Socialist Challenge No. 225, 10 December 1981
The scan: sc-no225.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 STOP THE WITCH-HUNT DEFEND TATCHELL
No. 225 10 December 1981 25р
CORMAC. SV/9
Unemployed and strikers 10p
Socialist
sake, до! for gods
labour party has the british no room for the
likes of you ano your alien phil- osophophy!!
Big victory for the left in miners' ballot. The landslide election vic-
tory of Arthur Scargill as NUM president is a massive boost to
all those campaigning for
socialist policies. It is a clear
rebuff to Michael Foot and the
right wing labour leadership's
claim that such policies don't have support inside the working
class.
you have no respec
for parliamentary
democracy! you're
a trouble maker!!
why, you're...
you're....
YOU'RE NOTHING
SUT A BLOODY
SOCIALIST!!!
Page 2 scan of this page
LESLIE HUCKFIELD, not the most left wing member of the Labour Party's organisation committee, declared on Monday that the witch-hunting of Peter Tatchell by the party leadership 'is thar start of open the civil
He is correct. But it is a civil war which will be fought on a number of issues.
The first concerns constituency Labour Parties. The CLPs comprise the local trade union delegates, the affiliated organisations, the Young Socialists, and the people who canvas at elections, sell raffle tickets and do the hundreds of other tasks which keep the Labour Party alive.
These members do not have a great deal of say in how the Labour Party operates, or what policies will be put into practice when Labour achieves office.
One of the few rights the CLPs do have is to say who will represent them at clections. Or rather they did have. For Michael Foot and the party leadership have now abolished that right.
By refusing to endorse Peter Tarchell as candidate for Ber-
been under attack.
Such attacks
hunt socialists out of the party.
the NEC. Model resolution
tempting to implement conference decisions.
the basis for Labour winning the next election. JOIN THE FIGHT FOR SOCIALISM If you would like to be put in touch with Socialist Challenge supporters in your area or would like more information fill in the form below Name....
Address
Age
Union/CLP (if any)
Send to: Socialist Challenge, PO Box 50 London N1 2XP.
Socialist Challenge 10 December 1981 page 2
CIVIL WAR
mondsey, Foot and friends are saying that the vast majority of Labour Party members can no longer decide who will represent them at the polls. That this decision was made in the name of "democracy" is as sick hypocritical.
The second intended victim of Foot's civil war is the Labour Party conference. It was the 1980 conference in Blackpool that gave CLPs the right to select their parliamentary candidates. Before then is was virtually impossible for CLPs to throw out an existing MP.
Even though the sitting MP in Bermondsey, Bob Mellish, had no intention of standing again, the leadership's vetoing of Tatchell can be placed in the context of the re-selection controversy.
For if Peter Tatchell can thrown out by that leadership, then what chance do parliamentary candidates who replace sitting MPs have of gaining the official seal of approval?
Issue number three in the civil war is the policies decided by the party conference. On such questions as unilateralism, withdrawal from the EEC, and the against unemployment, Tatchell has much more in com-
Stop witch-hunt
THE decision of the party leadership against Peter Tatchell is part of an attempt to witch-hunt the left out of the party. The Labour leaders have declared war on ail those who are attempting to carry out conference decisions and who are fighting for policies which can oppose this Tory government. Supporters of Militant, Socialist Orgnaiser and Socialist Challenge have all
should be flooded with resolutions condemning the actions should be vigorously opposed. The NEC taken in respect of Peter Tatchell and any attempt to witch-
We print a model emergency resolution for our supporters to put through their wards. GMCs, trade unions to be sent to
This branch/committee utterly condemns the action of the party leadership in refusing to endorse the candidature of Peter Tatchell in Bermondsey. The decision denies the right of CLPs to select their own candidates and hence makes a complete mockery of the decision of party conference to reselect MPs. The decision further lays the basis of a witch-hunt in the party against all those members who are at-
This branch/committe calls on the NEC to endorse the candidature of Peter Tatchell and all others who have been selected by their constituencies. To do otherwise will turn the party inwards and will not allow us to carry out conference policies which are needed to oppose the vieious policies of the Tory government, and which can lay
mon with official Labour policy than has, say, Denis Healey
ing article which has been used by Foot as the reason for the witchhunt, as it is his commitment to fighting the Tories. - such as an afternoon sit-down in the "Westminster area' - were not but for Michael Foot they were too radical.
he wants to end the divisions in the party so he can concentrate on fighting Thatcher.
war is the entire future of the Labour Party. By over-riding the decision of the Bermondsey Party and by launching the witch-hunt, the party leadership has shown it be is prepared to wreck and destroy the Labour Party, rather than see that party adopt socialist policies or left wing representatives.
If they are successful, their actions will demoralise or drive out of the party tens of thousands of activists.
Labour's chances not just in this fight election but in future ones as well. Peter prepared to risk that rather than see the Labour Party taken over by the left. They are the agents of the bosses, and the Tories. With Michael Foot around the ruling class can easily dispense with the services of Lord Denning. in his campaign against the left he would do no more than turn Labour into a less glamorous version of the SDP: that too would spell electoral disaster
Labor Party is not just for the soul of that party but for its very existence.
because so much is at socialists must fight the civil war with every weapon they can lay their hands on.
ved themselves as deadly enemies of the Labour Party and they must be treated accordingly. They should he opposed in the constituencies, in the affiliated unions and at the party conference.
for the party leadership. The left in the party needs to speed up its plans to launch a new orgnaisaPeter Tatchell - victim of the right wing witch hunt
Labour Party
In the London Labour Brief-
Tatchell, also made clear
The tactics he suggested
parucularly blood curdling,
So much for Foot's claim that
The fourth issue in the civil Foot and his allies know that
That in turn will ruin
But Foot and company are Even if Michael Foot succeeds
So the battle underway in the
Because it is so serious and
stake,
The Foot clique have now pro- with
of the witch-hunters
Foot needs to be challenged
ment edicts.
7 wonder if / should be on this extra-parliamentary demo?
tion on the lines already outlined by Reg Race MP, and the national executive should be flood
resolutions defending Peter Tatchell, the Bermondsey Party, and all others who will be trapped in the ever-widening net
As for Michael Foot, he was already a liability with the lowest rating of any leader since opinion polls began. Now he is a deadly threat to the party. He needs to be removed before he destroys the
Labour's tradition-
Nowadays the Labour Part
seems to have lost much of
its early radical tradition of
resistance to Tory govern-
Peter Tatchell, 1981
All believed that any move
against the Parliamentary or
Party machines were either
undesirable or impossible or
both. Aneurin Bevan was one
of the few Members of
Parliament who was not
prepared to accept tamely
this paralysing dispensation.
Michael Foot, 1962
From Parliament itself
nothing can be expected. It is
jaded, tired and cynical. It
can be, stirred from outside, TUre
Photo TARRY HERMAN
Labour Party. Even Ramsay MacDonald had SOLIC small degree of political principle, least he left the Labour Party before he tried to destroy it
Not so Michael Foot. The one-time leader of the Labour left is now praised by the editorial of the right-wing Daily Telegraph On Tuesday it declared Foot was "absolutely right" to veto Peter Tatchell.
Such are Mr Foot's friends today. Let that be his epitaph.
but only from outside. Nye Bevan, 1938 I'm not saying that anyone should choose only Westminster as a battle ground - God forbid.
Westminster would be an ab solutely fruitless place if there weren't battles going on outside. No left MP can be effective if there are no mass movements outside. Michael Foot, 1966 We must look to new more militant forms of extraparliamentary opposition which involve mass popular participation and challenge the government's right to
Peter Tatchell, 198/
Page 3 scan of this page
Solidarity stands for workers' power
democracy
By Phil Hearse MICHAEL FOOT, in launching his witch-hunt against the left in the party has decied to take his smed on
'sanctity' parliamentary democracy. In attacking Foot has taken his fetish of parliament to extraordinary lengths. Peter Tatchell never said that he was opposed to parliament, only that moblisations of the working class were needed to fight this governnient.
In taking his stand on this issue, Foot has highlighted crucial questions for the whole labour movement. Is the rule of parliament sacred for all time? Is parliamentary democracy really democratic? Can the labour movement combine intervention in parliament with mass working class action?
All these questions will be crucial to meet the challenge of the British political crisis. Mass struggle is the primary motor of social change
Michael Foot's views on parliament are notoriously archaic. The whole history of the labour movement, both in Britain and internationally is of victories won by mass struggle, not primarly in parliament. All the major reforms which have been gained by the working class movement trade union rights, universal suffrage, the welfare state - have been won by tremendous agitation outside parliament.
This agitation changed the political tionship of forces, creating the preconditions for the success of parliamentary legislation in workers' interests. The notion that it is enough to rely on the actions of Labour MPs in parliament is so ludicrous that we doubt whether anyone seriously believes it.
Take the question of nuclear weapons. It's
MILICOR
Polish riot police land on roof of Warsaw fire fighters' academy
'CONFRONTATION is inevitable and confrontation will take Lech Walesa at a special Solidarity leadership meeting in Radom last Friday. The remark has sent the Polish rulers into the same state of frenzy as Michael Foot's reaction to Peter Tatchell's article parliamentary democracy.
And as for Zbigniew Bujak, head of Warsaw Solidarity, who remarked that: A general strike should be prepared and the union should wait for a good reason to start it' — he clearly shouldn't be allowed to stand as a candidate in the Polish elections!
The special leadership meeting was called by the union movement to respond to the police attack on a sit-in by Warsaw fire fighter cadets, and to ine government's threat to introduce anti-strike legislation.
Parliamentary
and socialisn
possible, although by no means certain, that a
Labour government would pass legislation ban-
ning nuciear weapons from British soil. But if
that happened, would it be because of the acTatchell, tons of Labour MPs in parliament? What a
joke! demonstrations, hundreds of meetings, mies would
and pickets, resolutions, pamphlets - in short
mass struggle and agitation. mass Michael Foot knows that as much as anyone
else. The defeat of the anti-abortion Corrie Bill
was due to the mass mobilisation of the labour
and women's movement. Peter Tatchell wasn't
saying anything revolutionary in his Labour
Briefing article.
vious.
The highest principle for socialists is
defence of the working
parliament
The ruling class has never confined itself to
relying on parliament to defend its interests. It
uses every weapon to hand
When the trade unions grew stronger in the
1890s, the courts changed the laws
famous Taff decision unionists for striking. As we have just seen with Lord Denning's judgement
*cheap fares* policy, tradition of anti-working class judgments - no matter what parliament says
The other major institutions of capitalist society — the army, the police, the civil service and the bosses are loyal to capitalism and rela- capitalist interests, and are quite prepared to use non-parliamentary means to gain their objectives
In 1974 the Labour government ordered the army to break the Ulster Loyalists strike, the army hierarchy refused. bosses waged a huge extra-parliamentary campaign to stop the nationalisation of steel
EMILICA
The union leadership has announced an imsaid mediate general strike if the Bill is passed in parliament, and the Warsaw branch has also called for a scries of protest rallies to be held on 17 December against the actions of the police
Union leaders are also coming under attack from the government. Marian Jurczyk, came second in the election for Solidarity's national president, is being charged with slandering the state for the perfectly reasonable observation that the Polish parliamentary deputies were traitors, and that some people might have to be hanged to solve the nation's pro
The reality behind this latest war of words is that the Polish rulers, and their institutions like the party and the phoney parliament, are completely discredited. The Polish workers are in CTLESTELY TOOKIng instead to organisations and their own solutions to the
Labour Party
because of the
to light these attacks.
He was just stating the ob-
class, not
ment.
by the in- terests of their class fine trade
the GLC's the courts have a long
highest form of democracy Parliamentary
is an important but movement an important In 1950-51 the management movement,
who
hands.
country.
port Solidarily their own
The Corri anti-abortion bill was eventually defeated in parliament, but only after a
campaign of mass anti-parliamentary action
All these show that parliament cannot be
relied on to defend workers interests. During
the 1970-4 Tory government huge attacks were
launched on the working class. But the workers
couldn't rely on the Labour Party in parliament
To tree the five imprisoned dockers it took of a one-day general strike by the TUC strike action by 600,000 workers, and the threat tional
The miners' strikes, which brought down
the Tory government, were won through mas
picketing by the miners, and vast solidarity ac Lions by other groups of workers. None of ihese things would have been achieved by relying on the oratorical wizardry of M. Foot in parlia
For socialists, the highest principle is the in-
the working class.
Reliance on the antique rituals of parliament has never been enough to fight the bosses.
Parliamentary democracy is not the
democracy, bourgeois democracy, simultaneously gives the working class important political rights, and severely restricts its real control over events.
The right of working class parties to fight for their programmes in elections, to have MPs
Again. It gives the workers' voice in national politics. But parliamentary democracy is also designed to restrict the self-activity and contro of the working class over political events. MILIE mounting economic and political crisis.
