Socialist Challenge No. 269, 12 November 1982

Socialist Challenge · 12 November 1982 · 12 pages, 15,534 words read by machine

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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.

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Page 1 scan of this page

Challenge IT'S A SELL-OUT Calvin Smith, COHSE convenor Littlemoor Hospital Oxford and Dominic Johnson, NUPE shop steward, Churchill

No. 289 12 November 1982

Says

The health service leaders set us up ior a miserable sell out.

Three weeks ago they decided to consult the members about all-out strike action. This was obviously so much hot air. Spanswick's idea OI COHSE delegate con-

fere nothing me shan a

was nothing more than cop OUL. would make that his

sure

25p Unemployed and strikers 10p

Socialist

members never got the chance to vote for all-out strike action.

The 12 percent has been buried. With no authority from their membership, ine leaders are making a two-year deal which means not a penny more this year than we were offered months ago.

If this rammed through will outright betrayal of our

Hospital, Oxford. Both of them are in our picture picketting Spanswick at

seven month's battle battle which captured the hearts and minds of the whole trade union move. ment.

At the very time they were talking to the govern-

our officials called off the one-day strike of transport workers and burned the midnight with ACAS in a desperate attempt to strangle the dispute.

The TUC health committee led and epitomised by COHSE general

Spanswick stands exposed being utteriy incapable of leading serious light against the government.

We must now start organising to replace people like. Spanswick. struggle in the NHS is not

the TUC.

over. Once the pay deal

forced through the horrific cuts that have OCCI canvassed by the government and the

Regional Health various Authorities will start.

The Tories will also

drive through stall privatisation in order to

destroy the jobs of the ancillary workers and to bust up the health unions.

Only mass action led

No expulsions!

Lobby the Labour Party NEC

Labour Party headquarters, Walworth Rd.

9.0am Wednesday

24 November Bring Party banners Called by Labour against the witchunt. by a strong leadership at nanonal as COCa

evel combined with sup

ort from the rest oi th labour Lucillall can hope to throw back this assault.

We health workers can have no confidence in the TUC health services committee. They will not organise such a fight.

The whole 01 the movement must now understand tnal derence ol the NHS is bound up with the struggle to cleanse the uho will not. unions these leaders

and cannot fight the Tory govern-

That means we must also understand the wretched role played by the right-wing TUC leaders, with Len Murray al the helm, who never fought

Tory mini-budget

Atlantic wer £622 extra for South

£350m extra for the

bosses

+ £100m for the police

Smarting from the

loss his trousols

Chancellor Geoffrey

Howe decided to

steal the shirt off your

by Encouraaec

the TUC's sell-out of the

The offering

the marmed by

Alarmed the in-

dustrial catastrophe tha

his policies have caused he

is doling out issum to the

employers in National In-

surance surcharge

Inspired by the spirit of

human i kindness that cost

us f622m to set up an arm

ed fortress in the Soutr

for our all-out victory. In

and deliberately betrayer

Such brutal and disgusting disregard fol our remarkable efforts and those who supported us is unbelievable.

Along with Spanswick

these people must be cleared out of their positions of responsibility in the labour movement. An unrelenting struggle needed to build an alter-

across the labour move

The left leaders like Benn and Scargill must head this struggle against the trade union betrayers and LN e Party witch-hunters. Otherwise workers' interests sold out, again, and again

Atlantic, he is claiming

back a pound a week from

defenceless pensioners.

And just in case youth

start to gel uppity,

spending another £100m

on toughening up

cops.

But don't imagine

the industrial hand.

produce anly

employment. . On the

halt milion aban

government's

forecast

This Tory ta: 11

the TUC and

all they would cirive 1: 50

: o fier

vandals trom

there are still jobs tr. ie-

Page 2 scan of this page

CBI plans your future in Tory Britain

TAKING on the Tories is a tough business; ask the steel workers, workers and even the miners about that.

So no one expected workers' claim for 12 per cent was going to be an easy ride. But the health workers did have something tions didn't. beginning, stomg and wely! Right from the organised secuons workers pledged their sup-

knew that for the overwhelming majority of people employed in the NHS By Alan Freeman 'AUSTERITY IS TODAY', said industry

Confederation of British industry. pay settlements sidered'.

They haven't been

Eastbourne counference, complained that top management salaries rose last year by 'only 27 percent'.

They had a lot more than that to worry about,

The conference LU Cu. split over a clearly antiAT łI З A OZ ed from the platform figures as senior as British Leyland's wciae H.O -wardes, and calling for a snaro drop il lne exclalge rate.

Even though this motion was rejected because delegates 'did not want to attack Mrs Thatcher before an election', it did

adopt a further motion

calling for would you believe it? massive movellll spending on industry to half unemployment.

Sir Terence explained "industry's tear-jerking plight to the Financial Times saying: 'Profits in

are zilch. That's Inuustry why the aid and assistance to this has got to come out of the national pot. dustry is like a squezzed lemon, absolutely dry.

What a confession of bankruptcy from our captains industry! After

SOCIALISM

below

Name..

Address

Age...

Union/CLP (if any).

50. London N1 2XP.

Socialist Challenge

Health workers

ill-served by TUC

the car workers, the rail

that the health

going for them that the other sec-

wages were lousy. They thought that people who ala a userui ana vilal Joo like looking after the sick and the infirm should get a living wage They also knew that low wages and a finance PHILANTROPY IN BRITAIN chief Sir Terence Beckett, closing last week's conference of the

'and zero should be seriously con-

very seriously considered by the well-heeled delegates to the

who have recently

three years of Thatcher's mayhem, applauded by them and explained to us as 'the only alternative' to government intervention, they government intervention! now plead for

Britain'S economic crists is qualtatively worse

thiniat any heme sinardian

thirties. Guardian reports that the crisis is 'the worst decline in manufacturing county ever ' Industrial output has fallen by even more than in the thirties. now openly admitted that unemployment stands at a real figure nearer four million.

Worse

For Britain's bosses, however. the crisis has been worse in this country than for the 1C0L of the world's capitalists. As our graphs show, the productivity of British industry is bumping along the bottom or even falling in absolute terms, and is qualitatively lower than that OT BriJOIN THE FIGHT FOR

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

12 November 1982 page 2

starved NHS could only lead to increased pain and suffering for all working people. Furthermore they knew that health workers could hardly turn off the life support machines, or desert the casualty departments, and go down to the picket lines.

For all these reasons dockers, miners, print workers, steel workers and Olicls WCIC orcoace

down cain in support 22

claim.

September over two

13%

West Germany 1980 1981

tain's rivals.

This is what is causing the squeaks and agonised yelps from the CBI's hounds. They OOK for every excuse for the crisis except their own rotten systeili.

NOW thev focus pay. The result of the miner's ballot was greeted with an ovation. But what kind of pay cuts would be needed to restore competitivity? Thirty per cent

Isu a week off the average industrial wage

CB spokespeople! ere British situation where wages are virtua lv the lowest in the EEC. This shows that the real problem lies, not in the workforce, lure i the cne

failure of SASLClIl capitalists invest in modern productive equipment.

No matter how hard you slave on antiguated machinery you can't compete with modern equipment.

This is why the CBI leaders' second muchdiscussed "solution', which was thrown out by a three-fifths majority, also won't work. The defeated surosiantial devaluation of proposal called the pound.

It is argued that this wil make BOTIUSS goods cheaper abroad, which true. But unless British industry is geared up to produce the goods the only effect would be to bump up Britain's imports bil This include goods which make up workers'

News

million other workers took strike action over the 12 per cent.

Despite this massive support the TUC health committee still managed to lose out, unless a derisory extra one per cent on next year's pay award - OI some workers after tax this wiedeS iaiV0 a week! is considered victory.

The Murrays and the Spanswicks, along with LuCI CHOW bureaucrats, have given us an object

13% UK 1982

would this any

new plant.

when did

short-term DURCS killings.

Yet devaluation approach have so accepted

WORKIE lesistallle.

highwalCa

terest rates

High

The 'finance

The banks

high pound

buy foreign IVCSLOl.

Bank have Oil in-

lesson in how not to lead a strike. talling right from the start to call an all-out stoppage with accident and emergency cover only they made SuTe : that the dispute would be long and Grawe Out They did this because

they hoped that public sympathy and opinion would sway the Tories

Such a hope shows that the TUC had no stomach for a fight and had a faith in Mrs Thatcher's intentions Shared by few other people in the labour novellcil

Above all else what the TUC wanted was be consulted. They wanted to play inel role as medlalors

bed capitalism kind chasy

and capitalism saw the health-workers days of action, and the solidarity strikes simply as

means of bringing Mrs

and her cabine TRaLCHcI 'around the table'.

So instead of organising joint action of health HOW EUROPEAN ECONOMIES COMPARE

13% г

France 1982 1980

tional, trade in dollars and re-invest mainly overseas.

The so-called "service industries' break down into two categories, both of which benefit from a hig! pound. First, the big food

chains depend cheap imports, cess in Britain and sell n which thev

fitable if foreign goods are OTLEU "his is more procheaper - again, a high pound.

Secondly, the City, insurance and related sectors are really dedicated to extracting luleres and dividends from overseas Investilcll

the policy benefits all those who are tied to overseas exploitation of cheap labour, using Britain's tinancia domination. But disastrous for those who depend domestic industry, who are starved of investment capital

modernise, and priced out OIO CaI lalkels

The net result is a further slide down the spiral of decay For working

people this does not mean

a lessening of the attacks

on their living standards

On the contrary, it means

the demands of even the

'wets' who now include such friends of the people

become quite extraordinary, because to make

up for the effects of That

her's mayhem they have to extract the most unbelievable sacrifices from their workforces.

