Socialist Challenge No. 25, 8 December 1977

Socialist Challenge · 8 December 1977 · 16 pages, 24,949 words read by machine

The scan: sc-n25-dec-8-1977.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive)

Uncorrected machine reading of the whole issue. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from the scan and has not been corrected or cut into articles. Each page gives the headlines first, then the columns in order, so one article runs on into the next. Expect misread words. Use it to find things; quote from the scan.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Page 1 scan of this page

Socialist Challenge SUPPORTI

GREEN GODDESS

THi

Len Muray Firemen for the No Support TUC (Gensee)

Len Murray:

CALLAGHAN'S

No. 25 BDECEMBER1977 15p

YOUR

PAPER

DOES

AGAIN

Last week Socialist

Challenge published

exclusive revelations about

Willesden Magistrate

Dorothy Oakley. We

accused Oakley of bias against Grunwick pickets.

Within 24 hours of

publication, Oakley was hearing no more Grunwick cases.

see page 9

You can

help the

Firefighters

"Building meetings of shop stewurds from every workplace through trades councils and Hiewurds" committees, to plan local action. "Building for Jocul solidarity strike action attend demonstrations with all other firefighters. *Winning Four workplace to 'adopting' a local firestation, to moke sure that the firelighters strike remains sold and merry ACEABIES *Sending resolations to your DUAL CLUETE SHETIRELE demanding massive financial domations to sid the strike, and a campaign in their support. *Lobby the -TEC Genera Council on 21 December to demand they support the strikers and campaige against the 10 per cent limit. Batterseu und Wandsworth Trades Council Fireman's Sapport Committee have already called For a lobby branch or stewards committee HOMETOME

Page 2 scan of this page

HOME NEWS

Editorial

Socialist Challenge, 328/8 Upper Street, London N1; Editorial 01-359 8180/9. Distribution 01-359 8301. Advertising 01-358 8371.

Workers versus the

state

SOLDIER X: I don't think we should be doing the Tremen's joh. suid that they hated scubs as mach on ihe bosses. AnywaY,IES dol OT DIE Ye We've got to do it because we obey orders If they ordered Commons we would have to do it. But I ask we soldiers should draw the line. We should try to call a meeting to discuss this strike...

This conversarion did mot take place in Aldershol barracks. But if it had, then (a) we could have been prosecuted for identified, could have faced a court martial. These are not unimportant considerations when considering how to organise a fightback against the growing interventions to defeat strikes. It is indicative of the present political situation that neither the Labour Party eft nor the Corumunist Party's Industrial arin has done anything on this question — in contrast to the Twenties, as we explain cisewhere in this paper.

the use of police, the Royal Air Force, and the Army in an

such a scale by the State has not been seen since Second World War. repressive apparatus cannot be limited to mere

What is needed is a campaign to demand democratic rishis for soldiers. Pot opportunity to discuss whether or not they should scab, at whether the firefighters should receive a decent wage. In fact many soldiers, after the experiences of rosent weeks, will probably appreciate why the firefighters need better wages.

NEW MODEL ARMY

The structures of the British Army are a far cry from the Now Model Army of Oliver Cromwell They are coral bureaucratic and authoritarian. The soldiers are zombies. well-quipped and programmed 10D0I. allowed to form a union or join a political party, If caiaht havite Dollel diSCUssIOns dismissal and prosecution. What goes on in the officers mess is, of course, not considered politics. 99 percent of the officer caste in this old, imperialist army are true blue Tories is probably an aocident of birth.

The soldiers are cut off from political activity. They are bombarded by anti-union. anti-Trish, anti-Third World and anti socialist propaganda by their officers in the harracks. It would be revealing to study soldiers were given before expedition. The concern of both Tory and Labour leaders for the troops does not extend to campaigning Tor then democratic rights. In fact, their concern over the conclusions the soldiers have reached to put up with their present scabbing role is simply a prelude to increasing their wages beyond the pay norms.

The right to strike and the right to form unions must be extended to soldiers as well as police officers True, they might strike on occasion for reactionary aims, In that case we would apposc me suikc achon tas we opposco be dockers who marched for Powell in 1968, or the Uter Loyalist strikel involvement of soldiers and police in the unions would allow discussions to take place and would open them up to at least listen to the view of the labour movement. The National Association for Freedom, the Tory and Liberal parties and the Labour leaders will not carpaign for the eatension of democratic rights. It will be the left which will have to take up the movement. Fred Mulley. stated that he had no objection to the idea on principie. The unions should put him to the test.

Our New Look

READERS will note that the paper has changed a little in size. We would like to assure you that this brinkage is not a result of Dobson or Oakley's curse; merely that we bave been obliged to change printers. We trust our readers will quickly adapt to the new change.

spinalam is in erise The leader of th

-alman that an in the interes, bot te

Socialie Challenge believes that the too visal

THE THE DESO CAN SITESE GUDER

des a opposition in cise-collaborationom in

• ONE I WERE BE HE CECERE BEGUL

sirtuales. Such an organisation shrald he bored un the

during the 1926 strike

fatten the House

publishing it, and (b) the soldiers, i

state the The resmonse to the use of the

no bre has civen them the They

they face instant

The fact that

the briefing last

Bur we should understand that the

campaign inside the labour the Defence Minister, recenrly

OUR POLICIES

Lessons of 1971

The firefighters' strike is not the first occasion when a government has taken on public secior workers in order to enforce lts general economic policy. Nor is it the first time that this group of public sector workers has been very badly paid, and received massive public sympathy for their strike. One such case was the 44-day postal workers' strike of 1971. The similurities between the two struggles are in many ways striking, as RICH PALSER reports.

In October of 1970 the Union of Post Office Workers (UPW) submitted a pay claim for E3 or s ber cent whschever.was the greater for each grade: and for an end to the pay for age increments. This was not at al a ce increase a poscal worker would take home, 45 hour week, less than t16. young woman telephonist, because of the age increments would take home just under ES a week. Many of the UPW rank and file saw a figure of a ts a week rise more in line with thei needs.

Tom Jackson and the exocutive of the UPW had no desire to lead tbeir members into a strike to win the claim Jackson's straregy for increas ing wages was summed up in a lecter he wrate to the Time newspaper in January 157 L;

FACEACHANGE

He said: We are one of the rare examples of a union which is prepared to face a change.....

It is the policy of our union as fur is posts are concerned to seek a gradual reduction in the number of stall employed ou the basis that those lett in the service will be better paid as a result.

In return for chopping jobs and increasing workloads Jackson wanted increased wages from tbe post offioe Thus a claim for 13 rather than

The struck for walem Mus unite the fight of the worker agains

Remember the

Postal Workers' strike

IS, as this was more in line with what he expected Lord Hall, post office boss at the time, to concede. But this was notto be

2350 A WEEK Lord Hall was ousted by the Tory government, and Ryland took over on a salary of 1350 a week. After an initial offer of T Further per percent and said if the Ryland offered union was worried abour the Jocrements system, could allocate the bulk of the 8 per cent to tbe lower pild.

On 19 January 1971, the UPW executive was forced ta call a strike. It was 96 per cent solid. INESSE sympathy for the 230,000 UPW members prevented the pross carrying out a hysterical campaign against them, as they Had apainst the power workers Just before that. Instead they concentrated on reporting the scabbing of or telephonists — very badly paid 3TOH38 women who were intimidated by the post office to returning to work Playing down the effectiveness of thestrike and playing up its weaknesses was the way in which the press attempred to

Thar some telephonists were continuing to work was bardly surprising The union had Dever really taken uP members' interests, and they

The janerests at workers and cophine scale. Capitalism has not wely created

lorio. Thus we fught Bur working class usic; on an icemenional scale. The unis will in th Ime rus be decisise in defcaline best th Imporialist ergimes in the Wies and the brala dirisionhipe they sustain in Larin America

In Hritin It Imples demanding the imme diair wiihdrawal of British Ircops from indur ind lening ihe Irish people determine their on

are in cisis, Sellher ins THEmESSIN the pro-Masrow wings have any meaningful strateg

molutionary secialier parlies ane more nece un than eser before Coadilans raday ans

are lasturald than user the preceding thres wades Bar wch partos con oly be hull by rejecting secipienism and voink intereal

woe is lasary hat as a vital This means the right to arganis

GPO TELEPHON

UNITY IS STRENGT

strikers were receiving no strike pay: the union strike food had not been built up: it stood at a mere €330,000 on 16 January - 3 dnys before the strike

Mose imporiant of all, no steps were taken by the swon leadership so turn the massive gumpathy for the strike thro active support. On the 21sr day or the strike the UPW sirike bulletin said: It would be very easy for you to get into the frame of mind that nothing is bappening. surface nothing seems to be happening. And that's just it -nothing seems to be happenin but it it. Under the surface this strike is biting, and it's biting deep. Taxes were not being collected, dividends were not being paid. All we need do is keep the strike solid, was the executive's advice.

LEFT TOIT

leaders were leaving the UPW members to it. No boycort of the taiways or on road haulage

instituted. The massive 140,000 strong demonstration against the Industrial Relations Act which took place during the strike was used to collect some

TOM SO CHI T0I solidarity industrial action Even financial belp was limited, with Jack Jones and the TAGWU offering a mere £7,500 (enough to give I per cent of the strikers E3. 50 a woel for 2 weeks) on day 21 of the strike. Meanwbile the UPW failed to fight for active support. As one London UPW executive member pur it at the beginning of the strike, they did not want financial help on

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Lum interested in more informadon about act. wilies in my ures.

I0 COVEr COMS, (Delete if not applieshiel

NAME.....

Send to Socimlist Challenge. 328/329 Lipper Street London Nt.

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 8 Decerber, 1977 page

"principle" since: "We are going to light this strike on our own two feet to show that the postal workers can do i; if we win, it will be our victory — if we lose it will be our own look out Even the reguiar marches of the postal workers were not used lo bring other trade unionists on the streets in theit support, let strikes The executive furthe the strike by lowering the sights to a 13 per cent ratber chan 15 per oent increase as the strike

'PEACE PLAN'

The outcome of this strategy for the strike was a beroic 44-day atrike by poorly paid LPW members, with no strike pay, and a pradual demoralisation within the strike. result of this, a deal to sell-our the strike was finally toroed on the membership. On 3 March the LiP presenced a plan including inquiry with an 'impartial' offer would come out of tbis in rationalisation. Meanwbile the strike was to be called off.

This deal was rapidly pushed through the branches, without adequate discussion and with maning what was happening. many members either or too demoralised to care. The postal workers suffered a defeat from which they bave not yet recovered, and Jackson was able to get back t 'business as usual

18 yura agree with these principles and want hi be

Pares i rare nute secret on se enter

nour the saditeant iterature and caclose sop ...

Page 3 scan of this page

Rees protects property not lives'

hit back

experience.

Sete:t

HOME NEWS

Liverpool firefighters launched the fight for their claim Jong before national strike action was called. As far back as June, FBU members at 26 fire stations began a work-to-rule against the pay policy union leaders were attempting to put forward. When the local council sacked firefighters over this action, the city's fire services closed down in a solid show of support.

MICk MeMANUS and BOB ROXBURGH at the Bootle fire station on Strand Road told Socialist Challenge what they think is at stake and what they know they are up against from last summer's

Liverpool firefighters

Our Troops are today putting out fires in Britain,: Irland and Bermuda! Tomorrow The World!

Emperor James Callaghossa 1

192 800

flap of the union'.

we rejected that.

decided back

WITC. LALE

Eire officers on

ultimatam

POLIE

CBTHIEIO5

heir work to rule estales

lotal heing

CHICH TUCE nES.

lete

bere's an awful

Bob Roxburgh, ролету а: 1о Hees

handle

They also won't clea sucidaricy rieg of truth tn Mic ADELE

uis H ner cei

Mick McManus, FBL branch

Charperson al Scan Koad-s

IGUANE TYTUE WICH DUV

union leadere handled the June worki our scion, reptoal fire When

поттяї work ne. 'Co under thr

solidarity

with the union", shey rold us. Bat

SOMENNUL

"Ar branch meetings, the an-

official committee advised us to

to wark. We finail ECLATH WELESI WECL 0201Ц7

were scheduled to return, senior were posted with sack matices

CanOe io the office anat vetterar aa olds. immedate return to sork, aty- -f there wasn't an

SAULET

fused, and they sacked us.

Be end of the day 14 sario

KEIS WUCE DUL NC CUSC W1

SH on.cin tie neto21

stacious joined the strike. The

day ibe chief officer and

opal counc agreed lo all our

Liverpool frelichttrs gained a

great deal of experienc froa

That's why

chey uterly rejeet the arguments

McManus explains That behem

Rees" concern for life lies a deep

rooted atrachment to property

Lil eive vau an instance. Bocie are

hase ie aut am te ae i

Thefence' cico luming out lo the hospital on

four machiner is live ecs.

deg

escate can range from herween 24

MW OE BIYC OCT IOE2A HICI

Jass or ale

Invelcd and ooly 15 men gains

to il yer whete there is property

the numbers are doubled

ub-dav punco pur to foliow pat une DETR CET

Strand TEKIH BECHE SOLNEYCE

slices low the support from dock workom in going

PrOTOELIE • expense of lees •DIETICUI Canadı CaCane AnTYHUE?R explained, the lads have agreed so ecruus sull muy need che tune сагдо H HUE MeeeY CHCmCE and ansching that might spill

OLt coucht fice which chey nomally

Toe decerminston alono by Liverpool firef ghters and bythe

inciuding their anves — whe have SOT COMEO MED a SuCCCASEI meeting and demonsraton ir

IDe 32,0% Tui Tame umen Bial pake up ou usa wade ssal benind Ie strike and Terry Pary bas mo

pcien bur to rollow the line w

CHI RANI bourne, And we stand by that

News

nowhtre

Martial thoughts LADY BIRD produces a number of

1. 08 scenits snd lech

ubjects for 915 year cies. Th

•SUrDEISEL UTen SID socks ago il bseed an importani order from the Minbary of Defence

for a parcicular children's bool

The Ministry Bad diss nota lew officer and uther soldien napada, Tamucr OEsaYH!

•DLI 4 COlT

The book is written for nine year specification: the bocks should be

chaps' miatr be a bit embarrase olteraie, But baucoud tetuse:

rui Hrus Badur ue corcE Uwy reeled, We reckon our book I CTH OleSI Ce Ds BR boot ie introduce chdrhi 1o Ie

ubjea. Our experis keep eve Lang scraight cew2

dey capitaliced and the order went

IN TONELAE HOH! that men the Ladvord versiot

UnES 3G Dae DraMeRE IRm explain serce dementary contepts An erplanarion is therefore needod

why a Ministry of Defence

circular is rei ced to "Technica lectures it the Lie af Camputen in JULIN ATENE UI HE ISD

Hompeser, aware of ils deficien:

: deckced 10 b Samcoha: presumtuous,

would hate toughi Otlur Ira H COE COaC TCTEU EC aRr

Urbar LETH WEBIE ele Hi MUDAIEer IO ZYC ar lEasE ICU wecki molen so lar the cobol

give the lecture can hi properly taiced Whites only ACROI ENGINEERS Ltd.

independ. bui green the colonr of

CHDTH GENCHOE CIROTE in neg mey- netawwnef as inertanie. Atrow mater larie profis Er abso hos a South Afrocan

nou dornarieg the firm's racis

For the secona pear rumning, the

SKINAM TUHA HITA DRENUND riv Oy Bersonr ur aVoHer! Surieow erichion The exeprion ina Watsh bore Chinesr aTeis werat dene osteri

aconns offce The Acro Idembedin she Dals Expres are Mozna mou maTer um redindunc parments at mil ănt COCKEM)

musr of the sinff concerned on mood warken Aerors mabe

gere i ane of arg, a not

Trane

Slipman's historic

compromise

Photo: CHRIS DAVIES (Rapor:) AT THE NATIONAL Union of

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE • Decemter 1977 pago 3

from

anr n and sociaf siemonrats

DS TOA POWIALO MECE On Ulrine in e JuL TE befare the con/enance Acurdine Communir Party' io repurier Doui Nerkan, siwient iender: Vailr kindiy abon

ma cor for il

HU L, UnaUR LEUN FEUE

W'har Sipparson soula epia

r hou a ts chat te mitralefr getting or mans or mone veles ihm aprional electons.

