone at the time of the GLC invitation to Sinn Fein leaders that it is the duty of British socialists to meet with Sinn Fein, to discuss their policies and to look for ways to support them, was re-emphasised by people we spoke to.
We were also assured by the prisoners and this was confirmed by the huge rallies to celebrate the
1916 Rising, that the support for the armed strug
gle is not lessened but strengthened by Sinn Fein's Ma Mae, in To dal visited Long Kesh with Callum® turn to electoral politics.
Committee on Ireland.
13 May 1983 "The Blocks' themselves, you
the only things we can take in sealed.
Long Kesh.
Despite knowing that the dirt that prison life In
now turned to selfThe simple reason is
see ahead of
While none of them had any illusions both members of the Edinburgh Labour
COMPARED to the banner headlines that revealed the lesbianism of MP Maureen Colquhoun and the hundreds of pages that gloated over the homosexuality of the Queen's bodyguard Michael Trestrail, the national newspapers recorded the closure of Gay News, a life line communication for Britain's gay men and women with two paragraphs, one in the Guardian and one in the Observer.
A paper that had battl ed its way to a 20,000 circulation, been hauled through the Cours l famous blasphemy trial by Mary Whitehouse, helped several important
changes and whose guide, diary and classified ads almost provided the cobweb that kept its community together, was snuffed out and the straight press deemed unnewsworty
By Bob Workman
In one way the collapse of Gay News was a good thing. The selfish greed of private ownership was revealed behind the facade of public caring.
For although most of its readers thought the
Labour Committee
on Ireland meets
AT ITS recent Annual
Labour Committee on Ireland adopted growth
Party pressure group, the LCI is in the best position to build support for the nationalist struggle Ireland gained by publicity for Ken Livingstone.
The recent Plastic
Bullets Conference seems to nave given It ine coll-
fidence to step up its pro-
file in the party and in the unions.
Opposition
Having made it clear
position to the witch hunt
being organised Dy the
right wing in the Labour
Party against the left, the
AGM took LWU major
building
OCUSSOIN
itself in the unions and
Its magazine
Labour and Ireland.
It was pointed out that
more people had been at-
tractec the Plastic
Bullets Conference
through union mailings
than by any other source
At last! Civilisation!
paper was run by a collec-
been
the recent change ownership did for
the police • law
calculate the
Lemon, and the
anticipating from the
national homosexual proved of the controversial decision to invite sinn Fein MP Owen Carron to
dialogue tionalist movement. Resolution
This year's model
resolution being promoter by the LCI for Labour Party Conference is aimed
Spinning down the Labour leadership to con-
ference policy for a united
Ireland by making clear its opposition to the Unionist veto exercised at the moment through the sham
Northern Ireland
Assembly.
Delegates from as far away as Glasgow reported
on the growing interest in
Irisn pollies particularly amongst the youth. A fringe meeting
organised by the LCI at
this year's Labour Party
Young Socialists Con-
ference was one attended bes attended
almost
members.
About 80 members at-
tended the AGM which
elected plastic bullets con-
ference organisers Nial
Power and Martin Collins
as secretary and magazine
editor respectively.
A PIECE OF THE ACTION
soon i'll be back i he warmth and comfort of humanity...
are hard to come by. Although venture makes sound business sense, elected politicians draw back from approving the project because of the hot potatoe of homosexuality.
Private investors have doubts about the communal lalule of the organisation. Certain
gay and les•needs a
national
News only compento. field,
credit,
Reporter.
fun, fun, political,
Fighting
the cuts
in Ealing ...
EALING's Tory Council
was intent saving
£120,000 by cutting
school cleaners' hours
and getting caretakers to
do 'handymen's' jobs.
For some cleaners it
meant a drop from 20 to
week - nol
only a loss of wages but
of sick-pay and pension
rights.
NUPE together with
the general and
municipa union
demanded negotiation,
which the council refus-
ed. With teacher's
union, the NUT, they
organised picketing
schools to stop scab conrecruited by the Tories from get-
ting into schools.
The pickets were suc-
cessful, and soon NUT
members were involved in widespread unofficial action.
Pressure on the NUT executive produced official one day strike Wednesday. Eight hundred teachers, cleaners and caretakers marched to the Town Hall.
The council caved. in and agreed to let the cleaners return to work
ШТЕНВОРЕВ
Gay Pride march
under their old contracts
pending negotiations.
Rut the pressure is be.
ing kept up to make sure
a new agreement will be
acceptable.
meeting of the
strikers voted
unanimously resume
picketing after 11 May
and to seek national sup-
port from sector
unions if Ealing don't
deliver the goods.
(John Kreeger,
Ealing NUT
... and Hounslow
WEST Middlesex Health
Authority is attempting
to make deep going cuts
in the local hospitals.
They include the of closure of the babies'
ante-natal and gynaecol-
ogical wards at the West
000 0
an
000 or perhaps not....
00 00
News
CAY TEACHERS
GROU
Middlesex hospital - a
loss of about 50 beds out
of 750
At Ashford hospital
the men's surgical ward
and at the
South Middlesex the
for infectious
diseases
The Health authority
are claiming that the
closures All C ony tem-
рогаг!.
they have no obligation
with the
unions involved. But
VICC they're shut, it's
likely t unions are le
unions are leaf-
letting the
hospitals and Hounslow
Council will be
holds the biting
against thi cuts on
May 7.30pm
Isleworth Town Hall.
(Chris Potter, NUPE
West Middlesex
Hospital)
VIVE THE DH.S.S.
/REFUSED AGAIN
,TODRY TO ANNOUNCE
CASUALTY FIGURES FOR
THE LAST ROUND
OF N.H.S
CUTS..g
by CORMAC sie
Party...
Page 5 scan of this page
News
THE TORIES tried to ram through the Police Bill before the election. Last week 78 pages containing 269 amendments and 20 new clauses went to committee of the whole house. This is a means to speed up legislation.
the Bill will be top of her list.
covering powers to enter premises and searches of confidential records.
imposed regulations covering interviews of suspects.
police to prepare for future assaults on democratic rights, working and living conditions.
Police Powers Council Police Committee Support Unit explains some of the issues.
The Police Bill is partly a response to the resistance police have been facing from black kids for the last ten years or so, particulariv because unese kias were the first of changing economic order, a new industrial revolution. As such it is a portent of the resistance working class people are going to put up to the frustrations of having their skills made redundant by microchips and microprocessors.
aISO police seeing themselves as more man araw did orce agency, and as, some kind of moral arbiter in the sense of what laws and
rowers they should have
Commander Sewell of Scot and Yard. so manv of
BLACK
TRADE
UNIONISTS
SOLIDARITY
MOVEMENT
LIST CONFERENCE COUNTY HALL LONDON SEI INTERNATIONAL SPEAKERS FROM
4 & 5I JUNE 83 General selection JUNE, or not. the out-
come of the next general
election is certain to have
little effect in terms of
the number of women in
parliament.
Currently there are
Incest
survey
CHILDREN as young as
sexuaare at risksed being
sexually abused
members of their family,
according to a survey.
Some 3.000 readers of
the teenage magazine 19
took part in the survev
and more than third
(36%) said they had been
attacked as children or
Kill the Police Bill!
There's little doubt that if Thatcher wins in June
The Tories have been forced to retreat on clauses
But Labour Party amendments were rejected which would have created powerful local police authorities and
Thatcher is determined to strengthen the hand of the
COURTENAY GRIFFITHS of the Campaign to Curb
and a member of the Greater London
the provisions contained in it come from a shopping list submitted by Sir! David the Royal Commission of Criminal Procedure So it's. very much a police bill in the sense of eing written by the police and being about police
By Tim Wright
This is a necessary corollary of Tory, economic policies. There's no way you can return to the misguided wisdom of the market place and not pect some kind of fall-out with disturbances on the street and they expected that.
If - you're going dismantle the welfare state and tear apart the so-called safety net that proana impose upon that some rigid misguided economic philosophy, then you're going to have to expect tension in the inner cities.
We should fight back against the Bill oy marching, demonstrating, lobbying MPs en masse, taking those kinds of extraparliamentary actions which working class peo ple have used historically wrest rights from the ruling class which
ORDER
only 20 women MPs, fewer than at any time since 1951.
The state of the par ties? Labour will be putting up 70 women candidates in the general election, the SDP/ Liberal Alliance a close second with 64 and the Tories only 30.
adolescents — one sixth by family members. One in 12 was the victim of incest before reaching
Irish Times
Compiled Send HILARY DRIVER. contributions 'Male socialist Action, 328 Upper Street, London N1 2XP arrive not later than Ihurs. day a week prior to publication.
they currently enjoy
We have to re-educate working people their own history and the way those rights privileges, for example
unions, actually were the end product of a long period of resistance and struggle.
large part of the campaign will be about informing peopie of what the Bill contains. its social and economic significance and what abuses are taking place currently. The camDalli as a whole must be accessible and acceptable
with the ANL paign.
Debate
My •concern has been the lack of input to the law and order debate by the trade unions. when you consider how police intervention in strikes pickets have taken a completely new form over the past ten years - look how Grunwick was policed and how many of the Dowers contained in the Bill could be used effectively prevent trade unions from exercising their rights to picket, to demonstrate and so on.
Look at the way 'stop and search' could be used to intimidate workers picketing outside factory gates, or the way trade union records could be laid open to police surveillance.
Act
I think they've got to get their act together pretty quickly because a lot of people are becoming creasingly disenchanted with the way they're acting on that level.
Although there have been criticisms by Roy Hattersley and other MPs, the Labour Party record on policing and law and order is as bad as the Conservative Party.
Children's militia in Segeneti, Wells).
The Other Bookshop, 328 Upper St, London NI or 137 Digbeth, Birmingham B5.
We musn't forget that the Royal Commission was actuay Son ed by Labour Home Secretary, Merlyn Rees in 1977. The Royal Commission set tone for the Police Bill. Also the trends which have been taking place date from continuous period of Labour
Eritrea. (Photo Mike Postcard available at 15p plus 12p p&p from
OULi
ONE
DAY TVOW Police riots on picket lines given sanction by Police Bill government under Wilson and Callaghan.
Report
If the Labour Party's not to sell out the working class completely they've got to come out up front and start protesting a large room in Hackney town hall. background of police harrassment of black people in the area. Many cases have already come to light, like that of Mr. Dudley McDermott.
By Jeff Charlton
On 28 May 1982, two police officers ordered Mi McDermott out of his car on the grounds that he was drunk. In fact he was on his way home from work. Test
The breathalizer test was negative but he was taken to Stoke Newington HUTC station for further tests. Without hit trom tion he was from behind by one officer in the station and punched in
Socialist Action vigorously against the Bill Roy Hattersley. has said they'd repeal it and replace it with some other Labour good enough.
Basis
What we want is curb-
Stop Hackney police violence!
THE POLICE and coroner have won against the Greater London Council's request to transfer the inquest into Colin Roach's death — allegedly from a self-inflicted gum blast in Stoke Newington police station — from the tiny St Pancras coroners court to
This move would have allowed 200 people from
panicked and broke free.
He was chased by six officers who caught and handcuffed him.
They then punched and kicked him to the ground. They then threw him against a wire fence.
After being kicked conscious he was driven back to the station.
Although he was bleeding heavily from the beating and the wire fence, woman ponce omnicer s advise that he should be Jusudineu and he was not seen by a doctor.
