Socialist Challenge No. 71, No v, 1978
The scan: sc-n71-nov-9-1978.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive)
Uncorrected machine reading of the whole issue. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from the scan and has not been corrected or cut into articles. Each page gives the headlines first, then the columns in order, so one article runs on into the next. Expect misread words. Use it to find things; quote from the scan.
Page 1 scan of this page
No. 71 9 November 1978 15p
Socialist Challenge
SHAH OUT!
OWENOUT!
Picket Foreign Office Friday 10 November 5-8pm Organised by Committee Against Repression in Iran Supported by SWP. IMG, CP BREAK ALL LINKS WITH THE SHAH!
OWEN MUST GO!
Page 2 scan of this page
EVERYTHING IS
OUR POLICIES 2
EDITORIAL
A YEAR ago police attacked a demonstration of several thousand studenis in the Iranian capital of Tehran. It hardly merited more than a few column inches — the usual space awarded to that slightly central Asian country.
This week the British press is freely speculating on which country Shah will retire to, so shaky is his rule.
In the past year police repression has set in motion a rising cycle of resistance, centred first religious Gues opposition, now on the industrial WOrKITE CIESS.
Now many workers are on strike for openly political ends. Some of the longest - standing political prisoners nave been released and the snan does not dare resort to the repression which greeted the movement September
The fall of the government at the weekend was the direct result of mass action. For once the appointment of a military government was less a signal for further LCOICSSIOH admission of weakness on the part of the dictator. He simply could not find
ponuctan form administration.
The life expectancy of an Iranian government is becoming rather less than a Tommy in the trenches. professional politickers are looking to their careers under republican government way these self-seekers bend is always a sign of which way the wind is blowing.
Among the masses themselves things are changing at an incredible rate. For example, against all Islamic tradition, women are play a more and more active part in politics.
This is CyCl true religious opposition have visited Ayatollah Khomeini in France have remarked on the number of unveiled women playing an active part in political discussion in his household.
ine working class was from the struggles in Iran for many HORERS. That has been set right. Industrial workers have SWIRLY from wage struggles extensive political demands which can only mean the end of the regime.
The significance of all this is not simply that the end of the Shah is on the immediate agenda.
Dr Death 1s rignl provisional capitalist government is bound to be inherently unstable.
Even the bourgeois democracy is unlikely satisfy the needs of the masses, have spent months increasing their experience of independent organisation and independent political action.
The Shah will fall because he was
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Socialist Challenge 9 November 1978 Page 2
Editorial statement on Iran
POSSIBLE
obscure COLL the
intellectual
death wish.
CXISES Iran insurrectionary
WOrKCES DOWErthan own destiny once and for all
another
possible!
One major
CHOLLIOUS armoury furnished and
TULUTe -and the
the establishment of US Iranian soil, there are
among the zones Reporters who
missing
British anti-riot weapons.
pivot of stability in
Also (and here and for once any
the Gulf, to the Caucasus.
those of its He SHOOTIES.
far-reaching
staci or whoever
Vild
pushed, not because of any vague
In other words, what today situation in which there is the possibility of the masses developing their own organisations of winds.
- not simply to get rid of their present ruler, but ip seize their
None of this is certain of course. The only thing we can predict with scientific accuracy is that everything is
obstacle still stands between the masses and power: an
of repression maintained
Iran has received 40 per cent of US arms exports since 1973. Although a treaty with the Soviet Union prevents
Daises 43,000 US personnel working as 'advisers with the Iranian armed forces — some of whom have been deployed in combat fingers
The Shah's regime is the world's among biggest buyer of British arms. The tanks which are rolled out to gree demonstrators are British Chieftains (ol which Iran has more than ine British army) and Tehran recently bought a massive consignment of
LOUDS
For a long time the Shah has been a Iran's military strength provides the central Asia. the West with a guarantee that Middle East oil won't fall into the wrong
polices a whole sub-continent from the Himalayas, to gives
Iran's own oil supplies have always arrived with greater regularity than
more highly strung accordance with time-honoured principles the Shah is prepared to sell to anyone with the money to spare; be they South Africa, If Iranian stability is militarily and
to imperialism, Iran also has an importance as a
CASS Socialist Challenge revolutionars socialists are: o build
1
"model' of development indication that third world countries can develop if they are prepared to buy high technology from the West and throw political caution to the But there is another side to this coin. If the Shah goes, imperialist interests in the whole of central Asia are put on the line. Afghanistan has recently had left-wing Pakistan is on the verge of collapse and the states to the west of Iran are chronically unstable
The Iranian people themse ver understand this imperialist concern for Iran's future. In particular they see perfectly Britain's role in shoring up the dictatorship • better than does the British left and labour movement.
The burning of the British embassy and other British buildings in Tehran this week was not an accidental act of vandalism DUL a calcuated to the Shah's enthusiastic backer In the orgy of support for the Shah the well-placed and well-heeled, the role of Foreign Secretary Owen almost defies description.
In 18 months in office Dr Death has a record which must be the secret envy of the Ghengis Khans of the Tory backbenches. Troops into Belize, into Bermuda general proposed to run Zimbabwe -and now expressions of affection for Shah which make Sadat-Begin mutual congratulation sessions look positively stand-offish.
And all the while, as he jets around the world from dictator to dictator, he pious SLalCHCHEs interviews on the virtues of 'Christian Socialism', the centrality of human rights in politics, and the necessity of fulfilling our loyalties.
This oily individual goes so far that he even outdoes the Shah in explaining away mass murder in the polite tones of the salon and debating chamber.
The Shah has at least admitted that there have been 'mistakes', 'corrup-
Capitalism is in crisis. The leaders of the Labour Party and the trades unions offer solutions that are in the interests, not of the workers, but of the capitalist
believes that the two
broad-based class struggle class-collaborationism in the labour moven in character grouping together militants holding a wide range of political views. * To begin to fight for the creation of a unified and democratic revolutionary sacialist organisation which can, through an application of united front tactics. hegin to be seen as an alternative by thousands of workers engaged in struggles. such an organisation should be based on the understanding that:
The struggle for socialism seeks to unite the fight of the workers against the bosses with that of other oppressed layers of society - struggling for their liberation, This socialism car only be achieved by creating new organs of power and defeating with all necessary means the power of the capitalist state
tion', 'cruelty' sustained apologies months look a little foolish.
But it is not just the capitalist West which has come to the Shah's rescue. Peking's suppor reactionary torturers has occone justified as it is by the claim that the Soviet Union is the more dangerous of the "superpowers". True to form Hua Kuo-feng has done the Shah loyal service.
Less well-known is Soviet concern for the stability of the Iranian regime. Brezhnev's little-publicised telegram of congratulation to the Shah on his 59th birthday is a token of Soviet interest in the central Asian status
an CLO
Daily Telegraph leader writers may live in a fantasy world where every rum doing is financed by Moscow gold. Sady perhaps, workers live in a real world where they have received not an ounce of gold, nor any other support. coup, Soviet
motivated, as in Europe, by fear of the awesome genuine socialist Soviet working Class believe that bureaucratic monopoly. Socialism on the borders of the USSR could mean curtains for the Kremlin.
So it is natural that capitalists and bureaucrats should line up - with Vary TE degrees of behind the Shah.
But equally it should go without saying that the place of the working two people of the world is alongside the most struggles of the Iranian masses. In the
first place that means opposition to their own government's support for the Shah.
If, as we have argued, the main thing standing between the Iranian people and revolution Western-backed machinery of repression, then international solidarity could play the British crucial role in deciding what happens
in Iran.
This solidarity must be based on the the assumption that it is the Iranian
workers and peasants who must make their own revolution.
cosy Inere is a model for such ar
international solidarity The relentless wave of support for the Vietnamese revolution imperialist countries was a central ECasull for the imperialism. • Immediately action to demand an end to all trade, military and diplomatic links with Tehran. That campaign should be built both on the streets and within the
vital tasks confronting 3
opposition nent. These should be non-exclusive
- women
tendencies
perhaps even a teensy bit of
which makes Owen's
COT the past Vietnam
sine most cach oter cliques of killers and
well-known, political
anodyne Whitehall.
be colleges.
torturers.
the Iranian
Haracuar
FASTE
conscuuchees Or a And
revolution on Caucated le socialism equals
certainly
enthusiasm
peace.
is the Shah
follows that greater.
CLUS
Not central
British
responsible. movement.
in the
defeat of US Let us
we must fight for
Our socialism will be infinitels more democratic than what siste
do not take up arms against the socialist state 'socialism' in the LSSR and Fastern Europe have discredited socialisn in the eyes of the millions of workers throughout the world. Weare opposed t them and wil outer tuit support to all those lighting for socialist democrac
The interests of workers and capitalists are irreconcilable on a world scale. Capitalism has not ons crealed a world market. it has create word ponies, nus we nent for working classunis oran internalin. scale. This units will in the long run be decisive in defeating both th imperialist regimes in the West and the brutal dictatorships thes sustain in Latin America, Africa and Asia
In Britain it implies demanding the immediate withdrawal of British troop from Ireland and letting the Irish people determine their own future
The Communist Parties in Europe are in crisis: "Euro-communist nor the pro-Moscow wings hase am meaningh strales tor ine overlarow of the capitalist state Seu recolutinr socialist parties are more necessary than ever before. Conditions todas are more favourable than over the preceding three decades. But such partie- car only he built by rejecting sectarianism and seeing internal democracy not 1sg luxury puras a viral necessity, anis means the right to organise factons an
GHOLAM AZHARI, chief of staff of
Iran's armed forces, and now the
country's prime minister.
factories and workplaces. As the
campaign OI une 1960s
showed, these two type of activities
are not alternatives but complement
• Another immediate task is action
release of the remaining prisoners. Adoption
prisoners by labour movement bodies
is a good way of drawing attention to
the reality of Iran as opposed to the
nonsense issuing from
• The campaign to kick out SAVAK
and stop Iranian embassy spying must
developed, particularly in the Enousane of Iranian students in British whose political activity is curtailed by fear of
SAVAK, the Iranian secret police
Joint Iranian and British student activity can drive out the Shah's
• We must also take up the role of the Labour government and of Owen
Unusually, Owen's brazen defence of the Shah has caused quite a stir in the Labour Party. The
Croydon CLP has
resigned from the party after 20 year
when Owen addressed Cambridge Fabian Society meeting he was hit by a sack of flour - thrown by the secretary of the society!
This sort of activity (which should
not be discouraged) nevertheless not enough. Opposition to Owen and the government, both inside and outside the Labour Party, needs to be organised
A good focus would be meetings where Owen or other prominent Labour leaders are speaking. Owen must be hounded the length and breadth of the country. The Shah's poodle must not be given a month's
Britain is the major backer of the
This means that our responsibility for the course of the Iranian revolution could hardly be
not yet another international campaign. It is an issue
importance facing the international working class.
If the Iranian revolution expires before the bayonets and tanks ol
imperialism, THOSE who survive will look at us and hold us
We cannot guarantee anything that happens in Iran, but we should not
awful responsibility having failed to do what was possible.
repeat: the repression inflicted upon them has dispelled the fear of the Iranian masses. They have nothing to lose and a world to gain. Everything is possible Socialist Challenge Editorial Board
Neither
Page 3 scan of this page
No to the offer
HOME NEWS
of their strike.
down, writes MICK DRAKE.
Two things were decisive in achieving this vote: unanimous opposition of the trade union side of the National Joint Negotiating Committee, and Ford's shopping list of penalty clauses on the proposed attendance allowance.
As one Dagenham worker told me after the Friday mass meeting: *The only way we'd ever get that allowance is by living in the factory."
workers as they left the mass ARUSH NANDI CAUSE been - just what have they voted vor, and wnat s nappenca to tne full claim?
The issues were particularly murkyat those plants where the union officials allowed no rank and file speakers.
Despite a vote of between BOB MURPHY (Socialisi two and tree to one to reject the offer at Dagenham, example. bureaucratic conduct of the mass meeting left those workers who had voted accept feeling cheated, militants who want to fight for the full claim had no chance to counter the demagogy of the platform.
REACTIONS
On the next page we publish extracts from the speech made by Ron Todd, chairperson of the trade union side, and the reactions of some of strikers. Todd and AUEW official Les Choulerton were Ene OlIV speakers Dagenham meeting.
Predictably, the press and television have latched on to this meeting to launch campaign for secret ballots, although no one has claimed that the vote was really favour of acceptance.
Nevertheless, the impression has been given that the vote was rigged.
THE vote to reject the offer at Dagenham
Ford mass meetings
FOR THE FIRST time in seven weeks, Ford workers have had the chance to discuss and decide on the future
With the last vote coming in from the Swansea mass meeting on Sunday, where only 32 out of the 1,500 strikers voted to accept the company's "final offer', the bosses have received an overwhelming thumbs
There is no great concern for the workers' democracy in the press campaien. As speakers at the Langley lass pointed out, there was no call for secret ballots last year when Ford workers turned down their negotiators' recommendation.
The media has consistently misrepresented the offer being worth 16 per cent in the hope of swaying the vote.
Brian Phillips, convenor of the Swansea plant, explained: The offer isn't worth lo per cent it's 11 per cent plus 5 per cent with strings.
STRINGS *Even if they drop the strings we're not interested. accept E20 on the pay and one hour off the day. for Asked about secret ballots Phillips added: "Secret ballots arc a load or bunsni. our members are perfectly capable while having a discussion and voting as uncy choose.
Unfortunately, the Were DOE posed clear-cut way at Dagenham, where nearly half of Ford's 57,000 workers in Britain are employed When the vote was taken, chairperson Michael Murphy slipped in that it was to endorse the the negotiators' position reconne me comany ore and demanding that auchdance allowance moncy Do incorporated INTO ate. A far crv from the original claim.
At Leamington, venor first of all instructed workers to take no notice of the in leaflet put out by the Ford Workers Group, proceeded to set out the case against Ford's offer the arguments in the leaflet!
A resounding
as We'll meetings,
issues in such a
But the shop stewards there did not make recommendation to reject the offer, in accepted. Many Leamington the plained later that they had not known WORl the basic leadership had recommended.
past, militants have been wary of the the con-
in case all they got was more
Last week's votes show that and then not only is this manipulative
attitude towards using cratic running of strikes wrong in principle, but it is ineffective
RON TODD — allowed no rank and file speakers at Dagenham
practice clear
and it was narrowly
of the workers comemphatic union company one
eVen Sele HOIC
viewpoint aired.
for "democracy" the demosecret ballots.
for Haydee
peared
while there
one of them.
She drugged
her release.
attempt campaign, possibly the
can be committee rights haven't
Callaghan.
own
It was at plants like Langley, where workers who wanted to JUNCIS.
right accept were allowed their say, and their arguments replied to, pleased.
Was the most
rejection of the
The fight must now be for subjeet of
democratically run and with every
This would strengthen the fight for the full claim and answer the phoney campaign
being waged by the media on the theme of
usurpers
THE
Gibson
inquired after junior, mother: 1 have
When after nothing
News
nowhere
Wrong number THE CURRENT issue of the London magazine Time Out carries an appeal for support
Palma Donoso, a Chilean milant WInO
in the hands of the junta. The only thing is tha
are 2,500 such prisoners, Haydee is no longer
Wal: found heavily The on the Chile-Peru border last March, following an international campaign for
She now lives in Cuba. So why the appeal?
Time Out says it received an official-looking press from the Chile Committee for Human Kions. ne commite says it's a fake, and an obvious
perpetrated quite one the Spanish-speaking junta lovers who make obscene phone call: to the committee's office.
It is inconceivable that this has anything to do with the Chilean embassy. Readers who care to confirm this should note
embassy number, 01-580 6392. A list of the real prisoners up.
obtained from the Cambridge Terrace, London N1.
Risky business CAUSE
ENTHUSIASTS of democratic
feel that these been doing LOU well under the regime of James
what with AgeeHosenball, ABC, Astrid Proll, the Suppression of Terrorism Act, etc ad nauseum.
In fact, they may be drawn to the conclusion that our ver
democratically elected Lavour Government nas beer and extending the use of the state's
and that the farrish would be moderately
Forget it. Electing governments to run capitalism is a very risky business these days. The
this year's Ross Memoris. Essay Competition - prize £2,000 is: Are limits on the power of then democratically elected governHens necessary o secure the freedom and responsibility of the individual.
Strangely, Augusto Pinochet of Chile and a string of similar
have been included among the judges.
Intelligence (sic)
ALL-POWERFUL super-technological British war machine in the North of Ireland is showing signs of strain. Two weeks ago the RUC called at the
home Belfast's Andersonstown. The officer
Andy Gibson and told Andy's
warrant for his page arrest for failing to turn up fo jury service. He's got enough reminaers, now ne will nave to face the consequences
RUC demanded to know where he
the politely explained: "Certainly, if you go up the MI and take the Blaris turn off at Hillsborough you will find him about a mile down the lane. Ask the Governor to take you to Cage 11.
