Socialist Challenge No. 109, 16 August 1979
The scan: sc-n109-aug-16-1979.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
Socialist Challenge No. 109 16 August 1979 15p TROOPS OUT
IRELAND!
Page 2 scan of this page
Build the United Troops
Abortion: going beyond
OUR POLICIES
Capitalism is in crisis. The leaders of the Labour Party and the trade unions offer solutions that are in
not of the workers but of the capitalise class.
Socialist Challenge believes that the twn vital tasks
CUITORIE
•obuild brogs-based clas struggle tendencies in opposition
class-collaborationism labour movement. These should
grouping together militants holding a wide range of political views.
• To begin to fight
unified democratic revolutionary socialist
application of united begin seen alternalive by thousands workers engaged in struggles.
Such an organisation should be based on the understanding that:
The struggle for seeks to unite the fight of
with that of other oppressed layers of society. women black people. gays struggling for liberation. This socialism can only be achieved hy creating new organs of power and defeating with all necessary means the power of the capitalist state.
Our socialism will
more democratic I than what exists in Britain today. lull rignis Tor political parties and currents that do not lake up arms against the socialist state. The Stalinist models of "socialism' in the LSSR and Fastern Europe have discredited socialism in the eyes of millions of WORKLES We are opposed to them and will
full support fighting for socialist democracy.
The interests of workers and capitalisss are irreconcilable on a world scale. Capitalism not only created market. politics. Thus we fight for working class unity international scale. This units will in the long run be decisive in deteating both the imperialist reeimes in the West and the brutal dictatorships they sustain in Latin America, and Asia.
In Britain it implies demanding the immediate withdrawal Brilish froops from Ireland and letting the Irish people determine I OWN EUTe
The Communist parties in Europe are in crisis. Neither the 'Hurscommunist' the pro-Mascon wings have ans meaninglul strategy for overthrow of the capitalist stale. hew resolutionars socralist parties
necessar! than (onditions Inchas more lamouralse than ever the preceding three decades. Bad such parties can only rejeeling sectarianion and seeing infernal democracs nod us a laxary hates i vitad necessity. This means the right to organise factions and lentencies.
Il you agree with these principles
wind involved activitirs be Socialist Challenge supperders in your area, fill in the dorm belon and send a to us
interested information ahont addivities in uns ila. • I would like additional literature and endose Sop lo coser rests. (Helle it not applicalle)
Name...
Address..
send do socialis ( ballenge. 3289) • pper s. fondn •l.
Socialist Challenge 16 August 1979 Page 2
EDITORIAL
In lie
character.
for the
and
through
front
as an Late el
of In this revolutionary socialists unequivocal.
socialism
bosses being raised.
their
of withdrawal.
others will be forced to be
all
world.
world
4Oгс
Africa
of nor
the
ever
By Jude Watson, National Abortion Campaign
on the National
marr facilities
Britain.
were on the Not is ce
WIlO themselves.
is the major factor in most cases'.
Socialist Challenge, 328/9 Upper Street. London N1 2XQ.
Out Movement
THINGS ARE not going well for the British in Ireland. The tenth anniversary of their latest 'civilising' mission in the North of Ireland has been greeted with flak, flak, and more flak.
The Brits are under ever increasing pressure to do something to sort out their Irish mess. There is the threatened intervention of Jimmy Carter; the events in Ireland and elsewhere at the weekend; and the increasing calls for British withdrawal — the magazine New Society being
situation, the of must De clear and
Exciting opportunities are opening up for campaigning on Ireland in this country, but these will only be grasped if that campaigning offers political answers to the questions now
It is excellent, for instance, that the Young Liberals and the Young Communist League went onto the streets of London on Sunday to demand that. Britain commits itself to a policy
It is excellent because as more people demand withdrawal and take action to back it up, then
consider Britain'S war in Ireland. Most importantly, it makes it easier to raise the issue in the working class
the status quo
THE RECENT Royal Commission
Health Service would exposes the desperate need for more
throughout
Official statistics show that last year only 41.9 per cent of abortions
only NHS. operation where more than half those
pay tor The
The report suggests that 'lack of availability of NHS facilities, rather than real desire for private treatment,
The report doubts that 100 per cent of abortions could be performed on the NHS without cuts in other sectors which 'will not normally be justified'.
movement.
class that it will movement.
What should be campaign? From
The right
be postponed or bartered over. troops out now.
suggested.
such as Sunday's demonstration.
Labour Party branches.
ABOL гомА
But it does suggest that the number of health service abortions could be considerably increased if day-care clinics were provided, which
also mean 'considerable savings in resources'. Abortion Campaign, refirmed arial policy National last conference, points out that the fight for abortion rights has to be linked to the fight against cuts in the
Extended abortion facilities must be in addition not at the expense of other services.
Koval Commission recommends the aim of increasing the number of NHS abortions from 42 per cent to 75 per cent over the next four years, requiring an additional expenditure of £2.5m a year. This sum would be lower if the emphasis was put on developing day-care facilities.
However, the report poses this as a
Editorial: 01-3598180/9. Distribution/ Advertising: 01-359 8371.
It is only when the campaign in this country against British imperialism in Ireland begins to have real roots and real support in the working
emerge as a real mass
the basis for such a the point of view of revolutionary Marxism, the answer is simple.
the Irish people self-determination is an immediate one, not to
That means
Yet, as so often with the theoretical positions of revolutionary Marxism, that demand has a practical reality beyond all the others now being
A movement simply in favour of withdrawal can and will continue to build one-off actions
But what it does not do, because of its vagueness, is to provide the political answers which are needed when Ireland is argued about in trade union and
The same applies to those who say that only a campaign based explicitly on the slogan of "solidarity with the IRA' will do. Of course, we should argue for solidarity with all those fighting British imperialism in Ireland. But this
WOMENS
CHOICE
NOT
DOCTORS
CHOICE
re-allocation of funds health service. more women trades health workers need to be brought together to fight for suggested in the report, and against the cuts. Otherwise, one sector will be played off against the other; abortion facilities versus kidney machines, and 50 on.
Our fight is to improve the whole of the health service for all working class people, and part provision of free abortions for all report women who need them. The provision of day-care clinics would go a long way towards achieving this objective. here are ony 14 or so day-care clinics the performing 13.8 per abortions. Yet over abortions are before 12 weeks, so they could sately done
movement in Britain.
years, if not
Ireland can afford such a wait.
convenient middle withdrawal demand solidarity with the IRA.
"Troops out now
forces want and need help rid Ireland of the curse of Britain.
political answers to the Irish question.
all sections of the revolutionary left.
out, then when is?
Prosecutions planning, clinics.
Although
improvement
abortions.
made renowned gynaecologists.
Corrie's Bill
the
unionists, and
year, will be
We should of that the through
the next
entire
cent of NHS 80 per cent of
day-care choose.
should not be the basis for a mass solidarity
The reason is simple: we would have to wait
decades, before the British working class adopts that position, and neither the IRA or any other anti-imperialist force in
It is not the case that 'troops out now' is a
way between vague and the demand for
specifies withdrawal, while at the same time giving meaningful solidarity with the anti-imperialists in Ireland. It helps to build on a principled basis what those
— a mass movement to
The United Troops Out Movement remains the only vehicle with a potential for developing that mass movement and. for providing the
As we have said before, that movement deserves the support and active involvement of
We ask those who have equivocated: If now is not the time to build UTOM; if now is not the time to call more strongly than ever for troops
Recently the Director of Public recognised menstrual aspiration techniques as legal under the '67 Abortion Act.
This simple method is performed before it can be conclusively shown whether a woman is pregnant or not, and could be widely used in family well-woman and day-care
the use of such and the provision of day-care clinics would be an immense the present situation, these should not be seen as a cheap alternative to providing full health service facilities for all kinds of
In any case, none of these facilities will necessarily be provided unless it is mandatory under law. At present there is no legal compulsion for area health authorities to provide any abortion facilities at all.
In certain areas, abortion provision is virtually non-existent. In Birmingham, for example, only 13 per cent of abortions are on the NHS. The area is anti-abortion
It only needs one leading consultant gynaecologist to be anti-abortion to affect the service of a whole area. provIsIon. of abortion facilities is made mandatory under the NHS Act, this situation will prevail. seeks to limit the number of late abortions through reducing the statutory time limit, but he isn't looking for ways to eliminate the delays and inefficiencies within the health service which are the cause of a large number of late abortions Within the campaign against Corrie we have to continually take up the battle to ensure that the '67 Act is implemented and extended, as well as defeating this current attack.
A concience or positive legislation, planned for autumn of next directed towards the labour movement begin now to abortion facilities so that the issue is raised at round trade union conferences and at the TUC The fight against Corrie is not just a question of defending the status quo. It can lay the basis for a tremendous campaign to improve the law and the facilities for abortion, bringing Lis nearer to winning a women's right to
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£1500 donation to our Fund Drive
Oldham
textile
STRIKING Asian workers at a textile mill in Oldham returned to work this week davilg WOI victory.
The textile workers at Maple Mill, owned by Courtaulds, had gone on strike against racist and exploitative policies both by management within their own union.
strike began when workers were asked to do work previously done by five. When planis wele mlade lo urle simply told the workers to follow management instructions.
The workers continued to refuse to operate the speed-up and eventually a strike developed. were set up, and although some white workers crossed, 140 workers were outside the gates.