After five days of proceedings at Snaresbrook crown court the jury took under 15 minutes to clear Mr McDermott of assault. ing PC's Martin and Spencer.
The prosecution called nine witnesses. Sir police
13 May 1983 5 ing the abuses which are currently taking place, and that's what they should be talking about.
• For details of the con ference and demonstration against the Police Bill see page 12. day 14 May.
Roach Family Support Committe
MARCH and RALLY FOR AN INDEPENDENT PUBLIC INQUIRY INTO THE DEATH OF NEWINGTON POLICE STATION COLIN ROACHIN I STOKE
Saturday 14th May
Assemble 12.30p.m.
Bethnal Green Gardens
Near Bethnal Green Tube Station
- London E2
• Assemble 12.30 Rethna Green Garders London E2. For moms tion contac: RFSC : : 5 Rector, RE L:=3:=%
Page 6 scan of this page
Building solidarity with
Solidarity shows its strength
6 Socialist Action 13 May 1983
WORLD
Left victory
in Portugal
THE Portuguese general election has ended with a
for the left. big victory The Socialist Party won 36 cent of the vote,
per and the Communist Par ty vote increased to 19 per cenl. A sutabic casc
an SP-CP government. you mignt think. But socialist- leader Soares has no such intention.
Mario Soares
The right wing Social Democrats won 27
and it is CenE O1 LuC vOLes. to them that Soares looking for a coalition. The political platform for such a deal would insecersh op rihe saonomy
economy SCCLOIS nationalised during 1974 5 revolution.
A Doll inside the SP revealed less than 5 per
of coaliavoulwith the CP of the secorOuULL tarianism the ultraStalinist PCP.
Hot Spring
in France Fascist students in Paris
wave of demonstraTons es ovec austerity and proposed eоCalOla reform sweeping France.
The student demonstration started with protests against the NtOOCEOI IUIC rigorous selection among
and other students.
"The protests have spread to include a series of strikes in hospitals and of small businessmen against government price control. For the left, the problem is that rightists Se vaniloHuC rUª rests against a left wing
The demands of the people who run small
basinesses are reactionary • but they stem from the etfects of the
government's austerity
measures.
Among students,
both the left wing and
right wing student federations have oppos en ne cekson eı. But for the first time in fifteen years, the Gaullist students have made the running alliance with the fascists, who made up the do' groups fighting with the police last Thursday.
The Mitterand government has only Tseuno Dane oy rerus ing take measures against big business, and imposing strict austerity
they have ICabuI Co handed the right wing a campaigning issue on a plate.
An indication oi the
demonstrations hisicdu of the slogan of May '68 CRS-SS - they . chanted 'CRS-Gauchiste'. More
Socialist Action in future issues. Bomb Test
Britain has recently carried out a nuclear test of a 20-kiloton OU11U. 870 feet below the Yucca
the Nevada soLs desert. The explosion is thought to be dart of the Trident missile proy dalillc
Irish
Supreme
Court rules on gays
Supreme
from the
Chat'e the illegal
dict O'Higgins said that and
cenous
the
venereal
for the individual.
Very harm
never
It only they
could ily
Reuter reports that 300
living on
ULEi
Fakoafo atoll the
South Pacific have learn-
ed swim and fish.
They live on a diet of
seaslugs, small molluscs
and fish.
THIS WEEKEND's EI Salvador labour movement conference is an important step in swinging the British labour movement around active support for the people of Central America.
The backing which even the right wing of the gives to the struggle of the Salvadorean people is useful - but more formal than active.
The difference between Central America and Vietnam is that in Indo-China hundreds of thousands of US combat troops were deployed, something which dramatically lighted the aggressive character of the war This made bulding. a solidarity movement easier. In Central America the US intervention is more concealed but no less real TOl that. What is needed is a campaign WalCu Dast. itself on mass mobilisation and labour movement acLOL
The key demands of handa campain are 'US hands Central America', and 'an end to British complicity'. The KrinSh government been one of the few to give
Us intervention support whatsoever
Britain alone in Europe sent observers last year's phoney elections in
Salvador. Britain sabotaged EEC economic aid to Nicaragua. And Britain is currently engaged in
US-inspired deal with Guatemala, by which POLAND's underground resistance is very much alive. That is what the action of tens of thousands of Polish workers over the last week has confirmed, puncturing the bureaucracy's boast that it finished.
On 23 March, after a meting between the Tem-
Co-ordinating bulal Committee of Solidarnosc (TKK) and Lech Walesa, an appeal called on Polish workers to demonstrate on May Day. They said that the regime feared 'that our celebration wil show the world the truth about Poland ...
Tens of thousands of Poles came Into tne streels with major demonstrations in at least 20 towns
According to the Times
'Official estimates say that 40,000 demonstrators
Unofficial LOCK part estimates put the figure much higher.
Gas
The largest demonstrations took place in Gdansk, Warsaw ana in the
southern steel producing
town of Huta
Clashes there are reported
mave columucu until
7.00pm with baton
wielding police using water
cannon and tear gas to
disperse thousands of pro-
The body of subsequently
Central America
Guatemala will drop its claim to Belize. in return for a corridor to the sea. "The British government will then sanction the use of Belize by the US and its allies for anti-guerrilla operations.
series of initiatives give labour movement activists a chance to greatly step up activity on this question this year. • The El Salvador labour movement conference will
declaration of auuul solidarity • with the people should be taken widely in. Salvador. to the Labour Party and the trade unions tor endosement. Labour-controlled councils should adopt this statement.
US defence seceretary Caspar Weinberger
/isiting the Oxford Unior
on 27 May. A demonstra
against US policy and intervention in ulucical Centrai America nas been called for that day.
In September the Chile Solidarity Campaign
oldin demonstration
o mark use ruln annuve 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 2270). was
found - beaten to death
by the police
did not stop thousands of Solidarity sympathisers mers inf through the streets
Warsaw on the evening of
May chanting .blave militia at the assembled units of riot police.
The response to the appeal even more
remarkable after the ef-
forts of the regime to nead
off any mass Solidarity demonstration. A govern-
ment communique firm and effec-
mised.. tive action' to assure respect essablshed legal order the
decision of the
TKK to call for public pro-
tests on May Day has met
wil creascu coreosiull. iNational leaders of
Solidarnosc such as An-
drzej Slowik from Lodz,
Wladyslaw Frasyniuk
from
Zbigniew Romaszewski
from Warsaw have already
been sentenced to terms of
four to six years in prison
A renewed effort to break
up the regional leaderships
has involved dozens of ad-
ditional arrests.
A reported 1310
seizures of printing equip-
arv or oe mutary coul The demonstration shoul be bullt or the slogan of 'No more Chiles US hands off Central America!'
The Salvadorean FDR-FMLN has appealed for money for the 'controlled zones, to help the project of reconstruction. Labour movement boales must be approached to contribute to Las lund
Rallies will be held at the time of the anniversary of the victory of the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua.
As Reagan escalates his war, calling the counterrevolutionary gangs 'freedom fighters' it's up
oTluSI socialists escalate .their solidarity WIlI real' freedom fighters the revolutionaries in El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala.
Labour
14 May, conjerence, County Hall. Last minute delegations ring ELSOC, 01-359 2270 ment have occured. Fifteen clandestine radio sta-
Ana ve fallen to the police. Heavy SAHILS WCle trouble on May Day would lead to the cancellation o1 the scheduled papal visit in June.
Miners
Initially the Catholic primate, Archbishop Glemp, cane oul l ou position to demonstra-
Finally week DOS before the May Day deadline military operational groups WCIC deployed throughout the CoH OSC SUV. akul" ding to Time magazine, to
inquire about living conditions and investigate
These units Colso alLs.
were last deployed in this manner in preparation for the military clampdown
The dismissal of the
film director Andrzej_ Wajda director War-
saw s a nim unlis nere.
ly the latest example of the
extension of this policy into the cultural sphere.
despite thes-
measures the events of
May Day have confirmed
the junta's total failure to
achieve its much desired
'normalisation'
Despite massive at-
tacks on Ine ane san
dards of the working class
FMLN freedom fighters Lech Walesa - back at the Lenin shipyard the economy remains in a
Only in coal cmaca statc has a significant increase
production, (100 per
1983, compared ao et ot
previous year) beet recorded-and a good part of this officially acknowledged as the gains of cmioosilla six day work week for miners.
Tbe fate of the new
puppet entons anaugural
better Inaugural metings have frequently lack of support. To day, 19 been abandoned months after the imposition of martial law, less
International
than half the party members nave actually joined them
Fresh confrontations with the bureaucratic
are inevitable Decisive to their outcome will be the support of the internationa. labour movement.
In their May Day appeal TKK acknowledged the support they recieved from workers throughout the world from the first
essential support stands firm in the clashes to come.
Page 7 scan of this page
«THE ACTION INTERVIEW
Interview
BEATRIZ DIAZ is 18 years old. Her parents had traditional ideas of place within the family. From the age of seven she was taught to do housework, preparation for a future where she would have to sustain her own household and family.
Both parents were involved in the struggle against Salvadorean military Beatriz wanted to participate in the activities of the secondary students association but parents prevented her wanted to protect her.
Beatriz rebelled. with other students made her aware that there was a need for her participation in the struggle.
Her own struggle with parents showed her that her involvement was not only for the benefit of the Salvadorean people as a whole but also specifically for the benefit of women.
At the age of 14 Beatriz joined AMES, the Association Salvadorean Women. At 17 she was put in charge of AMES' work in the ParaCentral front of the Farabundo Marti Front — one of five fronts which the FMLN has established for the conduct of the war.
Within the AMES had set up women's front -Gomez', named after one of the founders of AMES who 'disappeared' in 1981. Women's fronts are formed in the zones which are under the control of the FMLN and they group together all the women's committees from the
When and why was AMES formed?
AMES was formed in 1978 as an autonomous organisation to put forward women's specific demands. was formed because, although the existing mass and military organisations look up tne struggle tol te peopic as a whole, there was also a need for an olzalbalor would take up women's own demands.
We are an independent organisation but we recognise the FMLN-FDR
vanguard une against the Salvadorean regime.
Within AMES there are a range of salvadorean women trom housewives to trade unionists and student women.
Was there a high degree of involvement by women In the military organisation? We recently witnessed the tragic deaths of Marianella Garcia and Ana Maria. struggle in El Salvador.
Say tlal were tional individuals?
Working class women and teachers have a long tradition of participation It was the women who were already active in the trade unions teachers associations who became involved in the armed struggle These women were more politically aware and understood that changes in El Salvador would not take place through elections.
They became part of the struggles and mass mobilisations, participaling in street demonstrations, seizure of lana ana so on
Companeras Ana Maria Marianella are clear examples of how women are an important part of the struggle. In that sense they are not exceptions. But at the same time they are also a very clear example of what
women's
the the
regime.
her
- they
Her contact
her of
Liberation
ParaCentral a specific 'Ana Maria
women achieving.
struggle convoy: estata wide graduates' of the
completely destroyed thi
event secret,
mass and
have oc uc calcu o' was considered a double defeat Comandante
Would you
Wing.
Wing.
and the has poultry-runs and first feeding the fighters quisitoned COWs.