To make a parallel, they are in the same situation as the boss of a nine-

workers and the big battalions of labour, to bring the government to its knees and force it to par up, these timid and cowardly leaders,

curlice the movement on and off like tap that hoping desperately the government would just talk to them.

This half-hearted and dilatory approach played JOLO the ot Tories and guaranteed that Secus ol ucall WolKel: and their allies in the other sections would get fed up

So the dispute that could have turned the tide finished in failure.

But more is at stake than a failed pay claim The next step for the Tories is to open uo thelr offensive against the NHS itself. They plan to slash the service to the bone and destroy the notion tha unere should b health service based on

TUC health MCCO committee by its handling Registered unemployed as a percentage of total labour force

13% 3% 1981 1982 1980

teenth century handweav-

enterprise, trying to make his workers toil hard enough to compete with the prosperous steamdriven manufactury down the valley. As they are driven to ruin, they in turn try ana arive up tne ex ploitation rate of their WOKe

PRODUCTIVITY

manufacturing output per employed worker-year

S housand (1973)

16

15

14

13

12

11

10

7

|1973 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81

of this dispute has opened the wav tor that

The militants in the NHS have to begir now the slow and painful process of constructing a new leadership. In every hospital and area they must build and strengthen the joint shop stewards committees.

In the unions they must organise left fractions and broad left caucuses. Taking heart from what happened to Weighell the rank

file, barucularl!

COHSE , must organise to despatch the leaders like Spanswick, to some quiet outback where they cannot do more harm to labour's cause.

If these steps are taken, a movement with new class struggle ender. built, which will make sure

1100 allowed to destroy the

simpie taso anea it ora

simple task.

NHS is to survive it is a vitally necessary one. Italy

1881 HoY.

imagination vOll can take it in picture the world the CBI is preparing for you: five million on the dole, welfare

slale starvation wages.

This is the Tory Britain that Maggie Thatcher is toin to the polls for in

• USA

NETHERLANDS

JAPAN

W GERMANY

•FRANCE

BELGIUM

-ITALY UK

Source: NIESF

Page 3 scan of this page

Steps to

By Alan Freeman CAN THERE be a united campaign against the witch-hunt? Many constituencies are discussing this after the founding Labour Against the Witch-hunt and the Militant leadership's sectarian response.

way to attended, or the 20 MPs who backed it.

The many falsehoods and distortions in their article will stir up animosity and division and weaken all forces fight expulsions. Public wrangling between Militant and its defenders can only discredit the lett and strengthen the right, to Militant's own disadvantage.

But unity still necessarv. The rest of the left has to oppose artificial wing will benefit if the bat- Ene right tie against the witch-hunt becomes a battleground.

So what are the obstacles to unity and how can they be overcome? Submit

The first obstacle was spelt out clearly on 30 October: YUL trade union rank and file, Labour Party who do want to defend Militant but

aon't agree with its policies, to submit inemselves io a campaign they don't control.

Why did CLPs DaCK the Hackney conference? Not because ol a Illau sectarlan Irenzy against Militant, as its Pat Wall

unity against

the purge

conference of

Militant spends a full page attacking the conference in its latest issue - hardly the best unite with the 100 constituencies who

editors seem to think, but because they wanted campaign which was ac countable to them 1 ney will nave to lake some very serious actions; thes will uneatened with disbandment and many othe things. it wrong for Militant to expect them to accept decsions laken on Inel benall by a committee they don't run.

Indeed, if Militant had from the outset established proper accountable DEDL ember, there would have been no divisions The 27 November regional conferences which it IS now organising should establish accountable local committees WIl greatly increase the prospects for unity STIT why didn't Militant set up such a struc ture? Clearly, because they don't want their decisions determined by bodies they don't control. And nobouy crucises tem IoI this. If they want separate campaign to run their own defence activity they have every right to do so.

They therefore misunderstand those

speakers who pointed out on october _abour Steering Committee against the Witch-hur - their body — has a ma.

of Militant TOTIL sup porters.

These speakers did not deny Militant's right have such a committee. All they said was that Militant can't have it both ways. 1ney can I nave a laboul movement campaign run

them because they don't run the labour

At present. therefore, there are two CanDals one accountable to the Militant and one to the zoour movement

Does this mean the two should rivals? solutely not. On the contrarv. It thev now get thei forces together as the 30 OCLODCI Comerence proposed - - it will strengthen unity and add to the forces involved the fight against the witch-hunt. For a start, ine new campaign has the backing of

very MPs absence from , their campaign is loudly annuice by Militant. Joint

So the two campaigns should obviously get together, and the first step should be to draw up a plan of joint action: a joint campaign resoldons and hopefully fringe meetings and rallies, back ed by both bodies, with

Dennis Skinner

John Spellar speakers from both, around • Immediate defence of the Militant supporters to be expelled by the NEC

• A campaign to commit national union ferences to reverse the decision on the register and re-instate any expelled members of the Labour Party.

Mortimer and

Militant

placed on the sales organisers and candidates.

Militant or they get booted out.

fulltimers and officers, onslaught on the YS.

ing floated by the right wing,

Walworth Road bureaucracy.

Labour Party leadership gets ready for a purge

suring that as many Labour Party and Socialist banners as possible are there.

Copies are address printed on the leaflet.

Labour Party

Labour Weekly

There is a third area in which unity is vital, but where the Militant the line taken by 30 October Come ence. This around the defence of the Young Socialists. The Militant opposed a resolu tion from Oxford Young Socialists calling on the campaign to support and defend the Youn Socialists, on the ground that this interfered with

JIM MORTIMER's ideas for dealing with the Militant have been published and they're pretty horrifying. Five are to be sacked outright and a political gag

parliamentary Either they renounce all links with the

Moreover Mortimer extends his proposals to YS opening the way to an

Much worse, however, are the proposals now be-

which include a wholesale ban on the selling of Militant at YS branches and suggestions that the LPYS should be placed under the direct control either of the CLPs or the

The witch-hunt, as we said it would, is extending. As Thatcher gets ready for an election, the

The newly formed 'Labour Against the Witch. hunt' has begun to get organised. Its first action will be the lobby on 24 November, which we urge our readers to support and build - particularly by en-

Young which should be taken in ta epry Labour Party and print the campaign's basic leaflet, trade union organisation possible to win support.

available from the secretary at the

the Young Socialist leadership

But it is the responsibility of the CLPs to support and build the YS, and moreover it Is only will Labour Party support, That the MYS can be e that the LPYS can fectively defended. A first and simple step should theretore be to try and ge an agreed joint resolution

Join LAW:

Membership open to cups, trade unions, Ladour Party amities and neiva

Address for corre

Cop as and unions 810, marts 25.

Labour weekly

to make the Easter Young

Socialists conference the

biggest possible display of

strength in solidarity with

YS possible.

Jnity is possible, an

inity is needed We urge

all Socialist Challenge sup

porters to fight for it b!

fighting for the labour

movement to demand the

above measures of Mili-

tant and the Labour Steer

ing Committee.

mitter's Register of nonat....

Socialist Challenge 12 November 1962 paga

Page 4 scan of this page

3y Steve Jenkins and Paul Moran

Cowley Assembly Plant

COWLEY WORKERS have been

BL agreement -

large minority of the traditionally

together with speed up

ybal,

rights.

Last week however

they started to fight back.

On Monday 1 November a

worker on the Rover Am-

bassador line was accused

by the plant director of

denting a car. There were

no witnesses and the

evidence flimsy

Was

circumstantial. The

worker W OL abused and

threatened with the sack

all this with representation by the shop

stewards (the right to see a

steward is rarely granted at

Cowley these days).

About 50 workers in his section stopped work and demanded apology. With no resumption of work by Wednesday evening management agreed to a mass meeting

votea to strike in definitely.

The day shift followed suit, and

nOtOR Was passed calling the

Raindi Textiles

AT RAINDI TEXTILES in

the Smethwick back

STACA

similar 'businesses'

the West Midlands,

Asian workers

long hours for appaling-

ly low wages.

But when the workforce

joined Transpor

UlIUl viln tnelr tellow employees ai

Debate

IT WOULD appear that the fine rhetoric produced on the front page of the 29 Oct Socialist Challenge has exploded in our faces. Perhaps whoever was responsible for the editorial should have read the inside pages first.

The decision by the ma jority of the NUM

mcmoers LO C CL uneaus econmendation is a huge blow for all trade unionists. It will do nothing morale health orcers water workers, boost the morale of Tebbit and the rest of the anti-union brigade.

What went wrong? How did the the vote decrease from last ycar d 1s il reary une case ma lse best organised ane mOSt militant section of the working class have ed and holidays abroad? Did the overulic Odl On une relatea sors or avane cocure have an adverse effect or were there other factors?

NUM's eadership

was not t at all what SC made it oul lo oc While the quality was first rate, the quantity left a lot to be desired.

Faced with horrific

deluge misleading paganda from

LUal DUalu — WcIC aiu lic set the money TITOM now

the NÚM leadership respond?

