Socialist Challenge No. 253, 9 July 1982
The scan: sc-no253.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive)
Uncorrected machine reading of the whole issue. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from the scan and has not been corrected or cut into articles. Each page gives the headlines first, then the columns in order, so one article runs on into the next. Expect misread words. Use it to find things; quote from the scan.
Page 1 scan of this page
Challenge Detend ASLEF Defeat Tory
SUPPORT HEALTHWORKERS 19-21 JULY
No. 253 9 July 1982 25p 'DEATH TO ASLEF', Tory MP's in the House Commons. They show what the real issue is. rostering is only a smokeSHIOCT
The Tory press has taken up Thatcher's cue with gusto. They are rampaging 'Luddites' and 'wrekers'. If
going to tell a lie, yuu ala make it a big one.
All the facts show that it is the Tories who are destroying the rail industry. • British Rail has the lowest government subsidy in whole of Europe. underground alone has a bigger subsidy. Tory use the benchmark of the subsidy made by the last Labour government. This only proves how rotten Labour's record is. • British Rail has one of the lowest investment programmes in Europe. It invests less than a half that of West Germany or France slightly more than a half that of Italy. • British railworkers work the longest hours for lower pay than their European leagues. They work twenty five per cent Since 1975, railworkers have dropped from 9th to 39th in the British wages league. • There have been dramatic increases in productivity while jobs have been There were over half a million railworkers in 1960.
Unemployed and strikers 10р
Socialist
bayed
Flexible
about the The Paris and only
col-
more hours.
38,000 more been demanded.
The
with the
massacred. ASLEF.
Today, to
wrekers
Kings Cross traindrivers picket the Sun
there are less than 180,000
job cuts have
Labour front bench true to its record has lined up
Tories against Shadow Chancellor, Peter Shore, had the temerity
characterise ASLEF's
Sün
magnificent stand as coming from those who 'regardless of the casualties, regardless the risks, must always say "'charge".
It is the Tories who are doing all the 'charging'. ASLEF is in the forefront of the defence of the railways and defence of
trade union rights
of
port. The nothing to
Miners
challenge
Tories
bho, Dt NT( Socialist Challenge
Transport workers, health workers and miners by contrast have pledged their sup-
TUC has done marshall these forces. If they did, we could do to the Tories 'charge', what they did to the light brigade.
ARTHUR cargill's first pech as NUM leader t the miners ference in Inverness this week •owa gauntlet to the Tory government and to the right wing leadership of the Labour Partv
As mineworkers 'enter a new era' he called upon them to: •resolutely resist all pit closures o fight for a 31 per cen nav rise to bring them u from a minimum of £87.80
workers TO] Sunnace £115 • defy all provisions of the Tory union laws • push for a thorough go. ing socialist programme for the Labour Party •oppose the witch-hunt in the Labour Party •unite the • internationa trade union federations •support accountability of the leadership to the rank and file, and rank and file backing for the leadership •support the health and rail workers
The policies outlined by Scargill sharp break with his predecessor, Joe Gormley Scargill promised that under his presidency there
"secre diplomacy' dealings and that conference decisions would be sacrosanct
But he wanted at the end of the day the right to demand industrial action if the union's claims could not be won by negotia tions.
The accountability and democracy moves ln ln NUM are being deepened by a total reorganisation of the national executive AL ne soseE azul wus delegates come from relatively small units of the NUM.
But the key task before the miners is to fight pit coures neusta ahol will be needed to , save Snowdown Colliery Kent. . Scargill said that if the NUM accepted even: partial cut back of its workforce in Snowdown it would be tantamount 10 giving the 'green light' to major closures.
He called on miners to reaffirm their solidarity with rail workers 'and unanimously agree tota support for ASLEF who are under attack from the British Rail Board inel ponucas pusses, unc government
SIere possibility that the ASLEF dispute drags on, the NUM will find itself inextricably tied up with this dispute because we won't be able to work as we can't move the coal out.?
L as Scargill says the will be willy-nilly forced to filicis stop work as result of the train strike, if the miners decide to suppori Ine SNC L WOLKC. strike on 19-21 July and if thev continue to dely int Tory law on secondar! picketing then the government is handling a time bomb. The miners, with the traindrivers, are lighting the fuse.
Page 2 scan of this page
THE LABOUR movement approaching its most decisive battle with the Tories. British Rail Board has gone for
confrontation with drivers; healthworkers being offered a miserable pittance. Steelworkers, livelihood has been dismantled to 'save the industry' have been told to shed 25,000 more jobs; new pit threatened.
The government pretends not to be involved - in battles which could draw in up to six million workers! The opposite is true; for political reasons, Thatcher has decided now is the time for a trial of strength with the unions.
This winter Lord instructed the Rail Board not to fight the railworkers over flexible rostering: now it is out for a showdown. Last year Norman restraining Tory backwoodsmen who wanted more vicious clauses in his anti-union bill; now he backs the Lords in adding compulsory secret postal ballots for union leaders. Why the urge for a fight?
Part of the reason is an elemental upsurge of workers' struggles don't agree with the prevailing view that the labour movement is defeated and cannot resist. If anything a new spirit of unity and solidarity has been born witnessed by the tremendous support won by health workers, and the effect of ASLEF's immediately after the NUR leadership's betrayal. Joint LP and TU action to defend
jobs, services
and union
But solidarity alone is not enough. The reason for this confrontation is that the Tories too have new confidence. Faced with the great organisational strength of the unions, they feel that the war and the witch-hunt have given them political grounds for a successful clash. that a policy which splits the working class is paramount. Foot and Healey have played right into her hands with their witch-hunt against Labour Party
ICIL The battle against the witch-hunt, and with it Foot's disastrous leadership, is thus the key to the future of the working class movement in Britain.
The union right wing understand this perfectly. The day after the NUR conference suspended strike action on below Name.
Address.
Age.
Union/CLP (if any). 50. London N1 2XP.
Socialist Challenge : 9 Juty 1082 ipage 2:
is
The
the are
whose
closures are that
McCarthy
was We strike call Thatcher realises
thes ended wing activists.
Trotskyist Revenue Staffs
JOIN THE FIGHT FOR
SOCIALISM
If you would like to be put in touch with Socialist Challenge supporters in your area or would like more information fill in the form
Send to: Socialist Challenge, PO Box
British Rail, and on the same day that
London iransport workers' action, Sid Weighell gave his full backing to the expulsion of Militant 'and other rag, tag and bobtail
The Inland war.
Federation leaders have told the Broad Left that it will be suspended by 12 July unless it abandons its 'union within a union!' The
call
1974. closet
Editorial
PO Box 50, London N1 2XP Phone 01-359-8189/8180 (editorial and distribution)
Fight the Tories
not the left
Labour leaders' attack is, purely and simply, open sabotage of the struggle against Thatcher.
The picture is not complete without an accounting for the Malvinas
Thatcher fully understands its importance. In a keynote speech over the weekend of 3-4 July, she called for the "Falklands spirit' to apply to the rail strike. 'Railworkers should think of the nation's well-being', she said — that is, they should scab on their fellows. The "Falklands factor', she said, was now a 'new major force in British politics.'
Thatcher's war was not just a war against the Argentinian people; it was also a war by British bosses against British workers. It has given the ruling class the political capital to attempt governmental and electoral oeuvres in short political manoeuvres • against striking workers.
A thinly veiled threat hides behind Thatcher's words. If you go ahead with this strike, she is saying, we can
an election. Reactionary 'popular' support against militants did not materialise when Edward Heath tried this manoeuvre in
The witch-hunt and now give the Tories the confidence to risk it again. Foot's abject support for Thatcher's war was thus an class betrayal: all those now fighting the Tories are reaping the whirlwind he has sown.
The map of the left in the labour movement has been redrawn by its response to these two acid tests: the witch-hunt and the war
With the adoption of the Labour Co-ordinating Committee's proposal for a register, the leaders of these
Kinnockites responded disciplined and orderly war to the
command to register. The Tribune group's decision followed.
As against this Benn has coined the memorable tag of Unregistered socialist, and Iribune nas declared its own group 'dead'. Those who op pose the register themselves yet again to the left of the Militant itself; it has said it is ready to register 'if conditions Militant's lack of against an attack on itself goes with its bouncal on to me real board member Lyn declares Militant Review that government would have the Malvinas war "by socialist means'!
Kick out Healey,
kick out Foot
Al ine same ume, even some ol those who spoke out against the war are now unwilling to take the issue to the next Party conterence where 11 industrial would become an issue in the struggle against Foot.
Given these new alignments, what the war are the essential elements of a strategy to ensure that the the Tories and the SDP, and that the act of witch-hunt is rebuffed?
unions' organised Tebbit bill gives them legal powers to do so. But whether they can pull it off depends on struggle with health and rail workers. These confrontations highest stakes. risk being tipped out of government; the working class faces the crippling of the unions.
A general election threat will in-
the and policies
ment,
dustry, from a coalition
Photo:
gurus
have found
ference. are right'. intransigence
editorial Labour Walsh now
socialist Labour
continued We spirit: fight is carried to
that an
The Tories want to break up the resistance
• movement salulare For the Tories, they for the These
labour
fighting for it.
evitably hang over this struggle. The labour movement should not retreat an inch under this threat
The lessons of the 1974 miners' strike have to be understood. Then,
industrial struggle created the conditions for a Tory defeat at the polls bécause it proved they could not deal with the unions. Moreover, the ruling class could not immediately impose a coalition because Wilson was forced to form a minority government
implement important election promises. He had no choice while the unions were still mobilised. Labour then won an increased vote and it was not until Wilson defeated the left in the Party and imposed the Social Contract that he was able to sabotage Labour's policies and its government
The Labour Party should now, therefore, march hand in hand with the unions to defeat the Tories. Joint action at every level is vital to build a movement that can sweep them out ol office and replace them with a Labour government committed to socialist
Defence of these socialist policies is equally vital. Unilateral disarma-
the thirty-five hour week, withdrawal from the EEC, and considerable measures of nationalisation, have been won by the left in the last period. Other policies are still needed: a mandate for workers' control in in-
La commitment to wilmalay NATO and from Ireland renunciation of any British stake or presence in the South Atlantic. But the right wing want to reverse even the gains so far made.
No coalition, for
a Labour victory
This is the context in which the witch-hunt has to be seen. It is an attack on the mass movement, dividing Tories and the SDP. It is an attack on when the fire should be on the the socialist policies that have been won in the past period - through an attack on those who support them.
It is also a bid to flatten opposition within the Labour Party to the inevitable suggestion that, , if at al possible, there be an attempt to form
with the SDP/Liberal Alliance to keep the Tories out. This is a policy for catastrophic defeat. must be reversed.
The fight against the witch-hunt must be a central component of the left's strategy in the next period - not swept under the carpet as the LCO
would wish it to be Such a struggle can be the occasion for a 'second wave' of the Bennite movement. The first wave of this movement, with its emphasis on accountability, met reversals at the last Labour Party con-
But the shift to the left and the growing strength of women in the labour movement, , the growth of the
Party Young despite Militant's leadership and the
successes of left reform movements in the unions in particular on the basis of the influence of CND, show the possibilities for the regroupment of the Bennite left and a concerted bid in the Labour Party and the unions to beat back the right: around support for mass struggle and the demands of the oppressed
need our own 'Malvinas the spirit of those important minorities who spoke out against the war, joined by the youth, women, black people and those now confronting Thatcher. Their task is to become a majority; to defeat the witch-hunt and Foot's leadership of the party, to organise solidarity for the industrial struggles now going on, and to show
alternative government possible; a government that will fight for jobs, not bombs. This is what will encourage our own 'fainthearts' to
— against Thatcher.