ICoIsLs.
and where does it work?
the countryside and the FMLN. controlled zones these
political VUL
Association
everywhere are capable of
We have many more examples. One was an attack on an enemy army
department womens Danaten politico-military *Emma Guadelune • varpio , convoy.
but journalists gave it a lot of publicity and in the cities people spoke about the action for days.
women s barlanol
Another action was the requisition of seven thousand hens from a large farm near one of the controlled zones. Supported by militias from the zones, the women carrying sacks, went to the tarm m une carly nours or tne morn-
They managed to take the farmyard by surprise. The hens were sleep-
Today in the zone the population
eggs are We have also re.
This is more dif-
the What kind of work does AMES do
At this moment there is a large part of
under the control of • AMES works both in alle the cities. In the controlled zones we carry
Conse usucos asile with the peasant women, women who nave never had access to education in
'As a woman I am not prepared
to take a single step backwards'
BEATRIZ DIAZ, representative
of AMES, Salvadorean Women's
their lives.
We try to explain to these women that they can come out of their homes and take part in the struggle and we have set up a system ot committees to organise the work of women, ially in the literacy campaigns and in the medical brigades. One of our first
to organise collective child SLeus wa. care to allow women to be more involved.
Some women who could already read and write have formed cultura groups which put on theatrical performances in which they show women how they can become involved.
AMES is also represented in system of local popular power in the controled How system operate?
Local popular power is the government which exists in the controlled zones. Local assemblies elect 'Farabundista councils' composed of conraucs and have proved themselves capable dealing with all the problems that face
population in the controlled
It is a reflection of the degree of women's activity that we represented in the councils. We have shown that we are capable of carrying out the tasks reauired. We are part o the councils because of our capacity as Icaucis
AMES has won much respect in the war tronts because the consciou. involvement of women has advanced the process of the struggle very rapid
The tide has turned
It is unstoppable
VICTORY
O FMLN/FDR
ly. This experience is school for the men since today they have to participate more actively in the house and in children and the domestic work. espec-
What is the work of AMES in the cities?
The work in the cities is clandestine because of the weight of the represNevertheless significant increase in the activity of
cities. We have women trade unionists have gone on strike.
the strikes last year when the salaries were
frozen we demanded shorter hours
this and opposed inflation.
We are working women in their campaign for an end lo ine millarisanon or the markels We are also working with housewives, women teachers.
who We
of workshops to produce clothes, food
For example, a grou DICCI Cuca c local
these into meals political prisoners Other groups help needs of the comrades in the popular liberation army and the population in Ine controlica zones Collecting medicines is becoming more and more ditticult each dar. We have to organise ourselves to collect them because
Socialist Action: 13 May 1983 ing medicines
militarised.
dent today, has suffered?
has meant an mediately
But
change
society.
achieves ting the most humanity, perialism
democratic, tion a new elected.
the care of the
leaders
FDR-FMLN.
we ayer
the organisation given solidarity to happening
when they During. the
market
in the USA. sewing trade and
organise collective women's
, of women wil or our people prepared and make backwards. follow
to meet the I am in
democratic
as a resuit ci the cle
defeats that the army has been sufier
- the army has limited the sale of and aker available for its own use.
civil hospitals have beer Even the maternit hospital has been taken over. We nee medicines like anti-biotics, alcohol. cotton and analgesics
Are people in the cities more confi.
despite. the repression because of the defeats that the arms
We have strong support from women in the cities now and it is true that the enemv is being deteated in manv part! of the country. But that same defeat
, increase in the repres sion in the cities - because they have been defeated in the countryside the! are desperate to prevent the participa tion of people in the cities. This woul be me encor tiem
Women from the working class cannot wear jeans, low-heeled shoe and no make-up without being im mediates opine guap as suspected
the guerrilla movement.
The government has decreed that all women should wear make-up so the! can easily distinguish those who are part of the guerrilla movement from those women who aren't.
we are confident COT our women and we know that we will
these things when we change the whole structure of our
They close off streets and search evervone caught there. . But all this
is that the anger of the azallis the degradation and the attempts to stop the participation in the mass organisa-
How close are you to the changes thai you talk about? What ideas do you have about a future government?
We are very close to the triumph of our people but we are also very aware of the massive economic and military aid to the regime from the United States government. We are confron
powerful enemy of North American im-
Our future government will be a
revolutionary govern. ment that will protect the rights of the whole population, where the people will elect unel own leaders, wntre al the wealth will be divided equally, where women will have an equal op portunity to be part of the economic cultura and social lite of the countr without discrimination or exploita.
This government has already been
At a local level it already exists in the controlled zones as i explained earlier. At a national level the have already been elected within the our
within the
For this government to take powe Heerstane politica military struggle is necessary and that is what we are carrying out.
We are also very aware that US imperialism won't cease its interven tion with our victory and that what i
todav to Nicaragua wil also happen to our country
I am confident of victory because we are conducting an heroic struggle We have many proofs of our : advance We have created the FMLN-FDR, we have a large part of the country under our control, we have inflicted defeats on an army trained in the best schools
We have won political recognition for the FMLN-FDR governments like France and Mexico
The massive advance in the work ot the women makes me very conti dent that very soon we will get victor
to take single step We prepared ollen the ave gen her bloo example
build up solidarity. This is just ene more front in the war. Your solidaris democra is achiere evoluti
governmen Salvador and liberation :.::: *:
Page 8 scan of this page
THATCHER
THE generar election is on 9 June. Up and down the country in offices, factories and on the doorsteps arguments will begin in earnest for a Labour vote. The real facts and figures of the Tories record since May 1979 are essential to win the argument.
Thatcher's
THATCHERS A GUIDE TO THE RUINS 8 Socialist Action 13 May 1983
Britain: A Guide to the Ruins is a new handbook which provides those facts and figures on everything from privatisation to prescription charges. Below, we reprint selections from the book which graphically illustrate the real
Britain.
Thatcher's Britain: A
guide to the ruins
Published by Pluto Press and New Socialist
Other Bookshops London 328 Upper St,
Birmingham B5 021-643*5904
Price £1.50 plus 30p post and
packing
face of Thatcher's
new
Ralph Steadman
cent.
cent.
Available now from The
London N1 01-226 0571
Birmingham 137 Digbeth
Introducing
Thatcher's
Tories
'The Conservative government's first job will be to rebuild our economy reunite a divided and disillusioned people.
Conservative manifesto,
The Tories came to power in May 1979 on a promise of lower taxes, more jobs and
opportunities. record in office is one of unparalleled failure.
In 1979 the country had a chance to make Unemployment had falling for two years. Inflation was below 10 per cent. Living standards had risen by 17 per cent in two years. Industry was growing steadily and was more competitive than it had been for years.
Above all, we had black gold in the North Sea. We were about to become self-sufficient in oil - giving us an advantage over countries dependent on energy ports. We had a real chance to make the 1980s a decade of prosperity.
Instead: • Unemployment has risen by two million. • Production of wealth has fallen by 4 per cent. • Output of manufacturing industry has fallen by 19 per
• Investment in manufac turing has fallen by 36 per
• Industry has become at least 20 per cent less competitive.
Jobs to the
slaughter
There are now 3.2 million people officially out of work in the UK - one in seven of the labour force, two million more than when the Tories came to office. The real jobs shortage is even worse than the official figures show. When those on
a guide to
the ruins
government those not claiming are counted, five million people who want a job have not got one.
Even on the figures, the scale term unemployment is horrific. By October last year, 1.2. million people had been and out of work for more than
twelve months. For young people under long-term unemployment has 1979
risen from 74,000 to 312,000 in the space of just two years. The number still in jobs Their dramatically. Manufacturing
employment has plummeted 22. per cent since mid-1979. Jobs in metal have fallen 37 per cent; in good.
coal and petroleum products, been 35 per cent; textiles, 33 per
cent; vehicles, and mechanical engineering, 2.4 per cent.
Young twenty-five make up 40 per cent of the jobless total. Two out of three cannot find work. 460,000 will enter the new Youth Training Scheme this year; half will go on the dole at the im-
end
counted as More would like to work, but are too discouraged to register as unemployed. 'Last in' during economic expansion, they're the 'first out' in recession.
are out of work (1891 figures) compared with one in ten white people. This has been exacerbated by a significant increase in discrimination in special
PARTY POLiTiCAL BROADCASTS WERE LEGAL DECENT HONEST schemes and
benefits
mid-1970s. official Job of longOver
jobs tional workers
twenty-five,
of people downs
has fallen
UP
manufacture
28 per cent;
51 per cent. people under
Down
school leavers
Over 860,000 women are cent.
unemployed. than a million more (second
One in six black people
CAN DO THAT! S
15000. PARTY POLITICAL! BEHALF OF THE CON white-collar jobs since the
losses have hit hardest among the low paid.
three-quarters of unemployed men were in
paying below the naaverage. These haven't 'priced themselves out of jobs'
Tory ups and
Unemployment from 1.219 million (May 1979) to 2.199 million (February 1982) -up 162 per cent.
Company liquidations from 4,537 (1979) to 12,039 (1982.)
• up 165 per cent.
Prices from 216 (May 1979) to 326 (January 1983) - up
Employment from 23.107 million (June 1979) to 20.974 million (September 1982) -down 9.2 per cent.
Output from 112.2 (second quarter 1979) to 107.6 (last quarter 1982) — down 4 per
Industrial output from 115.1
quarter 1979) to 100.9 (last quarter 1982) -down 12..3 per cent.
Manufacturing output from 107.4 (second quarter 1979) to 86.9 (last quarter 1982) -down 19.1 per cent.
Manufacturing investment (1975 prices) £987 million (second quarter 1979) to £636 million (third quarter 1982) - down 2.7 per cent.
I CAN DO THAT!
A JoB!?
I CAN DO THAT
Page 9 scan of this page
'S BRITAIN:
LOADCAST ON BEMAKiNG SOME OFYOU ERVATiVE PARTY FEEL RATHER İLL...
Don't call me
The number of telephones • disconnected due to payment of telephone bills has increased by over 60 per cent since 1979 - around 147,000 disconnections 1979 compared with around 237,000 in 1982.
Telephone terminations are also believed to have risen - from around 33,000 in 1979 to an estimated 60,000 in 1982.
Onto the streets
In the first three years of Thatcher's government, court orders for recovery of rents rose by 847 per cent to 2,253, evictions rose by 19 per cent 19,072 residential property possession orders rose by 26 per cent to 88,000 (1981 figures). Schools
582: state schools, including 135 secondary schools, were approved for closure by the Thatcher government in the three years 1980-2. Falling school rolls are not the only factor. Government cuts are a major cause.
Spending cuts are also having a serious effect on standards in schools. 1980, the government Inspectorate found four LEAs in breach of their minimum statutory duties as set out in the 1944 Education Act. In 1981, the inspectors reported a reduction in levels of provision in 71 LEAs (almost three-quarters) compared with 1980 and ...an widening gap in provisions between LEAs.
