Socialist Challenge No. 6, 14 July 1978
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Page 1 scan of this page
Socialist Challenge BUILD A SOCIALIST OPPOSITION FOR A UNIFIED REVOLUTIONARY ORGANISATION
WISH YOU WERE HERE -EVERY DAY!
Here's Arthor, He brought 150 miners from Yorkshire. Honly the Strike Commitee hac osked them to stay a bit longer weld heue shut the facter that d
Photos by ANDREW WIARD Repons and DERECK SPEIRS
Most of die time can dealt asth
the cops cohout trochk, but
the black brother here was
cought on his can
Grunwick
UNIONG POST OFFICE WORKEPS
ЕДЛ LONDON
Dear
All,
TELE
H77-tex
This space is reserved for abset frends- do judge Scaran and Boy Genthem of APEX They were chatting beach other at the Court of Enquiry. We decided to Stylere
Tom So the post coster late. together with his mates The Blue Cossacks were sent bear a wau for the scabs aus but they dient have to much suess We chanter The Workers Uritech Will Never Be Defected They ran Out
Strike Commitee, picketing to continue.
INCORPORATING RED WEEKLY 14 July 1977 No.6 mail and wes sacked as a result
This is the section of te
Ahmed. He wonts mass
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GRUNWICK
15,000 march for victory at Grunwick.
The capitalist class were suitably dismayed Only in one part of the labour movement was that despair shared, Callaghan, Healey and Jones have slaved away for three years to impose their wage-cutting Social Contract. They have succeeded in demoralising and disorienting many workers.
The results have been seen not only in the massive falls in living standards but also in the abstentions and the votes for the Tories in
afteranother. Thefinal act of this tragi-farce the Liberal-Labour pact. Saftron Walden Labour votes going to the Liberals!
What could be achieved with a socialist leadership worthy of the name is obvious. Any threatened retum of the Tories could be met with the promise of the same sort of action that was used to end Heath's govern-
The need for the
by announcing the Government would fight an election on the basis of socialist policies backed up by the power indicated by
and shown at Grunwick.
But far from drawing any lessons from their suicide course, the Labour leaders now intend to deepen their alliance with the Liberals. Alternative policies are needed for the struggle ahead,
STRUGGLE
Rule one in building the leadership necessary to counter the manoeuvres of Jones and Callaghan is that In the fight between capital and labour what decides the issue is never Parliamentary orbackroom in-fighting. but the mass struggle.
The workers movement is capable of launching the sort of mass struggle which blocked Labour's anti-trade union In Place of Strile. If a fight is made for policies what can give mose saug gles a socialiat direction, ten the runng LEIASS think twice before backing
mentthat would be tottering rightfrom the beginning and the labour movement will be shaken from top to bottom in a struggle for socialist policies that can bring vic-
toBut the result of accept-
ing the joint manoeuvres of the TUC leaders and Callaghan would lead to further falis in living standards, guarantee um, ensure that such a Tory
reactionary since the 1930g and would leave Callachan and Healey and the other architects of defeat firmly in the saddle.
Every single shade of political opinion in the workers' movement is going to be put to the test. Those
who call for, support and
Editorial
Sociallet Challenge, 328/9 Upper Street, London N1. Editorial 01-359 8189 News 01-359 8180 Distribution 01-359-8301
phew! what
a week
WHAT A WEEK forthe workers' movement! The transport workers throw out wage controls. The miners vote against the productivity deal trap and the 12 month rule.
organise mass action and put forward policies for OST OUTCOME TO IDE struggle are going to aid the
who merely talk or openl aid Callaghan and the TUC leaders are giving succourto the employers, ine Tones and Liberals, and enemy of the workers' movement.
Instead of fighting for the Labour Party conference to endorse the stand of trade unionists against Phase 3 by the back door - the 12 RULE Labour MPs will go no further than their campaign of opposition to the Common Market.
SABOTAGING
The Communist Party has claimed credit for the union decisions while very quiet about their record of sabotaging struggles 303inBl Phase 2 They have refused to follow up the Committee National Assembly Labour Conferences action and organisation in local areas.
There are only two forces in the labour movement who can have nothing but pride in their record and nothing but confidence in the future,
workers who refused follow their misieaders and gave their support to the strikers of Heathrow Talbot and those workers who have already gone into action against the pay policy. Those disputes were landmarks on the road to throwing out wage control and culminated in the votes at last week's trade union conferences.
The second force which against Social Contract was the revolutionary small minority in the workpursuing tactics which are sectanan, nevertheless only the revolutionaries have op-
every stage and supported croly struggie against l
That stand of the revolutionary left has given ita new audience standing inside the workers' movement.
Il the revolutionary left pursues a consistent policy of unity in action with all those prepared to fight, If it puts forward policies that open up the necessity for a socialist KOWTION crisis, if it can come to a
Feral elections, If It unites
united organisation, the left
for decades to grow into a
movement.
In this week's issue of Soclalist Challenge and in future weeks we look at the news, analysis, policies and ORE ABERSOON tory.
George
Ward
Hendon Golf Club. A quarterof a mile away is
Mill Hill public school,
and the same distance the other way is a British Army barracks. Grunwick, lives here, surrounded byleisure facilities and the type of people who share his views on the world.
every 'left'
Cricklewood sorters.
keeping
the Scarman court of inquiry.
in courts of inquiry, independent
of
by
Nation
Employment meant
right of workers to join a union.
newspaper to argue the virtues
to Accarding to
Port other.
Searman
about him are losing toirs
acquired this capacity for
boycott of Grunwick mail because *(Grunwick) have agreed to provide
the
IC CO BE PECK
POSTAL BOYCOTT often
the postal
weeks.
Jackson's trust in ACAS turther. in September Capitalism is in erob
of the STIC
lives here
Justaround thecorneris a tennis court. Nearby is
George Ward, boss of ON SATURDAY Tom Jackson, general secretary of the Union of Postal Workers. was loudly heckled 4,000-strong TUC anti-racist demonstration in Manchester. The shouts of 'scab' were an obvious reference to the role Jackson has played in trying to smash the Grunwick solidarity action of the
Throughout the previous week he had done all in his power to force his union members at Cricklewood to handle Grunwick mail. He argued that to do otherwise might "prejudice" the findings of
Jackson has a touching, if dangerous faith
tribunals ways of settling class
Take his attitude to the Arbitration Concili
which was establisbed under the Labour Goveroment's
Protection Act, was to safeguard workers from bein
Michael For tale Tea Take UPW Teal
conceivable method to find reamable and ACAS Offer acceptable seltiments of disporcs to shar might otherwise have led to what should be she last resort — strice acrion. In arguire las week for Eis union members to trusi the
on Grunwick maintains his faith in such methods while all
But Uncle Tom Jackson has not recently
self-delusion. In Boycott of Grunwick mall because pre said Cesary fallen for and mary A AS and the recognition question could besettled by
n the event Cieorge Ward told ACAS whe of the woek, Ward was later to admit that har
boycat continued he would have Teen forced to close Cinnwick within twe
OUR POLICIES
The leaders of the and the trades
Socialic Challenge belleges That the two rial
cles la opposition to ciss-colleborationism ir Them shoold hi larseter prosping togeth ants holding a wide range of-polilic
•HERE WIRE TO THE CECH DESE
iF moiled front caciles begin lo he seen as un alternate by thousands uf wurkers engage in Such an organisation should be based on the
Send himapostcard,
letting him know what
you think: George Henry
Uncle Tom Jackson
when he spoke at the
Aslave
to good
sense
Allbough there may 30OU Me DIS DESERSHI unionist can complain shour the Employment Protection Act'. A lot of Grunwick strikers
words were spoken
Jackson uttered them in be course speech delivered at Newham Town Hall when he was arguing the case of super suab Reg Prentice who bad jost been sneked by hi Comrituency Lubpur Party. Jackson backed Prentice because of "the real necessity of maintaining the fabric of the party. only in
CLY L REACH SOCIALS ME TRE
uture Lahour Governments
Once agnin events were to rather embarass Jackon: Prentice's verson of malty
the Liberas. Parts progresive elemen, in the Conservative
unite the fight of the workers agains
new orgaris of power and defeating with
песеенть means tbe power of the capitalist
state.
2 Chir socisikas will be infinitely more
democradle than what paises a Brital todas, with full rights for all pollica parties and currents that du not lakr
up urms neuinsi the socialist siste. The Stalinist
Feroge have discredised sochullam in the even of
millions of workers throughout the warld. Wi
In all close fighing for sacialist democriy sed to brin and wil offer full suppor
The Grunwick
ded
failure, tbe be disappointments
success,
of a
won.
which are on
promote
3
socialism seeks to
4
factions and lendentles
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 14 July 1977 p2
Photo: G.M. COOKSON (Scia/s C16/1800
Reginald Ward, 17
Holmdene Avenue,
London NW7.
by GEOFF BELL (strike has not spoilt Jackson's record of being proved wrong. Last
Cocday he assured his acion members that after the initial suspension of 27 Cricklewood sorters the Post Office intend not to impose further suspensions". By the next day, TS more
La it is hardly surprising that the Crick
ood workers disregarded Jackson's advi For just as Jackson's policies have a record of
cypc action methods the Cricklewood sorters adopted have a record of
A recent example was in February when postal workers in Ease London went on strike
strike and refused to give it official support. On one occasion police were called in to evict the strikers from a sorting office. But the strike continued and the strikers eveatually
So it is nor simply a case of Tom Jackson trailing belund tim n long list of defeats and
offer which is Jackson speaks of tribunals, inquiries, trust in
ets join their sisters and brothers at Grunwick
class struggle policies. records of Hritish Paroleum director Ton Jackson and the record of the East London postal strikers leaves no mom for doubring which takes the working class forward.
Is are irreconcibible on a mok scale. Capitalion has not only create a world market, it has crated wun
- an international scale. This unto will in t
oad run be deckie in defeating bush li
imperalist regimes in the West wed the brain
In Britain it Implies demanding the imm
dale withdrawal of British Iroops from relen
and lending the insa people determine thir em
wings Dove any meaniner so
for he uverihrum nf the capitalist state. Ner
rejecting seciorianism and sering intermai
necessily. This means the right lo organi
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11 JULY A DRESS REHEARSAL FOR TOMORROW
GRUNWICK
Government.
That is a mighty warming to those in and out of the labour movement wno presen cantion "good sense" sad class collabor-
OVER 18,000 trade enionists demonstrated their solidarity with the Grunwick strikers. They came despite an official TUC circular saying that the mass picket should not be supported. They came despite the attempts of trade union bureauerats like Tom Jackson to prevent solidarity action. They came despite the fact they knew that they had to face the police violence ordered and sanctioned by the Labour
Nation — whether they be advocates of courts on enquiry for selllin; class struggle, or upholders of the Social Contract as a way of
laking the interests of the wor-
king class forward.
Doce again the cacties of the
mass picket have been vindicated
drivers
Grunwick joined the strike on
Monday
picket. The picket ilsell, on two
occasions, stopped the scah-car-
rying bus Trom
lacion. By and latee the nolice
repelled.
Of course.
COMMITTEE
STEWARD
enter the factory But even the
the day of the mass
wick is concerned entering the
the pickets were
their level Monday's picket.
ked demonstration the bus did
TUC diversiont
that was displayed mirside che factory gates — workers' power.
That poser must must not be LIC dissopated now. An tar as Grun
stepping up all forms of solidarity achon, placing no renance thase trade union leaders who dia
best to sabotage
Solidarity is the key. The
the mass meetings
Build
Southan Vorde Kamenst
ting office turned th TUCE erbal support of the strike int ded by the Post Office harassed by Toi Jackson to lin
Ency boen joined by workers ar the Lubor sorting office, who have hlocked smuggle outgoing post through London They ned the support sorting offices of every worker to continue to withstand this pressure. The best possible support for the Crickle woed workers is the extension of the boycolt to all supplies.
The best possible support for the Grunwick strikers is to extend
picket Work-place should be used picket line, and to build support for a futher day of strike action Strike Committee as 23 Angust
support etins, arrange speaking tours for members of the Strike Commit
23 August has boen chosen as it marks the first anniversary of the Crunwick strice. The mas vicket of 11 July cam be multip led by 23 August, It can grov Dest by orkanising national scrit
on that day. If the national trade union leadership will not act ir is up to those who
STAND UP
FOR ABORTION RIGHTS
The Beayon anti-abortion Bil could get through its third reading this month EMERGENCY PUBLIC MEETING
Friday 15 July 7.30pt, Central Hall, Weetminster You most be there to stop the Bill and defest the anti-abortionists
Moreisformation from National Abortion Campaige 30 Camden Road, London NW1. Tel: 01-485 4303
Socialist Challenge 14 July 1977 buil: 11 July to lead the fight for such strike action. This means
Welsh miners
This is the way that the trade
Grunwick. The Scarman Trib unal is a diversion, Workers
to rely on the judges, but only their own strength
This does not only apply to Grunwick. Attackson trade unior rights are becoming more and
Darlin tom 108 journalists have been on strike for six woeks fighting
shop. A mass picket at Darlin gion is planned for 15 July.
OWE strength is also the principl
«hich the fights that bie ahend fo the base wonaco stand shown to the Granwick strike showlla serve as a wercine boch to tbe Labour Government and to
future Tory Government Wont t. C90 exped il toe sirenet: of the labour movement is mob-
I July was not a complete
victory isnow possible. Up and down the
the organising begin now.
r All wut 23 Augus
* Fur Seronal Sinke dena * Victery to the Grunwick strice
Page 4 scan of this page
Miners-
claim
They came out with all the
off the facherly chat, delivered in a bluff, "down to earth" Lanco-
the "left" that no-one on the left listens to any more — now plays
for Callaghan and the National Coal Board
Sam Scott from Northumber-
il thresholds were still in force, miners" wages would have been over 190 a wock by Apail this yer course, Daly did nor dis-
berland's call fo threshold agreements. He just thought they
for doing the job of protecting
and all the r jobs that
ed to be done." What he really meant was that they would stop the Labour Government curting real wages and increasing prices:
The executive's main attack wan reserved for composite No. 2, bowever, and the amendments of the Yorkshire area to the Nottingham resolution whích
rubbornly insisted on the execu
• wage of E110 a week for
ace workers and 290 and E90 for
ther undergroand and surface
UNANIMOUSLY
Daly was against lying th executive to a definite without alteration or bestita-
hands of the NEC too rigidly in forthcoming When wow have Gommier and Daly negotiate for you, it's not only their hands you have to lie
the foor!
Being wedded to democracy.
Tribune
IT WAS a difficult week for
Tribune. Just as the opposi-
tion to Callaghan's policies
reached a new peak in the
labour movement, the house
journal of the left MPs was so
embarrassed it didn't know
where to look.
