Socialist Challenge No. 238, 17 March 1982
The scan: sc-no238.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 CRIME:COPS RACIST LIES
No. 238 VICTIMS of violent street crime are likely to be between the ades 21 and 30. It is 36 to 50 per cent more likely that these victims will West Indian or Asian.
These startling facts remained unnoticed in the gutter
of London's Police 'Big Lie' on new crime statistics.
According to them, suitably illustrated with horrific photos, single most important crime in te capital wa: the mugging of elderly
Women vicious young blacks.
are that it is mainly blacks
subject violence
lot ot it is from racist white gangs ano individual racist attacks. The police have the greatest difficulty in accepting these
let designating them racist.
The unprecedented use statistics by the Metro-
shatter the myth that
'neutral'. ine ponce are This was simula. l crass political move. involved connivance
Police
and deported
a century. are back in vogue.
Julv.
are racist through and through.
land.
25p missioner,
Secretary Whitelaw Minister Margaret Thatbe cher.
The Tory up. screamed press SEPAR of fear' crime, the figures, brutal streets
of the press was well orchestrated.
Tine the had been stories to the papers. by month Dally wan reportea tual 'police chiefs are workwho ing on new bate plans to tackle often crimes Britain's city streets ... drive launched gers : in some the majority are as youths. alone as It's now almost a year since Brixton fury biased police, and against racist treatshould ment.
These still exist and
da ine
Scarman, retused to strategy of heavy policcom
British, black -
DEPORTATIONS for British citizens, not seen for over
Carl wiin ine minor come of scanne a television ano no clocks, was bound over hy Judge Clay on condition that
His real crime was heing black and British and heing around at the time of tho couth ursmo m Baston asi
That such a sentence cond bo handed out to a white person who was born in Britain is animaginable.
It confirms that Britam scourts. alongside the ponce.
But the outery should not be directed at the ponce and tudges alone
Their racism is bached op by the racist laws of the
particular the ostence of imigrados, laws After 'all, it black people can't como into the country. why not go ond sep tuther and kick them our?
The labour movement should launch a campaign to defend Carl Williams, and to sach ludge C lay
Unemployed and strikers 10p
Socialist
Sir David ing Home Swamp William and evens.
press lapHeadlines 'London's and Brixton. "Black They alarming
youth slavish attitude They're
break For weeks police press office witnessed
feeding
ago the among
the mounting
While ment
against mug-
black equipment
What's behind it all?
scale. exploded against the
against poverty and
conditions ther worsen Despite police reject their are banking
and Williams, charged Labour
1o counter
• defend
youth schemes
Silence The
hope.
operations like '81 touched off the Brixton
have been a number of
operations throughout the year
like Notting Hill
are preparing the way to smash any further uprisings of the
this summer. also trying up the blacksolidarity we Brixton, andi Manchester by building up an atmosohere ot terroi
the white Jula that the black youth are engaging in a
unemploygrows, police recruitment is increasing. While social expenditure is slashed special
has been purchased for the police
unprecedented
With the calamitous
the fact that
bound to increase fur-
the Tories looking desperately for ways to avoid deteat at the next election. They
whioo ing up the white majori-
campaiguing around 'law and order'. Michael Foot has been this hysteria.
past Party's leadership has to take a stand
the racist
the dispossessed •of the inner-city areas • campaign for jobs for
and against the slave-labour
• challenge the increasing arming of the police.
assent. problem not black youth but a Tory britain wnica orrers no
UP TO
OF STREET CRIME
ARE BLACK
A HALF
VICTIMS
INSIDE
Kill the Bill Build Lobby of TUC 5 April
See p 14.
THE REAL VICTIMS
Page 2 scan of this page
New rail strike looms
Editorial
PO Box 50, London N1 2XP
Phone 01-359-8189/8180 (editorial and distribution)
Why a socialist
manifesto is needed
THE GENERAL election
begun. The SDP exists for nothing else.
The Tories are getting ready for a 'law
and order' election:
Michael Foot and his Shadow employ-
ment secretary Eric Varley kicked off
Labour's £80,000 publicity campaign.
says it will spend f9 billion and cut jobless to
1,000,000 in five years. As far as the working
class is concerned, Labour should be the only
choice: Any attempt to spend this money should be jobs arc
backed.
its present leadership and policies?
Spending will
million jobs in six months. The problem will
be the next four years.
at its lowest in half a century - industry can-
not meet demand without raising prices
cutting profits.
change rates should be welcomed as a direct
Citv
but it will further raise domestic prices unless
profits are cut.
Import controls will not
potential overseas support but
British workers access to cheap foreign pro-
duce, forcing them to pay an indirect subsidy
to their employers.
wages must fall or profits must collapse.
this, and by the idea of leaving the EEC, and
will not put money into Britain unless they are
confident the unions are to be smashed.
Labour, if elected,
tremendous onslaucht from the emplovers
from day one, to make it change course or
break it up in a coalition manoeuvre.
onslaught. Already they are proposing to at-
tack workers instead of bosses.
openly re-raised the idea of a new 'social con-
tract'. Varley spelt out what this means in his
radio interview. Without wage controls,
said, we cannot spend this money. Heads you
win, tails we lose.
have to break the American connection: Foot
does not even mention the Trident deal. It
would have to nationalise the banks:
proposes only to try and 'control' the City.
Labour would have to organise, from now, a
campaign
companies. Foot offers only the vaguest pro-
to mobilise the extraparliamentary support of
the unions to fight the employers' sabotage.
Foot proposes instead
unions' fighting power with a new social con-
tract, and witch hunts those in the party who
talk of extraparliamentary action.
The conclusion for
the next stage of the democracy battle must
be a fight to control the manifesto and make
sure it incorporates fighting socialist policies.
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...
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Age.
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Socialist Challenge 18 March 1982 page 2
campaign has
and on Monday
After three years of Tory misery, Labour
number priority.
But can Labour carry out this promise with
create just over half a
Without huge investment - now running
Foot's proposal to cut ex-
and overseas interests
only alienate will deny
In short someone has to pay: either real
Investors will be thrown into a panic by
would thus face a
Foot and Varley will collapse before this
Foot has
The
How could Labour fight back? It would
Foot
definite, named
Most important of all, Labour would have
to dismantle the
socialists is obvious:
PO Box 50, Challenge,
Pete, NUR Birmingham AT LINCOLN, the guards have accepted the rosters put out by the Rail Board. Already the area management is claiming that there will be no need to replace seven men who are retiring
shortly and that they now have a surplus oj guards.
The writing is on the wall for all NUR and ASLEF staff.
We must join forces to rostering at the final negotiating stage. the rank and file must Weighell and the right on the NUR executive
BROTHERS
Train drivers march to McCarthy Tribunal By Brian Grogan THE LEADERSHIP of the National Union of Railwaymen weighed in against the drivers at the re-opening of the rail tribunal. Lord McCarthy sitting Board's demand that the drivers give up their eight hour day.
The determination of une drivers was israted when nearly 200 of them packed into Lne tribunal after a march to the hearing. Ine negoulanons were reminiscent of Polish Solidarity, as drivers clapped and cheered Ray Buckton, the leader of the drivers' union ASLEF, to the Board and the NUR ane snowed leaders.
The protesting drivers brought petition with tens of thousands signatures protesting the attempted introduction of flexible rostering. These had been collected in one week.
The problem for the NUR is clear. It has accepted the new flexible rostering in ine leeln O1 bitter opposition from the ranks.
March a new set of 200
guarus. this
Merseyside, went on strike against flexible rostering.
They pointed out that the lICW proposals involve a cut in earnings of between £10 and £15
In the face of this, the submission of the NUR to the tribunal insisted 'under no circumstances should your decision interfere with or undermine the agreement which the NUR
has successfully negotiated
staff rept in l They know that the drivers SuCcessfully resist the Rail
Guards reject flexible rostering
the river.
this
fortunately for
treachery. smash flexible
Then move against Sid AN UNITY Rents
North West District Cor 1880
in judgement on the Rail
Inel own backing of management plans to cut wages, destroy jobs and Increase unsocial hours will be fatally undermined.
The NUR has launched a major publicity effort to convince its members against all the facts — that nexible rostering micals all improvement condiHONS But 1n the frenzy against the drivers the NUR submission itself contradicted this claim
'The NUR represents all staff it said, 'and we could not accept any deci sion from the tribunal which gives preferential treatment to one section of staff'
Now either the new
rosters have "brought wider range of choice and sociability' or a rejection of them is "preferential' to the drivers. The NUR can't have it both ways.
The drivers are fighting for ever vole. HELCICSLS The Rail Board's submission to the Tribunal indicated that flexible rostering is only one small part of a wholesale assault on
jobs and living standards and working conditions of railworkers which ASLEF's submission has proved are the
whes in Europe already
The task all ranworkers to orepare 1o common action with ASLEF after the McCarthy Tribunal reports.
News.
before they can sell this year's wage claim down
They are putting up a smokescreen at the moment proposing a 15 per cent wage increase
year to placate the membership which they have no intention of fighting.
them they have themselves to the membership and the coming months will see them get their just reward for
Certainly not a knighthood for Weighell. FOR
MUTU
*£75m is needed to pay for provoked by British Rail's management this ¡onies InsISt be clawed back cuts.
Somehow this doesn't quite government's 20 February sovare witt millionnaire Lorent: The John decided to call in city act Lorean. i City ac collarsene so te re-organise write £70m worth of public
Barry, NUR Birmingham
for from one month to the next. Un- If exposed management's convenience —
plan anything.
feelers out unrepeatable. • and join nonsense slaughter is possible
UNITY HOUSE
Guards and platform staff lobby NUR headquarters
Monde Lord sell acco
Lorean at : a knock down price
Nor does it quite match
the STaTuS American millionnaire Willi Stern now living in Britain who more • money unar anyont else To e world: £118,690,524 £600 for every railworker in Britain ' is a jaguar 12 house, ano senos nis children sonoon chaunel eo registration Cortina currently applying to have
IF WE allow the management to impose these new rosters our social life will be non-existent. I find it difficult enough now to arrange to take my wife out. I hardly see the rest of my family
we are forced to work rest days at • to cover the new short six hour shifts — it will be impossible to
the attitude to the NUR officials are If they do not stop this rostel with ASLEF wholesale
Photo. MORNING CTAD
the onerous status bankrupt removed -ing paid back his creditors
the 500. 1 get through wit
the help of God Almiaht he explained sym. pathetic but incredulous judge business : standards the , strike has done Britisr hall a power ot good The more you owe the better you're doing, it in their righ it seems But thei mind transpor like business?
Page 3 scan of this page
Photo:
GM
COOKSON (Socialist challenge)
coverage IP presents week in and week out.
ran, Grenada, Cuba
Ilke
Devlin McAliskey, Hugo Blanco . . .
workers movements
developments in the Middle East
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Mary Zinns
miner, gets
'fantastic
response'
RALLY COR
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Left: Mary speaking at London rally for International Women's Day. Above right: some of the speakers at the /WD rally on issues facing youth, women workers and women in Nicaragua.
INTERNATIONAL
WOMENS DAY
pits mines.
MARY LInhi VITED TINWORMERLVIR
MrT000:30 ONE TRI WIVETTER BIO
FRI 12 MARCH, °
CAMDEN CENTRE.
-Women's Rights
MARY ZINNS, a coal miner in America has just finished the first half of her tour of Britain sponsored by Socialist Challenge and Revolution, the social paper for youth. Ann McChlery spoke to Mary at the International Women's Day Rally held in London on Friday 12 March.
The response has been fantastic so lar. reopie in britain are reany terested in the fact that over 3,000 women are working down the pits ir the USA. There is also a lot of interest in the positive that exist and that women are entering action el alice
non-traditional jobs.
It seems that the situation women in Britain is similar to that of women in the States who only make 59 cents for every dollar a man makes and so challenging this job segregation has brought up a lot of discus
When I was in Wales I met a young black woman finished a welding course and come employers.
There was no way she could get a job. I also met a woman who was doing carpentry — it seems like all these women come up against bosses who won't hire them.
All the arguments I heard in the States about women I heard again in Britain. A BBC newscaster in Wales asked me if women and men working together, especially underground, didn't lead to complicated situations"
I was a bit taken aback reason women had gone down the mines wasn't to get husbands but to make a living
A Communist Party member in Wales asked if it was really progress that women were working down the
as mining is so unsale.
States the CP is opposed to women working in the unions because the! don't have women working in the mines in the Soviet Union.
The same people ple men in crocodile tears over mines because its unsafe say nice bowers salesman Codr
The only talk about safety when they want to keep women out of the
Most of the British press have been very curious about the fact that there is such a thing as miners in the world
There is a subtle insinuation that while it's alright for women to work
coal mines the US it's a different matter in Britain where conditions are so horrific.
But when I went underground at the Whitburn mine near Edinburgh appeared to me that a pit's a pit! It's certain dirty work, it's certainly dangerous work, but it is work that women can do
prevalent idea that women are stealing men's jobs, Participants of the Second National Conference of Women Coal Miners, West Virginia, June 1980
but the truth is that this is a boss's argument. cry the class is to defend that
men s are womens
those who discriminated against, that the working class can present a united offensive chains the enhe united Mi That's how workers of America was build in the States - by uniting black and white workers against the company's policy of divide and rule.