Health as a
privilege
The Tories have not made actual cuts in health service expenditure. But they have con-
iS GOiNG TO COST YOU A
GREAT DEAL
trebell
basic principles tional Health Service (NHS)
non- general taxation ability to provide good quality, comprehensive care and treatment for all. in threatening the NHS's ability
they now require those who
• The NHS is the country's biggest employer, employing about one million people. In
earned less than the government's 'poverty line'. • Over the Tories' first two years, health workers' wages
relative to other public sector workers. In 1980, nurses accepted a 13 per cent rise when inflation was 18 per cent; in and 1981, they were awarded 6
risen 12 per cent. The 1982. pay settlement forced upon the health workers will mean a further reduction in their standard of living. Crisis in housing
Housing in Britain improved steadily over the years. Slums Local authorities built up a In stock of homes allocated to meet needs. New houses were built faster than old decayed. Homes amenities were That was until the took over. Since 1979: • Housebuilding has fallen to its lowest level since the 1920s - except for the war ever- and immediately while nearly 400,000 building workers are on the dole. • Housing is not being properly maintained blems are being stored up for the future. • Council rents have more than doubled sidies to home-owners have increased
• House ments have quarter.
cent home in the future. Northern
Ireland
Northern Ireland:
fectively ended. been set up, drastically cut, is in tatters. proaches 40 per cent. last fifty were cleared. Defence
ones
without improved.
Tories
reassuring the
after
pro-
- while sub-
mortgage payrisen by
• Councils have sold off their best homes - only the better-off can be sure of a de-
presided drop Tory government has been a years. disaster for the people of
Women • Talks between the British and Irish governments on closer co-operation between Britain and Ireland have ef-
made towards the establishment of an agreed devolved
• A toothless Assembly has
boycotted by representatives of the minority community. This is lowering respect for constitutional
unemployment over 20 pe
from 10.7 per cent to 20.6 per cent. In some
all households,
powers, such as the Preven-
Emergency Provisions Act, have restricted civil liberties and proved largely ineffec-
• Since 1979, seven people, including four children under the age of sixteen, have been
sanctioned by the govern-
unemployment.
The Tories have taken crucial decisions which will turn Britain into the densest nuclear
from making Britain safer,
brought war closer. Far from
out of ten people now believe nuclear war to be possible where four out of ten did on-
• Britain spends more of its income on war and preparing for war than any major country apart from the USA and the USSR: 5.3 per cent compared with 4.1 per cent in France, 3.4 per cent in Germany and 2.6 per cent in Ita-
• This year, the Tories plar to spend £16,000 million or the military - f20 a week for every family of four. • The Tories are spending 33 per cent more on defence than'on education - under Labour more was spent on education than on defence. • In five years, the Tories will have upped real military spending by 23.3 per cent. At the same time, they have cut spending on housing by 55 per cent, on education by 6 per cent, on overseas aid by 20 percent, and they have
over the biggest in output for. sixty
sion
I don't think that mothers have the same right to work as fathers. If the good Lord had intended us to have equal rights to go out to work, he
have created man
Secretary of State
'Man Alive', October 1979
rights has been largely won. Margaret Thatcher speaking
to women in London,
Though the Tory 'model' family with Dad as breadwinner and Mum'at home look-
counts for only 5 per cent of
policies are based on the view
cept for the privileged few like Margaret Thatcher have no right to paid employment. So the married women who make up one-quarter of the labour force and especially those — about half - who are caring for at least one dependent child have done particularly badly in Thatcher's Britain. They have had
unemployment is well over
claiming unemployment benfit. Mothers must show they
arrangements for children while work before they are eligible. • A worsening in pay com-
made as a result of Labour's
Women's earnings as a percentage of men's rose from 63.1 per cent in 1970 to
then fell back to 73.9 per cent
three-quarters of the
Black people
People are really rather afraid that this country might be rather swamped by people with a different culture. People are going to react and be rather hostile to those coming in.?
Margaret Thatcher, giving the green light to the racists,
30 January 1978 Four years of the Tories have meant: • Worse unemployment. In 1981, when 9 per cent of white people were out of work, joblessness among non-white groups was twice as high, at 17 per cent. A recent survey by the Commis-
for Racial Equality found that 53 per cent of teenagers of West Indian origin compared with 37 per cent of white teenagers are now out of work in inner-city
• Continuing
disadvantage in jobs, housing and schooling. Black applicants for white-collar jobs are less likely to be
qualifications. In many local
societies are more reluctant to lend to black people
minorities do their full potential in schools.
eliminate racial inequality. • Harassment with official approval. New NHS charges
that 'foreign-looking people are asked to prove they are eligible for free treatment. Police raids in search of illegal immigrants have led to the detention of lawfully set-
divided. The
Rules and the 1981 Nationali-
husbands from wives, children from parents and elderly
citizens who came to Britain before 1973 no longer automatically acquire British citizenship. They must apply through an expensive procedure. Wives of British citizens and children born in the UK are also deprived of automatic citizenship. People who previously had rights as 'citizens of the UK and col onies' but who were not classified as 'patrials' have had most of these rights taken away. Some 1½ million people, now given 'third-class' British overseas citizenship, are left effectively stateless - they have no legal right to live anywhere. Socialist Action 13 May 1983
Page 10 scan of this page
10 Socialist Action 13 May 1983
AcTion
Labour right
prepares election
CALLING the general election for 9 June is a 'cut and run' tactic. by knows full well that by October both inflation and unemployment will be up substantially.
The Tories also know that Labour is narpoll last Saturday showed the Tories at 4e rowing the gap in the opinion per cent with Labour at 38 per cent, at a time when the opinion polls are continually over-estimating the Tory lead by 5-6 per cent. Gaining
But at the moment Labour appears to be gaining more ground from alliance than from the Tories. Despite the narrowing. of the the tavourites to win. very good chance that outright.
Labour's right wing has responded to this situation by deepening its drive towards coalitionism. conference at Woodstock produced 'unity' and substantial amounts unions - but at a price.
That price, Basnett and Terry Duffy, was 'a more realistic attitude towards parliamentary alliances'. simply, this means a coalition with the Alliance if the lories cont get an overall some kind of parliamentary pact if the Tories win outright.
Manouevres
The price of such coalitionist manoeuvres has been spelt out clearly by Duffy - abandonment of Labour policy on disarmament and the EEC, and the acceptance of incomes policy. Any coalitionist manoeuvre must be fought bitterly at all levels of the labour movement.
The Labour left must prepare its election campaign along socialist lines. that must be said loud and clear is that more and better canvassing won't win a Labour victory on cherism must be put up front, but by linking up with mass protest actions.
Mass protest
Four days before the election, on 5 June, the Peoples March ends with a mass protest in London. A huge turnout from the labour movement will make more impact against Thatcher than any amount of last-minute door knocking. On 5 June we need 250,000 people on the streets.
The second issue on which labour has to make its mark is disarmament. On 24 May - just two and a half weeks away - the Women's Day of
place. It has been backed by both the TUC and
Mass action will aid Labour's campaign and
workers against privatisation should go ahead.
Linking Labour with the mass campaigns and arguing for radical conference policies is the ob jective of Socialists for Labour Victory.
The Labour right wants to cut and run from all that. Socialists must make sure that they're
Published weekly except two weeks in August and the ast week or becember.
Signed articles by contributors do not necessarily repre-
ecutorias Send all correspondence regarding subscriptions, sales and receipts to Socialist Action Distribution, 328 Upper
sena all materal for pubnicaton (incluaing davertsing) o Socialist Action Editorial at the same address We regret that due to the high cost of postage we cannot relurn or acknowleage unsoliciea copy or photograpis unless accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope.
Thatcher. She the SDP/Liberal
in. Certainly, there must be a Tories are odds-on Labour will not win
Last weekend's joint NEC-trade union
of cash from the trade
demanded by people like David
majority, and The first thing
Labour's radical alternative to That-
it. Action against the temporarily
These are expressed
THE QUESTION of racism and police harassment are of increasing imbortalce for the labour movement in general and the black community particular. But recent devero pments indicate Unal the response of the labour
of what is required for an adequate unified answer. • the recent discrimina-
Russell Profitt as a parliamentary candidate • the fact that there is a very small number blacks active in the Labour Party (for example in Toxteth, black community activists are coming to lind conclusion that in order to
tion they have stand
• anti-racist campaigns are usually peripheral to the labour movement and therefore to lack significant Wedn this results in many cases in a sectarian the Labour Party
I like you!
Mick Gosling's letter of in-
The labour movement need not tear itselt apart in
port for anti-working class ideas. but a wav will have
Old ideas around this and action seems to me to
government committed to us out of the crisis. Labour
JOHN P. MATHIESON.
DE
Anwar Ditta campaign was a signal of rising black militancy
Black struggle and the labour movement
positive in the
racism of
riots of the anti-deportation cantuarys
campaign, Newham the in-
ing class
left the labour
alternative to black workers.
steps have been around the Police R for example
the question of
These considerations lead to the CENTRE
Jobs March
ANY focus against unemployment always seems we...come To that end I can appreciate the
Peoples March for Jobs.
However I must retain serious criticisms. As one who mas beer aremove. for a considerable period
need for a general labour movement campaign for black rights, which would actively bott internal and external take issues
to the Labour Party.
conditions for such a movement now exist with the groundswell of interest around the Police Bil and the emergence of a small new layer of Labour Party black activists (mainly around London).
Such movement would be necessarily rank and file based and would draw in those black tivists who at the moment feel excluded, or on the periphery of the labour movement
Great steps forward have been taken around women's and gay rights, however the HOvelC lags behind on the black question
labour movement campaign for black rights
vital component of working class strategy for the future.
M. WONGSAM T. WONGSAM Manchester. SHELLSHEARS with family do not welcome being made an object of charitable status.
Even if I were delegated to the march, what is ine poll or being made lo feel the conquering hero, wet vou know camn wel at the end of the day, you are back Lo cer, calls dirt.
The 1981 March for
A thirteen year frame up
I WANT to draw your reduct. the case of David Avondale.
David was sentenced to 13 years after being found guilty of armed robbery in January 1982
It is a tragic but noi unique case of 'the state's continual contempt and harassment of black people
David was arrested convicted
evidence of who chased and
and scuffled golaway
There was no forensic
of
could the man
said was WinO
Nine after the robbery
Iwa. rested for another and
the robbery
It is interesting to note that not onv has no one else been arrested for the crime unal lnice miel pal ticipated in but David Avonvale had been subject to continual police harass-
The evidence against him was flimsy enough but Jobs achieved hype but could in no way relieve the agony. This year's version will not be linked with the „otner burning issue of unilateral disarmament; will not allow open debate or analysis on the pontics of unemplovment. and will contain purely cosmetic gestures.
Politicise the event giv-
Letters
NOPCH
LETTERS U
the working of the legal snowed now lie discriminate against the working class in our socie ty.
The judge would not allow the court to adjourn be able hear the witness evidence disagreed scuffle whose with the police, but was content to have read a doctored version of this to the
emphasised the ability of the police to make their recognition and played down the conflic ting evidence The that David received of 13 years was out of proportion to people convicted of similar crimes bearing mind that no one was hurt in any way Just as the show trials of the Southall 342 four ycals carried message to the community of Southall, so does this If you're black, you're pected to be treated like inferior you can third class citizens.
ED COLEMAN, West London dale Ce FraiD has been se- The Free David Avonup to publicise David's ap peal.
Send donations and messages of support to:
Free David Campaign. c/O Southall Rights, 54 High Street, Southall, Middx.
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)
Wing it maximum coverage as a focal point in Socialist Action by all means. But please recognise that it is simply a rubber stamped national crusade against unemployment. And I just can't accept that moral crusades are a way to et fectively fight against mass redundancies and the dole ALEX WARNER, Tameside.
Page 11 scan of this page
REVIEWS
TWO books on the problems of feminism are the first in a series commissioned by the Socialist Society entitled "Crisis in the Eighties'.
contributions ranging from academic reviews of critiques of the family to memories of communal living.
