Socialist Challenge No. 163, 11 September 1980
The scan: sc-n163-sep-11-1980.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 Soviet bureaucrats suffer heart failure POLISH WORKERS:
Solihull) in Poland. from us. But we are on guard
was the bureaucrats in Moscow, too -
since May '68.
Poland out of rank and file workers. MARGARET Thatcher never been fussy about the friends she keeps. On 16 July, Claire Wilson, a British student at the Catholic University of Santiago, met some of them.
They were torturing her friend José Benado.
Six days after Clair met Pinochet's thugs, the Thatcher
restored diplomatic relations with the Chear junta. They presently negotiating the sale of arms and military supplies
Cecil Parkinson from Britain's Trade Department recently led a delegation arms manufacturers to meet the generals.
GUARD
By Steve Griffiths (AUEW Convenor, Rover
I'VE TALKED to workers all over Poland and they all say the same thing. We have won a great victory. They will try to take it
The cynical way in which Gierek was dumped shouldn't fool anyone. It wasn't just Gierek that suffered a heart failure. It
heart failure at the prospect of confronting the biggest upsurge of workers in Europe
But now the workers need help. Lots of
Delegations should be sent by shop stewards committees to get the truth about
Stewards committees can 'twin' themselves with factory committees in Poland. Material
has The last Labour government cut off all supplies to Chile, and withdrew diplomatic links, when it was revealed that Sheila Cassidy, a British doctor, had been extenLOTLUTCO detention in 1975. haven't changed much.
Claire told Amnesty International what happened: In a basement we were tole una we would be shot....Six of them are were beating up José; they applied electricity body; he had burns and several as sos were brokena This is the same fate that thousands of socialists trade unionists have suffered at the hands of these thugs.
STAY ON
the Polish workers!
Thatcher arms Chile torturers
The Tory
all Chile is Nicholas Ridley.
suggest
unaer all.
Things Thatcher and Ridley unlikely bloody friends without a fight.
Trade union action is needed to enforce an arms boycott.
Rolls Royce engineers and Yarall over row shipbuilders on the Clyde
refused gåods to Chile. ! The and ference should commit the next Labour government to break all links with Chile.
assistance can be sent to the organising committees for the independent unions in
But friends have told us that the left in Britain feels in strange company when it calls for support for the new unions.
Take no notice of these false friends of
When the struggle goes on to a new and higher stage; when the rule of the bureaucrats itself is threatened; the Ronald Reagans and Frank Chapples won't be seen for dust. Neither NATO nor the Kremlin, nor the right wing Labour leaders have any interest in revolution whether East or West.
Western governments knew in advance of the invasion of Czechoslovakia but they never warned the Czech workers.
Like the Polish workers we should stay on guard. On guard for the Polish revolu-
Minister with
responsibility for dealings with
Earlier this year he tried to that, perhaps Shiela
Cassidy hadn't been tortured at
are abandon their
This isn't something new.
deliver military Labour Party con-
Seventh anniversary of
coup
End Repression in
Chile
Vigil at Chilean Embassy 12 Devonshire St., Lon-
don W1
Rally in Friends House,
Euston Road, 8pm.
Speakers from Chile
Democratico, labour movement, and music
from Pueblo
No.163
EYEWITNESS IN POLAND STEVE GRIFFITHS is in Poland along with RICHARD ROZANSKI, the editor of the socialist youth paper Revolution.
latest events, starting on page 4.
series of public meetings on their return. Details of the first of these are on age 4.
Poland, ring the IMG National Office on 01-359 8371.
money. We think it's been worth it. If you do too, you could help us out with a donation. Please send to Socialist Challenge, PO Box 50, London N1 2XP.
11 September 1980 20p Read their eyewitness report on the
Steve and Richard will be speaking at a
If you want to invite them to speak on
Sending reporters to Poland has cost us
Page 2 scan of this page
Bridgend
2222
Port Talbot
THE Right to Work Campaign began 1975 when unemployment reached one million the Labour government.
John Lindsay, organiser of this year's march and picket of the Tory Party
of October, told socialist Challenge about the paign.
The point about the Right to Work Campaign is to draw on the experience of
Photo: Q.M. COOKSON [Soclaliet Challenge]
evening
Mirror and local TUs
ThursdaY 90C!
Pontypridd Newport
How were fighting
for the Right to Work
unemploved wOrkers ment in the 1930s.
We recognise unemployed themselves no power, but the campaign the stil enables those out of work to take some action on their own behalf and to those have jobs: that trade unionists cam- must support the unemploved in the struggle for 'five days' work or five days' pay'.
the Why do you think the march Monday 22 Sept: Marchers arrive in PORT TALBOT. Accommodation provided with disco in the
Tuesday 23 Sept: March sets off. Visit to MARGUM STEELWORKS.
Wednesday 24 Sept: Visit to FERNDALE and MAERDY pits. Public meeting with Paul Foot (Daily
friday zo sepi: visitio CARbirr docks and local indusırial estates Sunday 28 Sept: Across the Severn Bridge to BRIS, OL for a rally and gig in the evening. Wednesday 1 Oct. March to OXFORD and then to HEADINGTON for rally and gig. riday suct unto sLuvunand visio roras Langley rlant, Anoier gigin me evening Saturday 4 Oct: Through SOUTHALL for welcome by other trade unionists in LONDON.
Wednesday 8 Ort. Aller a few days in capital off again and on to CRAWLEY
Welcome and march into BRIGHTON.
Bristol has gained so much support this year? that the
have Partly Work campaign that has taken up this ISSUC right carry the period of the who still government. Unemployment is
much more serious now than it has ever been in living memory.
The Tories being in government makes people more aware of the attack on workers' living standards and how unemployment
THE RICH
Gio in the evenind
Swindon
attack.
because the Right to Campaign is the only
throughout the the march?
last Labour
the unemployed.
the they haven't been completely naute
the unemployed
going
response in October.
by both the Right to Campaign
Trade Unions? happened before?
unemployment policies.
threat posed
standards
tion.
million Britain today?
ment will be
dancies, time working.
ficult to
Wing class since the war.
However, the two million
working Cass building a society
protest that
avoid initiating action unions? unemployed and to
fight to protect jobs.
Whatever Work Campaign
action.
Oxford
Reading is used as a weapon in that
What effects do these marches have on unemployment levels? What do you intend doing after
The marches have absolutely no etfect on unemo ovment al all. They do have an effect on
By giving them an idea that it is possible to struggle, that deserted, through the reception they receive in factories along the route of the march - this shows that there are workers who are prepared to support
I haven't got a clue what's march. It will depend on the happen alle size and the militancy of the
Why do you think the lobby on 10 October at the Tory Party conference is jointly sponsored
Work and the Liaison Committee for the Defence of
This hasn't
It's not a lobby. It's a picket. We're picketing the Tories to tell them what we think of their eat posed recogns are
Tory government to workers' living
and the danger Prior's law. They see the need for the biggest possible expression of working class opposi-
What solutions do you think are necessary to get Jobs for lit
unemployed the The only way that unemploy- until next year.
fought is by workers fighting against redun- themselves
lay-offs and short-
It's also necessary to defeat When Prior's law because any attack on organised workers through the right to strike and the right to picket will make it more dif-
defend the HUSI elementary gains of the work-
the picket the problems of committee, will only be solved when the unemployed Miners Wales
is capable of based on human need, not private profit.
organise What would vou sav to the criticism of the Right to Work marches as simply a one-off
allows the trade Saturday union and Labour leaders to
For supporting inside the trade
Marches are one-off events What will they're only the face of the Campaign campaign which attracts public regional attention. All the year round in many parts of the country work
involve provide assistance for workers in their
the Right to does can never allow the trade union and Labour leaders to avoid taking
The campaign is, at worst, a spur to force them to take more action. Take last week's debate on unemployment at the TUC
HO RETURN
TU
TYNESIDE
RIGHT
TO
WORK
They spent an hour putting off called
decision to do anything
At best, the campaign can help trade unionists to organise
for the real fight tion against the Tories which is so obviously necessary.
Thatcher went to speak to the Tory Party conference in Swansea, the Right the
Work Campaign called picket and visited the miners' lodges for support.
Six lodges agreed to back
- the in lodger won. the South Wales Executive, then the TUC and the • Welsh Labour Party. At which point "Labour leaders'
march in the opposite direction.
It was the joint action of the Right to Work picket and the
which Luisued that morning into the largest and noisiest picket that Yes.
Swansea has ever seen.
The Right to Work saying at the conferences being Socialist Challenge social &
second-hand books/records sale
SATURDAY 20 SEPTEMBER CAXTON HOUSE, St John's Way, Archway, London N1 From 5pm till lat
Socialist Challenge is still collecting books and records, for the second-hand
sale. If you can donate any thing or help in any way, please contact Yvon
Southall
Westminster Croydon Crawley
ACHT TO WORK
CAMPAIGN
Pyecombe
SHEFFIE Brighton
CAMPAIGN
by the TUC on
unemployment?
We'll argue strongly that the
unemployed should be allowed
to attend. We stand for opposi-
to all redundancies, five
days' work or five days' pay, a
35-hour week, and opposition
to all cuts in public spendinge
The people who organise conference will be
powerless, , but people who at-
tend could be active in building
rank. and file organisations to
that disputes will be When workers begin: to
win the little disputes they'l
begin to gain the confidence to
fight the bigger ones.
called by the Labour Co
ordinating Committee for
November on unemployment
and defence of trade union
rights. Will the Right to Work
Campaign be supporting this?
There are plenty of
members of the Right to Work
Campaign in the Labour Party,
We'll build support for this
conference as we want to en-
courage joint initiatives- on
these issues
Page 3 scan of this page
Our rulers rehearse
Benn and Wright back missiles lobby
HOME NEWS
By Steve Potter THIS weekend thousands British Army reservists move to West Germany to take up battle stations alongside 90,000 other troops of North Atlantic Organisation. A war with 'the enemy' is due to start on 24 September.
In the following week hundreds of secret bunkers in Bri-
will «hTted military control, and in and NE England some of their regional headquarters will be attacked by "the enemy' and repelled by the army.
Unrest
It's all part of one of our rulers' war games Crusader '80, and the efforts in Britain are designed to counter the unrest which will be assumed to spring up in war-time Brilain, 1 nese counter-insurgency manoeuvres, exposed in News this month, are Operation Square Leg.
The big one
THE Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament national demonstration on Sunday October has now been fixed to begin at llam Speakers Cor-
rally 1 in Trafalgar Square. demonstration inding No Trident, Cruise Cut Spending. A national leaflet has been produced by CND.
29 Great cones Irom. UND, James Street, London WC1. Tel: 01-242-0362.
Crusader '80 started on 31 August with hundreds of tanks rumbing down to southamnton. The carefully prepared public relations side of the exercise somewhat misfired with the revelation that 36 lorries carrying vital technical equipment
left on the dockside because there was no room on the ferry:
Military authorities will be he message trom the over-
coolutions on defence policy at the Labour Party conterence is that they want:
- on end use of hreatenied Aliced Te
ased on the use or threatened
se of nuclear weapons.
clear bases in Britain.
Tony Benn and Bob Wright
Be endorsed the march and
oby against missiles called on
of conference. The aim the lobbyers is a massive APEX and aign in the labour moveagainst the siting of the the boycott of work sile soy tne trade unions: committing the mon to cancelation of missile contracts.
Turther 16 constituences Vauxhall demanding * future Labour govern-
Drawal from the fic Treaty Organisation.
hoping that Operation Square Leg goes more smoothly — and
of
will Exposure of these exercises
is a further blow to the myth that 'Home Defence' planning
the intended to Treaty civilian population. Its history
reveals its true purpose.
Scotland
under East
MARCHERS against in Scotland will be participating in their own demonstration im October. will be held in Saturday 25 October.
The present called originated in 1919 when Britain
was divided into Iz regions. each with a commissioner who had the powers to deal with insurrections or general strikes. the Second Peace War the system was adapted
for civil defence and to meet inyasion. In the 1950s the whole structure was bunkers.
Today 23
headquarters are controlled by chief from local goverment who are responsible to a regional junta police military commander another chief executive. In turn the latter would serve under a cabinet minister appointed as a commissioner
No Arms
But what policy whelming majority of the 131 passed? A look at the resolu- and action that can disarm the
tions submitted by trade unions shows a clear division.
The Association of CinemTelevision Technicians disarmament. *A pledge to close down all Society of Graphical and Allied
Trades supports resolution in its call for the establishment of a nuclear-free zone in Europe.
But the clerical the Union back the line of William Rodgers in describing NATO as AUEW 'an instrument of detente less than defence',
next
disarmament. Action The vote of other key
to unions will be decisive in deter- right-wing. North whether
war... against us!
event of nuclear war.
Greenham Common protect the The demonstration against the
siting of 96 Cruise missiles to be stationed at Greenham Common assembles at Victoria Park Newbury at noon on Sunday 21 September. rally overlooking missiles speakers will include Susannah York and Joan Lestor MP.
1lam from Glasgow on Memorial. From
system
WOrd
moved into the
sub-regional
executives
commander,
and
in ine
will be ference committed
imperialists' paign.
In particular, the Engineerand ing Union will be deciding its
cals for attitude at its national commit-
The tee to be held in Blackpool on the eve of the conference. main There is no doubt that John Boyd, general secretary of the will be pushing for the union in their defence Biectricians' lateransm and NAlu.
and for The march against missiles
on the eve of conference will be lobbying the AUEW national committee, with the support of Bob Wright, to demand that the union delegation at the conTerence comes out against the
Labour The support given by Tony Party emerges from the con Benn to the lobby will add
coaches
0362 (days) (eves.)
