Socialist Action No. 135, 21 March 1986
The scan: 135-mar-21-1986-SA-UK.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
EXPULSIONS.
NO
WITCH-HU
ON 26 MARCH the Labour Party NEC will launch its serious witch hunt for thirty years. The Kinnock leadership of the party, elected on proud boasts of modernising the party and providing democratic leadership, will be attacking inner democracy on a scale which Wilson and Callaghan never even attempted
Neil Kinnock in fact is going right back to the days of Gaitskell by reintroducing the proschiocu organisations. No one reading the 'majority report' to the NEC can have any doubt that the sole accusation against those who are threatened with disciplinary action is that they port the Militant newspaper.
We are in reality now mougal connor retroduced mn unc party. Militant cannot be sold at party
SOCA ist
ACTiON
BUILDING AN ALLIANCE FOR SOCIALISM
meetings unlike the Sun, most News of the World, Daily Mirror, or
Many other paper that openly attacks the labour movement or firmly supports the right wing on every issue!
All the attacks on the 'organisation' and fund raising of Militant are party a fake. Everyone knows that various right wing organisations, and right
wing journals read within the party, nave been tinanced bv capitalist organisation from the CIA downwards. And une key lishing capitalist papers is advertising - withholding advertising from the left wing papers has for this entire century been one of the ways used by firms to kill the left wing press.
But whereas it is OK to be financ-
sup- ed by the CIA, or to run a journal
financed by capitalist advertising, it is having unacceptable to run a paper financed
by ordinary party members! What a scale of values!
Times,
Kinnock and the right wing for this purge? None. There has been endless talk of 'Labour's missing millions' and how the left looses the party votes. But what is the truth?
ty years, when Labour has been loos ing votes hand over fist, the party has been led continuously by the right -and is again under Kinnock. To blame every those who never had power, and to
excuse those who held it continuous.
I0 DuD- ly, is the oldest trick in the book. It is
on a par with those who blame the problems of the British economy on its workers, who have never held power, and not on those who own the entire thing and have run it in their own interests.
tion? In 1974 after two miners strikes and when Labour had its most left
for war po
left p4 And what political authority has wing practical
When
The record is that for the last thirWhen did Labour last win an elec-
Labour
Nicaragua: Reagan prepares
p5 • Black sections lead the
• Regional
conferences p3&4
fight apartheid p8
programme was Labour HOOVEN
popular and ahead in the opinion
polls? In 1979-81 when the constitu-
tiona reforms within the party were
going through and the Bennite left
within the party was at its peak.
Left wing policies did not bother
the voters then. It was the offensive of
the right wing after 1981, including
the SDP split, which plunged Labour and
into unpopularity - just as it was the
right wing policies of 1974-79 that
took Labour from electoral victory to
the catastrophe of 1979.
The record is that the Kinnock
leadership has been a total failure
even in the most simple electoral
terms. After rapidly recovering to 35
per cent after the electoral defeat of
and 35 per cent is still an
historically abysmally low level
has made progress
whatever. All the shift in votes has
No. 135 21 March 1986 30p
INSIDE
• Women's TUC
• Unite to
Inside.
Students
been between the Alliance and the
Tories. None has gone to Labour
Kinnock's attacks on the Tories, as i
now openly discussed, are a tota
failure. His performance UTC
Westland was a disaster
Having failed to take the parts
forward Kinnock is now turning to at
tack those who have attempted to de
fend the interests of the working clas
labour movement. The witch
hunt is a total sideshow put on for th
benefit of a Tory press that would sti
not call for a vote for Labour i
everyone to the left of Dennis Healey
were expelled.
What is needed is unity against th
Tories. Not this charade on the NEC
The entire party must rally to sup-
port those who are being threatened
in Liverpool, and who next week will
be dragged before the worst kangaror
court ever seen in the history of the
Laboar Party.
Page 2 scan of this page
The left the party needs
2
ACTION
Lawson's budget
THREE hours after the budget the BBC duly interviewed four Household one: father a railworker, yearly income £7000, net weekly benefit from the budget 0.96p. postal worker, mother part time cleaner, yearly income £9000, net weekly improvement 14p. 'I'Il save it up to buy a share' explained the disgruntled father. Household three: a change. Household businessman expecting nover next year. Net week.
These figures surprise no-one. The next part, however, ought to give pause for thought to the backers of realignment. How would these people vote? The married women were not asked, so we don't know their intentions. But the railworker was changing his vote Alliance. unemployed woman was going to keep right on voting lory.
Of course media stunts are always suspect. But these People just don t believe there is anything else responses
over the horizon other than four million jobless, grinding and rowing lispossessed, and the steady crumbling noise of the weltare state collapsing round our ears. Nobody can honestly believe that if Labour came to power tomorrow, anything substantial would change. So there is no reason to vote Labour.
This is why the most pathetic aspect of a pathetic budget is the pathetic response of the 'opposition'.
