Socialist Challenge No. 171, 6 November 1980

Socialist Challenge · 6 November 1980 · 16 pages, 18,173 words read by machine

The scan: sc-n171-nov-06-1980.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.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Page 1 scan of this page

Challenge

THE TORIES

THE 2-1 vote of BL workers for strike action against the derisory 6.8 per cent pay offer is challenge to management threat to everything the Tories stand for.

BL boss Michael Edwardes is one of the Tories' favourites. For two years under Edwardes, the car workers have had to suffer massive redundancy, cuts in real wages, and • alacks working Since last April, when management arbitrarily imposed its 92-page "slaves charter', there has been a sustained onslaught on traditional working practices and organisation

Edwardes' stand has to be seen in the framework of the crisis of the Tory government. Thatcher's tinancial policies haven't worked. Now she is imposing a strict 10 per cent wage ceiling in the public sector, as well as demanding millions of pounds in extra cuts.

Private employers are falling into line. Many of them are offering wage rises of less than 10 per cent -Ford and Rolls Royce have made of-

well under this figure.

BL's offer shows everything that is wrong with Tory Britain again working people are being asked to pay for the crisis of the bosses' system. The response of the Leyland workers shows the way forward -mass action can throw the Tories back.

A general fightback is silenti needed and eminently possible. fightback on wages can be led by BL workers. Workers at Ford and other plants should co-ordinate ac tion on their claims with that of BL workers.

fightback on unemployment is being started by the occupation at the Gardener's engineering

at Eccles near Manchester, and the huge demonstration

ment to be held in Liverpool on 2! November.

A fightback on the cuts can be organised on the basis of the decisions of last Saturday's Labour movement conference cuts, which demanded that Labour councils should refuse to implement the cuts or sell council houses.

All these struggles need to be coordinated towards a fight to throw out this hated government. Another vear of the Tories will only mean 3m unemployed, more cuts, and everfalling living standards.

The best way to avoid that is to ensure maximum solidarity with all

those who are fighting - especially the BL workers and the workers oc-

cupying the Gardner's factory.

The logical outcome of bringing these struggles together will be mass action, culminating in a general

strike to throw out the Tories.

Socialist

Leyland workers vote to

not just a Leyland - it is a conditions.

shopfloor thousands of - once Party against unemploy

against une

TAKE ON

MINI 7 WORKERS GET MINI WAGES

Labour leadership:

WHOEVER wins the current MPs-only election for a new Labour Party leader, the Labour left has got itself into hopeless tactical tangle.

Tony Benn, the autentic Having persuadea leader of the Labour left, not to stand . it is out all the stops to try ti Michael Foot. MPs .VOLE TOT

Having just a couple of weeks fraud and a stitch up election as a

LONCBRIDCE

neither Healey nor Foot but Benn

which it is - the left has now forgotten its own starting point

By launching an all out campaign for Foot it

the whole undemocratic charade.

OT course mere sone

aspect ot the . The deGMC MP loca party excellent. wanted to put the main

emphasis then Benn should have stood

The illegitimacy of the MPs-only election is be

No. 171 6 November

INSIDE

US Elections - interview with American socialist

Pages 8-9

Lambeth cuts conference

Page 6

H Block letter to Socialist

Challenge Back Page AUSTIN

JOINT SHOP STEWARDS COMMITTEE

UNITY

VITISH

No money, no Metro

Wing lost in the hustle to get Foot elected.

If Foot wins, it will become increasingly difficult to replace him with DenI AU R U0 S30000 000100 leader. Foot will be seen

'unite Socialist stands for Benn becom ing leader or une party He is the real leader oT the left; any democratic election system would SWeG! him HOUWOE That doesn't mean supportory for. for Benn would be a massive blow

1980 20p Gardner's occupation

Page 4 Polish crisis Page 14 Leyland wages fight

Page 5 SWP and the war drive

Page 11

LONCBRIDCE

HUMB NUSMW..C.

T.G.W.U.

U.P.A

LEYLAND.

level of the Labour move-

the autocratic position of the parliamentary Labour Party.

In the meantime sup porters or te vamparg CarL Democracy and the Rank and File Mobilising Com

maging

themselves in tactical ploys which will end up failing to get Benn elected an the main point: that the present MP:

and a farce from beginning to end.

Page 2 scan of this page

The Winterton of discontent

IF THE pundits are correct, time Socialist Challenge streets Denis Healey will have topped the first ballot in the contest for the Labour leadership, and Michael Foot will be in with a shout when it comes to the second ballot on 10 November.

The experts say that Foot is tiable to pick up the majority of the votes of the Poter Shore and John Silkin supporters the second time around, and accordingly we are in for a close-run race.

foot s chances were reckoned to be strengthened at the weekend when Eric Hefter told a rally at Blackwood, Gwent, that all left-wing MPs should vote for Foot.

He argued that 'a clash between the parliamentary party and the constituencies has to be avoided, and that supporting Foot was the best way to prevent such a confrontation.

Such logic is probably sound, the problem is the premise on which it is based.

Clash

Michael Foot may well be the best way to avoid a clash between the 267 members of the Labour Party who happen to reside in the House of Commons and the hundreds of thousands of Labour Party members elsewhere. but where is the merit in avoiding such a clash in the first place?

Ever since the the majority parliament has offered compromise and concession to the party's right wing.

A few days before his endorsement of Foot, Heffer was saying that the election shouldn't take place at all. A surprisingly high number voted to postpone the election. By Tom Marlowe TORIES like to think of themselves as honourable gentlemen and ladies. Criticising each other in public is not usually the sort of activity that fits in with their public school. ethics.

Far better LU private away from the ears of Joe (and Joan) Public who might get ideas if they hear their masters squabbling with each other.

Attack

So things must have reached panic stations when, on Wednesday of last week in the House of Commons, one Nicholas Winterton, a rightwing Tory MP launched a blistering attack on his own,

'I say to my party - for heaven's sake wake up before it's too late, was Wienes message. 'Tens of thousands

necessarily because of inflexible McLaus policies, complained. 'There is only

group of people doing well big business,' observed.

Hardly the sort criticism to be expected from a right-wing Tory. But then, allakkillg Thatcherism become increasingly favourite pastime allull? those who once popped champagne corks at the mere menon or vargarel Thatcher's name. Change

The Confederation British Industry, was one of the latest to get in on the act.

Its director told the Tardice Beckett, Guardian last Thursday: "A lot of companies are, as you know, clos-

Socialist Challenge: € November 1980 " Page 2

by the hits the Blackpool conference of Labour's left-wing in

MPs

Wing plants, sometimes closing all their operations because they can't carry on. "This is a very serious state of affairs... pathy with the government in its present plight, but it does need a radical change in direction.

Even more outspoken was the ASSUC Economist, a magazine which advocated monetarism betore most people had even heard

understood it.

'A miserable

'the government's folly' were two of the descriptions of the Tories' economic supplied from this source. Survey These criticisms backed up with sheets he statistical evidence.

of survey industria

reported that only 4 per cent of the 2,000 bosses who had Ilas been said

were 'more optimistic' about 'the general business situation in your industry' had been four previously.

The St James forecasting club of industrial, commercial, and companies, predicted that this time next year of unemployment figures will be

hovering around million; the balance payments deficit will be four

were under the Labour

FOOT (right) was Callaghan's faithful deputy

Now the expectation is that most if not all of them will troop into the Foot lobby when the vote takes place, thereby giving crediblity to the whole process. Such attitudes sum up the thinking of many of the left MPs

the

mind

mess' and government.

The cracks in the ranks are good news for all Thatcher-haters policies enemy weakened enemy not aooroonate lo denora as cheerleaders for the CBI, the Economist, Winterton.

WelC Torone tune. lie surated of some of these critics are ad vocating would make things

quarterly worse for the rest of us.

trends Both the CBI have called for mass sackings in the public sector, they together with 'the imposition ot a single-tigure limit to wage increases'

than they lation is running at twice this

rate.

Criticism

financial

Indeed the the official criticism from within the Tory

and ruling class ranks is conthree nected with the approaching wage round, and the growing cvluckce wal szmicall scu tions of the working class are willing to very different revolt against

Editorial

Playing Footsie

principle.

state a principle

Joseph

Tor!

ONLY one everywhere group is doing divided but its well - big business.

That's the opiNicholas nion of Tory MP Nicholas Winterton (Right). He blames Joseph the economist and and Thathcer

for inflexible policies — at a time when in- Thatcher.

The

signs among miners,

mounting ineffectiveness cherism

Ing class.

stage ineir own,

and when that principle isn't accepted,

drop it, and put into practice the contrary

Socialist Challenge is against MPs

participating in the vote. Some would

say, no doubt, that this isn't 'practical

Thatcher rejection by BL workers of the insulting wage rise offered to them, the ob.

milland, are just two growing of Thatpolitical Mr economic strategy for the rul-

But Tony Benn was correct when he said in parlia ment last week: 'MPs should What not devote too much time to the possibility of a U-turn. A

to be cast.

Democracy

place illustrates why.

the leader.

democracy needs to be

parliamentary rootsie with the Labour right

fie who are the losers The decision

ticularly regrettable.

Winterton U-turn would not help. If there were a change of Prime Minister to Mr James Prior or

William Whitelaw would not help.'

Instead, said Benn, it was necessary to 'look beyond the

life ofthis tony Bent.

Benn did

not sav is that it Is important that the government's

and that now the contest is on a vote has

But we would suggest that if the 66 MPs who voted against the election taking place didn't vote it would be much easier to argue the irrelevance of the out-

The more serious argument against Eric Heffer is that a to-the-death 'clash' between the rights of the 267 MPs and those of the majority of the Labour Party members is not something which should be encouraged. The election now taking

What it is about is not just this or that candidate; rather it is an act of defiance of the Labour Party conference decision to widen the franchise for the election of

The right wing of the party and the majority of MPs have decided on that act of defiance: it is they who are promoting a clash; their challenge to Labour Party

taken on, frontal. Instead Heffer and others in the As a consequence, whoever wins the left have opted to present election, it is the Labour rank and

of those who have sought to represent the rank and file -the Rank and File Mobilising Committee and the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy - to also endorse Foot is par

Both these groupings correctly advis. ed Tony Benn not to stand, because of the fraudulence of the election process. Now they say Foot should be voted for. It might be all very well to have your cake and eat it, but to take away the cake ana then promote the feast is gastronomically unsound and politically inept.

life be terminated as soon as possible. Their divisions are our opportunity: needed is a winter of discontent which would make that of 1978-79 look like ingtime romance.

Page 3 scan of this page

Who are the hunger strikers?

LAN TOL HIMAN

SUPPORT THE

By Geoff Bell THEY are, North of Ireland minister responsible for prisons, 'a few crazy hunger strikers'.

He was referring to the seven political prisoners in the H Blocks of Long Kesh who are now in their second week of a hunger strike until death. Mr Allison's choice of words was another example of the human. tolerant attitude for which the inche govern ment is famous. Such a con-

to the "crazy' 'terprisoners of the Block.

But for the moment let's not entirely accept the descriptive accuracy of Mr Allison's words. Let's examine just who the hunger strikers are.