Women going mining, steel rail and
for women's rights in the States. women are organising inside some of the largest and strongest unions in the the power to actually shut down the country for women's rights.
those unions into
•WOR
RIGHT®
WOMAN
DAL What's important for the working
everyone's job, portray
been
the United The
into jobs in coalshipbuilding
Now of the unions.
unions that have the March,
Centre
We've been able to begin to bring Tente
the fight for ARMANE INER CAN DIE IN
Socialist Challenge
women's liberation, the fight for the
rights and alicacills women's abortion rights
The media in this country has tried
the biggest obstacle to women working down the pits as the National Union of Mineworkers.
But the truth is that what keeps women from working underground is
same thing that women had to fight against in the states
bosses do not want to hire women and in Britain it's against the law forwomen to work underground
Once women can break through that law I feel confident that British miners and the NUM I will defend its women workers which is the principle
YOU can still meet Mary Zinns in Southampton on Room, Civic
Conference Room, at 7.45pm and Bournemouth on Friday 19 March
fringe meeting the Women's TUC
18 March 1982 page 3
Page 4 scan of this page
Socialism and the state
ARGUMENTS for SOCIALISM
By Tessa van Gelderen 'UNLESS we understand the need to break the power of this state machine, won't be socialism in Britain.'
hardly surprising these defiant words, by Militant supporter and would-be Member of Parliament, Wall, have brought down storm of fury from Labour's right and from Michael Foot.
Militant, unlike Foot, realises that a Labour government committed to serious reform will be bound to meet unconstitutional resistance trom state and employers alike.
Michael Foot should look at his
wn experience of Labour
fectively sabotaged the nationalisation of steel. In 1974 the army refused
carry out instructions from the Labour® government Loyalist strike in the north of Ireland. The Law Lords' judgement on London's fares policy has highlighted yet again the class interests of the courts.
And who do we have to thank for the Law Lords' existence? Repeated Labour Party conference decisions to abolish the Lords have been ignored by the Parliamentary Labour in 19/4 the poncy was the manifesto by the Harold Wilson
Labour leaders like Foot, and the trade union bureaucracy, argue that Pat Wall
the Tories
THE SIX month Liverpool typists dispute last year will reach its final conclusion at the end of the month when the nounces its findings. Whatever the outcome, and it seems that copy typists will gain very little, the whole dispute has shown up the anti-trade union and anti-working class bias of the Liberals.
Like the SDP in Islington Liverpool Liberals, led by Trevor Jones, have pursued Tory policies. The long and bitter dispute cost the council far more than if it had paid the strikers original demands in full.
The council's aim was to weaken or break the Loca government union NALGO, so that cuts in ser vices. amoreouncance could be pushed through.
This project tailed and locally the NALGO leadership has emerged stronger than before the dispute.
It has learned, through. bitter that Socialist Challenge 18 March 1982
there
that
Pat govern-
break the Party.
then leader,
the working class
the state will, in these
for all times
tears down everything ever won.
This is defends
the state.
Wing used against blacks, against youth the metropolitan this week, transportation of black
now.
Liberals and SDP -no better than
By Mark Hackett, President Bury NALGO (Personal Capacity)
arbitration pane isolated, sectional action, no matter now militant. is not enough. Even the national union leadership has recognised the need for national co-ordinated action
defend jobs and ser-
vices fortunately,
during Liverpool typists' dispute, the national leadership failed to spread the olner local authorities. Nor was there all out strike action by NALGO memberse, Liverpool itself.
Loud hints were dropped that if arbitration was onerca and the NALUU branch rejected it, full strike pay would be with-
page 4
Labour has to be elected at almost any
Coatect people's view irreparably damage Labour's chance
The result is that they which now stand idly by while the ruling class's 'extraparliamentary' machine
WOrKers
Socialist Challenge Militant against the witch hunt inside the party and for its stand on the need to confront the forces of
tary
But there is a further problem. I he forces of repression are now be
workers, against The racism of police highlighted the deportations and now people, the
of the courts and prisons against workers, all unis nas to be laken up
Waiting for a socialist government to be elected before doing that is a
drawn. feel bitter of the strikers feel angry toward the leadership for its lack of supThere is a need to take on both the employer and the union leaders. The struggle Liverpool shows the Liberals and SDP for what they really are — no better than the Tories.
The fight against the council has to go hand in hand with a campaign for gives a clear socialist lead and alternative SDP, Liberal and Tory policies.
The battles inside the Labour Party are affecting all trade union militants and hastens the need for NALGO to affiliate to the Labour Party. We should be campaigning for a clear coming ballot. filiation the forth-
- a suitable case for discussion
The representatives of the state aren't waiting for the election of a socialist government before attacking
suretire way of ensuring that such a government would not take And taking up these issues will be a necessary prerequisite for socialism,
very unlikely through the ballot box.
Foot opposes Militant's influence, not because he believes they have the remotest chance of forming the next cabinet, but because he doesn't want
rIsk any suggestion that he might tackle the forces of 'law and now, by sanctioning extraparliamen-
activity oppose Heseltine the Tory government and their courts.
The problem with Militant's approach lies in its view that the Labour
Party in its present form can bring about socialism through parliament.
Of course the Labour Party will pass through big changes. In the years to come there will be huge upheavals which it cannot be immune to. It will undergo massive splits and recom-
And now for something completely different something completely different
ISLINGTON V.1/(i0)
work he have heen 1/701 477/017 1070(11 leadership the first Sol council in sup johs
secret ballet wich On the basks or an
1011
WCeA par
prepared in
satisfactor return work
negorialed? conso ted to on win enter
10 go back. Bill anothe,
and the
members hack 0/070141 /
members are now cunning for
the NAl Gil) leadership
positions, as it is racked by the class struggle.
counter-revolution, as occurred with come the German Social Democratic Party
after the first world war. A large component could break from the present bureaucratic leadership party that fights terests
order day by speculating about the future as
Militant does.
Tebbit, at present the Party leadership is in
the hands of union leaders who have shown that they are willing to smash it up rather than socialism. 10 March Terry nounced that he was willing to pledge the engineering union to support right wing candidates against the Labour Party unless the left's advances are halted. This week he has renewed the LiliCal Party. How can we fight this?
Allende's Chile: lessons for us in Britain today
the
tor the leti
wisp parliament. ignores this.
defend
for democracy.
It could become an instrument for
to create a for workers' In-
But we can't decide what to do to-
We cannot forget that
lt used for
Duffy an-
withdraw funds from the
Our task as socialists is to involve
Labout Party extraparliamentary struggle and suppor
unions, without holding back in order to jockey for position in pursuit of the will-o'-the
of a future socialist Labour
The Polish workers have been an inspiration for those here as to the need to make their own organisations more democratic and to serve the needs of the workers themselves. This type of development is a prerequisite for changing society - when workers begin to take control of their own organisations and their own struggles Militant with its talk of 'enabling acts
in present dav struggles institutions far more democratic than our present parliament are being torged If a future socialist government is to
itself while shooting down workers, this govern ment will have to have proved itself long beforehand — in today's fight
IN THE PRESENT
CRISIS EVERYTHING
- INCLUDING TRUTH
-MUST BE
ECONOMISED
TRO
CIVIL WAF
BLOOD ON STREETS
SAYS WALL
Page 5 scan of this page
Plesseys takes up the Laurence Scott torch
Elections are not enough
WE'VE been thinking hard over the last couple of weeks. What more could we have done? The Laurence Scott bailiffs, helicopters, union sellouts, and lorries driving over our pickets. There's only one conclusion you can come to:
Boyd, bureaucrats in our engineering union.
LAURENCE SCOTT
STRIKE BULLETIN
Issued by Laurence Scott Joint shop s
Laurence Scott strike bulletin number 4 now out. 5p from LSE strike committee, 20 Roundcroft, Romiley.
By Pat Hickey ENGINEERING vote on a number of important positions in the AUEW including the key one of the General Secretary, currently held by John Boyd.
But despite workers in the industry, the Broad Left group's campaign has followed a well-worn groove.
Almost regardless of developments in the class struggle the Broad moves into action only around elections.
It consistently fails to identify itself with struggles by AUEW members such as those at Laurence Scott or Leyland Vehicles.
It remains trapped in the framework established during LIlC 1960s, in the fight against General secretary Carron and the rise of Hugh Scanlon (now Lord Scanion). That framework depended on conditions of boom and strong plant-
Break right wing control
in AUEW GAVIN LAIRD, the right wing general secretary of the AUEW, explains in his
the difficulty of stature' as John Boyd. ANDY LILLEY, AUEW shop steward, explains why he should never be allowed the chance.
between Broad Lefi candidates and right wingers.
und Ken Brett, and a national organiser is heing elected with Harry Cutts of the Broad Left, opposing able to break the right union's executive committee.
privacy with impunity. fill an encyclopedia.
Edwardes even meeting him in his private flat.
tively sabotaging the Laurence Scott strike. for a merger with the notorious Frank Chapple's electrical union, the EEPTU.
The AUEW block vote has
has cultivated right wing MPs joined the SDP.
Boyd has had editorial control of the ALEI which he has used almost as his personal weapo?
difficulties for advance in the AUEW
fidence in the present leadership.
By Phil Penning, Laurence Scott strike committee
workers have had to face
get rid of Duffy, Ken Cure and the rest of the sellout Reductions for bulk.
Broad left in the AUEW
members this month
problems facing
based organisation.
Its political limit was reached when DOOM became crisis, and plantbased smuggle was less aru less able to mobilise the members The Labour government of 74-79 signalled the end of this period, when the Social Contract turned out to be a new name for the old policies or wage restraint and unemployment on a scale that even the Tories had not dared.
The death knell for this framework was rung Scanlon '77 when he threatened the Heathrow candidate for
election address that he is acutely conscious of
emulating men of such TWO key posts will be decided in the ALEW in ru. offe
general secretary will be between Gavin Laird
If Brett and Cutts are elected, the rank and file will be
wing's total monopoly in the
With this monopoly they have been able — in complete to prepare right-wing campaigns and sellouts
The anti-working class record of the executive would They have wined and dined Michael
They have blocked the fight against redundancies, ac-
They have been undermining democracy and angling.
been used 10 oppose democratic reforms in the Labour Party, and the executive
- half of whom have now
The Broad Left candidates have their limitations. But breakine ine rignes monopor on me cu. uno repumn leading officials with candidates who have supporied the
who have backed the democracy struggle in the Labour Party, would creare ma-
li is a chance to register a massive vote of no con-
This is not just because
of LSE. It's for the sake of
workers Leyland,
Plessey's and Ford
name but a few.
It sickens me to think
that the trade union move-
ment which was only built being abused by a handfus through bitter struggle,
of misleaders.
Not once did they
stand up for us during the
whole eleven months of
our dispute We saw our.
selves as trade unionists
who were willing to light
for jobs for the generation
With the battle
to come.
drawing to close
Scotts, we see the torch be-
ing kept alight by Plessey's
in Scotland.
but we must never
allow what happened at engineers and the Leyland toolroom with expulsion for striking against Phase
the deepest recession since the War and the betrayals of its leaders, the working class retreated.
Building on the political weakness and nesitancy or ine class facing situation for
prepared, the right wing swept the board.
Boyd and Duffy put themselves at the head of the retreat and led it with a single-minded tion.
The result was a drastic curtailment of the activity of the shop stewards organisations and serious erosion the traditional Dast Broad left.
BL has not adapted to these changes, and so remains tied to a small and shrinking layer of older trade union acLIVISIS,
It has not taken a new approach to the fight for leadership in the AUEW.
Trade Unions
Scotts to happen again.
achieve this Is by cam-
paigning for socialist
policies. and ridding the
movement of the scum
which is controlng ll al
the moment. One way of
ing towards this objective
is by supporting our fight
elections.
Role
We must remember the
role that the right wing in
the AUEW
blay
Labour Party. This is not
AUEW 1USI tallivalsil members but for the for
the movement as a whole
So far we have received
about 150 resolutions. We
need 2i tor the rule to be
implemented.
It has not turned to newly radicalising workers coming to the fore in the plants and in the struggles.
This leaves the initiative in the hands of the right. Because militants are not mobilised around campaigns, around support Ior strug gles, around alternative policies, the Boyd/Duffy leadership has been able to base itself on the reluctance of the class to go into struggle without firm leadership and clear policies. Office
The BL perspective is dominated by the fight for poșitions within the trade union apparatus. and so 1s based on the left leaders.
But these leaders are no more concerned than is the right stimulate struggles. While basing their bid for office on the needs of the membership for an answer to the attack, their first concern is for the trade apparatus.