The
this dictatorship challenged by
will be held rebellion the air-base and mongers.
Coaches leave from Oxford
the Martyr's
London A British tank on manoeuvres, and (top) communications room in a regional seat of government
to policy wingers. aggressive cam- The march
Manchester and North-West CND has now
MP
Assemble The march of multi- 10.45 am at the War Memorial near Butlin's Hotel, rallying at then lobby the AUEW delegation at 1.45pm at the AUEW headquarters on Station Road, Blackpool, and go on to lobby the Labour Party NEC at 2pm at the Grand Hotel.
For transport ring 061-236 4905 or write for publicity material to
against Missiles, 20 Greystoke Lane, Failsworth, Oldham.
will be leaving from
Crouch End, St. Pancras, and
Shepherds Bush and should be
booked in advance. Tel: 01-242 manoeuvres
For 01-485 4609
cible establishment makes forces.
the reasonable assumption that But
would be • populanon l Leg. against the warus! All It is for this reason that the
population of East Anglia or
Tyneside may be treated to the
spectacle of the army carrying
out its counter-insurgency tac-
announcement pressure on the union right-
organised by Against Missiles
also gained the support of na tional CND and Joan Maynar
assembles
STILL Ipm at the South Pier. It will badge
you
10p p&p. for
information on
Party demonstration
tics in defence of the bunkers.
Over the next few weeks we will hear a great deal about the
the Warsaw Pact countries on the borders of Poland. We will be treated to news stories showing the invin-
might of the NATO
WCI won't hea very much about Operation Square
This is a war game against
the secret counterinsurgency plans aimed against that the working class should be exposed as part of the campaign to deprive the NATO war lords of their doomsday weaponry.
the Why the
cuts
Arms Sales IN a letter delivered to Thatcher on Monday, •10 British peace groups condemned her
Harnborough Air Show that Britain should export more arms.
fear that this would inevitably lead to a relaxation on Britain's export controls, for lax as these are
The letter calls on the Prime Minister 'to get out of the sordid arms business' following a recent precedent set by Austria over arms to Chile.
AVAILABLE: the that shows where stand on Thatcher's
warmongering. 20p plus
OR make money your local cam-
paign/organisation by
ordering 20 or more at a
bulk discount rate of 15p
per badge post free.
All orders must be pre-
paid to Hackney Socialis
Education Group, c/o PO
Box 50, London N1 2XP.
WOMEN FOR PEACE
By Kay Bastin 'LET the women talk for a change,' says Doreen Henshaw, who set up the Women's Movement for Peace in Manchester with other women, housewives and workers. were as angry as herself about the US war drive and the siting of Cruise missiles in Britain.
The response has been good, with 100 at their last rally in Manchester The women's starting point was the US air base at Warrington. 'It's like the spot on the boil — it festers and spreads.'
The base is one of the big gest in Northern England. Per. sonnel has doubled and all arms kept at the base are ready for immediate use.
The movement wrote a letter to the base informing them
delegation would be coming discuss their presence in Britain and the US war drive.
The women particularly aimed to talk to the wome who work at the airbase.
authorities at the bas refused to see them.
Although they call thcis campaign apolitical, all the women hold strong convictions and take an active interest in in ternational politics.
• As one of the women put it:
do what the Americans do? We
want to be under the American umbrella.'
Doreen was particularty disgusted by the US "rescue' at. tempt in Iran, and all are aware of the link between capitalist recession and war.
'Look at the money behind arms in the war drive... It's our governments that are feeding us
propaganda fear America more than Russia.'
The Women's Movement for Peace has • wallen to loca newspaper, and it has featured in the Yorkshire Post and the Observer. People have already started to write to them from abroad.
They write to Thatcher every week and are organising a deputation to go and see her.
In a discussion on local radio, Doreen demanded that
Civil Defence plans Manchester be made publicly known.
Council officials were forced to reveal that there are no Civil Defence plans in Manchester because of the spending
except, no doubt, for the civil dignitaries who can use the secretly-built shelters under the Piccadilly gardens in the centre of town.
The campaign is supporting the 'March against Missiles' lobby of the Labour Party conference on Sunday 28 September, and is planning to speak at factories, trade union branches, women's groups and play. grouds to draw in othe housewives and workers like themselves
All strongly feel the need
women organise. As Doreen says: I've changed - I won't be put down now. argue.'
To contact the Women's Movement for Peace, ring 061-789 8854.
I won't die for Thatcher • STOP • CRUISE MISSILES
Page 4 scan of this page
but the struggle continues
POLAND
Baltic Sea
INREVOLT
From Steve Griffiths Richard Rozanski in Poland THE removal of Edvard Gierek as leader of the Polish Communist Party started as rumour on Friday night. we knew there was something •in it. Warsaw closed down at 9pm. No cinemas, restaurants stayed
ryone was off the streets. No-one knew what the change would mean.
On Saturday the papers published Long queues built up until they finally appeared at noon. 'De also wanted to read about the OSCUSS OIS in the Sejm (parliament) on the agreement signed with the strike leadership in Gdansk.
The Stanislaw Kania to replace Gierek as first secretary of the Polish • United Workers Party (PUWP the Communist Party) came as a surprise. had little claim to being a retormer or "liberal'.
Force
But apparently Kania was part of a minonly in the Political Bureau which opposed an attempt by Gierek to use force against the Gdansk
isway over the army and police and therefore called the tune. It was not that they opposed the use of force against the workHIS CRAS - but that they knew that support for the strikers ran deep among the ranks.
Indeed, different groups of soldiers and sailors were among those who turned up in Gdansk bringing solidarity messages. In Gdynia the strike bulletin was distributed throughout the barracks.
This is an indication of how deep papers of ne has Robotnik, Workers' Self-Defence Committee (KOR); estimates over a million workers have been involved in some sort of action.
What happened Wroclaw,
Coliwer Poland, was typical. A solidarity committee was set up. It was decided to begin strike action
INTERNATIONAL
and 1 September.
settlement was announced the Wroclaw solidarity committee simply became a committee for the in spentar come tree has But similar committee
been set up in Mazawsze hear Warsaw through the initiative of the workers at the Ursus tractor factory. open.
has been established which is a hive of activity
sorts of advice and usual. support to ine
union.
PeoArrest The latest workers to join trom ine
of museum in Warsaw.
continuing precariousness the situation was revealed when the Secretary of this Committee was arrestea snoruy arter givHe ing us an interview.
However, the level of consciousness and organisation in Gdansk was something-special. Bach factorv committee after full discussions mass meetings. members were delegated to attend the central strike committee (MKS), and every day one of them would renort back to their strike committee held worksnop meelngs.
Things were even
democratic than in the Russian revolution, because negotiations were taped and played back to the workers. All the discussions were relayed by loudspeakers.
Frank Chapple & Co. adopt such methods!
Mobilisation
once the presidium of the MKS, which had conducted the tions, was recalled. There was a the full discussion,
was agreed to make the that
promise on the grounds that it would be through mobilisation and activity that the reality of the independent union would
in be imposed.
There was also a very high degree of mobilisation of the An example of the workers'
Eyewitness in Poland
When the A small office
as delegates
bringing
independent
free trade unions national But the BOGDAN LIS:
board):
elected a strike
Two get the country out of the crisis. 'Of course,
and
more
all the
have what is necessary.
We'd like to see
ting us out of this situation.
calmly and conscientiously.' 19-person LECH WALESA:
and finally it
com-
every day.
A truce is called -
How Polish strike leaders see
'We want all the workers' rights, at all levels. We want guaranteed freedom of activity'
ANDRZEJ GWIAZDA (member of Robotnik editorial
'A new trade union independent of the state and of the government, with its own newspaper is the only way to
the economic situation is very complicated. The problems exist at different levels and the workers must be listened te everywhere. Who else can say who is right if not those who work?
'A new trade union will avoid a lot of errors.'
FLORIAN WISNIEWSKI (electrician): 'We make unproductive investments. money badly. The workers, all the Poles, must be able to
'Perhaps certain reforms will be difficult, but a free trade union and its control over all the economic activities of the government are the only guarantees of get-
'We want all the economic decisions to be taken
"Take an example: a prefabrieation plant that is producfing at 50 per cent capacity. The government decided to build another one right next to it.
'It's absurd. The plant is useless. Maybe the Central Committee doesn't know that, but we workers see it
'The free trade union means control over economic decisions at every level — local, regional and national. We need a new plan, and that's how we'll do it.'
meeting acknowledging shipyards.
'in 1917.
same direction target
Truce
We spend our that in demanded
that's true,
In acted elsewhere.
wide-ranging struggle
Although
struggle regards
construction
control over events came in the discussions on the final agreement. In the morning a mass time.
agreed to a clause the 'leading role of the PUWP'. But by the afternoon there was a revolt. surrounding population. From tions early morning until late at night there would be 10-15,000 peo-
gathered the The MKS clearly began to take on the functions that the soviets played in Russia
Silesia the level of organisation was not so high.
But their demands went in the
particular were the highly-paid mine supervisors.
It has also been reported
Silesia the and won - not merely the recognition of the independent union but the liquidation of the official one. If
it means that the workers have already learned lessons from Gdansk.
Silesia the authorities firmly than They closed down the shops, for example. But the
impact of
peasants began to bring food was shown when to directly to the strikers.
LOSI of the strikers have now returned to work, no-one thinks that the
over. Everyone it as a truce. The militants see the key task as the
of • ine independent union in all sectors. This is
'ROUND ONE TO
THE WORKERS'
Eyewitness reports from Poland
Thursday 18 September, SWINDON
Phone Chris on 46498 for details.
Friday 19 September, Hackney
With Richard Rozanski. 7.30
Dalston Library, Dalston Lane, E8.
Wednesday 24 September, MANCHESTER
With Steve Griffiths and Oliver MacDonald.
7.30pm, Star and Garter, Fairfield St,
Piccadilly. Thursday 25 September, LIVERPOOL
Phone Mark on 728 9982 for details.
Sunday 28 September, HOUNSLOW
With Oliver MacDonald. Phone 570 4700
for details.
something the students are alsc discussing. What they want is
No-one is under any illusion that the official unions are finished. And a host of practical and ques-
have to be resolved. Should PUWP members be allowed to join, for instance.? Militants
AlIer discussion was agreed that they could so long as they didn't hold any post in the party or state apparatus. One estimate is that 30-40 per cent of PUWP workers support the independent union
Militants see the independent union as an instrument for taking up all economic questions. They think it should in. tervene at all levels of economic decision-making by the govern ment. But the far-reaching implications in a society where
mediately political are perhaps not fully grasped as yet.
Democratic
The intention is to call a conference of the independent union in one month's time te elect a leadership. The feeling is
continue the methods of democratic control begun in the strikes - of mandating and automatic recall — so as to pre vent the development of bureaucracy.
Many workers are of course Catholic. Mass was celebrated every day in the shipyards, and
Page 5 scan of this page
The bureaucracy's other allies
SHE is small, about fifty, softspoken. Anna Walentynowicz has always worked in the Lenin shipyard. She was a welder for 17 years, and is now a cranedriver:
Last year she was sacked on a trifling pretext. But her standing was high with the workers; she had already played an important role in the 1970 strike. Her re-integration, along with that of Lech Walesa, was one of the strikers' first demands.
In fact, they re-integrated her themselves on 14 August, and immediatelv elected her to the strike committee (MKS). Then she became a member of its presidium.
Just minutes after the announcement of the agreement, it was difficult to get to talk to her. She was completely surrounded, signing strike posters as vers.
Demands
With victory achieved, it was time for trophies. Throughout the factory there was a rusn lo gel leaflets, posters, and pictures signed by
Walesa and other members of the MKS, by foreign jour-
After several attempts managed to ask Anna Walen-
few questions.
What does she think agreement?
'We're happy, very happy. We've obtained a great deal, all our demands have substantially met.
religious symbols were carried
of the strikers. most people are scandalised at any suggestion that the church should play a directly political role.
Appeal
Lech Walesa, the most prominent strike leader, explained that although he was Catholic, religion was one thing and the affairs of the union
¡ nal is wny caramal Wyszynski's television appeal for a return to work had so little impact.
Discussions we've about this have also brought up the question of the framework. fin which the strikers see their. struggle.
Obviously the criminal antics of the Stalinist bureaucracy have given communism a bad
But virtually questions the social ownership of the means of production or the idea of a planned economy.
Mine workers see their strug-
"as One for a democratic
acialism. The Prague Spring is
model in people's minds. Press
We have heard that the in-
sendent union has put out a
i for support from unions in
West to help fund a printing We hope everyone in Bripreparing to respond.
Gdansk Soviet was oncarsal. Much bigcome. independent big factor in 1=301 is the for socialisin that we
Griffiths, AUEW at Rover Solihull, ichard Rozanski, editor socialist youth paper are in Poland to for Socialist Challenge rolation. They join an sonat team of reporters Fourth International.
INTERNATIONAL
We're happy, very happy...
POLAND
Baltic Sea
IN REVOLT
of the
Around us about strikers are gathered, listening. It starts to rain, and someone been brings out an
shelter us.
But
By Torn Martowe THE NEWS item was tucked away in an inside page in the international Herald Tribune of 26 August: an unusual Poland's ambassador Washington, Mr Spasowski, thanked American its statements • 210 were helpful in dealing with the had crisis.