Lntornaemarar for four and five areas at cor ral v ande are arde ate compared

Avancer meetings at every pit. on every CAUTE I ney become a morale booster for the committed Socialist Challenge 12 November 1982 page 4

Cowley workers fight back

through a depressing time over the last couple of years On top of the forcing through of the two-year despite the opposition of a

militant Cowley workforce - the workers have had to cope with the sell out of their struggle last

and a steady deterioration of working conditions and union

Cowley leadership and full

time ofticials to discuss the

grievances, over working

COROBOGS WILIL manage-

NUCiL i

There is no doubt that

MaCCuCnI HaKen

aback by the strength of

feeling exhibited the

wo make concessie nor ed

to make concessions.

agreement was reached in-

cluding a withdrawal of all

ULUCCCUl against the

WUIKCE alleged to have

damaged the car.

promise of no action

against the workers who

stopped work in his sup-

port.

Moreover there was an

undertakıng from

management to discuss

wayk in-

dustrial relations and for a

further mass meeting for a

report back of these

discussions.

£36 a week - sacked for wanting a rise!

Supreme Quilting, three

HICIuCis WCIC sackee

Ravinder Singh senior shop

stewaro exoained 'We join-

the °7 wee s. Supreme

Quilting for Then

the union negotiator

etter to Scill

say wantee

discuss wages and conditions

sacked three of

nzwallall, Michinacr ano bal

JIl.

What did the miners' ballot mean?

and unfortunately by-pass the maioritv of NUM members.

strike issue

not sufficient weight

olume to

counter-attack the

LEC

Even in the more militant areas where canteen meetings

headed a spirited campaign

Lic 1co vulc was d lol lowc ucnl onc wouu rave emie expected nopea for. Therefore we can see that neither the leadership, or the

rank and file,

pressures

can be taken in isolation anc

appropriate blame boruonca.

If nothing else this tempolar y reversal las snown lne ureen neeo Tor ine radical democratisation of the NUM

other unions, has occone anvorced from its own rank and file.

w nen me basic ouesuon 1 Taisec oT support for either the Board or the union, many

enemy as thei union ans Lunsey ucitiy fail to respond to the progressive icaucisillo s ldll.

Dut lse tum s mar vou Cannot Túnmen overcome years of misleadership Neither short

can reasonably capcal vic ul d slilal ZI0uD Oi leaders substitute themselves for a healthy and

This agreement was

put to the workers at

mlass meclng on tne morn•

ing Monday

November. Many workers

have no confidence in the

undertakings of manage-

Their crime was discussing

unon busines, the pub

atter work. Supreme

Quilting workers walked

spot and week late thomen and 50 men after a00 were

the Raindi workers also join-

ed the union.

"The first thing manageSalet did was to pur up a For

sigil, exolalnce one democratic trade union movemenl

The NUM should not be seen simply as Scargill's union or a place wat re p oied

carve Thus the out as our union. unIOni day-reitast courses weekeno Schooiss oranch meetings, must begin to attract the non-activist.

Trade Unions

British Leyland workers, sold out on last pay claim but still fighting

ment, and the return to

work call was only narrow-

ly passed after a recount.

However, by the after-

noon Cowley

was OuCC

more at a standstill as the agorke and he sai worker. the estate

said the for •VIL. the intend to sell. It was just bluff'.

This company trousers and coats Hlakc.

store and Spencers, and Lord Anthony They export to Denmark and

lic ciotnes aren' cheap and the owners aren't

1951 North Derbyshire miners campaign in support of nurses

Above all the union must campaigning week-in and week -out, infor-

reiufar leafe1s, buleins and

suvoicuicills

Line campaign to stop pl closures must also begin earnest before the butchery

However unpleasant it is to taste defeat, we must

plant director again at-

tempted to victimise the

same worker by taking him

off his

OD. AWC O T

press it uncertain

whether the Cowley

workers will stay out. short of a few bob • their twelve family cars include two

Mercedes Lotus

But the strikers are short of cash. They get no strike pay because they 'haven't been in ine union long enough'

to: P.S.

Nusil Raindi Transport House, conulon DIrKe Committee, 9-17 Vic-

toria Street, West Bromwich remember the old adage

'don't mourn - - organise'.

DICK HALL Warsop Main Colliery. N Derbyshire

MARK HUNTER

Welbeck Colliery.

Nottinghamshire

fights

The victimised three

Birmingham social work departments.

three NALGO scrutinised.

at the expense

tober by their union to go back to work.

Now Wednesday

biggest branch meeting ever, discuss the case of the sacked workers.

for all out action.

ficial backing to all-out action.

to work.

strike however. Pickets of Snow Hill House the central office have been organised,

strike action.

ail out action and seem more interested in

leader Neville Bosworth.

urging the social workers to not only campaign for a yes vote among council workers but to lobby the NALGO executive and demand support for all out action.

local Labour resolutions of support coming from Sparkhill and Handsworth Constituency Labour Parties. Socialist Challenge has invited Dave Benlow from the Wandsworth dust dispute to discuss the lessons of fighting privatisation.

action but the wider the case of the social workers is spread, the more support that is built up in the labour movement for resistance

victimisation, cuts quicker will Councillor Bosworth and his ilk be shown the door.

alone it would be a set back for every other battle against privatisation and we can exect to see plenty of those as the Tories wield their spending axes across the country.

Birmingham

privatisation

PRICE WATERHOUSE is a firm of efficiency scrutineers. Not content with recommending the closure of Debenhams in Birmingham City Centre this outfit won a contract from the new

Tory council to scrutinise the

But Price and Waterhouse and the Tory council got a shock when they decided to sack

members who refused to be

Rejecting the council's money saving drive,

services, 9,500 NALGO members walked out in support of their three colleagues. But the strikers were told on 22 Oc-

10 November the NALGO members have booked the Aston Villa football ground for what will probably be the

so they can

Socialist Challenge supporters have been heavily involved in campaigning for a yes vote

But it's hard convincing council workers to come out on strike two weeks after they've been sent back by their union. The NALGO executive seems frightened of the idea of all out action and has stated again and again that it's not going to give of.

Nor has it been too generous with strike pay for the social workers out on strike, which has meant that after two weeks a small percentage of social workers have started to trickle back

The Social Work Shop Stewards Committee, with SC supporters, Socialist Workers Party members and Communist Party members involved has been able to organise an active

attempts have been made to get mass meetings called in other departments to put the case. The committee has however been continually blocked by the strike operations committee which represents the stewards from the different departments, most of them not taking

This committee is firmly under the thumb of locai NALGO fulltimers who are not calling for seeking favours from right wing Tory council

Socialist Challenge stewards have been

Stewards have also been urged to speak at

Party meetings and have had

It's to be a tough battle to get all-out strike

and privatisation the

If the social workers are left to fight this one

Page 5 scan of this page

Southern Irish election

By Celia Pugh

this week over another

when the TUC called it off.

True, the initial

Response in bus garages, depots and

underground stations was

muted. This is hardly sur-

prising when none of the

national transport union

tive for all out strike ac-

LIOlL. WICH Lasoull

workers feel resentful

striking when the

TUC Health Committee Irish Political crisis By Martin Collins

the leadership were denounced.

politics altogether.

As party hopefuls jostled TOI O'Leary announced

Fine Gael Was Ulll (Labour's right wing former coalition partner).

Meanwhile, Dick Spring, the rank outsider and virtual newcomer who was elected Labour leader suggested that Labour might consider a coalition with the present government party Fianna Fail after the

has Just been called.

inability of the Tweedle Dee Fianna Fail and the I weedle Dum Fine Gael-Labour coalition to

RAIL WORKERS are seething with anger again

example of TUC leaders treachery. Support in the depots was building up for the Transport Day of Action,

refuses to mobiise strike action in the health service itselt: and when many cynical about any directives from same TUC leadership that sold out the traindrivers union, ASLEF.

Despite orall this, thousands workers ovcrcallic these OUICCLOIS. They Calic down firmly for action to A WEEK is a long time in politics, as the saying dolegates cheered as the coalition policies of Labour

Party leader Michael O'Leary quit his position to drop out of

solve Ireland's problems has thrown Irish society inpolitical maelstrom.

While some sections of the ruling class speculate on the chances of a coup to resolve the crisis through Tne zormanon ot tional government', •usiness

Uno id se tes st to Bose in

who have most to lose things go wrong, wait in the wings.

The biggest obstacle to either of Luest green Tory governments has OCCI the determined resistance of the working

Railworkers prepare revenge

back fellow workers in the

In the days leading up une NUR

ASLEF and mem-

bers at Paddington. Kings

Cross, Waterloo and

Streatham Hill Depots

voted for 24 hour strike ac-

tion. Other rail workers up al C

and down the country the were preparing

acuon on

day.

Yet azain the TUC

leaders have stabbed them

in the back. But NUR

members have recent ex-

perience of how to deal

with traitors at union class to the attempts to imPhe last months have ses. austerity measures. a whole series of militant strikes.

Small farmers and fishermen play a role a. well. In the last fortnight Irelanu s ports nave vce. blockaded in a bid to get the release of five union leaders jailed by Inen government. And creamery has been taken over to resist 'rationalisaon mecsures.

These defensive struggles have begun to be accompanied political moves to link such strug-

fight government which breaks with

June and their imperialist backers. The most signiti cant advance in this direc-

ARD

FHEIS

1982

News

headquarters. With Sidney

Weighell's scalp under their belts, they can feel more confident about

dealing with national

policies which defend workers against the lorie and who flagrantly abuse union decisions.