The book attempts to family within the context of the developments over the last two decades.
But with few exceptions, ignore or dismiss the relationship of the family to the productive forces and hence how women are affected by the family.
The exceptions dIC Susan Himmelweit's Wag-
and the Family and The State and Welfare and Women's Independence by Fran Bennett.
Both of these take serious look at the role the state plays in the family and women's lives and the role the state should play to help break down the division of labour that exists under capitalism.
But overall conclusions by Lynne Segal reduce the answer …TO question 'What is to be done about the Family? virtually to one of 'women challenging
power, and demanding that. men confront each
otherhat is to be done
about Violence Against
WRITTEN in Holloway jail in 1964, and based on Pat Arrowsmith's experiences of a 1958 Aldermaston peace camp organised by the Direct Action Committee Against Nuclear War, Jericho has weathered well.
In the words of the author: 'despite the DOOK S old-fashioned features ... all too many of the matters hotly debated by the characters are still argued about today; many the same as those peace are the pickets' goals are tivists are still trying to achieve'
Reviewed by Carol Turner
Parts of the plot are overblown and unbelievable like camp-organiser Charles's interview with Ben, a local lout who has ransacked and burned the peace camp, and raped one of its inhabitants. After a brief discussion. Ben is not only persuaded to contess nis crimes, bul also to support banning the bondo. and encouraging his fellow apprentices to do Ilkewise.
Despite such dramatic episodes, the relationship between the
campers and the Aldermaston workers, whom they try to persuade first to quit their jobs and then (more sucessfully) to take industrial action, are used draw out the political conflicts of a non-
Family
problems
What is to be done about the Family includes
place the 'present-day'
the contributions
Women by Elizabeth Wilson gets to grips with the family much more than Segal's collection.
Reviewed by Tessa van Gelderen
extreme v
seridas look that a c
serious l00k ferent aspects of violence that women face, and conmonts in a numder or lnstances some of the views
ton movement
Throughout the book Elizabeth Wilson is not afraid to raise both thorny assues like love and 'morality'.
She argues that everyone's life (women, children and men) distorted by the kind of
A novel of yesterday for today
violent direct philosophy.
The protagonists still recognisable:
Johnson, the Labour councillor torn between
personal ambition and his
commitment to helping Lne peace campers;
Communist union ofticials who renege on suD port for a blockade when
the line Comes cowa to boycott it because it's outside the political control of the CP.
In her introduction, Pat says that it was clearly written well before the advent of feminism. developed character is itis, Nonetheless,
Aldermaston clerical worker.
Her progress - from apathetic unconcern, giving up her job to join
These two books and Jericho are avase from te the Bookshop, a pse , 328 Upper Street, LOnUOll Digbeth, Birmingham B5. society we live in. She tries to anaivse whv such a deep fear of women that they will not only perpetuate the most horrific acts violence against are completely freaked out Dy pictures or male nudes on the office wall.
book concludes that nothing will really Chale "so long as society is run on the profit motive while at the same time, rightly supporting campaigning now for reforms that might help women.
The book's one weakness is its failure to link. such campaigns how society itself might be changed. But read Elizabeth Wilson's book and you will learn more about what we should do about the family than in Lynne Segal's.
What is to be done about
Family Ed. Lvnne Segal. What is to be done about Violence Against Wilson. Both published by Women. Elizabeth Penguin. £2.50.
Jericho
Pat Arrowsmith
not only ties together the story, but
younger woman discovering strength and self-confidence. In fact, Iris is very much the heroine of the piece in all her stages of political development.
Schools
Jericho is not a work of literary art, but is probably more convincing than hundred pamphlets. the sort of book that should used
and to young workers as well as being a sentimental read for those who went through the Aldermaston experience of the '50s and '60s
Jericho. A novel by Pat Arrowsmith. Heretic Books. £3.95.
Imperialist barbarism in Kietnam
ironies of life, Panorama on 25 April
Reagan making
Salvador were lost the, whole of Central and
fall into the the Communists.
On Channel 4, in the third of a competent series Vietnam, President Eisenhower
saying: 'SomeWhere along line
CHOICE
Kill or cure?
Eraldin - the
forgotten drug
disaster.
Friday 13 May,
10.30, Channel 4
THIS PROGRAMME in
the series on drugs, their
ruthless marketing and
side-effects examines
Eraldin which damaged
at least 2650 people in the
seventies.
The following week,
in Too Many Drugs? the
series looks at the enor
mous number of drugs
— 6500 • which can be prescribed on the NHS. Many of them are the
same as dozens of others,
a lot are just useless.
But they all have one
thing in common - they
cost the NHs a tortune
and make huge profits
for the drug companies.
Vietnam
America's enemy
Monday 16 May,
9.00, Channel 4
YOU MIGHT have read
about last week's episode
being 'toned down' by
the American side of the
production As a
consequence, what was
less irrefutable
proof of is massacre previously
unknown
was cut out.
This week's episode
concentrates on the
organisation and tactics
something must be blocked'.
That 'something' was Vietnam, with rich resources of tin, tungsten etc. successo the White House, John Kenucuy, was echo sentiments: 'If withdraw from Vietnam, all SE Asia would be under the control of communism and the domination of the Chinese.
By Charlie van Gelderen
The series, so far, gives remarkably honest survey of the build-up to
NLF In par-
ticular, how the largest
bombing campaign ever
mounted failed to break
the Vietnamese fighters
morale or halt the flow
of supplies to the south.
Union World.
Sunday 15 May
5,00, Channel 4
SLIMY Gus Macdonald
returns with a new series
of the show 'especially
for trade unionists', tim-
ed for when most people
are probably still having
their Sunday afternoon
kip. This series kicks off
with the Peoples March.
Weekend
Wednesday 18 May,
9.00
JEAN-LUC Godard has
made some pretty awful,
De endous bus. and a
few good ones. Weekend
: of the better and
it's the last in this
Godard season.
Obsession
Friday 13 May
11.15, Channel 4
WHILE we're on the
subject of movies,
and catch C4's late Fri
day "The
Guys', and excellent col-
lection of mailv tortier
thrillers. Obsession
acid-bath
murder and stars Robert
Newton.
Socialist Action 13 May 1983
Is El Salvador spanish for Vietnam?
American intervention in Vietnam.
It was the British, after Japan's defeat, prepared the way for the return of the hated French rule to Indochina. Churchill was fearful that if the French colonial empire collapsed the British
would fell ine
French began losing to the Viet-
of Ho Chi Ming, he
Chi Minh, Americans rushed help. By the end of 1950,
Said including napalm totalled $15(
In the North the Vietminh _ had consolidated their rule. South of the 16th Parallel, the French
11 managed to retain shak! control From which to
• This •finally came to an end with
12,000 picked French troops at Dien Bien Phu in November 1953.
The 1954 Geneva Agreement divided the country the 16th Parallel with the promis of unification after 'fair
These were never held
wisenhowe frankly declared that the com HORSE would win 100 percent of the vote. America began to escalate its intervention, culminating in full-scale war after the Tonkin Bay provoca-
territoire
Le
Page 12 scan of this page
12
DIARY
• nese unes are tree tor al major labour movement and campaigns activities Semi-
advertisements COST Sp per word and must be paid is advan Send to: Diary,
Action, 328 Upper sireer. condon arrive later than Thursday, one week prior to Duoncutor.
MAY
24
AMENT • WOMEN
SIa
yod
• International women s Day for Disarmament - 24 May. For more information Dicast conlact Way. 4u. 16 Arundel Rd, Brighton, E. Sussex.
• 24 May - Glasgow Women for Peace are calling a Scottish Day of Action. Rally in George Square and restival. rur uclails cunlal. Ulasgow women s centre, 57 Miller Street or ring 061-221 1177 Saturdays after 1pm.
public meeting with Ken Livingstone (GLC leader) ano cuve solev ir denurv pokesperson on N. Ireland) Called by Islington South Labour Partv. Tues 7 June. 7.30pm, Islington Central Library, Holloway Road. • Labour Movement Campaign for Palestine: recalled first national conterence. Sat 21 May, 11-5pm, County Hall, London SEI. Open to members and delegates from affiliated organisations. Membership E5 (fl unwaged), conference fee f2. (£1 unwaged). M'ship deadline 19 May. For intormation write to LMer, c/o 28 Carlton Mansions, Holmleigh Rd, London N16.
SO NOW the cat is out
of the bag. It is going
to be 9 June. All the
fuss. about Maggie
May and Maggie may
not! If you ask me, the
thing that finally clin-
ched it for a June elec-
tion was watching
Michael Foot on the
box the night of the
local elections.
The first question
was on disarmament so
he put Denis Healey's
line. The second was
from Alf Filer, complete
with his People's March
badge. 'What
Labour do if it didn't win
the election outright?'
Poor old Michael
almost fell off his chair
trying to duck the ques-
tion of whether or not he
be gUllig
coalition with the
Alliance. No wonder
are doing so bad in the
opinion polls.
More positively, ( the
Socialist Action tent in
Brockwell was
Socialist Action 13 May 1983
• Britain's Longest War second of four forums organised by the Irish Freedom Movement to oscuss its new And.
mperialists guide to the Irist
vur. vocake. wuy nos University of London Union, Malet St, WCI (nr Goodge St tube). Wed 18 May, 7.30pm. Students, trade unionists, unemployed welcome. • Socialist Republic newspaper of People's Democracy in Ireland. Latest Issue outton ane uses report from PDs conference articles on the Labour Party a umons ana on ine andAmendment Campaign and more. Price 25p (plus 15p popirom une viner Bookshop, 328 Upper St, London N1 (226 0571) or 137 Digbeth Birmingham B5 (U2I-043 3904). • Defend the NHS!
Socialist Health Association action pack against private
infórmation on all aspects of private medicine and how to
it. Includes pamphlets
SHA, 9 Poland St, London WIV 3DG, f2.S0 (includes post)
E1.50/75p unwaged. • 'The Fight against the Police Bill' Day Conterence
campaign and establish a broad, nationally representative committee Speakers from LP, trade
Sun 15 May, vi salsativs
Town Hall. Further details from National Campaign against the Police Bill. c/o Room 50, Hackney Town Hall, Mare St, E8 (01-986 3123 ext 280).
• Popular Planning for Social Need conference. 21
County Hall, , LUnGOn
unwaged, creche available. To develop a democratic Aulernalve cconomic Strategy. Organised by CAITS, Poly London. Holloway Rd, N7.
• Resistance to Kacism Social Fri 20 May, 8 to midnight with bands, food, var cic. maninge Community Centre. Brabant Rd, Wood Green N22 Tickets £2. unwaged f1. In support of the Haringey defence campaigns.
- a people in chains' Hounslow Socialist rorum discussion led by a member of tne turkey
Money and elections
huge success. Hundreds were milling in and out all afternoon. Badges and T-shirts sold well and literally gallons of drink poured down thirs-
throats despite the rain.
The paper sold well both at the Festival and on the Troops Out demo ('IRA Marchers of Hate
Sunday Express described it).
With the CHUC
spread on Bobby Sands,
and the coverage about CND
and the Peoples? March, it was no wonder sales
good. There is
one sneaking thing that
worries us. We hope
Thatcher hasn't, been
hobnobbing with her
Metropolitan Police and
sneaked a I00k at our
Their subscription esty
subscription copy
of Socialist Action.