Just how the US had been 'helpful' was explained in the preceding paragraph: The US government has refrained from
the Polish strikers since their action began earlier month.' Silence At first sight the attitude of the US government Polish events seems curious a curiousness which extends to all the major Western govern-
From the headquarters of NATO in Brussels, to the Thatcher government here, to the West German Schmidt, the same stance was adopted: No comment.
A US State statement on 19 August summed it up with the insistence that The "the strikes are a domestic mat-
ter and therefore none of our concern'.
Certainly the best right-wing press in Britain rush-
Led to defend the Polish strikers. But the more thoughttu and SETIOUS establishment repeated the caution shown by their govert ments.
Even the fanatically anticommunist Daily Telegraph advised on 30 August: workers would be wise to go for industrial rather than cry for the moon.' All this at a time of NATO
'Tomorrow'
Ana Walentynowicz, ing to found the new union. Above the provisional headquarters put up a big sign: "Free and self-managed trade union".
Essential
'We will thirty telephone. The which isn't clear yet is the printing arrangements umbrella to paper.
step, to Romuald
the
sala ines encouragement to
this
Wall Street
to the re-arming, the
memory of DOVCULL. and communist ideological sive the like of which has not been seen since the US war on the Vietnamese people began to tlounder. bo Chancellor silence on Poland?
Debts
Department.
Led. As the Polish strikes were spreading, a consortium of international banks signed a deal which gave the Polish govern.
popular, ment £137m worth of credit.
A similar £280m, Will banks doing the lending, will be papers signed shortly.
pay off interest payments on debts to Western banks already accumulated by 'Polish government. has to pay off a staggering £3bn concordat worth of such charges.
plained that if the new loans
explains An'we are go-
we're going organ:
Unțil now even have Robotnik only thing
for ed on a shoestring' OUE
It will be essential for the says,
still fresh were refused the Olympic an anti- rowings offen-
banks'.
why the strange crease then Poland
First, First, there is money involv-
year which repayment.
deal worth pect that West German
Yalta
This money will be used to
loan has the Polish This year Poland From point of
The Financial Times has ex-
new union to have its own
'Our work depends on it. It will give information, open its columns to discussion, provide a means of convincing people
we've only had Wytrzeze (Coastal
Worker) which was semi-legal; often confiscated, and produc-
Robotnik will carry on, she but the union paper is •Poland might prolonged have defaulted on existing bor- Poland.
would have meant considerable losses for a number of major international reasonable.
The Western banks consider it good business to in- nas
borrowing to East/West for a number of one roland nas a good record in paying off debts on time. Second, Poland is expec ting to have a trade surplus this
would facilitate Third, if all else taing fails the Western bankers. ex-
the Soviet Union would bail out Poland's debt. inside the
others
Finally, part of the new There been guaranteed by the West German government.
its •OWi World view. therefore, Western capitalism has, at least -in the short-term, no economic interest in seeing a damaging. West's mm
much more ambitious:
'We want a daily, on sale in the kiosks. We'll keep the name
of our strike bulletin: Solidar-
nosc (Solidarity). It should be
printed officially, with the costs
paid out of union dues. And if
they won't print it for us, we'll
buy our own machines.
strike wave As one West German banker was quoted as saying: 'We just hope everyone will be
After the economics. come the politics. The Polish regime
played a useful role in relations, indicated by the fact that it is the
East European country Carter has ever visited.
Most recently, the Gierek leadership offered Poland as a venue for a meeting between French president Giscard d'Es-
and Soviet president Leonid Brezhnev
This buffer role - firmly
• Soviet camp but more amicable to the West than
has made Gierek valuable to the West.
also remains the the East/West agreement first hatched at Yalta after the Second
War, which includes Poland in the sphere of in fluence in retura for Soviet non interference
concerned.
With the developing situa tion in Central America - the revolution in Nicaragua, the frantic attempt of imperialism to stop the same thing happening in El Salvador - • US im perialism has every wish to see that agreement maintained Destiny
The Financial Times concluded on 19 August that 'both the West and East have a vested interest in the survival of the ronsn icadersmo The Inter national Herald Tribune warned the Polish workers on 27 August, "they should not overplay their hands'
Such mouthpieces of the more sophisticated sections of
imperialist camp know there littk _political economic profit in the ide WOrking
Page 6 scan of this page
No return to the Social Contract
By Pat Kane JIM CALLAGHAN was one of the main speakers at this year's TUC. Despite the vious lessons of the last elec. tion, his politics haven't changed much.
For the Labour Party's right wing this year's TUC was 'a moderate success. They came to the Congress to soften up the unions. Thatcher was attacked repeatedly, but behind the anti-Tory rhetoric they plan return to tae same poncies llla led to the downfall of the last Labour government. Evident
This was evident from 'A Policy for Expansion', a major policy statement produced by the TUC-Labour Party Liaison Committee. Callaghan not have been clearer about its implications. He explained that there were three preconditions to ensure the success of the next Labour government.
First, there must be complete understanding between the unions and the party before the election.
What is a
By Brian Grogan
THE TUC now favours agreement on an
incomes policy With use
cover lucill
government has to implement a 'planned
Tom Jackson, the right-wing leader of
told delegates:
have is a planned economy with incomes
unplanned. It is a pipe-dream to believe
that anywhere in the world there is a socie-
ty that plans for the future, and makes no
plans for incomes. But planning is not
possible under capitalism:
Every system
mechanism for deciding how to allocate
society's resources. Under capitalism this
mechanism is profit rates.
with a high rate of profit attract invest-
ment, une rest are starvca.
In such a set-up there is no possibility
of planning the relationship between pro-
duction and people's needs. It is only after
LiVeLicit iș made
know whether they can sell what is produc-
ed.
Periodically, the rush of investment in-
to particular sectors leads to a situation of
Trades Union Congress
Second, this must recognise the planned and orderly change.
ob- relations Third, between lt must
and the state 'once and for all'. Callaghan went on to say that all governments, they avow it or not, have an incomes policy'.
Tried before
to The main problem
Labour's right wing these policies have been tried before. Callghan defended the social contract at the TUC, and argued that this time an agreement on wages 'would not be entered into as a result of a crisis, or to pull the government out of a hole'.
Planning for the future is could the aim of both the TUC and
parliamentary
working class living standards doesn't enter into their calculations.
Callaghan's message reflected in the resolutions on pay policy passed by the con-
Planned Economy ?
that the next
Economic
put on short-time.
Workers. •What Congress cannot deciding
resources profit.
For not this
have have shown,
Those sectors and
that the capitalists In shis sense,
agreement need for
define the the unions
whether
decision. for is that Labour
knowing leaders. can and Labour leaders.
terence. One supported comes policy, was affirmed the free collective bargaining. Both sides of the General Council overproduction of the sort we have today — where goods cannot be sold at a price capable of giving the expected return on investment. Investment therefore dries up.
activity declines, factories close, millions are thrown out of work or
This is an inevitable consequence of
the allocation society's according to what makes a The only 'planning' individual firms can do or want to do is that which maximises profit. The question of whether
will coincide, with people's needs is left to a pious hope.
But as the last 130 years of capitalism
the systematic creation of amidst plenty is an inevitable periodic feature of capitalism. Governments which administer capitalism can only alleviate the effects of crisis. They cannot force investment.
All they can do is to create the most favourable conditions for making profits.
incomes policy Coll nothing more than wage restraint.
Today a planned economy is not only within our grasp, it is vital to overcome the twin scourges of mass unemployment and
Home News
CUT HOURS, NOT JOBS WITH over two million unemployed, the TUC adopted the demand for the implementation of a 35-hour week without loss of pay. Although it was part of a longer resolution which includes the demand for import controls, the campaign for a shorter working week now will be assisted by this
The other positive decision was to oppose the Tory Employment Act. Callaghan committed the next Labour government to repeal the Act.
But the shop floor will not be waiting that long. Already the Brixon CPSA strike has shown that the law can be defeated. As the Tories drive home their attacks, resistance will spread
The union leaders are being cautious, not
just how far they can Callaghan's road. Any resistance to the Tories
will shatter the best laid plans of the
in- claimed a victory! another commitment to
standing Arguments for Socialism inflation. Workers have a whole host of unmet needs. We need schools, hospitals - let alone the good things of life.
But the unemployment goes hand-in-hand with a cut-back in the construction of hospitals and houses and the production of the commodities we need. But remember, it was the last Labour government, with its social contrick of wage restraint, which made all these things of the '30s respectable again
which fits production to people's needs, a system based on the profit motive has to be SHANIC Only dustries only when the banks could real planning begin.
That would need dedicated to taking on and defeating the be power of the bosses. In that system wages could be planned to rise systematically in line with the cost of living and the develop ing wealth of society.
Polish workers demanded.
and leading Communist
go along
position to
Not everyone at the TUC alternative
shares welcomed Callaghan's speech.
When he was given his usual
ovalivil, efficiently.
do have.
Imports
port. controls. ed trade'. more houses,
crisis means that massive .In order to have a rational overall plan
June malor inare taken out of private hands,
are nationalised,
government
This is what the
delegates stayed in their seats.
Arthur Scargill of the National Union of Mineworkers,
Fisher of the Nationa Union of Public Employees.
members of the Party WELC pleased with the insistence on the return to the old policies. But they've got their own problems to deal with
The left-wing leaders have nothing to put forward in op-
Callaghan. Their economic strategy the basic Dallic tramework as the right wing; making the system work more
through the Congress they managed to find a compromise to smooth over any minor differences that they
The main demand from the Communist Party was for im-
But here they were unable to distance themselves from the right wing.
David Basnett, leader of the General & Municipal Workers Union, made the main report. In line with Callaghan, he said that he wants 'neither free trade nor protectionism, but manag-
Completely disregarding the present economic actions of ine multinationais, the huge profits of the bankers, and the crippling interest payments and
lack of funds in the nationalised sector, Basnett claimed that it is the flood of imports which threatens to engulf our basic industries
The motion was moved by Communist Ken Gill from the technicians' of the Engineering Union. Unity was ensured once more.
Reforms
But the schemes of Callaghan and Basnett are still far from secured. The rank and file of the Labour Party are insisting on democratic reforms that will severely limit the room
manoeuvre of the Parliamentary Labour Party.
The General Council and the TUC may be drifting
but posite is the case in the rank and file of the Labour Party.
will be another hurdle to cross for the right wing.
Unless the Labour lefts, including their trade union supporters like Scargill and Fisher, present a clear alternative to Callaghan, they will end up isolated once again
The alternative is already present in some of the motions passed by conference.(see box). The left leaders have to actively organise rot lnen himpiçmellation, not sit passively while the right wing organise.
THE main leaders of the
left in the trade unions
(clockwise from bot
tom): Arthur Scargill of
the NUM; Ken Gill
AUEW-TASS; Alar
Fisher of NUPE
Because they dont
challenge the system,
they have no clear alte
native to Callaghan.
Page 7 scan of this page
Into battle on rates and cuts Courts
HOME NEWS
Socialist Challenge
TELECOM
RIP OFF
TORIES
LANs roMa ThE TOd
FIGHT
CONTROL
Dutch
women fight
abortion
bill
Dutch women are fighting attempts to restict their abortion rights.
A bill going through the Dutch parliament aims
make abortion
Bring
Anwar's
children
home By Paul Terry CONTINGENTS from Leicester, Liverpool, and a double-decker busload •of. people from Manchester helped swell a 200-strong demonstralon in Rochdale on Saturday in support of Anwar Ditta's fight against the immigration laws.
The Home Office has denied her three children the right to come to Britain from Pakistan. The officials claim that Anwar and her husband are not their real parents.
This is despite a considerable amount of documentary evidence, offers of bood tests and money pay. an vestigator Pakistan, and Anwar's volunteering to go to jail for 20 years if her claim were false!
No one. who has
Patients
seized from
hospital
occupation
SIX elderly patients were snatched from St Benedict's hospital South London by Health administrators on Tuesday morning before pickets arrived padlock and surround the ospital gates.
St Benedict's, which has 91 remaining patients, has been occupied
ince the begining of the
when the Merton sutton and Wandsworth
rea Health Authority an-
unced its decision to
Be the hospital.
With no simular
lities for elderly pa-
nts in the area, the oc-
lation has been back-
by the health
d the Royal College of
ursine
Stall were notified
management intend-
aremove patients for-
at 4pm on Tuesday
produced Challenge
Communications. Articles deal
of nationalised
control.
Pamphlet), at
criminal. offence; place restrictive time limits; limit the powers of doctors; and introduce a complicated licensing system for proabortion clinics.
During the Camapign against the Corrie bortion Bill. in Britain,
women held picket of the British Embassey, a demonstration in support of the Natioan! Abortion Campaign, and sent letters and petitions to
heard Anwar speak can doubt here determination to bring her children here and to resist. Home Office rulings that have twisted even the existing racist immigration laws.
These laws hit directly at all black people in unis counry. Indian
The message of the demonstration was stand up and fight, keep fighting, and for black unity racism. Speakers from both the Indian Workers Association and the West Standing Conference were at the rally.
A further call from the rally was for support from the whole working class movement jetison the immigration laws and all they stand for.
For Anwar Ditta to speak at your meeting, contact: Anwar Ditta Detence Committee, 127 Crawford St, Rochdale, Lancs.
Anwar
but the lift by lift by private ambulance began at 10.30.
Over a hundred pickets were rapidly mobilised by the occupation committee, and the entrance to the hospital blocked. Police said they
only allow. two pickets on the gate, but couldn't shift the crowd who surrounded it.
The staff agreed to open the gates in the
when manage ment obtained a court injunction. The Area Health Authority said that no further patients would be removed before Thursday 11 September so that the unions could discis-
with ambulance staff.
