Socialist Challenge No. 215, 1 October 1981

Socialist Challenge · 1 October 1981 · 15 pages, 15,902 words read by machine

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Challenge

Fight and fight againfor... UNILATERAL DISARMAMENT NATIONALISATION OF BANKS, MONOPOLIES BRITAIN OUT OF EEC TROOPS OUT OF IRELAND LABOUR GOVT. WITH SOCIALIST POLICIES

No. 215 1 October 1981

25р. Unemployed and strikers 10p Socialist

PART CONFERENCE

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ARMANAME Labour left... continuing the

FOR A LABOUR GOVERNMENT

struggle

THE DEPUTY LEADERSHIP election marks a watershed for the labour whole of the Labour mobilised in the struggle to commit the affiliated organisations to voting for Benn.

Socialist Challenge ported this campaign, although we had no illusions about the significance elected as deputy leader argued for. opportunity to take the issues facing the movement disarmamant, strategy, workers democracy, unemployment and the fight to get rid of the Tories the organisations especially the unions.

Benn may have been defeated by the narrowest of margins, but the strug gle for socialist advance inside the party is not finished.

Thatcher's government is wreaking havoc on the British economy and society. evel 1982. This slump faces us in 1982. is cadine to a complete change in all the

The present collapse of the stock how far the British bosses are losing confidence

I natcher. During the next period we can expect this political crisis to result in a boost Social Democratic Party, as the Tories stab one another in the back.

More and more the on-

ly arom of the is bles

promoting bold socialist alternative to the working class movement.

All the empty calls for 'unity" and an end to conflict" inside the Labour Party are worthless, They amount to a call for the

left to give up the long struggle Tor democracy,

accountability and

socialist policies, which is

the only hope for the

ALOUR

81

Socialist Challenge 1 October 1881 Page 2

BOUR PART

movement. The left's energies were

wholeheartedly sup-

Benn being

or in the policies he

But we saw the campaign as an enormous

socialist economic

- into all of the Labour movement lagning for an socialit labour movement

alternative.

streng-

hening of the SDP 711-

cluding the inevitable

MPs, should not weaken

THOSE SCIS The tactid

of the right wing and the

burenucracy will

be to put the pressure on

both from inside and our-

side the party.

not submit to their black-

mail.

How should the left

pursue its campaign in the

CUTELIE months! First,

there

sions about where power

in the British labour move-

ment lies the deputy

leadership campaign has

demonstrated that vividly

The key levers have been

held by the rank and file of

the giant industrial unions.

But while Benn's vote

in the constituencies and

among MPs was high, the

vote for him in the unions

was disappointing

kcy task now is to build

support for left

and leaders inside the ma.

jor unions.

Linking together the

different wings

movement over next

ARTO

Women demand months won't just be a question of campaigning for democracy, however.

As always, the decisive backdrop to the outcome o! the STEELE the unions and the labour movement will be the class

the labour movement doesn't respond vigorously to rocketing unemployment and

four рег cent ceiling on nublic pay. resulting demoralisation will only benefit the righ

ving and the SDI

in thai sense therefore there should be a "turning outwards towards these struggles. Doubtless, many left wing resolutions

passed by the Labour conference.

But the next step for the Labour left incides oreanne action on disarmament, unemployment, pay, women rights, and so

forth to make these vic-

tories more than symbolic.

The best chance of ensuring a Labour govern-

ment committed to social-

would Do , out before

the next general election.

But stepping up the ac-

tion doesn't mean aban-

doning the fight inside the

party. The

selection of MP's hostile to

party policy, and for new

Labour Party

debate on positive action democratic demands including the direct election of the shadow cabinet by conference as well as for other socialist policies. such as on Ireland, should also CORELIC

All this requires organisation. In the unions the new rise of Broad Left formations should be deepened. Inside the Labour Party itself it would be the height of foolishness to wind down such forma tions as the Rank and File Mobilising Committee or the grounds that their tash is now somehow complet-

In the heat of the b battles to come there wi be a temptation also to regard the debate on policy and strategy as secondary to securing the left's victory. This would be a big mistake.

The next general elec tion could produce a left Labour government. Even if it produces an SDP Ho The SDP it is certain that the has answers to the crisis. In this decade we are almost certainly going to see, for the first time, a Labour government led by the left

win the Labour left

must assume its responsibilities

ensure that such a government omens up c

way to socialism.

IN CHAOS

By Paul Lawson

system and for ordinary people?

Many causes have been put forward, including the slump on Wall St according to some the result of the predictions of an eccentric tipster) the increase in American interest rates, or a normal re-adjustment' due to the rise in share prices earlier in the sumI Doubtless there is some truth in the point that US

evitable spin the Bre restock me koran's the rest world's financial centres. But the essence of the matte more disturbing for British capitalism.

The stock market over the past two weeks has been registering its lack of contidence in the Thatcher government's economic policies. and deep

depression both at the state of company profits and the future prospects of the economy.

Most observers fully

80 t ANNUAL CONFE

STOCK MARKET

OVER €20,000 has been wiped off share prices over the past week. What does it mean for the

expect that there will be another recession in 12 months time. The upshot is that fewer and lewet people have any confidence that thei investments will yield profits. and stock prices therefore slump.

The decline in stock market prices is closely linked to the rise in interest rates. This will mean more expensive credit facilities of every kind, including bank overdraughts and a sharp rise mortgage rates.

The latter is beginning to hit working class people particularly hard. ding to some reports the first wave mortgage defaults is beginning take place, and this deeply worrying for the building socieTies. likely to lead in the medium term to a drop in property values.

The slump is going to make things worse both

for the government and in

companies.

Lower-than-expected tax revenues will increase the government's need to borrow. That is going to push up interest rates even more and add to inflation. Pro mised tax cuts are not goIng to be macc The situation will for progressively worse companies. with money even harder to come by.

Bank loans will be more expensive, and it will be much more difficult to

from depressed, stock market. Capital investment will decrease and more companies will go bankrupt.

Every capitalist crisis leads to attacks on work-

As a result of

his present decline in th

stock market everyone is

going to be worse

Nothing could be more

absurd, that the jobs and

livelihood of millions is a the mercy of the moods and whims of a few , hundred bowler-hatted fools.

But that's the way

capitalism works

Page 3 scan of this page

COMMITTED TO SOCIALIST POLICIES

By Tessa van Gelderen, reporting from Brighton

Party.

Tonthe cosene to become depus sare.

closeness

employees union to

MPs. Those answer for. and its policies.

The orowing opposition to this right wing ICEECTSIID demonstrated throughout the first day of the conference. The successful reference back of the Conference Arrangements Committee report the -0030 MOD OROARE

'Thisisonly

the startot

the fight

Tony Benn

SUNDAY NIGHT at Brighton saw the most extraordinary victory for the left of the Labour

By a margin of less than one per cent

surprised everybody. given the decision of the public

vote for Healey. The margin of the defeat was less than the vote of 5

who abstained have a lot to

The result shows clearly that this is not a victory for Healey or the right wing and their policies. Michael Foot and the shadow cabinet have collaborated with Healey throughout the campaign. The final vote was in fact a massive vote of no confidence in the present leadership

on positive discrimination WEs CnemeC10n The failure do lhd wing stalwards Weighell and Bill Sirs to get onto the agenda discussion on updatine the bans and proscriptions was another.

But the result of the

Michael Foot openly endorses right wing

Labour Party

election showed that the

for socialist policies has not been taken deep enough into the trade

Benn failed to organise a strong enough fight.

Such a fight is essential if the left is to go forward from this conference. It •ESTE-EO AO OUUEA calities or by manocuvring 1OT TU OEHGL YOLG.

Benn and his supporters are right to point to the campaign of vilificaHOR WSE SS OCCLLaU ched against them, particularly by the DES2S barons.

Of course Benn is right when he said immediately after the result •When Roy Jenkins lost ington, Fleet St hailed it as a great victory. we mus recognise that what we ve achieved today is a great VICTOLY

HiT ne DreSSECVL be on the side of the work-

Tony Benn: 'Result is a victory for left'

ing class Benn begins to get it right when he said: 'If we are going to win this

we have to take the fight out to the people, or

the street corners and build factory branches'

But without a campaign openly and actively supporting the struggles of workers in their workplace, Benn's cam-

will not have the wholehearted backing of the working class.

Lead

And it is that backing sone that wil make editorials emanating from Fleet paper they're written on.

ne netanen are crucial not simply for

failure of Benn if he decides to stand again next year, but for the willingness of the trade

to take on this CULEOD government

Faced with double at-

tack from Heseltine Tebbit, workers will looking for lead from their tops in both the trade unions and the Labour Party.

Action

It not enough therefore for Benn to say that we should put mor "pressure union leaderships

Workers need more than 'pressure' to fight the massive altacks facing them.

As Ken Livingstone said after the deputy vote. *The Te troigne government the TESLUE down before the next Labour Party conference by industrial action.

Dennis Skinner said carher the

*Remember Upper Clyde Shipbuilders, remember

Industrial Relations

Act, remember getting the

dockers SPUL Penton-

VICUHES WTHE WE LECE

doesn't all happen at

Decision

As Aler Kitson sald

from the chair after the se-

cond ballot was announc-

ed "1 hope we can get on

with the rest business DUL uC

battle inside the Labour

Party is still not won.