Brendan Hughes

First, there is Brendan

Hughes,

working class district of West

Belfast.

prisoners point out that when

governel abolished political status in

1976 it was going back on a

policy adopted four years

earlier giving the prisoners of

Long Kesh the rights they are

asking for today.

Brendan Hughes has per-

sonal experience of the effect

of this policy change. His first

BLOCK

HUNGER STRIKE

DEMANDS

said Michael Allison, the Tories'

taste of British justice when he was arrested in 1973. Honsense like att, he way nonsense that; merely lockea up In an micrument camp along

whom British government didn't merit the attention of judge or jury

Brendan didn't H great deal of being locked up

in an internment camp so the following year he escaped.

When finally caught, he was given trial. One charges against him concerned his escape. That was a nice twist of British justice: tried for escaping from prisonment to which he had been committed without trial.

When convicted, became a 'special category'

This meant inal ne

was allowed to wear his own

clothes, freely associate with

SUPPORT for the demands of the hunger strikers is sweeping the north of Ireland.

On 26 October, the day before the strike began, an estimated 25,000 people demonstrated in Belfast in support of the prisoners. A further 1,000 marched in Dungiven, same day, while a similar number marched in Derry itself the following day.

In County 600 people marched in the town of Coalisland, also on 26 October.

A similar pattern week. At the weekend thousands of people took part in pickets of police and north of Ireland. demonstrations and pickets were also held.

was

with hun-

the decided

think

Sean McKenna

of the other prisoners,

prison work, and organise his C Callull tion.

an im- The

British parliament legislation which meant that any person who committed a crime atter a certain date in May 1976 wouldn't have such rights. Two years later Brendan was attacked by prison

marched

The

County Derry, the

Tyrone approximately

seen this

tober,

throughout the

series of local

meetings

Ireland,

warders.

Stand

Because this

Page 4 scan of this page

Gardner's solidarity — urgent task

THE GARDNER'S occupation in Eccles, near Manchester, has inspired workers all over the country as the first major struggle unemployment. It shows the way to fight redundancy and tackle Thatcher - mass industrial action.

Gardner's Engineering Employers Federation to use the recession to undermine and break up shop floor organisation.

oeCes.

Gardner's workers last specially designed to make sure shop stewards, including the AUEW convenor Tom Macafee, were among those sacked.

The Gardner's management are using the 'Michael Edwardes secret ballot. out a banot about a ballot .

By these methods the management

'If we win there

will be struggles

against

redundancy

all over

Manchester'

plant is the Milling

Wray about how the section is organised. *THE millers were well organised

ong before th

lained Dave 'We started a shop fund to cover us in disputes over oUluses. Everyone had • a lanc cara ana pala. weekiy oo woer the occupation started we had a and erything we needed

Like Vuilc! SCOLIUIS we had fortnichtl meeus where stewards reported nack from shop stewards' meetings and we could raise any problems we had since the strike started so we were dolC Or canuse KOld everyone in the section to come in, and we've got a chart on the wall showing who turns up. That

make way suic cvc voouy s oule Cuc welzi and keep them informed about activity. Kettle

'First, we started with our own food. cooker. kettle and the rest of it. So, as a lot of us were quite active ups o le ti funny were the militants or something.

Dille Liche wc vc myc ustaris lo luc ounces anu rcarlv all ol us are invo ved in aroune one committee or another.

Now we're not so cut off and because people can see fectively organised, people's attitudes towards us have changed, ana we ve carnea a lol or respect in the factory.

Millers are the youngest sections Gardner's workforce with an average are ll inc carly zus wave explalll co ow caér ve cd voe the less experienced workers.

We've been going out around the : country collectig cash we take one of the younger lad whenever on a delegation with us. It gives you a lot of confidence to see the sort of support

Since the started, I've • been really surprised

geting involved Thick

•Sometimes vou'l get some-

=7 T : re25 200 30 E

test by the

the shoo plant.

week, were

gress

tactic' the So far they have just sent IN the fourth week of the strike, Gardner's is a hive of activity. One of the best organised sections in the

Department Marines' as convenor Tom Macafee calls them. Redmond O'Neill talked to Dave Walton and Neil

important to be - the other night there was a scare, a false alarm that police were coming to the ractory There were only a handful in from our secuon al the time out within an hour we were able to get anther 28 people That's because the millers have stuck togetnel al meelngs wille some other sections have tended to split up? Afloat Like a lot of other workers at Gardner's. Dave is well aware that they are leading the

sait nand menend aa-

Wtul o uc caoos is vilan ne anoineerino Federation must understand the stakes involved in this strike. If

ahaus ca coev a over van.

chesty isot bardeers ponkenp

money into Gardner's to management afloat.

But that won't do them any vou, h oie aco l easing dr ve winn would de tor other tar ories to start fighting on job: *The Engineering stewards an called mergency mt inhat l'a dike ts unemployment. ef- them Call

strike ol te wnole contea or a day of action to get the ball rollBallot From the start oi the occupa tion, Hawker Siddeley has refused to follow the usual pattern of So negotiating redundancies, and in-

scau vrtcu lvi cumll vlilallul Having failed strike before the AUEW districi Teana erene a enen tryin te levies coming workforce ing a ballot. tach worker received a slip of Daber wimo no came numoe o identification on it.

Be shaned toe

workranged about a return to secret ballot Management receivca The stewards oberr " 21 X

ra for the left c

are attempting to split up and undermine

stewards'

But they can be countered through the sort of organisation which the Leyland unions have built up their present strength - regular section meetinos. intormation on

of the dispute, and solidarity.

For the engineering employers the stakes are high. Victory for the workers •rarener Si wiil provoke a wave or In• dustrial action against redundancy in 'Macafee's

democratically

There.

Sl zies

ceremonious, 1,700 blank ballot papers which they pearce with the onti sued by and which

Confed ha

shop the company discuss But the company is intent on paice this week. one-cay AUEW district secretary and the cuver Have core oul trom uot occupanon every worker calling for an abstention.

Tom Macafee : was pari ana parcel or the Prior Act's attacks on the unions: 'We definitely need a campaign to get rid of the Employment prerequisite of" movement similar to that against the Industrial Relation Act

the

DIcak

by introduc- Next Week: We

nave aru eooro the LADOU dinating trade union should ference that D: HE in Leeds. claim to have

replies

back

Home News

movement in the

effectively Chemicals, the

the promassive

discussing

SHOP STEWARDS

L.DARDNER&SONS

COMMITTER

burni important to us' themselves TOM MACAFEE,

Socialist • Les es trom ake due to take 'the whole

Gardner's Thatcher's attacks

said that all this

the Hawker which is s mother board

ner's, but whole

will

Committee LOO- in Sheffield Cerce ne onen took delegations •u novemoei

SUUUl

By Pete Clifford

Manchester and possibly nationally.

At a second tactorv in Eccles. Lankros TGWU has withdrawn

cooperation with management and are

discussing action over a jobs dispute.

With tens of thousands on short time

or facing redundnacy, the danger for the

employers of a jobs' fight explosion is

real. Two bus depots in Manchester are

industrial action

redundancy. The best possible solidarity

with Gardner's, apart from sending cash,

is to turn this potential into action.

But a lead must be given.

JOINT

'The 29 November demonstration is very

convenor at Gardner's told

Challenge: lule 4e l dispute is so far linked up directly with AUEW

on UK asking the unions and on jobs.

culating 'The Tories are well aware that it is not just hasn'i been

Siddeley we do go who would gevou cole benefit from the unions being smashed at Gard-

10 Liverpool also the our banner

Federation. Engineering

r keeps co ting in aad the

poro keeps com es inay nd

Is good wollinenall. Hud- conteneranor Trips Birmingham (organised by Birmingham Gard stewards

utilitice •coriano ana ine souln vy aics ex ecve e v coved South Wales Right to Work Cam- of action paign) are set up for this week.

Led an Gardner's engineering workers.

area.

On 29

demonstration.

Party democracy,

against

and Wright should

In Man-

Said Tom: 'It is the energy o, the shop floor in the factory anc

winteers wilch Hu vE securen ne response we nove nad

have circulated every district secretary in them for their good ounces n reorooucis ane cr culaw for a jac phat tsi sits,pl) Sheets

done in some area. ine response wner 1' Pre ees as ceneruls 29 Novembe demonstranon ts verv imoorton for us in getting more support. We will be taking a big contingen

1 believe take a prominent place in the march.

'We have the support of the Klemto work marca trom man chester to Liverpool, and we wil

of Shinbuilding and Engineering unions have called a special meeting fos all eoo

week's ascess subor or bne oceaa

'We definitely need some sort

organised for this meeting in our support.

chester the Engineering Confed has call

to discuss cuetout miccu involving all Manchester

That sort of lead would start a debate on a fightback on every shop floor in the

November thousands of workers from all over Britain will attend the joint Labour Party/TUC demonstra. tion against unemployment. The Labour Party NEC should be flooded with resolutions calling for Gardner's to lead that

Tony Benn and Bob Wright should do a repeat of their tour in favour of Labour

but this time in support of action against unemployment.

Benn's cal in barlament tor suppori for every worker fighting unemployment should be backed up with action. Benn

put their money where their mouth is and lead the fight. Sheffield

raises £500

for

Gardner's

in three

days!

By Rab Bird, AUEW NEARLY all of Sheffield industry is on shorttime, and steel-making half capacity Despite this, the Gard

received widespread SU•DOE Six shop stewards from the occupied factory toured the city, and raised h.v in toree cavs trom shop stewards committees. Their visit was widely publicised in the press and

The AUEW district committee has set in mo. tion a local ballot to start a

week oor meneer This will raise f2,000 a

week for the occupation. procedur establish the ballot and it is uv CuL That committee take steps to speed up the process Setting up .a Sheffieldwide inter-union committet would local orean sino SuDoorT throughout the entire labour movement trades council has already pledged its support for the occu alion

photo: KEVIN COEN

Tom Macafee

Page 5 scan of this page

One year after Derek Robinson sacking.... Leyland workers fight back

By Paul Wilson, Bolsover NUM AFTER submitting a wage demand of 35 per cent plus other holiday pay and retirement claims, was offered only nine per cent by the Coal Board last month.

This insult to Britain's miners has, not been rejected totally by our resident Joe GormIey Once again he has shown a

weakness: ship

Scargill rightly

ArLU crucise• cormiey lor giv• ing press statements before

had been cone by eor tul tecu full executive

Each time Gormley has FOR the third time in a year Leyland workers have gone into struggle against the attempts of BL management to solve the problems of the ailing car giant at the expense. the wages and conditions of the workforce.

The master Michael Ed- of Leyland boss vardes includes forcing dowr workers' WaLes LITOUKI speed up, rationalisation and

shop floor wrake lie organisation.

A year ago Longbridge convenor gerek Kobiasol was sacked for advocating op postuon. LO Edwardes' plan. Despite the resulting sunke acuon, made ornelai vy the TGWU, the struggle was diffused and eventually sold out by the leadership Robinson's own union, the AUEW

The real struggle building up around the Robinson case was sabotared when AUEW

Miners: 'Fight for the full claim'

the National Union of Mineworkers

meen tace wita leadle our union in the fight for wage

The had same attitud file know this

total 101 LIC for iel lea Gormip aed- recall OuI Icaucls

leadership elections.