June reduce the Ken Brett, Assistant General Secretary of the AUEW and Broad Left candidate for the post of general secretary
There is an urgent need
to raise the issue. Not only
m your umon brancaes vul
in the stewards' commit-
Tees and broad
meetings We have now
Drouulcu a tourth strike
bulletin. I ask you to re-
quest some from the strike HRead the truth abour
one of the greatest present
aay battles and also the need to support the rule 14
campaign
if Kee OC
branch passes the resolu-
the • copies must be returned to us so that we
can monitor the stage the
callivall is al
The need to get rid of
Duffy and Boyd gets more
urgent every day. God on-
ly knows what they will do
to us under Tebbit's laws. question of leadership to
Car acci ficial. Scanlon's betrayals nave no lessons for them
The Engineering Gazette. organ of the BL concerns itself almost entirely with the question of elections, and in so far as it mentions struggles all, does so as a commentatol (sympathetically) not leading a campaign of support
Similarly, in asking for a vote for Ken Brett as General Secretary it does sO on the grounds that it will 'help to bring about a much needed change in the present unbalanced position prevailing within the union's leadership.' Hardly a call to action.
While of course we call for vote for tne against the right and will campaign for this we must also recognise that the BL perspective is incapable of securing fundamental change. secured by basing nhe fight can only for the leadership on the rank and file leaders of struggles.
seriously mishandled
Rule 14, paragraph five.
removal.
General Secretary.'
Cheshire with donations.
The BL must be turned outwards to . these layers, who are seeking to struggle against the bosses often sive.
In this regard many members of the BL give support struggle, and played a ma Jor part in the campaign of resolutions against the leadership's back-stabbing up to the Final Appeal Court ana recall national committee. But on the Rule 14 Campaign the BI kept the issue separate from the elections.
Left officials will not culullas. this kind of leadership challenge. Process
However on this there were differences in the BL. In South Wales for example, the BL did support the campaign and militants snould Ir and influence this process
Many militants who at present are organised around the BL can and must be broken from the political line of its present leaders.
Harry Cutts, Broad Left candidate for nationa i pa-s
Support Rule
14 campaign
Laurence Scott Strike Committee Protest resolution for AUEW branches 'THIS branch believes executive council has
the Laurence Scott dispute. As this is an issue of concern to all AUEW members the branch demands a ballot tor removal of executive council in line with
Rule 14, paragraph five states: 'The executive council, or any member thereof may be removed from office by a ballot of the membership of the union provided such a ballot is demanded by ter: per cent or more of the branches and not less than two thirds of the membership are in favour of such
The ballot should be conducted by the
If your branch supports the protest resolution make sure it is sent to the AUEW general office 110 Peckham Rd, London SE15 and a copy is sent to the strike committee, 20 Roundcroft, Romiley,
Their struggles wil also have to turn in to th union structures , and tha will also mean fighting the BL to turn it into campaigning organisatio or mutant The AUEW election are too important to be lei: to the BL's routine trade unionism. The ALEN plays a decisive part in th Labour Party, and unde the present leadership ha been the back bone union support for the righ
La coalition with the SDP And it was Boyd/Duffy who led the anti-Tebbit of pleading Wit? employers to opposé the Bill.
The significance of the BL does not lie in its declining numerical sup port, but in the fact that it is the organised left in the union, with a considerable base in the activists in the But it a class strug gle left is to emerge in the AUEW the political framework will have to be Socialis: Challengf "{= _ -»...
Page 6 scan of this page
LONDON TRANSPORT-WHAT NEXT?
Hillhead by-election
By Des Tierney EVERY by-election is seen as a crucial popularity test of both the government and the opposition. Now the Alliance has come onto the scene. How is the Labour Party facing up to this challenge?
Hillhead by election the same crucial ones that the working class faces
ment and the real threat of annihilation from nuclear war should be the main campaigning themes this Glasgow constituency.
Soaring above the national average, unemployment lies at 17 per cent, while youth unemployment is a horrendous 53 per cent. No end to. that upward spiral is in sight as Albion Motor Works, part of the Leyland Group, and one of the constituency's By Helen Flynn, bus worker THIS is the best thing transport workers in London since the General Strike in 1926'. summed up the feeling of triumph on Wednesday when our one-day strike was completely solid.
All the old bitterness retween different unions seemed have evapo-
Everyone was celighted to see what rower Li workers reallv 1o have, and mad at seeing low the press and media scarcely reported this historic action.
The confidence gained last week has made iremendous difference to our struggle in defence of obs and cheap fares. Instead of the complaints from all sides :hat one-day stoppage would be a futile act protest, the question Socialist Challenge
'Jobs not bombs'
crucial issue
Liberal/Social Democratic No Tory defections this time? major employers, threatened with closure.
The decision of the Tories to go ahead with Trident has guaranteed that Glasgow and the West that's happened to
That was how one busworker
evervone is asking now is: next strike?
What action ale we gollig to take now?
Despite GLC councillors and the union leaders not giving positive lead to transpor workers, the National Union of Railwavmen has shown the way by contronting management tac tics and refusing to go along with a single redundancy.
Where new rosters are about to be introduced on a reduced service for the stewards have refused to Makeroo Busworkers on the picket line at Stamford Hill garage: let's build from that unity
page 6
of Scotland will be at the centre orresistance to sucil plans.
national CND activists and SUD-
Scottish Campaign Against Trident
the campaign. In the last week there will be a CND rally, a youth CND march and a llaud COR ference of SCAT. In an attempt to diffuse this, defence minister John Nott will be visiting the constituency.
Opportunity
Here is a great opportunity for Labour to show the Tories the extent of the anger ana mrustramon or Scottish people, and in the process winning scrutinise them, and have called on their members to lum up lor Donna duties the day the reduced sunculies are brought in.
Such actions workers and consumers in
redundancies and for a decent transport service.
The stewards and local TeDS of the unions should meet again as at their recent 'conference of 600' which decided on the one-day strike action. They should send a delegation to the GLC Transport Committee and demand that it open the books to the unions and spell out exactly what cuts are going to be made.
Ken Livingstone should give us the infor-
News
Labour the last Tory-held
seat in Glasgow.
Passive
But unhappily, the
'spirit of Bishop's Stort-
ford' preventing the
campaign taking any such
advantage. Despite having
formal commitment to the
fight against redundancies
and the fight to get rid of
Trident, the Labour Party
in this election is turning
away from the only
methods that wil ensure
these goals. It is also turn-
ing away from those
tivists in the labour and
trade union
that are fighting for them.
Instead, it is content to re-
ly on the passive loyalty of
the traditional Labour
voters in the area. truly effective campaign in defence of the Council's right Löndon Transport as the voters decided.
An all-out strike has the potential of the fight quickl and decisivel Won't Pay however well intentioned — acts as an obstacle to that fight. It lets the government off the hook and it fails to unite people around the demand for jobs.
Such in placing the burden of the struggle on isolated groups
workers such bus conductors and ticket collectors cuts across the unity that is needed if we are to succeed. Our one day strike showed the unity there We have to build trom that
Votes and real commitment to Labour would be won if workers and youth saw the Party using opportunities as the by-election to build support for CND in the area.
Danger
In the absence of such a radical alternative to the policies of the Tories,
ooks as if the Labour Party is in danger of losing votes to the Scottish National Party. The SNP ac cuses Labour of having wasted the overwhelming support it received at the last election for their policies in Scotland. In a close contest, any defection of Labour support to the SNP could be critical.
The growing support
London Transport 100% Increase Westminster? from Give us the gen, Ken
GWU
March for
the future
SDP/Liberal Alliance should serve as a warning to the Labour candidate David Wiseman: watereddown socialist policies don't bring out the vote.
The Tories, the other hand, are maintaining their support.At the last general election the Tory vote had reached its lowest since the war. What remains is a fairly solid middle class vote who could be expected to be relatively supportive of Thatcher's present course This is also strengthened by the reception of last week's budget.
Unable to capture any significant SUDOUl amongst organised
Londos Transport 100
Labour in Scotland, level of SDP support must be determined by the ups and of Tory popularity. In turning
slightly away from hard-nosed monetarist DUCES the likelihood of massive defections of the Tories to the SDP alliance has decreased. Stark
The low-key reception given in the media to the campaign of Roy Jenkins contrasts sharply with the
Warrington and Crosby. This very much affects the choice of the volatile layer to which they are appealing
For the working class the choices are tar more stark.
DAVID GORDON
MARCH
ncrease
We M.P
SOBY A MACH SMRAGE
Page 7 scan of this page
Scottish Campaign Against Trident
Demo
10.30am Blythswood Square Glasgow
Sat 10 April Scottish Labour backs Solidar-
nosc
*THE Labour Party in Scotland is to join the campaign of solidarity with Poland's free trade union,
A motion passed by the party's conterence in Perth on Sunday pledges it to organise a tour of Scotland by Solidarnose members and to issue a financial appeal on behalf of the union.
This success is all the more remarkable in that the resolution was adopted against the advice of the party's Scottish executive, remitted as 'too controversial' in the run-up to the Hillhead by election
Support for Solidarnose had been widely canvassed among delegates
when Warsaw member Artur Swiergiel had visited the conference allu tringe by the Glasgow Polish Solidarity Committee.
So it was with some confidence that the mover from Cathcart constituency refused to allow the resolution to be remitted. But even he must have OCCI LaKCA response of party chairperson George Galloway, who said: 'Let's not have the peace break down on a Sunday morning' of the motion!
Galloway scandalously won the support of the block vote of the TGWU, but even they could not prevent the majority at conference from speaking its mind on this issue and voting to back solidar nosc.
The focus for Scotland will now shift to next month's Scottish already been achieved with the STUC's decision as conference. invite a Solidarnose speaker to address the conference. So the prospects are good for real Labour Party/trade union action to back the workers' movement in Poland.
Solidarnosc.
which had wanted it
the previous day, committee CACulIve
meeting organista
aback the cynical
— and then called for rejection supporters of Solidarnose in
considerable
element
By Bob Pennington THE LABOUR MP for Edinburgh East is Gavin Strang. He is normally a moderate man. Yet last week, at the Scottish Council of Labour he called for 'civil disobedience' and 'industrial action to block right to urge such action. talking about life itself and our children's right to lifé'. ing the constitution and flaunting the will of the Tory majority at Westminster seem small beer indeed.
Massive mobilisations, maustrial achon, and cIvil disobedience, are not only legitimate means of oppos ing the incineration of nu asliv. unev are me on. ly ones that offer any hope of winning
Last week the Tory
decided splash out f10bn on Trident Il rather than cut corners to buy ine signity less lethal Trident for
The Tories showed they also inviting Reagan so ad THe NI
cress DOLE mouser Parliament at Westminster alu to meet une monaren British Windsor. This is the
establishment's way of saying: drive, Mr Juli yvul drive, Reagan, and we are behind you in your plans to turn Central America Caribbean into America's back yard.
Reagan's visit is an af-
-Stop the missiles
Keepout this
undesirable
deployment of Trident. He is As he says: 'We are
When these issues are at stake, break-
front anti-imperialist movement and a challenge to all those people are against resources being used for wall as opposed to social needs remember the CUS ot rident ll equals 500,000 new two story council houses!
The British labour movement must tell Reagan to get the hell out of Britain. He an undesirable element who is prepared to spread death world if he thinks it serves US capitalism.
His lackeys in the Tory government hang on to his coat tails because they know that the survival of the disintegrating capitalist system in Britair depends on the goodwill of their US masters ine war drive can be stopped we mobilise behind the policies of unilateralism. We
the possible holocaust if we say no to Cruise and no
Trident. These ai c already the policies of the Labour Party and the
and last weekend the conference of the Scot-
Council of Labour also backed them.
Our task now is to commit the TUC and the Labour Party to support the campaign against Reagan's visit to Rritain and in particular to back the giant CND demonstration now planned for London on 6 June.
Hundreds thousands of working people can ne mobilised protest against Reagan, the insanity of Cruise and Trident, and against US backing of the murderous regime in El Salvador.
Greater Manchester CND has given the lead by making the 6 June march its number one priority. It
three trains down to London in conjunction with the regional TUC and Labour Party. It has also appealed to CND for the basis of the march to include 'Hands off Salvador'
entire labour movement should pull out
stops stop Reagan and his gang of mobsters ever landing in Britain. If they do should the make the 6 June demonstration the biggest anti-imperialist march in Britain for decades, blocking Iner TO T Westminster to Windsor.
By P Ryan
all the new
from every Reagan and war games.
To carry
supporters
paigning That's
Reagan-free Europe', without one!
structions to:
and that my heart is with them'
That's Jact.
respect and hope with your struggles.
across the country. weapon worth Socialist Challenge!
Our thanks this week to: Manchester suDoorters £110 Shettie d 112 Wakefield Lewisham Nottingham Newport Wandsworth AnOn Huddersfield Outer West London Tower Hamlets Coventry Middlesboro Southampton Cardiff Oxford Hackney reader MD RTD Crawle!
Calence
NOT
GONES
the TORIE:
Keep us on target
TEN BILLION POUNDS - that's
Trident I/ missile system will cost us all. That's £200
one in Britain for Thatcher's deadly
Socialist Challenge has thrown itself into the campaign to stop Trident and to insist that the money is spent on jobs not bombs.
these campaigns Socialist Challenge does not need f10bn, but a mere £16,000 every three months from you — our
That's just to maintain our arsenal of propaganda, and we plan to expand our cam-
why we've produced another small weapon, a new badge 'For a
don't go into battle
It seems our message is getting through. This week along with a subscription we received a contribution towards our forthcoming pamphlet on Laurence Scott, and in-
'Tell them that it is from a very hard-up elderly woman who wishes them well
The letter goes on: 'You seem quite right to me, Judge Denning overruled Parliament.