The economy is in a Unemployment permanently Manufacturing production is still lower than in 1979. An enormous trade deficit is covered up only by an oil surplus running out even quicker than expected. Only five million workers are left producing industrial goods. vice' sector, the much-vaunted employer, new jobs. And a new world slump is looming; the current wave of mergers and speculation is a sure sign of the financial frenzy that precedes a crash.
Only the most radical measures can solve economic problems of such a scale. The economic policy emerging from the stable of Roy Mattersley and John Prescott is simply not ar answer. Boiled down to the essentials, the ner policy abandons full employment. Planning for Jobs' document comes up with vir. tually the same answer as the SDP: authorities and local job creation schemes fiddle around creating a few jobs here and a few jobs there, but accept the basic Tory credo: don't pump too much new money into the ecomomy, and whatever you do, don't take on the City.
These policies convince nobody of anything. All they do is reinforce the despair and cynicism that lead to the reactions we saw in Fulham.
There is an alternative to Thatcherism. It is economic nonsense to keep four million people idle while people are crying schools and hospitals, and to throw away billions on gifts to the City while running industry into the ground. But unless movement has the political will to confront Thatcher's capitalist backers and fight for such an alternative, the Alliance will continue to reap the benefits from Lawson's failures.
The next issue of Socialist Action will be out on 2 April
Socialist Action 21 March 1986
Fulham households.
Household two: father a
single unemployed woman. No
four: self-employed 24 million turbenefit £3.56 per
from Labour to The postal worker likewise. And the
depressingly true.
poverty the gigantic mess. four million.
Last year the 'serreplacement created the grand total of 109,000
Prescott's let local
ly
out for houses,
and until the labour real
to
gle,
WOMEN ASAINST PIT CLOSU
MIDAMOS NORTHUMPERLS YO NOT Women Against Pit Closures conference
WHEN THE Labour Left Coordination (LLC) was formed in autumn last year it was done on a basis that evaded the key political choices which faced the left. If fact two lines, and two analyses of the objective situation were built into it.
and which we looked at in Socialist Action last week, symbolise the fundamental choices which face the left. JOHN ROSS looks at the issues. THERE is no doubt when the foundation of the contemporary Labour left should be dated from. In June 1973 the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy+ (CLPD) wan formed. marked with qualitative break anything that had before in the party in recentecades ine reason was that the CLPD set out to transform the relations of power that existed in the party, and unrougn Inal It affected the relations of power in society.
The Labour left which had existed prior to 1973 might be popularly termed
Tell.
Marxist phrase ology it was a corporate left - that is one that accepts. the overall frame work decided by someone else (capitalism) and simp-
defends specific interests, and protests inef-
within that overall framework.
Michael Foot is the idea representative such a left. Michael Foot is a pertect leader of 'the opposition'. He is at his best wiel morally belabouring someone else who is carrying out some vile policy or other. And the more unlikely he to take power away from those carrying out this policy the more magnificently Foot joins in the fray. But it is impossible to imagine Michael Foot wielding power for the labour movement.
The Labour Party itself, of course, historically has been a corporate, sub-
party capitalism. It has accepted the frame-work of capital. ism and attempted, in the
world, frame its policies within the framework set by capital.
Never did Labour seek
establish the working class as the leading class of society - and indeed the entire idea of a class strug-
and a leading class, was historically rejected by • the official party.
But the disputes which have erupted in the LLC,
Within the Labour Party itself the left was the embodiment embosinional corporate,
spirit — even a caricature
left endlessly framed resolutions to win
'protest' over the state of ? the world. These were then
the Parliamentary Party and the party leader-
of this was Labour s Programme 1973 -most left programme the Labour Party ever whatever
for
CLPD the
moan or make rhetorical
will.
changes within the 1
alie tremendous
ment
That
against meone but which
its
its of course
means to the
scale
tion.
seen elements such left
Ken Livingstone, London, created some-
thing 1n the GLC that
authentically changed th framework of Labou politics. The GLC achieved
mass popular support by creating an alliance of working class tions, women, black peo-
ple, young people, and the
London was undoubtedly done on a reformist basis
the foundation of the GLC's policies wal the huge rates income possessed but then other previous leaders had had such an income and had made nothing of it. Livingstone created Labour as a hegemonic, leading force in London for a brief period - before the debacle of the defeat on the rate capping struggle.
Vladimir Derer of CLPD
Tony Benn achieved something of the same on
more diffuse national level. The mixture of democracy and socialism which Benn increasingly put forward for the first time contained significant elements truly hegemonic politics for the Labour party and the left within it. The social basis of that development was strongly confirmed by the unequivocable support which Benn gave to the miners strike.
Finally it was the leadership given to the miners strike with Scargill as a symbol of the entire struggle and those involved in it whicl raised the left itself to qualitatively higher level. Scargill showed that the social alliances which Labour needed could be created not in collaboration with capital, and through taxing it, but in a stru the leadership
which was given to the strike permitted the broadest social alliances seen since the 1920s to come into ex-
Black sections news conference
istence - and by that the strike broke the mould of the existing left.