Union
The union, the Oldham Provincial Textile and Allied Workers Union, has a long. record of
of Asian ColCis WOlKCI. done nothing encourage organisation on the factory floor. So it was clearly taken somewhat aback by the militant action at Maple Mill. "the local bureancrats had to be called back from their dinners and golf with management to deal with the workers.
A mass filecllly Tuesday 7 August was attended by SCHUl officials. workers were vocal and not prepared to be fobbed oif with sweet talk.
The bureaucrats had to admit that the workers had a case and agreed to make the strike official if management was not prepared to meet their demands. One representative was elected trom each shutt to represent the workers, laying the basis for shop steward organisation in the future. These representatives were recognised by the union.
Stewarcs
In a meeting the following day the bosses capitulated and agreed to meel all the workers' demands. Both union and management now recognise the twelve elected shop stewards there will be no more 'agreements' over lne nedas or Enc workels. stewards will also be given time off to attend trade union courses.
An industrial language unit will
I believe that
International.
VICTORY!
workers win
all demands
resounding
book.
Safety and
three Management workers wil not COIH• will be stuck to, UnICR breaks with
Picket lines to fill in for absentees.
in the plant
salon cal stop management putting 'DICIC
ignoring the do overtime, and so on.
This their David Whitley, a OVe SCOr whom the
what action they intend to take.
called for Investments
the workers have to
ments in
agement.
to dinners with privileged
the right direction.
mills in Oldham workers, many Already moves
lishing communicc lol unc wadle aica. and
The organise.
THIS money was given to me as an inheritance and therefore is not really mine. The money has been made off the backs of the working class both in this country and abroad.
It is therefore only right that it should now be used in the best interests of the international working class and used towards everyone's liberation from this system that makes the majority of people work to line the pockets of the few.
this money can best International Marxist Group as it is the only organisation with a good perspective for building a united revolutionary socialist party in this country, and internationally through the Fourth
now be brought in to teach people English in work time. And the union has promised to take seriously the need to provide translation services, especially of things like the union rule
has agreed that be forced to do overtime, that health and safety rules
that proper lunch machines off will be allowed, that heating and ventilation will be done properly, and that there will be no question of workers having
However, all these things will have to be backed up by union organisation
if management is not going to back down at the first opportunity. Only strong shop floor organi-
on individual workers to increase their work-rate,
particularly true since ш0 OO a workers complained about, remains at his post. Courtaulds have said they will investigate the complaints, but have not said
But it is not just management that
worry about.
Their own union still has big invest-
Courtaulds, they materially compromised with man-
Doubtless the officials will still go
bosses like investors than LOMAHO AALBHIECOT the-victory at Maple Mill is a step in
There are many other Courtaulds
employing 5,000 them Asian. are being made to extend the organisation in Maple Mill 'to other mills, with the aim of estab-
La combined shop stewards ference
A conterence of Asian women in Rochdale is also planned to help them overcome their isolation and vegin to
Donations and enquiries can be sent by phoning Sue on 061-652 7851.
fifteen
be used by the Drive.
covers 90 per cent of the country.
By Ken Glanfield Chairperson Newham ANL, personal capacity RACIST THUGS have moved into the tube trains in carrying out attacks on blacks in this country.
Last Thursday, Kayumerz Anklesaria was brutally kicked to death by three white racist thugs the compartmenf of an underground train at Bromley-by-Bow London.
The police statement, almost verbatim in the London evening papers, said it was not a racist attack, but a "senseless attack'. This reaction has understandably enraged the Aslan communly
Here we print the text of a statement issued jointly by the Newham Defence Committee and the Indian Workers Association (GB) Co HulElce.
It is supported by thirty OTARTAOIS. all the local IWAs in Britain, the Pakistani Standing Con-
and the Asian women's organisațion AWAZ.
*The police claim that the wanton murder or le Pakistani by white racist thugs last Thursday was not racial, and that it was just a senseless attack.
'How do they know this? Would a We received this letter through the CHN ADIO cheque paid through a local bank for
hundred pounds for development Fund Drive.
This was a big boost for the joint
bringing our cumulative total this week to over £13,000. The letter sums up pretty well the case for our Fund
The donor made a considerable sacrifice in sending _us her or inheritance. No doubt everyone who reads the paper has had fantasies of winning the pools or getting a
ZIMBABWE MUST BE FREE BBSBFN, roughly translated as "Bye, byesanctions busters for now', should have been Jimmy Young's sign off for bis broadcastslast Thursday and Fridy from Zimbabwe-Rhodesia. The Campaign Against Kacism in the Media held a picket of the BBC headquarters in London, pointing out that Young would have difficulty calling up bløcks since most of them wouldn't be able to get to & phone. Martial law
Racist murder in Newham
in East
quoted
KAYUMERZ, ANKLESARIA racist attack have been sensible? "For the police to make such a prejudging statement is to deny the fact that in East London racist attacks on central the black population are an everyday phenomenon and that they are intenother sifying "When such attacks are reported to the police they ignore them. In the past all racist called nou-racist by the police, who seem more interested in covering up three racism than in arresting the culprits. "The black community is shocked that not only in the streets but in a tube compartment there is no security against racist attacks. And it has little inheritance.
But this comrade question through.
OUT TrOM? exploitation of working people. Hon would it best be used? To fight that exploitation, through our activity and our Fund Drive.
So if a windfall comes your way, ol indeed if you have some ask yourself a question: Where will it be best used? Not swelling the profits his of the brewing or distilling industries. but in our Fund Drive.
If everyone wbo reads this colt gaveusa fiver, me'd beudlanay...
ЛIMA7
YON ET
H RACISIS
FRIEND
munity
train.
A LAPOM
murders have been thought the Where did the
NLong
From
A Pettitt DA Russell Thompson The Red Drinker
Hackney IMG
spare cash,
Lelkasler INU Anon Авоп Wieck'stocal
HOME NEWS
HE
PHOTO: Geoffrey Sherldan
confidence in a police force that only tries to cover them up.
'On behalf of the black com-
• we want to make it clear before the authority concerned tha "enough isenough torus. Weare n‹ longer prepared to stand idly by when our brother is kicked to death in a
'Nor when it's on the pavement, like in Woolwich in June. . Or when stabbed outside a tube station, which happened in Chalk Farm last Friday.
'We urge all black people to take the responsibility for self-protection into their own hands.
similar statement has been issued by the Steering Committee of Aslan Organisations Against Racial. ism last weekend.
The meeting at the weekend dismissed the police statement on the murder as unlikely given the prevailing situation in the East End and laid the responsibility at the door of both
and Tory politicians IOl pursuing racist policies on immigration controls and other issues.
public meeting planned in Newham, for a demonstrahon when the body is released or a picket of the police station in charge of the murder enquiry.
These should be supported by all anti-racists in the area.
Our thanks this to:
Sinusacaw a
Michael Paul Hughes
1.
E13J
Page 4 scan of this page
Sir Keith's €5 won't go far among
Death on the Tube Demotion for exposing racism at work
HOME NEWS By Geoff Ryan THE TORIES really unemployed the members of the Tyneside campaign occupied the offices of local Tory MP Sir William Elliott, he agreed to meet us the following day.
Sir William told us he was 'very concerned' about our problems, which is no doubt why he votes for Tory policies unemployment. Still, he did tell us we could see him anytime if we really wanted a job.
Even if Sir Keith Joseph is trying to close down most of the industry in the North-east, he isn't totally heartless either. Newcastle Trades Council Centre for the Unemployed, together with Strong Words, worker-writers, were planning to produce a pamphlet giving the unemployed a chance to tell of their experiences on the dole. By Sue Aspinall
THOMAS Howard and John Keys
caught in a thunderstorm WerE Cockfosters station, one night last May. They sheitered in a London Transport toolroom, and there they died.
The two men, both maintenance workers- employed by Transport, were asphyxiated carbon monoxide fumes from a gas fire in the toolroom. An inquest held into the case at the end of last month, and as the evidence unfolded it became apparent that the fatal accident bad resulted from incompetence and carelessness.
London Transport gas fitters had moved the heater from the ceiling onto the wall, despite the fact that it was a model designed to be suspended horizontally from the 'homemade" and badly aluminium shield had then been stuck on top of it.
Ten months before the deaths, the heater had supposedly been serviced, yet on the day the men died old plaster from a ceiling repair done two years before was found in the airways of the fire.
A technical officer of Board gave some extremely damaging evidence. He said that the heater contravened building regulations, there must be permanent ventilation in any room with a flueless heater,
There was onlv one smal window in the toolroom, which closed when the men's bodies were discovered.
There is no reason to believe that the ignorance and neglect which led to this fatal incident are anything but commonplace. LT management had Socialist Challenge 16 August 1979
Fighting for jobs on Tyneside
care about the Northuegst. After 20 Eric
Right to Work
creating even more
formed.
local factory Centre
Durham. • at North London, employee fell
Although received a ticking. coroner about London
her or his health and safety.
ASLEF their own safety rep,
ceiling.
• fitted
inspect it.