Joll our owll wal This is what will unite the Labour
despite leaders'
conclusions combine show a clear line of advance for the
movement; Socialist Challenge, its readership and its supporters, have a vital role to play in
Page 3 scan of this page
Socialist Challenge is good for your health!
Support grows around the country
ALL Socialist Challenge sellers should be preparing now for a big sales drive building up to and during the health workers strikes on 19, 20 and 21 July.
The present struggles of health and rail workers against cuts, job losses and Tory attacks on living standards are the front line of the fight back. Socialist Challenge is an absolutely vital weapon in the war against the bosses and their government. Extending the sales of our newspaper and winning new readers has to be our central coming weeks (no reference to the World Cup intended!)
ONE million workers can't be wrong. The action taken by determination to win has made the government very nervous. The solidarity action from other key sections is unprecedented in the life of this government and has pushed the trade union leaders further than they ever intended. All this at a time when the ASLEF dispute promises to push the Tories back against the wall.
The unity of the healthworkers is upsetting the well laid plans Health Minister, Norman rowier. he wants to arive
wedge between nurses
ancillary offering the nurses a better
To date he has not been successful.
LIC beginning of June the Royal College of Nursing. which organises 230,000 nurses, voted to reject the 6.4 per cent offer. And despite the initial acceptance of the new improved oTTel LOI nurses, the RCN is facing revolt in
Hundreds of nurses are the RCN, which cannot take strike action and is not affiliated to the TUC; switchboards are jammed with protests from members. With health service unions,
and COHSE, boycotting the negotiating noov. tae walev cour
cil, it becomes more
to negotiate separately
Health service workers and all those workers who have been out on the picket lines supporting them, know that what is at stake in this dispute is the very existence of the National Health Service itself. A defeat over pay now will mean the winding down of the NHS and the introduction ot a two tier health system.
Already the number of
private beds has risen from
23,346 in 1970 to 31,875 in 1980, while huge cuts have been made in the NHS.
Laundrv. and other ancillary services may be contracted out.
The present dispute has strengthened and united the NHS unions and their members but both sides know that the stakes are high. For the overlicit to deal with the the NH$
unions becomes even more paramount as it attempts
to force the public sector
keep
line... goal over the
Healthworkers
All out on
19-21 July
the health workers and their lesignated pay norn
inquiry on pay in the civil
will report. It Will give full backing to the government's opposition to comparability for public sector workers with workers in the private sec-
The Tories want to LU1. continue with pay policy that results in judges and top civil servants receiving 18° per cent increase health workers are offered a miserable 6 per cent. It is
in the front line, seriously challenging the ment's pay norm.
The dispute in the NHS challenges ine poncies of the Tories every level. They WalL dismantle our welfare state, deal with the unions and make the workers pay for the crisis.
underestimated what is at stake.
hat is why the suDport the health workers have received so far has been vital has to continue to grow The leaders of the NH. unions have not to date called their
OuL membership for the next days of action, 19-20 July, but the pressure 1s on them.
This dispute is a matter for workers everywhere. All trade unionists should be demanding strike action on these days at a national level which should be coordinated with the train drivers' action. The Labour Party members should be calling on the party both locally and nationally snoW solidarity with the health workers LOC lines. Mass rallies led by the and Labour Party should be organised up and down the country.
The health workers are making a stand against this
eLet's 101 suvcklllicall. join them in our hundreds of thousands. Let's make
national action against the
Take Socialist Challenge onto the picket
In the build up to the three days of action local supporters of Socialist Challenge will be winning support for the health workers action from trade unions, Labour Party branches and trades councils — getting delegations onto picket lines. Health workers should be invited to workplaces to explain their claim and how other workers can back them up. Selling the paper at workplaces and factories in the days before 19 July will be important in preparing the widest possible support.
Sales teams should be organised to cover all the major picket lines in your local area. Socialist
South Wales •We say stop the war, pay the health more This was the
LIC South Wale! support nealll workers' pay clain GLYN
plained many workers were by no means op Doscu wal suude now inal I sovel Is lilai if the government can afford to spend money on the war they can afford to spend it or One COHSE official tried WULACIS the Wal issue dy saying that heat could hers saying blokes in the Falklands stick to were giving a nunarea per cent He got short shrift from an irish claimed that interested in the in Ireland and stayill? wiicle sucwas outac pickel lies The Falklands war is one many issues
workers dispute grow in strengin oreansaon or ol lew younger stewards are coming
Nore in a ra 19 i
explained Glyn
ded wood l Calle were calmne new members for the union - in
Londoners
HOSPITA
NUPE London Division 13/25 soc
Solidarity
advance.
Challenge! my hospital alone 23 former members or me ken rave joined the union because they want to fight. The Wales division RCN has orced to come out against 1 latest otter their swil chboards were literally iamm ed with complaints last week.
'NUPE organised across the hospitals which important enough it necas Lo be broadenea out
delegate ons delegates hicle from
the Licensing Centre to our las meeting CISCUS Coor-
action around the 19-21 July strike
'The DVLC, which is based in Swansea, only july wich will Have dil
well. But if Will be the
who will be the lynch drawing together healthworkers the rail workers disputes Ou local pit will be stopping on 1y Ju-
"Three NUPE branches in Swansea have hired
visitil lactorics workplaces asking for sym e same elione
and NUPE local government ana water workers supporting us already.'
PAY THE
WORKERS
Challenge has sold very well already on previous days of action, we can do even better this time. The paper will include special coverage on the health dispute in the issue of 14 July. Local demonstrations and solidarity meetings should covered by sales teams — make sure you remember to send in details so that we can advertise them in
... and take the picket line into Socialist
Use your local sales of the paper during the health workers and the ASLEF disputes to build up a closer political relationship with trade union
Photo: PETE GRANT (Socialist Ch
Ealing health workers receive local support Manchester Sunday 10 July will see the manchester invour movemen out on the streets in support of the health workers and the rail workers The demonstration plann ed for that day was originally Manchester women's council showing their solidarity with health service backing Labour Party, the North wes of NUPE ane oran west region. and UCATT. Greater • Man, chester printers, fire fighters,
oure TOCO branches and districts unions including ngineers and miner the type o activity rs бо слиси that can help to buila oroad suppor Jor ine health workers acron onLy-Li July and should be taken up in other areas.
Southampton
La balt on the afternoon of 10 Southampton Docks came June dockworkers and foremen struck for the afterin support health lockers joined WORKCIN celeration from Vosper's
at Handle, Local government
NALGO branches Labour Party, who supported a march and a half day strike
By Hilary Driver
never written reports
also also be local reporters.
portant, as well as photos.
ideas, by health service unions in Southampton.
contingent NUPE porters
allu ancillar workers ica lnc march or Ju through centre rally. Speakers at the rally expressed both tion of the health workers
their widespread support that ISLA ne abour movemen for them
militants in your area. Don't just sell the paper -discuss it with workers on the picket line. If you've
TOT Socialist Challenge before, now's the time to start. All our sellers must
Both before and after the days of action, we want you to phone in or post reports from picket lines, meetings and demonstrations in your area Interviews with strikers about disputes are also im-
In the fight against the Tories and for socialist
Socialist Challenge is indispensable. It's good for your health. Make sure you use it! Pay the
Health
Workers
Pay the Health workers badges available at 25p each Orders for 10 or more badges 20p eact Orders for 100 or more - 15p each Cheques payable to 'Car' and send les alter brises Booges Boxy Lon don NI. Why not get your trade union or Labour Party branch to order some!
The next step is to build sunDort to day stresso wide demonstratio and the wide
July
Sheffield NALGO Following the decision of the convernmen workers union annual conference not
picker lines on 23 ne,
field City Council NALGO members came out for the day Pickets were set up at a major workplaces and nurse hospital worker. omed emergency cover was provid ed by the local governmen but the from the public WO favourable.
Ine action taken on 23 June was the most successfu attempt of Sheffield NALGO e was some discontent among int members because mere was very sue consuliu the nart of the unio leadership. . But the very suc ess of the action should make Sheffiel move towards havins vovemen me ark one members The disruption of city lif by NALGO will be a big boos both to the and action with the health workers Reports compiled Judith Arkwright Pat Grusoe: ana mike lucker
TANAND
Socialiet Challenge: 9 July 1982, page 3
Page 4 scan of this page
EASLEE "Prepared for long fight'
What railworkers told Socialist Challenge
MIDNIGHT on Saturday night at Manchester's Piccadilly railway
Sld~ tion. Nothing was moving DUNCAN EDWARDES and REDMOND O'NEILL spoke to NUR members on duty - BRIAN GORDON
LEADING RAILMAN HAYES. 'A lot of NUR members fully support ASLEF. A stand has colo pe made somewacre. ll looks akel me orves cool. then no-one will. . we are with them because a lot of what the NUR has
the dies
sticking to their His a cuts l sella!
westone nave cone ol with the drivers in the first place. Now that the NUR has accepted ostering we are all out of pocket. NUR leadership accepicu ll. OUT une guards lisagreed
You ask us what the NUR should should strike
union tor al rauway workers. Weighell should resign and Buckton should over.
Socialist Challenge 9 July 1982 page 4
of the
Photo: GM COOKSON (Socialist Challenge)
way could do
SHOW
But ASLEF is not realiv fighting the Board,
ment.
wInS ASLEF acceols rostering. Ur iney blame Ine strike on the unions. claim they've work and make tuls allyway They are trying to drive a
weare Derween ALer ana NUR. we've not got to le that happen because we are all
money the Falklands easy enough
ny can't lne
ail? Thatcher has made a l of gains from the Falklands but she's riding for a fall. It'll be like Churchill after the Second World War. He thought
He's jul rool is H0 coul 11S1 a cooterer should lead the Labour Party. He's the only one who opens his mouth.
If they try sacking a lot of onvers they'll have a general reson " unis strike strike on their hands. What
usec ov the coveranear to further its own anti-trade union ends ana to attack social services. The mood
drivers really determined. Peter • Parker will have to sack us all beins there under faxi before there will ble rostering ASLEF.
We have absolute conNothing moved at Kings Cross
need is more with streak
PETER GUNN, chairman of the Manchester joint branches of ASLEF
I think they're using scare tactics against us. I he threatenec
to be a long dispute are all beup in the press to
our picker time No one ha.
crossed think attitudes will harden as it goes on.
So we'll be looking tor support we're concentrang on une Nun. are trying to use the N We've got to stop happening. tried every was to get • al us. ror exalloc putting up rosters LIFE depots that look really good we know they won't stas that way. If we accept flexible the orerorative amend tnem дат кого косанов. we think they are planning to cut
the NUR shouldn't have called off their strike and we should be at it together. There is a general feeling that Sid Weighell cooked up the NUR strike and gọt it called off in a conspiracy with the Board to smash
We are prepared for a
The staff by a half. We want olid, short, sharp strik
PETE, ASLEF, Birmingham "There is no chance of us ever ace indicroxi flexible I Uselle The wart oBe
We will stay out for as long a
it takehile every
other major industrial Hallul Investit rail, Ln1S disastrous Tory government seems determined to destroy our industry. It is refusing rovide the cash to replace ol
high technology locomouves and track'.
GEOFF, NUR, Birmingham
oppery sia weignell Is le telling the passive
real prit of his members the
'One man trains, open stamons. chances in nours. con
wages that mean we have to work sever make living, plus the loss of clean.
own proposals. But by Thursday they had made a complete about face — undoubtedly under
Burchil They after obliterating our union.