In the next 6 months

NUR members will have

opportunity to push all home the advantage gain-

wilh the downfall

Weighell. These will be months of ampaignins

and voting for Weighell replacement General Secretary of the NUR. tion came as Sinn Fein ac cepted the wishes of the movement and began to organise in support of the hunger strikers on an all-Ireland basis.

argued by Ber- most skillfully arguer Madelle and Peoples Democracy, was to use the electoral process North and South to highlight the political issues at stake and deepen the impact of the political status campaign

In the North the electoral success of the Sinn Fein has temporarily sunk Tory Northern Ireland Minister Jim Prior's

chadies of jasolving thal

middle class Democratic

Laboul Party to legitimise the assemoly. But. as Prior in desperation once more

year, the NUR has debated vital issues such as opposition

ciay aire and like

ductivity carve-ups one-person which will herald thousands of redundancies; positive discrimination and action to change une concluons or women members in the industry and union's stance on unilateral disarmament and CND.

On many of these issues, years of Weighell misleadership and manouvre has blocked a turns to the southern ruling class to prop uc 1mperialist rule, new deals are on the cards.

The best means to take forward the struggle now is the formation of an anti-imperialist slate to fight the elections in the South. Such a slate, aerenaing a platform against the

allu cooperation with Prior, would not only attract the support of the workers and small farmers looking for government that stuck up for their interests In all likelihood such a slate would see elected a force

would hold the balance of power in the Dail creating huge opportunities for extending sup

toI SuCH anti imperialist alternative.

positive stance. With the general secretary elections, the left in the union can begin Clause this around by building on the

tion in the ranks to push forward left policies and actions on these issues.

For this they need to promote clear set of alternativi poncie those peddled by Weighell and make clear a commitment to democracy and accountability.

If the recent record of Labour candidates in by-elections tell us anything,

for working class, or even ruling class

Sinn Fein

By Brian Grogan

counties.

nationalist parties

Assembly.

Europe'.

cuoving force.

Action and the German

groups.

necessary two thirds majority

strategy for 'a

in a united socialist Ireiand.

suppor for Solidarity

disassociating themselves from such

friends as Margare: Thatcher,

Socialist Challenge

they show that playing to the centre middle ground doesn't very ar. Only clear and radica alternative policies, back ed by a firm commitment carry Inel can secure solid victories for the left — be it in elections for union leaders or for a Labour government.

These considerations should be seriousiy debated by every branch and in every depot over the for general and the threr months of campaigning that follows.

Charlie Haughey, leader of Fianna Fail. No solutions

Left advances in

THE ANNUAL conference of Sinn Fein (ard fheis) witnessed a consolidation of left wing victories in the wake of the tremendous gains in the elections for Prior's Assembly in the six

The previous decisions to put greater em phasis on mass mobilisations and the utilisa tion of all avenues to develop this, such as elections, was reaffirmed. Accordingly, they re-iterated their appeal for a conference of all

#including the South) to pursue the challenge to Prior's

This approach is now to be extended to an international campaign for political recognition and support. Drawing on the example of the PLO in this regard, Ruairi O Bradaigh oxplained in his presidential address that those tions 'were the real Palestinians of Western

Whilst re-affirming the armed struggle as a legitimate tactic to drive out the British oc-

the ard fheis disassociated itself from the methods of such organisations as the Italian Red Brigades the French Direct

Baader Meinhot

A historic decision was taken when the

was finally achieved to remove the proposal for a 'federal Ireland' from their constitution in favour of a

decentralised democratic Ireland . In thereby removing any suggestion of a concession to Loyalism, speakers made clear that Protestants would have full rights

The ard fheis also re-affirmed Sinn Fein's

Poland whilst falar

12 November 1982 page -

Page 6 scan of this page

DEFEND THE LPYS DEFEND How the bureaucrats stifled th

GIVEUS A

FUTURE

Build the LPYS

By Richard Rosanski (Hackney North LPYS) AS THE witch-hunting

go to the next NEC Labour Party are leaked in the press, it's clear that the Party Young Socialists will be in the firing line. NEC the right wing tocoa surance the first post-conference interest in the Youth Committee. Left wingers Dennis Frank Allaun and Audrey Wise were purged. They were replaced by Denis Howell, the new chair, and Anne Davis.

Coates, LPYS representative on the NEC was also thrown off the Organisation Sub-committee.

It seems that there are two sets of proposals circulating the right wing. The first is favoured by Dennis Howell: the closure of the LPYS. The second (and this is supposed to be the position) proposes the suspension or the YS's national organisation without any expulsions, with local branches being put under strict local control.

This 'compromise' cludes the following:

* A ban on sales of Militant at YS meetings.

*A ban attendance of any known Militant organiser at an LPYS activity.

Socialist Challenge 12 November 1982 page 6

GIVE USA

FUTURE

1983 conference

proposals

of the Militant within the LPYS.

Labour * Sacking

Try In tne presumably

Labour Party Youth Officer.

Skinner,

represented Laurence

privilege.

no sackings, no restrictions!

'compromise

- ana more!

also in- LOTTS should

with all Labour MPs Any postpone or

vigerously

conference!

the

left. the

cies. * A ban on collection of money for

known Militant supporters from positions of authori-

LPYS. This would include Laurence Coates, and also Andy Bevan, the

Once again the Labour right wing is planning to crush its youth movement tor tear ot the threat

to Is power and The only way we can respond is by going on the offensive: Build the LPYS! No closures,

All this points to one thing: the LPYS annual conference at Easter 1983. It must be a massive council of war against the Tories and their agents in the labour movement. This means not just every LPYS branch, but every LPYS member

Every union branch with LPYS members must celeoate them to the conference. All union Broad

be invited, along

restrict, cancel the conference by the new NEC must be

opposed. Defend the LPYS! Build the Easter 1983 LPYS

By Paul Lawson WHENEVER the right wing of

Labour Party loses political argument it resorts to organisational attacks on the

Nowhere is this vividly demonstrated than in its relations with its movements. Youth are always in the forefront of the fight for socialism. And today the pattern is repeated, as the witch hunters in the Labour Party prepare an all-out assault on the LPYS.

Repeatedly the dominated NEC has moved to prevent youth movement conferences, stifle political debate, to prevent the youth heard. Repeatedly these tae their own heard. tics have just further alienated

youth and ensured domination of Marxist tenden-

The first Labour Youth ment, the Labour League of Youth, was set up in 1926: it had an age limit of 26, and was promised annual con-

However it was 1929 that the League was allowed its tirst conterence. before it was allowed its newspaper - New Nation.

But — a recurring pattern — the three editors of New Nation were ap sonic o' Transport House 1933 League conference called control of the journal and for the right to discuss political matters and not just organisational questions at its own conference.

A political fight broke out between members of the League and the Transport House bureaucrats. Many of the League members were tavour of a united front with the Communist Party and the Independent Labour Party to fight against fascism. New Nation was opened to debate on this question, but eventual-

official disapproval ensured that the letters column was closed. The kind of censorship which was imposed is recalled by Arthur Peacock, one of the editors:

It was my job to submit proofs of the paper to Will Henderson, chief of the party's publicity department. He was concerned solely with ensuring that nothing was published in opposition to the official policy.

dictator. Now would send for me and talk about paragraphs which he thought offended and say 'Well, brother, we can't

Labour's Youth Movements

nave inal the was right.'

and became involved in against the fascists and the struggle more

against the means test, and as a resull grew in size. youth

members in 440 branches -campaigning paid political fight over the united front gathering steam

led by Stafford Cripps, ting the united front, and a large majority inside the Youth League also right- supported it. But New Nation staun-

chly opposed it. evitably — was that the youth began to seek a political voice of their own. First duplicated voices Youth Forum, was

disagreement over political line eventually led to the setting up of two youth papers on the left the vance and Youth Militant

former sympathising more with the political line of the Communist Party move- (with Ted Willis as its leading light)

and une later more renecung trot skyist ideas.

But the supporters of New Ad vance were much the stronger of the UNLI

two trends of thought. conference of the League the Naown tional Advisory

electea was cominaica by supporiels of New Advance. This political move to the left was totally unacceptable to

The the Labour

for reflected a

alive, campaigning and growing.

At the 1936 Labour ference prepared, and passed, disbanding the NAC, closing down New Nation and lowering the age limit League responded by

in now 'unofficial'

New Advance the 'official' paper of the League Eventually agreed with the difficulty of 'unofficial' fashion While the LLY was allowed to continue in existence, an Administrative officer would be appointed by the NEC and the NEC would appoint an LLY NAC of 'appropriate persons'. Meanwhile, 'united front' over the 'Popular Front' the rightward moving never Communist Party

STOLE Tories, the church wingers - anyone who would join in to oppose fascism. This debate now

can we?' and usually he

The League became more active

the fight ed itself. ropulal

Cripps and By March 1934 there were 25,000

• socialist off But the

Inside the the Socialist League, ference

was suppor-

The result inaisrupuion

magazine, produced. But

- New Adthe

bureaucrats'

At the 1936 instated

was

branches. however

Committee (NAC)

bureaucrats; but

which was

Party con-

memorandum was

following the

NAC and making

Transport House, after

operating In an became clear.

, the debate over the had become a debate

- thanks to line of the The Popular

include progressive

and other right

rent the Labour Party.