The National Execu-

tive decision on who con-

trols the manifesto is an in-

ACATOHOTEL. L VOLG

was 12 all, with Neil Kin-

nock, Joan Lestor suppor-

ting the right wing

Judith Hart casting the

deciding vote.

Similarly the decision

on the NEC not to make

MPs

LABOUI BUIC

countable to party policy.

As Dennis Skinner

Photo: Jeremy Nicholl

said, the NEC 1 was look

onto the

ing for those left wingers

dominating it. It's not too

easy to find them."

Tony Benn's campaign

has started that process, to

ger a Laoour soveomn

committed to socialist

That fight now

BULELICS

has to be taken into the

whole Labour movement.

for

FOLLOWING the

the leader

Party and the unions.

transpor workars union.

Silkin on the first round. The TGWU

TECIOTS

popular refrain of the right wing? Mess

the union's biennial conference

be Benn.

issues at stake.

'away from the ference" ie debate and under media.

The 'one person, hangs uneasily Duffy, whose deputy leadership ranks of their executive Defense

day

tion' from the left.

ty aren't intimidatory.

left.

CLPs, GCs should the pressure of the media

The result and the TWGU

NUPE, responsibilities recommendation

as the last repeatedly kicked and

vote for Healey. Hard ac-

La proposal.*

Who stands

democracy?

result of the deputy leadership ballot, the right wing of the party were calling in unison for a change in the electoral college method of electing

and deputy leader. Instead argued Duffy, Varley and Healey. a 'one person, one vote' system, including postal votes, should be introduced in the Labour

The furore over democracy has been heightened by the result of the ballot in the

A majority of the branches voted for Healey, the ex ecutive recommended a vote for Benn, and the delegation ended up voting for

further compounded the confusion by adopting different methods of consulting the membership in different

What kind of democracy is that is the

The mess which the TGWU got itself into was a direct result of the refusal of the leadership of the union to allow a vote on

deputy leadership question at the This would undoubtedly have resulted in a vote for

This is the highest body of the union, the most representative, and above all one where there can be a discussion of the

Healey gave the game away when he said last Sunday he preferred postal ballots

Ter amator. COU away from discussion, the influence of the

Socialist Challenge believes that the most democratic way for unions to decide who to vote for in the Labour Party is the same way that they decide anything else - through their national conferences.

onemaTe E CHELE on the lips of people like AUEW didn't discuss the question outside the

Healey and Hattersiey say that votes at conferences, where everyone can see who is voting for what, are open to 'intimida-

But free debate and open accountabiliWhat intimidates the rank and file of the labour movement is the day-in-day-out vilification and slander from the press and television against the

The only defense against this intimidation is precisely that the issues are able to

be discussed out in front of those who are

going to vote. The same applies inside the

where the discussions inside the not be replaced by the of the ballots inside NUPE bore the very obvious

marks of the impact of the media.

the executive ignored its and refused to make a to memee sa!e

despite the fact that it was Dennis Healey

Labour Chancellor who the public sector

workers in the teeth. The result of NUPE's

executive's iresponsibility was the union

Without doubt the right wing clamour

for 'one person, one vote" will escalate in

the coming weeks. The left should not for

one moment be forced on to the defensive

or confused by these arguments

They are designed to put the decisions

of Labour in the hands of the Daily Express

the Daily Mail and the Sun. It's hard to see

the democratic principles involved in such

Socialist Challenge 1 October 1981 Page 3.

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No doubt the Times came in useful for Denis Healey when he introduced the economic debate at the Labour conference *Shifting the balance of wealth and power'

SMASH THE 40/

Britain will win

with

Labour VICIOUS is the only way to describe the latest round of attacks on working class living standards from this reactionary Tory government. As the Tories calmly announced three million unemployed last week, the new Employment Minister Norman Tebbitt proclaimed the need for a 4 percent pay ceiling in the public sector, including the nationalised industries. As if that wasn't enough Tarzan Heseltine then revealed new draft legislation to force local Councils to comply slashing of social spending. the context in which the Labour conference debate on the economy took place. TESSA VAN GELDEREN reports from Brighton.

WHILE delegates were SLURE RETO ..the stock market fell by nearly 30 PUTIES the ITN switched from (cheers and gasps, that item of news to their ference ...that is only right ... to go from those who are destroying and manipulating Britain's wealth to those who represent the working people who produce it'.

Tony Benn started his 30.12 speech Labour's debate on the

with these words. At the end of his speech a majority of delegates rose to their feet.

These were the LWO most exciting points in a debate that once underlined Ine stretchability of the Alternative Economic Strategy.

Like chewing gum it Socialist Challenge 1 October 1981 Page 4

with his That was lost any flavour might once have had. In the biggest joke of conference Healey BETCONCCO the debate and Benn sum- med up. Bold

Healey stressed the bold moves of Mitterrand while remaining

Benn stressed that British withdrawal was not

promote *little Englander campaign but, "because honestly believe that the working class of Europe want a new structure.

Healey was at pains to stress the scourge of Thatcher's unemployment policy, Benn wanted not

the replacement of Tory ministers with Labour assault on the centres of

wealth and power.

For Healey the AES is a god send. it umites the

with the party God is in his heaven and Healey is in the deputy office. AES

For Benn, the AES is the means to make an irreversible shift of wealth and power in favour workie propic and must families' that the debate might have had was lost by the NEC's proposal to romme resolutions on nationalisation for furiner discussion

Some delegates atLOCO TO grapple with specific problems such as UNCTDIOVENCT

and inpolicy. But nowhere was there a sense of urgency an understanding that what was needed policies that could really thrashing get the labour movement into action.

Delicies are required if the working class

coine to have the con fidence to take on the Tory

to know taile le

KONS native to the Tories is a

committed to and prepared implement socialist policies.

Best

But the NEC did its best to prevent the conCICICE 200210 SUCH policies, It tried to remit not ony the motion on nationalisation (for full

Labour Party

discussion 'next vear*) but also resolution on

uncmployment which called for an end to systematic overtime.

Fic later resolution NEC'S advice. against the

committing the Labour work week win Party 35-hour no loss of pay, an end to systematic and opposition to taxation of unemployment benetits. Women

It also called for woman's right to work though no speakers took up this point in the debate.

Audrey Wise in moving the motion argued that it was not enough to wait TOI HING BOX government unemployment. What was

needed, she said, was full support for those workers fighting now against redundancies and closures.

Tony Benn echoed this sentiment in his reply to the debate when he called for the support of workers like those Laurence Scott and Lee Jeans.

But desnite some good rhetoric from some dele gates the Labour and trade to one erine peter

urge restraint.

Shore MP said it is the easiest thing in the world for the Tories to transfer wealth to 100,000 people It is much more difficult

wealth to 24 million peopic:

Fight

What was left out of

the whole debate was the independent action of the bring abour such a redistri

Pay

The Labour statement on the economy strongly opposed policy, but there was no serious lead given on how senile of the public setor cent for the this winter

Arthur Scargill hinted at this problem when he spoke of lhe miners com ing to the aid of those less powerful than But that was all

Most of the debate was taken up with the problem of youth unemployment. As the mover of the motion on that subject, Philip Hope from Actlering, said: Young people who have no vote, no say, and no representation are bear-

the OUTOCH DE LOT policy. The only solution to youth unemployment is more jobs."

Fail

So after all the chatter - the real issue remained unresolved. The fight for the leadership the labour movement goes on.

While that question is still on the agenda,

ES serves no purpose The AES cept to confuse.

serious political test in Brighton. It Tailed

Labour boosts

anti-cuts

struggle

dustrial weight of the

the Tories war on local Labour Councils.

Last week Tory Minister of the Environment, Michael Heseltine unveiled new plans to legally oblige local coun cils to comply with the Tories' cuts in social spen-

din fiot only are sovern

ment subsidies to be cut to the bone, but now the op tion of putting the

preferred by some on the Labour left, is also

be removed. Local referenda will nOW be compulsory before such a rate can be raised.

Lambeth Labour Icader Ted Knight won the Labour conference to sup-

calling for all-out struggic

these new 5310033 including breaking the law necessary

Outside

Are we going to ster outside of Hesetines sw Well, comrades, that may be the casc. Is iu wrong le step Hescitine's

that means that working class people sufresult Knight asked die as a

Tabour's national ex

ecutive and parliamentary spokes person on local government, Gerald Kaufmann, all asked conference to op pose the motion. But the

experience dozens of local Labour

Councils fighting against Heseltine's cuts overcame the NEC's opposition.

Knight summed up the mood OT InC delegates when he charged: We must say to Labour coun cillors you cannot be mere

policy. We must say to Heseltine and to the Tory government that Labour in the form below Name...

Address

Age.

Union/CLP (if any).

London N1 2XP.

By Davy Jones

'BRING TO BEAR the full political and in-

labour movement against the Tories' attempted destruction of democratic local government' - that was the message of this week's Labour conference to

Ted Knight argued for a fight against Heseltine's

councillors are not going to balance the books at the expense of workers' jobs, social services, cducation and the rest. on Heseltine's was passed which promisreimburse any Labour charged for their refusal to implement the cuts.