That's parliamentary democracy? You want socialism and so do i You do fill the heart of this old woman with
Our thanks go to this comrade and our other supporters who came to our aid in this good week for Socialist Challenge's fund ap peal. Thanks to the International Womens Day rally and sterling support from readers
But please remember: we are still nearly f2000 short on our goal for this quarter. Bills remain unpaid. We have just two weeks to the end of the quarter, and we need £4,300 to make our £16,000 target. Come to the aid of the one
keeping
Glasgow Miscellaneous 50.50 camaen Brighton 80 Haringey Liverpool Leeds 50 Des steven 25 Southwark 117 A Jarman a perdeer Bolsover 15.31 40 Exeter International Women 109 Day Rally 455 120
25 Total €2,330.8 Grand Total £11,714 6 Grand Tota
Socialist Challenge 18 March 198 page 7
Page 8 scan of this page
Guatemala and
El Salvador:
elections in
the cemetries
By Will Reissner IN THE midst of a serious recession, potentially the worst since the 1930s, Presi-
1983 budget contains ever deeper cuts in
more than 19 per cent
creases in arms spending will result in a record budget deficit.
October, least $216bn authority to An additional weapons will Pentagon.
White House wants to
militarv. That comes to over living apbe pied sees
the Russians'
Gene La Rocque,
and Soviet forces: vur submarine. weapons -ed and ready to Soviets keep ‹cauy lo nre at the us Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Cruise Missile Socialist Challenge 18 March 1982 page 8
dent Reagan's proposed
federal social spending while boosting the Pentagon's arms budget by
over 1982 levels. The in.
For fiscal 1983, which begins in
Reagan wants to spend at on ine millary, fund new weapons that could bring the spending to $257.5bn
$5.5bn for nuclear charged to Department of Energy rather than the
In fact, over the next five years the
spend $1.64 trillion ($1.64 million million) on the
for every man, woman, and child now
purchases under Reagan plan will rise even faster thar during the peak of the Vietnam War The White House claims that the hugs increases are needed to 'catch up with
But retired Admiral now with the Cen tre for Defence Information, points out the real relationship between US
carry 5,000 nuclear - 3,000 of which are always aim fire at the USSR nuclear weapons at sea,
By Phil Hearse ELECTIONS Americal peculiarities.
March has didates
vote in 'democracy'
main candidates.
was
up. bombers, new
Atlantic
According to stitute United States the Soviet
decade.
Wills
the
porations. $7,100 In
ministration
the
El Salvador.
The such
Navy.
ALC 'USAF
in have their For example, in El Salvador the election on 28
two main - President Duarte leader of the military junta ano Major D'Aubisson, 38 year old leader of the death squads.
Most Salvadoreans will not
the elections, those who do can chose between the military junta and the death squads!
This is what Presidents Reagan and Duarte - and the Pope who has urged Salvadoreans to vote
The elections which took place last Sunday in Guatemala had more democracy — there were three -
As well military and the death squads there
'moderate'
Only 450,000 people out of four and a half million entitled to vote turned
The winner (surprise, surprise)
The Reagan budg
Ther cited Seat es the Soviets 145.
compared More than half of the Soviet bombers are still propeller-ariven
We have always had more strategic nuclear weapons than the Soviets. we can explode 12,000 nuclear weapons on the Soviet Union, while they can explode
The United States will build 17,000
nuclear weapons in the 1980s, if we conitor the x. Cruised Trident ren.
Cruise, here we House prorurtnermore States and its alies in the North
allies in Treaty (NATO) consistently outspend Soviets and their Warsaw Pact allies.
the International for Strategic and Union and the Warsaw Pact by more than $300bn in the past
The aim of Reagan's war budget is not, as claimed, to catch up with an illusory Soviet threat. The real aim is to bolster the Pentagon's ability to intervene militarily around the world and especially in Central America, the Caribbean, and the Middle East - in defense of the interests of US cor-
recent figures have repeatedly stated publicly that they are drawing up contingency plans to invade blockade Cuba, and that they will 'do whatever is necessary' to prevent the overthrow of the bloody junta ruling
• Reagan has to defend the Saudi Arabian monarchy against revolution.
Reagan's 1983 Pentagon budget shows that these statements are deadly serious. By far the largest spending increases are earmarked for building
non-nuclear
as the 110,000-member Deployment Force (RDF) and the US
Central own
can- the
but
call
even
as the
fascist candidate
Today
Trident, Per-
the North Organisation the
InStudies, the
NATO outspent months Reagan ad-
• also vower intervention forces
Rapid
was the candidate supported by th military junta, Guevara. Guevara is an army genera ana former aerence minister
candidate Will makes Guevara look like a moderate Sandoval Alacron violently (to coin phrase) denies Socialist' much to do with socialism'. But he i calcula historical sense' the term 'fascist' accept
bizarrely named 'National Liberatio Movement militia of 3000. But rest assured. I only kills 'communists' candidates. according rehearsed script, claim that the resu was a fraud. real obiection is that. not being l power themselves, they were unabl to defraud Guevara.
fraud have made the election eve more farcical than it would have bee otherwise. The real representatives (
The RDF, set up by Carter, draws on troops and faciliti from the army, marines and is designed to be airlifte anywhere in the world, meeting." with equipment prepositioned at sit close to the likely scenes of interve tions
invasions America, the Me force has been built on baili Middle Éast. ruled island of Diego Garcia in the li dian Ocean, where freighters loade with tanks, artillery, fuel, water, and other equipment ar supplies are ready to sail for the Persian Gulf at moment's notice. sian Gulf are being built in Oma Kenya, Somalia, and Egypt. least $11bn on new equipment for t Rapid Deployment alone. This includes new air transpo planes, tanker planes to allow them reach any place in the world witho having to land prepositioned equipment, tional cargo ships to carry that equi ment.
Reagan describes the blocking Soviet aggression. That
imply propaganda aimed at maki
he force more palatable to Ameri public opinion. themselves, they about the real target of the RDF. F example Assistant
Defence ine Kor's sufficient for its mission,
'as the Iranian seizure of the US el
ssy too graphically illustrated t
rld, Third World nations ar awed by American power and will quite prepared and able to fight t
General AIDA
Pretty grim, you might think. Bu
came
One is a 'Nationa The term, he says, has to
'in a genera
He also admits that his party, th
(MLN) has a privat
Alacron and the other oppositio
to
It probably was. Thei
The claims and counter-claims (
Presider
navy, air force,
The RDF has already carried ol
of Centr Caribbean, anne A permanent base
ammunitio
permanently anchore
aner race car Cro
The Pentagon plans to spend
Force
CLO fIll and ad
administrati RDF's main role
When military specialists write f
make no bon
Secretary Francis West, worrying th equipment might not notes th Blackbird spy plan
Page 9 scan of this page
the people of Guatemala are the increasingly powerful organisations, who were barred from the election.
They have fused to form a joint command 'front of patriotic unity'.
During the elections they attacked military installations and erected road blocks within ten miles of the capital, Guatemala City. advance, the Lucas Garcia engages in WEOICSAC DULCICY villagers as its situation becomes more hopeless.
Just as in Guatemala, the election in a Salvador takes place against a background of increasing advances Healey has dewounced the elections as the left-wing guerrillas. a 'sordid farce'
register and with no possibility of the
left-wing parties standing candidates
In the war last week both the Us and the Duarte regime got a nasty SHOCK. heir stand-up pitched battle with the guer-
To. They sent their helicoper around the volcano.
RDF when it lands.' (Emphasis added.)
Crucial to the Pentagon's drive to improve ability
the world building programme for the US Navy. Some $88bn of the 1983 budget (up from $41.7bn in 1979) is earmarked for the Navy, to expand it from about 475 ships at present to more than 600 by the end of the decade. some $96bn is to be spent on a five-year ship-building programme.
The Navy plans to build two addi-
battle groups nuclear aircraft carriers, at a cost of number of carrier battle groups in the group, Us fleet to titteen
Additional battle groups will also be built around two World War battleships, to be recommissioned at a
As Secretary of the Navy John Lehman explains, organised around 15 carrier could deal 'simultaneously with conricts in ine rar cast, Near cast, rer. sian Gulf, Indian Ocean, lifelines around Africa to the United States and Europe, the
Eastern Pacific' 7 February).
When plans to battleships USS Iowa and USS New Jersey were first announced a year ago, Richard Halloran reportea in the New York Times that Corps is particularly
eager them back to provide bombardment for amphibious assaults.
Iavy secretar Lehman
Jointed out that the reactivated batleships would be 'fighting within the narrow confines of the Persian Gulf"
Both battleships have been used in past interventions mile semicolonlal
guerrilla
Eventually withdrew, through the national withdrew
to find them.
While the guerrillas
regime of
sanction Denis ment Doov
without an electoral
the observers' visit.
The future
heroic men and fought its tirst
American-backed GuazaDa elections.
War, intervene ship-
long-range guns.
The
All told, in spending for the
boost
around new
bringing.
emphasis. ine
Hume,
Armed
600-ship fleet
could knock
the O1l
Mediterra(Washington Post,
refurbish the curacy needed
military targets.
'the Marine missile tubes.
to nave
land, ships, also alr olalics.
well suited detect by
(Wall Street change direction
treetop level.
Diego Garcia
gunships against the FMLN for three days, and they were continually hit by groundtire and beaten back.
the guerrillas slipping away night army lines. As they their marching columns could be heard singing revolutionary songs, but the army were still unable
As a guerrilla leader 'Frederico' told American journalists: 'We can move anywhere. We are not going to fight a war of positions. There are too many targets of opportunity.
Britain is sending two 'observers'
the phoney ReaganDuarte elections. Every labour move-
should demand dissociation from America's policy in El Salvador and the cancellation of
of El Salvador and Guatemala will be decided by the
women who are fighting arms in hand against
dictators, not by the fairy tale world of the dictators'
* auns not butter
world. The lowa and New Jersey were brought out of storage for the Korean
and the New Jersey was again reactivated for the Vietnam War, ing wnich it sat oft the North Viet namese coast, out of range of coastal •allenes. are bouncco away will 1s
battleships are now to be refitted with up to 320 Cruise missiles, with a range of 1,500 miles.
In addition to the sharp increases
RDF and the US Navy, Reagan's 1983 arms budget will
spending on nuclear weapons and delivery systems by almost $7br from the current fiscal year. Four weapons systems are receiving special
missile will 'give the United States the ability, for the first
to threaten all of the Soviel Union's land-based missiles, the 1l August 1980 New York limes noted.
with ten independently targeted nuclear warheads, and with a range of over 6,000 miles, the MX
out the most strongly reinforced Soviet missile silos.
The submarine-launched Trident Il missile, employing a new and extremely accurate guidance system and with a range of up to 7,500 miles, is the first sea-based missile with the ac-
to destroy small The Pentagon plans to deploy 13 Ohio-class nuclear submarines, each containing 24 Trident
A third new weapons system, the Cruise missile, can be launched from
submarines and It is so small and flies low that it is virtually impossible to
radar. In addition, once launched le cre can cocky
avoid obstacles while skimming along barely above
It is extremely cheap as such
ponde prondee to t,000 Crass
missiles.
A fourth system, the Pershing II, is a highly accurate land-based missile carrying cluster of NATO plans to deploy 572 US Cruise and Pershing Europe in 1983. From bases in West Germany, the Pershing II could reach Soviet minutes, compared to thirty or more minutes for a missile launched from the US.
The Pentagon is also going ahead with a new nuclear bomber, the B-1 and working oh the bomber, so called because it would be invisible to Soviet radar.
Why are US policymakers pushing ahead with these first-strike weapons? Not to launch a nuclear war against the USSR. They know that would be
But weapons have a very
which is directly tied to the im DOSC. mediate plans of US rulers for Central America, the Caribbean,
The Pentagon whelming nuclear club to be used to prevent the Soviets from coming to the aid of any victim of a US intervention.
But Reagan's policies face strong opposition both in the United States and around the world. In Europe a massive movement has against NATO's plan to deploy
ruise and Pershing II Western European Whether that decision can be plemented is now an open question
In the United States, too, there is tremendous volvement in EP Salivac
I Salvador, that the "Vietnam syndrome' is far from dead. • Taken from Press, 8 March, 1982.
Cruise
warheads.