'Our hope says Arthur Hautot, secretary of the occupaton committee, that the ambulance workers will refuse to
hospitals pater
hospitals unless St Benedict's future is secured.
For further details ring Arthur Hautot on (01) 762 2231
A new pamphlet has been
by Socialist
supporters employed in Post Office
with Tory plans for the telecommunications industry; the role
industries and the case for workers
Copies are available from Socialist Challenge (POEU
10p. Discount rates on request.
the Tories. Now they need
our suport to fight.
'NAC will be holding a
picket of the Netherlands
Embassey; Hyde Park
Gate, London ŠW7 on Friday 26 September from
12-2pm. Letters of protest should be sent to: - The Minister of Health, Department Volksgezondheit, Postbus 439, 2260 AK Leidschendam, The Netherlands.
Licence to live
By Derek Freeman CORONATION housing co-op in Lambeth. South London, fighting for its life. Next Monday Lambeth council's housing committee will decide whether to grant a iwoyear licence on a block of 50 flats in South Lambeth Road:
These have been cupied for three months by
no meters people, have replaced basic amenities which had been damaged by council gutting squads. The squatters want to be able to secure homes for single people for two years.
Although the council plans to redevelop the site, the earliest date is 1982.
By Patrick Sikorski THE leaders of the hospital workers' unions symbolically walked out of the TUC last week. The protest was against the Engineering Managers' was arguing in favour of increased private practice in
Fisher, who led the walk out, had an opportunity to turn his protest into national action when he attended the fringe meeting called by Lambeth Labour Party Group Lambeth council, outline why they should support a conference to plan strike action against further Tory cuts.
trades council and town hall unions, November conference, as Ted Knight said: "To decide to use whatever resources are at the disposal of the labour Be ma c dal as government in lls tracks.
ing one could reason with Thatcher and Heseltine in order to change their policies.
visiting 10 Downing St, Knight continued: 'The only way you will stop their attacks on working class living standards is to call a halt, and that means posing the question of how we use the strength of the labour movement to do precisely that.'
work out how many people we are going to put on the dole.
Party Secretary Ron Lambeth felt it necessarv to hold a conference and weren't the Labour Party doing enough already, Knight replied with a categorical No.
the parliamentary leadership.
port for the conference.
Oxygen
workers
reject
redundacy
plan delegates rep senting the British Oxi company's naworkforce have rejected management's latest redundancy proposals.
The 'slimline' proposals were opposed by three out of four regions at WESAY NO THE : JOB MAXE OSS by Pete Clifford A MASS meeting at Gardner's engineering works in Manchester voted last week to fight the company's plans for • 700 The meeting decided to take industrial action if necessary to secure the jobs.
Of the 2,400 Engineer ing Union members present at the meeting only Earlier in the week NUPE general secretary Alan
The Lambeth Labour Group, in conjunction with the
have called the 1
He went on to say that it was no use any longer think-
Then in a thinly disguised attack on the TUC General Council's decision to deal with 2m unemployment by
The only other option, he said, was to sit down and
Referring to the letter he had received from Labour
Hayward asking why
He rejected the 'wait to the next election' approach of
Alan Fisher pledged NUPE's full and unstinting sup-
a meeting last week between management and the union representatives. The fourth region accepted the plan, DUEl decided to go along with the majority decision.
Scheme
BOC's was replying to demandsfor an early retirement scheme; opposition to systematic overtime; and the call for immediate introduction of a shorter working week.
The bosses' offer on retirement involved job loss, and this was once
ALLISON WIL 60 WELL BEFORE
US
Engineering workers' job cuts
four voted against.
largest factory in the Man- for chester area. Over the past
13,000 CODS been lost local engineering industry.
When union leaders addressed the meeting they were greeted with shouts of 'We've got to fight'
Gardner's is already on action against Heseltine's Bill, any further rates increases.
1 November.
mittee, Room 103, Lambeth Town Hall, London SW2. Tel: 01-274-7722 ext 2066
again rejected although it involved offers of lump payments cases of over £10,000. Briefed The rejection was won with little help from Transport Union's national officer for the chemical industry. While management had already been briefed, the joint management/union character of the regional meetings meant that the umon delegates did not have the opportunity to meet beforehand.
After the meeting the
GAT short-time. It was when
Gardner's is the second the unions put the demand
wage management replied with the redundancy announcement The workers responded with an immediate stoppage. They have been in the lead in winning support for Bob Wright, the left-wing candidate in the AUEW presidential elections. Council, welcomed this support but added: From the Adwest Vanessa Wiseman, chairperson of Lambeth Trades conference we are not just asking trades unionists to take
but asking to see Ted Knight and Labour councillors throughout the country not just calling on the trade unions to take that action but committing themselves to also be on the line with those trade unionists; to commit themselves at this stage to not make more cuts: not to wait and see how November's conference goes but to undertake not to make any further cuts; not to sell any council houses and not to make
The conference is to be held at Camden Town Hall on
Further information and an application for credentials, from: Local Government in Crisis, National Labour and Trade Union Conference Organising Com
Brixton Hill,
March Against Missiles
Eve of Labour Party conference Sunday 28 September Blackpool
Assemble: 10.45am War Memorial, Nr Butlins
Hotel. March to Rally 1.30pm South Pier. Sponsors Include: Manchester Against Missiles, Bob Wright AUEW Assistant Gen. Secretary, Ken Slater AUEW District Sec. Accrington, Manchester North AUEW District C'ttee, Colin Barnett NWTUC Sec.,
Frank Allaun MP, Labour Action for Peace, Bob
Walder NW CND Sec., EP Thompson. Lobby the AUEW delegation to call for
La vote against the missiles
2.00pm AUEW offices, Station Road, Blackpool.
delegates cabled the . TGWU headquarters, notitying their decision and demanding that the national officer convene a national shop stewards conference within the next week. If this doesn't hap pen the stewards intend to convene their OWI meeting.
Micky Boulter, TGWU
Secretary said Hackney
after the
negotiations it was essen-
To use me orodosal
meeting to re-establish a national combine committee and a newspaper
order to co-ordinate the anti-redundancy struggle
Kilburn
Times strike
over job
loss
JOURNALISTS on the Kilburn Times in NW London are in their third week of strike. action against redundancies.
Five journalists, including three NUJ members, were handed their cards in mid-August.
The redundancies would have meant that only lowDale unlors were lert on l newspaper, and that a majori
remaining editoria staft would have • OCCH HUll union
The NUJ has backing to the stride,
ficial
SUIKC
ana Inere nas oeen good sup
port from Brent Trades
Council and local unions. But print union solidarity has yet
to materialise, and scab issue:
of the weekly paper are being
produced
To put a stop to this, join the picket Wednesday evenings trom som onwares
313 Kilens Park ondon.
(Queens Park tube).
Donations c/o John Clerkin.
Dickenson Rd, London
N8.
• JouTRansIs on local
have sacco to tame alon
voted take all-out sunke acon over a camo
but the
NUJ leadership has delayed action while talks drag on.
hammer
pickets
POLICE action against the pickets at Adwest in Reading where workers are on strike against vic timisation and sackings, is now being matched by massive fines.
Trials have been going on over the past month and are expected to go on
another month. On Friday two pickets were given huge fines following their arrests at the 14 July mass picket.
Danny Makanju has to pay over £300 in fines and costs after being convicted of throwing flour at the police. NGA print union official David Geary has to pay £100 after being found guilty of obstructing th police on the flimsiest evidence, which even the police said was unsure.
The next mass picket is outside the Adwest plant on Monday 22 September. On the following Wednes day Danny Broderick, the plant convener, will be up for triah. picket will take place outside «Readin magistrates court
Page 8 scan of this page
CHILE - How the re
ON THE morning of 11 September 1973, almost exactly three years after the Popular Unity (UP) coalition had come to power, the Moneda palace in Santiago, residence of social democratic president Salvador Allende, came under attack from tanks and aircraft. The left's nightmare — a military coup - was coming true.
Allende and his bodyguard came out of the palace with machine guns, scanning the sky for the attacking planes. Within hours Allende was dead. The 'peaceful road' to socialism in Chile had come to an end.
On the seventh anniversary of the coup, PHIL HEARSE looks at the reasons for the failure of Chilean reformism and its lessons for us.
*THEN...
IN THE days that followed the coup, the right wing against the left. In the socialists, communists and trade unionists were killed by the Thousands of workers who had been told by the Communist and Socialist parties to assemble in their factories were cut down unarmed when the army attacked.
A reign of terror followed which has not been ended to this day. The shadow of the torturer hung over Chile as the experiment with a peaceful road to socialism' dismantled. To understand why, we have to look at what the Popular Unity coalition was trying to do, and how it went wrong.
In September 1970, Popular Unity's candidate, elections. The right wing made the mistake of standing two candidates; Allende received the highest number of votes (36 per cent) but not an overall majority.
Right from the start Allende tried to make concessions to the right wing; cabinet contained as many members of the declining and right-wing Radical Party as of the much bigger Communist Party. strategy of the Popular Unity government was gradually to carry out reforms in the interests of the working class, but not to go too quickly, for fear of alienating the middle class.
Instead of the nationalisation of all the basic means of nationalisation took place. Instead of mass workers' mobilisations, year of Allende's rule the hundreds of local Popular Unity committees which had been set up during the election campaign were disbanded.
Nonetheless the Popular Unity government did take many steps in the interests of the working class. tionalisations was much greater than the top 25 companies envisaged for Britain by Tony Benn. substantially increased.
Free milk was distributed to the poor, and money for public housing was greatly
it came. You could see the activity. It was like the 29 June attempt had been a little joke. Here
'You saw the Hawker Hunter jets circling and bombing the presidential palace. You saw them streaking out to the working class areas to bomb factories and
working class neighbourhoods... "I watched the army deploying itself in total military fashion, then a curtain of machine-gun fire opened up - for about ten minutes, a sheer curtain of sound and
smoke arising from the intense fire into this one
'It finally ended by someone throwing a grenade in There was a huge explosion and then silence. This was
happening building by building all over the city.'
and the army took revenge
three : days 30,000
military forces. was increased. economy grew.
Allende, won the presidential of the votes.
purchased at a high price.
This alarmingly.
Ironically,
The
right-wing parties.
Bankruptcy
production only partial by the
Economically, during the first strike by the
foreign The number of na-
Wages and salaries were
forces.
win over the middle class.
was the real thing
tion'. building
Chil
'Well, we Chileans had a
preview in the attempted coup
that much of what we did was
nowhere, that we were part of tl
wasted jumble.... The peaceful
Where did it lead us?'
Unemployment fell as the me Popular support for the sid government also grew - in the 1971 local elections Popular Unity got a clear majority
But the successes of Popular Unity were
Because the big financial institutions and banks were not taken over, the government had to borrow huge amounts: Inflation began to increase
the whole strategy of Popular Unity was to go slowly in order to win over the middle class. But because the gradual approach allowed economic chaos to develop, the middle class went over to the
The destabilisation of the government
right wing took many forms there was an investment Chilean bosses. Wealthy farmers took their cattle over the Andes into Argentina, rather than sell them in Chile. The press carried out a slander campaign against the government and the left.
As the economy got in worse trouble,
companies refused to invest in Chile. The United States organised an international campaign against Chile - all credit to Chile was ended. The US stepped up its contacts with the Chilean military
In 1972 the political strategy of Popular Unity went into bankruptcy. The determination of imperialism and local reaction to wreck the economy made it impossible ta
The whole process of destabilisation reached a head in the autumn of 1972 when a bosses' strike was organised. Factories closed down; the middle class truck owners went on strike, leaving transport paralysed The country ground to a halt.
Popular Unity was itself divided. The right wing, led by Allende and the Com munist Party, advocated a continued gs slow' policy — what they called 'consolid
The left wing - the left of the Social Party and their allies - put forward policy of 'advance without compromise push forward to socialism by mobilisingt workers. They were supported by the Mov
Page 9 scan of this page
volution was lost
ce to get a sort of 29 June.... We knew vain, that it took us ttern of this horrible d, our famous road.
he Revolutionary Left (MIR) outorkers had something to say about vernment. on. Against the hoarding of vital they organised local committees and distribution to try to break chold of the black market. The
immittees organised by Popular
revitalised. ts started to fight for control of
ough a series of land seizures. *tant of all, when the bosses' ared, workers in the industrial se cordones industriales - set up
area committees. tory and neighbourhood com-
stituted embryonic organisa-
akers' power; the workers were eo take their affairs into their s Popular power was emerging in
Popular Unity government op-
alf organisation of the masses.
a strike developed, the govern-
niced the cordones industriales
as illegal.
of mobilising the masses, in-
a support the actions of the
selves, Popular Unity called
o break the strike. Trade union
ed the factories telling the
aly on 'legality'; to leave it to
ment to overcome the crisis.
the period of Popular cat the armed forces of the ied intact. Allende conhis faith in the constituof the army. No attempt ermine the armed forces; made to win rank-and-file side of the government. nilitary retained their links States. on revealed the whole lar Unity. In the name of they had captured the of the government. But ate, and its apparatus of (intact. ined the final guarantor f the right wing and the tolerated the Allende while; but when it looked
as if the working class was getting out of control, they moyed in for the kill.
At the beginning of 1973 pressure from the right wing built up. Middle class students from the Catholic University demonstrated against the government.
The whole of the bourgeoisie clamoured for the army to intervene and overthrow the 'Marxist' government. The military carried out hundreds of raids against left-wing strongholds - factories, where the poor and unemployed lived, leftwing political offices. The whole situation was one of crisis.