What the doctor ordered THE NATIONAL preis aften

elitane stadlents in polotechnics. 1 BBCO TRICE BOHUT HUS HUTE WenES Or acoons OrsnE BartUryd WINS TWININEUKMEA,IH LAICE COTTUCOGSETTOTHITHATAKKHI At a recesl har confroniaiios our learned doctor tried to prezent an

Rickel

'Dun'i listen to him. He's nothin BULSE SOR WE UNCEEC UUCEH HuIK.

nOC OCaiCO TS WCIOO thedierior dortor inlf him lo 'She ap sid pesh off. An over eired and emocional Rekeet mis pacified b his family and takes to hed. Th

campaign agaiast ei'satiudesin che nome of what a

STOCHN IN DIR YOlS OF TEHH discourse

Hypocrisy Inc.

SFEMS JOHN JL.NOK, euser of RESETOETE MUSC EN VETER

samamic ramarks shaur th Dally Minar journzins. Junar

coce las weekene: T reicocs le: the Dally Mimorisence spalm on sale

T ontheir demasd forameer

4 year noresy the board wi. HENC heurring Toman Aird minar CO DOLEn. CaUnEE DS and alAC TO ILCE TONIE VINI HENKTTEVT there, for selling newspapers.

John to echo oa orights alist of corse appl acrass che baard to Flee

al Joaraalisis chapcl al The Gusedies, noccricss for ins supine TUCe to manNecmen 025 1U51 supessedevanitsownmitstanding repordof bon miltanc:

The Grauniad scriber have voce to accepi debale r a mierzhle E4 incress

tup the olowiE cerastaring PTA DENUN ARG SATE TUTE TOUL TOE EC ICO i arcIC. ani nese aure cancd tor ene cus norm te be obarved, it would be quit hypocrincal of us to de echerwise.

rereasigls fienzed Bulle

FHUTOar BH SCHISE supeested they DOCeLo pecento- moTelarnea

reatpey that the mustified militancy row crident ee the Street of Shami

Asian wharever supportue Exu castiy Tower pald collcapues in Deringles WSO NERE HOU CEIOD SEEAE IO

The case of the

Republican Tree

1 LOTAT IST cancilor in Lam СР. АЛІГИ

DHELCC ROSTO DDR NETOY /wted ey o former membr af the

око Lodome Porty wio has reamii

sined the new frinh fulependeng Parti

bisson said cit

mimie nf the 10

DUT APHE 1H horred JCLEU.JUM TurTTErT Ch Cunnrro tn pue lover af mho pranase see wor green. Cleari & Republican plos!

Page 4 scan of this page

A massive mood of discontent

and

scab on strikes.

Unfortunately this did not happen last week as a response 1o the roie the troops are playing in the firemen's strike It occurred in the carly 1920 during the life

ernment even more dependent

STECHNI support Callaghan.

That opposition to the use of troops in a strike situation is WOTT TELALLA. I nothing else, iL provides suitable contrast with the antics of left Labourites today.

Take, for start Labour Weekly, which is meant to be the voice of the Labour Party Tun by that *oh national executive. But on the firefighters' Labour Weekly is the voice of sweet reason ibsell, I las warned that- neithet the Labour

• Civil Servants

support for the firefighters' strike.

The march was organised by mcmubers of the Broad Lett in the CPSA, who held a meeting

night before with Terry Fields, Liverpool Regional Secrerary of the Fire Brigades Union.

Now the civil servants

low pay, and last week was a

HOME NEWS

The Labour Lefts.

Fine words

sympathy

not enough

Left-wing members of the Parliamentary Labour Party succeeded in forcing a vote in Parliament on whether soldiers should have the right to refuse to

Goverament or the FBU can afford prolonged 'bitter dispute and suggests that a cut in the working week committment wages in the 'might be enough to get both sides buck around negotiating table Aime te ise itted by Tribune. The December has a front Audrey Wie RIP. article Dy headlined The Labour move MOM must make the brennan a very special case. Ms. Wise is concerned about the sequences of the strike. "The very attempt to hold wages down in this rude and crude way. without reference to the merits of the cases, brings aboul a wage wluch will inevitably burst the dam and probably bring down Delegates to the recent Rules Revision Conference of the Civil and Pablic Servants Association in Southport had the right Idea about how to smash the 10 percent pay policy. They marched to the local fire station to present the firefighters with the €1,020 collected at the conference, and stayed to mount a mass picket at the station to show their

membera throughour country They were protesting at the Goveroment's refusal to restore the Pay Rescarch Unit, a unil which calculates. for ciril servants on the basis of comparisons workers in other

restoring it would breach their pay code

along

future

the

the Governmear at the same time'

Ms. about the wage cutting policies as such, but onl that they are cur in a 'rude and crude way. She argues that are it 'very tha *this does not mean that the firemen are a suitable case for other sections of the trade

La bättering ram for their own pressure

This is rather typical of the

EXETER Trades Council is to take action against o local electrical shop which has refused firefighters workers in dispute.

The shop, Kirk Radio of Sidwell Street, Exeter,

window at the beginning of the recent poser workers' dispute staring that strik-

no longer served. The INDEE ATTIC SIE NEVER Kirk, is applying this to the FBUstrikers.

Exeter Trades Council has called for a bascull of Kirk Radios. against suppliesto the shop is also being considered.

Political kindergarten Tribunites enjo: around in so much. From a purely practical point of view it is abvious that the firefighters need the organised assistance of trade union militants up and In Manchester a meeting of 400 Civil servants voted overwhelmingly CINTEE for increase.

cost of livice index worked our by trade ahions Socialist Challenge supporter Viv- Laces. person, called for a campaign to set up such an indes in the the CPSA, a policy adopted ar the

CPSA conference.

In Glasgow, 500 members of Tise» the DHS5 branch voted to sik

their executive to proceed with with sintilar a Tele claim of industries. week's negotations did no.

resuil in restoration of the Pay Research Unit le West Scotland there were

Teoeighteen year old spiciers at London's lurgestrecentline — aderopemsterain Bermoodsey

down the couniry.

Wise is not protesting solidarity

the firemen special case. and

cent.

to take a running

the lefts' in the TUC

La £50 minimum 10 serve und ether last week's NUPE have

notice In the

SINES

before WHOD'S CENT

Action thoughts

which playing Ken and TUC members,

despite fine words. week favour of 525 8 with further strike for three days. linked to a monthly

struck an

Tiremen's union. A

Broad Left and Redder

civil servants.

The action successful. 125 if the Stuart McLellan, Challenge supporter.

THE DISMR CINE CRESN

will materialise is

regarding the firefighters SLUKE BUS SWAIN but as a test case against the

constitute inselt Even the leadership of the FBU asked the TUC to corn their fight into a forces of general fight against the 10 per

holding

That the TUC told the FBU

surprised nobody, but what of

Union of Public Employces the struggle whose members are asking for

жавс 3Dvolving increases well over the 10 per cent was absent from

inner cabinet" given €10,000 towards the FBU strike, which neoded is a fine gesture, hur in reality

more of policies money than anything else. As far as action in support of the FBO goes, Fisher waits for the outcome of the FBU strike

pursuing his own

Striking alongside the firelichters in far Iram his Brigade

AI others. yesterday's left Jack Jones says he is 'sypinacbetic" to the äirefighters, but recommends a cor in the working week as the best way of selling the strike.

working Gil, Commonist Part general council does nothing to organise solidarity action guerrilla strikes during the

action, and in Glasgow, two of the largest highest Social Security officer were on truck on Wednesday sere CPSA members rallied in Westminster Central Hall to hear speakers from

La pay tise Tringe

Tape

OLSUBELLE was extremely CPSA militant • Socialiss in 1978 said:

There is undoubredly massive mood of discontent ovet pay. In West Scotland we

Such attitudes provide further contrast lo the 1920 Then, the organised left in the trade unions — the National Minority Movement - pledeed itself I March 1926 10. "Urge cach trades council to

Fi a Council Action by moralising all the

the working class movement in its localily... by

continuous mass demonstrations in support of the sections attacked.. by sing excry nicans lo briDe all workers, nica and women. organised and unorganisco in

Such were the policies fought for when wages were heing cut in the 1920s. They are the type that are nooded today to avoid a third successive yent of wage cuts. Bur equalls. what

left leadership pledged to fight for such

A special case?

DO YOL see the firefighters u a special cose? This is whoi Ronnie Robertson, vice-chairDerson ol the Sirsthevdi

Committee, told Socialist Chollenge:

Personally, I would not

that we are a scecial case. We have the same things

common with people in this country: our living standards are heing reduced by successive governments' pelicies and wage restraints. The valy difference between had 96 percent of our members out. That's the

of any previous industrial action. also

In most areas, the action has run completely but of the exeputise's control. Er is being used as a means of demanding

'The union's executive i Unit

passible so they don't have to but me can But more and more members want a claim to

intinedialel in view of the fact that Pay Rescarch is nor being restored

The CPSA's policy, as from last conference, is to demand that the Pay Research Unit be restored in 1978, which would

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE B December 197

WOMEN are sittine the

first round of examinat-

ions currestly being con-

ducled by the New York

fire department in its

recruitment drive.

Over 27,000 men are

being joined by 363 women

in tests which Include a

three hour civil service

written exam, a mile-long

walk and run including

scaling walls and walking

up and down stairs with a

12010 Cue

Firefighters receive a

wage of 19,000 a year, in

Now York, and the current

Cramunations Ste the airst

to be held for seven years.

Women have been exclud

ed from the city's fice

service in the

and other groups

we are prepared to fight

Bill Craie, Scottish Region Chairperson of the FU port this way:

*The murses are as mecessary to the licensen as we are to Cher bas any alter we wu we'll be supportine che rest of the publie sector in their fight for a living wage. Not one worker will get as much as one peany over the 10 percent if the firemen are defeated,

bySUELANDAL

mean wage increases lor civil servants encoding 10 percent.

But that same conference

recorded the highest vote against Pay Research after campaigning by the lell in the union, with over 70,000 member: voting against the scheme. The reason for this is

sten: institutionalises law pay.

The Broad Left in the CPSA ls campaigning nationally for the demand-of an increase of E25 per week, plus further increases to meet rises in the cost of living and reductions in the socia wage. Socials Challenge supporters in the

agree with and light for this demand.

Page 5 scan of this page

For FBU victory

estimated at £200 million.

So why doesn'i thie Labour Government meet the firefighters claim in full? After all, insurance companies

profits for the first nine months of this years soared 89 per cent above last year's profits, will be

STELAC

Firemen know only too well what their strike means for the wealthy. They constantly risk their lives not just to save other people's lives,

They know that the s SCot 100.

There StrOng sentiment among the firefighters that, with a solid strike. Callaghan will back down, despite thescabs.

This sentiment was reflected on the result.

Not so squeamish was David Basnett, chairperson of the

Marineral Mocke Vien

No sooner had firefighters to go back to work. than he rushed into print with a plan which threatens to crush all mibtant action in the public:

Both men's unions are in the middle of negotiating wage claims on behalf of over a milion

government manual worker and a quarter million hospital anciallary stall:

An offer for the manual workers bas already been made while next week health workers will be deciding in spocially convened meetings their attitude to an offer due to be the in the same election over two years ago.

John Murphy topped the poll with 14,366 first preler

woes. Whoush Murph had the support of the Communise Party. chief architect of the union's SUEDULE for the Social Contract.

SUCCESS

¿ nolane sHones in the campaigns of Narth

called for their supporters to

ence voter to the other lett

which marked a healthy break from the sectarian in-fighting which has dogged the left in the NUT over the past ycars. Members of the Socialist

HOME NEWS

Losses due to fire in 1976 were £231 million. Losses due to fire on Wednesday, 16 November 1977 alone were

Cost of FBU claim per year would be £48 million.

it Bank and bie breans daily strike news which said, "If YUDE RESS WARLICIOUS like fireman is. "Tilbury". The fire at Tilbury power station in Essex was L THOSE ASSET HONOR BEAL financial loss caused

So why isn't Roes giving in?

Because the Labour ment is not just concerned with insurance companies. It has the nots oral the canta ist class at heart,

So the incomes policy comes first. 11 Kees cannot impose the 10 per cent in the public sector, then there will be no chance of imposing further cuts in real wages in the private sector. He

Where was Fisher?

THERE WAS an empty chair at the TUC meeting which decided to stab the firemen in the back. Alan Fisher of NUPE refused to turn up to fight for support for the fire brigades union despite knowing full well that the fate of his union's wage claims depend entirely

publisbed bythe employers next The manual work offer has already been rejected by NUPE, "reluctandy" with no forthcoming from

The employer's offer falls well short of the E50 minimum wage target decided by that conference. Their 10 per cent of a 13.90 and $4.50 a week. The offer is £7.50 short of target.

Other aspects of the claim like a 33 DOLE WECK. TEACE NICE pay and a system of threshold Mawments to compensate ton inflation are ignored or not DETCICO.

Left teachers double

vote in union elections

THE left in the National Union of Teachers obtained a credible vote in the recent election for

union's Vice-Presidents. National executive member Dick North of Rank and File Teacher obtained 3,728 votes. Socialist Teachers Alliance candidate Dave Whiteley received 2,179. Together they received 12 per cent of the votes cast, twice the percentage left wing candidate Dave Picton received

and

BERNARO REGAN

"A solid strike is not enough

himself said that the dangers

resulting from a breach of the 10

Der cent Dorm wowd De

greater for the community (sic)

as a whole' than the dangers of

the firemen' sstrike,

the necessary starting point. But

in itself it is not enough. The just tell them

OUR MOST LOOSE 0E

strike will now be given a lead

that will organise to not just

staff the picket line, but lead a by the

CUTE B

support of other unionists in a

Terry Parry

Union says:

FBU as being the spearhead of

millions of particalarly That is the TUC's

right. But if the TUC failsto give

that lead, then

leadership must be prepared 1o

massive interest free loans and accepled by the t tesponse ALAN FISHER the Instead, Fisher and Co. are

dragging out the negotiations

WILL A toward the firemen.

The Basnett plan published in the Sunday Times last weekend aims to stop any militant action berween In support of wages. Accepting that the public soctor will always be policed oy a wages policy, the G&M leader proposes: *That the recognised as *That review bodies tie public service workersto private sector workers' wages; Teachers Alliance are hoping this co-operation will be maintained elections 10 executive. For the two seats in Inner London, for instance. both North Regan of the STA have been nominated by associations. Tet despite this obvious suppurt for Regan. Rank and File are proposing to put up a socond candidate of their own

PROSPER

Rank and Fie are following a similar policy in London's Extra Metropolitan Area. They

BIC candidates for the four places there, while three candidates have 30 far tontinated. indicated that they are willing to discuss this withdraw candidates it brocasary. far refused such discussions.

An opportunity

STER TOT between now and mid-January

underway. The Teachers Alliance will be using that time to try Rank and File of the need for united fightback in the NUT.

Tar the TUC

A solid strike is essential. It is

organise that

WIL active

General Sec- Meanwhile Fire Brigades *We don't see the for the TUC

unionists, job'. Exactly

the fireren's with

Firstly, that the unions make

mass action needed.

ised.

Militants in public

workers put in "wait and sec" actitude

Govermnent is paymaster; Claim • No to the Cut • For Union Demoenac

Tal: 0705 817707

for next year's

the national

and Bernard

SİN local fielding

STA been The STA have

clash. and to

Rank and File have so

to rectify still CHESTS

Socialist

to perseade

УЧАСНИА

donations to keep the strike solid over Xmas. Secondly, that

SUDDOIT 8 national demonstration in supportof tbestrike and against the 10 per cent limit. The FBU leadership must go abead and

yard. demonstration With the present massive support for their strike demonstration the size of the years 1971 Industrial Relations Act demonstration could be built. every since.

ORGANISE

other trade unionists should not wait elber

to cease its treachery of for Parry to stop engaging in endiess neogitations when no new offer is being made by the Governmeat, and get on of the

winning the strike. which is

We must organise through local support committees, in conjunction with rank and file FBU members, to build the order date.

*That to facilitate this process settlement dates be synchron-

service unions have argued for years that the public service should unite their claims, instead of the present system where manual

November, hospital ancillaries TELECT MISSES HIDI and so on. But this is to unite organising action to win the claim, not to workers

CAMPAIGN for ACTION in NUPE National Conference

Satuday 10 December 11:30am NUFTO Hall, Jocheys Inn Fields

London WC1. cent. * Fight for Action on the Pay

from Ron Pearson, Portsmouth.

TED KNIGHT, at Saturday's FBU solder/ty rally

THE TREACHERY and betrayal of the TUC were condemned at a call in support of the POL strike in Norib London on Saturday. Bot Heown, chimperson of the local T П. say wehave got toachept 10 pe

They weren 1 speaking must any of us marching codas", he tole

crowd. shamefulact. It'sa black day forth rade unica movement that will b remembered for years to come.