Many safety rep
deal with the Gas
dispute about this.
particular local
was found
satety rep
42,000 unemployed
This was shortly before the general election, and they wrote to Labour Industry Minister Varley asking for Unfortunately, Varley got the boot, but shortly after the election a cheque arrived for £5 from the personal account of Keith Joseph! Sir Keith's concern is touching, but his f5 And Sir Wiliam migth have prochems fivers. William might have problems finding jobs for all the 42,000 out of work in Tyneside. But the unemployed are fighting back. Last month a local Right to Work campaign Apart from occupying Sir William's offices, we have been leafleting virtually every dole office in the area and we're planning a march from Scotswood, where will finally close in September, Jarrow, the symbol of unemployment in the Along. the way we'll be calling at local factories to get support for the Right to Work march to the TUC in September. young people have signed up for the Mor ine Newcastle Trades for Unemployed Unemployed Workers Union (UWU) which has been able to win considerable support from both trade unions and the Labour Party. It has recruited about 150 members in Newcastle. Its main successes have In Spennymoor, UWU was set up by the former plant leadership of the recently closed Courtaulds Interest has spread hevood the towns of County Durham; enquiries are now coming in from all over Britain.
But the existence of both the Right to Work campaign and the UWU has created problems. The former was set up Workers Party without any consultation with the UWU or the Centre for the Unemployed. Not surprisingly, this created friction as the centre has been actively involved in fighting unemployment for nearly two years, and has no record of the heater being moved, nor of the ceiling being repaired. They claimed that they didn't know about a similar incident in 1973, when another
unconscious while sheltering in the same toolroom.
London Transport Kirby off from the their inadequate servicing and inspection, and weakly out replied I'll follow that up, Sir', it's abundantly clear that to worker can rely on the employers to look out for
Ironically, those who should have been protecting the men's interests, job the trade unions representing workers many at Oakwood and Cocktosters, were being played off one against the other by LT at the time of the men's deaths.
members had appointed but because none of their members did jobs which were likely to take them into the toolroom, management refused them the right to
The NUR, to which Howard and Keys belonged, had not yet appointed
as wanted centralised body within the union to
the whole of London's health and safety problems, instead of don't having local safety reps elected by the members --and there was an internal
It's obvious from this case that only
knowledge and vigilance could safeguard the interests of workers themselves. It is apparent, too, that members of the NUR needed to be more aware of their own health and safety, and one of the roles a local
can play is to constantly remind and educate other members of their rights and needs in this area:
donation.
the Vickers
to
Already 35
march.
Council's
set up an
official Council.
been in County for example, the
factory.
_other
dole queues.
by the local Socialist
leaflets By Bristol Voice
AN EMPLOYMENT officer at one of Bristol's largest Job Centres was victimised exposing discrimination. This is what Steven
told an industrial tribunsi earlier this month.
Kirby said that when he tried to find
what action to take against discriminating employers who the Job Ceatre, colleagues told him: 'It goes all the time. Don't ge yourself imvolved.'
While working as an interviewer for
applicants, Kirby found that
employers use colour as criterion for job suitability.
When & young black student was refused a job behind the Bristol's Somerville Club, the steward explained that a black bar person ' might upset some of the customers':
Kirby informed the Commission for Racial Equality, and his evidence resulted the first -successful prosecution under the 1976 Relations Act in Bristol.
But Kirby was promptly transfered to a filing job, and when he asked why he was being demoted he was told by the manager of the Job Centre: "
want you drop department in the shit again'.
The CRE supported Kirby's case al
at which he claimed unfair treatment. The defence by the Montower services ComfusSon was extremely confused:
At first, Kirby was accused of breaking the Official Secrets When this excuse failed, they fell back
that Kirby broken the unwritten rules of the department by taking independent
Needless
support from Newcastle Trades
Newcastle members of the International Marxist Group have worked with both the Right to Work campaign and the UWU. don't see any need for rivalry. The UWU can help build the Right to Work march, and the campaign can encourage its supporters to join Unity in action is the best way to combat the
Despite formal agreement with this by both the union and the campaign, little has actually been done to achieve unity.
At times, unemployed workers at Swan House, the main dole office in Newcastle, have been met by two groups of people giving out
calling for fight unemployment. Such sectarianism is ludicrous. All it does is confuse workers on how best to fight back against the Tories.
Manpower Services Commission has louged discriminatory employers.
Facial The tribunal judgement. The case is important, not only because it is against a govern. ment body, but because the first time that a case of indirect
used of
Race
and fight
the
back
Liverpool to Blackpool, Act! 1-5 had September
national picture. campaign, the
organisations.
What
fight unemployment. national unemploved supported by the trade unions.
Right to Work campaign
march. A
against
Tory attacks on jobs. complaint against this country
reserved its
it is the prove
Fight for the right to work
Stop the chat
PHOTO: Graham Smith
These divisions in Newcastle only mirror the
We have the Right to Work Campaign Against Youth Unemployment, the Youth Campaign Against Unemployment, as well as a number of local
needed is single national organisation to bring together all those wanting
• We need & single union,
The best way to achieve this would be if the
issued a call for a national conference after the Right to Work
SHe COIN could bring together all those tighting Tory unemployment policies. It would at least be a first step towards the unity we need if we are to successfully fight
discrimination has been brought in - Kirby is arguing that sections of the Race Relations Act have been contravened.
As the CRE's solicitor told the tribunal: 'If protection is not given to informants it will become impossible crimination. Cases of racial dis-
would like to join the march/have more information about the march
MARCH
Seven
Yphone 01-802 0978). 2650 London
Campaignd..
Sisters
Page 5 scan of this page
Introducing Dr Leech, who's banking on our ill-health
+ By Geoffrey Sheridan
IBM, the fiercely American computer firm, has become the latest company to boost private
ADMIRER block membership of BUPA for its 15,000 British employees.
The deal is thought to be worth £800,000 a year to BUPA, the leading pay-for-your-health. outfit.
The private health organisations and those they enrich in the medical profession have made their glee at the Tories'
reign, while National Health Service.
The government aims to: *Allow decisions about private hospital development to be taken at local level, with disputes referred to
Services Secretary, Jenkin, a private medicine enthusiast.
*Encourage regional health authorities contracts with private firms for joint provision some expensive equipment.
This would extend the leeching. principle whereby use NHS facilities for diagnosis and blood transfusion services.
*Halt the withdrawal of pay beds, with a probable increase in selected areas.
Two thousand pay beds have been phased-out so far, but many of these were not filv nsed. he remaining 2,500 beds are dear to the hearts of the health leeches.
Private health insurers provide Hounslow
By Andy Lilley
of major
Ealing and in
ALCU
| ment's for £3.7m cut in health spending by
conference on
launch
health
shop
tal, Ealing branch, Hounslow NUPE
and the area i branch.
Rejecting any NHS cuts, the unions say that the proposed amount "would closure ILAL small hospitals, clinics, wards and other vital services.
They add: 'It would also involve redundancies, loss of jobs: and nace intolerable burden on I over-stretched staff.'
When the AHA met the day after the statement was issued, it agreed to make immediate cuts of just £lm, and to consider further cuts in October.
Carl Brecker, chair-
Private medicine in practice
cent more than in 1971. anti-union Certainly
record taking added to its total last year,
predicts that the covered by double in five years.
full-time contracts to no secret or plans to allow The Tories,
entirely sympathetic.
Patrick jump the queue.
and area CulC into one example,
and London says:
the amount private hospitals
There is considerable
hospitals to the private sector.'
fortnight ago statement telling leaders who
with their members. of the committee at West Middlesex Hospital and a leading member of Fightback, described the AHA's decision 'disgraceful performance'.
Brent By Richard Kramer
THERE is strong support among NALGO members and community workers in Brent for the anti-cuts which WaL launched the NW borough last month with some 70 the inaugural DCUDIC al meeting.
Brent's Labour council
is now considering a rates increase of 30 to 35 pe and one of the activities of the new campaign has been to picket the Labour group on the council.
The campaign is calling for a united front against any attempt to make cuts in public spending, and is aiming to hold ference together with Brent Trades Council.
The latter is organising an anti-cuts conference for pHone sector workers or 17 September.
Wandsworth By Colin Talbot
CONTRACT labourers were turned
cover for roughly 2.4m people, 25 per
organisations like BUPA look forward to a rosy future.
61,000 subscribers were and it number of those private will
Not least among those anxious to cash in are medical consultants, who are now demanding that those on
allowed to take on private patients.
needless to say, are
Boom time for the health leeches is Dased on a simple equation. As the NHS waiting lists lengthen, providing increased custom to morticians, so those who are rich enough will pay to
— a two-tier health
Cause and effect interact. To take
kerre ma National Heart and Chest Hospital in
*There was regular restriction in of open heart surgery during 1978 because of shortage intensive care and/or operating staff.
evidence that there has been a loss of staff from our
MUSTNE ROLANS SO dEC causing the private sector heart ache.
BUPA issued "doctrinal' union are against private medicine that they are out of touch
All cut up
pickets when they arrived to work on Wandsworth council building sites in
morning.
The council's
meeting determined opposition, despite issuing of injunctions
by the union and the local and
At Trades Council Monday
build of
UCATT organise
Lambeth
By Bob Pennington
SUPPORT for the cam. paign against health cuts in Lambeth, Southwark, and Lewisham the which has already seen its health authority SUSpended because
The occasion for this posturing was the knife in the back to the NHS delivered by the right-wing leadership of the electricians' union, which is proposing a deal which will contract
opposition to the Tories' • continues to grow.
After meeting addressed by the campaign secretary, the Giles ward Labour Party nated f25 and decided to sponsor the campaign's 10 November conference.
Speakers have also Southwark branch of the invited electricians' union, •Peck- t ham LPYS, and Lewisham Trades Council Last Saturday campaign supporters leafleted shopping areas and obtained many signatures for its petition. All the main hospitals in the area have been leafleted.