We are very heartened by the support that has
jing, goods delivery and can¡teen jobs that have been will be hived off to Parker's Tory friends. • When thev reallv find ou about the jobs situation and our negotiating strength they have nell with Weighell's sell doesn't nave to work 10r oul wages and under our condi the membership wil will decimate traditional right wing bureaucrals betrayed us once too often. WIll Have
"This latest decision to go back McCarthy, can lea only another more humiliation for slipper hope peerage makes all worth while for nim Whatever he expects to gain is beyond me.
flus WORK Weighell and his chums and democratise the union, at all Our best hope is an im. mediate revolt on the result of IC OUT allu Torming or a lola Ske con mittee with ASLEF. We must
brei Parks. and should use
knees. should picketing whatever it takes
This is a tremendous boost. The Board posted notices announcing Ford Dagenham's
go 'over to road transport. This little bit of intimidation will now bite Lne OusL
Arthur Scargill's statement that no coal that norPress lies THE TORY PRESS, as we all know, has great respect for the truth. This week it is trumpeting the number of trains that are running as part of its effort to break the traindrivers' strike. But how much regard is paid to the real facts was revealed last week in their; reporting of the NUR strike. "Trains are running on most lines in the East Midlands,
anti-trade Evening Post at the height of the strike of the NUR last week
socialls calende reporters found out a dif-
on the picket lines at the East Midlands sta
No trains were operating
For notmenam and unt strike was solid among
Pickets felt that money saved by
HERALD STRIKE
LINE
MARIN
force. Unity is now key
and Albert Booth. They
are aptly called 'shadow
They should
come out of the dark tun
nel which they
hiding and stand up for
basic trade union rights
How else do they expect to
be able lo win the next
election? and in view of this the 5 pe cent offered by British Rail
sion to suspend ene stic-
strike became KNOWIN wanted it to continue.
They refused to return tr work when the British Rail
area manage
esume their duties before tl strike otticially endea tues
the NUR Not LITt secretary sina, me are not set mg ou and district branch said
job given up now i a job lost for youth.
In their own strike, NUR pickets turned out in
Page 5 scan of this page
fighting against the
demands to give
minutes.
'productivity'
massacre of jobs and conditions.
The NUR climbdown arter t aays or strike ac-
tion has encouraged the
Tories and the Board. The
demands they are making for an end to the strike are the same as those imposed
the after the 1926 general strike defeat.
Today ASLEF fights alone. it the Board
wins, it will turn its guns on the other rai unions.
By Hazel MacPherson, NUR SID WEIGHELL explained on TV last week that in his opinion the Tories won't be defeated until the left inside the NUR and inside the Labour Party is witch-hunted out.
responded to the strike call last week obviously disagree with him. their national strike was about taking Tories on. Its 'suspension' has raised questions not only about the inadequacy of Weighell's leadership, but also about the urgent need for a working class alternative to the Tories.
Michael root has concentrated on demanding that Thatcher 'intervene"
Any railworker can immediately explain grovelling Michael that it is precisely Thatcher's intervention InTO the railways, her determina-
and destroy jobs and conditions, lilal WC are fighting.
Tony Benn and Ken Livingstone nave a big opportunity to intervene into this situation to show what
NUR pickets at Stratford in London during their two days of strike
Unity needed
SMASH ASLEF! This is the rallying cry of the Tories and their friends in Fleet Street as train drivers take all-out industrial action. ASLEF are
British Rail Board's up the eight hour day and operate, instead, shifts from 7 to 9 hours and 45
They are intent on smashing ASLEF as a union to win this and the string of other
measures which will result in a
What is needed is a powerful united voice from all Talworkes TON drivers guards, from COLICCLOLS engineers - for a 12 per cent wage rise and firm opposition to all productivity strings.
Sid Weighell's policy of appeasement disaster for his members.
The Board's response to
For joint trade union and
Labour Party action
The 85 per cent plus NUR members that
They understood that the
wing •ternave amounts to. An intervenbe a big boost to the fight. train drivers knows that this battle raises the Thatcher's They desperate to know what the alternative to Thatcher
ingstone placed themselves Benn and at the head of this battle, it would be the best way to turn back lne witch-nunt.
This witch-hunt is tak-
Weighell's 'let's be reasonable approach is to tear up the protection of earnings agreement and lay NUR members off without pay. Refusal
alongside ASLEF can only be interpreted as conavance WILD Tory union busting plans. Tories
And when the Tories set out to destroy a major industrial union, then the TUC must act. Len Mur.
must stop playing reteree and start using the stass to defeat the Tories. strength the working
The health workers, the steel workers, and the miners are also coming ing nace not onlv in the wards and constituencies but also in the ullulls. side the NUR, Sid Weighell is conducting a major campaign against ine lett because ne is mor tally afraid of lett policies based on the needs of railworkers winning ac-
It is the unions
Labour Party: Benn can-
battle there, too, if the left wing advances are to be main• tained.
All Socialist Challenge supporters snould oe pul ting resolutions through
Wards calling for public Labour Partv rallies in support of
making collections for ASLEF hardship funds and sponsoring official visits to the picket lines. Such joint trade union and Labour Party action can help force lett wing leaders to take up the cuagers.
under attack from the Tories. The health strikes
the 19, 20, 21 July should be a focus for the widest possible action against the Tory policies of austerity and job loss. War
Thatcher believes that 'the Falklands Factor' is a new major force in British politics But 'the Falklands Factor' is the cowardice of the labour leadership. Their refusal to oppose the war against Argentina is mirrored their refusal to fight against the war being waged by the Tories on the working class at home. The following resolution
adopted Brondesbury ward, Brent East CLP;
This ward declares its full sur
strike recognising that this ac tion places both ASLEF and
workers the forefront of the fight against the Tories
In declaring support we shall
organise a ward collection
send it off to the local ASLEF for official collection
They must be forced to act. Throughout Britain rank and tile workers are standing up to the Tory attacks. Thatcher's appeal
ASLEF members to scab and to 'put his family, his comrades and his country, first' by continu-
ing to work must be turnec on its head.
Pickets at Kings Cross. No drivers crossed the line sheets and organise public Co. Ortions.
• a public rally in
• subortior uneralworkers and to build the meeting with. the trade unions in the Labour
C. visit picket lines in official
Lavour Darly cavalıly d. support the and rally on 10 July in support
or cans or workers
Regional Executive Commin London lee or une Labou г aTLY organise a mass rally in London. f. call on all wards for help.
ASLEF and
THIS IS a
Socialist Challenge.
eight hour day.
tivity by the end of July.
with
one grade Alliance, well as the health workers.
Despite the the NUR membership
The same is true of ASLEF.
stead 12 per cent with no strings. newspapers.
line.
This is because
and truth is the first casualty.
Photo: MORNING STAR
Thatcher, Rose and Parker -put down what
us if you think we're wrong!
THE national press, the telly,
ing out all
disastrous Tory government.
our paper will be
we want ornel
struggle for a workers
why don't you -
local rail
Clubs.
3. Calling
bakc the railworkers
*Get
messages of
Unite to defend
defeat the Tories
leaflet being put out by Socialist Challenge supporters in rail depots up and down the country. It has been written by railworker supporters of
THE TORIES and BR are out to smash ASLEF They are threatening to sack all drivers and only allow them back if they agree to work the new rosters and give up the guaranteed
They have also said that the same fate awaits NUR members if they do not agree to the other five items of 'produc-
Now, as never before, there is a real need for united action by all railworkers to confront these threats.
In the course of one week we have seen both rail unions on strike fighting different parts of the same attack. Every grade is faced
redundancies and no section of the workforce is now being offered a wage increase this year. This suits BR down to the ground. They have always been careful to at-
al a time. The attack on ASLEF is another step along that road.
If the rail unions were taking united action on the basis of 12 per cent with no strings they would be a powerful voice for unity with other workers facing similar attacks, who include the other two members of the Triple
the miners and steel workers, as
magnificent response from the annual general meeting called their strike off. NUR members have proved that they can stop the railways and have proved their willingness to fight.
Railworkers are actively seeking a united lead in their battle against the Tories. We must begin a campaign now in our respective union branches for a common rejection of all six items of 'productivity' and demand inWhy Railworkers Need
Socialist Challenge IF YOU want to find out the truth about the crisis in rail, you won't find it in the daily
They do everything they can to spread muck about workers and toe the Thatcher
they speak for big business and they are owned by big business. Their journalists may be trade unionists, but they have no control over what they write -
Socialist Challenge does the opposite. Our paper is for workers, to explain why they take action. and how disputes can be won. Unlike the other papers who print the war cries of
• we are there to railworkers and other workers in dispute have to say. We are there to show that there is a socialist alternative to Toryism. So buy Socialist Challenge. Write to us. Phone in your comments and reports. Tell
ana Int
radio have started to launch their cam-
paign in support of the Tories attempt
to smash ASLEF. Socialist Challenge is
out to do the exact opposite. We are pull-
the stops to defeat [nIS
Our supporters in the rail industry, in other
workplaces and in the Labour Party and the
Labour Party Young Socialists will be work
ing flat out to win this fight. Week by week
giving the real facts,
discussing the tactics in the fight, and we will
be ready to expose any sell-out manoeuvres
workers to ioin us in the solution to the crisis
and help us to sell Socialist Challenge So Start deto and preter *Get your Labour Party or LPYS branch to
pledge full support to the railworkers by:
1. Contacting local strike comminees
2. Organising solidarity tours to win support
from the rail unions and other industries
public meetings with speakers
from the rail unions and other industries
4. Demanding your MP gives full public sup
5. Passing resolutions calling on the NEC to
trade union branch, shop
stewards committee, Trades Council to send
support, cuculate
sheets, and help on the picket lines.
Socialist Challenge 9 July 1982 page 5
Page 6 scan of this page
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Page 7 scan of this page
For a government of national resistance!
Excerpts from the declaration of the United Secretariat of the Fourth International
of aggression in
Ariel Sharon (respectively minister and minister of defence) haven't hesitated to use criminal methods.
Palestinians and distinction between civilians and combatants, have been savagely attacked and bombed.
victims and the toll is becoming greater every
their homes and their work, and are adding to the already material destruction proportions, as much in the towns as in the countryside ...
The Palestinian targets have been hit with an unbelievable brutality by an army which, according
the plans BeginSharon, must impose a 'final solution'
The Israeli attack has been prepared for a long Lime. they were only waiting a favourable momcil lo allack nylo Israel launched a similar
which Lily asiull retrospect looks like general rehearsal of the present operation.
At that time the Palestinian
¡esistalcc managed to maintain their coscullal busilluls hilalt
Conscuuclce the Open letter from Lebanese Trotskyists to the Lebanese resistance organisations. broadcast over West Beirut radio and published in the Beirut press.
Comrades,
long time. In patriotic Beirut, tress, the strongest army will suffer sorely through trying to get in. If Tyre and Sidon and other patriotic towns of our class have resisted and continue to do it until now, contrary to what the enemy expected, ard astonishing the world, that Beirut will be longer than the Zionist army can imagine.
Israeli troops
out of Lebanon!
THE ZIONIST STATE has launched a new war
Lebanon to smash the Palestinian resistance. Menachem Begin and
Israeli prime
the most powerful and
Lebanese, without
There are already thousands and thousands of
day. Hundreds of thousands of people have left
enormous mass of refugees. The has reached terrible
nronen Dresertcu ior uic Zionists by the Palestinian resistance, walCH despite the concessions obtained stae Was nol politically resolved by the Camp David agreemenl, continued to exist on the military front as well. That was something which the Zionist establishment could not accept...
Object
The principal objective of the military offensive Was HOUTCE the Palestine Liberation raamsano• ure naraest blow in its history, and in BL755 Cluster bomb on sale at Britain's Army Equipment Exhibition.
We can resist for a long time, a very in our for-
it's even clearer able to resist even
so doing to strike a blow at Ine resistance the masses in the occupied terniloTies.