The enormous growth of the workers" self-
the demand Solidarily should be free to stand its own candidates in the elections, the devleopment of the workers own media and press, as well as the re cent calls for workers" defence squads against the riot police, all clearly show the workers desire to take their destiny into their own
Socialists in this country should champion both the cause of the Polish workers and also the need for socialist policies and democratic accountability in the labour movement in this
The time was when every right winger and demagogue Icapt on to the bandwagon to sup-
against the 'Communist menace'. They are notable by their silence now. They are too busy attacking socialists in this
TO THE
CORRIE
ANTI-ABORTION
BILL
FIGHT
FOR A WOMAN'S
RIGHT TO CHOOSE
Workers are expected to 'participate' i political decision making by just voting onc every four or five years and then leav every ing to professional politicians. Thi isn't the highest form of democracy - far fror
Socialist democracy might well include a na
representative assembly elected b universal secret ballot, But the essence o socialist democracy, in a democratic socialis socicly, would be the direct participation of th masses in assemblies in places of work localities, assemblies which would hav decision-making power and directly elec delegates to regional assemblies.
Such delegates would be instantly recallabl if the body which elected them was dissatsified For socialists the essence of democracy is th participation of the masses in running thei own organisations, their own struggles, and the institutions which affect their lives.
Bourgeois parliamentary democracy premised on the masses being passive and leav ing politics to the professional politicians. The daily involvement of the masses in real decision making is incompatible with capitalism. Parliament is not central to achieving socialism
Socialism cannot be achieved by capturing the existing state apparatus and wielding it in the interests of the working class
The present police force, army, civil service all defend the interests of capitalist society, tha is to say the bourgeoisie. Achieving socialism means breaking up this state apparatus and reorganising it in the interests of the working
The self-organisation of the masses through workers councils must bring the institutions of the state under their own control.
It may well be that the first decisive step towards socialism is the achievement of a socialist majority in parliament. But if such a socialist majority started to legislate socialist measures, the ruling class would resist with all its extra-parliamentary might.
Once again, in this crucial stage, parliament would be inadequate to defend working class interests. Only the mobilisation of the masses behind socialist measures would defeat the ruiing class counter-offensive.
The Other
Bookshop
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Books on Marxism, Feminism,
Black Liberation, Ireland Diaries, Calendars, Badges, Xmas
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Socialist Challenge 10 December 1981 page 3
Page 4 scan of this page
N JUST EIGHT months Islington Labour Party as lost its three MPs orough council. In a fanfare of media publiciy, twenty five councillors and two MPs have lefected to the Social JAVY JONES. a member of the general nanagement committee of Islington South abour Party, looks at the background to these xtraordinary events and draws some concluions for socialists in the Labour Party.
Islington Labour Party as been notorious for its arious mixture of conserative, corrupt and areerist Labour politi-
All these different 663L3. rands have COTIC ogether in the recent rise f the SDP
Throughout the sixties le Labour Council in, according to the New
*a secretive, MALWINE OAREFCAY WHEET if cOntrol of Cocontier
Bayliss ative was this group that le Labour government of
ending in a housing comrissioner art building property in te area.
Loacmg local Labour arty activist, Keith eness, told the Islington utter Press in 1975 that,
at if you start building uncil houses, you're gog to encourage other cople to come into the ca.
In the late sixties a new benomenon struck the lington Labour Party lichael O'Halloran. His se to fame is legend. hen the sitting Labour IP died -In the ascure councillor for Sta-
Ward, Michael 'Halloran, was a surprise amination for his placement.
lig
Even more surprising as that through blatant ilol-rigging he was nariwly elected. Among
voted was ast one bogus transport 1i0n delegate, Michael reston, subsequently exelled from the party for ersonation • and other
with false degates esses.
It is noteworthy that te delegate gave their ad-
that of Eileen rosnan, one of the coun Ilors to defect to the SDP
March this year at the credentials for the Ibious selection meeting ere issued by Harry Reid mother SDP defector.
A subsequent inquiry itiated from the nationa CCULYC. "Halloran had "packed"
with arters but the matter was VEDI WHOLE the ecause of the imminent ection.
O'Hailoran retained s grip over North Islgton Labour Party rough consistently brging bogus delegates to ay voung meetings, and her forms of corruption
'bully-boy" Jonation
O'Halloran had work-
an office manager ir a local building firm, lurphys, before becom,000 to the Labour Pave MP. Murphys after O'Halloran's elecon. Murphys 15 a150 nic ame of the controversial CISDUEL branch GWU 1/723.
O'Halloran's other ower base in the borough as the Gresham
WHOSE Licence Pat Sherran, was a anone Labour coun llor who defected to the scialist Challenge 10 December 1981
and control of the
Democratic Party.
SDP in March. According
Gresham made a £2,000 political donation in 1978. It is unclear to whom this
O'Halloran could stomach no opposition.
pelled por not sanding
pelled standing during national an-
and Keith Veness
o Halein for cite sing
O'Halloran the ington Gutter Press. Attract
The day before Veness was due to appear before the party's national executive to appeal his expulsion his wife, councillor Valerie WAS mysteriously attacked by two men with Irish accents who stabbed a broken boltle in her face. O'Halloran denied any involvement in the affair.
O Hailoran finally got his COIRCUMOOUCE March this ycar when the left won control of IsIington North Labour Party at the annual meeting of its management committee.
The first AGM had ended in uproar, with new DOLLS delegates including consti-
SECTCLARY. Morgan Lear, a NALGO member!
When the AGM was reconvened Morgan Lear sent his resignation from the Labour Party, and the SDP gained their first six councillors week later.
The third strand of the
ington Labour Party also emerged in the late sixties. The Tories took control of the council in 1968, for the first time in 40 years. Their three year rule coincided with the influx of a new largely middle-class icte uno une party particulrly the South and Central CUHISUEELCER cies. New culminated in 1971 well This the election of Gerr
soutngate as the new left leader of the council, and an alleged 'new era of par-
In September this year southeate lcd a murinct 10 Labour counciliors into the SDP, at the same time defection. Last week they Michael O'Halloran's were joined by a further three councillors giving the Social Democrats their
majority. Gerry Southgate is now leader of the first SDP council in Britain.
Three different components of the old Labour Party had peeled off to Join the new Tories, the SDP.
Chop
The last straw for the councillors and MPs who defected was the threat of reselection. Ine advance of a new democratic left within the Labour Party committed to fighting for the interests working
these so-called representatives of the labour movement were likely to face the chop.
page 4
to come
It was the same with the Labour councillors.
They joined the SDP to avoid the reselection proParty and to preserve their within the Labour careers. It is notable that the last three council defectors joined the SDP last week in order be eligible for the local SDP's 8 December deadline for counch nominatons.
But would be misleading to present the Islington Labour Parties
1UY uniformly left wing. There were those over the past months in the
Labour Party
Islington Social
Democrats- the
shape of things
ARSENAL
FOR THE CUP
LABOUR
FOR ISLINGTON
Our Centre, 4. Camden Road, NW1 & Published by Dave Davies.
MeeTING
800
local party. whose response to the rise of the SDP was the same as that of Michael Foot: to adopt the SDP's policies and to make conceSsions keep. the SDP fifth col umn" in the party.
Storm Two incidents in the South constituency in recent months illustrate the point.
Government Committee of the Labour Party an objection was raised to the re-nomination of
Keith Veness cillor Chris Pryce to next year's panel Labour candidates, because of his voting against party policy
nousing and other issues.
This move caused storm among some of the councillors and the Labour right wing in Istingron South. There were
mittee discussions on the
motions of censure on delegates who had not HOOTSU Pryce and witch hunt against the left
had initiated the WILD move, amid accusations of
into the
emberton Gardens, N 1: arms of the SDP'. Pryce rewarded his supporters last Wednesday when he joined the SDP Votes
Similarly with George Cunningham, MP for Isiington South Finsbury. Constituency chair, Ann Page, and husband Bruce, through the Statesman, conducted al New oper have
Cunninghan re-elected despite his opposition to local party policy on most
and party
Even when Cunningham publicly refused to confirm that he would
the next election, the the troops to dumully vote right wing marshalled for George at the resclection meeting.
Cunningham was promptly offered a front bench position on Home Affairs in the shadow cabinet by Michael Foot George said thank you' to his supporters in the local and national party the next week when he left the
Party and announced his intention to fight against Labour at the next general election.
Charles Chapman, the defeated left candidate at Cunningham's reselection meeting and the consti-
vice-chair, told Socialist Challenge: While we may suffer in the short term through these defections, long run the party will gain from such a shake-out. These people were never really socialists in my estimation.
Policies
You can't beat the SDP by their policies We only defeat them by letting the people of Islington know we're still here and fighting for their interests with socialist policies.
Socialists in the Isiington Labour Party are now trying build Labour left to provide a Torum for developing socialist strategy and to turn me babour lars as a whole towards socialist
first test for the Labour Party will be how to respond to the new SDP council. In their first few days the new council has shown its true Tory colOurs: *It voted to sell off some
p0o sher lie theme lead
OCTECS WILL HENC eviction of 350 families. • t restarted operation with the scab Islington Gazette, who are in dispute with the journalists" union, NUJ. *It agreed the 'reorganisation" of social services field work despite opposition from the NALGO branch,
SDP
Dave Burn, secretar to the local NALGO branch, told us that if the SDP council is to fulfil its promise to keep rates down to 10/15 per cent and stay within the sol have to cut some
nave €14m, or one fifth of its revenue budget
ms come lead to a many as 1,000 redundan-
the closure of homes and day centres for the mentally handicapped homes for old people, and reductions in the field services of up to 25 percent. The SDP are also committed to stopping the funding for voluntary organisations in the borough and to vetoing any money being spent on
campaign against the Heseltine proposals on local government funding.
It will be worth keeping an eye on the SDP's first council: it may be a foretaste of things to come nationally.
Page 5 scan of this page
Coventry:
Labour
councils
should fight,
not cut
By Val Jones AT A mass meeting last Saturday, Coventry school meals assistants, caretakers in caretakers in to call off their tre wh
kept 60,000 students away from schools for four weeks.
district committee backed un ov the Nure ones lo refer the dispute to arbitration and to return to work on the basis of the old hours and pay
out, If ACAS's record is anything to go by, arbitration will not ensure that NUPE's members' hours and pay will be defended.
implementing Tory cuts the most effective weapon is strike action and not arbitration,
Photo: JOHN HARRIS
Why should Labour Party members support NUPE?
The job of the Labour Party is to protect the services, working class people. paid. The Tories are dismantling the welfare state in order to provide money for tax hand. outs to the rich and increased spending on so-called "law and order and defence.
these measures root and branch. Our job is to massively increase the spending. tion and social services. If the Tories won't allow that they must be replaced by a Labour government that will promote the interests of
Tories look after their own class.
Dave Nellist, prospective Labour Party parliamentory conoroute for coventry pout cast
cleaners and employees' union,
The meeting accepted the recommendation from the
Many strikers condemned the return to work as a sell-
When councils directly attack local authority unions by
Coventry's Labour-controlled council certainly didn't
jobs and working conditions of and especially the low
The labour movement exists to oppose
on educa-
working people with as much vigour as the
Coventry Labour Council
implements cuts Here are she Tories: Here
1. Increased charges: a further 25 per cent rise in th
price of
charge of E1 a week for home help. previously 80 per cent
of the service was free; a 10 per cent increase in all day
nursery charges; a new charge of 65p for mid-day meals
ToT ne menay пелатаосо в ms списа uc
charge of 23p u day on the physically handicapped for
rates, double the figure for November 1979.
2. Cuts in services: free school meal withdrawn from
infantes further cuts in nursery education following tho
complete shutdown of one nursery; college departments
to close; reduced expenditure on repair and maintenance
of schools and books: 90 people to lose the meals or
wheels service: 270 pcople to lose their home help: reduc
ped; reduced refuse collection and street cleaning; essen
9. More iobe lost, annihilation of tobs in the parks and
works
teachers, leading to bigger class size: further cutbacks on
education assistants; nearly 100 jobs lost in social ser-
including home helps,
Almost 200 jobs lost since 1978 in city engineers" depart
bargain for the militant determination shown by NUPE
and three colleges of further education throughout the dispute to fight the council's cuts
in the Coventry Evening Telegraph to con them into accenting a bogus peace formula and threats to use contract cleaners and parents to get the pupils back to school
strike before, target for cuts. further cuts on the way for council will have a battle on its hands again.
Labour councis which unions against the cuts will be drawn into further confrontanon with iner empiovees as ine room for manoeuvre through rate rises, increased charges and voluntary redundancies dries up.
imposes cuts on one of the most vulnerable sections of its workforce.
our conditions. Let them come and work in our kitchens. We need our
be an easy target. It's not just our fight, but your fight.
decision was taken to go to arbitration.
wages from NUPE memhers 2. Pay the wages lost during this dispute
Distrier Labour Party and the public services trade
cuis in local authority spending.