Narth London trade unionists

NAEGO, IMMED THE NATFHE, North London NUJ.

Horsey Lahour Party. Enfield and

Edmonion Trades Cauncil , and tbr per penr

Associarion af Tenants

Government blackmails

Swan Hunter workers

OUTRIGHT blackmail. That's the response of the Labour Government to the Swan Hunter workers. 1,700 outfitters have Swan Hunter shipyards on Tyneside since August. They are fighting for a rise of 27 per week which would give them parity with the boilermakers in the

The Swan Hunter workers were promised their rise twe

ago and it has been blocked by the Government

This time the Government claims it would break che 10 per cent limit. Its response to the overtime ban amounts to outright war against the outfitters.

Swan had been given contract worth ES0 million. build seven ships for the Polish government. Because

overtime ban, Swan, part of the newly nationalised British Ship builders, claimed they not guarantee to meet the

The Labour Government,

bureaucratically impose wages settlements from ahove. Fur-

these wage settlements would reflect the fall In living standards in tbe privat into sector, instead of the task of maintaining living standards.

Fisher's inaction on the claim

the ground for Bassnet's plan. Neither can be fought merely on the basis of

by themselves demands organisations that links hospital workers to social services, water authority workers and the of public

JESU services. In NUPE, such grouping of militants is bolding its first national conference Dexr weekend in London.

The Campaign for Action in NUPE has already issued two bulletins demanding no retreat on the union's poicy for a ESD minimum wage, organisation of action to pursue the pay claim, and support for other workers in struggle against the 10 per

Workers in public services bood to he told honestly that to win their claim they need to take national strike action around TOE ONTO LOSSE WILHE And that the best time for that

shoulder ta shoulder with the fire fighters. try as Residents marched in support of the FBO on a demonstratio Called jointly by the ' Division and Hariogey Trades Council

of the Labour Party or the TUC to walk zway from the firemen We

walk amay ourselves from th Creschery going on 21 che bao said

candidate for Hornsey the

iremen are left to slabd alone it is betrayal on our part. And it

THIS ESCHON

conference decisions against the I0

Use must leadership in che TUC just as we da

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 8 December, 1977 page B been banning overtime at

by GEOFF RYAN

robably in collusion with the Polish government, then tow

outfitters lo either work

HUMBLED

The Polish goverpment has something of a record where shipyard workers are con cerned. It was the shipyard workers Szczecin who launebed the nation-wide strikes against food price rises in 1971. Governient bids to repress the strike failed - only the party militias were prepared to

ire on their fellow workers

Eventualls the Prime Mini ster and First Secretary humbled by being forced to go

the Saczecin yardi to discuss the demands with the workers

It is a humiliation they have Dot forgotter

Swan Hunter workers are also fighting back Not have they refused to bow down to the Government's blackmail, but the drawing office workers have threatened to seize plans for the ships.

OCCUPATION

The outfitters face difficult odds. If the Government succeeds in transferring the ships, there will be virtually no work lent in the yard. workers are already faced with redundancy, and they could be joined by another 500 next

Orber shipyard workers should follow the example of

2TT1 Sonderland refuse to work on the ships, 1 Swan Hunter deciates redundancies, there should be

yard and solidarity action throughout the whole indus

HARREGEY

in Pete Harney Trade

Presiceng Council Dick Bearne reported tha

over LID0, and Haringey NAIGO had collected L500 for the strikers. Dave Challaner, free the executive b the FU, summed up the teeling

TUC and the government won't sland in our way. We are going to *The North London Firemen"

Ediboilton Town Hall or Wednesday co extend support fo the arrike among

Page 6 scan of this page

Colquhoun should not be reinstated

HOME NEWS

the Broad Left. To the Tory/Broad Left leadership.

The Tories and their new friends reversed the previous NUS position on not allowing a platform to racists and fascists. This reversal was made possible by the historic compromise: in fact it was a Tory who proposed the joint Broad Left/Tory motion on racism to the conference.

DOORS OPEN The NUS decision opens the doors of the campuses to the National Front and the Tascists. Slipman and friends are now in

situation where they will back the right of fascists to organise on the campus. This makes a complete mockery of the democratic rights of the large numbers of black and Foreign students in polytechnics

COMMENT MAUREEN COLQUHOUN was sacked because sheis a lesbian and an outspoken feminist. She was not sacked either for being • racist or tot making statements that seemed support racism. Northampton North Labour Party manage-

ment committee themselves

the accusation of

wi'narew

racism after allowing Maureen

to explain her position, which has been clear and consistent.

As a local councillor in 1972 ahe

was voted off her committees

foradvocating positivehousing

discrimination in favour of poor

blacks.

The statement sh

which obscured her superio

anti-raciet record was "Powell is

not a racist. This was a clumsy

expression of her view: Powel

is not the real bogeyman. The

real bogyman are in the Labour

Party, who use soft words and

put no money into solving the

problem of poor blacks and

poor whites in the inner cilles.

She has repeatedly attempt-

ed to correct the misappreh-

ension that she elther supports

Powell, or underestimates his

pemicious Intluence.

deploring Powell's 'appalling

racist solutions' her argument

is that the Labour govemment

is racist by defsult. It was naive

of Maureen Colquhoun not to

predict the distortion

arguments in theright wing and

supposedly

press. One Instance of political

Ineptitude, noned at in the

context of her record, is not

grounds for not supporting her

roinslatement.

Tha Maureen Colgunoun

Action Committee is calling for

her reinstatement because, as

fominists and lesbians, we see

theattack on heras an allack on

all women - particularly those

trying to

independent from

sacking is just one example of

Broad Left gets broader

NUS turns right

TWO IMPORTANT developments dominated the Xmas Conference of the National Union of Students • Blackpool. The first was the grotesque, revealing, alliance cemented between the Tories and

celebrate this 'historic compromise the Tory students produced a badge showing students' president Sue Slipman and Pete Ashby (both members of the Communist Party) with the caption: "We're Tories Too'. The second feature of the conference was the emergence of the Socialist Students Alliance as the main oppositional force to

and universities, as Jewish students.

The Tories and the Broad Left also defeated a resolution which wanted to make the NUS into a campaigning union, but the emergency SSA resolution on the necessity to preserve the анолоту defeated only miniscule majority of less than ten voles. question the son. well organised after the first an alternative strategy to the Broad Left.

100 DELEGATES On most questions its hard core of over 100 delegates were supported by the 20 or delegates consisting of Socialist

Defending

Colquhoun

to made TRIES

of her he current backlash agains ppressed and dissentin groups in this country. Is the wackly policy declaration in Socialist Challenge in support of the struggles of women blacks and gays anything more than Ipservice to fashionable causes in order to recruit pickel fodder?

Socialist Challenge, appalling editorials and coverage of lesbien issues. foreited the limiled credibility man. He that lesbian leminists grent to the straight revolution-

Workers Party porters (NOISS), though attempt by the latter 10 deny but funds to Zionist societies was

not supported by the SSA and received a derisory vote.

ZIONISM On Zionism, a motion was passed accepting the rights of both Israeli Palestinians to their own states. though Stipman, display of referred to those arguins for a Palestinian well as favour of 'barbarism agains

the Jewish people'. Presumably this refers 10. members of the Communist Party as well, since support for Zionism universal within that organisation.

On the explicit scabbing by by Slinman on a recent strike by

NÚS staff every major conference overwbelmingly

voted to censure its executive CATETT for crossing the picket lines, a

clear sign that compromise was't totally explain why. sment we withstand, by attending picket of the Labour Transport

by its

confacting

CHAS

01-450-3806.

student supan Tews and the , in an amazing blind bigotry,

state as being in

numerous Terrorism Act

means effective in suppressing darity workers.

workers, the

the historic

Gay socialists explain why

The Labour Party's national executive committee will be voting on Maureen Colquhoun's appeal against her removal as the MP for the Nottingham constituency Labour Party at its meeting next week. The NEC has a responsibility to clearly disassociate itself from the reactionary atlacks on women's and gay rights which have been associated with the Colqnhoun affair. At the same time, Colguhoun's appeal for re-instatement should not be supported. DERBYSHIRE and JAMIE GOUGH - beth IMG members active in the gay liberation movement -

Jus two extracta She has

Hat it

struggle.

OPPOSED NOW

reinstatement now In contrast, management combities

Parison N lon. North.

ary movement. Will Soclalist What

Challenge and its renders recrol erniemens

support lesbians and feminists DECHTHUGE

in ourtightagainst theconslant

oppression and increasing

have the

natlonal executive committee

December 13th al 3.30pmPorby

the campaign? For instance

Maureen Golquhoun Action

Grove, London E1.

On Foday night or me contrange BEDd

soliwith the striking

The shitt to the far lett obviously worried the Broad Left's more hardline supporters. The Leeds delegates drove this fact home by symbolising in a disgusting way their fears: they presented ito the loud

North

PHIL gIver Northampton

Whole districts (in Britain) have been transformed into foreign enclaves. Pensioners end their TENSILS Calquboun days in streets on this o

from thee!

Pariary it yes mil

impisicl referred to reparriation as the cur for this "evil" in the same speech record

Maureen Colgahour, Tribunite MP, responded the near day b

Enoch Powell is no Party racist: This opinion was sexuality sole in the Nahampton Ene

"Interpreted' the statement as saying that atlacking

i sent the the said she

nos what she said, She

has never. retracted her original

she

Jedged it sange to the aeri-racit

Immediately after isis sratement

resclection on

these grounds. For tbe

reasons, me are opposed to her

, the August matien

passed hy the Party's local genera

atements and public behavine

laureen Colyahone is no lange

does this relerence to and In 1976 cents.

Colgunpan came our openly as a

Sian soe as always occu

strong supporter of women'srights,

and has been attacked previousiy co

backgrourki, the August monon can

only be constrand as neferring to her Le bankind of alack is nos pew,

Norman Ashhy:

chairperson of the Northampres

splicirly in the Sunday Time

in on she supermarke

vote as a salid wife and mother,

ers picketed Sr. Anne's police aterian demanding the relesse of Emmanuel Hand, a student at the Suffast College af Brice: Stewas neese we this g

applause of the Tories) an ice-pick replica to Slipmun with the hope that it would help her joke" deal with recalcitrant clements on the executive

Colin Talbot was loudly cheered when he attacked this disgraceful and display, but Slipman → avid defender of democratio rights - said that SSA said. "This bustness has hlackened her Umageirredemsbly: "12 October,

The subjective motivation ofesch member on the GMC i Bol ol the objective effects of the GMC: decision in reinforcing the curren backlash against leshiars, womer by and gay men. Jost as Coiguboun is rexpansible for the support she has

racism North CLP I the responsible for the support it has given to therca ionary zorcesour See hola produce a cal public statement expressing its

reselecting

cissociate inself fron on Calquboun on the basis of her lesbianism. Further, Labour Parly branches and the NECshould go an

condemning and activel organising against any discriminar ion - both inside and ourside the

*The Docklash referred to in them or even take @ leafe

above article is not just

ideological warfare. In TuneShis Question.

Repeal the trespass law!

by PIERS CORBYN

PREPARE FOR action to

stop the Trespass law in its

tracks! This was the cinar

message of the 250-strong

national conference of the

Campaign Against a Crimin

Trespass hold

Birmingham on 28 and 23

November. The conference

pledged to mobilise suppor

for any occupation or squat

attacked by

the new lows which became

effective on f December.

The need for united action

between trade unions. stu-

squatters and com-

munity groups was stressed ty posterd older atte

two-thirds of those at the

conference - recognised

that squatters had been

used as an excuse for the

laws. and would

probably be attacked first

For this reason and

because of the strength Aquating than see that

for decent housing for all

class support for

the first victims of these

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 8 Decomper. 1977 page 6

NEW INE

was reieased the foliowing

supporters were being moralis tic as the thing was merely a

It is on such Jokes burcaucrats of all stripes flourish, Meanwhile the Social-

Students Alliance determined to make the soing a bir tougher for the historic compromise next Easter. yeur a lesbiun was attacked and blinded outside in women indisco In South London. In Jub a gay mon was murdered outsidega club in North London. And those are Just two examples.

Action currently being inken

the lesbian and movements included a picker

week of the Ministry of Defence. This was in response to the rape of a lesbian and the under of two gay men this year

The any's encouragemen: al the extreme "nacho was made clear when o former guardsman told Clay Nows The Gwards have always looked on homosexwals as creepy-crawlies. Doesn Inatter If you squash a few. Ir proves How rea man somehow, doing

The picker of abour 30 a Here. women and when spent Lw0 hours chunting and leafletting but the Minister refused to see

"Defence" at whas price is the

new laws ls vita

The conference called on

the •TUC

executives of all trade

unions and the Labour Party

to campaign actively agains

the use of the new law and

work for its immediate

organised on a wide range

of issues including indus-

trial occupationg, the strug

gles in hospitals student

sit-ine, squalting. It was

agreed to recail the conter

ence by. May of nect yea

and the plethora of task.

until then were mapped out

Many speakers argued for

action committees based on

Trades Councils and Labour

Partien especially import

ant in the light of the

collapse of local CACTI

groups. To this end. t wa:

that Trader

Councils should be ap

proached to set up specia

sub-committees

to light the new law.

CACTL. 35 Wellington St.

London WC2, 01-289 3877

Page 7 scan of this page

"We're going for a woman's right to choose'

supporters

Q. Do you, or people in your local campaigns see positive legislation as an important part of the strategy for building the abortion campaign? Judith: It's difficult moving

having to defend the limited PAIns of the 19tr Actio a more positive campaign The first

G.M. COOKSON [Socialist Challenge)

SARAHHOCLOPS

SO SEECTORE a DOLLUL attitude to positive legislation, and crach waa wo mean ora

right to choose.

Sarah: There's certain v strong possibility that the Labour Government will tEV 10 wrap up the abortion helore a peneral cechan bi supporting some private mem ber's bill focussed reduction in the time linsit for abortions. We'vegot to be clear whetber or not we are willing to compromise.

1 think that if a woman can only choose up to viability, wecks or whatever. abortion is not in Fact

cloice. A bill lowering the time

Cardiff on

After a four-year delay.

Cardiff's big new teaching новона 15 от laSt To

provide day-care abortions

by the vacuum aspiration

method

BBSIest Bnd salest dey-

eloped.

Up until now, over 50 per

centof Cardiff women have had to go outside the area to oblain legal abortions.

They had been obstructed by reactionary consultants ві ше пова, апо у тле disgraceful inaction of the South Glamorgan Health Authorily.

But this latest victory' is less complete than if seems. The new facilities involve one theatre session a week, which will be completely inadequate. No extra Stalf will

OPEN FORUM

Socialist Challenge supporters:

Our series of articles on the future course for the National Abortion Campaign concludes this week with Dodie Weppler talking to Socialist Challenge

CHRIS WALTON (Leeds NAC and Labour Abortion Rights Campaign), JUDITH ARKWRIGHT (S.W.London NAC and IMG), PAULINESIMMONDS (Oxford NACand IMG), and SARAH ROELOFS (IMG Rep., NAC Steering Ctte.).

limit would simply be the thin end of the wedge in losing the BREWS AC RYE WON That's why I strongly disagree with Belly Underwood of the Cartier in Pine shee sis nonsense to refer to the draft Abortion Law Reform Assoc DOn Blanco would give women the right to choose up to 2b woeks.as a compromise Chris: Leeds NAC isagainst any compromise on this. We had a series of discussions with the local Socialist Women's Group on the ALRA bill, the principle of a woman's right to choose, and so on. The SWG supported a woman srighttochoosealt the 8 issue way up to term if necessary. 1think this wasa big step forward forour campaign.

No Bill should be conditional acceptable either to MPs or the parliamentary experts, Ifit was, we would compromise our right to control our own bodies. 28 then latepregnanc

abortion facilitiesso women can have abortions as Cars

the offensive

employed to do the exira work. And there will not be enough beds for women to recover in. Two will have to share a single the CUBICE Healih workers Cardiff, which has been one of the worst areas for abortions in the country, are already up in arms over the way these have been implemented.

Local pro-choice activists are demanding an immedlate half-day session to meet the needs of local women, and full consultation with health unions levels and lacilities at the unit. After years impasse, the abortion campaign in Cardiff Is at be least moving onlo offensive looling.

possible with the minimum delay.