For the whole life of the Social
Contract they have continued
Tel praise and support tor sach
Jones and Michael Foot. Un-
out of taking any position on the
Transport and General Workers
In the 1 July issue leading up
to the conference, Tribune com-
that workers might wam to end
wage controls, Lack of emer-
gency measures by the Gover-
was their page three bead-
Treasury had inself killed off all
SOCIAL CONTRACI
£135
Test 12 month rule
THE Tynemouth conference of the National Union of Mineworkers voted to fight for £110 a week for face workers from 1 November. These demands punch a hole right through any 10 per cent norm and the TUC-backed "12 months between claims" rule.
GEOFF RYAN reports and explains how the miners' right wing leadership are already trying to wrigele off the hook of the membership's decision.
Daly then went on to defend the ference had unanimously rejocted it. He boasted: 1 am that the miners cook The lead Ir supporting TUC and Labour
getting 190 a week to compensate
and w hy the average tamily nave suffered a cut in real wages of over EI0 • vince the intre duction of the Social Contract LIFE-SAVER The Nottingham was like a life-saver to the right bur less action. It did not ti anyone's hands.
But the Nottingham resolution still gives the NEC headache. Henry Richardson moying it, said: We mean by this Novenier 1977, and it we de not seck E135 get it, then we membership with a For the NUM leaders and Tony Benn, guest speaker at the LIAICICIC who daes. believe the vote is against the Social Contract ham resolution ls a moderale compromise. But for the working : it means (135 now and the words sock to achieve boil This is why the incentive scheme got such shor to East European productivity schemes lell tbe conference unmosco, ney were erucolly nol desperate to win a Stakhanovite amard.
The dumping of the Social Contract rubibed even further-salt into the wounds of the right. As member Joe Whelen causticalls remarked: "If you believe the
and CP put
to test...
hope of a binding agreement (on wages) interviewed with the plaudie as Jack Jones socialisin Evans has the nolicies'. cutting living standards throug ine social МЕН КОСІЯНЕ НА ЛОСЕХ НАТСЬ Throuchout the whole of this sistently support any strugele or any noucies ana rarearen UNIS CASTE MAHU HER
of the Labour week's conferences and the mass picket of Cruowick and been in
Port Taibat, the central and burning needs of the working class.
The Communis: Party declares a dillerent record. The Morning Saar of 8 July has belped to activase against che
resplution
successful motion:
the Noting-
Social Contract has benefitted the working class, chen you will believe that black car is lucky.* The decisions on wages, the
propose Social Contract, and the produc
(vity deals have pul the Press in a frenzy and have nor exactly bucked ap Denis Healey. Thes
and his friends. majority of the executive will nor fight for these decisions.
Gormley told tbo conference after NCB boss Derek Erra had spoken: speoch for him. Mind, we said the things." Gormley Daly will now try and get off the
Social Contract". It is true that the Cl have kent verbal opposition to wage con-
But every militant knows tha he best way to have stoppeu Phase Phase Z. At every point whico tho struggle against incomes policy
leaders of the trade unions the CP opied for the latter.
* Thar was why the toolroom workers struck and clashed with
backed Scanlon and joted in the
Moss Wha
an
BIG OBSTACLES face the labour movement in the joh sirtiggles Like Tribune basse- of burying the Social Con-
tract.
The Governesent claims that any struggle will lead to the retorn of the Tories. I thundered in
wage rises cannot be protected from inflation,
LE MALIT CHOM SAES
Henry Richardson, Nottingham, motivating
We mean by this resolution that we seek E135 by November 1977, and if we don't get it we consult the membership about industrialaction.
La mouse thinks # year of TUC can fiddle the vote.
Yorkshire, However, the the demands of conference
did nor втіе п
and soled al conference.
the Heathrow Tused to condemn
was to have defeated then dido't,
rentened to conflict with the stewards conference
mission of, or with the
Rance never.
...fight for
alternative
de- could be seriously split.
This area's hook by encouraging different arcas to accept productivity deals ind by meekly endersing anothe
this year's Trade Union Congres
What is needed now is a real campaign inside ibe NUM by the wage
Kent. South Wales
hat the union coes all-our fo
Siest arcas have the base of support and they can turn that lato a real majority in the other in hand,
righr wing will flout the miners
chorus celling those workers to
That was why the CP ignored dispute and t the ALEW
leadership for their scab role.
* That was why the CP first did trally workers
crisis.
strike action on the 20 April Day
of Action called by cheleyland
Action only with the per nim of
motto of the CP leadership
So, as with those lefts, maited organisations.
trois, cuts and
The organisation
workers,
moralisation can set in. Il
demands such as a minimum
wage are not advanced, the
low paid can be isolated from
the stronger organised see-
lions of the working class. If
racism and sexism are not ETOUS.
rebuffed the working class
Lobby the
No deal
THE CONFERENCE DECISIONS of the transport workers
miners, engineers and other groups of workers.
destroyed the lie that the Social Contrick and the policies of the
Government enjoy the support of the inbour movement.
Through their delegates five million workers have come out
clearly and demanded an immediate returs to free collective
bargaining → a large majority of trade unionists.
Butit would be a mistake to belleve that the buttle aguinst wage
controls has been won. Within hours of last week's conference
decisions, the leaders who brought in the Social Contract were
masoeuvring to overthrow their union's democratie decisions.
Jack Jones graciously declured to the Transport and Generu
Workers Union Conference that, although his policies hod been
rejected, he would do his hest to implement their policy of u
return to free collective bargaining from 1 August.
But us soon as be left the conference hail Jones declared to the
television cumeras that he would continue to participate in the
TUC-Government negotiating committee.
Later the T&G Executive cammed through a resoletion to
allow him to stay in the discussions to discuss the general policie
of the Government. But the only purpose of these talks is to
conclude a deal on Phase 3! He is following in the path of Hugh
Scanion who continued to negotiate Phase 1 despite the rejection
of wage controls by his union conference
Joe Gormley announeed that there was not a 'cat in hell's
chance' of a Phase 3. Then he threw all his weighr bebind the
motion at the National Union of Mineworkers conference which
refused to aume u definite wage demund this year
Wanting "flexibility" to reach a deal with Healey, Gormley's
job will be made a lot harder by the simultancous decision of thi
Tynemonth conference to reject productivits denling. But
airendy be and Daly are wheeling and deuling on the National
Executive (where the right enjoys a small minority) to extricate
themselves from this clear mandale
The supporters of the Social Contruct have the sume contempt
for union democracy as they have for the livingstandards of their
members. They aim lo continue the policies that have imposed
1.5 million unemployed, the sashing of welfare services and the
wage cuts that have meant the lowest standard of living for
working people since 1973.
The fig leaf to cover that naked betrayal will no doubt be
brought to the TUC Congress. There, a determined attempt will
be made to throw the simmer conference decisions. The Tirst
steps to end this threat are:
* Demand that all representatives of unions that voted against
conirois withdruw Immediately
ment-TUC negotiations.
* Build the largest possible lobby of the TUC conference in
September.
Becuuse throughout the coming months the struggle for wage
rises and the struggle for union democracy are going to go hand
That's why it is vital that the
BELLAIE shoad not only support trade union demands but advance = STALINE POUR 38 ARISIE which can begin to show prac
solutions to the Bur such policies need organising for. Sectarian front organi Far from tank and file organi sations being organised around neoded is genuine united front
These mist incinde all those forces prenared tr take action against wage con-
unemployment, type DE class strugele • needed is deman class stewards committee of bealth-
CLASH, in broad OSSEL CUL CODILLES JO DUOLA sector alliances and every similar cype of organisation
tbe present COLLiCA situation demands a strong soc ialist alternative to the dead-end ECTOR SE BAL LABOLE TAEL andat suis policier need organi
But such policies sing for. Sectarian front organiFar From raok and file organi sations heing organised around
political group, needed is genaine united front
- These musi inke action against wage con-
cuts and unemploymcol type of class strugale organisation nesded is demon.
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 14 July 1977 p4
have from the Governstewards commillee workers, CLASH. 10 based cuts committers, in pablic bector Blances and every samist type of organisation
Ficells the present politicai
demands a
end reformism of tie Labou Party and Communist Party
United action is the firsi step Running united left candidates in
elections is vital. But of course orly the strongest possible united revolutionary Dreamisation wil be able to consistently impose united action on thie reformists,
The revolutionary left is still a small minority in the working
But Bot totally
audiences and scanding through Social ContrE le agains
27,000 votes Tor revolutionary candiGeneral Warkers Trion de in, Transport and
suppart of revolutionary arganisations in all unions, the fact that WELLINEI Y Note Porter -UTI undoubtedly vote
ready heen achieved and th
auch groaler potcatial of wh
A united revolutionnry org anisation is a real possibility. A sectarian twe ne the narry wil
tionary socialism, nor
of the argenisation
Page 5 scan of this page
TUC
with
GWU
*E belleve that most active trade unionists would agree with your executive council that the 56 fat rate policy, Initiated by our Biennial Delegale Conference, was not only of importunce in restoring stability to the chaotie situation of mid-1975, but was In the circumstances the best possible deal for the vast majority of trade unionists... It secured the retention of the Labour Government in power
and who would have fancied any of the Tory remedies in that situation?'
So said Tad chairperson Stan
tore of etate for wen Phasei would be discussed two days later.
Throughout the next two days delegates waited expectantly, as
Jones tried in vain to get single mation which called for a retaro to free collective bargainting without specitying any date - which would have allowed the executive to keep Ponse 2 intac
Bur for once the 'man who Tuns the country" couldat run the TaL. and 1ao main resolutions were put betore the conter ence on the Wednesday morning.
SOCIAL CONTRACT
The Great Wage Debate
The first called for a return to tree collective bargaining on tbe expiry of Phase 2', when differ-
consolidation of hasic rates, low pay and productivity dealing would be treated 1s priorities.
No mention of restoring the cuts in living standards over the last two years was made.
The second resolution called for la return ta unfettered collec ove bargaining trom 1 August 1977°, Time and time again the
wage
Pomberton beil lend to mas fe for all' massive unemployment cla ma cbc cover of the first resolution, and the
ESCALATOR
ence seriensis essent that the *Does anyone in the
asked. Jack towards che end of the dehate tried to argue that agreed on a return to voluntary collective bargaining, problem is haw to get there', and chat all he was arking for that delegates stick to the twelve months agreed for Phase 2, *Do we catry out our barguin or de besome hothend:?* we repudiate
But as Alan Thorner pointed out when moving a thind resolution calling for 'cost of living
Healey
cocalator agréements to offser the Il amount of price inflation. additional to increases in hourly rate, at no time had thi Toll mennersain neen elsea ma chance to accept or reject Phase
CONDITIONS Ta conten 19t hat conference
conditions, none of which had restrmint been met, und that David Steel'
for Labour was further wage curs.
And theb uma card: No action bf ou ould bring about the fall of of
is sinking. We should not let the shipur us Danny Harris said in summing speaking apposed further
traint, if the labour movement is
and the ship will only sink if the only crew allow the capcuin to run it
on tbe rocks* was With thar conference went to lea by two thirds to a third. Ter- vote, and great wages at the TAG conferDOCT Dearly tao million members it cilled the Social Contract IES continue?
GRUNWICH
the ake up th
Leyland Longbridge -Hicte was Jones
tract came he every man goes out when the ship
the motion wage res
that rejected Jones makers.
Representing
ghost be allowed to of differentials
twice shy.
Venice, perfectly pockers I.K.
democras
sectors" was
which bad
bargaining
carworkers take up the challenge
CARWORKERS are the first to
gauntlet of wages interesss in after Phase 2 cods. The first ste was at Vauxhall and Ford work-
Spur in for E15. These need to be hacked up by the demand that agreements organisarion in
increases 1o protect the real value
inflation. No matter what the TUC tries lo book up between now and September, the way to fight for the democratic decision of the union conferences is to pur la the cinims
Anocher possible lead in the strugale against the Social Con- makers
from the nacional mecline ni skilled workers in thi enginoting union which met in birmingham on 2 July. Chaired by Koy Fraser from Cowley thi abjective of the mecting was noe to discuss any so-called makers union" as certain officials In the AUEW bad scated with the bope of discrediring those in-
Rather, the meeting was a first attempt to consolidate the mass
emerged when the Executive Council of che scabhed on the Leyland tool-
contrion theme that has united these at the meeting has neen what they see as tie croston
Boer the past All orher major years, together with the failure of
Not all victories
at T&G conference
ISLE OF MAN: The vote for a retur to free collective
bargaining from 1 August is the first major defest suffered by
Jack Jones in his leadership of the union and the first step in
mounting a fight to regain lost living standards.
But far from this vote against wage restraint reflecting a
more general rejection of Jones'
policies as a whole, it wasrather morea matter of once hitten,
hy RICH PALSER
Sylvia Greenwood, a delegate
who had supported Phase 1 ar the
1975 Biennal Delegate Confer-
summed up the mood
The prool of the pudding is in
the cating. T'vecaten twa-thirts of
the pudding, nod it's given me
food poisoning.
Two years of the Social Con-
restraint in
particular, has lelt working class
empey-
comference rejected Jones' pleas i
was saying "No mon
On other issues
became clear that the absence of
any clear organised opposition to
meant that they were able to go by
nocballenged debare after debate
mages debate was "industrial
A composite motion
Government to move abead with
carried overwhelenThe offered to the
There is nothing in Bullock
Than cannot be achleved chrough
But even more signsficant was
Party objectives' the following Public sector crunch
End cash limits
'IF the Government holds the
line, the private sector will do
Its damndestlo hold the line as
well. That was CBI director
Methven lust week demanding
that the Government take a
stand on the 7 million workers
in the public sector.
Healey and Callaghan lost no
time in rashing to assure the CHI
and Elle Tories that in
to the public sector anions.
the AUEW to advance their
Many way via official negoliating channeis see the peed to break out of simply narros concerns shows
the unions against the policies of the Social such class strumgle oppositions have developed to some excent. is an important seep into spreading the move into wider sectors.
While the extent to which such a movement could be generalised throughout the labour movement wil he weskened the Lool
pre-occupation with differencials, the lessons will nor steward who wants to launch a fight to defend living standards
Fightine to make up the all i living standards by rejecting new wage controls, building up a class are two of the most vical steps in ebe entire trade union moveiben union movement neods to follow the caraorkers" lead, * Dockers have also ser the pec un claims to defend divine ston dards afrer I Aurur. Liverpooi und Southumpion have altend atonal port state an de te mittee for a 20 per cent inc perselte Moting before 31 Jmty.
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 14 July 1977 p5
class-collaborationist
day. The executive "'prioriries" wbich was intended toallow Jones to go right on having discussions with the Goserament over the Social Con-
In opposition called for the T&G to 'influence the Labour Governmentro change
stalle waineright, in movie
the motion nad wouted our thal when canvassing for Labou *people who bave heen woring
• are now thai they've lad enough',
Opposing the resolution for the exccutive, Moss Evans argued tbat
he conference should be positiv
bout the recard of the Labou Governanent:
*When you knock at doors to get Labour back in office, let's have more on the credit side and less pa the debir side'!