Lewisham NALGO branch has ordered 2,000 leaflets, Lambeth Communist Party has also taken a supply. of Socialist Challenge
readers in South London are urged to campaign. The next meetall ing is on 6 September,
7.30pm at North Peckham Civic Centre, Old Kent Road, Information etc from: Janet Maguire, ECG Dept, Guys Hospital, London SE1. Tel 01-407 7600 ext 3164.
Talk to us *What action is being taken against cuts in your arent Unless you send reports to Socialist Challenge, readers know.
INTENSIVE care unit at the private Wellington Hospitalin London, where suites cost £115-£180 a day. The nearby National Heart and Chest Hospital has been forced to cut the number of its operations. 40,000 of its members to BUPA
The response of the health unions NUPE and COHSE is to put through a resolution to be month's Trade calling on unions not to negotiate any agreements providing private medical facilities.
But so far the NUPE leadership has made no olans as to how it will implement its ownl resolution to chuck out all pay beds remaining in the NHS on 1 January 1980.
The health unien already shown how prepared to comoromise over issue. went along
The cothy's leading independent heat
By Pauline Tierney
A FULL train-load opponents of the Corrie anti-abortion Bill to join the TUC demonstration in London on 28 October. That was the proposal from a meeting held by the National Abortion Edinburgh on 8 August.
Nearly a hundred people attended the meeting, which raised a collection of £185, including £100 from a single supporter.
Margaret Wilson, the only woman member of the General Council, spoke in a personal capacity, explaining that the social conditions in which many working class women live all conspire to deny
Services taken at next Union Congress, Day
conference strangle
leaders have far they are this THE BUPA HEALTH SERVICE with the will achieve it.
Scottish abortion train
them childbirth. of Scottish
Campaign in pregnancy.
Two
Scottish TUC'S demonstration.
NEWS Labour government two years ago when it set up the impotent Health
hoard, favoured by recent Royal Commission. handed over to wAS patients, it will beds finally be up to health union activists to sei the pace, and it will depend on the rest of the workers' movement both strangle the resort or printe
growth private medicine generally.
The action now being stepped up against the health cuts presents an opportunity to explain the need to axe the leeches, and begin to organise the boycotts of goods and services which
care organatin and what it does for you
the right to choose
Dr Nadine Harrison, a founder member of Doctors for a Woman's Right to Choose, said that Corrie's proposals would effectively make it impossible for working class women to obtain termination at any stage of
out of three of the anti-abortion amendments have come from Scottish MPs, so the STUC will hopefully publicise Edinburgh NAC'S plan to book a train for the October
*What the Royal Commission report on the NHS holds in store for abortion, page 2.
Socialist Challenge 16 August 1979 Page 5
Page 6 scan of this page
alist Challenge 16 August 1979 Page 6
PEOPLE
Belfast
August 69 A RISEN
ON
Bri
and ofi
the
sen
mil Uls
ma Irel lary par
<03=54
Page 7 scan of this page
MORE the barricades went up treets of Belfast and Derry last
Once thousands strated the unquenchable spirit stance which ten years of military occupation has been to defeat. es, stones, burning buses lets — were fired at the symbol ed which the British Army has for the Catholic minority in ith of Ireland. It was ten years week since those troops were to the streets, supposedly to eace to the North of Ireland
'protect' the Catholic
HAEL FARRELL, a leading
of the Irish revolutionary organisation Peoples Dey, here recalls what it was like ust 1969 and tells the inside I bow the Catholie ghettos of barricaded themselves off for h, keeping out both the Royal
an
to take their neous
termination
At that time was only rong has 8,000 (s).
people of which relief.
Unionist at
Pressured Paislev at it meeting, me Minister,
That night
oured cars and The Catholic Falls
RUC was from Falls and
Catholic WELC
district of Few
olic ghettos, their
the barricades the
il leaders — the Church, the
and the businessmen
ASH LABOUR ANDIRELAND
tech analys those by
Republicans
the Defence pirate radio as the
the demands.
people killed (two Protestants;
1,500
morale
Orange state.
Radio Free
over ine Cily.
circulation of Barcades.
people. They
press.
Paisley and
and the paper
the ghettos heard
big. business,
up Defence
of
was totally These.
did a
voice of the and the people
of them We Catholic families produs nike
posters was
were
met'.
moved to
even PD,
inside
the
lying commanders
political
democracy.
Tenti
areas, And the
people and
served
about. the
and by British
the months that
lot to the ideological
the work on the
printed paper,
workshop propaganda Mad Major "Malone
'the LeT HALON
days when gave the
met the
still was. - of which
DeCommittee wouldn't hold
meetings to discuss policy.
of the But the . no demo-
they had wanted to keep out - the politicians, Father Padraig Murphy, and Tom Conaty, an ambitious and right-wing Catholic businessman.
Eventually such people controlled the Central Defence Committee. And because there were no mass meetings to discuss the demands, began to water them down and to negotiate deals with government. changed
and a lot of propaganda impossible.
headquarters in before Sinn Provisional and "polițics of
the barricades.
issue
could appeal.
7years
be, troops out now!'
ency Labour parties.
overwhelming bulk of the
section.
the United Troops Out Movement.
strengthened
with the the CDC
the British
populal
delayed
although
bloodshed before alca became
Fein (this was into and paper.
A censor lasses. defeated by I nere were le
London march
is biggest for
HARRY MeSHANE summed up what must have been the feelings of many who marched on Sunday in London to mark the tenth anniversary of British troops being sent onto the streets of Northern Ireland. The veteran Scottish socialist proclaimed, 'the fight must be spread and intensified, this tremendous demonstration says so...the demand must
The march was the largest on Ireland in Britain since 1972. Estimates of the numbers who took part varied from 4,000 [BBC] to 10,000 [Guardian, Daily Mirror, Morning Star]. Two separate Socialist Challenge counts put the crowd at 6,000.
But whatever the exact figure, it is a long time since a demonstration on Ireland in Britain attracted such wide support. Banners on display included those of trades councils, trade union branches, and constitu-
A 'Women and Ireland' banner had over 300 marching behind it and a Gay Activists Alliance contingent was also well supported. The Sinn Fein and Connolly Association banners attracted the participation of a substantial number of Irish immigrants, while the revolutionary left and United Troops Out Movement contingents were the largest of all. Other participants ranged from the Young Liberals to the London District Committee of the Communist Party.
The variety of support was explained by the broad nature of the demand on which the demonstration was called — that Britain should commit itself to a policy of withdrawal. But it was noticeable that the
march contingent. Socialist Challenge estimated that the 'now' part of the demonstration was approximately five times the size of the 'withdraw'
The march thoroughly vindicated the approach of the United Troops Out Movement — full participation in organising the march as a whole, while stressing the importance of 'troops out now'. make-up of the march was proof that when it comes to mobilising action on the streets on Ireland, it is 'troops out now' which has the greatest appeal. The conclusion is almost too obvious to state — build
Secondly, while the radio and paper supposedly voiced the policies of the Defence Committee, these changed from day to day as the right wing
their positions and continued their secret negotiations
military and the British government. Again we didn't fight as hard as we should — but by then there was no structure through which we could have carried the struggle to the
end of September, withdrew from running the Citizen
latter had been rendered ineffective anyway by high powered jamming equipment brought in by the British On 3 October we produced the first issue of a new, uncensored paper of ghettoes their first real experience of their power and of self-organisation. For a few weeks they had held the British Army and the RUC at bay, organised to defend their own streets media to voice their aspirations and
Free Belfast should have some of the significance for Ireland that the Paris Commune and the 1905 Soviet had for the Bolsheviks in Russia. The way forward was pointed, the type of organisation which was required for a successful revolution was shown. Free Belfast showed the remarkable power of the masses united and organising
lies in developing that sort of mass mobilisation again, on a wider scale and in the factories as well as the streets. But it will only succeed if we learn the most important lesson of Free Belfast: to put our faith in the
never b self-appointed leader. ships answerable to secret negotiations, but only by the no-one or
will of the people was in the 'troops out now'
The
Socialist Challenge 16 August 1979
Page 8 scan of this page
INTERNATIONAL H. Klein reports from Prague
IN THE HEYDAY of Stalinism, the geography of Prague matched its politics: both were dom. inated by the awesome Hradcany Castle, home of the head of state and meeting place of the party leadership.
Today, on the eve of Czechoslovakia's biggest political trial for more. than two decades, looks trom unchanged. But close up, in the maze of ancient streets in Malostranske below the Castle, and across the river in the Old City, life has radically — even since the early 1970s.
The Castle is still ever present - it is difficult to escape for long from its blank, pitiless gaze. But the inhabitants of the wine bars and cafes of the Old City look back in a new way. The fear and awe of the 1950s and the great hopes 1968 replaced by quite different attitudes.
Irritated
On my way from the airport, past Ruzyne prison where the ten Charter 77 campaigners arrested at the end of May are being held incommunicado, I unintentionally irritated a busy and efficient newsagent by asking her for a copy of Party Life which was prominently displayed in her window. She didn't know — and couldn't find — the price of this CP ideological rag and shrugged her shoulders.
I bought the party daily, Rude Pravo, instead and innocently down with my dictionary in a café to decipher it. minutes later, young man two tables away loudly demanded why I was reading that
He crushed my feeble reply with, 'It's good only for the rubbish
manager. My critic turned out to be a journalist who had left college two years ago. Not a veteran of 1968.
