Socialist Challenge No. 18, 20 October 1977
The scan: sc-n18-oct-20-1977.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive)
Uncorrected machine reading of the whole issue. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from the scan and has not been corrected or cut into articles. Each page gives the headlines first, then the columns in order, so one article runs on into the next. Expect misread words. Use it to find things; quote from the scan.
Page 1 scan of this page
Socialist Challenge
No. 18 20October, 1977, 12p.
*Who would have expected the
Daily Mail to have the bloody nerve
to bribe somebody fifteen thousand
quid to reveal the documents —
which turned out to be forged - in
order to accuse the company of the
perfectly respectable fact that it was
bribing wogs."
AEU
B aM. S.M.W.S.
E.TI. N.SM.M.
Exclusive:
This is just one quotation from an incredible speech made by Sir Richard Dobson, Chairperson of British Leyland. Dobson is one of Wilson's knights. He was appointed to his present post by the Labour Government, It is clear from his speech that he is a racist, a sexist and holds strong anti-trades union views, He also despises Callaghan because he regards him as being too soft on the unions. In a Socialist Challenge exclusive we reveal the contents of Dobson's speech made to the Twenty Club" at the Dorchester Hotel on 27 September, This speech raises
DULN
JOINT SHOP STEWARDS COMMIT
UNITY
IS
STRENGTH
BRITISH MOTOR CORPORATION- BIRMIN
BRITISH LEYLAND SCANDAL
much wider questions. Why was this man appointed to this job? What was the hasic crilerin necessary?
How are our nationalised industries being run? Our revelations will hopefully lead to a debate on all these questions within the labour movement. But as a first step we demand that Dobson is immediately sacked.
It is an insult to trades unionists to expect them to negotiate with him. Tom Litterick, Labour MP for Selly Oak and a number of Leyland shop-stewards have already told us that they will he demanding his immediate removal.
Turn to pages 8 & 9 for the full story.
Page 2 scan of this page
Why the oil won't keep Britain afloat
HOME NEWS
on the borders of German territory. revolutionarles.
atrocious.
right to communicale with their lawyers. There
people who have In the past beon active Nazis.
East Germany as a more serious threat.
doubt following Nazi 'legal'
prisoners attempted 'suicide". "sulcide". It is deliberate and cold-blooded murder.
groupings in German politics. terror can pressurs the
the picture.
Spaln, Italy and Portugal. to be at the moment.
Capitalba is in erisa. The laders nE th
Labour Par ind the Irades anions off
chilions that are in the interests, mt eft
wurkers, bet of the capicalist class.
Socialist Cha lenpe helleves that the iwe sita! - To build beid-laved claw snupke loaden e.in opposii in cina-colleberatonm e laboer muremnt Thee showd1
DET UST UC FRIET CrOutin thE
malesis halding a wide range ut pollicu
• To hegin tu Fight Tor the ereation of a ast
salon uhich can, themigh an appleatin
uf umind front caties, begin to be seen as an
BILSTATE HY EDERNEU HISSEDE DIE
WIEMEI.
such in orgasbation should be based on the
Editorial
Socialist Challenge, 328/9 Upper Street, London N1. :Eltarial 01-359 6180Y9, Distribution 01-359 8301. Advertising 01-359 8371.
THE HACKERS hava all been killed bar one, who Is seriously wounded. The tones of rejolcing In the capitalla! press of Westem Europe are understandable, but disgusting nevertholess. Unit 9 of the German Federal Border Protection Troops has carrled out a useful operation for German Imperialism, Its name should now be altered as Mogadishu, the Somallan capital, Is not yet
As revolutionary marxiata we have made It clear on many occasions that we are totally opposed to terrorism as & strategy for the socialist revolution. We would strongly urge raders to read the article by Günter Minnerup on Page 13 of this newspaper. In It he spells out in delail the consequences of such actions. His article, written several weeks ago, has unfortunately become prophetic. Its lessons neod to be absorbed by all
There can be little doubt that the West German slate is the most undemocratic of the West European bourgeois-democratic states. The laws on the statute books deny democratic righta to political minoritles. The conditiona for political prioners in West German prisons are
Prioners are at the recelving end of psychological torture. Now they have also boen denied the
funciioning Nazi cells Inside the West German army and there are numerous state lunctionarles and business-
creation of a proper bourgeois-democratic state was hindered because the 'democrats' regarded the USSR and
The appalliing conditions Inside the prisons led to the desth of Ulrike Meinhof. Her comrades say she was raped and killed by prison guards. The German Judges, no
precedents, refused a post-mortem by independent doctors. Now her friends and collaborators Andreas Baader and Gudrun Enslin are reported to have committed 'suicide". Two other political
We refuse to call this
social-democrats who hold power in West Germany today aro the guilly ones. Having leamed no lessons from history they are paving the way to their own removal and the victory of the most reactionary and backward political
We can understand the frustration and dospair of many. many young students and intellectuals. We can understand their anger. But we must insist that their methods are wrong. They are nothing else but an extreme version of liberal pressure politics, which, in reality, betray illusions in the ruling classes. Because they believe that an act of
latter Into making lasting concessions. This Is wrong. It lesves the masses oul of
It panders lo the absurd view that social revolutions are made by acta of Individual heroism or al best by conspiracies and not by the movement of social classes. However angry supporters of the Baader-Mainho! grouping are, they must re-assess thair whole operation.
Thair actions have only further Isolated the entire socialist latt from the masses. The portrayal of those who carry out such actions as communists, Marxists and aven left-social-democrats is not accidental. If is designed to keep the German working class insulated from the breezes of revolution and socialism which are blowing in France,
On a more sinister lovel we have to note another fact. This is the first military operation carried out outside its borders by West German Imperialism since the War. It will no doubt give Joy to all those who want the West German army (considered to be the most rallable European relay of world imperialist interests] to act as the gendarme of counter-revolution in the West. Mogadishu could well lum out to be a much more significant opisode than it appears
OUR POLICES
1
THIE.
North Sea oil will not save British capitolism, no malter what Jim Callaghan says. His statement to the Party conference that oil will ensure the next 20 years will be uniike onything Britain has seen since it first became an inciustrial power" is pure deception.
British capitalism is in crisis becase of the low proficahilit af British industry.
Sea oil is no cure for this.
BULLDL BAC
income from oil regenerate British industry and make it more profitable by restructuring
Labour left? We say: It can try. but it won't make much overal! differeace. ,simply not large enough.
The value of the produced ail
Gross TNAEECEJGUCE-L3r in 1977, and increase po 3.2 pei cent by
Bre
OPEC-determined price is high enough for
The BULLOC HULEDES!
receive a large profits (up 10 LOKES SAL UFULIES!
We can therefore assume that by 1980 the State will control as ICYCIUC araund 2 GNP (E2-2.5 billion) as a direct result of North Sea production. o1 coltse, if the con panies don't find any new tar opholes to further their taxes, as they so often have dane in the pass.
The
PHENOMENAL
ISbu i aso the vers eunieu that the State will control such The
thei: Income auer nEOeucdOn scars,MIE COE State bas to wait. This ensures that the companies panoricsal proner British field wil be In CING TARA IWD CIS S rull prodution, eiving a prori are of round 40 per cent comparcd with the curtenr aver age UK rate of 5 per cemt.
Taking the argument one ster furier, It l extremely doubifu te chanellet 2 neo nder be channelied There would be great temptaDons fas weil as presniesr tor any government TETER muc Du aware u North Sea od, to derease direct or even ment expendture in areas ake henicb and education. I: is therefore unlikely that most shibbom labour Covern menl dedicated lo the restructuring of British CICEL BEOLILAOIBES TOUSG HILLI end by left with more than one per out on GNP purpose The final problem in using oi revenucs for restructuring would LC UW STE TC BuC u would bave to be done selocThe strigle for socialism seeks #0 BnI InE WEE N SOP WORSAR BEBR
ed lavers of society- women. bine
Tes antas o n i ba beetle enti
nervears means the power of the capicatis
Dur socialsar will he intiniid- more democratie than what esses in Britnli tode), with fall righes foe parties and turnenis that do aor isk np srars aguinsi the socialet ciaie. The Stalint modeb of socialism' in the U9SR and Fastern Euron netto SuS in Le CTr nI millions at workers thruuchoul the world. We
North Sea no saviour
Labour And North
Government's
The revenes are
per cent of the
1980. Oil is a specia
exceptionally larg:
of these
65 per cent from
CETE
decreas:
Immediarely
will get
Petroleum's Forties completely paid la
as would be
(and indusry.
wishing 10
Britain
leons, Det us even the
disposal to restructure rowards industry
for such a
per cent of GNP). 3 s an imsoncilalee un a warld e naRS awarers NOi Cals scale: Capitalism has wot anly creafed world markel. It has creaied wurid
no an international scale. This unity was in th WEE UE CESE DEICEE DUISED Imperalist repass in the West and the brutal deisterships they sasmain in Lailn Amerks, Atrica and Asia Te Britain it impli demanding the imme dase withdrawal of Heitish Iwops from Ireland and leicing the Irish people determine their omn THURR
• HOr HE
arg thee ceer before Candicions coday
desales. Sut sach parlics com onls toe, hwall bes
lemonacy not os a luxun but is u vital This inan the right to organis
ideologically difficull
allocation of fandi. Alrernativel) brought
E is more likely ry government) it co
three-filths
mould go abrond where profitability pencrally is higher than is
But putting aside these prob-
assure thai the gavernment in 1980 will have one
GNP British wide scale.
BOW ImODs OIC pent of GNP? If wlal matters foe a restructuring of industry is an eilect INTONER IETS THI BIEL this figure represents a mere 6 per cent increase in the annual gross TOGUDCE TaC STORE J0 LO-L.
Pru-MUsLOT
PHISCENE
Word War Brinin tae soag Given that tently had an investment in GNP-
British industry
addicion lo lavestmen abou by the State. profits from the private oil pompiles may abso contribu tocal investment. Bar since ove thraced in the Bris seeri the North Sea are foreign, the chances ane that they will repatriate their profits with no signifi ment or investment. The same pes for Britist companier like HP which operate on a world
The porential increase in cither Slate or prieste wisunent will in
case have no perceptibic
bit the number emoloved, as it is hikely to h carmarked for bigh-lochnalogy. capital intensive industries
Is the whoie Nort Sca Bi story pure fantasy? Not totally.
WANT TO KNOW MORE? Of you agree with chest phticiples aod witit, to be hovedred in vetiides lix Sociallst Challenge bunportersoryporares, fitto the form odon and sendet fo us: an Ietereitod to more intarnation shout aud Sile fr my aris 1 waula e addriunal literstuee und endoss 90p UTE 5053 Opere is nos spplicablel
ADDRESS: CO
Send to Sectais Challenge 328/329 Leper Biper Todor NL.
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE, 20 October, 1977 page 2 The ronin tangible and short-run impert erin atl se see
• Hatair will be sufficient ie oil by 1980, and car ерост a consistent balancı payments surplus. While this wil
ebone my etbe metada 10
econe Tacod
agnens a the part, the palie crixis, as so oller elects are by no menos automatic
persistent balance of pay BEIES value of the pound and thar sepius may urine up the
make even mOte UIK
ancompetitive. Alternatively i - as is happening at the momen
- the State attempts to stabilise the value of the pound, ther forcign reserves accumiuinte (they
re naw a stagsering C20 billior
ind thracen the control of thi domestic money supply
So the oil-honansa will noe solve ether the long or the short term crista of British capitalism
Touch luck, Sunny Jim
by CPS
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Page 4 scan of this page
Labour. Another reason
in Birmingham on 29 October.
The Catholic vote is the trad-
mainstay of Labour in Scotland so, with the crosion of in Labour vote by the scorle
analists, MPs are likely to he CHE ISULE LO JOVA SO seats. rence came out in favour of the "free vote' MPs will be able to
Butle bit of political pressure rom the Catholic hierarchy wil
wonders for many ME'S conscience about unborn child;
DEMONSTRATION
in Italy, Where the Catholic Church has traditionally wielded tremendous influence over abortion and contraception, a national anortion demonstration s 1o be held in Rome on 19 October.
Organised by lormatiom on Sterilisstion Abortion дло паскса by tne wil be the first maor initiative I Party, the demonstration on abortion since a compromise abortion bill fell in Apri That i was not supported by the Engineering
commitlee.
situation.
The Hounslow Hospital worken are among thousands low-paid women who bear the mint of the Government's econ
the Equal Opportunitie policies. Last
pek Commission reported:
Health Service discriminates against women both as workers and patients."
HEALTH
They should have added health anons to then use. he National Union of Public Em Disces has only two lull Linic the women Takeup per
Confederation of Health Service
mployee is too has only two
omen fulltimer:
The National Union of Teachitiners. It should have nine women een! Although teachers have had equal pay for decades, women are relegated to lower grade, DALE00 005 As Socialist Challenge reported
8060 ex 54.
HOME NEWS
All out for Birmingham
Answer the Church offensive
The Roman Catholic Church in Scotland has served warning that if Labour MP's back the party policy for free abortion on request it will urge Catholics not to vote
as if more were needed -why you should be on the National Abortion Campaign
choice on abortion in the hands of the doctor and failed to make me pronson or mate abomon facilities mandatory. nospitals 8rc run Dy the Church this would have meant that there would still be no facilities.
So the central demand of this VICES MATENES OTEE STOCKIE on a national health service aborto, libero, gratuito, assistol woman's right 10 under attack. This time it is the ware wane Is IcacInE Ine orensive, with a Medicaid ban abortions. Medicaid is the federal health insurance scheme.
An amendment to the Labour, Health, Education and propriations has forbidden pub ic funding of abortion for ar reason The ban hardest at working class women who cannot afford private abor-
gressman He thaT said that t
An action picture of male chauvinism
The cover picture of this month's issue of the
Union's journal is beadined 'Union Activists at Work'. The picture shows the AUEW's Belfast district committee posing for the camera (looking anything but active!): Given the number of women in the union there should be at least three women on that
The fight for women's rights in the unions has to be a continual struggle. CELIA PUGH takes a look at the
об hecoming important to teachers, a SPUC and LIFE attempt to children, The NUT male-dominated and sexist, reruses to sake a poston on nee questions.
In the June issue of the AUEW inurna. Huch scanlon pontificated on the with the equal pay •Like many laws, their fulfilment was dillicule. for example Electlux and Trico." Scanion should the Trico struggle dragged on for five months because the Eng ise solidarity on a national scale.
If it had, the struggle could have
ELECTROLUX
The Electrolux equai industrial tribunal because union INANTINIEY. The support. As the AUEW convenor charmingly put no "Probably hit of education needs to be
TRADE UNION DAY SCHOOL
Organised by the Working Women's Charter Cam-
paign, at Friends Meeting Place, Church Street, on 26
November, Details from: Anita Turnbull, Flat 2,
Coleridge Road, London N8. Tel: 01-348 1760 or 01-340
RALLY ON WOMEN IN THE UNIONS
Organised by SE London ASTMS, at Unity House,
Euston Road, NW1, on 22 October, 1—5pm. Speakers
include Jayaben Desai, from Grunwick, Tickets 40p or
three for El from: Janet Maguire, ECG Department,
Guys Hospital, London SEI. Tel: 01-407 7600 ext 3162.
by SARAH ROELOFFS (International Marcist Group member on the NAC Steering Committee)
double standard was that the "unborn rich are penalised", since chere is a greater woul be aborted!