News
some of their most recent achievements on
52p to 65p; a minimum
day centres; average rent paid by Coventry's excluding
for the elderly and the handicap-
department; a further reduction of 130
staff and children homes, and the meals on wheels
members. They mounted pickets of 21 secondary schools
NUPE members stood firm, despite expensive adverts
But NUPE has not been smashed. Its members, man of whom are women part-timers who have never been on
demonstrated that Whatever the outcome of arbitration. with the next financial year, the
reluse to stand with the trade
It's a sad day when a Labour council
We're not only the lowest paid, it's also
jobs, we don't go to work for company
or for pin money. They thought we'd
Mrs Rowena Mason, NUPE member from Car-
dinal Newman School addressing a lobby of the
City Council last Thursday, two days before the
Resolution from Coventry South East CLP
withdrawal of letters implementing cuts in hours and
3. Withdraw the 12m cut package and remove the re
4. Reopen discussions between the Labour council, the
unions for a joint fight againsi Tory pians for Jurther
How to fight
Heseltine
Hess/tine's bill chickens coming home to roost 'TARZAN' Heseltine has
authorities.
Norwich Council
off council houses.
Tories' cuts in local government funding.
The new Heseltine Bill 1s anothe workers" living standards It will restrict local govern ment spending still further, forcing councils tO make cuts and redundancies
Many councils, par ticularly those under left 1001 COtTO ALKE GLC, have tried to avoid cuts increasing the rates. Socialist Challenge believes that this strategy is only another method making the working class pay for the crisis We have
labour movement campaign around no cuts, and no rent or rate rises.
But with the new Heseltine Bill the chickens roostall cause rate rise coming home to have not only been proven to be an electoral disaster for the Labour Party over the past period, but the
run into problems.
First a threatened back-bench Tory revolt is forcing him to drop the controversial proposal for rates referendums for 'overspending' local
And now the courts have granted injunction to stop Heseltine sending in his commissioners to sell
But, TESSA VAN GELDEREN argues, the courts and Tory 'wets are the last people we can rely on to stop the
new will remove any possibility of them providing a 'solution' to the crisis of council spending Not only might the rate rises need the approval of a local tererendam the new Bill will also enpayers will pay a bigge burden of increase than the commercial sec tor. In other words working people will pay t is urgently necessary for the Labour left develop a clear strategy to fight against the Tory cuts council spending.
THE BOLS BULLowar are hopelessly inadequate: labour movement referen resigning trom of fice and going into opposi and so on. They al lack the one essential ingredient: they are not bascampaign. mobilise the labour movement against the Tories.
N.U.PE
WOUL MEMBER
LES
Any attempt, no matter how well intentioned by councils or councillors to place themselves in the front line with surcharges bankruptcy and the rest will only create martyrs for Ine mistory books
Without working peois beine done in weir
being done in their name CHICE actions are meaningless and a waste of
Strut about resigning from of fice and down
VOTEELIN Tory/SDP proposals
The only way Hese nne Tensit and the Tories will be defeated is
agion Heath s19
1974 showed that. But in
period when the working class has suffered number of set backs, it is looking for leadership, not martyrs. The Labour left has so far failed to provide that leadership
it nas spent too much time discussing the rights and wrongs of labour movement referendums rather than taking up and supporting struggles that workers are involved in
The Labour group or the Greater London Coun cil voted to
10W profile while the House of Lords decided whether the council the right to decrease Lon popular decision the GEC don's fares
Never taken! The Labour
prepared to mobilise the
labour movement in its delence.
The most radical
HASHCSO SHOE WOTHES paper it written on without the active suppor of the labour movement. When
Governe workers see that councils then will they be willing then and only take action in defence of their jobs and the living standards of working people
The labour movement led by Labour councils
and the Party should be organising demonsirations throughout the country to
show that there is opposi ~LUE Heseltine.
should be organising a na
of UUHITELCHLD Labour Parties and trade
plan national opposition to the proposals
Without laying the basis for such a campaign all the other proposals will
come to nothing. And th Labour Party may well have no councils left to stand and tight Heseltine in May.
Page 6 scan of this page
What went wrong?
in 29 September, taffa Products in East London occupied their actory to try to prevent the removal of their actory to Plymouth. The close-down invoives net loss of jobs and the destruction of 30 per ent of all engineering jobs in East London.
The dispute soon won official ilacking of Staffa motors was taken up by ockers and miners and more was promised. ¡upport for the dispute up and down the counry was such that the strike committee was ble to pay out f5 expenses per shift to each icket in the last weeks of the dispute.
y a substantial majority to give up the fight nd accept the phased closure of the factory in the basis of some limited concessions. Why lid this happen?
vent wrong. Socialist Challenge invites Staffa vorkers and supporters to write and tell us vhat they think of the conclusions of this artile and the outcome of the fight for jobs at itaffa.
The minority of strike activists put up a valiant nght. racy understood hat the best weapon was JCCUTANOICAECECCO 1 24-hour picket was mainamnea tmrougnou - ram ar shine.
The strikers toured the country speaking at labour INOVELCLL bodies and fighting for finances and blacking. When asked why oniV continue the. fight, most activists replied. "apathy was the main enemy'
mainedis The disgese explained. biggest culprits are the leadership of the engineering
particularly Duffy and Boyd. What better plat-
fight Tory unemployment does the
By Yvonne Taylor CITY Council staff in Liverpool have decided to take strike ac tion and to implement selective disruption. The decision passed overwhelmingly mass meeting of members of the local government union, NALGO, on 7 December.
After five months of strike action,
council-employed machine operators had forced council leaders to agree to talks about an inquiry into their claim over pay grading and training.
The strikers were preparing to return to work once the terms of theinquiry were agreed.
Now Liberal Council leader, Trevor
Jones, is making it a condition thal
NALGO must agree not to take action
against union members who were involy-
ed in strike-breaking. Local union officers see this as an attempt to weaken the
union.
Strike breaking has been an impor-
tant issue during the dispute. In his ar-
tempts to crush the strikers, Jones has
suspended 250 workers without pay for
refusing to scab and
members, mainly in senior posts, have
left the union.
The proposals carried by the mass
meeting include refusing to prepare next
year's cily council budger.
for absentees, strike action in key depart-
ments and refusing to work with officers
Socialist Challenge 10 December 1981 page 6
Staffa defeat
390 workers employed at
support.
But after 10 weeks, the workforce decided
BRIAN GROGAN gives his views on what
labour movement need ESH SECAI IHLLEHSIECLE group of workers? But at no time did they attempt to promote the fight and extend its support. AUEW It is almost SCerH true that without the battle ne auTence workers, they probably 3082423420010 the dispute official. This TOCCOHE COIIfidence of the majority of inactive strikers But it wasn't only the right wing of the ALEW The local AUEW District, whose President is ComWELLIIESL Parls IClOC.
George Anthony. equally
failed to lift a finger to help the fight. The fact of
Liverpool typists' dispute escalates
strike-breaking. was at a
workers' ficers.
typists and
hunt leaders.
ceeding.
300 NALGO mendations.
Vice-Chairperson,
PO COVERS
the matter is that at the end of ten weeks worker had received more than five weeks strike pay -and some less than that.
The national leader ship of the Labour Party also defaulted. It is true that some 30 MPs sponsored a resolution demanding the blocking of the f4m grant which was the basis on which the decision to move to Plymouth was ITaLIC But they did not even appear on the picket line, let alone take it to the shadow cabinet and the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party as they promised.
MP There were only one or two honourable tions. SEIS CO DOUTaRE the problem created by the support given to the Staffa management by the local Labour MP Bryan Magce The inexperienced strike leadership had to tackle problems of how to the management removing motor stock and machinery when the factory was patrolled by over 100 police. They to find à strategy for dealing with the hostility to their fight of the local MP.
They had to keep the strike and win CUHN blacking financially. and
solidarity. This was aside from dealing with the in trigues and attacks of a soonst elea manale of an American-owned in C HaLUCE company hacked to ne mel Tories. It was only on the
who have left the union during the dispute or who have been involved in
Uf there are any sackings, the union will take all-oul strike action.
The decision is a massive vote of confidence in Liverpool NALGO's union of-
Trevor Jones had written to every council employee asking for support for the position he had adopted in the talks and had attempted to whip up a witch-
against the ete in une wron
He was quoted in the press as saying: We are having to defend the members against their own branch executive which is connected to the Militant Tendency. Jones also gave all council workers time off with pay to attend the mass meeting. no doubt hoping that his red-scare would result in a big defeat for the union's local
And his campaign did seem to be suc-
Only a few days previously, Peter Cresswell, the branch secretary, along with the assistant branch secretary, had lost their union positions to right wing candidates in an election ballot. But of the 3,500 members who turned up to
the meeting, only a couple of hundred voted against their executive's recom-
Al Walker, Liverpool NALGO'S
toid Socialist
Challenge: It just goes to show what a difference it makes to people's views when they have a chance to hear the arguments debated out.
Trade Unions
basis of tackling these problems that the confidence of the inactive majority could have been won.
Given the default of the official leadership of
movement, the Right and the Socialist Workers Party, were able to provide collection sheets, leaflets, public platforms and help in rasing nd dan upe
and down PULE country.
promoting the
Right to Work Campaign led the strike caders away from developing fight CLOTEE HEREEUE leadership of the trades
and the Labour 2131I852 Party to act in support of the dispute. This went in
that Laurence Scolt
Right to Work GSDUILE. members tried to substitute for the official movement rather than involve it.
Some examples: the collection sheets that were
TREVOP
produced had the Right 1o Work emblem boldly emblazoned all over them. This publicised the Right IO WOrK Campaign but gave an excuse to the right wing not to contribute lo the dispute
It gave the impression that the workers
not in of their own dispute. This was reinforced hy giving the Right Work telephone number hice" the "delegation's
The night of the eviction lactory, most of the leading
NELO Blackpool on the Right to Work demo. disaster as it meant that no
Icadership. was tacic ae d crucial time Everyone knew the eviction was imminent.
Right to Work campaign leaders disdain.
CE TO IHL I CBC CHEuiCcE
ing unions. Instead, they thought up publicity gimmicks like taking Staffa workers to Tebbit's home
in *On your Bike' demo.
EYPISTS-MACHNE ORS STRIES
COUGH
They actively opposed any fight into the Labour Party, This was crucial. I
both bossibld necessary to develop campaigh to force Bryan Magee to change his mind Indeed, the work that was done on this front by the stewards in colaboration with Socialist Challenge witnessed some success. Magee's about-face to demand the withdrawal of we sain grane was aupor tant because victories in such a campaign are the sort of development which would have inspired confidence in the inactive maJority.
Instead of winning the activists to involvement in the Right to Work campaign it was necessary to go on a big campaign to invoive the of strikers. It the Labour Party and trade union leaders that the majority looks.
Win
It was vital to force
such elements to back the
fight as a way of winning
"silent majority". As every
Soieid knows, the
middle ground behind the
has
secured in order to achieve
This elementary
point was not understood
Staffa battle
over. But the war against
necessary to that the other learn the
groups of, workers don't
fall into similar mistakes
The active minority of responsibility to the rest of have
SUIAC
the working class.
have to go into
the unions to win them
back the members
They have the responsibii-
Party to go into the
strengthen the
battle of the left to get a
leadership which responds
to their needs.
Then, those like the 31
Staffa workers who voted
for the dispute to con
tinue, will find
themselves in a minority.
Then they can go on he
win.
Page 7 scan of this page
Picketing at Doncaster: a basic right under threat LAURENCE SCOTT strikers are facing a serious attack on their right to picket. For four weeks they have maintained a picket of their company.
Supplies of Doncaster. Six of the stewards have had served them under Employment Act and are due to appear in court on 18 December.
But the picket continues sipater Mrs, Charles Morris and support ere-Tor Michael Meacher, have
the labour movement stand ALITO LETOSCi strikeos is heimagd, foriobs.
ScoTts steward,
said that Michael Meacher. in talks with the convenor. had ..-. likened the threat to picketing to that of the five dockers jailed in 1972
'What's under attack," explained, 'is the right to effectively pursue a dispute. After the helicopter raid on our tactory. we launched the picket at Don-
caster. We've got blacking from the miners and our boss, is getting worried. says he'll have
CnTSTIdS So we have to keep up the
pressure. The law seems to be
saying that Snipe can have flying scabs but flying pickets are out.
Statement by Charles Morris MP. Openshaw THe workers al Laurence Scod have now been (or the "right to work"
La sledge hammer wielding team of bailifis
by the empioyers gainst six of the
Supplies Doncaster, movements commitment to fight for jobs.
CHOTEN.
Laurence Scott-
Defend the right
to picket
yet been used in a major dispute picketing.
AORIAS 1980, its aim is to stop such ac the miners Mining LIOTSdS
injunctions the Xmas Appeal for LSE families Rotherham and South Yorkshire RSC Crafts Committees are laun called to Hne ONNeS DEInE laurencE Dcon Scott of dispute.
Penn-
THETE.
We are starting the WO COndOS DU Phil KObernE CRO SORTE TOrASHC BSC Craft Committees
evers prdime place
neetint money and win support for thi CTPRE Please send donations to:
close by Committee Xmas Bernard Connolly,
Ickles. Rotherham, South Yorkshire.