Before the Nck otter Gormiey told us that he was

and demand the ful wages

president Duffy announced an 'inquiry' into sacking. By the time the inquiry reported the obvious fact that Robinson was unjustiy sacked, the workers were mood, in the financially tight post-Christmas period enter into turther strike ac. of tion.

The satking Edwardes' point: he showed that he could against any militant, any sign of opposition to his plan.

35 per cent. When questionec about e y ber cen offer he told the Guardian: 'Whether I would same today, having

stalclcll from NCB. is another matter

He also salc would settle Cor the puing rate inflation put modestly at 16 pe Colit Ull we all know wat its nicare 22 per cent. with d eer like this there little

• living standards are deteriorating.

The offer from the NCB amoures toon. would mean an across-the-

board oof

rise between Setal of £145m is available. servl cent

NO MONEY

Spurred on by this victory Leyland management moved ast Amni to ram home thell advantage.

in no In the wake of Robinson's

dismissal they were able to impose acceptance derisory five per cent wages offer. At the same time they established forced acceptance

new 92-page code of conduct move at will

wac ennee practices, including. mobility of labour and the introduc-

Home News

NB 1s telling ine

ame old story and pleadin poverty. average earring the At current

carlss ul a mulic!

OCLOre Lar £73.50; LIt coal-lace worker gels a basic wage of £102 per week, and

a or n i ai o bs

be incentive bonus socakil, IOr my owl arce mual sures a navus

If we were to win our full demand, give coal-face WURCH €7,500

annum the f10,000-a- I CH the press akabol year miner! Pressure

It's easy for non-miners To make such statements, but speaking for myself and my comrades in the mining

NO METRO.

I lats.

The

but invitable.

Rove. platl

of their strike.

Led, there was that Cowley new wolkig

in step with the struggle.

indry blode worth penny must demand the full £100 a week minimum tor surac workers, since the last was eroded : it was ment and the NCB are put- Sovetl •reSSuC miners. The industrial rela department the NCB has predicted thạt wịth a wast and coa . price • In Creast LUCY word cul a loss of f50m Thback gramst ho lso held grants NCB, and has instructed KO DICAK cvel 103-04 a nese issues. plus Ine endless excuses of the recession, put the coal industry in tnslaught or capitalism ne western industrial countries reckon that by the agreement MeNI in the back. gesoLe

•lite une

Canes cine has resulted,

accaict. Offer tion of 'time and motion' engineers to assess new work- workers a

, imposition of this defeat last April was anything

Led by the Solihull, 18,000 workers came out on

As support snowballevery chance and Longbridge per week. would have eventualv talen fer met

rebuttal!

year 2000 their coal oupur must mcrcase unrec fold from 1979 levels. Given Britain's large coal reserves

Coa wea cerane au ude eno the century.

Policy

However, coal reserver can't be mothn ed like oilwells when demand falls off, and reponed when demand is greater. Ine cul Terl rcs DOLIC government " gram reducmean the threat of pit closures A pit that is closed today Is crosca rorever. ims is nul the future that we miners or

Suddenly however Moss Evans announced the TGWU

with the manageThe strike was stabbed

the demoralisation caused by these defeats

further Gecue Leyland workers' living stan-

the votes at the SPaS Thursday show that the workforce is far from

Management offered the

derisory 6.8 per cent, in reply to the claim for an across the board £17.21p.

Awl ell Htc Lol around 17 per cent To add

injury this offer comes in the wake of two suc. cessive 5 pay levels

Leyland's much vaunted bonus scheme has resulted an average net bonus of bp

No wonder the of Will such a decisive

Socialist Challenge

Many other worker wants the full ONoverdei executive of the NUM will Coal Board, and than last time. With the pre- we hope to hea news SCIl throwing worKer. on tue colc oy ln hour, should stand firm by their the miners leaders decisions secure reheit future members. Demand All the Tories have don is muc casc illalluls and meno o mct enders should demane unt full 35 pit closeres cent and allow and fur. thei erosions in living dards to damage our futur By Paul Lawson

But an analysis of the vote, plant by plant shows that those plants which last April came out and were défeated, were those which are most reluctant to take on the management again.

Rejection

Whereas rejection of the was overwhelming at OECE Longbridge and Cowley, Rover — • faced with dramatically falling , orders and more redundancies the vote was toa pt thant si Even the Lance alhaygu eten opt more mililan

although Cvel Solihull there were some close votes the Landrover over D ato accepted • But the decisive thing is Only 2,300. ual all une most important plants voted against.

The decision to reject the company's offer and to take SuIKe

bute a tmtor dwee so an

Ila Ui threat Tories.

6 November 1980 Page 5

Page 6 scan of this page

That's the message from the Lambeth conference

By Brian Grogan

TERRY Duffy, the

right-wing presi-

dent of the

Engineering Union,

justified his agree-

ment to a massive

wage cut for his

members because

of 'the perilous

state of the in-

dustry' and 'the first

priority is to save

jobs'.

This puts him to the

Angus Maude wno at tne

conference

admitted that unemploy-

ment was not the fault of

the unemployed.

MOSL

lett-wing leaders are now

opposing the Tories' idea

that the highest level of By Pat Kane NO more Tory cuts. That was the message from the Local Government in Crisis conference held in London last weekend. The conference, called by Lambeth Labour council and unions, was a huge success with over 700 delegates attending from all over the country.

They represented local authority trade

and constituency Labour parties.

packed into the galleries.

A draft statement calling for strike action against the Tories was discussed. Ted

cil Labour group, opened the

demanding Conuererca thạt all Labour councils should refuse to implement Tory cuts provided that the

to organise a

general strike from 1 January

Rates

But not everyone had come along to the conference ready to organise this type of action.

The national executive of the public employees union NUPE tabled which called on Labour coun-

to rase rale then blame it all the

Ron Keating, the union's assistant general secretary, was pessimistic about any

Photo: Newsline

Vanessa Wiseman

Socialist Challenge. 6 November 1980 Page 6

Do wage rises

cause

unemployment?

unemployment 40 years is due to workers

pricing themselvos out a

On the AUEW na-

contade.

fy's acceptance of the 8.2

'People

wny gooas are pring up in the shops and firms are

does not save jobs.

NO MORE

Where the delegates came from THE

4t come tromioco amor trade unions,

of the country luency Labour parties, and 50 Lavour council crowes Terrenter. will be published next week. Ference Here is absoluty He told the conference: no indication that the sector unions will lead their people into mass industrial action.'

NUPE wanted councis lead the while Ted Knight wanted the unions to take strike action. They passed the buck between each otner.

Vanessa president of Lambeth Trades Council and Challenge supporter, was the third speaker of the day.

Keating had stated that his union would not be sacrificed while the councillors sat back. Wiseman said:

Keating and NUPE

British Leyland workers.

Under Duffy's guidance

they have accepted + po

past years.

thousand jobs have been

during

period and more redu

Hard the

pipeline.

Ask the steelworkers.

They accepted a 16 per

cent wage par cent below the Subse-

quently 50,000 jobs have

been lost in steel and Conference Delegates discuss while tne Labour Party NEC observers look on

fight the cuts, you'll have no members anyway, Tories want to destroy the services which employ them.

Lambeth Trade Council's list amendments that around utopian demand for strike ac-

stead it called on activists to begin the campaign that could stop the Torry cuts.

Wert Unity more reemitic apuroach than Wiseman both the pessimism of NUPE

public and the impossible plan of

Knight

Wing a stand now, Labour 'No one should

light,

cuts. We have movement that can save our services.' The amendments argued for Wiseman, ending OI

shorter working week.

Socialist Sed to beat the toriere

needed

unions and councillors acting together to stop the cuts'.

Speaker

countered the

don't ecutive position. John Sud-

Home News

wages don't CAUSE unemolovment either.

Increasing Gemand doesn't solve problems

expansion Of credit kept manageable levels. By the 1970s the SUCE

TaTIon Tarovon the roo 'Counter cyclical'

measures are not the of unemployment over what's really UVI.

Unemployment since the

attacked the

next January.

argued for

We have to start by tak-

she said. John Suddaby .be selling daby, London build

Lambeth porter, an overtime and a

cuts.' 'both local Delegate

ment was for a fight.

after NUSE Ke

Clift

from the charácter of our economic

millions of people out o1 work nave occurec periodically Enrouonou capitalism's existence.

This is because in such a there is no planned relation between pro

Socialism duction, that is, invest ment 8n0 people's N860S Only after the event.

when 86OL whether a profit has been investment decisions been Each firm dedicates itsel last

government too

Lambeth

added.

Vote

everything! president of NUPE's divisional council sion, and a Socialist Challenge sup- ference

argued: 'What we need is for both Labour councillors and trade unionists to take a stand. It is possible to mobilise our members against

execute tion. after delegate handful

the ranks of the labour move- tion.

Other Fox, from Clay Cross, where councillors were

Por is that producion

production under capitalism is sub 18CI Deriod of DOOW successive and

bust.

Investment rushes in. to booming sectors to try to get a share of the pro Greater ment down. The market then TOLILE

becomes incapable of ab sorbing goods which KeeDs up protits

over-production. Invest ment takes a nose-dive and massive unemploy. ment results We have no interest in

uniting with Tne

through higher Labour where it belongs, on the CONVICT S badge bosses and their system!

TORY CUTS!

Photo: Joanne O'Brian

disbarred from office by the

Tory government, said were right to do that, and they would fight this

Knight and council refuse make cuts they will be assured of the support of thousands

ordinary workers throughout the country, Fox

David Morgan, leader of Sheffield Labour group, tried

to save the NUPE executive

delegates should vote for

vice presi dent of NUPE

insisted should support the

trades counci's position. He

announced that a lunchtime

meeting of his delegation had

voted to oppose the NUPE

leaderships' posiIn the event, only of delegates voted for

the NUPE leadership's posi-

amendments

strengthened the draft state-

ment. Lambeth branch of the

Rather than 'share'

wades and

living standards, 88 T78

are demanding

we say 'share the work Weshort the working

syster

can't to

Fi in this dar age. Comoanie

should be expropriated.

In this move

towards a system which

cam dan te toauon doi

and

people's needs could be

This is what

mean by a socialist pro

new unions in roland ar

starting to demand

government which backs

workers acuons acalus

DOSSeS ano

measüres ent the

capitalist anarchy is the

answer. . This is the nettle

the Labour left has

Vaoy Ray Varnes

teachers' union NUT moved that should be elected by the con- steering committee

ference, and that it should be ready to re-call a conference *in support of councils or councillors penalised by the Tories'

ley Labour Party, which dominated by the Yorkshire thers. moveo iar ne cor. ference should 'call on the TUC to prepare a plan for a general strike to defend workers' interests

This was a fighting conference. The steering committee that was elected will meet on 15 November to plan further action. What the conference decided

IHE final decisions

were overwhelmingly

cillors should under-

* no cuts in jobs or ser-

vices no redundan.

cies run down

direct labour.

Tent Sud-

plementary rate rises

this financial year to

conpensate for govern-

ment cuts

* no sale of council

houses or housing land

* to work with local

anti-cuts committees

and community groups

to build local support

* strike action and oc-

cupation of threatened

facilities.