These artacks rights worldwide have more than
ample, Italian Seveso are still coming to Britain to get Since most
dence that diasin
ly malformed babies, religious gotry has had its way.
Irestrictive sistion finds s way throuch Parliament, ain's already inadequate abort0 BOTOS WIL the same reactionary forces as in Haly and the United States. abortion
we also have the cxample of the resistance organised by women in
on
Rally. It is to defend those women, as well shou d be in Buminessm on 29 October.
NAC Steering Cormitter mee ng. Discussion onstudents and the
hits reht for abortion. Speaker: Kas
Copp Brown Campaign.
TOMORRATEWTORES MRIOM Con Foughton Street, London WC2. at the real Room 5/01A. executive,
(RIP) done. A lot of women thought problems they should get a man's pay for legislation: doing women's work.
needed. Male chauvinist TES als should be sent to the kinder garten to learo the A B C's of liar hany in hard Fleeting vomen lett the AUEH
PIETIES
Recent figures show that chree quarters of women workers carn 1055 18 233. compared to a quater of male workers, Pieties of support for women's equalicy AUEW at the TUC were a complete farce
since the Congress fight for a minimum wage of Eso women's TiC had voted to an increase in General Council. Judith Hunt
women's organiser for the En gineering Union's section, explained: Only positive discrimination will provide adequate tepresentation for wo-
remitled lo the male-dominatel General Council. and the other sordid realities of tract union chauvinim. it's noi
ning to organise unions lo demand more participation and recognition.
That's why all women should support Women in the Unions, and the Trade Union Day ised by the Working Women's Charter.
The Newton Aycliffe 30
by DAVE CARTER
risk that they THIRTY SHOP
the
on women's
Iron Apoliffe, CINCIES CORET ham, women from
court on 20 October. management From the factory
Tion.
Brit ion of a
succumb to negotiated 2%
We but
as ourselves, that you
Duke Street, Darlineton.
NDS Women's Tuesday 25 October,
joints anti-left witch-hunt
Dave Whitely
JOURNAL
case againsl
dICatES 10 600 vice-presidential
union members,
Richardson, secretary of ILTA
teachers.
certainly ofticrejected
women no: MARK BUSHER
White-collar
Given these
witbie
activists the Rally on
School organ
staff
stewards occuperion Caton's Ade factory in New
County Durhave been summoned to appear at Newcastle crown
The is using the court to gain repossession of
from the 700 strong workforce occuper-
meeting.
The workers are demand- in order ing immediate implementar-
wate agreement Veers ago.
Management is insisting that the 12-month rule is obeyed
Whatever the ourcome of ship -the court hearing, both sides are expecting a long struggle.
It Is hoped that the Engin eering Union executive will make the dispute official this
reek. Messages and dona don WCI.
ons to: AUEW Offices: 6
Communistteacher
THREE WELL-KNOWN mili-
Bernard Regan, Dick North, and
have been charged by NUT leaders with action the coates them am Government
The charges stem from ediTors' toere cases trail employ
compulsory ranster to a London union
come and marth are can
elections, and sell-our this move is a deliberate attemp to discredit them in the eyes of
The charges are strike being brought by Tony Farsky, a
member and
Prehen of toe on on don
intion represents 14,000 London
Farsky and Ricardson made these disciplinary moves afler parents and teachers trom the firsthalfof1931.
Scab missiles next time? UNDER THE cical of 'nationai
MEERANINE Government used the aigfonce to smanh through the air muffic assisrants picker line of West Dravion, near
last Thursday militar
The RAF tankers were taking i none of i TuRI tO supply the cision an military computors at Hearhrow The Government's claim that the TACT WON CARROT WETTE defences" wis dismissed by the
Union news in brief
Hen Jonson school in Fost: Lon don entered the ILTA council chambers. to ask for 10 mimites to put their case in support of a
memher threatened with compulsory transfer
Many onion councillors. duding the three militants now charmed, supported this regues Farsky seized the opportunity to warn the members of the assoc iation council against speaking
would be closed. He Jeared tha
'intruders' might strengther the bands of opponents of com
who looked se to reverse ILTA's policy al the
Bernard Regan asked if it was
suspend council
roceedings, and was backed b
lick North When Farsky close the meeting, and led a walkout by the right wing. EVEN THEn is alleged to bave described their action as 'rats leaving a sinking
The case will come ap on 19 Vienner, hot the three are not keeping silent. A picket bas beer
alled for that morning at 9an coulside Hamilton House. Mahle don Place, Euston Road, Lon-
Darlington journalists strike on
EIGHTY TWO votes to two, that was the convinciog majority by which the iournagsts on strike in Darlington have rossed our che asyou-wereformuladrawn up by the official mediator. Predictably, the mediator's proposals mean sheiv ing a closed shop- for which tbe THIS HECHOW OCCUEHESITINC for over four months - antil tbe
can guarantee the and propnetors press freedomthrougha Charter.
As we go to press, the national exocutive of the journalists' union
meets to decide the next s Untortunately for the NU1 rig wing, themediation formula doe not even cosmetically conceal the
it seeks, and the union leadershipis expected to call for an urgently needed extension of the
Representatives of all the NUJ chapels in the Westminster Press
of which the strike-hit Northern Echo
is part, already declared themselves in favour of phased escalation the ougbout the group's provincial papers. Westminster Presshas jus made the timely announcement of an 84 per deutprofit increase for the union as downright lies!
Cland Pan Services As sociation generul secretory Ken Thomas revealed that kis unio
computor, Wed for te WIT the civilion one. The Chul Aviation Authority had rejected this offer and it was then - through an
Government - that the RAF
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE, 20 Oclober page 4
Printworkers In Darlingtor have remained salidly on strike le supportof the journalists, much te
Keysand mast of biscohorts onthe
printing industries commit-
makes it even more difficult for
renucrats to get the printers to scab.
byGeoffSheridan
Wanted:
More bus stopping FIVE YORKSHIRE cowns have
been gripped by a series of bus
heariver.
Transport and General Workers Union members, who rare plann-
a lo furt CLEAN ME ACHER
RICA BARNETT reports IN Hudi
It was Bradford thar sarted the ball rolling. The strike started as a protest against the proposed
These would have cur down services and reduced jobs. Huddersfield wa
at in solidarity with Bradfor
ike the laster they too voted stay out indefinitely. In Ratherham, Chesterfield and Hull the buses nre per running either for a variety of different reasons
Javid Oates, a bus driv
nember of the TaGwU 914"l Huddersfield told Socinin Chailenge: "It's the first strike of this Neve been beeping cut in
cuts
and there was an 80 per cent vote in lavour.
Oates told us that the effect of Huddersfield's solidarity action had been to encourage and boost the sirike in Bradlord wins: drivers voted intery a 10 stay cut indefinitely. will have to organise this on a West Yorkshire bess and hope fully haild up to a shop sewards
This is vital because
e West Yorkshire Passeng
ransport executive has tried t
The key remains to Leods drivers in the strike. It is MOL I CASE TOSS USE CULI sarage is a separace unit in Loeds and taere s less unity and more
Hat a co-ardinared effort with workers going lo speak to the Leeds garages could help.
were brought in
In spine of Thomas's anger a
Wirin 24 hours the whion re
demand for an immediare implementation of the rwo-year-old
"phased' implementation.
Page 5 scan of this page
Protect wages against inflation
A total of 19 trade union conferences debated policies to automatically defend wages this year. At the Transport and General Workers Union biennial ConCrete a moulfor automatic increases of one
er cent for every one per cen
ncrease in the cost of livine received over a third of the delegates" votes. This was the aime conference which deltatod Jack Jones's attempt to force a third round of pay down the throats or the dele
The demand for compensation for the effects of inflation on take-home pay the sliding scale of wages has teen a nermanent leasure or the Trotskyist programme since tbe 1930s. It originated at that time
The way wogus are won unoar
simple: workers
in the strongest
Then It is up to the
rest Di the workino class 10
keep up by comparing their
with those received strongest and best
paid.
(Tony Clift in Socialist Worker,
June 1974)
LNUM
N: D9
despite a picket of over
datied the mandate of bis are and voted for the deal. OVER 150 public sector shop stewards from Birminghom voted on Saturday to organise one-day strike action on 23 November.
The decision was taken at a
conference sponsored by d Mamber of anion branches. district committers, and shop stewards committees in the
Birmingham area.
DeICEHEeS Transport and Publie Emplosees LECTELS RCUILI HUERCIS union COHSE, the Ceneral and
HOME NEWS
Tucked away at the end of the demands of the Ford workers, the miners, and the National Union of Public Employees are clauses which aim to automatically defend and maintain the value of wage increases against Inflation. Trade unionists in the distribution trades and the post office also passed resolutions at their conferences calling for settlements to be defended in the same way. STEVE POTTER explains why these demands are worrying the Labour Government and Britain's bosses.
Grew feature of capitam -a permanent tendency towards inRation.
The British working class has suffered the most rapid drop in its standard of living under this
time since the beginning of the century. The anger of with incomes policy policed. by their leaders has spilled over into strikes like those at Leland. at Heathrow, and Port Talbot. These actions have run straight into road-blocks thrown un by the unson posses In collaboration with the employers and the Government.
ABOUT LIES strikes others like them did not gain all they have had their impact. No longer can the union leaders grantly impose rigid
andemocratic TUC endorsemen of the 12 month wage settlements and their al to support the demand of a 50 minimum vin back the devastating fall in eal wages over the last two and a BLOCATS make sure that the working class never pays for the crisis in such a way again.
YORKSHIRE
AREA NUM
£135•00
DAY WAGE
NOW
MN BONUS
-ALEMFS
t productivity scheme was accepted by a ciose vote of 13 to 11 at the execufive meeting of the miners" unlor
This scheme can do nothing other than put one pit against another, and cause delay around the £T30 a week
The voting on the scheme was tipped in favour of the executive, thanks to the Midland's area delegate who
Date set for one day strike
Municipal Workers Union and WHENCES UCATT. Workers from the socia) services, the amhulance service, HOSTERS SEIL were among those present.
The conference voted for a pa claim biscu 00 8 E55 mmmm with automatic inflation proofing.
Phaws 1 and 2. and an increas annual Jeave Thursday 23 November day action as this is the date the National Co-ordinating ComitSCO SENSE COC COUS
This is the meaning of the 'cost of living" cimuses. As presently inadequate. The dend the THOCOURIC.
National Union of Public Employees, afler a certain level of inflation THE CIRUS. 2 has been reached coa
threshold experiment to try to hold down the level at T per cent.)
But why should workers suffer before ben cent pennie Without even starting to conside the powerful theoretical argu
of people have drawn the con clusion that that is not the case as workers they bave watched pay fall as prices soar. For that reason, cos
For Lvine asteemems must protes British wages 100 per penny more or less.
The second weakness of such open ended policies is that they leave the determination of the exact extent or once increases ar the hands of the state and the
and official Retail Price Index
Experience of this problem i not new to workers in the rest o Europe. In Italy and Belgium the MOCICAL existing threshold ngreements by steep price rises. included in the "basket of goods on which average price rises are calculated.
class must draw up a cost living index reflecting the expenses of working class families. (For example, the proporto ho ine it underestimated by tion of families" incomes a half in the official indexy The first step towards this would be
YORKSHIRE
AREA NUM
NO
Courtro
s00 angry miners. The minority votes represent 134,000 miners
Hated by the kaderships of the public
BETHSH chosen to lobby Parliament,
Saturday's conference also de cided to bave a day of action on 26 October. ence following strike The elected he the conference hope f consolidation of use 23
broadening support for their par entitlement. CIaLID,
own unions, withie the movement. They aim to bring but ou ou blic
policy
The claim of trade unions. (clauses so that onl
wages put
gates,
ers from women involved
tending the principle
not a The cash limits
makes no provision
the public sector
adenuate. It
ined to go round
real Jessons being learnt.
AREA NON
S135-00
DAY WADE
NOW
One Towards the
USA, they principle of automatic TACH DR
about. most bitter unions bas
and a cecal conter-
the one-day action committer tan
November as a way of
both nationally in their
and more widely
SELLEE 40,000 workers in the
the trade unions themselves pro DUCTILE S CUSE DE BEERS BIGGE
followed by the French
must be taken to involve those mot directly organised at the
- INSE and the unemployed ringing their practical experi
arice of life. In doing so, through the creation of price committee
beyond the links can be made against the divide and rule tactice WITH EVER BHI Dy LIC emplayers in dividing male work-
not directly
Never has the need for ex-
of auto.
tin be been more ital today.
control over public spending
for thi
elects or mation. Wanes
are held down, services cut and jobs lost
By itself the sliding scale is nol
Can Only defend what is pained. And what needs to be gained today is full recom pense for the loss in wages over the Tast two years. Than means across the-board wage increases but witnour causes ocrenoun such gains, the wbole defensive struggle begins again without
Rank and File Conference
THE RANK AND FILE Co-ordinating Committee Conference on 26 November in Manchester provides an important opportunity for militants to assess the lessons drawn from struggles on wages as the basis for action. The main motor force behind the conference, Socialist Workers Party, has, unlike the Communist Party, consistently supported the struggle against Phase 2 of the incomes policy. But the SWP is unlikely to assist the conference with policies that draw on experience.
example is their hostility demand of the sliding scale. Using examples of trade union derre cents in tre
contend that the
sation femws the will to sirus gle from the workine class.
Their sole alternative is to try to accelerate the process by which STONE SOON OR ORACES large increases and the rest of the working class struenies to catch
The principle that the working class should not pay fo
for that is wha policy of the sading scale 1s aul
will of course moet the instead of opposition from the canDlover Workers would have to wage a permanent struggle to gains?" important policies include: *farworkingclass unity - against racism and sexism end to the 12-month rule, to *no productivity dealing to increase wages at the expense of jobe • for a minimum wage of E50, equal pay with no strings attached
for mass solare
-Tor industry wide snop alewards conterences on pa *For Iocal shop stewards conferences
percentage increase of 82.2 per cent, or 62 trigger poirls.
trigger paint did not give an adequate cover for a 1 per cent rise in the cast of living. (Indeed, it was not designed to do so.) They concluded that 60p trigger would have been the time to fully protect against the rate of Inflatio points at 60p would have meant an increase of 37.20 to cove Inerpeses in the cost of living from Oclober 1974 to June 1977 (From The Case for & Siding Scale of Wages)
PRONTS
WAGES
Wages: On the offensive!
the
defend such a gain.
