Socialist Challenge No. 272, 3 December 1982
The scan: sc-no272.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 USSR threatens to launch on warning of attack Cruise missiles bring war closer
No. 272 3 December 1982 in Europe.
for launching a nuclear "launch on warning' procedure.
The Cruise missiles take such a short time to reach the Soviet Union, Novosti, that the Soviet 2633 Union would be forced to retaliate at the first sign of
nuclear attack. This
ACCIdenT nuclear war much more
There would be no time for confirmation that a full-scale attack was underway. No time determine whether one missile had been launched accidentally Cruise
25p Unemployed and strikers 10p
Socialist
CRUISE MISSILES make nuclear war much more likely. That's the only conclusion that can be drawn from the latest Soviet response to the plan to install Cruise and Pershing missiles
According to the Soviet paper Novasti, the Soviet Union intends to change its procedures
counter-strike to a
missiles would take only a few minutes to reach the Soviet Union.
The Novosti statement only confirms what nuclear campaigners have known for a long time that the siting of Cruise and Pershing makes Europe THOTE dangerous place; holocaust 1s brought tha much closer.
NATO strategists say that the West needs Cruise to counter the Soviet SS-20 missiles, already deployed.
This is nonsense. The US navy already has, in addition to all Western land-based - nuclear weapons, 400 Poseidon submarinelaunched missiles in European waters. The 'balance Or TENOT already favour of the West.
Meanwhile US defense secretary Caspar Weinberger is coming to Europe this week to seck backing for the US's insane MX' missile system.
He does so amid persis-
stallation date for Cruise
brought forward in an at-
missile movement. construction work tor the Cruise base at Greenham Common is already well ahead of schedule.
Thatcher and Tories are now trying a
systematic red baiting campaign CND.
This week's Tory press has been full of stories Soviet reporters at CND CORTETENCE number of visits of CND leader Kent made to the Soviet Union and similar stupidities.
Thatcher accused
Michael Foot last week of being "more interested in defending the Union than Britain'
But the Tories fighting a losing
The anti-missile lobby is already a clear majority of the British people. The will be the year when the anti-nuclear movement makes its biggest impact yet. the CND conference report, see pages 6-7
the
the Soviet
are battle
1983
•Insider MX missile madness CND conference report
see pages
6-7
Page 2 scan of this page
Queens Park
turnout will be down.
reason why Labour's vote will be affected
major row has
erupted over council plans
to sell the empty Hutchin-
sontown "E' scheme to
develoners
Labour candidate Helen
McElhone
demolished and rebuilt.
But it doesn't do much for
party credibility when it's
à Labour council she is op-
posing.
There also
cynicism about her selec-
WITCH-HUNT
By Alan Freeman LABOUR'S leadership has dropped all pretence of implementing the register. Jim Mortimer's report, the bulk of which WAS AR cepted by the NEC's 24 November meeting. recommends against taking action on any
which have GOU BE refused to register. because it might lead to damaging strife' during a General Election.
The NEC has therefore switched the direction of its attack on willant bi proposing a notice of motion that Militant will be declared an organisation incligible for affiliation to the Labour Party, making all associated with it liable to expuision.
The same NEC meeting to lake over the Labour Par
Young Socialists' budget. In 1964 this move W2. MaLC OIC before the LPYS was clos0 down. SHHOUSE the NEC has been forced Dy pressure trom the rank and-file to retreat on some ssues, such as chell's candidature, the Judith Hart, left John Golding, right Socialist Challenge 3 December 1982
Queens Park bye-election
TWO THINGS are certain about the Glasgow
by-election this Thursday December: Labour will win by a mile but the
Queens Park includes the old Gorbals area and housing remains a major issue. That is one
tion as Labour candidate after the death of the sitting MP who was her husband Frank. Although she TOTECT closely with him, her political inexperience
casy tool the party
Thus the campaign is in many wavs a model o the way the Labour leadership like to see a general elec-
Your head on
a plate served byr
Broad is now open for a wide-ranging witch-hunt. becomes clear from the discussion at the Nel apont the basis of which 'membership of Militant is to be defined.
The decision to declare Militant means that anyone who sells, buys, gives WHOEVIO or writes for the Miltant, is liable for expulsion. Mortimer made no attempt to duck this issue, but proposed to define membership as 'significantly con-
activities.
This that everyone associated with Millant will be liable to an extensive (and ending) inquisition concerning how they what meetings they attend, what policies they promote the list is maRCO Only by the ingenuity of the right wing's Torquemadas also creates a precedent. If support for a paper is proof of membership of a group, why stop with Militant?
At age bulamson
nalist Williamson faces expulsion threats page 2
tion run. Tony Benn is in-
vited to maintain a left im-
age but his meeting is right
at the start of her cam-
paign with little
publicity, the key
ssues of nuclear weapons
MicElhone's public
meetings have been for the
multilateralist and
unilateralist sections of the
they agree on.
An interesting sidelight
on local working class opi-
1L.U..
slashing attack she
delivered at every meeting
on the needless' Falklands
war. This is always well
received by her audience.
although invited platform
speakers are usually less
- served by
provoked by a letter to his COLISLILUCIICS John Spellars party for the crime of having criticised Spellars in an article! On this criterion no member of the Labour Party is safe
As Martin Flannery explained Weekend World. INCE TENTC every witch-hunt is that the witch-hunters deny there is a witch-hunt
Ine resolution passed
ference, which Pim Mor-
férence, which Jim timer promoted, said the party would affirm determination to uphold Clause Il of the constitution... not in any attempt
provoke witch-hunts BILE genuine affirmation of our prin
How can Jim Mortimer and the old Tribune left uphold this claim? They have created the machinery by which
tend the pressure which won Bermondscy the right to reselect Peter Tatchell - it can purge who it likes when it likes, and where it likes.
Labour Party
enthusiastic.
McElhone has also COme with a strong anti-abortion position. While Queens Park is predominantly Catholic constituency the signs that both she and SN candidate Peter Mallan (another hard-line antiabortionist) have misread the feelings of even many Catholic women who sup-
But despite this the
But despite this, opposition to McElhone is hardly serious. The SNP are very well organised but their candidate is better known as a smeer Loan g politician. Their image is
Tartanry CHEC bagpipes rather than real ES ON:
By Chris Khamis FOLLOWING the passing motions at the annual ference, the National Executive of Palestine
The NEC contradicts this, putting an equal sign between the Palestinians and Israelis by demanding that they both withdraw from the Lebanon. YY LICIO. we may ask, are the Palestinians supposed to so wave been erupee since 1948? And does the NEC realise that reason the Sabre and Shatillia massacres
WCIC possible was that the Harris Palestinian guerrillas had
The NEC also recog-
Photo John
nises the right of Israci in its present form to exist, more me racial macare of the Israeli state and its suppression of the rights of Palestinians living
By Tom Martin
solutions to the problems Tor working people.
The "Scottish independence will solve everything line reached a logical if bizarre conclu when Mallan refused 3.Ul? to declare himself unilateralist, saying he just wanted nuclear weapons outside of Scotland. Will stop at the border Alliance candidate Graham Watson Is Stan ding mainly, to keep the power of the bosses SDP/Liberal flag annough nobins tor some middle class support in the sourn or ine constuency Tory Jackson Carlaw has
quarters there and seems
CHILDREN
SLAUCHTERED
BUTCH
STOP Israeli Aggres!
London demonstration against the invasion of the Lebanon
of pro-Palestinian Labour Party conCommittee issued a press statement reaffirming its policy on the Middle East. The conference motions supported the right of Palestinians to self-determination and recognised the PLO as their legitimate representative, committed the party to the setting up of a democratic, secular state
and demanded the immediate withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon with an international enquiry into their war crimes.
within its borders.
This new development emphasises the importance of building the Labour Committee on Palestine which was set on a firm fooling at its new steering committee meeting SaturBUT COCOC The LCP is open lo anyone that wants to de fend and ensure the imof Labour Party policy. It is issuing a press statement condemning the NEC's action and is writing to Constituency Labour Parties ask them to pass resolutions doing the same.
The steering committee also decided 10 meetings at trade union
to be trying to outhatcher Thatcher
Communist Party candidate John Kay is heading for his sixth lost deposit since 1969 Although he can point his finger at Labour's record, his ap proach is essentially the same, massive expansion of the economy with imdoubt the fall-out port controls and an in-
private investment. All without fundamentally challenging the
clection has been the CNI COOLED LOCOMMERL candidates to oppose nuclcar weapons. A leatler calling for 'no Trident, no Cruise. 1310 US Dascs
HANDS OFF LEBANON-
NEC ignores labour policy on middle east
conterences, to launch a
labour HUNCHCH.
drive for the Palestinian
Red Crescent, to organise
a delegation of councillors
and trade unionists to visit
areas occupied by israel,
and to produce films and
to USC
labour movement
meetines. it restlirmed is
commitment to building
branches of the campaign.
The NEC
shows the difficulties in
building labour movement
solidarity with the Palesti-
nians. It involves a fight
not only against the labour
right but also against some
known left-wingers
For instance, MP Frank
Ana recency WHATCH
his sponsorship of a pro-
Palestinian meeting
Manchester
agreed with the NEC posi
tion
In this light it is a great
shame that Socialist
Organiser supporters and
some other activists decid
ed to pull out of the LCP
and set up an alternative
committee. We believe
that they could easily work
within the LCP which has
jobs not bombs" is being
every houschold in the constiuency from a temporar local headquarters ings of the War Game hav VICCULIS with showbeen held in local communities and a march organised through -the constituency (with support from the Labour and Communist Parties) and a forum for the candidates was to take place on Tuesday.
But the overall atmosphere is still low-key. Queens Park itself is due to disappear as a constituency at the next General Election. Few are likely to notice the difference
La clear anti-Zionist platAlthough the founding conference of the LCP was dominated by one political tendency, this is definitely ot the case with the no teering committee whi has now passed a pro cedure for clarifying the membership of the campaign.
Socialist Organiser's prescht course will only OWNECE
STEEL play into the hands of bot Zionists and the right-win; Labour Party. The LCP witch-hunters has invited the alternative committee to fuse with it LITE SCHE HEWL representatives with full speaking rights to is steering committee. We appeal to supcommittee to accept the in vitation to join with us in the urgent task of building labour movement solidari ty with the Palestinians.
For information contact the LCP c/o PO Box 50, London
Page 3 scan of this page
Bermondsey, Hornsey
Witch-
hunt
news NEARLY
Party nunered activists tagainst the Witch-hunts
penners trom arounG tor CLPs. LAW sent a letter to the NEC demanding it
Bermond Labour Party's right
Choose free from interference • take further
does not deny Tariq Ali cording's call to extend John the NEC's purge
I TOT Labour Party Democracy.
National Council, which meets on Sunday 12 December at
discuss the next steps in the campaign.
your decided it filiated and delegate yet? • A CONFERENCE of trade unionists
of the block vote and see how it can en-
the of Coulass
branches has been called by the inter-union Broad Left.