Man fight with PRORED ig TEACH
factory wus brought to an end by MELCOBLEr! nave been used in a blatant attempt ai strike breaking.
Vow a legal injunetion in the High Court is being soughr the strike committee to prevent them picketing Mining
Line parent company drine Broag HERR HOH PUR EWOVE MSTUHVPETU we urge support for the Laurence Scott workers in their continuing
By Pete Clifford
The Employment Act has not
Passed tion
picket at
vary
solicitors
the ching a special Christmas appeal for
Yet, strikers, now in their ninth month
Whist the rest of us are en oy
he picker lines Jighting unemploy
appeai with AUEW. eacn prom
We will also be collecting in the
Laurence Scott Joint Shop Steward
Appeal Fund. c/a future of onvenor Office/CEW, Rotherham BSC, The
member.
How to help *Join the Picket: Mining Suppites, Balby Doncaster 24 hours Monday. WEERS Mass picket Delegations can
night. accommodated Tel 061 231 4434. DIVCT *Black Snipe: Companics owned by АлІг про Е Mining Supplies Lourence olimi and sler LICTELED.
Trade Unions
Saltley Gate, the steelworkers' picket at Hadfields. The injunc
against the Scott's strikers will be a testing ground for implementing this law
Engineering leaders, Terry Duffy and John Boyd, are
wary a controntation LITC Tories new They've withdrawn union
advising the strikers. The dispute has not had
Union's official backing since August.
despite this, the response from the labour movement nas osen tremendous, total just under half the number
engineering union branches have sent resolutions calling for national backing - an unprecedented situation inside the
Such solidarity now has to be extended into action to defend
right to picket. Michael Meacher is to raise the issue in
parlament and a delegation
North west MPs are to join the picket line.
What is at stake in this
dispute is much more than the
one small strike. The
picket line at Mining Supplies
has to become an issue for every
trade unionist and Labour Party Mich-ee -VECHE OH Mecho and Caste. Blacking is also re. col ouMS0 BaSa0 the picket. This includes Ar Adams and For Tull list telephone as above. c/o G *Send donations:
Fryer, Roundcroft.
KOmNeN. CneSnITe
By Mick Drake, Dagenham Assembly Plant ALL OUT strike action from 5 January is being recommended by national union negotiators to Ford's 54,000 manual workers in response to the company's 7.5 per cent with strings wage offer. aleady ba sted ths take stewards have
and mass meetings Calli look set to endorse it. The acros ile board and t35 claim ULILOE
hour r week.
However, the pressure for strike action comes not so much from the money offer but from the shopp. ing list of 'efficiency improvements attached to it. These were spelled out
employee bulletin as follows: • employee mobility between jobs and pay grades
smooth speedy introduction and effective operation of new technology and work system *avoidance inefficient demarcation and effective oDeTaOn new technology work system * avoidance of inefficient demarcations between jobs. TTAOPS equipment, operations and shift * flexibility in overtime WOrKIC including the abandonmant of 'one
in, all in' empiloyees of avoidable * elimination
lost time during work-
ing hours.
As well as bell to bell
working, this prepares the
ground for attacks
THE National Union of
Students agreed to campaign
for a one-week strike in op
position to the government ceiling on grants The students conference
STEER DOOL last WEER 0130
adopted policy OHOLITS
Heseltine's attacks on local expressed with the Labour
LNEMEr LONGOR CORACH.
Sur MOnOnE rOm revere
colleges urging direct action
defeated Speakers from the Bradford 12 Detence Com PHISeP arn aurence received Owen Carron, however. Fermanagh and South Tvrone. was nor allowed to address the conference The National Executive.
Strike call at Ford
Ron Todd preparation and clean up times, line workers' relief times and tea brcaks.
All local (plant level) agreements the
deem ito be in COLUCLY conflict with these five
points 'are terminated'. In adolen. Ford want panel of full time union of-
police these points, and senior stewards to affirm theit agreement to them for ap plication in every plant'
In plain terms, Ford is aiming for total control over line speeds and work
practices slaughters jobs. And the
company wants the trad
union and shop steward
organisation disarm
itself in order to achieve
this
If this much is becom-
ing clear to the shopfloor,
Students in conference
HOW GRANTS HAVE FALLEN IN REAL TERMS 85
1962-3
controlled by the Communist Party Socialist Challenge
a great deal more is not National negotiations have dragged on for seven weeks with virtually report backs to the shop floor, despite the fact that the main topic of discussion has been "efficiency"
At the final meeting with management on Decem ber. union negotiators even submitted their own efficiency
roposals Although
ected by management these included concession on mobility of labour and other items
Yet in September
SULI Todd, pledeid to a. negotiator, Ron
nationa meeting Ford
shop stewards that there would be no discussions on efficiency before the wage claim was settled. Prolonged negotiations and secret talks have meant that the original claim for E20 and 35 hours has been lost sight of.
Some newspapers have suggested that the com-
was told OreVELCa
that 7% per cent would have been recommended if the strings had been dropped
rearguard action on condiTONS
But Ford workers need
at least E20 to return living STATORTES their 1979
level. And a 35 hour week
is the minimum needed to
defend 100 agals Ln0
onslaught of new
technology. Hopelully, a
decision to strike will brins
thece demands back Io !n
centre of discussion.
Alliance overturned existi procedure with PIVONICE of the Nator Organisation OJ LaDD Students Despote these matese y over observers heard Owen Carr speak at two very succe
TRE BOWST SE DENERSJRE Organisation and the Labr Committee on Ireland. Conference agreed campaign for Brita withdrawal from NATO
suppori
paves officia CND. • Socia THECP STOHER WER strumental in petting NU. apport the recent init om the CND conferen international day aga Left muclear missiles.
10 December 1981 pag
Page 8 scan of this page
By Ken Hercules NORTH of Ireland police tactics have hit Britain. CS gas, water cannon and plastic bullets mean a shift to more repressive forms of policing in the fearful response of the ruling circles to the youth who took to the streets during the summer.
While the media spoke of marauding gangs and criminal elements disturbing the peace, A Sivanandan in the most recent issue of Race & Class gives a different view of what happened TeSStanCE.
The summer disturbances are the latest on a lonE ust or black struggles, terness and pain all the way.
Black people whether from the Caribbean, Inald, rakistan, from Mother Africa, the 1950s-70s with a bitter taste of British colonialism in their mouths and a determination to defeat British colonialism in their minds.
Once here they had another, although not new, problem. They had to contend with a united racism which
Mother with her son Gurdip Chaggar,
Socialist Challenge 10 December 1981
A history of
bitterness
and pain
daily file.
- black
filled with bit-
Asians from East Africa or came to England during
cut straight across the page 8
A racism made so warm a home for itself in British culture that it blunted class conflict.
Subjected to racial attcks, poor housing, super exploitation by the bosses, resistance by black people was an inevitable outcome of their
In 1954, the persistant racial violence surged up into two days of "warfare in Camden Town which culminated in a petrol bomb attack on the house of a West Indian family.
Four years later, the black community in Nottingham erupted into violence to be followed in Notting Hill, where teddy boys directed by Mosleyites and the White Defence League had for weeks been 'nigger hunting' while the police casually looked on.
The police were to play an even increasing role in brutalising the black community.
The feeling of absolute hatred for the police is never more ingrained than in the minds of the young West Indians.
In 1973, the police received the OK from the courts — who had just given a 20 year sentence to 16 year old West Indian for "mugging' they went on the offensive with the Sus law. victim of racist murder in Southall 1976
campaign
individually,
by police. the streets.
blue injure just like me and you.
shown to be questionable -
ту.
governments and the trade unions.
and
population.
gles for community rights.
bans.
forward on a variety of issues
migration.
ing black women's movement.
historical perspective. however, what comes next?
socialism.
EX/I/ Numbers 2/3, £1.50
Anwar Ditta - a successful
From then on black youths were assaulted
clubs raided, meeting places disturbed and events such as carnival blanketed
Youths struck back at Brockwell Park Fair in 1973 and again in Chapeltown. Leeds, in 1975. However these were only the build up to the first massive explosion of Notting Hill Carnival in 1976, when as Sivanandan says *1600 policemen took it on themselves to kill joy on
The youths, while satisfying their anger also learnt an invaluable lesson - that the boys in
police authority was a question which was to pose itself this year with greater intensi-
In showing how today's youth are responding to their situation, Sivanandan also reviews their parents" struggles against racist Labour
*What Enoch Powell says today, the Tory party says tomorrow and Labour legislates on the day after was a favoured way of summing up the Labour Party approach to the black
The racism of the trade unions forced black workers to organise within their community, so that their struggles got bound up with the strug-
One such example was the case of Sikh bus drivers fighting to be allowed to wear their tur-
Although few of the Afro-Caribbean and Asian organisations that arose during period can claim to have significantly influenced British society, one after the other has come
- coucanen housing, immigration, police harassment, im
When in 1976, Asian women at Grunwicks smashed the myth of Asian passivity they were standing on the shoulders of all the other strug gles of the black community and their example established the potential strength of the emerg
Sivanandan puts the 1981 events into their
The question remains
The answer must surely lie in taking the offensive, in forming national organisations which include all minority groupings to deteal
to bring forward a programme for black rights, and to push forward the fight for
Special double issue
Britain 81
RACE & CLASS
Race & Class: Rebellion and Repression: Volum
presence felt.
It was the year blacks said enough was enough, and struck
ty. They smashed official indif
died in a fire bomb attack
attacked their communities
other major cities, enraged by harassment, discrimination and
with police
the fight against racism.
DAY to day councillor in Haringey. North London.
happen in 1982.
You are a full time official
union that has •ITE black members. How is the
situation ting them?
In the trade unions we see that when redundancy since it's usually black people who have they're the first out.
youth
choose people" first.
racism such a recruitment practice at the fac tory gate is becoming a hell of a problem. There's
In the courts
By Chris Guthrie INCREASED of courts will be part and parcel of the future in trying to intimidate and criminalise black political activists as in the case of the Bradford 12
They have alraady been used in two ways.
been charged and tried followed police riots in Southall in Apri 1979 and with the thousands ar rested after the riots last summA very high conviction rate has been achieved CASES and generally
view even in the face
whelming defence evidence.
such as grievous bodily harm
most minor, nave beer neavy
Second group been mounted. In July
WHAT EVER else may be said about 1981 no one will deny that this was the year that Britain's three million strong black community made its
back hard at this racist, unjust socie
ference to the murderous attacks they have suffered from right wing forces when they campaigned to get the truth out about the New Cross Massacre where 13 young people
Asian youth in Coventry and Southall fought police when fascists
And Thatcher's Britain was truly exposed when youth in Brixton and
deprivation fought pitched battles
Racist immigration policies were hammered when Anwar Ditta won her campaign to bring her children to Britain. Here activists in the black movement describe some aspects of
1981 -
AYEAR
Why we black
have cometog
racism in the workplace, destruction of traditional areas of black labou the textile industry, the new Nationality Bill, tion raids on factories - all affect black wor
BERNIE GRANT is a London area organis National Union of Public Employees, with res ty for its positive action programme. He is in setting up a new organisation called the Bla Unionists Solidarity Movement. He is also
Toni Gorton spoke to him about the effe year's events on black workers and what he t
pressure on the 1 many black workers For , example, affec- hospital porter was ly. for black peop white people would hands. Now we're there's competition last jobs Before, a black are bring along a cousi for a job, that's n *own pening. White pec taking these jobs.
Since the government discrim increased. Supervi union officials and lot of
the area of Bristol 12 arrested and chi rotous which carries SONTECE NOWHVE collapsed.
activists, the rested following so cidents on 11 July a ed discovery some petrol-filled r ENBY naVE DE
and two conspira which life They are all I pleadin of over use charges is sinister have ranged CONVICTHE discussing crit political backgrour
for
tions on eight of the c15OU
Page 9 scan of this page
DF BLACK STRUGGLE
hionists
ther'
come out into the open with sale :h as their racism. The actual number of race igra-
had to deal with has increased dramatically. ¡ibili- We get reports that resolued in tions being
branches calling for repatriarade bour tion. Is there a white backlash?
Did the riots mark a waterf. the shed in black consciousness s will and willingness to struggle?
Well I think paid things that really
shake black b ot ional- Deptford Black People's Day of Action. Deptford Massacre
came and black people felt that I their they were under pressure. They g that were definitely getting a white
these backlash M especially with could Tory talking friend repatriation. It all gelled at the same time
to produce this upsurge in con#now
sciousness. In this period the traditional direct in has 'muscle men'
unions have been
have fight back against the govern-
: Paul which stops them from atten-
were ding hese sort of goo
with
tells the black h they resist racist attacks whether by
COas individuals or by the state ther
they will be treated as criminas and denied their civil rights. further information phone 01) 571 4920
Defend the Bradford 12
arges national
demonstration Saturday 12 December Assemble 1.30pm Manningham Park, Bradford
e us- Coaches leave Kings Cross London
at 7.45 am this
Jents
ment attacks unemployment and so on.
