Socialist Challenge No. 217, 15 October 1981
The scan: sc-no217.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
Challenge Ken Livingstone is right BRITISH TROOPS
No. 217 THE SIMPLE TRUTH Chelsea bomb was given by GLC leader Ken Livingstone on Monday night. 'As long as we are in Ireland, people will be letting off bombs in London,' he said. 'We are in a colonial power holding down a colonial people. Violence will recur time and time again as long as we are in Northern Ireland.'
burst into a social club in the Ardoyne district of Belfast and randomly fired a hail of bullets. Their target was anyone they could hit, for they assumed all in the club would be Catholic.
For these would have done. in the Laurence member of the Anti-H Block Campaign.
25p Unemployed and strikers 10p
Socialist
ABOUT the At 11pm last Thursday, two masked men
gunmen any Catholic victim event, they killed Kennedy, a Belfast councillor and 05 GJ924
OUT!
ment describing human. The British media did ret moral indignation at the attack on the Ardoyne club. That is hardly surprising.
After all, Laurence British establishment, just another Irish rebel, and his killers shared with Margaret Thatcher and most of the British modia the view that the
British.
by the Provisional IRA on the British soldiers in Chelsea on Saturday was to the silence over the killing of Laurence Kennedy, is one aspect of the hypoe after the Chelsea bomb.
A second aspect is that anyone
Margaret Thatcher did not issue any state-
Kennedy's killers as 'sub pour out
Kennedy was, for the
North of Ireland should, at all costs be kept
But for Thatcher and the media the attack
coach-load of
sub-human'. Such condemnations, in contrast
Itsy so evident
with the
became
sectarian UFF is the Association
the UDA.
happen about starving the hunger strikers to death.
against hunger strikes
of her hypocrisy over the Chelsea bomb.
The Tory leader oversaw
she even tried to
'Iron Lady
IRA would hit back.
troop withdrawal in Britain more difficult.
may also now recede
nationalist community government, the
been given added fuel by the Chelsea bomb.
IRA's action can be called into question.
the one-sided, which has greeted the Chelsea bomb. Instead we should be saying, now more than ever. Britain should get out of Ireland. way the killings, whether in Ireland or in Britain, will end.
STOP THE
MISSILES
DEMO
LONDON
Laurence Kennedy
Laurence Kennedy, a Belfast city countillor who, last Thursday the latest victim of Loyalist terror gangs in Belfast. The previous week the Ulster Freedom Fighters had threatened to launch a new campaign of assassinations. The Ulster Defence under another name. But British governments have repeatedly refused to ban
slightest knowledge of the Irish situation knew full well that something similar was bound to
once the Tory government had set
To anyone not acquainted with Irish reality that might appear a harsh and callous reaction, but what it shows is how deep the hatred
Britain now is in the wake of the
And it is Thatcher's determination to kill those hunger strikers which is the third aspect
the slow and agonising death of ten Irish political prisoners,
glory in permitting those deaths as part of her self-styled image as the
It ill-befits her to now lament what happened at Chelsea: she has done much worse and she must have known that by doing worse the
Undoubtedly, in Britain, the Cheisea bomb will make the task of building a movement for
The world-wide sympathy the Republican movement attracted during the hunger strike
The harshest critics of the IRA in Ireland's
such as the Irish Catholic Church and the Social Democratic and Labour Party have also
In that respect the tactical wisdom of the
But no socialist should be associated with
hypocritical condemnation
That is the only
CND
OCT 24
Tory
knives
are out
AS THE TORY FAITHFUI
Calle
Blackpool, the knives ar out. No party is capable of more vicious and vitriolic in-fighting than the Tories
— especially when they are In trouble. Usually the! manage to conceal their stab-in-the-back technique behind gushing displays oi enthusiasm for the leader and fervent assurances of lovalty and unanimitv
But now things have gone too lar for many l the Tory faithful. It's no -so much that thev are over whelmed with sorrow the plight of the
despite Ed. ward Heath's statements about its moral 'unaccep
Rather the Tories are faced with a big loss confidence among the busiess the increasing certainty of massive electoral defeat in 1983 or 1984.
An article in last Mongood times he day's Times, and her party, argued thai Stere was now virtually nothing that could be done
next election, So the genteel discussions in high places are turning into ch wate
Most amazing Heath's suggestion that 'so meone' and 'these people cubicuisil vative Central Office: organised smear cam paign against him, putting MPs and journalists up to 'dirty tricks' in an attempt to discredit him.
Reality
The latest figures will show that unemploymen: has gone officially ove three million for the firs: time. In reality it is close! to 4 million. Living standards have declined, again according official
something three per cent since the Tories were elected
What more and more Torie realise is that Thatcherism nas failed. Casting anxiou glances over their shoulders at the threa the Social Democratic Par
thrashing culc around in despair.
Conservative Party conferences are generall! well stage-managed. likely that the rank and file will back up Thatcher an Central Office this week with well-orchestrated 'endorsement' he policies.
But the Tory i crisis will go on, despite the skills of the party managers. As the Tory 'wets' sharpen Ine.
and Thatche stumbles labour movement must prepare to put the boot in, by stepping up the fight agains: unemployment
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STOP THE
Massive anti-missile rally in Germany
trade unionists
demonstration.
chairperson tee, and Anualoy Da
On
ria Embank nent for Parka
~ Make
OVER 300,000 people joined the largest demonstration against NATO's plans for modernising its European arsenal in Bonn last Saturday.
It was the largest march in West Germany since thousands of young people, unionists and peace campaigners.
The march was called to oppose the siting of Pershing 2 and Cruise missiles in West Germany in two ves i buertise sentiment arang
imperialism sentiment the demonstrators who anti-Reagan slogans.
Speakers came from the parties of the government coalition, groups and an executive member o1 the IG metal union, defying a direc tive from the union federation. There was also a contingent soldiers in uniform solidarity with the aims march. The marchers ended with an appeal for a turnout in next weekend's march in London: let's not let them down!
Socialist Challenge 15 October 1981 Page 2
THOUSANDS and thousands of young people,
Labour Party members, women activists and peace cam paigners are headed for London on 24 October,
That's the day of the mighty Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
CND national office report that at least 24, yes twenty four, trains are bringing people to the match from as far apart as Penzance and Scotland
And hundreds of coaches are descending on London from every corner of the
The march against the missiles had been backed by the Labour Party and nine national trade unions including the miners and the transport union.
Speakers at the rally include Tony Benn, EP Thompson, Bruce Kent from CND, Mike Cooley, recently victimised
Trom Youth
match there Youth CND/Sindent CND contingent expected to be up to 20,000 strong
The big march starts at 1h.s0am vic march to Hyde sure you re th yet
nuclear
War, with trade
among chanted
peace
of fifty showing theil of the
NATO-SO CLAtOM
Why unilateral
must also mean
of NATO
By Rich Palser, Treasurer of Sheffield CND
THE constitution of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) calls for abandonment by Britain of nuclear weapons, nuclear bases and nuclear alliances,' in other words withdrawal from NATO.
Unlike the CND policy on unilateral abandonment of nuclear however, its policy for withdrawal from NATO has not been widely adopted. It was adopted by the Liberal or Labour Party conferences, nor by the TUC.
This is not so surpris-
when consider that CND itself does not consistently campaign for withdrawal from NATO
For example CND pamphlet Questions and Answers Labour MP Frank Allaun argues that Canada has renounced nuclear weapons and still remains in NATO, as do Holland and Belgium, despite their rejection of
new Cruise nuclear missiles in Europe.
In a recent article in New Socialist Mary Kaldor, prominent figure in CND and the disarmament movement, questions wietner we
nuclear disarmament
Britain out
'The unilateral
and bases
not
should not be campaigning -TOS NATO'
I believe that the disarmament movement and CND in particular should not only stick to its position of Britain out of NATO, but should actively campaign to win its adoption wherever the unilateral abandonment of nuclear weapons has been adopted particularly in the Labour Party and trade unions. NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) military alliance which was formed
e
in 1949 for the purposes of *mutual aid in the event of foreign incursion. There was never any doubt as to where the 'foreign incursion' would come from -the Soviet Union and eastern bloc countries.
But this 'mutual aid' is nOI same as *defence of democracy' NATO has been happy to welcome to its ranks. such countries as Portugal when fascist dictatorship, Greece when under military rule, and Turkey under its present repressive military regime
NATO has also collaborated with such
as Spain under Franco, Iran under the Shah. and South Africa under the white racist regime.
Nor NATO established to ward off a threatened invasion OT western Europe by the Soviet Union The capitalist powers were far more concerned in those days over Stalin's failure to hold back the Yugoslavian and Chinese Communist Parties from tak-
These revolutions had
greatly stimulated tonal liberation movements throughout *third world, and threatened to overturn the 'spheres influence' agreed between Stalin and the major capitalist
at the end of the
Dowers
Second World War.
Strategy
NATO was part of the world-wide system alle United States aimed at alliances established maintaining capitalism and US dominance throughout the world.
From its foundation nuclear weapons were Ticamenta part of NATO strategy. The use of nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 was not carried out, as we are told today, to bring the war to an end with the minimum loss of life.
Rather it aimed to end the wal prior Involvement of the Soviet Union in a second tront after the collapse of Ger-
to show the world that the US not only had
Was CaSU prepared to use it.
When NATO was formed the US left the Soviet Union under no illusions that behind NATO's conventional forces lurked the Ameri can nuclear bomb.
The British 1958 White Paper on Defence speli this out when it said: The cemocraud Wester tions will never start a war against Russia. But it must be well understood that if Russia were to launch a major even with conventiona TOTCOS to hit they would have back with strategic nuclear weapons'
Flexible
There has been change in NATO strategy in the 1970s. This is not a change from lucical sulalcey nuclear strategy, it has alwavs combined a con ventional and nuclear strategy. But from responding to a conventional at tack with strategic nuclear forces, NATO has now moved to responding to a conventional attack with a "flexible response'
That flexible response may mean tactical nuclear weapons (possibly before long the neutron bomb), or it might mean trying to get in a first strike to
the missile systems (using Cruise, Trident and M> missiles).
Last week's decision by Reagan to put the new MX missiles in the old 'sitting target' Minuteman silos only confirms the US's first strike' attitude
• senior official put it: The NATO doc trine is that we will fight with conventional weapons until we are losing then we will fight with tac. tical nuclear weapons until we are losing, then we will blow up the world'
Lies
NATO also tells lies For example 1978 NATO decided on a long term armaments gramme which included real increases in spending by member countries three percent per year. To justify this, at a time when •Soviet military spending had remained stable fo
meant cooking the books
In speech to the Italian Senate a former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO nuclear forces. Senator Nino Pasti, had this to say:
'The truth is that NATO forces, both conventional and nuclear, are stronger than those of the Warsaw countries. During the last ten years the Soviet military budget has , remained stable. My colleagues were unhappy about this situation because they could not justify increases in their own expenditure
Page 3 scan of this page
MISSILES
So they invented pricing system...I is eas) to see how the figures were intated to show higher Soviet expenditure'.
The NATO summit of September saw promises thát new evidence of OUVICI build would be published. If the final result bears any resemblance to the US slatt department ICOUll (since admitted to be complete fraud) on Soviet arms sales freedom fighters in El Salvador, then we can take it with more than a pinch of salt.
NATO has to build up the image of the 'red threat', of Russian expansionism, in order to present the western capitalist countries as acting in self-defence when building up their military forces.
But the real story of interference in other countries' allalrs nes much with the Soviet invasions Hungary and Czechoslovakia, still less
Afghanistan, but with the 215 times that the USA has used a Poriitary tervention political enes between 1946 and 1975. Reagan
The current build up in arms has more to do with the collapse of the regime of the shah of iran the trasted representative US interests in the Guit than the so-called 'new missiles which the US have Known about since the
That is why Caspar Weinberger and Reagan administration would like to see NATO
defence Western dominance 'hat is why alongside the move to a first strike capacit in nuclear weapons the US would like NATO countries to participate in the 'Rapid Deployment Force'
In short there are two objectives behind the US/NATO build both conventional and nuclear armaments. First. to maintain a position of
STOP THE MISSILES
JoBs
NOT
CND BOMBS
DEMO LONDON OCT 24
superiority over Soviet forces, and to discourage even limited aid given by the Soviet Union to struggles for national liberation throughout the world.