Again the executive carried the conferenoe overwhelmingly-
Not for nothing did Jack Jones got a standing ovation al 000-
LET EMILE
As I heard one delegate say ir the coffee har: What ever you sa nhaut Jack it wai him who buill the hop m movement. and wasn't for him w
You could say that.
The clush in the public sector is
municipal manual workers' daim
November. The UNIL
Enter. Reinforced by cash limits
and eagerty policed by the men Tory councile, Intends to fight for wage controls by defesting the public sector workers.
If the Government defeats this section of workers, thea the car worlons, miners sad other can he threadened with isolation.
The whole union has bo rally to defent this polley.
is R burning need themselves. This developed on cuts in sonne areas, and in the 17
November demonstration. Bat H base't developed on wages - on
contrary such
Invour of a new round of wage
It is vital now that the unions
both organise an alliance rad pe forward the Types of demand
which can unite all public secto wirkers
creases to conspensule for influ
tion, and a t50 minimuns wage
nding 0
demand autansarle in
maintala the real rulue of the
spending. This demand is vital
hoth la the struggie ugunst cuts
and in that to defead workers'
living standurds
that public sector workers are ao
Isolated. The cuts already affect
marker. sector wage other workers aad divide the labour
movement. on plet of deine thaite e pickels. solidurity more orte pable working These
sectu
Crance * ES0 minimum wage after
stoppages;
* Ead the cash limits a:
* Automatie compensation for inflation in wages and social
spending;
* For a public sector allinace.
Page 6 scan of this page
Building workers strike for jobs
Expulsion
threat!
fight for their rights
by BOBPENNINGTON
conditions for patients in the hospitals.
these 'awkward" people from the union if he can.
After all, as his supporters have been saying, they are a 'bunch of
claim there is good proof of their allegations.
Challenge, which is the news sheet of a group of rank and file members in its first edition spelt DUTS us ARamS TaC Ios tion of wage restraint; For democracy in the workers moveDICT AMEL aaaC SICHAUM cuts; For the maximum solidaricy of the labour movement around
Knowledgeable and objective authorities like the Economic -Lesauc ot Mt. Goorge Ward would immediarely recognise a red ploe" beblad those aims.
branch meeting.
Hilliard and his side-kick, branch secretary George Hill, moved
mn aC TO EmESE COC devotion to trade union prin-
iples and their supporters they
ne voted down a resolution oi
apport fot the Grumwick strik-
er. Then came the real business. Clearly, when you are defending
democracy against reds and sub-
have to make sure
hat no chance is given to these
to distort your case.
herefore no notice was given wuten or verbal. to the five people they tenden changing under Rule 18 (11) of NUPE' HUIC BUNT 'circulating misleading or false reports about the
The motion appeared under ns Hn WoCK TSEE
aure that the 'reds" did not have time to concoct some devious defence bolore the item
The five people being charged include the present chairperson
of the branch Paul Jenkins, Paul Mitchell, a former chairperson of the branch, two shop NCWNTU and anther rank and file mem
xer. Jenkins told me: 'By form
ing a Challenge group we
vercising our right to organis
ade the labour movement 5
we pould win the membership
over to support for our policies.
This is exactly what Engineering
Union flashpoints
EQUALPAY
OCCUPATION
THE ESSEX International plant
in Kilwinning, Ayrshire, has beer
occupied by 130 workers
but 20 of them women - in their
ninth weck of strike action. The
strike at this clectrical compo-
emis d tor ue elan ava he
ime and motion study. But once
women discovered
breaches of equal pay laws.
AM DOTan SSTe DuE
dispute has beco the agreement
by the Engineers Union to pas
TOR TICU BUNT TAE 00103-
lon. Full report nett week, Sead
support and dona
BEEC2 SI
BONE
ALEW, 420 Sauchihall Street
Glasgow, G2.
WEIR HOSPITAL
SIX HUNDRED trade unionists
WASCE U • Lhe Closure DI tbC
Veir maternity hospital in Sout
HOME NEWS
Now these NUPE members RANK-AND-FILE members in the Southampton branch of the National Union of Public Employees are having a tough time fighting against cuts, job standards and deteriorating
But it is not just the Government, the Area Health Authorities and the hospital managements they are taking on. Also ranged against them is the union right wing led by the local full-time official, Sean Hilliard who intends to expel
PAUL JENKINS NUPE Branch Chairperson.
Voice, Hospital Worker, Thes Hack on Ch auce de, den if Workers Charier, ete do. If wH Onci AC eay TOr aNacks ou all the rest of the rank-and-tile newspapers. *We intend to fight this. Firstly we will go back to the membership in elected us. We will hold meetings and circularise a petition and gor resolutions of protest and sup роп.
We desperately need national upport in NUPE and we NUPE TSCHOCTS resolutions to the National Execto the thret demandisan.
TIC MITC Although we have not yer been told we think it might on 30 Juiv meetine. We will o course be considering calling a picket of the EC.
Locally, the Socialist Challenge readers group is inviting militants from ail organisations in was building a campaigo in our defence.
Copies of Hilliard's leiter 10 NUPE Amicat Divisional OEFcer, George Anderson, explaining the "detrimental" activities of Challenge, as well as copies of rItself are obtainable
SOKOE LOTTORE ampton. (Tel: 0703-23347).
Trade unionists. tbose in NUPE, Rie urged to contact him.
London barged into the local
6 July — to be mer by twa coach loads of pollee gates.
Forty demonstrators were finally allowed in to present tian signed by over 10.000, ll was gnoced, as were the speeches a he few workers from the occu ITO DOSTIE WAO BOSWELL adress the meeting.
After hearing medical opinion that perenatal death at the Weir was so high as to make it unsafe, clear the AHA voted ID VECTOSE MOOIS LECI sult with interested parties as to Its future use'. change the hospical into office was withdrawn The occupation is continuing
C/o LILI SELEC WOLA0S 02 coed jobs, But there is still strong eling amons local campaigne lainst any chanee in use ol t bospital. The health authority makes no artempe to disguise its
sore deft the mcin, the aly vaced to close department at Putnes Hospical.
BOOSTED by gains in local lections and spurted on by Labour'e poll cles of slashing public ex penditure, Tory counciis are busy carving up Direct Works Departments.
By JOHN HEWIT UCATT Steward In Nottingbam,
by over 100 workers since
next monchs.
Southampton
BuildPe Cons
however, inouuting. Last week
hospitals who
want to put dowi
CEUISHOU
the discuss
BRISTOL - Arthur Radford, managing director of Hadord Electronica, himself as the local George Ward.
Bus it's noc only Radford who sees the simalarities
particularly Grunwick dispute.
day Malunood Ahmed, secretary of the Grumwick strike comand chained
La perito close it as a
The proposal to
trade union recogn/tion.
casualty London NW2.
STOKE ON TRENT
ch-ec CATT
GOKS DE their recent the Direct demonstration, Works Department has boen cut
the Tories took control in 1976 and nocher 100 johs are going ib the
The planned curbacks in Merseyside will push the unciuployment rate of construction workers in that area up to 30
Resistance to these closures is, 800 trade unionists in Birmingham responded to the call for an
Bristol's
George
Ward
clearly fancies TWO SACKED
tion for LENE Last Thors two of them.
PHOTHER-
SRIN ICK
THE strike at Desoutters' engineerieg works in North Londen, lust ur the road trom Grumwick, ja mow enteringits ranth wauk. The strite is ove
Despite DOa b Cy aern
CHE AUCH - OXAN HTC DAGAA, CC CORDOG HE management bave refused to negotiate. The Desoter workers need finsece and support on the picket line. Contact them af 16 Yew Grave.
official demonstration called by the Union of Construction Allied ECHEL Trades and Technicians when all WEGAEUESO UIC CIT AOL hich aEr shut down for the day on Tucs-
ie s ker trom the ort wid.
lands and Yorkshire as well as NALGO members from BirmInham council offices and public sector workers joined the
In Nottingham, 500 building workers, joined by local tenants associations marched through in the Direct Works Departmen LAC LY CULLE PrOLOUNE dL Cul
The Midland Region of UCATT, supported by a number D OLCE reBooa comucEs.
had a tind per cene sikes en
got a 100 per cent response Nottingham and throughout the re belegations from the mine-
08888688888838
mittee, joined the Radford pick-
After talks for union recogni-
test. engineers factory brake dowi. he sacked
Other engineers walked out in protest and bave been on strike for the last five
UCATT
workers union and clectricins
ofSDorland marched oo the deibonstration,
support fron
ections of the Transport an General Warkers Union, the General and Municipal Workers,
the same day. workers downed tools for the day and over 300 workers took part in the city's demonstration.
othe Notiga Tederen
cil supported the sappage ani
aid: Jobs bave to be defende and will be detended .... A united campaign is needed by the trade A
unions against tbe cuts. to mak
this Government Tear the labou moveneot more than they lea the international bankers
Jack Rogers, one of the org anisers of the Liverpool march pointed out that the unemployed
STEINE
WE WANT OUR
AND HIS LACKEY
ADAMS REFUSE US:
weeks, demanding reinstatetbent
irion tor toir ui T S
The strikers" list of complaints is long. They claims that there are
no fire extinguishers,
and say that the roof is mude of DITSHICIC PI ROSOCES HU
derneath for insulation. Healing and ventilation is inadequate and
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 14 July 1977
HITLINO
RENUN
building workers on Merseyside
labour to Skelmersdah Runcocn A Birmingham worke said: "We are short of bouses
enough repairs heing done. Building workers are out of Jobs. Now they want even Intre culbacks.
Last week's strikes ind demonstrations show thar building workers are ready and want to fight hack. What b at issue is wether materials and labou should le idle whilss there is a CITEE SADIEU LOACH schools, hospirals, nursaries, et
uniled campaigo agains cuts has to have as one of its Torerost demands the need for a pragramme of socially usefu] publie works which would llo only provide johs for everyon but would provide the service thar woking peopic noce
the mains wiring is so poot that
the workers have treguently pot
shocks from the equipment they
180% Most of the strikers are goung
Radford refuses to pay
day-release bourses
The rest oi lhe ai-strons
workforce are mostly wotneb
who do paet-time wiring jobs foo
MIA an IMUE. DELETE UAGURIOG
Ter Radars bis duinher bia
ORG -
hour for the very same wock
The women are still working.
but as striker Chris Clacke says:
The wonnen are Dot verg
confident. They are worried tha
il just one or two of thiem stand
up and say they want to join th
union they will be sacked. This i
why we bave to build the picke
ins oa thet we con show them wi
have more arength than Rad
lond rockons on. Theo they will
NC CUI Sero tim wi be Ton support the
Welding loduscries has won a
agreement from his managemen
thar allows S0 workers
T DM BISE TACKT O HIC KAOR
every Wedenda: and tonu.
Friday. But more support
MELKE
Radfords make electroni
ampufiers, audio and aco
cul caubl Workers Saoud Du
an embargo on all their produc
and local militants should pick
ETO ACIr TERI DULIEL. A:
many people ar possible shouk
get ta the Radford pocket line
Dorarions and offers of hel
lo: Redfords Electronic Strike
Carve Yeomon Rod id Floor, York House, Bor
Streer, Bristol — telephone Bris
Toi 45808.
Page 7 scan of this page
As judges give rapists the go ahead:
Bringing. home women's issues What'sLeft
sexism
men in pobs, they may think it'sa come-on.
Rape ls a fundamental amsault upon our right to self-determina. tion at many levels. Rape is ato a lT BLencC. ana us TaRd he fight against rape a khott roblem for socialists and fem tniS.5.
Rape as a feminist issue gained publicity in 1975 over tbe
woman was consenting to sexual Imercourse, even though the woman was not consenting, was a good defence to a charge of Not surprisingly, this decisior set with a great deal of hostilit nd anger from the Womee's Movement, and from the left of the Labour Party always ready to have a go at judges. The decision led to a public debiate which exposed the sexism of the law and the legal system's apparent double standard of sexual
SENTENCING
Variations in sentencing minisathrete in arwotte aibrcat to all women controversy over this in 1975 Jed to Jack Ashley's Sexual Offenices (Amenimcnt) AC WhICh (empied to deal with some of the mare obvious aspects of the double standard in the rules of evidence in rape trials and modiFied the effect of the Morgan casc.
But once again, in the Holdsworth case the jadges have shown their true opinion or tae seripusness of rape. That is, they don't tend to think rape is a crime at all. women. It is to date the only
agents all over the country.
The existence or Spare Rib is, in itself, a challenge to the way momen and women's issues are constantly belittled and distorted in the regular media.
In a recent survey we learned that 96 per cent of our readers are MOeR aNO OVUT TAE CEUIC AIC
One Ol OuT strengths is our acoessibilit we are not an exclusise club or sect. Readers write to us front the most isolated parts of the countE — peonie in or out oi ihe without a history of political movement, UTEL InOVnCE
Their different experiences of life are fed back to us in readers' meetings, through leiters manuscripes. Often the magazipe is a woman's first concact with wonco's Sheration. Brideine Lic gap hetween the development of theory within the movement and
veryday sexism is ane of Span
th's most important functions
Every issue of 45 pages con-
HOME NEWS
Driving a stake
into the heart of
Rape Is an act of physical, mental, and sexual violence against women, all women, It is an ever-present threat which controis our movements - not going out alone after dark; and our behaviour — not talking to strange
Holdsworth was a Guardsman with a promising career ahead of him shooting Catholics in Northtn ureano, onc nigat in Tar mouth he got carried away and bad it off a few cimes with this oman he'd picked un in a bar Veil, she asked for the violenc because she wouldn't he stil and timsei wel have to le bip off; his career might be ruined If we put him away.
REACTIONS
Reactions to these legal decidans and a host dt ochers, bave come mainty from iwo directions. The lef Labour MPs through They dineat their reforming the legal system - the 1976 Act and cal fora statutory minimum sentence of 5 years.