I stayed in a small pre-war hotel of come serumena vanc Trotskyists had held a public meeting there at the time of the Moscow trial in the 1930s. It was not supposed to take Western tourists, but the desk clerk didn't give a damn and gave me a room.
A scientist who had gone to work in the West in 1968, he had come back after being told that his brother would
From our Tehran correspondent
THE IRANIAN government has put on a second show of 'democracy' with the election of an assembly of constitutional 'experts'.
But the show wasn't a hit with the masses. Many people turned away from the government's policies by its actions February revolution. The regime had to use all its power and influence to ensure a big turn-out result.
For example, it issued a call for Friday prayer at the same time as the elections, during which its representa. tives attacked the left; and Khomeini made a special appeal for people to take part in order to show their trust
lite government. anxiety reflected the regime's urgent need to consolidate a bourgeois state in the face of rising struggles — by the Kurdish, Arab and nationalities, workers factories and offices, and by soldiers
All sections of the ruling class haye united to dismiss as 'impractical' a Constituent Assembly, which could provide the focus for an organised expression of this resistance, Socialist Challenge 16 August 1979 Page 8
Eyewitness in Prague
The Castle
and the Trial
perfectly
power of
been arrested.
Cobbled
of much of the capital city
changed
evening are greedy for much
rip-off in the West.
and will not be bought blackmarket.
DeCi
Castle and
young, long-haired indigestible
do what they like.
enough to a Western fourist.
this is misleading -them earn
me, Husak-style
hour working day!
Calle Boisterous
These noisy,
second
rights in Eastern Europe. it is here, among thes
ment lives and
Election fraud in Iran
push through constitution into CICCUUL
have been
Thuggery
since the
Thuggery, rigging were and the right
against progressive organisauons.
In Anzaly,
People's Fedayeen.
Turkoman Five
the Mojahedeen distributing posters, for
Socialist Workers
attacked in Isfahan.
be refused entrance to university if he stayed in the West. His father was a worker who had been jailed in the late 1940s. He told me about Charter 77, said he thought they were right, and explained that some of the leaders had
It would appear that the aim in life
the middle class is to enrich themselves by any means possible Manv regard some blackmarkel deals to pay for a week's holiday in the West as a better cause than getting mixed up with the official politics.
But the young people who pack the wine bars of the Old City every
more than next year's week-long holiday
They want an entirely new world all the year round,
off by the
The small but strategically placed patchwork of cobbled streets between the summit of the bureaucracy in the
plush Wenceslas Square has been invaded during the last few years by these
and totally enemies of Stalinism.
They dress as they like, say what they like, and give the impression that they
At first sight they seem familiar
They look like students or drop-outs, but!
• a great many ofi their living manual workers. Yet unlike young workers in the West, many don't seem to have a back-breaking eight-hour day to get through: as somebody explained to
'socialism' has inspired people to achieve the two-
, boisterous. bars and cafés are part of a different universe from that of the party bosses up the hill in Hradcany. They are also lightyears away from pompous editorials in the bourgeois press about the lonely and courageous struggle for human Eastern
'drop-out
flourishes. Walking around the Old City with activists you
the reactionary meant turning the Party, of Larialule
prominent bourgeois representatives withdrew or demanded its postpone-
cheating and ballotits most significant directed and workers'
Gorgan, Amol and Babol, thugs attacked meetings of the
Fedayeen bers in Abadeh were prevented from
and a spokesorganisation announced that 200 of its members had been arrested in election week some of whom had been tortured.
members of the People's were arrested while and a woman candidates physically attacked. Members of the
Party (HKS) distributing election material were
Tabriz, Tehran and
1968: statue of King Wenceslas in Prague find Charter supporters in every bar. Minutes you enter, a
people will jostle around the table to say hello, exchange information, talk. New documents and statements are passed around, every conceivable subject discussed argued out quite openly.
And all this continues amidst one of the fiercest repressive drives seen in
Europe for decades. closest friends of people you meet are waiting, totally isolated in prison, to discover how many years over the minimum of three they are going to spend in jail.
According to the Iranian People's which alse objected to the undemocratic nature of the election, members of the 'Imam' committees in the election centres intimidated and took in for questioning those who did not vote for the Republic Party. They also took over the filling in of election cards for illiterates.
Thus in election centre
announced that "literates. had voted for candidates from the Islamic Republic Party list. Another way of ensuring such a result was to make only these candidates' names available in the election centres
happened at Sinz Hospital (Tehran), for instance.
But where the repression
it also backfired spectacularly. A massive boycott by the Kurdish people meant that only 80,000 voted out of a population of 1 million.
Rigged
This is a sign of things to come. The class struggle cannot be through a rigged election. On the contrary, the masses have now had a further experience of what the ruling class has in store for them. This can
The police are watching crowd people's houses, and leaders of th
movement have been threatened and physically attacked. Yet these people seem anything but isolated and are totally lacking in political paranoia.
and This is difficult for
observers to grasp. But it reflects the fact that possesses formidable political power:
The its capacity to inspire or convince wit!
its ideas has suffered catastrophically. It penetrates deeply into everyday life, yet is unable to win any disinterested loyalty from significant sections of the population. 657 the
all
was most halted lay the basis for a consistent struggle
for the dissolution of the 'exnerts assembly the democratic and Constituent Assembly.
1OBODA-DUBCEK-ČERN
many
the Western
although the regime still
country. not be bloodbath
HO W
ENTRIES in Issuer current internaton activity
Stop the Corrie Bill
the Patriot election of a revolutionary
The Castle still stands, glaring down on the Old City below it. Only an earthquake will turn the geography of Prague upside down. And the same is true of its politics.
In my last discussion with one of
Chartists before leaving the country, he told me: 'You think there will be a big political crisis in this
When that happens it will like 1968. will be civil When happens, I don't want to be around.
The round-up of the 10 Chartists
jail has brought the earthquake a step closer.
WHAT'S LEFT
Whats Left are 5p per word. before publication. payments
'LABOUR'S MISSPENT YOUTH' by Jack clear and wea coopert the LP youth movement from the 1930s to today. Contains a detailed account 1960-65 eriod which let to th i Ke the si was the breakaway and during which seedbed of all the present day far-left group
:, 25p post paid WORKERS ACTION No 148 contains the sixth
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now raised the Eurocommunist
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BOOKS for Southern Africa comrades - money 1s deserted cer tor las vita beo o
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The Britanni:
HANDS off Ireland! Scotland presents the film
: Game Edinburgl 23 Aug Place 7.30pm Aug, McLelian
Page 9 scan of this page
Turning point for Zimbabwe
Where illegal abortion is a way of life-and death
By Richard Carver
THE ZIMBABWEAN struggle has reached its most critical point with the between the Tory government and the 'front-line' states. A large part of the liberation movement international solidarity movement has been wedded to these regimes for so long that the new tarn could deliver it bound and gagged into the hands of the Tories and their Rhodesian 'kith and kin'.
The Commonwealth agreed the following six stage British plan for Zimbabwe:
*Foreign Secretary Carrington sends invitations to an all-party conference;
*all parties come to London in September for the conference;
*the conference's conclusions are drafted into LIcH constitution;
*financial aid
Zimbabwe:
Zimbabwe Information Group.
Against Racism for advice.
November.
Useful addresses are:
By Teresa Frances
CAN a campaign to legalise abortion succeed in a country that has women's •movement, abortion is a multi-million pound Dustless, where the largest party of the left will not support the campaign, and where the right is trying to cut back on what rights women have already?
In Portugal, the campaign for abortion and contraception (CNAC) is trying:
The need is clear, Margarida Sousa, a CNAC organiser
Time Revolutionary Party (the International's organisation Portugal).
Impossible
'We say there are 180,000 illegal abortions a year, but it is impossible to know the real number. A lot of women die — 2,000 deaths a year are registered, but many home because they don't dare go to a doctor or they think it is normal to have a bad infection.'
Contraception is legal, but only 137,000 women year consultations fewer than number of abortions!
CNAC only began early this year, and in a short time has established groups in Lisbon, Oporto, Coimbra,
Setubal. The Antonia Palla, the journalist recently
film on abortion, issue considerable publicity.
To build the campaign, CNAC has held many local meetings as well Oporta, participated in May Day marches, and conducted a countertribunalin Lisbon. Most of the parties
liberation black middle class; *the agreement draws up an electoral roll;
and the Timetable
formerly touted by conference Secretary David
Lord grudging unanimity on
states is what dangerous independence possible transfer planned to ZIMBABWE WHAT YOU CAN DO TO STOP the Lusaka plan and help win self-determination for.
*Organise local meetings to discuss the implications of the plan. Speakers can he got from ZANU and ZAPU, Anti-Apartheid and the
*Arrange a showing of the film All we want is freedom (colour, 70 mins.), which can be hired from The Other Cinema.
*Reach out to youth with a gig for the Zimbabwe struggle — ask Rock
* Affiliate to the Zimbabwe Emergency Campaign Committee and set up local ad-boc committees to mobilise for the mass demonstration on 11
ZANU, PO Box 150, London N1 (01-278 0105).
ZAPU, 39 Goodge Street, London W1 (01-636 2143).
Zimbabwe Emergency Campaign Committee, Movement, 89 Charlotte Street, London W1P 2DQ (01-580 5311).