Page 7 scan of this page

H Block

- it's

up to us

ONCE again we are faced with the daunting aying no prospect of Irishmen in

wolava •KELMeN nave been Toread ov uncaring British government face death through vutt or strike like manv of their comrades down through IrIsn history.

British OVErM would have us LICO! FUICUi are criminals and that

orieuoe mey COle ConCoe e Themr camanos

In the British government's attempt to

the Republican voVowoul in issue they feel capable of con trolling. TRAVeR OR tno blanketmen have become expendabi

chess boarc OW• v a to be played with at the wilt or some tory polti cian.

To the British the fact that

right to political nave a status ocone. WroId vant. racco witn such d hopeless situation how can the blanketmen win?

the help of mass LIe oo0do, wuu calt let TAelr •oinoms oe neare and felt through letters of protest local

nd people of influentia Slaloms WUPC GUEl munity ano so on.

LeTTe •RuSh dovers• ment know that the lives

kicked around the political arena.

through the

DOWN •enerations the trisn na. tion has always rallied to the their defenceless hunger strike. generation abanon Locay S prisoners to the inhuman do JUUL think this •eneraton Will part in putting an end to

an on•rooson macu usor ue danketmen. oc Talon arta • our day will come. Your day has

to throw weight blanketmen and sure ural wone ot these young men die.

Is mise le meas.

JIM MORAN, Derry •

Watch out, there's a red pencil about

All the letters on this page have been edited...so, please try to keep letters to 300 words.

Getting it right on

socialist feminism

I FEEL angry Coultas's article on the socialist feminist conference (30 October). It is inaccurate ana misiedae I Is accounl over the past three years and, with the ex-

eption of Women's Aid and the Nationa

Campaign, wholly abouu aclvities Liberation Movement.

This is not the national conrarence 1978 conference in Manchester. was a large national conference in London in March 1979, out of which came the proposals for a conference on Women's Oppression and Imperialism.

The present conference was not 'continually postponed'.

I WAS rather concerned to Ical article the Paris OO DISA synagogue (9 UcloDer)

Although there is an ob-

fascist front. plain to the left e need to ex

Glc leucosily lu cumlval ailli Demost wea uches millions of Europeans and, the left itself.

Challenge

shr Soari an onu menis

Pauli

Abram Leon's and Nathan ul awIl:

Weinstock's work. exnlain. ing our ideas on Jewish self-organisation and liberation and its contribuLull LIC mickaliolldl Tiene ror sociasn. anis should include

many parts regional meeunes ane voser doolt vaere other events

ferences.

lapse

wcan ico. negative Women's movement.

first socialist feminist since the January

There

rational Front.

WARF was

On the contrary, a

Anti-Semitism

must be combatted

coverage of the fight for Jewish rights in the Dovier union ane masten autooe Argentina and the Arab for example Syria and Iraq - as a part of anti-bureaucratic and anticapilalist struggies We need to explain the alternatives to Zionism that have and will exist Bundism and revolutionary (vial Aisiul. and heip to win Jew. ITOI ConIsIl Lo a struggle for Jewish libera-

Wero meed toor ain

our programme Arab East and our position on lic slach JCWISI llalu ane JewIsn natiollal ana olner minorites in ine Aran world, for example Moroc-

This should emphasise our programme for the joint long time was spent planning it to allow detailed discussion of the theme, da, dne suucture. A resource ust oT Ts books, and articles was produced, and in

of the country there were senes of talks. ano to prepare for the con-

Valerie refers in her article to the col-

women Adainst Hacism ano Fascism (WARF) as an indication of the

present time the socaust temmist currenc orte women s

But this is much more likely to reflect the problems in Britain of developina a broad anti-racist, anti-fascist movement, which effectively challenges state racism rather than simply the activities of the

an extremely important development for the women's and antiracist movements. oorn mneorercaiv ano in terms of the numbers of women it

Letters

struggle of Jewish and Arab WUIKCIS both inside Vulsiuc Isac lo overlaron ine Israel and Arab ruling classes so as to establish

nited socialist states of th Arab east. At the same tim we defend the right of selfdetermason • mre non Arab national minorities

Suici ehs Kurds and the

Our weakness has alloweo une israel coverent to divide and weaken the anti fascist movement by playing

eration Organisation

lastisL based on inks the PLO hadd muynculs These with some of the leaders of hovement in the As National

- Llc

mobilised around strudgles such as Grun. wick and anti-racist,

demonstrations

Valerie also refers to the ditficu ties

that Scarlet Women has been experienc-

ing financially and in involvement from

diner SocHsTON ASIS

discuss its political importance.

It is vital to have a forum for debate

among socialist feminists thail reie tor thetis eimeren ordee issue

ferent political positions adopted by Irish

teminists. socialist Challenge snould De

encouraging and supporting

Women rather than attacking socialist

feminists for not doing so.

Rather than expressing her political

disagreements with

organisation of the socialist feminist con

Valerie's article

devalue many of the achievements of the

socialst vemimist current

ESTHER SARAGA, London N4

ROSA MANUEL

ME MIAL

KAN LANK MLA did have ii for example,

llave links with NaVAS Weeni or une oran the attempts ruling put it terests before those of the mass of Jewish people bi vigorously combating ant Semitism, by demonstrating our support for the fullest possible ceve oomen

and by our opposition forcibe armle oid

not understand the fear unac.

•LIIC WOROS Jews Wv f will ,only weaken zionismh

best champions Jewish rights international

MARK SOLOMONS, Manchester

anti-fascist

gazers

•ne oes nor

LODCr) which ne gave Ire ano made dicating how

works

Scarlet interesting papers,

aims and

appears

have.

JIM PARKES, Walsall

Soviet unilateral

disarmament?

FRED Halliday criticises ue vautant lendeny s ao peal to the sovet govern ment to renounce nuclear and to combination of a workers Illele alil the clas. CUllsciousness of the Western proletariat'.

I agree that the 'revolutionary instincts of the cul ocal WUlku Class arc not very strong al the pre sent time, and that 'hostility to the : Soviet Union is very deep But surely renunciation Soviet nuclear weapons

'are not

defensivé'

I WAS amazed to read Brian Grogan's piece on nuclear weapons 9 Oc To•er. ITo rie avn credible I haven't read anything like it from the

mention just one point. •vial says 'The GOSSeSSIOn weapons ov the soviei Union is overwhelmingly defensive Not

weapons (intercontinen lal missues ane domoers. Aa e racca toos to implement the theory of

strategi c air offensive

theory developed in the Second World War bv the Britist and Americans said quite simply that you can most quickly defeat your by destroying their industries by bomb I AS Verv •UCKE decame accepted orthodoxy and was practis

edd gainst both Germany

the myth about the strateaic air ottensive las perpetuated in films Dambusters) that it works. In fact Cbs !

Americans oune out ir Vietnam when that coun Kalt. failed to toi grind against Germany and Japan either but that's anomier store Ine DoInt is toRTIs generally accepted the the sian military no less than Lue Ammencan ine secono oolts that the strategic air offensive is precisely that - offensive. I cannot see how abstrusue American. British. and other Western countries industry can be a 'defensive' policy of a workers stald Perhaps comraoe Cr0can might reconsider his position: before worker. bomb ha: Trazzled all into Ciders BARRY PAVIER, London

Fleet St Star

MENTION of Lord Matthews, the boss of Express Newspapers and Cunard (30 Ocreminded me of a TV interviev

some monins ago, the political con-game

Matthews said that he personally vetted every editorial in his paper. Anything which displeased him came out. That's

Mecause OlIe ot his the Daily Star, broadly supports the Callaghan-Healey mob. Matthews evidently does not regard the Labour riaht as a threat to canitalism This just shows how much choice voters

So viet union would have te nuclear r weapons by the

choriou

west WOlC give

tremencous soos tine

anti-war campaigners fron

which the as a whole

would benefit

Who many

those CAIUW.

associate leftists with the

Soviet Union might be more

to listen to us if

could see that the Russians

werc , Dervence"

No government can ig

nore public opinion entire dinande and it would surel!

intent aga

uesslve aransı

government wnich naa re

nounced nuclear weapons.

JIM PARKES, Walsall

'London

dominated'

Perhaps the most disturbing feature of the recent tria

and sentence of the Scottish

Republicans at Glasgow has UCCL LOla auschce connem the far left press.

One can hardly believe the case had these events oc would have been CulICu LOndon.

Keboncans who consider themselves socialists follow the MacLean and accuse the far left

London dominated or allisalons

long as situations such

when Consacre acclally the record of the left in defence o Mamme Lygate COT the Scottish Workers Party who received one of the harshe

in Scottish legal history

course. nave serious differences with the urban guerilla strategy, bul

was these people Cuce uel Is • OCH' first to defend them against the bourgeois state.

CHARLES PALMER Falkirk

What's Left

erialist War Moves! Defer

Iranian Revolution

. in Iraq/Irai Friends Meetings House,

huston R NORTH-WEST LONDON TOM strikes dien ues Nove te .pe. Tavistock Hall, Tavistock Rd, NW IO

Shantt. Brent tas

Persones Action Cor , person from Tickets 12.50 Belle Vue, Mancheste

for Carnets. 1 za hera cr

New pamphlet fron

Socialist Or

TRADE UNION DEMOCRACY. s wy orig ats stild be bt

SETPU, ISTC, TOWU, NUPE

Samor Hil, Po

New pamphlet from

socialist youth paper

Barricade

CLASS WAR NOT

NUCLEAR WAR

strategy 10

•. Socialist Challenge: 6 November 1980 : Page 7

Page 8 scan of this page

Andrew Pulley,

tional.

Phil Hearse and Tessa Van

SWP, about the US elections. ported the Equal Rights Amendment? siderable labour movement ac- there has been contion in support the Amend-

Several big tions took place in the past year, one in Virginia, which consisted primarily of labour organisations, and a huge march Springfield Illinois, in which they played a prominent part.

Only three more states need to ratify the Amendment and it becomes part of the Constitu1° The National Organisation of Socialist Challenge 6 November 1980

THE United States has elected a new president. In Britain, TV and press concentrated on the match between Carter and Reagan, but these were not the only candidates. Also standing for the presidency was steelworker

the candidate Socialist Workers Party, an organisation in political solidarity with the Fourth Interna-

Gelderen spoke to DOUG JENNESS, a leader of the

Women is striving for an alliance with labour movement. agreements at the top, legitimises the idea of an alliance amongst the base of both movements.

Why has the blacks declined in the In the late 1960s black people were inspired by the success the civil rights smashing legal segregation, and they went on to win concessions like jobs' and anti-poverty programmes. We think that desegrePage 8

For The menau years the living standards o American workers are bein airfies, the employers want to How are they drive down the real income of the the American worker;

business profits they have cut SOCISCIVICES. tion and held down wages. But the workers, defeated in no major struggle, are becoming angry, and Trustl alcus ideas.

There has number of wildcat strikes and big Its

but this

struggle of

1970s?

of movement

shipyards in Virginia, black respon-

for many years. even seem to feel boost towards they were a decade ago. resisted unionisa-

Irao. There has Iran.

open to new

been a growing to recover the hostages.

the 1930s. time the enders

sations like the Black

battles over unionisation. At the draft (or

Newport News, and white workers shared in the most im- unpopular. portant strike victory in America On

White workers less hostile black rebellions than tions on

America's rulers have failed Wto work up a patriotic fervour

workers over events in for example, been a total unwillingness to sup port the idea of using US troop:

leagan out

The move to re-introduce the

gation was the most important

victory in the class struggle since

the construction of the CIO in go forward.