At same time Menachem Begin SOIgnI to weaken Syria politically as well as militarilv. and to oblige its forces to withdraw from Lebanon...
However, there is strong risk that the hope of the Zionist leaders, open a new phase in the history of their state and Laclr connauon that part of the world, will not nlaleilalse
Heroic
The principal objective of the war has not been ob-
tained: the PLO has sus-
tainea nara blows, lost
positions, and suffered
grievous losses, but it has not been destroyed. Their combatants have fought in
an heroic manner and their
centres of resistance have eveli in the towns hardest hit by the enemy... vital that the workers' movement mobiuser forces throughout the to cueve metale eno to the criminal aggression of the Zionist state and to guarantee its full solidarity wild the Palestinian resistance.
Moreover our resistance is beginning to bear fruit and the states which proclaim their solidarity with us have begun to turn their solidarity into concrete even if they are at present of a minimal level.
Comrades,
The only road to preserve the sacrifices of our two peoples, and to prevent them being uselessly wasted, the only road to
patriotic army political liberties, the only way to abort the Begin-Reagan campaign against our national cause, and the only way to disarm their offensive represented by the following measures, which we call on you to implement in the name of the blood which has been shed by thousands of martyrs:
International
It must insist that the Israeli army withdraws LTO M une Wno e Lebanon and that all the O ccuano dre withdrawn from the occupied territories, that the Lebanon can recover its sovereignty and that the Palestinians maintain their position, their armed forces and their organisations.
Complicit
The workers moveNICUL N HUST denounce the complicity of the United States and the hypocrisy of the Europear states, which adopted economic sanctions against Argentina during the Malvinas war, but make sure that they don't take a single concrete action against the Israeli aggression.
It must insist that the workers states
assure economic and military aid
the Palestinian resistance and aill the Lebanese forces which fight alongside the Palestinians against the Zionists. Stop the Zionist aggresSTOle Israeli troops out of Lebanon now!
Solidarity with the Palestinian resistance!
Bureau of the United Secretariat 13 June 1982
MORNING
STAR
1) To
actions respite,
3) To refuse
and our
of the state.
only way is
Ter•a:
the Zionist enemy.
CHILE
to fascists
Equipment. Representatives
the halls full of every military hardware.
James Blyth, the new head of the Ministry's Defence Sales Organisation was not keen to disclose who had been invited especially Argentina had been on the invitauol cher found herself at war with them!
Apart from this obvious em barrassment. there were other reasons why Mr Blyth wished to re main mute. He claims that Hally ¿corcoc lallve. 'especially ask that their wt cocillc be 1U| published'
Hardly surprising when we discover that one of the most brutal military dictatorships Chile had. six Generals present.
These were: two staff from the Chilean embassy, Squadron Leader Patino and Wing Commander Aparisio; two from the of-
continue the struggle restrictions against the Zionist army of occupation, to prevent it having a moment's
and to make it pay for every minute of occupation of our land. 2) To refuse entry to armies which are not our allies, whether this be the treason of the state or imperialists state armies or armies of the agents of the imperialists.
Many formulas concocted by the USA and Saudi Arabia, thanks to the Zionist occupation and with the complicity
4) To treat the institutions of the state as treacherous. To set up a government of na-
resistance composed which have genuinely struggled against
Thatcher sells arms
ON 21 JUNE in Aldershot the Ministry of Defence began its annual Exhibition of Military
from over countries were invited to view and buy from
sort of imaginable
fice oI Ine ,Military Attache in Madrid, Brigadier Jorge Quiroz and Colonel Renato Barela Correa and LWO from the Chilean Marine aCor s, inder ich: Rear Admiral Pablo Tideret and Captain Guillermo Representatives from the Chilean arms firm SEP International Ltd, Chilean Military Factories ana Dockyards and the Chilean Ministry Defence were also present.
Quite a crew!
On 11 September 1973 Allende's Popular Unity government was OVCL thrown Uric of the bloodiest military ever seen.
Since the organised by the USA to Coub dispel the threat that Allende presented American Lur bul aLUlN and asocis in Chile
without
the resistance in Beirut
6) To unite the military
arms by have nothing to do with resistance.
immediate alongside the
forces
This is the offensive.
Socialist Challenge
2,500 people have gone "missing' (plus 40,000 dur une nue actua couv anc countless brutally murdered. Massive repression and torture is everyday life tor the people of Chile
Yet Thatcher and her allies are quite content to Weicol cilicd Generals to Britain and sel them British arms
What became of That concern about fascism when she went to Argentina?
Wall will Within a few weeks of the ot the acolis fascism' she is willing to sell arms to another dic tatorial state.
Thatcher's hypocriss must be seen for what it is — she has no objection to fascism. The only time the Tunne cass will tight dic .is when their own imperialist ULCISLS threatened Any other time the! will continue to arm juntas like the Chilean and aid in their vicious repression of the workers and peasants.
5) To set in motion local democratically organised councils so they can organise
forces and cen tralise them within the framework of a Na.
Guard. and to revent the use o' certain suspect groups which the national
7) To demand of the anti-imperialist states and forces, notably the USSR and Cuba,
military intervention Lebanese and Palestinian resistance until the total and unconditional retreat of the Zionist army from the whole of Lebanese territory has been achieved
comrades, the only way to derai
9 July 1982 paga 7
Page 8 scan of this page
Michael Manley on Jamaica, the Malvinas and Cuba
Michael Manley
MICHAEL MANLEY
JAMAICA
STRUGGLE IN THE
PERIPHERY
struggle in ine nerinhery' readable, informative, and polemical givng real insight into the thinking of one ine MOST and influential Third leaders, insight dilemma of those politicians who colonialism. emoract philosophy but cannot in the final analysis break with capitalism and imperialism
Manley coverniel jrom 19/4 10 1900 ana is a memoer of ine Second International, to which Labour Party belongs.
no nook aso arves aeronnie mustro tion of the total unwillingness of the USA to tolerate any independence on its
were quite modest, resulted in economic
Socialist Challenge 9 July 1982 page 8
blackmail and sabotage
nosion nariy Labour Party. 01 into
reject
two and a quarter million.
Jamaica Jamaica' Michael Manley. struggle
World Media Limited the Writers and Readers. £3.95.
US narsen. 'pat- 50p moy or witch
Upper St, London N1.
by the International Monetary Fund. CIA and the oD
mis-named Jamaica For example an astounding 750 people died violently in the run-up to the 1980 elections out of a population of
periphery.
Published by Third distributed
inte published by Pamainder Press. Jamaica. Ernest
Both available at the Other Bookshop, 37
JAMAICA is famous for its beauty, its bauxite and for the violent destabilisation paign organised by Central Intelligence which led to the decisive electoral defeat of prime minister Michael Manley and People's National Party in late
_ Michael Manley recently in Britain promoting
What is the most important message of this book
The most important thing is trying to explain some of the difficulties of trying to change a country that has come through a long colonial history that is there very close to the United States and its power. How to change it and make it a more viable place and perhaps a more just place.
I think that manv things came together to defeat us for the time being, to set us back, but I remain convinced that the way that we saw was a possible way.
It is important to see how far we can learn from the fact of our defeat not learn from the point of view of changing what we're trying to do but from the point of view of doing it better next time.
In the long run of history I don't have the slightest doubt that the Third World is going to be compelled by the logic of its circumstances to respond to what it needs to do, to find leaders who are beginning to try to do it, political systems that are trying to do
You document the role of the US Central Intelligence Agency and the International Monetary Fund in the Caribbean and in your country in particular. Yet you still call for a 'third road' separate from the examples of the colony of Puerto Rico and revolutionary Cuba.
For exactly the same reason that Nicaragua and Grenada do. trying to pursue a third road. In our case we do so with even more reason in that objectively we are a constitutional country, that's our tradition. Our institutions have evolved that way and although it is very difficult to make serious change within that context nonetheless that is our context.
I think the question is not what we call for, because that isn't particularly relevant. The question is what is our response to the objective reality which we find ourselves.
I would question that Nicaragua and Grenada have the same attitude to the capitalist class that you express ...
You're completely wrong. They have absolutely the same Nicaragua is trying to keep its private sector alive, Nicaragua has millions of dollars of foreign change into the attempt to get its private sector to play a dynamic role
Nicaragua has pledged itself to free plural elections in 1985.
The difference is mainly a matter of emphasis, but in the commitment to try to put together an economic mix in which the private sector has a role there really isn't a fundamental difference. In fact I've just been speaking to Grenadians who are very proud of the fact their their private
This new book Jamaica: struggle in the periphery and TONI GORTON spoke to him about the US a number of issues including Agency his view on Britain's claim to
the Malvinas;
his prime minister
Seaga; and what he sees as the 'third road' for Third World countries different from colwas
revolutionary Cuba.
sector is now beginning to respond in a very positive way and to produce.
Yes but initially in Cuba there was an attempt to keep a private sec tor and imperialism didn't allow that situation perialism wouldn't revolutionary government to nationalise major parts of the private so economy in the interests of the workers and peasants.
So what's your conclusion?
The conclusion is that imperialism is likely to do the same thing in Nicaragua and Grenada.
Well let's wait to see whether that happens. I know that one view is that they will fail. I'm only saying that what they're attempting is strikingly simiar to what other aspect is that we are trying to operate in a situation where we are a political party that alliance of forces, we operate within a
because a Batista left us no choice but a revolution or a Somoza left us no choice but a revolution or a Gairy left us no choice but a revolution. I'm struck that despite this they are attempting you'd Delays criticism of them?
They're
No, I think they have a firm com-
different speed aren't the keynote of it.
Cuba regards the holding of elections in which anyone could oppose the revolution as a contradiction in terms. The revolution expresses the dictatorship of the proletariat in classic Marxist/Leninist terms.
not talking to an rael is my
ment
attitude.
put which 1S a perfectly •CA- dealing with a revolution.
It is luteresting that either truth hypocrisy. sincere when they say that.
what has been
Edward
Puerto Rico and from continue. Imallow the
TO control we attempted. The
1C COCHS an
We came to power electorally; not
But regard that
But in mitment to go along the road that Cuba has gone along. They have a
and elections ticipation. ing.
Thạt is why - and observe you're
anti-communist, great friend and I'm a great admirer of the Cuban experi-
- but to them the revolution does not admit of the possibility of anybody entering an election to oppose them or to offer an alternative to the dictatorship of the proletariat,
logical thing granted the premises and that we are
Nicaragua, or as an act of says that as soon as they have stabilised the country that they will have elections on the basis that if people want to oppose the revolution they can. That is completely different from anything that Cuba did. They may not mean it but i think they mean it and I prefer to assume that they're
On Gold Street in Kingston, hear
Cuba new forms democracy have been instituted Elections of the type you describ do not guarantee democratic par
Nobody knows that better than m I'm very familiar with Cuban dire democracy and their local gover ment system. I've been through it ver carefully with them and I understan it. But that's not the point I'm mal Edward Seaga
Edward Seago, the present prim minister of Jamaica was electe on pro-US platform. What has th meant for Jamaica?
Page 9 scan of this page
le overcrowded and poverty-stricken ghetto which contrasts with the beauty spots so attractive to US tourists
His election has meant
of neo-colonialism. foreign policy for example Jamaica's voice has been withdrawn from that group of nations which stood up for certain principles and tried to fight for certain things.
It was withdrawn from defence of the Democratic Front in El Salvador, withdrawn from defence Nicaragua, cerence of Jamaica no longer could even muster the commitment to principle to vote against Israel in the United Nations zor ine bombing or tne installatons in raq.