Wake This Labour LOE ference decision comes in the wake of the

London regional Labour Party executive, to call for all-out action against Tory cuts, and the adoption of a Highnung strategy ordinated by Labour Councils against Heseltine.

Labour activists around the country should take heart trom these deci sions. In each locality the Labour Party and Int trade unions should now thrash out a plan of national and local action to bury the Tories' cutbacks once and for all

JOIN THE FIGHT FOR

SOCIALISM

If you would like to be put in touch with Socialist Challenge supporters in your area or would like more information fill Send to: Socialist Challenge, PO Box 50

Page 5 scan of this page

Laurence Scott-battle hotting up as scabs break picket line

JOBS NOT BOMBS

By Patrick Sikorski THE TUC's long against youth unemployment will start in Newcastle on Monday 23 November when the Jobs Express*, carrying 125 sponsored young people, starts a 'whistle-stop' tour of ten British cities.

25 people at each stop, workers will link up with another 2,000 sponsored youth for a mass protest rally in London on the Friday.

three nightly concerts at the Rainbow by top bands and on Sunday 29 November there will be a national labour demonstration in London.

The tremendous rank Peoples arch showed the Gile support TOT smouldering anger

Tories and their deliberate creation of mass unemployment.

burst into Inat anger the flames of the riots this summer as the black and white youth of the inner cities, goaded beyond en-

By Pete Clifford

from the employers

union leaders.

A letter has b cen sent

out by the Confederation

Shipbuilding and

CHECOEL

general sceretary

to all unions con-

cerned that

from the CSEU's point of

view the dispute has finish-

ed.

This has given the

green light to the employer

Arthur Snipe to hire strike

breakers,

Last week scabs burst

through the Scotts picket

line in an armoured van

fully protected by the

ponce They've been sent in to

ger the 12m worth of

motors ready for dispat-

ching.

fatal mistake on

their part rook place, when

scab attacked Man-

chester Eueyting

photographer lan Currie

with a two foot hammer

breaking his camera.

Eventually charges

Wete broutht grainst

Ken Messon who turned

out to be a member of the

Boilermakers' union and

Mining CHDIOVCC

Supplies, Arthur snipe s

parent company in Don-

ca With the Manchester

CSEU still firmly behind

the strike at Scotts, this

strikebreaking srade reioniss las prot

voked an angry response.

The pickets were join-

All aboard the jobs express!

awaited official campaign

At the end of the week, after having picked

the 375 young

Later that night there will be the first of

movement

durance by their no-hope life on the dole. hit back.

Official figures show that one in Britain's under- 18s are out of work.

But this figure reaches 45 per cent in some parts of the inner cities. This is approaching the disaster levels of Reagan's America where among the THE 24-week long strike against closure at Laurence Scott Manchester is under attack

and their engineering

Led during the week by delegations from local factorics MasseyFerguson, GEC and Arnfields.

Dennis Barry, believes strikebreaking has to be stopped by all the local factories regulariy joining Model resolution for AUEW branches

the country.

AUEW National Executive).

SL6 4LL with donations.

young blacks on Chicago's South-side the rate if 57 per cent.

This is just the tip of the Recent surveys in London, CHIESICL Wolverhampton show the Liverpool and

non-registration TETE 3HUH3. youth on average reached a siaggering 40-48 per cent in parts of London.

But the TUC still only wants to protest and lobby SOSTEICIL about this scandal. The official campaign logo says it all. It is a pleading hand not a defiant fist. ak but of the ses led "sealed nrez train' and be a focus for a fight-back reach out to the youth of our ghettos and champion the fighting examples of Laurence Scott.

Called in conjunction 'We do not intend to let any of our work leave told Socialist Challenge.

To back this up, a team of strikers is going into the Doncaster arca to build a campaign in Inc movement to stop these scabs.

The battle inside the engineering union to will back official backing also stepping up.

On 12 October the The following resolution has been sent by the LSE workers to every AUEW branch in

In view of the unanimous support for the Laurence Scott dispute from the 28 July 1987 Manchester North District Committee of the AUEW and the rules of the union with regard to procedure for deciding on the official status of disputes /Rule 14 Paragraph 16), this branch deplores any attampt by the executive to. terminate this dispute against the clear wishes of the workforce expressed at two mass meetings (14 July and 23 July) and calls on the National Executive to maintain official backing for this fight for jobs. (For forwarding with your branch stamp and signature to the

If your branch supports this resolution. make sure one copy is sent to the AUEW Head Office and another to the Strike Committee, 20 Round Croft, Romiley, Cheshire

Home News

Organisation, the British

Council, the National A crociation for Asian Youth, the National Union OSEROCES and Youthaid this is a first event in what is a continu-

union's final appeal court

submission from the Manchester North district com-

about SENC

separate rules which have

been broken by the union

leaders in terminating the dispute.

successful hearing could. according to local FIGE

FOR/

JOI NO CLC Шестерс-

THER CRISIS

OUR JOBS

WE DEMAND Almost half of young people out of jobs in some areas ing "Jobs For Youth' cam-

paign whose major

focus will be May 1982

Every trade union and Labour Party branch or committee should sponsor and nominate a young per-

official John Tocher,

force the executive

recall the AUEW national

Even if the strike

moves to regain official

union support are unsuc-

cesstul Snipe is facing big

problems after five mon-

ths of strike.

OUR JOBS Soin Nominations and sponsorship (E100 for the train and £20 for coaches Per perse mon be sent to

Regional Coordinators by 16 October

Every nomince will

all over the

reproduce one

Glossop AUEW branch secretary

Scott dispute.

and leaving the rank and file to ger on

Jignting.

WHY IS THIS NOT HAPPENING?

not submitting to the employers demands.

to the fighting members of this once prond union.

to the labour movement all over the country

will take orders for them.

pact.

the factory and at GEC 150 have been sold

Laurence Scott

applicatior form and the tinal choic will be made later in OcThe names of the Regional Co-ordinatol can be obtained from TU Regional Offices.

LAURENCE Scott strikers have been receiving messages of support from

country. Here we from R Ellams,

I'M INSTRUCTED by my branch to write to the executive council deploring their attitude to the Laurence

Considering the slogan "the union that fights' it seems that the generals are more interested in suing for peace

with the

This EC is supposed to be against unemployment This EC is supposed to be fighting redundancies. This EC was instructed by the national committee to give maximum support to our members ar Laurence Scott.

This branch has discussed your circular and we are not convinced that a lot of pseudo-semi-legal jargon can disguise the fact, that not only are members not being supported by the EC, but by their determination are becoming an embarrassment to the EC because they're

The branch strongly urges the EC to restore dispute benefit and negotiate a settlement that will he acceptable

LAURENCE SCOTT

STRIKE BULLETIN

TEN THOUSAND copies of the Laurence Scott strike bulletin nave been produced tor circulatior

Full of the true facts behind the strike the stewards are keen that labour movement bodies

In the Manchester area they ve had a big im-

At nearby Francis Shaw's the convenor Alan Spinks, took one bulletin for every two workers in

Bach from stewards committee. . 20 Round Soelalist Challenge TOctober 1981 Page 5

Page 6 scan of this page

Poland:

By Davy Jones TWO small unpublicised events from last week show the depth of the crisis facing the Polish authorities. staged a short sitdown strike in protest against the authorities refusal to allow them an independent union.

Second, when the ruling Communist Party tried

promise formula on wor-

sell management worked out with Soli-

Members of Parliament threatened to vote il down

the parliamentary chamber against the party's instructions.

In the Eastern bloc if you can't rely on your own party MPs police

got problems. Those problems are keiv to become ever more pronounced during

cond part Solidarity congress rently underway in Gdan-

The first halt ot the

monia caused a storm or protests and threats from the Kremlin and their lackevs in the of Eastern Europe. The reason was a series of congress resolutions and deci sions which challenged the political monopoly of the ruling bureaucracy Poland.

congress offered support to the workers of Eastern Europe BICH struggle establish dependent trade unions. It called for workers to have

he final say in the running

the lactories; for tree national local tions; and for an end to the bureaucracy's mampulation of the mass media.

Challenge

All those positions pointed towards the elimination of the bureaucracy's

social and political power, and for the establishment of workers democracy.

It is this challenge for

Ring Polish Communit

is why

Party was prepared to accept any compromise with

last week over the issue of workers' self-management.

The Solidarity convoted for resolution giving the workers the final say in the hiring and firing of factor: managers. mis challengeo the right of the Party to nominate its own people as

every 113101 position in public life in

The "compromise for-

mula adopted the Polish parliament propos-

ed that the party retain the right to nominate directors

the bureaucrats'

power crumbles

First, police officers in Warsaw

in "sensitive' industries like defence, and for judicial arbitration in cases dispute between workers and the party in all other

This undoubtedly represents a major retreat

in legitimising workers'

And it much for party hardliners who made last-minute

ditch favour the current SYSECIOn exclusive party control. Revolt

That was when MPs threatened a revolt against the Party keep the 'compromise formula

But there has also been Solidarity about the com- major within

Jan Rulewski, the militant Solidarity praesidium member who

beaten up by the authorities Bydgoszcz

and the presidium of a sell-out.