Il missiles in Western
little doomsday practical pur-
and other
walls over. superiority as
missiles on
soil next year.
im-
US to Inshowing
Intercontinental
Nuclear aircraft carrier USS Enterprise
EL SALVADOR SOLIDARITY
DEMONSTRATION
SUNDAY 28 MARCH
HYDE PARK LONDON
must be able to send US troops to intervene directly. world-wide economic and
The defeat in Vietnam and the collapse of imperialism's relays in places like Iran have forced the US to boost its own military spending to the point of breaking the economy. But to defenc
political domination, they Socialist Challenge 18 March 1982 page 9
Page 10 scan of this page
Rab Butler-founder of liberal Toryism
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page 10
By Andrew Gamble When Rab Butler died on the day of the budget he already seemed a fairly belonging to a different political era - the era of social democratic consensus, relative social peace and world expansion. The era of 'Butskellism:
long distance separated Butskellism from Thatcherism. In his
Edward Heath declared that RA Butler was one of the main architects of post-war liberal conservatism which, added, had ended in 1974 It was, aTTer who once declared "those woo Lak about creating pools unemployment should be LOWE into them and made to swim'
Butler tought tireless t against the right in his pardo minance off his sure sec- and helved ensure me a party pion alle. 1945.
He came from a long established class
LUCI English family, full of masters of Cambridge colleges, headmasters of Har-
civil servants. His father was governor of the central provinces in India
Butler was born in In dia and like so many of his generalion and his class shared the imperial mystique. His deepest ambition almost realised 1943, was to become Vicerov
There were few other positions in the British state, however, that he did not occupy. He was government tor 26½ years, a period longer
cept Churchill so far in this centurv. This was possible because in the 49 years between (9l› and 1904. the Conservatives were only
of office, for Vul ycals.
Empire
This long period of one-party dominance in-
the Butler's active politica lite. He entered parliameni Trinity in 1965. 1929 and retired
was dominated by two fundamental political problems: the international eclipse of British power and disengagement from empire and the problems of containing the in ternal challenge from the Brust adol overer.
During his long career Butler lovally serv. ed 6 prime ministers Baldwin Chamberlain, Churchill, Eton, Масmillan and Hume. He never resigned and he never refused to serve in any office despite being passed over on three occasions for the premiership.
Although perhaps best known for 1944 Education Act and his
Chancellor of th61-1965, he served for as Exchequer from long in government before 1945 as he did after 1951. He was associated with many important policies are new muralves.
remote figure
In the 1930s as a junior minister he was closely involved both with the India Act, the first step toward complete Indian independence which was bitterly contested by the Tory right led by Churchill Subsequently, he was the foreign office spokesman in the House of Common. for the policy of appeasement towards Germany
As Home Secretary in 1961 ne introduced the Commonwealth Immigration Act and in 1962 led the mission which confirmed the dissolution of Britain's last imperial fling
the Central African Federation.
Education
The most important part of his political career however lay between 1940 and 1955. He was one of the leading members of the all-party
Collilic. post-war reconstruction and as minister of Education in the coalition government pushed through against Churchill's initial reluctance one of the major reforms of the social democratic Consensur 1944 Education Act which centralised education in the hands of the state and considerably expanded it.
He was also closely involved in the plan to im-
the Beveridge Proposal and in drawing up the 1944 White Paper on full employment.
He expected the electoral disaster that whelmed the Tories 1945 and set about with Macmillan, Woolton and Maxwell cite to reorganise the Conservative Party, re-establishing its electoral support and reorienting its policies.
Not the Conservative Research Department and founder
the Conservative Political Centre he helped to shape the perspective of the post-war conservative leadership. One of his successes was to recruit new Conservatives like Maudling, Powell and Macleod who worked for the Conservative Research Department
In the 1947 Industrial Charter and the 1950 pro
for BritaT Rich Rene
Britain' which WelC both drawn up by Butler the party signalled its acceptance Tuneamental reform and the changed balance of forces brought about by the war, the
and the subseCoalon quent labour government.
Chancellorsn between 1951 and 1965 Butler demonstrated pragmatic acceptanc by
Tories of Keynesian demand management, high welfare spending and an enlarged public sector. At the same time he took
advantage the change in the terms of trade and the acceleration of growth in the world
economv to dismantle re maining control and reestablish freedom Private cap one or e
London The growth in living standards that followed helped con solidate the new conservatives.
His politics were those of the liberal establish-
He was a lifelong
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opponent of the tradi. tional Tory right. He was strongly opposed to the hanging and flogging lobby in the party He Lavoured racial integration. He had doubts about we suck Invasion. He sup ported disengagement
. the empire and ne worked for lasting political settlement
WIL labour.
He saw himself in the tradition of Peel and Baldwin,
pursulllg strategy of gradual reform and timely concessions. was a style of politics that proved highly successful but it was always premised on the continuation of the absolute strength of of the British state and the relative wealth the British economy. When inese were undermined e new right began to emerge
British launched fierce attacks on the
cautious of post-war conservatism for appeasing the labour movement and talling to reverse "socialism'.
Bv the 1980s few re maining practitioners of the 'art of the possible' a Butler understood it could any disguise the breakdown of consensus and the deep political crisis into which Britain was entering.
• Andrew Gamble is the
Consel Nation work on the history of the
Party His most recent work i Britain in Decline - a must for all our readers comin
grips with polítical crisis.
Both books avanaole wom Other booksnop
present, Andrew Gamble is a lecturer at the University of Sheffield
Open 10-6 Mon Tues Wed Sat 11-7 Thurs & Fri
Summer Before the
Frost, Solidarnosc
in Poland
Jean- Yves Potel
€3.95 pb Pluto Palestinians: From
Peasants to Revolu-
tionaries
Kosem 4.95 pb Zed ig
Abortion Politics
Marsh & Chambers €4.95 pb Junction Book:
Page 11 scan of this page
Women down the
ROSE BROOKS' article on women in the coal industry (SC 4 March) teresting. However, I think it dodged the most important questions involved in this debate.
The widely-held view in the mining areas is that the 1842 Bill excluding women from underground work was a gain or te working class, won after years of struggle. The view of women's work presented in the article Is misleading. The majority of women worked as 'hur-
have ing 1
usua logg air.
LIC DaSKeLs won
It was a terrible and unnecessary waste of women's lives — the result
letter!
Cuba, Nicaragua
and Poland - the
debate continues
I HAVE been waiting for you to print some disclaimer or criticism of the outrageous article by Phil Hearse blasting Cuba and Nicaragua for their positions on martial law in Poland (SC 11 Feb).
Since this has not happened I assume comrade Hearse's views represent
supporter of ane cs a
supporter of the revolution and its Marxist leaders, and of Solidarity,
would ike to take up comrade Hearse's views.
all. comrade Hearse's main aim seems not to be LU discuss the positions of the Cuban and Nicaraguan comrades with the attitude that what is involved is a discussion amongst revolutionists.
His tone precludes that: it is one of open hostility which launches into the Cuhans and Nicaraguans as if they were political opponents.
Although comrade Hearse does not openly, one could assume that he really views these comrades as centrists wavering between revolutionary positions (in Cen-
America?) and counter-revolutionary ones (in castern europe!).
He leaves out any mention of the many criticisms which the and Nicaraguans have made
bureaucratic misrule Basich Europe No attempt is made to contrast
democracy WOIKCIS Cuba or Nicaragua with
Eastern the lack or lt in Europe or the fact that Polish workers
Aci c fighting for many things which Cuban workers already have their workers state.
voing into these facts would be valuable both in ecucaune bausa workers and in trying to influence Lne Cubans and Nicaraguans. If these comrades read Socialist
was useful and in-
of the refusal of the more backward owners to invest
proper luauways and winding gear.
By all means draw out the positive aspects women's working nerience but not at the expense of romanticising the Dra cool which was the daily experience of
Women as a general rule did not work in the pits in areas where there was other work, such as in the textile industries. was certainly not any al tachment to the job which forced women to evade the law and continue working down the pits — it was the unrear or sta vauon.
The campaign for the exclusion of women from unaerground work was on
Letter letters teR
Challenge, nowever. vou article would have no affect in influencing their incorrect views of Solidarity. Rather they would regard VOI sectarian opponents.
Inis is even more so given that Socialist Challenge has quite different tack with oineren endeaces witn wrong positions on
The British Socialist Workers Party (SWP), 101 mustance. believes that Poland is not a workers slale or any lype and the SWP is therefore opposed defence of Poland in a capitalist war
This view provides the framework for their stance on events in Poland and TOr slogans and demands they raise. But
Hearse nor any пошлет Socialist
tacked the SWP's position
Poland. which DIUceeds from counterrevolutionary tramework In fact you work side side with the SWP Polish worko" wherever can on
And what of criticising the anti-communism The about leaders who hypocritically campaign and se sion in Poland while condoning it (and carrying 1t out) in Ireland? Or are
whose his cauti main aim is to administer
imperialism. politically preferable to the Cubans In comrade Hearse and Socialist Challenge's eyes?
Socialist Challenge has marched side by , side with
movement over Poland. And not onlv with labour HOVCHICHI misleaders,
the preparing the way for new Ten-Hour Bill. The campaign wasn't so much about replacing, women will but eliminating the worst jobs
the But on the other hand, the movement was strongly influenced by radical Tories. Anglican priests and Tory bosses.
These people argued that a woman's place was in the home. The Bill did not represent a class solution to the problem of the
brutal exploitation of woter mineworkers. was actually divisive.
Socialist Challenge should be promoting this debate in the labour move-
Our fundamental position should be that women should have the
Letters
Castro and Grenadian prime minister,
Last December, Socialist
unalenge enthusiastically built and
Polish 'solidarity' march and rally which included a wide of anti-communists from
suilic Polish exiles to Tory Party people Social Democratic Party-style Tories to right-wing (and some left-wing!) misleaders of the labour movement. Enemies socialism and workers rights Shirley
Williams adaressea me parncipants.
Over the past few months the Cuban revolution has been facing its most senous lureals iom perialism two decades. Up till the 3 March issue of the paper, which I have Just seen, you nave aone nothing to convey this to your readers. The only articles dealing with Cuba which I have seen for months in Socialist Challenge has been Phil Hearse's criticising Cuba's position on Poland.
GARY ERLISKER London
Letters
mines?
themselves whether they want to work in the pits.
However. the main point is that while conditions in the pits may have changed dramatically, one would want to work in the pits if they could get comparable pay in another job.
Our major focus should be to get the con siderable weight of the
• behind the Huers campaign for positive ac tion as an integral part of a workers' plan to end unemployment through a 35 hour week, early retirement, a crash programme of useful public works and
training for skilled trade:
JACK LAVIN MANSFIELD
Write to SC letters, c/o PO Box 50, London N1 2XP.
Editor reserves the right to cut any letter over 400 wr.."
Maurice Bishop. Does
Castro 'misunderstand the roletthe front wild system? ..
THE LETTER from Brian Lyons 14 March) on Poland, Nicaragua and Cuba contains number of accusations against Socialist Challenge which alc both factually incorrect and politically wrong
He says that the US military buildup against the revolutions in Central America threatens 'the biggest gains made by the international working class in over 60 years' that is, since the Russian revolution
This is false. The big gest gain made by the in ternational working class
last 60 years been the wrenching of a quarter of humanity out of the grip of imperialism the Chinese revolution of 1949. Comrade Lyons' attitude to the Cuban leadership makes him see things differently
Brian charges that the scope of our Poland material overshadows its
framework. First Socialist
Challenge more than any other paper on the left has defended the Central American revolution against US imperialism, in literally dozens of articles.
"rned of the danger of US intervention
salvadora fed be and
Salvadorean and Nicaraguan FSLN revolutionary leaderships. Counterposing coverage of Poland to that on Cen-
America underestimates the threat which the Polish struggle poses to the imperialist bourgeoisie and its control over the European working class.
Brian says that my article was completeiv laun diced d. *The arise tried issue of Poland. to explain the objective roots of the political positions which the Cubans and Nicaraguans have taken on the Polish revolu. tion, namely their "wo camoist' theorv of world politics, which the Cubans expounded explicitly and at great length at their seDecember 1980. cond congress
Comrade Lyons' slanderous charge that Socialist Challenge 'helped to echo' the Pentagon's charges that Cuba 'acts as a surrogate force
the Soviet bureaucracy' cannot go unanswered
My article explained
death of Sam Gordon.
long illness
Sam
ding a
of Stuart.
for many years
International
ternational
ding's Finance Capital.
ycars
deepest sympathy to Mildred and David
tha the Soviet bureaucracy opposes the extension of world revolu tion in Central America and that the line of the Cubans and Nicaraguans was I ooooston lo lad of the Soviet bureaucracy. It further explained the contradiction between the Cuban position on Poland and Central America.
Taking an objectively counter-revolutionary
Tone. from being a mistake, or another subject for frater. nal debate between revolutionaries, has grave conse quences for the evolution
these leaderships, because reveals a misunderstanding of the role of the Stalinist world system.
The victory of the EI Salvadorean and Guatemalan revolutions, extending the process
Cuba alle tremendous step forward Nicaragua, would for the workers
Sam Gordon
IT IS with great regret that we announce the
He died in Middlesex Hospital, London on Friday 12 March, after a
joined the Communist League of America (Left Opposition) in 1928 after atten-
meeting in New York addressed by James P Cannon. He was a leading member of the SWP (US) for many years and wrote many articles and pamphlets under the name
He spent some time with Trotsky in Mexico and carried on a correspondence with him
In 1940 he became secretary of the Fourth
until he joined the Merchant Navy in 1941 as a means of maintaining contact with sections of the International during
He managed to get into Europe at the end of the war, met comrade Jungclas (one of the founders of German Trotskyism) in Hamburg and played a big part in reconstituting the In-
Europe Michel Pablo, he became joint secretary of the
Sam translated Trotsky's Germany: the Only Road into English, and his most recent work was the translation of Rudolf Hilfer-
He played an active role in the formative
of the IMG and although ill-health restricted his activities in recent years kept up a lively interest in the activities of the
We salute his memory and express our
everywhere.