So in terms of foreign policy the results have been very significant. Jamaica was a country inal really worked hard for South/South cooperation. That's disappeared.
The government has committed itself to a complete reversal of those policies that aimed at trying to lay a basis for increased economic reliance. We had established a considerable apparatus in which foreign involvement was rationed with import controls, price controls which were all aimed at creating on the one hand maximum opportunity for the develpment of economic activity aimed at the satisfaction of internal needs. This has been reversed.
What is happening now is that the
Jamaican economy is being opened to
the America. It has already had the affect Illass production
a great
co-operatives, just through
flood the nation with cornflakes. of Grenada. that's in retreat.
everything. divestment where
private industry.
dent capitalist path.
self work with democratic
tne scnool system I0l listalice,
ucipanon in mausu) been brought to an end.
North
of beginning to drive small business to the wall. Bankruptcies are occurring.
Tremendous growth in agriculture took place under our regime, partly through land retorm, partiy through
farmers knowing that they could now teed the that nation because we weren't going to
All
force
In the larger sense it's all aimed at trying to get foreign capital in to do
There's a programme of things that had been nationalised are de-nationalised, explicitly handed back to the private sector. As a result, quite heavy layoffs are taking place in some kinds of industry that can't compete; in the state as well as
We are in the process of resuming a completely depen-
The things that we were trying to
deepening process have all been reversed. We had begun to develop in
SLudent participation in decision making; the development of community councils, the programme of workers' par-
- all that has
The violence has stopped. It's not part of our strategy. And they don't use it because they're in power now
stualioli
What attitude did you and your party take on the Malvinas?
We take the view that fundamentally the Malvinas ought to be part of Latin America and that to have a colony in
hemisphere is wrong. On the other hand I must tell you that we did not agree with Argentina unilaterally sending troops to take the islands by
We're colleculicu another aspect of it. Venezuala has territorial claims on Guyana which are rooted in an interpretation of the
political phase perialism; that Guatemala has a claim on Belize that is rooted in the same interpretation of history. The Malvinas are still colonial so that we see that as being one factor in trying to determine what is right.
On the other hand, Guyana and Belize are independent nations who right now are under threat. Two other countries are saying that they should not have some of the territory that they have because we claim that the British shouldn't have had Guyana, Belize and the Malvinas in the first place. They say that now that you've won your independence from Britain you shouldn't have it. We can't accept that. We stand absolutely behind the unassailable right of Guyana and Belize to defend and maintain the sovereignty and integrity of their territory. So we see it as a very complex
Although the whole thing in the Malvinas was wrong we that is had to be resolved in a terrible war. Opportunity should have been given for it to be resolved through the United Nations, subject to the fact with
im-
IDONT think it's ensugn is feei world around you sart of The solutior cart of the probier the right to also impelled to act
country or example and to a meeting fullof compan="= -de-standas e murt and yet you ask imam wina?
In 1974 illegal possession of a firearm was a crime punishable by mandatory life sentence. Those charged with gun offences were treated with shock therapy
didn't see Malvinas validating
dent territories.
My message to black
people
You have to look a the • and become instead of a Nocods has compiar who's not
mary tarci
GUN COURT
that we are very careful that any precedent about Argentina and the
are not interpreted as Venezualan and Guatemalan claims on two indepensomething that sons D'ogressins
" is grogress ve?
Rise socie hare
Socialist Challenge 9 July 1982 page 9
Page 10 scan of this page
The SAS killer with the hidden past
Rearming the disarmament
Nonetheless, before
the blackout a few teresting tacts had emerg. ed. The Daily Star contacted a triend who went to recruitment meetings with Prudom. He Wan quoted saying: chickened out but Barry carnica on. Inen ne alsappeared for a while. I asked OIC of LUCI blokes where he was and IN A TWO PART SERIES, Brian Heron looks at the issues facing CND in the run up to its annual general meeting. With the closing date for resolutions on 19 July, a course needs to be mapped out re-affirming CND's mass action, labour movement orientation its extraordinary success to date.
Building nuclear bomb factory in Aldermaston — that's the latest proposal to emerge from the best and most expensively armed British government ever about as sensitive as awarding Begin Nobel Peace Prize.
Even atter the lessons' of the war in the South
LOe message clear Thatcher intends
COBLInUC nucical build up. Meanwhile reports gather oi radioactive contamination on beaches the South Atlantic from the wreck of HMS Sheffield.
Mystery
To sections or the leadership of the disarmament movement Thatcher's attitude is still mystery. Surely a rational ruling class, drawing the lessons of the more conventional arma-
would Britain's commitment to the bomb? That's why people like Bruce Kent still cling to the notion of the importance of 'peace groups' for the Tories or the SDP.
ine Dilsn ruing Class is one of the most warlike and bloody in the whole of human history. Its commitment to the komb is entirely rational - in its own class terms
The major prop British overseas policy is the Alliance.
Thatcher will play second tiddle to Reagan's role as the world's leading cop including leading the buildup of the new nuclear encirclement of the USSR
Britain's rulers need that Alliance. Some £67bn
Overseas. To ensure les
overseas. ensure saler. gathering momentum of the colonial revolutes HICCUS checked, and the USSR's support has to be warned off. No more Cubas!
As a. result, LiUL one significant section of the ruling class supports uni-
Socialist Challenge 9 July 1982 page 10
THE HUNT for the triple-killer Barry Prudom dominated the press last week. On Tuesday it was revealed that he had received SAS training. By Thursday, surprise, surprise, the papers relegated this point to a casual mention, 'emphasising that he had failed the course.
The told me to shut up and in- forget about Barry
Barry later and asked him where he had been. He only smiland said holiday'
Of course, Prudom might have been on holiday, but on the other hand armies of British 'client' stales, such as Oman, are littered with 'retired'
movement
- the basis for
Tatera nuclear disarmaNICOL. CHOLOCH argument. It fundamental class question.
The disarmament movement as a whole has prospered laking Ine opposite line to peaceful persuasion of the ruling class. mass action orientation is the secret of its tremendous advance over Ine past year. Reagan's visit brought
More trade unions have opted for unilateralism.
Inside the movement
itself there have been advances with the rejection OI multilateralist approach, a commitment in principle to seeing the movemen as arto all
struggle, and the beginnings of a special orientation to the labour NOCIRCUL.
Underlying these advances has been an infor-
success clearest expression in election of Joan Ruddock as national chairperson of the movement. This pers-
get Labour government, now that the Labour Party formally committed unilateralism, and through mass action supported by the unions, IO force it to implement its pledge.
Roots
As the Tories tremendously unpopular, there appeared chance to turn this scenario HALO the real thing.
Today that view been shaken to the roots.
of Michael Foot and the Labour leadershin's sun port for Thatcher's war in Lic DollI Atlantic has been Labour's crushing defeats in the local elections.
Of course the present polls will not continue to register overwhelming Tory success for ever. The polls will settle again to a
'failed' members of the British armed forces.
Which brings interesting of the case - the fact that ine ponce nave been told to shoot first and ask quesCons aler waros would be by no means the year first time that the police
have behaved in fashion for astance "on when they gunned
unarmed vouth at Indian embassy but it is the yvals asu first time they have been publicly ordered to kill on sight. and Could it be that the point which underlines the unpopularity OI this surelicul Even so,
for Labour's ruture prospects are declining
Foot is more intent on leading fight
Sune the party's left wingguardians of Labour's commitment to unilateralism than heading assault on the Tories.
That's the backdrop to
new 80000 elel gillg within CND for a line of
which would lead away from a mass action perspective, based on the fight to win the labour
"The argument goes: 'We have gone as far
WC call demonstrations and formal trade union mitments.
Find
The apparent unlikelihood of turning trade union SuDOUll dustrial action against the missiles and the shaky prospects for a return of the Labour add fuel to the fire. A new line of action is being forged by some sections of the movement out of this pessimism: that of direct action and civil disobe-
Partly this response is a reactión to the Communist Party leaders in CND, and their line on the labour movement. The CP's line amounts persuading arms workers to change what they produced, while CND 'experts' aid process by drawing up plans for socially usell production.
This wet proposal has the additional disadvantage of forcing workers in the ai fis industries shoulder ine buraen and responsibility for a labour Movement response to lit missiles. It's not surprising Wal suen a perspective gels nowhere.
The annual meeting OI CND has to decide where to go from here to develop the growing support for unilateral • disarmament. Immediately, we should re-affirm a mass-action, labour movement orientation. The reasons sumore. no orie class 1n supports
state preferred Prudom dead to revealing some of its more facet murky goings on in the
dock? Trust Britain to give a new twist to tne noary old 'shot while escaping' snor wone surrendering.
this It. may of course
that Prudom did fail at the down end of his SAS training
Course (although few have to be pretty thick to
fail an army initiative test) but the fact remains that Prudom is a highly trained killer, and it was the SAS that trained him to kill.
NUKESI
150/0001 лике
us. No other class in socie-
ty can win our unilateralist
objectives.
Line 'Out Now'
movement in the United
States around the Vietnam
war showed, direct action
and civil disobedience only
have a place in the context
of mass action, where such
actions are not portrayed
as merely those of a tiny
minority.
Secondly we need a
him
be
you'd
LAGANIS
realistic trade union policy
mitment. Some CND
brancies are oscuss me unt
call for a national day of
trade union and industria.
led by the TUC
action
azallist the
perspective for 1983. Such
thinking is exactly on the
right lines
based on taking
the trade union movement
into national political ac-
You too can have the SAS in your back yard
PROTEST AN O
CAMPAIGN FOR
NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT
YCND
tion against the missiles. It puts the responsibility where it belongs - on the leaders of the movement.
Thirdly the leading role of youth can no longer be denied. YCND needs to be and its initiatives, the September Youth Car nival, should have the whole SUD port. The internationally co-ordinated Day of Ac-
tion for 1983 should be prepared by tional conference of the yout! movements of Western Europe who sup port and campaign for unilateral disarmament in their own countries NEXT WEEK Brian Heron looks at how the movement against the missiles should respond to the growing threat of imperialist war.
Page 11 scan of this page
By Alan Freeman ONE GROUP in the Labour Party which will not be registering with Committee is the Parliamentary Labour Party.
could satisfy Clause two of the constitution, which outlaws any group 'having its own programme, principles and policy for distinctive and separate propaganda'
front bench is opposed to unilateral nuclear disarmament, contains a majority tionalisation under the last Labour government, and a majority who voted in favour of EEC membership in the Commons in 1975.
propaganda: it's called the BBC:
the NEC's checklist: it has no recognisable principles.
These facts alone are proof enough that the register is a severe viola-
of party democracy Lull and an attack on the left and on the party rank and NEC's proposal has pro veverme ess duced deeD divisions on the left about tactics.
The Labour Coordinating Committee at one time a front runner for the Bennite wing of the
has opted for JaLLY registration, and called for
'new deal' between the left and the right of the
on the basis of Labour's Programme 82 The Scottish LCC, however, has opposed registration, pain for have the Cam-
Labour Party
Doorion Rights
Abortion Campaign, mne cabou com mittee on Ireland, London
Socialist Challenge and Socialist Organiser.
Militant
But manv on the lett are discussing registration as a lallica. This includes Militant itself which has announced that it will try to register, and some of CLPD's organisers who are unhappy about the CLPD deci sion.
True, Labour's right probably feel that the register is a good way to get round the votes against proscriptions which many unions have now recordCu. such 3,500,000 affiliated Tribune rally at Labour Party conference
No registration!
the National Executive
If it did, it would be doubtful whether it
The PLP certainly has its own programme; its
who opposed na-
It has its own policy for distinctive and separate
There is one count on which it might scrape past
members and include the
General and Municipal
Workers' Union.