The reaction of the Women's Movement has been more comFlex, showing an understanding ape is part of everyday life, pa: our cuiture. For example, I'r AT IS TEIS HESE BCA to the Stones and Midnight The Rape Centre offors support and advic Kape do understand that rape is rape victims; Women Aguins integraily Linked to dependence economically, athera epite thele despite chese au vances, many feminists have not come to terms with what stitude to the State shoolid bre At the national women's laberation conference in April an aucmpi was-maac to pos a Sparc Rib is a monthly women's liberation magazine, Isunched in June 1972 and produced by a collective of ten
non-commercial independent women's magazine available from news-
tains featunes on bealch, sexual ity, cultiral events. and work plus regular news coverage of what women are doitg together 1o change their situatioa Dotn here and abrond, We try at all tirhes to avpid sensationalist or dogmate reporng which bourages camplacency and pas sivity and prevencs people thinkLIL LOE LECISTYO spare Kio is not ony coa canise vih ele e wi or what it is like to grow up as wornan in this society and how it ITCTIS PUESCOSE UI DULDOYH ror roo lone weve had t conform limiced male-identified ideas of lorbe, and in bed. Now we ar exploring alternatives hased whal we nepa and want. apure Rib priocides a way of sharing these acrempes to create a bes Future; and the regular tictioo, poetry, and arts section sboms the growth of a serong feminist
by JANE PETRIE
seventh densand, calling for an
ind to rape, support tor recal
CORa OnCOY MOMCI MIR rapists and the citablishment of feminist vigilante squads.
has recaonse Wie mouEE by rightéous anger, is dangerous since it relates directly to right-
black "muggers' (and rapisıs), 1 i essentially an over-simoity the guestion
ape and to by-pass the questior
if the Scace and its role in th oppression of women.
FIGHT
In the fight for ditermination abd ananst al
accep ne uns definn
iccept the pourts as to what constitules raDc distinct fram intercourse. At the same time we
annot norc mc aoac oy dov!
ating that women alone tak: responsibility for the defence of our tiaht to seit-deternanabon -since the State itseif formu part of the atrack on that right.
DEMAND
Inscead we must demand that the State make awailnhle the resources necessary for women to exercise our right to self-deter TIOHUON SME HEWIC Har-TC labour movement supports this Crisis
However, it is important to
indenstand that the fight agains W DICES soci- SDE CANDU DC SIEU0
Is setum in all asped
ir lives. Otherwise the strug
will remain within the temm
down not by our understanding
of the oppression of women, but by the bourgcois legal system.
*Rib
culture.
Frommonth to month wetry to
keep in lauch with our readers
and encourage them to
bute ideas and news of what they
are invoised in. lo tais cao mc
hold n ulaten drae trim to
which TT DIEVIE
OSEC IE COrITU SInCE WG HEn
based in London and don't have
money to travel it is easy commercially CeL me COIOET COSUNDISEu
help combar this we have region-
I pages (the next will be on
SOCICOO TBCAS CR on happening in different areas of
HIC CHL This month is our fifth hirth-
day and in hobour
accasion we have praduced 16
ciuta pose tar amcic proom!
che benelits (!) of the Equa]
#ttempt sexual self-
sexual ADACAS
that many have had the -FICUAM prevent that rape
ning to fight back
and indeed must be part
SPARE RIB COLLECTIVE
mocher taiks travel from
2CL
UnHL 1S
information
01 the other unique. future.
Is women's
self-defence
by ANN BOND
IMAGINE A ROOM full of
women kicking their legs into the
ir — and scresming Quite an
masing seght, sure. Bet any ma
Cnne TeCeR CIs LOIH
kicked with such force that be'd be
wearing his balis as earrings.
And that's the serious side of it.
Because those womicn are lcarnins karate — one response to the clarify
increasing number of violent sex SEl-UcICne
S'E CNON DONE STDS BEE TO perhaps as brutal us the "Guards-
man rape'. And we aiso know
WCCIET MACILIIU courage of bis muleu lighting 10 try provision
wornen are beginning to discard
the age-ald conditioning we have
aul gonc mrougn ano are begt
of гаре
Ususily, the only acceptable
way for wothen to light m
een to use our highly polished
ong fingernails to scratch, or at
the most to deliver a sharp slap
Now we unde Op sianthenemmionleadine
Manchester', is a
On sexual palitics a lesbian Pauhter, and oo the cultural side me've articles about Feminista's exlubition, •Portrait the Artisr as Housewife', Women in Punk, nod an interview witt
Erica Jong. The cover celebrate the international feminist alterbative to the clenched fist -samnhol in increasing use most recently in Tialy. Posters, stickers and badges of this symbol are availahle froi Spare Rib Extras. 27 Clerkenwell Close, London
Sa, having read all this woo want to knew what Spure Rib bas so offer youl The fact is that the
you find in Spane Rib just isn't available in any
magazine, Spare Rrb is Support us and you support your history and yuur
bodies and use them to light with skill and poecision
Wamel s Movement debate on rape has quite rightiy been given a lot of atrencion by socinlists. The lett is beeinning k ain a bronder understanding he issue and to offer ideas c action against rape atracks. It is in this context that we have to
par ideas on women's
We argue, again quite rightly. that rape is a product of sexist decaying capitalist society: such, the social nature of rape is not one of individual men and
Thus argue for overall mensures againnt it — the
Suf betrer sineet ligh! ing, State funding of Rape Crisis Contres and reloges, and so on
However this should not mean that we overlook the mechanics
LOC DAHIC D LIE acracks, Now in other situations we bave had no hesita CoR R OTO LER TC MIUEU self-defence far exaiople, against racist attacks. But while 1 heleve IH CLE OCa rape must be supported, it would be dangerous to draw a simple
er column inch. Deadine: 3p
rday belore publicalion. ANCHESTER. Meeting *Speake
ude Bert Elianl
HAL OCE TEHEN CON
Studente Union,
чи. а Вигу ві.
9529
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 14 July 1977 I wonder if it's
my turn next?
possible ?
parallel and automarically call for self-defence for women
In the blac ghettoes it is relatively scraightforward to call for community defence. Women are not in gheitoes; rape is oot a localised crime. It is understand able that women, especially in the United States, have beer frustrated and angry about polic treatment of victims and have organised against rapiats them selves. But this action is defensivet it is reranlatory and a such bas opened the door to State intervention wolben Secome double victims of the rape atack
Our suppori for women's self CELEICC NIOL SUDoNE warnen whto are preparing our selves mencally and physically to SONET BIC MRABEE GATR COT sicuation. It should be a logica canclusion of GUT attitude 10 Tuages ad moc pot wo ow mend that we sboald sabmit "lc avaid injury'. We say 'sack the judges". TeSUUDI HOLIC developing the porential if nec essiry to disarm or disable a would-be rapist.
BEMEFIT BOR fon, Dertmeuth Par
#so redp for oia manta)
egionel one-day conferens
Mancheeler Pol
Msa. Creche promi died
Page 8 scan of this page
"TROTSKY AND REVC
ALISE CHALLENSE 16 July 1377 D8
batle
print below London [CUL]. Robin Blackburn (IMG)
politics.
problems which
contribution to that analysis.
mident political capacity of the
king class — a capacity whic
sce as being rooted in th
in the capitalist
de of production on a work class as an international revoltonary force, partly because it
capicals. which is in itself a global system of production. The working class the material basis for an alternative ordering of production relations. It is is co-operative and collective forn that gives it the possibility of cichung a loally bow iotal of society in which oppression and *Now ties independent petital capacity of the working class has
INDREW WIARD (Report
"ideas
Last Sunday, 10 July 1977 - 60 years after the Russian Revolution - the Communist Party [CP] debated the International Marxist Group [IMG] on the subject of Trotskyism. The two edited extracts we
Blackbum [IMG] and Monty Johnstone [CP] convey only a partial flavour of what tumed out to be a useful
and lively discussion. A complete transcript of the
debate will be published at a later date by the organisers of the event, the Communist University of WE IN THE IMG regard ourselves as Marxists and Leninists, though not in any dogmatic sense. We nonetheless place Trotskyism firmly within that tradition which is one of revolutionary working class
A lot of what we say is not original to us or to Trotskyism and we have no particular desire to be original in that sense. There are special political
developed especially after ascendancy of Stalin in the Soviet Union, which did require an original analysis. Trotsky and the Fourth International, in our opinion, have made a decisive
been expressed very dramatically throughout history over the last marco and guy curs and u has been the basis of the devel opment of Marxist politics. Is capacity to create a new order of society during special periods of cupient- has tended
SECIS The mass Russia herwoco 1905 clearly belped to provide a very special stamp both to revalutionary Marxism and to Trorsky ism and its conception of the working class. That glimpse of 1905 which was reproduced with histaric results in the October not from Europe in the intervenin eriod of nearly three quarters c continually reborn in periods capitalist crisis. The class has intervened either potentially or actually as the decisive HULIV CLACKSUR
the main speeches of Robin political force in society. It has lone so in whole movements o resistance to fascism; it has don o espectid, we would argue, i
the marked capil Burie
marked
since Ma 1 to eaten
general strike THERED 1
one Catano rate i Fern
gal. One saw the political he great movement which Heath in 1974. We should the ember that ejected from power because the was this important extra-parli: mentary mobilisation, a strike action by the miners.
torical die da worker
councils and soviets whi forms for transcending thi sion that exists
Hones: T would say Tanky 10
you that as Troeskyists we stanc on chis tradition of revolutionary Marxism and proletarian politics erupt whose most hiatoric product wa be October Revolution of 191 and 1917 tbat are to be found in the Britisi Road to Socialism (New Draft) which reicet this model as beim applicable co Britzin. I'm refer ring to the sentences on the lines numbered 1090 where it says "Britain's rond to socialism departed wint be Sovier Road. of brarrection and civil
be creation of new org sower the Saviers], aH working subsequent developmen of the
autocrutic rule. arvention and the developmen. of The counter-revofution...
Vic would reject this co ception put colence as bein leading. 1e els were the emerson
That the Soviets semchow con after insurrection. historically false, preceded the insurrection and the Livu war. Lacy-were newner l dire Pansi the Bal controlled by it. The Bolsheviks vere in a small mibority in the chosen be the Bolshevik Parry n: all instrument of percy interven-
among the Mary were the ration one
were the spontaneous mass eruption dur ng the crisis of Tsarism
There shich sentence working class is much more able › directly develop its own polit likely that bourgeoss parliansentary regime will take exactly the same forc But the essential question for
Europe
1969, in the death
and the be was decisivel
worker
divicapitalis
. The Savier par I DO CARS alist regime.
Scam degenerate
imperiali in
Forward in thi utterly mplies that the So
and the insurrection
The Soviets
of the specific were they
The Soviets were nor
creation of a theory
idea in this
I 15 nor so in-
state. In that
the collapse of a itical institutions
planned bocause of
revolationary Marxists Is thi will new institutions, new organ state OE Dowe arise representing thr masses in a qualitatively new way
Lighly
arise, and no, they will not hi compatible with the bourgeois regime. There will he a rem fore berween shem. That If th basis ol Troiskyist politics
Where, then, does the origin ality of Trotskyison lie? I think i lies in grappling with the problem of political articulation and representation of class interests both
and a capit Treesky was well aware of the problers related i
he development of Soviets. H of course bad a direct personal experience of how soviet powe
and how the independent political capacity of the working class can, as it were, into a conservative form. Most
*That glimpse of 1905 which
was reproduced with historic
results in the October
revolution has not departed
from Europe....•
Trotsky bad to make come out o his nenerratine ioseches inta thi phenomena and also out of his abservation of workers organi. sation and representation Ince bourgeois regimes. One thing that is very sbocking to Stalinists
is that it admits bourgeois possibility of both good and bad
In regards, for example, the sation... USSR as a workers state despite the fact thar it has none of the ideal characteristics of a workers
sense it of polFormation The Soviet on a a social on a planned sconomy and it is
the state
form under which it exists, The character because it has to rest ar only has proletarian a class and it, in fact through a
bureaucratised Commu mist Party, does rest on a class -• laser of the working i thou that walkie whate
to Povern and cule society. le dominares in a terroristic fashion the class which it represents, bo it recans a focal of politica representation.
Trotskyise was a critical retlection in agonising political circumstances of this particular form of political represencacion It led to a new understanding of the relationship berween part
nd soviets. To Trotsky's writin we see the first statement within classical Marxism of the necessits for pluralism within the politica
ractice of the working class.
his advance enable climinate a particularly Tatal
revolutionary working dais politics — the temptation of Jacobinism, one-party oe non-party soviets and
ceptions of die transition to
Li the advanced countries i will need a comples combination of cactics to achieve a socialist revolution, partis CHRISTIC
order itself has found a mobanism for absorbing and ntegrating working class organi
We are in lavour of th Formation of workers govern ments on the terral so courgeon democrace, but the key question remains to delincale the charac
revolutionaries we insist that the whole orientation of such a government should he to stimu Tare soviet-type bodies. It doesn't mean creating armed workers
BATTI,
Some of the 200 sc
councils as soon as possible. TI would be the sheerest advent jum. It does mean creating wor
councils as soon as possi and rooting them in the masse It DORIS recognisi
ation of alvare co
eriod of Western Communis: Parties ha no basic undersranding of 1) pril Tear They are afies nerve
capitalist eder in Europ weaker than ever before.
HEREICSSO REC DOE BENAYS DE old, Tamiliar kind. We try
HALE SIR CHER HIS SHITSC to do that in a way which is t most appropriate in relation
tion. To that end we should lo forward the creation o united Marxist nary that ca really take on the Labour Par
in the process driving it to t left or stinsmarine a vigourd
eft within it. There is a burr
ced for a framework of ur action for all Marxists to the 1 of the Labour Party
to the iMO at the moment are exploring the possibility clast-struggle candidates to sta against Labour and to presen socintist alternative masses • This is something wh doesn't exist in this couniry this lime. In that sense o conceptions should have a
of interest to militants the CHUB, because you're in situation that is not so differ to that of our French or Span
national. You're a small cac organisation on the large mess party. I think that y should therefore seriously s the stralogy and tacticad Troikvisis have debated over last decades because the directly relevant both ta situation of sour own party a to the condicions of class strug
advanced capiral country.
Page 9 scan of this page
_UTIONARY STRATEGY IN EUROPE"
OF IDEAS
trong audience
Monty Johnstone (CP)
common basis for dialogue.......
Let me say at the outset - and not just for polemical purposes
- that I think that it ls unfortunate that neither the IMG nor any other group which claims allegiance to the ideas of Trotsky has yet produced for us anything remotely resembling a long-term programme selting out their strategy for Britain All We have from the Tronskyists, and I will
contents later, is this document drawn up By These ine fast mee ramme the Fourth national.
And it would he belpful as a basis for the dialogue which Robin genuinely desires and our dy desire if instead of only putting criticisms from the sideTinies, they themselves attempe to plot — not as a blue print; we don't try to do that but to set out in positive, constructive terms, the kind of programme which we are at present dacussing around the draft of the British Road, I don't think any
regard this an perfect or finished and that's why we are having as everybody who reads the Morming Star or Comr-
- a very big discussion, here at the University, as well as in our branches throughout the country 10 which we invite all parts of the Isbour movement, including our Trolskvist comrades The whole emphasis of the British Roar to Socinlism la predisely on mass struggle - both through the traditional organs and organisstions of the working
I AM IN A SLIGHT DIFFICULTY because it is clear that Robin Blackburn bas understood the title differently from me. The title is actually * Trotsky and Revolutionary Strategy in Europe', Robin has re-entitled it as * Trotskyism and the British Road to Socialism*. However we will try to find some
class in this country, as well as through grass roots organisations which are coming into existence.