What's happening is these other sectors women, disabled people, gays - are getting more oppression than white unionists. native but to struggle.
cases that I've generally at a low ebb there are taking place.
Wing on in the branches that just fidn't happen a year or
discussed in ago.
really for women or whatever. an intervention. the Labour Party, where we're fighting for the right to have black caucuses. one of the first
started to the trade unions is changing, people up was the and if we don't organise now
and the favourable circumstances in the we'll never the riots
unionists have come together.
After the black workers conabout ference earlier this year in Birmingham we set up a steering in stage, mainly secretaries and shop stewards. the trade unable to involved.
Media Workers sorts of group trials to organise trad
organise and
DROP.
side Scarman's
because of that black television people.
There are
Government male trade There's no A number of changes are
While militancy is wide
political discussions go- paritive
two Now is the most fertile time
black, to make Especially in
Now the traditional role of
have such
This is why we black trade
London, representative of 12 to 15 unions at this
branch
We have two sets of people HELPEDIES
Some like the Black Bengali, Association
AND ON
Спер.
Members of the London Support Group of the Bradford 12 mount a gagged protest out
press conference highlight the conditions of the defendents
which was formed to protect although the interests of black actors and
people from the National Association of Local
movement. (NALGO) who have set up feeling minority ethnic committees
Also we have people from so clear as now. the Race Advisory Committee of NUPE, which is a London
group set up to fight for action programmes and against discrimination on
We have a number of individuals who have come out of struggles in the trade umons,
ARE YOU REALLY A CITIZEN? leaflets have been produced by the London Divisional Advisory
Michael Cunningham 01-446 0061
WHILE SCAKHAN TALKS.
BRADFORD 12
• IN ANTRACY CHARGES
• GANNED FROM POLITICS
•DENIED THE RIGHTTO
BREAK NIHERR OLAN DEFENCO
who are prevented from attending public meetings or taking part in political ac tivities.
By K Sen DURING
workers, Filipinos,
tion.
Station laws
countires not necessarily around black issues.
I think we'll see in the next blar a real in fore tabour
people labour There is a strong for getting ourselves organised which has never been
I don't believe black people
should join the police force
because the police force is
seen as the enemy - quite
rightly - of black people
especially the youth.
BERNIE GRANT
HE SE after
Council Race "Sparesh and Portuguese and can be ordered frat are produced in Hindi, Punjabi,
Filipino deportations
- one way of solving
unemployment
the past two years, over 500 migrant
mainly have been threatened with deporta itsclf.
Many workers have been arrested, held in detention and,
interrogation Home Office, deported.
Nancy Lomboy, hotel
chambermaid one of 30 TEC Filipino workersfacing depor-
by the Home Office before Christmas, unless action is taken to defend her now.
These deportations •ETC justified' by reinterpretation land changes in the immigration
During post-war economic boom, immigration
were changed to permit easy entry of foreign workers mainly from the semi-colonial
fill menial and low-paid jobs.
Nancy Lomboy
But with the end of this boom, new laws were passed in
1968 and 1971 which aimed to
drastically reduce the number
of foreign workers entering the
While the 1971 Immigration
Act restricted the application
work permits for skilled
workers, some categories were
exempted, as there was still an
acute shortage of semi and un-
skilled labour in some areas
response to pressure
from the employers in Britain
the Home Office gave some
leeway special
quotas for work permits for
migrant workers seeking jobs ir
hospitals, hotels and the cater
ing industry
Most of these workers came
from the Philippines, many deni status by the ed me Orice whom were granted full
completing four years
work.
However, with the onset of
the recession in 1979 with cuts
in social services and shut-
downs in many industries, the
of these workers has
been challenged
Since that time, foreigr
The case of Mrs Knight
and her family
ON the night of 7 November an
argument broke out between Mrs
Knight and her family and anothe
family in the basement fiai. Th
police dragged her out along wit
her /wo daughters aged 19 and 13 Her six year old daughter was le o fend for herse!
Mrs Knight received injuries fo thigh and coccyx.
and a cut on her face which
stitches while at Stoke
quired Police Station
Hackney.
She and her two daughters were charged with 'assaulting the police'
and with a breach of the peace.
Hackney Black People's Association and the Hackney Legal Defence Committee are calling for a picket of Highbury Magistrates Court on Wednesday 9 December at 10am and a Day of Action on Wednesday 16 December Assemble outside Hackne) Town Hall, Mare Street, E8 at
workers have been harassed and their legitimate entry questioned, as part of a campaign to blame unemployment on thesc workers rather than the system
It is now alleged that the TOURATIL country by deception, by fail workers entered thi
ing to declare children or giving false references
While the workers gave cor
information was agencies who Tiled faise infor deception employment mation without the knowledge of the people involved.
nOW appears that the bosses are trying to force redundancies through repatriation.
The Filipino workers have organised a defence campaign against the harassment of the Home Office. They have won the support of the labour move ment
The Labour Party con ference in October pledged to grant amnesty to the migrant workers. However the urgency of the situation still requires immediate action.
COSE. NUPE, GWU and The concerned
appealing to the Home Office
to stop the deportations.
deportations can b
stopped if there is mass suppor
Filipino workers.
Already other threatenee
deportations have been stop-
ped through such mass cam-
Raymundo Villajuan
You can add your suppo
by doing the following:
• Write the Home Offi
Minister (Timothy Raison) a
pealing for the Filipino ar
other migrant workers who a
facing deportation.
*Pass resolution at yo
union or Labour Party bran
appealing for support
*Send money to help the ca
paign.
For further informat
contact Migrant Action Gro
Gc/o 68 Chalton Street, Lon
NWI. 01-388 0241.
Save the Khans from deportation ALI and Parveen Khan and two children are threatened immechate deportanon Mr Khan came to Britair 1972 at the age of 13 as an ille immigrant. Thiking automatice did bother tos amnesty 1974 ly.
Parveen came in 1979 to m him and they have since had childhe Home Office is tryi Home Office is tryi deport her os well because shi cealed a 'material fact - th husband wa
Write to Gerald Kaufman at the House of Commons: him to full support the Khan: Office demar ALTH they drop removal Contact the suppor Loos 595 Stockport. Long Manchester
Page 10 scan of this page
Where you can buy
Socialist Challenge
Scotland
BERDEEN SC avalanie ar Bo ng Si. For more ir
Dundee E 39.
Pher 0.53pm. F 2530gl
Sus Static sare and bottom of Waverh Wales
PONTYPRIDD SC win every Sel
England BATH. on sale al 1985 Bocks
Tan Ball Phone BIRKENHEAD: saic lewinds, Ser 11-2 BIRMINGHAM: 5C on cal BOLSOVER: Cris: Kos, every Fri
+ Fourth Ides sale IT-L. 'Hole in Ground', Haymarket. More info Bos the mig. Tell a a for ta MANSFIELD: Stockwell Gate, Sats 10.30-12 and 2.00-3: West Gate. Sais te, Sat 10.30-12, Phone 093216 To
Vestgate Rd. Every Friday outsid ween 12-1 every Monday. e pet.
DHAM, SC sold every Satur
ide Yorkshire Bank. High ivities. Tel. 061-682 315)
sold Fin 12-2prs oul 1030-12 36pm i Cuti What's Left
Fi to publication.
taking ap he Other Boe akshop, 326d Lipper 51 London NI 2XP. don NI 2x Youth, PO Box 90, Lon BADGES MADE: Glasgow SC up Socialist Challenge 10 December 1981 page 10
HEFELD: Be STAFFORD: SC on Sale Mucket 5g
Linthorps Road. Mid.
London
station Üsbridge shopping centre.
SLINGTON: Wew trum
29. 15-9am at Highery the er
available from
NEWHAM: SC PADDINGTON SO WEELEY SONE Norili Wembley BR Station.
Bookshops BANGOR.
BRIĞHTON: The Public House, Lit
me, Filmares, n0 Cheeri
JIRMINGHAM. Other Bookshop BUkHAM: Burnam Cry Co-op
BSa New EN
MILTON KEYNES Onktraf Books,
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Kilbur
Co-op, Housmans, S Caledo
, Seven Sisters Rd, Na 5., Reing Mate, Nod YORK. Commenty Books, Walm
AYO, FREI. Raffe and walls. Sun 20
Astorin
VICTORY Irish People
Our Demonstratio
solidarity Co fer on sal 19 De
The one at ope
Socialist Challenge Events
fraction, Sun 13
arko-81 St Vincent St
Tickets C1.50
ference. Since its founding year Revolution Youth has come a long way.
in many parts of the country, bringing young
the first time.
Members of Revolution Youth have been the Youth CND, the campaign
fight with the struggle •and Ene developing revolutions in Nicaragua and Grenada, the campaign for the rights of young women, and solidarity with workers" struggles.
Supporters of Revolution have also been deeply involved in the fight to transform the Labour Party Young Socialists in-
La mass campaigning
bodthe Revolution Youth
conference will bring together several hundrec young people to discuss
he next steps in building a
movement.
The conference occurs at # particularly grave time for youth in Britain SUBOTOS OROUSES 01 school leavers are unable to get Jobs - the result of the Tories' deliberate unemployment policies.
Internationally, the whole future of youth is
Come to the
Revolution Youth
Conference
ON THE WEEKEND of 19/20 December Revolution Youth is holding its second annual con-
conference last
Revolution branches have been established
workers and students into socialist politics for
threatened drive of US l the imperialism. which is aimed firstly at the developing revolutions in Central America and the Caribbean, London WC2 Movement of Grenada, the E
Socialist Challenge News.
ultimately threatens to involve all young people in a nuclear catastrophe.
Giving youth a future doesn't just mean giving but giving insanity capitalism is destroyed.
Revolution Youth aims to train the next generation revolumonary leaders who can begin this task. Revolution
Youth Rally
Friday 18 December
Conway Hall, Red Lion Sq.,
7.30pm Solidarity with the struggle against
imperialism
Speakers from the New Jewe
Salvador FDR/FMLN, the FSLN of Nicaragua, Peoples Democracy from Ireland, Young Socialist Alliance from the United States Tickets E1 (50p unwaged) from RY rally, PO Box 50, London NI, or on door.
Christmas is geese are dying
of starvation
With three
will provide Christmas present we need.
say again: our
it well, costs a lot of money.
campaigning
i1 happen.
gle send us a few guid
SHEPURCH from
York (EI1), (E494), Stockport (E33).
Why we're going
Anne McChlery, unemployed, Leeds I GOT on the Jobs Express because I'm an
movement
June, which will be really important for raising women's issues.
that as an organisation Revolution Youth takes women's issues up in a constructive way. They
Right to Work demonstration.
political situation today - for example the developmants of the left in the Labour Party. Paul, age 23, unemployed, Leeds
on the Jobs Express
pressing our views on how to take the fight for-
and Staffa).
unions that will build a movement to kick the Tories out.
as a part of the fight to ger rid of the Tories and their system for good.
Youth CND, and showing its solidarity with the struggle in Latin America
wing in the Labour Party, and calls for an LPYS THaT TENS
Party.
Joyce, age 25, AUEW engineering worker, Manchester
be linked to the Labour Party Young Socialists the conference should be discussing the issues at work.
socialism.
Labour Party which challenges eyen the left bureaucrats.
coming and our
IT's up to you! We've topped €10,000 (let me spell that out, ten thousand pounds) this quarter. weeks to go till Christmas we are confident that you, our readers and supporters us with the
We must reach our 2/6,500 target for Christmas. We've said it before and we'll campaigns, OUT newspaper, organising our supporters to fight for socialist policies in the Labour Party and the unions costs money. to do
The E16,500 we ask for this quarter is strictly to cover this expenditure. Any shortfall means us paying for our daily activities out of £100,000 Special Expansion Fund. We don't want to do that. Help us to prevent Send us the sort of Christmas presen that will enable us to bring you news and analysis of the international class strug
This week we thank comrades and Hudders/ield (ES)
Southampton (E33), Bath (E27), Cardiff Swindon (E3), Brent (E13), and Reading unemployed young woman. It seemed obvious to me that women baar the brunt of unemployment. and that this fact is often overlooked in the labour
On the Jobs Express 1 pushed this point forward, and called for support from young people on the train for the Woman's Right to Work march in
I want to be at the conference because I feel
support positive discrimination and the Women's
I feel that Revo has the best analysis of the
ve been unemployed for months now, and went
It is important for the young unemployed to rUC leaders try to control everything and stop u:
ward (by supporting struggles like Laurence Scott
This shows the need for a new leadership in the
That's what Revolution Youth stands for -building active support for workers" struggles now,
Revolution has taken a lead in the fight against the war drive of Reagan and Thatcher by building
up mass campaigns such as CND and leads the fight for socialist policies in the Labour
I saw how Revolution supporters are leading Youth CND, and I think that the conference should talk about how to build a militant YCND, which should
I work in an engineering factory, and think that
which face young workers in the trade unions and
I want to be at the Revolution Youth conference to discuss the wider issues involved in fighting for
The paper Revolution is very good - it support the Labour Party and builds a militant wing in the
Page 11 scan of this page
International conference says-'hands off Grenada'
election
battle
A PRESIDENTIAL campaign with a difference is under way in Mexico. Last month a euphoric 5,000-strong meeting launched the candidature of Rosario Ibarra de defence of Mexican political prisoners and women's rights.