We would not liked. to be blamed for the June election, if it was because she saw how much we
Solidarity Campaign. Sun 22 May, George IV pub, 185 Chiswick High Rd, W4, 7pm
Roach Family Support Committee MARCH and RALLY FOR AN INDEPENDENT PUBLIC
INQUIRY INIU INC DRAIN Or
COLIN ROACHIN STOKE NEWINGTON POLICE STATION Saturday 14th May
Assemble 12.30p.m
Bethnal Green Gardens Near Bethnal Green Tube Station
London CZ
• Colin Roach London- wide demonstration has been called for 14 Mas calling for a public inquiry
12.30, Bethnal Green dardens. . Further details from RFSC, c/o 50 Rectory Road, London N16 (01-254 140U1.
• Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador Briefings are produced by the Central america lulullalul Service, 14 Brixton Rd, London SW9. If you would like to receive them regularly, please write enclosing your name and address.
Oppose the Police Bill GLC Police Cttee information pack on the ronce and comina Evidence Bill. Available from: GLC Police Citee Support Unit, County Hall, London SE1 (01-633 5944)
- Iree to donores STOP THE
MISSILES
IN 1983
• New badge in red, green and white o
Londers 2% cheque Sable to Socialist Action,
sill naa lo collect and thought she should get in - quick.
Those marchers have before they can link right long way go across the country and stoo the cruise MISSIC that Ronnie 'Raygun' Reagan wants slapped on the US bases.
If you have got some money sitting your bank account that you welc planing on glving us in a couple of weeks
write out a cheque today.
Help us to stop the missiles and fight the election with a socialist
Labour
victory.
Thanks this week to:
Form LP in Scotland
Prestonon Cabaret Total this week 623.00 Total so far 24.481.14
• 'Ballots and Bullets' a new and powerful documentary from ne Salvadorean Film Institute
available for hire 1 VHS video cassette for €10 plus carriage. 30 mins, colour. Contact SFI support group 36 Jackson Rd, London N7,
• El Salvador - another Vietnam? Norwood Labour Party public meeting. Speakers include John Fraser MP: Jaimie Lopez (FDR representative); plus speakers from El Soc and local trade unlulls. Film show bookstalls and exhibitions. Thur 12 May, 7.30pm,
Brixton SW2.
ternatonal Arcumen for Peace Ealing/Southall Labour Party public mecing. speakers. Dennil: Bartholomew (Grenada High Cssn); Fred Halliday; Jos
UND), wolgang kudoll (on the West German Peace
.30pm,
St, Southall.
• No Pass Laws in the North West Campaign conference on pass laws passport checks and police lalus Sat 14 May 10-3pm, 8411 Centre, Moss Side, Manchester. Free admission, creche available
• Dicast book. The campaign can be contacted c/o 593 Stockport
Longsight Manchester 12(061-225 5111).
• Stoke Newington and Hackney Defence Campaign public meeting: Defend the nant demonstrate. bro the charges now! Thurs 12. May, 7.30pm, Stoke Newington Library, Small Hall, Edwards Lane STOP THE
MISSILES
IN 1983
25p each plus 20p for postage and packing; 15g each for orders of 20-50, 13p for orders of over 50 - DOSE ICt
Socialist Action Forums
MANCHESTER 'Coalition and Proportional
- a debate. nebresendon Thur 19 May, 7.30pm. Millstone Hotel, Thomas St, Manchester 4 (off Oldham St). 'How socialists should fight for a Labour • victory' Thur 16 June. 7.30pm. addres: as above. Speaker Cir John Nicholson, Gorton CLF EDINBURGH Socialis the last Thursday of every month Phone 031-667
information and details of
HOUNSLOW Socialist Action readers forum every other Thursday. For further Intornaton ane deldis phone 01-577 3429.
CAMDEN Socialist Action Forum: Dicussion on Middle East: Sunday 15 May 8pm. Cock Pub, Phoenix Road (Nr Euston Stn).
Entrance, Stoke Newington Church St, N16. Speakers nclude Hugo Hunte, Jilliar Whitelock and other defendants; Brynley Heaven (Chair Hackney police cttee); Socialist Action • Fred Tonge Memorial Lecture given ov Kaid! Miliband on 'Marxism and the Labour Movement'. Organised by St Pancras Labour Partv. Weds 25 May, 8pm Douglas Hyde Hall, the Irish Centre camden square (camden tube). • Free David Avondale! Support the picket of the Court of Appeal, Ine strand London WC2, Thurs 12 May at 9am.
ACTiON Socialist
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Appeal target of
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Page 13 scan of this page
Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica...
By Jenny Pearce (author of Under the Eagle)
Surplus Value
LAST AUGUST I was in Guatemala. Together with a journalist friend travelling from Cahabon to Guatemala City. scenery was mountainous and quite breath-taking. Nobody travels in the interior of Guatemala today because of the war. The road was empty, there was a chill in the air — it felt quite sinister. Half down the road we stopped at an inn. Six people came in laughing and almost hysterically.
As they were sitting down 1 noticed that one of them had a hand grenade in his belt. All the men were heavily armed. As we listened to their conversation, it became apparent that they were in fact military dressed civilians — a death squad which had just come back operation.
This incident made me think about the relationship between
Central America.
States claim that it's the violence of a few 'extremists'. But what you have in Central America systematic violence or a ruling order in decay. A Guatemalan sociologist put it this way: "The last two generations in Guatemala have been born in and brought up in a society in decomposition. sow and uncertain at the beginning, inevitable and profound at ine present. symbol decomposition is terror'.
The Reagan regime is committed
military solution in America. All his policies January 1981 have been towards that end. I don't just mean committed to the military defeat of the guerrilla movemenl Salvador, but une millary tion of the whole region.
Objectives
The objectives Reagan has been pursuing since he came to power are: • the downfall of the Sandinista government In Nicaragua. forefront of this policy is strengthening the military apparatus duras • restoration of US military fluence Guatemala, declined since Carter's aid cut off in 1977 • a resolution of the conflict between Guatemala and Belize, to ensure that the United States has a base of operation and influence in Belize
recruitment of Costa Rica to the ranks of US influence and bringing about the rearmament of Costa Rica.
_ think that the overal aim of these policies is to pacify the region ana to re-create te regional millary alliance (CONDECA) which existed in the 1960s - and to bring into that alliance Guatemala, Honduras the Salvadorean army.
This military strategy goes hand in hand with a propaganda and military offensive. During Reagan's trip last December he met kios Montt in Hon duras, and shortly after that we heard that the White House was resuming arms sales.
The US government needs to convince congressional opinion that progress towards 'peace' 'democracy' is being made. I think that US pressure for the elections in Honduras in November '81, the election in Salvador in March '82 and the formation of the Central American Democratic Community in January '82 are all part of this.
was
The way
shrieking
up as
from an
individual
The United
today is the
of that
Central
since
directed
in EI
pacifica-
In the I AM GENERAL RIOS MONTTRULER OF GUATEMALA AND
in hon-
BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIAN
inFreedom.
All these allu
and Costa Rica pontically
the military. presidential elections
and control of internal security tne military.
The
of political
This latter
I AM TRYING TO BRING THE WORD OF THE GOSPEL TO organisation disappeared mysteriously when the Guatemalans joined it, to was
in October, the Forum for Peace and
organisations are political aspects of what is essentially a military strategy. In this strategy Honduras is the key country militarily
the key countly
Today in Honduras the real power
Even November '81, the candidates of the Liberal and National parties had made a pact with the military to ensure that the real power or cabiner appointments and
Play WELl
military has subsequentl einforced its control over key area
life. allu cronoile General Alverez is the real source of power in that country today. Key in
'Systematic violence of a
ruling order in decay'
REPORTS THAT MY TROOPS HAVE MURDERED THOUSANDS THIS BACKWARD COUNTRY OF PEASANTS ARE FALSE his promotion from colonel to general
the pressure of the US Passaudi Honduras, Negroponte.
Since the elections the military has become much more important with the stepping up of US aid, and the forcing of Alverez's opponents into diplomatic exile.
The strengthening of the army and airforce represents the view of the US and Alverez that other governments In the region nave actea too deal with the upsurge of the popular movement.
Another part of the Alverez strategy is the attempt to decapitate that movement by murdering popular leaders. Last year 100 or pearances' took place in Honduras. Many of them were peasant leaders and union leaders.
Over the past year the popular noveltend Honduras grown much because of illusions in
WE SENT THEM ALL TO HEAVEN the Liberal Party government. am- now that is starting to change. When I John was in Honduras last vear there was g
big teachers strike one of lne most radical unions.
January there was a strike of 50,000 workers in San Pedro over the sacking of 48 workers in the public sector.
These are examples of how the popular movement is beginning to be radicalised by what is happening in the rest of Central America. As the late to
popular movement will grow.
In Costa Rica, the country is being pulled into the Reagan camp through economic crisis. rocketed from 6 per cent in 1980 to 15 'disap- per cent in 1982.
$4 billion, of the capita totals in the world. way out is loans from the IMF, and This not proval.
The stringent austerity measures
Socialist Action 13 May 1983 year Were Rica.
SHOVELIC. support.
sets up defended Starved
mainly
The
The supplying regime
very
revolutuna But build a very
the teachers are
being
for the region
gets deeper the
Unemployment has solidarity
whole region The external debt is
per The only
American ap- £4.50
Bookshop
13 have heightened social tensions. Last
were among banana workers and public sector employees. Reagan wants to use Costa Rica in his regional strategy because it has a strong tradition of democracy, u nas a clean Imagi abroad. Officially the Costa Rican army was abolished in 1948, but in the last few years we have seen a big in. crease in its security apparatus, under US pressure. Reagan has been giving assistance in 'defending' the bordei
with Nicaragua — Israel is supplyin‹
an electrified fence for the border The prospect is thus for increasing social and political conflicts in Costa
Offensive
Guatemala is the most important country in the region, both in terms of
size of the population. In March last year the guerrilla movement was growing con
siderably in strength and it looked a if it would lead to an offensive. But it
Why not?
Since Rios Montt came to power last year the US has been trying to persuade world public opinion that he is a democrat. When Reagan met Rios Montt last year, Reagan said Montt had got a 'bum rap' from the world's press and that in fact he was a very true democrat'! This at a time when the Guatemalan armed forces have been engaged in slaughter and torture on an unprecedented scale
The point is that the Rios Montt dictatorship has the most coherent anti-insurgency strategy in the whole
what they call the strategy of 'guns and beans'. Put simply, as I heard it from an army officer, if you support the government we'll feed you - otherwise we'll kill you.
The Guatemalan army designates certain villages where it knows that the guerrillas have a certain base of
They go in and massacre people. If villagers flee into the hills, they are eventually forced to give up because of lack of food. The army
strategic villages, which are against guerrillas.
Sometimes to make an example the army just lets the villagers starve.
I met an international aid officer who told me of a camp of 6000 people
women and children. died during the first day at the camp. They were so starved that they could only be fed intraveneously. He told me that he thought that half of them would be dead within two months.
local hospitals wouldn't even deal with these people because they thought they were guerrillas.
United States Was secretly aid the Guatemalan even before the official resumption of arms supplies. As I said before, for the US it's the key country in the region. Because the regime has
coherent anti-insurgenc strategy it's going to be a long war. There is little prospect of a quick
victory. We have to strong solidarity move.