Andy Gibson is serving 16 years in Long Kesh.
But the red faces in the RUC
this little incident are compared wild happened last week, when a
from
letter arrived at John Picker ing's Belfast home informing Chim he had been fined 15 fol failing to answer a summons TOE HUEY SCIVICE
John had been asked to sit on
Jury September. Unfortunately at the time he, too, was in Long Kesh, and has been since August 1976.
Apparently these marvellous examples the STITTS intelligence system are due to
computers used by -Ene RUC/Army, crammed with nail a munon names. Which reminds N/N of a question: wny are ant-trish JOKES SC stupid?"
So - that British can understand them.
A funny thing happened...
LI WAS alICul for pRoto graphers to find a vantage point to take pictures of the Ford mass meeting at Dagenham on Friday. photographer, Jonathan Silberman, waited by a convenents stee ease r00 for a convenient time to climb
He gained permission fron the owner of the garage. But he was approached by a cop. This conversation ensued:
*If you get up there, I'll arrest you for behaviour likely to
yourself.
Meanwhile, you're looking SUSDICIOUS. MOVI
'Suspicious of what?'
*Well, you're wearing tight trousers and there are children
There. You look suspiciously like your're intending sexual play with children.'
'What's your number? our photographer demanded.
Wnars your name and address?
Dermai gave the details,
produced his nUJ press card for identification. The the cop asked:
'What's your date of birth?'
'I don't have to stand here answering questions.'
*Right, I'm arresting you on suspicion of intending sexual activity with children. It won't stick. But I can take you down the station for a few hours and honograph, will you Alterna you won't your tively you could give me your date of birth."
Silberman gave PC K384 this
and walked off after being warned: *If I see you DacK around nere you KIOY what the consequences will be.
The NUJ is being notified about the incident, and official complaint made to the police.
Twinkle, twinkle
VICTOR MATTHEWS' new Daily Star — It will support
•who supports capita lism. That means the Tories had an unscheduled send off when the printing presses rolled out the first instalment of full-
and endless titilation last week.
decorated the paper's Manchester offices
"This is offensive to women'
Short stories
•Readers are invited to submit short stories for this year's
Competition Maximum length of stories should be3.500 words
They should arrive at our office by 24 November. in judges will be: Mervyn Jones, Биша теллав, апа rrancis Mulhern.
Socialist Challenge 9 November 1978 Page 3
Page 4 scan of this page
Stick out for the full claim!
HOME NEWS
few days ago.
that the (16½ incorporated into basic rates.
the working week.
ROB McCRAE,
pay.
ALONG WITH everyone else. Ford workers have suffered the effects of three years Incomes UHUCE Labour Government.
Wage increases have fallen more than 20 per cent behind price increases, which have doubled cinceanour elected in February 1974.
An increase of E20, which is what our 3C3111 demands, would almost LESLOTO purchasing power of our gross pay to what it was in October 1974.
Even taking into account the Government's tax cuts, a E20 rise would still leave a shortfall of 4 per cent in real take home pay over the same period.
The figures for the majority B-grade workers tell their own story. Even it the penalty clauses and attendance allowance are discounted, the new offer would leave Ford workers well behind the rising cost of
WORKERST
3020%
ONTHE PAY
NO THE
THE MAIN speech to the Ford
strikers Dagenham
Friday's meeting
made by chiet negotator
Todd. Here are extracts from
his speech.
So we are talking to a company which profitable, a
company which over
years has amassed a profit of
£700 million, and we said now
is the time for the company to
begin to redistribute some of
that profit to the people
created that profit - the Ford
WOrKerS •*•
The media still present. the
issue as a confrontation with
Socialist Challenge 9 November 1978 Page 4
Ford strike, week 8
THE CLAIM that brought about the Ford strike was scarcely mentioned by the union officials at the mass meetings which rejected the company's 'final offer' a
When the vote was put at Dagenham, for example, the strikers were called on to reject the offer on the basis of opposing the penalty clauses and seeking to ensure
per cent) increase in wages was
The official, Mick Murphy of the Transport Union, said nothing about the original claim, which includes the demand for a £20 rise and a five-hour reduction in
La press shop worker at the Dagenham plant, looks at the importance of these two demands and argues that the national conference of Ford shop stewards which originally formulated the claim should be recalled to ensure they're not dropped.
£20 on the
living.
The figures are these. On day shift, the present before stoppages is E68. The componal s6.02, with E3.48 on company's the of top with their weekly attendance supplement. That makes a total new wage of £78 - E10 short of our claim.
Under the claim our wage would be £88, which is what we was need to protect our
It isn't only Ford workers who would suffer if we fail to the meet OUT target. coincidence that all the major groups of workers with wage claims pending are demanding increases Public sector manual workers, for instance, are demanding ter to bring encir manan up to £60. A compromise on the principies involved in dratting the Ford workers' claim would weaken the case of others too.
A very important principle is the unifying character of the Ford claim for £20. In the past, we've always had a collection of sectional demands as a way of dressing up a moderate pay demand.
Even in this dispute, the idea of a special allowance line-workers has been pushed by KOn LOCO HENC negotiator, as a way of selling something short of the t20 The best answer fight for unifying demands like the across-the-board f20 which will benefit everyone.
What Ron
Todd said
the Government. Well, let's get one thing clear: there is no way was we have used any of you in a Ron political fight.
We are fighting the company on ne pass ortner success, un the basis that we believe now is the time for Ford workers have an improvement on their three DRS Wate Everything had from Ford you have fought for. They never gave it to you.
Every advantage we've had who from Ford from the days when was a shop steward in the Walthamstow plant has been wrung from the company ...
We reached the position that
Five
off
the
day!
FORD HAS MADE a great deal of the high absentee rates The allowance eliminate this.
But the main basic wage absenteeism is the
work conditions unpleasant.
It's no joke when the line speed is so high. plant 133 engines equivalent of one engine every 27 seconds.
Shiftwork, the stench in the factory, the boring nature of living
It's* no
a comparable to this in
the company had made an offer of nine and a half per cent, plus the attendance supplement.
Despite our insistence, they are now offering on the basic to
you have ever
hours
OUS. reduction since then.
Some progress!
The
until Xmas
in hours.
Dagenham
'attendance no exception. designed ROUGE cause of fact that technology,
The engine at Dagenham produces an hour the
Detroit,
ALL PRODUCTIVITY
DEALS ARE A
Fraud
YCHE one way, offers going the outer.
WHAT NEXT IN THE UNIONS?
One-day trade union conference organised by Socialist Challenge supporters in Yorkshire to problems of organising the fightback.
* The lessons of Rank & File and the Broad Left
* The way forward for socialists in the unions
Saturday 11 November. Starts 10.30 am Swarthmore Centre, 4 Woodhouse Square, Leeds 3
Child care and accommodation available contact Leeds 629631 first
the work, the terrible din — all 35,000 these contribute to so-called "absenteeism', and to the huge turn-over of workers at Ford
That's one of the reasons why a reduction in the working
Everyday we're told what a wonderful system capitalism is;
But at Ford, as in many other factories, we only achieved ine 40-hour week at the start of the
WC VC had
company's employee relations director, Paul Roots, has been quoted as saying that
could continue and they SESH the wouldn't concede the reduction aHOWanCE
As Ron Todd said at the
mass everything we've ever had from rord, we ve nad to nigat tor And a reduction in hours will be all.
maze
With the introduction of new
the case for a management. shorter working week is ever more important. We've only got to look at what happened in the United States to see that automation means job loss.
At the River Rouge plant in
example, there
were 102.800 workers in 1929 been earned. By 1970, there were less than *Involved
SEL-OUTE T
rate less than they offered last
Ford profits are going
-alE operating discuss the basis.
strike. shortage
The only way to save jobs is to fight for work-sharing with
Absent
without
leave
IF FORD workers had accepted
company's attendance and the penalty clauses attached to this, what would it have meant for us?
Principally, that a large part * Late of any new cash offer is not guaranteed to the workers at
would be well nigh impossible for many workers to avoid getting caught up in the
of conditions laid down Ford
This is what they told us in a letter to all employees:
An employee will not qualify for the supplement in a week in which he (sic) has been: * On annual vacation for which
in
120•3510
Acting
internationally
FORD, the American owned
multi-national,
take every conceivable advan-
tage offered to giant firms b
on world-wide
The capitalists think interna-
tionally, which is why it's vital
that workers do likewise, as has
begun to napper ir we presen
The following letter from
members of the Ford Spain
Works Committee was sent to
the Ford Workers Group in
London on 28 October.
*To Ford workers in Britain:
The effects of your strike begin
to be felt at Ford Spain.
•We have been offered by the
company's direction to get two
days off next week due to a
of SOME
week would be a real step along LuIs Toda stoppage work whether official or unofficial. *Taken off Day either individually or as a member of
*Suspended for disciplinary DUESOses *Absent without permission *Absent with permission. for example, on personal business or extended unpaid leave.
more than one occasion, or on one occasion in excess of five minutes. *Disqualified from payment for a public holiday. *Laid-off where this results directly indirectly from disruptive action within any of
ComDany s plants establishments.
As you can see, the proposed allowance simply adds £3.48 -the amount of the supplement — to what we directly lose in wages for hours not worked.
would prove a mign weapon the hands of management to pusa troug! their productivity drives.
NO MESS
RIGHT components needed to build the Fiesta - • carburettors mainly.
The production or tnese twu days should be recuperated on a compulsory overtime DaSIS. done by all the workers once the
*We have been discussing this
offer at the Ford Spain Work:
Committee and have decided not to accept it.
•We have approved resolution explaining that this
is a Fords problem and so we
are not going to do anything
against the struggle of British
WOrKCIS *If the factory has to be laid
off we want to be paid
normal, but we won't call for
overtime lo recuperate pro
duction.
Page 5 scan of this page
ropes attached
"Of course it's a political fight"
HOME NEWS
response from management and the unions.
"At a mass meeting of workers
Leyland's Longbridge factory last Friday,
Robinson, chairperson Leyland stewards, chose his targets carefully.
Hisattitude to the company-s offer of a five per cent increase WaS conciliatory. 'We
reasonaole.
Robinson assured Leyland's management. HARSH
harsh words reserved for those on the left
argued for immediate strike action.
*I get tired of being advised what to de by the lunaticleft, the Trots, and their henchmen, shouted Robinson.
And yet i was ine inreal or immediate action which finally
management to make any offer in reply to the unions" 30 per cent claim.
The Cowley plant threatened strike
money was forthcoming, and just before AFTER FRIDAY's mass meeting at
plant about the future of the Ford strike. This was the first mass meeting
seven weeks. why do you think it was called?
Phil: All Ron Todd and the other officials are looking for is an easy way out of the situation they find themselves in. unions will only pay out for the SunKe Tor SO Iong.
They
are not asking anvwnere neal What supposed to be going for, which Is 120 and a 35 hour week. I doubt if the 35-hour week has even ocen taked about Nick: All the stuff about sick
they've forgotten that
Leyland clash looms
A pay offer 1
JOHNNY HAINE in Cowley and PAT HICKEY in Birmingham report on the Leyland pay claim and the
Cowley's deadline for action ran out last Friday the offer was Derek Provuccur tne staggering sum of £3.65 a week.
It would be incorrect to say
The rot has gone far enough!
were had
not to: 6 Salisbury Rd., Moseley, Birmingham.
Phil Newton: "The officials are looking for an easy way out.
Socialist Challenge spoke to Nick Fox, Phil Newton and shop steward Barry Graham who work in the body
gether. It's just the money on the basic rate they're interested in now.
Barry: If the allowance is put on the basic rate they'll recommend a return to work.
The What do you think the Ford Workers Group should for doing? were Phil: The Group put out a good leaflet on the offer, but that's the trouble - • there is very little you can do but leaflet.
Barry: But we went down to the Vauxhall plants to speak. alto- Liverpool W C
that there are strings attached There are enormous ropes.
If the productivity schemes, if they job losses 20,000, if they accept the parity fraud, and if parity is self-financing, then the workers can have their five per cent increase.
©Charter
FIGHT BACK!
WE BUILD The rank and file Leyland Charter is calling a meeting open to all Leyland workers in early December. For further information write
situation and the feelings on the shop floor to what they were doing, their claim, and their unofficial committees. We got a resounding success.
Unfortunately, we couldn't get a speaker down to the other two plants in time. Im not saving it would have changed the situation, but their knowing our claim and us knowing theirs helped a lot.
Phil: I agree entirely, but you must look at these things a bit cynically.
PRESSURE
Look at all the work done in the past by the Ford Workers Group on the claim. It can all be blown away in a few minutes by the decisions of a few top
Barry: But don't you think that Hune rank and me organise themselves into pressure group uney can pust Dagenham, for greater
the unions?
I'm not saying we could do it
gradually build mcnna acmocracy inside mese things so that the officials are no longer appointed or elected for life but only put in on a year attendance to year basis
And if they don't do their job properly we can replace them by somebody else.
Do you think the Coventry be
ConTerencE stewards should be recalled? Phil: The Coventry conference is a chance for the workers who come work on me noor mandate the claim. But last year they didn't At recall the conference. OU! Barry: This year it was specified
The
accept was short and sharp. Bob Fryer,
of over
the next step.
LESLAND CHARTER NATIONAL MEETING
was Cen more aramaut immediate 3,000 workers.
POSTPONED Leyland's sewardes
max mum nationalised company
cent norm than is Ford. because everything
level.
not using you as weaDOn ment?
pay policy.
are drawn in.
Women workers don't seem no ved une sake
Barry:
front this
proper
democracy inside
Halt
could up greater
only workers and
Mirror.
Ford shop
Belle Vue, Manchester Tickets non-earners stewards on the
With
pay
Exchequer sustain.
*A total
Cowley negotiating WOrKerS committee'sanswer to this offer
Transport and *26,000 General Workers' Union senior steward, described the offer as turning "derisory' and called for a joint stewards meeting to consider
per cent.
The response of the workers at Leyland's Drew's Lane plant
walk-out of the jer cent uca
It was left to Communist Party member Derek Robinson at the Longbrage meeting Moreover, try and calm matters down. He successfully persuaded the mass meeting to postpone possible COnDay 20 strike action until 1 December.
But it seems unlikely that
boss Michael will respond Robinson's friendly overtures. until 1983.
that five per cent is the 'absolute in Belgium,
London, and being industry the much more susceptible to pressure from the proposed Government over the five per that there should be a recall conference. It hasn't happened
has beer
left in the hands of the NJNC and senior stewards at plant
What do you think of Todd's statement that the unions are
La political against Ene govern-
Nick: It must be a political fight. The Government makes
won t get anywhere unless other workers
and wives to have been
The ones from the Riverside plant were down the *
morning SHIETH.
Henrv Ford is in a mess. And think the wives of Ford workers are behind the strike, because they know what the conditions
Wear
But the whole way the strikes run, with only stewards on the pickets and so on, means the
information most Ford wIves what they read in the Daily
Repeal
PEOPLE'S FESTIVAL 78 12 hours of culture, politics and Both
CHHOTCH S • testival/
Sun. 26 Nov., 11am-11pm
Cheques
reduced for
Details: 28 Hathersage Road, Manchester 13(061-224 5378)
Organised by Manchester Area
Checklist of
anger over pay
their radios closely tuned to the industrial news these days, the storm swells up against the
policy that Prime Miniser sno nancelor ouR
have
This is the checklist of anger against the 5 per cent.
of 57,000 Ford still on strike after overwhelmingly the penal terms attached to a 16½ per cent pay offer.
bakery workers on strike for a 26 per cent rise after
down deal, with productivny, worl aboul
*26,000 Vauxhall employees will be meeting next week to decide whether to accept an 8
British Leyland workers have walked out of the Drews Lane plant in Birmingham in protest at a 5 per cent per offer. The demand is for a £15
Edwardes has already made quite clear the direction he wants to see the
Two weeks ago he called a meeting of union officials and convenors in Leyland when he unveiled the company's plans
These include closing Senesse
vanden Plas in No.8 Foundry in Leeds, and Coventry engines.
Redundancies are also
Cowle and Longbridge, and Edwardes has threatened to close Solihull if Barry Graham: 'Ford wives are behind the strike'
*
TWO IN THE EYE
Wadge to Work. Anti-Racist
Fight Racism badge is
black on white.
All Immigration
Laws is black letters on
white with red star.
are 15p plus 7p
postage, or 11p for bulk
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including postage
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Socialist Challenge
(Badges), PO Box 50,
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FOR RACISM!