Hut whereas the employer does not have to pull a stroke in letting inflation eur away at wases it i quite a different matter to take away a principle that is understood and supported by the whole workforci as the Italian employers found but to their cost Last e SWP has made arudeine recognition of this fact with its NONCY ENSL SE ULIALION COSTCUS cold be respec oint, wage negotiation But then an a expect this to happen, you expeci this to happen, why not settle the question now demoralizing process of continued strike netion to win minima
NATIONAL RANK AND FILE DELEGATE CONFERENCE SATURDAY, 26 NOVEMBER CO-OP HALL, MANCHESTER Socialist Challenge supporters are urged to get delegated from their organisations on the basis of the fighting policies of Socialist Challenge. The most
the 10 per
*for automatic increases in wages to compensate for rises in the cost of living: for a sliding scale
mass soildarity with workers in struggle; for the nationalisation of Grunwick *redentle or delegates from the Pant and Ple Centre, 0Gl Seen tame tad, London el set up local
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE, 20 October. 1977 page 5
Asa pamphlet recently publist cracy in the Lahour Movement points our: What the SWP really means is not that the slicioe scali removes the nood to strugale, but that it changes the battlegroun Iron a struggle for POTECH control.
The CDLM recently decided to
upport the building of the Ra
nd File Conference on the bas of a fight for policies which can begin to turn the fight in th direction workers control ference on Saturday 23 Octobe to discuss put the lessons of the new experience of fighting for such demands in the workers movement The need is urgent. The oppor tunity exists to arm thousands of militants disgusted with the ref ormise policies of their leaders with the weapons to turo the working class strugele from the defensivero the offensive.
CDIM CONFERENCE
Sunday 23 Oetober
Digbeth Hall, Birmingham
Credentials (50p) from: K. Lee
44 Devonshire Rand
worth, Birmingham 2D. cant norm and lo cash limits
Page 6 scan of this page
'Do not lie down when
Plymouth <
Fascist Committee organisod ember in conjunction with the
EDWICORT Tyndall, the fascist leader. The Plymouth Sound radio station where the Fuhrer
eminating his racist filth. He
vas whisked away under a heavy police guard
The second was a demonstration attended by 150 antifascisis. Fearing trouble the lacios guarded secret, bite a closets-guarded secret, march was organised nonetheless through the city centre ending with a mecting at the Polytechnic.
The anti-fascist activists con sidered that the mobilisation marked a big step forward. The AFC was formed just two eres 0еe 110215 3151 and it is rapidly acumulating sapport.
Leicester
Purner are circuiarine a retre asking all trade unions to expel candidares in the lasr local eier-
Mike Teague, the Council - Executive member responsible for relationst told: We unions locally to disown the Front and expel thair election candidares We also wane to see
lat forar for their
thar their enzire policy ay to divide the labour movement."
Leicester aISO SIW Annun General Meering, Fascisr
creation of a youth organisation.
The wildespread raciom which does exist it is tikely that the situate the
rucists have to step up their work of racism in schools and colleges.
Bradford
GARY WHITING, the Tascist minant whose senDing ny local fascists in Bradford
Tortun te lo coone with ais Ite He was stabbed six times and the kaife blude punctured hislung and cruzen nas mear. bary mao to undergo open-heart surgery, bat H num well an recovery-
The local paper's report on the stabbing was a summary of the police mport. The police refuse to acknowledge that Gury's as-
RACE&
CLASS
ліх Ат 1807 Млн?
RACISM & FASCISM
Anti~
racist
Struggle
sailant was a fascist. The fuct is
Involved in other attacks in the Eneal anti-fascists hacked by Bradford Trades Council have stepped up picketing in the dity precinet. Last Saturday they distributed leaflets in the name of thow Tar had ben teled bina Trades Council espluining Jocal fascist und why more vigilance was necessary The Bradford police started to harass the pickets. They were denied the right to leafiet were told to move on. As thirly forcibly the pickets moved on in ESTOU. Jean Gardiner, a wellmarge win obstructen, arrested and At the second Darles Street Iwo more antifascists were arrested by the police, When un SWP cumrade, Geoff Robleson, weat to the complaint against the arrests 10 the irreled and chared with insult- Chief Inspector, ng beheviour This outragerus action by th
MPs. A formal complaint to the Home Secretary is alsn considered,
al and numerans focal Labour Wolverhampton
stood ar fascist WOLVERHAMPTON is a town
with a well-deserved national reputation TOr racism.
Trader Powell was the local Tory
Comminee until his "defection' to the Ulster
nace Unionists in 1974. The continuthe ing influence of Powellite racism nas Incant that until very recently the Wolverhampton branch of the National Front maintained anti-union bodies like the Front an extremely low profile, except prevented from asing unions as a in the periods immediately before
elections.
Ahout a year ago a group of siring up rociatism is designed people decided that it was neces-
sary to build
Partering fo se for the F telo the exan te or nato
the example of after fascist got up to support the other arcas, and form our com
opposing fascism. We had fight against
This meons thar onti- overall struggle against all forms
To further these castpaigos. and specilically to try them into the local trade unions me decieed to call a Day Fasciem One of our objects wa Action Racism to begin to develop an anti fascis campaign which
Latest initiative of the Nationa Froet The need Tor such campaien is highlichted by the increased activities of the Front locally. As well as the incidents pickets of the local council, and paper sales in the town centre). one of the leading members ol the Anti-Racist Committee's house has been daubed with NF 20519-4418 0S WAS TOWE from the shopping centre roof at far-left paper sellers.
The lotest irsue of Race and Class contarias e muruber extremei mefici articles inclad hamas Hodgkin of a new boo on Kernumese comunisme in hecarion Danier Hemery.
Book deals with the reen the Fiemomese Comman Estsandithe Traeskriss led by Ta Thu Thau. Aunone tron the Institute of Race Relations, 247.9 Peatonville Rood, London N.J. Singlecopies: 75p |pfas 15p forpostege].
NOBODY DISTURBS the Labour Party in Tower Humlets. Every seat on the Counil is occupied by Labour staiwarts. The street are mean and dirty. swear shops expio their workers imangrants — and the racist thugs persecute and hound the Bengglis and revive the miri-seminsm reader Oswald Mosley:
Well, nobody did disturb the
Unity arrived precinet in Suddenly housing cuts, racism
wages women's rights,
The hal or ence ir teng
on doors, urge from loudspeakers and use their manifestos to show that things can he changed. Sociain hity ti ser inte te Like breath Enoch
MP basis of
to
the
an
ta carry
B0es whole
trade unionists, Labour Party
Socialist Unity's message
Spitalfields by-election.
trusty machine, that Ireeze, The services and perpetuates acism that stalks the particularly the over you. Lise your s
of their old when they
DOCIA S
TOWER
HAMLETS
CTTEE
ACTION
RACTALISM
Over 2000 anti-fasciats marched through NF stronghold of Haxton in East London last Sunday. But the show of torce from
wards, socialist organisations - including Socialist Unity - kapt the fascists indoors with the exception of a few disgusting bands of
they trample you
It has uncompromisingly attacked the
of a creaky, complacent Labour
defends wage back ine social the
Socialist Unity has said: Do no peopse be down when they trample all
rength to organise and fight back. Wher
they cur your living standards,
cin the councillors and the MPs
SOCIALIST UNITY NATIONAL CONFERENCE
19 November, Condon
Details including the draft programme — to which amendments cun
be submitted until 17 Novemher — from Socialist Unity, Box 15,
Rising Free, Upper Street, London N.I.
women s, black and
-go ibro the factories and onta the streets and fight back!
The by-elecrion result in Spitalreids will not be known when we
press, However. there is
aien ol Socialist Unity candic
ate, Hilda Kean, has shown that
fight back and that despite the
sordid complicity of the Calla Chan crow and the labour lerrs at the Brighton conference opposition is growing at the grass
Spitalficids have both shown the urgent need INF union-jack waving thugs.
Had they dared appear, the NF would have had the protection of over 1000 police, including the Special patrol Group and mounted police, who were protecting the fascist paper-solling pitch in Brick Lane.
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE, 20 October, 1977 pago 6 to raise the srandard of a lighting socialist opposition. These camCUnEro Can, and must, he bailt of
Socialist Ubity conference of 19. Novemher can help to pull those two campaigns together. Mare im portantly they can exrend thos
and prepare for a united inter
as acuas in a oumber osclecied by-clections and council cleo
In every campaign the need for
socialist programme is brought home. By building = conterence wnica can by actiocratic debate and discussion agree on a programme that will coable revolutionaries and militants te present a unired canpaign to the workine clections, Socialist Unity will be serving a real need in the class strugale Hake sure that sui arca and organisation is present on 19 November
Page 7 scan of this page
erent from that of all the existing left- left as a whole. But these cannot be lonary organisations and of the Com-
Socialist Challenge
Socialist Challenge was launched last June on the initiative of the International Marxist Group, the British section of the Fourth International. Our aim was to
the base of the trade unions.
As part of the first task we stressed the like, The effectiveness of our approach necessity for a unified revolutionary bas been demonstrated by the sharp organisation, and in the 6 October rise in our sales and subscriptions, and issue we published a draft statement of also by the numbers of supporters' aims as the basis for revolutionary groups established in areas where the unity. As part of the second task we IMG has little or no presence have recently increased coverage of the
how the existing rank and file bodies a political intervention. There are no relate to them.
ist Challenge and its ability to project a
wing papers is due to the wide-rang ing debates the paper has initiated and conducted with virtually all currents in the workers movement.
in an extremely determined fashion — time. the sectarian riotions within the far left
The state of
our finances
THE SUCCESS of any publication mus alos be Judged upon its sales and financial October performance.
journalists wages, typesetting design and printing costs. However in pomparison to other publications, a revoltitionary paper has no big capitalist backers our supporters to sell and finance the paper.
To launch a new paper at the beginning of the summer mouths which, with holidays further such special issues.
Local sales declined and payments became erratic:
Nevertheless, during the first four months of the paper's life we met the survival
and in some cases we exceeded CRENCES them. First on new subscriptions, important bedrock to the paper, we aimed to win $750 worth. The final figure £1.333. Secondly, we hoped to make a fund drive target of L1,8000 over three months.
That was toppped The most important aspect of this fund drive that, as the figures show, nearly hall was raised from individual supporters.
Various projects were undertaken nationally to raise funds which are now bearing freit, The 1978 calendar has heen published
and sales are already underway. A special Russian Resolution anniversary souvenir
copy of Socialist Challenge, designed by
David King and with previously unpublish ed text hy Laac Deutscher, will be out in the next few weeks. The first films benefit
sniccessful that joint benefits are to become
on:
Street, London W1. [Goodge St. or Warren St. rabes.] Tickets at the door.
The first 18 issues of Socialist Challenge
We're on the road
produce a popular, political weekly which could be utilised as a weapon of struggle by thousands of comrades who were not in any revolutionary organisation, and generate oppositional class struggle currents at
Some comredes bave an extremely problems facing trade unionists and narrow conception of what constitutes
doubt many shortcomings in the
Without doubt the success of Social- newspaper, which largely reflect the
weakness of our political implantation hand, there are thousands upon thoupolitical and journalistic formula diff- in the working class and that of the tar
surmounted by nourishing Musions, That would lead to posturing and dren of 1968, who have rejected (for substitutionism. We have to be extremely realistic. We must understand organised revolutionary politics. Many
In other words, we have rejected — whom we are speaking to at the present
Our audience today consists of two about what a Leninist paper should be different kinds of people. On the one
regular monthly events, beginning on 29
Since the summer, sales have been steada exception. Political goodwill does not pay on the increase. With the print run at 8,500
we are finding ourselves completely out of copies by the weekend. In the issue which contained "Fraud News' the print run was 10,500, The impact of supplements sach as or State support. We rely on the ability of the Ford special and the Review of Books
nas been to mark ine paper our tron tel rest of the left press. Plans are afoot for The greater political impair of the paper political activity, stretched the resouroes of can aiso been seen in the sales at Collers, The
Central London bookshop, where sales have averaged around 150 a week. However, it is not only bookshop anles which bave been advancing Without douht the
Socialist Challenge groups and sellers.
Excluding London, there are now зирporters in over 60 towns and cities. New moupe and sellers now exist in Crawley.
Plymouth, Exeter, Leamington, Swindon and Wolverhampton — to name just a few locations.
Nevertheless, Socinist Chullenge walks a fisancial tightrope. The cost of printing a 16 page weekly with spot colour on four reds a pend each week. To the next fees typesetting and design costs hun weeks these prices, like the rest of prices in Britain are going up. Allied to the fact that to maintain the qually of the paper it i vital for anotber journalist to be employed it becomes inevitable that the price must be increased to 15p from 1 November performance at The Other Cinema was so regret that as much as our readers will, bur
economic reality stares is in the face.
JOINT FILM BENEFIT FOR
Socialist Challenge and The Other Cinema QUEIMADA
A film with permanent revolution as its theme, directed by Pontecorvo (Battle of
Algiers), followed by a discussion led by Paul Sharp of the Carribean Socialist
Group, and then a social with cheapdrink. All in price just E1.50. A night not to miss
Satarday, 29 October, beginning 6.30pm at The Other Cinema, 25 Tottenham
Socialist Challenge
BATTLE INSDE
GRUNWICK
SCABS SHALL NOT PASS ON 11 JULY
They di play of sands of former members of revolut-
munist and Labour Parties: the chil
good and bad reasons) a link with are isolated individuals; others are in women's organisations, gay collect ives, and black groups. • The second group consists of those who are being
Radek;
What you
can do
attracted to far left politics for the first time. They are, in the main, young white-collar and industrial workers, looking for solutions to the crisis.
Socialist Challenge has to try and both were necessary. satisfy the political needs of both kinds of militants, thus drawing them closer to organised revolutionary politics.
The growh of supporters' groups is an organisation. We are proud of this fact indication thar chis is happening nationally. The weakest link in this respect is London; though here, too some small steps forward are being considered
WEAKNESS
While the impact of the newspaper has been considerable, we must guard against complacency. The weakness of the paper has been that it has not yet been able to develop a fully worked out analysis on strategy and tactics necessary lo prepare a class struggle opposition within the unions. Nor have we fully explored or clarified the differences between ourselves and other sections of the left. In this arca we have to strengthen the paper, and steps to do so have already been taken.
The fact that comrades in IWO different organisations Big Flame and the Workers League are considering participating on the Editorial Bourd means that further advances can be registered in the near tuture.
The tasks of the paper can be symbolised in studying the last two issues. In No. I6 we gave over tour pages to the Ford Workers" Group in order to ad them in their struggle in the plants. We have a number disagreements with the group, but we did not let that become an obstacle. In throughout the world.