On 29 June 1973 a section of the army led by Colonel Roberto Souper attempted a coup. Tanks from the Second Armoured Regiment attacked the presidential palace and the Ministry of Defence. But only a small part of the armed forces joined the coup - it was easily put down-by forces who remained 'loyal' to Allende. It seemed that Souper had jumped the gun.
The reaction of the workers to the attempted coup was speedy. During the day, as the fighting went on in Santiago's streets, the parties of Popular Unity met and decided to distribute arms to the workers. On the evening of 29 June more than a million workers demonstrated in the streets of Santiago against the reactionaries.
When Allende addressed demanded that he 'hit the reactionaries hard' and execute the plotters. demanded that the decision to distribute guns to the workers that had been taken earlier should be carried out.
Repression
For Allende and his government this was the last chance. The defeated coup put the right wing on the spot. The workers were infuriated. They wanted guns. During the day many workers had occupied their factories and they wanted to keep them. It was the decisive moment.
But Allende and Popular Unity acted in precisely the opposite way. Instead of taking the opportunity to strike hard at the right wing, the government decided that the only way out was to make further concessions.
Allende invited a wide range of rightwing figures to join his cabinet, in particular the Christian Democrats. When they demanded that the military also be brought in, Allende agreed on 10 August.
By these hasty and desperate concessions, Allende only signalled his weakness to the right. The military became convinced that they could overthrow him without too
much of a struggle. On 11 September the blow was struck. darkness of military dictatorship repression.
While there are many lessons for British socialists in the Chile experience, it would
shanty towns
ALLENDE (left) attack begins radical than those pursued by Allende. we can draw out certain lessons.
American-owned
them they
class.
The left economic
sabotage the economy.
perialism.
blem of Allende and Popular
of the working class, but in -tionalism.
Chile went into the
and
were going to fight it.'
be foolish to pretend that we are likely to face exactly the same position if a left-wing government is elected. For one thing the policies associated with Tony Benn and the thcoming. mainstream of the so-called Alternative economic strategy' are a good deal less
But
The initial steps of Popular Unity - the reflation of the economy and the increase in wages and living conditions, the nationa- tion. lisation of some large firms, including the
copper companies were all in the interests of the working
But because of the limitations on the
power of the government above all the fact that they didn't complete. ly take over all the major firms and the financial institutions — it was possible for the bosses and the middle class to begin to realists.
With much more extensive nationalisations it would have been possible, with a state monopoly of foreign trade, to guard the economy against the sabotage of im-
But these economic policies were just part of the much more fundamental pro-
Unity: At each decisive turn, they put their faith not in mass mobilisation and the self-organisation
constitu- for experience. '1 remember going on the 4 September march, celebrating the third anniversary of Allende's election. There were more than one million peo. ple in the streets of Santiago. A very moving sight.
"I brought my little son with me because I knew in a sense that it was going to be the last march, that something was soon going to happen. We were marching down the street, talking to the people on the march - the
workers, and so on. I realised that they also felt the way I did.
'They also knew this was one of the last times that they would be
allowed to go on the street. They were conscious of what was coming and they were prepared to defend the government. There was no mincing words; they were expecting a fascist-type situation to develop and they
Quotes from 'Chile's Days of Terror' (Pathfinder Press)
They relied on the 'good will' of the reactionary parliament and the 'neutrality of the army — neither of which was for-
In their overwhelming majority, despite the comparative strength of the revolutionary left, the workers stayed loyal to their traditional reformist parties, which told them repeatedly to rely on constitutional manoeuvres and not on mass ac-
Reformists of every type like to parade their 'realism'. This consists, apparently, in eschewing such fantasies as 'mass mobilisation', "revolution', and 'workers' power'.
According to them, such things are Trotskyist day dreams. They argue instead that it is possible to create socialism by fundamentally peaceful, constitutional means.
Chile shows, however, who are the
To attempt to advance towards socialism without the preconditions of mass mobilisation existing, and without preparing for an inevitable confrontation with the repressive forces of the state, is not just unrealistic. It is an exercise in monstrous irresponsibility and adventurism.
For this stupidity more than thirty thousand Chilean workers died. In saluting their memory on the seventh anniversary of the coup, we have to prepare the conditions
avoiding a repeat of the Chilean
Page 10 scan of this page
AGENDA
Parks and Stephen Bell Ros Oliver,
recency
(CBC),
CBC distinct
organised.
In discussion
of Which
broadcast.
Then the
BelA an IMG postal
We delegated
tual on each
We had much discussion about how to present our politics wide audience CBC has an audience of up to 300,000. We knew that the language of the broadcast had to be direct and accessible, yet this did not get over the problem of conveying the difficult ideas we would be presenting.
In the end we felt that we would have to learn as
along. So we organised meetings after every broadcast to discuss the day's broadcast and
OUR FUND
DRIVE
AS SOON workers' revolt Socialist .organised to reporters
the national DIeSs cannot be relied upon to tell about the gles. Nor Star.
That falls • 0| Socialist and
Just out!
THE latest edition of
Socialist Republic,
newspaper of the Irish
revolutionary
organisation Peoples
Democracy, is just
out.
Featured •Armed is debate on
Struggle and
Socialism' between
leading members of PD and Provisional
Sinn Fein.
Also. included are
articles on women's
rights, the H-blocks,
and the Fianna Fair arms crisis.
Available from The
Other Bookshop, 328 Upper St, London N1. Or order from: PO Box 50, London N1. Price 12p plus 10p for p&p.
Cardiff
to the This was
about our
position
calcover but we
Army
broadcast
ter. Our
PDPA and
would with the . workers
peasants
the of in-
so clearly why the
Soviet interests temporarily coincided
own would
broadcast.
week.
Topic
days, was
would topic for our readers
And meetings are orcaused
publicity. The IMGof having
MILLION
TOO MANY:
*HOOR
PICTURED above are the platform speakers during ast week's lobby of the TUC Conference. Right to left: Ray Davis, from the Llanwern Steelworks; Stewert MacLennan, TUC delegate from the CPSA:
broadcast that
wan 'WC
were able to get over
precisely what should be
done about the situation
building a mass move-
ment for British
withdrawal.
Plug
broadcast
was While
lies dOlE NATO and
the CND
Using the
• the Socialist
Workers
were
On we were
balchai
Radio
Steve Bell, our
revolution,
different of
the from
socialism.
Finally 'com-
We are
discussing the
radio over
politics.
how
Dreser
grammes, contact
Cardiff through
Cardiff
LU
J Webber
T Mohun £8.94
S. Shannon
Poland Collection £55.07
GRAND TOTAL £391.77
IMG ORGANISERS
Documcitation
KICK OUT
THETO
Mickey Boulter, deputy convenor at British Oxygen, Hackney; and Sarah Hill, representing the Brighton Youth Unemployment Campaign.
OVER 100 people attend-would have
ed London IMG's solidari- peoples
Shustrova,
plained the deep impactinature of Tessa
Socialist Challenge
By Yvonne Taylo
NEW-look
Challenge will be coming your way this autumn.
If you re regular
reader you will know that
Socialist Challenge has always been a campaigning paper. In Britain it has new oportunities. consistently organised it's supporters to build the National Abortion Campaign, the Anti Nazi League, the campaign against Cruise missiles, and a host of other actions.
went on was Socialist
£1 Just importantly,
£5 established
the great international events. made it
spot from produced special ex-
in the and have
tions from from the Labour Party, as well as from organisations on the revolutionary left.
At every twist and turn of the class struggle we have sought to promote the maximum debate
Women in Action
womens' rights in the unions.
jobs; and abortion and the unions.
The paper's theme is Women
Tories, and it's only 10p.
rates offered to labour movement bodies.
INTERNATION E
MARXIST GRU
the editor of Labour Focus on Challenge revolutionary Eastern Europe, Socialist journal Infor-the background to
ex- prosent strikes and the sent Polish events|demands.
Introducing the new-look
about how to build the Socialist most effective unity in action against the capitalist attacks.
These are all gains which we wish to build.
But at the same time we have to take advantage of The vicious attacks of this Tory. government, coupled with the growing international crisis, are creating an audience among working people which is new to politics and wants to fight back.
To reach these people cal take little TOI ranted. We have to use every means of explaining our aims more simply though not by watering them down.
Here are just some of the issues that you will be seeing the coming issues: * The crisis in the Labour Party: the first new-look paper will carry a fourpage supplememt on the Labour Party conference * Campaigning against ruise missiles: a major supplement explaining the imperialist war drive and threat of nuclear war. of revolution: silence surrounding heroic revolutions in Censtruggle of the Irish people for self-determination. * Liberating the oppressed: explaining the strugwomen, and gays against
regular columns:
Arguments for socialism, Our History, Organising the Unions, Letters,
'WOMEN in Action' is a paper for action on
A special issue was produced for the TUC last week. Articles report on the effects of the Employment Act on Women; the growing campaign for positive action. to allow women into industrial
against the
Copies from Women in Action, Box 2, Sisterwrite Books, 190 Upper St., London N1. Bulk
the Gelderen, IMG Eastern Organiser, annouced the
appeal for funds to send a MacDonald, delegation Socialist outlined meet the strike leaders. the All donations should be
Socialist sao kan Conden N1 201
Speak-outs, Under Review.
Why not take advantage special subscription • offer, and guarantee your copy every week...
SC EVENTS ross was the pocate in sect i societ Chalent up to the end publisher August 1980.
TACKNEY •Centerprise Saturday
Griffur Focu iSon cerverone: Sover Solihull. Ai Sta r and Garrer, Fairfield Piccadilly ST CHALLENGE BENEFIT: Sab, Parasion at dad rela 1o. mid.
Sept. 7.30pm; Manchester, West Indiar
VOLVERHAMPTON SC SuppOrtE
meetin Middle
ondav & sent " The Ct Cash, SpeaKer Pia
Revolution
Revolution Youth. The main features are youth or the dole; reports on Ireland and school students and Nicaragua — one year of the revolution. A
Borders. Orders to: Revolution Youth, PO Box 50 London N1 2XP.
Organised. It's Nicaragua, reprinted in English, how the campaign is run and its political impor tance to the revolution.
Proceeds are going to the Literacy Cami and to Revolution Youth. 20p each, or 15p. orders of 10 or more. address.
WHAT'S LEFT
prior to publica
HIGHGATE
lamesid Ireland, Te
once attacks once Cos Tun ain
Are, Brabant Rd, Londo un 14 Sepi 1.30pl "ransport leaves Victoria Clock Tow
Ai Central Hall, Westminster, Rooms rana and Fat Briched are noting a halt day so
No Arms for Chile Vigil at Chilean Embassy Thursday 11 September seven anniversary brutal coup
La of the Bolivian Mines. Mil End Repression in Chile
DUNCAN ORGANISER the fighting left-wing. pape produced rank and fik Party and trade Union - members, has relaunched as a 12-page frot nightly.
Our contributors include: Noriood, Ren Livingone Vladimir Graham Patick Kodikara, John Blo am, Ernie Roberts Rache Lever and Frances Morrel We will now also have wider coverage of our worki the Mobilising Committee fo Labour Democracy Women's Fightback, inc cus are me acrese For a sample copy send stamped-addressed envelope SOCIALISI ORGANISER Stamfo Hill, London N16.
THE September issue of the youth paper Revolu tion is now out. This is the 12th issue produced by
Copies are 10p, with a reduction for bult
Also from Revolution Youth is a new pas phlet, Nicaragua: How the Literacy Campaign is
report for which expisio
Available from the ab
Page 11 scan of this page
Aborigines versus the land-grabbers
Digging for victory
Israel Arab/Israeli war in October of that year.
afoot.
in the event of Israel launching a nuclear strike.
nuclear weapons were judged unnecessary.
was set up 22 years ago.
South of Ireland.
El Salvador military junta. Japan
of maclear maste in the Pacific.
Last of Tokyo.
•ll or crushed by water pressure.
Holland
ca to all jobs in the armed forces.
Costa Rica
INTERNATIONAL
AROUND THE WORLD
HOW CLOSE the Middle East — and possibly the rest of the world - came to hearing the four minute warning siren in 1973 has been revealed in a new book just published in the
The book describes how the Israeli defence minister Moshe Dayan and prime minister Golda Meir authorised nuclear warheads to be placed on 13 rockets during the
Israel was initially in danger of losing the war, and so the nuclear rockets were placed on their launching pads. 'This exercise was spotted by a US reconnaissance military aircraft. In no time at all, US president Nixon was on the hot line to Soviet leader Leonid Brezhner telling him what was
Brezhner's response was to dispatch several nuclear warheads of his own to Egypt to allow the Arabs to retaliate
The disaster was prevented by Israel's success in stopping the Syrian army's offensive on the Golan Heights. The
UNEMPLOYMENT in the Common Market reached 6.7 million at the end of July, the highest figure since the EEC
The figure for those out of work rose by 29.5 per cent on a year-to-year basis in Britain, 18.3 per cent in Denmark, 17.6 per cent in the Netherlands, and 15.6 per cent in the
THE ruling junta in El Salvador took ariother massive lurch to the right last week. After an internal faction fight, the supporters of what is described as the 'moderate' wing in the junta were ousted from power by the most nghi-wing elements. The targets of the shake-up were army officers who tended to support the civilian side in the civilian-
DON'T go swimming in the Pacific Ocean. This must be a strong recommendation following last week's news that the
ese Science and Technology Agency is to dump barrels
plan is to solidify the waste in concrete, put it in and then dump these in 18,000 ft of water some miles
The United States government has previously carried out
ch exercises, despite a government report in 1961 which
id that this method of disposal was dangerous and could
radioactive leakage. The report cited testing in 1961 by the Los Angeles-based Pneumo-Dynamics Corporation. In bose tests 54 of 150 barrels dropped into the Pacific were
THE Dutch Navy has announced that women sailors will be allowed to serve at sea for the first time. In a one-year experiment begining next February, 21 women will join a supply vessal as part of a pledge to give them the same access as
THE central American state of Costa Rica is usually cited as
ple of how liberal democracy can work in a region for its political stability. So much so that its army shed in 1948 and replaced by an unarmed civil
none Costa Rican workers are getting restless. For des the country's main export, bananas, has been ry a strike of 5,000 workers on the plantation of Itinational, United Brand. orkers are demanding a rise of 35 per cent the steep rise in the cost of living in the attempt to break the strike the governmard and one striker was killed. dantations then threaterted to join the goverment to negotiate directly with the ase selllement was agreed but then rery, wtich refused to pay the agreed rise ride by a guarantee not to victimise the
By Lesley Wenck
IT reads like something from the American Wild West the sacred burial sites of the native population, mineral exploitation powerful company backed to the hilt by the government.