2. Has the criticism tha AChas a parliamentar approach been made to you.

Sarah: We're WEED ZHENG OUSED L parliament, and I don't think

it. But wedon'twant to rely on a few sympathetic MP's. Defending the 1967 shouldn't prevent us developing positive and offensive tactics.

campaign, national campaign day-care facilities that Sheftield c NAC broadly-based movement outside parliament that takes up all

Fighting atlacks from parlaInent is an seleeral nart cfthis. Judith: Wecould learn from the HAL ENDSHCHEC BETE inovenient there was unclear abouT Now many concessons it was prepared to make. We've Rot to te clear now that we are going for a woman's right to choose, in law and in practice, which necessitates free abortion On deenari what is

CHRIS WALTON Q. What kind of appNo roach have you made to

the labour

Chris: We've not had much response going official channels locally, except in cases where we vealready bad sympathetic contacts.

LUSCOETS pro-choice motion around the

White bil, but recently anti-

resigo if the union discussed it

insiderhe unions to put pressure butesucrats. trade will importaor in co-ordinating activity here. women

Judith: I think wo must be more outgoing and not just wait for In uniors to send delegates to our

example, we picketed our MP, sponsored by the electricians" who changes aresult ofthisaction, the Trades

Council and other groups supported us. The national

anotber opportunity to do more work in loca communics and we should beable to make direct the over staff policy on abortion,

criticisms of the abortion campaign from femian

nists?

facing an

Act certainly

We bood a positive focus for

such as the around

are proposing. and a involve movement?

through the

The passed

Chreatened working class

We really need people

liaison subvery

can give

was Routing his

gives What have been the

Pauline: Mainly chat NAC hasn'tlaken up what a woman's right to choose means in terms of sexuality. One of the things

re hope 10 discuss at our de

hool in December is that woman's right to choose should include the right to detine ber own.sexualityaswellastberight

months?

Community We have money: to choose whether or not to have a child. This discussion oould

people who haven't been active in NAC before.

Judith: I think a lot of people don't see the importance of the abortion issue right Dow defeat on rhis issue will be a defear for women's liberation.

We need to explain that sexism is used to divide the working cinss in the same way as racism —

UCEE weaken the struggle of the whole

Sarah: I would like to see more women from the women's movement contributing to the paper

steering committee discusions

groups like Feminists Against Beavon who organised the occupation of Westminster Cathedrallast Junc

Q. What ideas have your local groups discussed for activity in the coming

Chris: Leeds NACisinvolved in facilities We barodone quite a campaien for day-care Tot of rescarch around it. Weare

TOLER Health Council il nubht meeting planted to explain why we are campaigning for these abortion day-care faculties.

Pauline: it srelativelyeasytoget an abortion in Oxford — ir's a rescarch centre, and women are basically used as guinea pigs! We have a campaign for out-patient clinic based on this The area health auchority has recommended cutting the number of abortions to save

to be prepared for a drastic change in

Q. How do you see Socialist Challenge relating to NAC?

Sarah: [think one of the major factors that alienates women Trom left groups • not only within NAC but in the women': movement as a whole is the constant bickering and squubblins, rather chan clear political debate, about perapectives. By

space for these debates to be carried out openly think Socialist Challenge can do a lot to help build a united OBELL ABBIT SACEMET on abortion. So I would like to sce activisis in NAC and in che worDen's mosement contribute

this basis.

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE & December 1977 page 7

What's

Left

Hates 3p perword. Display te Po calumn in. beechne: 3.00pm Saturday before pubilcation EDINBURGH:

Pickel Sherritte

Bemard Cavanash DSo Lonl 200 from Dave WatzA

Hounalow. Middleans TO GrOUD.

ROADGANG touring woman's

socialist theatre group baded in the North East nood antress trom

Swinburne St. Galoshoad, Tyn RECITARE

огир яравка м 7.30, 9 Deg, Room SO Houghton Bt, London WC2 BLACK YOUTH under atlack Colln Prespod, soolblogy locturer NEW PEE or party She pm. December 6.30pm

numbers limiled, Ring 720470

happening?

Meeting with speakers from Workers Autonemy Autonomia Opera al 7pm, Mon 12 Dac, South

COMRADES

MORI CO SHARING COLAR STEH

write!ring to the Contre, PO Box 50.

Redmond Roger. NATIONAL •Bacialis Feminist

29/9

Regent's Park Ad NW1.7229621 NE ANTI-RACIST demonstralio

noraly in Middlesbrough, Satt

NISHIIDOT

SUCCO DY

EDINBURGH Socialial Unity:

ПалОлн!

election campaign in Edinburgh Tues 13 Dec. Trades Counsll Picardy Place, 7.30pm Speakers from IMG and Big Flame MANCHESTER NAO anD Big Flame party attraction:

- Music Socialism 8-11 30 To Sail Denot of Ordere MANCHESTER Big Flame: The

Wed 14 Deo

45pm BF Office, 14 Piccadily

Rule Britainmia lollowed Sones no Discussion CAN TINNIER

HEYULU UNAHY Group public masting Ireland: The Law and the working clas Speakers: Jenner Tail SIRCG Brian Hose-Smith and a

,30om alC

WO1. Semiss on 200 Square, REPRESSION in iran: masting FA

Council and Wandsworth Trada Colneil CAMPAIGN Against Repression

London Sub-Gree 17 Dec Imperlal Cullcoe Studenis Union

ALMOSTFREE THEATRE A PINPRICK OF HISTORY

by Margaretta DiAray

Mor-Sati, 15pm untl: 23 De

Page 8 scan of this page

forward

for the

In the aftermath of Lewisham and Hivde a wide-ranaine sct of discussions has been taking nuce willio the an0-tascisl movemeat. They have centred oil the most etlective way cu constructing a viahle antifascist organisation in this country. The reason for this is not difficuls to understand. There is n growing realisation amongst anti-fasicst militants that street demonstrations confined to the far-left and its periphery are not sufficient and that broader sections the population brought into the movement. At the same TIWETACTEIS EEOWINE awareness of the mecessity to intervene clectorally against the racists and the TILLISLS The TONJOLISL Unity campaign in the East End is a salutory reminder of the fact that a united effort can have its

ANTI-NAZILEAGUE

The outcome of these

has produced different, and often unrealted, initiatives. The Socialist Work-

Party took the main initiative in launching Anti-Nazi League. They did so in collaboration with a number of left social-democrats and explicitly ienored both the Communist Party and the rest of the far-left. The main thrust of the ANL is to counter the Nazis on the terrain electoral politics by production of mass propaeanda.

ANL comrades organised the creation of Dockers Against

and 'Students Against Nazis' as well as appointing the BIGGS-DAVIDSON TO SPEAK ON RACISM The Federation of Conservarive Students (FCS) tau nce

ampaign against racism on

lovember, The main aim of thi campaigit is to tight for communit: integration especiblly as the EOs feels thar conservativer 'sbauld be seen to be doing more to promale raciatharmony' Not because as ou morecynscal readers may tais aild i Josenh Faerlon, GLC camtidals foe Leeisham Depeford, said "The NF vEter then Labour: ae wuuld be better off PELOTDHT WIWAE ESICHE

toe prenne papers nowese wt bsefal in the way Ibey provide an ampunt of facts. Jc appears Chat the main thrust Conaen Is Lou

AISHLIN LIC Community Relations Coancil

RACISM & FASCISM

Which way

anti-fascist

movement

SWP mibtants as organisers in Manchester and Leeds.

There also exists a Joint Committee Against Kacism (ICAR) which is backed by the

Indian Workers Association Coway and toc DEper sing of the IWA, sympathetic to the Communisl Parly or ndia (Marxisc) as well as the Liberal Party, the Labour Party and North-West TUC.

Jackson is now pressure for the TUC as a whole to back this committoe and in the North-West, Colin Rarnett has launched a €10,000 appeal for this organisation. It is obvious that it body through which the liberal and Labour establistument will co-ordinate its anci-racist and anti-fascist initiatives.

Thirdly chere is the National Co-ordinating Committee of TT-CASCISI (NCCAFC), to which nearly 60 AlCi are bow atllinted. These are organised on exclusive basis and consist cisentiaily of grassroots militants fighting in the localities. They recentiy endorsed a move back nationally the anti-fascist which i both well-produoed

and contains detailed information for anci-fascist activists.

LUXURY

of Now while all these initatives the are postive and deserve to be

supported we nonetheless have thie

developing is does soem to be somelluee of a tuxure to bave three nationally organised anti-fascist organisations.

Anti-

racist

Struggle

Acoroach af counrerine the mare citreme racist appeal and allowing middie class on become pillars of the establishment tar con we begin tu prolect the soew tnal necawse a person ie cowaro their primary interest is not netessorily The local groups are advised no

such as anti-Cascise and ami-cocet

dominatal', Emphasa sroughout

Hs BioTerSai CICE SONR of which point out that che NF is Ampong Ihnse suggested to speak 4583-21 TE-AREOSTI Mr 30Л0 CAM SALSÖn The thire bneting paper states: •Hroad local communily cam halens must oe launched te CCOW nOSCOEET dESU! peddled be racist groupe and thc n Chal Lask Conser adives should play a prominent rol

LON suaSAIETEHT

Tom

will be this

Commitrees What then needs to be done?

H OI WHHE IS TELUE anon- single

which ordinate and carry different, but related tasks necism ito de etatiy. ane the BoCIAIEI In (has COUniTY CARF model for such an organisation

should be some of the features of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmansenl (CND). was orpanised on both a broad and a non-exclusive basis. The way to combat ianism (and undoubtedly it will not disappear overnight) is by isolating it politically and not BYBHHSISNUDDHITESTICEYE proposals or mcasures. For the

campaign. ground is if local activists feel that they determioe how the organisation is rum and whar

involving the laboar movement is extremely doulcrul, In fact is is the Toriex and their Broad lett

Man D TaMs ano aTe ERECaLEEIEY anti-Zionit unions with suspenSan. This campaign is therefore a mokesereen behind which ibc remove "No Platform" and al the same time inflict on its supportersin heatese tei tutie, be ine the NUS a comoaien cogld broaden The ans-ramsl campaign. Their lactics, however, are tolally insefficicnt.

ANTI-RACIST WALK

AT 11AM Ihecensher 14l, 21-venr old Fernen WEHORH MIE DE SEIRINE THIE BEUH Trot Hastio in London tu walk 160 mile:

to Dstund und back in aid of CARF the auti-rucist anti-fascist paper ME taC 10 LonGOn :100-035198 Anti-Fascist Co-ordinating Coae-

Vernon, a Jumaican le a seasnued long distasce walker. He las nicelas manen riR Lanoi B Glasgon in 1972 and this sammer walked trum Lands End to Jahe O"Groats 10 Pisying Field iation. This time be is walking for the sati-racis comnitiee of college he

issues it prioritises

campaigning .Cothe itself on the constituency Labour These are

thousands which

Many sectarVULUUEO.U

in the

which a will get off the addition the

allies

DaRT-TaCEST

Page 9 scan of this page

One solution: Nationalisation

Pael. an activist apainst that person in ner position she riade similar remarks to seekingtosocuretherenoval theuseof thousands of police

GRUN WICK

7.15pm.

stillbewon.

Escemsasong ume ance over ten thousand pickets demonstrated their sense of solidarity and triumph outside Gruawick on 11 July. Victory then seemed only a matter of days away, and had it not been for the TUC organising a march away from ine Tactory, the scap mus wowd have been prevented from entering Grunwick for the first

Last week's conference of the Civil and Public Service Association, where delegates

CRUNWICK JP.

UNFAIR, SAY

LAWYERS

EWS by GEOFFREYSHERIDAN

Within hours the court officials had "discovered' building worker Pat Clewer that there were to more

rora. magistrale who had told Dr.

Paul Stern, in relation ta

doper cent hove gor off We shalf have to chunge aid that, and they will get much stiffer

sitting in judgement on George Ward' senemies

The South-East Region of the TUC is holding an emergency delegate conference on the Grunwick strike on Wednesday 14 action is more a gesture than a December at Friends House, Euston Road, London NW1,

The Conference will mark the 70th week of thestrike, but it takes place when there are widespread reports of low moral among thestrikers. Yet, argues GEOFF BELL, the strike can

voted by 497 to 419 to send a telegram or support to the brunwick HURSCESTTIRCTS indicates the supportthatstillexists.

What TUC Conference needs to ask itself on 14 December is how to organise such support and on what policies to organise it. In some ways it is the question of politica which is the most

general impression that while strikers. thousands are still prepared to

WOMAN JP IN BIAS ROW

SAYS 1 WON'T WITHDRAW'

• of the

NO No mure firunwick cases for magistrate

Oakley withdraws

But fight must go on

Magistrate Dorothy Oakley will be hearing nomore Grunwick picket cases. This is in spite of her protestations in Willesden court last Thursday morning when she was first confronted with Socialist Challenge's disclosures. 'Thave no intention of withdrawing, Oakleydeclared fromthebench.

Outhispage, Birmingham

describes the scene

So the reactionary came up before Oakley on Thursdaymorning.

Barnet count's senteacing of the alfidavit we published had been assaulted by the

last week, decided thar he police. would no longer ma cant his anonymnity once the lawyers semences - wil nolonger be danes requested permission me sergery, Paul sass.

lousethefullaffidavit.

14 Dec. Conference on Grunwick

turn up for mass pickets, such

concrete way of winning the strike.

PROSPER

Such assessments are correct Even if the scab bus were to be halted fora week and the factory forced in close for the same period, Grunwick would still reservoir of remain viable and George Ward wouldcontinuetoprosper. Even Regional if the major strategy the strike committee is purting forward -thecutting off of all suppliesand services - were successful, the signsurethatthiswouldonlybea limited victory; that Ward would prefer to ciose the factory important, for there is the altogether thanto-take back the

It is because Socialist

Willesden & Beent Chronicle

A WOMAN JP IN TARIQ

"BUGGED' THE 'UMPUS

MAGISTRATE

health curs, and a Socialist Challenge reader, is a part ner in a GP surgery close to the Grunwick factory in Willesden. He provided

Paul Stern, who provided of a manber of pickets who

worker'scontrol.

DIRECTION WILLESDEN

Grubwick pickets,

or'order'.

'Stiffer

armed (WITH Socialier Challenge wIn about almost

beterminated.

ISSUES who was expecied to hear the charges against thes

hold such viewsabout them

PARDON

local pree picked up the any story at the end of last week, fusther sridence came medient evidence on behalf forward of Oakley's views.

Martin Wyatt, secretary of Brenl Voluntary Services

was absolutely aghast at her husband, George, the Whar Me Oakiey said in the farmerRura! Dean of Brent, consersation held ourside had droppod in for tea at the timon solicitors creased by mediately

seemed la me quite marting presenee of three witneises,

grapplewiththese problemsthat will have to he forced to do so we have consistently put Andthe mass support whicher-

nationalisation of Grunwick, without compensation to Ward, andforputtingthefactoryunder pressure a direction,

Such a demand would give a videsthardirection. concrete policy for the mass pickets to adopt and it would CONFERENCE provide the ultimate answer lo George Ward's threats to close

Yorkshire miners' president thowands who support the Arthur Scargillhasalsoraised.

It is obviously true that the vet some of the most importunt Labour Government will not support the nationalise Grunwick simply because members of the strike courthouse first thing last offensive things, and asked for defence Thursday morning. Lined up in the barrow corridor were the bench.

including me, waiting with our witnesses.

The cops were there in force, AMAZED trying to maintain a semblance

I warched as Willesden police court (sic) got ready to hand out injustice. In number two court, lawyers, Sulter sentences a Bety

Sentences' Oakley. was to be her tirst Grunwick victim hat morning. Burnow-

•BUT copies all that of being magistrate, TICI unbroken record of LOUL CUE ILLIONS WES SODEL LU

withdrawing Which happened.

I'd handed my defence immediately rushed up to court

precedents for tbat kind of two thing. He started in court by

moval from Grunwick cases

and compensation farallthe the Bar Council, and

Willesden magistrates Two dase before Oakley's removal, pacifist militant DEFEND Grunwick pickets should Pat Arrowsmith was up

F.00 Be DonCE Qn 30 obstruction chargefor sitting in the path of the scab bus.

Hetore sentencing her, the magistrates absent mindedly When the national and Jorgot to ask Pat if she had consider appropriate, and as

short, was up to is usual swyerstodeterminethis tricks,

REMOVAL

Thompson, the trade Strike.

If end of Seprember, In the Apexie act for the majority Granwick,

Challenge has attempted to committee ask then to. They andSouch Walesinparticular

forward the demand for the ists for Grunwick contains the TUC and the Labour Govern-

ingrodients of such pressure Whar is lackiop is piving that There remainsthequestion of be called, whether or not big the factory, It is a demand that how to organise the tens of demonstrations should he

Grunwick strike. The most

solidarity conference. The 14 December ineering is restricted to the South-East of England,

attracted cumelrom elsewhere. war that involves the widesi from Yorkshire, Birmingham possibletorces.