But today the leadership of

the black movement is in crisis.

In the new ecanomic climate, the

runng class Is granlig icw con cessions to the black community SWP

so that black leaders of a middle

class outlook have nothing to of-

At the same most militant black of the late 1960s were

assassinated and militant organi-

Panthers

-were smashed by repression. oine

U.S. WORK

A LABOUR

draft registration) following the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan, was thoroughly

the other hand, labour leaders have persuaded some of their followers to accept the idea or import controls and testic

immigrant workers, whom they accuse of stealing the jobs of Americans.

What does the SWP think of the suggestion that workers should vote for Carter to keep

'he American party system Only by joining forces with labour can the black movement

The Democrats and Republic-

ans have millions of dollars to spend on TV advertising. Can

small workers' party like the

hope pact? It was hard for you even

to get on tne danor

Despite the struggle we had to get on the ballot, our candidates

eceived some publicity on loca

. TV and radio Still our ideas, in some form or

reach millions of people.

different to the European. T two big parties the Democr

are bo

same capitalist party there significant bourgeois party.

The problem is that althou a substantial portion of the dustrial working class is organ ed in powerful trade unions th is no mass party of labour. T idea of forming such a party t been at the forefront of our ca paign.

We get to talk to thousands peopie in factories, on campust and at our forums. It all helps win people to the party.

we will or course not will l presidency we 100,000 votes. But the vote is n the main thing; it is the oppo ideas and to in new recruit t tunity to get out and fight fo socialism.

The SWP has been involved a major legal battle with tl FBI and other state agencie What is the result?

Watergate revealed inform

Page 9 scan of this page

ARTY

tion about the harassment of prospe harassment SWP other radical, black, and labour organisations.

In 1973 the SWP filed a suit against the FBI, the CIA, the At100C Genera's Department. and other government agencies. Litigation forced the FBI to give

hundreds of thousands documents harassment of our party since the 1930s.

The "state used paid formers, break-ins, property damage, physical threats,

RS NEED

FBI's other methods. The government

O1 claims that the harassment pro

and gramme discontinued,

we've plenty of to show that it's not.

The litigation has had a big impact on the comes to trial in we're gearing up for a big campaign.

Finally, who is going to win the presidential Reagan or Carter?

in- Well, either way

working class will lose. and 1964 election the

besides the the SWP itself?

party question than for 35 years

AFL-CIO (the AFL-CIO

Terence

Another far-out but and TV have given recent evidence

menc treatment. hand, the

countrv. he case January, and might win a

like Truman in 1948.

The bosses' candidates, election,

the American

In the

Republican Workers Party

Are there any moves towards Oil, the creation of a Labour Party

propaganda of

Well, there's more discussion in America today on the labour

Machinists, The head of the California state

the US equivalent of the TUC) last year called upon the trade unions to give the matter formal consideration and arranged a con-

Movemell representatives various trade unions to discuss it. Have workers

prominent trade demands unionist, a vice-president of the movement?

Goldwater was presented as a

reactionary but press Reagan cosun ine olner labour leaders are

Wake as true colo

et the vote out for Carter, so he

Last-minute victory

It's going to be very close. presidential Reagan

(above) and Carter (right).

Andrew Pulley (left) is the

candidate of the Socialist

Chemical and Atomic Workers' Union, has been talking about a labour party.

Most important perhaps was the recent conference of the In-

Brotherhood a major industrial union with a million members. It refused to endorse Carter's candidacy and debated the idea of a labour party, ana acciaca to lake the debate into the wider labour

taken up the of the women's Have they sup

Jamaican elections

Uncle Sam's

man wins

By Pat Kane

business interests.

associated with the business community,

government.

telligence Agency in the gramme economic sabotage against Manley.

speeches in the election campaign. The Red Cross

murders this year alone.

The only thing

is caused by plants and trees.!

because it reflected the struggle between classes. The American election ferences between friends in the class.

Cuban ambassador, Ulises Estrada.

a revolutionary. That's why the JLP hate me.'

Jamaica away from dependence on the main inter.

other third world countries.

jected to the PNP's 'democratic socialism'.

The International

programme went into top gear.

with decisive counter-measures.

against terrorist attacks.

Twenty were faced with the

reforms ever seen in Latin America.

boots.'

fluence of big business. promise with the capitalists.

is an alternative, ing it out.

working people and small farmers.

people.

ple.

ed, they have been removed and workers. To ensure

militias.

own revolutions.

crease.

Kingston. militants of the PNP from Seaga's repression.

THE result of the Jamaican election was a crushing defeat for Michael Manley's People's National Party. The only real winner has been American and British

The right-wing Jamaican Labour Party has won 52 of the 60 parliamentary seats. The party is openly

, and is pledged to reverse all the measures of the Manley

It has been co-operating with the Central In-

'de-stabilisation' pro. anaterrorism

Violence has been more noticeable than policy

estimates that there have been over 700 political

Contrast this with the US presidential election.

that breaks the boredom is the outrageous stupidites of Reagan (now dubbed Raygun), such as his claim that '80 per cent of pollution

The Jamaican election was extremely violent

campaign about dif.

American upper

expulsion

In a pre-election interview Estrada said that the JLP has accused Cuba of 'spreading subversion' in Jamaica. Explaining the Cuban aid programme, he added: 'I am not a terrorist or murderer. I am simply

For the past seven years, Manley has steered national powers. Through the non-aligned movement he has sought closer links with Cuba and

Manley infuriated the imperialist powers by introducing a series of mild social reforms. They ob-

Monetary Fund demanded savage welfare cuts before it would advance further loans. Manley refused, and the de-stabilisation

Like Allende in Chile, Manley did not respond

This would have required organising working people to overcome. the economic sabotage, and to defend themselves

ago the Cuban revolutionaries same problems. Their response was to carry out the most sweeping land

Their country was invaded, and the Cuban people rallied to defend their revolution at the Bay of Pigs. Fidel Castro then announced that they would 'nationalise the Yankees down to the nails in their

But Manley did not break out of the sphere of in-

He took the road of com-

On 2 October, the Financial Times reported a Jamaican official as saying: Manley will have to go back to the IMF. The PNP has no alternative.' There

and just now the revolutionary governments of Grenada and Nicaragua are carry-

Clear socialist measures can win the support of

This. means breaking from parliamentary politics and placing the country's future in the hands of the ordinary

This doesn't mean nationalising everything at a stroke. The Nicaraguans and Grenadans haven't done this. What they have done is attacked the power of the upper class and demanded that the latter operate policies favourable to working peo-

When the managers or police chiefs have refus-

replaced by success. the revolutionary leaders have organised huge demonstrations, and both countries have armed the people and formed

The lessons of Jamaica will not be lost on the leaders of Cuba, Nicaraguan, or Grenada. The JLP victory will encourage reactionary attacks on their

The struggle in Jamaica is not over yet. The new government will attack all the measures of the Manley régime. Terror and violence is on the in

Already fighting has broken out in the capital,

Solidarity is now urgent to defend the

Socialist Challenge 6 November 1980 Page 9

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and Garter pub, Fairfield St, nr Piccadilly Station SOUTHAMPTON

Socialist Challenge/Revolution celebrate the anniversary Revolution and Bonfire Night with fundraising social. Sat 8 Nov 5 St Marys Rd, Londor NW10. Food bonfire Calle anc other surprises. Adm fl + 1 firework.

Revolution Youth Notices THE /BOOKSHOP

CSE London Working Group

The Alternative Economic Strategy -

a Labour movement response to the

economic crisis CSE Books, £2.50

This working group of the Conference of Socialist Economists argues the Labour Left's alternative to

non-technical language for political acvss trace momss an anyone surrerine from une 1-

Ed. David Widgery The Book of the Year -

September 1979 to September 1980

Ink Links, f5.95 The book presents interpretations of the vear with 200 photographs, cartoons, interviews and essays from some of the best of Britain's radical photographers, designers, ana whilers backca up oy a glossary, stallsucs ana a day-

John Downing The Media Machine Pluto Press, £4.95 This book shows how the media shapes opinion in key areas such as industrial conflict, racism and sexism in order to renorce me samus ono. l aso looks ar aner natives to the established media by examining the left

Available from The Other Bookshop, 328 Upper St, London N1. Tel: 01-226 0571. Please add

6 November 1980 Page 10

SOCIALIST Chal-

lenge has launched

a national speaking

tour on the theme of

'Jobs not Bombs'.

We aim to build

meetings dozens

owns and cities around

spruggles animajor

Steles

lory covernmen

certner worker

have agreed to

where possible

meetings. I ne platform:

will also include CIND ana

camtorments against

unemployment

imperialist •TIVe are the

most vital issues for the

workers movement this

BIRMINGHAM Kevin Coen (Gardner's steward) Val Coultas Pat Hickey (TGWU steward at Rover

Nov 12 at 7.30pm Star Club, Essex St, off Bristol St.

Trotsky under

review in Italy

By Norman Geras

Italy.

of Tuscany, port of the Italian Communist Party.

Forty years after Trotsky's

assassianivu. scarcicts Italy,

Germany, France the United States, and other

coastal Follonica anu. assemons uany 1 c town notary iron and steel factory), discussed over five almost rer aspect of every

pre-1917 writings

1115 the

Incory Trotsky's role in permanen revoluton Ene october insurrection,

standpoint economic debates the 1920s struggle nation Salinism,

roundation Fourth anternatona unese : 200 other topics were considered.

complexion of the

Was overse par-

from the Communist and sympathin

of the Fourth International

Socialist Challenge News

with

the

winter. ne wwo are

on new weapons while throwing hundred of thousands on the dol sums uo the orionues o the Tory government

But it also shows the (Socialist Challenge)

BETWEEN 7 and 11 October an international conference on Leon Trotsky took place in Organised by the Feltrinelli Founda. tion, it was hosted by the Regional Council

which is to say it had the sup-

no rotskvisis or olner a filiation, academics broadl sympathetic LTULSKY well as academics broadly hostile There was, however, one notable absentee and, around the come cule some speculator as , to wny he had not been invited. The question was voiced at one Ernest Mandel? was session the Conlerence duvoica a slale ment calling lot works to be made available the sovier Union and for all materials

celais to be opened it aro

• opened up to Ice rescale!

The proceedings of the conference by ane large positive. That such a diversity and SUUC reasonably ous passionalt discuss Trotsky's

QUA

A segment of CND's rally in Trafalgar Square last month

'Jobs not bombs'

tour hits the road

urgent need to build a NOL

ty here and international.

Socialist : Challenge is GI oup the British section of the internationd revolu-

EAST LONDON Speakers include:

Kevin Coen (Gardner's steward)

Trina Shane (Tower Hamlets trades council executive, personal capacity.

Patrick Kodikara (Hackney Labour

councillor)

Jane Connor (Revolution Youth)

Mick Drake (IMG Fords worker)

Right to Work Campaign represen-

Lativt Tues 11 Nov 7.30pm

Stratford Town Hall, Stratford

Broadway unprecedented

Regional Council of Tuscany Italy.

development to be welcomea, ana tnere were several contributions of great interest.