The Broad Left organis ing brugs together lell activists in g
intends to produce a regular
and this
very useful in building unit
left the
ty. development document the
of the Broad Left Post Office
Union POEU leading militant has already been published. The document provides useful information for thosc establishing similar group
The Conference will be held at London's County Hall on 19 February and ou
caders are urged
can be 108 ENCESS ington. Wirral, Merseyside.
of the Holt from Committee Street, London.
WI.
LABOUR Against the Witch-
Sidea newsenter contavang information on its activities
Nationa Committee Audrey Wise, and a mode
Hornsep 171Z Labour Party Order now from LAW Il Wilderton Road, London N16
HORNSEY Labour Party
still faces the threat cisbanomen December although the NEC has agreed to the Party to discuss All's membership of
Party BASON TO TAE DIS0800. ment threat.
NEC has
given reason ordering Hornsey to boot
ten a long letter to ine NEC explaining that he
gramme
onstitution and aims o
LODOUT There is no constitutiona
for the NEC's action.
Hornsay, is one of 200 with HOOOD. fareestinine countryano among the most active This is a crucial test of the right mination to its will on the COnSTECT cies - and its ciear tney uncersiano mois
During discussion on the Russel Tuck remarked The not lane: is waeter o not Hornsey will obey the for resolution to ble ed fo asolutions rushed to them and to the NEC.
Saturday 11 December will see a vital rally in Walworth Town Hall, opposite Labour Party headquarters, called by Bermondsey, Dulwich and Peckham Labour Parties, It is the only cantral London event this December where the left can respond to the NEC's threat to disband Hornsey Labour Party at the end of this year, and its attempts to prevent Peter becoming Bermondsey's MP. now trying to hold election in December, leaving no time at all to organise a campaign. If this is done, the whole labour movement will have to mobilise to demand Peter is endorsed as candidate and to fight for his victory in the election.
Socialist CONNELL of Dulwich CLP, who is part of the steering committe organising the rally.
How did the rally come about? Wich caling Pot to Dulwich calling Southwark-wide conference on the witch-hunt.
Branches and unions have passed 1OES DEMOEOTS
WETCH I clear about what to do next.
IS WAS INCE SUDDOEI ed by the other Southwark Parties, but we decided to turn it into a rally because WE WOLE opposing the witch-hunt.
We wanted to put the
that we weren't ighting the witch-hunt just to save a lew -Individuals but to defend the
By John Chapman, secretary.
Manchester Withington CLP LAST FRIDAY Roger Done, secretary of Manchester District Labour Party, was instructed by the national agent to take no further action on the snorcisting selection of candidates for the 1983 municipal election.
The 26GS07IS were: that sevcral Labour
members face disciplinary the way the panel was chosen for the 1983 election; an alleged failure
TELE atfiliated organisations.
What ProvoKed this апіс measure?
September 1981 the district
Reg Race MP Vice-Chair: Labour Against the Witch-hunt Richard Balfe MEP
Jeremy Corbyn Chair, Hornsey Labour Party
LONDON WIDE CONFERENCE
under attack
Tatchell Denis Healey is the Bermondsey bye-
Challenge spoke to KATHLEEN
Labour Party's socialist policies. to say who the abour Party belongs to: to oppose all expulsions; and to defend the Young who are very much in the firing line.
But we also had a very practical task: to assess practical support we could get from our local affiliates, the trade unions. and so on.
Tatchell's candidacy. and the threat to Hornsay have come to the fore since then.
Yes. We felt it was vita that Peter be selected, and
Will NEC close Manchester ?
party executive decided to interview all nominees to ine pane or ine prospec tive candidates and obtain a firm commitment to the party manifesto. 26 sitting councillors were unable to do so and were deselected. The right orchestrated a press campaign aimed at the small minority of Marxist Infiltrators who had taken the district party*. Labour Tour Morris, called for an NEC enquiry.
The NEC restored the whip to 17 rebel coun cillors who withdrawn for voting
but the district party was instructed to restore to the panel of prospective candidates deselected councillors, including four
RALLY DEFEND SOCIALIST POLICIES OPPOSE EXPULSIONS
WALWORTH TOWN HALL WALWORTH ROAD (ELEPHANT AND CASTLE TUBE)
SATURDAY 11th DECEMBER, 2pm-5pm Speakers
elected, to show that the right wing couldn't suc ceed if the rank and file CLOOdETTE and that ine policies and candidates being COLO win the General Election.
Hornsey will be a test case for disbandment once CARLS OH thought the rally should be more or a London-wide event as a focus for activity on these two issues as well as the broader ones. We invited a speaker from Hornsey, and our steering committee is now going to discuss action proposals to put in front of the rally.
What sort of support do you expect?
We're looking for a lot but we don't know yet if we'll get what we need You see, the NEC seems to WETTE to put "problems' like. Bermondsey and TOTASCH out of the wai before the rank and have time to organise for a echurely slove time haven't the time up to the next Labour Partv conterences we ve gotto respond now before it's too late. So I would urge everyone, whatever they've got planned for the
to put it off and think hard about coming along to Walworth Town Hall; a lot depends on it.
defectors to the SDP.
The deselected coun cillors, ot Whom were elected last May, then held a scoret caucus. carv ed up committee chairs
themselves and elected Clifford Tomlinson currently being in vestigated by Central Con stituency for his off cult remarks about ethnic minorities — Lord Mayor. take no a pin electing the Party was Lord Mayor.
Without interferenc from the NEC chester would have had a Labour council firmly committed to implemen ting party policy. And this is the key issue. Five sitting councillors had their nominations to the 1983 panel rejected Bun can USES DaE Healey, Tom Farrell, Peter Tatchell
Teresa Wrack National Committee of YS E.E.T.P.U. Broad Left
Speaker from
Labour Party
LABOURS FIGHTIN
LABOUR
Derek Shaw, Pat Conquest and Phil Risby because they would give a commitment policies on which they had fought the election.
At the last council meeting on 3 November, many of the Labour group Broke Inc whip to vote
wains carmine direct
WOENS dcpartment deputy chairpersons who back pany poney council chamber will now be sacked and up to 29 councillors maybe expelled from the Labour group.
Confrontation was inevitable. Clearly, the last NEC intervention had failed. A group of tired hacks
ACCT rescued from the political dustbin and imposco on a party tnat had overwhelmingly rejected their Tammany-Hall style of The Hughes enquir
The will Hughes instructs, we take no further action shortlisting and selection and await HELE NEC quiry, the timetable will be seriously disrupted. Many wards will have to fight a four week campaign.
With jubilant media coverage moderates of Labour's
fighting off the ultra left, one wonders if Mr Hughes considered the seriousness of his broposals and whethe the current NEC really want to win the elections if
means sharing power with the left.
Peter Tatchell at Bermondsey LP press conference
Militant
still steering
their own Committee
AROUND 2,000 Militant-dominated Labour Steering Committee Agains
Brighton, Cardiff Glasgow Liverpool Nie Biles weekend
Miltant, who dominated and controlled the meetings. have responded to pressur
rom activists annoyed with
credic a movement accoun table to them and them only.
LAW speakers were in vited to most ol the rallies and a majority of the Lon-
ed in LAW; a motion was accepted by the platform o the Londo en rally to declare SUPPULL 1U1 suc Hornscy. threatened with 01531112101
In some rallies fresh nominations were accepted
SICCUTE Miltant supporters retain a majority everywhere, and set up to make the new com-
who support men
Birmingham Peter Taffe denounced
splitting and sectarian' and *Jonnny come lateles had beer BEIDON movement for five minutes jumping on the bandwagon - an insult to the 100 con-
the
Militant editor, Peter Taffe.
A and pon i A probably a
surprise Les Huckfield whe SARIEN platform with Peter.
This attitude explains the applause for a speech b DOC LUCE I NEWCAST Choice, he said. Either they Militant TaKe ser up an open and accour
campaign which could easily unite with all such bodies: IL SnOne have a campaign of its own in which case it has to operate with the democratic labour movement campaign WIDGE MOUS CAISL WAS SECUD on 30 October
committee operation unity, and an ex change of delegates to be rebutted by Militant C name Dum
This sectarianism has damaged Militant's ability
include independent ac-
in its and tus weekend snowed ir sman ramics, with tew in dependents, serving as little more than recruitment ses
Socialist Challenge 3 December 1982 page
Page 4 scan of this page
Bill Sirs in Wonderland
Strangling the railways to death
By Celia Pugh STEEL UNION leader Bill Sirs is faced with big problems — next year and major plant closures. The enornity of Bill Sirs leadership responsibility reduc ad him to tears in 1980. escaped into wonderland!
Last weeks Steel Apseal rally in London drew 500 representatives from
est at the latest Steel Cororation cuts. It was Ce icult to work out who the nad hatter was at this paricular tea party. There vere certainly enough can-
ain, just like Alice who
able, this gathering had tie space ive might of the trade U.OH.
Speakers ranged from Cory MP's, LOUIS CHE ticars to the boss of a private steel firm.
There was much prayng to God, led by a speech rom the Reverend Potter rom Scotland •We need ime for consultation, 10pс to God that 'ouncil (naggs, will Managing DECYGIE Direc- Mr
UISOL Manchester Steels vas thanked for his positive contribution' and ntroduced himself as capitalist and there aren't cally many of us in the all today'.
Tory MP Teddy Taylor explained how he: resign-
ering from, being part of he European Make sure" he boomed we are not taken for a ride ›y the continentals'.
Much pumping of
and Slappin of backs issued from Bill Sirs hroughout the bizarre afternoon.
Labour movement figures did get a small slot a me procccamgs. COTIrey Drain from NALGO
BREL Horwich
HORWICH LOCO WORKS fought off a threat by British Rail management to close the works down, but now they again find that their future is in doubt.
redundancies it required, so compulsaries are now more than likely.
Committee is determined to resist this threat. But the problems go even deeper than this.
Dennis Green, who convenes the Action Commuce, explameo me stuation:
They don't guarantee us regular work. Despite the Lnal Horwich works has some of the most advanced machinery available it is all underutilised.
Each order that we do is extra work that some otner loco works comen do. We don't have our Own regIon to our own jobs. We all feel that works is in doubt, despite what BR are prepared to
say They don't seem to
lave made up their mind: what to do. n the last 1 months we've had three different production managers. The one we Socialist Challenge 3 December 1982
at least 20,000 redundancies by
This year he has
we none de union
only speaker here today and opened his remarks with
You may ask what 1 an doine here?' Many of us askeo ine same cuesuon after his no action speech.
anour leader Vichac Foot did nothing to rescue the proceedings, adding to the general John Bull tone with a stirring plea; *We want to build steel as the sinews of a great Britain -
great Britain we are determined to make'. Turn
Then it was Bill's turn. The mayors
capitaly named for all
clapped they were worth. He explained how the LUNC day strike last month had: Put the plight of steelworkers into peak hour TV viewing and onto the agenda of the cabinet office
Defensively he outlined that this PES a PrOTeS! strike, which may or may
He assured them that: We will fight in responsible way with the power of public opinion the greatest power in the land'
Steel Appeal set itself four objectives' to rally this power of public opinion. Sirs spelt them out. First, that the government should take the deci-
closures from steel boss, McGregor
Second, that declarations should be extracted from the Scottish and Welsh Office.