That is why, for instance, we say on line 1405 chat especially important would be the campaigning HE local level through the Trades Councils and other democratic organisations and movements for iew forms of popular organisa giving united expression to the demands of the people will also undoubtedly develop and should socialism.....
be cocouraged"
The point is no as to whether struggle at grass roots level either as far as we or the Italians are conberned — who place the greatest emphasis on the development of forms of dires democracy — or any the other Parties that are roughly lumped together as " Eurocommunist:"
The point is basically chis whether we see such organs of Struggle as complementary to the gaining of a parliamentary majority and the transtormation of the existing institutions — repreinstitutions whether we see a scario which 1917, namely through forms of USE TOWEr.
che
Britis,
Road to
socialist
Draft
these organs set up in opposition
to the existing representarive in-
stitutions in the same way as the
soviets in Russia were set up, in
opposition to such institutions
and ultimately in opposicion to
the Constituent Assembly, that
was finally dissolved in January
1916.
But in fact historical experience
shows that it is a mistake to imi-
tate forms which have been
successful in one country. The
conditions existing in Western
Europe have not in fact led, as
the international
movement expected, to a victory
of sower power. Frankly, there
does not appear to be any likeli
hood of that particular scenario
although nothing can be exclud
ed and we wouldn't be dogmatic.
But we certalaly would not share
the Trotskylst point of view
which is essentially a dogmatic
one, that this is the way in which
' will take place.
We consider far more likely the
possibility of a combination of the
use Df cristing representative
"We totally reject any talk of
a parliamentary road to
Institutions plus organs of direct
Power
forius. Already we have in this
country a whale variety of or-
truditional organisations of the
working class like Trades Coun
cils which are a particularly ad
vanced form
shop stewards
others coming into existence in
Jocalities like temants commit-
tees, worsen's increments and
organisations which will have an
importaet role to play.
We totally reject or Communiat Party by people who ватеп я масцивасту теви рог рто-
gramme or our literature totally reject any talk of a par liamentary road to socialism. A
capitalist state machine What
Wing class,
communist
that as forward
But aucratic was parion of
MEIE
possible of the state.
take many before
the • state some of chem
of organisation;
below from above in terms
and this is a As he quoted,
democratisation as possible. we We regard the something
Photo: ANDREW WIARD (Report)
of this
mentally believe,
narlinibentary road to socialism prevent the means what the Labour Party en. visager — namely that vou elect a Government through Parliament which takes over the running of the capitalist conomy and the
firstly, that it is a question of a we say? We combination of all matters of will he strugzie — including mass strug gie hased on the industrial worl
We have the perspec boolis, • in the first instance - •of the election of a left-wing Labour
because we WIE prefer a left-wing Labour Gov ernment to a Bolshevik Govern- EVERLIST
something eise, but because under the existing condi tions in our country we regard
the realistic nest stage
we see a left Labour Government which will be pashed forward under the pressure of the working class and its allies pressure from below in order to tsure that it carried out meas
interests of the nes of nationalisaten and widespread not in a the the working Measures at every lew would lend o as far democratisation as
not have any illusions socialism we can state from socialist But we do believe that thi workine class and is alie strong enough — and Robin does not seem to deny this - 10 WIT
concessions from the ruling class, and we will be in a better position to win them if, in addition to the strength fron
we also have the strength of a left Goverament which would allow
the trade union organisation of the armed force: and police and as far ranging a
state as being absolutely clearly and unambiguously is the
stare of monopoly capitalism. What we are concerned with -and quote is a profound change in the balance of forces in in the state apparatus, for social revolution and the transition to socialism'. However stare power is critical. What is needed is the winning of power from the old ruling class by the working class and its allies, and the democratisation of the state apparatus.
On no subject in Bricain is there such political hypocrisy as on state is a prodea of monopoly capitalism. We outline our perspectives — through struggle, noe operation, but on the basis of of making the furthest possible inroads into the state apparatus. This includes the democratisntion of its most sensitive parts, namely the bodies of armed men, the main armed forces and so on.
We envisage that in the course
process, the old ruling class will strike back to the bes of is ability, we warn on the dangers of military coups. At the same time, we do not adopt a fatalistic approach to this be
NANCIUE internationalist perspective in that we see the revolution taking place in this country in the framework of the advance of the revolution in other coun tries througbout the world.
That will hring about. we
strengthening the marking class forces Change in the international bal ance of forces so that as much as the capitalist class would like to
advance towards socialisme, this field of action will be United. We are not going to lull anyone to say it won't be
On the contrary, we waru that it will try. But i is up to us to create a situation which makes it as diffiLOANS CO SWISS SETT
confronced with the full population not only in polling
but the armed heroentry andich
armed forces
TACISCICS belp make a kind of opposition by a
minority Empossible Once a socialist gavernment is in power, it will make a turbing back of the wheel of history that MONTY JOHNSTONE
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 14 July 1977 of much more difficult
The Tronskyists take theit perspective aver from Trotsky -and aller al what we were menti to be debating was Trotsky and a strategy for revolutionaries think we should see what are the hasic ideas of Troesky that the Trotskyist organisations bose themselves on. I would argur that Troesky who played a very great role as the SOCORN major leader of the October revolution - although he londe a ComPute to cos ca years bi the Communist Internarional: had an only pne major stage during the Third Perlod betweer 1928-34 correct polic
the Communist Inter his basic political positions
the 1930s and as
ramme of the Fourth later bational the ramme which has been produced ULT HEA by the organisations of the FI this suffers from
INCINESN approach. Its mistakes lie, firstly in making an assumption of a fundamental urge to revolution of the masses which it in assumed, if it doean't succeed, can only be because these masses are held hack betrayed by counter revolutionary Stalinists or beetal Democrats
This is a fundamental failure to
stood far, far better - samuely the consomsness of the masse under capitalism. Anybody who has attempted in this coutry te do serious political work → among some limited vanguard but among wider sections of the working class - knows this for
You need only to look at the politicat situation in this country to know it Also the mistake of seeing events through the prises of the October revoluLion, instead of making the kind of analysis that the Communist Incernational was beginning to TEAL ALL SEVERANUTEST press in 1995, that has heen carried further by Commucis Parlies in receRt years. Gramsei's ideas base played a
stimulate pur rhought, this is rejected basically by tbe Trotskyist organisations, in favour or a atrategy which, for all the sophisticated
Rohin Hackhura ha is basicall
Photo: ANDREWWIARD Resort
Page 10 scan of this page
Begin at the beginning
NIGEL WARD spoke to him.
There is a great deal of confusion
lection results in Israel. Can you egin by explaining the differ ences hetween the Likud and the
TOTEL SHIEL TOO LELUG SHE HIE Labour Party represent different Interests within the ruling class. The Labour Party based belon the state buresucracy and estabshed iself with the expansion of
tate sector of the economy
By comparison, the Liku
censorship
FORTY of Iran's most prominet writers and intellectuals be onging to the Iranian Writers'
have written
ter to the iranian Prime Mins
In it they describe how the
ural and artistic life of tbe country has come to a standstill in the result of censorship, the
ME DON DE COOM DECADES ment of winer and arts har
Ont of writers and artists
They point out that:
and nave no official authority or support to omfronted with the violence of So much no that cie can name. people who have or are spending ears in prison for the crime of
Wing, translating or even reading books." They demand an end to restriction and freedom of
for the Writers*
The Iranian Writers" Society as formed in the 1960s by a
governing Christian Democrats.
book of dreams.
HOS MINISEET ATE LIC STODOSE
on public order The Christias
Democrats have long been look
workers movement
collaborating with its leaders.
But in this accord they have
The Communist Party IPCA
has put its name to an extension
-polite Bowers or surveilene
inchiding phone tapping
and detention, a righrening sp
gent prison spszem.
The proposals on the press
comt in the same direction. The
independent radio stations, many
a which are favourable to
ar left, are to he 'terulated
foretaste "regulation'
provided when the state closed
LOWE CITIN RHAD ATLE
INTERNATIONAL
Interview withsraeli socialist
EMMANUEL FARJOUN, a member of the Socialist Organisation in Israel (Matzpen), visited London recently.
Interests. That is, they are inter-
investment and business, with the state encouraging this develop
A good example of these
wards Arab labour. The Labour Party defends the concept of exclusivels Jewish abour, whits the Likud determines its attitude to assure the maximum profit, an s0 i prepared to us road labour.
Boorgeois commentators have looked upon the Likud victory us a setback for the US peace plans for the Middle Eas How do rou
Iranian writers attack
number of prominent writers for campaigning against censorship expression. In 1969 the reginse torced it to disband Dilicially
Among the signatories of the
dent writer Gholam-Hosscin Sa'edi. Sa'edi was jailed for nine ime he was tortured. Ever since his release he has been the secret from publishing any CATECH TREES year Guardian reporter tried to interview him he refused saying that it
session of Savak interrogation There are now icports that L
from leaving the country.
Another of the signatories is
released from JOLE arrested in March 1974 after publishing a satirical work abour the political situation in Iran.
Italian 'Book of dreams' published
The Communist Party's
Austerity Plan
"A book of dreams' was how Amintore Fanfani, the leader of the Christian Democratic right, described it. L'Unita, the Communist Party paper, on the other hand, devoted hundreds of column inches last week to a presentation of the most important points of its party's agreement with the
Not many Italians will get round to reading the 57 tightly printed pages, but the accord will have implications which will affect all of them. RICHARD CARVER reviews the
during the recent in Bologna. The PCI's voice of protest was not to be heard.
Both the order protein marily the threat from the left of the PCI, above
education proposals themselves more explicitly to tbat problems. In essence they are an endorsment of the Malfatti refwhich provoked student unrest in the tirst place. The side peptice toe of the student population. student moveibent 1960% managed to selection procodures in higher educatian, creating the opportuthe nity for more working Prote so tartage is har of t was advantage is hardly the word. Possibly BRIOD OCTEL
More is no substantial differes
on the alliance with imperialism with Israel as the bridgehead for
underdeveloped, Naturally, their policies towards the Arabs are very silE
What then are the differences in the parties" policies?
The main differences between THE PALLICS AIC OVEr LOC PPODOU policies to be pursued in Israel The reasons for this are obvious guestion. The Labour Party wants to maintain sbe strength of amy (about half of the economy is state owned), whilst the Likuc
of the private sector.
Because of this, the Likud is control inflation which will mean further attacks on workers inter-
arbitration for workers in dispute over wages.
Why then did the Labour Party lose the election?
The Lahour Party had control both politically and CODES USERS BELIE Israeli falling sharply year by year, since
under ahout 20 per cent compared to an inflation rate of 40 per cent. This
ind banne latter heure s dommated by th
enormous increase in the price of works. basic necessities (food and hous-
Wing). Meanwhile the destabilising come here a miste military spending has remained
Many ol ine problems or the Labour Party can be traced back to the 1913 war. The outcome w the war was a big shock for all Israelis. It is accepted that there Arab-Trael confictand sibee ihe
been
purcome of any future war is in doul a celine or insocurity has replaced the pre-73 which were based on the total jobless, af whom 40 per cut are craduates. Youth unemnlayment in the 15-24 age range as a whole is 64 per cent. launchod scheme which has had about the dazaling British comterpart Now it is bent as an excuse university entry. turvy ratloonle for creating more obless who, if they cavers, are not entitled to bene-
is Tor cutune state concation confrontation spending: and,
weeding out the 'troublemakers and eroding the limited gains on and public working class entry. are aimed pri emerging
STOCK EXCHANGE
address
of sockhrokers -bich closed all stock exchange part from the discuption of th
symbolic value
take on i is prote man it had to
open to he restored
Tomall.
class banaliries of Bourgeois econom-
les to expicin is central purpose:
as 2 sandards, MOder 29 A0 impons by carting consumprion
neighbours,
are the hasis of the WOKERRES
percent support.
Party over
workers has been
Jeelings The Government
success as its
wing unempley-
for cutting
schoo
of course, for boost exports
is massive spending cuts.
increased spending In carly June there was a strike
private employers. agreement proportion reminding borrowing. - as if it needed
TWE DIATUED LSES IN ANUTE
The ider is to reduce
simply tions prepon derance of Israel over its Arab
The vote for the Likud was particularly hiph amonest youth and the oriental Jews, who
industrial being 50-55 pe cent compared to the general 30
There is a MENACHEM BEGIN, the new Israels was Moro'& Idee but now they are woodering what the morrow will bring.
let means mages) and to c
bour costs [mages again|
The problem is that last year's which bave unexpectedly high growth was too much and led to a worsening trade deficit. Part of the solution
The Government has rectly
social security to offer the large sum
present being paid out by
The present
of bentral govermeal subsidies to local govern ment to stop local short team
This, combined with the in further evitable rise in police spending only heightens the neod to cu
the gross spending on public
things
There is a certain agreement among Talian capitalists on these
reason for these defec to the Likud they were the only niernarive 1o the La bour Party, so their victory can he regarded in this sense as a
How do you see things develop ing in bruel under the Likud!
Within the occupied territories the repression is likely to increast but this will not be a gualitative
simply because the pre sent level of repression is so bigh
The state will intervene more quickly ta suppress and unemployment, which is almost nob-existent al present, ail in
rease, particularly amongst A Tab workers. However, ans can flicts or strikes will become more obviously political.
ALDO MORO let] with Christian Democrat secretary BENIGNO ZACCAGNIN. The deal with the Communists
basics, but there is disaccord on Done poms Many or the bis private companies such as Fia
been pressing ahea: with export deals in the Middle East (particularly Iran) and tbe Comecon countries, are dissarisfied with the Govertmeat's sloth in responding to demands for increased export credit facilities.
DEVALUATION
And those producers not using insported raw materials tend oppose the Government's della tionary direction and advocare a
devaluation of the lira.
COC CONTRARE CEIVE TOu: lent of the CBI, has predictably been even harder than the Gor COUCH OR MUS HISH That may have been one of th
Fanlani bad in mind
within the Chriscian Democraric
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 14 July 1977 p10
Presses s the THIS OUTH
(supposedly a Zionist trade union
organisation. but torally inte-
orated into the shale and one o
the major employers in Israel)
was used as ал "independent
workers aad employers. This
body has a strong working class
hase and is dominated by the
Labour Party. From 00W on-
wards the state will intervene
more dietly in discores and the
Histradut will not be usod to
block worker struggles in the
Ir is in this context that the
Socialist Organisatioo in
(Matapen) to which E bolong 15
developing its present interven-
don in the working class struggle
and in the Pasta StrEe
for liberation.
Parts, when he artacked the dea
But the PCE has swallowed th Government and sinker, An investment policy must be applied which makes
strengthen and cape rest is in the world of international capital. The rulers of may be
repared to bail Italy ou certain extent political reasons — that is to keep the PCI oul ol government, to avoid al the explosions that would pro woke in the working class.