But it States in the 19th century, it is Australia today.
The natives involved are the Aboriginal people who have struggled to their land since the first white settlements in Austrialia 200 years ago.
week took their cause to the United Nations where Jim chairperson of the Australian
own body the Aboriginal Conference told a UN sub-commission on human rights:
By Geoffrey Sheridan WHEN did you last see a film that was financed by a group of British trade unions?
The never have, yet 38 Australian unions put up half the cash for Dirt Cheap, a superb 90-minute film that is likely to play a major part in building resistance to uranium mining in Australia Aboriginals spoile for their supporting land rights. Bonanza
Two years ago, filming of Dirt Cheap began, a fierce debate raged in Australia over the impications of mining uranium in Northern Territory.
meant Oenpelli people, who had lived in the area for some years. concluded: 'Aboriginal opposition should not be allowed to prevail.'
With severes since the '30s, the promise of a profits bonanza from what was then lalkcol deposit in the world attracted both overseas and capital, decline in
-and is And then thère was the issue of the regimes which were due to be the recipients of the crucial ingredient for nuclear power and bombs.
Deadly
Thousands marched in opposition to the mining project. The Australian Labour Party
down the mines if it elected. The Australian Coun
The centre seized for recent conflict by Perth, Western The is not the United Yungngora people, are
Petroleum,
preserve The
have been Aborginals side interference.
Hagen, But advisory Noonkanbah National that you when the
uprooting the
40,000
Australia facing its
crisis
domestic is a shop steward at leading to a further manufacturing in-
policy unionists from
the deadly mineral.
the issues
living in
must seem abstract.
it would shut Covering
were
'In a climate of despair the police. Aboriginal people now turn to you to assist in their strug gle for equality and freedom.
the most the is Noonkan- heroeo bah, over 1,000 miles north of Malcolm
Australia.
Aboriginals there, the being protection confronted by a United States
Amax to Noonkanbah. and its ruthless search for oil and diamonds.
Yungngora people Australia
only gained pastoral rights to their land in 1976, and the
running their affairs independently of out- drill.
an attempt recently the ground ted machinery. was invaded by the Amax oil The giant, and already sacred sites have been descrated under the protection of the Australian In THREE of the people whose lives are featured in 'Dirt Jarmarlu (top left) is one of the traditional landowners
mining companies are uprooting. Top right, a miner.
Mistral Fans in Melbourne.
cil of Trade Unions adopted a
which prohibits trades serVice the "sign away' mining and from transporting miners,
unionists But the project got under- Australia,
way. Dirt Cheap brings to life
which for much of admirably
the Australian working class -
thousands of
miles from the mining areas -
the Aboriginals
and their attitude to the land;
the meeting where the govern- Given
native
Amax has the full backing of both the right-wing West Australian government and
national government
Fraser. In mid.
August the regional govern ment provided para-militar
to scab labour transporting an oil drilling rig
Trade unions in Western.
have vigorously backed the Aboriginal's campaign by placing bans on the
of equipment to have also set up barcades is members
stop scab labour, and they have boycor-
exploitation the Aboriginals are now suffering is a familiar story.
past centuries the . Dolly life the m (above)
ment minister persuaded the Aboriginal representatives to
their rights; the with their racist and chauvinist aluludes, and trades
the south of including a militant woman shop steward, the film
exposes Australian capitalism at work while in no seen way understating the complexity of the issues involved.
It presents life-styles, as well as arguments.
obscurity
Australians were massacred to allow the expansion of primary industries -sheep, cattle and wheat
Now many Aboriginals face a living death on whitecontrolted missions and cattle stallulls. Children in the arid Australian interior are among the most undernourished in the world. Medical, educational, and housing facilities are grossly inadequate.
The Noonkanbah struggle is part of a recent upsurge in Aboriginal demands to control their own lives, the key to which is land rights.
A campaign of intemma tional support is presently under way with a number of African nations threatening to boycott the 1982 Com monwealth Games, due to be held in Brisbane, as a show of their support
DIRT CHEAP
much that passes for left-wing 'avant-garde' film-making Britain, Dirt Cheap is a model of what can be achieved by film-makers who are determin ed to make their work access ble to working class people
It was premiered in Sydney in July, and is now being widely
by Australian unionists and Abo Hopefully The Otha will distribute it in film was i edited
Page 12 scan of this page
Carter's Secret War in El Salvador
By Nancy Cole
EL SALVADOR is on the brink of
insurrection and
neighbour. Guatemala, is also in the
grip of a popular revolt.
the region was cracked open a year
ago by the workers, peasants,
students of Nicaragua. Led by the
Sandinista National
(FSLN), they
backed Somoza dictatorship.
The shock waves from their vic-
tory are now being felt throughout
Latin America...and
Reporting on events in El Salvador,
the New York Times wrote in July: 'As recognition
America's strategic importance has
US Aid-
ON 24 March, Archbishop Oscar Romero gunned down by rightists after counselling Salvadoran troops to 'heed the law of God' and halt the killing.
Several weeks before his death, Romero wrote to President Carter pleading with him not to give more military aid to
junta. His letter prompted by news that US Congress was considering a $5.7m emergency military aid package for Salvadoran generals.
"The contribution of your government, instead of favouring greater justice and peace in El Salvador, will undoubtealy sharpen the repression', charged Romero
The package was duly approved by Congress on 1 April.
civil war. Its
Washington's traditional hold on
Four and
Liberation toppled the US-
elsewhere.
of Central Below
Backbone
of the Junta
As noted by
was Friends Service Committee, the
list eauipment 1,500 CS tear-gas grenades, 250 'Manpack' radios, thousands of batteries, and an unspecified number of tear-gas grenades launchers.
Another item was fifty portable night-vision devices observation and
was weapons targeting.
the perfected for use in Vietnam.
For fiscal year 1981, the Carter administration has asked Congress to approve even more openly combat-oriented aid. This includes helicopters, jeeps, patrol boats, engines, and parachutes.
All this is totally separate from the 'private' arms sales to El Salvador, which require approval by the US government. According to a congressional
spread through pressure has mounted gress, the National Security Council and the Pentagon for a hard-line response to the leftist challenge.'
Today Carter is fighting a secret war in El Salvador.
thousand Salvadorans killed in the first six months of 1980, and every day more are being gunned down by the official armed forces and right-wing paramilitary gangs of the ruling junta.
This is Washington's war. The slaughter could not go on without military, economic and political support from the Carter administration for the Salvadoran military regime.
we look at the nature of this backing.
source, this Department's Office of Munitions Control licences 101 worth of arms porations. for Salvador.
Even more Salvadoran are Israel, Washington's weapons channel to discredited rightist regimes. In recent years Israel per cent of the weapons purchased by El Salvador.
These
Ine American
combat tral America,
Guatemala.
for since 1962,
night-time These were
1190 per person per year. cultivable land.
Salvadoran workers.
aco, US Steel and more.
people for their freedom.
El Salvador
Washington, in Con-
effectively
were form and
year the State fighter-bombers, port planes, expects to issue $250,000 and Galil assault rifles. from US corexport to EI are already Salvador. of the military's El Salvador provided by usual tionary (FDR), Belgian supplied more than 80 Gauche:
the fighting. include Ouragan
WHY SALVADORANS ARE IN REVOLT EL SALVADOR is the smallest country in Cen-
with 8,260 square miles. Its population of 4.1 million, however, is surpassed only by
There has been considerable industrialisation but most Salvadorans don't benelit from the wealth they produce. Average income is
Hunger is a big problem in El Salvador. About half of all children die of malnatrition or related ailments before their first birthday.
There are fewer than three doctors for every 10,000 inhabitants. Witeracy is 59 per cent.
Since 1932 the army has ruled El Salvador on behalf of a tiny elite known as the 'fourteen famities, which controls over 60 per eent of the
Most industry is foreign-owned, US corporations predominate. These US capitalists rake in huge profits off the sweat and blood of the
US corporations with investments in El Salvador include Exxon, International Basic coffee company, Westinghouse Electric, Alcoa, Tex-
They back the junta because it defends their interests. That is why the demand 'Yankee go home' is central to the fight of the Salvadoran
SALVADORAN troops - armed by
Arava transand large quantities of Uzi submachine guns
Apart from this aid, there
US trops In El Fabio Castillo, 'The former rector of the University
and now representative of the Revolu-
Democratic Front with the police recenty told the "The socialist weekly La uniformed
'American troops have also begun to be directly involved in Minister
• In fact, 36 American military advisors are tions of
cupied zones:'
Rico, members
and so on.
As Salvadoran
region.
countries zuela,
'peacekeeping Salvador. the
in El Salvador,
tervention.
for
would be the SOCC
'peacekeeping raguan
I hope.
intervention
the USA
stationed at three anti-guerrilla
bases in El Salvador.
Writing from San Salvador sUll.
June, Intercontinental
Press/Inprecor correspondent
J.Milan reported:
presence of North
American advisors and pilots is
very evident. They are working
with the army, but evén more
presence of two Yankee soldiers
stood out at a press conference
to explain the detention of ex-
Education
Samayoa. Numerous denuncia-
'Green Berets' have
been made in recent days by
peasants from the militarily ocIntervention
In the US colony of Puerto it has been learned, the National
Guard are attending weekend
training sessions on El Salvador
- its people, culture, terrain,
The obvious im-
plication is that they are training for a possible invasion.
cover for its intervention,
Washingon has sought to in- ror volve other governments of the
In June. Jorge Chiribogo Guerrero, a leftist MP in Ecuador, said that the
…OT the Andean Pact (Colombia, VenePeru, Bolivia, Ecuador) were already involved
Pentagon plans for mission in Orden, According Prensa Latina despatch from the Colomolan capilal bogola, an ar ticle by journalist Patricia Lara in the 29 June issue of the daily El Espectador regarded the Andean Pact military force "to be
most convenient way for the United States to intervene
although this does not rule out direct US in-
Explosion
league.
other alternative
eserved by the United States
preventing the revolutionary victory in El Salvador
intervention of from Guatemala and Honduras on the pretext of any border incident with the small Central American country, thè commentary notes.'
missIon
In response to talk of a
force' NicaForeign Minister Miguel D'Escoto commented: their
.President Carter would not feel tempted to do the inal. much less order ? direct
EI Salvador. estate.'
BDD
For us, that would be like ag-
gression against our own per-
since we are an integral
part of Central America. If that
should occur, it would produce
an explosion Central
American political struggle.'
'REFORM' IS
COVER FOR
TERROR
THE WHITE HOUSE
claims that the regime in El
Salvador is made up of well
reformers,
caught between extremists
of the right and left.
But the junta's. an-
nouncement of reforms.
coincided with an official
declaration of a state of
siege, removing any formal rights Salvadorans had before.
The much-heralded land redistribution has, in fact. been used as cover for a ter-
campaign against suspect peasants. Betty Richardson Nute and William Nute Jr reported in the 11 June Los Angeles Times on a recent factfinding visit to El Salvador.
On 3 March, they wrote the National Guard and the rightist terror group,
invaded a community Bible-study group it Canton Carmen Montes Chalatenango department, and massacred 12 people. In Canton Ojo de Agua, two men were decapitated and their hands and feet cut off and two girls' arms were cut off and they were left to • bleed to death.'
Their crime? Members ship in a Christian peasant
The Nutes heard eyewitness reports of such murders in six departments: Chalatenango. . Cuscațlan, Cabanas, Santa Ana, PLa Libertad, and La Paz.
...at the Hacienda de : Tihuilacoyo in • La Pal those who applied for ad
the promises cooperative were sysT tematically slain along with
children. Often thi new "cooperative is run by
salle Orden memb who was manager of the o
Page 13 scan of this page
Confessions of an American Priest
By Geoff Bell MOST of the time Paul Abels.is a Methodist minister in Greenwich Village, New York. last week ne dia somelning anferent: he became a campaigner for Irish political prisoners in the H Blocks of Long Kesh and the women's prison in Armagh.
It was not an instant conversion. His interest in the issue has been growing since church staged a cycle of plays on Ireland by John Arden and Margaretta D'Arcy at Easter.
But five days in Ireland last week has turned that interest into something approaching an obsession. 'Something has be done about InIS humanity', he told me WCCK.
Shock
What so persuaded Paul Abels was the shock of seeing conditions GENe North Ireland, talking to prisoners' relatives, and standing outside Long Kesh and Armagh with the guns of the British Army trainea on mm. ne summca up his experience this way
depression: about the place. Economic depression, as
as psychological depresșion.'