In May 1937 the Socialist Leagu had been proscribed and had dissol

But in 1938 independer rront candidate. some local elections, and Staffor

other left wingers sup ported the Popular Front candidates Cripps, Bevan and others were expel ed from the Labour Party: and at th same time the LLY was attacked -the NAC was suspended and its cor

cancelled. Transport Hous had in effect crushed the League. It history in this pre-war period was on of continuous problems in buildin an ettective campagning vouth mov ment, because of the rigid control an

the outreacta Transport House.

After the war branches of the LL' began to re-form. The 1946 Labou conference formally recognised th League, but its age limit was set onc again at 21, to deprive it of any ex perienced leaders. It was not to hav

national Or This once again conformed to th

ideal: to 'organise youth as valuable fodder for electio time activities but not to allow ther any meaningful political role.

At the 1948 conference of th Labour Party a resolution was move by lan Mikardo which proposed tha the League should become an effec tive national structure. But very littl was done to implement this resolu tion. In-fighting between the Leagu and the NEC continued, with th establishment of a 'national statu movement' to get the 1948 resolutio implemented in full

Wandsworth branch of th League convened an unofficial con ference in June 1950, attended by 30 people. As a result Wandsworth wa disbanded, but after protests was re

Eventually in September 1950 i

announced that the Leagu would be granted its own conference When it met, it was revealed that th League had 25,000 members in 82

The conference was no able discuss politica

Once again the political debate in

_PYS

NEWESTLE

WEST IS

This year's LPYS conference

Page 7 scan of this page

THE LPYS DEFEND THE LPYS

youth

side the Labour Party started to be reflected inside the League, with the left, under the inspiration of Bevan making advances But bureaucratic control by the NEC was kept firmly in place. bulent 1954 conference was prevented from discussing the issues animating the left - the H bomb, German rearmament and so forth.

Eventually the witch hunt against the Bevanites took its toll on the League. At the 1955 Labour Party conference, the League was disbanded as a result the NEC presented by Alice Bacon. Youth sections in the constituencies were to replace the League. There were to be no national structures.

Once again, by witch hunting the left and organisationally strangling the youth, the Labour prevented the flowering of an independent youth organisation.

The youth sections were localised and politically impotent. massive political upheavals in the world after 1956 started a wave if restlesness az, Hungary and above youth members. Suez, all the Bomb were the political issues of the day. Moves started again to try to transform the youth sections into something like a nationally structured youth movement.

The moves coincided something else — a 'turn to youth' among the Labour leaders prior to and in the wake of the 1959 general election. It became widely known that individual membership of the Labour Party had sharply declined since 1953. and the age profile of the Party had deteriorated sharply. general election the Labour Party did particularly badly among young peo-

All this combined to convince the party leadership that some radical measures were necessary to recruit young people, and in January 1960 the Young Socialists were established. The constitution gave the Socialists more autonomy previous movements — it was to have a national structure, national conferences which discussed resolutions, and it was envisaged that

Even the tur-

report

Party had

But the

section

with

LPYS demo, Liverpool 1982

youth paper 1959

for conflict over what and could not legitimately do

rapidly.

Nuclear

Young

the organisation would elect its owil national committee and have its own

But the YS was still to come under the authority of the National Agent's office. There was still plenty of room

the YS could

Meanwhile the YS was growing

The wave of radicalisation around the upsurge of the Campaign

Disarmament was creating a fertile ground for recruitment to a socialist youth organisation - and at the same time solidifying the strength of the left inside the YS.

The first organisational struggle came over the YS's newspaper, the

ches adult

New Advance. Its editor, Roger Protz, was appointed from the Labour Party's press and publicity depart-

content was flat and noncontroversial and Its sales The papers of the left were far more popular.

Any attempt the bureaucracy to use the YS as a simple vehicle for recruiting young people to the party was prevented above all by the rise of Keep Left.

1960 Hendon North and Wembley North YS branches started the first issues of Keep Left. It was no secret to anybody that Keep Left politically reflected the views of the Socialist League which at that time was clearly the largest organisation of the far left in Britain. Its organisation was very efficient, but its political style was hectoring and sectarian — which made it very unpopular with other sections of the left. Nonetheless, it won wide support — more than any other section of the left.

The NEC saw Keep Left as threat. In November 1960 they wrote

Wembley North and North telling them that it was 'not the function' of the YS branch to sponsor nationally circulated papers. YS bran-

responded to this attack rapidly coming to the defence of the paper, and the number of sponsoring branches rose rapidly.

The 1961 conference of the YS was extremely successful. Many of the resolutions carried were Marxist character. But the witch hunt against Keep Left had already begun.

Because of the political immaturity of many people in the YS, they allowed a resolution to 'investigate' Keep Left to go through: the sectarian style of the journal's supporters opened them up to this, and contributed to suspiciois. Many people new to politics were unable to see that the attack on Keep Left was the precursor of a wider attack on the whole left.

This attack was being masterminded by the same group of people who were ligating unnateransmn In tne

party the Campaign Democratic Socialism. A paper called Counterblast reflecting their views was set up reflecting the views of the

right wing. At the same time another left paper called Young Guard was set up which regrouped the non-Keep Left left-wing forces. flagged. By 1962 the

branches. On May Day of that year members heckled Labour Glasgow and George Brown in Lon-

don, over nuclear weapons and other as OCCLS of the Labour policy. The NEC used these incidents to move against the YS. As a result, the Glasgow Federation was closed down and Roger Protz and three Keep Left NC members expelled The atmosphere organisation was soured by bitter in(SLL), fighting between the rival left groups,

and by the constant attempts at witch Hendon

by

In

hunting by the NEC, led by the Youth Officer — Reg Underhill.

But still the witch hunters had not vet won maior went on the Easter 1964. That Easter groups "mods' and 'rockers' had gathered for the first time to fight it out at various sea-side resorts.

for socialist branches intervened

the slogan 'mods and rockers unite to fight the Tories'.

The NEC took this as the cue to

of the YS NC

: YS had about 800

Gaitskell

revolutionary leadership's

LPYS inside the

tant tendency.

Tony Benn speaks at 1957 youth rally in Hyde Park

LPYS from

victories. But they offensive again after

of

Keep Lef:

unde:

begin a further round of witch hunting, expelling John Robertson - a supporter of Keep Left and charman

In 1965, the supporters of Keep Left had decided that they • could, through the creation of a mass youth movement, lay the basis for a mass

party and they therefore split to form their own YS.

After the 1965 general election the YS was re-organised as the Labour Party Young Socialists. The betrayals of the Labour government made the

increasingly unattractive. Socialists more and more began to organise among the youth outside the Labour Party — except for the Mili-

By 1970 Militant had won control of the organisation. Its political influence was to effectively insulate the

political developments of the 1970s.

•This article is based entires Socialist Challenge 12 November 1962 page 7

Page 8 scan of this page

Sri Lankan election setback for masses

Bolsheviks and Mensheviks By John Ross

Where you can

buy Socialist

Challenge

Scotland ABERDEEN: SC available at Boomtown books, King St. For more info

Bus Starion. isi Ra. More or Becer Boks, For s St. Also available frar

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Wales BANGOR: Sat 10-12 town centre. atour koaliabit 108 Boks,.

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LABOUR COMMITTEE ON PALESTINE

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page 8

By M Soori THE ELECTION victory of the United National Party candidate JR Jayawardene (JR) in last month's presidential elections in Sri Lanka will undoubtedly lead to further erosions in the democratic rights and living standards of the masses. The UNP government decided to advance the presidential elections (not due until February '84) because the World Bank insisted that it should implement a series of tough austerity measures including a steep devaluation of the rupee and further cuts in social service expenditure especially in education and health. Already the UNP had indicated that the rupee will be devalued shortly and by as much as 50 per cent.

The government also lost no

did LOSC WIlO SUDDOR Laem Ine SaST election.

Thousands have

from continuing iheir jobs in the governmen alu i sualt curDuraliol. estaousnment. state emergency has been imposed in the Jaffna District, the only in the h tet on. elections.

Party been sealea ana unenr ornices closcd aown.

Furthermore JR has now decided not to hold the

due next June but instead to extend the life of Parlament by Six vears LAUS ensuring nim the massive majority he has in

setback tllC Class oner oopressea masses. sc wny was ine unr able to win despite their anti-working class policies over the last five yadis The UNP was able to

mobilise unc wnoe covernment aparatus including two IN THE LAST issue of this series we saw how Marx outlined the basis for united action between revolutionaries and the working class

in terms of united action. He was prepared to engage in common action for goals. working class even with forces that in their general character were absolutely reactionary. For example, and the Turkish empire when it was a question of blocking

This policy of judging the necessity of united action by deeds, and not by the character of the forces involved, was followed by Teve u enes aHLel Marx.

Trotsky showed that it was necessary during the 1930s and the second

Same side tos the mihse

same side the mass murderer and dictator China, Chiang Kai-Shek, against the Japanese invasion of the country.

Recently was necessary to fight on the same sıde øt a war as the Argentinian military dictatorship the Malvinas from British im-

This the wclalslll revolutionary position of unity action which comes directly from Marx himself.

Russia in 1903 however a quite different iype of criteria for unity in

action was introduced. in

OG: vision iook place

=m0*2 Russiar Marsists

Icsapci groups, radio, television. and the govern ment servants to it adantage

The police turned a blind

systematically employed by InC Ur dIl ODDOSELiUlISiS " a number of opposition party metings were broken up by its thovernment patronage -

jobs and ! contracts Was emoiovea on a laree scale. The UNP VICLOr was

acilitated first by the largel successfull call for abstention

particularly Tamil speaking people Tamils

The Tamil United Libera tion Front called for a boycott because they did not the UNip. Esen genunne na relations with Hollallsl anu progressive erouDs Jomnea une oovCOn chorus and objectively assisted the UNP. Theirs was an emotional response rather Marx posed the need for such a united front

he sided with capitalist forces

Russian expansion in

into Bolsheviks (who remained revolutionaries), and Mensheviks (who late! became reformists and abandoned Marxism).