Secondly, to con WUKCES America and Western Europe into ac-
more Vietnam-
of the US and the major capitalist powers.
Highlight
All this said, ban the bomb and stay in NATO? We believe that NATO's nuclear strategy cannot be separated from its conventional strategy.
The two go hand in hand.
NATO's whole strategy we have to reject, in particular its assumption of a 'Russian threat'.
When the Tories argue that vou cannot support unilateral disarmament and stay in NATO they are right. It would be quite hypocritical to get rid of all nuclear weapons from brilain only lo stay in a military alliance based
US possession of nuclear weapons.
Ine tact that Canada has renounced nuclear weapons while still NATO counts for nothing as Canada still accepts protecnon by US Airforce base at Greenham Common, have since sei up a peace camp outside the base.
warheads rather than Canadian ones.
Nor aoes ine lact tnat Norway and Denmark don't have Lucica weapons on their soil stop 20 81000001113. for using nuclear weapons.
Consisteni unilateralism means Britains out of NATO.
Haced with witchhunt against CND for trying to undermine western defences and NATO', secus tu hally aul casy vution to argue for a non-nuclear NATO
This is even more atIraclive wnen nigures like Nino Pasti in Italy, whilst remaining tully committed to NATO, argue against NATO's latest escalation in the nuclear arms race.
That such members of the establishment, who brevious|! framed NATO's nuclear strategy should speak out against the logical out-
is something to be welcomcu. llis a culllauicon 1 their position which we should not fail to exploit
But we should not make this contradiction a
deteating Reagans of this world that would play right INEO NATO's hands.
Women's peace marchers en route from Cardiff to the US
Berkshire. The women
• 30 MILES SHOPPERS IN LUTON BURNT BEFORE THEY EVEN BLINK 4 MILES THE ARCHWAY BANHOUSES
ROYEL
BLAST AND FIRES 20-50% POPULATION
INSTANTLY 3MILES DRAYTON PK BUSESMEL AND 400MPH
NGS AT
PEOPLEO DIE
ROASTED 2 MILES
DESTRUCTION
10000A110C
WIPES OUT MOST OF THE POPULATION WITHIN ONE SECOND
PLANES AT HEATHROW EXPLODE CAR TYRES BURST INTO FLAMES
& 15 MILES SURVIVE THE BLAST, SHOCK AND FIRE WOULD DIE IN THE AFTERMATH fatos e ode Coleo
This broadsheet is jointly produced by Islington
Labour Council and Islington CND. Similar maps
have been produced by a number of localcouncils.
By Frank McBride SPAIN's conservative ment is rushing to join NATO, despite the obvious opposition of a large majority of the population.
All the workers' parties from the Socialist Party leftwards are campaigning against the move. For the Socialist Party it is the first serious opposition to the government since last February's altempted coup.
The government first raised entry into NATO in February but they have only now begun a debate on the question in Parliament. through legalistic and manoeuvres that they plan 1o force the Issue. Not surprisingly they have rejected all calls for a referendum.
Many believe that once inside NATO
165,000- ISLINGTON POPULATION
190,000 KILLED INSTANTLY OFF NOSE WHO
Meanwhile, in Spain...
govern-
'nuclear-free'
might keep the other pastimes like Spain!
tional)
And it is in Parliament, Spain. procedural the recent
the NATO alliance.
Socialist Challenge
the Socialist Party will join their European counterparts in supporting NATO. Certain their slogans don't oppose the NATO alliance as such.
Some hope that Spain can remain
• despite being in NATO while others feel that being in NATO
military's off hatching coups
Only the revolutionaries, particularly the Revolutionary Communist League (Spanish section of the Fourth Interna-
are calling for opposition 10 NATO as a war-mongering institution, and opposition to all American bases in
It will need more mass actions like
50,000 strong march Madrid 1o prevent Spain joining the other capitalist countries in Europe ir
15 October Page 3
Page 4 scan of this page
'WE have called a national solidarity con-
ference in Manchester to mobilise national
support for our fight for jobs and union
A victory at Scott's would be a boost in
democracy. the fight for jobs by the whole movement
against the disastrous policies of this govern-
ment'
Dennis Barry Convenor, Laurence Scott
SOLIDARITY
WIT H
•AURENC E
SCOTT
Laurence Scott
NATIONAL
SOLIDARITY
CONFERENCE
Invited speakers Tony benn, Mr; Charles Morris, MP (Gorton); Ron Halverson, National Committee of the AUEW; Eric wake. General COTTS.
Saturday 14 November 10am - 5pm
Appucanon jor creaentials Please send us credentials for....... enclose a cheque/postal order for £. per delegate.
e eger we „ccenec on coe ąęc or o ło
Joint Shop Stewards Committees and two from all other
sona fide labour movement bodies
nul arciua all cererates crecenuais. nere wil oe possible allocated to contributions from the floor with priority given to those in dispute.
Name of organisation....
Union or Labour Party.
Workplace............
Name of secretarv.]
Address.....
Telephone.
Please return J Partlan, Droylesden, Manchester Creche facilities will be provided if requested up to one week perore me conterence.
Socialist Challenge 15 October 1981 Page 4
•ecretary •corusn Now, Lee
..delegates. We ...........a I2 more information will be sent with
much we 15 Lines Roadide
Laurence Scott
Snipe
runs
gauntlet
By Pete Clifford ARTHUR Snipe, managing director of Mining Supplies of Doncaster, shareholders' annual general meeting on 7 Oc. tober with an apology for the gauntlet of pickets outside.
At the entrance were strikers THOM atence Scott, Manchester who'd been oul lor 24 weeks Lo fight the closure of their factory.
The APEX steward Joan Taylor explained the shareholders attitude: "They thought it was a bit of abone joke.
Not them didn't seem to understand see called Snipe the JR OY
woncaslel.
Snipe's latest venture has been to squander hundreds thousands of pounds buying race horses, while he sends 650 workers down the road at Manchester. Cheek
That alone explains why he's been likened to the Texan millionaire JR:
Elaine Cross, TASS steward actually got speak to Snipe as he went in. 'I told him it's time he did a decent day's work and gave us our jobs back.
'He had the cheek to say he would work us into the ground
A shareholder, echoing union leaders Boyd and Duffy, seemed to think the strikers were all members of a extremișt group.
Engineering steward, Frank Stubbs put that right by explaining to the confused shareholder that
'the only group he was menoe was his foca bowls club.'
But behind the shareholders brave talk was the harsh realtv that Mining Supplies shares Have aroppea Irom £l.ou
£1.02 each and their market is facing
strike
action
urged
at
British
Leyland
Home News
opened his Trade unionists from GEC support the LSE picket lines
By Dave Hardy
National oo ers ay ma ss meetings wh t leand or
the derisory offer
crease from BL management.
The unions' joint
negotiating committee
which TeorescnL. the
58,000 car workers
employed by BL
recommended strike
action as the only way
to secure the demand board wage incoes e. f20 across the
•enio shop
stewards have endors-
e•mS col Tonoone
strike from
Novembe and the
mood in the major
•lauts particularly
Cowley and
Longbridge, is that now
problems.
Malony, the transport union's steward was able to corner a much harassed Snipe at the end of the meeting.
John told Snipe 'We're
mindless militants,
we're working class people
Laurcuct Scott all lives.
conciliatory snipe cialmea nol lo de unapproachable
It's been a long time agreeing to talk wiln ine stewards.
converol Denis Barry's attitude is, 'We'll lalk but tne pressurc Hon. our supporters has got to be stepped up.
That Snipe has his supporters was confirmed as the pickets left Doncaster to be accompanied in full escort by some of Her Majesty's police force.
Supporo sh and bessa es 20 Donations and miesouses Roundcroft, Romiley, Cheshire.
OPENSHAY
LEA
ARUS
meetings will decide whether or not to take strike action following of a 3.8 per cent wage in-
is the time to stand up
Edwardes' bullying
management.
This strike comes at Forres with wage crucial time for the
SOL-
tlements due at _Fords
Vauxhall and in the
mines.
The only way. lo
secure a decent wage
and jobs is by confron-
ting both Edwardes'
plan for BL which has so
far cost 60,000 jobs, and
his Tory backers
It is the Tories who
are deliberately using
unemployment to break
LSE boss re-opens
talks
LAST Friday 9 October, LSE stewards were summoned to informal discussions with Arthur Snipe. managing director of Laurence Scott.
talks will re-open next week.
This new develooment in the six month ok
in the tace tor national union leaders. Bovd anc Duffy, who withdrew official backing on the basis that there would be no further advances.
Another step forward was taken Monday 12 October when the AUEW Final Appeals Court, meeting in Eastbourne, placed Laurence Scott on the agenda for Thursday.
ficial in July after the final date for inclusion in the court's agenda had passed
decided to discuss the LSE case.
If official backing is re-instated it will mean strike pay is again available and secondary picketing can be resumed
TEE
the unions' strength in-
side lalik such
those in BI
And it is the Tories
who take the political
decision spend
billions of fs on nuclear.
ratne
paying decent wages
and vu wcall oes
However, the most
important issue will be
to ensure tnat tne rank
and file does not let the
MaLenCl OCCI:
as Grenville Hawley, na
tronal secretary of the
automotive group of
the transport union. sel
us out by agreeing to a
. Gomoromse setucmen!
just before or the
strike starts.
The lesson that the
BL workforce has learn.
The talks lasted two and a half hours and, subject to Snipe's consultation with his banker, formal
dispute is an incredible step forward and a real slap Boyd and Duffy had made the LSE strike unof-
It is very promising that the Appeal Court have
Led over the nast three years struggle is that they Cal Tel their own strength and the broad support of the labour movement when it comes to a fight with the management.
The next Region Five Broad Left of the Transport and General Workers Union will be Saturday November Birm ingham and the Na tional Broad Left meeting will take place " novemoer in york For further informa tion please write TGWL Left oredu Florence Road, Acocks Green, Birmingham
Page 5 scan of this page
If there's any law
£10 raised from children
By Toni Gorton ENGINEERING workers at Staffa Products Ltd in East London who are occupying their factory to save jobs were ordered to quit the site by the High Court — or face forceable eviction by the police.
the Leyton plant are fighting a decision by the firm's US-based owners, Brown and Sharpe, to close the plant with a loss of over 300 jobs.
The company, hydraulic equipment, received a grant of £4.5m from government to Plymouth.
workers approached Council for aid and the GLC offered to match the government offer. The company rejected it.
occupied the plant, followed by the staff side.
directed his members to withdraw from the sit-in, so now the 140 staff workers are on 24-hour picket duty outside the gate.
New discoveries
Socialist Challenge last week reported that Staffa
workers had uncovered detailed plans - that cost
their bosses t10.000
tion to the move to Plymouth.
bosses had planned to take one 'key worker' with
them Plymouth,
skills but solely on the basis of his proven 'anti-
union' record.
*Report
Study' drafted 30 March 1981, spells out the nuts
and bolts of how the company will save over f1m a
year in
Plymouth.
relocation is a significant reduction in Employee
Costs due to: 1) Fewer people being employed
after the move, producing or supporting the same
level of output and shipments due to improved ef-
ficiency. 2) Lower labour rates which will apply in
the Pivmouth area.
It details:
Savings at Plymouth
Hourly rated employees
204 × 52(3.38 -
(employee benefits) = £271,500 per annum
Staff
140 x (7000
benefits) = £106,400 per annum
Total savings due
£106,400 £377,900
Total employee savings associated with move (at
1981 rates) is therefore due to reduced numbers =
£684,400 per annum and due to lower rates
£377,900.
Total is £1,062,300.
send all messages of support.
telegrams to Chris Newson,
tee, 39 Somers Road, Walthamstow E17.
Staffa workers in court
to save our jobs
then apply it'
The 390 engineering workers and staff at
which manutactures
move the plant to
In an attempt to stave off the move the
the Greater London
On 29 September the engineering workers
Subsequently the local official for ASTMS
At the hearing on 7 October, many of the 305
to undermine any opposi-
In new finds, they have discovered that the because of his work
on Staffa Products Relocation
labour costs by making the move to
It says A fundamental element of the proposed 2.82) per hour x 39 hours × 1.172
- 6360) per annum × 1.188 (employee to labour rates = £271,500 + conatons ano AUEW Strike Commit-
He deplored the
He said,
the bosses did when they were in control.'
the proceedings Green replied,
plauded. The judge none.' Green then said, ир.
courts represented - morale is high.
to win.
they can't get the products anywhere else but Leyton.