There was a tendency, is true. especially during the sessions. to speak Irolsky figure history, albeit a • great one,

PEACE

tonary party

Revolution Youth an independent organisallul sollaarity WILl the ano her. boin •ociats Challenge and RevoluYouth will have

Convegno internazionale di stud

in occasione del 40 anniversaro

della morte di Leon Trocki

discusses Trotsky tie and ork hinted by to taring

and to play down his contemporary pollicai tance. nute bel 01 pointed out the be work defied such treat by right today to voln norary alli

PRIE

speakers on the Jobs not appealing LOUr tor deode to oin us! the fight for socialism We also aim to use the tour to boost the sales and subscriptions. drive for Socialist Challenge, win nunnereds new regular readers.

Send in the details of the Bombs Socialist LOU naulened Meetings a reav arraneed mode the following: -28 Oct. 5 Nov. Edinburgh NOV East London 12 Nov. west London 12 Nov. Birmingham Newport Leicester North London A NOV Newcastle 25 Nov. Wolverhampton

EALING Speakers include:

Gardner's shop steward

Film: Failsafe Benefit for Gardner's occupation Nov 12 at 7.30pm

Princes Room Ealing Town Hall international

factory In the end, perhaps the most important thing aboul this conference was the ver fact of its occurrence. Many of those present seemed to have a sense of this. In a way unprecedented W aN evell.

Page 11 scan of this page

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Page 12 scan of this page

How women are cheated on pay

By Rose Knight

MOST low-paid

workers are women.

We make up two-

thirds of all workers

earning less than £60

week, and our

average hourly earn-

ings dropped since

1977 from 75 to 73 per

cent of men's hourly

rate.

has not been either the

Equal Pay and

Discrimination Acts, he

COLCCLIV bargaining

•WE

WON'T

BEST'

Britain...

group was a good idea. reated different from the boys?

have meetings.

Feminism means ladies, flaunt in front of men. as human beings

achievements organised,

I WAS in hospital having my second baby when I read a report of the first public meeting of the organisation which was to take the call for equal pay on to Britain's streets.

It was October 1968. The organisation had a mouthful of a name the National Joint Action Campaign Committee for Women's Equal Rights.

Two hundred people attended

which was held at commons. among Ine nity wao volunteered

the first to strike for equal pay.

NJACCWER Calll-

Socialist Challenge

agreements made by trade of mine comes ales /the which many of the smaller LOVEL firms employins the majority of wolel workers A report by the Low Pay Unit, Миттим wares o women The number of women working in the distributive trades and industries has risen in 1959 to

women are largely confined

SECOND

AN indication of the breadth of the women's movement a dozen years after it surfaced in

Alison Agnew, aged 10, says: 'When I first became a feminist I thought that having a

Why do we have to be

So l asked a few girls if they could become feminists and they said Yes. Every playtime we

It's a girls' rights women that They class themselves - from a report in Spare Rib.

LEONORA LLOYD contributes to a series on the history of the women's movement: its

and weaknesses, how it has and what is happening now. She records the rise and fall of the first contemporary organisation to raise women's issue.

paign's initials, at least, were just aboul pronounceadle was to De my first experience of organising on women's rights.

I had been involved in politics since I was 14, when I joined the Youth, parents

always been a enmist. one Keen That my sister lessa ang should have careers of our and not be dependent on getting with the campaign as soon as ] was ormy reet.

It was rrea Blake. a distric official of the National Union Vehicle Builders (no TGWU) who'd had the starun une camoan olowing

treasurer secretary Dor Lane Audrey member who had

6 November 1980 Page 12

food, drink, tobacco,

clothing, footwear tex.

tile and elec-

trical And

Women are concerted

among the : lowest grades,

even in where

they are a majority.

The report

how wage councils have fail-

ed women workers. Not on.

are wage

rates set by the councils low,

are cheating workers out of

millions of pounds a year. group. don't

Survey of Women's and wood. Chairpersons of the campaigo. . equal An early leaflet une fighting until the women of this country have full rights harter carried a similar promise.

discrimination against women in removal employment, public •Wal

for work of men arrechens berweet

and trade unions.

touch That

legal rights for women through parliament 4. That the TUC leads and coordinates a national action cam-

part of the Sane it he can at re

idea industry,

with the

• mmedate ratification of the ILO Conven tion 100, ASTMS equal value

In practice the campaign cenWillie

Most worked by dustries covered councils do not even know existence 1O1 are Wage Orders nublicised. Ti industries union membership is at its lowest Wage councils are nominally but controlled by Ine employers, The maximum for failing to with the rates is f100 half the fine you pay for not having a TV licence there were only 16 prosecu any 1978 tred on Canstoone Nor-

braincaes women's organisations. joint mal relationship committee vowed that paign, local NJACCWER

in ever

1969.

education poster

The inclusion of equal pa colar value It all

employers thousand them active in the unions

enforce equal ed uPhere

Derore

solidarity namese women accor- perialism.

decision at the

take their placards away specifying equal pay for

tions out of a total of 10,624 Case brought There ust lou musoectors covere Sul turms and tne covernment wants the reduced

The Equal Pay Act made no citerence t • women !

The Report says the Act is less ef industrial roots ya industrial roots' It: own Inere is no mention ol the equal pay demand. uvull zicw apace. rom umo ike myset. Inosi

rates councils, and

While such bodies had no for When

to the general should eading the Can

often from com Fort and heit Civide

rally held on mpaigi Latives oca their children. committee There one along er pard St in London.

On the dav of the march and

poured with rain

- turn-

was an argument just march group brought placards express-

Vieti fighting US imperion official threatened to Press

11 Te women didn't

There had also been a row at a grow.

campaign's Most of the women who attended committee London.

measures tackle segregation, which the TUC acscroca in a reccul discus sion cocument as une mal imbeciment women' women who take a cen outside the home are forced to work part-ume.

The Low Pay Unit TeDOr recommends recruitment drive trade priority being a struggle for the two-monthly meeling were

: who helped to set up women's liberation groups

we proposed that there creche meetings, uproar broke out. The

• was ne ween younger women from official represen WIll azlast al lc women • nOI •Dong will

Since only members of the

the pro. posal for a creche was lost

¡any or tac yoursel wolfel want democrance cne can

structures to open new members. But wa extremely and the Tees joining were so high that smaller

alic WUnCH S groups couldn't afford them.

continued to Fred was over worked and I had been helping

ed to resign as secretary he pro

Lae union

meetings during work hours

so that women workers car

attend the Equal. Oppor

Lunue. Commission

trade unions

report are serious about

: wages

basic mummum waces oral

workers in Inese maustries

and launch programmes o

designed help Walth take

more highly paid and skilled

JODS LO GO SO

The

available from 1 the Low Pay

WIV 3DG. Price 50p 9 Poland St London

Photo: CHRIS DAVIS

JUscu as mis replacement

Jolted Marxist uroup in 1968 and wa: well-known as a Trotskyist

was the only per nominated membe the

Norwood the Labour MP , was in the chair and

leclared nominations re-opened IVOL WOUl

little to build the campaign, and it

wasn't long before i

With the 1970 Equal Pay Ac hard campaigning Wa needed. There were plenty of oro-. DosaTs. such as holding factory gate meetings at selected ted plant and

• Party conferences.

Explaining the other aims of the charter would also have beer a good idea, especially with th support that would have been

the in oving women's hawaiicul man) ways uic callualkl retlected the

democracy in the labour move

Whatever its shortcomings NJACCWER showed that work ing women were prepared to fight

¡nal liant con tinued into the '70s

Page 13 scan of this page

Piche, sculptor and member of the 1980 Arts Awards Panel.

opportunity to settle down and to produce children,

These statements were displayed at the ICA gallery entrance, to be ridiculed by what was on display within.

What I saw as I excitedly ventured forward was crowd of women, mainly shall groups, discussing arguing. was almost meeting friends at a women's conference exhilarating; the traditional silence of данегу оток oy laugnicl.

For the first time tables were turned. Women, the usual 'objects' of artistic representation, had crossed to the other side of the canvas,

and studio to give callicia. their idea of men.

Frankly, after so many centuries of seeing our bodies

Bolg)

'IMAGES of men do not "mean"' the same things, to either sex, as images of women'.

Whether TOL you

agree with this - and you probably will after this exhibition - few of us

seen mages oi men portrayed by women.

Art history is also the history of women's oppres-

women at art schools siUll.

not allowed to paint on a make mooe g this century; even wnen inis right had been acquired women

painting sculpture being ou or ure queston, orry sub jects considered

iveS, duded trom most fine

alls oracles.

know, as suitable subjects to

sculpted, and

photormen were men

and are Sull acoiclea Bassive possessively. They were depicted standing seated epicted. or reclining. They WELC dressed but often naked: the nude was and de chece coe sex. ual and possessive gaze of the artist, the spectator, and

owner of the artwork

Take the example of two Ancient. (treet sculptures One is of a naked man, the other voman. In their these tigures represculca respeCuely

amnete and a slave or concubine.

Far from being a han-

'WOMEN don't have enough depth to be artists' - Roland

I am quite sure the vitality of a great many women students derives from frustrated maternity; most of these, on finding the

longer experience a degree of passionate discontent sufficient to drive them towards the labour of creation in other ways — Reg Butler, ex-head of sculpture at the Slade art school.

By Marie-Jo Sissons and personalities and used for stirring up emotions, I would not have been surprised bv a sort of revenge from these women artists.

Was half expeculg

in representation. and Although

SOLIC like were satirical and sometimes

sombre, the general view was far from callous.

One of teresullig aspects the variety of media

photography, Lullard. lage, painting, sculpture, and video.

The combination of differing views and techniques is striking and kaleidoscopic view world. It is a world of perBy Paul Russell the man's nakedness

alludes strikingly to his ac-

ave DarLIciDaLIul

societi whereas

woman's nakedness is more

cultural

COULDC.

reflection of the social rela-

Dese tereotypes have remaine

to and draw on the work of

past masters — women s all

being hidden, suppressed,

poorly rewarded ollows that th only visual

tradition open to artists has

been patriarchal

Values

When I went to see the

exhibition tound muse t

I was no longer a observer

male visitor who

scrutinised, dissected

analysed

Fi assumed ues which

had assumed were insician were identity

and cherished

securely. werc ocus Ica up

as role-playing assumptions

by others.

sonal experience for women and many themes of the exCouncil

hibition will be TerrinISTS.

Some will no

men as vulnerable and dependent. In Cuddles she shows how woman's comtort is more important In the end than a man's physical strength mutilated reality that most women ex-

perience By focusing parts of the male anatomy, whether genitals, arms, face, OI ICEs. try to convey

works view of a body and sometimes

make a powerful critical statement against the disembodiment of women in traditional most in- art.

the

used: smile to my lips as her camera

caught a relaxed footballer, CULsquatting. pletely unaware, or uncaring. that his penis was sticking out of his shorts. presents

of the devices, Lill-Ann

drew laughter on

woman Joan Wakelin's

photograph cheerful

mue-soallerca rooloalet.

sitting knees-up nolding

beer bottle and

have merely good

sports photo. Except that a

male •notograonct WOUk

not nave uncercul

hearty good-life message by

Under Review

photographs

familiar to powder women, like genitals. chose to pali

emotional

openly revealing a

on certain

several of the artists an objective 'Boardroom', Whiteread 'Bold',

Joan Wakelin brought a

Mouse legs apart, com right); Deborah

In a satire of advertising view of

Chestow screaming with her

WOMEN'S

IMAGES

OF MEN

'WOMEN'S Images of Men',

an exhibition by 35 women

artists, has just closed at the

Institute of Contemporary

Arts in London. Now it goes

tour. We asked

visitors to the exhibition, a

and a review it for us.

capturing the moment when man s pens advertently slipped out from his shorts I am shocked. So that's what it feels like to be portrayed in a 'crotch' shot.