Thia cartoon was first publisned in the revp/utionary satirical magazine Rec Pepper, which appeared in Moscow afte the Revolution. The year was 1923. Despite the advanded views on questione such as abortion, marriage sod child-raising, sexism was stildom/nant: hence Luxemburg and Kollontarare missing from the team, which
Soznovaky, Trotsky (centre forward], Ryazonor, and Bukharin; [back. 1 ro mors gLoin Tell-back, Mars label-keeper). Kameney, Chickenn, and Lozer The magazice was especially popolaramong workers, and asign that fi? the aduentor Stainism the revalution retained a senseof humour. This is tha Nestime this cartoon has been reproduced We aredoing so to announcedur pecial 16-page supplement on the Russian Revolution. The rexr is a compilation of the evants leading up to th evolation by the late isaac Deutscher and has not been published befon it/s written in such a way thatit can beread in pubile preven performed without specialiattraining. Thedesign aby David King, who has ansarthod pictures not pubiiened before in the soclalistpress. The supplement will bein tw algers throughout and printed on specler paper, at50p. Bulk orders should be sent as soon as possibl
* Send In stores from you locality, unian or group, which you a bulk order pest tree. you feet may be uselul, as well as clippings hom local papers * Try and find a newsagent in your ares who is prepared to stock us on a sale or return basis. Make
university and left bookshops Hit isn't please let us koow * if you are prepared to sell contact us immediately.
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE, 20 October, 1977 page 7
last weck's issue we had an addstional four pages in which we reviewed books and assessed the state of the British intelligentsia. We would argue that
The breadth of debate in the paper is without precedent in the pages of a newspaper launched by a political
Socialist Challenge
HUGH SCANLON (RAP.)
because we believe it aids in political chirification and fulfils a real need of socialist militants We reject the approach which elevates sterile dog matism and slogan mongering to an art and presents this as informed principled political analysis. We have a long way to go, but we are on the road. How long it takes depends concretely
our readers and supporters r copies of the paper, we will send
It you ban aflord it, please send
us a regular donation for the
Fighting Fund, This can be done
through a bankers order [forms
available on request] see ailable in Challenge supporters group i if there is no Socialist
your area and you are keen lo get
one off the ground, you should
Page 8 scan of this page
The thoughts of Chairman Dobson
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE, 20 October, 1977 page 6 ON 27 SEPTEMBER this year Sir Richard Dobson, the chairperson of the British Leyland Motor Corporation, addressed the Twenty Club at the Dorchester Hotel in London.
The Twenty Club is made up of the bosses of Britain's largest family retail businesses, whose workers are among the lowest paid in the country. The
Birmingham told
Challenge
*This man is an influential and powerful publie servant
obviously doesn't see it that way.
This speech shows clearly that not only is he opposed to all the Labour gavernment's policies
but he is vicious with it.
He reveals a series of preju-
dices which would qualify him for
memhership of the Nat-
Why this man must go now!
speech.
Reactions
This is what Tom Litterick,
Labour MP for Selly Oak,
Socialist
Tional Front. On that score he who should be investigated by the HACE NONNOIS BONTE It is also disquieting that he scene to he stunid with it insolai as he openly condanes bribery refer to the landlords of the hotel in which he made his sobcch a "wog", not to mention his
chairperson of the meeting was a Mr.
R.W. Burgess, a director of British Home Stores. Dobson's theme for the evening was Ten Years of Change in British Society'. Socialist Challenge has obtained a tape recording of Dobson's
We make the contents of this speech public in a woek when the workers at
bara Castle appearMole
praises references to the Grunwick workens as "blackish people".
His openly expressed colteripl for trade unions and his hoscile attitude towards trades-unionism must go a long way towards explaining British Leyland man
the circumstances its no wonde
distrust the people Jett in control oF Dus salusbie патові assct.
This man's manifest bigorry and ignorance clearly him unfit to hold such a position of public responsibility. le's a source of constant amazement to me that Labour persist in appointing poople who are dedicated to destroving them and preventing the Movemenient from acquiring poIllical power to power in the heart of the econonic system. They have a pathetic and unjustifiable faith in the hottesty of Establishment people Enc Varles should remove him inuoediately.
British Leyland are heing threatened by the Labour Government, management, and the National Enterprise Board. They are being told they must accept a further cut in their living standards by abiding by the 10 percent guideline.
They are being threatened with redundancy through the decentralisation" of British Leyland. They are told that they must accept all this in the national interest'
Dobson's speech, made in private after dinner in a specially reserved suite in the Dorchester, makes it abundantly clear what the real interests of the Leyland bosses are.
Dobson is virulently anti-union. He is a racist, a sexist and a reactionary through and through. The ruling class's media have time and again screamed allacks al the workers in British Leyland. Let them now turn their attention to Sir Richard Dobson. He is the real Leyland scandal.
Even in his public utterances, Dobson has found it difficult to hide his hatred of working people. He has cheerfully admitted that he is a Tory and a champion of private enterprise. But what he says when talking to a group of reactionary bedfellows in the closed contines of the plush Dorchester Hotel goes way beyond that. Yet ironically one of the major themes of Dobson's speech was "hypocrisy" which, he said. "really had a grip over the last ten years", Quoting examples he went on:
'Let us take crime and punishment particulurly capital punishment — race relutions, foreign policy. In particular, wicked South Africans, Brazileans, Chileans and Greeks, compared to the lovable old Resians, the Cubans and the down-trodden African guerrillas and all that stuff.
Then came the gem:
*Who would have expected the Daily Mail to have the bloods nerve to bribe somebody €15,000 to reveal the documents — which turned out to be Forged - In order to accuse the company of the perfectly respectable fact that it was bribing wogs?'
LAUGHTER
This remark was followed by an outburst of laughter from the assembled audience. For them, as for Dobson bribing was perfectly respectable', maholity to handle
who've been
renders
Governments
Labour
positions of
Tam Litterich
Leyland especially if the bribes were directed towards "wogs". The wogs' in this case being a reference to the Arabs, Dobson was probably unaware of the fact that it is they who now own the Dorchester! Dobson's racism was not confined to this remark. Here are his thoughts on the Grunwick strike:
"You can't tell me that the ordinary British worker & passionately concerned that a number of blackish people in North London are being underpaid.
Quoting the findings of the Scarman inquiry that George Ward was anti-union, sion:
CALLAGHAN: If you could run fastest you weethere/crea/eader
Thoughts and Profile by GEOFF BELL I JUST GET THEM A KNIGHTHOOD. WHAT DO AFTER THAT BUSINESS worth asking.
Dobson offered this conchi-
mustn't forget THE LEYLAND WORKERS REPLY: When Socialist Cheffenge show LUE SECURICA! of Dobson's speech to Leyland workers over
RELATE LIE common re action was one of disgust and BUSCI workers at Kover Solshull in Birmingham had thia 10 SA5 Ken Allen, shop steward: "The reference he black people b hotonily racist. The man is on nut and out reuctionary who is completely opposed to the trade union movemest. These type of remarks should only be found in a Nutional Front publicution. He should be sacked immediately.
Jemy Corway, TOWU shop steward:
Dohsoe doesn't know what he's talking about. He taiks like an pursider nothing abour the industry'
BRITISH
THEY
Would the position of the Uk in the world market be better or worse if the unions hadn't multiplied? In fact have the unions benefitled their menshers ai all? Or have they la fact done tota dumage in the last decade? I think it's
There is little doubt which answer Sir Richard would give to that question He has said in public that be is a Tory and although he was given the job it Leyland by a Labour Cabinet. he see no need to return the compliment. He had this to say on Callaghan's opposition to 'In Place of Strife":
BARBARACASTLE
By the Ente 1960s there was growing feeling in the country that the trade unions were gerting too bloody big for their boots. They were gelting all together too powerful, not only for themselves but for their own members Now Harbura Castle, who's not everybody's idea of a pin-up or heroine, we
that she did lead the fight under the heading In Place of Strife", in an attempt to curb the power of the unions.
Well it got a bit hot, and Mr. Callughun turned and ran. It's not the first time in our history that it wa thought that if you could run fastest you were therefore a leader - whatever direction you happened to be running in ut the time.
Eddie Sqmires, Deputy Steward, TGWU: *Dobson i aguinst nac ation, against the trade u and he's a racist. He shou hicked one inhahe she the
"SHOCKED"
Brian Bird, TGWU sho ward and a local Enhour co
Tam shocked and amaced speech and it gives grea for concen Jor the pur This is typical kind of managemens we a sider from ar plant leme government should lan ponediate insertigation Peopie, Twilf organie a n cu Labour ME in the R ham area and demand enguery into Lesland a
Page 9 scan of this page
*They speak with a timid and tremulous voice'
are content with collective bargaining sections of the pamphlet. There are a ened by defeats will be in no position and to leave to the distant future any few harsh words against the Govern- to fight back later. The fight against plans of workers running the industry. ment tieing its investment policy to incomes policy is reduced to a 'strat- The appearance of British Leyland: Thar is not the case. Bur the fight for threats against the unions, and against egy* of wishing it away: "Without B
dards, enforce speed ups and weaken about how Leyland should be run — is import controls — in reality a reaction- trade union organisation. The Labour quite different from sharing the same ary call for workers of other countries Government is determined to pile drive boardroom in collaboration with the to carry the crisis ratber than British
workers carry the can for the effects of land workers a major say in invest- not surprising that the shortest section mailed Leyland workers by promising save Leyland. Readers are told that the now around policies which can unite The Communist Party's pamphlet money for investment only if the mobilisation of workers around the the workforce and meet the crisis. On argues for a five-point programme to workers give up hard won bargaining pamphlet's bankrupt policies is a first this the CP offers nothing. It is a bit
Ryder recommendations, because it when Land Rover and Range Rover delegates out of a possible 500, and are around. represents "an opportunity to kill the production was re-organised? Or when they were unable to agree on any His woice has a timid and tremuions myth that shop stewards cannot play a the Dolomite and Lynx were moved? common strategy. This committee has sound.
to do with workers ruaning their own variation on the old theme of making problems. It dishonestly claims that at the Rover plant in Solifull
Profile of a Wilsonian Knight
school, Cliffon College, whence he and while the Government balled our tobacco industry one of the highest been head of Brifish Leyland for 18 he proceeded to Kings College, Cam- the inefficienz Leyiand management, profit makers in me world also Thee major shareholder in bridge, In 1935 he joined the British chairperson Dobson said on his app- meant held had a long and successful British Lesland is the Government, via Americon Tobacco Corporation us a ointment that the idea of nationalisat- record of exploiting workers. Dobson Dob- director. As the present time he is lon fills me with a great deal of was also, of course, an enthusiastic
of the Toucco Securities Trust and was described by The Times as an to none for making profits through He was selected to head British the London Regional Industrial Com- enthusiastic admirer and defender of ways witch might not be considered
Development Finance, the oil giants of private enterprise system because the iate choice to head Leyland. Appro- Exxon Corporation, Davy Internation- basic motivation is to muke as much priate, that is if you put the interests ai, Foseco Minsep, and Lloyds Bank, money as possible and some of the of capitalism before those of working
BYLAND
While his contempt for the Labour mernment shines through Dobson's cech, he gets into a real frenzy when cussing what he obviously feels to the extreme front of social democry as it operates in Sweden: Now I don't know how many of you • familiar with the state of affairs in eden, but I think they have the vantage of pioneering in the social urity area. In consequence they've nost got to the logical conclusion of cir mutual benevolence and are solutely up the bloody creek. Compared to the greedy workers, ibson sees the British middle class as too generous. He offered these Agements on the Trade Union Act of 06. which meant unions couldn't be ed for damages inflicted during a ike; on the Beveridge social reforms the post-war Labour Government d on British policy in Ireland:
ENEROSITY
The British middle classes are nice nd hearted people. The Trade Union it of 1906 was an act of generosity. veridge was generous in a way we uldn't afford. So were the events in arthern Ireland where we decided we
being rather beastly to the tholics in Northern Ireland so we armed the police in Northern Iread. All these were acts of generosity, d of course fallacious ones." udging from these remarks, the last ron that Sir Richard could be
cted to have a good opinion of muld be Derek Robinson, who is the ef convenor at Leyland's Longidge plant and a member of the mmunist Party, Yet this was Dobn's judgement:
I happen to know the chief convenor Longbridge. He's an avowed commist. I must say that 1 ruther like • because he's fairly good at getting ople to work. His idea is that he will • the factory and use the managers consultants. We're not much more
he picture of Sir Richard Dobson's cal society is not difficuit to imagine. ere would be no unemployment nefit, unions would be more or less tlawed, Ireland would be treated h even greater barbarity than it is ", and "wogs" and "blackish people' uld be left to the tender mercies ist bosses and politicians. At the very least Sir Richard Dobson
be immediately sacked from itish Leyland and left to fester in the ekwoods of Tory reaction where he ongs. But Leyland workers have right to know how many more bsons are ruling their plants. Most all they have the right to ask the bour Government whether Dobson s appointed to run Leyland in spite his opinions or because of them.
Pat Hickey, TGWU Shop Steward: •Dobson is racist scam. But the
Labour Goverument and Wilson
in particular, must have kaown
what be wus like when they
appointed him. What this reveals
is the need for workers control to
be elablished forthwith in ull
mationalised industries. There's
not sacked?
"DISGRACEFUL'
Steve Griffiths (ALEW Shop
Steward)
From Dodson's remarks it 1s
obwous that the guy is mat of his
mind. He orruchy tunes the
Americen government i anti-
capisatist? As Jor
shour bribes, shey're shocking
and disgraceful. I'd like to see all
the books in Brisish Lepiand
workers. Then weW see where
line of march would be sadly disappointed. There are no answers for workers at Leylands, or for those in the supply and ancillary industries, who are under attack from both management and the Labour Government.
publication of a pamphet Leylands is timely. urgent need for a plan to wage the fightback, but this pamphlet doesn't answer the need.
Save It
workers which will cut living stan-
Board and British Leyland to make the
the capitalist crisis, compounded by years of mis-management.
save Leyland -ion, investment, wages, home market, and exports.
in the pamphlet as the four points put together. It is described as the most challenging
part in management
allenge
RICHARD DOBSON is 63. He has
months.
the National Enterprise Board.
Government.
Minister, He was also knighted by Wilson, a somewhat dubious distinctIon he shares with the late Sir Erie Miller and other worthies.
Any militant reading the Com- industry munist Party's new pamphlet Brit- participating in monogement's running in the interests of the bosses. ish Leyland: Save It to discover a of the industy, in a capitalist economy
Today it involves
participate in?
PARTICIPATION
PAT HICKEY argues that the
Ол There is an
coincides with stepped up efforts to force a pay deal on Leyland Leyland bosses — Imposing on man- market the
a deal through the National Enterprise bosses.
including participat-
Participation is given as much space
other for cuts in living message from the NEB. area of the
But participation has nothing at all decisions were, Participation issimply a son wus appointed by the Labour president of BAT
Leyond when Wison was still Prime mittee for National Savings.
Dobson was educated at a public
Communist Party and British Leyland
it is about
and according lo capitalist laws.
rationalisation, there speed-up and investment for profit at Leyland, Is that what workers should
The pamphlet makes out than it workers reject participation then they is just as absent in the remaining
workers' control over that of the the incomes policy. On the
agement the decisions of the workers reflation
workers.
Participation has hardly given Ley-
The NEB has openly black- of the pamphlet should be on how to
rights and maintain industrial peace.
The exchange offered is at the work- ee will have a 'key role to play. ers' expense. Your say in investment comes only if you accept our demands only. The action it has taken — the day as a lark.
contract
Where was the power of the workers
Workers were told what the company not taken one step to meet the crisis.