Zimbabwe Information Group, 1 Cambridge Terrace, London NW1.
The Other Cinema, 12 Little Newport Street, London WC2.
Rock Against Racism, 27 Clerkenwell Close, London ECI.
no where illegal
national
according to Socialist Fourth in more die at
have the
HANLON
trial of Maria
EPH
has given the
compensate white settlers who leave and to underwrite the emergence of a
Salisbury regime
*those same authorities prepare a referendum on the new proposals.
status
Apart from the detailed timetable, the substance of these proposals is the same as in the Anglo-American plan other
Labour Foreign Owen. And enough the present Shadow Foreign Secretary, Peter Shore, has given his
approval. The near these proposals in imperialist circles and their endorsement by a number of black African
makes them the
The aim of the plan is the swiftest
of power compliant black regime, with built-in
matter. settlers co Anti-Apartheid talks.
other
guarantees for the white population President Julius Nyerere of Tanzania cited an apt neo-colonial precedent: 'In Kenya' white settlers were paid large sums of money by Britain to make possible racial harmony peaceful transition to independence.
There are only two significant differences between this plan and the
quo in Rhodesia. One international recognition and availability of imperialist funds. The
is the participation • of Patriotic Front, or at least part of it. The second factor may yet be the stumbling block.
What pressure and inducements were brought to bear in Lusaka we will not know for a while. Tanzania and Zambia, hosts to either wing of the Patriotic Front and sponsors of
plan, among the poverty-stricken African countries. We can only guess at the aid credits offered in return for theil cooperation.
There is little doubt that ZAPU and ZANU leaders can be persuaded to attend the London conference. But what they will then agree to is another
Imperialist strategy will rest on the time-honoured plan of splitting the two main parties within the Front.
Dismember
Although the Muzorewa regime in Salisbury has already agreed to attend the conference, the white Rhodesian
and their South backers are both known to be hostile to the inclusion of Robert Mugabe's ZANU in a final settlement. Mugabe himself has already laid conditions for an agreement - such as the total dismemberment of the present security forces which will be unacceptable to other parties at the
Joshua Nkomo of ZAPU, on the
hand. was. even Carrington for private talks Lusaka. When Lord Thatcher's special envoy,
Portuguese bortion campaign.
and
the
the and
Salisbury and month he will thus be able to tempt them with the prospect of a split in the nationalist ranks To ensure 'fairness', Britain, the colonial power, will supervise new élections, drafted in to deal with 'recalcitrant' African liberation fighters.
significant that Carrington had secret talks in Lusaka Indian and Nigerian representatives. down These were the countries
scheduled to provide troops under the Anglo-American plan.
In this responsibility there diction between Labour government policy, the 'early' Thatcher ranting asking about lifting
in "mature' Thatcher presiding over an Harlech, all-party conference. The main. lines visits of imperialist policy remain identical.
on the far left are represented on CNAC, as are unions workers and domestic servants.
Although strong methods of organisation problems at meetings, produced a common demands: legal woman's right to choose, and freely available contraception and information about contraception.
It has, HOweves, difficult to involve women building of a mass movement, despite the fact that most constant fear of every month of their working lives, and have the threat of a terrible operation in poor conditions always hanging over their heads.
Unlike the Campaign in Britain, nearly all of the women (and men) in CNAC represent "political parties, there is always a struggle between representing the party abortion and their own demands as women. This is a particular problem because all the party leaderships are dominated by men.
Machismo For example, explained Sousa, 'we have been to meetings in two political parties where men refused to bring up CNAC because they said it was irrelevant, because the purpose of the meeting was imperialism. attitude is imperialism against us.
fact that 'the which has the support number of working people, does not consider abortion issue', said Sousa. conference of women workers of the
union federation) discussion of abortion was blocked,
Margaret Thatcher with other Commonwealth leaders in Lusaka. Pretoria later this
changed
while foreign troops are
It may be
with Jamaican, help to intransigence originally
The assumption of colonial
no contrathreatening determination sanctions, and 11 E
resolve Zimbabwe! of textile journalists'
differences in sull caust CNAC has platform of
« DOMICI with
proved very change this.' in the
women are in
getting pregnant
National Abortion
VARGAS,
which means that
position or be formed.
PST, fighting-
That
The problem is also shown by the Communist Party,
Not a large Revolucion.
an important And at bulletin CP-dominated last year,
INTERNATIONAL
Nevertheless the timetable has
dramatically, because Thatcher is seeking settlement before the renewal of sanctions November in order to avoid a racist backbench rebellion
It is highly improbable that the plan can succeed in that time; but everything possible must be done to assist its failure. Solidarity action can
maintain the unity and of nationalist movement in the face of attempts to split and undermine it.
majer threat is now transparently not a "Tory sell out, but the array of international forces
the right of selfof the people Zimbabwe. The solidarity movement
Hands even though it was raised by the
" union.
But the existence of CNAC may be changing the nature of the debate Sousa feels. 'Women who have neve spoken in public before start now, and it provokes a change in their lives. Machismo is very strong in Portugal, and has never been questioned — ever in the parties. But the involvement of women on this work is starting to
NICARAGUA
NOTES
the president of the Communist Party, stated on 2 Augus that his party would not at this tie base its policies on the class struggle The CP would become part of the great new Sandinista party that is to
'We believe thai the Sandinistas' victory has permitted the establishment of a pluralistic democratic government and that's al we want at the moment.
THE Simon Bolivar brigade, started by the Colombian Trotskyists of the
lost three comrades Many brigade members hope to stay on in Nicaragua and joi in the tasks of reconstruction — in the
of the workers and poor people. They have opened an office and are publishing a paper called
THE third issue of the Nicarages Coledia is noc omise cids it,
out and obtained, price 15p, from The Othes Bookshop or from the committee, , c/e 20 Compton Terrace, London N1. Socialist Challenge 16 August 1979 Paze?
Page 10 scan of this page
SURPLUS VALUE
By Hazel Downing
A RECENT exhibition in London concerned .almost exclusively with promotion of perhaps the most important wonder of the microprocessing revolution — the word process. Forty two stands displayed word processing systems ranging in price from £3,000 to £70,000. There are already some 20,000 word processing systems installed in this country, leaving (according to the Radio 4 announcer) some two and a quarter million secretaries and typists 'behind the times"
The manufacturers and other apologists for word processing argue that these automatic typewriters will free secretaries and typists from boring routine work tor fulfilling and creative work. In addition, one word processor can do the work of two and a half to five typists.
What the apologists don't make however, is what will happen to those typists who will be replaced by the machinery. question', they say, 'of how you use it'. The reality is somewhat different.
-The word processor will mean a threat to the jobs of millions of office workers and increased boredom for those lucky enough still to have a job. It is important, theretore, to look at what the word processor is, why it is being introduced, and what its impact will be, or could be...
While typewriters with memories have been around since the '60s, their output was limited and the cost prohibitive. Advances in chip technology have enabled the development of the much cheaper and more efficient word processor.
Briefly, the equipment consists of a keyboard, a memory, a mini-computer, a visual display unit (VDU) and a printing out machine. Instead of typing onto paper, the typist now 'keyboards' in information which is displayed on the screen.
T'hese elements carp be arranged either together in one 'stand-alone' system or as part of a "shared-logic' system where each station (keyboard and VDU) is connected to a memorv computer and the orinter.
The advantages of the word processor (for employers o cetinen standard letters, paragraphs and sentences as well as address lists in the memory, all of which can be recaleo at the press of a button, displayed on the screen, added to and fitted together in different combinations and then, when ready for printing, printed out at around 500 words per minute (compare the average typist's speed of 60 wpm).
Siemens have even perfected a laser printer which can print 2,000 lines per minute.
The memory and storage facility eliminates the need for constant re-typing of standard deners. It aiso enmunales Lne conslant e суршь of drafts, which is the bug-bear of many typists faced with incompetent bosses.
It can also perform many tasks previously considered part of the typist's skill. For instance, centring headings, justifying margins and tabulation work can be done automatically. There is an automatic carriage return and corrections can be done simply by 'typing' over the error.
According to one executive responsible for the introduction of a WP system 'the cost case was based on saving people' - but behind this is the need to increase productyity
Historically, increased productivity been achieved by managements taking control over the work process out of the hands of workers by stripping them of their skills, fragmenting their jobs into smaller tasks and subordinating them to machinery
Although office work has been subject to different forms of reorganisation, rationalisation has been hindered in two imPotlailt ways.
On the one hand, because of the particular methods of control and discipline which exist in offices. It is no acident that the majority of lower grade office and secretaria! workers are women - not only can they be paid less, but as women they can be controlled in ways. which reflect the relations oi male domination and female subordination which permeate whole of society.
This method of control works in two ways. For instance, the provision of secretaries has consistentv been used as a means of securinz the loyalty of lower and middle managements by according them status _ an 'ottice wite'. And even in typing pools, it is quite usual for a typist to attach herself to one boss or department and vice versa.
In turn, the highly personalised nature of office work enables managements to control women themselves by other than purely econOlEC Incdis. Many women in offices find themselves unable to ask for a rise because discussing something as basic as money reduces the job to a pure economic transaction, while the whole ethic of the office is based on a sense of professionalism and gentlemanly behaviour.