By Toni Gorton
tion.
'We're just thinking about jobs Here they're thinking about the
thing they grow up and leave school.
"That's why we got £10 from 8-12 year olds William Patton Junior School in Stoke
What you can do to
support the
Staffa sit-in
union or community organisation
• Pass resolutions
tees of ASTMS and AUEW
stamp
• Plan fundraising events
• Sell badges
Chris
Somers Road
Challenge
to Work Campaign have been invited to speak.
Solidarity
workers named on the High Court writ were in court to hear the convenor of the stewards committee, Dave Green, speak on their behalf.
use of the courts in a dispute between management and workers.
'We are fighting for our jobs, and we are taking better care of the factory than
When asked by the judge about a point in
If there's any law in the land to make management save our jobs, then please apply it. ' This was warmly ap-
answered, 'There are 'Well then make one
Despite ASTMS taking its members out of the sit-in and despite the concern that many workers feel about the to-ing and fro-ing in the
where they were not at first legally
They feel very confident that they are going
The company's new site in Plymouth won't be ready for two years and in the meantime
manutactured
at Hackney school
'I THINK the kids are looking at the jobs situation deeper than we are,' says Jim Cripps, on the finance committee of the Staffa occupa-
ington, Hackney.'
He told Socialist Challenge that the sit-in had already received over £1500 in its first few days.
Collections . are being taken at local firms and at labour meetings.
One Socialist Chall-
• Arrange a speaker for your Labour Party,
of support especially
directed to the national executive commit-
• Take collections wherever possible using
the official collection sheets with the union
Staffa stays - order from Newson AUEW strike committee, 39 Walthamstow, London E17.
20p each & 15p postage. No reduced rates for
bulk orders. Cash with order. Quote Socialist
Staffa workers aim to have a mass rally in Lon-
don on Wednesday 21 October in Benthnal Green.
Ernie Roberts, MP and John Deason of the Right
SUDOUrICI buses has been instrumental in getting a Staffa speaker along to the monthly conference of union delegates from all the London garages, representing some 30,000 workers
The Right to Work Campaign has thrown itself energetically into collecting and getting speakers into the unions.
£l6 was given by one person from the Merchan Navy and Airlines Officers Association.
Socialist Challenge supporters in east London nave been working nara to get the word out about the occupation and the raise
Here's what a few of them have to say about it.
Jo O'Brien, Grove Green Labour Party, Leyton:
'There's a lot of feeling in Leyton about the closure of the factory.
'People know about it which explains the big col lection of £18 from the 15 people at my ward meeting.
'Our local MP, Bryan Magee, who's constituency Staffa is in, gave fl'.
Staffa workers at one of their weekly mass meetings Steve Harper, delegate
the London North District of the engineering union AUEW:
'Over the last period there
have been a whole number of redundancies in different engineering fac tories where people have just accepted redundancy payments.
'The Staffa people have made a stand and are piving a ciear lead to all other workers
'The next big step is to compel the National Executive Committee make the sit-in official and pay out strike benefit.
'Engineers throughout London and the country should make sure that the sit-in's SUCCESS and doesn't crumble for lack of labour movement support.
Frank Gorton, Metal Box Clapton, AUEW:
*The f46 we raised was a good collection for Staffa from a bunch of engineers who are concerned that the meri reaunaancy numoer will be theirs
I hope to be able to use my position as trade union/Labour Party liaison officer for
SUPPORT
Staffa
Stays
Hackney North and Stoke Newington Labour Party to get support for Staffa throughout Hackney
'Hackney North Labour Party and its MP. Ernie Roberts who is sponsored by the AUEW, , have already pledged their sup
John Duveen, a Na. tional Union of Teachers, epresel tative at lackne Downs School:
'There's total support fer the sit-in. We collected! at the union meeting fro» collectiple and we're si
'Staffa represents or third all engineerin jobs in this area, if it close that's a big blow to the future of our young peopie looking for jobs.'
Michael Brown, Ford Dagenham, TGWU:
I started collecting on Fri-
One bloke said thai his dad who had worked at Staffa been giver leave to go home 10 Pakistan. He came back a week late and was promptly sacked.
bloke said sounded like the leopara hadn't changed its spots. Socialist-Challenge: 15-Oetober 1991 Page-5
Page 6 scan of this page
We went on the attack from Day One... and we won'
Automotive Products, Spa. sackings.
Tony: What we've
got is a guarantee of noncompulsory redundancies here and in any of the AP plants in the UK.
On Monday the stewares will recommend
manageMCIL OICE
Stuart: The main reason the company puts or Ware compulsory redundancies was because voluntary redundancy was drying up.
But management had to back down because it coulan i lace all tne orner plants coming out in suppoll or us.
Tony: One of
Line reasons we ve been able lo save the jobs is because of
trading position engineering componants.
It doesn't keep a buffer of stock to offset disputes. Its in a much more.
situation where expect AP li auc U1l time customers are in a similar situation.
So we knew they were vulnerable to strike action 1968. Between 69 and 74 I joined the plant
went through four rcaundancy exercises AP and during that time
the NUR into
By Brian Grogan
Railwaymen will be meeting this Sunday 18 October to organise the fightback against the productivity offensive of the and to work out the first steps in democratising the NUR.
This is the first national meeting of the
the NUR since its launch and the big question is wil it be able to respond to the challenge confronting it!
In order to transform the NUR
into a 3U2DLIO union the Broad Left will be debating resolutions to put. the NUR Rules Revision Conference next cal.
Turning back the bosses' productivity offensive will be decisive and to do this militants will have
with a variety of
лете а section of a HICW pamphlet written by Socialist Challenge railworkers which will be published soon.
Socialist Challenge 15 October 1981
STUART Leath and Tony Wheeler have been out on strike with 1,500 others at
Leamington
Valerie Coultas Talked to them at the weekend. They expect to retrun to work on Tuesday having forced the company to withdraw its threat of 200
we build up on the plant a joint approach among all three staff ACTTS/TGWU AUEW/TASS, and ASTMS.
In 1975 we were threatened with major redundancies. We visited every AP plant talking to the unions meetings. They pledged support defend jobs. was ine birin or ine combine as we know it.
Stuart: Over the last six years we've kept affirming the position on jobs.
Time and said 'one day we'll have to go out the gate'.
Tony: In 1975 the mere threat of a strike made the company withdraw.
Iney ve never felt confident to take us on about compulsory redundancies in the last six years.
Last year for instance, the trading situation of the company was even unfavourable than this. ve were on a tour dav week. But they still didn't feel confident We'd had to back track pay staff levels replacements and made some of them think they'd damaged the union enouse so we'd not fight back.
Now it looks as if one of the managers, David
Can militants change
a fighting union?
MILITANT railworkers in the National Union of
British Rail bosses
Policies for fighting productivity In order to effectively fight productivity we need an independent strategy of - a strategy that would begin to find solu Lions are railworkers' interests.
The minimum requirements of such a strategy would include the following policies; a) Rail union backing for ul bubic wavestment wirt no strings attached. b) An end to the selling off of the profitable sections of The rail
for re-nationalisation without compensation of all privatised sectors. lead thee rail unionist ust the fight against all job loss and closures.
Page 6
On the picket line at Automotive Products Ltd we'll-get-rid-of-thedossers Wright, will have lo cal nis words
Stuart: Our combine which is really strong is not
d) Railworkers' wages must be immediately raised to the 1975 level.
We need union leaderships that are prepared to fight for these policies, uS-
callivic of the miners and taking industrial action in pursuit of them; this would include the mobilisation of the full strength of the Triple Alliance of rail, steel
This is precisely what the debate inside the Labour Party about. Will future Labour government adopt a 'common approach' with the banks and the bosses would it defend independent policies, formulated at conference the in-
working class?
This why the left wing inside the rail unions supported Tony Benn in the deputy leadership bat-
we need a Labour Party leadership that prepared to fight to implement such policies.
Trade Unions
recognised by the comDaNy …or controled ov une union officials, although some of our local officials have been quite sympathetic during this For Fighting Rail Unions
We believe that it is necessary to form a broad based left wing movement comica lo nighling Tol these sorts of of policies side the unions michiseives. such a movement is not a new idea.
1934 the Railwar Vigilance venuell was set up in response to the stagnation of rates of pay
working conditions
dispute.
It is a lay body and we organise the rank and file.
Tony: But consciously shut them out al the beginning because we
• 26 November
Cardiff • Bristol
27 November
•London
that had been steadily worsening since the victor! of the 1919 national rai strike which had established National Conditions of Service.
The movement's greatest strength was that it included all railworkers regardless of which union they belonged to.
The foundations for such a movement today
don't trust union officials.
We did have some pro blems with the shop floor
going into work while we
Over the last ten years
MEETTHE JOBS EXPRESS
Support youths' demands for jobs, education, training and a voice.
24 November • Manchester • Sheffield
• Birmingham 25 November Swansea
Lobby of Parliament On 30 November those who have pres will in the Mops.
could be laid by campaign-
ing for the policies we have
outinea In oppos tion to the productivity ex ercises.
Such movement
would also need to support
and defend the democratic
gains made inside the
Labour Party and to campor the continuation of
the continuation
that process.
we've tried to talk to the shop floor. Ever time management has made an offer we've asked them to sit down with us
We understand there's growing sympathy at other
plants for cooperation
Stuart: But inside our plant the convenor sets
against the other. On
Tuesday the District Com-
mullee or lne engineerin: union was to sup
port the strike but the con yenor here argued against it, saying it would things difficult for his members
He does enough at set times to get re-elected but as yet there isn't an alternative to replace him
The Charter Group staff that shop floor workers is try-
build that native
When he was up for re election we put in bulletin arguing it was time for a change.
But the security people came in and tore up the bulletin
we nad in five bulletins attacking the
Delore lilal and no one had batted an eye.
The strike was successful because we acted so
surprised Tree cape led
surprised. expected us to wait for names to be named but we said 'we'll
One,' 24 hour notice anc
Once the names are out the battle's half lost.
So we went on the attack and we won.
600r
Newcastl 23 Novembe
•Glasgow Edinburgh
• Liverpool
Jobs for Youth Festival
November
Finst try uring top rock bands
March and Rally
It would also have to support the forging of links at rank and file leve between the unions of the Triple Alliance.
A broad-based left wing movement founded on these policies would be able unite all railworkers who wish to be members of fighting rail unions.
Page 7 scan of this page
Sadat- why there was dancin!
Does Egypt need another Nasser?
By Geoff Bell THE meaning of Anwar el-Sadat was there for all to see as they buried him . on Saturday.
Those who mourned gangsters, the rich and the powerful of Western capitalism — Richard Nixon, Lord Carrington, the new. self-styled Shah of Iran, Charles, Menahem Begin and many others of their ilk.
Those who were not there were the ordinary citizens of the country which Sadat ruled. As we sunday times reported, All egypt, une na tion in which by the time of his death he was no longer a hero, remained as steadfastly indifferent to his internment as they had to his passing.'
Those who celebrated the burial were the Arab masses who poured into the streets in their various cities.
The British media reported these scenes in tiel usual Sadat was 'The man who died for peace', or 'A martyr to peace', or 'Sadat: the man who cried out to the world: "'Lay down your arms".
I nis canonisaton was contrasted with Die. tures of Arab masses as they danced and waved their arms in celebration. reporting was trying to put across was as ob-
managed to rise above the senseless passions of the ignorant, fanatical Arabs.
What is the real reason for the celebrations? The 1980 Report of Amnesty International provides a clue: 'In Egypt, there are repeated arrests mainly of left-wing opponents of government policies who are held under security legislation for several weeks or months before being provisionally released... the arrest and imprisonment of people whom Amnesty International regards as prisoners of conscience stil takes place under legislation introduced under the state of emergency which has been in force jor many vears
Aline en or Apn lyov a new law, tne law on the Protection of Values from Shameful Conduct was approved .. Many of its provisions appear to impose further restrictions on the rights of freedom of opinion and expression.
'In Tora Prison disciplinary measures include being strapped to a device called al-
By Tessa van Gelderen BEFORE Sadat took over, when Nasser was in power, Egypt represented the way forward for hundreds of thousands of Arabs in the Middle East.
Nasserism was the representative of antilocals du caul.
It opposed the control of the economy by imperialism, large landowners and the Arab bourgeoisie.