As we went to press the compromise formula 100KCE INCETOD only grudgingly accepted by the

Solidarity Congriss

As the document reprinted with this article

shows, the selfmovement represents a powerful new weapon the Polish workers in their struggle to wrest power from the rul ing bureaucrats.

Prime Minister Jaruzelski and Party hardliner Olszowski both responded last week with suggestions of a broad national front of the Party

unions, the Church WOWERS and VeTe US organisations *for the salvation of the fatherland'.

It is proof of the depth of the reaime's crisis that such ideas can be scriously

KOBIETY

ZARZADI

tional unity with the ruline bureaucrats would be a sure method of stifling the development of workers power in Poland. Welcome

The Solidarity congress last Monday welcomed speakel from founding committee for an independent union of the police, Zbigniew Dudziak.

ference of 2000 delegates representing 40,000 policemen and women demanding the right to their own union, TOO LEG conference: Police should not be used to put down working class protests.

The C 036% aisc

old VCOL founder of KOR, the dissident workers" defence committee, explain their reason for now disbanEdward Lipinski, 93 year addresses the Solidarity congress "Are hungry children the goal of socialism?' asks a hunger march banner

International

reasons for now disbanding, Edward Lipinski told WARd nOW with Solidarity:

consider myself a socialist. I have been COCRISI since 1906. Socialism was to be the solving of the working classes problems and the liberation of the working class. But the

created was socialism of mismanagement and in efficiency that brought

catastrophe unequalled in 200 years. It is a socialism prisons, censorship and police.

One surprising visitor LOUIE CORETOS was Len Murray of the TUC. Let us hope on his return he does something to help build soldarity with the Polish workers in this country. One small step at this week's Labour Par

old founder of KOR.

INALNEG

GLODN

ty conference in Brighton.

At fringe meeting organised the East European Solidarity Campaign, Eric Heffer said:

most regrettable that there was only one resolu-

conference Poland should be making a very

Immediate action

programme for

the workers' councils

The representatives of Solidarity,

workers' self-management committees,

the regional co-ordinations and the Net-

work or arac ractories nave drawn we

the following documents which

the scope of activity of the workers' self-

management bodies. They were approv-

ed by the delegates" meetings on 8 July in

Gdansk and 12/13 July in Lublin.

These two meetings

necessity of drawing up a draft plan of

activities for the

bodies. Our commission has prepared a

short term plan drawing on the concrete

experiences of the workers' self-manage

ment bodies already in existence in the

large enterprises.

Our opinion is that

ion to take compicie

management of the factories unless they

meet certain

These are the following:

1. A vote in Parliament on the decrees

relating to the way the factories and self-

management bodies are run, given the

aspirations of society

The creation at the level of the regions

of an organisational infrastructure and a

co-ordination

bodies (bank of experts, discussions on

the projects of the decrees, ete)

The creation of a system of informa-

tion for the self-management bodies at a

national level.

The activities of

management bodies at the level

of the factory

1. The democratically clected workers*

self-management bodies or the founding

tor such bodies

mediately take measures relating to:

a) adapting general

workers' self-management to the specific

conditions in the lactory, b) ensuring the

arrangement of the technical

premises etc, c) drawing up a list of all

deeds relating to

d) preparing the procedures and

The second half of Solidarity's congress got off to a story start this week

clear statement as a conthe const of full support for workers of Solidarity.

Ollen we find ourselves protesting repression South America, South Africa or Turkey, and yet we do not pay the same attention to

leading managers.

tory, the workers"

report on

the which to

define

showed the

self-management the whole of society

over the next

management bodies

control of the

preliminary conditions.

Black of activities

their realisation. 9. We must scil-management

economic and the militants

munication the self-

TOE TES will un- economic

statutes OI •TOTCE

the factory,

the region.

what happening Eastern Europe, and unfortunately in the name of socialism. fact is that Solidarity is of the TICOLES advances in any East European state and it's vital WE NE these workers full support.'

documentation for a competition for the posts of director of the factory and the

2. Before the final takeover of the fac will be to get from the factory director a

the factory, including organisational outline and the circula tion of information inside the factory. Thus report will constitute the basis from

establish the extent of the ac. tivities of the self-management bodies. 3. The report must be studied by experts and presented to the workforce. 4. After the acceptance of the report, one of the priorities of the self-manage. ment bodies will be to examine the wages system in force in the factory and to prepare a new wages policy approved by 5. The workers' council must organisc permanent consultative commissions. 6. During the period of transition before taking charge of the factory we must de mand that the factory director imple

decisions of the self7. Self-management of the factory does not imply a systematic interference with the decisions of the managers but, on the contrary, it signifies the right of contro over the manager and the possibility of spotlighting the director's activities or

8. We must not accept the plans without first ensuring that the means exist for

undertake a vast socio. education of the workforce 10. The self-management bodies must have access to the union press, to the media, the radio and other forms of com-

11. The best-organised self-management bodies must help those which have not yet reached their level of organisation. 12. All the self-management bodies and their founding committees must struggle

promulgation decrees on reform, on self-management -TECTONES guaranteeing the management of the factory by the work13. In as short a delay as possible we must make contact with other selfmanagement bodies and scientific and technical bodies existing in the area or

Socialist Challenge 1 October 1981 Page 7

Page 7 scan of this page

THE DOWNFALL of the Shah in Iran inspired millions of workers around the world But the murderous repression agamst political opposition by the Khomeini regime has led many to ask what has gone

wrong in Iran. Socialist

Challenge was able to speak to a member of the Socialist Workers Party, a section of the Fourth International in Iran. We do not necessarily share all the views expressed in the interview but discussion on the issues it raises is long overdue

The most common sentiment of people in this country, which is reinforced by the media coverage, is that Iran is no better off now than under the Shah.

What does the HKS say to that?

Khomeini's regime at one level is worse than the Shah. That does not mean that the Shah's regime was good! It was terrible, but the current repression is worse. The important difference is this: the overthrow of the Shah's regime through the mass upsurge of the people allowed three years of open activity for the workers' and left wing organisations, for the first time in 20-30 years. It gave the national minorities the space to fight against the central authorities, especially the

This development of self-organisation threatened the Khomeini regime. When the The popular insurrection against the Shah (above) was one of the most massive ever seen strike committee under the Shah turned into anywhere in the world. Below Gharani Karimi. on the left. a Kurdish HKS sympathiser genuine working class councils the regime was executed by the regime tried to disband them and replace them with Islamic councils.

When these two began to side with the workers rather than the Islamic Republican Party (LRP) even they were shut down. They have been replaced by Islamic Societies in the factories which operate just like the old SAVAK secret police under the Shah.

We should not forget that there have been tremendous gains from the revolution like the eight hour day, equal pay for women, nurseries, rights of workers to organise and so on. Not all these gains have been lost. The Khomeini regime has not completely crushed the working class and the gains of the revolution.

How does the HKS characterise the regime and what attitude do vou have to it? Are you for its overthrow or not

We consider that it is a capitalist regime.

There were two important wings of the IRP authorities. One wing around Ayatollah Beheshti was for a centralised economy with more state control. He was killed in the IRP headquarters bombing.

The other wing round Rafsanjhani opposes land reform and stands for defence of private property. This wing now runs the

Socialist Challenge 1 October 1981 Page 8

IRAN: KHOME

REPRESSION

country. Everything is now imported. ly from the West. The mullahs clain against capitalism and communism bu say their religion doesn't allow them isolated, so they have economic rela with East and West

We are for the overthrow of the r and for socialist revolution. It is po that the civil war will provide an opport for overthrowing Khomeini.

We have no illusions in the Mujah Their leader Rajavi says that they sur Bani-Sadr in order to ensure they wit support of the bourgeoisie. They expl support capitalism.

But we say that if they come to pow overthrowing Khomeini this would ope big opportunities for open activity by workers and left wing organisations, th

Page 8 scan of this page

T'S

alities and so on. It would also boost the nces to develop a mass working class or lutionary organisation in Iran In that sense we would fight aloneside n to prevent any right wing inspired tary coup that the royalists outside the ntry might support.

at has happened to the mass support t Khomeini had? is there a growth of i-clerical feeling among the workers?

Khomeini and the IRP got huge popular port from the hostages issue. We conred this matter as a factional dispute in the ruling class in Iran , not as an antierialist campaign. Bani-Sadr d for President the IRP was dogged by ion fighting. Their candidate for the

election had to be withdrawn two days before voting when it was discovered that he was incligible to stand as a half-Afghani. Their last minute replacement was a nonentity.

On the other hand the Mojahedin leader Rajavi stood on a radical democratic programme, calling for support for the rights of the Kurds, workers and women and so on. When he was excluded from the poll by the mullahs, Bani-Sadr adopted and campaigned on many points of his programme, and was elected

So the IRP used the hostages issue to regain mass support which it was losing. it didn't last long. solve the burning masses.

The situation in that regard was worse

for the regime again queued up to go to the war to fight.

Khomeini. ple, especially

people Fedayeen Majority

number of arrests: brown or black hair!

of the counter-revolution'.

the centre

and no TV

munism is better'.