Tions. " make a protest. chairperson of horror:
British Leviand as well as chairperson
He is a director in Commonwealth occasion he explained he supported the
Ar boss of Leyland, he receives a ways of doing that might not be people.
workers the union leaders police their members
The results of participation bave been seen at Longbridge. Workers
are so seeing CP convenor Derek Robinson only when be is telling them to go back to work or increase productivity, that a strike called by the Works Committee was overturned by a small minority. That is how much participation increases confidence among the workers.
A line of march for Leyland workers jobs, living standards and workine
CP's demand is of the economy bers.!
With this kind of programme, it is CARROLL'SLOBSTER
step. The Leyland Combine Committ- like what Lewis Carroll's lobster had
to sly:
But this committee exists in name When the sunds are all dry he is as gay standards is the of action in April against the social And will speak in contemptuous tones
- was a fiasco, Its last of the shark, meeting was attended by only 120 But when the tide is in, and the sharks
The Communist Party ignores these Pat Hickey is a member of the TGWU salary of E22,500, Given his other considered ethical. like bribes, pre directorships his annual income must sumably.]. he well over 2100,000. When Dohson received his Leyland appointment, he described the prospecr of the working expressed surprise: 7 don't anything about motor cars, I don't nightmare" - other people's working know very much abour labour relas- week, thar is; and he generously add
He provided a demonstration of this based on 'envy". In short Dobson has assertion in his first address to the the two main ingredients of many shareholders when he unleashed a bosses: ignorance and reaction. public attack on the Leyland workers:
In British Leyland, though relatively Labour Government should give him o few Industrial disputes have been knighthood and then the chairperson directly concerned with pay, so many ship of British Leylend, bat Labour's strikes have occurred with no benefit poucy rowards any industry at has a to either company or to the employers stake in is the priority of profit. In this that one is forced to the conclusion respect Dobson has a number of that the underlying reason is a desire to outstanding qualities.
Dobson received his knighthood for services to industry.
Dobson calls himself a Tory, and les, which have a track record second
multinational companies: On one ethical:
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE, 20 October, 1977 page 9 this committee can 'discuss and agree on a united strategy, explain it to every Leyland...and call for specific actions'. Intoxicated with its own verbosity, the pamphlet goes on to involve every tactory, depot and pit. trades councils and the TUC.. Labour Party and Communist Party'. The fight will be taken to shopping centres, coitmunity organisation and housing estates".
This is for the future. But there is BUL & PUrO aDOLLOC DrESRE TOELEES EO
conditions. A workforce that is weak-
home Government's income policy the trade
unions woud be able to. campaign and for for adequate wages for their mem-
The urgent noed is to begin the fight On workers' conditions, Dobson has
know week being cur to 35 hours as
that idea of an egalitarian society is
It may appear remarkable that a As a director of an oil compony he Wisonian had a personal interest in producing
cheap cars. His previons career in the
supporter of multi-national compan
All this made Dobson an appropr
Page 10 scan of this page
An answer to Conor Cruise OBrain
IRELAND
Long Kesh, we
Wish thar article from another
loner on the recent afferances
Rain's favourite Irish person.
What's
Left
bators publiestion
18 301104, 0r6-36-830рml
sy. Posi Mao China Haget anc
3801. is 17 Homsey Pany in Mao s
Tion to the Women a Saturasy 22 October Fast-
from Chrissie, 210 , NHS curs
badges.
Ordera nmiesion, PO Box 50,
CHALLENGE racism, Saturday 22 Octo Admission Head, LORCOICI Arts and Leisure Chie
le: All shades of lett opin
Tim Webb, Kings Lynn
CHALLENGE Public Right Chocse Tues 26 DeL 7.30, Raneagh Tavem, Leamington, GAY RIGHTS - National Union of
HARINGEY Troops
1HE8 BT
CAMIQUE
Pomeny
Ta Malienul Danton
ERNEST MANDEL ILLEL
, 10.30am: FERNANDO GLAL
Effecis on the internation en 02.50 (02.00 lor Critique subombers), £1.00 tor Individual sess ana. Funter information HINT THI
From: Gritique, 31 Cleve en Rd, Glasgow G12 DP336 5207) or Hillel Ticklin (0414 30) 855, акт 377)
ATE JENNY Is continuing
WIN 00 00000 033 50I
canter cologe of Eau tin, le
omer Rd, 1pm.
THE MAJORITY of the Trish peopleare now against unity. This is the latest edict from Ireland's oen intellectual conscience, Dr Conor Cruise O'Brain (sic).
In his well publicised speech to the British Irish Association conference in Oxford, the clockwork pundit dismissed with ameinspiring linality the widespread misconception that the people of Ireland — If ever consulted on the
massively support it.
SCHOLARLY
For the modest sumof E9.90, Dr O' Brain had been able to purchase
"Prejudice and Tolerance", and in this scholarly volume be upon insormation whach formed the Irish Question to the significance of the Square Barth parcels, letters and Northern Ireland from 8 to 12 October.
In doing unique hardship and suffering on
the community. As If prisoners
RELAND UNFREE
JUST OUT are two Hew Journais Stade tehe Carine che of the bulletin of tha
son in athe Mers reprena
ion in the North
e paper of the Gaized Troo
3Е нозтРна СОЛілУ ДГіР
area of Belfast.
Ireland Unfree caser 20p and Treops Out 10г. Both are availabie from The Other Bookshop
128 Upper Street, London NI (ede (On for postage ]
The United Troops Our Move-
ment inself will be holding an open
1 December. A ir intended as
work-orientered octusis confer-
:Bo Rising Free, T82 Lipper Street,
London Ni
Century.
When asked; Do you hold that national unity is an essential condition for the just solution of LIS NOI NORDUE FAOUE 57.5 per cent of the 1,000 Dublin coplecanvassed answered Ye By the simple addition of th Layalist population of the North oche42.3 SURICE WEE DES M
My acceptance of the 'natural' ander or thines mient have neen as total as it ist0 prost of my ag group in the British Isles mattention woulhave a righe qualifications to siccepa to the powerrul posi ETALIMI dions to which they aspired. Afte
all, had they not baried their heads in books while I enjoyed whatever mesures coul fire Politicians may be devious and corrumt, but then do they not bave vast experience and more letters The Assassination of Desmond Irvine
In a "mark of respect" for their secretary Desmond Irvine, who was shot dead in Belfast on 7 October, the Northern Ireland Prison Officers" Association withheld visits, food newspapers from
mere somschow responsible for
Whilet is clear that none ot the prisoners could bave perpetrated by AUTANO Coliban
Run tretand fasc morken debrureu
-tirgers estend solidarity wor cin Britair
purticipanis chat the mnemer
achicer shis ait at the nionien in the Imeraciona
Guest: enresentatives of Poople hamcraey, the independput dor Parts and the Novemb fers Socal Republie Repubie(1,gh POLLUIE
cold lake the carupaign intes d
They wate particulariy insist il abs serpos solidarity me most bentre af the Tribunal. ant rested the breader and scop het had te be achib of
concepdon of an open Tribubal and plannine camilice - on hich, deforunacels, ismot held ny the piano ne communes se On the secone day of 16
baile ihe Tritust was examicod i detail, incliding sponsorshi
per cent whom O'Brain
academic
world-wide repute, thiscountry?
Long Kesh Letter
this killing.
Hern Ireland,
prisoners in initiator: af
Evicted ar
Succesful school
on Ireland
390
Tribunal
de froeds
ГНОГ Matises
Brendan Kels
To she SH: ING. bar the steps
Brian of netion to er Moreient
after cheir names than in them and would not our salvery and incompetanoe ourweich their cor-
antion a hundred rimes? Is D •'Brain not an intellectunt
the sort new-thinking person we need for
Put him in a political party: let
bere are peag
spossible for what happoned
ex-Secretary of State for North- health.
and his senior civil servants in the Nortbern Ereland Office, It is they who are the
irresponsible was withdrawn froen those con
alleged acts of мат commited aller March 1976 There are a number of avenues open to political prisoners in the killed or injured
The Trabnaal is
wick en she lrih question and ruru nie shoce, in will organise happen
focus of simitat Angustine-for che whois neve
le seau a telegrum ad symepariy
10 Scammis
aeld Cheir recutly undered
mate ponstel bo sur
recess, Brissh movement in tigie of the
Couche death way rebognised
mursis itin Impense The hit casuadel his death was the nor ornearance of th
The brisad platrorin of spong
Socialist TRAT
Pronlely Demporrucy Alistair Kewick, United Troop
crei; Karhleğn O'Car
cecoopoicnt of the resolution
socialis groups in reland
MOR wid PD. and that df
ISP with the Socialist Work-
him spellbind the local branch wih bis wadoot have them spread the word of the man's genius throughour the area, and he
DEMOCRACY
Yet alter O'Brain has expunded so much verbal diarrhoen on every subject under the son, bas beaped Tenression Du crance vol and ruined wharever department be controlled, le is voted out of опісс зпо геріасв Dy tne nex! whizz kid with the TV smile and the big party backing
Europe. There is nothing wrong with the man or woman in the
built around these Icures! When the daily sources of
an go on huneer strik
hey did in 1972, risking death c
Relasives can _ arrange protest marches and mectings as
and others have already done
Jut despice massive attendance at
to budge. The third alternative 15
memhers of the prison TUDES BRO menters of Mason's policy can be
The Prison Officen Aso( lation demonstrated in the lasc year that they are the greatesc SOLICE DE DOREE IE TTE DESEU
and it is they who prevent further death and injury
intuman treatment of prisoners.
Before the phasing Dut
officers were fiee from the threat of injury or death. Consequently life was casier for borb prisoner and prison officer. This can
again if the Priso Officers Association brings pres sure to bear on Roy Mason.
OVERCROWDING
Remember that the woeviahle
theniselvos in is mill a lot berrer than that of the prisoners in H Block, The prisons themseives are now facing gross overcrowd-
the phase
lias started again.
Seamus Costello Memorial Meeting Seamus Costello's speech to
year's Labour Movement Delegation
to Ireland. Friday, 21 October, 7.45pm
Small Hall, Camden Centre [formerly
St Pancras Assembly Rooms], Bid-
borough Street, London NW1.
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE, 20 October, 1977 page 10 knowledge, such as the media, sell
lace — except that chocolate was never sold so well?
The peopleare told that government is with inflation figures, import-export indices, the cost ai living index Just lease it 1o those with the koow-how and I experience and
What then is the solution? The answer in one sentence is All meaith workers Will Coper Cruise O'Brain or any of his squally pars go on TV and simplify their politicai philosophy down to one
Will tbey say: We will take three quarters of the wealth and we will look after you"? They won', but then that's why I'm in jail and they are on Ty every other night Because the answer is so simple tors haveto lock people un lest the truth gersaround.
Examples of political and re ligious discrimination bave al ready surfaced. One af the tomet TRENTE SCIEUS REACCR
he punishment handed out tu
he 22 year old Kepuhlican Jah VISUD. three-man Loyalist gang, from Lougieilly, South Armagh
Joha Nixon wassensenced to 14
the alleged armad robbery of no Acmagh sub-post office in August 1976. The thre
LIDE
Debis Warloo and William Cull
and civilian William Cumming -got six months, five years and tight sears respectively for the armed robbery of Glenanne Pos Office, South Armagh in Die
date sentence was Just 16 days before the Republican's
the North of Ireland justify the vast differences in these senten
amounts caken in both robberies were similar: the offences were committed around the same tiane: the defendenes were of similar age.
DERISORY
Furthermane. Armagh where Nixon comes from has
para military activity compared to the
which has seen several murders committed within radius of both Loughgilly and Glenanne. I cite the following examples
"Ar a bogus military check-
die fooball Fans were assa
d in Seprember 1
"The Heavey brosbers were murdered in their homes near Whitecross in January 1976 b
wearing ariny-type uni
Cel despite chis, the Loyalis and John Nixon gor 14 years. It member of the Northere minerity stands little chance of an impartial rrial or a fair sentence troi these non-jury cours, aper
bigotry and discrimiontion.
Page 11 scan of this page
Surprises on the subcontinent
Historic Compromise Spanish-style
India and Pakistan
countries. JAYED HUSSEIN reports.
Im India the failures of the
rarT OverEICA satisty the economic needs of the masses has led to a growing
more provounced since Janata's clection promises were fairly W ULI
Forthermore, the masty, munalist and anti-Marxist streak WHI UE COaLIOE bDLEoa! more pronounced. A number of
Romlla Thapur's classic works on Indian history and the brilliant works of India's most talentod political CoODOMsE Bipen Chandral are being withdrawn from university syllahizses.
LEFTISTRHETORIC
ine rou or ail this tas boci the re-emergence of Indira Gandhi as a political leader. Gandhi has been using an incressingly leftist rhetoric and "historic compromise Spanishestyle", writes AGUIRRE.
rogramme, the new Spanish nol Inlike the French Commo nALER NARS buwRuC maIaE
parties and the Covernmene. And unlike the talian
"Horrible betatte the Cominu-
nist and Socialist parties have pur
name lo the social pact
y pum модю oly cul
ver their dead bodies, The mor
portant points are the agro
ent (with estimased 40 per cer
Nation for 1977) and a Turin
islation.
'ANTI-TERRORIST LAW
This agreement coles straieat anct the workine
pares had acocprod a stringent "anti-terrorise" law pro posed by the Covereneot in reactioa to the killine af th
For te elene od tn Te petar
oe the release a nrsoners - Tor that is why the
was killed ODvcunly less important thac répres sion of the 'ultra-lel".
The compromise (or betruyal) i: adeed bistone. Ir is por Juse the VICIOIL SEIL WOrDE SS300 lot of the (ery fate nese ene n he astord inclufing proe wilkenie
WOKETA parties, the bourgcols nationalt, the governing Einsei Lof the Erl CANE Centre (UCD) and the far tighe Popular Alliance which given the event it sig півсавос
T log heen prin TC
has long heen pushing severument of national coboen-
guard againsc a Spanich Pinochet fonse Manuel Frase orte 'democratie TOTEESPopular Allianee and his Francoist cavenen were explicicy exciuded trom chas curegory.
INTERNATIONAL
Politics in India and Pakistan have taken a strange and unpredicted tur, demonstrating the close links hetween politics and the permanent social crisis which grips these
conveying the impression that snc is Booe an posncal partics including her own Party.
She has ben drawirn massive crowds and woreying the Govenument. Her recent arrest tarcical and Deilis Cler Man istrate's decision to release het further damaged the GovernIDenl's credibiity.
INSTABILITY
Eversthing points to a growing tilt within the right-wing Jana Sangh nest of the coalition will want
unpleasant dimension. The tem
toembarkon externai ndventures.