But as West Germany's Hel
Schmidt expinias: must be helped to pull its head out of the water, but not to take herself back onta thebeach.
* Nexr week we begie a series or the response of she italian far lef to the crisis.
Page 11 scan of this page
Pakistan generals pre-empt junior officers Cynicism and despair
by TARIQ ALL
establishment of Bangladesh.
despair?
On the face of it the army takeover was designed to break the political deadlock between Bhutto and the opposition PNA (Pakistan National Alliance). In our opinion this was merely a Eerine cal inside the army It is now obvious that sunse officers — majors, captains and lieutenants — were become the creasingly disgusted with political situation. politica sympathies of most of thes religious political
which both Sus a Tro me rona ideas and provides them with a
The the
Bhutto, merely fanned the famer
They rant a blond-purge to SUCCE Their model is Saudi Arabia,
but many of them realise that a non-starter. Many of these young
every
by STEVE POTTER
ONCE IN A while Britain's arnis
ous show case than the streets of
Betfast or the dusty
Alderibot One was laid on this
week for the Queen in a massive
display of strength shores of Belize in Central A-
melast week, for the second time
in two years, the Labour Cov-
the name of self-determination.
attended the Jubilee version of the
Red Square parade on the Rhine
buyers in the arms trade
to see how the Harriers
operate in what will be only their
DUESTE
The first was also in Belize in
November 1975.
There are already 800 British troops in Belize. Among them is a
contingent of the Special Air
Service winch patrols loc bococis
with neighbouring Quaternala. In
they have cooperated
The hardware on display This tie, the egate Achies, and samer tump fel
INTERNATIONAL
The army has taken over Pakistan once again. The first time it did so was in 1958. The then dictator, General Ayub, ruled for 13 years. He was overthrown by a mass uprising. The second period of military rule was shorter, but led to the disintegration of the Pakistani state with the
What can the third Martial Law offer a country whose masses have had to rely on a staple diet of demagogy and religion for more than two decades, but cynicism and
officers found the job of shooting demonstrators and policing tasteful. It is Ikely that some of them were considering a young Turk revolt which could have been a bloody affair. The generais pre-empted them. he new deator energe the new dictator, will organise a free election on ?
October, or whether the taste of absolute power look for other solations. A lo will depend on the mass movement. The apposition bas effect welcomed the coup. per cont dependent on the PNA.
NEO-FASCIST
Secondle Zin will want to ensure a result which will keep his junior officers placated fo done by a PNA electoral victory which would give the obscuran-
Britain's arms showcase
Dull nf Metico
C-BELIZE PACIFIC OCEAN
will be Guaremalan regime That regime is making claim te Delize on the basis that both were united under Spanish ise Of course Guatemala has no primale claint lo Beliz since the I invaded Guat
bloody repression com bined with a series of boundary
(Party of Islam) ministers in the new cabinet L leo nine tre Your officers might well decide thn they would rather stay in power, gore the TENS politicians". In such an tuality a second and more vicious
ittle Belize
such as Belize and ElSalvador.
These forays are an attempt to domestic problems four per SEaL the USA. naterials such as the oil deposit off-shore from Belize are anothe The last Labour administration to defend the interests of the 1945-51. A popular revolt against British economic was oralaus par Qown Dy Ec British. Subversion controd legis larion was mavement. The Belize council, the most important oprefused trait of George
COILE Then as now
Government has no real interest Ever
Socialists can only respond with imperiali uses the Balkanised if the states of central America in its Clockwise from top lett: Hercules transport. Biompipe
couD cannot be
combination of ERNIEST BRE
- maoc by me
even-
The Baluchis and the
vince are already appostor
hordens
SIDERCE
the Then there is proValuable raw
SURENUE IT!
but the very
that Bhutto and
election to take used to imprison the release will be anti-colonial
City General Zia-ul-Haque was dissolved 'PROFESSIONAL'
to hang VI in Cit
BEOEESSHOEEE COLOLET LADA
Bangladesh in possible condemi-
which
massacres by CHRIS O'BRIEN
regular
The two
bulk carrier Dapo Sailor
LEIL LYCE TO COMIC SHANE
nak op anti-Bhutto demonstrations sartier this year — viewed with distaste by many junior
Hashemite
coup which could be a bizarr
the Thai and
An extended period of military rule in Pakistan could rapidl
country. The reason is a simple Wart one: the two minority nationali
thind Martial Law for too long.
Pathans HOPINIC ELSTENE
the North West Frontie Pro-
in political If elections are not
held on 7 Ocrober they will beri to prepare a national opposition
Caven the strategic character of the provinces in question (one
Afghanistan and other Iran) any unrest tenda to
TELE BOUTINE COULEIS The Shah of Iran has indicate thar he would intervene to pre They vent instability in the region land, Thid the be happy i the India coup
Pakistan remained unsettled, What is therefore ar stake is not simply whether or
future of the
several PNA leaders are in protecrive cus tody". They will obviously bav
place. Their an important indication as to the intentions ol
Zia bas the reputatien of
So his military predecessor Yahya Khan, who Allempted to drown
the binod of its own people. Zia's hands are also
Despite all his talk a he participated in tbe brutal researce in the Bick ereinien Palestinian of 1970, He commanded Pakis tan iercenaries sent to aid the stales.
Entry ban hits Chileans
BRITISH immigrarion authori
Chican sailors on a ship doing a
see me ne, Victor Sol
then, Duran and Fernando Avala Can- could be 43 PUIS DUE TaLE they
which docks regularly in Cardiff, Lisorpool and Glasgow. Both wish to settle in Norway or Britain but inmigration has refused to allow
When the Dane Salior docked in Cardiff in carly May beth mea
monarch Hussein, For his crimes he was decorated
When he became Chief of Staff of the Army in 1976 be said that
be Faith, Abstinence and Holy
The first virtue we saw disclared in Jordan in 1970, the liquor in the Araly to be s liquor in the Army messes. for the third, the only people he could fight a " boly war against
Pakistani (basses. To Slempt it acanst India or
would sound the death-knell for Pakistan.
The generals are embarked on an extremely dangerous course. Their temporary salvarion lies i in promoting the election of a rightwing government, but even that would not solve the real prob ems which confront the masse
are the old problems bread and shelter Th signals a new period o Instability in Pakistani politics Where exactly it will end we cannot yer predicr. If the Bangla
General Zia — is a model, then Pakistanis are in for a hard time ZIA-UL-HAQUE has now ordered
NARTSCJOOFIRH rakis lon mune with Saud! Arabia as two of the world's most reactlonary Musim
were held in jail for the duration of the stay. On a later visit immigration officials boarded
when ht dnaked and refused them leave to go ashore.
It is believed that bigh Cinemi-
tbe shipowners that the
sent back to Chile if leave the ship again. Both Lel: Chile to escape repression by the military junra
Hanley. a Cardiff official of the National Union of Seamen, commented that 'Bot
(among the worst in the world) would go thai far.
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 14 July 1977 p1
IN BRIEF
SAHARA: Troops of the Pol
Fi thie shelled and machin
of Nouakched for 45 minute Tast week. This is an indication
ing military position
Mauritania and Morocco,
clair to the mineral rich Spanish colony. Also Inst weel
unidencitiod gueriles shot the
ambassador Paris, The Polisario, which ha
erations in Europe, disciaimed responsibility,
CHINA: There is growing of
position in the West
fast-moving rehabilication TOMER PTIME •INSTEE Teng Hsiao-Ping Charles Bettle beit, the loading pro-Peking
president of the Sino French Friendship Society, the Chinese leadership of revi
officia
rejecting the priociple of m
This refers to the Sinto-Sovie dispute
ALBANIA: Uofortunately we
cast the stani slackis
that the Alhanian attack conscted to the cerclation it Burke's Peerage thar China': old friend Richard Nixon ninth in Line for the Albanian throne through connections on his mother's side
ARGENTINA: The Monton ero guerrillas have demanded a reduction in the price of tickets
next year's World Cup football matches
JAPAN: The Japanese Com munist Party is standing in the clections to the Upper House
similar to the Eurocommu cists, calling for the nationa
Ir also says thai it will onl support a treaty with the LISSR after the later rerurns tou Islands of the Kurile Chain to Japan. Commision of Human Ripe Europea has ruled as "admissable" a case brought against the Souther Irish Government by a Cork
The charge is that the uman rights or men y buman rights for womer making it extremely difficul for a woman lo gel 'judicia separation' from her bushand
successful outcome coul bean the Full legalisation of divorce in Ireland
INDIA: George Fernandes, th
Socialist Party leader jailed b the Gandhi Covernment
been appointed Industry Mid
ser in the Tanata Party Go
PERU: The Finance Ministe
has resigned after the refusal o the Inrernations.
Fund to meet the Govern ment's request for a srand-by
MENICO: Police have arrested 20 workers who were part of ar occupation of the Nationa Lnversy camous, demandini i lies and utice recogni
ITALY: After last week's rep ort of West German detective private sectoe, we bave this
em from Italy. "We are fed u wich maids, cooks, chauffeurs and telephonists says public appeal from 35 police, It refer to the practice at many levels o the state bureaucracy of en playing pole to do meni domestic casks.
Page 12 scan of this page
Zimbabwe Nationalists Advance
Repoleon of 02 opate party sed. Rhodesian Front
eationalist forces.
state.
RECENT atlacks by the troops
he have received much pub-
WITH UCE THE BO NEa
impression that the white
be mate remains still in com-
However, a closer examination
(the current developments
cout a v seems to indicate thal
spate of SUSCES more to the 'death throes of the torime than ms
rosed strength.
The armed struggle in Zimabwe has been increasing in its
Mozambique:
for socialism
contribution to the debate. The IMG seems to be making an
analysis of Mozamnot, neo-colonial Goversneo-colonial Governfor example because ANd FRELIMO I DO into the for the right to strike i Africa and so on answer this we first have to at the objective conditions.
years since indep from Portugal. of war, with nearly 150 ona from Rhodesia in 15 EAST DOC BOCUNT
Mapai was decimated with
my building dynamited.
The invasions are aimed at
Comic destruction, massacres
Belfast are due to address a
public meeting in London to
demand justice'. Each of the
women has had a son recently
murdered by British troops in
Northern Ireland. They are:
Mri. Nomey
ras shot dead by the army on 13
eptember 1975 The army
chimed at the time that they shot
Norney becase he was 'carrying
but the Ministry of Def
ence has now admitted that this
vas a complete fabrication, Mrs.
Norney has been paid
but the soldiers
who murdered Leo have not been
brought to justice.
Mrs. Stewart whose 13 year
old son Brian was killed
British troops in October 1976
BRIAN STEWART
INTERNATIONAI
Last week Des Frost, the chairperson of the ruling
This followed the the party's MPs who support an apartheid-style solution to the problems of the white regime. This is one of the more spectacular indications of the growing crisis of the regime and the successes of the
In the first of two articles JULIUS KARANJA examines the nationalists' successes. Next week he will deal with the burden this places upon the Rhodesian Government and
penetration into the while at the same time nina berlin ordin the ber timate that in March thi Official some 2,500 guerilla were active inside Zimbabwe, whercas gure in To or 1,700 1,700. The most Reports indicare that bases have been Botswana and Zambia. This has meant that while previously the
Building the basis
This letter was passed to Socialist Challenge by a militant In the South African solidarity movement in Britain. It was sent to him by a comrade in Mozambique who is very critical of the International Marxist Group's assessment of the situation there. Although it was not originally intended for publication, it was felt that it would be a useful
of civilians to intimidare the population, inflicting defeats on of dissension against the exemPaLIMO moon to be internationalism Zimbabwean liberation Mruggle.
There have been 100,000 people in the Limpop valley being relocated in aldeig Capitalise is in crisis through he country. There is a shortag 1 techniques and sails need o keep the economy going ery often this is the result c WHO SAIAC
of Mines has a policy of reducine Mozambican immigrants.
The 113.000 01 199 8 009
Belfast mothers demand justice
This month three women from Brian was scanding on a street
coiner when the soldicts opence
army claimed that he had beer involved in a riot but television that such a riot had ever taken place. Many dod on 20 May tis year.
13,000 DANNY MCGOOEY 20 days after a British soldier rammed stomach. The arrack led to grave internal injuries of which Darns Jater died. The army claimed that vas "violently resisting arrest and that they hospital'. But hospital records refute this.
It is to being these and similar cases of British army keeping to public attention chat
Smith
regime
in crisis
dime the region (code-named Hurricane Thrasher and Repulse regions by the Smith regime) a more inten sive front has been opened in the West (Tangent region).
entire length of the
from the tional Pork in the norin west 1o the Shast Tribal Trust Lands in the south-west has been declared I DED ACO O SOME YE guerilla deep. in
The military activities of the nationalist movements have been primaraly directed at
0,000 this year. PRELIMO wa
aid in gold that it could sell r
the free marker price,
accounts for at least 50 per cent
earnings. South Africa is det
ermined to cut this off
recruiting workers internally in
stead. ages ave one up so per Since 1972 black
cent, making the mines competi
tive with industry.
consistcot with reducing ene
huge unemployment and under
employment within South Afri
* The South African army could the
create absolute havoc here under
to senatic the material and
to construci tne material
ideological base for here is his ground work thei ibia are first on the
done inside South Africa. Tom to onto price at the sala- FRELIMO's
of the game is tantamount to the
revolucion commirring
becoming a chicoi or a major
the women are coming to Lon
don. They do so at a time when The mUT CHICE SEC Seculing made attene time o the Loyalist strike.
Recently Northern evidenc Secretary Roy Mason has an
years for proscribed organisations a
An increase
operations" by the SAS
• Anincrease in recruitinient to the almost totally Protesant Royal
Lister Constabulary. The RUC I
to grow by 25 per centi
enterestin do the unbe
membership of Defence Regiment.
military wing of the Britist Army
is again almost exciusively Prat
stant
members bave been convicted of Layalist violence.
Perhaps it is because the step
up in repression by Britain ID
Ireland is now so obvious that the meeting in London next week has attracted much support.
Speakers include Martin En-
nals, secrelary general of Am
Joan Maynard and Andeen Ben-
nett, writers Edward Bood
Adrian Mitchell, and Ernie Roh-
assistant general secretary
of the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers.
The meeting takes place
NUFTO "peace London WCI on Tuesday 19 July at 7.30pm
economic targets, the communications communicatons
Pened the
of the Mozambique border
This 1s MASS WORK
Botswann
Wankie Na
various the "Trihal Trust Lands".
SPEAKOU
which SomEncour
The essential
by
been used to
This tactic is can be
themscives unemployed!
building Zimbahwe and Nam-
be done and is being
THE Hungarian
rica at this stag
suicide or Eurosocimunism, The
views within the movement.