A Menshevik resolution adopted at the Russian Congress of that year proposed determine unutco acuon HOL nte basis of definite deeds, recardiess of who was car. rying them out, but on the

of the basis capitalist forces into two different groups United

The first capitalist group were declared to be progressive bourgeois forces with whom united action takin. Che secbed groer- under-

were considered reactonary and united action with them was deciared impermissible

bosition' ci ihe This Mensheviks was t: necome ramous tale cerausc u.

International,

than a well thought strategy

Second the opposition parties could not field a canole e v colo mole lor workers, and op-

nationals against thi pasalils The allayl lu sinsic canuidale of the left despite severe adenocs RapisationS such the

Government Clerical Service Union failed.

pro-Moscow Com1 lit munist Partv which had unti *țhe nomın on cav cen ce impression that they would

trotskyists) and who claimed unal incie was no aricrenct perween Ine Iwo bourgeois

(the UNP and the

SLFP) suddenly switched i

the SLFP can-

ozv d that the SLF: stood for democracy!

E ven mer isere a te

Lankan

ected to Militant tendency i Britan). wno nau stalcu lilai

hey would support the car

didate of the LSSF Colvin R de Silva on condition h supports their whole pro-

LEenin wi MaTty

analysis which divided capitalist forces into 'progressive' and reactionary' groupings became the policy of the Communist Parties from Stalin to the present day.

More precisely the Menshevik resolution 1903 declared that united action could be entered into with bourgeois forces that, "clearly and unambiguously declare that in their struggle against the autocr ale governmen they will resolutely side with the Kussiar Icvoll tionaries,' thạt did not, 'include in their programmes any demands running counter to the interests of the working class or the democracy generally, obscuring their political consciousness, and which supported, 'universal, equal, secret and direc suffrage. United action was stated to be correct with these progressive bourgeois forces but was rejected with others.

Lenin violently attacked this 1903 resolution and

stated that the Menshevik resoimiiuli,

Ultimately they their candidate who used his plattorm to at

Ine canacale of the ano lo ask ine neonle to give the second preference not to for the bourgeois SLFI

Although the British Milicancæ cae onc enc Lankan affiliate was a mass party _and much bigger thar

their candidats managed get only 17,000 votes (0.26%) out of a total of •.4 mon vole. wane une LOSK polled the SLFP could not decide or a candidate until the very last

moment i o aniles Jinternal

Was ali call electioneering Une SLFP was squabbling among themselves. Murky

It was an excellent opportunity to launch Colvin as a common canuluac ol lic oo DOSIIOT atoun was sabotaged by the CP and the

nese macan die soner

Matter SLFP notably Icaucis Daruar arike uu nul suDD0r

Release Sri Lankan political prisoners Stop the hanging of Kuttimani and Jegen

Public meeting

Friday 26 Nov at 5.30pm Friends Meetina House

Euston Rd, London

Campaign for the release of Eelam Political Prisoners in Sri Lanka, c/o Grays Inn Bulding, Roseberry Ave, London ECI. questions: 1) The posure of the 'antirevolutionary and antiproletarian' features of all liberal-democratic trends. ana ine neca lo combat these features and 2) the conditions for temporary and partial agreements with any of these trends.'

Lenin denounced the resolution because he said, It does not gıve wnal l should •.• all analysis of the class of

ColLel liberalism.' The resolution used vague classless terms such as 'democratic' and therefore, 'It does not define the class content of Russian liberalism.

This way of posing the question of relations with the bourgeoisie created ll lusions in the capitalist

and miseducated thei haracter. Les in said the working class that it was ridiculous to believe that sections of the bourgeoisie resoluteiy side with the revolutionaries even if the That is absurd, and spokesmen ot such a trenc

were to 'declare it clearly

anambiguous'y

the party the pre-

him. In fact his only speech in Ine elecuon campalgn damag ed the SLFP because he claimed that the SLFP once elected

restore civil daranaike) and then resign.

The JVP ran a particularly murky campaign using sin-

vilala culauvıisl orobozard

win voles trom toe olr and concentrating its main attack parties

context the RMP (SLFI) and the class struggle oriented

culll duc.

Government Clerical Service NODP. mallil aroue une Union used the electoral cam paign to advance the need fos an independent working class anis iree trom boln bourgeol: pante ganisatiene p rase root organisations workers the The SaVe eritidal sup por fe

canuuale duyalic Ing sener cemana designed to achieve the above objectives.

joint effort has : way for a unificathe IllUsl Class col scious elements or une work ing class movement. letariat, would be obliged not to believe their declarations To be liberal and resolutely side with the revolutionaries -the excludes the other.'

As Lenin put it, 'there never have been, nor can there be, liberal-democratic trends which

include in programme demands running culle! the terests of the working class and obscuring its (the proletariat's) class consciousness.

Lenin argued like Marx that united action could be entered into with any secuo or une bourecos c lol a definite concrete action aldisu Tsarism. He CI C jected anything which obscured the capitalist class content of 'liberal' or 'democratic" bourgeois forces.

In these differences lay the the

«OUROdOR. division between the Bolsheviks Mensheviks in Russia. It later anlu Dolarle nic between the revolútionaries and reformists on a world scale.

1 In 1903 the Marxists were KUVVE Social

Because bemnocrals wora nas now taken on a

different meaning • have replaced it with in ail the quorations

Lar:1 s quotes ara ali tron

Step orata e

Steps Back'.

Page 9 scan of this page

Workers Party election test

NEXT Monday, 15 November, Brazil goes to the polls and the three year-old Workers Party (PT) faces the first major test of its spectacular political and organisational development. Not that the themselves will change very much. Local and assemblies and - for the first time in 18 years -governorships as well, are all up for grabs. But the presidency and central government remain firmly in military hands.

Despite frantic manoeuvres by the realle to rig the electoral rules, it seems likely that its own party, the PDS, Will be savaged by the opposition in all the major cities. Even if the main bourgeois opposition party, the PMDB (which counts a rapidly growing number of industrialists, as well as

Brazilian Communist among its supporters) does win a majority in many areas, its power to do anything will be severely limited: first by its own extremely moderate intennons, second centralised military-technocratic state machine which really runs Brazil.

The ? has aways this, and analysed the whole electoral opening as an attempt by the ruling class to recycle its status unpopular lines. The PT has centred Its own campaign less seats (which it may well do) than on bullaing ine strength of the movement and its own organisation.

The party's advances have been impressive by anybody's standards. Emerging out of the dustrial struggles of 1978/79, with a clear emphasis on class independence, the PT now has almost

law 'dissolving'

tions in the period

December 1981.

It also dishonoured the

pledge made on 16

December 1981, that

Solidarnose and the other

unions would be allowed

to resume funcioning

accordaice with their

charters.

Today, through such

civilian mouthpieces

Rakowski, the junta is try-

ing to convince a terroriz-

and interna-

tional public opinion that

since 13 December Solid-

arnosc has not sought any

dialogue mutual

understanding

therefore must now be li-

quidated in the interest of

'socialism' and 'world

peace'

We want you to know

that these claims are abject

lies. On many occasions,

the members of Solidar-

nosc and their

underground leadership,

including our Solidarnosc

Inter-Enterprise Workers

Committee Warsaw,

have demonstrated their

CISCISSOR

and dialogue. The only

condition we posed was an

elementary one, VIIC as

humanitarian as political.

We asked for the release of

elections

national

the state Party World's largest class, and

direction of revolutionary

highly-

of the election results. recognised

• auo on less Metalworkers

winning linked the

contacts with

massive instruggle in Brazil. and

main

GENERAL JARUZELSKI'S JUNTA is moving systematically to wipe out every vestige of the gains the workers made in the wake of the August 1980 strike. On 8 October 1982 following the directions of the apparatchiks and the Orgbureau of the Polish United Workers Party (PWUP), the deputies to the Sejm approved a

the Independent Self-Managed Union Solidarnosc. By this action, the junta trampled on the August 1980 accords and all the agreements signed with the independent workers and farmers organisa-

from August 1980 to

Lech Walesa and the other arrested and interned members of Solidarnosc.

We prepared to engage SuCu dialogue even in the circumstances of the state of war. under the threat of and gulls tanks.

From the end of June to the end of August, we declared a moratorium on strikes and demonstrations throughout the country. At the start of July, in une stalemen 'Five Times Yes' which WaS distributed hundreds of thousands of the underground leaaersmp or sondariuse said that it was ready to engage in discussion and dialogue.

Again, in leaflet drawn up for the 31 August demonstrations. which were planned to be peacetul but were turned into a bloodbath by the police, the Solidarnosc leadership appealed to the junta for compromise and a mutual understanding.

demonstrations, ot the underground leadership, Tive

Partido dos Trabalhadores

O Partido sem Patrões 500,000 signed-up members, a leadership firmly planted at the head of the most militant sections of the Third

industrial working political plug-alling which has developed rapidly in the

socialist solutions. Many problems remain. In coming weeks SC will look at the PT's election platform, and the implication

no VITO GIANOTTI is a militant in the opposition of the Sao Paulo

Union which represents some 400,000 workers and is controlled by bureaucrats

military regime was recently in Britain, making

trade unionists here. Socialist Challenge spoke to him about the general state of the

Could you give us a brief outline of

struggles facing the Solidarnosc Has Not Perished leaders Solidarnosc, together representatives of the ConfederaLIOL Unions, addressed a joint letter to Jaruzelski, cluding an urgent appeal for dialogue.