Under Nasser the Suez
foreign capital expelled ane unere was arce scale expansion of the state sec-
alised industries, ding bureaucracies.
This apparent undermining of the ruling class. along with the agrarian re-
the nationalisation of the banks and Uil was enthusiastically wel comed bv the Arab masses masses.
fact, these measures, accompanied by social reforms, did lead to
improvement the conditions or certain sec• tions of the labour force, and did raise many Egyptians out of the most grinding poverty.
But the Egyptian middle class still held power as
in the streets
him were the
Prince style. According to Fleet Street,
he message such
1978. bureaucrats and parasites, cole lie naval of the major sectors of the economy. practice, Nasserite policies systematically stifled the independent activities of the Egyp
workie cass ance allies
In the first two years of Nasser's military coup against the Farouk monarchy all political forces that had taken an active part in the Egyptian anti-imperialist movement were suppress-
Even at moments of
national danger, such as 1956 and the Suez canal crisis, and 1967 and the six day war, the regime jailed and suppressed any
Nasserism always had two contradictory tendencles winin il. one was the
the populatior Whose main interest lay in both the total destruction of the system.
was those who derived from the mid-
Aroussa, the doll, a wooden cross-like pillory with a locking device to keep the head bent forward over the horizontal bar of the cross. In this position the prisoner is beaten on the back. and legs.
Such is one aspect of the Egypt of Sadat who, in his autobiography in 1978, have never been lured by tions, nor did lever build my happiness at the expense of others. In every decision I made, in every action I took, I have been directed by my firm belief in the dignity of man and his right to freedom, peace and to honesty like that it is hardly surprising that Richard Nixon attended Sadat's funeral.
The repression by which Sadat ruled was growing at the time of his death. At the beginning of September this year over 1,000 opposi tionists were arrested in the course of three hours. It was no coincidence that this purge came just two weeks after the start of another summit between Begin and Sadat. For it was this 'peace process' which more than anything led to Sadat's unpopularity.
The Camp David accords of September 198 nad agreed on the phased withdrawal of Israeli troops from occupied Sinai, and the 'resolution of the Palestinian problem in all its aspects'.
The first had been proceeding on course when Sadat was killed. But this was to the advantage of Egypt alone, in that it was the return of territory lost by Egypt in the 1967 war. Sinai was only a by-product of the Middle East conflict. Its cause was, and remains, Israel's oc cupation of the Palestinian homeland. And in this area the goals outlined at Camp David were as far away last week as they were in September
In some respects they were further away. Within the last three years tens of thousands of Israeli citizens have been moved into the oc-
mayors have been shot by Zionist gangs, and deported by Israeli authorities. Palestinians in retugee camps in Lebanon and eisewhere have been bombed by Israel.
Yet Sadat clung desperately to the illusion that he could still solve the Middle East problem, although whether he really believed this is another matter. Those who exposed his and Begin's protestations of good intention ranged
Idle class, and those members of the state apparatus will been stymied under the old regime by its anti-national structure and the obstruction of Egyptian capitalist development.
Their aim was to seize power 'from above', without involving the masses, and free national capitalism from Anglo-French imperialist constraints.
This contradictory nature of Nasserism highlighted by the defeat of Egypt in the six day with Israel in June 1967 Incapable of competing technological v with Zionist state armed by imhansul. LIC Nasserite regime was unable to arm and mobilise ine masses 10 the degree needed defeat Israel.
After the June 1967 defeat, Egypt, like the other Arab regimes which had previously posed as anti-imperialist, moved to the right. Nasser's successor, in 1970, Anwar elSadat, took that process further.
The new regime assumed a more virulent and repressive form, bul class oppression, oppor-
International,
wrote: any wordly tempta-
equality.' With duly elected Palestinian tunism and anti-communism had been inherent in Nasserism Under the Sadat regime, the bourgeoisie was restored. The
Nasserite bureaucracy was eliminated and the regime
about progressively dismantling nationalisation measures fecting the interests of the Egyptian bourgeoisie.
Yet, despite the shift to the right there was radicalisation of the masses. The October 1973
Wal was staged to stop this new wave of rising struggles.
It was perhaps therefore fitting that Sadat met his end celebrating Egypt's offensive Israel eight years earlier.
The Sadat government had set itself the task of the removal political sions in the area was this prerequisite for future develonment of the capitalist economy that
dominate the years of the Sadat regime.
For this reason Egypt,
sadal broke decisively with the Soviet Union and instead looked towards American perialism.
Yet despite kowtowing to US and Zionist policies
The company they keep: Sadat and the Shah of Iran The moment of reckoning for Sadat far and wide. They even included Israeli foreign minister Moshe Dayan who resigned because of his government's refusal to make any concessions towards the Palestinians.
It says something of Anwar Sadat that even Dayan appeared more appreciative of the rights
poor Sadat has recently been out of favour with the new administration under Reagan. The US had begun to reassess its relations with Egypt, just before Sadat's assassination.
There were doubts whether Egypt could any longer play the role it had in carrying out American policy in the area miscau. Iside was seen to be a greater military and politica asset, the oil-rich Saudis were in much better position than Egypt to pay the lop price. for American military aid.
The US aims for direc deployment of their forces the region air, ground and naval. Egypt lacked the stability make such provisions.
Sadat was well aware of this change in American policy. That was why he was anxious to deal with any opposition internally as quickly and as repress ively as possible The failure of Sadat is further proof that the naLullai one Arab country cannot be put before the interests of the Arab masses throughout the Middle East.
never would have.
The company they keep: Nasser and Nikita Khruschov
Anwar el-Sadat, never made any pretence that he was on the side of the
What he did manage to do was to con-
people that al agreement between Israel and Egypt could bring peace to the troubled
Socialist Challenge
of the Palestinians than he did
That is why the Arab masses rejoiced dur:: Sadat's funeral. In his autobiography he r. promised freedom and peace'. His regime! delivered neither when he was was shot, anc
region. But an agreeme that is not in the intere Arab Palestinians in ucular. can Only the even:... successful OLLCOME their struggle can ache:: that.
15 October 1981 Page"
Page 8 scan of this page
'Teddy Benn
By Phil Hearse OVER THE PAST WEEK things have been happening in British politics which would have seemed inconceivable even five years ago. The Social Democratic Party has been holding its 'rolling conference' in Perth, Bradford and London, SDP are almost a daily occurrence.
ship is under fierce attack from within its own ranks - something virtually unprecedented a Tory government in office.
Add to this the turmoil inside the Labour Party, and the argument that the "mould of British politics is breaking' seems balsble. How did the parties come to be lo unus stale. and what will the P come? Will une establish itself the 'natural party of government' as its leaders claim?
Boom
To grasp the meaning of what has happened in British politics, we must look first at the pattern established after the second world war, and the forces which inevitably undermined the apparent SADILY political system.
After 1945 Britain participated the unprecedented boom of the world capitalist economy.
Andrew Gamble has
pointed out in Britain in Decline this boom created
Decause while Britain grew richer at
relative decline against the OuIe powers was greater than at any time in its history.
Loss
The basis was laid for
all the contradictions
British capitalism its
tallure modernise its
productive system and
Stale aotal alus to cope
with the loss of empire,
and to compete just
another manufacturing
• to explode at a
Ilalivli
nigner lever in tne tuture.
The British ruling class complacently rode the
boom of the 50s and 60s,
apparently oblivious to the
disastrous results which
would accompany the end
of the boom and the onset
of a long period of world
recession (See Manoes
Long Waves in the History
of Capitalism). Work
The complacency of bourgeois theorists during this period was well ex-
pressed the political
level. Convinced that another 1929-style nomic crisis was ruled out,
they dreamt up the notion
that 'welfare capitalism'
could work indefinitely
that everyone
become more 'middle
class' and class contradictions would gradually
disappear.
Inside the labour
movement, the 'revi-
sionist theorists TonY
Crosland, Douglas Jay
and so on - explained that
the "Future of Socialism'
lay not in the pursuit of
class interests and the crea-
'humanising' capitalism. Battle
Their ideological offensive resulted in the bat-
Clause 4' (na-
dustry) of the Labour ParLy consululon - a Dale championed by Hugh
Socialist Challenge 15 October 1981
while defections by Labour MPs to the
At the same time, the Conservative leader-
Gaitskell but defeated by the Labour left.
The result of the boom was the dominance of the centre, the convergence of LIC Labour and Tory parties. The Tories under leaders like Eden and MacMillan became convinced that the integration of the labour bureaucracy, and hence the working class, through limited reforms and concessions was by far the best strategy.
Lack
The 1964 general election was the turning point of post-war British politics in which all these old cerlallilics began to disappear. Britain's decline was evident. as was its lack of clout against its major
Harold Wilson's Labour government came to power after 13 years of
Tory government on the basis of a programme modernisation, not class
the so-called pontics 'white heat of technological revolution'. Labour's election slogan summed it well 'Let's go wịth Labour and we'll get things done'.
Dropped
The Economist, which
today demands the
smashing of the Labour
Party, gave its backing to
Labour as did other
fluential bourgeois jour-
nals.
But Labour's moderprogramme fail64-10 government proved mainly because
incapable of dealing with
the power of the working
class, the indispensible
precondition for raisins
the rate of profit in British
industry, providing, the
basis for modernisation.
When 'In Place
Strife' was dropped
position, use aunt to
position, any attempt
deal with the organised
strength of the workers'
movement was over.
Broken
The two-party Cute
consensus was broken by
the emergence That-
cherism. This was
decisive move by a section
of bourgeois opinion to
transform the relationship
of forces in society to the
detriment of the working
class.
Priority
The programme of
Thatcherism included a re-
jection of state interven-
tion in industry, return to me pron
forces, shake out of
'overmanning' deflationary economic policies, (le. cutting jobs), and an all-out assault on
The DOORLY datcherism was to be a war on "inflation' Sate money was the key to economic probicils.
The problem, is that
Thatcherism has failed.In flation has started to go
Page 8
up again, while the effects of monetarist policies on manufacturing industry and been drastic. Enter the Tory dissidents.
Edward Heath's disaffection with Thatcher's leadership dates from his defeat Tory leadership election en first
election was masterminded by the hard right of the party - people like Robert Moss, lan 'social security scroungers' Sproat, and Jock Bruce-Gardyne.
Her pretorian guard included a fair sprinkling. of
Krode.
Boyson, Norman Tebbitt and their ilk. Hard-nosed
CONSERVATIVE
THE NEXT
GOVERNMENT.
Despite the slogan, one thing is certain: the Tories won't be forming the next government. More and more the Conservatives are beginning to fear the
monetarists like Leon Brittan and Nigel Lawson seized control the Treasury.
All of this was deeply offensive to manv in the Tory hierarchy; but Thatcher had correctly judged the mood of the party in the country, and its majority in parliament. The party hierarchy remained. for the first time in many years, the prisoner of its WII Dast But the Tories are nothing if not pragmatic.
The ultimate Crane failure. The Tory 'wets' are regrouping, ready for a sustained attack. While Gilmour ana Heath christened "Teddy Benn'
Alan cabinet office:
by Edward Du Cann and some junior MPs spearhead the
allack Thatcher must know that there are dozens of secret 'wets', both in the cabinet and in the higher reaches of the party, who will join
rebellion which misses success.
The manifesto of the
opposition, written by the
so-called 'Blue Chins' deeply revealing Two concerns shine out. First, they
the are deeply wornea by
nihilation, and government's image.
Second, they are deeply rearrui mal sections or the ruling class, those
emergence of the SDP. Above centre, Walters, hard-line monetarist advisor to the he was formerly
turing capital, will turn to
the Social Democratic Par-
ty. Thus they propose an immense reflation of the economy.
DONe auotes will in
cidate their line of think-
ing. 'We fie the
government) talk in terms
of almost primitive laisse.
faire, and thereby collect
the credit every
bankruptcy that occurs. We talk, too often, as if we
consider the unemploy-
men figures
For the recisocial
Villis not be fellow
citizens for whom we have duty care and
thereby collect the odium
of responsibility for the
recession, and the hatred
Professor Chilean gov
Brocklebank. advising the SDP. Rumou
of those whom we have i fact struggled to protect a time of falling nation output.'