What we are seeing today is the Central Americanisation of the wai — all the countries of the region are
drawn into it, under tutelage. We have to say that the US has not just a policy for El Salvador or Nicaragua. Reagan has a strategy
In the countries I have mentioned there is a strong popular movement and in Guatemala a very advanced guerrilla movement. When we campaign on El Salvador and Nicaragua, we have to make that clear and build
with the of the - so that in the future we don't have to start on solidarit with a country like Guatemala from the very beginning.
Under the Eagle. Published by LAB
Available from the Other 328 Upper Street, London NI kat (add ov tor pop)
Page 14 scan of this page
NUPE conference: problems
14
PICKET
LINE
Occupation
link up
OCCUPYING workers from the Dundee Timex factory are on a tour of South Wales workplaces this week to gain support. They will meet other Engineering union members occupying the British Steel subsidiary, Unit Superheaters in Swansea.
These unionists have seen thousands lose their livelihoods in the avalanche of closures that have hit Wales and Scotland in recent years. But now they are saying enough is enough.
The Timex workers are defiant in the face of management attempts to break the sit-in. On 6 May the company sacked the 200 workers who refused to participate Managemchl ballot. Another 500 occupiers will be taken to court.
Similar threats lie in store for the sit-in at Unit Superheaters and the workers at Firth Derihon in Sheffield and Greenings in Warrington.
There too, workers have taken over the factories to fight forc-
redundancies in steel related industries.
SUPPORT the occupations. Send messages and money. Organise solidarity tours.
Unit Superheaters. r rens vaas.
Bishopston Rd, Bishoosion. swansea
Timex. Treasurer John Kydd, 81 Brownhill Rd, Dundee. • Firth Derihon. D Michie, 21 Mather Ra, Littledale, Sheffield SS 4GN. • Greenings. JSSC Strike Fund. c/O L Blood, 26 St John St, Newton-Le-Willows, Merseyside.
Cowley
fight goes
on
WORKERS BL Lowiey Pressee Steel Fisher plant returned to WOrK wiln confidence after the four and a half week assembly plant strike.
They are still resisting management attempts to take away five minute washing. up time. The Rover Ambassador line are reusing to work the five minutes along with lally SUO assemo v workers.
The management have backtracked in the face of anther major dispute. They have said that while talks continue
Socialist Action 13 May 1983 with Transport and General Workers Union oralcn orniccs. tion will be taken against the workers finishing early
Management now plan to impose aualea plant status. This would De « dow to conamuons. The strength to stop APS
DUI LOC union leaders refuse to harness
One thing clear, Cowley workers are still a force to be reckoned with!
Unit
Superheaters
WORKERS now in their second week of occupation at Unit Superheaters have discovered plans to sell OUI Engineering Division of
Babcock and
NilcoX.
Convenor Pete Thomas explains 'Units is an engineering service company providing high speed quality. products.
an overtime LalLeuHUUSLV atena always had its peaks and
The Louels Iclosull really caught up with us two years ago and since then we've been on
three or four day LW U. week'.
common with the rest OI union negotiated redundancies in an altempt to keep lic plant open.
We gave everything, we sold our souls. We accepted full flexibility and the result at the end of the day was redundancles sayere
The pattern was initia voluntarv redundan. cies with older men being happy OCC)I pa) off But last November, 45 more lobs were cut.
The redundancies were not accepted and ar overtime ban followed. When management came back more compulsory including the convenor, the workers occupied.
Mass mccul last week rejected BSC
deal and ualarelc ll the union is preparing for a long struggle.
Solidarity, moral and financial, will be key to the dispute. BSC transfering work to outside contractors and this must be blacked.
All emergency tion of support was Last oerks pales ed TUC and money and delegations have been arriving at the factory.
A delegation will speak at the South Wales miners conference this
and Labour week Party is being asked for backing. The unioll Units particularly needs support from other BSC plants. (Graham Atwell)
PICKET LINES. Short 150 word reports by
perore publication. Longer
contact DEUTICD. LIt Editorial Board by Mone day, the week before publication.
THE NATIONAL Union of Public Employees, Britain's fifth largest union, meets in Scarborough this week.
NUPE, long regarded as the militant face public sector , trade unionism, organises most-
among local government manual workers, health service ancillary WORKer nl Willi smaller contingents in the universities and water ll dustry.
'WO thirds of its members are women, many of them part-time. A disproportionate number аге rom the misonnes TOI Luese workers, Thatcherism has DecI uninterupted nightmare.
The problems they face are fully reflected in the conference resolutions low pay, cuts in jobs and services, privatisation. The issue of low pay highlighted last year with
month NHS LIC cill dispute.
NUPE members played a leading part. But despite the militancy of the NHS workers,
All uie elu they were defeated and demora ised bi LICVC ending series of limited strikes called by the TUC health services committee. Critical
There are several resolutions bitterly crucal of the disastrous conduct be Icoe DOHe Ut! out that the NUPE leadership did not •campaign hard enough for NUPE'S policy of all-out indefinite action.
THE SUPREME votes.
In his pre-conference address. union president Terry Dutty spelt out-his backing for the Labour Party right wing. He made Labour leadership and to strong appeal to the Michael Foot to ditch Labour Party conference policy on disarmament and adopt instead multilateral approacn lo nuclear weapon reduction.
He forcetullv invited the national committee to overturn the union's long standing opposition to incomes policy, 'It. was our failure to talk on wages that lost us the last election. It is absolutely vital
behind militant face
This militancy echoed in resolutions or
Riy PE executive counte
exccuuve council launch Campaign by 1 September next year's
13. 3 for a minimum wage of -100. . They also criticise the IC for not doine this last year, despite clear conference policy.
By Dominic Johnson NUPE Oxford NHS (personal capacity)
There are similar calls for mass nationwide action against privatisation. Although this was agreed at last year's conference, Hue nas Deel dore
Instead individual sec tions have been picked off often making deals which undermine national agreements, demoralising
Ualans
the entire membership in the process.
Since the qualified victory or me al-oul water workers strike, which involved NUPE, that the only way union policies can be won Is by resolute mass action. But is this the perspective of the NUPE leadership?
The present leadership is one of the most leit wing in the TUC. General secretary Rod Bickerstaffe has been called the Scargill of the public sector. Depu-
general secretary Tom Sawyer was the only trade union representative on the Labour Paty NEC to vote against the expulsion of the Militant PIONN. NUẤN the same time
has DLUYECOIVC policies on many political
ENDS. "is filiaed to
CND. women. although much needs to be
steps
Left gains in AUEW elections
making body of the that there is a partnership between the next Labour government and the trade
movement'
Ulliv! argued.
By a Manchester AUEW branch secretary
The 52 delegates at the national committee divided Duffy's favour and against the Broad Left to support the Labour Party proposal for
national economic assessment, including on Wasco
Only on the Common Market was Duffy seriously defeated. The Committe
NU
NUPE members headed the NHS pay strike last year taken to increase the in-
the two volvenelt thirds female membership.
national women's printed, hive seats on the officer has been EC are reserved for
and • divisional WUlCI womens' advisory committees have been established.
Today the president and president are women.
NUPE was easily the largest union to vote against the register at last
rejected his proposal for a referendum the EEC anne caucu instead for firm Labour manifesto
to withco mull cill drawal.
Referendum
This followed Duffy motivating the proposal by saying: 'In the event of a hung parliament Labour will not be able to work with the SDP-Liberal Alliance unless we agree to
referendum on the EEC'.
The Committee also took a firmer stand than
Dain. Nuh dido a pai
Calit Duffy with the employers in 1979 which left hours out of the national claim. he ivent for a vague foa-
mulation on hours alongside a vague demand for a substantial money Increase.
SOLIHULL HOSPITAL
ANO DISTRICT BRANCH
ANUP
year's Labour Party conterence and all the con ference resolutions on the witch hunt oppose expulsions from the Labour Party.
Problem
The problem is that the NUPE leadership does not have an adequate cam• paigning perspective which seeks to actively inYUVe 01 the membership in a fight for NUPE's policies.
Jimmy Airlie
But the committee voted tor a specific demand of a 35 hour week, for 6 weeks holiday, for earlier retirement and reduction in l Overlill
It wil take a mammoth effort to translate these policies into effective campaign of industrial action. But the mood for change is building up from below. This is shown in the election for the seven per-
In the Unions
ABOLISH
FOWLER-PEST
THE DISEASE THAI
ING THE are then blamed on membership apathy
The NUPE leadershir has no plans to build campaigning left wing alliance right across the public sec-
could organise militants in unions with ISTANBAT TAHIT
So the task of NUPI activists at this conference and beyond is to work out how to organise sufficient pressure NUEC leadership to make them
NUPE'S policies, both inside and outside the union.
son national executive committee Communist Party memoe Jimmy Airlie, remembered for his
PCS shipyard in Scotland
Scotland and North West WUL positior for
England. MOPNINO
Clique
This is a dent in Duffy's right-wing clique. Other left gains were made a in South Wales, Newcastle and Bradford with the election of Broad LeftBaCkeO divisional organisers and asuncl secrelaries
With AUEW members joining the number of factory occupations against redundancies, these elections remind Duffy and company that
Eastbourne it's not all going their way.
Page 15 scan of this page
In the Unions
- dead end
ONE thousand trade union delegates from some of the best organised parts of industry are expected to pack Birmingham's Digbeth Civic Hall on Sunday 15 May. Jobs will be their concern, but the theme of the meeting is import controis.
Called by the Campaign for Import Controls Committee (CICC), the rally come conference is a 'rank and file' attempt to revive the selective import control ampaign of the
WOrKeI other unions which has spluttered to a halt in the past two It's
ycals organisers are convenors in the motor industry sympathetic to the Labour left and Communist Party.
Nevertheless, despite the more militant anti-Tory rhetoric which will cominale unis meeung, Il 1s
dangerous dead end in the fight for jobs. A quick look at the invited
reveals the SoCaRCIs blem. What do Arthur Scargill and Bill Sirs have in common? Or Tony Benn and Michael Foot? Scargill and Benn talk the language of class struggle wiereds Sirs Foot practice class collaboration with the bosses.
Problem
And that sums up the whole prodien will call paigns for import LOS. Thev sav to British workers that their interests lie persuading their bosses and the Government to produce aomesuically wildl Is Culrently imported. What tollows trom this is that British bosses and workers nave teress n commor against workers of other Coures.
Even in the 'left' version controiling multinational companies and preventing the export of capital, this is the rotten chauvinist core at the heart of import controls.
It is not simply that import controls are wrong in principle. They will lead to lower living standards and probably lose more jobs. Import controls have an immediate effect prices. Forced to buy more expensive. 'British' goods, British workera nould fall. living standards
increased profits made by capitalists enjoyThat white
heaven
IN THAT GREAT after-
life in the sky there will
be two heavens. One
for whites and the other
is for blacks.
Marie Van Zyl MISS
who leads the ultra right-
wing
which organises protests
against South Africa's
'liberal' and multiracial
'reforms' has had an in-
spired divine revelation
about this.
Mrs Iv has 9 direct
line to the Almighty SO
what she is on about.
However she is determin-
ed not to give out God's
telephone HELLICI
Import controls
for jobs fight
protected markets would not be used to invi casc employment or wage levels.