Russia or the Tudeh party by that.

What is moment?

But were popular.

The mullahs couldn't economic needs of the that there

the Mujahedin.

the situation. dreds of other parents looking

Sloped thi was a

weeks when she authorities they gave her

'suspected Mujahedin victed for refusing to give his name

many more killed.

than under the Shah - production and wages were going down, prices were going up, housing problems were terrible and so on. Then the war with Iraq boosted support

- people voluntarily

But again the economic problems and the lack of democratic rights undermined sup port for the regime, though not so much for

There has been growing disillusion with the regime. For example after the hostages issue people's reaction was: "If they were spies why have they been released? And if they weren't why have we had to suffer the economic consequences of holding them?"

There is now absolutely no base of support left for the regime. Their support comes from some bazaaris, and their paid agents in the Revolutionary Guards and committees along with their families. These are the peo-

kids who arc on their demonstrations supposedly of one million

The Tudeh (Communist) Party and the group also back the regime. At their last congress they decided that one of their duties was to inform on "counter-revolutionaries'. The Tudeh party exposed one headquarters of the Peykar (Maoist) group to the authorities leading to a

To understand how fed up people are you have to grasp how few rights they fee they have left. I met a woman in a hairdresser who was crying. She told the hairdresser to dye her blond hair black because she had just received a Ministry of Health circular saying that as well as her scarf and overalls women had also to all have dark

The people hate the mullahs. They have closed down the parks — they were centres

You can't even the regime. go mountain-climbing — mountains are also

counter-revolution'.

There's only Mohammed on at the cinema

so people are very ted up.

It is common now to hear people say: If this is Islam then we don't even want the Mojahedin who are Islamic, Probably com-

And they don't mean

the repression like at the them to

Since the IRP headquarters was blown up it has intensified, Not just 72 people were killed it was more like 110. The Mujahedin

Wing refer to the bombings as revolutionary acts of the people" and there is no doubt that they factories.

councils

Our comrades in the factores reported

were celebrations among the workers at the explosion of the IRP headquarters. But within a week the regime had killed 300 people in revenge, many were only between 9 and 15 years old, sympathisers of

The regime is so brutal nationalities? because it is so weak. It has no control over

A sympathiser of ours, Gharani Karimi age 29, who had been a student at Hatfield Polytechnic, was killed by the regime during this time. He was a very important Kurdish militant arrested before the IRP bombing. authorities The regime considered him to be important enough to be on a list of prisoners for ex- industry. change with the Kurds for Revolutionary Guards held prisoner. He had his throat cut.

I met a woman whose son went missing. She went to Evrin prison and found hun- enormous

for their children. She went back each day for news and the crowds were smaller each day. She

good sign that their

children had been found. But after som

eventually saw the ten albums of photos of young people and children who had been shot. She saw her son in one photo with five bullets in his chest where he had been shot dead. Underneath the photo it said

sympathiser, con- money

Gravediggers report that busloads of bodies were taken to the cemetery for burial. Whenever the regime announces a number of executions there are always in reality

The assassinations have paralysed the Iran.

Bani-Sadr, exiled in Paris regime but they have also created a certain demoralisation and passivity, a feeling of 'what can we do?'

People are reduced to betting on who will be next to be blown up. This passivity shows the substitutionism of the Muahedin for the masses. A political struggle is needed against

There needs to be a general strike through organising the workers in the factories. This has to lead to civil war and armed confrontation with the regime, and its Revolutionary Guards.

If you favour overthrowing the regime what do you call for to replace it?

We are not for an alliance with the Mujahedin as such but we would fight alongside

overthrow the regime. While we criticise them for their bourgeois programme we recognise that rank and file Mujahedin comrades are courageous fighters giving up their lives for the struggle.

Our slogans are for: Independent work-

class organisation, constituent assembly, and for workers' councils in the

We stand for generalising these all over Iran into a national workers' council.

What is the situation with the war with Iraq and the struggle of the oppressed

Only the Kurds are well organised with real autonomy over their areas The other nationalities were not able to fully utilise the history ah side Kinds a lon

struggle against centra Their territory is still very backward though, mainly peasants and no

The war with Iraq continues — it is a year old now. But neither side knows how to win it. The economic damage to both sides is

and increases both their dependence on the West. There is now in Iran rationing and a black market at triple prices for goods. To queue for the bare necessities takes hours

The regime could have survived the economic crisis through paying for its imports for everything with cash from oil. But the regime has just announced that for the first seven months of 1981 the import bill was 7,9 billion dollars and oil sales were only 550 million dollars per month so the

is running out The regime has already announced cuts for the winter.

This economic crisis, combined with the massive political crisis obviously puts into question how long the regime can survive. Next week: Socialist Challenge will carry a major editorial policy statement on the situation in

Socialist Challenge 1 October 1981 Page 9

Page 9 scan of this page

*I got horrified at what the government has got lined up for us'

field Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

technical workers union ASTMS

supporter, CHRIS PITTS

Chris: What made you get involved in CND in the first place?

Arthur: Well, I went for years without really thinking about it, but one day somebody gave me a few pamphlets to read, and what I read really appalled me. Not only that, but the fact that Id not known anyining about this before appalled me too.

But then my reaction was, were can set some intormation on the other side of the story. so Cause usu

But there wasn't any, except unis stupid stutt on civi defence. Like on TV the other dav. HEY Were SHOWIng nuclear shelter and saying that it is better than the Anderson Shelters of World War because it's got a floor to it.

Marvellous! So I got interested - well, not interested, I got horrified - at what the government has got lined up for me.

The more I read, the more I realised that we ought to be doing something about it.

Bob: What first set me off thinking about atomic weapons was when America dropped the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It wasn't until quite a long time after, but it occurred to me, why couldn't they. nave dropped lust one on a mountain top, or in a lake, as a demonstration first?

Then, if that didn't work. to actually use it. Just to save their conscience a little bit, rather than killing 200,000 pcople outright without a chance,

Now we know that it was political; it was a military tactic designed to stop Russia going into Japan as they'd agreed to do.

But when a nation can do that, or rather, when a President can do that, it's very, very frightening.

Chris: What sort of things have you been doing to get people at the plant interested

Arthur: A friend of ours, Harry Brooks, has been making up his own posters, by cutting out the juicy bits from the pamphlets and CND broadsheets and putting them on the notice board.

Quite a few read those, and they are good for starting a discussion. What is funny that some people will walk by and say it's all rubbish, they'll sneak back later for a Socialist Challenge

ARTHUR WAYMOUTH and BOB HOLMES work at the River Don plant of the British Steel Corporation and have been recruiting fellow steel workers to the Shef-

Arthur is a shop steward in the General and Municipal Workers Union and Bob is a member of the

Earlier this year they talked to Socialist Challenge

crafty read..

Bob: Talking to people individually is the main way l've been getting it across. The maJorry are sympacene, anal l spend ten minutes, which is just tume enough to get some points across, I've converted them, or won them to CND. was surprised. honest, when I got talking to how many frightened and alarmed, and knew more about it than you would think.

Chris: What reactions do you get from people at work and how do you answer them?

Arthur: A lot of people say, I'm surprised at vou. Arthur getting involved with this CND lot, because you used to be a soldier.!

But what has that got to do with it? They seem to suggest that I'm a coward, that I won't delend my own country.

I'll fight them beaches and on the hilltop, but war there's no chance to fight but

Page 10

Stop the missiles-

good chance of dying.

We saw the Secretary of State on the TV the other night, Haig. war, he 1s.

His idea is that America could survive a nuclear war, especially with the first strike All this talk of surviving a nuclear war in your under the garden or in the house is just a lot of propaganEven survive, though, what sort of a world would you come our to? They seem to suggest that it will be life as normal to be Saturday,

work on Monday. It's just abwere surd.

There'll be no gas, no electricity, everything radioactive. But when we come out of the shelters — the few who are leit well ask "Who did this?" and we'll have to say that we were all responsible. stop it.

Some people what about the Russians? But an ordinary person like how much worse off would I be if the Russians did control this country?

I'd basically go to work and do my job and do what I'm told on the - which is exactly what I do

now. But if we haven't got any nuclear weapons, Russia won't - Just a very need to knock them out, so

American

really frightened.

He's all for a nuclear

ludicrous.

They

people shelter a bogey.

supposing you did bureaucracy gone mad.

golf on

them you look

church on Sunday

progress really.

We can

spending say lo me, about 20

me. match it.

AS

can bankrupt Russia.

country then,

Can we

Arthur: 1 used

but l've changed my minc Il's got ference, campaigning for in and forces about it.

they

bothered who puts up.

stand a chance

like we've always been.

direct action in the end

CND

power on the continent,

they can just ignore us. It's only the people with money who are

Bob: The idea that Russia is

invade us is just can't even control Afghanistan. One of the jobs of CND has got to be to help

understand that the

Lussian bogey is just that, only

Having said that, we don't want that system here; it's a

Arthur: The Russian people must be partially satisfied; they must have something going for

back into from 1917 to now, they've come from Magna Car ta to the space age. 500 years

in 60. Marvellous.