The Mexican government, dominated for decades by the aptlynamed Institutional Revolutionars Party (PRI), has called presiden tial elections for June 1982 "democratic" Image. LAEL soiled Break
Living midway between Reagan's
Central America, the Mexican
ATE demanding with louder and louder
EOYCTIICHE which will break from the
By Pat Kane in St Georges, Grenada THIS conference has injected our people with a new confidence, a new sense of courage, a much deeper understanding of what our own revolution is all about. It has shown us why we are united in this anti-imperialist struggle, why we are united to end poverty, oppression, and exploitation.*
This is how Maurice
revolutionary Grenada's Prime Minister
of the first International Conference of Solidarity with Grenada. The conference was huge sucCC55. delecations representing 40 countries in attendance
Answer
The conference was
called to massive United States propaganda campaign aimed
at isolating the Grenadian revolution. It was an opportunity show delegates the achievement
of this revolution.
I ne US slander machine has regularly attacked Grenada. The latest lie comes from the Council for Inter-
American Security
1 he November issue of its influential journal West Watch claimed that the Grenadian government is holding 7.000 political prisoners in work farms, similar the ones Cuba.
Political parties trade unions from throughout the East Car-
Mexican
Trotskyists'
Piedra, renowned for her
grip of US banks businesses and their Mexican parasites
They are fighting a new land-owning class tied to US-dominated 'Agribusiness', and industrialists growing fat on oil profits.
Mexico's SUCELS are lined with colour pictures of Miguel de La Madrid, the PRI's candidate.
Rosario represents Mexico's other f
forces working country, and her husband was captured and
EUE
rimerina Europe anended
attended.
Black organisations of all descriptions WELC there from the USA.
Delegates heard reports from the various ministries of the revolu-
Selwyn Strachan, Minister of National Mobilisation. pointed out that *Grenada is engaged in a
rogance, exploitation, the
colonial and bureaucratic ugliness. It is a war against fraud and authoritarianism. A war to blast all these old inequalities our people have inherited into the debris of history; in order to win the victory of completing democratic transformation of all the processes of OT OWn COnE
*For this we are mobilising in all our institutions, well as creating new organs
fervescent blood can flow!'
these tions include Parish Councls Where loca
to decide all aspects of the revolution. They include new unions, like the agricultural union which has recruited over
By Alan Ball in Mexico
Like the families of hundreds of poor Mexicans, she faced the iron fist in the PRI's velvet glove. She faced the agony of her son disappearing the government denying all knowledge of his fate, not knowing if he was alive of dead.
Fighting to find him, she helped set up the committee for the defence of political prisoners, campaigning for the release of those known prisoners and for the presentation of the "disappeared'.
Reasons
Through this work she learned the reasons for the LCUECSSIULE She met sant leaders' familie whose relatives had been killed, kidnapped or tor-
GROW MORE FOOD two thousand members since the revolution.
Both the National Womens Organisation and the National Youth Organisation have had a
SUPER over the last year The NWO aimed for 5,000 members by December, they've recruited 6,467 The NYO's target was 7,000 by their first December, and they've already reached 7,288
evervwhere young and old alike are joining he Militia to defend the revolution against possible imperialist invasion.
The loudest cheers in the conterence were revolutionary Cuba Nicaragua, Vietnam Lacedon fighters of
International.
(second from left)
tured by the landowners' private Prime of once ing come mon land that was legally
She met the father of a five year old girl who 'disappeared' at the age of
response crime of setting up an in. dependent trade union. T
- Mexican support
for Irish struggle
strikers. Finally the Ambassador consented to debate or
television representatives of the committee, including PR
leader Manuel Aguilar.
popular it
him!
BUILD
THE EVOLUTION Africa. Any attacks on these countries is viewed by the people of Grenada
an attack themselves. In a country Stry linageinst poverty,
DO I0 SWAPO de E30,000 to SWAPO Namibia
Aid
Aid for Grenada is vital. The Labour Party, the engineering union(AUEW), the sheetmetal workers, and the journalists union all sent telegrams of support from Britain. Everythingids from school photographic equipment is needed here. Just about
- los Trabajadores.
"HACIONAL S
Rosario Ibarra de Piedra at PRT rally with Peruvian revolutionary leader Hugo Blance
(Revolutionary Workers'
The Four lanerationat , Mexican section of approacheo mer last June to stand in the ciections she agreed. She ernlained why to the meeting: We have destroy this government of bankers, landlords and exploiters and build on its ashes a
FIVE times in the last three months, Mexico's Committee
fence of Political Prisoners has led protests to the British Embassy about the treatment of Trish hunge
The 45-minute progra TESTIC VY203 30 assador. A month later the Briash government withdrew so ine British
everything you could imagine is in short supply. As marene. forward, imperia dismomil
pressure is applied by stopping supplies to the island.
Jeff Meckler and Reba Hanson, from the San
the workers, the peasants and the poor of the cities.
The PRT's campaign is intended to give voice to struggles against the PRI and government. Solidarity
B8C33ALC to the conlerence from peasants OTTESTOS trade unionists, and committees
democratic rights.
TV
The PRT's monthly television broadcasts call
such people organise, to rely on their
actions rather the procedures of a cor-
parliament, and link up with the embattles peoples of Nicaragua. EI Grenadian workers march last May Day
Francisco US-Grenada
Friendship Society brought Grenada
Commee orce susten m
cluding duplicator,
electro-stencil machine, paper and ink for a month,
and so nurses unitorms They managed to get it all on the plane as part of
Socialist Challenge
Salvador and Poland
The campaign is hav ing a major impact. It was front page news in most papers and the left wing daily Uno mas Uno' car. ried two-page spread about Trotskyism written by PRT member Octavio Rodriguez. unite the left. The Rec flags i of the PRT mingled aLE the meeting with the yellow flags of the MRF (Revolutionary Movement
the People)
ULR (Union of Revolutionary Struggle.)
last the strug-
, again being voice. As Rosario promis
: This campaign wil shake Zapata in his grave. Socialist Challenge wishes it the greatest possible suc cess. their luggage!
Maurice Bishop closed the conference by that: The people of North America, and of Europe are not our enemies, the majority of those people are our friends Our enemics our enemy is imperialism. 10 December 1981 page 11
Page 12 scan of this page
What Sir Geoffrey didn't say
By Geoff Bell EVEN COMPARED to other specimens who sit on the government benches Westminster, Sir Howe is a walking disaster area.
The very fact that he had to sland up in the Commons last Wednesday to announce a mini-budget showed that he got his sums wrong in his main budget delivered just over six months ago.
Howe didn't admit that last week, nor did he confess that once again the Tory government was announcing a budget of privilege in which the poor, the sick and working people would be made to pay tor an economic crisis not of their making.
Sir Geoffrey preferred to disguise these intentions language, in evasions and in lies. So it is necessary to provide a guide to what Howe was really saying, cion a few facts which he preferred to avoid.
Who?
"The outlook, in short, is for gradual recovery, declared Howe in his statement. "Recovery' for who?
For Howe went on to admit that LNCNERWYmCBE wouid rise, that inflation would not reach the single ligures by the end of the year which Thatcher had promised just six months ago, and that public sector workers would, if the Tories had their way, face cuts in real wages of at least six per cent in the coming year.
If this is a 'recovery', then what Socialist Challenge 10 December 1981
the exactly is a relapse ?
at
Geoffrey creases of four
the pay of pubiic servants .
WATSICR
known
Ministers
parliamentary
policies in the public and to men-
are also doing quite well. of 40 per cent. continue to
to he able to maintain activity public housing
Many peace-time year since 1924.
page 12
tent Howe then disclosed 'Our spending plans provide broadly for in-
,per cent available to "hat means a drop in real wages for low paid public sector workers. There are, however, some public ser vants who have not been so badly treated by the Tories since Thatcher came to office. For instance, a cabinet
reccivca a rise trom June 1980 to June 1981 of 101 per cent
workhouse the House of Lords did even better. The rise there in the same period was 163.8 per cent.
But it's not just government ministers who are exempt from pay
SELEDE. The heads of the nationalised industries
Sir Peter Parker, head of British Pr 2 hasy se ire men inere se
cent, board members in Rolls Royce have been awarded a 100 per cent increase, while their counterparts in the gas, coal and electricity industrics have just received increases
Next, Sir Geoffrey said: "We hope
on construction. ad news was that 1980, the last ful year for which figures are available saw fewer houses being started than in
Anolhet pronuse made by bowe was equally shallow. 'Our cash provision will allow continued growth in
Home News
easy target for cuts
the National Health Service", he said.
This announcement came the day after the Guardian reported that the Tories were preparing to woo public opinion to agree to the abolition of the National Health Service as it stands today."
Contrast
The government were reported to
be pianning a or moves
achieve this. One was to make the pa-
SzCTOTe TOTTATEeRT
and services. On Wednesday.
continued the existing trend in that
CHECNOID increasing prescription
charges by 30 per cent minimum den
tal charges by over 300 per cent and
chare such rista weste alardedeny,
such rises were awarded by Howe when it came to student grants These are to be kept to a four per cent A servant of the class into which he was born: Sir Geoffrey as a public school boy.
increase, eight per cent behind inflation. This will hit working ciass youth hardest. Richer families will be able to "make up' the deficit in the form of parental contribution to grants
Not that all that many people will have a chance to go to university anyway. places available by 120,000. Growth to
Disregarding
went on to maintain, We are planning Howe to spend very substantial extra sums
of money next
security.
That's true enough.
reason the Tories are spending more
on social security is because of the rise
of unemployment. Every unemployed person costs £4,380 a year, according to the latest Treasury figures.
deliberate
meaningful
two per cent.
Tories are cutting the
nounced contributions employees, such facts, Howe
ditional costs.
year on social
But the Revenue. military
crease message. In
the tightening".
Sped suggesting
That's the price of the Tories'
unemployment policies.
But rather than try and do something
CUL RG number Jobless, Sir Geoffrey announced that unemployment benefit will be cut by
And it's not just the out of worl who will be Howe's victims. He an-
higher national insurance paid for by rather than the bosses Howe said: *It is moreover right that those in work should shoulder the ad-
That might sound fair enough After all, the money has to be found from somewhere to pay for the extra £300,000. Howe will be spending on unemployment beneilts. But what the Chancellor did not mention is that there are some who could be classified as 'out of work" who are not being asked to 'shoulder additional costs"
Who these are revealed If figures recently issued by the Inlan
пс 75,000 people received showed that Ba tiennd mone wi o beat some fected by Sir Geoffrey's budget, Thi is hardly surprising as it is a fair bet that many of those 75,000 are among the Torics' most loyal supporters. Military
Finally, Sir Geoftrey announced there will be an increase of t480m in
spending. This is approximately 1,500 times more than the in
in unemployment benefits, This moncy will go on the mounting estimate [7bn) and a salary increase tor members of the armed services (not restricted to the four per cent rises of the public sector workers).
Such then *TV intervi os if eys
wrapped up in the usual cliches about 'nind Bus coisider the mone sacrifices beltbeing spent on defence, on the untap
Eibn raked off by 75,000 inthe military, the heads of nationalised VES OEs. etine nuRe noeases avesru industry and cabinet ministers, and it becomes obvious the "sacrifices" are of a rather selective nature.
And that mighr just lead to somt nasty, nitra-left person who doesn't heteeeine trit mee rest enace io
that the best place tighten a belt is around the neck of the Ri Hon Sir Geoffrey Howe
Page 13 scan of this page
Thompson faces zero option
Stop Trident!
By Martin Meteyard THE TORIES are meeting with stiff resistance to their plan to base four Trident nuclear submarines Coulport in Scotland.
-Widespread opposition mobilised Against Trident (SCAT), which held its by the Scottish second conference last Saturday. Among che actions it plans is a mass demonstration in Glasgow on Easter Sunday, 10 April.
The Trident project is expected to cost at least f8 billion of our money by the time it is completed. According to the government it is simply a replacement for the outdated Polaris system. In fact it is much more.
Unlike Polaris,
The latest Mark II verstrike weapon. which the government is likely to sion, opt for, means that each sub would carry 16 D5 missiles, each in turn with 14 independently targettable warheads.
It could thus hit 224 separate targets. compared with the 16 for Polaris. Yet the government claims that this is not an in-
crease in Britain's nuclear weapons at all, since the number of 'systems". or sub-
at
is being Campaien
government.
because
ty Russians.
Trident is a first
and Strathclyde
ference by Employees
marines, will remain the same! Such is the phoney basis on which cold war statistics are assembled to show a Sovict advantage in nuclear weapons.