BR has failed to get the scale of voluntarv
The Horwich Action
have now is only a tem-
manager, which doesn't COIL
We are not that we should be given work while other works go to the wall. That would be divisive, although there are some plants that take that approach. Our demands are for increased investment in rall as a whole, and we call for the other measures that are necessary to make this possible?
Threats
Horwich Loco works action CUTIHHTLICE have brought out a new issue of their campaign broadsheet in response to the renewed threats from BR management. The broadsheet points in particular to the
page 4
Third, support should be won from members of the Conservative Party and forth... wait for it the business
LOELSELY should be mobilised!
On all four BELLESS
the press had responded. •We
support from the Daily ExDress.
Observer, Dally Mirror and qualified from the Daily Telegraph'
Big Deal. I'm sure stee workers in Ravenscraig and other threatened plants sleep confident in
knowing that Bill Sir's LESH found
ARERERTICES
WHAT? FUTURE
NOW™
first attempts at closure
massive underinvestment in rail in Britain compared to any similar country.
In a situation where
Trade Unions,
Bill Sirs crying after his famous Cardiff speech in January 1580. He broke down after addressing a mass rally on the day a quarter of a million Welsh workers went on strike against steel cuts. Sirs promised general strike action and claimed the event was 'one of the most emotional experiences of my life! Yes, Bill Sirs, hold your head in shame for all those broken promises/
friends can save their jobs!
The labour movement has carned from lone and bitter experience that these broad are hopeles in 'popular' protests are defending workers like Knare and Tory like Knagg and like Teddy Taylor. These jamborees tional industrial action. if managing directors don't like it The afternoon gave another insight into Sirs wonderland. He explained why the main demands of the Steel Appeal centered Horwich workers successfully demonstrating against the
is increasing investment in building more trains. carriages and track, Bri-
on import controls. "If we could reduce imports by halt, the fear of major closures would not be there. This is just fantasy. Throughout Europe, steel producers are junking unused steelmaking capacity because the madness of capitalist economics has slashed True, steel users like hospitals, schools, railways and other social amenities are in desperate demand. But these don't make profits - so tough. Profit making concerns like cars are in slump, so steel production is slimmed down.
By Jude Woodward
COININED NIX
& CONFEDERLTED
AS
HORWICH WORKS
BRITISH RAIL
NGINTERING LTD
tain is going in the opposite direction. While world investment m rail went up by about 22 per
On 25 November, the EEC Commission confirmed that even more sw-
demanded to reduce steel making capacity in Europe by 30-35 million tonnes, LATC surgery in 20 large steel plants.
Despite the protestaLions of Tory industry minister, Patrick Jenkin. Britain will have to take its share, or face financial SHOOTS rolar or partia closure of one or more of
TIVE INLEHTALEO steel plants in Britain is in evitabic 1l a night docsn l
- this shedding of CaDacIty and plant has gone on for years.
In the last three years
has fallen over time, imports have inCOSE ON SHONS of this amount - betwee
So imports can hardly be held for job cutting cutbacks in steel production. Focus
Bill Sirs' focus on im-
COROSCATE!
in line Eikes of Teads
the Taylor, takes steelworkers up a cul de sac
The task facing the steel union leaders is to mobilise the power of the real world rather than the wonderland of public opinion'. In the real world it i
movement and the language of industrial action that count
Smaller like Clydebridge in Scotland considered this sort of ac tion when the steward proposed occupation to stop closure by Christmas. The majority of the 560 workers were not prepared cent in 1980, mainly from America and Western Europe, in Britain investment went down!
The following table reveals the picture:
RAILWAY INVEST-
MENT IN 1980 (outside the USA)
West Germany £1,219m South Africa 786m France 740m Nigeria 534m Italy 476m Belgium India 370m Spain 355m Britain 316m FT 30 June 80
The starvation of funds from BR is leading to collapse in the amount of freight carried by rail The effect has been dramatic. In 1953, 42 per cent of freight went
abi, toda
er cent! This also reflect a big drop in the overal tonnage of freight carriec by rail, This is the reverse of the overall trend even in Europe alone.
While the British government plans to privatise and run down rail, the West German
to gamble their redundanсу толеу адали ас пор that the national union leaders would throw thei we the lesthe struele
clear plants cannot fight alone and the national leadership should pull its finger out.
Some action was pro posed from the rally A picket was set up at the Im migration port in Humberside to block ten thousanc tonnes of imported stee from Japan and South Africa Trouble
Even here the ISTC leader of the ten pickets Joe Pickles explained "The purpose of the picker is not to cause trouble The exercise is aimed at br inging to ine notice of the public the situation that exists on steel imports'
Rank and file steelworkers from Scunthorpe are prepared to picket the port FransDOrE union dockers and drivers have promised acHVE see their task as more than protest achon
This will to take firm industrial welcome contrast to Bil Sirs' pathetic parading o Tory dignatories But it should be channeled into actions against closures and redundancies and not the dead end of an import control lobby.
ISTC members should food the union offices with resolution. from branches and complaints to the union newspaper The Banner, demanding a change of course
*Correction. An error in transcribing last week's ar ticle (pg SC271) transferred this increase of 0.6 tonnes to a percentage increase of w.o percent. government plans to treble its volume of rall treight o 1985 While in France £317m was SOCH maintenance and new track alone - more than Britain's entire expen. diture on rail.
Report
The Horwich Action Committee have also ob tained copies of a report
by Thatcher's
Think Tank — the Centre
Policy Studies which seriously looks at substantial further down of rail and turning disused track to roads
If Thatcher can't sell off rail quickl cnough
hen this is a good alte native for private industry. Road haulage companie have already increaser their profits with the reduced rail facilities. Tha serves the interests of the vehicle muracturers d well.
And that would deal with the problems of the rail unions as well- after
roads don't go on strike!
Page 5 scan of this page
By Celia Pugh
early November. For
slaughtered before the decade is out.
The latest copy of the
NUM
sections of the Confiden-
tial* document prepared
Board in March
1982 for the Monopolies
table
headed This deals with a
vcry sensitive area and is
for publication'
reveals 75 nits to be cloced
within the next eight years
on alleged grounds of coal
exhaustion.
These include 16 of the
59 Yorkshire pits; 15 of the
Midland pits (Not-
tingham, Derbyshire); five
of the 14 Scottish pits and
half the South
Wales Coal field, with 17
or the of pisse so:
of these pits have
already been closed.
In addition to these 75
at least 20 pits are marked
for closure cut
CUSES. All all this
amounts to a one third cut
in workforce and half the
coal field being
shut down.
This confirms the
claim of miner's president
Arthur scargill that the
NCB have had a hit list for
government intends to
government intends
smash the miner's unior
by decimating the coal in-
tionalisation Through
and new
technology the number of
pits will be cut back and
cach made more produc-
Roundoaks -
By Valerie Coultas
MICHAEL FOOT came to the West Midlands last week. Not only did he visit the Raindi picket line in Smethwick but speaking at West Bromwich he made would defend the Roundoaks steel works in Brierly Hill now threatened with closure and the loss of 1,300 jobs at Christmas.
Michael Foot, MP for Ebbw notorious for his defence Vale not
of steel plants. So why all the fuss about Roundoaks
particularly when resistance to job loss in this area has been sabotag-
by local officials notably with the Amsels strikee answer 0?
lies of ourse in the forthcoming General Election. the new factor that has
Michael Foot DOLLIE clamouring to the defence
of the *Jewel of the dustrial Crown of the West Midlands': Roundoaks Steel works.
Promising that the Labour Part would modernise and re-equip in-
ed and expanded NEB,
struction industry in rebuilding the decaying fabric of the inner cities
oot hopes to swing voter
1 the West Midlands bac
The great coal
THE SECRET SCRIPT for the latest Coal Board production was leaked to the miners union in
months the NCB have denied that a massacre of jobs is part of the plot
But at the meeting with the NUM on 23 November, Coal Board boss Norman Siddal admitted that another 60 pits are being considered for closure in the next eight years, with up to 30 more to follow. 70,000 jobs could be
tive. Meanwhile nuclear POWER will replace coal hired power stations.
This Department of Energy gave its evidence to the in quiry into the Sizewell nuclear power station. government revealed its intention
by between 500 and Per century the resent century. At present SOWERS CORSETTE quarters of Britain's coal and the Government wants to cut this by a third as rapidly as possible The 81,000 miners who earlier this month for action to save jobs have been licatec They now firm evidence of the Coal Board's intentions throw miner's jobs the scrap heap and gives firm to why people in coal mining communities should for a fight.
The 60 pits specified as 'short-life* on grounds of exhaustion have plenty of
theoming 10 open seams and open up vast untapped resources.
On a picket during last week's talks with the Coal Board,
Labour's fighting chance
pledge that Labour
to Labour. As the recent by-election and the narrow VICOPY TON right-winger John Spellar shows he's going have an uphill although the loca Tory Council with ingeing attack on social services in the city is giving him a head start We camor Puce any confidence Foot to actually fight. But his interest opens the way for the left the trade LIONS and the Labour Party to take the fight
the heart of the Labour Party and force this issue into the centre of the debate.
Saving Roundoaks is vital. Not just for Roundoaks workers themselves out for everyone in Brier The odds, it must be admitted, are heavily stacked against it The Labour movement in the West Midlands has not
board massacre
Tom Bowden. lodge secretary of the threatened Britannia pit in South Wales explained, *The pit has plenty of SOURCES left. We hava just opened another face and need developments now to work on the next. We will resist this closure to the end and will sit-in if necessary* This defiant mood is now spreading throughout the
the British coal fields.
Scottish miners
already decided delegate conference on 16 In November that the Scot-
tish 69 per cent vote for action in the recent national ballot gives them a man800 date to resist.
All the signs are that the National Union Miners preparing rewrite the plot prepared by the Coal Board and its Tory masters.
VIn have
to new
had a surfeit of victories
over the last few years.
Battles have been bitter
and the local right-wing
bureaucrac both in the
Party and the
unions more firmly
ensconsed than they
three years ago. But the
last six months has
perienced increasing
anger among the ranks of
the trade unions in this
arca
Black workers at S&K
and now workers at
supreme and
Raindi Textiles in
Smethwick have begun to
take stand against
sweated labour and receiv-
ed widespread support
despite bad advice from refrain from engaging to local T&G officials
militant picketing.
Opposition to the
vicious privatisatior
chemes of the Tories con
tinues among school
cleaners, caretakers
dinner ladies. This looks
in the new year despite the
NALGO statt accenting
efficiency scrutineers at a
ago.