Bob: 1 think that the US is try ing to bring the USSR to its knees economically with the arms race. This year, America

5168bn, per cent up on last year, and Russia will probably

percentage of America's Gross National Product it's only half of Russia's, and there is a good chance they

Chris: Coming back to this

how do you se the campaign actually winning?

trust a Labour government to do it? Practically, what do you see as the way we will achieve disarmament?

think that demonstrations did no good

to make a difWIEL oUT

people to think

wet nd we elect the MPs done

don't believe in nuclear disarmament m no voting for them, and I'm not

Ultimately, it doesn't matter how many of us get into the street, if we've no-one speaking for us in Pariament we don't

We're just cannon fodder

Bob: I think it'li come down to copies.

Challenge, Chris: What do you mean, exactly? I think we've seen from

the past. and demonstrations against nuclear

the Scale waters n, engas

water-cannon, CS gas it 18 a and so on to win that sort of direct action confrontation.

Bob: What I had in mind, is the sort of sit-down, chain yourself to the railings kind of protest. I'd certainly be willing to go to

It the stepate surw

WORK

PON

CND 1958-65

LESSONS OF THE

FIRST WAVE

A Socialist Challenge Pamphlet

50p

POP Box 80, London N1 2XP copy prison if necessary. 1 know that you don't agree...

Chris: Don't get me wrong Bob, it's not that I'm persona ly afraid of getting arrested, but

question of whether it would do any good.

I think there is very little evidence that a few thousand activists in jail would necessari ly make any difference

If you want a model of the

LONDON • 24 OCTOBER • LONDON • 24 OCTOBER

TOGETHER WE CAN

END THE BOME STOP

BY TONY SOUTHALL AND

JULIAN ATKINSON

each copy under 10 Order from Socialist

sort of campaign I think we are trying to build, you have to look at the anti-war movement in America, which reached into every layer ot society brought millions into the streets in huge, peaceful demonstra tions, or the Australian campaign against uranium mining Once the Leave it in the Ground campaign got the sup port of the miners, the uranium stayed in the ground. Simple as that.

Page 10 scan of this page

Interview with Sinn Fein representative 'The hunger strike is the cutting edge'

JIM GIBNEY, is a member of the James Connolly branch of Sinn Fein, the political party that shares the views of the outlawed Provisional IRA. He was interviewed in Belfast on 25 August by JAMIE DOUGHNEY, who is a frequent contributor to the Australian socialist weekly Direct Action.

How does the Republican movement view the stage the struggle in Ireland has reached today?

That's not an casy question to answer, because there are a number of factors which contribute to it. I think that what can be said is that the freedom struggle is probably at the strongest stage it's ever been at over the last ten or twelve ycars.

While the carly 1970s saw an upsurge in armed struggle and mass struggle, what we're seeing today is an upsurge in mass struggle.

This isn't superseding armed struggle, but is actually complementing it.

This mass struggle is having a considerable impact on the political establishment in the South of this country, the Northern political establishment on the nationalist side, namely the SDLP (Social Democratic and Labour Party.

Also some scetions of the ruling class in Britheir presence in this country.

The single most important factor causing the developments OVer the number of months has been the hunger strike in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh. To date we have had ten men die on hunger strike, and another six presently on hunger strike, with others to join them. And there is the possibility of further deaths.

Now the hunger strike itself has crystalised for many people in this country and abroad just what the British are doing in Ireland. And it is exposing the contradictions which are inherent in Irish society, North and South, on the national question and on partition.

It's those contradictions that are being exposed that we would say are the signposts of progress.

We would say that developments since l March this year, when the hunger strikers started, have been rapid and dramatic.

Since the Bobby Sands election in Fermanagh/South Tyrone, the hunger strike issue has changed one government in the South. Probably that is the first time that something like that has ever happened in the history of the rente have atro had the so called middle

have also ground cut away from the Social Democratic Forces in the North by the hunger strikers deaths. And we have had the recent by-election succese of owen Carron. who stood on an H-Block ticket supporting the prisoners* five demands.

In political terms, if you like, the veil of secrecy that the British government had built up around her presence in Treland over the last five years has been torn apart.

The dirty little war it has been engaged in there has been exposed to the world by the bravery and the heroism of the prisoners in the H-Blocks.

So, from that point of view, we would say that the struggle for an independent republic is progressing at a satistactory rate.

But obviously the deaths of the prisoners on

hunger strike, and the human misery for their

relatives, is something which we don t need to

develop the struggle.

The dynamism of the struggle at the move-

ment is a spin-off of the prisoners' determina-

tion. Bur we would be quite happy if the British

government would just resolve the issue. and

resolve it in the morning

Because don't need the deaths of

prisoners on hunger strike to advance our cause

for freedom. We'd much prefer that we were

doing it with our own resources on the outside.

and not cause the type of human misery that the

hunger strike has.

Socialist Challenge 1 October 1881

James Prior (above) will face mounting protests supporting the prisoners like the one below last What has been the effect on the community of the prisoners' deaths? Is that starting to take its toll?

I think that one has to be perfectly honest and say that the deaths of the prisoners has had a depressing effect on the nationalist community in the North.

The reason why is that the nationalist commany nas a close arms wan we prisoners They feel for the prisoners as if one of their

family has died, and died an agonizing death.

So it does sap their will, if you like. This is what the British government is banking on.

But something the British overlook is that while it saps the will temporarily, it ultimately hardens people's determination to continue to support the struggle for freedom in the coun try.

It convinces them of the Republican logic that peace in Ireland will only come about when the British dismantled

I would say, and there's no doubt about it, that the deaths of the prisoners are depressing the nationalist community in the North in one sense.

But in another sense it's strengthening their resolve and commitment to continue the struggle for freedom and support the republican HEIOIVLTUICEES

It hasn't lessened the number of people on the streets protesting. And the nationalist people, beleaguered as they may be due to military repression, are sophisticated cnough politically to sce that the hunger strike is the cutting edge in the situation and is having more of a political impact than one would have expected.

What do you see is the next stage of the struggle, particularly in regard to the election in the South here?

Just to paraphrase the Sinn Fein vice-president Page 11

APPORT THE FIVE DEMANDS

IOTS and

to clections. are removed and partition is

discussing VOUS -SPE

Evolved in for some years. and future elections

label us WItn

noto.

fascists.

AN PHOBLACHT

be Marxist.

have been

Photo: AN PHOBLACHT

see the established. gie.

Gerry Adams, who was speaking the other in night to a journalist for the Irish Times; he said we are overhauling our political organisation North and South with a view to contesting clec-

We had been considering, over the last number of years, contesting elections at the local government level and national level.

The hunger strike itself — the electoral gains made through the hunger strike — has encouraged us to look at this much more seriously

we can speed the internal reorganisation required to win when we do go

I think that what you can take for granted figure very definitely, is that election strategy will become as important to the Republican movement in the coming months and years as the armed struggle has been over the last ten years.

Does this foreshadow a much more ag gressive political campaign in the South to take on the traditional parties there?

Yes. What can be accepted from what we are

at the moment is that we wil challenge the partitionist parties that have grown up in the twenty-six counties. The political establishment in the South is -EL.

ripe for change and we helieve that there is enough political disenchantment among thi working class and the small-farming communi

You mentioned that the movement is struggling for a socialist republic. How do

that side of the struggle. the socialist aspect, emerging in the future?

This is an ongoing process that we've been in-

Our various opponents have attempted to

- different tags: the late political 1969-carly 1970s period we were dubbed as a fascist organisation, 'green nationalists'; in the again.

middle of the 1970s we were dubbed as communists; later on we were again dubbed as

But, we see ourselves as socialists in the tradition of the republican socialist mentor, it you like James Connolly.

We, very definitely, are interested in the socialist reconstruction of this country. We are very definitely interested in establishing a socicty which caters for the needs of the working class and the small-farming community.

And we are diametrically opposed to capitalism and the type of society capitalism has built up over the last 20 years.

So, in that sense, we are very detinitely out for revolutionary change in society and we see this as an ongoing thing

We don't fall into any of the political categories: namely, we don't claim ourselves to

However, it would be very stupid and naive to say that Marxism hasn't had an influence on the thinking of contemporary republicans, wh

to prison. read Marx.

Obvious v he has had an influence. In tac he has had an influence on every revolutionary organisation in the twentieth century. So it would be absurd for us to say he hasn't influenced our organisation.

But I do make the point that we are a socialist organisation in the tradition of James Connolly. We intend continuing the struggle to

socialist republic that we're after

How important do you see the interna tional movement of solidarity with the Irish struggle?

International solidarity is crucial to the success of this struggle. Because, if anything has shown the need for international support, it has been the hunger strike over the last number of mon-

Now we have seen that the British govern

ment is frantically trying to reverse the gains that haye been made internationally

They're sending out one diplomatic mission after another diplomatic mission after another to try to counter the international offensive of

solidarity groups in support of the Irish strug-

So we consider international solidarity a

VERY VErY HEIDEONE

We welcome the solidarity we have receive

Australia, and in America and Europe

Those are the three principal areas - and, of

course, in Britain where solidarity has been

growing as parts of the political establishment

become disenchanted with their war in Ireland.

Earlier you mentioned developments in the

British Labour Party. How important do

you see developments there?