Grunwick picket PAT CLEWER on

The day justice blew up in

magistrate Oakley's face

Magistrates meditated bias against Oakley. prosecuting counsel had hought court was looking more like the ln the diplomatic language of acopyof thepaper and throwna Grunwick picket line than a lawyers be said some lairly fit in the wasting room

Oakley's removal from the Grunwickcasewe'd interrupted wils

Everyone in the courtroom was riveted. In the hackermind there wasthetinkling of coins as - worried court ol ials, militants and police oflic ers queued up to buy copses of Socialist Challenge.

But the defendant, Oakley. Meanwhile, back in court four also presiding where

against her, smiled a hittle, and obscruction, She sume ceded am not stes o we feed plus 20 biased and 1 have no political

wasnt quite what My case was fiscsflying

counsela copy of the paper, and four, which amazed everyone in lightly. It was a big das fo he'd gone off in a huddle with there because the bearing was them. The Willesden treatment the other lawyers because it alrendy half way through and which they'd experienood for seemed there weren't many they had to transfer to court years, had at last met its firs

By now news of the affidavit the kind of word they used reading our the charges of pre- had spread like wildfire. One about the doctor's disclosures

those thar Paul Stern had of all Grunwick cases from to confront and beat up the the Pilesoon coul. A lelle masspickeis.

Darothy Oakley's re protesting at the failure of Willesden Justicetoappcarto is a small step forward, he impartial has heen signed Socialist Challenge has by barristers involved in the already called for a pardon Grunwickcases, endorsedby is pickets convicted by ibe presently in the hands of the Lord Chancellor.

But this shauld nor be left talawyers, Aboveall, Its loc the defendants themselves te decide the response that thes

plea to make in soon as possible hey should mitigation. Willesden, in meet togeher with beir fore sistem and for alf orse

The Oakley affair reveals sery plainly why Gounge Ward and the NAFE champion the rule of law as the way of resciving the permined Instead of im• nationalising the Labour of arrested pickers, is now Government has sanctioned localcommunizy.

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE B December 1977 page 9

All these supporters need lo discuss how they can force the

ment to directly iLersene Di behalf of the Grun wick strikers. The How the rank and file can organise the cutting off of supplies and services aimed al ensuring Ward's closure and the nationalisation of Grunwick.

Whenche mass pickets chould

scheduled for outside Congress Hoose, preven Parhament.

ISSUES

These are the kind of issues mass pickets whichnesdrobethrashedoutina

counsel from Lte

#bout to do a repcat performance of my barrister's plea when che magiscrates in court two, including Oakley marched our neid a mectne and returned after lunch

DISRUPTION

That was it. Exeunt one real Just dopensi

was charged with beard the case threatening behaviour and

justice was back

not coss on the second charge, in spite of having three witnesses

TULATET ridiculous accusation that 1'd kamikazed my way through the police lines.

The Jawyers said I'd got off

disruption. 'Magnificant" was

ELECTION

Of course, any govern ment representing the interests of workers would Immediately Lift all the charges against the pickets. However. socialists mus also challenge the existing system of justice and campaign for full democratic rights. Such demands in relation to che judiciary shouldinclude

Abolition of the magist.

to berned hyafuljury:

Abolition of majority verdicts! Outpo unanimous urp verdict should 5r

Electiongfall judgeshwhe

Page 10 scan of this page

IRELAND

Liberation

the requested meetings

and the liberation of Irish women.

At every meeting there was lively discussion about the

solitical situation in the

North Thi followed inevit ably once 1 explained the Ibberal atmosphere in the Six Counties which exists on BULLI.

British women scemed shocked to find that abortion is unavailable in the North and that because of the underdevelopment-of the Health Service, contraception is not freds avalane. Nor is there n single stale nursery in the Six CHASES.

The audiences 1 spoke to

despite all this, while troops are on the suchs JE 1s Enose troops and what they repres-

which 15 the CONTE question. Consequenrly the possibilities of building a women's liberation movement are limited.

Theretore, at almost every meeting. we debated the "bloodbath theory, I pointed OUt already have a bloodbath because the troops are there.

came away WITHERE impression than there was great potential for British women contributing as femin is to une banding or solidarity movement in Brit aiD.

THE MURDER of 14 civilians in Derry, Bloody Sunday 1972 is the event which, above all others, symbolises British presence in Ireland. Ever since 1972 tens thousands have marched in the streets of ireland and Britain, not just to commemorate the deaths but to display a determination to resist British rale in Ireland.

In London the numbers marching on the anniversary ot Bloody Sunday have declined

couple of years. Last year's 1,500 was the

reason for this decline is the Родава остался тевтот Covernment have achiever on treland TENS persuading many that their role

STIC 'peace-keeping'.

There other reasons for the lack

Anne Speed interviewed

Ireland and Women's

ANNE SPEED, a leading Irish feminist and a member of Irish Women United, has just spent three weeks touring British colleges at the invitation of the Student Movement Campaign on Ireland. The four was a spectacular success and even speaking twice a day Anne was unable to cover all

some 36 in all. Socialist Challenge interviewed Anne Speed, and began by asking her what she saw as the connection between the fight for the national rights of the Irish people

Initially. many te women 3 moveRIen supported the Peace People What was the view of the Irish Women's Liberation Moveall The majority of the Irish WLM refute the idea that the Peace People could in any way SUSHILLE They have never taken were silent abour the democrate nets of gaws when the Royal Ulster Constabulary were brutalisine homosexuals into becoming police informWe were very angry ahout the cynical manipulation the press of the fact that the Peace People's leaders women There was a sort of psychological stereotyping of all women as home-loving and kitchen-lowing, forced by the Those values against any odds.

OI course. peace, but anti-imperialist WUL BOTEL BLEE HI is fair and Just, asks us to democratic rights.

Today, very few women in the Catholic ghettos have any ime for the Peace Peoble They offer no perspective. The only base they have is amongit church people and business-

For a united

demonstration

on Bloody Sunday!

enthusiasan in turning out for Bloody Sunday. Each organiatbon or group which participates in irish solidarity in this soury has been guilty of sectarian WISHERS One such mistake was this of January's Bloody commensoration, closely associated with the Socialist Workers Party, being Torowcoate wards oya rally ir the name of the SWP and the Stice then the TOM iself bas Troops Our Movement emiereed as the solidarity movement But the January's dayissons remain and Dow Sina Feia have declared their intention nexr year's Bloody demonstracion in opposition to last year's organisers. The Bloody Sunday Commeanoration Committee.

Sinn Fein is wary that the BSCC contemmoration could too closely associared with one of particular organisation, the

Then.

What are the priorities of the

As 1 mentioned.

Irish women suffer trem endously from absence of basic women': rights

contraception and so on. Male unemployment in areas is fantastically high 50 per cent in some areas because of systematic discrimination against them in jobs. Often therefore it is the women who are the family hreadwinners, In addition, with so many of the men in jails, the political

the organisation of the commuhere пич тенся Деаниь оо кртел:

ibey have prisoners status campaign. for instance Te Su County siste ba givea recognition 10 Icading role of women in the mass movement when it uscs palilics,

any sexual intimidation

incidence of British soldiers raping Cacholic women is also connected with this.

Quite naturally, repression which is the main preoccupation of the women just now. It will more or less stay that way as long as the British Government is allowed were to trample over the democratic

rights tbe popslation None Jegislarion on women's rights passed in Brina in the last 20 years appiles it Treland. To ardes the 3947 Abortion Act, Matrimonial Homes Act, the not one that 1969 Divorce Reform and the

1976 Domestic Violence Acr. CULT

Should British feminisrs De Jighting for these laws to Northern ireland?

There are several problems with the approach of extending such legislation, particuSWP So there is now the situarion in which two demonstrations are being planned for next JULIET The obvious need's stating: the only people who Sunday from such divisions are those in which was

have one organisation dominated by the SWP and one led by Sinn Fein woud be a sickening syntbol of what Britain relies on to maintain its new United

mitistrust that exists herween the DEITISI British let and Irish Republic.

sulism.

Which explain's why the IMG Las issuedan appeal fora united

of organising problems exist. There is always.

COVET

first, who the speakers will be,

should be, But given a desire on both sides to put the interests of the Irish solidarits movement above all else, there is no reason why a mited demonstration CaDBoL be January,

Northern

che total

divorce, freely available

Catholic led the political

the

The rising

it is this

Northern Ireland.

nationalist heralises'

of the progressive

can only Northern

the 1967 strike.

arbitrary THEMe CCT

In their six

benefit

LENINE march led by an

oppression in

division and

closing the factory.

Undoubtedly

class-collaborationist their union, TranspOrt

TWLULCUUETICAI

tarly if it is British women who are raising the campaign. For a start, it means accepting Britain's right 1o legislate for

Of course, any reform which

the position of aruben in the si Counter would be a step forward, but

by be won by Ireland.

Multinational

monster

strikes in Ireland

The multi-national owned Ferenkasteel-cord factory in Limerick, Southern Ireland was closed down for good Jast week, 400 workers were thrown on the dole, the day after they had returned to work alter an eight week

The factory was shut by an

decision ol a who had conned the workers and the Irish Government alike. membership.

vears of operation in Limerick, Ferenka had received var-

from the government totalling over £T.S million. THey also had the benefit of paying wages whose rates were less than half those paid to Ferenka workers on the continent.

It was such conditions wiich directly led to the cight week strike which Ferenka has used as the pretext for

Tole of

The production line workers were fed-up at the

Tole and the Irish and General the Workers Union had played at Ferenka. The union had relised to make official any of the 14 strikes which had taken placeat the plant in the last six years. Such inaction

their own mass campaigns.

The maio costacie to that 1 British rule in the North. Far from Westminster being likely to alleviate the condition of women in leland. it has a vested interest in maintaining the present position. That is why the best solidarity that British feminists can offer is

calling for Britain's immediate withdrawal from

Limerick workers appeal for help

persuaded the workers to seck another union so they joined the Marine Port General Workers Union

Seeing the recruitment to the MPGWU as a sign of militancy the management any sacked those leading the recruitment and the strike began. It was finally settled last week when the unions concerned agreed to a ballot not taken the closure lying of the workers to determine their wishes on union

TWO FINGERED

get.

But this settlement clearly annoyed Ferenka management. It opened the prospect of a real fight in the workplace for better jobs and conditions. So tha closed the factory

The whole affair is a striking illustration of the

multi-national companies. Perenka moved into Limerick with the promise of government aid

low wages. The unofficial strikes had mean

plant was -not the shop goldmine the company had hoped. The latest strike had shown the determination of the workers to secure better treatment. Ferenka was baving none of that. The

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE R Depomber. 1977 page 10

Long

Kesh

appeal

*The price of a card

would be a luxury to

some people in here.

This is what our Long

Kesh correspondent

told us when we offered

to send him Christmas

cards. So we will not be

sending him any.

Instead we are asking

our readers to send us

money for the prisoners

in Long Kesh this

Christmas.

No doubt the large

majority of readers

will be drunk over this

period, feasting, going

to the movies,

otherwise enjoying

themselves. Our read-

ers in Long Kesh will

not. Show you solidar.

ity with them, and your

thanks to our Long

Kesh correspondent by

rushing money to:

Long Kesh Appeal,

c/o Socialist Chal-

lenge. PO Box S0,

London NI. final cynical two-fingered gesture of the company was the announcement of the closures, which was in breach. of gOvernment legislation stipulating that

company planning redundancies had to give 30 days notice prior to the dismissals

The Ferenks workers have

down. The plant is now occupied and suggestions are being made TO TEED the factory into a co-operative, But the workers needs as much support as they can

They are asking for workers at plants owned by Ferenka in Britain to pass messages of sympathy, send money and to boycott any Limerick work which is transferred to their factorjes. These include the following factories: British Enkalon at Thornaby Stockton on Tees, Leicester and Oadhy-Leicester; Novadel, London; Interstab, Liverpool and Armour Hess Chemicals, Harrogare, Readers of Socialist Challenge are urged to get in touch with

stewards at these factories and explain the Limerick More Information can be obtained, c/a Boltom Dog. 109 Malley Park, Limerick, Ireland.

Page 11 scan of this page

Getting it back together

International. BRIAN GROGAN reports.

In 1969 the Fourth International made a decisive turn to link up with the new rise of the world revolution, This turn and Es couscotences created internal divisions inside International for eight years.

Not only was the world movement divided between two international groupings — the International Majority Tendency and the Leninist Trotskyist Faction but this division was reflected in splits in Fl groups in a number of countries or the emergence of new currents coming towards the FT which declared for one side or the other.

Recently this process has been reversed. Fusions bave been

SPAIN

IN SPAIN the two sumpathising organisations, the Communir League ILC] and Revolutionary Communist League [LCR], have ended five yeurs of division by voting to form a common organisation. Opposition from three minority groups within the LC was voted downatitsrecent congress, buta large chunk of the minority has refused fo The LCR Central Commitice ously approved the fusion.

The new organisation arve@membershipapprooching 10,000, with a united youth organisation, also ej several thousand The ICRs weekly paper Combate. with a 30,000

become the joint paper of the LC and LCR.

GREECE

THE Organisation of Internationalist Communists (OKDE), the Greek section of the Fourth International, recently fused with Comanutist Revolutionary Fran (KEM), another Trotskyist organsation. The united organisation now publishes a new papet. To Odophragma (The Barricades, which replaces the OKDE's Ergatike Pale (Workers" Fight).

AUSTRALIA

TWO sympathising organner-

INTERNATIONAL

In the New Year a new weekly journal reflecting the views of the Fourth International will appear, combining the resources of the present Inprecor and Intercontinental Press. This important development symbolises the growth and consolidation of the Fourth

completed in Spain, Canada Quebec, Mexico and Greeceand there are others being prepared in Australia, Colombia elsewhere. Both the IMT and the LTF have dissolved, convergences on many important questions. For instance, the senuns reclution on socialist

international leadership. though it touched on a number

disputed in the tendency fight.

There is now perspectives in Spain and Portugal and on women's #beration and WHIST This is testimony to the

Jons of the FT in Australia, the Communist League Socialist Workers" Party, have FI begun discussions on fusion and @ thorouelt programme of Joint work. The latest move has been the production of a joint paper though with separately edited

A joini statement of the two organisations explains that: "While political differences sill

differences, largely of a tactical

within singie

will politicaldifferences.com lead toa healthy internal tie of political

ВАОФРАГМА"

ENIAIR TREIHH НІМНТОПОІНІН МАНТІЯ ITH ПРОЕНПОГІНН ТРОМОКРЯТІ 420/10 ДЕ1.42

discussion and elaboration, disciplined by organistion s unity in action.

IRELAND

THE IRISH section International, Movement For a Socialist Repuhlic, is working towards a fusion with Peopie's Democracy, probably the best known revolutionary Marxist organisation in the North of Ireland. the Already comrades from the two organisations barc worked together in the Relatives Action Committee in Belfast and the defence campaign for John McAnulty, she secretary of PD held in jaul on remand on a trumped-up charge.

Neither the MSR nor PD see thefusionasthe finalact, but asa

the whole Irish revolutionary left. A PD statement described the eventual aim as to create a new oreansalton based on

Revolutionary unification in many countries

organisational principles of the Plet heright to form tendencis and factions, precipitating everyone expected -guaranteed the integrity of the International and laid the basis for superceding political differences. increased the attraction of the Fl among the vanguard as it moves into discusson Tor Ioe

and 11th World Congress to be heki

with The F1 bas increased tenfold

since 1969. 150variOus so Inters which once claimod to be the SCOUTIE either all but disappeared - as with the International Commeven Intee led by Gerry Healy, or the

Latin American Bureau of Juan had been Posadas — or are in the process

of opening talks with the FI agreement on Eke the Organisation Comm-

uniste International of Lambert or Eurocom- Marxiste Revolutionnaire led

by Michel Pablo. The national fusions detailed on this page

Marxist and Leninist principles

and WE WERE MIC BATESOT

several existing groups and will

revolutionary party:'

USA

AT THE Socialis Workers" supporters of the FIl in August, the Revolutionary

Comational Socialis see

encompursed Internarional Socialises, Leninist with the SWP. The significonce

is not the numerical gain [which is small, but the fact rhat the RMC continues to maintain its analysis of the Sover Union and Eastern Europe capitalist Thatir is possible to contain these Tundomental differences of analysis within a organisation.

MEXICO

THE extraordinary congress of the Revolutionary workers Party (PRT) in August saw the final stage of the unification of all Mexican Trotskyists.