And in the DHSS
dispute the ranks voted by
jobs
By Barry Wilkins
great the til.
the 75 pits which the
NCB defines as 'short life' a
massive are South The the entire coalfield. Wales. This is In view OVeT had the SOCE vote for in-
miners in the recent 581 to 25 with only abstentions to the advice of the CPSA ex ecutive and accept management's offer of a tiny increase in manning levels. A region wide strike has been called and a national one day strike is also in the otting
Bill Sirs will be coming
Hall Wednesday 30 November. His theme will of course centre on protecting the industr through focussing on blocking foreign im ports coming into Britain such as the one now in dock at Immingham
The only way trade unionists have OTOLECECE their jobs under this Tory government is when they have done what the young women at Lee Jeans did -CUE heels, Occupied their factory and refused to budge until jobs were guaranteed Being prepared to launch such ar all-out fight - not scratching favours from John Blackburn, local Tory politician is the only way jobs will be saved. Union officials should make that clear.
Ready to fight for
THE 60 PITS which the National Coal Board last week openly stated it wanted to close within the next eight years include nine in South Wales. But the real threat to the South Wales coalfield is much
ballot this is building up. to a potentially explosive confron LOLLIPEE le South Wales
dent miners pointed that there are workable reserves at all thes that the NCB deliberately the coalfield will be closed down unless
and board as we did in 1981 if they attempt to close down our mine South Wales members Dai Davies works al Threatened is Socialist South Wales reaffirmed its opposition to all pil closures except grounds of exhaustion and
latest Inreats coalboard. we will resist ans closures in South Wales, 1am confident that when the first mine is hit we will all be out."
Dai explained that country. We want to see HOST OTTUC
Frank Corton. trade unior liaison officer for Hackney North Labour Party adds i Tortios is English and We've di Textiles in Turkish for the local garment workers in this area.
CTn C ycar only E37m had been in vested the South coalfield compare executive €1000m in Yorkshire Dai commented This is rapic told strangulation not strangulation anymore. But in South Wales there are massiv TESTEVES
th Wales but ans just in South the other coalfields under at BACK like d and Scolland thumberland and and Kent This will have to be last a national fight. Michael Foot speaking to the PS Raindi and Supreme quilting workers now in the fifth week of their strike. Foot said: We wish you success with your struggle for the rights that you have every right to in this
Some of the workers are earning 230 below the minimum E57.05 for the industry. Their firm suppliss such stores as C & A's. Marks and Spencers, Lord Anthony's and Millets Army Surplus
Arrangements have been made for the appea o be circuiate to alLo LADOUr and labour organisations Collections been taken at
Wale:
Nor the success of this fight and we wish you the
Littlewoods,
For further informatio please contact Brother Higgs Transpor "Unio General Worker 9/17 Victoria LSVE Bromwich Midlands Socialist Challenge 3 December 1982
POSE
Page 6 scan of this page
"A million on the streets 'Make '83 the year to stop the missiles'
MX: Weapon for mass murder
'THIS IS the year that Cruise and Trident are coming to Britain. It is the year of a general election. It is a year that a majority of the population pose Cruise and Trident. And it is a year when the TUC and Labour Party have decided upon action. How do we bring all these elements together to ensure that '83 is the year of CND?
Fred Kingdom from CND put this question to the '82 CND conference, moving resolution 14 on CND's labour movement orientation. It was really a struggle to get the answer right.
CND conferences are cloudy, bureaucratic, mismanaged affairs — full of well-meaning workshops and points of order. This shapelessness reflects both the leadership of the campaign its activist Figures released during ference showed that half the membership of 50,000 are in the "professional" employment category and 20 per cent are students. Half the membership come from London and the South East.
But the potential power of the movement was sown an ane stamstic: released from a sample of the 6 June demonstration. In a demonstration of 250,000 called at the height of the Malvinas war, 88 per cent disagreed with government policy at the time.
Debate
Although half were professional workers, workers and for 30 per cent this was cent were manual
their first national demonstration.
Significantly, in the light of the absence of any youth debate at the national conference, statistics released gave a breakdown of age differences among CND supporters.
The conference was overshadowed by the events at Greenham Common. The heroism of the Greenham Common protestors captured the imagination of most delegates and ensured that the resolution violent direct action got the biggest VOIC DI LEWCENCHE
By Bob Pennington WHEN THE PENTAGON Reagan's aides were discussing
the missile, the President suggested giving it the name peacemaker.
This was rejected when the top brass said it sounded too much like the device used to prevent cardiac arrest. Mind you, when you read what the MX can do, and how it is going to be used, you are quite likely to have a cardiac ar-
particularly if you citizen of Wyoming!
The MX which will be ployed in Dense Pack is 70 feet long and weighs 192.000 Ibs. one carries independently targettable warheads, all with the power to obliterate and 30 cities of the Hiroshima.
But as the Pentsoon reesons there is no point in having all that firepower if the other side destroy it before it gets off the ground. So the plan follows: 100 missiles will be placed in a 14-mile strip of Wyoming. each missile seperated by 1800 feet from five neighbours.
The US military strategists say that the Russians would have to aim one of its own Inter Continental Ballistic Missiles at each of the individual silos. Whan
Socialist Challenge 3 December 1982
Violent Direct Action opment in 83. delegates had some clearer ideas.
The argument "ballot for survival date'
Reading
smittee argued
build on the support!
Push
base. Dick the con-
The said, Cruise. *ballot for survival them. necd political action. tions adopted by
loud applause.
resolution at this conference.
massive majority.
government of the
whole debate Jenny
labour movement powerful ally 01-808
only
and
will then MX
debris
blown off course.
the MXs would
their
are
em-
Each
dings of the Russian ICBMs. between 20 size of
cally Da burnad up, can blown off
goes 88
the rest of the USA.
then
patriotic sacrifice will missiles to
page b
While Saturday was taken up with constitutional debate and a myriad of workshops, the plenary session struggles with the relationship that Non-
should have with the overall tasks of the move-
By the end of Sunday
started in the - the pro- Violent posal that CND should concentrate on a nation-wide signature gathering
agams ene missues. Ann Donnelly from YCND national com-
that events like the CND youth festival in May would
"tremendous labour -WEE for the North West Jobs not Bombs' march.
chester CND put his finger on the Withecombe from Man- missiley issue in a more dramatic way: "1983,
must be the year when we That is the issue. will not stop real and massive We must use the posithe labour movement to put a million on the streets at the end of the year. That is the way we can back up the heroism of those at the peace camps. This point received
The NVDA action was presented by the mover as the most important
And with peace camp leaders Jean Hutchinson's and Lynn Jones' powerful speeches the resolution was ensured a
But there was serious confusion here. Lynn Jones argued that NVDA
ARGUSE included action to 'bring down the
speakers from AUEW-TASS and Glasgow pointed out that direct action alone could not physically stop the missiles. Such action had to be pur in the context of mass labour movement initiative.
In one of the best speeches of the
Prideaux from Sheffield CND explained that the
mOst and in the end our *We have to use the breakthrough that we have achieved the first Russian ICBMs land they
send up such catacivsm or best waves. electro magnetic forces and radio active
Many other Soviet missiles travelling in their wake would be burned up, damaged or
Then after a 'suitable' time lag rise gracefully through the mushroom cloud and
way to the Soviet Union. Of course if you are living in Wyoming just then its tough luck, because sure as hell you will be killed off by what is in that mushroom cloud, if you have not been despatched by the first lan-
Those Soviet ICBMs that were following the first wave will, as the Pentagon reasons almost cer-
damaged or this. course. That means that they will leave a trail of death and destruction across all the mid-west, and very likely all over
This military reasoning starts from the premise that maybe a lot of US citizens are going to die a painful death, but at least it will be
one enable the US get Moscow,
there to make our protest effective."
Conference then moved on to resolution 11, which began to look at the relationship between NVDA and mass labour movement action in a more detailed way. Leading off for a crucial amendment which supported the TUC-Labour Party day of action in August as a crucial support to non-
direct action, Chris Pitts pointed out that 1983 could not be 'business as usual - that a bitter struggie was needed as was shown by the healthworkers dispute.
As a busworker, he pointed out that to get the 50 For 60 busworkers who supported CND in Sheffield into action, the TUC-Labour Party day of action had to be a vital focus for the movement.
Kathy Potter from Oldham back ed him up. "To bring all our resources together she said, "We need a joint LP-TUC-CND demo this autumn.
supporters against (TACT) and others argued against this view. They said it was "partisan" - CND must maintain its "independence"
Divide
But the amendment was carried after two fine specches from Southall (one time secretary of the
of 100) and Madewell from Tower Hamlets CND. Tony pointed to historical experience: •We were sitting in Trafalgar Square while the right wing were busy reversing unilateralism in the Labour Party
the biggest political gain that CND had registered'
Stuart argued that the majority of the people had to brought into action
and that was where the potential of the labour movement lay.
The debate on NATO saw pecularly lack-lustre performance by EP Thompson which expressed concern about the lack of reference in resolutions under debate to the Warsaw Pact, and claimed that our position on NATO 'could marginalise us. In one of the high points of the conference Stuart Madewell denounced Thompson's search for a new con census against the missiles
This, he argued, involved forces However, there is a flaw to all
Kosta Tsipis is a physicist who heads the programme in science and technology for international security at Massachusetts stitute of Technology. He points out that if the Russians send in only 60 of the 300 SS18 ICBMs they have got, each one has a war heac equivalent to 20 million tons of TNT and it only needs 20 to get through to knock out not one, but all six of the silos.
the Tony
Stuart
who supported arsenal, but used multilateralism to momentum of the movement. contradiction between Labour's supRATO was an achilles heel ach would be used by the right wing to roll back the gains of the labour movement on this question.
Our job was to close the gap. in one of the closest votes of conference, CND's campaigning position -tain out of NATO, NATO out of BriThank You, Congressman, for This Truly Wonderful New Heap.
not get off the ground but Wyoming will still be laid to waste which is hardly conducive to raising the patriotic spirit of the people who
In- live there.
bit stingy of welfare benefits and not too keen to spend money on federal housing. prepared to cut corners when it gets in the business of death and destruction. It will cost around 26
By Brian Heron
NO CRUISE
/TRIDENT CND conference voted overwhelmingly for non-violent direct action.
Britain's nuclear tain" the break up the from The tion, unilateralism resolution,
port for
large majority. *Brihead.
money.
being should an excess.
So then the MX missiles will
By Maybe the US government is a
But it is not thugs.
CND C
was maintained.