Some months
at the time of
Ireland some of the Western
agreed with View. question
'specintist 'No!
German Mykola tence because of his bad and
sick, it Isa life sentence
Jockeys Field. the Soviet regime.
particularly systems.
The Subve river bride on the Belabridge railway line (connec
with South Africa) there have artncked in mit May. whue ciner roads and railways are constantly
with landmines ated that explosives. Not only has this caused expensive damage to the
• system, "Tribal more importantly it has belebt-
crisis of an economy already suffering from restricted TO OCEANACE TEASE DUALs April this year particularly following the closure
dipping — charges
But, contrary to the reports of the mass media, nationalist actmain rutal been There t evidence Lial a substandar d mount of work is being carried out in developing a mass base power. Gripos dingmizadore
(dynamising groups) are forming
the
pounds. Class strugele goes on.
prablem Is not deleading the right to strike lo migrants in South Africa
meaningless slogan at present — but thinking how the male popu lation of the south, which ha
comparacively
fabulous wages in Sourh Africa
incorporated
Mozambique when they find
Hungarian Premier
by OLIVER MACDONALD
Communist Dess, 1 9000 Party dolly. Nepsabadsar. nas published an article in respaose to the Soviet New Times attacks on Sentingo Carrilla's book on calls for respect for diversity of
Communist
Tbis is only one of a serica of
Saga Hungarian Party leader Janos Kadar visited Austria just after the Bulgaman leadership had published an attack on 'anti-Sovietist' trends ir Austria Kadar was asked whether 'sub-standard"
the Bulgarinn gon. Radar replied with a bit.
goods
His subsequent talks with West
Chancellor conducted, according to Westero commentators, in un atmospbere
USSR: Harshsentences in
frame up trial
THE secret court in the little towa of Deuchkovka has reached it Oleksa Tychy, Cikrainian buman rights campaigners charged with • anti-Somet activaty, have boc sentenced to seven years in jail and five years exile, and ten years and
For Rudenko thisisa death sensend on a hit bad pay war wounds. For Tykhy, aged 50 anc
had to
They have repcatedly pointed our that their only crime was to
campaigo for the implementation
af the Helsinki accords sRico D According
Pyotr and Zinaida Grigorenko In Moscow confirmed the details
Et is common knowledge that schools have become a recruit1s some for me bacte what is not so well known is that Herber of tehool boycers i been March the Government calib
36,000 students had been boycorting schools in the Maranke, Zimanya and other
Trust Lands" in the Umtali district alone, As a result.
teachers have lost their jobs since
Nor is this protest
for which the sate a la dollar-a-dip*
widely boycotted.
The threat to lan Smith
ZAMBIA
RHODESIA
BOTSWANA
The map shows the concerted nationalist offensive from all
sides of the country, In addition to the "Hurricane".
region on the long stretch of wester border with Botswang
In the footsteps of Imre Nagy?
that went far besond the bounds
diplomatic friends-
diplomatic effort to consolidate
Moscow's greatest concern about Eurocommunism is its impset oo Hastern Europe. suc Lie Soviet leadership has not ever managed to line un the Eas Eurona Party leadergos an ic drive against Eurocommunism
One factor behind maves is opposition to Moscow's efforts to make the Bast Euro
Investment in the Seet got me or
from Hungary so that they could get the allowed cur in impon prices. The Hungarians claim that their
are no poorer in quabty SIR LIAT STEE TOES Increasing independence in the
diplomatic field also excel lent domestic politics for the bard-pressed regimes, looking for Delence of Soviet Political Pri soners. Friends and relatives of the defendeots. including the Gritor enkos, only heard about the trial days after it had started. Some TILIAN BUCHANCE NAUOLL three days by the militin when they arrived in Drushkovka.
detendant had ans legal representation. refused to accept the officially appointed lawyer and
defend himself, •WILLE Rudenko was saddied with advocate who coopcrated full with the prosecution.
Zinaida Criporenko: The authorities vialated both juridical and human rightsatthistrial."
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 14 July 1977 p12
Just as in sawee rocent. where actions by workers and srudents led to the collapse of the
Tribal Trust Lands the puppet 'African Councils'
MOTE SOILL under shack: some lily out ol 240 councils are today bankrupt as result of actions against liquor
rates offices. Slose balf the annual incomes of the councils
bankruptcy reflects the dopth of feelings amongst the black pop-
come under the "direct" mand of the local District Com
SALEBURY
MOZAMBIQUE
Thrasher ways of strentheting their popu far hase without weakening bur-
Whatever the causes the Kadar Taken by ste never leader th the Hungarian CP Ime Nags. In the face of the Soviet invasion in 1956 Nagy declared Hungary a neutral country. He was murdered by the Soviet bureaueracy in 1958 - a murder welcomed, or at least not criticised, by say of
be European CPs. No CP ha
ver called for Nagy's rehabulira. tion and Kadur has a long way lo
before approaching Nagy"
Hot his small. initial steps towards greater independence must be producing some of the
that were felt in Moscow when the first signs of a crack-up in Eastern Europe appeared in the carly 1950g.
LABOUR FOCUS ON
EASTERN EUROPE
• SORCERER TELL Tralian Communast PApE
POLISH STERENT WAS
JUST OUT! Includes new informarion on Polish repression,
frow Czech dissident Miri Mueller to the CPOB and antisemitism in the USSR. Stigle
One veer sub 23.50 ASSE JUD 19 issues) from Bottom Fiar, 116 Cagenove Hood, London Ni6
Page 13 scan of this page
SURPIUS VALUE
TIS NOW exactly ten years since the Arab-Israeli War of June 1967, the event that led to the emergence of the Palestinian resistance movement as a major factor in Arab politics, and which resulted in the growth of solidarity with the Palestinians on an International scale. The 1967 defeat of the conventional Arab armies by Israci weakened the Arab states and thereby enabled the Palestinian resistance movement to become a significant force in the Middle East; although the movement has undergone many trials in the past decade, the right of the Palestinians to self-determination and their existence as an oppressed people are now almost universally recognised.
This aniversary therefore makes it an especially appropriate time to re examine the and the relation of this experience to the recent debate on Zionism and racism amongst British stodents. It it my conviction that while Zionism and the state of Israel are in a definite sense " "racist" the equation of Zionism with racism and the denial of a platform la Zionists are erroneous. PALESTINIAN SOLIDARITY
Support for the Palestinian struggles resta on two hasie arguments. The fint is thi the Palestininos are an identifiable people who have suffered an extreme form of colonial oppresion - cxpulsion from their lands. Zioniats have tried, and continue to try, to deny this, cither by refuring to admit
hat the Palestinians exis, or by caim
Abandoned
But it ba indispotable that the establish ment of the sale of Israel led to a mas of the ingenios putin morig
digenous populatio
vo out of throt million Palestinia now denled the right to return to, and live in, their homeland
Fron this it follows that the Palestinians have the right to struggle, both poltically and militarily. Everyone knows chat some Palestinians have adopted unjustified, di versionary lactics in their struggle. Bus thi does mot contradict their basic right, as an DOTESCE
bas exerted a strong , influenoe internacionNorte eran del thed sin and and on most Palestinians has also necesitased a critique of Zionism. The basic teners of this critique are well established and can be summarisec
a follows
Fintly, Zionism — the ideology of • movement aiming to set up a Jewish state in Palestine — is inescapably linked to the oppression of the indigenous population
Palestinians, and Zionis ideologist
either advocaled this explicitly, or tried to obscure the issue by claiming thai Palestine
vas an capty countr
vocabulary.
Zionism a feature inconsistent nech atented socialis corre socialism.
griculture — the kibbutzim — is a tir part of the whole; the Israeli economy is a capitallar one Israel's very existence as an economic and military entity is dependent
individuais in the capitalist world, and
specially the USA
Thirdy, anti-Zionism is not equivalent N ani semitism. The defenders of Zionism alvays try to confuse the insue, but while anti-somatism is a racist ideology directed
aganst Jews. because they are Jews,
and-Zionism is directed againat the oppres sion of the Palestinian people, and far from being racist is inself a form of anti-racism.
BEYOND NATIONALISM
The emphasis of much solidarity work Ing the almost tatal support for Israel that has existed internationally since
was estabased w 1945 Hot the thre
arguments listed above de not form. on their owil, an adequate basis for a socialist
and internationalst position on the Arab
Israeli question.
Support for the Palestinians by socialisis
elsewhere connot mercly take the form of
reproducing outside the Middle Bast the
arguments presented there, since the lacter
STONECTES COF NOVIOLS
reasons, determined by the predominabuy
nationalist context in which the Palestinian
question la understood. There ano further
aspects of the question which must also be
placed at the centre of any solidaris work
by: socialiss Cnza0ed On Chis 1550C 800
which combine with the above points to
forar an internationalist position. They car
1. Zionism derives a great deal of its
support by remipding people of the
of six million Jeas under Nazism. Zionism
acongly uses this gencicide as a justification
Up to second
and nature of this problem. for the oppression of the Palestinians, Har ir la, on the other hand, the height of political idiocy and callousness to ignore che fact that this penocide ocurred, and le the stale senore tec memores
Feelings of solidaricy with the Jewish people and Tewish calcure that have resulted On che left, there is the added fact that formed an intras part of anti fascin solidarity with Some of the arguments used in attacks on Zionism have laken problem; and the fact that some of the most vigarous altacks on Jewish tradicions and historical are themaselves foelings have corte from anti-Zinnists who aprosch any mate justifia or made chi Jews has
• Anti-semitisa is not fust a phenomer ae of the past, and continues to Mourish averily in counteles like the Soviet Union and Poland, Uruguay Albough Jews are objects of racism in Britain, attitudes of a thinly veiled sind are sill
munder
anti-Jewish character that distinguishable
Zionism,
racism,
& free
speech
"****
Socialists who support the Palestinian people must not be stampeded out of a sense of solidarity into political positions that are based on partial formulae. The fight against Zionism must be a principled one and take a political form appropriate to the history
by Fred Halliday
Jewish trengthen sheir cas no aplice
nation. This has its
and Argentina longer the main makeit any theless a nation anti-semitic
even European
One may
do Ener a nation only TICO stale. sentise -le stillof a pernicious kind.
These engaged in solidaricy with the Palestinians must be especially alert to this henarenon, both becniase it is in asel racist and hecause the continuation of anti-semitism acrs ar a continued argument in favour of Zionism. One need only relleer oa how Zienists have used discrimination against Jess in the Soviet Unión to
. Zionism argued that the Jews form eparate nation with che right to Palescine. Socialists opposod this. Bur while
has produced a new nation. the Israci)
own. Innguage. culture and class atrucrure. While it is true thet the sraeli nation canse inco existence throug eppressing che Palestinians, this does no
Nor is it necurate to claim tbar the Israelis cannot form a nation sioce they have han formed bronch immicration: al nations are historical products, not eiernal Tomen oda inmigraton, la ti e and many nations
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 14 July 1977 013
valid reason for denying nationhood to the Israelis, ome mould have to do the same to the Cuhans the Acicticans, the sustral: aris, the Argentinians and a scote of ochers.
For may not wish that it had bappened, but the fuet of Isracli nation
ad is now indisputable diversas pre ley to It is ar tinis that the reite different supporters of the Palestiniar movement. For, if the Israclis are a narion,
which Lenin emphasised is that of all nation: - the nigh to self-determination and a separate state? The answer can only De: Yes The Israel do have the right to a separate state, but they do not have the right to exercise chis at THE COCIE DELIC LOSUMES The distribution of available territory and
population must be such as to allow boch
lo cxorcise their rights.
Zionison denies char the Palestinians are
оГ sparale statehood; the de-Zionisation of Israel there stalehood and the removal of the octier oppressive fealures of Israeli society that Ton. De lonso dos so equit
De-Zionisarion doss not equal th denial of Israeli nationhood.
The question chen arisos whether it is Inevitable that two sintes should come into existence, or whether it is nos possible ta create a anified entity - a bi-national state
'secular democratic Palestinians call for. Il may be that the latler kind of solution is more destrable, ns is n unired socialist Middle Fast', But it is
posible to advocate these in principled manner if, at the same time, it is clear Chat cach nation has the right to choose whether to enter such entities or onc ZIONISM AND RACISM
This issue of the existence of an Israeli matlan and of it menis. 1 cola to an internationalist position of solidarity will the Palestinian people, since it determine whether the position adopied is funda mentally & nationabst or sociaEst one. And, in conjunction with the other arguments co
relates directly to the recent dispute ou Zionism and racism.
In essence. the denial of a platform to Zionists results from a combination of the EN General Assembly resolution of 1975 equating Zionisin with raciams is a formm of racism and racial diserimina
of fighting the Nacional Front in Britain by preventing it from speaking.
The question that first arises is: ls Zionism racist? It is racist because it suppresses the exisence and rights of Palestinias. and because an undeniable clement of Zionis ideologs is that the Palestinlans inferior (when not non-existent). Zionism's racism is also evident in the discriminatory legislacion and praccices of the state ol Israel, which distinguisbes between people an elso hasis of their elanie origin Jcasn non Jewish) aud nor on the basis of whether tbey come from within the territory of that
But to state this is not to accept the UN
mag key much broader ideology chan Just anti Palestininn racism, and il is a polemical simplificacion to reduce it to racism or a form of racison
the LN Resolution forms no
asis for fighting Zionim in any socialist manner, since it tails — es borh the Zionists and the Arah nationalises do —to make any
the ather. Any crisique of Zionism Cats to make tair titer portas se , th prete david a bene de
principie
resolution is wrong, li is wrong because, i!
Zionism is an ideology with racist clements
country
organisations. The way to fight il, and wir
Moroover, the ban on Jewisli societies is an act which ignores the fact that these societies are involved in a wide range of
which is explicit
acking for Israel. On this basis, coe woul
ave to ban every Labour and Conservativ
Club in the country, since tbey 1oo are
Linked to organisations that sustain state
cbat have racist features (ibe Hritish) ans
enforce racist logislation.
One need hardly add tbat in taccical terms
спонівно медин societies are
strengiben sempathy for Israel and Zion-
senad of solidarity into political position
that ace based on partial formulae. Th
right aguinst Zionisot must be a principied
one nod rake a political form appropriate lo
the hiscory and nature of this problem.
Page 14 scan of this page
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Page 15 scan of this page
Ilustrious compromises
reviewed by CHRIS ROSEBLADE.
The dead man was a judge, an "excellency" and thus he coo is an "excelient' — or in English - an
In Rosl's hands the investigation of a murder moves resol itely towards the heart of dark ness in Italian politics. In 120 minutes this remarkable film draws together the threads of individual murder and social crisis through UUICCERUYEE
of irationality, death. and politics until it demonstrates lat tor an uranial scery aa crisin, polities is murder and civil
HISTORY
History is everywhere in Hivstrious Corpies, not merely because Rosi enjoys Filming
churches, tombs, courts
Reiaissance Towns: bat bocaus it highlights the uniqueness of
contemporary ltaly. — a capital-
ist society overlaid with
powerful residue of feudal insti-
все т ней парен
oni etad mpeip
cation and Dante', İnfern
hectoes of today'
NaThe nude's funeral is ltaly.