But the victory of the revolution in Poland would be a hundred times more significant, as Poland is one of the bas tions of the industrial proletarian of the world, the decisive force for world revolution.
The victory of the Polish workers would be a massive defeat for world Stalinism and would transform the relationship forces between the working class ana lls enemies in the whole world, East and West, and in Central America.
Because Solidarnosc mobilised millions of inaustral workers stituted one of the highest forms of proclarial tivity and self-activity thai the world has seen since the Russian revolution.
Hence, the scope of our coverage Socialist Challenge.
PHIL HEARSE
Socialist Challenge 18 March 1982 page 11
Page 12 scan of this page
SoliDARNos under scrutiny All available from The Other Bookshop, 328 Upper Street, London NI or Birmingham's Other Bookshop, 137 Digbeth
THE BOOK OF
The Book of Lech Walesa, THREE MONTHS after martial law was imposed in Poland the publishers have rushed into print with their balance sheets of the Polish experience DAVY JONES three books which offer an interesting contrast of approaches to the Solidarnosc movement.
Go and hear Jean-Yves Potel on his speaking tour
WCCK ana buv his book The Summer Before the Frost. It may not have quite the same historical depth as Neal Ascherson's I ne ronsn August, oul Is political analysis of the social forces in the Polish
far surpasses any other book on the subject.
İNPREKOR
wAr.
SOLIDARNOŚĆ Z SOLIDARNOŚCIĄ
Problemy rewolucji antybiurokratycznei Polish Inprecor new edition A new 54-puze edition of the Fourth International's publication in Poland - Inprekor — is now out. Il's tiny size (pictured above, is to avoid detection from the Polish authorities.
circulation und support 1o: precor, 2 rue Richard Lensir, France.
Socialist Challenge 18 March 1982 page 12
LECH
WAŁĘSA
A collective portrait by Solidarity members
and critics - a Polish bestsellér before
the military takeover
reviews the latest
Potel was in the Lenin shipyards of Gdansk during the famous 1980 strike.
H1S interviews with the militants there graphically describe the development of the nationwide strike workers delegates packed into the shipyard: 'Good day, ladies and gentlemen from LIIC Powisle
LIDARNOŚCIA LTY MARZEE
M1807#/0W1X0X38*0*2**0/473480W1
Dnr.3 Send cheques and postal orders to help boost its
"PIC addresser to In93018 Montreuil,
cooperative of Kwidzyn. Weare joining with you sorry if we're a bit late, we are all united, and we number around 2,000 and we support your demands! You must cuse me, l am not a public speaker, excuse me
The interviews bring to life the previous rounds of
workers struggles 1956, 1970 and 1976. Potel then analvses the Church. the peasantry, the Communist Party and the working class, as well as reviewing the strategy of Solidarnosc in the light of the military crackdown.
Penguin books have pitched in with a dreadful offering persona testimonies to the 'Walesa pnenomenon Various journalists, intellectuals anu bies die wacecu Ou to tell their own stories
Walesa's history, ideas and idiosyncracies.
Once you've read one, you've read them all most of it has already been recorded glossy magazines over the last 18
Solidarnosc presented through the prism of heroic individuals fighting against the 'Communist menace
By contraster lanst
issue International Socialism journal, special book format, is a seriously-researched at-
draw some lessons from Ine on events. Despite major political shortcomings the book is well worth a read, contals original material from Solidarnosc bulletins and papers, and detailed figures on the economic crisis.
There are some lessons drawn by Barker and Weber with whien would agree: the incompandimy or sondarnose with the ruling bureaucracv. the centraliti of the question of power posed by the Polish crisis, and the need for a revolutionary party built out of
Solidarnoso movement.
But their attitude 1o
Under Review
The Summer
Before
The Frost
in Poland
The Summer Before the Frost: Solid Solidarnosc and its leadership is wildly off-beam and
'Within nine months of August 1980 Lech Walesa was acting as if he were the LUSI hardened trade union bureaucrat from the
Walesa like Frank Chapple or Terry Duffy? The
comparisun made me want to throw up.
for comrades Barker and Weber of the Socialist Workers Partv. Poland 1 essentially the same other European countries
there is capitalist class, trade unions, reformist leaders and the rank and file. The key task in Britain and Poland is to galvanise the rank and file against their union leaders
the struggle for socialism.
"The leadership
would rush around, trying to cool things down The rank and file membership
would then erupt into angry action over some particular grievance,' and
regardless of the reasons
pact was make the leadershin tr prevent the rank and file from struggling', and so on.
Linked to this analysis is a crude division of the Solidarnosc leadership into those dubbed by the Western press as 'moderates' and 'radicals' The representatives of the latter wing supposedly clude Jan Rulewski of Bvdooszcz and Mariar Jurczyk from Szczecin But "moderate'/ 'radical' tags are worse than useless.
For example, Rulewski's verbal militancy Howed not from a revolu
socialist viewlunaly point, but from his association with the rightist anti-Soviet KPN nationalists. And Jurczyk
denounced the bureau-
'full of Jews'.
In a forthcoming article in the magazine Internutional Viewpoint Z.big-
osc in niew Kowalewski from the presidium of Lodz solldarnosc characterises Rulewski as Cicaulg
for the real "moderates on the boll darnosc national
those who prescium. counterposed at the 11/12 DCUCHIDC 1981 organising national referendum on the Warsaw Pact to the real task of generalising the workers' councils, launching 'active strike' anc the system workers' detence guards.
The Polish reality was a lot more complex than the SWP's unsophisticated attempt to fit it into the mould of the British trade union struggle. In most instances the local, regional and national Solidarnosc leaders were far in advance of the rank and file of the union in realising the danger of a confrontation with the bureaucracy.
Ot course Sondarnosc leaders had severe political limitations, but Jean-Yves Potel explain in the post-martial law introduction to his book weaknesses did not flow from bureaucratism within the union or capitulanon to camnoncism
There were those who "advised' Solidarnosc adopt a strategy of 'selfMutatiOn of the revolu tion, leaving the basic structures of bureaucratic power intact. These included intellectuals, Communist Party reformers, the Church hierarchy and other orces potential social interest in maintaining the cratic power
Sections of the Solidarnosc leaders and membership adopted these Idea. not to defend any material privileges, but as the only apparent way forward given the very real danger or a soviel-backea sion of the country if the movement went too far'.
The strategy was in fact dead wrong and it ideologically disarmed the movement. But given the
SOLIDARNOSC COLNTTANKE
AND KARAL FLER
TO MILITARY
absence of a strong revolutionary current putting forward strategy Cali of alternative workers poled the vacuum lett 'self-limitation' filled by decaaes or slalnist mis education.
The bureaucracy launched their military crackdown when did, not simply because of the dis-
Not Solidarnosc, as Barker and Weber claims, but also because sections of Solidarnose's leaders in the regions were beginning to win increasing support for the 'active SUIKe worker Condon idea
For the workers Poland to make a successful political revolution to institute real workers' socialist democracy
be an easy task. The JUL likelihood of Soviet tervention and massive bloodshed should not be lightly dismissed by Socast all comfortable Britain
It will entail not just a higher understanding on the unreformability bureaucracy, it will also necessitate
JEAN-YVES POTEL,
and author of the new Pluto Press book The
Summer Before the Frost, will be speaking
at a series of meetings in Britain next week.
Also appearing will be a Solidarnose leader
from Lodz region, Zbigniew Kowalewski.
Mon 22 March Oxford meeting on Poland at 3pm
in Oxford Polytechnic
Tue 23 March Birmingham Polish Solidarit
Committee
Digbeth Civic Halls.
Wed 24 March Glasgow Polish Solidarity Com-
mittee meeting, 7.30pm at McLellan Galleries,
Sauchiehall St
Thur 25 March Manchester Socialist Challenge
meeting, 7.30pm at Unicorn pub, Church St, Pic
cadilly
Fri 26 March Guest speaker at Hackney Socialist
Challenge/Revolution meeting on El Salvador,
Tue no March Oner Bookry pli
meeting, 7.30pm at Marchmont Community Cen
tre, Marchmont St, Kings Cross. 50p entrance.
FROM GDANSK
REPRESSION
WTERNATIONL SOCIALISH * 15
Solidarnosc: from Gdansk to Military Repression, Colin Barker and Kara Weber, International
Birmingham. developed internationalist consciousness WiNI Solidarnose and the interwOrKers nOVe ment. In short it will need enormou solidarity movement with Solidarnosc in the West and in the East That's the nub of the difference in approach between Potel's book (a member of the Fourth In ternational) and that of Barker and Weber of the SWP. Their book reads like commentary lon the sidelines, sniping at the *retormis leaders Solidarnosc' while the SWP has done and is doing next to nothing to build solidarity work Socialists should be in the forefront of building unqualified for Solidarnosc within the labour movement. Within that framework they also have a right and a duty to engage the political debates over strategv tha raged and continue to rage within Solidarnosc Potel's Summer Before the Frost is the best book yet published for carrying out both these vital tasks.
Potel speaks on Poland
French Trotskyist meeting, 7pm at Lecture room
N16 bOOKsnon/ bIg Flame
Page 13 scan of this page
Ireland little change from Labour's front
Militant Central America and Poland
Following last year's prisoners the Labour Party conference adopted a united Ireland policy. This still left the final say with the Loyalists but did begin to break with Labour's traditional bipartisanship over Ireland. MARTIN series on the recent labour movement conference on Ireland by examining the views of the Labour MPs who spoke there.
Richard Balfe, Euro MP, work described had helped nOW him IIS
understand the Irish situation. 'One things that hit me, he said, 'was watching news about Irelanc French TV. seemed odd
I realised that for once you were hearing both sides of the story. On
ritish TV, all you hear i the army fficer politicians. ere naken from pictures were the other side: the people who were being pushed around.'
In Britain we get used to But in autoDe ane around the world there
Britain's big political CONS What other vanced' country has waged a twelve-year guerrilla war against nationalists in its UWI. territory?' Balfe described his role in the Euro parliament of keeping up the pressure on Britain exposing the torture, the abuse of human rights and the plastic bullet murders.
Clive Soley MP,
two to labour's
sonaliDo irish anokespen
Cancannon, made it clear that he was
vith full shadow cabine approval, whose views were aptly summed up by Alex Kitson at the last Labour conference: 'We want the troops off the streets, just as soon as the police can cope. ? In other words atter the troops have defeated the na-
THE MARXIST PAPER FOR LABOUR & YOUTH
tions of Central America and Poland.
cerned more with
support here in Britain.
for three vears now the
workers and peasants in
Central America ana the
Caribbean, led by youth,
have been challenging the
inignulest military power
on earth: US imperialism.
Yet readers of the Militant
can be excused for not
have taken place in the tiny
Landec
Grenada, or in Nicaragua.
The guerrilla struggle
in El Salvador unites some
90 per cent of the
June Revolu-
tionary Democratic Front
(PDR) and the Farabundo
Marti Liberation Front.
protests over Irish
COLLINS concludes his Tony Benn already in retreat on Ireland
tionalist population we can talk about solutions.
The problem is the army cannot win, inere can no solution short of an end to partition in Ireland.
Nor do the Anglo-Irish
term goal of Irish unity through peaceful and consent. So far they are nothing but a smokescreen for joint repression.
The Southern Irish government is no more in-
THE LABOUR PARTY YOUNG SOCIALISTS conference this Easter will discuss the revolu-
Richard Rozanski argues that the approach of the LPYS leadership - supporters of Militant — is con-
passing resolutions which have a 'pure line' for the revolutions in these countries than with building urgently needed
Ronald Reagan's government understands that this threatens the entire system of imperialist domination in the region, as the guerstruggle extenas Guatemala and Honduras.
ror months now the US imperialists have been hlevention to prop up the reaclullary dictatorships, yet this finds no place in the pages of the Militant.
The 19 February 1982 issue finally sees whole page article on El Salvador. Yet never once does it menuon une rok or ine FMLN.
terested in finding a solution to Ireland's problems by removing partition than is the British government.
What they want more help from Britain in dealing with their economic crisis. Thatcher-style policies and unemployment are the prospects for the workers in the South from both Fitzgerald and Haughey.
The Americans also have an interest in the stability of Ireland. They have a lot of money invested there and want to pull Ireland into NATO to strengthen Siriance. The Us gosten- Western
ment may well have been the brains behind the Anglo-Irish talks, which is further proof of the fact
At the end of the article
Militant explains: 'Only
Ine overtArow ol capital-
ism and landlordism, with
workers' control and
management and a demo-
cratically decided socialist
plan of production, can
creale a Dasis Ior solvine
the problems of the work-
ing people.
Chis is exactly what the of the
stands for, yet Militant
chooses to ignore these
revolutionary fighters.