'special treatment' on the basis of their claim for an £80 a week basic wage.
*42,000 workers are demanding rises of 20 per cent.
*3,000 British Oxygen employees have been urged by their negotiators to turn down 9 per cent.
*5,000 Scottish lorry drivers
-the first of 500.000 engaged it regional negotiations seeking an increase of 25 per cent.
*Over one million local authority workers are seeking a 40 per cent increase to lift their
the present £42.40 to £60 a week
*700,000 civil servants have just set upa fim fighting fundto smash through 5 per cent.
*Over 60,000 members of the furniture and timber trade union, FTAT, have rejected a 5
cent "all in' offer as "derisory".
management proposals on shift working are not agreed.
Edwardes' aim is to achieve Japanese levels of produc LIVIEV
In this context, Derek Robinson's expectation that if
unions are 'reasonable Leylane manasemen wilDe more flexible seems grossly out of touch.
In contrast to Robinson, the unofficial Leyland Stewards Committee for the Annual Review is setting the lead in calling forindustrial action now in support of their claim. Socialist Challenge 9 November 1978 Page 5
Page 6 scan of this page
The wage-link scheme the public sector doesn't need
Strike now strike together in Hackney
HOME NEWS
they make in response to the
Over what, you might ask.
been wondering.
It seems that the employers
are prepared to consider union
proposals for wages in the
public sector to be linked to the
national average wage.
They are also awaiting the
outcome of the talks between
the TUC and the Government,
which may well result in similar
proposals.
While UnIS might
attractive to many public sector
workcIs, it is a dangerous
diversion.
AVERAGE
David Basnett,
scarcary or ine denera and
Municipal Workers'
has been the brains behind the
campaign to get public sector
wages related to the average
industrial wage.
As early as last December, he
arguca m une sunday Jimes tor
permanent review bodies to
Topiace we one-on emergency
inquiries". These
nually *establish OO CCLYC
Over 350 membegs
reject the five per cent limit.
DAVIDSON and GEOFF RYAN, report.
The Newcastle showed some of the weaknesses or me or c claim. Ine union leadership argues for action in 1979.
They say that by then there will be a united claim involving all NUPE members.
No one can disagree with such unity. It would be stupid to have manual workers putting
WHAT'S LEFT
ncher eadine publication. Payment in advance. WOMEN, LABOUR MOVEMENT INC rAMILTAND THE
series of meetings organised b
ivneside Socialist Centr
women
7.30pm at upstairs), 10/12 Pilgrim St.
NAIIONAL ABORTION
CAmPAiGN needs a new orrice worker to coordinate the campaign's work, run
evening and weekend meetings. Salar approx E160 per month after tax lease apply in writing giving previou
ice to: NAC, 3
SPEAKING TOUR by Claude Gabriel, a
the metings wil Be on the theme o
Africa. nursday s November: BIKMINGHAM
Birmingham Union, 1.00pm.
Socialist Challenge 9 November 1978 Page 6
Union leaders plan
ALTHOUGH the employers have said that any offer
claim of the local government manual workers' claim will be within the Government's pay guidelines, negotiations continue.
RICH PALSER has
comparisons between and private sector pay'.
Basnett's basic argument is this. In practice, the public sector always faces an incomes policy — because the employer the goverhment, always imposes more rigidly in the public sector
seem Therefore the always comes off worse.
The unions should recognise this fact, Basnett considers, by maintaining regular discussions Whene government economic policy, and moving general towards synchronised reVIeW Gates Union, In addition, should be made industrial order to establish what public sector wage levels should be. "Dedicated public servants... who had long eschewed the strike weapon have increasingly scen strike action as the only an- of resolving problems', he lamented.
NUPE stewards say:
THE PAY claim submitted by the National Union of Public Employees is now being discussed in branches.
of the Newcastle Authority) branch voted at a meeting on 24 October to
Two Newcastle shop stewards in the branch, PAUL
meeting in their claim one nurses the next. and another section of the membership at a later date.
But why not bring the claims forward? If NUPE were ngnung now, would we be united with the WOUG fighting alongside others such as Ford.
GARNERS: Main
1 Garners Strike Fund I Tail.
FRANTZ FANON, American Black Tho and John Alan
Crisis' by Raya Dunayevskaya, E1. Both from News & Letters Publications. Box London Nt.
BLACK SOCIALIST Alliance desperateHere to stav. here to ront social.
two designs; in black, fight racism; in d, women's liberation symbol. Cos 1 from our offices or £1.25 by ma
FIGHT quality white cotton with red design. souve or requiar snon sieeve If in doubt order a large 51.50 from our offices, or 51.75 inc. p
Basnett voted against the TUC
problems workers? In a word, No.
The CPSA,
public lower-paid civil servants, has
had a system of 'pay research' for some time.
is jobs in private industry. Thus which civil servants
policies with the wages
Braues in private maustry, wno are often among the public sector paid.
method of comparison, with special review bodies 'where no direct comparability exists', for workers suca as une nrengaters -OYC and, of course, the police.
pay BEHIND comparisons
wage always leave civil servants an
manon-boosted Iz montns behind by the time -mercase is mo emented
that membership their drawing up the claim; assessing the most important thing to go The NUPE leaders proposing a series of selective strike actions. If we can bring (Local
we employers to neel by only bringing out a small section of the membership. that is tine However, we involve all the membership in campaign. branch has members. win we need to have the support OF OunCE WOrKerS.
At the very least this means members meetings not only tories, docks, shipyards and so
UH aLSO NUPE members
organise now for action.
Newcastle the organisation of
Challenge/ Fi Litho.
London Oxford especialy platemake i Lady
writing to
Provo ers Manchester To h lanchester
Trader Union ca
repression and the United Troops O Movement
London W2.
music, food and
RACISM - How to fight it. Socialist forum.
UCIALISE PRESS railvifil niversary of weekly Socialist Pr
Good
including postage inc. påp. TOr SIX
Gardens: Roath, Cardiff
Shortly after writing this
The Pay Will his plan resolve the pay
Not public service figure, negotiations representing membership have
The civil service comparison with people doing similar HOPEFUL
are compared of clerical workers lowest • mercases for tem.
Basnett proposes a similar
government.
year in Secondly, these comparisons sector
their strike.
But most important of all, it
no in
living standard. full-timers.
Ability for the dispute. still need to
Newcastle agreed to levy all its DUE who That's fine, but to workers wages anO NUPE members suffer.
If SUCI fac- followed TECHEDCIS themselves and other need to cent.
Speakers:
Campain roa
liam, Manchester.
POW's! 14 Hounslow upport 20
14 No
Richard Carver at SC. 01-359
for next, and deciding how to
prepare the fight for the claim.
Research Unit
mices, comes forward with d
and that's where Start. EnC
recommendation is too low, the
OCCI
mobilised ready. lor a fight,
because it is not their claim.
It will leave them waiting idly
by, hoping that private sector
obtain decent
Many public sector workers
might be encouraged to go for this type of deal, because they
feel weak and unable to win
through industrial action when
Laking the
in practice, increases have
been won no other way. The
which Hallud wages have not
fallen behind the public sector
- when the gap has narrowed
- was that of the dirty jobs'
ine right to prepare and submit your own claim, and to take industrial action to win it, is the only guarantee of a decent strike action has been left to
The membership should control the strike.
We need to set up action committee commutices to take responsi-
We need to draw up a list of members from all sections who tees may not be called out on strike, borough
can talk to other about the appalling conditions most pay claims. measures are we believe OU!
Can aid both
workers break
by smashing the five per
guitarist/vocalist wanted Tel: ed to form tuayl. is prisoners Speakers: agueline Nov
14 Nov 7.30pm, Conway Hall, Red Lior
Stamford Hill Library on the Adm: 60p (30g
ANTI-ZIONIST Seminar: British Anti-
Mitchell, 90 John St, Glasgow G1
Hands off ireland
ndon W11 (off Portobello Rd). Ti.50. 8-12pm date bar 81.25, on doo COMRADE from an African countr
refugee desperately need
(office hours and Sundays) or Jon
Nov., 7.30pm
COUNT 8
Pay action
HACKNEY Trades Council is / committee was first proposed proposing to set up a pay action
to aid the fight against the 5 per cent, reports MALCOLM DAY.
All shop stewards commit-
the East London CAIC presciuly being circulated by the trades council, which is inviting them to attend a meeting to discuss backing for
for
The plan is to consider how support can be organised for all those in Hackney
-YOUS TO through Callaghan's norms, such as the British Oxygen workers.
The idea for the pay action
SOCIALIST musicians/ vocalists Ed don Tel: 01-969 Pau
Polytechnic, London Rd site Elephant and Castle, London.
CONFERENCE ON Nuclear and the Trade Unions, Ruskin Colleg
NICANAHIONAL Tribunai on oritain'S
Hotbor tube: Fri. 9l
Theobald's Rd, Holborn tube).
at the trades council's public meeting on Ford a fortnight ago by Ray Varnes, district secretary the Employees' union.
It was then taken up by delegates from the building workers' union, UCATT, who raised it on the trades council.
*The Liaison Committee
Reverence Trade Unions has announced that it will hold a conference nex February on wages, the shorter working week, and on policies to cope with new technology.
The LCDTU is backed by the Communist Party.
ALL OUT ON 26 NOVEMBER:
It Group London on 20 November Meting mie Committee
Northumberiana Manchester, Basement Theatre, Toi
being arranged
Solidarity with irish Perkswell Green
Page 7 scan of this page
Police attack
HOME NEWS
While the police
explains.
Halloween was
because it had been named as
an international day of action
by women against rape,
because witches are a potent
symbol of women's power.
Soho was the target because
of the large number of porn
shops and the high level of
harassment of women in the
alca.
Pornography - in showing
WORCH
objects - encourages men to
see women as their property.
availableto them whenever and
however they want.
INSULTING
In fact the violence started at
the first porn shop that the
women came to.
The new Swedish Cinema in
Brewer Street, displaying typically insulting
grading images of women,
enraged the demonstrators.
Incy nanted to deface pictures with stickers SIOLARS
One of the staff then rushed
out with a stool When ne brought down over a woman's head. She crumpled bleeding to the ground.
From then on the violence escalated. The same threatened the women a nammer PROPOSED changes in the
claimants.
the right of appeal against benefit decisions.
SYLVIA BLISS reports.
Supplementary benefits are paid to those without enough stamps to qualify for unemployment benefit or whose dole money nas to be made up to meet their financial needs.
Kates or oenentane wno aers them is controlled and decided by the Supplementary Benefits Commission.
The review produced by this body in July suggested flat-rate rent allowances for the first eight weeks of any claim, rather than the present needs-tested SySECHE Flat-rate rent allowances of
£6.95 for single people and £8.40 for married LOUDICI
womens
march
WOMEN who gathered in Soho on Halloween (31 October) to 'reclaim the night" for women intimidated off the streets were met with even greater violence.
-broke up the demonstration by attacking them with truncheons, another woman on a nearby street was brutally beaten.
Women clearly cannot rely on the cops to protect them from street violence, as JUDE WOODWARD
chosen Then some police arrived.
Their response: to attack and seize women haphazardly. and TRUNCHEONS Women were hit over the head, breasts and in the small the back reinforcements lashed out at random with their wooden truncheons.
Five women had to réceive SexUal hospital treatment for head and face injuries, and others were DaGLY DrUISeE A total of 15 women were arrested for threatening behaviour, assaulting a police officer, and other charges.
While some of them were waiting in the police station, another woman its in. Nothing at all to do with the de- demonstration — she was badly bruisco and beaten up, as tne result of a Soho street attack.
Where were the police wher and this was happening?
INTEREST The police have never shown much interest women out night.
man woman is out at night without a with asking for whatever she gets.
Social security payments
Benefit rate
cuts proposed
payment of mentary benefits could result in severe hardship for
The same proposals could also mean limitations on
would mean that for weeks. many claimants would have to make up their rents by getting into debt. HARDSHIP One of the groups hardest hit wonten refuges. Over 50 per cent
national or local government, and could not stay open lt ine) did not charge a realistic rent — above the proposed flat-rate allowance.
Moreover, many arrive at refuges with nothing other than the clothes they stand up in. These women are
women's
Until the labour movement acts to change these attitudes, Sola women Cac corol
DOnCC help if they are attacked and are
not seen as easy targets toI degrading assaults, rely on no-one but themselves The establishment of local rape crisis centres; emphasis on self-defence, insisting that it is taught to girls
national press so that women DOSLEUCLOR
objects and so that rape is not sensationalised attractive — these are all ways of starting to change the was brought SITUATIOn
For as reclaim ine nignt demonstration in Brighton "Whatever we wear, wnerever we go, yes means yes and no
* The Keclaim defence committee is anxious to hear from protecting witnessed or photographed the
The events on Halloween. statemens. dresses should be sent to:
Woman's Place, St., London WC2. supple-
MaDE exceptional needs payments for clothes — this would go under une new scheme.
APPEAL
eight Appeals against
assessments will not be allowed unless important are shown to be at stake.
The changes are clearly part of the wider plan to reduce social service spending living Colecause
of ship.
Aid receranon
submitting a detailed criticism review Commission in December.
Copies of the review, entitled Social Assistance, are available from: DHSS Leaflets Division,
women
Leaflets Unit, Government Buildings, Honeypot Lane, Stanmore, Middx.
they can
in schools:
tion group women on a recent
Catholic church. chanted:
Labour rally
the Night
success. anyone who
Initial adthe unborn.
43 Earlham
society. * It emotively
to foetuses as brothers and sisters'
These arguments
tality and demagogy however
LO CHOOse. claim The notion
mothers is
and
benefit HACKNEY
principles
and enormous hardThe National Women's
WIll be
the
Block
One of the women attacked on the march, showing her head injuries. Eyes are blacked out at her request
"Life' in the
labour
movement
"LIFE' is a virulent anti-abor- SCULOTS
whose support is mainly to be found in the
Tue Nanonal rrontis te only not to political party to adopt its anti-abortion programme. now it is seeking support in the
So tar it has not had much
Life's glossy propaganda is too crude to convince many Labour Party activists. * i camus to be a trade union' acting in the interests of and
* It says that the unborn are the most oppressed 'class' in
refers have abortion as 'killing off the unborn', and sometimes refers
'our unborn
pose as politics and class consciousness, but really depend on sentimen that YOU!
sending a while Life's extreme ideas do not win muct
the initiative. support in une labour move ment, that is not to say that there as a cea understaneing orne importance of a woman's right should rimarily be wives med women Abortion.
represented? still prevalent, November, despitethe impact of theideas of London SW1. the women's liberation move-
the large scale employment of women in all
GIRLS
lin
Until women themselves have the right to decide whether or not to have a child, whether or
continue with pregnancy, their position in the workforce will remain at the mercy of the state and bosses.
It is to extend the fight for a the labour movement, and to counter the ottensive ideas o organisations like Life, that the National Abortion Campaign
the Labour Abortion Rights Campaign have called the trade union conference on abortion on 25 November.
Various anti-abortion groups
already declared their intention to bring coachloads of their supporters to London to of picket the conference.
We have to make sure that they have no chance of making a show of strength. Make sure
delegate to the conference and is supporting
Plans are being made for a counter-mobilisation of supporters of a woman's right to choose outside the conference. *Trade Union Conference on
Will you Saturday on.
Caxton Hall,
374 Gray's Inn Rd, London WC1 (01-278 0153).
Abortion
crossing
borders
THE obstacles women need to overcome to exert control over their bodies
| are different all over the world.
But if one thing became clear from the first of a series of forums organised by the
Campaign for Abortion Rights, it was that
their right to fertility control, writes DODIE WEPPLER.
Manuela Lombardo from the Committee for Information on Sterilisation and Abortion spoke at the London meeting on Friday 27 October about how the new abortion law in
passca by only minc votes in June — would not be mpiemenica witnout a massive struggle led by women. She stressed that it isn't as ibera a the press claim.
A major problem for Italian women is the Catholic Church - especially the immediate excommunication which hangs over the heads of medical staff who implement the law. Anne Connolly, from Dub.
Well Women Clinic, explained that the Church was a major obstacle for counselANNE CONNOLLY lors at the clinic - the only place which does open
Rally where in the South of Ireland
Zulma Rivera from the
Committee for Puerto Ricar Independence, said that for women in colonial countries fertility control involves a fight to end forced sterilisation.
The International Campaigr for Abortion Rights is hoping that the next forum — Black Women Speak Out will
many of the issues involved.
What do the organisers hope to achieve with these highly informative forums? Cam paign activists at the meeting argued that the only guarantee
success for women's struggles will be if they have an internationalist perspective.