The Tory party, the say, has achieved a reput tion as 'industrial hit me
They social ose interies
DIODUSC instead programme of investme led by the government, i house building, telecon munications, scho equipment road buildir and so on. They also argı for a return to a more 'ca ing approach SOCI policy
This desire on the pa of many Tories occupy the centre groun
British politics stems fro their increasin
Page 9 scan of this page
the Blue Chips and the SDP
ent. Above right, er, the first Tory to defect to the going round the
concern about the growing popularity of the Social
Democratic Party.
Already there al c rumours, that six Tory MPs are about to defect to le sor aller the party conference. This creates a major problem of tactics for the Social Democrats themselves - is the SDP to be a genuin Could party like the French Giscardians, or is it to be explicitly a party of the left, whịch attempts TeDlace the Labour Partv and destroy it as the major eft wing force?
The Economist had no
doubts on this score. . In a
'ent editoral in its 24 it calls
Christopher
are about to defect. Conservative
for the SDP to reject the 'centrist' temptation and set itself the task of smashing up the Labour Party by splitting local councils (as ll nas aone with dramatic success for example in Islington), attacking Consituency Labour Parties by one, and making a grab for the Labour presenting itself as the halulai contualion the 'old' Labour Party.
The 1casull why the Economist should prefer this variant is not too dif-
unscover. avowedly Tory journa with major support in ruling class circies, which has backed Thatcher to the
SDP S.
conference in Blackpool that another six Tory MPs
Now Edward Heath is suggestina that Thatcher's acolytes in the Tory Central
hilt, sees the problem in British politics not as the polarisation of right and eft, but as Labour's move to the left alone.
It therefore wishes to destroy the Labour Party as the major alternative to the Tories without at the same time the Conservative Party.
Thus its call to the SDP to place itself on the left,
join the SDP amounts to saving. Please smash up the Labour Partv and the bourge
• expiicit The SDP for them represents an opportunity io make the major party of
the left break its links with orgnised labour This in itself is very revealing: the problem with the Labour Party, which
it unsafe' as the makes natural alternative to the Tories, is not just Bennite radicalism, but the combination of with Labour's powerful organic links with the
the SDP 1=:= adopt this siraieg! would play the same as the short-lived ! 051 in!
keep Labour
Office started a campaign of 'dirty tricks against
eventually goes depends on the relative weight of COHL COCLON Leno. present in this proto-party Arredov. because of the defections of councillors and MPs from Labour, the party has a strong array of machine politicians and career bureacurats who have previously based themselves on the organised workers' movement
have no case Which way the SDP SDP picking up working
S
class votes.
But the simple strategy ot attemoting the Labour Party as the Illa Ul party of the left numerous objection. comes against
First, and by no means least important, is the present social compisition of
66,000 people who signed up for the SDP
beautiful radicals are in small minority.
Second, Roy Jenkins' vote in the Warrington by-election showe that many of the SDP's vote come from previous Tory or Liberal voters.
from ex-Labour
Third, the gains which can be established for the SDP by firmly adopting the 'centre' option are probably greater than that which can be achieved immediately by the 'left' option Smash
Attemots to smash un the Labour Party will be bitterly resisted every inch of the way, and stand no chance of success without first splitting a section of the unions from the Labour Party - which is a most unlikely variant.
This where the Economist gets it wrong A Bennite 'rump' 'with the Labour right detached would not be a 'rump
maintained lIS links with the unions. It would still be the mass party of the working class.
There is a further major strategic issue at stake for the SDP. prospects of the SDP. Liberal alllance depend on the possibility of so damaging both major parties that the alliance will nave enough weight either in government noidingle (Dance
- to impose proportional after the next election Epoch
This is exactly what the Economist-style Tories
want, because Ine know that such a develop ment would probably Du them out of office for the foreseeable tuture and guarantee an epoch of coallon coverincil
The opinion polls seem to indicate that the SDP is on the cresi of a wave of popular SHODOR! terestingly enough, COUL from within the SDP itself (such as that by David Marduand ir the latest London Review of Books) indicate the adhesion of a large number of people from the middle classes who have never previously been involved in politics
Depth
This represents the mirror-image of the impact of Bennism on sec
of the and white collar strata. amounts to confirmation
of the growing politicisa-
tion of British society politicisation long overdue in light of the depth of the social and economic crisis.
Until tested
government, the SDP is
likely to grow both from the right and the left. But the same forces which gave rise to the SDP will be its undoing The SDP will
survive its first period of government
Phoney
Despite its phoney "radicalism' and creditCaro flashiness. its gramme
the "civilised 'humane' centre of British politics and not its saviour
Socialist Challenge 15 October 1981 Page 9
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15 October 1981
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delivere Mersey Way. : 483 890 SWINDON:
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BHENT: SC sold Willesden Junctior
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tus c/o PO Box 36,
sold
from
Fi 6.45am at
Bookshops Road Opper Bangor O nedy. Hollyhead
Fourth Idea
Bookshop, M: Duram Cily Co-op DURHAM:
Mi 30 Ere Diere Books.
OXFORD: EOA Books LEC 51. Lester, ana Baria, 34 Socialist Challenge
RAIL: national meeting of supporters , dal / Nov, 1. 0pm al centre
STUDENI TRACITON: Sunday 18 Docume 154pm al national centre. Ann/Richard/Andy al Revolurion
DEMONSTRATE Victory to the Hunger
Strikers!
Assemble 1pm, Sat 17 October Brixton Library, Coldhar-
March to Embankment
for rally Speakers include: Ken
Livingstone
Called by South London
Hunger Strike Action
Committee
YOUTH
AGAINST
«TORIES,
Page 10
By Alan Freeman
OUR new quarterly fund drive begins this week
with a target of £16,500. received £1,705. We have to reach our new target by Xmas, especially as over the previous three months we fell over £5,000 short.
Last quarter we asked for a total of £16,500 as follows:
• £1, 900 for Lour campaigns around women's liberation
• £3,800 for the fight, for
policies in the socialis! unions
•£950 for our fight for socialist policies in the Labour Party
• £950 for our anti-missile work
• t2. 400 tor oulen campaigns
• £6,500 lo subsidise the paper
On what did we spend the money we raised?
Well, despite Roy Hattersley's tutalills clected. Buit the best testi- didn't Benn mony to our contribution was the fact that every second delegate to the Labour Party conference was wearing our 'Benn for Deputy' badge.
Socialist Challenge has been up front in fighting for Benn - and we're the one paper on the left that has been taking the democracy and policy fight into the unions.
We spent £300 at the Labour Party conference alone. That allowed us to put daily electrostencilled bulletin into the conference hall, 1o build activity around a woman's non to work, lo promole the Labour Movement Conference Ireland, une October CND demonstration, to support ine Polish workers advertised by one of our
T-shirts on
SOCA
So far we've already
Eric Heffer's ample chest
and 150-person strong meeting "IN SUDDOrt workers, now in their sixth month of struggle.
We played a central role in building the highly successful Northern Carnival against the Missiles
August. This interven tion alone cost us f220.
Ireland has been high on ine list our cam-
At the rally for
ree speech organised Belfast councillors, on the initiative of the comrades from Peoples Democracy, we spent over £200 in help-
cillors over from Britain. including one wno was ar rested for her support to the Irish struggle. Youth
We helped Revolution Youth produce a special broadsheet in reaction to the youth rebellion, which over 5,000 copies hit the streets within days of the outbreak to explain the Tories' responsibility for the crisis and to mobilise for the defence of police victims, costing £150.
This quarter we want
o do ai much and more.
per resources to suppor-
ing the Polish and Central American workers struggle, and plan to cosponsor a big rally for their defence in December, with Revolution Youth on the
FORMARD occasion of their second
conference.
TROPO
SOCIALIST
CHALLENGE
-Socialist Challenge News
We will need £16,500 in all: •£1,900 for our work in support of women's rights
for socialist. policies In the unions and Labour Part 01900 to build action against the missiles • f2,450 for our work on re ano. Poland and Central America @t6,500 lo subsidise the production of the paper
That's £5,500 each month. We start with £1,705. Send uS your
start pianning your fund raising events now!
for socialism
Socialist Challenge
İNPREKOR Numer 1 a dale i paddzieralka 198) roxi ORDIMOZA PRASOWA SAMORZAD, SOLIDARNOŚĆ, BIUROKRACJA for 75p.
starting Polish solidarity work, Solidarity, PO Box 50, London NI 2XP. in the form below Name....
Address.
Age.
Union/CLP (if any).
London N1 2XP
ATO:
INPREKOR - first number of a Polish edition of Inprecor, is now being distributed by supporters of the Fourth International in Poland. Photocopies available from Socialist Challenge
Any local supporters or branches interested in
write to Polish
JOIN THE FIGHT FOR
SOCIALISM
iIf 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 11 scan of this page
Lettersi
Iran-
regime
the murder of untold
critical position towards
name
the Shah'.
What needs sayıng, and saying very clearly,
counterrevolutionary regime and has been so since it came to power after the overthrow of the Shah.
The CIA would, undoubiedly, like to have a
powe. which is more compliant
Americar hnoe asto but they would find it diflcull to get a more rightwing government Khomeini, even capitalism is the work of the Great Satan but he does not want to go forward to socialism but
Valkwaru medieaval Islamic state.
JONATHAN Silberman's letter informed DOCCIIST Challenge readers the
SLEOS which Fidel Castro took
try influence Allende's leadership of the Chilean struggle, stressing the need for an independent,
Hilaos alice mobilisation of the workers movement to overthrow the state.
But feel that Jonathan's uncritical presentation of Castro's relllarKs on Chile ano the revolutionary pros-
Central OCCLS Latin America leads to ambiguity.
Castro was undoubtedly correct to press for mass, armed movements of the working class. But although SUCR movements can overthrow existing states, we have to be very precise in analysing to what degree such movements are capable
BAD
MAESTA
DX CORMAC
#*813
Letters ettArS TERi
a counter-revolutionary
It is indeed a tragedy that it should have taken
numbers of Iranian revolutionaries for Socialist Challenge to take
the Khomeini regime (editorial statement, 8 October). Even now it hesitates to call things by their right
the Khomeini regime is condemned because it 'has proved chronically incapable of stabilising the economy since the overthrow of
That is counterrevolution by whatever name you want to call it.
Ailu. , wilaiever ine subective desires of the Mullahs, obiectivelv are pre paring the way for renewHnoenarsı intervention.
Instead of calling, the editorial now does, an independent class line, 'the creation of organisaluls wicn Monitse the workers, but which break with bourgeois politicians every stripe...?'. the USEC Resolution • Ot 28 July, 1980 stated. *large numbers of Persian (sic) masses view Khomeini as a
Chile, Cuba and the masses
of achieving proletarian democracy and a proletarian economy.
For example, the movement which overthrew the shah was a mass movement and it was armed. SITC main problem was the lack of revolutionary leader-
MY PARENTS HAVE TOLD ME THAT THEY REGRET HAVING BROUGHT ME INTO THE WORLD....
Letters
political leader who symbolise their hatred for the Shah and his dictatorship islam became and remains Through this Shi-ite the vehicle for the movemenis ana surugeiesor dl their social and demanos.
Should not, Marxists, have known what. the editorial now stares that regime would be incapable of fulfilling the historic needs of the Iranian masses. Should we not, as Lenin did in his April Thesis after the reoruary Revolution Russia, have made it clear Loc aan workers ao
Peeir nes chatioh ava set
Ievoluiluli allu about to build party
could give the which the task of preparing this revolution required!
'The history of a revolution is for us first of all a history of the forcible entrance of the masses into the realm of rulership over Incil own destinv' (Trotsky, Preface to History of the Russian Revolution). This ABC of revolutionary ship, be it a party or a mass organisation. The present state of Iran speaks as eloquent tes. timony to these facts.
The Cuban revolution was a revolution in the sense that the state was overthrown, imper-
Letters
Marxism completely
Iwd. forgotțen in previous SC
alldiysis the Iranian Revolution.
Instead of mobilising the Iranian masses for the overthrow of the regime of Khomeini/Bani-Sadr; instead supporting the Kurds in their struggle for self-determination the sections of the Fi called ialism Was defeated, and subsequent big gains were made for the workers and the oppressed.
But it wasn't a pro. letarian,
SOCiCuISE revolution. The mass moolisation the working class did not
MY WIFE MAS LEFT ME"...
for the defence of this monstrous regime against LIIC coldt obnoxious Hussein dictatorship Iraq
Khomeini, however, knew where the real threat to his regime came from and it was not from Baghdad or even Washington.