PRThad been founded last yea through the fusion single

of the

the

Fourth International.

Lois congress create organisation of morechan 1,000 miticants, through its fusions with the Socialist League, and a minority tendency Lambertiste group, the Marxist Workers League. The PRT i now inaposition tochallengetbe other major left tendency in

Tar from

has

This outcome has InternatiOnal havE confirm thetrend.

in its initial stages.

international examples.

Pierre

the Alliance United States shows

groups with of a genuine congress!

convention of the

Party IUS

Marxist

tendency

WeEC all

state

a demonstration

congress.

single CANADA QUEBEC

The

Uaf EL ESTADO POLICIACO

CONTINUA naire, an Socialist Action Socialiste

of the split which had Canada since 1972-3.

In Britain, where the Fl group has remaimed intact, but other revolutionary groupings have multiplied, regroupment is only

We have much to learn from these

The SWP-RMC fusion in the unification.

widely differing theoretical herstages can coexist in a single organisation. Party. Theretation of fores st - the Communist begauged bythe fact that the CP. sent fraternal greetings to the

The influence of the PRT in the mass movement is growing. It has played a prominent part in number of peasant leaders came

COLLECES and the Independent Revolutionary Peassors co-ordinating comm

as did the democratic of the electrical

The main political documents

approved by overwhelmingmajority, and the pre-conference tendencies each voted to dissolve during the THREE revolutionary Merkis groups in Canada and Quebec NOTE CONTESSES REAL COG Montreal in July-August — the Revolurionary Marxist Group, Groupe Marriste Revohition-

elections. and the League for Lique They decidedto andly their forces in a newpon-Canadiansection of the FI. This brought to an end the

existed in

organisation, Revolutionary Workers" Leo

The RMC certainly drew this

the former International Socialist tendencies in Britain urging them to fuse with the FI.

Colombia shows bow revolutionary newspaper can be used as the instrument of

while Greece, where we hope to see further developments towards Trotskyist unity in ooring months, is a further example not just of the gue /Ligue Ouriere. Revoluztonnaire, reckons that it was the classieglerself whichpushed the groups towards fission — in the particular last years genera! strike and the wictory of the other nationaiters in the Quebec

COLOMBIA

IN COLOMBIA there has been both a fusion of Trotskyist groupsand themovetowards tbe

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SOCIALIST CHALLENGE & December 1877 page 11 desirability practicality of regroupment.

Itwould he foolish to take any of these instances as a blue-print

indeed the TOOTHLES obstacles in Britain are far greater. But the spirit in which these fusions have boon carried out, and the principles behind them, must serve as an cxample for the fragmenred and insular British Trotskyist movement,

de lucha

Fourth International of a

powertul centrise grouping, the

Socialist Workers" Party

(PST) just a month before three

organisations came

together to form the Revolut

ionary Communist League

(L.CR), theofficialsupportersol

the FI. Both organisations

participated in a joint election

campaign and adopted

common resolution on the

recent general strike and its

COCCULT

lecor.Hwillappes NY 10014. UBA.

Page 12 scan of this page

Will the nationalists split ?

Whites vote for apartheid

In Brief

WEST GERMANY: A

number of army officers

dressed in a parody of the b3

WULOEE JOYE OCE.COUd

Jewish colleague. Witnesses

say that they demanded the

execution of the Jew".

AUSTRALIA: Dockers and

Labour Party representat-

Ives have condemned the

arrival of Vietnamese

refugees as a propaganda

move. They point out that

many Austananimmisrants

are still separated from their

familities under the immig-

ration laws.

AUSTRALIA: A Royal

COMmISSeD rc0orE 195 recommended the legalisa-

bon o1 inccst lor adull Jowered the age of consent. the introduction of homosexuality into sex oducation and the liberalisation of the abortion laws. The Government is thought to have

leaked the report just before the general election to

"discredit' the Labour Party, which sel up the commission when it was in government.

FRANCE: Regis Debray, who won the literary Femina prize has ziven the 5.000 franc prize to the LCR, French section of the Fourth International.

KUMANIA: 2,000 (roop

are still stationed in the Jiu valley after the coal miners" strike there in August. Official promises over living conditions havenot been met and many miners have been sacked and forcibly removed from the area.

N.KOREA: An extensive purge is in progress alter the

discovery ofanalleged plot to overthrow parly lender Kim Il-aung. Japanese business people report thal "scores of military of ficershavealready been arrested."

SAHARA: Polisario troops have launched attacks in the Moroccan-occupied sector of the Western Sahara around El-Aloun. 58 Moroccantroopswere killed. The French have been nying much-pub icised missions of Jaguar fighters over Mauricanian-occupied territory.

BOLIVIA: Dictator Hugo Banzer has announced that DC WI To oc a CaDcIoatc L the general cloction sched-

that theelections will procoed 'Treely and peacefully under the protection of himself and the armed forces!

YUGOSLAVIA: President Tito received an unexpected greeting on Yugoslavia's nationalday - From China's ciparchan saua auo tene: Despite Mao's denunciation O1 to 8s a revis bere has been a rapprocbemenr acrveen the tao ooun eles it necent monchs, partscular y since Tito's visit Peking in August.

CHINA: A manin China has writteo to the Peaple's Dally protesting al noisy ventilator ao is the bote next door. The botel blaibes thenoiseon 'interference and sahocage" hy the gang of four". We would point out that a obisy fan is usually caused by something hitting

INTERNATIONAL

ALEXANDER:

It hoids forth the prospect of the

present politica divison in the

osenciOCTs turned into a real physical split in the ranks

DUETLORITANO UIS SOESIRE

their material privileges. overthirow ofthis regime SPLIT

Mucor po, Sihoi i politica

riH uniK tl Hul HErs weakened the strugele for national liberation. But at Seast they have Tett the fighting bet ween nationaluTHa Jnu nee wene Dcss If Smith's manoeuvres succeed,

ostead black fighting Hack, while sbe racists take i easy

Muzonewa and Sitbole agree la TKC CHA IC OT JOUR BET takepart insuch a ventureit will be an act of first-rate treachery lo the cause of Zimbobwe Trecom the absence of any military forces of their oun, a civil war will make

dependents of the racisl * The purpase of the majar mlET MEMENiC sn Cum canips in Mozambique was to try NOO SOCCI HULCHELCCS simultancously showing MuzorELECTIONS for South

in that country, are for whites only. So it was no surprise tbat KORSTER Jeaves a Pretoria poiling steaion

Racists rampage in Mozambique

The recent two-pronged moves by the racist regime in Rhodesin - the initiative for an 'internul settlement' with a wing of the nationalist movement coupled with a military offensive against the guerillus - threuten to creates highly dangerous situation in the country, writes ROY

UANGIN IOTI MUTE CHINDOO dealing with the Patriotic Front anu warne loc supporcs taat

SOUULAID But the regime may have misjudgedthe situation, andtaken whille this military action prematurely.

The guerillas have greas prestire inside thecountry, even among the TANSEU OE OsPusine Dasa Sons. That is why Musorewa has always beencarefuitoidentifywich and eo, ant the gutrilla armies, debouncing their lesders This has forced Muzorewa to pull back, SES3SUIEE explanation of the raid as a precondition to further negociation. Similarly, Sithole has stated thathisgroupmust descussmatters furtber before encering into any taiks with the rogime.

TRAP

the cruca questions is wnecher Muzorewa and Sithole can retain Ene anecianco or eneir prcen supporters whale taking them inta the trap of an alliance with the racists. Withoue their mass bases ptubarewa anu solnow woukl bi uscless to tbe raciscs — for puppers

to stem the side of strugale. That is Wur comTrCEmCNCILCUO

Liberals' win 17 seats

Afn- last week's general BUHULCU-Ea uS RYaUra'

Johannes Balthazar Vorster's ruling National Party, writes

the only even while

Tought

has. Our

election JOHNHUNT.

shown his

white minority.

of black

partiamentary

of the black masses.

OPPOSITION

wiversal franchise

themselvesabouti

make real political concessicos to sow up an effective deal with tbe "Internal nacionalists. But this will mean black organisations associ ating themschves with bloody actionslikethe Mozambiqueraids, and could well prove a very fnilawers. difficult deception to perpetrate.

Ie the past ee have warned thar NETCHTIA HIS CHH TITC! people like Muzorewa cannot he toluence of trebing the runktf ignoring CAS DEESESSALION IE LHE SELLandE MSI HIT CIHE BEREHITWEIC TETEY!

words counse prophetic: the septarianism of tb Patnotic Front. add the ack ol HIY CHOF LO EC WILH CEC ONSCOE

Overtbepast ycar Vorster had

deterinination preserve the privileges of the

Since the Soweto rising of June 1976 his police have nurdered hundreds

militants and Imprisoned tbousands more. South African whites rewarded him with 80 per cent of the

seats, thus committing themselves to the capitalista certaioty of long and bloody confrontation with the struggle

political forse.

But why did Vorster face any opposition at all? There was no opposition candidatewhe stood for anything as radical as the

So what were the whites lighting among

Vorater presents a slight problem for imperiaiist inter-

the ANC around a clear prograitme or srueele ta liberation of Zimbabwe, Is the advancage cha:

HUOm3IR BBR LonFas

But divil war cuts both wass. If Teracises anc their aLuswio, the HATTC SICIO MELESHIEEI generarion, but if they lase the gamble, then the anger of the victory is likely to sweep away -WHEE

comsmit himself too deeply io this procurin upport from imperialism, an LHTLaEn CmraCTAm-HaChac This heings us to the final and ests in South Africa. The National Party has worked to huild up locally-based Afri kaner industries at the expense of the British, US, French and German multinationals operaling in the country, State subsidies and state interLUD Loe eeduriaNe created a powerful Afrikanier capitalismn. Tbe support of the white workers for the Afrikamer Patt Was DecI secured by its demonstration - tbat It is more untransigents committed to the defenoe of whitesupremacy than any ocher

RACIST BLOC Vorster's reliance on this racist bloc means that be is not attuned to the views of the BLEHEHUBBS SQ the. Intter have found their political expressipn in the Progressive Reform Party, which won 17

AFTERSADAT... WHAT?

IMG Pubhc Meeting

Speaker: Jon Rotlischild

Room SI01A, LSE, Houghton St,

London WC2

7:30pm Sat 10 December

SOCIALIST CHALLENG E #December1977 page 12 nice important point. There can

heno douht where the main biame

present dangers

Zimbabwemusc lie: wich iruperial. . ane ue waisa wernmet in particular. The macoeuvres of Owen and Young have given the

seith rogime the breathing space

pan, nave cocoudacd the chvesions in the nationalist ratks oc shich it is hased; and, indead, Grst

aggesred the whole insidious bases irself upon che aim of LICIA splitting the nacionalists, the only difterence being thar be hopes ro tnclade a part of the Froe in the line-up. 5mith and Owea disagrer obly over mechod - лос over ais, seats. The PRP is prepared te make some concessioos or democratic rightts giving blacks a qualined franchis based on property and education — so as to produce a political solution which, they think will secure the cconoms order.

IMPOSSIBLE

But it is impossible to win the mass of whites to such a view. That is why the PRP only won seats in urban upper middle

PRP iseloquently testified to by Le Jackiag a geis trom co South African based muttiBEHLLUIN many of whose executives hold CAUHEEDS U IE Br?

For imperialism . Afrikane BTOuaaT like loyalism, is a Frankenstein's monster it cannot control, butis afraid to destroy.

Page 13 scan of this page

SURPLUS VALUE

IS THERE a third road to socialism? According to Geoff Hodgson, neither the "parliamentary" nor the 'insurrectlonary road to socialism has yet succeeded in any advanced capitalist country. Therefore we need what he calls a new "strategic synthesis" of parliamentary and extra-parlастату АоO0: 1aIs 15 W121 Hodgson has set out to chart in his new book Socialism and ParlJamentary Democracy.

He argues that revolutionaries, especially in Europe, must take account of what he calls the "legitimising" role of Parhament. Preciely because Parlanch! has legitimacy in the eyes of the masses, mcasures passed in Parhament will stimulate struggle. As Hodgson writes: "the flight of an idea is guided by the type of institution that is expounding that idea (p.63). Thus, if Tony Bean MP argues for workers occupations, the idea will be laken un more readiy than when ти полас 10 50 1л сси Day legislation has stimulated strikes for the enforcement of the principle and spitit of those Acts (p.57)

And in lils essay on Perry: Anderson, Hodgson quotes the remark of Ken Coates: 'If soviets were ever to emerge in Britain then it would be, in all likelihood, in defence of the rights and prerogatives of Parliament to implement key reforms, against the actions of, for example, the House of Lords, the Civil Service, or the armed forces.' (p.127)

POPULAR POWER

However, there is a dividing line between insisting that socialists recognise that bourgeois parliaments do have a certain legitimacy in the eyes masses, and demanding that the working class and socialist mavement accept this legitimacy. Yet Hodgson's case is that, whatever may be the exact role of soviets in the "dialectic" of the revolutionary process, not only is a socialist majority in the bourgeois parliament essential, the soviets themselves must nor hold the power. (Theses 11 & 12)

Geoff Hodgson seeks to re-assure us on

question. Yes, the socialist regime will have to protect itself by force, disarma counter revolution, nationalise key sectors of the economy, set up workers control, and build soviets to harness the energy of the masses. However the state Instrument necessary for building socialism will have to combine the soviets and the Parliament, with the soviets acting as a 'supplement"

"complement' SUASCIE Parliament. Oh, and one last thing...we should drop the phrase 'the dierasorship of the proletariat" as I sounds undemocratic.

This idea of combining soviets with parliament is also found among the views of Nicos Poulantzas, as expressed in a recent discussion with Henri Weber (International, Vol 4, No. 1. Autumn 1977), It is, in fact, the ballmark of those who are at present socking to find a third way between Eurocommunist on the one hand and traditional revolutionary Marxist on the other. The basic Idea is that only a parliament can act as a check on the threat to democratic rights which the soviets are alleged to contain.

LIMITATIONS

For Poulantras, the sin of the soviets is that they would seek to mondare delegates

a red herring, since mandating of delegates is typical only of federai structures, like the British TUC, not of soviet-type bodies. For Hodgion, the danger appears to lie in the width of the franchise of the soviets: "the soviet, while being an excellent body for mass action and agitation, has limitations as a universal representative body. We refer to the capacity of the soviet to claim the alicglance of all seciors of the working pogulation' (p.76). According to bin, housewives and the self-employed in particular would be under represented in such a state.

CONFUSION

But Hodeson's claim lacks a serious foundation. He confuses fnctory soviets with soviets in general. In Ruasia, following the Ocloher revolution, at

mistaken. sections of the working population (excluding exploiters, monks, and former officials of the Czarist police were represented in soviets. Not only housewives and self-employed but peasants too — not a stable ally of the

Geographically based soviets (neighbourbood, city, district and work-place soviets factory, office, interlinked so as to cover all these layers. Nor was it a matter of principle to deprive the bourgeoisie itself of representation in the soviets, as Lenin pointed out. Naturally, the material weight of factory workers is always, by the very nature of economic development, greater than that ol other sections of the working population such as peasants housewives. But this need not imply that the various electoral colleges would be differentially weighted in the soviet system (in Russia, for specific reasons, the

represented over the rural soviets etectsons to nasona. Podics!.

The source of all these errors lie in a failure to understand the essential difference between the soviet system and the parliamentary system. It does not lie, but as Hodgson and Poulantzas believe, ou the tecrain of representation. It lies in the fact that the soviets are not exclusively electorai bodies This, by precisely the limitation of a parliamentary constituency. In the soviet system, in audition to forming the primary clectoral unit in the state, the mass assemblies which clected council members (some of whom would then be elected in turn to the national congress) also execuzive power. This is why Marx and Lenin called this type of state the self-government of the producers.

And that is why it is not simply different from, but superior parliamentary system, In the parliamentary system, for the very reason that workers" parties may from time to time wal a majority, the existence of a permanent professional burenucracy capable of acting independenry of parliament, accountable not to the masses or the electorate but to the hanks. Thus a parliament is designed to exclade the masses from the work af administering the state. The soviet system does exactly the reverse — it draws the masses into the work of administration. In fact it is premised on the break-up of the power of the professionn] bureaucracy and rests instead on the administrative initiative of the masses.

It is this aspect of the matter tbat is torally absent from Hodgson's book. He even brushes it aside. Speaking of Marx's comments on the Paris Commune, Hodgson states: We cannot agree, bowever, (with Marx), that, in general, all burcaucracies have to be amashed. But, we cant certainly agree that, in general, the means of reactionary military repression have to be smashed'. (p.28) In other words, the revolution is allowed to defend itself by force. That is "Tegitimate'. But it must not turn over the administration of sociery to the producers themselves. But for Marxists, this is the nub of tbe whole question. For that is what is meant by the seizure of power.