Government-opposition pact
The press has rolled out the familiar vocabulary of Eurocommunism to describe the Moncloa pact between the Spanish Government and opposition parties. It was gleefully presented as a 'common programme' or a
But the strange logic of para Pinochet-watching i that with Pinochet to try to huy him off. So the PCF signs the same Than Jue wister minking..0 Bat Frapa oseh a perleman
that he will keep liis side of the
rudiously resiste ment. Geperal secretary"
Gonzalee is reluctant to take on ministeriug thie coonoanic crisis uatil he can command a parliaIOC HAREMERS from-his point of view. Bat the decioa austerity is a nett w LANAICE LEISTY AUN overnment, bur still Spanish capitalism of lis seriou:
TIC BHU EESa!
For the ruling class the deal is indispensable. It bas a choice of revitalise the Spanisti demands either a continuation of the present inflationary strategs or austerity mensures designed ne pat the cost of the criss onto the WOrkIn SaNS
VERYLATE
The problem with the feener is coines thirty years too late. 1 ne intiationary stratery belong lo a period of sconamic boom. capitalism a time retrenchment, ar the most canU3 DERUEUHEA EELOVCEILS The problem with the alterna
tive strategs arking class living standards SCENELIE BESTE movemenr has shown its readi oca lo delend ill position ASE AuSTTaniEEE more successful than the working class os ather country in resisting recent alteipes at austerity.
So the only chance of success for an austerity policy is the co.
remain on guard In neighhouring Pakistan the
postponed the elections indefintely. Bhatto's growing popu HOSEU DWACITD cohesion of the army, becoming obvious that he would Sind and the Punjah.
Congress
Hir victory would have meant a plation for any lodian sovern- massive purge of the military an CHaLu uLTiarobetHeAAWMia-haw Rernfi
firet to be retired. More to the Indian socialists will have lo point some of the young officers
operation of the majority partic s the workine class the Com: unist and Socialist Parties. And this is just what the Moncioa pact dots.
JUAN
unions has been mixed. celino Camacho, a PCE lede and general scretary of the Workens Commissions, gave th
sent, political parties and trade "gentleman" unions to arrive at a solucion ro
Dar compa ponto social problems...' He promised his union's support in implem-
Felipe LUCT, va tukenim: hơr thet The nitirnde of the main objecton content ol the accord bat the faci a AE TRave. that they had nor been consulted ploied it n e hat ne gant
convince to respect a pact that we
negotiate : Sine PSoe and Te las osae Since the UGT i The need to anIcU 0000500]
cconom sithin the union), it can be safey
835000 AE moises are just for show. But the union leadersbips will neverhe s find themseives in a qua y. The rank and rile is in mood to decepi such an attack on its living standards, regardless o enn ls CHinLarsar sav.
Tưo weeks ago 800,000 Madrid workers lemmonsrated
by all the main union Pederations apar from the anarcho-syndical BL CNT considering that Camacho and can afford high company mast have kopan thai
Alhaugh the sated nm of the recession.
masch was a limiced one. doasunds of workers quickle tick the sicgans of Dow with the attack Goveratem and For a Work-
CEAUuCEaCI
worker Sice there i a highle competi-
live race ment al tl have been anxicus co show their sconomic militancy and intranburapean she mapr ution to the uat
the major unions Bed H orkers Commissions strongly rellect Lie bnes oi thei political parmasters, they bave
WE DEESICEEE which conditions for civil war, Sinee the the It
hanned.
has
abviously
the country today. with engineering his herween the covern
was not lendencic:
1C9C B8E3Sosl
«gans
LbC BILEIg mass unita recruit
micht have refused to accept the verdier and unleashed a new coup
«litary coup 1l OTELIES FACE I increased tenfold. The military Covernment bas ordered various
DASTARDLYBHUTTO
The conson reaction to this
WEL Olu Was u Dasaa aur he was our bastard'. This is
wrong but it reflects LEC SERC DEIS COUS KRINAMS
desperation the military rulers are tbreatening to panist Bbutto if he is found guilty Some opposition politicians are
hanged. The fact that Bhutto's regime committed the most ap-
The point is that the arnv's state, crodentials are even worse!
Bhutto has charged the ClA
removal.
That may or may not be true, but anAL 1 mObPuaDIC Is mC Tr that the Saudt Arabian ambassador to Pakistan has played an impociant tole within the army als Inns narc CEre rnBRI best militaots to join another union. Camacho's unequivocal rosition on the ract is likely to create another hemorrhage
The UGT will want to be in a ронюв to canc agranmgs 9 Camacho's discomtiture, but it can only do that by opposing the Pacl - ano that woujd bring it 80.000 Madid workers answared the call by the trade oniona for an anti-austerty demonstration. Now the wn/an leagers stand porsed lo sapporttheGovernmen/ seconomicpolicy.
Gandh/: rejected by berown party burdre wing bigerowds.
The Saudis are happy that Bhur their own narrow rivalry with the Shah of tran and Gadaffi, both of whom hacked Bhurro
Itar" action apainst Bengal was the firse step in the destruction of the religious nw or thato and ther chough, the perthrow of posponemcat of the electiom: could lead to further disinsegration. A nes and more right-wing coun soulc acceletate the pro CESSNWTeT Cne renTainin question would chen be: who wil
pick up whith pieces? into conflict with the PSOE. So tbe mose keis concluson is that after their initial protests, all thre major unions will be prepared to ACE URLEAr BEmDL Living standards The PCE and PSOE will argue that austerity is necessary defend democracy. Millions of workers will begin to think thai they did not wage the long fight for democratic rights just so thar the busses could cut their pay and lay them aff.
•HSUNRA (SIEREE
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE, 20 October, 1977 page 11
In Brief
OGADEN: Somall-backed euciilas of the West Somal Liberation Frost are reported to be driving towards the key E toman town ot Dire Law The capture of thie town o Jilice apparently followed :
Elmogian lr0ob defending the town. The "bas te' of the crucinl Gane Marda SLF faces captured ie with look place. our a fight, Ir seems that the TEVD UMODNEY morSe Dl lE
match up to the quantity of military bardware the military
Sovict Union
IRAN: Ashraf Pahlavi, the Shah's twin sister, who barrowly escaped 3L11 ascassination atrempr in France bast month, IS DELIE TUNLU LUSU TL gumaling. Accoriing to gossip columoists che Shal been
about his LALTLIUEL •WOTTLU sister's excesses. Of course we are not soggesting that this bas any connects WILIEERH atrempt on her life, but it is a
that the
and Enat merc nas cxen no
spression apainst the oppos
tioniss. Does the Shah kno solbetbing we don't?
SOVIET UNION: The Kremlin has repeatedly refused queses to rebabilitate Nikola Buklanin one of tre centra lenoers 01 Enc Communist P9sk the informatin omen excouted by Stalin in
recently smuggled out of the USSR. Bu to rehabilitate Bukharin woubd be to admit the political and burcaucratic character of the 1930k murRes
PUERTO RICO: Andres Figneraa Cardero, a Puerta Rica political prisoner held for 2 years in the Linited States, has EccI Bncoauas-EC-isE The Puerto Rican independ-
ence mavement has greeted th
Is a VIctory but Hieneronsuffering from cancer and has only a lew monchi to live Nobel Peace Prize wienners, have consistently rake up the case of the Puerto MICaO pOnca prisoters. although they are the longes standing in the world.
ICELAND: 8,000 state emD ULES. MELUUILEDNEESM docrors, went on strike last week for the fiesi finbe ever
which DEVIS ATILL only won the right lo strike two sears apo, bas put in a 35 cent with 35 per cent inflation
inprecer
THE SPLIT in the French Linior
the Lette enstyseo in dopt
UE-Lorne 00102101
Series].
French Trotsky sts of the LCF IC aMorao Wabc
ROTKHTSA
DIS0 WAS CAROGES aM DOSE TORS Taken by The diter ent lar left organisations in
CHAS HIIC ARTA THES ISSUR D rireror cowr the rich urn o me sodie/ist cany cowrnner in Portugal: the U5 ruling clea
offensive , the struggie erna or the ring aty
Price 30p. Inprecor is sveit-
eTos ora 50. E n00
ladd 15p for p&p]-
Page 12 scan of this page
Bahro against the bureaucrats
Black consciousness and socialist strategy
police, writes S. WALKER.
The political tensions exploded
November when the popular
Wolf Biermann was de-
louring West Cermany at the in-
of the metalworkers
mion. Within 24 bours 13 prom nent authors signed a protest, followed the same week by over a Sents disrupted lectures demand-
discussion of the whole affair, and hundreds of workers agned petitions in his support.
In the carly summer months.
ews of fresh repressive measures
expubIons
THEALTERNATIVE
It is im mediately apparent from Rudolf Bahro' book The Alter-
nitted communist altempting to
ind thoroughgoing critique LE CIDE DE CAR LIT
my and to put fotward & real
ternative to it. And of course
hich the regime cannot mopt by putting him in jail.
THEFORUM
From 1967 he was employed at te Herlin Kuhher Works den-
Soweto and after
There is a central paradox
the one hand South Africa is the area of sub-Saharan Africa with the longest
back carliest
levelopment of capicalism and incorporates, briefly outline, (chapter 2), all
central experiences of international WOrKinE class movement. Ar an histration it is sufficient to note that tbere was a • Soub Africa From 1953 el CELa MOIS TOISATIS 1939.
On the other hand, the very maccess of the repressive white
ime, especially since the late 1950%, bas meant the
effective
appression of any real work by revolutionary Marxists Inside the COLLY. 11S LESOULIN generation rebels aprtheid, personified SOWEtO student - bave no reas nourical Tormanon existence of Marxism as a force capable of explaining theis suuation and assisting in charting a way forward for tbeir struggles
INTERNATIONAL
Ferment in East Germany
The arrest of Rudolf Bahro in August of this year attests to a deepening ferment of Fast German society and politics. Fresh evidence of this was provided last Friday when a seemingly minor incident — the ending of a jazz concert at 9.00pm — led to 1,000 people demonstrating in the centre of East Berlin and bloody battles with the
Wing with questions of work He had alrcady started questioning ine nany's allcelance to Marxism when he was editor of Therie 1969, increased Farsaw ract toog zechsiovakia. H this event the biggest political crane ot ine soviet since the Second World War.
RECONSTRUCTION
Bur Bahro did not leave the thanking correct 1o begin to develop a theoretical critique of the regime arty. Unlike the leaders af the
considers now thal the communist muwement nas to b wholly reconstructed and that the Communist Party is bureaucrati cally fossilised and unreformahle.
AGREEMENTS
Bahro's critique of the policies and structures of the East Ger man rerime must ne sepously considered by all Clearly there will be many paint agree fundamentally with him.
Some of these are indicated in ETICSEMECS ET DE LA Southern Africa After Sowero, by Alex Callinicos and John Rogers, is one of the best of a range of books which try to explain the significance of the latest rise of black struggles in southern Africa. The book 'discusses the stralegles pursued by the black liberation movements in southern Africa', claims the blurb, but, JOHN BLAIR argues, that is just where the book's central weakness lies.
has, as many of them frequently say, only come to their attection in exile. and WEAKNESSES
Such people are only the most politically developed of cbe mass the South Africa. bE tbe non-white This
should judge a book by revolutlonaries is how far it cait serve to underscanding of the vanguard of this new generation of Souch African blacks. the book does not measure up to this standard. This is nor because of any fundamenral errors of analysis, location of the African cconomy within tbe im the perialist framework and its char- acterisation of the talise ar fondation for are foundation looking at chat state.
But the probleme come with the very meagre treatient of more
book in the last edition of Imprecor, There can be no doubt, hom ever, that Bahro's work is bu sion and one product or a deer and wide-spread Marxist elaboration in many. Hahro will Dor be the ins major
Matter wears of maturine But this first contribution des-
work of tremendous vitality and
, but his doubts
considered
catership
TUNDE ANTHONY, Bakke's case is thal be was not
of the minority admissions programme operaied by the Univer-
Fessional schools. In September
cam bo socialists. the California Supreme. Court
found the Univerity of California dis"reverse discrimination' for opcrating a minority rocent developments, particularly
consciousness movement. course it is extremely difficult to the opposition in the 1970s er 10 get hold of many of its public attet it in a serious errar belleve that you can establish the for the black masses solcly bs celtique ot movernens like the
which are now alcost exclusivel in exile and have played very Little pett in roocat events. vanguard of African working class is nom MEILLEURES MONOI LUESAIMET generally found inspiration so much in the history of their population in own country as from such divers means that figures as Malcolm X, Fanon an
The Guevara sumes so cune darterent InEr
predecessors, enough to repeat, redes tend to do, time bonoured LOTEISICH truths about the primacy of the
working class and the need to Coaship level. organise Such & project
South
recDensine that in Lis on the need to smash the racist state, its cotimilotent to practica productive
escablishment of a tradition of struggle after the passivity of the late sixties and early seventies, albeit politically heterogeneous
process East Ger
appear underground
like him from jail.
Last week saw the first stages of the review of the case of Alan Bakke In the US Supreme Court. Bakke, a 37-year-old white space engineer, claims that he was discriminated against by a medical school, writes
by both the state
open bousing
jobs including hired, first fired"
minorities and касионату Jorces
pro-war cra.
gunity conditions admission ment and slui bousins Of
fail to suggest any
to
with the self
the South
of recovery. The LNCHISCYCS
They ace thus Frontation.
We have dealr aimost
.com. book that Africa iselt
Factory and not
must begin by
dealing
its
of coough known. the new movement, senous Encoretical analysis
honesty — as well as one of great cournge. It is essential thai the Browing Cast Laman oppostion should nor be isolated from socialists in other parts of the
It is essential, too, thar the international workers movement SOLITE TENECIICE bureaucratie repression in East Berlin to halt their campaign iation from
and to ENHARTE free Rudolf Bahro and others
Bakke vs Black rights
not ooly national minorities but
This decision has given delight
strength to those forces
cradication of all constitutional
made by the black
a massive attack on black righrs cannat
and oulier anti-black forces: the Supreme Court décisions on school sogregation,
and affirmative
EST 20E teaching: IRS The Bakke case is one of vital importance for black people, other national
women. Mast are squarely селіла шакае ш ши австрь к pur black rights back into the
seich is the quota system, is muite simple Given the historical exPenence ones, present avine
high unemplay and increasing discrimination, black and unstructured, contalas seed of the leadership of thie coming South African rev-
It is notable thar the comrades
potential lines of achon for the south Airicar proletariat beyood the economic struggle. They hope that victories
confidence neu essary to take on the state.
But the bossoball of the Stath African working class winning substantial econonue victories is
enormous repressive apparatis at the disposal of the state; and th
the economy is showing few signs
comrades STECAS MALLIERT cconomic strugele in Souch Africa immediately assumes the character ol a political con-
exclus-
deals with South The project the
rating this inte the southera African context as a whole is
Unfortunately the balf of the book chat tries to do this hy
developments Zambia, Angola and Zimbabwe
near falfilling ics (Chapter aim. Most of it is simple report
events that are well source, There is Zambia 1975).
The chapter on Zambla con-
* For information on the GDR and Enstern Evrope read Lahour Focus on Eastern Europe. No. / contains on analais of the Bier
Marxists in the GDR and the nekr issue, No. 5
will солім г
of the Subro cone,
the chapter in his ALLETISUVE GEOLIRE with the phenomenon of bureaucratiserion in the GDR.