In the final debate an amendment
Battersea, HELOVED by Linde Hoy, calling for national strike ac
was defcated. In moving the Linda pointed to the crucial role that the labour movement had played in the campaign to defeat the Corrie anti-abortion bill. But sup
the August TUC-Labour Party demonstration was carried by a
Despite the defeat of the amend
billion dollars for the MX projec but if you can kill off the popula tion of some 20 or 30 cities the siz of Hiroshima, with just one
then I guess the military reckon they are getting value fo
The murderous lunacy that i
prepared Capital Hil send shivers down th spine of any sane person. This i calculated preparation for a con flict that could cause a holocaus on a world scale. . As one Wyom ing family told the Sunday Times *Its like a drug fix. Our whole dependency on nuclear weapon: means we need bigger and bette fixes all the time.
The MX project is not simph
It is portent of eve more horrifying things to unless the ruling classes of the im perialist countries have the righ to manufacture and use thest weapons taken away from them.
the way the Pentagor threw out the name 'peacemaker they changed it to 'peacekeeper which for a weapon that is design ed to kill and maim millions of peo ple, shows that the American rul ing class are not only murderous
Dut that they are aisc psychopathic ones.
Page 7 scan of this page
'83
INFERENCE
rchfor
future
ment calling for national strike acIon. the conterence was arceiv a victory for those who saw the labour
movement as the crucial ally of CND.
The conference expressed a refreshing sense of urgency in the fight against the missiles.
THE DENSE PACK SCENARIO
The first of a group of Soviet warheads (1)
knocks out some of the closely packed MX
missiles in their silos. But the explosion
destroys or disables nearby incoming warheads,
which are forced into close proximity by the
smail target area of the Dense Pack site, in
the following ways: shock waves and fireball
(2), debris and dust-cloud friction (3), and
electromagnetic pulses (EMP) along with X rays,
gamma rays and neutrons that interfere with
computer guidance systems and throw the
warheads off course (4).
Now CND is in a good position to take a really mass campaign forward. As Dick Withecombe said: The really crucial event will be the joint CNDTUC-Labour Party day of action. We need to bring a million people on the streets next August."
100 MX missiles, deployed 1,000 fL apart 103IL0
10 re-ambry 1425730045
closer, 1. A Labour
the missiles
governmental decision.
how unpopular,
Thatcher replies "ditto'.
still in office.
mitment of the Labour
nuclear disarmament.
Surance.
his commitment to American bases Cruise missiles.
fight tor
of
Labour leaders.
Lttack by
mament and NATO.
Therefore
1s an
DE4 9099
mass
3. Political strikes
missiles.
missiles.
AS THE prospect of the installation of Cruise missiles gets ever
the partisans of non-violent direct action are getting stronger within the anti-missiles movement. This response is understandable. But it would be a mistake for the movement to become panicked by the shortening time scale.
Although our first target must be to prevent the deployment of the missiles, nonetheless we must stick to a strategy which can be successful, even if it means settling for sending back the missiles once they are already deployed. Here we outline an activists guide to stopping the missiles.
government can stop
Sending back Cruise requires a
teaches us that the Tories, no matter
will stick to their slavish policy of following Reagan: as Michael Foot says, in defence matters when Reagan says something, then
This means that even if there are tion huge mass actions against the missiles twisted. in "83, there is still a strong possibility that they will actually be deployed -always assuming that the Tories are
The most important political victory won by CND has been the com-
Party conference to no Cruise and for unilateral
Although the two-thirds majority for unilateralism at the Labour Party conference does manifesto, Foot has repeatedly stated
closing down and sending back August,
Overwhelming the most imporant decision for unilateralists is the election of a Labour government. The conditions for pressing forward the
unilateral disarmament would be immeasureably improved by a Labour government, with so many commitments having been made. 2. A mass movement
Like the overwhelming majority
anti-missiles movement, however, Socialist Challenge would oppose giving a blank cheque to the
In the past conference decisions have been flouted on a multitude of important issues — and we can be sure that Labour's right wing will fight tooth and nail against closing down American bases. eye.
Even Denis Healey and company however are against Trident: they will try to use the cancellation of Trident as a sop to the movement. Our task in the event of the election of a Labour government would be to demand that the movement is carried further, up to and including unilateral nuclear disar-
withdrawal from
continuing mass movement, before during and after the election of a Labour government
absolute necessity Equally, there is no guarantee that we shall have a Labour government at all. But guarantee for pressuring whatever movement IS the -DC51 government comes to power
against the missiles unions.
Over six million trade unionists are affiliated to CND. Many major umons are in favour of unilateral disarmament and more are against the
The unions are in a strong position to strike a blow against the
stop it.
REWBUR
Newbury against the missiles - a few miles from the cruise base.
STEPS TO STOP
THE MISSILES
As the date for the installation of Cruise comes closer, it will become the central issue in British politics. Already a clear majority Ol the population are against their installation. Nearly 80 percent of Labour voters are against the missiles.
The time has come therefore for the unions to begin to use their muscle to stop the missiles. But CND must give a lead: there is no way in which the union leaders will initiate such ac-
without having their
4. Step up and internationalise the campaign
Mass action remains the key to winning wider public support. Two tunity for huge mprisations. Pist. tunity for huge mobilisations. YCND has called an International Youth Congress, originally scheduled for Easter but now to take place in May. Second, the Labour Party conference called for an international day of action against the missiles for 8
Both these dates provide us with focuses for building big actions. But 1983 has to be the year of the anti-missiles movement. This means that mass demonstrations of the type held in preceding years must take place
5. Permanent pickets of the Defence Ministry and the missiles bases throughout '83
There is no doubt that the peace camps of the women at Greenham Common has done much to publicise the campaign. Given the emergency character of the campaign, it needs to be permanently kept before the public
The defence ministry and the missiles bases should be permanently picketed throughout the year. 6. No tactics of despair: deeper into the Labour movement!
Steelworkers march for CND.
The imminence of the arrival of the missiles will push many into arguing for the most outlandish of direct action tactics. But these tactics will not stop the missiles. even if they dramatise the campaion Only the campaign's mass character can assure political victories.
The key strategic ally of CND is the labour movement. Numerically, it provides overwhelmingly the majority of CND's affiliates The campaign nas to be taken deeper into the
That means not being satisfied with conference resolutions and affiliations to CND, but taking the campaign into the workplaces, with perspective of political action. If the labour movement is collectively determined to stop the missiles nothing can
Socialist Challenge 3 December 1982 page 7
Page 8 scan of this page
workers gain nothing
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'ONE YEAR TO 1984' -
RESISTING THE
BRITISH STATE
The Troops Out Movement
KETTESSION Conference to
examine the history and
conference four
workshops: The law: Th
Media: The Technology D
Repression and Ex-soldiers
will include McAliskey,
Alistair Logan
ference will be followed by a
social,
Saturday 11 December Caron St.
0am-5.30pm
and Croche
available).
Far further info TOM PO Bor 35
andor NWS 4SH. Tel: 01-278839
PURGE
IN THE THIRD Southern Irish election in 18 months, the pendulum swung back to the other 'Green' Tory party. Fine Gael. On a reduced poll, the election registered a two per cent swing away the Fianna Fail governing party. While still remaining the largest party in the Dail (parliament), it does not command an overall majority.
Labour Party coalition will do nothing to solve the deepening political crisis in Ireland.
The election campaign was marked by a complete absence of real choice bet-
policies of the two major parties. Both
campaigned for Thatcher-style attacks on the working class and small farmers.
AL InC last minute, Charles Haughey, leader of Fianna Fail and outgoing prime minister, tried to teal a lew votes back from Fine Gael by playing the
card" He accused Dr Garret Fitzeerald of THE THIE greater colaboration with Britain But the reality was that Haughey had studiously avoided Britain's pressive role in the North throughout the campaign Indeed, he had presided over a government which
lad extended full coopera
WICH perialism. He covered this WILL A TOW BOSE COMICHS directed at Maggie That-
Hats off to
Gerry Adams
WHAT a tremendous run around you gave to Fred Emery of Panorama in a designed to witch-hunt you and Sinn Fein as a gang of murdering terrorists'. You were able to take every charge levelled against the Provi-
and
t was hanious to sei
votes and win five seats in
you were allowed to par-
ticipation showed a move
STOI armed
Loyalist leader Harold
intran-
Haughey out, but
However, the predicted Fine Gael-
cher
Not that his charges against Fitzgerald were inaccurate nor that Britain hadn't intervened in the elections to secure a Fianna Fail defeat. In the precarious position British
in the North, Haughey demagogy CYCL can be dangerous.
Tory pleasure at the elec toral result. Yet any lick-
would he
Healthy Lacon paper, a Fine Gael-
TELL would have a fairly healthy majority. But, government is formed, it
be riven with contradictions.
Labour gained seats in campaigned for some mild
- like job creation schemes and proposed health and education announced: Britain should
• when the ballot pro-
got up the programmers
Your utilisation of
for the housing and other
LIlE
which exemplified YULI worrying that worm Gerry Fitt - who did his best to
-Ireland
Dick Spring. loader of the lish a departorkers cuts to be on a more limited scale. Already Southern Ireland's largest union, the Irish Transport
SHOWING
How :
worth E100,000 a year.
Sinn Fein
of all nationalist organisa
COSTIES
and Social Labour
solidating the unity of the
General
Union has come against a coalition with Fine Gael.
MOVIES PRESENT K EMERALD ISLI
THE ULTIMATE IN
PSYCHOPATHIC HORZORN
THE RISH
First the bad naws. This cartoon was prominently displayed in the London Standard. It shows the continuing racism of the British ruling class Now the good news. On the publication of this filth, the Labour controlled Greater London Council decided to withdraw all advertising
was most imorersed Ter of the libyan the Touexplanation that Loyalism relied totally on the prop of the British state gave the lie to the Panorama claim that your recent ard theis decision to dump the strategy in favour of a perspective for a
The Labour Party delegate conference called for 11 December will have fine Gael If the coalition Fine the coalition idea is to be won. But such promises cannot be fulfill
ACCOROTE reality with a foreign debt of over Elbn and a balance of payments deficit for this
We wouldn't be surprise if another election is called before 1983 is out. • Bernadette MacAliske
stood agains Charle Haughey ong socialist plat
THREE preference votes. decline from the 2,085 which she gained in the Februar
The Workers Part the
down from three to two seats. COMES state was somehow anti-Protestant.
removal of Britain from
conceivable that Protes-
would take up arms" against the new united socialist Ireland
Just one point, though. I thought you could have rounded the
Phat any political organine
tion appealing to the sectional concerns of the Irish working class would have to do this in a situation Where the new irish sEat would be creating jobs, expanding social services housing and so on — that this would very quickly undermine the appeal of any party harking after the old ascendancy
We imagine British im-
before inviting you on to their channels again. But they have shown remarkable facility for noring the lessons of Irish history. So we look forward to seeing you again. Brian Grogan
Page 9 scan of this page
Generals lose the vote, but win the count
NICARAGUA: INVASION FEARED
in Brazil
elections
By Jim Baron AS EXPECTED, the Brazilian military regime has taken a battering at the polls. With the final results still to come in, the government party, the PDS, looks like having only 12 million votes, against 18 million for the other parties. Most of these have gone to the main bourgeois opposition party.