'But in the midst of that never nave i experienced the strength of character and will I experienced in the prisoners' familes. Thev have a sense of commitment which needs to be held up to the world for inspiration.
Paul was parl of a six-person delegation of US clergy who had flown to Ireland with the intention of visiting Long Kesh and Armagh. The best known was Daniel Berrigan, a carolc pnest wno played a leading part in the movement against the war in Vietnam.
was given coverage in the Irish media. There were front headlines, telvision coverage. and radio interviews.
Silent
But the British press remained silent.
As Paul says. the whole H Block issue is a subject of great pain to the establishment'.
So it was not suprising when the delegation's request to go inside Long Kesh and Armagh was refused. Daniel Berrigan
Clergy are supposed to
¡ave access to prisons, so clearly
But
his
to
in-
last whole
these •soles dic case. We wonder if it is because they want the truth hidden of the inhuman . treatment these prisoners are suffering.
The nearest Berrigan, Abels and the rest came to Long Kesh was the car park outside the 'We called out the main gales. names of each man on the blanket and after each name we chanted, 'You are not alone. This 'witness', as Paul called it, was repeated outside Armagh prison, where 'the guns were aimed at us most of the time. It was a most persuasive wide
Dage meeting of the Women's Right to Choose group in Dublin last month
a . special experience.'
the last time the delegation came British Army. ed in Belfast at the headquarters of the National Smash H Block Committee, Paul rounded Toney were there with saracops,
guns and a camera.
delegation were having discussions with three Irish priests in a hotel room, a British soldier opened the door and walked in Castlereagh Barracks - torture starts here
Ireland,
siege:
and prisoners'
pounding
sense of fun.
seemed to have a dog.
then another. chain of barking dogs.
to knows.
the H Blocks.
of the It was not the first time, or
with When they arriv-
was "surBritish troops.
Then the next day when the
Campaign
fighting
Tory MP John Corrie.
clear why, conference Abortion Campaign,
solidarity Ireland, Spain,
NAC.
Abortion murder.
passed,
Britain for abortions. clinics reckon that
English one.
unannounced.. 'West Belfast', said Paul, 'was a place under
Like other visitors to the beleaguered Catholic ghettos, what impressed Pau most was the determination of the people
especially . of the relatives. He also notes how, despite the com-
of suffering' they have experienced, they retain a
'There always seems a bit of humour in it all. Almost every prisoners
in the area we visited When the military come in the dogs and bark: first one. then another * The
There becomes a MIS
'It only happens when tha military come in: the does seem
The families call it their early warning system.'
Paul and his colleagues will now return to the United States to try to spread the truth about
Five days in Ireland convinced him that 'the inhumani-
anything else I have witnessed anywhere in the world. It is my
the deep hope that Britain will get out of Northern Ireland.' 'West Belfast was a place under seige' - Paul Abels
to be launched
From the National Abortion
THERE must be many in this women
abortions -who are tired of week. tooth allu nail defend the inadequate 1967 the Abortion Act from the likes of
backstreets.
But consider the situation have in reland and it will become activities
May of the National it was few decided that the building of
with women in struggle as well as those in should be - the top campaign The Planning) illegal year, Ireland, except in the case of ectopic pregnancv or cancer of enforce the cervix - where the foetus could not survive anyway. The needed penalty for anyone connected with an abortion can be life may refuse imprisonment, the same as for single people.
Despite 1967 Act was Irish women who can Irish afford it have been coming to beginning
British for every Irish woman who gives them an Irish address, two give an from
CHARTER 80 to hold founding rally.
THE experiences of Paul A bels once again underline th
importance
political prisoners.
In Britain the recently formed Charter 80 is doi
just that. The Charter 80 petition reproduces the
demands of the prisoners themselves and calls for:
* The right of prisoners te wear their own clothes.
The right to refrain from prison work.
* The right to free association amongst other politic
* The night thei
recreationat facili id to reccive
Alan Sapper, general secretary of the television techni
cians" union, ACTT; and Gordon Mclennan, general
secretary of the Communist Party,
The founding rally of Charter 80 takes place on
Saturday 27 September at Conway Hall, Red Lion
Square, London. It begins al 1pm and speakers include
Irish trade union -leader
Winter of SWAPO, and Chris Myant, deputs editor of
Morning Star
Irish Abortion Campaign
This means that last year approximately 9,000 Irish
Came ! LO an average 180 a For those who can't afford it the 'choice' is to have
child risk the
Until now Irish feminists
concentrated their the of U11 ISSUC contraception, which is also effectively illegal in the South.
Clinics exist which, lacking government funding
by
Health (Family Act, passed last will • restrict availability even more when regulations to
are enacted.
Doctors prescriptions will be
to obtain contraceptives, and even then doctors
to subscribe
this restrictive legislation on contraception,
feminists are now to raise the taboc subject of abortion as well.
On & Angust met in Dublin to hear speakers
the US Catholics for the Free Choice and NAC and te
of campaigning for the righis of Iris! ova coa i, our letter.
Daly. ery of the National Union of Mineworkers; Kevin MeConnell. Bishop discuss opposing and changing Ireland's repressive abortion laws. The arduous task ahead
the newly-formed Woman's Right Choose Group is obvious
The aims of WRCG are to decriminalise abortion; TO1 removal of all economic and social discrimination against pregnancy; for freely available information on all methods of fertility control; full access to abortion facilities for all
Ireland; open referrals from health centres and hospitals.
Among other activities the WRCG hosting ordination meeting the International Abortion, Con
and Sterilisation Campaign in Dublin on 18/19
from which the Woman's Right Choose Campaign will formally launched.
Those organising WRCC are 'looking forward to seeing a big gang' of their British counterparts in Dublin. The
need for solidarity speaks for itself Anyone interested in going to Dublin for that weekend can contact
National Abortion Campaign at 01 278 0153,
Page 14 scan of this page
Possibilities of
Sculpture
IN the list of demands
which you published in your extensive coverage
of the Polish workers struggle, you omitted to
mention the 'monument' 'demand.
According to the
Guardian (28 August), 'a professional sculptor has drawn up plans for a monument to com-
memorate the workers killed in 1970. This is one
of tre sirtkers aemanas, already accepted in principle by the authorities, but there may well still be arguments over the form the monument will take.
According to the strikers' design, which is pasicu up un over ine shipyard, it will consist of four huge crosses soaring 60 feet into the air. At the top of each cross is an anchor symbolising the dashed hopes for political and economic reform in the past. Beneath is a huge flame representing Poland's enternal optimism.
'Like the paper monument, the strikers' ambitions reach higher every day.. But one wonders...' and then the Guardian rambles on in its usual way, with an extra touch of lyricism.
As an artist, I find this extremely exciting. I thought that I'd write to you about it as it is a living example of how sculpture can be something other than blocks of rock on loan to ine serpenine rom ine Guggenheim, but that for sculpture to be able to become this other whatever a context of general strike is necessary. simple SUSANNA SHANNON, London NW1 IN his letter on the second homes fires in Wales, Rod Jones raises important points - arson is a viable tactic, a mass movement will be bullt through arson and sımılar tactics, our call for a mass movement is an empty formalistic one.
Firstly, arson as a tactic. No doubt the sales of second homes have gone down since the fires. This will last only as long as the arson continues. Is the British bourgeois state going to sit idly by? No, it will put in more police, arrest more miltants, and intimidate particular districts.
Would the arsonists retain the silent support of the Welsh people faced with such intimidation and the inspiring sight of burnt-out houses that they need so badly? As socialists, our aim is not to knock the bottom out of the market, but to take it over and end it by confiscating its goods.
What evidence is there that the isour has increased opposition to%
LETTERS
AFTER much deliberation I have decided to quit the Labour Party, which I have belonged to these past two years. No longer does reformism and the parliamentary road hold any future for the working class.
Labour is in complete disarray and is ideologically directionless despite the efforts of small groups of radicals and socialists, notably the Independent Labour Party, the Labour Co-ordinating Committee and the 'Militant' (I was a supporter of the ILP for a while).
My politics have developed towards Trotskyism, leaving me with no faith in Labour as a party of social change. Even the 'Militant' group's own brand of Democracy is a practical question I MUST take issue with the extract you printed (28 August) from the pamphlet Socialist Democracy and the Dictatorship of the Proletariat.
It elevates to a orincıple the right of all political Darues lo participate in workers. councils. Surely, Mass action is better than arson
second homes or helped to give it the beginning of mass forms? As the International Marxist Group is restricted to South Wales, our appreciation of how this opposition, mostly in the north and west of Wales, can be organised is limited.
But we believe militants can begin organising a broad movement through such actions as demonstrations. occupations. mass lobbies and sit-ins of county and •se coc. be tied to such demands as a complete ban on planning permission tor second homes: their com pulsory municipalisation; priority re-housing for Welsh people wishing to remain in the area or move back; opposition to spending and job cuts and for a crash programme of council house bulding throughout Wales.
Movement took such an initiative with its recent demonstration in
Socialist unity-time
for another go?
the Labour Party. after split and so on.
against our real enemy...capitalism! brought together Committee!
though, the issue is one of
practicality, not principle.
We support the strug-
gle for democratic rights in
Poland, which includes
the mg wrkers lo
create their own political
parties, gecse we
understand that workers'
aemocracy in Poland
practically necessary for
the defence of that country
against imperialism and
for the struggle for
internationally,
not because of any moral
desire for 'freedom',
which the title of the exThese actions can
Wales.
The Welsh Socialist Republican
BELLA Cardili
"Trotskyist' politics presents no alternative while remaining in
But upon leaving I find myself presented with numerous groups claiming to represent the revolutionary alternative, ranging from the SWP and WRP through to the IMG, WSL and then a number of diminutive groups, like RCT, SL/B, etc...
Chaos, there's no other word for it! Like many others I cannot bring myself to join any group because of the history of internal intolerance that heralded the mushrooming of small left-wing groups through split
We must learn how to reconcile the differences that exist on the far left so that greater unity may be achieved in action
We need a single party with a tolerant leadership (i.e. allowing full discussion without resorting to expulsions and splits -except perhaps under exceptional circumstances — whatever they will be I don't pretend to know). Then the many isolated militants could be
Perhaps Socialist Challenge could re-open its columns to another concerted effert for socialist unity. Perhaps your Battle of Ideas could be revamped this time for contributions and discussion among the rank and file instead of vast ramblings from the Central
HOWARD J FULLER, London SE15
tract you printed seems to suggest.
Moreover, for purely practical reasons, workers may well decide to ban certain parties from participating in the democratic process .of a workers' state. Would we, I01 Islance, be in favour of allowing fascist parties, who stand on programme of destroying all forms of workers' power, to participate in principle No; if they posed a real threat - as they invariably would - we would be in
Llangranog, and that's why the IMG took part in it.
United actions, by such means and with such aims, are the approach of revolutionary Marxists, because they allow working people to realise their collective strength, and widen their political horizons and goals. A revolutionary organisation will be built within that mass movement, not instead of it in its own isolation. The arson campaign leads militants away trom the source of mass action, the labouring people of rural
Rod Jones claims we only take up the second homes because of the arson. But we would have also taken it up, if there had been a substantial mass campaign. In fact;" a mass campaign would have demanded. from us a good deal H CC urusoosuon. DEREK DAVLES and STEVE
Bolshevism is not enough
SO we can all breathe a sigh. of relief - the Beyond the Fragments conference was a
'failure', , a 'retreat from politics'. But of course what can you expect from 'non-Leninists'?
Unfortunately, these sentiments fail to explain why 1,400 people feel disillusioned enough with the practices of the left to attend such a conference. It seems to me that the debates around Beyond the Fragments have demonstrated how closed in fact the International Marxist Groun reallv is to examining both its history and its practice.
This type of attitude is very evident in Valerie Coultas's article in International, where she fails to take up in any concrete way the criticisms thathave been made of the style and practice of the left.
Dirty tricks in Glasgow
ON 14 August you carried a front page report
Duffield and Kirstin Crosbie in Glasgow on 9 August. The two comrades were selling the RCG's newspaper Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! at the Celtic football ground when they were arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, charged with soliciting and inviting financial and other support for a proscribed organisation - namely the IRA and detained in custody for a week.
The two comrades appeared in court on 18 August to discover that the PTA charge had been dropped and replaced with one of breach of the peace. The Glasgow police have thus been
favour of repressing them.
After all, what does the dictatorship of the proletariat mean if not the dictatorship of one class (the working class). over another class .(the bourgeoisie) - including,
necessary, the latter's political organisations?
We must also not gloss over the events which took place inside. the Soviet Union during and after the civil war immediately after the revolution. Then Lenin, Trotsky and the sosteviKs orsed fac-
It seems as if every article written by the. IMG on the subject ends up with the assertion that we must smash the state I agree, but that is not an end in itself. It is merely a means to establishing a socialist society - undoubtedly the determining factor, but it is idealist to assume that the means used to smash the state will not matter once it is smashed, hence the importance of prefigurative forms of struggle
In my opinion, Beyond the Fragments has tentatively begun to elaborate a more effective understanding of an advanced capitalist state than any analysis I have sech, trom lue Icvolutionary left. It has begun seriously to ask how community workers, doctors, nurses, , and so on who work for the state car struggle against it.
forced to beat a retreat. This was no doubt in response to the extremely wide ranging and eneNSEC CABI INI mounted by the Glasgow 2 Defence Campaign.