Wakelin's Man and Girl equally disturbing. seated stares complacently at the camera

of scantily attired men of all ages wearing

BOlO washing Bút teeth

Smile again, but this time

relationship

home.

the

by Pat (above); by Lill Ann Chepstow-Lusty (lower

Cherry's left); 'The Landlord', by

Katz (lower 'Cuddles', by Lowensberg Williams' a little more forced, at the

Elena Samperi's Madonna, when The the baby sucking her breast striking

two

man, to while a woman is hunched between his open legs with

This groin In her catalogue introduction Margaret Walters sullis corrupt self-satisfaction of a up this photo: The

La fraction of a second. toned ohat the world ass.

turns. out to be a grown up man in cap and tie who bite her nipple hard

feminist's must have clenched when they stopped in front of

study of the between male doctors and women patients; it was a little too close to

Robots

Another theme familiar to the women's movement was

equation of technology with male dominance There was a hustle-bustle in front of Pat Whiteread's collage The Boardroom where four gold and silver robots sat planning

one women cartoon Nuclear Fallout attributes it to 'centuries of male know-how'.

Bitterness was the main emotion prevailing in Evelyn

photograph of a woman left with a child by a passing man.

most sombre and images were JacTalo Mimen are there to service The man is gazing back challengingly at the photo-

so chat ne the en to

Both

UWI Cutes Jane Lewis and Jenni

Whitman Socialist Challenge 6 November 1980

queline Moreau's attack on religious patriarchy; Ana Maria Pacheco's identifica ion or torture will a maic figure in her sculpture Some Exercise of Power. and suf Coe's collages on political violence, rape, and fascism.

On the whole the exhibition struck a balance between images of men full of pathos and vulnerability and those

of suffering. Weak or strong Lee or cac like women — are pushed into roles by this society.

The exhibition is not a ghetto. It is living proof tha together women have moved torward trom the investigation of their own place society to that of the world around them. It is a challeng

the roots of male dominance.

Women's Images of Men on tour: Arnolfini Gallery Bristol, 8 Nov-2 Jan; South Hill Park Bracknell, 10

an-15 Feb: Bluecoat Galle

iverpool, 7-28 March; Thi Eye Gallery, Glasgow, May-June.

and castrated the male figure in way women's sO often LWO silicall ferences. First, nave • body minus than the other way around. second amputatior has taken place wound is left The artists indicate the involved human LIC figure.

Juzefa Heler photographed naked stretched out flat on thei backs Calalout statements women draw attention to the un characteristicall passive pose of their subjects.

BOLI people, Socal

once again a tradition, ars.

nude, is breach , попутои.

Is breace

whether the artworks in this

and women be confident we can though, that in a liberated fetura se should be elite Icoulas sentence, Imager mean lie sane things. either sex, as images

Page 13

Page 14 scan of this page

By Erica Flegg NEARLY half of Britain's uranium comes from Namibia, in defiance of United Nations' rulings and international law. This is made possible by the presence in South African troops repressing the

liberation struggle there.

These facts are hardly known to the many

activists in the new mass movements against

nuciear weapons and energy programmes, let

alone to the general public.

The Namibian Uranium Contract was sian.

ed in 19/0 by Tony

British government. It was worth £150m to the

NotorIous

which is the majority owner and manager of

the Rossing mine in

RIZ's popularity in Nambia can be seen

from the arsenal with armed guards it has set

up for use in 'emergencies'

Successive British governments have ig-

nored the United Nations security council's

Union leaders

hand victory to

Fiat bosses

By A Duret FIAT car workers in Italy have suffered a major defeat in their struggle against redundancies.

On 10 October, fifteel million workers

the coyowick tools lot TOUC Fiat workers, who were clearly seen as the spearhead of a united working class resistance to Too loss

But The union leaders

say this it all alre

response actions aimed at taking the

gates. Ills gave rial DOss egrelli the opening he need.

Deal

walte-colat workers and managers from all over Italy assembled paid

Curin.

bill. Protected the Donce. these employees were organised to march through the streets calling for end

This Lave the bureaucrats une oretext mnev needed to call off a struggle which was threatening to escape their control. Late on 14 Oc tober they signed a deal con-

Namibia of 60.000 Benn on behalf of the

LINC, sible Namibia.

at Rossing. signing 23,000 workers LIC cassa TORI technicall unemployment where workers 90 per cent of their wants!.

Trouble

Previously LIC had rejected this, proposing Instead that rotated through This would Have scoalalul DCLWCCI WHen over workers would also have stopped the

company for the poin

Other carly voluntary redundancy, a block on

between difrerent plants, , and retraining scucues for unose technicamemo over The latter nave the consolation that their re-employment is

massive caundances ovune DaCK door.

AI F LAT

LOTTA P

Page 14

vote in 1970 for sanctions against South Africa over Namibia, and the decision of the International Court ot Justice in 1971 that economic colaboration with south Namibia was against international law.

The UN Council for Namibia - the respon-

authority for Namibia Africa's mandate was revoked by enacted Decree number 1. prohibitino the ex. traction and export OT Namibia's resources. This decree nullified all such export

that all mineral and othe resources so extracted could be seized and

On 15 October there was meeting oI the central Fiat stewards. Anticipating trouO1C. LOD ourcaucial. came along.

The union leaders didn't even s of the dod justify the terms Instea claimed LIC

showee leat forces wa. unfavourable; there was no

Vote

A cerate TroM the Spastura plant, a Trotskyist from the LCR (Italian section of the Fourth Interna-

SnOW HON une previous weeks of struggle that this was a lie. He was massively applauded There was the same reaction Nocco гара •rea anoler member the LCR and a steward at the Mirafiori presented a sort of counter¡coulL lo lilal or tic ourcalcrats. auer lien ReTt early, not daring to put their

proposal day the one

mass meetings were held 1l1 LIlO bialls. Unce more me loo bureaucrats turned Again there was strong opposition. But the company also had say LUC machine-shop at Mirafiori all the white-collar workers and ne vagers walked in just With agreement narrowly adopted. some plants voted for it,

International,

Stop the Namibian

uranium contract!

forfeited to the UN.

African-occupied Party has

Uraniumu wasn't fully before ne since South the UN

natural

resolved Wes! liaison

ones tans inn every cast

union claimed 'over

whelming may villy By the

tney wert

claiming overall acceptance.

confusion demoralisation were gaining

hold among the workers

Ther was a compele

split between the union ar

paratus and the vanguard

The bureaucrac

had wo its position by bas-

ng itself on the white-colla

WUrKCIS manacers

organised by the company, and the least

conscious workers

Although rejection

leadershin

give it a taking

working clas

For the first time since therefore, massive redundancies have

forced through in a decisive

industry. alc : 104 being prepared in steel anc petrochemicals.

As in other West European countries, the government and the bosses aim to use the weight of unemploy. ment to weaken the

introduce new divisive workins oractices

new offensive will without sharconfic. carried through more an

Juse lucil come will acocula on the ex

Concrete auer natives to the reformists at the level of policies and leadership.

Dritist covernient TOTUSeS recognise this UN decree. While the Labour now committed itself to cancelling

ContraCT benn claims informed about the

signed! we have to fight tol labour movement action now to stop the contract being renewed in 1981.

Already the National Union of Seamen has to enforce the UN decree,

committee has called the

By Davy Jones POLISH workers may be back on strike again next Wednesday. The Polish Court meets on the weekend to decide on the statutes of the biggest independent trade union, says it has 10m members.

Unless the removes from the statutes the insertions made by a Warsaw tribunal concerning the leading role of the Polish Communist Party' seems certain The Polish desperately trying to cool the situa tion following Soviet party chiefs in Moscow. They have already agreed to bring forward SUllIC _ot the wage within one agreements but subsequently delayed to next valuary.

Platform

Perhaps most significantly have Solidarity will have the right to pro duce an independent weekly paper. At present the only other independent paper is the Catholic Pawszechny produced which is heavily censored Premier Pinkowski has requested that the new paper should not be used merely as a platform for attacking the authorities. A printing press destined for Solidarity Swedish workers' will be released from Warsaw airport by the authorities.

the uranium is processed

enrich uranium, nuclear device. This makes the

Africa even more urgent.

The contract

For further and the literature, and campaigning and the NSC at 188 mass NW1. or ring 01-3 Polish soldier: waiting for the Soviet tanks

Polish crisis

intensifies

Supreme

Solidarity, which now

Tense Supreme Court

another strike

authorities supplies

meeting with the

Crises promised

month of the Gdansk

the conceded that

Tygodnik in Krakow,

rested.

apparently sent bi organisations

OUTSICA • British Nuclear Fuels Ltd Springfields plant in Preston where The South African regime, in collaboration with the Western powers, has learnt how to

and has recently exploded i the apartheid regime in Namibia and • overtarow ol South

Stop the Namibian Uranium

Contract!

End South Africa's occupation

of Namibia!

No nuclear collaboration with

South Africa!

Demonstrate, Sunday 8 November Assemble at Preston Polytechnic car park.

Fylde Rd, noon. speakers, , contact i CANUC North Gower St, London The Polish workers' leaders are demanding more concessions. They are insisting that any reference to the "leading role of the Polish Communist Party' be taken out of the union statutes. They want the recognition of the independent farmers' union as part of Solidarity.

They are also calling for an end to the harassment of the dissidents in KOR, and they are asking for an improvement in the situation of food - meat, sugar, and potatoes in particular are in very short supply. The latest negotiations between authorities and Solidarity •epicsenalives lake place agalnsl al increasingly tense background As the Soviet leaders summoned Pinkowski and party chief Kania to Moscow, both the East German and Czech régimes tightened restrictions on travel to and from Poland in an attempt to minimise contact with the Polish 'experience'

According to Le Monde the Interfactory Strike Committee in Warsaw is drawing up plans for resistance in the case of a military attack. The committee is consulting those who participated in the insurrection during the Second World War.

A replacement leadership has been created in case the present leadership, composed entirely of workers, is ar-

Workers in this country should step up their solidarity with Polish workers demanding that there be no interference in Polish affairs by imperialism or the Soviet bureaucrats.

Page 15 scan of this page

Tories try to strangle

Fascists

hope for

comeback

in Bolton By Pete Middleton THE National Front has been refused permission to hold a rally in Bolton precinct on 23 November.

Local fascists organi-

Hambeidon says that the ban will be Anwar Ditta Bring my children home!'

'YOU have the power to bring my children home. Come out and demonstrate of Anwar Ditta, who for the past four and a half years has been struggling to be reunited with her three young children.

tain's coast in the form of the Immigration Act. Your opportunity to demonstrate racistaws is on patureav.