A large section of his army
- and it is largely the same
Union democracy
I THINK that last week's letters about the need for democracy in left wing unions were 100 per cent right. Socialists should always fight for full democracy and honesty, , whether it appears to work against us or not.
TGWU branch secretary
area has privately admitted that he voted for Benn on behalf of his branch without consulting his members. become cynical. However policies may be, respect of his members? They may no find out he has fiddled the vote, are bound to find out his attitude. After
obtain full class auto. nomy. consequently didn't throw up organs of workers power.
The Cuban leadership is not proletarian internationalist. The workers state of Cuba is one with bureaucratic deformations, and its leadership places itself wltnla the camp Stalinist ideology, albeit its left wing
Similarly, the leader-
MY CHILDREN OPENLY DISPLAY THEIR
CONTEMPT FOR ME!
army which served the Shah - has been engaged
the genocidal people of Wal Kurdistan against His 'revolutionary guards' have killed more Iranian, Kurdish and other revolutionaries than they have Iraqui soldiers!
It is the elementary duty of Marxists now to seek the greatest unity of all the
trust them.
caught fiddling forgotten
wing backlash in
:in this it comes to
Many day.
This man has good his how can he hold the
but they OLIVER NEW
SOUTHALL
ship of the Nicaraguan and EI Salvadorean movements are petty-bourgeois in character.
So successful armed mass GWKeTS movement may be able to overthrow the existing state, but without a Leninist party a programme based on the interests of the working class and proletarian democracy, these revolutions cannot solve the
A
revoluuollary wand especialiy with forces
The Kurdish freedom right-
ers ana une Miujanaain evel where we do no: aarce witl the melnods they employ.
Individual acts of terrorism are not weapons but we are on the Sallc Suc s tc teronsi We must win them to pro. elandl revoluuonar politics through united ITOL acuions agallisl inc terrorism of the regime and for its overthrow
We must convince the Mujahadin that they must break with the Bani-Sadrs but we must sapport the demand for a constituent assembly, chosen through free elections, while at the same time strengthening the porcltla organs orke, the Shorahsasants workers programme must include the immediate and unconditional right to selt determination for all the oppressed nationalities Iran; no support for the war between Bonapartist states Iran and Iraq; fraternisation on the front; turn the war or both sides of the border into a civil war!
CHARLIE VAN
GELDEREN, NW LONDON We reply: We strongly disagree with Charlie' letter which totally underestimates the anti-imperialist dynamic opened up by the Iranian revolution.
Further, no section of the Fl ever gave political support to the Khomeini regime. all, if you are not scrupulously hones! with your members, it means you don'!
Of course when the right wing get
the scandal is soon But the whole 1/710/ movement is still suffering from the righ
the EETPU after the left was caught ballot rigging. And when
vote-rigging, the right wing could beat us hands down at that game
Socialist Challenge should campaign for more democracy and accountabilit! in all unions, left and right.
economic, social and political problems which humanity faces They are, in a sense 'deformed' revolutions If all we needed was armed, independent uprising there would be no need for the international Marxist Group and the Fourth Interna. tional. However it isn't and there is!
STEVEN ARCHER,
I'VE OFTEN WONDEREI WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE
DENIS HEALEY SUPPORTER!!
Page 12 scan of this page
•We claim a massive
688Rу 7поr Why did the Irish political prisoners call off their hunger stike? What lessons have they drawn from their stuggle? Did they win lose?
Challenge gives the prisoners' views in an edited version of the statement they when the end of the hunger strike was announced.
We, the protesting prisoners in the H Blocks, being faced with the reality of sustained family interventon, are forced cumstance over wnich we nave little control at the moment,
On 1 March 1981, Bobby Sands embarked hunger strike. April 1981, 30,492 people in the Fermanagh/south Tyrone constituency elected him as their MP.
By doing so they recognised him as a political prisoner and demanded
the British government respec the mandate given by them and by the entire nationalist community on the streets, by demands.
The British government, caught in the hypocrisy OI their 'democracy
I2uUlCu people's wishes and mandate.
Murder
On 5 May 1981 Bobby Sands died on hunger strike, murdered by British callousness and vindictiveness.
Frank Hughes, Creesh and Patsy O'Hara were soon to follow Bobby to the grave and still the British government steadfastly and inhumanely inflexible.
On 11 June, nine prisoners stood in the Southern general election. Of these, Paddy Agnew topped the in Louth and Kieran Doherty elected for the Cavan/Monaghan
areas the prisoners polled exceedingly well, considering the lack of organisation and the short period of time there
paign. Action
Soon Kieran Doherty, Lynch and Tomas McElwee were to be murdered bv Britain
The British government, been exposed for the hypocrites they are at the first Fermanagh/ Tyrone by-election, had and passed legislation which and this done they texed tee on.
done they election for Bobby Sands' seat for 20 August.
By this time new treacherous and vigorous was underway to break ine strike. This campaign was orchestrated by
Sócialist Challenge - 15 October 1981/ page 12::
0000n
Ray McCreesh
Irish prisoners:
political victory'
Altempis were
Socialist Committee
tion of the 'hopeless' made projection OI
continuation of the hunger-strike Republican On 20 August, 1981, ron elected with as DIUX
by inis MP for Fermanagh/South
to end the again prisoners.
Un 8 refusing even to discuss unic gruesome spectre or acall
the 10th hunger-striker to die.
One venton and
Have We accept that it physical and
own strike arter intervention men ended their fast picialuic, death.
Kavmond Mc-
remained
poll WaN
seven Kevin
having
South instigated
fixed the by-
active, campaign
… Patsy O'Mara clerics who received approval from the Catholic Church. On occasions, hunger other individuals were also involved.
made to discredit we prisoners and the National H Block
More damaging was the promo-
syndrome. The
drome, plus the private lobbying of LILIS 'hopeless' synrelatives to effect intervention when strikers were going into a coma. was proving to be a serious threat to the
Owen Caran increased political prisoner Tyrone.
Even so, the British Premier Thatcher
spurned this mandate for we With encouragement from w ruzuclaid sne went rurtner by
meet with him to spiral
On 20 August, Mickey Devine was
Mounting pressure and clericalinspired demoralisation led to further
present five strikers have been taken off their fast.
is almost a psychological 11llpossibility to recommence a hunger
Also, to avoid a non-hunger striking
International,
• Joe McDonnell • Martin Hurson
The situation exists at present that a considerable majority
strikers' families have dicated that they will intervene and under these circumstances we feel tha the hunger strike
must. lor lacuca reasons, be suspended.
One of the emerge from this second hunger strike is that the nationalist community is politically inconsequential and impotent in the context of the Six County statelet.
Despite the electoral successes. despite the hundreds of thousands at hunger-strikers' funerals despite massive and unprecedented displays of community support and solidarity the British government adhered rigid ly to the precept that 'might is right' and set about hammering home the point that nothing has really changed since the fall of Stormont or from the inception of this state.
Border
That is that nationalist Ireland
always be subiected to the British and Loyalist veto
On the same theme, the lesson of Fermanagh/ South Tyrone is that the self-exalted 'British democracy' is an expediency manufactured again, from the setting up of the border, the 'first and biggest gerrymander' preserve a continued British presence in Ireland.
A BLOCKH
ERMy
Kevin Lynch
When defeated by their own rules at the polls, the British government's concept of democracy altered and the rules were changed
When they own rules they democratically-expressed voice of the electorate and thus undermine the enLilc pompic ana purpose or using their 'democratic' socal or bonuca change
The logical analysis is that nationalist pacifism in the Northern Ireland context dooms the nationalist population
per pellales thwarts the quest for a just and lasting peace in Ireland
Another facet of this hunger strike was to expenny expose lne true lace dI the present Irish establishment, consisting of the Catholic Church Dublin government and the SDLP.
From the outset, hierarchy opposed the hunger strike even though they offered no alternative course of action. We contend present that their been established by sideration rather than the Christian values of truth and justice. stance nas been and misleading.
We believe that the Dublin bloc of Fianna Fail,
are accessories to the legalised murder of 10 true who died heroically in the long tradiGON Republican British occupation, injustice in Ireland.
They are accessories to murder by virtue of the fact that they sat idly by and thus encouraged continue with the death policy.
At no time did any of these three parties unequivocally or even tacitly support our demands even though our five demands are implemented in their entirety in jails Ireland.
There was only one positively injurious action available to the SDLP which would help to save lives in the H Blocks and that was to isolate the British drawing from the council chambers.
as nev cons stentiv rensecc do, preterring - to enacious v to their role of imperial: lickspittle. Rather than take action to secure an honourable solution and TARSH MBL
• Kieran Doherty
tacking to suit them. enceavou are defeated even by their
ignore the Block/
processes to effect
conclusion of this
procese i to subser partilion and our talle
immeasurably
LiCi The the Catholic selflessness
position has at all times bloc.
political con-
Their
Fine Gael and Labour
and committed Irishmen
resistance to
oppression and
mense dignity. clauds
the British to ding by them.
in Southern you We
ple of Ireland
WILDbehalf.
Lastly instead to cling
demands
SaOIRSe
IRISH FREEDOM
FESTIVAL
MUSIC*THEATRICAL EVENTS*POEMS *SONGS* FILMS* SLIDESHOWS* VIDEOS*TALKS* EXHIBITIONS*STALLS Evening session b.0-lipm
TRAITORS GAIT
SATURDAY I7OCTOBERI-IІPM
CAXTON HOUSE,STJOHN'SWAY, LONDON N19 (ARCHWAY TUBE)
frecoom
• Micky Devine save lives, they occupied their time trying to make pontical galls by al
those who did genuinely the ISSU honourably, namely the National H
'Armagh Committee and those councillors who answered our call to withdraw trom the council
There were several reasons given by our comrades for going on hunge strike. One was because we had no choice and no other means of securing a principled solution to the four-year
Another, and of fundamental im-
was advance the Irish people's right to liberty. We believe that the age-old struggle for Irish self-determination and freedom has been
advanced by hunger strike and therefore we claim a massive political victory.
hunger strikers by their have politicised a very substantial section of the Irish nation and exposed the shallow, unprincipl ed nature of the Irish partitionist
Beacon
Our comrades have lit with their very lives an eternal beacon which will inspire this nation and people to rise and crush oppression forever, and this nation can be proud that it pro. duced such a quality of manhood
We pay a special tribute to the families of our dead comrades. You have suffered greatly and with im
Your loved ones our and friends, were and would be very proud of you for stan
No tribute is too grea
Also, we give a special mention to those families who could not bear to watch their loved ones die in pain and agony. We prisoners pressure you were under and stand by
thank the National Block/Armagh Committee, the
Ble o reland, the ali those peo
those championed our cause are indebted to you and ask you to continue your good WOTK our
, we reaffirm our commitment to the achievement of the five
by whatever belleve necessary and expedient. We rule nothing out.
festiaal
Page 13 scan of this page
Liverpool typists' strike
By Mark Hackett, Vice President Bury NALGO FOUR hundred typists, secretaries and machine operators employed by Liverpool City Council have been on strike now for three months. the strikers -all women and members of the local government workers union, NALGO are pursuing a claim regrading and more training.
Liberal Council Jones, NALGO over the claim or even to go to arbitration.
He has disciplined other NALGO members for following official instructions not to break the strike causing mass walk-
their fellow vuLs alliull?
WULACES.
Pay
The City Council is being run by a five-member Emergency Committee, for the first time since the war, made up of Liberal and Councillors.
Labour Councilloras, who support the claim, are refusing to attend.
After more than twelve weeks on f20 a week strike
noW increased by NALGO the great majority of the strikers are still out. More determined than ever to win, they have compelled NALGO
Effects of the
strike so far
NO NORMAL COUNCIL OR COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
Emergency Committee decides Council oolicy.
This is boycotted by the Labour Councillors.
NO HOUSES are being let or allocated and no rent has been collected from council tenants, involving come between *million and €2.5 million per week.
NO ARCHITECTURAL plans are being approved and no buildings can be started.
IN EDUCATION, the reorganisation of Catholic schools has been postponed and there is
administration GCE or RSA examinations. No new supolies are going to school including oil, no repairs are being carried out.
No grants tor fares clothing for school Hitoer are being administered. Student grants are not being sent out.
IN THE TREASURERS DEPARTMENT, no payments to contracLOTS are Delng made through the normal channels. The Director.
escalates
for salary
leader, Trevor has refused to negotiate with
leadership to support their fight by escalating the action.