Well, we're very encouraged by the advent of

Tony Benn, who we see as a very important

CENCEL scenions of te ponca

establishment in Britain who are disenchanted

with the British war in Ircland.

We are encouraged - and again this is

another side effect of the hunger strike - by

the fact that there are something like fifty or

sixty motions on Ireland to the annual con-

Terene are convinced that

are convinced that the only way pro

gress will be made in Britain is through an

understanding among the rank and file of the

rulers are doing in this country in their name,

Therefore we see them as an important cle-

ment to aim our publicity and our programme

We have been consistently doing that over

the last number of years, by sending delega-

tions to meet influential members of the British

Labour Party on a local, constituency level.

Because we think that while we may make

progress occasionally with people like Tony

Benn, it is essential that the British Labour Par-

ty grass roots at the constituency level unders-

tand what's going on. We are encouraged tha

things will begin to move there.

I think that as the capitalist recession

deepens under Thatcher, it becomes all the

casier for us.

becomes more radical in its approach tO itS Ow

problems in Britain. CASICT

therefore, to encourage it to look at Ireland

Page 11 scan of this page

Divorce issue raised in the south of Ireland

voted tor

By Jude Arkwright WE WONDER if delegates to this year's TUC actually realised what they were voting for in the report presented by the women's committee and carried by the conference.

say. radical measures discrimination against reaching in their scope and dramatic influence on women's lives if they are won.

The document is highly critical of the Ses Discrimination and Equal Pay Acts, that employers *have reacted to the legisiation

only Setting

by up "women

grades and that they

challenged ov ine union movement.*

Hire

It points out that under

Legislation, although positive could be used in relation to trainine it is not extended to the hiring of women'

This is absolutely truc.

Ironicaly. discrimination in favour of women at the

186 12010 2021052100 under the terms of existing

This aspect of the law is nonsense because.

equal with men wlien they

enter the jobs market be serious about giving

By Tom Marlowe

Divorce banned under the 1938 Irish Con-

stitution, but

headed by Garret Fitz

Gerald, to

establish an all-party com-

mittee on the protection

ot marste and the Dro

blems marriage

breakdown'

been linked with an at-

tempt the Southern

Irish government to win

over the Protestants of the

North to the idea of a

united Ireland. Effect

In this respect at is

unikely to have much cf-

fect, as many of the mote

evangelical Protestans are

as hostile to divorce as is

survey has also indicated

that only 17 ner COLE of

women questioned in the

nion poll were even aware

that divorce was iflegal in

the Soe .

real beneficianes

ot a change in the divers

law in the South would be

the women who live under

18215

Divorce Action Group in

Sociatist Challenge * Octeter 1981 "Page 12

Positive action-

what the TUC

The proposals on positive action - that is to to overcome past women far

could have a

women equal opportunity vou cannot insist on th same qualifications, and the trade themselves should control the criteria for hiring and firing.

The document also puts forward a number of Plachea suggestions what kind of positive action programme could be drawn up by the individual unions and used in collective bargaining agrcements

all unions locally and nationally should start discussions on these KInds of ideas. It suggests:

Suggest

a7 basing evatanon scheme That deeide the proding of the job on the level of skill, train

ig and respon апа moi on dererennais

wee male and female 'skills

description is an exuct des-

of the duties sof the lou and does not imply sex Wercotyping.

THE Southern Irish government has, at long last, taken a tentative step towards questioning the existing divorce law in the 25 counties.

the South estimate that as

many as 50,000 people in

the South are separated

get

divorce.

The oniv ontion these

people have is to apply for

a special mariage catal-

ment to the Catholic Chur-

Ch. Last ver out 0 62

applications, only 79 an-

nulments were granted.

There substantial

evidence of growing sup

port among the southern

population for a removal

of the prohibition on

livorce In a 1972 survey

only 22 per cent of thos

questioned came

agalast ine presene law

in

another poll, this had risen

recent survey showed

per cent of those question-

edwant a changed in the

law. Fortune

The present bamany

chrorce

disastrous effects

besides the ob-

vious one of legally bin-

ding them to a man for

life. For instance. if a

rortunate

enough to get her marriage

job evaluation

SAIS THE METERN UPTE loped. Such requirements as

their necesuy, thetr carefully, whether they cou de game ae promo

d) Adverts should be made

readily available to women by using

equai Clause; including a picture of

an advert; wording does not put off

advertising women's magazines (though to do so exciusively is discri

loca women's magazines (thou2h to do so exchusively is discri minatory); contacting local womens

them of the vacancy: ensuring

people; ternaly and

noticeboard to display vacan-

made aware implicapolicy.

promotion written into thei

making their

DAr the interviewing

equal opportunilles

state the recognised grevance procedure g) In promotion, the advertised commitmeni to an equal

importan and made by the chief executive.

Groups to change divorce laws are forming

annulled, because the mar-

riage is then decmed legal-

man cannot be ordered to

support the woman he was

If the law is to be even-

tually changed ir will have

to go to a referendum. The

Women's Rights.

A WOMAN'S

RIGHT TO WORK:

THE CASE FOR

POSITIVE

ACTION tie proposions hold bei h) The possibility vestigated and all training

i) Seminars should be held fo supervisory staff on how 1o mance free er discrim nettor. staft suitably susten should be investigated and af stoff should be encouraged t

help in their promotion pro

These should be non

bie, and in working hours. k) The same criteria used for Shoute beimed for a terre recrultment interview For Erric" 1) Where not aiready in exis

procedure should he esta-

to handle workers

m) The working conditions they corld be tractive to women.

a creche or paying for piaces

meet the needs of employees: making working hours and

arrangements more introducin Rexible right 10 carry over leave from one year

to alfow more nexibility than The statufory requirements:

Catholic Church can be

expected campaign

heavily against

change, but 3T313

Fail opposition is, at the

moment, being more rel-

When Fianna Fail was office last year,

and reviewing personal leave arrangements

share domestic

Succeed

These measures tied to a system of gare succeed if they are and targets for getting women into particular jobs and grades

Only then will webe getting to grips with the

to secure a perme nent and equal place tot women in the labour force and establish in principle that women have as much signiticani that the TUC tight to a job as men. have overcome their reluc tance to take the issue of

however, it rejected the

дурс of proposal Fitz

Gerald is now making. But

the obvious growth of sup

port tor a change in the

aw may make it difficul

rightly reject any moves

towards liberalisation

Matchgirls struggle in 1888 led to TUC adopting equal pay policy positive action to the national level.

They say that collective bargaining agreements on an industry by industry or firm by firm basis is inadequate and has to be combined with a campalen to commit the next Labour government to changes in the law

But passing resolutions is one thing, taking action is another

We women have to get together inside the umons

Anti-abortion

horror in USA

By Judith Arkwright

for years

in Philadelphia.

Its provisions include: • Forcing doctors to explain in detal to the women, the effect of abortion on the foetus, using colour pictures of a loctus before and after an abortion.

•A mandatory waiting

period of up to 72 hour

before an abortion can be performed.

• The father must be notified before the abor

If the women can't find him, then the court can take up to ten days to

• Young women must have permission from both parents to have an abortion

If they refuse. she may

let the court decide if she is

'mature' cnough to make

up her own mind

If not. they can ap

point a legal guardian of

the foetus to make sure the

woman does. not self-

abort.

tificates must be issued for • Birth and death

cach aborted foetus, and a

bunal or cremanon neid

• The identity of abortion

clinics and doctors who

perform abortions to be

made public.

• No abortions could be

performed public

and the Labour Party te make sure that these words sure everyone inside the Jabou HOCHLEI understands that it is in their interests to light on our side

Il you want ideas on how to take this up in your union or Labour Party write and ask Tora coRy o

Opporumies mes (annex 2 to section e) from the TUC House. LEE RUSSES Londen WC1 THE REAGAN era in the United States is pro ducing one of the most vicious and repressive attacks on women's rights that has been seen

This is contained in the Abortion Control Act which is now going though state hearings

hospitals, except in the case of rape, inces danger to the life of the woman

Consideration of this

list of horrors will not be

contined Philadelphia

IN DESSELC are planned

Among the organisa tions leading the opposition to a woman's right to choose is Moral Majorily

which has also been to the

criticism of the Equal Rights Amendment to the US constitution.

Moral Majority's leader, Jerry Falwell is a evangelical gospel preacher.

But despite his claim that he represents the majority', opinion polls have

shown that a majority do not share his opposition to abortion

The gains Moral Majority have made show the an luence that tions like Mary Whitchouse's fringe movement in tis count have. given a right wing administration in govern-

That's why the fight for women's rights needs to go hand-in-hand with

the fight the Reagans and Thatchers of this world

Page 12 scan of this page

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Page 13 scan of this page

By Geoff Bell Once upon a time there were two filmmakers. or. directors. One was Russell, Michael Cimino. Both gentlemen who made plenty of money by having their finger on the pulse of the times

the late 1960s and early 1970s. Then, innovation and grandiosity were the big things. So Ken made films with loud music, writhing bodies and daring images.