Workers Party (PT) faring slightly worse than expected.
This apparent defeat for the government despite manipulation the election process by the STATE media, and probably fraud
many areas. As ex-
contro of 12 VUL DI state governments. of Congress, and of the elec toral college due to choose President (General)
Figueiredo's successor 1984.
This is because of electoral weighting against the industrial cities, where ten times as many votes are needed to clect one federal deputy as in the backward rural areas where votes are easily bought by powerful
their friends.
The PT's argument that in themselves the elections would change nothing seems well confirmed
The biggest gainer, the PMDB, should have nine state governorships, including the industrial cenHICS 01 Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais. This party 1. the AUCTIOT DEE old MDB. the one and only 'official opposition party created the military when dissolved previous parties after seiz
power in the 1964 LUUD.
By Andy de la Tour THERE are widespread fears in Nicaragua of an imminent invasion. Events have been coming to a head in recent weeks to give speculation that there may be a major military offensive before revolutionary smen trained and armed by the Honduran army under the direct control of Washington.
The scope of the USA's complicity In tne counter-revolutionary Dima-up was snown to Enc world in a Newsweek arti-
CATACTC War', published November. article Nicaragua itself has been documented
for a long time that the several thousand strong counterrevolutionary army that engages Nicaragua in a permanent war of attrition along the Honduran border is directly organisca ov Ine USA.
Little change
the PMDB, with the New
It is led by a hotch-
liberal businessmen and
the collapse of the Brazilian "miracle', want a bit more
'their cake is baked and sliced.
like the MDB before it, which in the mid-seventies became a focus for anti-dictatorship votes, the PMDB has been able to pick up a very large share of the popular vote, claiming that this would be the only 'useful vote against the regime.
Lula
The PT's own vote has been less than they hoped for, but is in no way disastrous the bourgeois press is making out Lula looks ake havins milton votes, in the elec- cent, or some 1.3 tion for governor of Sao Paulo against an expected 12-15 percent. In the other areas, the vote has been lower, SCOUT 2-3 per cent, but only 1-2 per cent below what was expected.
The PT will probably end up with about 15 scats in the National Assembly, which may actually be a
fuel to
Christmas by the counterSomocista ex-National Guard-
US Ambassador to
Honduras, John
Negroponte, is, in effect. the military commander of the Somocistas although
Honduran army personnel act as intermediaries.
Since December 1981
Reagan has authorised the
CIA to contact dissident
Nicaraguans exile,
mostly ex-soldiers of the
defeated Nicaraguan dic-
tator, Somoza, and to con-
duct political and military operations.
These operations have now reached the stage where a fully equipped and
PT leader Lula more manageable number than the thirty odd hoped for in some over-euphoric moments.
Just before the elections an editorial in the revolutionary marxisi paper, Em Tempo, pointed out the enormous step forward which the very existence of the PT represented for the independent organisation and class consciousness of the Brazilian working class. concluded that *the PT's vote will give a rough idea of the number of people who have alread reached this level of awareness'. What the elections clear that such class Nicaraguan militia in training trained counterrevolutionary army primed for an invasion. In the words SO OCT - We have a lot of old scores to settle with an e Sandinistas; there'll be a trail of blood
to Managua
The Nicaraguan people have some scores to settle too. They have not forgotten the monstrous crimes
International.
awareness is still confined to a minority of working people, particularly con centrated in the big industrial centres like Sao Paulo and a few areas of military struggle in the countryside
The most unexpected phenomenon in these elections has been the victory of Leonel Brizola as governor of Rio de Janeiro, the country's second industrial city.
Brizola and his tim
democratic
couple of months ago. The Rio. electorate was of the dictatorship and the terror perpetrated by the National Guard before 19 July 1979. The people are fully mobilised through
Sandinista Popular Militia to fight alongside the full-time Sandinista People's Army.
grealest danger, though, to the Nicaraguan people not from the somocistas. It comes tron the very real threat than an
disgusted by the totally unprincipled block on offer from the PMDB, with well-known
CUTERUIS personalities supporting a candidate for governor who recognised gangster totally compromised with the military regime.
Almost overnight, they swung to the only арparently viable alternative to the left, Brizola (the PT
been weak in Has always Rio).
Brizola is pushing
form a new Socialist Party with the left of the PMDB and with the PT. This project will be helped by the likely formation Liberal Party by the rightinvasion would give Washington the pretext to send in the marines on the grounds of "peacekeeping'
This is the US Administration's plan and the Tact that a large contingent of US marines have been recently sent to Lebanon without any widespread protest inside the United States has no doubt boosted Reagan's fidence.
Vote for Slate
are a couple of extracts from his speech:
same bag.
Brazilian working class. You could
PDS) and who today are
OCEN hear a lot
"democratic front" as
who dominated Brazilian
tury) .. It was this same
power over to American imperialism,
successful revolution of 1952
Bolivia as a national hero,
sold out
American
which
behind the working class's back.
wing leaders PMDB. It is true that some in the PT may be attracted by this idea
But class independence is so central to the PT's ponncal locaun that seems very unlikely that asked about this us section of the Asked about before the elections, Lula said, Look, the proposal of Brizola and the P* completely different. The socialism Brizola preaches only exists inside his head I mean you can't make socialism in capitalist society, and Brizola has never suggested changing capitalism.
The real struggle after the clections lies cisewhere. Faced with a linancial economic
Carlos Auqueto Currite (PHOTON Reagan is also schedul-
ed to visit Costa Rica, Nicaragua's
SOULICIT "neighbour", in early December to further promote the counterrevolutionary "Forum for Peace and Democracy.
Set up in October this *Forum' was launched by
US isolate Nicaragua and the revolutionary forces fighting in El Salvador under the leadership of the FMLN-FDR. Countries
PHOTO: invited to
meeing included Salvador, Honduras,
and the Dominican Republic, all reliable clients of the White House
The 'Forum' was Reagan's answer to an initiative taken earlier by Venezuela and Mexico, two countries friendly to the Nicaraguan revoltItion, who jointly offered
the Nicaraguan-Honduran CORTICE
Reagan's visit to Costa Rica was also intended to
Socialist Challenge
Three, the Rest's
the Bourgeoisie!
THIS was the main slogan at the Workers Party's final pre-election rally in Sao Paulo, one weak before polling day. 100,000 or more loca PT supporters gathered outside one of the city's football stadiums and heard the party president, Lula, himself a former tool-maker. explain why the PT refused to support the bourgeois opposition front, the PMDB, and the importance of strengthening the PT as an independent party of the working class. Here
*The PDS and the PMDB are flour out of the
They won't change things for the see this ab soratory creamy wavering around in this campaign in the countryside you'd find in one place a big ran. chowner who was candidate for the PDS, and ther another big ranchowner who was candidate for the
And when you look closely at these two parties you'll find people who yesterday were in ARENA (the old government party and predecessor of the
in the PMDB, and others who yesterday were in the MDB (the forerunner of the PMDB) and who today are in the PDS - these politicians change parties like they change their
of talk bone is it were some historical novelty for this country. I'd just like to re. mind the press who are here, as well as all the com. rades in this square, that this story of a democratic front is the same one that made the communists in 1945 believe in Getulio Vargas (the populist dictator
the mid canpolicy of a democratic front which in 1957 made the Bolivian people hand
after their
And this same figure who today is going back to
1957 DUODH why we shouldn't believe in this story of a front, because the only kind of front that makes any sense to us is
working class at its head, leading it. Anything else is just more dirty trick:
crisis of massive proportions (certainly as grave as Mexico's) the government will be forced to increase its dependence on the IMF and impose yet more savage austerity measures, with dire effects on already squeezed working class Was dea It is on the capacity for industrial resistance, the success of developing independent union congress (CUT that the future of the PT now largely depends. It is on developing and coordinating its so-far inade quate intervention in this area that the PT will have to concentrate if it is to succeed in extending the class consciousness and combativity of Brazilian workers. coincide with a major joint US-Honduran military exercise within stone's throw of the Nicaraguan border. the furore Following the Newsweek article the manouvres have postponed Managua this did not automaticall an imminent invasion was any less likely Since the militar build-up by the US in the region, started during the Carter presidency, part of the region is withir very close range of US armed forces.
The Nicaraguan Sorcert movement throughout Burop organising co-ordinated action to take place in each country on 4 December to publicise the threat to the місягавия people London on that day there will be a picket at Downing Sor hate a risen Thatche message *No to US intervention in For a peaceful Christmas in Central America'. 3 December 1982 page 9
Page 10 scan of this page
By Phil Hearse AS WE SAW in the last article, the German SPD combination of theoretical errors and the growth within the party and the trade unions of a massive bureaucracy became increasingly prey to reformist and social patriotic pressures. This evolution of the SPD was sealed by its reaction to the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914.
The SPD's 92 delegates voted unanimously for war credits in support of the war. In a closed session of the SPD's Hasse and 12 others had opposed voting for the Wa OCOs Bur acMace L SAnE-1 party discipline — Hasse even reac out the SPD's declaration in support of the war credits. The international workers movement was stunned by the SPD's betrayal. Lenin refused to believe the news and told Zinovicy that the copy of the SPD's paper Vorwarts which contained the news was a forgery. Trotsky, more personally acquainted with the leaders of German Social Democracy was also shocked - but less so than Lenin:-
"Tdsd not expect the officiatlesders
io hele name i cac le ore
prove themselves capable
serious revolutionarv mtiative At
the same time I would not even ad-
the idea that the
democracy would simply cower on
DC!V ortore
militarism has remained one of the tragic ex- the vote of 4 August
periences of my life. (1)
The decision of the SPD Icadership to vote for the war credits was in defiance of every Socialist (Second) International. 1907 the International anti-war manifesto under from Lenin, Martov and Luxemburg:
*f war threatens to hrenk out it
is the duty of the working class
oi is paruamentary representative:
in the countries involved supportec
by the consolidating activity
International Bureau to exert every
CTOT 0 brevetele euroreuk o
war ... Should war break out never
theless it is their duty to intervene in
TAVOUE OTITE specay terminanon
and to do all in their
utilise the economic and political
e ss conser omewart ousenr
people's and thereby to hasten the
abolition of capitalist class rule (2)
This was later filled out in the antiwar manifesto adopted in 1912. On reading the manifesto, declared: "They have given us a large promissory note: let us see how well they will mneet it'. In less than two vears benin got nis answer.
Social democratic leaders
capable of immensely militant, leftsounding phrascs on the eve ot a crisis. But war and revolution inevitably test out the reformist leaders. German social demonstrated, through this first great betrayal of the international socialist movement, that it was loyal, in the last instance, to its own bourgeoisie and not the international working class.
Lenin had failed to clearly see the character of the Kautsky-Bebet *centre in the party; even Trotsky did not understand its reformist degeneration thoroughiy Only Rosa Luxemburg and the SPD's left wing had after 1905 begun to grasp the gap between the 'orthodox' revolutionary speechifying and the SPD's reformist practice.