More concretely, the British campaigners have agreed to coordinate ar international dar of action on 31 March.
•We will need a tremendous effort to get this united action oll the ground. The response has been tremendous to date But now we need help to raise funds, translate material. organise the forums, plan pickets at embassies, and sO
The success of Friday's meeting can best be measured by the fact that every single one of the forty people present signed up to do just that. Socialist Challenge 9 November 1978 Page 7
Page 8 scan of this page
RAN AND WO
Ruthless, corrupt and totally
Opening the
THERE is nothing like a victory for giving a boost to a struggle. The release of more than 1,100 Iranian political prisoners on 25 October was just such a victory. Millions of people throughout Iran are now demanding the release of all political prisoners.
The Shah will try to claim that the release of political prisoners is proof of his "liberalisation' programme. time Dr Owen is on television uttering words of wisdom about Iran he too will no doubt try to take some credit.
But no-one will be listening to them in Iran. For the Iranian masses know that it was they who recasco unc political prisoners and not the Shah. It was their victory and no-one can take it from them.
Ah, yes! The Royal
Hand -Wave! It means "The
first one of you peasants to
off with your head! "
MOve -
Unlike previous releases of political prisoners over the last two years, which usually involved unknown prisoners who in many cases had been imprisoned tor extremely trivial orrences or even by mistake, this time there were many important and well known ligures among those released.
One TO THE symbolic was Safar Ghahremani who was released after 30 years in prison.
He had been in prison longer than any other Iranian political prisoner and probably longer than any political prisoner anywhere in the world.
Through these years he had won enormous respect among prisoners because of his courage.
Another veteran prisoner Kurdish militant Ghani who like Ghahremani was serving a life sentence and had spent 25 years of his lite in the nans alecons
Vida Hadjebi, the former University sociologist arrested in 1972, was also among those released. campaign for her widespread international support.
Other well known tigures released included Hossein Rezai, a former
How is it that the struggle in Iran can
escalate despite the lack of a clear
political leadership. Why is the Iranian
ruling class not able to contain and
control the mass upsurge?
THE ESCALATING struggle in Iran is
a response to a quarter century
brutal dictatorship and repression. This
is symbolised by the Shah and the
instruments of repression which he has
created.
Once the struggle developed beyond
a certain stage, once people were killed
in street battles, the masses lost all fear.
In a very literal sense they had nothing
ese to lose.
stress the independent Socialist Challenge 9 November 1978 Page 8
prison gates
an interpreter Amnesty
opposition; playwrights and NeXt Nasser Yalfani.
of all the other political prisoners.
protest and
Outside prison
them spoke to
them to fight for the release of remaining prisoners. ¿Many have
The prisoners"
students alwavs lought lo1
working class.
Stop of their list of strike demands.
them a million
regime has now remaining political prisoners important and
released by nothing but a paper promise
member of the Writers" other Beh-Azin, was arrested.
FORCED
fellow
Boulourian
Tehran
The release had won
all Iranian political prisoners.
Iran we
of
context this
will Shah's
the wrath of the masses.
Trotsky always used to As for
political
leader of the Iranian student movement abroad who had been arrested eight years ago when he returned to Iran as
for a lawyer SeTT International; Ayatollah Taleghani and Ayatollah Montazeri, two leading figures in the Moslem
cine EWO theatre directors, Rahmani-Neiad and Mohsen
The regime had probably hoped that the release of prisoners would dampen down opposition. But as soon as some of the prisoners were told that they were to be released they organised protests inside the prisons calling for the release
Some even refused to leave the prisons for some time as a sign of
solidarity with prisoners. All the released prisoners refused to accept an 'imperial pardon.
prisoners were greeted by jubilant crowds. Many of
the demonstrators thanking them for the struggle thev had waged for their freedom and calling or
been giving interviews since their release describing forture and maltreatment in prison.
gaining widespread support, not just among
and intellectuals who had the release political prisoners, but also within the
The oil workers have now put the release of all political prisoners at the
Airline workers have also demanded ine release or ponical prisoners. Derore
striking civil servants and hundreds of thousands of strikine teachers had made the same demand.
Faced with this pressure the Iranian
promised that all will be December. This at the moment, especially in view of the fact that only two weeks ago a leading
Association,
But the regime can be forced to carry out this promise, just as it has already been forced to release many prisoners.
Internationally the campaign for the release of Iranian political prisoners must be steppe up. in unis country every effort must be made to build up the campaign being organised by the Committee Against Repression in Iran.
we mustraise our voices in sondanty with Iranian workers and demand the
capacities of the masses in motion. In have seen po textbook of this revolutionary axiom. Even the oil workers' strike has a political demand as its only focus: end Martial Law and release the prisoners. The one demand which united the religious leaders and the left is the call to overthrow the Shah. In the present is revolutionary democratic demand.. And the masses not accept anything less. attempts to persuade the moderate opposition parties to form a national government will founder on
the second part of the question, the answer is obvious. The
trickle.
blood.
Iranian ruling class has through coercion, exemplified by the existence of SAVAK. They have no reserves to draw upon. That is why we have explained that there fundamental difference between countries like Iran and others bourgeois democracy exists. It is not 1975 with Iran in 1978 to understand possible to contrast Portugal in this fact, but even compare Iran with India. Despite the character of India's institutions, they have nonetheless served the ruling class of that country well.
It is in that sense that we would insist that despite the gravity of the economic crisis in the advanced capitalist world,
IRAN'S OIL production came to almost a complete standstill last week. The flow of crude oil through Khark Island in the Gulf, usually one of the busiest crude oil export terminals in the world, dropped to a mere
Production at Abadan refinery, the world's largest, ground to a halt. Iran's 30,000 oil workers had stopped work. They had turned off the taps which have for years been providing the Shah's regime with its life-
There have been numerous strikes in the Iranian oil industry over the past two months. In many cases the workers have won important wage rises. But the present strike is different — it isn't just for better wages or conditions.
It is a political strike. The powerful oil workers are demanding an end to
were
Udys higher Opposition leader Khomeini governed the bourgeoisie has enormous political reserves at its disposal. In a country like Iran this is clearly not the case. one-sided or Eurocentric view of the world political situation can, theretore, prove fatal for revolutionary marxists Why and Britain prepared to co so tar order to defend the Shah and his regime? After all their "human rights' moth-eaten demagogy has exposed as in the case of Iran?
THE ANSWER can be summed up in one word: OIL. The crude oil reserves of Iran amount to 10 per cent of the world total. As a result the West needed
Lack of
Shah's m
martial law and the unconditional release of all political prisoners.
High on the list of the oil workers' demands domination of the Iranian oil industry
Wall! the CAUSIOH of consortium of eight major imperialist o companic. which has effectively controlled the production and export of most of Iran's oil since 1954, and of all foreign oil company staff.
The largest partner in the consortium Is Brusn retroleum, rollowed by une part-British owned Royal Dutch Shell.
The regime's response was to send IMPROVED troops into the oil fields and other oil
Workers A 03021 refinery were attacked troops last week and several workers
injured The regime threatened to sack all striking workers if they did not return to work after four
DEADLINE
But the deadline has now passed and the workers have not been fired. The threat to use solelers unuC supervision of managerial technical staff to run oil installations is also unlikely to be carried out.
The oll workers are not the only group on strike for political demands. When the present wave of workers' strikes began over a month workers demands were mally
wages and better conditions.
Political demands mainly related to the workers" immediate their work place - abolition of statecontrolled syndicates and the right to form free trade unions, expulsion of andet police asking or reactionary
sacking reactionary Handsels But now more and more workers are
turning their attention to wider political demands
A mIon striking civil servants demanded an end to martial law and the release of political prisoners a fortnight ago. Following
Any West
are the leaders of the United States
in
been so well
oil,
hundreds of thousar decided to dron the higher pay and concen demands When the teachers Tehran their banner d not on strike for higher to martial law and th release of all political pi Striking airline wor grounded all Iran Air demanding an end to
imperialist the release of all po
They have
and by power
include the expulsior advisors trom the cancellation of agreements and contr Iran.
The power worker
OCCUDYIE
by the cancellation of power plants at exort also Western countries. instead of wasting mor the already operating improved and repaired The fight for pre newspaper workers, resulted in major co regime and a very obv also continuing other workers of t and Ayandegan (a pape believed to be direct regime have been on against attempts by th internal censorship Meanwhile there ha: ago street demonstratior for Every day tens of tho come onto une suCe provincial townsto ex
some of the bigges since the declaration have been taking place The main University, situated in city, has been demonstrations. Last once again demonstrator Several demonstrator have been kilea There have also ber them. wit troops cisewners a strong and tough regime in Iran whic ensure a continuous supply of oil to th
The Shah fitted the bill. He wi ruthless, corrupt, a megalomaniac an totally loyal to the West. So imperial
concentrated on building the Shah's regime over the last 25 year
They transformed and modernise Pahlavi's army and air force. Vario other forms of aid were provided. A time passed and une tacade or staom appeared almost permanent, the We encouraged a more audacious role fo Iran. Given that the Persian Gulf state produced another big chunk of wor
Iran was given the task
Page 9 scan of this page
RLD POLITICS
s of teachers demands for ale on pontical
lared: *We are pay but an ena unconditional political force.
For the
who have becoming ights, are also through mass artial law and factories. Workers
links and expressing dI DEISUICIS
joined by messages and actions ters in Tehran, orkers.
demands wauc uno our caucacy. untry and the The regime is very
ts imposed on
is now having to retreat
are demanding ders for int prices from
say that
lants could be
freedom by LIBERAL ich has so far essions by lne sly freer press,
Tehran daily hich is widely nanced by the coalition rike in protest bourgeois opposition. ditor to impose
opposition cen a revival of and protests. seems inds of people n Tehran and
vIews.
Khomeini,
f martial law Tehran. Shah. The
of Tehran e heart of the referendum Focus the turday troops
fire on
campus. re reported to
to compromise. violent clashes n the country accompanied
loyal
preserving stability in the whole region.
The guerrillas in Dhofar were amongst
the first victims of this policy.
were crushed by the combined weight
of British military
raman manpower
Thirdly Iran's geographical proxim-
ity to the Soviet Union gives it a key
strategic place in American military
For the imperialist
therefore, the emergence of even
moderate regime which
distance from the United States would
not be acceptable. But what they fear is
a growing instability and a growing
mass radicalisation. And these fears are
our hopes. For if there is a democratic
il halts
achine
and many are reported to have been
The growth and now the rabid politicisation of strikes is a very important new development in the •situation in Iran. The working class is
all ary first time, workers are organised around strikes meetings their are establishing this through or sondarity.
Every day workers are gaining fresh expenences mourn mer own acuons. which are unfettered by any established
worried by the situation. It has failed to control the situation by martial law and violence. It
daily. The release of more than 1,100 political prisoners was a major concession.
Now it has been forced by workers to promise the release of all other political prisoners. In another concession, it has sacked many of the important figures in SAVAN, among mem rariz sabel, the former head of Internal Security-
The bourgeois liberal opposition is also very worried by the rise in workers' struggles. It is frantically trying to find a compromise solution before it is too late. Tehran is full of rumours about a
government involving the
The National Front (main bourgeois
group) leader Karim Sanjabi has been in Paris trying — it
unsuccessfully so far
Ayatollah Khomeini to moderate his
who is a key figure because of his popularity in Iran, has so far insisted on the overthrow of the
National Front's compromie on this question is that a
should be held, determine the future of the monarchy.
At the same time, the former Prime Minister, Ali Amini, who has links with the National Front, has been visiting the Shah in the hope of persuading him
These behind-the-scenes wnceung and acalings nave Deen
by propaganda by TARIO ALL
rapidly.
They The attack continental techniques and apo
powers,
took its don't find it.
campaign about an impending "blood bath and ultra-reactionary coup in the hope of scaring the masses into a compromise solution.
But the Iranian masses who, unlike the bourgeois politicians, have stood up to real blood baths and ultra-reactioncoups, are likely IHHICICUSOCSOV interregnum the left could grow very
on the Tehran Inter- will Hotel (where Lord Pakistan Chalfont normally stays) a few days
DUT significant manifestation of how the masses regard links Western support for the Shah. Carter and his British poodles are supporting the Shah because thev re desperate. But if his removal becomes vital, they will search for another alternative ranian revolutionaries must ensure that they
What would be the effect of the fall of the Shah on neighbouring countries?
be Mass meeting last week THE SITUATION in Pakistan is already precarious. If the Shah falls it
accelerate the break-up
The Baluchi people, in particular, would seriously consider establishing
with the Iranian Baluchis, especially if a democratic government was established
What effect it wolle nave Afghanistan it is difficult to forsee. The
-COMELE BratSoviet on hotle to the in
However, right-wing opposition does developing could expected strong support from the Shah
ONE OF the first effects of the Iranian
oil crisis will be felt across the Indian
Ocean in South Africa.
KICHARD CAKYER reports.
developed over the past few years is
historically appropriate.
During te
Reza Shah,
Shah, to Johannesburg for his pro-Naz
sympathies.
Shah's son was
country's most
with John Vorster,
interned in wartime Johannesburg for
his pro-Nazi positions.
LOOSEN
sides, by a wish to loosen ties with
the major
particularly the United States.
adrift completely
would never have tolerated it — but on
a day-to-day level both came into
conflict with US tactics and wanted
more toon tor manoeuvre
South Africa, for example,
fought a bitter
Treasury over
power in the Indian Ocean in its own
right.
But more
momentary tiff with the US was the
effect of the 1973 Middle East war.
been
multinational oil companies' control of
refining, transport
meant that they could afford to lose -
macca oren wanted to lose — direc
control of drillin
self-sufficiency in oil, US imperialism
OUI of
somewhat strengthened. But this does
not mean that the
complete sham
countries hit hardest was South Africa.
oil price rise, because that also sent the
gold price shooting up
South Africa what oil is to most of the
Arab countries.
SANCTIONS
political sanctions by cutting off oil to
South Africa because of its military
amance with israe
which has partially continued.
Iran stepped into the breach. With an
admirable combination
arse-licking and economic nous, the
Tehran regime became a major supplier
of both Israel and South Africa.
One of the features of late capitalism
Is the distorted industrialisation
certain semi-colonial countries through
the export of technology from
imperialist powers.
This also has its military aspect, with
In the Gulf states the overthrow of the Shah could have the effect o of aestabusing some or the sheikndoms particularly in Oman. Nor should the effect of the Iranian example in Saudi Arabia be underestimated.
So, in this sense as well, the concern of imperialism is perfectly comprehenSIDIC
What should those who support the mass struggle in Iran do in this country?
IF YOU'RE at a college, school or be university you should have meeting on the subject immediately. Speakers are available Committee Against Repression in Iran,
Partners in crime
Sane
Iran, The Tehran-Pretoria axis that has
British exiled Sure the father of the present
Thirty years later Reza South Vietnam. of the LO scal OnC important alliances who had beer alliances
The alliance was impelled, on both
imperialist powers,
Neither regime wanted to cut itself
- indeed the US
had War WIL the us gold prices. The Shah on South
important than any
The oil crisis which followed the war
greatly exaggerated. The maintained and distribution
energ) -CESIS
oil crisis Tor example, And one of the the For Pretoria the problem was not the
— and gold is to
SHOW
of South Africa.
But the main Arab oil producers took
an embargo French
of political cent.
That,
The Labour to
OrganISt far-left groups
the ITOL
creation of a series of middle
ranking third world powers which act
as a regional police force.
South Africa and Israel are
good examples of such powers. Brazil,
Australia and South Korea are others
Their role has taken on particular Since me aceous direct intervention to
aciena anomer or taese regional cops
But these regimes are not imperialist
puppets'. They have a considerable
autonomy and are increasingly forming
with each other. The
Tehran-Pretoria axis is a case in point
Even more sinister is the nuclear
development of these powers. Earlier
this year it was reported that, along
with South Africa, Israel and South
norea, Iran nad entered a mutual
defence pact with specifically nuclear
The impact of the present crisis on
srael remains unclear. Some reports
have suggested that almost all Israel's
oil imports come from Iran, though the
financial press over the past few due
has stressed that Israel has diversified
her oil suppliers in case of a further
war. But that could just be bluff
What is certain is the serious effect Africa. United Nations
sources reckon that Iran supplies 90 per
cent of South Africa's oil needs.