Everybody applauded Ken apart from one Alexander Walker in the day Ken hit Mr Walker with a stick and called him

This went down very well with the smart set because wing in those days as Ken was in fashion it unfashionable aLTO was very comfortable brand his critics as fascist.

The truth of the matter IN AHE Ken Russell made pretentious sclfindulgent hims. Like the smart set who loved him ne was all gloss and no substance.

Deer

Michael Cimino's first

ifferent time when Jim my Carter's soft-centred conservau was on the down and the new hard right of Reaganism was on the ascendancy. So he made a film to suit such

awas canca The Deer Hunter and was about nOw Vietnam not so disnonourable after all, and the good old USA was still God's own country.

So, there was nothing much for the left in cither Mr Russell or Mr Cimino. Now read on.

Ken Russell's Altered Stater. on general release great fun.

ORA

R A

Heaven's Gate's wild west -Socialist Challenge

ALL IS FORGIVEN

as they say in smart circles,

English, called Ken the other was an American called

were very clever

although to appreciate why the movie-goer really has to know something scentioned past of Mr the

Loose

It can be loosely described as science fiction. It's about how an person periments with himself in pursul theory of evolution. By eating mushrooms and Sarpenin himself in tank water rediscovers his and becomes, for a short time, an ape-person.

Ken Russell Writhing bodies in Altered States where the poor ride on the roof of the train

panies this unlikely taie with dream sequences in which once again there are daring images and

Typical, good old Ken,

But look a little deeper. The would-be-person is forever going on about the mean ing of life, his search for it and how truth and truth alone is all that will do. He

all around him do

around him though he is suspected of being slightly loopy.

Now, who does that remind The very same Mi Russell ol carlier

Mr Russell the whizz-kid is a load of pseudo-intellectual

But the joke of Altered States is that in the end the whizz-kid he is a load of pseudo-intellectual стар cats humble pie It is Mr Russell denouncing his past and suggesting

perhaps the fashionable trendiness of WATCHES CACE ACY ing symbol did not have all

Under Review

the answers. Most amusing.

NOW Michael Cimino and what wonderful, wonderful dollars ven Cumino

millions after Deer Hunter to make any film he chose. He was the rising star of the new right anci could thus be trusted Le make something suitable.

Rugged

His backers must have been even more pleased WICH BE announced he would make a western. for what oner neriod of Us history sums up so bravely the rugged individualism that has made the USA the great country it is.

Michael Cimino has turned out to be a wicked man. Heavens's Gate is one of the most sustained attacks on the values and ideology of US capitalism that has ever been screened.

The film has faults. It has cinemagraphic faults as a result of it being cut

trom lou hours to two

faults in that Cimino is still I0O fond the -DOE nography of violence and the soft pornography of the more usual variety.

Nevertheless Heaven's Gate is a block buster. It tells how the Cattleman's Association with the assistance of the US Army, the state governor and

to wipe out 125 thieves and anarchists who dare

test the American arcam and ask tor a ter acres of land in the wild Contrast

Cimino is unrelenting in the savagery of his atWEEKS. long quences in the film sum up what he says. The first

wher group of well-healed Har vard students celebrate their graduation. They arc

lippant and hollow The:

ecorate as men wane cu women watch them from •WIRDOWS

This is the class which rules, Cimino is sayıng. They may look harmless but.

The contrast is with a aler scouence wnen ine immigrants who are out for their few acres of land discuss what they should do about the attempt to liquidate them. There is passion, warmth and humanity on display. It is

take the political lead.

Every cliche of the wild west is turned upside down. For example, there is the traditional between the marshall and

woman brothel keeper. She rejects him and when the battle bet ween the immigrants anc Cattle bosses is joined she goes off to fight while he initially, stays behind - a woman got-to-do, what a woman got-to-do.

During the battle the cattle bosses are encircled

the immigrants who ride around them firing. Just like the Indians says one of the bosses, bu the Indians

in this mn. stance are the goodies

Heaven's Gate slammed by most critics, WEtS especially those in the USA. Yet there are some stunning sequences, the photography breathtaking and the tale is told as authentically as it could be, for indeed it is a true story.

Down

The film was howled down because it was total Reaganism against the stream of

and viciously of all it used 28073 Reagan's own mythology of the Wild West to make its political statement One could make such liberal noises in good old Ken Russell's day because things were not so senious TRICH But we are living in a different climate now.

Heaven's Gate is made by rarezan rroductons and Cimino leaves no doubt as to whose side he is on. *It is a bad time to be poor in the film. It always has been says another. And IT IS nO! so comfortable now to be on the side of

poor. home Michael Cimino, all is

"No coloured

please

SOUTHALL Fascism/Southall Rights. Cost £1.30 Advert in Southall shop, 1958:

To Let: Decent Single Bed Sitting

need apply. No coloured please

days' recalls an Indian worker.

The back room had a similar number.

room four beds.

workers",

live and work are recorded in this mainly Asian community of Southall.

Tavern last July.

and employment,

source of bitter resentment by many several occasions.

interested in the history everywhere.

lessons were actually put into the pamphlet

to conservative community

Youth Movement.

Oliver New

Handbook for

campaigners

Fucts Against the Bomb

Nottingham

for /uclear Disarmament

75р postage from

Mushroom, Heathcote St,

Nottingham digest of material on tal

digest material

nuclear issue

IT IS well-written

and an invauaDie

Commoner.

ting leaflets or simply

wishing to educate Although somewhat

expensive. Its importance HOS SHEET arenensiveness

pamphlet from nuclear

weupons.

real state of the arms race

NATO strategy right the

THE BIRTH OF A BLACK COMMUNITY

- the Birth of a Black Community Written and published by the Campaign Against Racism and

Room with

facilities to cook in basement kitchen. Suit a work-

ing gentleman or woman. Only respectable people *You cannot imagine how barbarously we lived in those

The front room had three beds, two of them double.

The two other bedrooms on the first floor had five beds, the large front

"The number of people there fluctuated between twenty and twenty five. Some of the beds were used during the day by night shift workers and at night by the day shift

Conditions in which Asian immigrants were forced to

70 page history of the

The pamphlet describes events from the recruitment in the 1950's of Punjabi workers by the notorious Woolf's rubber factory to the burning down of the Hambrough

Although the government and employers encouraged immigration in the 1950's, the black people who came here faced terrible conditions and discrimination in housing

Over the years they gradually established a strong com munity in the West London area of Southall, But even the nousing and joos occupica by blacks became a source o miserable nousing and loos occupica by blacks occome

local people. A

The self-declared aim of this pamphlet is to 'expose the history of Southall's struggle as a political lesson for those

of black COTTEE

very interesting read. It could be improved if the political

Though just describing events, the pamphlet leaves you with the impression that the same type of struggles tha took place in the past will continue, and it gives credibility

DEEWHISALEOH Southall Indian Workers Association and the Southall

way through to Home Complex arguments and statistical made accessible.

The one missing factor is any NATO to the fact that its reconcile with some of it claim to be a defender hard

amined but its role in the Defence is securing of internal orde categorised as the scope of the pam connection bet ween Britain s arsena one the oresery ton or economic exo Gite tion internally and exter- •grasp be nally is crucial strategy established finally of these weapons.

Julian Atkinson

Page 14 scan of this page

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Page 15 scan of this page

By Paul Lawson THE RIGHT WING have been successful in their challenge for control of Labour's NEC. The defeat is an important one, and shows the effectiveness of the new right wing organisation through the grotesquely named Labour 'Solidarity'.

First. the right defeated party treasurer Norman HENSON with their own candidate, Eric

wOn two positions in each of the and women's sections defeating Renee Short and Bernard Dix in the process.

This increases the strength of the right wing

and reduces the strength of the left to nine.

The balance of power is held by the six so-called

the likes Neil Kinnock, Dame Judith Hart and Joan Lestor. Only one of the six has to vote with the right wing to casure encir view 15 carried on the NEC.

The defeat of the left cannot go unchallenged.

Socialist

Challenge

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RIGHT WIN

VICTORY IN

LABOUR NEC

ELECTIONS

But the lessons of this defeat must he learned Delore i can be turned around.

First, the defeat — like that of Benn in the deputy leadership came at the hands of the clection

trade unions.

The constituencies have not moved to the right. It was the change in the trade unon votes that swung things againse the left.

Second. the constituencies continue to support the Kinnocks. Harts and lee. tors of this world who were instrumental in deIcating Benn, who voted against NEC control of the

doubtless continue to line up with the right wing on the new NEC Monthly

..And on the same date in the month thereafter.

Then pitteneve by

constituencies Benn in the second round of the deputy leadership election should not blind us to the need to continuc

Tight for left wing pollicit there

most or all the lesson of both the elections this week tane in de

Labour Party will be halled unless and until the left organises its own fightback inside the trade unions.

The time has come to recognise the fundamental facr that it is on the backs of the Duffys, the Boyds, the Granthams and their lik that right wing leadership of the party continues 10 CAS

There is slick manocuvre or deal which will solve the probiem of right wing leadership in the trade unions. Only rank and fee sede the onions con do side the that. That is the task which must From this conference carried forward

Lsbour against

the bomb Some 2000 peopte supported the CND merch outside the Labour Party conference in Brighton last Sunday THIS WEEK ONLY!

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