NATIONAI
COMMITTER
MERTUON
demonstraton agars ine cocke rung un ine camornie oupreme coor
Many significant advance withour thie inscicution
Like employment and education. The quata system is not a long-tern solution to the problems bational oppression, but withou it the situation of blacks can only
BROK DOVEILY BAS CCCn Ou BG
particular relevance to the
rising cnst of medical care and modical oducation in Americr
TENDSITNE facilities availahle to
Hacks. Acoording to a report by
one physician for every TON people nacionally: hach commuraty it is anis car for every 3,000, There are only 6,048 black doctors 3,000 black dentis. and (cHA) tezisteren
Southern
Africa
after
Sowetc
ALEX CALLINICOS AND JOHN ROGERS at least six identifiable facrual errors Twe of thes
cotes 14 and 22 involve additions to the quotes
(IMG pamphlet on
Overall these sections are carelessly structured and one is left
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE, 20 October, 1977 page 12
Blacks continue ro live shortes lives and die from hear, disease
mothers die in childbirth three tires as after. Black -children surrer twice as aruce tron Hoi dericiency and malnutrition an receive aimost no dental care.
the California Supremie Court decision on Bakke, there can be ao doubi that prescot conditions will warsen. Il is also certain that & wonld give a hoost to antiвав зовст ано толос скашь! blacks would increase.
Whichever way the decision
learn ou the value of constirational methods as a final salu-
super-exploitation of blacks in America, Such kssons are just as TUILE TEE DES TIEN wishing that the authors had left them put so as to make a more developed analysis of events in South Africa.
*Soethers Africa After Somefo by Alex Callinicos and Rogers, Pluto Press 12.00
Page 13 scan of this page
The Strong State: The West German Example
SURPLUS VALUE
Whatever the final outcome of the kidnapping of West - German
Hans Martin Schleyer by mem bers of the KAF (Red Army Faction) terrorist group, one thing is already clear: who the losers will be. It will not be German capitalism, not even the Bonn Government, but the socialist movement and all those opposed to the further crosion of democratic rights in the Federal Republic.
In the fastest parliamentary passage a bill has ever seen, the Bundestag has already reacted with a new law banning all communication between olitical prisoners and the outside world, an urther demands — for the re-introduction o capital punishment, the use of specialised
the tightening up of restrictions on the rights of lemonstration - are heing raised, Be many ti the right wing of the Christiar opposition
The right wing press is having a feast of unrestrained red-baiting: lists are being published of so-called "erroris sympathisers", giving
Yes and addresses of prominent progress ive writers and artists such as Volker Schlandorff
of The Lost Honour of Katharina deinrich Boll (the film's author and Prize winner) and • Laus Perman director of Stuttgart's municipal theatre, Correspondent fee that McCarty lal and No wonder that even Geardian's Bonn end orego obser furber.
Dutch the New ot Tima. ceking political asylum in France, appeared on French television last week, he referred to the terrorists as 'anti-fascist freedom fighters". But is West Germany on the road to anotber fascist dictatorship, or even in the grip of neo-fascism already?
The answer to this question is, of course, no. The Federal Republic Is still a paramentary democracy, with legally existing reformist and revolutionary socialist organisations and trade unions. There is not even a fascist movement on anything like a mass acale, despite the recent publicity for the small, and apparently weil organised, neo-fascist groups involved in the abduction of Nazi war criminal Kappler from an Italian hospital.
But it is not only obviously wrong to speak of • neo-fascist danger in West Germany at the present time, it is dangerously misleading: the preoccupation with the danger of a Nazi revival can only suggest that the problem is a specifically "German" one and blind us to the intermational nature of the tendency towards strong, repressive DOUBOIS 18603. and sow confusion amongst socialists about the tasks we are facing in combatting the increasingly repressive evolution of all Western capicalist democracies.
mary the claire a duty dia.
mentary democracies in the cloped capicalist world. West Germany crane salt Ah basic desecrate rises al
trong state. A qualified or a seton cal see qualified. mcluding, in West Germany. ELISHE MOLICES railwayworkers and teachers, do not have a righ to strike by law, and they, with bundreds of bousands of otber publie employees, are the mailt which prevents them from joining a party of the Over a million applicants for public jobs have stitutional Protection", the West German Special Branchi since the "Radicals Decree' was passed in
1972.
Even within the trade unions, a kind of Berufaverbot is in operation with all the major unions officially excluding supporters of organsations to the left of the Comenunist Party from union membership (although the goverment's decree does apply to the CP. t00). Although the trade anions are, of course, legal they are subject to a number of restrictions: the legality political atrikes, for instance, is at the very least doubtful.
All political parties and groups to the left of ocial democracy are still threalened by the 195 Constitutional Count decisio outlawing the
Trotskyist organisations were tolerated since unconstitutional advocacy of violence' is already being used to contiscale left-wing iterature and pubtications. Defence lawyers in political trials Have coe connesatons wun cacois monkore and can be excluded from the court proceedings If suspocted of 'Involvement in the crime'
As far as the most obvious agencies of state
the police and th military — the para-military nature of the West German police
where armoure
steel-belmeted police equipped with submachine guns have become part of daily bite. Serve in Such the he My at i bl MEK
by
GÜNTER MINNERUP
(Barder Police) and units of the
Col an otherwise aredy conscripe army are at the governemnt's disposal for dealing with any sort of disturbance of public order. And there is, of course, the NotstandsMESCLEC (Emergency Lawsi. D85s00 in 1568 which, if invoked, can suspend all democratic rights including the right to strike altogether and quite legally establish an autboritarian dictatorship of the executive and the military
This üst cannot be exhaustive: in the seven years since 1969 tbe Federal Parliament passed no tewer than 32 new Jaws direcly telating to 'Enterbal security". More important, however, thon listing all the many existing and planned restrictions of even bourgeois derbocracy in West fermany is an understanding of what it al means. What are the lessons to be leared from tbe German example for socialists elsewbere, ADd what does the 'strong state" represent in terms of Marxist theary?
One of the most striking features of the West German camole Is the role naved by the social democracic SPD in strengthening the hand of the STIC Although Bundesrepublik under Adenauer was not exactly everyone's idea of a liberal democracy, the passing of the Emergency Laws and the subsequent boom in repressive legislation, the strengtbening and centralisation of the police apparatus, the Berulsverbot and so on fall into the period of SPD government (from 1966 to 1969 in a 'Grand Coalition" with the CDU, ever since in a coalition with the much smaller liberal FOP).
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE, 29 October, 1977 page 13
But they also coincide with the end of the long entire capitalist world including Germany into a poor op come socal aa pontica instability, and the emergence of new political marked incresse in working clase militancy. The coincidence is nor accicental in west Cormany Ins in Britain and a number of minor European countries) boch the masses and sectors of the ruling class entrusted social democracy with the task of carrying out long-overdue economic, infrastructural and political reforms. Only the SPD could be expected to push through an incomes policy and the Emergency Laws without provoking militant trade union action; only the SPD could successfully neutralise the extraparliamentary opposition by selling technocratic reform of the education sector, the taxacion systems and other problem areas as democratic or
unity of the qualitative strengrbening of the state's role in the economic, social nod political life of late capitalis society
The liberal, non-interventionist, laissez-faire
belongs to the past of an marker economy - a fact
BREZ
"leftin" Keynsian and the fascist variety of starte intervention into the cirisis of capitalist sociery both bet but teen valete or e totems response to the dench any of different varieties of the
Naturally the role of social democracy in promoting the establishment of the strong stale can obly be Jimited, The contradictions inherent in a bourgeois workers party, the conflict between its capitalist masters and proletarian clientele, will finally tear social democracy apart
and land from he and me evil by openly
reactionary forces who can make muscl ruthless use of the repressive arsenal social democracy helped provide — even against social democracy itsell
But for the prescut the SPD's role in government and the continued support of the vast majority of workers for that SPD poses a terrible problens to the West Gerian left: that of having to light the might of the bourgools state apparatus in virtual Isolation from the organised Inbour movement. The ultra-leftist politics of despair so dominant on the German left — not just the terrorist RAF and its sympuchisers hut also most of the Macist and some of the Trotskyist organisations — are explicable in that light, but not excusable,
And despice the pitfalls in drawing too mechanisric parallels beiween West Cermany and other West European countries in which the class struggle is more develope, the examples of the struggle against the Prevention of Terrorism Act and of campaigns on the Irish struggle in general in Britain face similar problems, as in
CLOTAL YARDEY DILOC Union of the Left or a floally consumenated
On the most general theoretical level is raised ine question or ene revolutionary lett's atlitde to bourgeois democracy and the defence of democratic Tights. In the euphorin tollowing May 68 and the historic victory of the Indochinese revolution, vorld revolution a
cared to be just around the corner, and th siruznie in detence bi bourgeois democratc rights tended to be lightly discissed and left to the left reformists and liberal progressives
The German exampie, but also some of the practical problems raised by the Portuguese and Spanish revolutions (where a "democratic strug sie was suddenly discovered by some of the more rightist Maoist groups as a discinct stage through which the proletariac has to pass before the socialist revolution can possibly be on the agenda), demand a thorough break with that tradition.
Page 14 scan of this page
The Colquhoun affair
COMMENT
in the USSR
BARBARA BROWN knows as
mountain of evidence to show
then Waraine Brezhnev of Current Evers the -bramidle of
in the Ukrgine,
tinge of Leonid Plyushah, The humour Barbara sode that the unconsciously
ement was strictly limited Truthed what she mans to aly hemism for "brutally
significant. This betrays a complete misunderstanding of poli-
are very little, in the East 1
leans ari
treat Ukrainian Plan Wonger Delancs Come the activists of o bigger thar
the
strictly limited' to Barbara; the bursaucracy is not so naive
ticker when at umber of
systematic national oppression in the Ukraine idea for this boy
Sorry State gives the nat onal
question a 'new She should be frank and say
implication is clear enough: after the overthrow of the bourgeolale the national
withers 'gradually This ense. The overthrow of the
198088208812I SULTAI nations any more than 1l autor natically solves the appression
women, racial minorities, gay people or religious persecution. Anyone who argues that such problems aitain a "new signifi-
In the context of a orkera' state - even a deform ed one" peddling a very dangerous piece of the wishfut
Socialist
Challenge
EVENTS
EAST ANGLIA
CULLHESTEH SOCIEST Challe
supporters group meets fort
Vike at 17 Anglesea
SCOTLAND
Thursday 6.00pm. Wide
range of Fl publications.
Salunday 11am-2pm.
SOUTH/WEST
Way 25 October: The Octob non - 30 years on. Foous on
SOUTHAMPTON Socialist Challange
→ Fusala: 15 2 Socialis Anchor
HOME COUNTIES BASINGSTUNE naders'
National oppression
woid. And when such ideas are
applied to the reality of Sovie
story they tum from wishful thinking into wriful shrinking from mountain ranges of evi CANCE
Barbera engages in blatant
apologetics when she does try to take up one piece of the histori
cal evidence in economic pillage in Tha Ukraine.
She states as fact that much o this economic surplus is
noustry in the backward centra
What is ture a the bureaucracy nie ture of the bureaucracy
trial development are not in the
CHIT AND THOUGHTS STI They are in the Russian Federa tion. Furtharmone tion of the rouble the slightest alter the
is surplus is extracted in
Ukraine b Russian-dominated cracy, that is what we mean by "economic pillage'.
Finally Barbare uses B favour-
lists for the Sovint bumaucra
Toning body he ukrainlan
people want, s0 WE CONSU
that they teel nationally oppres
sed. This is utter philistinism an attampt to throw out of the
winerience of the Manhat move
ment. Who KnEW Basques or Catalans might want as when what he undera when they Silent? 1860 her the might want in the Who knew what the Czechs and Slovaks might want in the earl
180 No they
who, historical analysis and historical
balan masses may today when they are silent? Or. to put it another way: what is Marcism for?
OLIVER MACDONALD [London]
BRIGHTON Sociallet group messing setirey Sheriten or
La Rose or Lenson Road atation NORTH WEST
a detais of activities in the N
te or ring the Manchest
locally, Manchester 1. 081-23
group meets territy Vilene
ays at Stanley House. Upper Parlia
Green, Liverpool Road, Warrington LONDON SOUTHALL. Supportams group mael fortnightly. letaile phone 01
Socislat Chellenge
tarnightion Hotel,
load NWID. 7.30cn YORKSHIRE
Street (off the Wicker), Sheffield,
building
MIDLANDS
9000).
LUCIEN SOCINDE
8pm.
7.30pm, the Fish, Fish Street, Narr
a
left
the destina това пос вп HOT THI
a privileged bureau
and Turner (Sociaiist Challenge, • october urga taking part in confused witch hunts and to lay off Maursen Colquhour, There that anu-gay prejudice nas play ed a part in the remove her as an MP. However, hat doe did support Powers that she did uppor racist outburst.
Who
Want Challens Challenge ONE!
Float on Students the CHANGOMINA HOEVA CORMONG Communist Parly, Labour Party (Clause students as Left. TEHO COMTEE DINO RESH and is now becoming Increaingly Irrelevant to the lssues ng students as the CP pushNumery
palitical line.
which extends to the Federation Conservative exciudes the ultra-left'.
JOURNALIST, WANTED FOR SOCIALIST CHALLENGE Socialist Challenge requires an additional journalist, to work mainly on sub-editio prial management. While train ing can be given, we woukt prefer a comrade with some WELLING CROCHeL Applications to: Appointments, 328/9 Upper Street, London NA.
I am not
social-
democrat
no grant organisations attempts to prosecution, refused 1o act.
11777717
11117
2n7721
27771/7-
ANOTHER one? But the WHOLE BLOODY FORCE is protecting THIS
yeare the
Rance support for the Broad in has ULET Education and
more right-wing for the 0063ATH213
Students but
from ine leadersnip
Bauld edit-
There har
Socialist Challenge.
tew militant colleges.
in order
On 21 January, Powell launch Paweil is
most overtly He prophealed a race
war and challenged the Altorney Che Race Relation At ar
standing'
The following day Colqufoun announced that she was rapidly
coming to the conclusion that
exclusively
SSA speak-out
So as to win influential frienda In the FCS and in college admin-
mass colleges Two mars ago, over 100 colleges
were occupied by stucents dem-
Broad ending of the HITH WIN TO UPHRENIRE PECU cation as the way to make gains. tuition fee increases of up to 300 PoT Can 9os & 8unaT80p013s
There is a clear need far an be
ing Broed Left. That alternative
mentad into squabbling groups and seats, cach claiming to b the ailernative. Although If may
allernstive to the Broad Let In single colleges on this basis
which the battle is taken up. Failing this
able to isolate and ignore the
IN LAST week's issue, Rewiew of
Books, Paul Bellia referred to
me as a veir sociar democrer
While 1am giad that the voil Roberts amas describer by and not right
make it cinar that i do not accept
traditionally incomparible with
For exsmole I believe that the
State is not neutrai, that Parlia
to change society in a funda-
forces of the capitalist State
heve to be rooted and armed
to accomplish revolu
LEOTAP CIT
communist strategy as a pack
views in Anderson's 1966 essay
- Towards Socialism, which
Pery easer nas ator doscribed Pontinued my re a racist
but tam now living in one and
my stee has rited
September, months later, she claimed that she was
was by all
sections pt the poiltical
Martin Wetiste
Shifled'. He stated
ENCE MORe
important and valueble than the
which Enach
var" in Britain, was the reactic
Col quhoun, Trinunite Labour MP for
Northampion North.