Of course all this is justified in the name of defending "democracy". But this argument goes down none too well with local people who have seen their demand for a public inquiry ignored by the
An inquiry 'would be too long drawn out, says the Navy chief at Colport. Commodore George Vallings •We have got to get on with Trident." Ah yes
otherwise democratic freedoms will be threatened by those nas-
It is now being suggested that the local authoritics in Dumbarton district
region, who have
already broken off all cooperation with
the project, should organise their own
public inquiry in the New Year. Support
for this was urged at the SCAT con-
National Union of Public delegate Norman Lockhart, as a way of getting out the facts about
Trident to the widest possible audience in
Stop the missiles
the burla-up to the Easter demo
Lockhart also proposed thai SCAT consider following this up later in the year with a Scoutish Assembly against Trident, which would bring together as representative as possible a gachering of the vast opposition which exists to the government's plans.
Such public campaigning was seen as essential for the direct action that will undoubtedly be needed to stop Trident when development of the site begins.
Organising in the trade unions to boycott all work on the project will be the key to this. Rolls-Royce shop steward Fred Parry annonced that a specia. trade union conference against Trident will be held in February as a first step in mobilising labour movement support for the campaign
The Tories have a fight on their hands over Trident. Its only justification is to back up Reagan in raising the nuclear stakes and bringing worldwide destruction nearer. And that is something which the working people of Scotland have no interest whatsoever
Further details of the campaign can be obrained from SCAT, Ground Floor, 146 Holland Street, Glasgow G2.
some impressive
confusion. According to
falling bricks', as
Reagan fall out.
LEEC Geneva approached.
important circles of ruling
class opinion became
alarmed by the pressure
which the peace movement
curopean
governments. CAINE
out for Reagan to offer the
of Cruise and Pershin CU OBHU
exhange for withdrawal of
the Soviet SS20s, 554s and
SS5s.
Thus, it was hoped, the
West would be seen as the
most committed to disar-
mament, when the Rus-
sians invitably rejected
.he proposals in fact the zero optio
is nothing more than a
simple-minded fraud, aim-
ed at breaking the momen-
tum of ine peace move-
ment. It consists TEOTO-
posing the Russians
dismantle all
weapons aimed at Europe
In return the US will not
plant Cruise, Pershing on European soil (Thank you very much!).
Arsenal While the zero option is to be ruthlessly applicd to Russia, it is more libera in its effects on the West's European , arsenal. arsenal KIC LEE nuclear submarines, bombers and missiles already stationed In would Western Europe, remain untouched Phas Reagan's proposal proposal amounts to nuclear superiority NATO in Europe In the event, the European peace movench ene aiv came ou wt ying colours. Leaders o the movement in Germany and CND in Britain tacked Reagan's humbug.
support ALMOST SINGLEHANDEDLY EP Thompson alerted Europe to the latest missile nuclear folly dreamt up by the Pentagon. In the wake of his courageous stand huge mass movements arose which are contesting the latest escala tion of the war drive. They have already scored
successes. The European movement, together with the wave of protest
commentators the 'air in Washington is full of the sound of
Haig. -Weinberger and
th Britain the Tories were naturaliy quick welcome Reagan's pro posal. John Nott, Britan's ecretary of Defence said minutes of the President's SUCCCI heard the "applause we would expect.
Historic NATPOIOBISTE from fell themseives to we.come *this historic breakthrough These in cluded the old man peace himselt: Michael TOUL Healey's visit to Moscow, who saw his and
as having played a decisive role in this piece of history making became quite breathless in his praise of Nongan Enkind to suggest that his Would sights were set on watering dowi demands in nis own Party for unilteral disarmament?
In a curious and tetchy piece in the Guardian of November 30, EP Thomp son replied to reports that he opposed the Reagan proposal. *The response of the poace movement such a change in tone from This President Reagan must be positive; we must hold to our own unilateral posi-
and tions. "ves" to negotiations: "Yes but we WILSU but more Analysis for Nowhere in his lengthy article is there any analysis of the Reagan proposal or the role of arms reduction negotiations He out the possible effects o teing conducted by the Us the propaganda war and the USSR as dividing
the movement against the missies mo twu coumel posed camps, defending either the East or the Wes
But he does not see • the real and dangerous diviSION OE LAE mOveRECH, CA emplified by the antics of Foot. between those who would place their faith in multilateralism and inter national negotiations, and those who see the need to fight their governments to a standstill and force them to discuss.
the attempt dissolve unilateralism into multilateralism that is the main danger to the movement. What is the risk that the peace movement might
ideologically divided the USSR and the USA? This is highly unlikely.
Crisis
The movement against the missiles is a result ot a crisis of credibility in both camps, but also a relatively of clear understanding that it
and the West which is fuelling the war
When Thompson says
lif there are cnough
nuclear weapons now
Europe to destroy the con
tinent 30 times over, what
doe it matter if one side
can do ir 14 times and the
other 16?' he confuses the
issues. The fact that both
sides are engaged in com-
petition does not tell you
what lies behind the con
wes The peace
movement
in quite right to ask the
historica! question 'what
race? to Knowing who are the ag
gressors, and
motives, tells us who is the
main enemy, the target for
our actions. say
Tracks
Thompson, on Ine
other hand. proposes a
two pronged strategy. Bas-
ed on the "fact' that both
sides could blow us all to
kingdom come, he pro-
poses unilateralism,.and points multilateralism! *One
track; we push the nuclear
powers.. to reverse
arms drive, to negotiate
reach reciprocal Socialist Challenge
agreements. . But our se cond track remaim unilateral
Nobody in their righ mind can have a principle objection to negotiation per se But to adopt ther disarmament half our i ratel) equally foolish. Ever charleton and war mong and every specious wind bag in the world - froi the United WATO! through to Thatcher ar Reagan through Michael FOO! and World Disarmament Car paign all recommend same approach.
SALT
In some cases this c be put down to naive But thoughtf cireles disarmame negotiations are a use means of hoodwinking t mass Thus the much hera LONCIIC EL ed "SALT" negotiatic were calmiy .CONCUE and annonced to world as a breakthrough
control, just as had developed
technology necessary
put many war heads o
simple missile. Stocks
missiles were to be limi
- but the number of
heads was not discusse
Hope
In Britain, as in ot
countries, many sect
anti-missile mc
ment have learnt thro
bitter experience
dangerous role of inte
tional arms negotiation
Thompson has fo their himself on the extr
right of the movement
he did so much to insi
Many times in the pas
have discovered
today's leaders are in
que tope orro n
hope, the
periences
develop that
HUICHE Thompson, and all i wil come whir us es
will come with us
compromising.
for unilatera disa
ment, without in the the creating illusions tha
can place hop
negotiations.
10 December 1981 pa
Page 14 scan of this page
imagination. The
count of what actually happened.
Tam sure that Miss Jacobs is a very nice person but she should keep a tight hold on
The is true thall callica into
back copin up your paper, IOnCH TIMIN the
ed reference
Union of Railwaymen. was not true that 1 was sent by
It Is Biso true that 1 later of the Rank & File cancy
reference made in one of those articles as I was interested to read it for myself.
I did not merely clam to be a member National Union of Railwaymen work ing in London, as it is a state223700 8481 11081 10 91521 for and been a member of the NUR for around forty years.
There was no reluctance Jacobs purestions, bur beins modest 1 merely questioned the relevance of those * Which tions to my arose from my own could have
Yes or No. - SCIDE SHOE hide my identity and although
justified questions by calling herself an investigative when I told her I worked at Unity House it was she who put the
STEVE LONGMAN makes a false assessment of this year's CND Conference. Rather
terence repress sted the
ference represented steps of the second wave CND, The lessons of being active in a mass move ment over the last year are being learned. The second wave is beginning to break from those who represent the mistakes made by the first wave of CND in the 1960's.
The Communist Party represented
one wing at the conference with their
strategy of building a liberal cross-class
alliance, their reluctance to confront the
Tory government by focussing on mass
actions, and their
IN YOUR report of the CND conference (18 November), your description Cox (the didate for chairperson) as a veteran Communist Party
campaigner suggestion that Joan Rud Viet ory the decline the grip of the CP on the apparatus of the movement are neither curate about CND TO SORROY nor ac-
John is no bogus campaigner who vould pu Socialist Challenge 10 December 1981 page 14
The spy
who came in
from the cold
THE ARTICLE by Mary Jacobs 'Sid Weighell sends in his spy' (18 November) indicates to me that Miss Jacobs has a very vivid and inventive
article reads more like a scenario for an E. Litvinov trilogy than an ac-
phone down, not 1. I made the comment to a colleague: for investigative journalism's When I phoned again the following WAS Jacob's turn to be coy about her identity. I am only sorry she would of the Icaffet not let me nave a DELEEDS cxists only in her imaginaThe statement that I said Weighell might be terested in taking some action agams vour paper is a further weprescucaron: what tac. Mr Weighes pition in Weighell's would he seeking legal advice about the article; but, as Thad cobs, Mr. Weighell had no 29315 and could not speak fornice I could not speak for him Miss Jacobs con the Socialist Chalenp or the Socialist
likes would be demeaning me': does Tor the the same about your other SEC CHIN readers?
A C DUDLEY Organisation & Office Services Department,
Mr Dudley at no time admitred that he worked Challenze found that out after the first phone call from him by our "investigative" journalism Mary Jacobs
118 Nov)
the confirst of
conference revealed that the
youth. adaptation 10
CND conference and the Communist Party
party interests hefore CND Indeed the converse is OBO SEE AU3SBASII SUBSE enemies in the CP by suppor-
policies where there has been CND's interests a conflict. Ace athe grip of the CP apparatus casier than substantiate, a organisations found when LICY HAVE ATE tempted to mount a smear campaign.
Letter!
First steps of second wave
multilateralism and the Labour Party and TUC leadership.
The thirty or so Socialist Challenge supporters most clearly represented the other wing. This wing was committed to mass actions, the building of a broad movement by extending the campaign into the labour movement and orienting to the most active layers, paticularly the
This was most clear in the discussion of the resolution from breater Man chester CND, which called for the focus for 1982 to be an internationally co. Pershing and the Neutron bomb,
demonstrations throughout Europe. Reagan and the US war drive has been clearly set back by the mass demonstrations of the last two months.
I can't speak for Jays but, to the bes knowledge in the time I have 1976) (since the CP have never had a majority of either Council Further CND refreshingly free of the scc UCCI turian, wampurive polic where groups compete to seize control of the organisation.
So why is Joan Ruddock chairperson? Many delegate must have found the choic
•Letters
Letters etter SiTTER.
National
Union of
SucceSs -
mans acrons.
and beginning
move in that
DICK WITHECOMBE, Oldham West CLP and Oldham CND
difficult because both she and John are able cale.
There communist element which the sWi conterence, bore the brunt of; had there IMG membership, been any candidate claimins
suspect that these 100 would reasons for Joun Rudda-ky success were probably a vote in favour of a woman and a
Letters
Railwaymen
INCORPORATING THE NATIONAL UNION OF ROAD TRANSPORT OPERATIVES In order to carry on the first steps of the second wave we need to huild on these
1983 is looming closer.
It is this question of focussing on
of internationalising the campaign that makes most clear the need to extend the movement into mobilising the massive strength of the labour move-
to organise the youth as the largest layer of activists through building a mass youth CND.
This year's CND conference began to
direction. Sociale Challenge and its supporters have a big responsibility in helping it continue.
I hope that the letters page can be opened up for a discussion about th CND conference and the tasks for 1982
"new face' rather than a vote against a communist apparat chik.
your report 1 did not speak i contrary the debate on an international day The two Na tional Council members who against the were Beresford and Smith as far and MICE know, 1 am neither of these peopie. hust for the record. I didn't agree with them cither.
ALASDAIR BEAL Leeds CND
front line
strike
committee in
Right to Work demonstration.
— no nipping off to the pub!
to wait. They'll never miss a shift.
they're in the front line they're in.
then I blew up. wouldn't dare do that.
they do for women.
Duffy to achieve anything.
market!
important to point this out.
should have the choice.
I'm divorced
tive. they only mean working class women-
robot does
and
tion Committee for a demonstration.
debate about A Woman's Right to Work
FOR A WOMAN'S RIGHT to WORK
J: DEMONSTRATE
FOR A WOMAN'S RIGHT to WORK
Women in the
ELAINE CROSS from the Laurence Scott
Manchester and
JOAN TAYLOR, another Scott's worker talked to Socialist Challenge recently about the role of women in the dispute and why they would support a Woman's
ELAINE: There are about 35 women in the dispute and all of them have played an exceptional role On the pickets they always do their full six hours
If it's on a Sunday they cook the dinner before they come out. If they don't have time and the husbands can't do it themseives — then they have
Women are slow at coming forward but when
And we've had to tell the men a few things. On the very first day we started - they thought I was just there for brewing up. So, at first, 1 did it. And
I said, "Men have been on the moon and they can't even make themselves a cup of tea! Now they do it all the time! After that they were fine.