By David Grant (TGWU BL Longbridge) and Mick Drake (TGWU Ford's Dagenham)
Capitalists produce to make profits not to create jobs. Even if the bosses invest their profits at home they would buy labour saving machinery in order to get a better lalc return on their capital That way more jobs would be lost. Alternatively, living standards could
Recent estimates show that for the rate of prout lo go up enougn 10 stop the export of capital wage levels would have to drop by about £1,000 per worker a year.
Import controls, allyway. sword. In the thirties the are a two edged
protectionism oI all the world's major capitalist countries led to a reducnon woro trae wolco prolonged the depression
cecualco economies of the southern hemisphere. Nowadays, the only countries that second-ac bower uke b. tain could implement imDOTL COLLOS without fear of massive retaliation are the poorest countries of the world.
It is ironic that the companies where import controls are being pushed hardest by the unions
Leyland - are amongst the biggest exporters manufactured goods. The jobs of Jaguar car workers
currently secure because of booming American market. Ford's Bridgend plant supplies all
when reporters asked her
ToI detais on the anar.
theid heaven she told
them: •Talk my
lawyers.'
Mrs Zyl's promise
that heaven will be
segregated has not upset
South African blacks.
They do not fancy spen-
ding infinity with a load
of white racist trash.
white-male
dominated South Africa
even Mrs Zyl is not ap-
preciated. When she
argued with Prime
Minister Pieter Botha at
a by-election meeting he
told her: 'We cannot
peak at the same time
Has your husband no
taught you that? .
Maybe Botha
thinks there will be three
the engines for European built Escorts. How would the jobs of these workers
prolecica Dy import controls?
Fighting for the international unity of workers
mutanona companies may be more difSCURI spouling tionalistic catchphrases, but in the long run it is the only effective way to defend jobs and start to control tne activities of the multinationals. The recent conference of Ford Europe convenors in Spain points the way in this direction. Message
Finally, workers will view with the greatest suspicion the people who plead for import controls to save jobs. Terry Duffy and Bill Sirs have sat. or their hands while the CIACCHY and stee in dustries have been butchered. MORE IMPORTS MEAN A LOSS OF JOBS FOR BRITISH WORKERS WHAT DOES YOUR FIRM MAKE?
Duffy is on record as saying that nothing must
recovery to profitability of COnDanes like Leyland. This is a promise he has carried out with a vengeance, from the sack-
of Derek Robinson through to the sell out o1 the Cowley strike.
Bill Sirs' message to the Consett and Round Oaks steel workers was to sit tight and support the steel unions' import controls campaign. Now they are all on the dole. The Com munist Party, Benn and Scargill are sharing a common platform with these scabs when they should be mobilising their supporters in the widest possible support for the cupation for jobs at :Timex in Dundee. Firth Derihon in Sheffield and Greenings
Warrington. It is with these workers that the fight for jobs lies, not in pleas for import controls.
heavens - one for white
men, one for blacks and
one for women like
Marie Van Zyl.
Be diplomatic
about racism
FIGHTING RACISM is
high on NATFHE's agenda. When one of
their members John Ferances aaout the piglets at Han blew the
and their attitude
black people he caused a storm.
The progressive NATFHE's executive were a bit shocked when his local union branch sup-
MANDS OF IN vocative letter from DrP response
Troughton Telecom's City
workers have put an embargo on all repairs at (Ex-
chanhe letter was sent out
on 6 May following two days of mass picketing at the back of the Bank of England. This picket was
support of the four week industrial action by British Telecom engineers against the Telecommunications Bill.
This was a lead up to the escalation of selective action in the city area. On
May POEU members will down tols for 90
ported him publising the police cadel s views race. It's a bit much exposing the cadets who wanted 'white dictatorship and wondered whether it was better to
blacks in oil, 01 petrol. That sort of thing could damage the public's confidence in the police.
John got the sack
from the college and
Brent withdrew teaching
support from the colleg
left 10 did not go back to
the college but 16 did.
Brent had al mie lee-
re-deploy the lecLul cis.
NATFHE might be a
bit squeamish about
US OrE (ELEPHONES! BRITISH TELECOM POEU engineers in the City of London on the picket line.
stepped up ... and down
minutes to attend a mass rally on Tower Hill. What has terrified management
of action in the financial heartland 01 British capitalism.
You losing your phone is one thing. Interfering with the capitalist marke in the Stock Exchange and the Bank of England i quite another ball game Troughton in his letter got in a real lather about the threat to the city saying
'Communication is the life blood of the city. Proof that this can be jeopardised at the whim of the union will drive customers into the arms of
racism but all out con-
trontation with the
police that's another
matter. So they told the
lecturers to go into work
otherwise they would be
in . breach of contract
which is 'a lot more im
portant than all those sil
NATFHE have acted
with great speed to settle
the dispute.
broke all records by set-
ting up a new branch at
Hendon in six weeks.
Normally it takes a year
to do this. The branch
represents the lo stil
working and excludes
troublemaker John Fer
nandes.
If "responsible'
unions act like this we
Socialist Action 13 May 1983
Action against privatisation
our non-militant, non-unionised competitors. strike breaking Troughton
"No" to a further
on Nonday 9 May when
She ted change. Such action if extended can stop the Tories plans for privatisation
this acfull support from the Labour Party
Westminster Branch has
WORM'S
EYE
VIEW
will have no trouble abice forces it will a tbe about racism smoothed over by com mon sense diplomacy instead of being brought out in the open by hot heads like John Fernandes and Brent LEA.
15 HANDS OFF TELEPHO
FOR SALE... GOING CHEEP POEU Picket
PROVATE • already been called off in response to a letter to the union from Michael Foot
which he argues that such could 'represented as an attack on democracy'.
doin this the POEU has gone behind the back of the Westminster Branch adopting managament tacties and writing direct to striking engineers.
Such a move is not only ? stah in the back for thi workers but it helps the lorie! plunder 3I14 economy for private enter.
which is the very Labour should Compiled by BOB PENN INGTON. Send contribu Siret, London NI XP 10 worm's Eye, day a week prior to publica tion.
Page 16 scan of this page
THE RESULT of the general election volves high stakes for rail users, rail workers and their families.
If the Tories get back into office they are hell bent on implementing the notorious Serpell Report closing hundreds of miles of 'unprofitable' lines in a rerun of Beeching's attacks of the '60s.
By Patrick
Sikorski (NUR)
The first step in the Tories plans are being
SION WIll the closure of the six rail engineering WUEN shops Temple Mills (Lohidon), Horwich, Shildon, Swindon, Glasgow and Derby.
This week the NUR national conference of railway shop men will be meeting discuss how to fight the closures. Several resolunons call for industrial action and one demands
be used' to stand and fight the closures.
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SOCiAList
ACTION
SAY NO TO SERPELL
Stop Tory slaughter on rail
around
complete
the thus
future.
the issue after had LAKCI over March Spalding branch Lincolnshire.
La 'local'
and that
more branch that the
In the Beeching,
Area, not to
these have been Triple
and plan tion, but
Rail counterparts can be
subscribe SPFER
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defeated — was relegated
to last place in their plan
of action.
has heen
tone of recent statements
NUR Ixecutive
who have not used the
possibility unal exists 10
build unity in action bet-
different
of rail workers facing
Handel allacks.
The potential still exfor other actions
against cuts - 00111.
ple against line closures
tion of driver-only
operation (on both
main line and London
Transport) to link up
with the fight the
workshops.
Unity in the union the grades could
be rebuilt after the
disastrous sell-outs
pay and cuts last year
and a real unity forged
with other sections of the
Triple Alliance.
* March against the
closure of the BREL
workshops. Wednesday
11 May, 12.30pm, Malet
Street (opp Euston Sta-
tion), Rally Central Hall
Westminster 1.00pm.
Speakers Michael Foot,
Booth. Jimmy
Knapp. Lobby the
of Commons.
3.00pm.
SPECIAL
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.
TUESDAY 24 May is
International Women's
Day for Disarmament.
To mark the occasion
this year, women s
peace groups interna-
tionally are calling for
actions ranging from
full labour stoppages to
small scale
demonstrative actions.
But the aim everywhere
is that women drop their
normal activities for action
to show that women all over
the world refuse to live with
the nuclear threat.
By Glasgow
Women for Peace
In Britain the women
of Greenham Common
have led thousands.
other women to feel that
they can organise positive
action against the war
drive and in particular
against the threatened
deployment of Cruise and COUNTRY WIDE occupations of British Ship-
remove the threat to cut 9000 jobs.
In six years
the industry in areas like Scotland and the North West where half of the proposed cuts fall.
On 4 May, 500 delegates from the unions
the yards met at soccidi ¡allulldi ference in Tyneside. They returned to the 22 yards and seven engineering works involved with mandate оссиру management do not res-
abour Committee on
Palestine Public m
Wed 18 May 7,30
Lambeth Town Hall Speakers from PLO, LCP
LMEC, Palestine Solidarity. Open
discussion on solidarity
work at LP and TUs
conferences.
MODERN
TIMES Oh, me dad's just a bii pessimistic. As soon as they announced the election he started digging out a nuclear shelter...
Our day for
missiles in Farope bay this year.
May has already won the support of TUC General Council, the TUC advisory committee, NALGO equa opportunities committee, ACTT, the Labour Party NEC, the Labour Part: women's committee, CNI 830083373 Greater London Council 18888 other Labour councils including Glasgow Distriet couneil.
In Glasgow the focal point of our day of action will be a rally for peace in George Square between 12-2pm.
Speakers will include not only Greenham Common and raslane peace camps. also the Scottish TUC and Nicaraguan representative.
fion on 24 May see page 2
Occupation plan against
shipyard sackings
builders' yards are planned if management refuse to
25,000 jobs have been slashed in British shipbuilding. The latest plan would decimate
cind the job cuts
Four hundred and thirthreatened redundancies are
Henry Robbs shipyard in Leith, which is the port for Edinburgh. This is more than half the workforce
Bill Mckenna, outfit trade convenor and
TROOPS OUT NOW!'
the chant the
2000-strong demonstra-
tion in London last Satur-
day. march com-
memorating the second
anniversary of the death of
hunger striker Bobby
sands MP, sufjered
harassment from the
police with the arrest of
four marchers and Dave
Douglas, Yorks NUM Ex-
ecutive member and
speaker at the rally.
The march drew hostile
comment in the Sunday
Express and from Tory
MPs.
Ken Livingstone ad-
dressing the march said:
'The hunger strike of Bob-
by Sands and his comrades
was the death knell of
British occupation in
Ireland... it brought inter
national recognition and
As Livingstone noted,
the imminence of a general
election and the prospect
of Sinn Fein victories socialisolls means that
must redouble
their efforts to raise the
issue of troops out now in
the Labour Party
• Long Kesh revisited
page 4.
disarmament
MAY
24
the
local 13333
spokesperson for the joint
shop stewards committee
"This dispute with
says.
management fight
against the loss of jobs for
present
generations in Leith and
against Leth becoming a
ghost town. The knock-on
effect on allied trades such aorks would be disastrous coal, steel and wire
for the town.
'We will support any
mass occupations of our
ship yards as proposed by
the leadership.
UNDER
IN
THE
SN
By Pauline Tierney
• At a meeting with Ron Brown MP for Leith last Wednesday assurances were given there would be a meeting this week with the libvan am. bassador to negotiate an immediate contract
In an attempt to run down the yard in preparation for closure, manageare stalling on lis order.
• ror more occupation news see page 14.
2 MILLION
IRISH DIED
SUPER TENoRiN BRITISH
Xams 1983
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