The farees of reaction altict in a
nagnificent Catholic church
mafiosi, the chiefs of saff, the
SuTUACYO of the old
der confronted by a massi
demonstration of the new, "Maf-
soso, mafioso!" the left chant at the corpse. A signal, and the
Black horses draw an ancient
black hearse through a veil of
smoke, rotting debris, confetti
and thunder. These are not
mcy unageh ou corrupcipn c
surrealist self-indulgence, but •
real scene in a town whose
Funerals are srchaic. where the
refuse workers are on strike,
leaflets are everywhere, and the
T DaCr uTOOBHOrC
Ir is chis explosion of tradition.
to espress a new and all-embrac-
ing materialist content, which
makes Ehremberg's "novel one
of the most important literary
products ol any post tonou
ary society. Af the sume time it
manages io be both fiction and
nun-fiction, nowel and doc
omentury, Cantasy and reality.
STYLE
Yet its greatoess ls diminished,
bot ly anything within il, but cbc
knowiedge that Ehrenberg
rapidiy becamne
acholder of the batren icocis ol
"socialist realisin*, Its publication
in the Soviet Union in 1929, must
011 Lne
fourishes of a genuinely free
post-revolutionary culture.
Thia was soon annihilated by a
vulgar Stalinist artistic dogma.
From then on, Soviet artists were
bocupelled co adopt even Stalin's
bankrupt suie of ariting und
expression, to remain alive
Nevertheless Automobile must
still be assessed in its own term
u Depan the historical
materialisr premise that the fass-
growing capitalist car TAULST
nted aha expansive.
and totally destructive of
all the social relations into which
ir penetrated. The book ws a
atack on the cruel,
UNDER REVIEW
A bourgeois geriatric obsessively stares at the mummified remains of his Renaissance predecessors. As be leaves the tomb he is gunned down. Ilustrious Corpses (Cadaveri Eccelenti) is Francesco Rosi's latest film,
the
CI SCanE20 against the proletariat As the murders and the investati m contine te griiar crisis matires. The Democrat government goes into criss. the narhamemtary regi is discredited, miass himualiy inervenes, the President tions cake place, the appeals far "law and order and the derective is reassigned to the political police, vinced that tho murders are the work of the far left.
Through a lahyrinth of blindsambe depon the perim a In desperatice society not corrupted by office -the Communist Party (PCT).
At one point in Life of the Automobile, Ilya Ehrenberg states: "This is not a novel. This is a stock-market bulletin and this is a political history". Certainly the ambitious scope of this unique piece of revolutionary writing defies the conventionul categories of bourgeois literature.
Trireric conaldOs UiG HHI! car industry. But it is much more than that.
Phrenberg asked himseif the question: How and through wha oratan apes tacet n LOCaLiY In forms te hand were too limited, too paroe al spetel with the So he dispensea such as a centra
POTROACI COnEIECI and "ploc' in the accepted sense What me are left with leaux, high-lighting in scunning and often poetic detail the worl
"VILLAIN' last Bur the whole is held rogether tee an esthe ol ly teai vilan 1 - the only real "villain" the motor CAT. writer, was the stark embodiment of tweatieth century capitalism.
РоДіс пас Шве, Dur0су н -Marxs concept of 'allesation ediately dominated hy them come to full traition mn new ane
manager of therubber planiation inter- MT NANVA GONCU EE UC CHEI mane that his wife and all his. property is er:" The rubber. u MM malaIe3H0J
Intervene Already he has received ampl
proof that they too are hopelessly compromised.
The Caristian Democrats call them 'friends". One elist announces: bourgeois Catholic demonstra
the truch "illustrious porpses saying scart the revolution before the enunter-nevolation, just let parliament know'
Relentlessy the axis af sbe cim ans shitted trom anouuai to the question of how the left can avoid amocber Chile The crisis reaches breaking point and
Barbarism on wheels
motor-car chronologi- eversone's life. Citroen, locked in bacile wils t We see, 100.
is a series shifring tab- EACUEDTEWES frst victim of an auto aessdent bice Eve will tae tom berless workers on the gribding assembly car by invisible, economic cords.
W'e SCE
hraker. crashi the halealch carving up the world market; the
This lor The centiry inventor; the bloodied
piantation-slave mongnare. And all tied together hy a real modif glinering, murdering automob
скатріє. CRITICISM
10 evil- L unule te u as TINteIuI various ama excludes the mass resistance to the barbarity of the unfetiered
TheOUTEOTC
Famous nov clear dilemma.
comminis. TROTUS
bourgeais order?
Yet the deter ts Che eci leade soars.
ICAL-OI *I'm not they want!'
always revolutionary"
everywhere by CARL GARDNER
swamp and invade gamhler,
We witness the
Jestraction by his own
Yes, tied to that same Targocien
destroved by che samie
Churchill. ng once again tha engineer; the nineteenti
writing. and
the gleamin only starting poin innary ar
Hope could lave any critscism
Plato at 12.70.
perpetrase thi past.
Rosi has
TAT C-RACISE IS LaLEU WUD &
Should they re and not in veal the truth about the illas
UniS r OCCnenC ilustrious compromise with the
of the masse throurhou demands of his comrades: "Do you wan
CO SCH Arouse the nsasses? That's what
So for the PCI the truch is not murder.
of the masses reaches a cres nat. benda. the camera tocusses on 8 painting of a demonstration, the red fag and the face of Lenin are SCOTIE
- the credits rail rule of wheel sod piscon, which took plase even in the 'twenties
The only labour dispute cods in death, and presumably defear
Eheu of case tas
sive and numb. Of course was belore the momentous days
Fiat workers' councils remain Part 2
Nevertheless this is an incom-
parable, socialist classic, indicat-
Marxism
eed in no way stille creativ
shows, too, that a revolosti form as well as content is for revolu Al such, nearly 5 ars later, it leaves most co
mporacy novelists wallowing in
imperceded literary antiquity
The Life of the Anromobile, by
lya Ehrenberg, is published bs
Whilet hich surpases most made n and hat an rotte a tasis
epicaph Rosi politically confused and one car criticise the film hoth drama tically and politically - the far lelt for example CSCC
It the film as playboys or tools of the ultra-right
Bur Rosi underscands one thing: ultimarely bourgoois soci
bourgeolsic
2H1S HDWICOTE confusions spitomise the Italian left today, trapped between the
comoromise and the Impotent far left.
AABEN CINEMA
Jacksen Crescene, Hulme, Manchester
Tel:D61-226 1153
The Battle of Chila
Part 1 — The Iasurrectine of the Bourgeoiste
- The Coup d'Ehat 2 complete performances cach day, beth part 2pm and 7pm, 17-23 Jul
Not only the best films about Allende and the cosp d'etat, bu
Two of the best documentary films ever made, changing or mocepts of poliies) documentars with = iremework
necesible thar they deserve the largest audience." (Scof: Meek)
25-28 July Part 1 at 6.30pm
25 Tottenham Street, London W1. Tel: 637 9306/9
ETHE-OTHER CIMEMA
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 14 July 1977 p15
COMMENT
No more
insults,
please
IHOPE that John Boran road Jane Clarke's Comment' In Sociallat Challenge (30 June) on the pegt
This lettar in which he
ceo'e Private Vices, Pubilc Vir HRS WAS SISEEELICUA VOrOILT SCRAURS SAE HE IHHAL SIONE that there'e no paint in merely throwing Insults at sach othe There are serious discusaion here. And surely the
racy. 1 nereiore 8i80 поро sh
Fone will be put off the Jansce film by allitude becausé his latter Ian't accurate
SCEUTSIHY. For -TRIA ATilm 0 00. TrO' women naked tinst, men The first naked body we see ia that of the Prince. privata marte included, and that in ver denisorie Decisay esusR dan cao wishes to challenge con
The trouble, judging from the
Is that he Is apparently unable 1o
this kind of chal
onga, unable toa , to respond to Bot Which he im sog e Am D wIsco e Fm Cao n Tra nR is SotuaY 1a NENICH the even o1. many bourgaois critice who at least recognise that such films cannot be taken siterglly.
TIET DEIE ONOr avoid the impilcalions.
Aeathatic production WOrK.
many recognise this not anly leads tf barren criticism. It also leada te SENS CLICURa DOHCdd
MICHAEL CHANAN (London) COMMENT
Film in
struggle
MANY THANKS lor the article on Film from the Clyde printed ir your paper. Apart from Newelin
ours was the only paper on th
eft to include a mantion of a
Film financed aimost entirely by ER anror Uppar Ciyde and
dockworkers from Danmark.
The lell in Britain, unlike the
rest of Europe seams very slow
to recognisa the importano
working class flim in recordin
the history and struggles of the
labcur movement, and In break
televlsion in through audion sual oo m
munication. Wia therelore ve
ITILXEN ead in recognising the impo ZODIOOIC TouDp
tant role of film in the struggle to
preserve and axtend the mieane
of communication for the work.
covarape of Flim from the Clyde
JULIA, Cinema Acilon [London
Part 2 as 8.30pn
Page 16 scan of this page
BURY THE BILL
*Free family planning is sothing more than sex on the rates.' This is the profound view of Sir Stephen MeAden MP, one of the leading anti-abortionists in the House of Commons.
And in the Commons such opinions are treated seriousty. Consequently McAden is deputy chairperson of the Standing Committee currently in session for over 24 hours at a stretch to consider William Benyon' s anti-abortion Bill.
If its supporters bave their way,
ind final reading in the House of Commons on 15 July.
Socialint Challenge has been described as: * professional, well marched newspaper, far broadet based sham its socialist rivals" Not our words but those of the London Evening Standard on 8 July, sow you ve got to DeleTe
The fact that Socialist Challenge is professionally produced
more im portantly broadly based, has no
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We set ourselves the target of 0500 in new sabscriptions from
of September. To dare 430 has come in, so we are confident that
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ДЕНИЕ ТОЛАНЫ
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BED A SOCULAT ON Abroad: Ainmell, $12,50, Surface, E9 per ansum. I cochise a donation for the Figbig Fand of...
BOSE LORIES
Complete and retum to
Since the Homeless Bill was shitted out of the standing Committee with speed, the anti-abortionists have used every trick in the book to shove through Benyon's attacks on abortion rights.
NAC Emergency Public Meeting.
Friday. 15 July at 7.30pm, Central
Just bow concerned Parliament
is evident in the treatment hand ed out to the detailed amend pro-Hooraon MPs have made to the Bill. To dale, these manoeuvres haven't been SULTANE
Amendments based on detailed medical arguments presented by the Balish Medical Assoczation
Cash transfusion wanted
dragon bai to be slayed by 30 September. An overight in the Last issue recorded week's total cumulative figure. In fact after week:
E281.91. To be mortal blow to the need an average of £130 per week This week's CH17.38 is below the average needed, but because of good responses in the previous weeks we keep on line for the E1,800. After STELAS HIC CaHO 0AI 15 2399-38.
WARNING
Warning signs should be flashing. The dragon has harely begun to bleed and holidays in July and August mean that many of our will not have - but no matter how much please send it in. If you
you read this then think about
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Subscribe now!
Increased postal charges mean that we have had to raise the sharption cost, Bur they ure still exceptional waite Cheques, POs and Money Orders should be made pasable to
Socalit Ehallenge: 328/9 Opper Steel, Londun NI,
Abortion emergency
ACTNOWTO
suspicious proposals for increased police
As many as 80 amendments have been quickly disposed of in ruled out of order. By relying on this bittee force ameri method, Bill they publicly oppose.
If the anti-abortionists succeed in pile driving their way
Rich for eira time after Parlia their next ploy ment's summer recess. To get such time requires the co-opera bon of the Labour Government Abortion Campaign is making an all out effort to demonstrate to spread is the
those militants on the selling the paper. Instead of the next pint or ice cream, send the
than the money to Socialist Challenge.
had received The normal distribution out. sure to deal a lets for macazines and papers are
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Some newsaprets. are willing to take revolutionary papers. Supporters in West London went to Hounslow, where as yet we have no regular sales 60°
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Registered with the Post Office as a newspaper Published by Socialer Challenge, 328/329 Upper Street, London Nt.
Socialist Challenge
Benyon's measures.
Benyon's
was filled
mass picket
Whatever happens. in
don't
will be ing called by NAC.
apposition to paign in the coming months.
streets
We rely for
supporters organi-
taking a few exira thanks to:
R. Molo 1. Fullerior We will A. Adie I. Haaley wetry supporters 1300
1500
The week leading up to NAC's emergency meeting o0 15 July
with intensive camThomands af lented were distributed at the Grunwick planned for the entire an Partin- and direct actions ment on Friday, it is such action fought outside which will decide controversy. the attitude of the Gevernment. How to take this righr throughout the working class will he discused at the emergency meet-
readers
that their expericnce in fightins for women's contral over thei Jertility can neovide the basis for launching an even broader cam pitch. They visited all the news
its and found two prepa i Socialist Challe So
*atel's, 134 Hearh Road, Houns
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comwell Road, Hounslov
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БАУ NEWS
CRUCIFIED!
Kill a queer for Christ" is the horrible slogan wader which the anti-gay movement in the USA operates. Last Monday's verdict at the Old Balley which foend Denis Lemon and Cay News guilty of liliel could berald the beginning of such a campaign in Brit sin unless the rights of homoses sis are neur telented
Mary Whitehouse initiated the charge as oner of her campair le strengthen "facily morality" and capitalist values in general,
The Croan then took it on.
The prosecutor stated jis case Mr John Smyth: "We have tree dom of speech, which means that you can say anything about relig ion.. within the limits of decent
How often have we heard this one from the State?. You have the
AS WE GO TO PRESS; Judge King-Hamilion has Lemon to nine months suspendedand fined Gay News C1000.
right to picket...so long as you don't stop scabs. You have the right to join a trade anion. long as your cmployer agrees. You have a right so he gay...as Long as you doo chailenge any fundamental assumption about SHUALIL
In fect you have the right to do Baptis as long as the state with its judges, police and courts, agree with you
Sheer disbelief at this ludicrous charge and verdict are noc suffic ient. Reverse the verdict! Quash the sentence of Denis Lemon and Gay Newst For the rights of gay: to organise and express their viens without State harassment!
Defend Gay News. Send dunn tians to GN Fighting Fund, 1A Nurmand Gardens, Grestound Road, London W 14 998
sentenced Denis
← Socialist Challenge No. 53, 6 July 1978Socialist Challenge No. 54, 20 July 1978 →