However, the Glasgow 2 Defence Campaign will continue to fight until all charges are dropped. The breach of the peace charges are still political charges directed against sellers of Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! which if successfully pressed will give the racist imperialisı
British police a precedent for stopping the sale of anti-imperialist and communist literature in the streets of britain
We are determined to continue the campaign until all charges are dropped, especially in view of the fact that since our comrades have been tions within the party and all opposition parties, as well as effectively removing the the government the soviets.
They felt it was practically necessary to guard the young and desperately weak workers' state from slipping into the hands of the bourgeoisie. They saw it as a temporary measure to enable them to 'hang on' to power until the German revolution came to the ICSUUC
In our genuine desire to be seen to be the best
But perhaps the IMG is no longer interested in winning these 'pettybourgeois' lavers to the side of the revolution. It is our own loss if so.
Bolshevism is for me still relevant but it can no longer be sutticient. To believe it can be is to disarm ourselves theoretically and politically in the face of a Tory government which understands full well the complexity of the society we live in.
B. FEATHERSTONE, LONDR VA
released on bail they have
faced further harassment.
heir house has beer
burgled in mysterious cir-
cumstances and the
police, without having to
be informed, knew of an item of lost property from their house! Kirstin
has since lost her job as a result of the week's
detention, and Mike lost the opportunity to attend an arranged job interview.
We will continue this campaign until we win and until all harassment of our sellers ceases. To do so we urgently need funds. Please donate generously. Cheques and
POs should be made to Glasgow 2 Defence Campaign, 49 Railton Road, Lodon SE24 OLN. MAXINE WILLIAMS, London SE24
fighters for democratic rights against background in which communism is so discredited, we must make sure we draw a clear distinction between the sorțs of democratic rights which enable the working class to proceed wware the bulding of socialism artd 'democratic freedoms which merely allow the ruling classes to exert their dictatorship over the rest of
: us
FRED KINGDOM, Reading
WALES
ENGIAND'S
LAST COLONT
WELSH SOCIALISY
REFUDUC NOL
Page 15 scan of this page
Edinburgh International TV Festival Televisions own JRs
Socialism and Welsh Nationalism
By Geoffrey Sheridan THE extraordinary thing television is how little is known about the ideas, the processes, and the individuals who determine what tens of millions of us see on the small screen.
Even the press is more informative about what goes on in newspaper offices than the television moguls reveal about their own industry. From that standpoint the Edinburgh tional Television Festival, held at the end of last month, was an eye-opener to a mere viewer.
Who's who
Among the 400 participants was a cross-section of the names would figure in a who's who of the industry: Halland directors, ecutives, and programme controllers from a bunch of the ITV companies; BBC chiefs and heads of ments; programme makers of various kinds; together with lecturers in film and television, who were mainly of a left-wing persuasion
-That the former should sit uncomfortably with those whose business is to analyse the output of the industry was apparent at the beginning of the week-long comerence
The theme of the festival 'Television and the real world'. At the end of it a couple of the TV high-ups said from the platform that they had had just about enough of their MarxDEREK DAVIES Socialism for: the Welsh: People, a pamphlet written by Gareth Miles and Robert
HN THE late 1960s, when British politics Wass
Sthe Vietnam Solidarity ampaign, hundreds of young people in Wales fought to get Welsh accepted as the day-to-day language of public institu-
Koad signs were daubed, acal authorities picketed. The
ash nationalist movement
ad revived.
Movement
Socialism for the Welsh
ople, in inspiration and in-
tion, is firmly based on that
nationalist movement of
explicitly say sO; ay at a time when some nationalists, out ration, have turned to ar-
mity also exists are m the pamphlet.
Weish state is called
controller of
about generally
good programmes'.
rent altairs.
Bolton,
sus', Interna-
Partially and balance
anti-working class much news, documentary output.
presented by
which
ner,
depart-
was
for; Plaid Cymru's strategy is firmly rejected; the possibility of setting up an independent Welsh socialist party is discussed and the LabourPlaid plans for Assembly are attacked. But no precise, detailed conies across.
Electoralism
If Plaid's passive
toralism is not the way,
is? And if you're against a powerless assembly, for a welsh parliament with 'full' powers?
The pamphlet rejects the
multi-class 'socialism'
reform peddled by the Labour
and Communist
Wales. what strategy can unite the Welsh
in mass action? What forms of
organisation should that mass par- take? What
should be taken to the mass of organisations of the
workers, especially
BOORS
Historical observations hint
ai gul-reactions to these pro-
ist critics. Michael Grade, programme
London Weekend Television, suggested that they needed an event where the executives and professionals could discuss 'making
Polarisation surfaced in virtually all the discussions. A session on cur-
introduced by Roger editor of Panorama, edged around the notorious idea of 'consen-
by which TV presenters and reporters believe they maintain im-
- the stock-in-trade language of the TV industry.
i-working criss biain baito the
built into current affairs, and
on the single play, Time Out's television writers John Wyver and Carl Gard-
argued that the creative scope which had been given to dramatists such as Jim Allen, Dennis Potter and Trevor Griffiths was the only way in
present blems, but they are often inaccurate. 'John MacLean's section the Scottish working class', but no reason is given why it retoothless mained only a section.
alternative The decline unions is deplored in the pam phlet, given as lo wny.
Welsh workers decided to come elec- together on an all-British level. what Nor does it deal with the promi nent role of the South are you Miners' Federation in the crea-
Councils
through
parties The pamphlet highspots of the Welsh class working class struggle that contradict its 'national identitv' workers councils attitude Strike, unemployed movement of the Welsh '30s, the solidarity the trade with Republican Spain are consequently undervalued.
The authors are therefore able to avoid explaining why, during the nost militant and
Under Review
which the consensus view could be officially side-stepped,
, but that commercial and political pressures are putting a stop to it.
That argument fell on deaf ears as far as the TV moguls were concerned. If the managers, the heads of departments, and programme editors were sometimes defensive and self-critical, the prevailing tone was one of com-
class conscious Welsh working Reference is made to
of the demand
class given enough prominence.
of regional Start
explanation is
Scottish and Socialism for
Wales welcomed.
Wales is kept bourgeois state, 611] how language are to avoids the now Welsh
strong
Chena. The tionalism,
in the 1926
the
campaign
ticularly good
placency and a desire to kee how on the road and the profits rol ing in.
Surprisingly, little was said about the technological developments which al C likely to transform While there was about the fourth channel, which in the grip of the Independent Broadcasting Authority more of the same, the explosion of TV channels which is likely to come via satellites and cables was hardly touched on.
There was just one from a senior IBA official, that in 10 years' time there will be no regulation of television in Britain. Hallelujah to that.
But regulation shrined in law, statutory duties, and the ideological 'standards' of the TV companies and authorities to take a decided turn for the worse periods of
for separate Welsh state was not raised. Nor is the united front of working
organisations in Wales
the Welsh 5 People is not a finished product, but a starting point for a 2$3.95 discussion. As such it is to be
By exploding the myth that
Dy Ine by pointing g important the and land questions
been given inspiration from the
tradition of Irish na. the pamphlet cuucatioli any British socialist to read.
which
Barrister does
, their ble for mouthed.
This
televisi programme discussion
promises to • be Women
prediction,
Although - presently enwhich
in their fortress.
Other
THE BOOKSHOP
WHY CHILDREN?; edited by Stephanie Dowick Sand Sibyl Grundberg. In this book 18 women speak
out on making the decision to have - or not to have — children and express a wide range of feel;ings towards motherhood. Womens Press, £2.75. • PEOPLE WITHOUT A COUNTRY: THE KURDS
AND KURDISTAN, edited by Gerard Chaliand. A , comprehensive book that covers the history of the ; Kurdish question over the past 60 years. Zed Press,
, NEW LEFT REVIEW No. 121. This issue includes
a major article by Edward Thompson on the nuclear , arms race as well as articles by Roy Medvedev on British 5 the Afghan crisis and Michael Rustin on perspec tives for the left. £1.50. Wales, and by showing HARDSHIP HOTEL, Counter Information Service
This latest CIS report investigates the situation in the hotel and catering industry. 85p. 5 SPLITTING UP, by Catherine Itzin. In this book , single parents talk about marriage, divorce and the new lives they have created for themselves after splitting up. Virago, £3.95.
All available from The Other Bookshop, 328 Up Welsh nationalist left and the 5 per st., London N.I. (tel 01-226 0571). Add 15 pe cent if ordering by mail.
The Broadcasting Bill setting up the fourth channel includes provision for a Broadcasting Complaints Commission, to be run by three people ap pointed by the Home Secretary. The • new commission will have sweeping powers over all four channels.
It's not difficult to guess how the Home Secretary's appointees wouk have dealt with Death of a Princess,
Edinburgh's Lord Provost tried to prevent being shown at the festival, or Granada's Steel Papers which exposed the shady manoeuvres of the steel bosses and the government at the time of the steel strike.
Geoffrey Robertson, who described these new legal moves, also raised some pertinent questions about present censorship on TV. Why had the BBC and IBA told Parliament that they wanted the D-notice system to continue? Why had Granada held back on screening its exposé of Brifaies the BBC Silban The Wa
BBC ban War Game, a television film made in 1965 about the effects of a nuclear war?
The answers from those responsi-
these decisions were mealy
session and a discussion about women in TV were the liveliest The latter was chaired by Anna Ford
controllers find so few women to fill editorial positions.
Mary Holland's paper 'Out of the bedroom and onto the board?' had argued that more women in TV would have a positive effect on the kind of programmes that are made, but that was not taken up in the discussion.
vals executives indicated their willingness to consider positive discrimination in order to secure jobs for women, there was no sign of women organising within the unions to obtain such demands.
The attack on the left academics which came at the end of the fessivai carried the threat that in future rears the moguls would arrange an even
would exclude vociferous critics and seal even these slight cracks
Argument, however powerful, is clearly not enough to change what goes on our TV screens. In a week when the print union leaders agreed in principle to fight for the right to reply to attacks in the press, it should surely be to the organised labour movement that left-wing TV critics should turn to make changes in the running and control of television.
Page 16 scan of this page
Socialist Challenge ROUT THE
Flashback to the Welsh Tory Party conference in the summer. Make sure the voice of the working class is heard on 10 Octob
Registered with thie Post Olfice as a newspaper. Published by Cardinal Enterprises for Socialist Challenge, 328/9 Upper Street, London N1. Printed by East End Offset Ltd (TU), Lot
10
October
By Phil Hearse THOUSANDS of trade unionists from all over the country will be converging on the Tory Party conference in Brighton on 10 October.
A massive day of protest against unemployment is being jointly organised by the Liaison Committee for the Defence of Trade Unions and the Right to Work Campaign. The day of protest will give expression to the huge groundswell of anger which has been building up amongst trade unionists all over the country.
Not content with presiding over the highest level of unemployment since the 1930s, Thatcher, Joseph and the rest have displayed contempt for the unemployed. Thatcher advises them to 'move' to seek jobs elsewhere. This is just a cynical piece of nonsense.
Unemployment is today increasing faster in the manufacturing areas — above all the West Midlands. Even prosperous areas like West London are suffering closures and redundancies. There is nowhère to move to to escape unemployment.
The initiative for the day of protest comes from the Right to Work Campaign. Their march which precedes the demonstration has received enormous support and sponsorship from every section of the labour movement. This response shows that the support is there for action on unemployment — support which the TUC leadership -is absolutely unwilling to tap.
Socialist Challenge has always argued that the demands and methods of the Right to Work march are politically inadequate for a sustained fight on unemployment. What the labour movement needs is a series of policies which could begin to solve unemployment.
This is why we have prioritised in our propaganda the campaign for the 35-hour week, the banning of overtime and the demand for work-sharing with no loss of pay. The Right to Work Campaign is not a systemațic campaign for such policies in the labour movement, but an annual act of protest.
Nevertheless, the culmination of this year's march on
Tony Benn signs
Charter 80
TONY Benn, the leader of the left wing in the Labour Party, has called on the British government to agree to the demands of Irish political prisoners in the H-Blocks in Long Kesh and the women's prison in Armagh.
Benn has put his name to the Charter 80 petition currently being circulated in the British labour movement and elsewhere, which calls for 'human rights for Irish political prisoners'.
Seven Labour MPs have now signed Charter 80, whose founding rally will take place in London on 27 September.
Tony Benn will also be a speaker at the Labour Party conference fringe meeting on Ireland, to be held under the auspices of the Labour Committee on Ireland.
For more details of Charter 80, see page 13.
TORIES!
10 October will be the most significant action against unemployment for a long time. That's why it deserves support from every socialist and every trade unionist.
All supporters of Socialist Challenge should be using the next month to mobilise in their workplaces and trade union branches. The fact that this action is now supported by both the Right to Work Campaign and the LCDTU should make it easy to get support and delegations from labour movement bodies.
When the Tories go to Brighton in October, their conference willan orgy of complacent self-congratulation on the job that this vicious reactionary government is doing.
'NO TO CLOSURE AND REDUNDANCY Public meeting at the Labour Party conference 29 September, 7pm Cliffs Hotel, Blackpool Speakers include: Emlyn Williams (NUM President, S. Wales), Dennis Skinner (MP), Bill Sirs (ISTC), Llanwern Steel Action Group. Alec Jones (Shadow Secretary of State for Wales)
This disgusting week of celebration - of the Employment Act, the bolstering of 'law and order', and 'economic good sense' (read unemployment) - will be reported with adulation by the Tory press.
Let's make sure that for one day the voice of the working class and the unemployed is heard loud and clear; and that not one single delegate or one single newspaper can ignore the growing resistance to Thatcherism.
How we are organising the Right to Work march - interview, page 2
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← Socialist Challenge No. 162, 3 September 1980Socialist Challenge No. 164, 18 September 1980 →