At first, as well, they never asked me to go on delegations but after 1 took it up they were OK.
In fact they recognise the role of the women now. When the stewards go and speak they always point out what the women are doing in the dispute. You never hear our lads talking about the men in the LSE dispute like some people do - our lads
My union, TASS, are always boasting what
But there's three TASS women in this dispute and we've heard nothing from our officials. We've got to fight Boyd and
I think women have as much right to a job as a man. It's no good saying women should stay a nome and look after the kids — men have got kids as well — we don't go our and buy them in a super
I think the Woman's Right to Work march is
JOAN: These days there's so many women bringing up families on their own too and anyway - 1 think that if a woman wants to go out to work she
-but I've never wanted to stop at home. I want something to keep my mind ac-
When they say women should stay at home, Maggie Thatcher doesn't stay at home herse pity - it's u
ELAINE: Maggie Thatcher's not a woman, she's a
- you can't blame women for what she The Festival for Women's Rights against Tory Attacks, held earlier this year, called upon the demonstration on a Woman's Right to Work. the TUC organise a
The Labour Party has responded with the decision to organise a festival on 5 June 1982. The Ac-
was formed around the original proposal intends to keep up the pressure
Over the next months, Socialist Challenge will have a regular column with news, views, facts and
Page 15 scan of this page
One week in the *propaganda war
By Liz Curtis THE RECENT hunger strike, and particularly the death of Bobby Sands MP, generated a massive amount of coverage. For years people active in support of freedom had complained of the almost total lack coverage: now, suddenly. it came in a tidal wave. sheer quantity disarmed many of the critics. But what of the quality of the coverage?
Like a lot of other people, I spent much of the hunger strike with my ears glued to London's commercial "all news" radio station, LBC. Recently I listened to a tape, made by the coverage iot Boksto Sandal Lunes coverage of Bobby strike during the week of 25 April to 3 May, immediately preceding death.
The quality of this coverage, with its consistent bias with virmally all the mass media goes some way towards explaining why the British public, unlike the rest of the world, remained so adamantly sympathetic to the hunger strikers' cause.
LBC has what amounts to an obsession with "what is happening' Virtually all of the coverage consisted of a commentary on immediate events - a bit like the way horse races are reported spiced with speculation about what might happen in the next day or two.
The concept of years than days as meaningful units of time appeared foreign to LBC. Events were presented like "happenings" instant, unrelated, without history. At no point during the entire week did LBC examine the background to the hunger strike, which of course stretched back into the carly seventies.
Nor did they look at the various alternative courses of action open to the government, or consider the effects that Bobby Sands' death might have on political developments in the future.
The reporting centred on Bobby Sands' steadily worsening condition,
statements from British Unionist politicians, and on an interminable commentary on movements of the Pope's HaTer Magee, who visited Bobby Sands that week.
But evén the reporting of immediate events Several events were never mentioned. While an LBC reporter did attend the funeral of an RUC man killed by the Irish National Liberation Army, there was no reference at all to the funeral of 15 year old Paul Whitters attended by some 1,000 people who had been killed by a plastic bullet fired by the RUC.
LBC never mentioned the protests in support of the hunger strikers in the South of reland, and ignored the calls by numerous figures for the government to change its stance: that week these included 60
media
frish
of
The
perhaps
hunger
This
a bias shared
rather Instead,
and The speculation the envoy. about the violence.
inadequate.
tionalist Short
story,
later cast doubt on it.
international
Oliver Hughes,
members of the Portuguese Parlianent, the Socialist Group in the European Parliament, French Communist Party leader Georges Marchais and Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
the international concern was brushed aside with the recurring phrase, the 'IRA propaganda war" Tyrie,
La word that was used several times — was mainly tion.
possiblity of large Some of it was based on black propaganda: LBC, along with most of the media, swallowed whole the statement by Northern reland Secretary Humphrey Atkins that the RA was planning to burn the na-
Strand district of Belfast and blame it on the Loyalists. *1 think that most of the morning papers in London have gone on this
said the LBC reporter. Both The Times and Guardian reporters
LBC's bias was very evident when it came to interviews. Of the eight in terviews done in the North of reland, only one was with a person who supported the hunger strikers — this was
brother of hunger
Ireland.
striker Frankie Hughes. There were three interviews with Unionist MPs (Official Unionist leader Molyneaux, Unionist William Ross and Democratic Unionist leader lan Paisley).
There was an interview with Andy
leader of the Lovalist paramilitary Ulster Defence Associa-
Labour's Northern Ireland spokesperson Don Concannon was interviewed at a press conference. There was an almost inaudible interview with two women watching the funeral of an RUC man. Then there was an interview with two Beifast Catholic women whose views on the hunger strike remained undefined.
The interview with Tyrie was almost obsequious. It even included the quee tension is the result or the question. 'How much do you undoubted publicity campaign of the Provisional: OVCr the past days..?* The interview was done in the context of the UDA's mobilisation of 1,200 men on the streets - yet the fact that it is a paramilitary organisation was never mentioned.
It also apparently escaped the
notice of LBC that there have been many calls - even from "respectable" Jim quarters such as the SDLP banning of the UDA because of its suspected involvement in sectarian assassinations.
There were five interviews done in Britain, plus one broadcast. Two of the interviews the briefest demonstrating in prisoners. and the parliamentary speaker, supported the government's position.
with pro-prisoner USA. LBC put these firmly in the context of the channelling and well-organised elements who are keen to exploit the present unrest"
view of the hunger strike, as well as T211 l ovalist *tears" tighter security, reported, other points of view scarcely got a look in.
Bobby Sands' hunger strike - it was widely acknowledged that almost the
SDLP device bulletins the tempt such
for the Officer
parliamentary the sum
were with people support of the All the other interviewees,
There were also two interviews device,
the
Propaganda wai . the f funds to the IR/ pro-IRA anything
While the British government's
war' side. demands for were extensively
By this time — the last week of
whole of the nationalist community in the North believed that the government should concede to the prisoners. Yet the LBC listener would never have known it. Even the views of the
and leading Catholic :lergymen went unmentioned
The lack of interviews with Provi sional Sinn Fein particularly striking in view of the fact the LBC reporter several times says. Teen taling Tol Provisional STmn Fun and they say; Clearly there was no or 'Provisional Sinn
says. practical problem about seing them.
LBC along with most of the media, generally referred to Bobby Sands as 'IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands': the fact that he was an MP was usually disregarded, and with it the significance of his position and the popular support for him.
We were several times informed that he was on a 'self-imposed fast' or involved in "self-imposed starvation",
prevented understanding of the issues underlying the hunger strike.
A constant theme of the reporting was the supposed TRA propaganda war'. This phrase, or variations on it, occurred in half the week's
Descriptions of Bobby Sands' condition were usually accompanied by a comment from the reporter stressing that they came from Provisional Sinn Fein. who were engaged in a 'propaganda war", The clear implication was that they were not to be trusted.
In contrast, the statements of the government, the Unionists and the UDA were not described as being part of a 'propaganda war'. This implied that they, unlike the Republicans, were to be taken seriously.
LBC's reporters, like the rest of
British media. never опсе challenged the concept of the IRA propaganda war*. They never described the much-vaunted "IRA propaganda machine' nor compared it with its British counterparts.
Perhaps the only reporters to at-
description was Neil Huide, of told how sinn Pein Press Hickey of the American
Richard McAuley labours daily, with other volunteers, dingy, barricaded building on the decayed Falls Road... *Do you know
total of the famous Republican propaganda machine that everyone talks about?" He paused, and tapped his chest. "I'm it..
The concept of the 'IRA propaganda war' was never recognised for what it was: a British properanda
designed to discredit and minimise the widespread support for the hunger strikers in the nationalist community and internationally.
If this one week's coverage was
to go by. one might reasonably conclude that LBC was itself a participant in the 'propaganda
on the British government's
The Local Radio Workshop taped the total output of the London local radio state ons in the weck 27 April to 3 May.
material described doove 1s d small part of this. The Workshop will be publishing a report in the New Socialiet Challanne 10 Dorpeha: 1001 Hono 1E
Page 16 scan of this page
needed
By a Longbridge shop steward BY A narrow majority Longbridge voted on Friday 4 December to end the strike over rest allowances. Our own works committee and union officials had snatched away the Michael Edwardes in four years of bitter strug gle. promise settlement' even by the standards of previous BL sell-outs.
We were in the fourth week of our strike against Edwardes finance the 39-hour week through cuts in our rest allowance.
We were in the strongest since he sacked our con venor Derek 'Red Robbo Robinson: supplies of the Metro were grinding to a halt, as were the engines 1UE the Cowley thanks to the picketing of the East Longbridge works which had begun five days
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Socialist
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Longbridge
sell-out-new
leadership
BL workers at
chance of our first victory over
They cobbled together a so-called comwhich is pretty unique
carlier.
Just as the myth of Edwardes" invincibility was crumbling, in came BE'S seventh cavalry the shape of the works com-
ficials. Earlier ans in the Moss The TeNer. secretary of met Edwardes and алnounced the idea of a four week coons off period.
And management attempted EnrOW gates to try and stampede An Autobiography by
the workers across the official picket line. Contrary
the national media reports of 700 strikers returning to work, only a derisory number of scabs broke the picket line.
In fact the picketing was 50 effective that management resorted digging uP the old transportation tunneis between the plants to avoid the picket lines! The pickets were slowly bringing Longbridge to a complete hait, which threatened to involve the Cowley workers the dispute
So much for the works committee's assurances
their skilful negotiating. would do the job better than picketing!
The works committee finally cooked up a deal with local Tulitimers: Beadows of the
TREVOR STACEY is a TGWU shop steward at Longbridge who was on the picket lines for four weeks. As he left last Friday's three-hour long meeting that voted by a margin of 46 to return to work, he spoke to Socialist Challenge:
*They voted 750 against a return to work and 796 for a return to work. It's the closest vote l've ever come across. When the vote was taken it was those on permanent days, from the subassembly plant, the stores and the sewing room who were voting for the night shift to be increased by an extra hour
'That's why the vote was so stormy. It's ridiculous, we've been our for a month and we've got to go back for an extra hour on nights!
*Us on the tracks, we're not prepared to work the extra hour. We've nad a 38-hour agreement on nights since 1956 and now they want an extra
Cars
AUEW, Henderson of the sheetmetal workers Barker of the TWU. For
marginal increases in pa
were to nave ten and
per cent rest allowances time, and one hour extra to work on the night shift.
This 'deal' unbelievable We had mandated the works committee to defend twelve per ICCHIL allowances we d "sacrosanct" and argued that our forty per cent increase in productivity over the last two years nad more than paid for the
But for the works committee to try to sell this to Fury of the BL workers after the back to work vote
Four weeks on strike for an
extra hour on nights'
from them work on the tracks.
Leyland LONGBRIDGE
us as a victory over Edwardes was just too much workers particular were angered to a point of fury and disgust.
Virtually all the shop
rejection of the deal which the works committee had not even had the guts lo take to a stewards meeting before the hastily convened mass meeting last Fri-
day jack Adams, the con-
venor, the works commitTecials, all made speeches and union
recommendation for acCOLELEG DOCCEELES theconservatism the
hour. They've offered us an extra E3.79 for it. We'll be the first shift hit by this extra hour. Our blokes aren't going to accept it. And as for those scabs that crossed the picket lines. When we branch them I'm going to recommend that their union cards are taken away
The strike showed our members that if you stick it out you can fight dictators like Edwardes. The company thought they would try a new tactic last Monday by going over the heads of the shop stewards and the officials to try and break the dispute. When the gate were opened only 30 men turned up to
*I think AUEW officials had a hand in this betrayal. The 39 hour week was supposed to take people off the dole this kind of deal will never cut the dole queues. I've never had so many blokes who want to leave the AUEW and join
'Even if we got turned over, this strike shows we're not prepared to let this south African dictator dig out graves for us and kick us in them When it comes to 7.15 on our night shift we will not work the extra hour?
JOINT
SHOP-STEWARDS
older and non-track workers.
The recommendation was carried by just forty odd votes from a mass meeting of 1,500 people.
There was uproar after the vote. This was followed on Monday morning by three hour dispute over those who had scabbed during the strike The joint shop stewards and more than seven hundred workers Have COvE y1330l1 hever hip theres will never forget. The now on to build a new leadership in the plant from stewards who wanted to fight on and who realise
Trevor Stacey after last week's mass meeting at Longbridge
that Edwardes can
fight
need to be carried through
1o ine
and the local and national
union leaderhsips. The
TGWU Left
region five should lead this
tight.
When Jack Adams
claims that militant action
is not enough, we will rep
ly that it should be linked
to socialist solutions to the
Tory crisis and to the fight
to build a campaigning
Stewas movement
That's the way to harness
the strength of the work-
ing class to
Ed-
wardes once and for all.
DID TAUN LADDIC
← Socialist Challenge No. 224, 3 December 1981Socialist Challenge No. 227, 7 January 1982 →