Rent cashiers and pay clerks have been called
Parks OIL gardeners and grave diggers are threatening strike action and some have already come out.
1,000 NALGO members walked out for part of the day after the suspension of 60 fellow warkers. Further suspensions and strikes are expected.
Fight
Liverpool City Council has been controlled largely by the Liberals for the last ten years and provides a foretaste of the sort policies we could expect
Manv future Liberal Social Democrat govern-
US.
/TREVOR
of Finance resigned from NALGO and set up • a private bank account with f1m in order to pay the largest creditors.
30,000 pay role ammendments are not
each week and one million errors have accumulated the programme Nearly £¼m in DHSS sickness benefits has not been claimed. No aLC. demands have eer sent out.
Cash flow problems could cost the Council between f¼m and f1m
TYPISTS
DITORI
LOW
PROVE
Mish The real face of the
Liberal Party enders
Liverpool is no different
from that of the Tories
once Ines are in office.
Out of the window go
condully nvolvertenl
care of the environment in interest charges.
IN THE SOLICITORS DEPARTMENT, searches of planning records have stopped or will stop, all private mouse sales nave been stopped. The authority is not makina anv new contracts and is not buying or selling any land or property.
OVER 200 SENIOR PRINCIPAL AND CHIEF OFFICERS have resigned from NALGO over the strike. 400 new members have joined
Solidarity,
and the pledge that 'we are opposed the sterile politics of confrontation'
_comes unionism and the iron fist.
Liberal leader Trevor Jones was knighted by Thatcher and has lived up
Strike diary
25 October 1980
March 1981
28 May 1981 Typists,
23 typists.
30 June
throughout nothing.
6 July
4 August
7 August
typists. bitration
council refuses.
12 September
breakers
nalga
MPLOYERS Wi
IRVE US BACK TR
YOU
•NEN FOR to the honour by behaving like a Victorian employer of Liverpool's long heyday. No doubt with the full support of Environment Minister Michael Heseltine, he is determined to break the trade unions
NALGO lodges claim with Liverpool City Council for job regarding and im proved training opportunities on behalf of typists and machine operators.
The personnel Commitee turns down
operators beerina work to rule. Almost
immediately, the City Council suspends
Negotiations have continued fruitlessly
June and the Council makes it clear that they will concede
All out strike of 400 typists secretaries and machine operators begins. No normal Council, Committee or Sub Committee meetings have taken place since.
The National Joint Whitley Council in struct the City Council to reopen negotiations after strikers ask for negotiations at a national level.
NALGO meet Trevor Jones, the coun cil leader, who makes a final offer: £15 annual increment to 63 of the 450
The dispute is referred to the ar-
and conciliation service (ACAS) who suggest both parties go to arbitration. The typists agree but the
epa ment is suspended to reist
epartment is suspend to co-operate with management strike
who resigned
:L20
representing the City Council's 30,000
who make up Liverpool's largest and potentially most powerful workforce.
There has been precious little fighting on
Messengers.
Tyron, had
18 October
suspended.
21 September
gross earnings
8/9 October
Planning and
protest.
out.
Merseyside to save jobs let alone to fight low pay Now these women are showing the way.
Send messages, donations, to Branch Duchy Cha Liverp 21 VALGO Liverpool LI Tel 051-236 1944
out for the day closing most of the local authorities major offices. Previously Mr Hesford Mail Delivery
and Mr been suspended for not crossing picket lines.
Another 1500 NALGO members wai
ut in support of Joe Walsh at the Ci Treasurers Department who has beer
Special Council Meeting called. TI
abour Group move that an improve offer is made and negotiations reopen-
.NALGO Nationai
Emergency Committee increase strik
pay from £20 per week to 55 per cen
over manual workers are not paid that week
ment; twenty three members of the Audit Section of the Treasures Department and thirty members of the City Solicitors Department are suspended 1000 NALGO members walk out in
Strike action is escalating as Parks Department Gardners and Grave Dig. gers threaten strike action and come
Socialist Challenge 15 October 1981 Page 13
Page 14 scan of this page
St Mary's Road, North Kensington is, like many hospitals under plans, due for the chop. But the staff are fighting back.
They have been campaigning against closure since Despite this, Gerard Vaughan, Merlen minister, has that these cuts be implemented and is planning to close down the Casualty Department betwall 19 October November, to allow the beds to be emptied, after which they will be dismantled for ever.
The hospital is a major acute hospital, serving the inner-city areas of Paddington and North Kensington. Defence Committee set up save St Mary's has appealed to the labour movement:
'The staff of the hospital have responded to this immediate threat by declaring an occupation and are determined to workin to maintain services. The ambulance drivers believe that far too many casualty departments have closed already and that life is endangered by these cuts.
'They have declared their intentions to defy the administrators' and will continue to bring tients to the hospital after 19 October for as long as the staff can provide adequate medical nursing cover.'
The Hospital Defence Committee and the Occupation Committee have called demonstration of mass support for the action of the staff and ambulance crews main gates of the hospital from Tam on Monday 19 October for the whole day. Get workplace, union branch, trades council, Labour Party, and women's organisation and so on to be there.
THE CUBAN foreign minister launched a sharp attack on the Reagan week. the United Nations, Malmierca accused the US of bacteriological warfare. fifty-six people, died of the dengue fever epidemic that started in Cuba in May of this year writes JONATHAN SILBERMAN
Dengue fever is carried by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. As long ago as 1959, the US Army revealed that their Bacteriological Warfare Centre had carried out experiments in Florida with the Aedes Aegypti.
The experiment involved releasing swarm of 600,000 mosquitoes and tracking them.
Up to date information on US policy in this area is Jifficult to come by, iourse. 1969 Senate committee how-
acknowieaged that he American government =i spent £175 million on
Socialist Challenge
St Mary's
Hospital
will stay OK!
Tory from NUPE, TGWU,
tinuous hospital. 1978. says in its ordered paion can be fighting the London basis.'
For further and committee C/O Mary's Hospital, Harrow Rd, W9. Tel: 286 4884 X372
deprived
The therefore
instruction
for
the
your
Lenants administration last Speaking at the General Assembly of
One hundred and 99 of them children, have now
chemical biological warfare research that year alone. earlier Senate report listed some of the biological weapons in the US arsenal. These included bacteria, viruses, fungi and toxins agents tor causing anthrax, dysentery, cholera, diptheria, typhus, yellow fever, dengue and botulism. Also in the arsenal were animal afflictions such brucellosis, attosa. pUT cine cholera, African swine lever. and insects and bacteria for use in attacking plants.
Coincidentally, In tne last two years, Cuba has 15 October 1981 Page 14
In the meantime, the occupation which has official backing
COHSE and
mounting a conpicket outside the
As the Defence Committee
appeal: 'This cam-
TOCUSTO cuts on an all-
details Defence
Office.
London
Cuba charges US with germ warfare
also been the victim of African swine fever, sugar cane rust and tobacco blue mold. Many Cubans believe that these plagues have been introduced by the CIA.
Cuban leader, Fidel Castro, took up the same theme of CIA-inspired atLaKs of this kind speech in the Cuban province or alanzas al ine end of July. Castro made special mention of 'Opera Mongoose, giant undertaking launched by President John F Kennedy at the beginning of 1962 less than a year after the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of the island The Cuban leader explained how the United olates — which it has maintained tor twenty years made it very difficult for Cuba to get hold of the necessary insecticides combat the epidemic.
News
Free the Bradford 12
On 30/31 July officers of the West Yorkshire Metropolitan Police Force carried out a series of raids in Bradford's black community.
Twelve youths have now been charged with crimes that could result in sentences of life im. prisonment.
A campaign has been launched throughout Britain to free the Bradford 12. All SC supporters are urged to join in.
South West London supporters of the Bradford 12 are holding public meeting on Friday 16 Oc. tober.
As their press release states: 'There has been
little normano about this case down here.
publicised throughout the country since ll orings into rele the lack of determination on the part of the police or
Stop Press: The Shirley Graham Defence Campaign will be holding a picket outside the Home office on Thursday 15 Oc. tober from 11am-1pm.
Shirley Graham is under threat of deportation. She has lived in Britain since 1974 and has left and entered the country on several occasions and had been given 'indefinite leave to remain
In Augusi lis year, after a snor inp aoroad, onirtey uranam was detained at the airport and held without warning.
Despite being a diabetic, medical treatment. Her condition deteriorated and she underwent major surgery three weeks ago.
Socialist Challenge.
Our tirst efforts
buy malathion, he said
were Mexico
with the firm Lucaba,
owned by Mexican and US
interests. When they
found out it was for us, tater, feared of the will: refused
ingness of the Bayer com-
Dally sell WC
entered into negotiations
with them to buy twenty
tons Bayer
had to get
asheemedl from Lucaba
because the Bayer product
lau SUlt com-
Lucaba refused
This was in the most dif
ficult moment, at the
beginning, when we didn'
have the chemical pro.
ducts we needed to fighi
the explosive epidemic fa-
cing us.'
Finally the Cubans had
to bring malathion from
Europe, by plane, at a cost
of $5,000 per for
transportation only, three-
and-a-half times what the
malathion costs.
the prosecuting authorities
bring any conspiracy charges against racists who dIC have organised repeated attacks against black people and left wing organisations in
the pas meeting in Wand-
sworth is at 7.30pm at the Millan Centre, 59 Trinity Road, London SW17.
Talonal public meeting is being held on Friday 23 inere was a delay in giving ner
Photo:
GIVI
COOKSON
By Piers Corbyn
THE LABOUR group on the Greater
London Council agreed on Tuesday of
last week to carry out Tory schemes of
selling off new and rehabilitated vacant
council flats.
The three sites affected by this are
Elgin Avenue. Paddington,
House, Lambeth and St Paul's Court,
Hammersmith.
already sent out eviction notices to the 70
homeless people, including 10 children,
presently squatting in the Elgin Avenue
flats
Despite rumours to the contrary, the
Labour group has not
pressure from any High Court ruling. In-
stead, on the basis of 'legal advice', the
Councillors are as anxious to drop any
promises made to une ciectorale wilet hicy
are faced with possible
they were on the issues of lowering the
price of school dinners.
Yet the squatters
prepared to fight.
High Court eviction
lauching a 'campaign of harassment' to
prevent the sale of the flats.
Ken Livingstone, Labour GLC leader
has said many times that the GLC cannot
win anv controntation
government without the support of the
labour movement. But it has to win that
support by showing that it is prepared to
stand up and fight for its election
pledges.
STOP THE
A message for Labour GLC
Speakers from Bradford, London Support Group, Ditta London Immigration Association (Great Britain)
Thanet House,
October (full details above) and a benefit is being organised on Friday 6 November SOAST Assembly Hall, Malet St,
tion, no reasons have been given either to her or her solicitor as to
why she cannot stay in Britain.
"crime" appears to be that she is back. Shirley, along with hun-
dreds more
disguised policy of
choose where she lives.
For further details contact: Shirley Graham Defence Cam-
paign, c/o 285 Romford Rd, Forest Gate, London E7. Tel :
Labour GLC sell out on
council houses
and the Kilner house-building nomes
All this
come under position.
surcharges, as
themselves are They will defy the order and are
tion orders with the Tory
resist Tory attacks.
Housing 01-701 5691. house
IF COUNCIL HOUSES
E HOMELESS
HOUSE
public meetin Free the Bradford 12
Friday 23 october 7pm
London School of Economics
Houghton St, WC1 Old Theatre Anwa Group. Indian Worker
Change of date!
Picket of the Immigration Appeals Tribunal In the case of Nasareen Akhtar
Strand WC2 23 October at 11am
London WC1 at 6.30pm.
For further information contact the London Sup • c/o 54 High St, Southall, Tel: 01-571 4290
Although Shirley Graham has now been released from deten-
As the Shirley Graham Defence Campaign says, 'Her only black people, is being harassed and subjected to a
"forced repatriation. She must be free to It is not enough for Gladys Dimson, chairperson of the housing committee, to be deeply disturbed' - that doesn't give homes to the homeless.