The social democracy tried to explain its actions through an old, argument often TESCE bureaucratic mES CAOeTS. had no choice but to go along with the 'backwardness" of the workers. Ditteman explained:
*The Party could not act other-
wisc. It would arouse a storm of mn
cignanon wnong ine men at the
front and people back
the SPD did it (ie vote against wat
credits). The socialist organisation
would be swept away by popular
Right up until 4 August 1914 the German government nad taken the SPD's formal a-TeT seriousiy. It had thus prepared a long list of party and trade union leaders who were to be imprisoned in the event of war breaking out. But within days of the declaration of war these same leaders were granted immunity
Socialist Challenge 3 December 1982
through a parliamentary
social
NEUORSIIET
decision of the
adopted an
pressure
of the
power to
Lenin
are
democracy
that they
maintain social peace. by the
that they democratic
engaged in patriotic
from Courier, Transport Workers Union:ine vilanous dishonourable, faithless Tsar and CHILELEL
position
ELO AUSTRA TIOODSH
sunk. disillusionment set
page 10
Marxism and
Social Democracy
2. The great
betrayals
Karl Liebknecht speeks to workers in Berlin Workers demonstration, 9 November 1918.
from military service on the grounds
were urgently needed at fed. home to boost war production and
The extent to which the social WWECAEE CCI hecame rabble rousing
can be seen from the following quote
the
Dans ottn! bloody his allies, Britons, the boastfui French, tus pertidious
lying Belgians, the thankless Boers,
the swaggering Canadians, and the kidnapped Zouaves, Niggers and the remain-
IE SCU CUCIrA nave broker
against the strong wall set up by the ed
implacable heroism of the German
Such were the depths to which the social democratic bureaucracy
As the war dragged on, and CaHUHk the
workers - over-worked and poorly
When in May 1916 Liebknecht was imprisoned for his anti-war activities, 60,000 Berlin factory workers went on strike.
majority of the Berlin executive of the SPD supported the strike, and they were promptly expelled from the party. Ims neipco to create the nucleus for the formation of the Independent Social Democratic Party (USPD) in carly 1917, position to the pro-war policies of the SPD leadership. The SPD classically 'centrist" organisation, wavering between reformist revolutionary positions. It won the allegiance of a large minority of the full-time apparatus, and
political Icaders as diverse Liebknecht and Luxemburg on the left, Kautsky and Bernstein on the right (their old differences forgotten) and a strong centre around Haase, Ditteman and Barth
Six months after the split the
USPD claimied
against 150,000 of the official SPD
Ahove all the USPD had a big majori-
"Red' Berlin.
leaders too were forced into a series of left" manoeuvres in order to try to head off the workers. In January 1918 SPD leader
Ebert came out in support of the antiwar strike, called by the workers to protest at the terms of the Brest Litovsk treaty. conditions against Russia in return for peace.
the labour bureaucracy was seen in action. tained its role by mediating berween the classes. In the last instance loyal to the bourgeois order, to maintain their own forced to move to the left with the masses → but always with the aim of preventing the mass movement from adopting which would have destroyed their own position.
On 3 October the newly installed Chancellor, Prince Max of Baden, initiated moves for a negotiated peace with the allies. paper immediately patriotic tune: Enough of death; not one more man must fall". day negotiations began for the inclusion of the SPD in the government. For the bourgcoisic, this was infinitely preferable to revolution.
in order that could be successfully however the social democrats insisted that the Kaiser would have to abdicate. As Ebert told Prince Max on 7 November, unless the abdication of the Kaiser were made known to the workers that very evening the whole lot will desert to the independent' (the USPD).
At the beginning of November, in a final attempt to create a better relationship of forces for negotiations, the ordered to sea. knowing the war to be lost, mutinied. A mass meeting of 20,000 elected a sailors' council. councis sprung up all along the coast On 5 November a demonstration of 40,000 In Hamburg voted "republic of workers councils" look power in the town. The German revolution had begun.
in the next councils were established throughout Germany.
Kaisers's abdication was announced SPD leader Ebert was proclaimed ImTEE EE Chancellor. neightened the workers expectations Thousands of workers in Berlin took to the streets believing that at last the socialist republic was at hand.
Learning that about to proclaim the republic at a mass meeting outside palace, Scheidemann, one of the two or three top SPD leaders declared to a mass meeting outside the Reichstag: The workers have won all along the line
SOVCELOCT declared: "The government created by the revolution, the policy of which is purely socialist, is setting itself the task of implementing a socialist programme." But such talk was demagogic manoeuvre, preventing the workers going over to the USPD.
On the evening of the declaration of the republic Ebert made a secret Karl phone call to the German high command in the form of General Groner. They made an agreement: the army would remain loyal to the government provided that Ebert cooperated in crushing anarchy and Bolshevism While proclaiming ere poling he were plotting thousands of in op- revolutionary leaders
The government formed out of was a these revolutionary beginning of November consisted of and three members each from the USPD and the SPD. Liebknecht refused to join the government includ- would not be as revolutionary majority'. This was obviously a characterisation not only of Ebert and sencidemann, oul at icas of some of the leaders of his own party, the centrist USPD
The bourgeoisie had secured an important victory
120,000 members
agreement tionaries.
But the SPD
Wing restlessness the
of the factories
which imposed punitive
revolutionary Commissars under
Once again the perfidious role of
base The SPD bureaucracy main-
torce parlamentary
position the bureaucrats were
positions,
Vorwarts, the SPD
changed its workers
The next for the
parlamentary this manoeuvre carried out
and die.
December 1918. present
OIESLICE
German fleet was The sailors in Kiel, takist
admit them.
Workers and sailors
for a - and
Wing address, days workers
9 November the
the convening But this only assembly.
characteristically
tuent assembly,
Liebknecht was
344 against the royal
A
SPD
pure aimed revolutionary
clearly muss
they are ystem. (E
the socialist
in private they small minority.
murder of there workers and their
the vascillating events at the
amount because he 'prisoner of a non-
"people's
through revolution.
treachery of the SPD leaders - an
crush the revoluThey secured another im POIATL AE CCICHE with the trade unions on 15 November, the "Work-
Alliance agreement, which granted the workers important con cessions but recognised implicitly the right of the bosses to keep ownership
The joint SPD-USPD government
called itself the Council of Peoples
- and this a government the leadership of Ebert and Scheidemann! The decisive thing now was whether this government would
itself on mushrooming workers councils or whether it would
movement DACK into channels. Naturally Ebert and Scheidemann were opposed root and branch to a govertiment based on the councils — which in efTect would have meant the destruction of the bourgeois state and the creation of a workers state
Now the SPD leaders carried out the most daring and destructive of counter-revolutionary manoeuvres Everywhere the SPD had gone into the workers councils, and in many places were in the leadership. Many
clearly did not grasp the political differences between the SPD and the USPD. The SPD now fought
creation of a constituent assembly — in effect a parliament. They argued the necessity to combine
power with the existence of workers councils - knowing full well that once a parliament was in place, and the bourgeois army still intact, the councils would wither
The crucial turning point was the First Congress of the Workers and Soldiers Councils held in Berlin on 30
448 delegates were 289 from the SPD (60 pcr cent), 90 from the USPD (20 per cent) other groups 25 (5 per cent). Only ten of the USPD belonged to the revolutionary Spartakist faction. The Spar-
leaders were not elected as delegates and the congress refused to
The choice facing the congress was clear. Two resolutions summed it up. The first called for elections to a constituent assembly on 19 January 1919. The second for all power to the workcts councus. coct, 10 mis oper
carefully confused the issue by calling for the new socialist state to be based on a *firm foundation" to 'achieve its socialist goals" The SPD delegation voted solidly for
of a constituent
But the USPD delegation
confused. The voting — 400 for convening a consti-
with 50 against; 98 for all power to the workers councils
showed SERAL delegates, most from the USPD, had voted for both resolutions!
revolutionary opportunity which if grasped would have changed the face of European and world politics, was thrown away by the social democratic traitors
Ernest Daumig. a leader of the USPD and later a leader of the Com munis. Party summed it up in his ad. dress to the conference:
When the history of these weeks WTELLCT
DODe Wi sHie anosawer
they so blind as not to see that they
vere putting ropes round their owi
anVOnC WRO ank perceive approval of the National
Assembly is cqmvalent to a deali
sentence of the system of which
now a part, the council
RR ECU ORAne SNIRBOAU that the Spartakists were in such a
Although of course thousands of TEVOLT tionaries in the USPD, the majority
leadership was weak anc But Luxemburg and Liebknecht had only a few thousand organised supporters.
In a revolutionary situation no
revolutionary acumen makes up for lack of numbers. The ten Spartakists at the December con ference were swamped by the solid phalanx of Ebert's supporters.
In tour years the reformist leaders had gone from being super patriots to
commisars". But always with the intention of strangling the
Page 11 scan of this page
The prostitution laws are for black women.' Prostitutes protest police harassment
which tells the story
African Freedom fighter.
They did come again.
But this time t
with an order for her ar-
rest. Instead it was with a
package bomb which blew
her apart.
They arrested her
without trial, or charges, By Judith Arkwright LAST WEEK 15 prostitutes in the Kings Cross area London occupied the Church in protest against police harassment and protection of pimps.
English Collective of Prostitutes which is involved in the occupation method of seeking sanctuary from harassment - explained how it all started...
We run a legal service for prostitutes in the area.
They have been coming to us since April.
A series of incidents
the occupation.
Women who were trying their pimps were going to independent from
police and the police would do nothing.
Angela Davis -
THE Women's Press has just published a new book by Angela Davis.
Class' was reviewed in the American newspaper The Militant by Laura Moorehead which we reprint here in a shortened version.
I saw this book in a local bookstore and I immediately bought bought it because it is written by Angela Davis.
In 1969 and 1970, as a
California Los Angeles, twice fired for her membership in the Communist Party.
the FBI's Wanted' accused murder and kidnapping in connection with an attack on a courtroom by a man she had worked with in defence When political BE SOBES. Davis was finally caught, she was wown m orson TOr SIX
Millions of people around the world,
young identified with her plight
amisher defence of black
prisoners participated in the interna-
campaign that secured her acquittal.
is bour ner own per sonal struggle and the imWELL US delense campaign on the black movement that bring authority
Ruth First - 'integrity and courage'
N N'DABERI reviews the Penguin publication 117 DAYS
of RUTH FiRST, a brave South
When they released Ruth First from detention after 117 days she was 'convinced that it was not the end, that they would come again'.
Just using the notorious 90-day' law Then they decided to kill her, so the regime again without trial or charges sentenced her to death and duly carried out its bloody sentence.
Penguin has done a
The "SUS! laws are for black men.