STOCKPILES
South Africa is not primarily an
oil-based economy and it has always
large stockpiles against serious oil
embargo, but it still cannot afford a
For one thing, a rundown of reserves CLIC regime
vulnerable to an embargo. There may
not be much chance of the imperialis
powers imposing such a boycott but
low oil stocks could
strengthen the bargaining power ot
South West Africa People's
Organisation in Namibia
Potentially one of the most dramatic
consequences of the drain on South
African reserves could be in Zimbabwe
Ene bingnam report nas revealec British oil companies have
suppicu me knodesian regime by was
The companies involved - British
Petroleum and Shell - hold between
them 54 per cent of the Iranian Oil
COLL DaLLY which
collaborated in the Rhodesian 'swap'
arrangement and te ngure is ou pe
and the directness of the
Iranian-South African oil link, suggest
that a large amount of that illicit oil
started life beneath Iran.
supply will not dry up
completely, but equally the Iranian oil
workers will have a political impact far
greater than they can have imagined. Box 4, 182 Upper St, London N1. If Owen or a member of the Labour Government is visiting your place of study you should intervene forcefully against Labour's support for the Shah.
If you are in the Labour Party or in a trade-union branch you should raise the question of inviting a speaker. You should call for Owen to be sacked and
break all military links forthwith. You should pass a resolution to that effect and send it to Transport House and the local press
If you belong to the CP or any of the
you should agitate within your organisation to ensure that solidarity extends beyond articles in newspapers and develop various actions
Socialist Challenge 9 November 1978 page 9
Page 10 scan of this page
COMPUTERISING APARTHEID
THE British-owned Ever Ready
firm has sacked 160 striking
Homen workers in
Elizabeth, South
TeDOrS KONAR GARR.
Some 300 Coloured women
WaIKeO out
demanding improved pay and
commuuns and recogninon tor
their union, the National Union
of Motor Assembly and Rubber
Workers of South Africa.
Many returned to work but
more than half stayed out;
defying company
LATCAE
CISIISSSL for breach
contract.
The union has said that it will
call for international strike
action from its international
affiliates and in Ever Ready
plants if the company sacks the
to speak
lat London
rally
DETROIT was the birthplace of the Ford motor empire. It
has the highest concentration of black and industrial workers in the United States - but half of them, almost literally, have not got jobs.
Nan Bailey, who will be Sn 25 Novem ary in a black
is a black revolutionary from Detroit — a full-time organiser for
Socialist Workers Party and former chairperson of Young Socialist Alliance.
In 1972 Bailey became Washington co-ordinator the Women's National Abortion Coalition, which led the successful fight for women's legal right to abortion in the United States. More recently she helped organise the 100,000 strong demonstration in support of the Equal Amendment.
Bailey has been concerned to
TOOreSCHT needs of black women in the women's HIOVCHICHIL participated in the founding conference of the National black Feminist Organisation and in the organisation to actere soan ite charged with murder after defending herselt against rape by a white prison guard.
halouree memoerorine National Student Coalition against Racism, Bailey directed her energies to the campaigns to de-segregate schools in Louisville and Boston despite the violent opposition of the racist IAN features prominently in the latest issue of Interconti. nental Press/Inprecor (Vol 16,
42), interview with a recently exiled student activist. Copies are stil available of the last issue which contains a major article on the economic roots of the Iranian crisis by Saber Nickbin.
Single copies are 30p plus
Socialist Challenge 9 November 1978 Page 10
INTERNATIONAL
SA women face sack
Ever Ready
for struggle
In Britain the Association of Scientific, Technical
Port Managerial Staffs has Africa, letter of protest to Ever Ready.
As we went to press ASTMS members in the West Midlands,
week, where the union organises
three out of every four of Ever Ready s plants, were meeting to discuss the possibility of local SOnGan aCTOn.
They might bear in mind the example of workers Unilever multinational. of lever workers Demark, Finland, Italy, Sri Lanka and Zealand recently staged hour long solidarity strikes in protest al the company's refusal te recognise black trade unions in South Africa.
Detroit organiser
NAN BAILEY
anu-bussing, Inugs.
Throughout these campaigns Bailey Stressed importance of uniting all the oppressed. During student demonstrations against
the social expenditure
remarked: *Students should encourage trade unions, munity groups and black and Puerto Rican organisations to support and become involved in these demonstrations. rulers of this country want to keep the victims of the cubacks and lay offs divided '
Rights TOUR
most British revolutionaries can
ane learn MUCH from her
experiences. It is with this in mind that the Marxist Group has Nan Bailey's tour of Britain in December.
Her first stop will be the rally to celebrate the 40th anniversary the Hourth national. She will replace Willie Mae Reid wno is unable to
accompanied by Ernest Mandel from the United Secretariat of the Fourth International and toprescutauves trom noeraton struggles in Ireland, Zimbabwe and Iran.
Intercontinental Press
combined with InpreCol
påp. Subscriptions: £9 for one verrad issues), months (24 issues), or £2.50 for an introductory offer of ISSues.
Write to Intercontinental Press/Inprecor, TUDO London N1 2XP. All cheques/ POs should be Intercontinental Press.
Apartheid'
and
sent a company's
apartheid.
ANDY
the pamphlet.
extent to which ICL systems are used in the repression of the black population, the pamphlet Uni- exposes the
Sweden, ween the apologetic
tions made by British directors,
Norway,
New who claim 'that ICL computers helped the Bantu population", and the management proclaim that 'we have decided to support South Africa OUSIHCSS. people'.
ICL, despite a 25 per National shareholding, acts contrary to British government policy supplying SYSECIS administration of Namibia and Transkei.
SUBSIDIARY
But the question for ICL is the role of its Rhodesian subsidiary.
union representatives October that it had contact with CEne subsidiary questions of personnei, Il admitted later that this subsidiary had been agem tor tic oracr or two 2905 computers by Malawi.
But it strongly denied reports the naL sne longer in Malawi!
CUne cven ur unis is tne limit ol
ICL's contact with Rhodesia, CUL. SMe ICl stil has
questions to answer about its
COll- subsidiary
important being ConDal Call ODe aie HeerEn name of International CompuThe and LOIS ORCI computers that it can neither
wide
International organised and will be
EIGHTY
UcloDer They
for six
the Alentejo region. 10
aLaInS
will be visiting Britain 50,
WaOe OuE TO
Fi ne Portuguese
ANTI APARTHEID's new pamphlet 'Computerising
will aid militants in
Computers Limited by illustrating the depth of the
involvement with
BLUNDELL, one
representatives who met ICL last week to challenge the
company over its South African involvement, reviews
As well as documenting the make nor import.
ment says pamphlet discrepancy betjustificaLOEHA British with South Africa'.
South African OPPOSITION who openly But government and the pamphlet
It also points to the way that publicise
cent Enterprise SBOaTe
ving and, if for the and bring it to heel.
From
most awkward ASTMS,
Although the company told
on 31 the company plays,
only welfare African work the CONTRACTS The
machines were no recognise individuals not to
La number for trade the most COuntes. how
TOI SalE prevent the THOUSAND agricultural workers demonstrated in Beja, southern Portugal, on 24
were protesting the reversal of the agrarian reform and Republican Guard attacks on agricultural co-operaties in
It is not often that we in Britain have a chance to express our direct solidarity with Portuguese
these attacks. But November Portuguese President Ramalho Eanes
doubless to thank the Labour Government for its consistent efforts on behalf of the counter-revolution in Portugal.
Workers Co-ordinating
International
apparatus
of the union
The Anti Apartheid Move-
hopes this will *stimulate vigorous campaign which will result in the termination of all
collaboration by computer companies
nor nae! Anti Apartheid appears to think that
needs only to the involvement ICL in South Africa and tack on the end a list of demands for the company to stop misbeha
it won't. for the government to investigate ICL
the pamphlet one would get no idea that there is any opposition to the South African connection among the
workrorce and that the largest union in ICL, and TASS have repeatedly sought to question the role
let alone that workers inside ICL - even extending if only in small numbers as yet
- are refusing to handle South apartheid.
on Saturday
unions in ICL are already pressing the company
the right of organising WOIK OR and South African contracts and for a review of their trading policies and their implications
WaLL LU witn progressive response
We also recognise that the immediate fight within ICL will not in all likelihood bring about a withdrawal of ICL but may
company from Committee organising Portuguese Embassy, London SW1, at 7.00 that vening. The demands are: defend the agrarian reform, and Republican Guard out of the Alentejo. banes coverage in both Portugal and Britain, so a large turnout is especially important.
The agricultural workers of the Alentejo were In the vanguard of the Portuguese revolution. Now they working class to defend their gains against the counter-revolution. They deserve our support.
ICL computers help to maintain the repression in South Africa
the range its technological assistalice
The delegates from ICL who will be attending the conference
called by Anti Apartheid in Manchester will obviously be wanting both to relate their own experiences of
against apartheid -icar TROTT other people's struggle
But the main lesson we wil
other INDIESSOL delegates is not so much the
that our initiatives received from our members as the need to build a network of militants at rank and file level if one is to successfully challenge any major company.
law
picket of the 11 Belgrave Square,
janov.
trip is akely to auract wide press
are one of the last sections of the
The role of such a network in ICL would be to organise a
group able to take action
challenging company s South African connections, as well SuildL 2 publishing their implications.
Such a network is already developing as a result of the campaign against ICL's decision to supply computers to the South African police.
Anu Apartncia can play a very valuable role in helping to build this
- DIL ONV recognises that it is only the labour movement and not the government that is likely to be
both willing and able to force companies like ICL to forego the profits from apartheid
Defend
Soviet
gays
THERE will be simultaneous pickets of Soviet embassies and offices internationally on 25 NovemDe odense sn ene the repression of gays in the Soviet Union.
As well as the massive social oppression and discrimination
gays face, and agains which they have no means of organising, there is a draconian
against male homosexuality introduced by Stalin in 1934.
This has been user tg vietimise political dissidents such as the lim director and Ukrainian nationalist Parad
The picket, which has been organised by the International Gay Association, deserves the maximum support from all au-sexs groups and those concerned with democratic rights in Eastern Europe.
*Aeroflot Office, Piccadilly, London, 2pm.
Page 11 scan of this page
Will Roy Mason ban the sound of music
Remember 1920
LRELAND
Speech last week was the
17 seats.
during the present parliamentary session.
control at least 14 of the 17 seats.
GEOFF BELL
Labour's proposed handout of power.
A fortnight ago the Official
Unionist Party held its annual
conterence in a disused cinema
in the rural Northern Irish town
of Enniskillen. The 'platform"
consisted newspaper report described as what
"two rickety tables'.
It was a rather unimpressive
display compared to
spectacles of privilege
power the Unionist Party was
able to put on a few years back Ireland through the Stormont parnament.
But if the power of Official Unionism has lessened, their ideas remain much the same.
Captain Official Unionist, recently offered this explanation as to why Catholic workers are either unemployed or in low 003.
•Big families, living for years on social security, knowing they get more than working nard - what sort of jobs would you give them but the manua ones?'
MANIA
More humorously, Democratic Unionist Party, led
Tan Paisley, showed adherence to religious mania when it declared two months ago that The Sound of Music should be banned because it
*Romanist Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men should be excluded from school libraries because it was 'obscene"
Paisley went so far as to threaten to set his own schools because of the teaching in state schools of the 'pagan' Darwinian theory of evolution.
But the politics of Official Unionists and Democratic Unionists are not really a laughing matter. The Official Unionists' demand for the reintroduction of internment in the North of Ireland is OlIC malcanon or where it stands.
Other clues are to be found among the personnel who run the party. The leadership of the of failed British Army officers, lords of the realm, and country squires.
WORTHIES
Although such worthies no longer have the same dominance, they retain more than a foothold in the power echelons of Official Unionism.
The chairperson of the party 1S JOSIES Cunningham,
Labour and Irelandl
AN ALMOST UNNOTICED feature of the Queen's
announcement that the Labour Government will increase the representation of the North of Ireland at Westminster from 12 to
Labour's intention could be seen as further evidence of its determination to maintain the partition of Ireland. Equally it could be interpreted as a ruse by Labour to secure the votes of the ten Loyalist MPs
Nevertheless the effect of the proposals will be to increase the number of Loyalist bigots in Parliament; Unionists of one variety or another are expected to
examines the beneficiaries of
nephew of both the party's president, Sir James Cunningham, and of one of the most reactionary Unionist MPs, the late Sir Knox Cunningham.
ESTATES Josias has a large country the estate in Country Antrim. and similar estate Armagh is the residence of Michael Armstrong, chairperson of the COmmitee Armstrong barrister and a former Army captain.
Martin Smyth, the VICE president, qualifications. He is seen as the Unionists' main 'theoretician'.
It is an indication of that theory that he is -pala minister and Grand Master of the Orange Order The Orange largest of the Protestant secret societies, but the Royal Black Perceptory is HOSE upper exclusive.
The head of that august body is James Molyneaux, leader of Official Unionists the Westminster. The leader, Harry West, describes himself as a natural conservative" and owns a large farm in County Fermanagh.
Cunningham, Smyth, Molyneaux and Wes John make UD the leadership Official Unionism. Its famous advocate, Powell, has never quite made it to the top; one reason is h advocacy of full integration of Northern Ieland into the UK is not shared by the majority of Unionists.
TERe INDEPENDENCE the West and Smyth are keener on a return to the old Stormont parliament. The other Loyalist option is independence.
For an ideology which claims to put the link above all else, this might appear odd. But the Unionists have always indicated that they are only advocates of the link with Unionists at one time consisted • Britain if it is on their terms.
Harry West has no logical objections to independence, only practical ones.
He recently argued: We couldn't now, we haven't the financia resources. Encie was a lime Ir the '60s when we were on the crest ot a wave. We could have thumbed, our noses at the British then.
Today, the only significant advocates of independence are
County
partys sccunt
is
party's has different
to be found in military Ulster Defence Associpresbyterian ation, whose strongest base is in
Protestant Order is the
excuses
class and
overall
Armstrong
COLIN KENNEDY. most Enoch
The report is an extremely contradictory and document.
It alternately applauds and condemns aspects Nationalist struggle, implying some degree of support for the revolutionary Dail Eireann of 1919-21, the economic policies of Sinn Fein, yet arguing that Irish democracy and economic Independence can safely abide with Britain under the protective wing of the
British Er It would ne
pull apart the report on the grounds of the inconsistencies of its logic. ideo- But the significance of the report lies not in the wrongness of its positions but the extent to 1L 1S
running articulation of the conscious-
ness and views of the British working class movement in the If this is the case, we have to ask which of the contradictory views contained in the report
movement into action at any
Harry West, of the Official Unionist Party, in Orange regalia.
the para- Belfast.
working •Class
Labour and Ireland Il
ONE of the most widely accepted myths of the British left is the idea that the labour movement in this country is permanently indifferent to the struggle for sell-determination and democracy in Ireland, writes
The third issue of Ireland Socialist Review just published includes a reprint of the Report of the
particular time. complex was formulations
of the Irish forces and
people? was it which
not be difficult to
point.
policies authentic working class
dence. failure; partitionist Official
Paisley
bread
aonerenc Protestantism
and petty afford to be
But the UDA is no longer the
strength it was, and in a recent opinion poll only two per cent
in 1920. the confused deploring 1E06 The military reprisals by the British
denial democratic rights to the Irish
those sections preached that the Irish lamb should learn to lie down and live with the British lion?
Historica studies of develon. the Wall ments in 1920 and early 1921 attempts to reveal that the most advanced sections of the British working newly-emerging class were greatly intluenced b opinion a broadly progressive stand- The
This brought working class opinion into conflict with the
and actions of the
INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL ON BRITAIN'S PRESENCE IN IRELAND RALLY Speakers: BRENDAN Willie Gallagher Representative of Tribunal Planning Cite FRIDAY 10 NOVEMBER 7.30 PM NUFTO Hall (Jockeys Field, off Theobalds Rd)
of the Protestants questioned
said they favoured indepen
The decline of the UDA is
symptomatic of the general to
inability the Protestant work-
ing class has shown in breaking
from the politics of Unionism.