By introducing the
register after COl-
ference decisions, Foot
cleared the way to bypass
their democracy.
Already Alex Kitson of
nitra as venera
Union given
register his backing.
But the register is not a
soft option.
An organisation could
OnlV the old pro-
Ascribed list with conference approval. The new would give the arbitrary power tc
ban who it likes without
referring con-
ference.
PLP
As a result the PLP,
the union hierarchies and
the party apparatus would
be able to organise for
their own ends through
their own 'party within a party - the leadership -disorganise the rank
and file by singling out and
smashing up any opposi
tional pressure group or
political current.
This would tighten their grip into a strangle-
hold which would destroy
the party itself.
In spite of this, some feel it is better to make a
tactical retreat and register
rather than risk expulsion. But this opens the road to
a classic device which the
party apparatus uses to re-
lam control and acreal the
rank and file. Once one
has registered the apparatus can single out apposition currents one at a time by persuading the others
make 'tactical retreat'
Only if there is collective resistance ana a coner• tive decision not to implement une reusict. can the witch-hunt be stopped in Its LaLAs. mobilising the resistance and intransigence of the Labour Parly ana trade union rank and file. Unions
But there is an even more important reason for
at stake in this witch-hunt?
sillipiy anolnel left-right tussle, through which a new can be arrived at, so that the left can continue as a
A new situation confronts us.
The union leaders and the front bench have been given to understand by the press, the Tories and the ruling classes that they will not be acceptable in government _unuess they smash up the left. Faced Will such dramatic retreat from the 'postwar
roads along which the party can travel.
RALLY
Tuesday 20 July 7.30pm
Tribune
Labour Party
One road is to recognise that the ruling classes are now fighting with the gloves off - and fight back. Mass extraparliamentary action leading to resistance of general strike proportions can impose Labour Government against ruling class and state opposition as we saw in 1974
This is the road that the witch-hunt will block. The right wing including Michael Foot - want
capitulation would prefer to destroy all the gains made in the last lice years within une patty, cit destroy the young socialists, to necessary - half the con
the party and lose the next election catastrophically, in order to crawi into the establishment's good books again.
There no middle way: roads diverge here and now.
Either we
witch-hunt now: or the Labour Partv will cease to exist as a party capable of class aspirations into any form of reality.
Tribune
STOP THE
PURGE
Camden Town Hall,
London NW1
Tony Benn Jo Richardson
Arthur Scargill Pat Wall
Labour Party.
Committee report on Militant.
The party is writing to 200 other Constituency Labour Parties urging them to co-operate with the NEC mpkins said, " It is clear Barbara Simpkins said, that the motive behind the report is placat members of the NEC ana the right-wing press on the
"extremist socialirts""! consens
list of affiliated groups, held by
smacks of the
° Change constitution to
i make Militant legal, says
¿ Greenwich Labour Party
GREENWICH Constituency nour carty is oroposile d constitutional amendment to Clause two of the Labour Party's constitution the Cause unluc. which
be outlawed
Clause two, section three outlaws organisations 'having their programme ciples and policy toi • distinc live ana separale propagan da'. This would be replaced by
'A politica! of
Hackney North Labour Party
opposes witch-hunts
HACKNEY NORTH Labour Party has undertaken to campaign against witch-hunts in the
It is organising a meeting of local Labour Parties to co-ordinate resistance to the proposals in the Labour Party National Executive
•oTd proscribed list, defective and time-wasting for dealing with political differences within our movement.
'In the same week that the Party has published its excellent Programme 1982 which demands full discussion throughout the movement betore Party Conference, we should not waste another moment on this diversionary Report.
She added, 'Its recomLabour Party, members not affiliated under national agreement with the party on 1 January 1940 shall De jree lo within the party provided that: a) it conforms to the constitu tion of the Labour Party ana accepts the party's objectives as defined by Clause Four oj thip does nos engage not engage in proof or canver amen candidate: in opposinon to Labour rart) candidates.
mendations will receive no co-operation from this Constituency Party.'
Hackney North will refuse to expel any supporters of the Militant and will campaign against registration. The party believes that the Labour Party should reflect all Shades of opinion in the Labour movement, and that the register will be us-
exclude socialists, while leaving the right wing untouched.
Local MP Ernie Roberts said, 'I support my local party on this, anc I have written to Michael Foot urging him to oppose
UNREGISTEREI
SOCIALIST
Now badge out ! black and white on red background 25;
pep; orders over 50, 15p post re
Socialist Challenge 9 4ly 1982 pago 11.
Page 12 scan of this page
BLACK YOUTH UPRISINGS: ONE
IT IS one year to the month since the youth uprisings in Southall, Toxteth, Birmingham, Moss Side, Brixton and many other places. For youth, particularly young blacks, the causes behind those uprisings have not gone away; if anything they have worsened. Unemployment continues to rise, inner city areas continue to decay and racism walks every street.
for black people. Last month the Bradford 12 were all acquitted. Self defence is no offence has become the rallying cry of black youth. The police are certainly not getting it all their own way. Newton Rose, charged with murder, has had his appeal to have his conviction quashed upheld in the Law Lords. And Lord Denning has finally decided to retire.
organisations that has helped win such cases. That is why it is vital for the labour move. ment to throw its weight behind such campaigns and against deportation orders, police harassment and so on. the march Newton Rose
Victory for justice
IF OUR police force miss you one way, they certain try to get you another way. on this page, two young Merseyside blacks got shot up in last year's Having then had the audacity to clạim compensation they found themselves facing burglary charges. Now Newton Rose is getting a dose of the same treatment.
Last March, the Appeal Court upheld Newton's appeal against a life sentence for allegedly murdering Anthony Donnelly, a supporter of the National Front The sentence was handed down by Judge Edward Clarke, who had secretly OUC CU the jury to reach a verdict within 20 minutes.
Judge Clarke was getting impatient with a jury
By Walid Haddad
The calling of such a
conference was a step for-
ware on Darl
Militant dominated LPYS
leadership. But the failure
of that leadership to
recognise black people are
oppressed both as workers
and as black people can
only hinder the building of
the LPYS among black
people.
Speaker after speaker
argued that the living and
Socialist Challenge 9 July 1982
YEARON
But the last year has seen a few victories It has been the strength of black people's
Black youth are on , As reported
Toxteth disturbances.
that had taken some seven nours to nna kose gullty.
After all, three witnesses had testified he was somewhere else at the time of une murder.
Walden claimed she had seen the attack on Donneldone bc which she said was four white men.
down the road shouting 'nigger lover' at Donnelv Clearly WIll such
NEW CROSS MASSACRE
18 JANUARY 1981 -
18 JANUA/ 1982
LPYS black conference
AROUND 100 black and white youth attended the Labour Party Young Socialist black youth conference last weekend. Conference discussed various aspects of racism and debated how the LPYS could struggle for black liberation.
working conditions faced by black people are the same as other workers or maybe slightly worse.
There was therefore no reason for black people to organise themselves people autonomous organisations.
Supporters off Revolution and Socialist Challenge argued that, on the contrary, black people had to aulullu
page 12
By Bob Pennington
evidence, sensible judge could only conclude
Donnelly had been murdered by the black
Newton Rose, and the jury were simply wasting white tax payers
by not reaching a snappy verdict of guilty.
Even the law establishment found this one hard to swallow and the Appeal Court slung out the guilty verdict on the grounds of
Clarke's direction JUUEC cuten us nothithe pronecution nothing nol tenacious, appealed to the Law Lords seeking a
Even LOSS Teac tionary body could not tind lustitiable grounds to order a new trial and were
mously this both in-
crease black people's self-
confidence and puts them
in a strong position to
force walte workers.
support them.
The LPYS had to sup-
port those campaigns in-
itiated black people
against deportations,
defence victims of
police narassment anu
around aspects
racism. It was tee Calll-
paigns which had to be
the labour
LaKel
movement.
Black GLC councillor,
Paul Boateng, also stress-
ed the importance of black
Black Liberation.
compelled uphold the decision of the Appeal
But the 'law and order' brigade never gives up. On the same day the turned down the prosecution's appeal,
Black people are refusing to let the white racist establishment cover up the murder of 13 young blacks in a fire that swept a party in New Cross in January 1981. On Sunday night of the 4 July over 100 people mounted an all night candle vigil outside the Strand Law Courts on the eve of an appeal lodged by the parents to squash the open
The demand for a new inquest is based on the fact that the Coroner conducted an illegal inquest. Ignoring Section 6 of the Coroner's Act of 1887 which demanded he take notes of the evidence during the hearing, he simply read trom police statements and ignored other evidence altogether.
The parents are naturally demanding a fresh inquest which will sweep aside the racist bias of the courts and the police and bring to light the fact that these youngsters were the victims of a racist murder.
Abstract calls for unity
people organising autonomously as well as trouen unc labour love ment. He emphasised that the LPYS 11 USU these developments as was the only organisation the mass of black youth struggle for black liberation was both a race and class one.
There was lively debate around the issue of positive action. The majority argued that positive discrishould not be supported as it split the
Newton Rose was charged
with two of me alone
wiin two other men, causing grievous bodily harm to Clive Roberts.
Clearly the law believes if at first you do not succeed, try, try, and try again. working class.
One Revolution supporter retorted: 'What do
VOlT Calls
black and white
factory?
nicall HI Y
work in a hosiery factory
in Mansfield where the black workers have all the
unskilled manual jobs, while the white workers have the skilled jobs such
as machine maintenance.
•In particular the black
the worst jobs and condi-
TORs She argued lild
positive action was needed
these divi-
sions. Only by making white workers realise that
police Landrover.
for stolen goods but did not find anything.
visual identification
abuse since he was a young lad.
compensation for being shot and run over
in uniform.
Liverpool L69 8AT.
From rebellion to revolution astrategy for REVOLUTION
laws, or so you would think.
she is just a black and a woman!
vous breakdown,
racists will succeed.
tacting the R and F Campaigr
Road, London WI0, (01) 960-5746.
black people were discri minated against and that special measures were needed to eliminate discrimination could real black and white unity be built.
Militant supporters argued that this discrimination could be overcome by fighting for more jobs, more houses ana more hospitals This argument ignored the fact that the discrimination such as in the Manstield hosierv iac. tory arose when jobs were expanding in the 1950s and 60s. Positive action needed as well as more public spending.
Revolution supporters
Racist Britain (1)
LAST YEAR when Merseyside's racist police ran amok in Toxteth, David Moore was killed, Kenneth Anderson and Phil Robins were shot by the police and Paul Conroy had his back broken by a
Both Robins and Anderson put in claims for compensation and since then both have been the victims of police persecution and frame-up. Now Phil Robins, a former Southport FC footballer, is serving 18 months in jail. In October last year, police raided his mother's house iwice searching
At his trial for burglary, the evidence was one thumbprint which was not given to police forensics until iS July, nine days after Phil was shot! The evidence for the second burglary charge was a
by Detective Sergeant Wolfenden. Phil is well known to Wolfenden and has been a victim of his harassment and racia
Furthermore many people were available to testify that Phil had spent all that evening in a pub in Speke. Liverpool's police are managing to put away those awkward people who are claiming
A campaign to free Phil Robins is a way to fight back against racism and police frame-up, and to make sure that people can walk the streets of Toxteth without getting mugged by the gentlemen
If you can help contact: PO Box 52,
"From rebellion to revolution: black libera Is buousner East condon Socialist c/o PO Box 36, 136 Kingsland London E8. Make cheques/posta Hackney BOOK 20p postage onik rules uvunuur on request.