Holy Cross
A member of the
- a traditional
woman might say that her pimp has threatened to legs and the police would say that they couldn't do anything until he had. Then last week one woman's boyfriend was done for pimping. •Another prostitute had her kid taken away by social services and finally a
No answers for women
Women, Race and
to the name Angela Davis. and require a look at her political writings.
As history. much of Women, Race and Class is rewarding reading, UCL ticularly the chapters *Black women and the Club Movement," and *Women Suffrage at the Turn of the Century: The Rising Influence of Racism. Both of these are solid contributions to the history of black women as activists in the antilynching movement, and shed light on the impact of the development of the United States an imperialist power the campaign to win the vote for women But Women, Race and Class is: seriously flawed. It never delivers on the promise of the title.
The main weakness is a political Nowhere loes Davis lay out a road forward for women today.
She simply SUHLCHIHALE on excoriating segments of the leadership of the past and present American feminist movement for
useful service by bringing
edition of this
little book in which Ruth
describes her
CAPERCE
in South Africa's jails.
The cover of the book
tels us why che WaS in-
carcerated and why she
died
SUCCCHIV
hideously. It shows Ruth
addressing DICINE.
Behind her is banner
which says Freedom from
Apartheid.'
That was Ruth First's woman in the area was raped and then was called a prostitute by police.
*The real problem and
occupation is that the police just will not do anything about the pimps. They all the pimps are black But what about all the white hoteliers who are charging women E8S for them and their child. They're pimps as well!'
*This is industrial асtion - ine pimps and tne police are the bosses here
"The demands of the WOREE CE • That the police and the
She never explains that the key to this racism is these misleaders reliance on the ruling class to give women some equality. instead of allying with the
the black and Latino com-
the government, which 1S the main enemy of all the
oppress this fundamenta
fundamental political error that leads to ignoring or downplaying
for the interests the most op pressed women because these present the biggest
who own the government.
By constanly commer posing the fight women's rights the
CLU struggle for black rights and the struggles of working women, Davis implies that blacks, women, and working people have some conflicting interests.
For example. in the chapter titled •Rape, Racism and the Myth of the Black Rapist, she talks about author Susan Brownmiller's reactionary and racist views.
Davis suggests that Brownmiller
TCHIIY 'defending the particular
of white CAUSE WOLLICH. regardless of its implications.
Women's Rights:
life - the struggle to rid South Africa of its tyrannous and violent white ruling class. She fought for a South Africa, where all
together peace and harmony. led her to join the Com-
Party and the African National СопAle resh of her lite a for the rest of her loyal member of the South African Communist Parwomen's committees the GLC, Camden, Is ington and Hackney organise a meeting between the prostitutes and Commander Chambers head of the "E" Division responsible for Argyle Square.
That a meeting is held with MPs who want to know the truth about the illegality and racism of the police from prostitute women themselves. seconded from one local • That worker authorities monitor police in Argyle Square for the next month. This is to
available from Bookshops,- 328 Upper London N1 and 14 Digbeth, Birmingham at E4.95.
This is a typical quote
And politically fatal and dead wrong. The interests of women, including the overwhelming majority of white women, are inseperable from the interests blacks and
and trom the struggle of the entire working class to be free of
USELESS CE Racists Brownmiller who mas-
feminists hinder cause of women's equality
To say that there are some special *white women's interests' is to imply that the struggle for women's equality can be advanced at the expense of Blacks and working people
Sex, race, and class are three separate questions, but for black women they are the triple signposts of our oppression and Davis's book leaves us nowhere to go to liberate ourselves from this triple stranglehold.
There have been significant developments affecting the black movement in the last few years With in destrousy with question. would have been 1 good if Davis's book had discussed them.
ty, probably one of the most Stalinist of Stalinist parties outside Albania, she was a person of integrity and courage When the USSR switched its posi tions on Eritrea's right to SCIT determination, she stayed with the Leninist principle of -SCIT determination.
She questioned the Stalinist theory of the revolution stages saw that the national democratic revolution in
protect women working
there from possible retalia tion for the action that the
prostitutes have taken.
• Guarantees of im-
mediate protection, welfare and housing for women to get off the game.
In response to these demands Camden Council have agreed to appoint
wo officers to help fin prove eate using SOILLIOHS provide and welfare for women trying to leave prostitution.
Other demands relating to control of the police are still under
The Othar
St.
South Africa would merge into the socialist revoluLIDE
The courage with which she fought for her political convictions sustained her during her time in jail. This side of her personality comes out in the book. The unending interrogations; the dreadful numbing effect of isolation; the never-ending fear that someone has broken and "leaked" putting everyone else in danger.
negotiation. But the
women point out that the
first step has to be to
monitor police activity and
The spokes
woman pointed out: The
"sus laws are for black
men and the prostitution
laws are for black women
These are the only two of-
fences which rely solely on
police evidence for convic-
*Mrs Thatcher is put-
ting thes women on the
streets. We call the wome
who come from the north
Che in dung That,
young black
woman who is 20 years old
and on the game said:
•Well, I support these
ladies because the police
ana tne pimps are our
main enemy.
*I'll give you an exam-
ple. I came here to see how
unc lacies nere were getne
on. A police car stopped
and picked me up
soliciting on the way. The
like this
and we keep having to pa
the fines.
*The police are in with
the pimps. I got my bag
nicked last week.
couldn't go to the police
because the men that snat-
ched it will hear about me
from the police your pimp and become in *When give up
ANGELA
DAVIS
WOMEN
RACE &
CLASS
Socialist Challenge
All that she overcame by an indominatable will
survive. Because survival meant he struggle for liberatio and socialism.
Her courage stands out like a beacon in contrast to her torturers and tormen tors who had to resort to the cowardly weapon of a parcel bomb to destroy her. They killed Ruth First but they will never kill the noble ideas that she gave her life for.
dependent, you get аг-
or a fortnight. When I had
a pimp I didn't get arrested
so much
*The pimps are like the
police, they keep a check
on you. I tried to run away
to Birmingham once, but
after two months my pimp
caught up with me.
'The other day we saw
some pimps in the arca
talking to the police, shak-
ing hands.
'I got on to the game
because of what happened
to me when I was 10. I go
raped and I decided to ge
my own back. But once
you are on the game you
can't get off it. My mur
comes down to the Cross
to try and get me. I'd like
to get back to a warm
house, but I can't get away
from it now. I've been at
the Cross for 3-4 years
*The last time I was ar-
rested the policeman asked
me why I supported the oc-
as ne said h
couldn't win.
*But I think that we can
win because there is a lot
of people behind
hope that we do win and
we do stop the police and
the pimps. Erase collecte to:
English Women's Centreins
stinutes.
Tonbridge
01-837 7509.
3 December 1982 page 11
Page 12 scan of this page
By Bob Hopkins A ONE DAY national strike of social security personel has been called for next Friday. It has been caused beause the staff are fed up with over-work and under-staffing at a time when the workioad, due to the increase in unemployment. is going through the roof.
The dispute started at the Erdington dole office in Birmingham 10 weeks ago. A young woman staff mamber burst into tears because of pressure of work. One more office has been called out each week in Bir. mingham until the stoppage has bean made total.
The management of the area, no doubt under government pressure, offered extra staff on a temporary basis only and in return have demanded concessions on working conditions.
Despite the drawn out nature of this dispute the dole staff has refused to knuckle under. At a mass meeting last week they threw out a revised offer by a massive majority.
is a pensioner.
Here in part is what
Rose wrote to us with
her donation:
Thank you Laurence
Scou's! You are heiping
paper who struggles TOT the
young and out of work! You UIS E S 3k. invalid.
struggle for those who suffer
and that is why your paper is
dd paper! 1
CACCPE CU SEE UU SC LOSTO Challenge SHE-HIE
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heart and at least mat-
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Socialist
Challenge
One day DHSS strike called
definitely
hard from the word
CPSA - got their fingers out.
UELET
cerned -
tolerated.
FUND DRIVE '82
A letter from a pensioner
IN RESPONSE to Laurence Scott's strike committee E250 donation to Socialist Challenge last week, we recieved a f5 donation from one of our readers who
Christmas is coming and this -HICCIS times for Socialist Challenge.
Our thanks to these contributors:
Glasgow Cardiff WETlA Birmingham Pietrasik Coulson
SOnGOT Manchester Huddersfield SanGE OTOes Lambeth pensioner Total Total so far Required by Dec 31
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For this strike to be won serious lessons have to be learned from the health workers dispute. First, the dispute must not be dragged out in-
-against intransigent employers you must escalate and escalate quickly. They must be hit
The feeling is there among the members, and it the one-day strike brings no response Trom management an an-out suike must be called straight away.
It's time the left leaders of the
- and in particular president Kevin Roddy, a supporter of Militant
Secondly the positive feature of the health dispute was the appeal to
sections of the labour ment. The dole unions should reach out to other sections of the labour movement. Most important, the couC0 Oile ace unione non
the CPSA and the SCPS -must make clear that the kind of dithering which the health unions' leaderships have shown will not be
NSE)
200.00 3.00
5.00
178.50
SO.Ul E10,236.91 £16,000
ALAN FREEMAN
THE BENN
HERESI
By Brian Grogan
be completed by
dition to the 794 just annonced.
The response of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation, the largest union in the industry, has been pathetic. *This further loss of jobs', said a spokesperson, tragedy, but we are relieved that at least there is not another works closure"
But the present annoncement orines lo more than 3,500 the redundancies announced in the past two weeks alone. How can anyone be "relieved" at that?
The unions at a local
BAD TASTE
STEEL: AXE
FALLS IN
YURKSHRE
BRITISH STEEL is to sack 1,709 workers at its special steel plants in South Yorkshire. These will come on top of the cuts already planned to
March next year. In Rotherham mill this means a further 323 in ad-
level are, however, meeting to work out a plan of resistance In Rotherham mill, the unIons are relusing .to meet management till after their joint committee convenes on Friday.
Mick Woods, works
convenor of the boilermakers explained Socialist Challenge. We stand by meeun of South Yorkshire crafts of six months ago. Then we decided unanimously do everything necessary to
IRST WE GET THI
save jobs and living standards. And this could mean strike. Our bottom line compuisory redundancies. We have already had all the voluntary redundancies there were. Now everyone wants a job. We expeét a fight.
The strategy of the ISTC leadership is worthiess. According to them, These redundancies reinforce our case for a special buying agency to handk all imported steel'. As if this was the problem.
There has been drastic contraction of the engineering industry over the past two and a half years as a direct result of Thatcherite policics. N solution in the interests of
US
NOW
LATER
workers within these policies is possible - least of all with the ridiculous suggestion of a 'special buying agency".
The central task of the union leadership 1S show how militant resistance to these closures can be continucd into a fight for a government which plans for the expan sion of the economy and breaks decisiely with the profit motivated system on
the Tories rest, Without that JOb massacre on a truly mammoth scale will he pushed through, including the closure of two large plants.
• More steel coverage on pages 4 and 5.
CORMAS
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