Vocasional altempis by ine
odd individual to formulate a
"socialist' version of Unionism
have met with the inevitable
inevitable occausE
"socialism' and an adherence to
undemocratially
and undemocratically conduc-
ted state of "Northern Ireland'
is a contradiction in terms. FANATICAL
Accordingly, the main pro-
ODDOSILIOn Unionism the
Democratic Unionism of lan
His willingness to take up
butter issues
combined with his fanatical
fundamental continues to appear to many working class
bourgeois Prote-
Although the Official Unionists have 15 seats on Belfast's city council, Paisley's party has
And the Official Unionist leaders know that they cannot
seen as tOo anti-Paisley. Thus Harry West
recenty described nim as
man of many good points and a Parliamentary Labour Party Commission of Inquir into the Present Conditions in Ireland', first published
This document suggests that the view that the traditions of the British labour movement in relation
Ireland are wholly oversimplification.
military reprisals of the British Government of the day.
socialist movement remand. today is faced with a situation which is beginning to develop features not unlike those of the 1920s: a general dissatisfaction with the Government's policies
increasing willingness to take a second look at the issues involved in
Ireland; and produce pontica positions which articulate these
currents of tions first fruits of these efforts has been the mounting concern about the position of the political prisoners in the Six years. Counties, the use of torture But
CUTCHES
to the GALLAGHER, father of
post free.
steadrast defender ol the
Frotestant raith
But despite recent attempts
by Unionists of various shades
patch things up, their
asunty remams. None or them
is able to come up with
COnCICaL surategy walch wold
maintain the state of •Ulster' as
they wish to see it maintained
They are suspicious of
complete integration with the
UK because they think that a
Westminster government might
the vast areas of
discrimination which continue
LD CXISE
They are reluctant to go all
out for a return to Stormont
because they think no British
government will give it
Similar problems of ruling
elites who face rebellions bel
sections of their population
exist elsewhere. -PerhaDs the
best indication of the politics of
the Unionists is the following
comparison made recently by
former Unionist cabinet mem-
*Six thousand • miles away
and yet Rhodesia has much in
common with Northern Ire
ana...ue orecarousnessorre
situation, the feeling of being
beleagured. the ever present
menace of terrorism'.
ot course. •т шакіь зи
comparison. Bradford
really talking of
Rhodesians and
them to Northern -company Ireland's
Loyalists. fair
comparison. chauvinistic is a gross
during interrogation, and the
of internment by
New moods and currents of opinion were reflected in the recent roops Out editorial it the Daily Mirror.
It is easy to see that all the old confusions of the PLP's report in the 1920s have been and ar continuing to be reproduced in these new currents of opinion This is not surprising when we consider that these views reflect the concerns and preoccupa
of working class movement which is only just beginning analyse these issues for the first time in 50
we should have
contents in the captat these
capable generating a radical challenge
policies British imperialism for all that "Ireland Socialist Review' 30р plus 15p p&p from: ISR, c/o 60 Loughborough Road, London SW9. Issues 1 to 3 of ISR, 80p
Socialist Challenge 9 November 1978 Page 11
Page 12 scan of this page
COMMENT
The other Star
"NEWS from Nowhere' is certainly an apt title for a column in which you publish stories about the Communist
appear to be pulled out of thin air. Party and the Morning Star which
October) information now reaching Incates that the leaders Communist Party of Great Britain are schousty consacting aispensing with their daily organ' and Morning Star 'could become a weekly in the new year.
Some such item of pub apparently also reached The Times, but that capitalist journal did at any rate have enough sense to ring us up and ask if it was true. It is not.
The leadership of the Communist Party has considered croposal that the Star should become a weekly paper. The recommendation of the executive committee earlier this year was that an enlarged paper should be produced on saturdays as a weekend edition, but this would not voive ccasinz broducion on ouc days of the week.
But perhaps you are just trying to challenge Private Eye's hitherto unrivalled reputation for unreliability. GEORGE MATTHEWS (Press & Publicity Department, CPGB)
SC groups -
Liverpool
report
1 STRONGLY agree with Steve Rose's arguments in favour autonomous Socialist groups (26 October). This has proved to be extremely difficult, however, in a city like Liverpool which has a relatively large and already structured
left, consisting of competing groups.
For example, in Liverpool we have had meetings organised in support of
separatelv bv Big Flame and Socialist Challenge. These could no doubt have been more successful had they been organised jointly, following example of the Combine in united action.
There are some examples of co-operation, such as in Socialist Challenge activities n. Socialist Challenge activities Liverpool have been dominated by the IMG, intentionally or unintentionaiv. We hope to overcome this by organising regular meetings, including debates with other groups.
To succeed in organising autonomous supporters group, we obviously need to attract and involve independents OUE including solidarity action in support of struggles such as those of the Ford workers and social workers.
To CHLOUL ALC this development, I would propose that
THE DEADLINE for this column
NORTH WEST
WAKKINGION SOCIaNST
061- 236 2352 GRERICK MANCHESIEK socialist Challenge
would like to
Manchester
Manchester Challenge offices, Tel 061-236 2352 or, by writing Centre, c/o 14 Piccadilly, Manchester DOCIalIS!
Socialist Challenge group.
NW REGION Docialist Challenge
from National Policy Committee; sales
a Norin-west Dulletin
Socialist Challenge 9 November 1978 Page 12
that us
of the
that the
CORMAL #22
local activities.
groups,
help.
* See page 13
boycott
Moscow Olympics,
launch now
one or the "democratic' of Britain?
Challenge
functions.
several
hypocrisy plays Where, where COURSEY worthy of
Archipelago*?
excellent Ford Workers
campaign encouraging
comrades nave
an theoretical
activities,
dubious effect.
LYDC not this way.
BOSTON Socialist Chal
Thurs CommuNiver
Revolutionary or reformistr MOSS (SIDE Socialict upporters sell the paper at Moss Sid entre saturdav. 11.
NORTH EAST 29057g them, phone Pete on (0632) ocal supporters are active! If you wa URHAM Socialist Challenge Supp
ters Group Pioneer Cottages,
rulington. wurnam LONDON
WALTHAM FOREST paper sales every Stro. No 5i. Matarao, Longer -noon outside the post
Group on Thurs. 9 Nov Britannia Pub Dodie Weppler. This is your chance to
phone 247 2717 for details).
Saturdays meet 10.30am, Whitechape
SOMEONE NAMED SENNTOCOOWN WRITING ABOUT RHODESIA 1- SHE JUST RETURNED THERE the paper's National Policy Committee adopt and issue clear guidelines for the organisation of local groups, including the election of independent steering committees and organising
This should also provide for some democratic control over the policy and content of the paper. in line with our stated aims. Regional meetings. of
ITO! SUDDOTLCIS such as those now taking place in the North West, can also JOHN STRAUTHER (Liverpool)
No to Moscow
SUPPOSING a boycott of the 1980
which Chris Roseblade (19 October) proposes to on earth should they be held? Perhaps
so-called 'free', countries? Say in
The British state — it is well known — does not have bloodstained hands, it does not fulfil murderous repressive
What is going on in wornern reane tomansance nai nothing to do with 'human rights",
is -пО this part 'humane" there..
Games, this country without a Gulag
The point, Roseblade might retort is not 'Where are the Olympic Games to be held?' but: 'Let us launch a meaningful and courageous political
against Soviet bureaucracy! We are not concerned with the fate of a chauvinistic and farcically competitive sports event!'
Ene point, nink, is to race now realistically, a wide range of concrete ponnical lasks and minor prodiems (such as the habit some academic
embellishing empty organisational proposals with regurgitations of Trotsky's correct
analyses), instead of embarking upon tanciful projects of dubious correctness and even more
Let us build a strong campaign against the Soviet bureaucracy! But
ALAN BROWN (London SW10)
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE EVENTS
corner of Buxton St. Joe, sundays meet 10am, brick Lar WALTHAMSTOW readers can Stridan's Newsagents, 86 Hoe St socialist Challenge reculari Challenge • from sa 326 Lea Bridge Road, E30.
Challenge Sam-OND sa prey Saturday
(Northcote Rd), Brixton tube, Clapham list Challenge meeting Speakers: NEWHAM/TOWER HAMLETS Socia fight against the 5% speakers from Ford hurs 9 Nov, 7.30pm, Room 201, Mair on Poly, Romford ra (Strattord CAMDEN Socialist Challenge jumble
between 1a pm any even g: N
SOUTH WEST ISLE OF WIGHT readers can buy
SHE VENTURES INTO •SMALL GROUP AFRICANS ADD TO THE ONCE - IMMACULATE
Question of
tactics
OTHER readers will no doubt want to comment on Chris Roseblade's reply (19 October) to my original article (7 September) opposing a campaign to boycott the 1980 Moscow Olympics. So just two brief points.
there is a rather dishonest implication in Chris's article that opposition to a boycott campaign equals opposition to any campaign against the Soviet bureaucracy. This is nonsense. We're talking about the best tacties for such a campaign (as we were over the World Cup). It's not a matter of principle and it doesn't help to pose it as such.
Secondly, does Chris also propose -Inal we organise a campaign boycott the 1984 Olympics in Lo Angeles? If he does, we can at least argue about tactics within a frameWork OF Dasic poltical agreement (though I still think he'd be : wrong).
But if he doesn't well. that's something else. Because then the only implication is that the imperialist USA is somehow preferable to the USSR. It would suggest that socialists can approach such questions simply by applying a 'democratic' litmus test rather than from an overall class viewpoint. In which case a question of principle definitely is involved! MARTIN METEYARD (London)
Soviet moral
from Bristol
FURTHER to the discussion on
SO DOYCOLL BIG Moscow Olympics three trade unionists from rama spent a recent week n Bristol as guests of the Bristol Trades Council.
The policy of the Bristol Trade psychiatry to "treat' Soviet dissidents; aLalls SLIC USt 1orunc nene or tradc UTONS TO organise independently of the state. • Curiously, however, none of the proposers or active supporters of this resolution could speak to our Latvian (or were they Russian?) guests.
44 Union St., Ryde .2-3.30pm
Newsagents.
Socialist rne Hill BRStalls outside Also
WINDON supporters se Gregent St (Brunenentre.
Assembly for vales?
*Ford and the FOR INFORMATION on activiti
YORKSHIRE
8pm, Friendly and Trades Club
A QUARE
ABOUT AS IF SHICY HAD P
WETHEREI Worthies from the Co-op, Labour Council, British-Soviet Society, and the officers of the TUC did exchange views bureaucrats. But the majority of their hosts never met them, and only found out they were here through the local press!
Should we boycott these representatives of a workers state? Opinion is divided among the left opposition of the Bristol Trades Council boycott them as if they were the same as representatives of the Spanish sindicatos under Franco plays into the hands of anti-communists like Boyd and Chapple. however hard a time you might give them when they're here, allows them
home.
Anyway, they came — and a small picket tried to greet Co-op. But a couple of Maoists. twi children, two Trotskyists to state capitalists and a CP membe were such a threat that they smuggled the three bureaucrats out the back way; and the treasurer of the TUC claimed he'd never seen us before!
Moral: If you want to support those - who suppress democracy, you end up suppressing democracy yourself.
MIKE EAUDE
Value of
'Wedge'
GEOFF Sheridan's review of Wedge 3 (26 October) is both evasive and complacent. In spite of a facade of academic concern, he actually takes up virtually none of the substantive points raisea by ine arucies ne mentions.
For instance, the Wedge article on demonstrations analysis of their function and a number of ways in which they can be made more effective in their aims and more valuable experiences for those taking part. Geoff ignores all of these.
In the same way, he doesn't even try to answer the criticisms raised by the OI article on the left press.
This dismissive particularly unjustified when it is compared to the approach of Wedge itself. It avoids the facile which the Leveller is prone to indulge
cialist Challenge from the Oz Shop BATH Socialist Challenge sales ever Saturdaying Bath 20218 for furtshr outside Mactis Revolution'
SOUTHAMPTON Socialist Challeng sales every Saturday from 10am-1pn
Post Office, Bargate socialist Challeng
vole in the Ground, Haymarket 11am-1 pm
Walmgate SocIalist 1am-1 pr Daturdays
CARDIFF Socialist Challenge forun
Four Elms Pub:
Newport Road). MIDLANDS Support For details
larks, 110 Cheltenham
NOTTINGHAM
HUDDERSFIELD Socialist Challenge
FEARS instead. valuable which the left Witn these
know.
to
To welcome them,
favourable publicity
movements' them in the
La pair of
SWP and CP?
Kevin (Bristol Trades newspapers. laughable. article reads:
offers both an call them elitist. of contributions approach is letters may discretion. highly positive
knocking of left groups WIll
Socialist
DEWSBURY Socialist Challenge sales
вал, 12,0 00 .
HUDDERSFIELD Socialist Challenge
les regularly Saturdays 11am-1
YORK Socialist Chall
(12 30-105) sellers 4943 •ТОГІ Vanbrugh Satur
Supporters note cland • oTactivities local
Socialist
Socialist Forum: Bob Pennington, The Struggle
r a United Revolutionary Organ on. / supm, nursday. y Novemt
Community Denie
SHE SAYS THAT SHE
Wedge offers some suggestions for ways could improve its politics and its practice. Geoff Sheridan doesn't seem to want to GUY REDMOND (East London
Political or
cultural?
SOCIALIST Challenge seems to be very confused by the differences/ similarities between "political' and
cultural'. First Tariq Ali calls the gay and women's movements 'cultural
and ther Geoff Sheridan (26 October) calls a cut demonstration a political (not a cultural) event. Wot were all those brass bands there for, me old fruit? Tubas against the cuts.
Why is it that Socialist Challenge reacts as if hot water was poured over them when debate goes outside the formal jousting between IMG and the
McDonnell's article Wedge was a much-needed look at why left parties bother to run weekl
Naybe too near in knuckle for your wordy and worthy weekly magazine, which (sad to me grows weekly more predictable. wonder me non allenca cras rame sceptical of joining you, let alone the vast mass or beone or women word politics is a complete turn-off
The language vou use is almos
The intro to the Wedge Wedge has allowed preconceptions to creep in and is tending to narrow debate.' Ho, hum. I'll keep my preconceptions to myself in future. Also, how it is elitist' not to alow celebrines to write for you really bends my brain. You may not agree witn taem our you can naral
GEOFF LEE (London NW1)
THE LENGTH of letters printed will usually be kept down to 400 words in
order to encourage as wide ale. All
possible. be cut at the Editor's Unsigned letters will not normally be published, although we
real names from publication on request.
SOUTH EAST BRIGHTON Socialist Challenge
aturdays, from
ket, London every Saturday in Dave Thursdays NORWICH Socialist Challenge sale Place (op narket) and bookstal
COLCHESTER socialist supporters meet regularly details phone Steve on Wivenhoe
SCOTLAND For information about the paper or its cotland pleas contact SocIalIS Challenge BOOKS St, 1 Saturday afternoons
Intermationa publications.
EDINBURGH Socialist Phone George
DUNDEE Information about Socialist Challenge activities from 64 Queen St Glasgow Join in SC sales outside Boots (corner of Reform St) each oaturday, Tram-zom
Page 13 scan of this page
Organising for Socialist Challenge
OPEN FORUM
Challenge Group,
groups.
and functions in detail.
Socialist Challenge was launched by the International Marxist Group on the basis of two policies unified revolutionary organisation, and for a class struggle left wing. What progress do you think has been made in these areas.
this goal in the way the paper is organised both on a local and national level.
For example, the National Policy Committee which oversees the paper's general direction — the IMG, the International Socialist Alliance, an observer Flame, as well as revolutionaries.
Socialist Cnallenge groups
promoted in line with these policies. We hope that revolutionaries working together in them can overcome in practice and through clear debate the sectarianism which has splintered the 1C101 0001- - often on quite secondary questions.
Today comrades from the IMG, the ISA, Big Flame and a number of non-aligned militants are discussing how to take revolutionary unity one step further.
The ISA -InG proposing that if we can clarify the areas where inere is broad general agreement, then we should engage in systematic joint work coupled with an organised discussion on areas where
The aim of this collaboration would be to work towards a common revolutionary organisation.
With respect to the fundamental policy Socialist Challenge was launched — for a class struggle left wing - I think there have been similar developments.
The most recent example of how the paper has been able to promote a real fighting opposition has been with its coverage on rord's, which most comrades agree has been first rate.
Through its support for the Ford Workers" Group, the paper has been
Local groups and how they work
TWO WEEKS AGO the organiser of the Preston Socialist
Steve Rose, number of points about the role and development of supporters
Similar queries have come from other readers. So we decided to ask DODIE WEPPLER, the member of the Editorial Board responsible for liaising with these groups, to explain their aims
able to show industry-wide basis
for a left wing.
The
UNTO HISES.
involves from Big independent
al C
initiatives like Socialist Centres?
office there are large militants who TOI and the Communist Party IMG arc
Centres have been
establish
policies
other WHICH
ding and commitment. postive policies.
wrote to the paper raising a
within
action.
concretely - on an - how to take forward the fight for a class struggle
Socialist Challenge Trade union conterence in July snowed SIFULLIC that the need for a political approach To ne Coss wHen Cus across Sector has a ready response amongst trade whole.
We want to follow this up with another conterence in the spring. well as a number of day schools for group! trade unionists on topics such as health and safety, alternative products, and
Many of these militants aren't yet convinced of the project of a united revolutionary organisation but see the move need for an alternative to Labour's policies. Can you explain a bit more how vou see sC groups in relation to
Socialist Unity
think we should nave a toran flexible approach to membership in
With Labour in num Ders are looking for an alternative to both the Labour Party
we actively support all erroris ic bring together class struggle militants
- and Socialist Unity and Socialist
LWU ways of starting to do this. But to give these movements a direction we also need to
La current witnin inem putting forward clear revolutionary
of all the important questions facing Open discussion in the SC groups ries to ine working class arune Dresent me Is one very importapt way in which we
But presumably the role of SC groups goes further than discussion forums?