The soviet system has the advantage. that as well as fancionine as a broad system of representation, it places actual power in the hands of the masses. We can understand berefore, why Lenio and Trotsky never set themseives the aim of 'smashing parliament". As the prolerariao resolution extended and deepened the soviet system, the superioricy of this

A 'third' road

to socialism?

Ruling class ideologists have for decades sought to reinforce the illusion that the masses exercise complete self-determination through a bourgeois parliament. In his new book Geoff Hodgson tends to accept that this illusion is a reality. DAVE BAILEY explains why he is profoundly

persons, limit the had sovies. parlianient, as imagine village) were Left SR majority. disproportionately in contrast, is reality, a

La bourgeois parliament, possesses

to,

the bourgeoisic ensures

mentary Democracy.

HOLD OF Tabsification of history committed

1135CDI.

system would become so widely

self-evident, that a purely representative

body like parliament would simply fall into dis-use. It is therefore quite utopian

to suggest that the masses will voluntarily

soviets lo being grass-

ropts bodies alongside a sovereign

Hodgson seems to

The forcible suppression of the Constituent Assembly (parliament) in Russia after the October revolution arose out of the more or less aocidental circumstance that the lists presented to the electorate at the time of the election did not reflect the true state of the political parties. For in the mcantime, the October rising had split the Social-Revolutionary Party into two. If the Assembly had been truly representative, however. i would bave yielded the same result as che clections in the soviets: a Bolsbevik-

In the event, the reactionaries seized on this artificial discrepancy and launched a civil war in the name of the "democratic Assembly In the West, writers like Karl Kautsky

with Lenin, Hodgson believes should be re-assessed). nounced the Bolsheviks as a minority dictatorship and helped spread the myth that the essence of Leninism was the forcible suppression of Parliament.

properly representative Constituent Assembly in Russia would of itself have yielded sovereignty to the soviets, for that was the wish of a majority of the Russian people. As with the bourgeois family, you cannot destroy

you have to replace it with something • betiet

The view that parliament and not the soviets should he sovereign (not that parliament right continue for a brief time under a workers state) leads logically to a denial of the socialist revolution For denies sovereigoty to those bodies which alone are suited to calising the •self-government of the producers. It leads to a denial of the need to seize state power. forces, Nor do we have to await Hodgaon's next book to prove this, It is alreads amply demonstrated in Socialisms and Partic

In his book, Hodgson offers us an

the Clerinan revolution of 1918-19, which is supposed to illustrate his views, He writes: Once the Kaiser had been overthrown they (the workers) naturally saw the next step as the creation of'a liberal and egalitarian parliamentary republic. Due to social and political traditions in stark contrast to Russia, the German working class inelined towards parliamentarianism and rejected insurrection." (p.41-2) This is a complete

What are the facts? In November 1918, a seriers of risings and mutinies against [be Kaiser broke our all over Germany. In the course of chese, councils of workers, sailors and soldiers were set up all over the country. In many places, these armed councils became, for a brief while, the de Jacio public power. The Kaiser abdicated, and the Social-Democratic Government of Scheidemon was formed in Berlin, formally based on the councils, and

to ending the war,

In December 1918, a Nationn] Congress of these workers and soldiers councils met in Berlio. The delegates were overwhemingly right wing social democrats who voted for the Goverument proposal that the councils give way to a National

whar became the Weimar parliament. The elections to the Assembly were to be held in January 1919

For Hodgson, this proves that the main line of advance for the Spartacists should nothing.

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 8 December 1977 page 13

have been to have campaigned (in the

Assembly) for parliamentary legitimarion

and support for armed workers'

councils". (p.43, emphasis in original) The

Isolation of the Spartacist rising, it is

suggested, austrates that the German

workers at the time saw only a liberal and

egalitarian parliamentary republic as the

boxE step, not rule by the councils.

"However. Hodgson only shows, his

ignorance of the Gerinan revolution, His

Account ends where in reality the rising DE

the Germany proletariat only begins. For

berween Janwary and March 1919 every

major proletarian centre in Germany

jaunched on armed insurrection aimed ar

re-asserting the sovereignty of the workers

councils/ The North Sea ports, the Ruhr,

Saxony, all rose. The second great rising

io Berlin itself in March was only pur

down with the aid of aircraft and artillery.

Over 2,000 revolutionists were killed in

Berlin alone. Finally, in April there was

the famous Munich rising.

ARMED STRUGGLE

In Hodgson's accouns, this strugele, nothing short of a civil war, is not ever

mentionedl In other words, at precisely the time that the Nationn! Assembly was opening ur Weimar, when, on Hodgson's account, you would expect all working eyes to be looking to the Assembly in

hopeful anticipation that their cause

would be Yegitimized, what were the workers actually doing? Launching armed bids for power all over Germany, despite and against this very sanie National Assembly, against the Government that had berrayed their councils, and against the Freikorps who were defending both

The failure of the German revolution did not result from the refusal of the Spartacists to confront the alleged jusions of the German workers through the National Assembly. As Trotsky justly remarked at the time: No one takes note of the creative labours of the Scheidemannist Constituent Assembly. no one in the world is interested in it.' No the German revolution was crushed by the Freikorps, and failed because there was no party able to coordinate the risings (All of which is not to say that the Spartacists should not bave been present In the Assembly, as Luxemburg argued.)

Germany illustrates the inevitable fate or bourgeois parliaments in a revolution,

Germany. the workers tound attractions in a Conscituent Assembly because real power lay with the armed councils, a higher form of democracy than the parliament, In Portugal in 1975 the workers showed licle interest in a future Constituent Assembly, for they could see that the actual social content of any institutional form would depend in practice oo who controlled the armed

that is who beld the power That is why the MFA couscil was at the centre of everybody's concern.

ESSENTIAL FLAW

In revolution it is generally the reaction thar raises che slogan of a bourgeois parliament — precisely in order to counterpose this inferior form of democracy to the newly emerging superior form. For Hodgson, however, because Parliament must be sovereign, even after the seizure of power, the workers must agree to confine their councils to the "grass roots! and fight for a socialist majority' in the parliament which the reaction trying to convene!

The essential flaw in Hodgson's views is to fail to see that the legitimacy of parliament is reiative and not absolute. This is true even in non-revolutionary situations, when all classes in socicty fight against acts of parliament which don't coincide with their immediate interests — strikes apainst the Industrial Relations Act by the workers. sabotage nationalisation legislation by the bosses. spring immediately to mind. In time of crisis however — war, growth of fascism, onser of workers" TE TELET the powerlessness of parliament, which flows from is very nature, becomes starkly obvious to all classes, and it is either shunted aside or used as nothing more than a ruse de guerre by one side or the other. The very representativeness of parliameat, in which Hodgson finds its virtue, speaks against it, for in such crises everyone knows that bere voting settles

Page 14 scan of this page

COMMENT

IRISH Republicanism is one of

Europe. expressino 3s 1 000B

the continuity

1198 throuch to the present

day and directing its amantor

anti-imperalist struggle the

Provisional Republican move-

virtually hegemonic

ghettoes of the North. It gained this position for essentially

1 WRITE in delance

omrade (whom I have known

tor len vental Chris Hale. who

appeared to Involve compilat-

waltere purposes

Iranian studont statistics.

least to Chris, that, though a

dupe of the

police, he nonstheless acied

black mark against him and that

expel him for such a dangerous

Noneof Chris's many friends

Canterbury has the tiniest

doubt of his moral innocence.

greedy.

Treacharous and complicit in

respect Chris' unswerring

SOCIO Sm

necessary. trust him with my

The SWP correctly sent down

mastoie commis on

which found Chris culpable of

lately for such a drastic bresch

However, Hallas, Pavey & Co.

assured him that they were

satistied of

print aniya general waming not

that the peper would clarity his

etrey our Iranian friends and

comnides orany taint of being •

Shah sagent.

stack on the Shah's regime and

Irecty accuses Chris Hale of

sing a SAVAK agent and o

socialist Ineed not emphasise

ccusation lot a socialist.

blood-money and betrayal Is. Equaty portant ein or

Equally Important with

ppalling persona

is whot it rovsais aboul the

SWP. Cerfainty he has beha

with cutpable negligence and The old peasant oushed his way through. Throuch the lina of pouce, throwah the soldiers double row, fall et the feet * of the Tsar. He held in his hand re petition piesding for justice, telling of grevance and wrong.

Fellat the teet of the Tsar, crying:

Serf from a far, lone villege, foriom in the depths of the land. Whence came the wilf: came the cowrage? God knowa? No. the gods do not know. Onty the

Toue Kroookin g nige stine Court there neer to the Tsar, saw the shuddor Di inar that passeo thraoon bis frame

'Checklist' method

not good enough

two reasons; tirst, because it was the only organisation able to respond lo the immediate

Belfast and Derry in 1970 and afterwards.

CONCORD. CHANTE organisation of any significant weight which under

the events of 1965 mass challenge of the Civil

transformed into a challenge to

programme with inherited contradictions, gave

In defence of

my comrade

In that во в or 1 has the swp, knowing morally innocent being a deliberate agent, have

пате тог • огатано рісси оі political gossip. This tunism outstrips any previbus

Tdo hope you will print this, in whole or in part; balt to expose the frightening Ism of the SWP and to clear the name of a genuina Il footien: socialist.

LORRAINE HEWITT (Ganterbury)

yes. SVP chopoto label Chris Hale ne s

BAVAK agent I Can

Its mambership could be et sach a

Iroely to a locturor at an Eneriar niversity. They might have pas less forthooming if the letier had

Sociaust Challenge bricle waule

states that the surver le tein Ant the coleges ine e

similar surices bar ed cul to 1na

War lo Ite auther et 1he Sociausr Wower aricia of bell Male ant

Ltte sgueges wach gard

From Kropotkin's memoirs

brutal oppression the state.

not yer . oo.

Hopo Dewar

consciousness to the anti-Imperialist movement that had

Given the debacle in Belfast in.

August 1969 the creation of the Provisional only Delance a massivo cain tor the Catholic population These are surely the starting

, Le. that the assessment of Irish Repub-

been

the Hritish 'Surplus Value'

Challenge.

Its whose 'checklist method of comparing formal programmes BILL RICHARD's article Irish Republicanism brought iSaaisi et Challenma 20 Now pon himsell deserves corrected, both pol tically and tactually.

concems the allegation ma only a 'minority of Irish people support a Uniled Ireland, CHOUTUDE Gruise o anen tengland s favourite trishman) precisely the same charge refuted by many Irish commen tators Including the TOM, the Irish Labour Party (from which O'Brien was forced to res en and aven the author 0f the Bis SUCe Wno he chose furtherance of his charge is an unfortunate parallel!

On the charge of Comminis/more D291e9 this time with Stalinist Official Republicans) Richards at one SOUTI SEME URE SOMES TE such conference motions were roundly detaated"

insists that thia is Irrelevant because the counter-arguworo Marxist sa ne

The allegation that the 'most worrying aspect' of the Provo's almost Firstly, to say that they are no dillerent from.

and hlstorically ignorant. Mom crucially il is simply not the tunction of British socialists to hector the Irish resistance

within Irish sociely; our duty is

socialists and feminists wish to take up the

imperialist Ireland we would regard It as a positive dévelopment, but our

that as our tirst priority we stop dovising Ene supporting them Instead.

CETS JCOUTE. article was a classic exampia

Father, defend us! in thet cry ages of

He paused pot one moment to look at thie paper Kropatkin in tellowshio took.

With a tremor of fear the Tsar passed on.

That was more than a hundred years app, you say? My friend, it was oniy yesterday they serzed the old peasant and throw him in jed, ло one knows for how iong.

Stif with wa — police and soldiers and prisons

Chies from the pest that summon to the battle

party

Six Coanties.

was much present in the article. licanisin Today'. They are not, dors from the level of historical

article In (Socialist

24 November

central and SUDS UUSE

to. be

of factual inaccurac)

noted that Connor

ago

Tris

anti-

at conceres women

ОвІлоНс NORTH WEST women's C4TT1-

movement.

Britain comands

THEUTUHY

trish and start

Richard's bos and train statiorl

EneRPOOL Socialist SCOTLAND

141 99*7480

040140402

purpose af stating the obvious

points to the historie need of a mans revolutionary Marxist

Qualitative break from Repub-

in order for it to test be achieved, nothing Richards

But this

permanent nature of the irish

the real

analysis is Fheis.

Instead the comrade wan-

abstraction into a discussion specon of the tactics needed today without examining the concrete conditions ot struccle tal Booress ine arned resistance romains

component for the simple

What attitude towards

of the British lett's tendency lo

times untruthful, criticism tor the difficuit task of building support tor Heino's ngn 10 national selt-determination

Socialist Challenge

ACCUSE

•..THE LABOUR COVT

OF ARSON AND MURDER

IN DEFENCE OF THE

BOSSES PAY POLICY !

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EVENTS

For details olechvities in the NV Lineration

Manchester

4 Piccad l9. Manchester 1

Thursda) EDINBURGH:

Hoon avalatle formeetings Daphioaling

WARRINGTON Socialist Chalane ester se hallenge olfices lor details 061-298 2352

he Wheelsheal pub, in Bury Ne

-a11-350IMHr

LIVERPOOL Socialist Challange uroup meets cetrichtis on Wei

ascays al lha Dolphin, Canning

Challenge

tange grOup m on saplatiat Regent, Est stre Challenge contact Soott sh Social

occupation army tramping

nat discriminate between

'terroriste and mass work

a relationship of military action

Provisional's

forward they ofter the struggle,

and not al all ol Eire Nus. similary

the

to be tound in a Sinn Fein Ard

There 15 a qualitative

difference in the weight that

by Jimmy

brumm at bodenstown and

Rusin O Bradaign's Presiden-

for the simple

structures and are understood

NAOMI BRENNAN

JANE CRAWFORD

VON MCCLAREY

MARGARET FLATMAN

CATHY DOLAN

ALISON DOWAIE

has

socie now Et lor Sopottons, plus

group

Reform Streett sach Satandar

Bor 50, SOCIALIST CHALLENGE Iour A

Women's

The Pratiente of Wores

sintomatin Social Couenne -OTUT Streel

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Wednesday. 1.

Soclalist Challeng:

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the Women's Liberatien Movemen

EDINBURGH Socialist Challeng

12 Marchistor Grove

SOUTH WEST

lenge renders g oup every Monday. 7,00pm afilshire pot lupetairet.

SOUTHAMPTON Soclaitat Chal

GREENWICH/LEWISHAM Sociali5t Chanenge group mens eve two adekg. Fordelais ring Hay on

BOCIALIST CHALLENGE U December 1977 pape 14

differentiy byRepub

militants Given

the "diplomatie" role assigned

Hkely that Drumm's is a nearer

of policy in the

North: Taken

bicence i points to a rea

allempt by militants in the

Norin to cometo cros walh the

contradictions between the

Inmediate needs of the

inadequacies in traditionalIst

Republican response. While

la enter that concrete debate

the vacuum is being filled by

Guevara and Debray. It is thest

programmes the Fourth

against, not the straw theorie

of Eire Nua which Dear litt

tosion to the Heing resistance

in the North,

GEO-- BELI

Jewish

socialists

THE following resolution wa:

passed without dissent at the

aftended by aight supporters of

Socialist Challenge and six

Socialiste Group on Wednes

day 2 November in north

MACROSIRE

"This Joint -meeting

Socialist Challenge and the

believes that the mutual

recognition of the national

and the Palestinian Arabs is a

basic precondition for the

united struggies STUDIE

peoples for socialism and

pence in the Middle East

The meeting took place in a

cordial and comradely atmos and a further meeting

DECO SISMONG TOI

December 10 discuss the

question of Soviet Jewry

A. LEWIS (Secretary, Jewish

Socialists Groupl

CAMDEN Sociaie1 Challenga meets et bach moi in

Cr 209 028E Or

SOUTHALL Supporters

Landen IMG. PO Box 50, Londo SOUTHWEST LONDON Socialist

VES ETESS COn Latchmer Fosd London SW11. Last mootin:

Paler Cooper Wedneeday, 14 Dec.