The Labour GLC's programme for housing is now in tatters. GLC property is being transferred to London boroughs government has prevented a programme of 1500 And now council houses will be sold. without a fight. Instead the Labour GLC is spending f2,000 a week on each of the properties on security to 'keep the homeless at bay' as Ken Livingstone aptly put it when he was in op-
The Labour GLC is more concerned to listen to the 'advice' of lawyers behind locked doors than the people of London who rely on the GLC for a home and who voted Labour in the May elections. There are many cynics who think this Labour GLC is like all the rest, despite its apparent left face. Unfortunately, if the Labour group continues to act in the way it has done over issues like that of hous ing, it will confirm their worse fears The Labour GLC has to continue to oppose the sale of all council housing. It should immediately withdraw the evicagainst the Elgin Avenue squatters and it should unite with the squatters and the labour movement to
For further information contact National Liaison Committee, 47 Marble Elgin Avenue, London W9. Tel:
noto: Raymond
Page 15 scan of this page
By Paul Lawson THE MILITARY COUP in Chile was one of the most important events for the international labour movement since the second world war. and its outcome still provides an essential
Purists will say that the Chilean regime isn't fascist, since fascism was a specific form of political movement, which mobilised the petty bourgeoisie and lumpen proletariat in a mass movement to crush ine workers.
But we use that denniuon. then fascism only ever came to power in Germany and Italy Spain, like Chile, it was the army Wilch was the crucial instrument of counter-revolution.
Fascist
Moreover, given the disastrous consequences tor ine bourgeoisie or ine classic fascist experiment,
seCils unlikely repeated. we use however the definition of fascism Combiele crushing of the movement dy annica lorce, then Chile is fascism.
Morna Macleod of the Chile Human Rights Committee went to enlie in 1980, and has produced a useful account OI social and economic consequences of eight years of Pinochet's rule.*
Luxury
Morna Macleod quickly discovered in her who had benefitted from the coup. She reports: '(Santiago's) bustling
modern centre could
European city Lilal U Ia with hundreds o1 suarl shops displaying every DOSSDie HOUC l CUlVC'
nience; electrical applianr TVs to sophisticated ranging from
food processors, from
electrical toothbrushes to
the latest German,
and American
Jabalcsc
tape recorders and hi-fi
systems; clothes from the
most fashionable Parisian
designers; shoes imported
from Italy, cheese, patés
delicacies from
France, chocolates and
whisky from Britain. New
shopping arcades are
crammed with every kind
imported luxury far
beyond the reach of most
Chileans, for whom even
basic items are too expen-
yve.r
Slums
But the picture for the
working people and the
different:
DUUI Once outside the city cen- yaiy
tre the disparity, between
the few rich and the ma-
jority come strikingly visible ... who aic poor
the rambling expanses of
the poblaciones the poor
quarters, and the shanty
Here there is
lown siullls.
an immediate feeling of
desolation, amanuellcill
ana isolation the slum
Chilean fascism
dissected
The experience of the Allende government Inside a Chilean prison camp
dwellers rarely make the tno to tne orignuy-al celtre, since they have no mone to ouw antilic l display, and feel anyway inal mey ao HOL belong Inere
The imposition fascism is not just the imposition OI different
order but the Douticul restructuring of the econoIIIY at the expense of the workers. This has been given a particular twist by Chile's situation as still an essentially dependent country vis-a-vis imperialism, and pursuit of Milton Friedman's monetarist policies.
Capital
Under Allende, there was di aliciot io cical a
strong national economy.
to try to break the cycle of
dependence.
Under the new regime the accepted notion is that
Chile should produce those goods which
'naturally produces that is to say primary pro-
ducts like copper and
fruit. This of course just
reproduces the vicious cir-
cle of dependence.
consequence of AS a
this prevalling ecocilld
doctrine import tariffs
have been drastically
reduced, and thus ITOOLS
have flooded in. What has
not flooded in is invest-
ment capital.
The return to the no-
tion of Chile as a producer
of Dl lillal y products of
course fits in with the in-
ICCSLS of the multi-
nationals and imperialism.
Morna Macleod has some
observations
reference point in strategy.
also of vital importance. It gives us crucial insights into the economic and social consequences of modern day fascism.
on the contending tactions
inside the government.
Chilean popular opi-
nion divides them between
"blancos' (soft-liners)
who represent the power-
fu Chilean enterprises and
the multinations, and the
CHHOS (hard-liners). wno
the fascist-
minded elements in the ar-
my. wote mne Dowel of
the regime rests of the
military repression, in
policy terms it is clearly the
'blancos' who have the up
Zanussi's
Constant
Factor
By Pam Singer
Under Review
debates on socialist
But the experience in Chile since the coup is
per hand
The abandonment of
the project of trying
create a strong national in-
dustrv - winch mn any casc
would involve a break with
imperialism and the multi-
nationals creates
sharper social cleavage.
The bourgeoisie remains
essentially comprador
bourgeoisie; the flashy
shops in the centre of San-
lago are a rake oft trom
imperialism's super-pro-
fits, destined for a tiny
elite.
Wing The boss
and evidence. previously.
Another consequence of this 'new course' for the economy is a sharp attack on the working class, with high unemployment and falling standards This graphically ilstrateeoy ment's Minimum Employment Plan (PEM).
People working on this scheme are supposed to work two or three days a week while looking for a full-time employment. For this they receive about £15 per month fact employers take full advantage of this opportunity to employ cheap labour. Taxis
second consequences is the increasing number of people who try to scrape a living through some sort ot street trading Morna Macleod notes:
LIICSC l allac trom sweetsol esxi distes, ver harse drivers; ICVCl sce su lilaly lazis il. my life as in Santiago. was explained to me that one third were traditional taxi drivers, one third were secret police and the other third were workers who had been given redundancy money and had böugh old cars to use as taxis ...
Torture
As ever, the social consequences Pinochet's regime are secured through the use of massive repression. the rale 1970s the regime beame concerned about their in ternational image. In 1978 and 1979 an improvement in the human rights situation was recorded.
Subsequently, the regime has returned to its old ways with a vengeance Thus the activities of plain
IF ZANUSSI'S film The Constant Factor had been shown two years ago, it might have seemed more relevant. But after a year of virtually uninterrupted political revolution in Poland, the film's concerns are not very gripp-
Constant Factor is about Witold, an ingenuous young man who manages to retain his personal integrity and 'inner peace' by resisting the petty corruption surrounding him at work and in the hospital where his mother is dying.
His job as a skilled electrician takes him to the west and to India, where he is shocked to find his boss and his co-workers fiddling. As he condemnș their dishonest practices, he becomes more and more isolated. He has the opportunity to expose his
to higher authorities, transcends these vengeful feelings
destroys the
He is finally framed for allegedly smuggling illegal currency when he is about to fulfil his life-long ambition to climb the Himalayas, which had killed his father many years
Aftermath of the coup eyewitness report'.
clothes security forces,
who kidnap people from
cars with no number plates
and the sickening cata-
logue of torture and assas-
sination are all recorded by
Morna Macleod.
Rut her eye-witness
report is also a record of
continuie resistance.
Several trade union groups
continue to exist, despite
the repression, the largest
being the National Trade
end,
submit to
ty. child playing where the film ends.
Interesting
was made.
but zloties on the side.
incriminating
privileged skilled workers
an expedition in the film
really Polish society?
PINOCHET'S
CHILE
An eyewitness report
Front cover of 'Pinochet's' Chile - an
Union Coordinating Com mittee (CNS) While sh was Chile, MOTR?
Macleod attended 800-strong womens con ference organised b! the CNS. Despite everything opposition continue: to develop
"Pinochet's Pinoches re Cri is availat. from the Chile Committee fe'
Human Rights 266 Pentor. ville Rd, London NI 9JY
As a result, he loses his job. In the
we see him washing windows and studying math in his spare time.
He has stayed pure by refusing to
the existing system of bribery and corruption in Polish socie-
Throughout the film he ponders over 'fate' and 'chance' in the life of the individual. Was his father's climbing accident 'fate'? Was it 'fate' that, while Witold was washing windows the building collapsed and killed a
underneath? This
considerations. perhaps, in early 1980 when the film
But unfortunately, after the spectacular events we've seen in Poland since 1980, it's difficult to get excited about Witold's outbursts of in. dignation as his boss accepts a tew
And after a year of Solidarnosc, it's difficult to care about this morally sound, privileged skilled worker as he battles bravely against unscrupulous
Incidentally, the only queue shown
is the queue of people waiting to see a faith healer. Is this
Socialist Challenge 15 October 1981 Page
Page 16 scan of this page
for
SEVENTEEN year old Robert Gittings has gone to jail for six years. What did he do to deserve this rather long 'short sharp petrol bomb in last summer's Side riots. Robert claimed in court that he took no part in the riot.
This vicious sentence handed down by the Manchester Crown Court harsher than many sentences for those con victed of manslaughter! At
press conte ence the hearing Robert's father said that his showed clear signs of hav-
#• aller his arrest a black eye, and cuts and bruises on his head and face. Robert said the police did it.
Another Moss Side resident, Jenner Boult, spoke She datened that defence of
Robert was speaking to
and a neighbour prior to his arrest, when police hit him with a truncheon abused him and dragged him away. But Robert was
MRS VARACHIA
two years ago after she was widow-
ed. She has every right to be in this
country. But the DHSS in their racist
wisdom decided eight months ago to
stop her benefits
Mrs Varachia's inability
speak English hinders her chances of
finding a job.
Yet a DHSS spokesperson
pointed out that many people newly
arrived from Vietnam had qualified
social security
with no knowledge of English. But
there is political capital to
out of the Vietnamese, fleeing from a
God-forsaken 'communist' country.
There also,
political capital to be made out of the
sufferings of Mrs Varachia.
DHSS, as lapdogs to the Tories, can
imply that black people who come to
live in this country are
then man: people
cannot afford
Copierc children,
meone to blame
But the real blame lies with the
Tories and their racist
Varchia should be supported in her
attempts her
restored. As her
tions officer in
the bag Cardina pereas Box so
End Otises (TU) Ltd, London E2
Socialist
Challenge
Six years
'riot youth
shock'? He allegedly threw a
Moss
young and in the Moss Side area, so the judge pronounced him guilty.
On the same day Robert Gittings was sent to jail for six years for a crime he didn't commit, the Greater Manchester Council's committee of inquiry into the Moss Side riots, called for an official inquiry into 'police overreaction' to the riots But it's not just the police who have 'overreacted' the riots.
Crown Court last week Judge Raymond Dean the behaviour and words Bradford magistrates had put indirect pressure on defendants to plead guilty order to be released from custody.
Danger! DHSS racists at work
came to Britain
Britiain.
payment. The to
has ple where it hurts
benefits, often
made.
NHS treatement.
Under this unfortunately, ducted in 12 hospitals,
If the first be expected to 'scroungers, time in the country and so on. who have no job the rent and will have soas treatment within four weeks. laws.
benefits ed every year. community rela.
Gloucester said:
• Box-• Lenconni
Tarlochan Gat-Aura from Bradford had a £75 fine for using threatening behaviour aside after he claimed that he had only pleaded guilty because he felt sure that otherwise he would be kept custody.
Countless other defendants from the TOLS nave made similar claims of being pressured INLO pleading guilty for crimes they never committeen This is the first time that courts have recognised the justice of their complaint More than a thousand mainly young people were rounded up police swoops up and down the country after last summer's riots. Some, like the Bradford 12, face possible life CUllspiracy charges.
It is time for the labour movement make its voice heard in defence of these victims police repression and vengeance.
'Unless it is reversed it will be applied
nationalities living all over
A racisttale (2)
The Department of Health and Social Security certainly know where to hit peo-
Not content with stopping benefits of those who are most in need of them, it is now piloting a scheme to ensure that any one with a black face or who has a foreign name, is checked on their eligibility before they can receive
survey presently being conwanting hospital treatmeni, even road crash victims, pregnant women and psychiatric patients, will
answer a whole list of quests pertains to nationally, lengin o
Assuming they manage to live long enough lo answer all the questions the consultant wil then decide if treatment is 'urgent'- defined
If inis scheme is introduced on a nationa cale, some 17 million people in out-patien ind casualty departments would be questior
Well, it's one way to deal with the shortages of hospital beds after the Tory cuts.
'He's young - he'll do to make up the numbers Manchester policeman clubs youth to the ground during the summer 'riot'
Socialist
(real value £3.15!)
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Address
For multi-reade
hoto: GM COOKSON
PICKET
Caspar Weinberger, US secretary of state for 'Defence' (the man who chose Hiroshima Day to announce the Neutron Bomb)
Thur 22 October 12.30-2.30 Chatham House, St James Square SWI
Organised by London Region CND
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