Few women office workers in the private sector are represented by trade unions which can negotiate wage rises for them and going individually to a boss reinforces their subordination both in class terms and as women and is Socialist Challenge 16 AneRM 1979
was
the interesting,
clear,
'It's a work
hold
thus experienced as something highly embarrassing.
has The problem for managements concerned
with productivity is that, by performing caring and servicing tasks for the boss/bosses such as making tea/coffee, going on errands, watering. his plants, secretarial workers do not spend the whole day typing The second hindrance to rationalisation is complete that control over the typewriter,
existence of typing pools, has remained firmly in the hands of the typist. raționalisation control transferred onto the machine which is only possible now processing.
With a conventional typewriter, the typist determines such things as when she starts work, when she puts the paper into the machine, how
the une work is 1o De sel OuL,. eLc.
enables her to ceașe working, or delay working, in order to engage in more human activities such as contact with workmates.
The additional auxiliary tasks allotted to the typist traditional office -filing, taking shorthand, collecting. stationery-and even those which reinforce her status 'office wife', such as organising presents and servicing the boss, have all allowed her a certain amount of space and time away from the actual task of typing.
The whole culture of the office, then, has contributed to the loss in 'produetive' time productive, that is, for managements. On the 011er 12114 it provides typing boring incomprehensible With some sort of job satisfaction The immediate impact of the introduction of word processors is loss of jobs. widely known example is that of Bradford Metropolitan Council which reduced its staff in one department from 44 to 22. Otber equally: A 10
Women and the new technology
Thoughtmaster
will be watching
you
Boards.
— being 'productive'. money is by cutting the payroll.
despite the are women women, if any, For complete would have be
with the development of word
'AHIS CONCO cally since the war.
organisation
leaving office described above.
At this stage the
spend their time, they
many of them will wener Telneacy documents SCHOHOSL DELIC LACIONA
The most taking dictation.
Some WOrd
of this, some a pro.
them to go technology employment high reductions have been achieved by the National Coal Board, the Central Electricity Generating Board, and the Gas and Electricity
Faced with massive expenditure cuts, the public sector is finding that in addition to cutting vital services, a useful way of saving
Those mainly affected by office automation ence.
and despite the fact that few work.for 'pin money', it becomes all too easy with high unemployment levels to resurrect those old arguments about women's rightful place being in the home.
In the private sector, also, there is a concern to cut down on staffing levels. In relation to those engaged in manufacturing, the costs of administrative staffs have grown astronomi-
however. It is relevant to emphasise that office automation will not just affect typists and secretaries. Especially in the here. private sector there is growing concern about the inefficiency of lower and middle managements which itself reflects the culture of the
cost of securing their loyalty is becoming prohibitive and so, while not traditionally subject to controls over how they
will increasingly be expected to improve their productivity and
face the prospect of
As described above, the word processor can
, traditionally seen as part of the typist's skill. Increasingly, also the skill of shorthand is being replaced by audio-typing which saves the time used in
processing systems.. work in conjunction with dietation systems uhree augh
go under the thought-provoking titles of Dicta Mastermind). On the basis of a sime and " houchtmaster imemaste] motion study which is carried out prior to installation, managements have an exact record of how fast the operators can type. On the basis
the dictation •yoLCu can allocate audio-work automatically to each operator.
Only the supervisor has control over the system, so the operators are continuously fed new work which they do not necessarily see once they have keyboarded it in. The printing out can be done in another room.
The typing process has been broken down into its smallest fragments and the typist now simply spends her time keyboarding the information into the machine.
Even without the dictation system, the word processor has built into it the ability to supervise and monitor the operator's work. Initially,
opcralors leei mal bicy gan greater control, since they are engaged in working a complicated piece of 'new technology'.
Getting used to the various functions of the machine, however, takes very little time and the operator soon finds that she can perform be job 'automatically" - the effect then is not freedom from boring work, but de-skilling and an increase in boredom. With the office routine tied to the pace of the machines, personal contacts between workers are minimal closing off the last possibility of job satisfaction.
Research carried out in the US, where word processors and visual display units are much more common than in Britain, has pointed to several major health problems resulting from continuous work with VDUs.
Most important is 'visual fatigue" or eyestrain which results from 'flicker' and glare on the screens temselves. It has been estimated that one third of the workforce have uncorrected visual defects and for these people and those over 45, eye problems could be exacerbated.
Even, instance, in those rare ottices where the typists are on a rota which allows
back onto ordinary typewriters every six weeks or so, problems associated with eyestrain are reported.
The increased use of audio-typing means that operators will spend a large amount of time staring at the screen. •C HAKC C ARE reflection onto the screen from spectacles and the green lettering itself are found by many operators to be irritating
It is important to recognise that the kind of
which has produced word pro cessors is not inevitable. There is no such thing as malulal technologal progress
Technological advances have been made in areas which could actually benefit people but have not been sponsored by big business because they are not profitable - for instance, the light bulb which can last a lifetime. The introduction of word processing and other automatic processes must be seen as part of management's attempts to increase productivity and therefore profits and not as part of a great philanthropic gesture to eliminate the boredom from office routine.
Office workers shouid, therefore, seriously consider saying no to the introduction of word processing on the grounds that it will close off
hopportunities women in this country.
While we may be criticised for defending what is a boring job anyway, it makes sound economic sense to defend even a boring job against no job at all. And in addition, it is important to defend the gains that women have achieved over the past 30 years the most important being the right to financial independ-
Many women office workers however are either non-unionised or in unions which are male-dominated and which do not consider it important to fight for women's rights. Trade unions which do represent women 1. office workers should develop sound policies for protecting their members
If. faced with the introduction of word processors tne minimum agreement must be no job loss which should include the provision of no voluntary redundancy (these jobs are not ours to sell), no natural wastage and no compulsion for women to work word processors
The question of health and safety is crucial
The TUC for instance recommends a break every 2 hours for those operating VDUs and the CPSA has negotiated an agreement that no operator should work more than 50 minutes without a break
Regular eye checks are important and anyone suffering eye problems as a result of VDUs should be redeployed with no loss of skills and pay. Those in trade unions are legally entitled under the Health and Safety at Work Act to elect Safety Representatives who have the right to demand full details of health and safety factors connected with any new developments and changes in the work process.
Jobs massacre at the office — Women's Voice pamphlet on word processing, 25p. Availabk frei the Other Bookshop, 328 Upper St London NI, 100 p8e
Page 11 scan of this page
The China Syndrome: could it
Once more on NALGO
THE letter 'Dissent on NALGO' (26 July) contained inaccuracies and grossly sented the position of NALGO suporters in Liverpool. In the first place, the action programme referred to by John Strauther and put forward by NAL GO Action Group supporters called Only for a one-day national strike plus indefinite selective action.
The alternative put forward by NALGO Left supporters included a programme of escalating action. Not only was this carried unanimously at the meeting John refers to, but also at a subsequent general meeting of over 1,000 members (the NAG proposals received seven votes).
NALGO Left's policy was the same as that of Jack Meek (president NALGO) is a gross slander. For John Strauther's information, the National Local Government recommended that we accept the offer of 9.4 per cent.
Also, John is wrong when he says that NAU'S proposals were to NALGO's 15 per cent claim: In fact, NAG argued that the claim should be increased by 10 changed to £10) to take comparability into account. This opposed because it showed illusions in
"comparabllity exercise' by the employers, and to resubmit the pay claim at that late stage only introduced divisions. The main fight was whether NALGO would accept 9.4 per cent or take action to win the full claim, which included demands for a £60 mini wage and a bo-nour week, as well as comparability. This hardly illustrates the need to NALGO Action Group.
What John Strauther leaves out is any explanation of why, when large
rank and mobilising aerend their standards, NAG as a national force finds itself more and more on the sidelines compared with a few years By Geoff Bell
WITH a sense of timing of which only the US film industry is capable, James Bridge's The China Syndrome was released to its American audience just before the "accident' narnsourg nucicar prant.
Or maybe Harrisburg accident but a carefully publicity stunt to promote The China Syndrome?
the movie — which is now on general release — tells a most topical tale of near disaster at a nuclear station.
That is scary enough, but when the plot thickens through an attempted cover-uo ot the accident. it becomes most difficult not to grip the cinems seat in fear and apprehension.
With Jane Fonda Lemmon playing it with conviction, it is obvious why the movie needs recommendation from Challenge to ensure success at the bor office. Nevertheless, mendation it will receive. Warning
The China Syndrome is the best thriller to hit the silver screen since Coma, wnico also related a story Of corruption and irresponsibility those who make the decisions in the US political industrial complex.
If further reasons are needed for spending film, specifically if political reasons are required, then it is only fair to offer walls that
previous letter by
militants number of
misrepre-
Left
Are looks
relevant?
Socialist
The allegation is not new,
article on the To say that
precisely council's Labour leader. of
Many previous instance Challenge employing.
Committee
device. across its
per cent (later
rightly shouldn't judge offered appearance or
"The managing
such thing.
(London SW4)
RCG and
join the
'democracy
file begin
living seems, only activities
happen here?
problems on that front.
at the that system to correct itself. The story ne Is was no contrived truth of the
unlikely and so three people
an Anna Ford type truth does come
after all.
and Jack
Socialist television news programmes.
such a recom-
allocated sex role.
worth watching.
has already
by fiction.