Port Weat Greer

Ramet Nearest

TUET LUTION

HIMILAITHCINI NEO ASCIST interested pleuse contact P0B3 supporters mest regulary 50, London N1 2XP

BASINGSTOKE Socialist Chal:

a Pennington en sonne

HAMMEASMITH Socialiat Challange group moels

Thurecay 16 Loncon

EAST LONDON Socialist Chala Hight Chose pana

Hackney inexl W Town Hall). Monday, 12 Decembe

Page 15 scan of this page

How to raise goons by courtesy of IPC

UNDER RE

Joy say the ads.

But ABA DADZIE

considers

you're

a racist

boyfriend as he arrives to take his girl out, gonna have a night out in Brixton.

the company of all those black muggers and rapists.

album

conclusion.

This is the racist ad which appeared in the national press warning for what is an overtly racist mun, Tau os msuneny stereotypes and equally inSHERE TaUSE TORCT

Despite its heavy promotion. the film can only be described as very poor. It is, for the most part badiy acted. and

2,000AD, published by IPC, is the latest thing in comics, with stories ser in imoginary futures. Aimed or those in sneir carin reens. selling point is the graphic detailing of extraordinary Violence:

The storles are distinguishable by. a lack of imagination that is truly prodigious, observes our reviewer JANICE MILLS.

The comic is best known for having revived Dan Dare of Eagle Tame. But the 1977 Dare bears Little resemblance to the 1930's version. In 2,000AD he has been revived suspended animation in the year 2177, having acquired a new hair style and personality to match — both extremely nesty.

Gone are the Boy Scout moralsofthe earlier creation. In

IRE

Ohn hn Tiurr Thrn ti suery subsoriber trom Deoomber's Levelier.

Dut now with: Provisional

Meinhol

Italian Kong

S0QUU

9P9H. SOD Single cope

BE TAAR

WiumldalasLoneer

You don't have to be

Black to enjoy Black

It helps if

'Com'on Babe', declares the suave, leather-jacketed

"Brixton", she gasps, with neatly manicured hand to mouth, and eyes wide with horror at the thought of spending the evening in

You must have seen the ads for the Black Joy

it's a swinging new film shot in Brixton', he assures her; and off they po to spend iwo hours in the secure, celluloid world of the Odeon. /You don't have to be black to enjoy Black Joy', she croons in

the "stary" asuch as il is — 15

LETELIS revolves around the character Country Hov. artives in cold unwelcoming Britai - Baxton to ge more exact — to be confronted in quick succession by "muggers", crooks, hustlers and cheats, all of whom (incidentally) are SILLE place, bully whose only saving grace is determined disrespect tor authority. in this regand he bears remarkable resemblance to CCI HERCE CITR HAC CMIC L' well as an armada of film and FV leadingroles, The Mekon -Dare's old arch enemy -also been revived: unchanged. But in any case there's not much you can do with a murderous green midger who wants to

The plot moves with all the subtlery of a sceam shovel. Dare is captured, tortured, escapes, and returns to bring the Mekon to justice. All this in a setting from CTRET gives the term science fiction a whole new meaning. A TAMTSC HHHe WOUT nave been better adivsed to call

Another recent serial Fiesh, involving time-travellers visiling the Jurasic period to kill dinosaurs for The tale when boer sides had enten each other with the help of some mant soders. ul has teen suc ceeded by Shako.

They held him for hours

Someday 1 must try this For the sake of the country Justice And to satisly my search for ine Novel Il the thumbs stay where they are And the body drops We will know scientifically That a man's thumbe cannot ocar Ene wogn Dr a 000y Allached to it And if he screams we will have discovered

black.

Unperturbed hy this masty intimidation. he quickly finds his was to the oca dele office, where talter receiving sMnE Iriends SOVIce trOID ODC of the regulars, a Rastafarian brodher, on bow lo procure one': dale choque withour any 0i the Dommar Durcaucraio delass) he is immodiately given a100 as a custman

UNEMPLOYED 'We'ne

Presumably, the dispropor: tionate number of unemployed black youth in Brixton must either considee such work to be too degrading, or cannot bave work; for Country Boy clearly demonsitaies now eiss IIs to step off the plane and into a job, especially black and ungualified.

Country Boy's more worldly-wise friend (alias Samn The Forsters) —who specialisuncoavincing es in bustling women, hanging

out in the central gambling and

who social security cheques

delighted at this encouraging He deliehted when demonstrate his innate ess at ripping people off and trigger-happy teatures a

CIA agents, Which, I must say, is the nearest 2,000A D gets to a good idea.

These are presided over hyan editorial columa authorised by an alien called Tharg, thus proving thar IPC employs at least one Piwrte

has Eve reader. Here it is claimed, he 15 with somc credibility. that the

stories are written by robots. In an obvious refercoce to IPC's industrial relations policy. conquer the Tharg teils renders that wben

mistakes appear in the comic che robot responsible is disintegrated.

AERO BALL Practically all the stories bear a close relation bo books and Herdes. for instance is about a game called aero-hall, which is

hell, just roller ball fifty feet above

was tbe ground. Mach One is the

bionic man with the addition of a buitt-in computer. meat. There Is a fair amounr all end explicit polities in 2,000AD.

Invasion is resistance (led hy the usuni butch herol after conquest by a

This nation called the Valgans. For

Holidays in Argentina

The law T nsb (nUlas revery time a man loses his

thumbs he screams" method Or

whenerer a man is guilly he loses his thumbs'

Or *If he does not scraam he is not really a man' course CARTIS-PENES That he is not unconsdious Dead Or faking the screams RON PRATT, December 1977

CowntryBoy|Trevor Thomas|at the bog/nm/ng offis bducatioo with husparDeve|Norman Bestoe!

begins with a

culminates in an

prostitute.

STEREOTYPES scriously searched for

Throughout the Country Bay if you're hirself -t0 deceived by

of адс-old

artists parade across

local bookies,

collecting his

myths created

is even more

The can MASOCHISTIC prov: bear eating

Needless to and the other stories

isto be Britisb more my lint

films. Herlem OO BILTiLT However the comic

of thase of judge

ahour British

Name

Address

we must Include

Having laken from Country Boy what must amount to at least his trst monch's wages

- ae rent for a mattress on his anything kitchen floor, reimbursement for time lost with a prostitule, miscellancous foans to he reinvested at the local bookies.

Eust Bay edie 10 ts Country Boy advice ou first sexual initiation. This

peep show depicting the 'black man's fantasy of a black stud fucking a white woman; and it number of

equally inevitable visit to a white duscman

film, be swindled and naively allows on their a succeision possibly back men and wonien. All tbe

Stereotypes good for nothings, bustlers, rip of

:HOD BSULUS the screen, perperuacing une self same

by white duced

"typical",

With one or two exceptions, the black woren in the film

the benefit of its readers who don't get the pun, the enemy soldiers wear Russian unsforms.

say. they are motivated bya bloodlust second W's. only to the bero's. The dialogue. when il transcends grunts and groans, consists of stateinents about what an excellent thing it CLUL

Judge

Similarly Moch One, sent in issue 25 to rescue hostages from the third world terror group, dismisses theiden of negotiating for the hostages lives with the poetic words: T'm not here to chat up thugs, chum! Actions ACTICS

Whereupon he proceeds to et fect one rescue by turning the terrorists into mca

All this sounds prety dreary.

has redecming feature. Really. The brings the final story each wock is Judge Dredd. Ser in Mega City One, chich appears to be the Ne F'ork of the future, Dredd I actually a policeman — whose jab by chat time also includes

and jury-

Tn parucuar mwure, ta the Inw. plcasodtoreport. is as campasa

Domestic: 6 months, £3.75; 12 months E7.50

Abroad: Airmail, £12.50. Surface, E9 per annum.

Lenclose a donation for the Fighting Fund of

Complete and return to:

Socialist Challenge, 32879 Lipper Street, Loadon NI.

are presented as masochistic As the very first commercia sex objects whose conver- film sue rareiyteroses arouno

eise than the

orale pane wate wier

1010 013058100B03720LILH of the time stiffing around in searcl of it. This is described in the ads as "grown up fun". RACIST JOKES

These racist stereocopes are nicely supplemented by a

racist jokes, such as the incident where a white

calls hi (black) "Hey, hear you re culting down the troes in this Street, so it looks as if you lot are going to bave to walk to

like everybody else" Only black prople with a 'chip

shoulder could objeet ta such harmless comedy a ration sliation which has heen used by the raciss to justily such insulls since time immiemionia on the assuoption mal raciso

clement of humour is intro-

Despite all this, many black prople have praised Black foy, claiming that they found

true le life and a pleasant change lo see black faces on the screen' cow of teats. Judge Drodd is clad in forn-fitting lescher gear

servant, a robot called Walter, pronounces all its R'su:

Their relationship is constructived around such endearments as: 'Off your knees, you snivelling hunk of

Dredd is also sears TEO TETSTRIR ETADAATO stery in which women appear, apelt troo in crowd soencs Here the female characters are not depicted as any more stupid or unpleasaot than the male and

2,000AD informed throughour by the image of the 'natural', brutal, hairy chested man.

The tongue-in-cheek style of Jadige Dreddavoids the worst of these kind expesses. But it aslo

directly political meaning far cioser to the surlace. Each episode ends with a neat little homily. A typical sample: No way you could win

plasing against the law.

Throughour the stories there Is an almost mystical worship of

Conduct and moral worth are measured exclusively

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Cheques, POs und Money Orders should be made payable to "Socialist Challenge".

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE B December, 1977 page 15

by and about black people in Britain, ir is clear that many have watched il unanalytically, perhaps feeling that to criticise it would be distoyal. Howeser precisely because Black Joy in the first falm ol its kind that anti-racists should cone oul and openly denounce the debased and degenerate image of black peaple which chis filma is pushin

Ar a time of increasing racis attacks on the black com. munity and rapid mobilisation by fascist organisations. can black people afford to adopt a Liberal attitude towards such racism in the mass media? THA LISSUOUSEETCOL pushing the myth of immigrants" arriving in Britain. takins white jobs and SIDEHISU the cate. can black people aford to support sOch fi m1s n3. which push

acdly the samte orytl

TCHC E WE BEU DUKAE Black Jay and espose all such attempts to make black people the scapegoats for the falling; of Britain's capitaliar coonomy.

Black Joy is presendy showing at some London Odeons, in the Midiands, East Anglia and Oxford. by legal criteria. The worse arrocities are permitted, provided you are on the side of the law. Roquired reading, I would have thought, specialiy b. strates. and especially Oakley:

ago the - producer. comics felt an overwhelming confidence in their ability to pronote middle class morality The Lion, Eagel, and Boys Own Paper openly sought 1o produce clean patriotie young Britons. 2,000AD bas ababdoned the morals of [ta predecessors. Its greatest hope is to produce fear of authority This is no testament to middle class morality. It is evidence of the turpitude produced in society by ruling class UELEDE. 2.000AD is read b thousands of youngsters, IPC wants them all to grow up as goons.

2,000AD is publisled weekly ar (according to tbe page one box! Sp Earth Mouey, South Africa 30c. Mercury 17g. Asteroid Belt 20g. cic.

Page 16 scan of this page

Doctor Palmerston' Owen sends in the

Fund drive breaks £200

Registered with the Port Offer as a newspaper. Published by Reignes/ Ltd. for Socials Challener, 28/9 Opper Sner, London N/. Printed by Goodlend Press/uten, 25 Mandork Mour, Birester,

of Britain.

Everywhere the Government has a problem it is adopting the

DULLESTY intervention, And itis a Labour Government WILL sIC sponsible.

Inthelate 1960s it was Labour

sent the troops into Ireland and Anguilla — and no prizes for guessing the Minister reponsible in Chen case

It is the Inhour Government which continues to supply elite SAS troope to the Suban of Oman, and then hires out those

SPECIAL

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pep. *Russian Revolution Special, 50p *1978 May '68 Poster Calendar,

10p påp.

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gunboats

"Gunboat diplomacy' is a rather disparaging term.. Those who use it like to pretend that dispatching British troops all over the globe was just a quaint idiosyncracy of the Palmerston era. But gunboat diplomacy is alive and well and living in Bermuda...or Ireland, Belize, or the Green Goddesses on the streets

troops to the Dutch, the Germansor any other European GOVCrIMeEt will & lerrorist' problem, Remember British troops who Mogadishu attack.

And now, after a test run in the Central American colony of Belize in the summer.

Bermuda, From the press you would think that we were back in the days of Palmerston — the Royal Kepimeat of Fusiliers pops off to a colony to sort out a lew

RUSSIAN REVOLUTION Price 50p Socialis Challenge offers you a 16 page colour: special on the Russian Revolution. The design, by complements a hitherto unpublished This text contams contemporary accounts of Bolsheviks in 1917, price for this splendid souvenir marking the 60th anniversary of the revolution is only 50p plus 10p

RUSSIAN

REVOLUTION

1917

Sociatist Chailenge SIUS TUD pap. plus 30p pap.

*Grunwick mass picket painting by Dan Jones, 22 plus

"All three publications €3.30 post free, and no need to

include pap costs If you are ordering any two of the

chequerpostal order to Socialist Challenge.

LABOUR SAVING CHRISTMAS PRESENTS

It you want to send any of these as a Christmas present

use this form. Better still, use it to send yourselt a

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uppitynatives.

But the responsibility for the Burmuda events lies susren with the British Geverriment. The execution ot two blacks Tacklyn and Burrows -Friday was the firse since 1943. Dozens of whites on similar charges have got relatively mild treatment.

The difference in this case is that they were iwo black men in • colony where the police, judiciary and government are led the exclusively white.

Fearing reaction from the overwhelmingly black population, heGovernment, beadedby millionaire David Gibbons, and Governor Sir botham (late of Washington) Deferredto London.

Go ahead, said David Owen, Labour's debomuir und humane Foreign they reonly blacks — sadit you have uny bother we'lsend in the gunboats.

The blacks of Bermuda have treated this racism with the contempi it deserves, The standard bearers of world socialism responded with predictable speed in dispatching their The trained Fusiliers, replete with NO SUCKS. rubber bullets and sten guns.

invaling Brits will behelping our with the fire service the next fleet of RAF Hercules will be mercifully taking a few Green Goddesses has yet to be confirmed! We can expect more murder before the Fusiliers go back to the moce farniliar tasks of "keeping the peace! in Belfast 1229.74. That's how much our supporters sent into the fund drive this week. For the fiest time since Socialist Challenge was launched, the donations have topped L200. Or this week's came from tax rebates. Our

last Peter Rams-

Secretury, after all

sort of callous

CHELSS and Deiry. balons. tear

other things the

Further

Most

southern Africa, weekly

total, E69

This expeditor - the socond to the Caribbean in six months

- MISCHICOME DE SEEI

outings for British

dangerous is the DOssbity of am Intervention In

Already a British Field Marshal has been appointed to

Zunbabwe: Itisunlikely that the Preston supporters discussed the idea and then sent off F4 from Healey's hand-out. We look forward to receiving

al Solibull. groups

send

who will do

drive.

11800 E1800

made 51,384

U.S. A. refrom dermoua [unfortunatel, buttwo squaddies genting themselves rather metor

British will go in on their own — more probablytacy would form part of a multinational force but the readiness with which Owen is prepared to bolster white rule in the Caribbean does not bode well for the black masses of Zimbabare.

When the troops went into the Bogside in 1969 Iley welcomed with cups of tea. When they arrived in Bermuda many mere of our readerst tax rebates. Another highlighr of the weck was the 126 from to: readers in the Rover car plant

Our Leicester supporters sent in the first installment of what they describe as Lenin's levy. They have promised us even mare when their lax rebates come through. One of their

British and foreign postag stamps and then sellthem.

They are making an offer in all our readers and supporters

10. 0ER with the samps, What you have to do is collect the samps and then

then Socialist Challenge. We will send then M.B. De to the icicester comrades

the necessary WOrk SULE CECOLLE proceeds to you in the fund

This week's two hundred Anor topping donations brings

To be on targer for £1.K00 by п.Л. the New. Year we should have

to com placenes. Keep sending tie

ATLAANIO DELAR

ail they got were firebombs and missiles. The world has learnt a Jot about the British army in the last ten sear the British labour movement should learn the same lessons and demand; BRITISH TROOPS OUT OF BERMUDA!

*Caribbean Labour Solidarity has organised a picket of the Foreige Office at 6.00pm Wednesday December. money rebatest This week our mark? especially

M. Kahn 2.00 Manchester ASTMS supporters 4.00 Anon.

South London maders

15.00 CUDAD LOS IN NAL M. Waleczeck 0.75 Oxfordsupporters

Stoke mader

R. Bleckwell M. Ball U. BOVIN

D. Davies

Roverworkers, Salihull C. Fanach Durham radars

Loicestar supporters Middlesbrough reader Middinsbrough supporters

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