And the paper fails
DutO support the
struggle. No mention
made of the E Salvador
solidarity demonstration
taking place in London on
28 March.
Militant's attitude
Solidarnosc in Poland is
characterised by the same
approach. Throughout the
autumn of Militant
systematically criticised
Solidarity's leadership for
workers: 'The Solidarity
International.
bench
15m
that they have nothing to offer the workers of either country.
The role for the left of the Labour Party at the next conference is to argue for a complete break with Tory policies. Whether is the Anglo-Irish talks, plans to export the British Labour Party to Ireland winning 'fake' unity of the workers around 'bread and butter' issues: there is
icaders ao everytning Ic
weaken the self confidence
workers and
misuse their willingness to
struggle. More and more
they adopt the govern
ment's arguments.
Sept 1981).
When the min ary crackdown
callic December, Militant was able to beat its chest, having exposed the inability of Solidarity's leadership ucCisively the bureaucracy. Criticising from the sidelines, while
Ter solida yd sup do
Solidarity, nothing to help the Polish workers learn this lesson. A mass solidarity movement has arisen in Europe France gets a mention in Militant but nothing is saic
growing solidarity movement Britain
For the LPYS vcculic aulass callluairil ing youth organisation
no solution other
complete withdrawal
Britain.
The next Labour government must be committed to pull out with no guarantees to NATO, big business to Loyalists. That is the only realistic way to take a step Lowares peace and freedom in Ireland.
needs to break through this hollow 'interna tionalism' The reactionary foreign policy plays a central role in their
to hammer the working class.
In our fight against the Tories and the labour right (18 wing we snoula araw in spiration from the strug gles of youth throughout the world. The best way to show Enis is by bulding ac tive solidarity movements with the Polish and Central American workers. The LPYS should: to • Build the El Salvador
demonstration on 28 March
Turn the CND demo on 6 June into a massive show ot opposition Reagan's visit Britain.
Such actions will do more to help those fighting
Central America and the Carib. bear and arallis bureaucracy in Poland than the narrow sectarian approach of Militant.
Adopt a Polish prisoner!
government That
of the country, permanently ternees made Jaruzelski's 'offer
ment thinks about
behalf of the internee appropriate, internee, and demands
prisoner working group, SW5 9EE or ring 01-373 3492.
HANDS
Photo: JOANNE O'BRIEN
Budees 20p +
Lund.
chulose
Challente
meetings
working group and Oliver MacDonald. Oldham: Friday 19 March at 7.30pm.
than of sored by Oldham East Labour Party. Manchester: Benefit
£2.50 ($1.50 unwaged). the 'Albany', Douglas Way, the 7.30pm.
Solidarnosc.
Solidarnosc
McCalman, 041-632 1839 Edinburgh Place, Edinburgh
Crete St, Oldham,
Feickert, Yorkshire. Ring 0532 490927
11. Ring 021-773 5396
Jenkins, 87 Beatty 0222-764195.
Coventry c/o ASTMS, 26 Queens Rd, Coventry Banbury Rd, Oxford. Ring 0865 58238
Drive, London NW11.
Kingsland High St, London E8 London E13. Ring
Solidarnosc Trade Union SW5. Ring 01-373 3492 Labour Poland
Socialist Challenge
'WE APPEAL to all those enjoying moral authority in Poland and abroad, especially those national ano
rights, to oppose the plans of the Polish militar,
was response Came Genera Jaruzelski's 'offer' to allow internees to leave the
In a statement smuaoled to the west the in.
clear that they considered to be a violation of human 'The choice we have been aiven boils dowr to this: either total loss of freedom or a life of exile.
But you can show what the British labour move
General Jaruzelski's wartidi aw. ano nelo the rouso internees. nowe v 8000 ting a prisoner in your labour movement organisa.
The Solidarnosc trade union working group i
London has the names of over 2,000 Solidarnos
Adoption involves collecting money on and their family sending letters of support to the foi their release to the Polish authorities and the Polish embassv in Bri
If you want more information about adopting a
Solidarnosc uace unior Philbeach Gardens, London
SOLDARTY
with ?
25p Socialist Challenge •PAMPHLETI new of the second edition your Just 25p • 20p porters groups
Solidarity with Solidarnosc
Brent: Labour Party public meeting on Wed 17 March at 7.30 pm in Harlesden primary school Acton Lane, NW10. Speakers: Eric Heffer MP, Marek Garzteckí of Solidarnosc trade union
St. Andrews Hall off Middleton Road, Oldham Speakers Piotr Kozlowski, Ursus tractor plant, Warsaw, Michael Meacher MP for Oldham West, and Jon Silberman, secretary of Greater Manchester Polish Solidarity Campaign. Spon-
Fri March, Hulme Labour Club. Bands include Harlem Spirit. Entry
Lewisham: Socialist Challenge public meeting at
, SE8. . Wed 24 March, Oliver MacDonald and speaker from
Solidarity Committees with
Glasgow Polish Solidarity Committee, c/o lan
18 Mossgiel Rd, Glasgow G43. Ring
Polish Solidarity Committee, c/o Edinburgh & District Trades Council, 12 Picardy
Greater Manchester Polish Solidarity Com
51 Montrose House, Lancs. Ring 061-620 2885 Leeds Polish Solidarity Committee, c/o Dave
Roundhat Mount, Leeds 8,
Birmingham Polish Solidarity Committee, c/o Roger Murray, 28 Blackford Road, Birmingham
Cardiff Polish Solidarity Committee, c/o Mark
Ave, Cardiff. Ring
Solidarity Committee, John Fisher Committee Poland, 468
Eastern Europe Solidarity Campaign, 10 Park
. Ring 01-458 1501.
Labour Focus on Eastern Europe, Box 23, 136
Polish Solidarity Committee, 69 Edinburgh Rd.
01-422 2218 for London speakers, or 01-249 2665 for out of London.
Working Group in UK, 64 Philbeach Gardens, Earls Court, Londor
Solidarity Fund, c/o Co. operative Bank, 110 Leman St, London E1.
18 March 1992 page 13
Page 14 scan of this page
'You didn't scab hard enough'
PAT HICKEY looks at Tebbit's attempt to turn union leaderships into a new police force
ELECTED shop stewards carrying members' democratic decisions could soon be liable for jail or fines of up to f250,000 - if their union executive disowns the struggle.
This is one of the im-
blications of Norman sed
proposed 'Employment' Bill, which is exposed in an excellent short USE published by the Labour Nescarn pepartuncil.
This open invitation to union leaderships to scab on their members' strug gles is central to Tebbit's attack trade
The new pamphlet, entitled 'Tory attack on union rights', explains that Tebbit wants make unions liable for the
aCtions of its officials, that is, the stewards who are:
under national Caccutive istructivils • acting under the rules of the union or on the instructions of someone in authority, unless this has been countermanded by a more senior authority the union.
If union rules are unclear, the government is considering making the union liable tor the actions of its. officials unless
senior boay in the union has repudiated them.
previous Cases brought before the Lords, crewares volved Sure gles were deemed to be acting the union' and were therefore liable to legal attack — because 'the union
enough try and stop the blacking despite the fact that it haa advised the stewards cease the action.
In short, the union will be liable for the actions of He stewards bikess comes down hard against
How Plessey
parasites off the
taxpayer
Where Plessey's profit comes from Profits Telecommunications
— mam exenances ano transmission
office, , data and control Electronic systems and equipment microciceuronics ara components Aerospace and engineering Consumer electronics Urodo services
Where Plessey's sales come from Sales United Kingdom sales:
British Telecom/Post Office Movement deodements Industrial and commercial customers
Exports from, and operations outside, the United Kingdom:
North America Europe Africa
Australasia Lali nuicille Others Last year each Plessey UK employee made the company £1600. sales, come from the nationalised industries. wiere emicient, aynamic private enterprise makes its money
Socialist Challenge 18 March 1982
out their
As the pamphlet comments, unis proposal Is 11ltended to turn trade
into an industrial police force that will be expected 'protect"
ambers' Interests
eventing them from taking any action that will put the funds in jeopardy anv industrial action)'
It goes on to point out devious method of attempting to ange trade by trying to frighten national executives into exer-. cising greater control over the rank and file'.
Some much trigheding. need Laurence Scott workers have already the effects of this kind of legislation. The leadership having scabbed on them throughout their dispute, they have •now been presented with a Bill for damages incurred by their employer when they were police and thrown out of their factory.
The 20 page Labour Research
pa Bills provisions and
Bill's provisions and wnat tney mean or rank and file workers. It is a must for every trade union activist.
TUC is HOW
Bill, ring lans dicine the
and will decide course of action SUCCEE exCLULIVE. to be held at Wembley on 5 April. But the record shows that some union leaders may be only too glad of an excuse
on their membersmip. All ne more impor tant to build the lobby of
£000 %
25,988 30.2 14.027 16.3 14.027 16.3 22,595 40.S 3,224 3.7
5,157 6.0
60.U50 100.0
Em
238 28 175 119 14
532 63
92 312
Half Plessey's profits, and its highest
This is
off your taxes, and off your backs.
page 14
this meeting being organised by the Liaison Committee for the Defence of Trade Anions. Now is the time to:
calling for mase action to defeat the Bill and for pledges of mutual defence against victimisation • oppose continued trade union participation in government bodies • call for: clear declarations that unions will not Febbit's Bill to the courts under • mobilise contingents for the 5 April lobby.
• Build the 5 May Lobby! "Tory attack on the unions,
Blackfriars Road, London SEI 8HF
A PROFIT of £86,036,000 was declared last April by the company which says it can't attora to keep its 190 female and 30 employees working at Plessey Capacitors in Bathgate.
would foot Bathgate bill.
Why the layoffs? The Tories claim unemploy-
unavoidable because of falling productivity, out of date restrictive union practices and wages which price workers out of a job.
poor old Plessey struggling to keep its head above water? Not exactly. Last out £18m year they dividends flanucu
thanks to a 40.7 per cent rise in pronts, according lo chairperson and chief executive sir John Clark Ir his annual report.
So perhaps an cooperative and surly workforce is forcing the closures?
Sir John didn't quite
the Cos pany has eil.
Companv
denie green ponsin
responsibility from employees and their representatives, explainea unael Ine neading Spirit of Plessey People'
Trade Unions
Tebbit's Bill he can imprison or fine trade
unionists for carrying out democratic decisions.
Elaine Cross, AUEW-TASS steward, was
evicting them from the factory where they
are defending their jobs.
an election to replace Terry Duffy's AUEW
executive, which refuses to back them. He
work.
members. He won't need much pushing.
WORKERS оссируing Plessey's Bathgate plant have re jected a company ofACAS, 40 fer them by
under which an unknown com-
Arkonics Holdings - would buy up the factory with the loss of 140 jobs out of 220.
The workforce believe this is an asset-stripping operation probably sponsored by Plessey
'Interruptions of norma working hours have been minimal, recent wage settlements have been reached amicably at more realistic levels,' ' he goes on, and thank heavens 'unavoidable redundancy situations have DCCT resolved without disruphon.
In Scotland, where an ongoing unavoidable redundancy situation has pushed unemployment up to 13 per cent, this might
m puzzlings
such wonderful go-ahead company destroyed 5,600 jobs world wide in 1981 -
• al a cost or 2i.o milon -closed 20 factories in the last three years?
Judge Denning was elected by no-one. Under
elected by workers at Laurence Scott Electromotors, in struggle over the last ten months. If Tebbit's Bill is passed she can be fined up to £250,000. The LSE stewards are already being charged £6000 damages' - incurred in
Laurence Scott workers are campaigning for
will be able to protect himself against Tebbit by instructing striking workers to go back to
The Bill aims to make him 'police' his
Anatomy of a multi-national
directors.
Meanwhile Plesseys are pushing for a reversal of the court verdict which stopped them evicting the occupation by force. The hearing has been postponed but will be held in the near future.
Here Alan Free. man looks at the background to Plessey management's manduevres
Sir John explains that the closed factorie fered inadequate growth prospects or no longer fit. ted into the mainstream of group activities So much for luddite workers. In today's electronic world, 220 humar beings 'no longer fitted'
But after all, aren't Plessey profits helping BriTall export-led track record for dynamic private enterprise?
Plessey's base is in Not True, the modern high-technology electronics and aerospace sector, which grows while all around is collapsing.
But it depends on government contracts at fat pro-
from the taxpayers' pockets.
Remember this when you are lectured on the in. efficiency of subsidies and nationalised industry.
However like every right thinking patriot, John can draw comfort from Plessey's worldwide role For Plessey DOUCHE multinational, operating in 45 countries with major subsidiaries in
every West European country, in the USA, in Hong Kong, Singapore
Malaysia and South Africa.
Its South African company which also controls its Zimbabwe opera. tion - is the jewel in the
Presenia hollocal
take advantage local labour conditions by decding who it can exploit most easily and playing them off against those who fight back. And it can make best use of government grants.
In this respect Bathgate's own historv offers a clue to the future Sir John has HI SLOCO workers. The plant was acquired by Plessey in the '60s from a company called TCC, along with an Acton site. ine next few years saw the creation of a thousand acres
wasteland and 3000 redundancies in Acton.