Absolutely. Our fundamental aim is to organise supporters of the paper's policies in an active fight for those
oCtalist Challenge
EILECTER
The only real test of whether differences among revolutionaries are Tuneamen as Call handled
framework of general political agreement, is through joint
So we hope to see SC groups organising more systematically around events like the Ford strike. Every group should be discussing how to go out and win support for the strike, distributing the material from the Ford Workers Group, and so on.
think that this action-oriented approach towards a whole number of
and campaigns can really help to lift the groups and make them into a pole of attraction on the left as a
This also applies to other activities. For instance, sales of the paper itself should be pretty important for the
After all, when someone who's been coming to meeungs agrees to take part in paper sales, that's an
in their political development and commitment.
We have to encourage them to
towards that level identification with the paper means discussing it openly in
The same holds true fund-raising. This not only helps to keep the paper afloat but can also help to finance your own activities cost of a room, mailings, are so On
What's more, fund-raising is very often fun, and helps people in the group to get to know each other in a more relaxed way lhan is possible a HICCUTES
This needs quite a lot of organisation!
Yes. That's why we're in favour of the groups electing a steering committee wnien can discuss proposais on all these questions and bring them to the meetings.
It's particularly important encourage non-angnca revorona
go on to these committees. That's the only wav groups will be able to develop their own independent
identity
With all this stress on SC groups, does this mean that you think regroupment
will primarily take place in this way?
If comrades from different political traditions are consistently organising together in local SC groups this can only ald the process or regroupment
- which the
for
the Birmingham last year to But would be regroupment occurring through any rigia schema
The only guidelines should be to promote any structures which allow revolutionaries to overcome sectaria-
and work organised fashion, on a principled political basis.
On the other hand, quite different structures may well campaign of joint discussed by the ISA, the IMG, Flame and independents gets off the ground.
Comrades interested campaign may feel that the SC group coordinate their joint work. But if is me oovou
shouldn't let this stand in the way of
You are a Political Committee explain the exact relationship IMG sees between itself and the SC groups?
Well, as l've said, the main point the IMG wants to stress is that these groups must be determining their own direction and activities within the broad politica framework encompassed
paphere is no question that we see
these groups organisations for the equally al t independents decide to join the IMG!
We think that the more people who can be won to organised force, the greater are our chances of project to a conclusion in terms of a very wide regroupment.
But recruitment to the IMG is not in any way a substitute for this much wider process
What have been the main difficulties groups have come up against?
consistently the scope of the support which exists for the paper. And so we haven't set our sights as high as we might have
HANIDSWORTA
MARKE
SOCIALIST Challenge supporter leaflets for Socialist Unity in
mad to •SCO done
the SC groups
their own. together an
HOLS
evolve if meetings. being WOTK , Big
this
help
There, we The topics obvious
member of the IMG's
can you the 3 OT CEnt Conference;
autonomous.
Marxist theory by the SCCIS LO
simply MG.
periphers who are But politics. pleased when
the IMG as ar
pushing through this
successful political getting it in
*What do
seem to underestimate
-EL TRE
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE
The Editorial Board was wrong not to place more emphasis on helping out
when the paper was first launched. They swam or sank on
Now we are beginning to organise regional meetings of group conve-
al C encouraged to be involved in these
WIS WOU OU SCE AS HIC STILE meeting of a group?
democratically elected should draw up programme of educationals, around both fundamental questions and action-oriented topics
this period are
workers in struggle to discuss how revolutionaries can organise broad support locally; meetings to mobilise
NAC Trade Union the Prisoners Aid Committee demonstration; and other national and international initiatives promoted by the paper
But the group may also wish to discuss more fundamental aspects of
- the nature of the state, Eastern Europe, and so on. A combination of both sorts of topic
attract and hold both experienced militants and comrades
newer to revolutionary
In addition to the educational part of the meeting, the group should have a regular business item including: distribunon or papers of at least one collective mass sale (street or estate sales); the sub drive; promotion of the paper (fly-posting
Smith or loca newsagents); fund-raising events.
Finally, as well as selling the paper, all comrades should be encouraged to show their commitment to the paper by making a small, regular donation
preferably through a bankers order. In some groups the norm is fl per month per supporter
you think? The NICA of th National Polic Committee on 19 November will be
this question, and we would like to be able to draw on as much local experience as possible.
Socialist Challenge 9 November 1978 Page 13
Page 14 scan of this page
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A Piece of the Night,
women turope SInCe
JUS
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THE POVERTY OF THEORY by E.P. Thompson
Althusserian marxism.
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ANTI BOLSHEVIK COMMUNISM by Paul Mattick
Essays in the council
Luxemburg, Korsch and Otto Ruhle.
paperback £2.50
and Derek Sayer.
paperback £3.
NEO COLONIAL IDENTITY AND
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of American cultural domination in the Third World.
paperback £3.
Merlin Press,
3 Manchester Rd,
London E14.
Camden Townhall
have Camden Town Hall bursting at East. the seams.
Librarians and booksellers from all physical over Britain will be jostling with trade unionists, pensioners, teachers to see
of socialist and literature ever assembled together.
from the WOUICHS economics, poetry, politics, books and books from Scotland, Ireland, France, Germany.
Socialist Challenge 9 November 1978 Page 14
REVIEWor BOOKS
The Other Bookshop
328, Upper Street, LONDON N1 01 226 0571
feminist novel by Michele Roberts £2.25 Patricia The Chicanos, Mexican American Voices, ed. by Ed Ludwig and A Time to Die, the Attica Prison Revolt by Tom Wicker £1.50
reprinted: Leon Trotsky on Black Nationalism and
All titles reviewed on this page are available at the bookshop.
THE MERLIN PRESS LTD. 3 MANCHESTER ROAD, LONDON, E.14 01 - 987 7959 AUTUMN BOOKS
Four of Thompson's major essays, including a devastating critique of
communist tradition, with
SOCIALIST REGISTER 1978 edited by R. Miliband and J Saville Articles by Rudolf Bahro, Ken Coates, Ralph Miliband, Tariq Ali, Martin Shaw, Tamara Deutscher, John Westergaard, Braunmuhl, Colin Leys, George Ross, Ellen Wood, Philip Corrigan
Introduced by Istan Meszaros, an analysis of the forms and effects
Socialist
Bookfair
The most comprehensive display of socialist and radical literature available in Britain today.
Euston Road, London NW1 Fri 10th Nov. 12.30pm-6.30pm Sat 11th Nov. 11.00am-5.00pm
THE Socialist Bookfair this year will India, USSR, China and the Middle
For those who find the need for well nourishment there will be a bar open students and from 12.00 to 7.30 on Friday and and buy the widest 11.00 to 3.00 on Saturday. Delicious radical food will also be provided.
All books can be bought at the fair, There will be history, fiction, books but the real success of it all will be
movement, judged by the wider distribution of kids userul and inspiring books to many more shops and libraries throughout RUbA, the country.
£3.95 Many
HONES.
pieces on
WOTACIS
join
- audia von
by the
vehicles.
In TOUT job, come
work, obvious action.
intellectual
is unfair.
Don't sue,
organise
Rightsat Work by Jeremy McMullen Pluto Press Workers' Handbooks, £2.25 pbk and £12 hbk.
HAT. DO trade union activists need from a book about legal rights at work? First, an explanation of how and according to what principles the law works. Secondly, a book organised according to the problems they face as trade unionists, so that confronted with a probiem over, say, maternity leave, you can find the information •you wants Talentaway.
Perhaps most importantly, since few books have done this, you need a book that explains how best to use what legal rights exist a book written from an active trade union viewpoint.
Jeremy McMullen's book achieves all three, and a bit more besides.
workers. and active trade unionists, know little about their legal
The introduction points this out most strikingly by referring to the Grunwick dispute
*Look what happened to the rights
THOUSI they had Grunwick: 1. You have the right to
La union but Grunwick members of APEX and the T&GWU were sacked without compensation when they did so. 2. You have th right to withdraw your labour - but if all strikers are sacked, none can claim unfair dismissal.
YOU Call ask ACAS recommend recognition - but ACAS has no power to demand co-operation
employer. ACAS recommend recognition - but it isn't legally binding on employers. S. You have the right to picket - but this does not override police powers to arrest you for obstruction and other minor offences, or allow you to stop
argues that limitations of the law are to be found
malue areas. concerned only with individual, not corecave le. waac union HEaLs
Under the law, a contract employment is seen as a mutually acceptable agreement between individual worker and employer who have equal bargaining power. practice any worker applying for a
especially under today's conditions of mass unemployment, has to accept the employer's terms.
The result is that unions can't bring a tribunal claim over, or examoe. equal pay; each individual worker must make a clam based on her contract. Workers have many rights
not the same as getting it enforced. In addition, the law is stacked against
And finally, the law constantly changing: legal rights once won are liable to be taken away.
So what conclusion does McMullen
to? 'Union organisation, collective bargaining and industrial action are the preconditions individual rights. Putting it simply -don't sue, organise."
Why write a book about rights at
you might The most answer is that organised workers mav often have to use the law in the absence of strong
organisation to defend them. But while well-organised workers may be able to avoid relying on the law, they cannot afford to ignore it
McMullen puts forward guidelines:
*Organisation, negotiation action are more effective than legal
*While pursuing collective action, don't ignore the possibility of
legal action at any time. *Often the
threat of legal action can be a tactical advantage in negotiations. *Use the cases in this handbook to preven your boss taking unilateral action
which somas ane colas navesalt Working of the law. The different Rights Work explains types of law and who enforces them is
all there, with diagrams to make it all clearer. The second part of the book
explains individual rights under the law. This deals with everything from the contract of employment, through to equal pay, maternity discrimination. The third section, on union rights, informaton which you need to be aware of in order to effectively use collective action to defend your legal rights.
Is striking a breach of contract? Can strikers be sacked comeback? Does
dhat are you legal theate
What occupations? All these are answered
So careful has the author been to see that any union activist or worker can use the information in this book that it contains a glossary of lega terms, a list of useful addresses, a lis of further reading. and even copies ol forms you will have to fill in to claim your nguis
In short, this is just the sort of handbook that every union branch. shop stewards committee, and active trade union militant needs a copy of. See that your union branch gets one
RICH PALSER
Rebutting
conventional
until
wisdoms
The Poverty of Theory by E.P. Thompson Merlin Press. £3.95
T IS hardly necessary
can The English Working Class, William Morris, Whigs and Hunters advertis and commend themselves far better
What is however, is Thompson's coherence as a theorist. His
the collary "political theorist" firmly rejected. The publication of this important set of essays will aid our rebuttal.
of Thompson presents us with the 'conventional an dominant historical traditions of the British workers movement. The essay In entitled *The English' is an eloquent statement of his positions The contained in the latter have been defended by diverse forces on the left. The ideologues of the theoreticians of the SWP, Michael Barratt-Brown, Workers Control, have all expressed strong approval interpretations of English history
One makes this point not in a polemical spirit, but merely to register an important fact. positions then? What makes them so attractive to the British left?
E.P. Thompson's thesis is simply that the English working class movement is peculiarly in advance of colntries is vew eas toacca theoretical framework and orienta
If the English workers movement is weakly so advanced then clearly the empirical embodiments Accordingly different manifestations are cited. that William Morris' contribution...seems to me to be quite as significant as those of (let us say) some
Some of Thompson's less talented and supporters save proofs Challinor Socialist Labour Party, Kendall the pre-war syndicalists and Hinton the Shop-Stewards attempt to find a more generalised and diffuse "collective' tradition is embodied in the History
Workshop project which, as Nairn has put it, projects an poem' of popular achievement.
Since a particularly Labour movement must be advanced
relation to Thompson is critical of the
leave and
a goldmine of
British tradition with no make any
threats
preoccupations
research is
integrate material he has
But
on central strategy researct on central issues
greatness
the it must be studica to urge people to read E.P. helped Thompson. The Making of
consulsics
ensue
generally not realised,
JOHN ROSS
disclaimer to the *I do not have gifts as a
must
to
of the
Peculiarities of the
arguments
WRP, the
of the institute of
Thompson's
What are these
fundamental
workers in other
of this must exist.
Thompson himself argues
*original
produced POLICI idealises the
movement An
progressive answer,
Tom *epic and radical
advanced
something else
alternative current in British or Irish Labour politics. Connolly, Maclean and the early Communist Party are seriously downplayed. Engels' poli tics are severelv denounced
Kendall actually argues in The Revolutionary Movement in Britain 1900-21 that the formation of the CP was an unmitigated disaster, as l blocked the development of a healthy
The British working class, in its majority, has never confronted the political rule of the bourgeois state To prove that it is aevanecd. -Ont therefore has to hold up its actual
ConccHuall attention on these. This approach has clear strengths as tar as historical
concerned Thompson's account of the English working class exudes power precisely because, as a brilliant historian, Thompson can
the wealth uncovered in a masterly historical survey
political approach Thompson's method leaves a lot to be desired. For it avoids concentration
qusHons political and focuses minute THECECSLILIS, but not
When appropriated by "theoreticians' of left groups, whoutllise Thompson's framework, but lack his
as a historian, all that emerges is a caricatured insularity Thompson's political project leads
workers movement to focus exclusively on itself. It should be doing the exact opposite
Should we buy this book? Yes, a hundred times yes. It should be read by every socialist. It is a coherent presentation of a wrong strategy, but
Thompson's historical work has
transform our entire working Cas. history. It permits a serious debate to
The precondition for disagreeing with Thompson is a meticulous study of what he writes. Ignorance , after all, is the biggest enemy of advance.
No Fun
No Threat
"THE BOY LOOKED AT JOHNNY!
TIE CUTLY OF ROCK MOROL JULIE BURCHILL!
The Boy Looked at Johnny by Julie Burchill and Tony Parsons.
Pluto Press. £1.25
UNK rock-rebel music. Challenging the values of an apathetic society that ignores the length of the dole queue (despite Saatchi and Saatchi) and tolerates the fascists of the NE
Music that encourages people to tnink and not to lake no for •all
while musicians are taken over hv the business and forced to sell out on their principles - if they had any to lose in me hist piace
Julie Burchill and Tony Parsons are not (voical music Journalists. They claim to stand outside the world of record company payola as 'the only -unbiased rock writers in the world. and are prepared to expose the sham
Page 15 scan of this page
and corruption of the rock industry.
In the New Musicial Express they have constantly attacked racism and sexism and brought back a report from the battle of Lewisham in 1977
In this short book they chart the development of Punk rock from cult to mass acceptance. They show how new music has its senticing the artists with the same old subversive features neutralised dangica carrots or sex/arugs/ casar fame'. What were once sharp angry tangs are rendered sott inellective
ims'. "Punk started as a movement born out of No Fun and ended as a product whose existence was No Threat.
Names are named as they indict those who have fallen by the wayside.
Burchill and Parsons write in a highly subjective, new-journalistic style and there is plenty of humour as they recount their day experience of the rock menagerie.
They relate how Iggy Pop -was a racist and sexist, the hippy ideology seen through a microscope Inslead or rose lintec shades to their office "to ponce drugs'. 'He Was given laxatives and gulped them greedily', causing TENC PoOD' interrupt his concerts over the next 48 nOUrS.
They feel that punk has burnt itself out and that it's time for something else to take its place. Just what that may be they are not saving. thes catalogue the antithesis of the original punk philosophy: Never mind kid, there'll soon be another machine/spot cream/rock-band on the market to solve all your problems and keep you quiet/off the street/
tent till next pay day
All in all, a book which separates the acceptable (X Ray Spex, Robinson ete.) from the (most American bands, the Banshees, Rastafarianism etc.). By showing the downfall of punk they may make it easier for those who follow to avoid Ine pittals. They certainly warn consumers to look critically at their
Just a couple of reservations. 1
with the blanche they give to the use of speed, or with the dedication to Menachim Begin but it's up to the readers to make up their own minds.
Also, It'S worth although published on 16 November, the book was written Spring. This means that the authors have not been developments like Carnival 2.
which if it encourages a movement as
content, may well be very important.
KEVIN WOOD
Hot air and
water
Our Daily Bread — Who makes the dough? by the Agricapital Group of Ene SILIST Responsibilty in Science.
BSSRS 60p B people are more contined READ is like paper: most with what is put on to itwhether it be purple raspberry jam — rather than the thing in itself. In fact, today's bread, mass produced and ready wrapped, more in common with a ream of A5 than we would expect.