Great success at the %, LPYS conference. Revolution Youth will provide speakers on the issues raised in the pamphlet. Ring And 01 359 8371 for details
Racist Britain (2)
REGGIE YATES is a black Ghanaian patrial whose wife Felicia is a UK citizen, and whose child was born in Britain. That should give him the right to live here even under Britain's racist immigration
But that is not what the Home Office think.
They say he has to get out of Britain because his presence is not 'conducive to the public good. ' Noi can Felicia confer on him the right to live here -
For three years this persecution has been going on; Reggie has been hounded to the verge of a ner.
Felicia has suffered two mIs carriages. A racist Home Office, backed by racist immigration laws is determined to drive these people out of Britain and unless the labour movement and the anti-racist movement take up their case the
A broad campaign is needed to defend the rights of Reggie and Felicia. You can help by con-
at 439 Harrow
also argued that the LPYS must oppose the perialist war drive. They organised a tringe meetin on Grenada to explain the gains made by the revolu tion and the threat of US imperialism against They argued that the YS must go out and activel
trying to take it in an anti-imperialist direction The LPYS still has a onway to go betore l can be said to seriously ofradicating racism. Revolu tion supporters will con tinue to strive to push the YS further along this road.
Page 13 scan of this page
Trotsky-a Marxist
tatives, any writing or theory of his own.
Trotsky often remembered and presented todav in a dua wav Figure or a relationary. First, great public He was, with Lenin, one of the two great leaders of the Kussian 1917. He developed theories, ideas, tical struggles of the entire international working class movement.
He fought until his assassination in 1940 not Ully against capitalism, but also against the crimes of Stalin and the political system he created in Russia.
Secondly, in that struggle Trotsky lived tremenuous humar • He sonal life and tragedy. was killed by an assassin of Stalin. His first wile and all four children were killed, or driven to suicide through persecution, because of his role in polncs.
He was a person who never cord. or waulco lo separate his own persona existence from une struggic of the world working class
person, and every thing which oppressed them.
Many who would not agree with his ideas never-
MARXISTS often
time on 'theory'. Why not
use the effort for more
practical tasks? Given that
Marxist ideas
does take a lot of effort
and time that is a very
reasonable question
ask.
The answer however
he gestion hone
the question
begin to change things in
the world is posed not in
theoretical but in practical
terms. Even a single coun-
try such as Britain has
more than fifty million
people in it. A society on
the scale of the world has
thousands millions.
Societies on these scale
OCCause
single individuals but only
because 0I vast forces
within them.
To change society you
have to effect these enor-
mous economic, social and
ponucal developments.
Above all you have to
KNOW which torces
pushing in the direction
vou want to go and which
go in the opposite direc-
Therefore which
LIVIN
forces you must oppose
and try to weaken and
destroy. Marxist politics is
precisely the study of these
questons.
revolutionary
THE SUBJECT of this series of articles is the politics of Leon Trotsky. But we are going to start with a fact about his life and the way he is remembered. Strangely enough that will tell us more about the ideas and politics of Marxism, of which he was one of the greatest representhan would come from starting with
theless acknowledge him as one of the greatest symbols of human courage and struggle against capitalist system and all those who serve it.
Lives
In that personal characteristic nowever Trotsky differed in no way from every great Marxist and revolutionary who ever lived. Marx, Engels, Lenin, Rosa Luxemburg, Karl Liebknecht, Malcolm X, Che Guevara. All, and we are naming only a few, ived lIves. were totally involved in every personal way with politics. board figures are not cardas is often presented books. ooking at the relation between ponnes and tnal personal character we plunge of NORI CULO Marxism.
Revolutionary socialist, that is Marxist, politics have in their origins and Dul DUsC nothing do with anything that 'abstract' or 'theoretical' at all.
Marxism does not exist
What is a theory?
Once this is underNOCO then becomes rather clear what Marxideas and theories are. They are simply a method of put. ting into words, more precisely into ideas, the basic forces in society so that they can be understood.
theories are, Marx PUL *nothing but that Haena reflected in mind of men' (sic). We will take ar example to show more exactly what this means. State One of the most used of Marxist terms is 'the stater Marxism affirms that 'every state defends une interests or a particula. class. The state is not neutral. A capitalist state cannot be taken over and reformed by the working class. Such a state must be smashed. Let us consider
A very real argument over this 'theoretical' question of the state in fact 1970-73. A took in Chile in At that time a government under Salvador Allende and his supporters knew lal army opposed their elecBut thev believed
in order to passively 'understand' the world. It exists in order to alter it. The most famous phrase of Marx, and the key to all revolutionary socialist ideas, is: "The philosophers have only interpreted the world the point nowever is to chance m. Anything that does not
Marxism.
But changing the world
not carried out by abstractions but through real human beings. Marxism shows that no person can change the world a will or in any way they like,
At any particular moment in time they can only change things within limits set by forces far more powerful than any individual human being or even than whole classes of human beings. But within these limits real people are the forces who struggle and bring about that change.
Dead
Marxism rests totally on the assumption that real living people will fight for their interests and those of humanity. If not, the structure of society analysed by Marxism woula de Just as acad and without development as a mcclanca Cock wildoul a spring. Those who do
that in Chile, a country
of a long mustory democratic governments, the armed forces could be
forced to accept the vote of the people.
Opposing this view
were the revolutionary
They precisely
said that the state is a class state. The army will never
accept a socialist, or in
Chile left wing,
This was
cover Hell
debate about the state. Was the state neutral, or could be pressurised to Pleade believed? Sr was
it a class state which would defend the interests of the
capitalist class against the
working class?
But 'the state' was iust
a reflection of a reality.
The state in Chile,
ever the count all
enormous force. It was made up of an army with tens of thousands soldiers, hundreds of tanks and aircraft.
In addition to the army were the police. They were backed up by a judicial system, and an enormos civil service. All these tac Cosc Collacl employers and right wire politicians. The
What is Trotskyism?
not understand that, both incoreucaly feelings, are librarians and socialists.
The same dividuals. In that fight to change society. ideas alc not enough. Anyone who does not feel anger and natred at this society and
innumerable anyone who is not inspired and does not feel love when they see anyone fighting against their op DIC SON cannot revolutionary.
Real
Only the emotions of a real human personality can give the energy and determination to fight for the colossal changes s in the world which socialism demands. They alone will keep anyone going against the tremendous obstacle that will be encountered They are the only source for the drive fight against, and therefore come to understand, the capitalist system.
That why every serious revolutionary has
integrate their life, politically and personally, with that of the working class movement, and its fight against the capitalist system.
Marx, as witn every great revolutionary including Trotsky, expressed this not only his
'theoretical' argument about the state was in fact a very practical one. How would these enormously powerful military forces
act in real life? Would the remain neutral and on the sidelines or not?
The answer of course is only too well and tragically known. In September 1973 the Chilean army over.
Intende go rainered
slaughtered thousands workers. It banned all the organisations of Chilean working class. cut living standards almost half. It installed a bloody and ruthless dictatorship which exists to this day. The argument
Chile was indeed theoretical. But for that reason it was also deeply practical. was about how enormous social forces would act. It was literally life and death question for tens and hundreds thousands of people. The fact the answer was wrong meant one of the greatest disasters in the histor Marxist ideas and theories
theoretical views but even in nis ikes and aislikes When he was 47 answered a then tashion able questionnaire contessions. loucuucs tion: 'What is your idea of happiness?' he gave the answer: "To fight.
misery? answer:
you detest most?', 'Ser-
Mis he agains he
This against capitalist system he believed inhuman, degrading and vile believed would get worse
Marx Wa right Politics is altion deal
questions. million people died of stareven ped the 'under-
countries the world last year strike enormous hardship is suffered by those taking part. In many parts of the world people face death for engaging in politica activity or Are polic ques-
nuclear war which threatens every one of us with annihilation.
In that type of struggle there is no room whatever for luxuries. The lives and struggles of Trotsky Marx car provide inspira tion. But the enormous amount of time and great effort to study and master their ideas can only justified if it helps in prac tical revolutionary activity.
are reflections of the real material world understood then one of Lenin's
favourite stories can easily be understood. Krupskaya his companion, recalls now they took it from a tale of Tolstoy:
'Once Spotted in me distance the wiler wuikile he
squatting
on his haunches s and mov
ine ns nones avour in an
absurd way; a madman he of thought — - but on drawing
The saw that it the on the paving-stone sharpening
by theoretical controversies.
Heard from aside, they do
not seem worth quarrell-
about, but once the
ea inal ine matter is of tne
utmost importance.
It Arguments in Marxist
theory are about how the
strongest forces in
will operate in real life. All its terms of state,
family, imperialism masiering them.
he
on
of In a
or
the
the
are
'TROTSKYISM' has become a major subject for attack by the mass media. But what were the real politics of Trotsky? In the first two parts of a new series by JOHN ROSS we look at Trotsky's ideas and those of Marxism.
Army of repression: part of the Chilean class state
Socialist Challenge 9 July 1982 page 13
Page 14 scan of this page
Gay rights and the labour movement
THE LABOUR PARTY National Executive Committee last month opposed the proposal in the party's draft programme to reduce the age of consent for homosexuals from 21 to 18. Instead the NEC, which was debating gay rights for the first time, fudged the issue by calling for 18 to be the age of consent for gays, as opposed to 16 for heterosex..nls. The Labour Party has done little or nothirry to ad. vocate and campaign for gay rights, although certain leading figures on the left, such as Tony Benn, Joan Lestor and Ken Livingstone, have spoken out in favour of labour move-
But many Labour councils openly discriminate against gay people. In June 1981 Susan Shell was sacked by Barking council because she was a lesbian. Several unions have adopted gay rights policies and defended gay members who have been victimised. However, in many unions, espcially the main industrial ones, the gay issue has scarcely
So it was a step foward last year, when the NEC of the Labour Party produced a discussion document, The Rights of Gay Men and Women as a first step to taking a position on this issue. JAMIE GOUGH discusses the issues raised by this document and argues that still more needs to be done to campaign for gay rights in the labour move-
aspect of the document is that it recognises the extent of direct discrimina• tion against gay people. It OSCOES
by employers. This is par-
clusively areas of working
ed oi any 'misconduct'.
Industrial
this, even the cases
the case of teacher John Saunders, Employment Tribunal found
for he basis ay person on commonly
cudoves
document for the amendment OI the
Protection
the sexual orientation.
• discrimination in housing. There is direct discrimination by landlords and councils.
But, as the document points obstacle is that out, "the housing Iliall.
policies are geared towards the needs of married peoDIe; a bias which stems from ADOl marriage and the family.
Being single is viewed as being a brief stage between living at home with parents and getting married. Consequently the long term needs of unmarried and
Socialist Challengo 9 July, 1982 page 14
cluding are ig nored. document
excluding group people housing waiting lists.
schools. discus
gay As a result the of gay
distorted view
media.
mative,
exception token and
' coverage of
to be a joke.
and corrupters
vices. and
the public
and retaile of news.
cises
Gay News.
• discrimination by the law. The courts nearly always refuse to allow lesbians and their children to live together in cases or divorce Male homosexuality is illegal except under particular, estricted circumstances two partners over 21 and in a private, locked room. This doubtful legality puts all gay organisations under the perpetual threat
Sexual Politics.
Pro coutstant harassmens
constant harassment
The central conclusion
document the for a law outlawing
grounds of sexual orienta-
This should be the
paign around gay rights in the labour movement. The
Discrimination Act shows
have little effect. But the fight for such a law, and a continuing struggle to implement it, can have a real
The major weakness of
nothing to say about other equally important ways in
gay people are
the gay issue is connected
Conceris What
and legal women's
sexual
Lesbian
separable.
une
attitude to particular. It a lowering the male
equality
consent. therefore
trol their sexuality.
the
exploitation.