Webster praised her Intellec
integrity tor changing attitude on immigrants and fo
admitting the fact in the wake c Powell's particularly dramatic
A clarification
ambiguily which accurred
Peton Bite Treet ol
longe. Palar Fuller concentrates
on
tage work that i did for Workers
Septembor 1973 when i was
am not arguing with his aesthe!
a Judgemant, but l would like ti
make clear that the nature of
involvement with Workers Pres OUT TURFINI
twas at that ume a men car o the Workere Revolutionary Part
and would dispute his atatemen
There is of course a need for
solt to debate their ditterances but this debate should, our view, be carried out within
LOR SARAMAN DEA N
students laon. So as to provide a
aRe tis son or actan on national and local basis.
set up last year in the aftermath
WHIT RADO ME BAHAMEER-D the left in NUS ail too clearly The tina to Nis Stea course,
struggle outside the walls of their colleges. The linke between granta, against college closures. BENE
need to be linked to parallel uS.
within the labour movement through bath propa ganda and practical activity.
policies around which it was Telt
action was possi ble, Amongst the Issues covered
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE, 20 Datober, 1977 page 14
Where i may altier with some threshing of Parament on no WICH CHINKEE CAMOCTAC and l assert that a precondition
socialist and change in the majority in Parliament. These
Parliamentary Democracy interting weir of pite despite the
Astra
zas], it gets artacked fram the
left sa social democratic an from the right as Trotskyist suggest Socialist Challenge LENA SLOWNHILE PUTTA TEA of the Labour Party to sort col terminalogy. . Meanwhile, congratulations on
GEOFF HODGSON (Manchester).
speech. The effect would he to
make raciem more respectable
and assist ina groinary tok p
Britain 1o feel less gulity about
their "racialier" instincts
lower their voices and furtive when they are in
their local put discussing immi-
gration and a stranger comes in,
more ready to defy the psynho.
logical intimidation
TV and the Race Relations
Webster In correct as to the
effect of Colguhoun's speech
With that speech sha removed
herself from the
movement. Whether she
damage cannot be undone s
sob-stuff Interviows ir
Guardian or threalened ones in
ANDREW JENKINS (Notting ham)
Heartfield than fa Kennard
strugglin with the - constrainta
of Workers Press in 1973/74' a
The work produced walen tre war war made passible through being an
productio
editorisi board
I was helped in particular by
the work of P.J. Arkle and Marti?
photographers
Workers Press. I left the paper in
May 1874 bocause of politica differences with the WAP
PETER KENNARD [NW London] rejecting the argument that edu cation was a caposition to all farms of recism including ail immigration conNo Plattorm' tor fascists and racists, for the abolition tuition fees, which discriminate against many overseas students for free aborten on denand
struggles (South Africa and Ire-
spec Tically and 50 on. This list o policies was not lor sh time: the SSA holds tuc conferences every year at which
and modified as the membership sees fil.
want to set up a branch or SSA OUT COHeRE shiversily then get in touch with
Lewes Daries le a member of the Steering Committes of the Social-
Further
Mick Archer, President of Bir-
migham Polytechnie Students
Page 15 scan of this page
Exhibition: British Painting 1952-1977
answer these questions.
Peter Phillips's contribution Is called Mosaikbild No 7, the style
cloying "hyper-realism"Images of Elvis Presley, a woman "sex symbol", motor car and animal parts, and precision mechanical components are fractured and presented, as if on a split
WILLIDE CAMICE divides the canvas surface into
Mosuitbild No I exudes uncritical about Vals DE Pos-war OlIs cur
It seems to belong unmis. takahly to the affluent and Wilson's 2041617
'white heat of the technological tend porticians when Elvis King. about never ag full emplos ment and rising living standard
up by the High Tide of Keynesianism: the technological processes of production are there but neither a worker nor a manager
Phillips Keynes thought. by confuring
question of the re Tationship between the forces and
of production There is not so much as a visual whisper of the crisis those values Tornie e R00 collapse in the 1970%
But it comes as a shock when we realise that this picture was in fact made in 7974 thus, not only does il perpetrate false ideologic al illusioni tre ha the ne. ception of the truth in their day, but it does so at a time when they have been manifestly discredited by history
Now OLIT production and standards of living are falling; the atteries of popular culture MaTC siffened;
even capitalism's protagonists agree thai ii is in crisis, Keynesianisns is un ruins: Elvis in in his grave. Yet Phillips paints as if he did not know,
Of course, there are works i very lifferent styles from Phillip's shallow Pop in this
One can identify 'lyrica!" and formal 3s anton aca
"realism', and fair splattering of eccentrics who do not fit into any category. Even so, Phillip's painting is typical of post-wat Balish art in a sens which transcends style
Most of the paintings share a common terection of the teDes SATO MAI ConTine relation to the monterial world, a
isolation from CALICEE denial of history, and an intdifferenice to the liver and exper lences of the working clas
Since this show has boen organ sed by the Royal Academy, i
sample ings in relared styles. Albough Lhese include plenly of panireit of the middle classes and their cavironment, very, very few pictures relet to the working class ar tore ben tring ogg it a (Eunich's pnintings joit, it is so unexpected.)
But it would he wrong to object
grounds of ics exclusive subject matter alone. Tbe very pictorial conventidos e which il make use are those which arase 1o
UNDER REVIEW
Painters who've
waved goodbye
to the world
This exhibition of 402 pictures by 197 artists is a shop window for the professional painting of the Welfare State. It is often said that the Russian State imposes stultifying constraints on artists, and suppresses most imaginative and radical attempts to represent the world in a new way by enforcing a uniform 'socialist realism'.
This is perfectly true. But what kind of painting has the post-war British state produced? Are "free' painters here imaginatively and critically representing their world? If not, why not? This major exhibition can help us to
of the bourgeolsie at a particular and now superceded, moment of its development.
Altbough it was claimed that these could sem. objectively, The Truth'. the development of photography was just one factor which grad Dipco 10 historically specific they That why those presently secking to revive them the for proletarian themes are so misguided. spicuously Francis Bacon — have tried to modify Lhese conventions has yet adequately explained why the visual equivalent of neuroti anest which is thos produced is of ercater significance than th effects prodi bed within the Hal In the catalogue, Giore writes: The iory of art in Briaget Riley:Crest1964
years is that of the coming of age ante ar American prini cance of American painting demy shows that in our time PaterPh/lips: MosaikolidNo.1.1974
gande traditions have atrophied They now contribuse nothing either to the was in waich we seo the world, or to women's and men's consciousness of their his PO DICITAI For example, tains paintings by Law, Croce, ethers who either are, or are al but, blank monochromes signify-
Since several of them are grey or black, they lack even the sensubus hedonism of some American field painting without polemical intent, these monochromer reveal the liter wall at che end of the modernist cul-de sac repre-
detached itself from involvensent with the
development to were which it has nothing to say, and who are
chrome. The style of chese paint-
TO CON the same
Despite its stylistic spoctrum British painting thus reveals itself as no temporary Russian realasm'; it certainiy has dis covered no more effective way of representing the and much of il has lied Trom thai world altogether.
Frederick One reason is that the private
25 Бінікс bere has
gether. Many such painters Thus producing exclusively wealthy overseas collectors, This, combined with poss-war can cultural hepemons, is reason why the Royal Academy
Tunsbaland
Produced Duncan Grant. 1972.
be as meaningful, material conditions of
meaninglul, pursued its owo point Kong
the antithesis of
the artist must "free" to less limited than con-
*socialist
world
constraint. "free" to do anything in modernist paintine at all now collansed atto
ingrully and socially tow
AUSILIA ESTESSEILE. commissioned some Academicians
Ingeut
of the State
Henee
the national museums,
painter must
struggle.
For House, Ameri antir 20 November.
andpensiones.
Dy PETER FULLER murders. is stuffed full of so many cuormous, vacuous abstracts. Those who produce them hope they will
For as to collectors from Texas, Saudi Arabia, or Hong
thuyers lettin the Brita martel serious domestic are the institutions, like the Tate and the Arts Council. But they operate on the assumption that
be produce anything and Paracuay. therefore not to be commissioned by the State or its agencies
This reedomi so much waunt ed in contrast to what happens under a 'socialist realist" system, ers.
the artist becom -anything ca. except to work micanSter 2 There no substantial British society which has ams arrested thie social need for painters, expep those institutions, firms and in
portraits from
existenos through the effect of the indirect patronage
whose own insti tutions, while refusing to com-
buy ap the culturally marginal products produced by the rodan-
have been produced hy artists.
monochromes. folded blankets, and piles of bricks in
Another change in style alone i
British painter's situation. To servise, Dow that the bourgecisie no longer needs her or him te pencer the Fidon beny be
find a becoming necessary to the work
class in their bistorical
"British Painting /932-1977 25 a the Rayal Academy, Burlingro
Piccodelly. London Wi
80p, halfpricefor studenrs, groups
LATOL
AMERUA
A Week of
by CAROL MACHELI.
RODOLFO WALSH, an Arger Line journalist, is almost certainly dead. He was kidnapped months ago by the 'Christian regime a
General Jorge Rafael Videla aller sending hian a letter af protest. The letler was an analy sis of one ycar of military rule -
Dise of disappearances, tortur
Decrees banning forma of popular expression
"These events', it sand near the end, 'are not the greatest suffer-
if human rights for which you are responsihle. In the coonomic policies of the Government obie finds not baly the explanation cor us repressive crimes, bur Risc a greater atrocity which punishes milliens of human heings with careraly planoca misery...
Talking about cultural resis
and repression the mititary dictatorships of the soutberi cone" of Latin America is talkine about the gle. And these are the themes of the Latin Aiberica Festival to be beld in London in the last week of this month, organised by the solidarity committees for Argen tiria, Chile, Bolivia, Brazil, and
The importance of culture in the strucele is revealed by the extent to which the dictatorship have repressed all cultural wor
STA 111 killed for areason. So were many oibers througbout Latin Ameri-
SLERTESSICN COVErS mans Fields, as the Argentine generals
not lesitale to inform us.
probaoly wEy thes Divinskys, whe chüldren's book called Cinco Dedos (Five Fingers). Ac cording to the military, it wa
Bimed al infants, with a view to indoctricating then in prepuratin for givin thiem ideulogica.
which would lead re subversive acts.
Facing che massive repression of popular culture, the working class and the left are finding new
FA-OTHER CALEMA-
25 Tottenham Street, London W1. Tel: 6379308
SHADOWS OF OUR FORGOTTEN ANCESTORS, a beautiful Soviet
Uraina for homasexualily. Sun. 21 Oct. at 5pm.
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE, 20 October, 1977 page 1!
FATTA
Events on Catture anc
ways of lighting back example came recently. when Uruguayan priat workers insertinterni lune of a prere representing bourgeois oposition to the regime. As
resul the paper was closed fo ten days, and its editor ATTEnDATORE MI national capital - was deporter to Argentina, complaining -crime had heen committed agaicat hin
Eduardo Galeano the exiled Uruguayan author of The Open Vein of Latin America, recently wrate of a new Latin Americar Sterature el resistscce whic does not set out to hury our own dead. but to perpetuate them which reloses lo clesr un th ashes and on the contrary tries to light the fre
Caleano will be ane of th narticipants in the Latin Americ
which hope will contribute to the co0
ciousness Chiat the Larin Ame can struggie is a continental one We hope that Socialin Chulleng readers will participate and con tribute. The week-long series o events on cultural repression an resistance, from 23-30 Octobe include:
Tel: 01-730 2910 cr 0-340 3627
1 10C01
Page 16 scan of this page
Strike on and strike anew!
THE GRUNWICK strike not won on Monday. There was TENT IT CINDE ARSENUE be sad taped too Even if the 3,000
from entering George Ward's camp it would only have been a temporary, and moral victory for the
What Monday did show, however, was that the strikers are now on the road to recovery after ILIARCHICO CAT SACHEDS the various legal proceedings and enquiries which the Labour Gov-
BEGAN TAUSEE to divert the struggle.
entirely characteristic of the role of the APEX general secretary, Roy Grantham that he should chose the eve of the mass Grunwick strike committee, He criticised mass picketing and on a tovisa programaic dovisco the strikers to rely on the House of Lords who will some
of the ACAS judgement on Grunwick. it is onlikely that even Grantham really believes, that salration lies in the hands of the Law Lords. His increasing wil ungneis to make public display of washing his hands of the USE NUKES IS HOW OCENT ing one of the most nauseating sights in the trade union move
For its part the TUC maimtains Sistered with the Posr Office as a nevspape
After the mass picket
is cynical apachy towards the Grunwick situation. It has done
the decision laken at the Congress to step up support.
Only the maximum amount of Prese leader to set. When the to act TUC meets on Wednesday October they should be met with
the role they have letting George Ward
The TUC lobhy planned for should not be of the But a peat hee one that tows borine solidarity that Grunwick strike and the bisterness militants feel towards the do-nothing TUC. It needs to be a
Both for the lobby and for the new dates for mass picketing the SLIKE COUTENCE WILDE BIE effective country wide isation is essential. This mean CI SUDDE towns and cities throughout the country, It also means effective 0-апати оБсісл thousands of strike supporters. A solidarity needs to be immediarely orear ised - a conference which can plan action on mass picketing, MODES BR SCINICE This way the mass picket on 1 Detober rather than marking the cod of the strucale, can be scen as the start of a new one,
81300 E1400
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Saturday, 29 October
*No restrictive laws! *Women's choice not doctor's choice! *NHS abortion every woman's right! *Out patient abortion clinics now!
Leyland LONGBRIDGE
JOINT
SHOP-STEWARDS
SAY
RADE Leyland workers on the Grunwick mass picker. For the waw of thair boss on Grunwick Turn to peges 8 6 9
To date, in two weeks, just over anddebare," 1100 has heen sent in, That is just
should have been £277 We are Lane WaS
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To individual supporters we urge Leep 1510 FOU 60 supporters groups nation wide we ask you to
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Assemble: 1.30 Victoria Square, Birmingham
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Allo among the contributors are two veteran Polish Marxists in exile. One of them, conference of the Fourth Inter national in 1938, and as it happened opposed the Jormabio
the International at thar
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their support to
socialer Chullenge.
Our thanks to all the contributore thie Oxford supporion Southampion maders
Scargill
an
apology
We apologise to readers for not printing the interview with Arthur. Scurpill in this issue. The reason forthis was she Lewand story, We
pHilishing the interview
THE BATTLE
OF
GRUNWICK
tine
view from the left
By Geoll Belt, Mick Gosling.
and Tress ren Gelderer
30р
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