Both are mostly white in colour, good for cleaning the hands, have rocketing prices and serve similar functions paper keeps the words
running down your arm. about equally nutritious.
Very few people 1 know eat a lot of paper, but eleven million loaves are consumed every day in this country. This is potentially dangerous wrapper of 'Mother's Pride' should have a Government Health Warning.
This Ildy SCCHIl surprising something as apparently innocuous as
cent water (by weight).
that British dread, constipation.
potentially
baking industry.
big combines McDougall,
6,000 jobs).
OUL шану
and rol
"dietary fibre together).
possible way
- came
supply
washing
Tom
unsound
calcium carbonate
ideal for mechanical slicing.
bread are way priorities for the bakeries. noting that,
baking and mill owners.
In the
look al
Aware OF USI including night shifts).
and milling industries.
bread eaters.
SeL-OUTS OF
cooperatives as the Social
how
workers.
prose or
bread and processes used. has
to start this fightback
outside.
They are
on your foot).
The
harm done by too much muesli. •TOr COLIN SMITH
a white sliced loaf (wl) which is 75 pe cent hot air (by volume) and 40 pe
But eating a lot of this kind of bread has been related to the incidence of tooth decav. heart disease. cancer and
The white sliced loaf is the result of the workings of capitalism in the
The bread and milling market is dominated by three
Rank Hovis Spillers-French and Associated British Foods — in fierce Miner, compennon (opulers nave recenty sold off their bakeries with the loss of
In their pursuit of profit, they mill white flour because they make more money selling the by-products, bran and germ (the most nutritious part of the wheat grain) as animal feed and 'health' food, and in the process take ideas
important ingredients, including some protein, vitamins and
(keeps your shit
To produce bread in the cheapes
the *big three' introduced the sinister CBP method of baking. This does away with the
the
traditional fermentation process and substitutes the high-speed stirring of a gruel of yeast, sugar, milk power,
and oxidising 10230000802002841088152 minutes rather than hours. It also uses
The nutrient and taste values of
down the list of White slices mean more greenbacks for the
ICW
Not only the bread eaters suffer. The bakery and mill workers are SubJeCt to accidents, ascase and very low pay (bakery workers have a basic
over zi per -nour, is far
All this and a lot more is detailed in which this excellent booklet on the bread
The one weakness in the booklet is the section on what can be done in the interests both of bread workers and
about
Although the working out of a strategy for bread workers to fight the
EnCE Dureau cracies may be beyond the brief of the autors, uneir championing or baker
way to improve the quality of bread and the living standards and working conditions of bakery workers is totally misplaced.
Nor is there any real conception of
unite the interests of working class as consumers with those
The fight for better conditions for bakery workers can and must be linked to the fight to improve the quality of mass produced
the conditions of the
This booklet provides some of the Dasic DrosaLanca lor LanEs tO usI
- both for those in the baking industry and those
However, 'health food' manufacturers and so-called master bakers are also after profits. Roughage is not the answer to capitalism. Noris the whole wheat loaf (be careful not to drop it
Tawait the first case of whole wheat bread poisoning and grievous bodily
Writing our
history
Tales I Tell My Mother by Zoe Fairbairns Sara Maitland, Valerie
Michele Roberts, Michelene Wandor.
The Journeyman Press, £2.50. O many was have we witen NE WOMAN in Tales I Tell
many ways have we writle our history?' The history is of the
development of women's liberation movement, told here in short stories by five women, all "writers, feminists and socialists'.
The book is very conscious of its historical context; it is consciously feminist, and structured to raise specific questions about fiction and language, politics and aesthetics.
Within this context, fifteen short stories explore the experiences that built the women's movement. They document, for instance, the nagging details of chores that pre-occupy women's minds; like Kathy, working frantically to deadline to cover up for her boss, thinking blankly she must clean the window.
One story, You Only Have to Say, is the best description I've ever read of just how women's sexuality is made secret, driven into silence: 'Oh yes, she knew she only had to say'. Just Lie back ano Empire conveys the weird matter-of-factness of a rape.
Other stories focus more directly on
OF women's movement. After the Ball was Over turns sisterhood inside out and back again in a beautifully tender lesbian love story.
Keep it Clean and Parallel Lines write the movement's history the way it was lived, asserting (as all the stories do in different ways) the importance of women's personal experience. "All that does not glitter is not necessarily dross' writes Michele Roberts
The majority of the stories are firmly grounded in everyday life, in England, during the last few years. A
explore the LICH fantastical, the erotic, or the bizarre, like the evocation of childhood in the story that begins There is a dead nun in the school chapel.
On the whole the scope of the book American femimist science tician, more modest
often looks at women's potentar freedom and strengun ratner than our actual oppression.
Tales I Tell My Mother aims to be more than a collection of short stories. It consistently raises questions
'feminist fiction'; what it speaks of, what it's trying to do.
Answers, and further questions, gradually shape themselves. For these writers, feminist language is fluent, articulate and English. Its value lies in its subject, in reclaiming women's experience from silence or distortion; Michelene Wandor tells the story of the elephant and the mouse:
Elephant: You're very small.
Mouse: I've been ill.
What's innovative about the book lies in its explicitly feminist viewpoint, rather than the form and language of the stories.
For the most part these are fairly traditional, and none of them would seem out of place in a magazine. They relate in interesting -ways to the "literary tradition of writing women Mary Shelley's Frankenstein through the Brontes and faintly into Women's Own serials, as the book comments.
The DOOK COHITESS with tradition of political fiction. stories go bevond *parables sexism' or rather wooden expositions like The Ragged Trousered Philan thropists. On the other hand there's He Way have the power and urgency of fiction written from the heat of mass struggles, like Victor Serge's books do.
he impression Tales I Tell Mj Mother gives of feminist politics is of a process of illuminations, or pointers
towards what women's oppression is and how to fight it. It's a new and
And there's some SLOSeS THE
SUSAN WATKINS
A diary to
jolt our
consciences
BIG RED DIARY
1979
the
BETTER ACTIVE TODAY THAN
RADIOACTIVE TOMORROW
Big Red Diary 1979 Pluto Press, £1.50.
La diary?
This one has 365 days in it, same as ine one i nad last year (u nas a icu more in fact). Unlike last year, however, the dates all match up witt different days. Clever that.
But this diary is different. Instead of lighting up times, Northern Ireland bank holidays and charts telling you what year was good for Beaujolais there is. is a Big Red Diary (though it's yellow this year).
The topic: Better active today than radio-active tomorrow.
The front and back pages contain all the necessary nuclear hazards. the threat to civil liberties, the worldwide anti-nuclear campaign and so on. it also has a simple explanation (useful for people ike me of how nuclear power works
An improvement on previous years is that the anniversary dates at the end of each week no longer encroach on the space for each day, which makes it more useful as a normal diary
One quibble: the diary tends to take over wholesale the environmentaliststyle arguments of the bulk of the anti-nuclear movement instead of trying to place the issue in a socialist context. It is, after all, meant to be a red diary.
This means, for example, that it uncritically reproduces media horror SLOTIC "terrorists' being able to make their own bomb -used to justify the clamp down on civil rights and restriction of trade union activity in the nuclear industry
Still, the fault lies less editors of this diary than with some of the British left seems pathologically incapable adjusting itself to take up new issues. Perhaps if they have one of these diaries in their pocket all next year it might jolt their consciences.
RICHARD CARVER by The
elementary
the The duties of
Marxists
The Second Slump by Ernest Mandel
New Left Books. £6.50
T Mar
chapter
present economic recession indicates
REVIEWor BOOKS
fucking good
LOUI
products of the qualitatively system
need for struggle;
defeat. workers
security,
defensive job.
HAT ON earth do you sa when you're asked to reviev •politics! In other words, this
imperatives
information on overturned
possibility of
precisely the argument
with the
. which sometimes
defend depression.
foster, HIS BRIEF extract from the
Ernest Mandel's new book on the
the character of the book. It is: popular account of the present crisis
• a counterblast against bourgeon economists and bourgeois politicians who argue for austerity. It is vital reading for every militant who wants
for the events shaking the world capitalist economy.
"The crisis and the re-emergence of massive unemployment are organic
capitalist •SYSICHI They cannot be overcome within the framework of the system except by a sharp deterioration in the living and working conditions of the workers. To reject this deterioration is possible only by rejecting the capitalist system and immaung me construchon or a
different economic
To be sure, the workers' movemo.3 cannot be content to fight the crisis with the mere proclamation of the
La general anti-capitalist to do SO would entail division, demoralization and certain
crisis confronts the with alarming concrete problems: layoffs, job losses, factory closures, attacks on wages and socia
SOCCO-UD alLack. previously acquired trade-union and
TILLES fight for immediate demands under the pretext that there is no way out within the framework of capitalism' is to condemn oneselt anc the entire working class to impotence
In any event, the working class will not follow dogmatists who mount that particular hobby-horse. The workers have already shown that tila are prepared to fight stubbornly to defend every gain, every threatened
The elementary duty of revolutionary Marxists is to support this struggle with all their might, proposing the most enccave demand:
and organisational form:
The 35-36 hour week, a sliding scal of wages (its defence or conquest depending on the conditions in each country, the defence of the right to strike and the freedom to negotiate wages, the struggle for solidarity with the hardest hit sectors- immigrant workers, women, youth, old people, the unemployed; such are the prime
THIS essentially defensive struggle.
To the argument of the emplover and reformists that these demands
threaten to exacerbate the crisis the reDivis that. given the choice betweet defence of the physical and mora integrity of our class and defence of capitalist's profits, we opt resolutely
defend our class, against the defence of profit. If full employment and a decent standard of living have become incompatible with capitalism, the employers have only to depart.
nere wil be some commisis are ultra-leftists too who respond that
factory by factory industrv bv industry. region, or even country by country, but only as a whole; while awaiting the general combat against international capitalism (simultaneously in all countries, of course), a combat that will assuredly consign this system to the dustbin of history, they say, one must yield to this logic of capital.
The answer to this argument is simple: everything has a beginning. It is perfectly possible to defeat an employer or a sector of the employers if the working class is united, resolute, and develops a leadership that is up to
unleash a general combat than to wage some arma bardes maracnev complete success and thus show the workers in practice that it is possible
existing employment, wages, and rights.
It is true, however, that any success in the defensive struggle remains only fragmentary and provisional. In the long run the logic of capital will reassert itself so long as we remain under the capitalist system. This logic of capital particularly works agains! the working class during a period of massive unempioyment and cconomi
That is why any defensive combat must be integrated into an overall anti-capitalist strategy that seeks to
by all possible means, mobilisation of the working class
around transitional demands directed against the fundamental cases of the evils from which the workers suffer.
Socialist Challenge 9 November 1978 Page 15
Page 16 scan of this page
NOW SPREAD Sales Day
Registered with the Post Office as a newspaper. Published by Relgocrest Ltd. for Socialist Challenge 328/9 Upper St, London N1. Printed by Goodhead Press L.td., 25 Murdock Rd, Bicester.
THE
FORD
company's final SILBERMAN.
The 26,000 bakers taken action over their claim for a 26 per cent increase which would bring their basic rates to E51.55.
The employers' offer suncy with une covernment s guidelines — 5 per cent plus a 6 per cent productivity deal.
By taking action over their claim now - four weeks before the settlement date bakers have given the lead to other workers with wage claims pending.
United action alongside the Ford strike is the most effective way of strengthening the case of all.
The unions at Ford are in a confident mood after estimated 10/1 rejection of the
WHY NOT try your luck in our
Xmas lottery?
For 10p per ticket or £l for a
book of tickets, plus sae, you
can have a chance to win one of
ine TollowIng:
12-inch black and white TV; a
Case French wine;
autographed copy of Ernest
ManGes book.
Second Slump; a record token;
SuOSCHEDUOn
Socialist Challenge,
national and Socialist Woman.
The draw will take place on
18 December in our offices, and
the winning number will be
printed in the issue of 4 January
1979. Organised by D. Weppler
of 328 Upper Street, London
N12XQ.
Domestic: 6 months, £5; 12 months, £10 Abroad: Airmail, £16.50. Surface, £10 per annum. Name Address
I enclose a donation for the Fighting Fund of
Complete and return to:
-Socialist Challenge
Bakers show the way
STRIKE
BAKERS have given the biggest boost to the Ford strike since the overwhelming rejection of the motor
offer, reports JONATHAN
have company's offer Ron Todd, chairperson the union negotiators, said on Monday: •We are available to meet the company when they are ready to indicate their willingness to negotiate on our claim.
Secretary Reg Birch of the
the discussion on the ABC of the attendance allowance.'
Ford strikers have received a boost from figures announced by concerning their operations.
At Saarulouis in Germany, 5,500 of the 7,000 workforce the have been laid off; production line is approaching
OUR FUND DRIVE
portable
The
Inter-
SUBSCRIBE NOWI
Cheques, POs and Money Orders should be made payable to 'Socialist Challenge'.
Socialist Challenge, 328/9 Upper Street, London N1.
standstill, At Genk in Belgium the lines have already stopped.
Encouragement for the Ford strikers is coming in from other
ployed at five London DHSS offices picket regional headquarters of the DHSS in protest at the 'shabby treatment' of the strikers.
The 25,000 chcoura!! Dagenham are forced to go
through a complicated centraalso lised postal arrangement receive their payments rather
the company Enan through European procedure of
COLLECS It is this sort which must nOW the sought by Ford strikers. Flying
strike commuttees
used to take action.
action with bakers CIVIL SCEVANES
workers the London demonstrations
organised The upon strikers at resolution opposing the
to now with Ford.
the normal local strike
Anti Nazi League rally of be actively
Stop the Nazi NF!
by No more Holocausts!
the
EnaL
week stands at £723.93.
to him.
Does
fund-raising efforts.
At the very least, that supporters
Join viacia s
Stirling supporters P. Sedgwick H. Richards P. Fryd (non-smoking)
AHOB J. Blackburn Finchley supporters E. Singer SOAS socialist unity supp Anon Haringey SC group
All
discussed
order.
Socialist
We
and invol- well.
win other workers to
Locally and nationally, joint
and other meetings and should be
TUC must be called to turn its Congress pay code into action. The sentiment must be: no delay on pay, out
REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY
Sunday 12 November, 1.30pm Central Hall, Westminster LAST MONTH a supporter who was a founding member of
Fourth International 1938 offered us an extra £5 for every €100 we raised up to £500 in the next four weeks, and an extra £10 for every £100 above
Well, the four weeks is up.
And with a rather disappointing £126.65 coming in over the
grand total
This means that we can now expect an extra f45 from that supporter. Our grateful thanks
anyone else fancy making a similar ofter to cover the next four weeks? We can assure you that such a challenge always adds a real spur to our
we hope donate enough for the guillotine blade to send begins nead rolling into the basket next week to
This week our thanks to:
£1.95 £10
£10
£126.65
Anniversary of the Fourth International
RALLY
Speakers include:
Ernest Mandel (United Secretariat Fourth International)
Willie Mae Reid (leading black woman militant of American SWP) Stalls, exhibitions, speakers on Zimbabwe, Ireland, Iran, Latin America, international youth struggles Friday 24 November, Camden Town Hall, London.
18 November
WHAT ARE YOU doing on Saturday 18 November?
That's the second National Sales Day on which we
plan to make a big push with 'Socialist Challenge'.
Can you help us, asks distribution manager STEVE
BRIGNULL.
Socialist Challenge
groups should by now have
how
copies they want of next week's
issue. Let us know immediately
so that we can adjust the print
It's no good telling us you an extra couple
munarca aner te paper s oeel
printed - we just won't have
Challenge groups
Should also be discussing where
they are going to organise mass
street sales on the loth
want all present
supporters (and some new ones
as well!) to be out on that day so Ene
that we can spread our forces
and make a real impact.
One way of attracting more
anennon is to sell badges a.
Hackney supporters
TouC aDe markerrortnese or
the first Sales Day. If you don't
already have any, write or phone in your order at once.
And your particularly involved in any local struggle or campaign, why not distroute teariers about ll at the same time? It all helps to get you known as activists in the local community.
The other thing is subscrip tions. All groups should have a stock of COUl SOCCar One subscription cards.
The offer is as follows: either f2 for three months, or E5 for six months, which includes a free 1979 diary - either the Big Red Diary on nuclear power or
Pan-African Diary (both £1.50 in the shops).
Everyone who buys a pape on 18 November should be given one or taese suo cards Our slogan: make every new ¡caucE a recular reduct
VIDELA
500
BEGIN
1000
SHAH
OF IRAN
1500
PINOCHET
2000
SMITH
2500
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