In Poland today, the authorities see the unions more as a police problem

International.

POR UM GOVERNO DOS TRABALHADORES

working-class movement in Brazil at the moment, and particularly your sector in Sao Paulo?

The number one problem at the moment is unemployment. The crisis of the capitalist system is world-wide.

But for us, • in a country were ine working class already live in poverty unemployment is tragic. have social security in Brazil. There's unemployment benefit. why this is the main struggle at the moment.

Ins August len Sao Paulo factories went on strike against Last car our leader ship in the Sao Paulo metalworkers union recommended acceptance of a reduction in the working week with a cul in wages, order to avoid unemployment. But the workers turned it down.

What we want is a shorter working week without loss of pay. We want to see the bosses' profits getting smaller.

We don't want to solve their problems

Open letter from the

Polish workers to the

western trade unions

and workers parties

Robotniczy Komitet Solidarnosci Warszawa (Solidarnosc Warsaw Inter-Workplace Workers Committee)

than as a means for the political economic emancipation of the working class. prevent any misunderstanding, should point out here that the military junta is not fighting defend socialism. It is fighting to protect privileges.

Brazil?

The main problem is the structure of the trade unions. Brazilian unions are not free. ment which has control government sack its leadership, and put own people.

hunance. government prohibits any unification of workers. aren't allowed to have our own TUC

set up to collaborate with the state

structure we want to demolish. we're fighting for is free trade unions decided on by the workers and completely free of ties with government or the bosses. We want a union based 01 grass-roots organisation tories. And we want a union with a clear class position, not one that seeks collaboration between bosses workers.

What Workers Party (P7) should play in

all this? the pr has aim to be wor ans That's popularise the demands that workers

are making: the demand we're making is for free, class-oriented unions, which can open the way to a society free from exploitation.

As a workers' party It sets out to be the PI has to nu itself at the service of workers, help ing them to achieve their true objectil sea ergies on the side of ple all its energies on the side workers' independent working to politicise all their strug gles.

socialist, it has to be right there where workers are struggling, spreading and Signed: Miedzysakladowy

It is for this reason that

interest dialogue with Solidarnosc It there are WIll still believe that what is at issue in Poland is defence of 'people's power' 'collective ownership of une seas they are, if we may be per-

speak plainly,

What They depend on the governcatiency severe the The can step into a

in their Sallic Brazil.

It has the power to decide how the

The are used

• according to the law we file workers

nationally. but to I his is all part of the trade unio

What same,

What

war? in the fac

quiet and the French think

rrench The

take detests

regime. We

DUWE

which is what form

Britain

tain to

organisation

Since the PT's stated objective is

countries,

'hopeless idiots'. The junta in Poland is endeavoring to maintain at any cost a 'socialism for idiots suclailsill based on the whip, terror, corruption, prisons, despotic factory managers, military com. missars, police agents, and apparatchniks. The Polish workers have already had

"socialism' and 'people's power'.

The junta thinks it has 'dissolved' Solidarnosc So, some of you may be wondering whether there is

Many

and supbor it nos

supporting should know that Solidar-

'dissolved' nosc cannot be since the Polish working class cannot be 'dissolved'. It can be crushed, but that would mean the physical smashing of Polish labour

This prefer say

on our part. 'Solidarnose', WE say 'freedom' You say 'socialism we say 'justice and self-management' Ask yourselves: call the workers' aspirations for freedom, justice, a decent life, and control over theil workplaces be confined within prison walls? Since they cannot, Solidarnosc as OL been • Cano be, 'dissolved'. Even

underground anc with many of its leaders and activists jailed, and it itself 'dissolved', Solidarnosc still strikes fear into generals and the apparat. chniks.

Friends, we are hoping for joint statements and mass actions by the unions and workers' parties in the West 1n defence of the Solidarnosc leaders

each and every struggle

concrete possibilities

the workers' movement in Brazil and here in Britain?

I visited Ford's at Dagenham. The workers there are subjected to the

business of alienation course there are differences. But the struggle is the same.

In concrete terms I think it's im portant to set up meetings of rank anc

of works committees, from the different Ford plants inter-

And not just for a chat, organise combined and coore are coo. ll ine boss is une

then the struggle has to be

was the reactior among Brazilian workers to the Malvinas

First of all we were suprised to see the British labour movement keeping so

• to see it seeming to line up with Thatcher. It reminded us a bit of

working-class movement during the Algerian war, when for the most part it came down on the side of

imperialist forces.

Brazilian working class the Argentinian military : knew perfecly well that military shantee o Malvinas war in order to hold on to

and keep on killing workers But in Brazil we are all against an

of imperialism. And the Malvinas are not British; one fine day

'conquered' the Falklands and It's long since been time for bri

get out.

At the same time we realise that the main aspect of imperialism today is not its presence on a few remote islands in the Pacific or the Atlantic It is ils presence in the very neart of al

through its multinational

We hope that you will cal the military 'gorillas' account before world public opinion on every possible occasion for their record of violence and terror We hope that you will focus attention on the fac that the so-called tradeunion law passed on & Oc tober is in violation of the convention of the interna tional Labour Organisation and that it in fact puts recognition of new unions in the hands of the secret police The sort of tradeunion movement the iunt: is projecting for the coming years is nothing but the 'model' followed by Pinochet in Chile. The application of this 'model'

Involves the transformation of the entire state administration into a kind of caowed with specia rights 'army overseers and privileges on the model of the old Czarist of Ranks' (the Nomenklatura).

We are convinced that the unions and the worker parties the West prepared to take up a consistent struggle in support of the rights of labour in Poland. We are convinced that in supporting Solidarnosc you will also find an effective way for defending the fundamental interests and rights of workers in the West For today and the days that lie ahead, wt art depending on you for helf and solidarity That what we look for most of all from you. From us inere Is one lning you car. count on that we will

Socialist Challenge 12 November 1982 page 9

Page 10 scan of this page

Privatisation — a lousy deal for workers and users

Israel's

By Paul Lawson TWO BRITISH DOCTORS - Paul Morris from Ealing and Dr Swee Chai Ang - revealed last week in their evidence to the Israeli commission of enquiry on the massacres, that most of the killings took place at the time when Israel claims that they had stopped the massacre.

hospital, near the Sabra and Chatilla refugee camps at the time of the killings. They confirmed that the majority of the killings had in fact occurred between Thursday night September 16 and Friday noon, when it was supposed to have been halted.

An American Ellen Seigal, saw Israeli

MOUSeS on the Saturday

The houses were demolished to cover up the

of the Hassalic burying hundreds of bodies beneath them.

need our aid

THE NEW Spanish prime minister, Felipe Gon-

Sweden and Greece in trying to get an and to civil war in almost 40,000 lives so far. There is a growing movement in Europe to persuade the Reagan administration to get the Magana government to the negotiating movement headed up by the FDR, the Revolutionary Democratic Front.

i ne swing to the Democratic Party in the US's mid-term elections last week is seen to hinder Reagan's ability to carry out his strategy in Central America with CariboCai Basin which throws billions of dollars to the governments he supports in the area.

In Britain the names of the FDR members recently arrested by the El Salvador

Of the POEU

'PRIVATISING

the Counter Information Services report.

Stop the

come a poor second.

Investors can look for-

ward to a bonanza

the huge profits that will

come out of the merger of

computer and microchip

accuses muciccouls.

The CIS Report shows

now Ine government.

tandem with management

Lo Sillasi

the unions and how their

policies are geared towards

divide and rule.

When the post was

sphit from telecoms ine

Post Office Engineering

Socialist Challenge

British doctors reveal

massacre lies

Both the doctors were working in the Gaza

Ellen Seigal revealed that the houses were identified by a Hebrew letter painted on their side. If this is true, it represents at least some evidence for the proposition inal Israeli soldiers were driving the bulldozers.

El Salvador prisoners

zalez is expected to join the governments of

El Salvador which has claimed

table with the liberation

security forces have reached the El Salvador Commiltce lor ruman nights and it is urged that an immealate enort is made lo get them released.

They are all members of MNR equivalent to the British Labour Party and leaders of the trade unions. The last big round-up of MNR leaders was conducted November 1980 which culminated in their badly

3y Ann Fiander, a member of London City branch

British Telecommunications will only put the finishing touches on the government's plan to turn telecoms over to private captial' says

The 'Queen's Speech' which put privatisation

of the Tory government priorities, should they intend to give the benefits to private capital and the consumers and workers will

Union gave this their ap-

by the Uniona so pose

Union munication Workers.

The right-wing dominated NEC POEU justified this on the telecond. would be more profitable and therefore it would be better for its members if it split from the postal serVi The Tories fare interested in the profitable bits of public services, but

12 November 1982 page 10

Dr • Ang said that she was

vocialilly from Thursday morning until Friday. Her first patient had been brought in on Thursday morning with a bullet wound irom a niga velocity gun.

But during the afternoon the casualties were more and more suffering from wounds inflicted at close range by grenades ana mortars. Dr Ang sala that women and children

LOO her that LOK Phalangist militia men had

orcakille HILU houses and shooting whole familles.