Sexual of
LESBIAN®
TRENGT
Sacked for
being gay
resign
refused to resign she was sacked.
Pickwick Court, London SE9 4SA.
facilities and housing, and tensel autonomous
about 'the protection of a tight the
strength to come out as
without which there
in the OMrA
ALTE CLUB
JUDITH WILLIAMS was sacked from her job as residential care assistant because she is a lesbian. The head of the agency she worked
was 'temperamentally unsuitable' for the job. She
adolescents, was liked by the other staff and residents and had just been recommended for promotion by her group leader. When Judith her fight against such blatant discrimination. ty/trade union: 'This (Branch etc) recognises take up the rights of gay workers. We condemn the sacking of Judith Williams by Care Concern for being a lesbian and call for her immediate and unconditional reinstatement.' • Send a letter of protest to Care Concern,
ment will need to be taker
The
Party and the trade unions
NECTUSION Party manifesto of a commatrucut to mauroauce
gays. But to be successful, Manchester I. The LCGR naconference.
vonnenam.
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ONDON Transport fraction: Sun
Page 15 scan of this page
HEATHROW workers have won the right to picket their place of work. On 24 June the British Airways Ramp 7 who had challenged the Metropolitan Police's and the British Airport Authority's Heathrow bye-law on picketing were discharged. Their action has now been rendered lawtui under Section 16 of the Employment Act. MIKE
CORNU, chairperson Heathrow looks at the dispute and the implications for the future
HEATHROW has always been highly unionised, spite or ine difficulty communication, yet with such a high concentration of industrial units in the area, disrupLON disputes, remarkably low. In the disputes have normally been sharp and OI short duration, often unconnected with each other.
The most spectacular dispute, occurred in the
Seventics. when General Aviation Services,
conditions, GEC Traction, Preston, (
pany.
As GEC announced
an increased profit of
£584m, its cash reserves
peaked at a new level of
€1,036,000. Yet for the
Preston site victory is a
9½ per cent package: an
across the board rise of
£6.50,
payment, a cut in sick
pay waiting time from
two days to one day, and
Hackney N & Stoke Newington Labour Party Public meeting
Defend the
Railworkers!
Friday 16 July 7.30pm Stoke Newington Library Howards aneve
Israel out of
Wednesday 14 July 8pm Lansbury House, 41 Camberwell Grove, SES Palestinian and SC/RY speakers
Heathrow
workers:
ą victory for
democracy
interpretation of the
Ramp, TGWU at background the
La North American company, attempted operate a comprehensive handling unit. The methods contemplated by LuS Combay was seem ov the whole of the workforce at Heathrow as a threat to job security and the future of the public sector.
The workforce rose up as one in opposition to the instituting of this company result GAS was thrown off the BAA, and the airport after a series of 'blackings' of up to 20,000 and a 4-day
GEC strikers victory
AFTER two and a half weeks on strike over a claim for 12 per cent increase plus staff
the 850 shopfloor workers at voted by four to one to return to work on Monday. A victory had been won over Britain's biggest com-
the removal of virtually all the deskilling strings which the company originally attempted to House.
For the strike committee the victory also strengthenea the union organisation on the site.
Mass picketing Preston and secondary om ASLEF, NUR and London Transpor
Southwark Socialist Challenge/Revolution Youth
Lebanon Now!.
strike.
Since then workers have developed a closer
Yet with such a of DIOdu tivities, workers at LHR have never been able to exercise their right to picket their place of work, within the Dennelel Todu. The BAA who have their own claimeds that always claimed these bye-
prohibited picketing daws anywhere on their properside the perimeter road. which is everything in-
Two
Heathrow is split into
dreds and landside. Commonuse sales , provide the entrance/exit points between
There are also these areas. fully leased properties the area, used only by the tenant and his employees.
picketing the Man-
chester site were effective in hardening out militan-
cy and forcing the company to run to the
negotiating table.
But GEC weren't the only ones doing the running. At the
conference of the union Confed dEC Llandudno SCUl managers
wined and dined with national officials
LIC spirit ot true modera
tion. The local left CSEU ornicials were instructed
to return to Preston to speedily complete negollatolis.
OSE
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The Metropolitan Police, who took up residence at LHR in the mid seventies, have extensive powers which vary between airside and landside, and they haven't been slow to use them. Each time an industrial dispute has occurred, it is the police who have determined whether to allow a 'presence' outside a fully leased building, or at the common-user gates. When permission has been called. this has usuall been on the proviso that
placards should be displayed armbands shown and no approach to be made to anybody. i ne police also made it clear LOCI the permitted 'presence' caused or was likely to cause disruption they would forbid the "presence' to remain. Obviously action of this kind was totally ineffective
This was one of the
By Ray Duckworth, Boilermakers GEC Preston
GEC feared that the strike and
secondary
picketing would push the
Manchester and Shef-
field sites towards similar
industrial action.
GEC tried to rationalise
Traction, the are using intersite flex-
ibility as a means
break up union site strength.
The strike and the company's strength
other power engineering
highlighted
weakness union
organisation. Secondary action and mass leaflet-
including p&p.
Enterprises. Orders to: PO Box 50, London NI 2XP
problems faced by the re cent British Airways Ramp dispute. During the whole eight weeks of that dispute 'blacklegs' performed the ramp workers' lasks, wntle orner workers continued to work normally. History
For a few days at the beginning of the dispute the ramp workers mainLanice described above, which proved to be of no avail. It was then decided to picket the public highway outside the perimeter was akin to stretching picket line around Lon don, and consequently had little effect.
It was because of the bitter experience of eight weeks of isolation, in what
fully justified was ting of other sites successfully challenged this during the dispute, but
stewards nially the need to organise throughout the engineering group (one
GEC's five industrial divisions).
The national combine, which retreated in-
bureaucratic silence during the strike, will have to decide where it stands with the stewards fighting GEC rationalisation in isolation from the real world.
RAYGUN
BEAGAN
The T-shirt to be seen in this summer! Only £2.95 Cheques payable to Cardinat
dispute, that the Ramr Workers decided that this invidious position regards to picketing should be brought to head.
Return
On 31 March, the day before the Ramp workers were forced to return to work, seven pickets went to one of the common-user gates inside the perimeter, armed with placards and
They successfully for
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about an hour, when the police arrived and arrested all seven and charged them under the BAA bye-laws. Now the magistrates' judgment means airport workers will enjoy equal piace ing rights at their Dace work on a pal with workers throughout
The ramp workers who were forced return to work, through lack of support from the rest of the trade union movement secured for all have workers at LHR, a basic
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'STOP THE WAR NOW!
By Steve Potter A NEW AND HORRIFIC twist has been added to the Israeli genocide in Lebanon. The Israeli Army and their Christian Phalangist allies are now halting all food and medical supplies from reaching the 500,000 civilians and 6,000 PLO guerrillas in West Beirut.
policies of the Begin Israelis marched in Tel Aviv to demand an end to the war.
Reserve army officers, home from the front, joined by the Peace Now
Protesters raised demands for an end to the war and the sacking General Ariel Sharon. The Defence Minister following day fighting
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But in a massive show of opposition to the
government 100,000
broke out between West Palestinians and Israeli soldiers, with two Palestinians shot dead and 12 wounded.
Despite these protests the Israeli Cabinet declared on Sunday that it would not be 'intimidated'
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(SiC) by protests Israel. Prime Minister Begin feels that he faces no serious opposition internLunally 'dealing the PLO a lethal blow'
In consequence the PLO have renewed their calls for international sonaanity will the swu Palestinians who are the Israeli's largel
Farouk Kaddoumi, head of the Political be Darinell of the PLO was quoted last weekend
michelle call Soviet leaders to do 'something drastic to end Israeli
Stop Press:
MEXICAN
REVOLU-
TIONARIES
WIN ONE
MILLION
VOTES
NEWS of the Mexican
election results are
coming through as we
go to press. First ac-
counts indicate that
the Workers Peas
ants •ano Popular
Unity' slate, headed
up by the Presidential
canaadie or me PRI
(Revolutionary Work.
Party Mexican
section ot the Fourth
international has
secured around
million votes or three
percentl
VOTe
This means that the
PRT will be entitled to
•routes
in the Mexican parlia
Mary has achiev
ed douhio its target 01
which 1l
needed i retain legal
status
PRT clearly
made sunstantial
ruads into the support
7U1 Eg
Maide Com
munis:
reacher million
military actions in Lebanon. He said that is not enough just to de-
Israel's aggression.'
In a similar vein PLO heroe Yasse Arafat criticised Colonel Qadhafi and other Arab leaders for failing to come to the aid of the Palestinians.
The PLO itself demanding a withdrawal from Beirut by Israeli forces before considering its own withdrawal The
the PLO widely regarded as a tactic to gain time to succeed in rallying international sup-
Israeli ly round to make the final total.
supporters in:
Socialist Challenge Campaign'
day than when we launched it eight weeks ago.
redeem them! Totals this week area by area are:
West London £689.00
drawal Palestinians are literally fighting for their suivival as a peopl state of Israel created in 1948 enforced a dispersal of much of the original Arab population from Palestine Today nearly million Palestinians LWO are United registered Nations with the
refugees, the majority them in Lebanon Today, under occupation again, they are faced Will genocide from the Israeli armed forces who have claimed over 10.000 lives in the war so far, or from hunger and disease in the West Beirut ghetto
Socialist Challenge
FUND DRIVE '82
DESPITE the type of support indicated by letters like this one, we have finished this quarter from April to June nearly £4000 down on our target for our regular fund drive. We are holding open the deadline of the fund drive for one more week so as to allow our readers and supporters to ral-
Please rush your donations in! Our thanks this week to
Total Total so far
41.00 THE MAGNIFICENT response to our 'Week's Wages for
has started to flag. campaign, launched because of mounting debts and the quadrupling of the rent on our offices, is no less urgent to-
We have had many IOUs and pledges to the fund, now is the time to
Begin tries to starve West Beirut but ...
100,000 ISRAELIS SAY
West Beirut faces total destruction from Israeli forces
In Britain the Palestine
Solidarity Liaison Com-
mittee is backing the call
for a national demonstra-
LO Jury to conne li
the aid of the Palestinian
people.
demonstration provides
the opportunity to begin to
educate the whole labour
avy call on the nature
Assemble Hyde Park, March to Trafalgar Sq for rally at 2.30
mittee c/o THIS, Oxford House, Derbyshire St, London E2.
Dear comrades,
tremendous contributions they are
ting
organisations.
winning a policy of witch hunting within the Labour Party (my Party) *14.5 which will weaken us still further.
left like Socialist Challenge who,
The
in the fight back against the Tories. Even though I can ill afford it
fund RAY DAVIES, Iron and Steel Trades Confederation (Unregistered socialist)
of the Israeli state.
The fight must begin to reverse the traditional position Labour Party and trade union novement in supportin he racist state of Israel tr backing the PLO's demands for a Palestinian homeland
National demonstration Saturday 31 July
Speakers Corner 12.30pm.
Further information from Palestine Solidarity Liaison Com
Can I take time out to thank Welsh Socialist Challenge supporters for the
making in the fight against the Tories.
During the last 3 years not one day has gone by without the Tories inflic-
punishment on our unions, our health, education and social services. They brush aside the weak trade union and political leaderships with impunity as they implement their well-publicised pre-election plan to attack, dismember and weaken working people and their
While all this is going on, we have the right of the Party clamouring and
Thank goodness for papers of the languishing under severe financial constraints, continue to publish a fighting weekly paper which gives heart and encouragement to those many activists at grassroots level who are still involved
please accept f5 towards your fighting
← Socialist Challenge No. 251, 24 June 1982Socialist Challenge No. 254, 16 July 1982 →