The assets were stripped and the machinery
'not fit for the scrapheap', according to Bathgate WORKER Scotland.
Grabbing nice development grant, Plessey was set up to milk the new prize dry. Now it's through, it wants to move to greener pastures workers are just : so muct raw material to be thrown on the scrapheap.
In case you're worried about all that land going to waste in Acton don't be. The Financial Times proudly reports that land
values in W lest London are rocketing. minal Privet
Terminal Heathrow airport will add on at least 25 per cent to land values when the authorities start buyıng
- with public money, of course.
Meanwhile the Plessey London's homeless site in Acton whil
and Scotland's unemployed can praise Margaret Thatcher and Sir John Clark for the contribution made to their welfare by a truly patriotic management that respects the tree enterprise values on which our democracy was built.
Page 15 scan of this page
'I feel dirty and used' - Newton Rose
4000 march against
Commit next Labour
government to 35 hour
week
By Toni Gorton ALTHOUGH the Labour Party and the TUC are in favour of the shorter working week of 35 hours there is no commitment for the next Labour government to introduce legislation to bring it about.
movement to change this situation in 1983. This campaign ommitee or
Committee Broad _eft Organisations outlines the following aims:
•nal we brevare now tor a mass effort in 1983 to commit the trade union and labour ordinated action to achieve a 35-hour week without loss of pay.
• Each BL to either submit or support resolutions to their
UDOn Ine UnIOn Immediately submit a new claim
press fo By Ken Glanfield, Barking NUT OVER 4000 people marched Barking on Wednesday last week, in protest at the savage education cuts being by the Labour council. In the evening rate fixing meeting was lobbied bv 200 people.
At the protest demonstration were 900 striking teachers, many
and school parents students, striking StaTT from Barking Tech, and delegations from North East London Poly, Islington government workers and 17 London associations.
Ine demonsualon
no co-incidence
A new campaign has been launched in the labour
which would include wide-
conterences in une alteren
demonstrations and industrial
Copresene lo toil 10
he LP
Conference
partnership
Rally
lualve or alllne thal lo slarl
its own.
• We shoula seek to commi
the next Labour government
to introduce a 35 hour week
For further information and
moue. resolutions
secretary LeBLO
Room House Livere 051-229 3308. 3QG. Tele-
education cuts
heard Ken Jones, local
teachers' union
secretary, explain
the council had admit-
money
meet the teachers'
demands, but claimed
this would set a prece-
dent for other DUDIC
sector workers and
bring penalty
Heseltine's legislation.
Chees ane
council could afford a
penaltv and should be
organising a fightback
against Tory
policies and possible
penalties next year, in-
stead OTI attacking its
own workers.
Line evening lobby
was addressed by
speaker from Barking
Bus Garage, cuts com-
mittee secretary Charlie
SARITY 'ORWARD
O FREEDOM
I NAMIBIA
IPO!
ND
SOUTH
AFRICO
Tony Benn marching in Anti-apartheid demo on Sunday 14 March. African National Congress HQ bombed the same day is
Baker. Ken Jones and teachers' union national SUCCLOV Fred who called on the council to accept its resoonsibility as Labour authority.
Charlie called on the
the area to support a
area support call for a half day strike on 31 March.
ie council was un. moved and voted the CUTS In oven further support tions from Barking and Dagenham Labour Parties.
The teachers' national executive is backing the strike. But Socialist
leachers Alliance leaflet warned that 'National Union of Teachers'
lucileto
FURYAND
TO FREEDOM
IN NAMIBI AND SOUTH AFRICA
Home News.
Newton Rose, centre, being embraced by cheering supporters must be cautious of any attitude which says we can only afford to sup. port a few : disputes at a time. This would be a gift to the Tory govern ment, it said: 'Barking is the national centre or a fight against all educa. tions cuts, not just teacher redundancies.
The leaflet went or to support the demand of Barking NUT for: • a national membership levy
national demonstration acallis! the cuts organised the NUT
full involvement of all London NUT members in support for Barking including a properly organised one day solidarity strike.
international
Photo: COLIN HEADWORTH (Socialist Challenge)
Islington Town Hall, Upper St, Islington, London N1 Sunday 28 March to Sunday 4 April
THE fair, to be opened by CLR James.
one back vacoois.
participating from Africa,
Afro-America, Europe and Britain
ty concert compered by Linton Kwesi Johnson;
and radical •OOKSnOOS.
tional food fair; and a concert for piano and flute
composers
Books.
N4. 01-272 4889.
NUT reiterated arise
reiterated these demands and said the strike should aay coincide with a one day strike against government cuts. It is impor tant that these demands are fought for and supported nationalHereford and orester Already teachers in and in Greater Manchester are faced with huge education cuts and massive job losses.
Resolutions should be sent to the NUT executive supporting these demands and forwarded Barking NUT.
jadical
Black
3řaWorlds
author of will nave over lu oubusners the Caribbean, Asia,
There will be a series of events includina a varie
forums on black writing, fascist attacks on black
an eter can interna
with music by contemporary black and third world
Tickets and programme available from New Beacon
76 Stroud Green Road. Finsbury Park. London
By Toni Gorton
by the Appeal Court last Tuesday 9 March.
should have ordered a retrial.
According
whole affair again.
At a press conference on 11 March, Newton, his mother and father and LICC friends were sentenced to six months along with him Henry Orville Johnson and Michael Clark
— WCI present to support the case that Newtor and his friends are the victims of a
frame up Hackney police
The affects of the last two months are easy to see Newton Rose answered a question about his reactions by saying,
'I feel dirty and used and silly about it all
'Silly that my friends and family have had their lives so changed about by this.
'Something has to be done. I've always insisted that I and my friends are
and always will
Velda Rose, Newton's mother, said in a moving statement she was pleased Newton
bridge Universit)
and then studies them biologically and genetically
we should call half-witted is very large
against 'any pretence of natural equality'.
Further information can be obtained from Black
Health workers and patients group, c/o 54 High St,
Southall.
London Labour unionists support Bradford 12 By Chris Guthrie
Parties in the region
anti-racist activity.
defendents to be used against them
It noted that
tion in Leeds
Further support has Lambeth and Camden Trades
candidates Peter Tatchell and Pat Wall.
Free the Bradford 12 National demonstration
Leeds
Further information from the national mobilising com-
mittee, Box JK, LAP, 59 Cookridge St, Leeds 2.
London coaches leave York Way, Kings Cross at 8am
Tickets £4, unwaged £1.
Socialist Challenge
THE ORDEAL of Newton Rose is not over. The 21 year old black youth from Hackney in East London had his conviction for murder quashed
Immediately the Director of Public Prosecutions gave notice of appeal to the House of Lords on a point of law that the Appeal Court
Newton's solicitor he still faces a serious threat of going through the
home 'm still angrv at his imprisonment. Justice has to be done "The murderers of An thony Donnely have to be caught so that Newton can walk the streets of London with his head not down. 'Some our neighbours refuse to speak to us because they think he did it - - he is innocent. He must be cleared.
John La Rose chairperson of the Newton Rose Committee called for the investigation of the Hackney police in. volved the case who were led by • Detective Inspector Goodall, and said the committee was con sidering taking legal action against ine wally star Io an article which appeared 10 March.
The financial appeal con tinues and the • Newton I ROSE Action mitter Strand reached at 76 London N4. Telephon 01-272 4889
Picket this racist conference
THE Galton Foundation and Bio-social Society con-
jerence on bio-social aspects of einnic minories bs rc
be opened at 2.15 pm Wednesday 31 March by Sir Ed-
mund Leach. Professor of Social Anthropology Cam
This conference defines black people as a probler
Galton was the originator of racist theories of in-
elise shod cad that-wired is very large. He was
Picket Wednesday 31 March at 1.30pm University College Union Biology department, Gower Street, London Party, MPs, trade
THE London Labour Party printed 5000 leaflets supporting the Bradford 12 and distributed them to delegates at its re. cent conference and throughout the constituency Labou
The LLP argued that the twelve Asian youth, who face possible life imprisonment are really on trial for their pas
The political nature of the charges is shown by use of the conspiracy laws which allow the political bellets от the
such charges had been used to put the Shrewsbury building workers behind bars in 1973 and such laws would be used against the labour movement again
It called for support for the 3 April national demonstra
come from Bradford, Leeds Councils; the South Eas necion or ine luc ano wrs ionvbenn. Les Huckield Ronald Brown along with two prospective parliamentary
Saturday 3 April
18 March 1962 page 15
Page 16 scan of this page
By Brian Grogan
propaganda barrage
style intervention into that country.
tina.
According to the Post, ine laea is to alsrupt lne Nicaraguan economy by attacking powel •tallls. bridges and similar in-
This is the background
the extra-ordinary publicity effort by the Reagan administration to convince world opinion of the charge that in e Nicaraguans are amassing a force to invade the rest of Central America.
Is t course true inat the Sandinistas building up their defences. Given the ever greater belligerence of the United States, aosolute v essential ( defend revolution.
As one FSLN (Sandinista) official declared 20 February: 'Yes, revolution is under threat. It would be irresponsible not to take seriously the
Reagan administration's desire to crush us. , All our
political decisions
taken with the aim of war-
ding off this peril.'
Guaranteeing defence
with the participation
the masses' is the priority task lala down by tic cond Sandinista assembly'
convened in January.
itiatives which draw in the
masses are multiplying.
A campaign
force Sandinista
Defence Committees
(CDS's) is in progres
develop their 'revolu-
tonal y vigilance'
Meetings of explanation
are being organised district
by district in order to con-
vince people to join the
popular militias.
New centres of instruc-
Published by Cardinal Enterprises, Printed By East End Offset (TU) Ltd, London E2,
Socialist
Challenge
Reagan
prepares
raid on
Nicaragua
THE UNITED STATES has launched a major
against revolutionary Nicaragua as a cover for a planned commando-
The Washington Post has now confirmed that last November President Reagan authorised a $19m (£10.5m) CIA plan to establish a 500 strong force to operate from inside Honduras. A further 1000 men are being trained in Argen-
scenes reminiscenl of the Cuban missile crisis, the press were called lo d CIA Have legally acquired interpreted for them. photographs purportedly revealed big build up by Nicaragua.
But even the most basic 'facts' clashed.
The analysis presented by John Hughes
1982: the year of unity
against aggression
tion have been opened and are the growing the militias means greater possibility of coordination with the armed forces.
This mass participathe tion has already proved its efficiency. Thanks to it, several bands of counter-revolutionaries have been disarmed before could act. Not for nothing has 1982 been 'the year of unity against aggression'. mobilisation of are the masses in defence of Lne revolutIOn flas coupled with diplomatic offensive with the aim of blocking imperialism's encirclement policy.
The Sandinistas can be well satisfied with the initial results. The positions taken by Ine rein- President Lopez against any US intervention is an important vic10rYThe permanent terence o political parties Latin America* (COPPAL) which organisations has taken a position hostile to any tervention and affirmed its support for er with the Post Office PO London Ni
who did the same job in
Hughies' deduction Ine noton abus. dinistas
regular army.
49 'Cuban-style' capable of housing TaLKS 500-700 people.
Guardian quipped:
suggested that either gross overcrowaing or between 45,000 people without a bed'. aerial
The Sandinistas These also chased we called
all of 60 armoured personmilitary HIC Carics
capacity of these each vehicle would have to make 60 trips to take one
was eighth of their forces into a
neighbouring country!
Nicaraguan and the Salvadorean FDR.
The leaders are cónscious the importance, the limits, of these tions. They know that the majority of those opposing US intervention do so out of fear of the wave of
they anti-imperialist
that they are encountering baptised their own
They know that those who favour a negotiated solution in El Salvador want to
been complete major
So the FSLN ship relying mobilisation masses, on the strengths of the political and military apparatus born revolution, Mexican Portillo their Salvadorean
Trades. This is fundamental But the path is difficult
con- ana narrow
More than future of this revolution rests on other victories in 30 Central
in- the support of the workers
movement and of revolu-
the tionaries the world over.
from the sannow had 70,000 and men in ine
These were accommodated
bar-
As the "This there
35.000 and
were
Given the Callis
19 year
government Salvador.
Nicaraguan of bul also post-
sentiment
victory of the
leaderon the of
in the
and on being made by
comclearly of
importance.
Never the copy of
America and on
old Rolande Jose Tardencillas will 'get a hero's
ment as proof that Nicaragua
sending troops into
In front of the press Jose declared that he had been tortured into making an canner
SPECIAL
OFFER
With each 12 months inland subscription to
Socialist Challenge we are offering a free
NICARAGUA: THE SANDINIST
REVOLUTION by Henri Weber (normal
price £2.95) or AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF
MALCOLM X
Women play an active part in the militias which are being rapidly expanded to meet US threat
statement that he had been trained by the Cubans. He had fact gone to El Salvador on his own initiative.
In the face of this debacle, Jose demanded allowed Nicaragua. This was finally acceded to. He is now on his way home.
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← Socialist Challenge No. 237, 11 March 1982Socialist Challenge No. 239, 26 March 1982 →