This still during

was the NOUS of daylight, although according to the By Toni Gorton

mutilated bodies being discovered by a roadside.

The followng persons were arrester or 18719 Oc toner and the equivalent their trade union is indicated in brackets:

• Carlos Molina, head of economics dept.,

• Mauricio Domenech,

David Elias Guadron, age 34, health

our macist VALOT TADIMOI • Jorge Herrera, (NUM)

Castro Palomar Fuss Workers 4/01, trade

Silvestre Ortiz, Treasurer, veer workers unior

Berta Alicia Costa (or Castro) Textile

/incente Ortiz Hernandez, Dockers Unior

Ramirez Cornejo they and their friends can cash in, and the public can

minish up with the parts that do not pa off.

Now has axe started to swing in the postal side. Speed up and job losses are hitting the

worktorce organised by

even telecoms members are belg nil by the way the Tories use new technology. The 29,000 telephonists most them threatened with a total job loss in the next ten years.

The POEU is slowly waking up Ene that profitability does not

SCCUIC and better service. George Jefferson, British Telecom's managing director making Cleal

News

Israelis the militia men had not gone in until 6pm.

Neither doctor had known that a wholesale massacre was going on outside the hospital. DI Ang said: "The first time I saw video-tape oi • peopic being shot. and dead bodies lying in the streets I cried. Here we were, 2 meagre team of foreigners, trying our very best for 72 hours, without

sleep, to save the lives o

0 or 40 people and they WCIC dying their thousands. If I had known that they were dying by the thousands, I would have stopped operating mediately, and gone out into the streets and done something about it'.

• Pedro Ramirez Esquive

(TGWU) • Daniel (or David) Avalos (TGWU)

What you should do

Salvadorean President: SE Presidents dead he

walso resc ence Salvador, El Salvador.

Get your nearest Labour

Land

government asking it to in-

of the on

8nd Common.

St, London SW1. UTTICO

The El Salvador CommitHuman Rights can be contacted c/o 21 Com

Terrace London

2UN Tel: 01-359 1836 or 220

profitability inal lo 15,000 jobs must go and in time 45,000 jobs will have to disappear.

The competition has meant that 60,000 business

since the British Telecoms poly was broken so that competitors could SuDDIV phones and othe equipment, residential rates have shot up by 50 percent.

The results of all this has been big business has got a hand out from public funds millions. There has been serious decline in British Telecom's in she l percent drop ing showing in the the demand for new telephone lines. At the same time management is putting plans into practice

trained by us'. Exactly!

Stop the frame-up

of the Newham 8

By Chris Guthrie

attacks and against police harrassment.

weapons and actual policeman.

The 'Newham 8' were arrested after being attacked by plain clothes police after a series of racist attacks in Newham schools in which Asian youths defended themselves.

Since the arrest of the Newham police and authority harrassment of Asian people has increas ed. wo of the & and a friend have been held illegally in rorest Gate to raise productivity by 25 per cent.

The CIS Report spells out why privatisation will mean the end of a national telepnone service serves the whole communi-

also shows privatisation has become

attractive explaining that now adequate new technology can change the nature of the industry anc lead to record profit levels.

The Report also shows how the government intends to get its way by breaking down the tional bargaining structur built up by the POEU an replacing with local bargaining based on the newiy organised profit centres.

ISRAELI Prime Minister Begin himself answered questions in front of the commission of enquiry last Monday. He testified that at the cabinet meetings which approved the chief of staff that some form of Phalangist massacre was possible. Begin said that he knew that there had been massacres in the past 'but after all the Phalangists were ON FRIDAY 5 November hundreds of school and college students went on strike to protest against the lack of action over growing racist

Over 300 of them, mostly Asians, picketted West Ham Magistrates Court where 8 Asian youth were appearing on a series of serious charges including the possession of offensive

bodily harm to a

police station on suspicion of minor theft. One was in the for nearly days before alvolic knew where he

response to school strike . been equally vicious. Asian kids one school were threatened with expulsion

of the strike school gates WCIC locked after the The great strength of the CIS Report is its inforHall us adul of what Jefferson and the rest of management are up to in telecoms. In that sense it does a real service to both members and the rest of the public.

The Report is however

be done. tables can

done. It tables the misleadership POEU executive over the last few years and is quite rightly very critical of thei role. However, it does no point out that the workforce are in a strong DON UNTO SILDACK and are also willing and ready to do this.

The fight against privatisation in telecoms means a fight to replace

into the refugee camps they had been told by the Israeli

youth had gone into

school and there was a

police presence at the

schools that had been at-

tacked by the racists.

Newham

got local trades union and

Labour rarly suDoor

with trade unionists, coun-

cillors, MPs and prospec-

tive MPs attending the re-

cent public meeting which

attracted 250 people

However the local NUT

Executive overwhelmingly

voted not to support the

Newham . 8, and in par-

ticular the school strike.

campaign to be successful

national support is vital.

Messages

and donations

Newham

Defence Campaign, 285

Romford Road, London E7. the leadership of the POEU means replacing that leadership with one that is prepared to campaign for industrial action in the POEU and also makes

DUTC solidarity with other trade

The whole labour movement • the unions and the Labour Party

has tition the the vil

privatisation which lead to bigger profits for

Por the orders, ses

workers, and a decline and growing pense of services for the USCIS

The CIS Report can be widely used in the labour movement to build such a resistance and in that sense we owe it a big debt.

Page 11 scan of this page

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Page 12 scan of this page

Mines -

closures week. The Board's

the 207 pits.

Top of the Board's list Snowdown colliery is the in Kent followed by Kinnail in Scotland. According to the Board, these which produce 12 per cent amongst those of total capacity at a loss' £250m. Such be compared with could the £341m paid out by the NCB repayments alone

year. miners and their families Yet thousands

are to be thrown scrap heap when

Justice and Peace for Guatemala

Eyewitness reports:

Massacres, villages burnt down.

The Church speaks out

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Socialist

Challenge

no closures

THE COAL BOARD intends to close 95 pits in

the next five years. This revelation, forced on

the Coal Board by miners' union leader Arthur

Scargill, is a total justification of the call for all-

out strike on the linked question of pay and

defeated in the miners' ballot last

contained in documents submitted to the Monopolies Com- hit list

mission accounts for a wacking 46 per cent of

reason for the 'loss' is the total lack of investment in such Snowdon the union has drawn pits. and Both Kinnail.

reveal which nial ploitable would last reserves into the next

losses areas, miners are prepared century. In all the threatened

interest fight A national ballot last closures. on the closure issue would now undoubtedly back a fight. In any event, it is extremely unlikely that any on the miner would cross the line the real 434444442222 PUBLIC MEETING

33333 International

Viewpoint

Latest issue includes major articles on the situation Spain, Poland and Bolivia rogeiner an extended interview with a leader ranian movement. copies 65p from The Other

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of any flying picket sent pits individually threaten- out from any one of the ed. The Board have tried play down list. But the smooth words significance of their of NCB chairperson NorSiddall have to man weighed in light of the fact that after these documents had gave an explicit denial in a been drawn meeting with the NUM on

in 24 April that anything of

the sort existed. up defence miners' jobs cries out for a Clearly, which

plan for expansion.

requires a rational energy

and a reversal power. Part of the battle Tory reliance prevent to ensure victory must be

the development by NUM Diall Labour government to it. committing 7.30 Tuesday 16 November University of London Union Malet Street, London W1 Admission free

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Subscriptions tin ner an.

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and

next

tion of the revolutionary left Price: £1.50p and Bookmarks.

By post send £1.5l frey Howe's trousers

FUND DRIVE '82

missing.

post witn a custon postmark But the whole hypocrisy of the Tories.

Anyone not

This

about with £100 in his pocket cuce wuat sin as ackol

at Mirabelle's is a fortune.

the rich to gibe to the poor off plan -

SAVE

Kent miners picketting the NCB against threats to Snowdon colliery

Farsi publication of revolutionary socialists in Iran struggling for unifica-

Available from the Other Bookshop, Collets Box 35, Lod don N plus 30p påp 1o P. Lawson, PO

LAST WEEK a 'thief' stole Chancellor Geof-

- from his overnight

train compartment during his trip from Man-

chester to London. Later his trousers were

found on the track, but the £100 in them was

We can exclusively reveal that both the growing

band of Socialist Challenge supporters who work

on the rai ways. ant our gudoorers in ine rector

tress of Manchester, have disclaimed responsibili-

ty - although we did get an anonymous £100 in the

epidose reveals the lies and

First, the police put out the lie that Howe's £100

was stolen by a 'professional thief' - an obvious

completely befuddled by , will recoanise the work of a valiant

anti-Tory fighter when they see it.

action was obviously designed to reveal

the fact that Geoffrev Howe, eagerlv takina moner

off the pensioners and claimants, regularly walks

and that doesn't in.

ror lory ministers the odd nunarea quia nere o

nowadays.

workers, the pensioners and the unemploved t 101

And for Socialist Challenge.

Like the valiant anti-Tory fighter we plan to rob Only ours is not a one we intend to do it for keeps. To do that

we need money. So if any of our readers have by

NEWBATTLE

AND STOP

THE RUN DOWN

IN

MINING

Socialism and Revolution in Iran suit: jail jungu

Howe's trousers — new revelations

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1.00 1.00 .65 .00 .50

888888888888

6.00 58.00 104.50 £1961.64 £5726.21