Certainly, as watching this
there
ago. This reinforces a point made in a
several NALGO Lett supporters - that all many NAG supporters have to offer is invective against the Broad Left rather than fighting for unity in action with all
around class struggle Something John Strauther agreed with up to a few weeks ago. AL WALKER (Liverpool NALGO)
IT might be said that the editor of
Challenge, dare All, hạs" greying temples and a suave manner.
but is it 1 ask unis because you shenannigans of Islington council (28 June) included
this description of the
It struck me because I can't recall
of Socialist this form of description, and I think it is best left out. The popular press, so-called, has
particular Almost everyone who flits pages has physical description pinned to them, and it rarely tells us anything relevant to the
More to the point, as socialists we
people by their manner. These can have a political connection, but if so the point should be made explicitly.
director brusquely dismissed the workers' 250,000-word letter listing their grievances' or some
ALEXANDER MUSGRAVE SOCIALIST Challenge (5 July),
Never comments on the the Revolutionary Communist Group when it involves
True enough, the film berates and exposes the American system for the nasty piece of work it undoubtedly is; une troubie is taat in oat way lue piul is a testament to the ultimate ability of
that despite a combined conspiracy by the nuclear and television industries to keeo the
dangers of nuclear reactors from the American public,
— a scientist with a conscience, a camera operator, and
- ensure that the out and the human and scientific baddies are exposed.
In olner words, We syste be rotten but it throws up individuals who can expose it, so it ain't so bad
Still, there are some nice moments of leftie invective. Especially amusing are the scenes on the making of
Less amusing but equally telling is the way the Fonda character struggles
and her
So The China Syndrome is well
The implied question, 'Could it really happen?',
been answered by Harrisburg, but a further question 'Would a cover-up be exposed?' has yet to receive a reply outside of
far as Britain concerned, the odds are that you can bet a thousand D Notices to one that the first you will hear of a nuclear disaster will be when the sirens go off.
LETTERS
some rumour or gossip — and then it gets most of its facts wrong. For the record the Revolutionary Communist Tendency founding members were expelled from the RCG in November 1976 for national chauvinism. was two and a half years after the formation of the RCG in March 1974. Secondly, I did not, nor member of the Revolutionary Opposition the International Socialists, ever disrupt an IS meeting.
Until recent events, the RCT have attended all our public meetings London and have intervened in the discussion and re usually tedious repetitive attacking the RCG for its 'moralistic" support for liberation movements: However, suddenly they stepped up their call Jalall against disruptions of a provocative and, in a
of a physically threatening character.
This we were not prepared to tolerate. They were warned that if such behaviour occurred again they would be thrown out of our meetings. It did on two consecutive evenings at two different meetings. On occasions KU members were thrown out of the meeting when disrupted it just as the meeting began. On the second occasion one of their members had to be restrained physically and forcefully - in order to throw him out.
This leads me to a fundamental political disagreement we have with Socialist Challenge. Our concept of democracy is not a bourgeois one — it
a democracy which serves Interests of working Socialist Challege, however, democracy above the interests of the
class, and this reflects its essentially petit-bourgeois point. This is quite consistent with Socialist Challenge's conception of democracy socialism. This is . why Challenge rules out physical force to prevent other groups disrupting meetings - and we mean disrupting meetings and not simply making critical interventions. DAVID YAFFE (London) tigers' birthdays
This
did any DAYONE
CURRENT ISSUES OF MARXISM Perry Anderson 2.30-5.00pm (WORSTOO
making TVIRA SOUR ADDI LOUO speeches
Alan Freeman, Gunther Minnerup
7.30-10.00pm RALLY with 100th ANNIVERSARY OF TROTSKY'S
Voice of Leon Trotsky
DAYTWO 10.00-1.00pл IS LENINISM OBSOLETE both Dodie Weppler and two of the authors of beyond le rragmens they Workshops and Eurocommunism, The Communist - yes, Internationa Speakers include: Robin Blackburn, Pierre
2.00-5.00pm CULTURE AND POLITICS *rancis vulnerr THE TRADE UNIONS TODAY the Richard Hyman, Steve Jefferys
class sPorkshops include youth and revolation
puts
stand-
'pluralist'
Fill in the form below:
under Socialist
Name.
Address.
JANE FONDA as the tough TV newscaster in 'The China Syndrome'. She works on LA TV, where
21-23 September 1979
MARXIST
SYMPOSIUM
Speakers include: Perry Anderson, John Ross
BRITAIN John Ross Speakers include: Pierre Frank, Tariq Ali, the
Workshops
Bailey
2.00-5.00pm
EUROPE
Class Analysis and Political Strategy, Kautsky
Il a session.
• SWP, IMG LONGER
Make Cheques and Postal Orders out to 'Socialist Challenge'.
DAY THREE
TWO TRADITIONS OF MARXISM IN
Workers Plans and Workers Control, Wome in wastern aurore Speakers include: Hilary Wainwright, Dare
THE REVOLUTIONARY LEFTIN
Chris Harman [SWP], Tariq Ali (IMG]
Creche facilities Refreshments available
£5.50 six sessions excluding the rally E5 for all the sessions except the rally 1£6 including the rally] if paid before 1 September. VENUE: Conway Hall, Red Lion Square,
UNDER REVIEW 'hard' news is
Socialist Challenge 16 August 1979 Pegs LI
Page 12 scan of this page
2 MILLION ENGINEERS'
By Alan Turner
TO THE mutual surprise of union leaders and the employers, over two million engineering workers joined a one-day strike on Monday in pursuit of their wages and hours claim.
The claim is for an £80 minimum time rate, two days extra holidays, one hour off the working week with a commitment to a 35-hour week by 1982, and an April 1979 date of settlement. The demands have been correctly described as 'moderate' by Terry Duffy, the right-wing president of the Amalgamated Engineering Workers.
The surprise is that the one-day stoppages Monday's second have received widespread support. been promolca with any enthusiasm by the union executive, which had previously AUEW national committee to accept the employers' offer of £70. Nor is the claim of any substantial benefit to the majority of engineering workers; the only real difference it would make would be to overtime rates.
Economy
What the stoppages show is the militant workers. The demand for a 35-hour
veek is especially popular with the
ank and file, which shows just how out of step was the decision of the union leadership to water down the original claim for a shorter working week by pulluIg off the Registered with the
Socialist Challenge
JOIN
STRIKE
Union of
the such They have not great
urged the demand until 1982.
For its part
engineering that its last offer is 'final,
the HEr's huster.
35-hour
T.G.W.
UNION
OFFICIAL
STRIKE
Post Office as a newspaper.
the Engineering Employers' Federation is maintaining
although an increasing number of individual companies are reportedly agreeing to settle on the union's terms. An all-out union strike would be the surest way to test
the AUEW executive is only talking of extending the strike on an unlimited
EEP
OFFICIAL
STRIKE
Name. surtant Published by
basis to individual companies geographical areas.
Ine engineers • dispute has importance beyond the claim itself. In the AUBW it shows that the recent successes of the right wing In
have not destroyed potential for rank and file militancy.
What is lacking is an alternative leadership, since the official left' in the union - the Communist Party Domestic: 6 months, £5; 12 months, Abroad: Airmail, $16.50. Surface, £10 per annum •Multi-reader institutions: double individual rate
Address
I enclose a donation for the Fighting Fund of Cheques, POs and Money Orders should be made payable to 'Socialist Challenge'.
For and its Broad Left allies — has gone along with the executive's decision to drop the demand for an immediate 35-hour week.
But the support for the strikes is the also an indication that the working the class as a whole is in a mood to give the Tories and the bosses a hard time when negotiations for next year's pay round get under way in a couple of weeks' time.
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Party [HKS]
thugs.
Fedayeen smashed up,
police,
massive
how and
Islamic Tehran, Iran.
8.
Square.
time. victory actions
Left HQS
wrecked
in Tehran
THETEHRAN offices of the Iranian Trotskyists of the Socialist Workers
were among those wrecked on Monday by reactionary
The headquarters of the guerrillas were also and an unsuccessfu attempt was made to storm the offices of the Tudeh [Communist] Party.
The thugs — thought to include former members of the Shah's secret
SAVAK - went on the rampage after failing to break up a
march the previous day against government restrictions on press freedom. This in itself shows
evenly poised is the struggle between those fighting to defend and extend the gains of the February revolution and those seeking to bring that revolution to an end by installing a strong pro-capitalist regime
Readers are urged to send letters
telegrams protesting the government's complicity in these attacks 1o: Mehdi Bazargan, Prime Minister, Tehran, Iran; and to the
Revolutionary Council,
*Election fraud in Iran, see page
NF and RAR
gigs to
coincide
THE National Front are intending to hold their first ever 'Rock against Communism' gig this weekend. They are hoping to gain some political clout by using a Central London venue, so NF youth organiser Joe Pierce has booked Conway Hall in Red Lion
Coincidentally, Rock against Racism will be staging its own gig outside Conway Hall at the same
Assemble at Russell Square tube, 7pm, Saturday 18 August.
No jail for
Piers
PIERS Corbyn, well-known housing militant conyicted for resisting the eviction of squatters from London's Huntley Street last August, will not be going to prison. His original 28-day sentence was reduced on appeal this week to 200 hours community service and £50 [as against a claim of £190] to cover damage caused by a bucket of water to the Sheriff's suit.
Piers told Socialist Challenge that at regarded Ine decision as a clear
"it recognised that my were part of political campaign rather than an individual breach of the law'.
Printed by East End (offset) Ltd, P.O. Box 82, London E2
← Socialist Challenge No. 108, 9 August 1979Socialist Challenge No. 110, 23 August 1979 →