Speakers from the Pakistani, bangladesni workers associations.

Demonstrator jailed

ANOTHER of the Southall 342 defendants has been sent to prison.

For allegedly throw-

policeman, Manmood Mailk stands convicted of possessing sive weapon causing grevious bodily

trial at Albans crow Court, he was sentenced

Pies that are not for

eating By Chris Murray

HERE is a message to consumers of King Henry pies: Don't buy them.

factory in ped off. such incidents

and Safety Act for an incident in which a worker lost two fingers.

But the firm has been fined previously, ess about umese rume sums at the factory have joined the Bakers' Union.

Thirty of them recommon cure ime summer, and iner are some inime vver the issue. On Saturday 7 November there is to be a mass picket

King Henry chester 19. Starts бат.

defied and the Front will be holding a demonstra. tion on a Saturday - as yet unspecified.

The fascists have not had •MOO TACA Bolton couple and hat are anxious stablish • base in the

Bolton East CLP ha: for counter

action. The Anti League organising the immigrant areas, and will be holding a meetin at the Spinners Hall on Vovember That's the message

what is preventing ner is the barbed wire round br

your opposition these 15 November ir nochodie Assemble at Church Stile, off Drake St, at noon.

Indian, Kashmiri, and to nine months and three

owner detendants Tace imprisonment in tre few weeks on charges arising from the Socialists should note the contrast between the sterine enous or me donce in pursuing the case against the black | and their determination to uno we ponce murderer ou war reach.

One reason is that the lousy safety conditions at the pie

Manchester result in workers' fingers being chopIn the past six months alone there have been three

Management has just been fined £500 under the Health

That was because a machine wasn't properly guarded.

and couldn't care That's why halt the 70 workers

came out on a one-day strike for anion

Stanbrook St, Levenshulme, Man-

came onto the streets

tack was defeated.

Ten years

Tories are at it again.

Act trade LiCh education Rhodes Boyson

has revealed nians To Tre

National Union of Students

for carrying where That-

cher left off in 1971

unions wil no

longer their tungl

directly. The Department of

Education and Science a will

now pay over the cash to the

coucanor

Rock against

Thatcher

against the Tory government's

concerts. Admission unemployed youth.

Em a con i Pared

valurady ¡vovember al oon. Iwo blm Inenam bands the Au Pairs and Fast Relier, will be plas

with the East End Far Cry. Admission is £1.50

traceptives in the south of Ireland.

Saturday.

Home News

student unions

IN 1971 Tory education minister Margaret Thatcher lauched a major attack on student union independence. Some 400,000 students

backed by trade unionists who saw the link with the Tories' infamous Industrial Relations Act. The at-

authority, grants committee and so on - as part of their regular inThese bodies will pass on money authorities as part of the tuiICES chudents unions will save le compete with ever college for funds from the college authorities . will Ine student umon thus lose its financial independence entirely No which AS PART of its November Month of Action

economic policies, the South-east region of the TUC in association with Rock Against Racism is organising several Rock Against Thatcher

will be tree to

Kiss of the

one or ine organisers of concerts, says: 'Racism. crime, vanviolence alla politics of despair are the bitter harvest this government's policies are beginning reap unemployed kids

Sex if you're married, only

IF you're not married, you are not legally entitled to con-

family planning legislation which came into force on

"department' might face the chop as part of college cut-

backs in the future!

The figures e DES is usu calculal the

also ridiculously low. It has

admitted that its original

figures were

Nor is there any mention in the proposals for money

part-time technical co!

autonomous students unions.

Last February we in the Socialist Students Alliance SA armed of the deer of Boyson's proposals were attacked as "scaremongers' the LeT Alliance leadership of the raised that she whole ex- NUS last they have

London.

The social consequences of continued

soel cine cuts in inner London arf going to be disastrous unless unions step up their work with

He does "This concert is the start of a campaign trade unionists to unemployed kids in London, so tell we are concert.

to offer some positive focus for protest.

Be brief!

story, Arice cae be sent page

you

in oy post lo arrive u

Ivam Monady, or rung

through on

10.30am-5.30pm, on

01-359 8189.

MENS

-AWS

WOMENS

BODIES

That is the effect of

istence of NUS is threatenane nave major national campaign or adequat student union funding and for the ind

alt NUS

A MILLION

MEMBERS

ONE

MOVEMENT

pendence of student unions. • national demonstra tion has been called for Fri day 28 November in LonJoin a union and

take a pay

cut

THE contractor on the Elm Village site in Camden, North Lon-

and don, had a novel pro-

posal to make to building workers who asked for union recognition. Join the union, they were told the Taylor Powell company, and you go on the minimum wage This generous offer

CURSION FAF

(MEN Outside the Aer Lingus office in London, 20 feminists picketed in protest at the new law. The action, paign and the International Contraception, Abortion and Sterilisation Campaign, was in solidarity with the Access for All campaign in the south of Ireland.

By Dave Clarke, President, Birmingham polytechnic students union

don. The SSA will back this

demonstration and call"

paign in particular for the

rights students to autonomous unions.

We need to call for the

NUS approach trade

umon SUNDOTT

The SSA is building support for workers' struggles

gainst the Tories

students to join

acmustatul unemployment in Liverpool

on 29 November,

The fight to defend stu-

dent union autonomy can. not be separated trom the

to cereno trace

union rights and autonomy.

We beat the Tories in 1971 throug! solidarity. The time to go on meanta members or cute

Sten ben

buildin workers

UCATT have been on strike

months, and

the police have been keepins them company on the picke

Over three hundred cops picked up for one mass picket. the strikers' spokesperson Hugh

DUal puts it

'We've seen a massive show of strength

picketing the gate to keep us off the

SIld LICY VO DE Deel code keep down our numbers.'

The site is owned -controlled Camden council mass picket Monday November Midland Rd NW1 (nr St Pancras Station). , organised by the National Abortion Cam-

Socialist Challenge 6 November 1960 Page 15

Page 16 scan of this page

Hunger striker writes to Socialist Challenge

IRISH

CELL

SOCIALIST Challenge has received a letter from Sean McKenna, one of the seven Irish political prisoners now on hunger strike in the H Blocks of Long Kesh.

The letter arrived at our offices over the weekend written in tiny handwriting wafer-thin inches square. paper just

It was smuggled out of the H Blocks last week as Seven on ones sener 'fast until death' in pursuit of the demand to be treated as prisoners-of-war. Help

& socialist challenge Use true socialist challenge. all means at your disposal, expressing your help and support to us, to prevent another tragedy'.

His plea is to 'help bring our prison struggle to a sucPublished by Cardinal Enterprises, P.O. Bo

Socialist Challenge

A CRY FROM

DEATH

two U11 the

Life-size copy of H Block letter don N1 Princed by Eest End Offset (TUI. London E2

Comrade, British oppression.

political ideals.

1976, but to no avail.

of physical assault

been driven insane.

degrade us. barked on a hunger strike to the death! lapse under the pressure.

conclusion.

from Ireland.

Comradely greeting Block5, Long Kesh

cessful conclusion'.

full text is:

All readers portunity

Saturday London.

British Ireland.

that demonstration

This lifetime solidarity.

Once again, Irishmen face death; resisting imperial

face the supreme challenge in pursuance of our Blocks of Long Kesh have taken it upon ourselves to I and six of my fellow hunger strikers in the H

had long tried, by all and every means, to gain our right to political status, which had been repressed in March Our decision to hunger strike was inevitable. We

physical comfort and we were subjected to a campaign criminalisation policy was met with barbaric... (indecipherible). We were deprived of every mental and Our original protest of non-cooperation with the

and mental conditions, and two of our comrades had date we found ourselves much deteriorated in physical tween September 1976 and April 1978. By the latter We, the blanketmen, suffered these conditions be

physical assault was the government's answer to this highlight our plight. A campaign of savage and facts, to embark on a dirt strike in an attempt to We were compelled, due to the aforementioned perverted mirror search during which we were forced to squat naked over a mirror while six to eight screws various forms of degradation, so clearly seen in the blanket. Beatings continued and so, too, the many and filth with nothing but a filthy mattress and the token We have lain, since April 1978, in cells covered in refused to yield. So, on Monday 27 October we em- our behalf. Yet the imperial war-lords at Westminster Long much-publicised protest had been made on cerned workers, the British authorities will simply col- that if our hunger strike receives the support of all con. more than willing to allow us to die, but we also know We seven do know that the right-wing war-lords are And help bring this, our prison struggle, to a successful all means at your disposal to prevent another tragedy. gling comrades offer you a true socialist challenge. Use shown through action. So I, on behalf of all our strug. But the only support which speaks clearly is support sent struggle... (indecipherable) ...but for the achieve- ment of Ireland's dearest need - British withdrawal continued solidarity and support, not only for our pre- I write to you in full hope and confidence of your

munication is headed Letter Socialist Challenge'. smuggled

portunity to express their 'support through action' on express of Socialist 273 1162 8.15am include: £1.50

Solidarity tion takes place on the very demand Sean expresses in the last sentence of his letter , when a demonstra- withdrawal 15 November from in Memory

have another opportunity in demands for political status will be one of the themes o Sean McKenna may not Support for the prisoners' Don't to ask for your out his 15

Name

Whoever wins

the workers lose

suggest electorate presidential election.

Coaches Details of coaches 15 November demonstration

Manchester: St Peters Sq.

15 Nov: Tickets Phone Manchester Liverpool: Mann Island (Pier Head) 8am, 15 Nov Birmingham: Hall of

10.30am 15 Nov.

Tickets £3 return

SUBSCRIBE NOW

12 months 12.50-pSe FREE COPY

ans to month a co

Multi-reader institutions: Double the above rate

Address

I enclose a donation for the Fighting Fund of.

Chanter ad and Mono Orders Shoula be made pablo re acidio Challeng

AS we go to press the latest opinion polls that a majority of the American won't bother to vote in the

Faced with a choice bet Tweedle le Reagan this

problale commichl on crecuon campain unal on of the main news stories it the run up to the vote wa. the discogan so d of a hole i

Carter launched desperate last-minute drive to win the votes of, trade

women and blacks Reagan's

But "Peanuts' own record is to appalling inspire or bode tin in the cour , and in the course own militarism distinguishable from Reagan's

• election was over hose dad in fan the possible

America

nave been windone liD a hysterical racist campaigr

Iranians since th hostages were taken a yea

A national opinion poll last almost half the American week revealed that

eople felt that Iran was the biggest enemy of the USA even more so than the Soviet

The hypocrisy of this anti-Iranian

was inspired coup that brough the Shah to power in thi

irst place. And successiv

Jnited States government

to his barbarl regime which imprisoner and tortured tens of thousands of opponents.

Alchicall governments gave blinons or pounds o 'aid' to the Shah's Iran

mosy in his ree back

into his private banl accounts abroad

Now press are outraged because the nians are aska ror i back.

American in recent years have launch-

through to the farcical raic to free the hostages.

US imperialism has as much respect rights as the majority of . volers lave lor tue or colucli ual canaidales - preciou: little. * Inside US workers need a labour party • ar iterview witt an american socialst

£12.50 £18.00

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