What occurred during the strike and at the 198 Labour Party conference
- with the miners in open alliance with the black section, supporting demands of women's self-organisation within the party, linking up with the
Labour Campaign for Lesbian and Gay Rights, and supporting the fight in
local government - cap-
ped off the most impor alances seen in the social series social
gle for socialism in Britair
for six decade
The embryo of a truly hegemonic force had emerged within the labour movement. breach
which had been started by CLPD in 1973, had become a decisive series of social alliances and tremendous social force
It would of course be completely utopian to im agine the level of socia alliances, and organisation of the left, which was put together in the strike could be maintained at the same level after it. But what is important is that the key elements which came together to make up tha left have not been rolled back. The divisions which nave occurer since, are because the left now has to be reconstituted on'a new higher basis — because the tasks are now on a new higher plane
The initia break through of CLPD was met Sp hand one offensive of formation of the
trade union
The miners strike was me by the highest level repression seen for decades.
It is not possible to go back and start off in a mechanical sense where CLPD began in 1973. The battle around accountability, around power within the party, remains a fundamental element without which nothing will be resolved. But a higher level of hegemon and of strategy is needed within the movement today No strategy for the left can be adequate today which does not place as its foundation the key social alliances, and the organisations which symbolise and register them, il the party. These alliance
Politics Today
must directly take in their
international dimension.
black section, Women Against Pit
the Women's
Action the
NUM, and many other
together with CLPD, mus be the bases on which a new higher level development of the left within the party must be based. These need to forge links with the Campaign group of MPs, and mos fundamentally, to recreat their links into the trad
unionhe tasks which
con front the left in the party are clear!
First the struggle against Thatcher and
that means putting right a the top of the agenda • solidarity with struggles such as wice for the securing justice miners.
Second the against coalition
because the right wing of
the trade unions, and thei intellectual advisers in Marxism Today, are JOHN already preparing coalition with the Alliance their political project for
ment.
native for Labour uniting
ning over
Fourthly the
Fifthly creating
can
on a fai
gle, another The
Thomas said that what oft the FSIN
intend to whine moan or
Nicaragua. set
It -
It was constantly by that
lower level. that was th
what to relearn again.
Page 3 scan of this page
Stop the purge
Regional Conferences.
News
tional executive meets to
charges against 12
clusion: the object of the NEC exercise is to
alleged
old discredited proscribed list.
The 12, along with the
Liverpool party
and its city council, have
already OCCI tried
found guilty by the party ¿cadership, loudly sup-
ported by the media. All
that remains is show
democracy of the Labour Party single member understands that
and resists the attacks of
giona conferences
hicl have taken
already show the situation
that is being created within
the party.
In the West Midlands
last weekend the chair and
standing orders committee
blatently manipulated the
agenda to allow a resolution calling on the NEC to Out Now
cooperation with the Campaign Group of Labour MPs as a service to the labour movement. The latest issue contains material on Labour's NEC and on the richt of an. peal to party conference, as well as an update on witch-hunts happening across the constituencies.
Orders to: WHN, c/o 36 Melbourne Road, London E17
Contribution to the costs of publishing and bulk orders for distribution are particularly welcome. Cheques should be made pavable to 'Witch Hunt News'.
Price 20p per copy or fl for 10 copies (both including postage).
THE WEST Midlands Regional Labour Party gave its full backing to the witch hunt in the party its annual meeting last weekend.
By Mick Archer, BirminghamLadywood Labour Party Delegate
A resolution calling on 'the NEC to use its powers to expel all known Militant members' passed by 506,000 to 132,000. Yet, in
normal course of events, the issue of party discipline would never have been debated.
It was the last item on the agenda and the conference was running well over time DUI Brian Mathers and the TGWU delegation changed
ON WEDNESDAY 26 March the Labour Party na-
consider disciplinary members of the Liverpool Labour Parties. The result is already a foregone con-
expel supporters of the Militant newspaper from the Labour Party, thereby re-establishing the
expel all Militant sup-
porters. It was carried by a
luge majority, with
aid ot the trade union bloc
Yost. Midlands regional
Midlands regional
conference carried a state-
ment in line with the NEC
majority position, also by a
big majority (see reports
on this page).
By Carol Turner
In the North West, an
emergency resolution to
lit the suspension of the
Liverpool district party
was massively defeated.
And at ine South West
conference efforts to raise
expulsions of Devon
Labour Briefing sup-
DOLCES were blocked bv
the platform with threats
to close the conterence
Likewise, Yorkshire
conference the previous
Witch Hunt News No 2:
West Midlands —
right demands a
purge
that. Half way through a
debate on health, they pro-
DOSCO to bring the party
discipline item forward
discussions of the Fowler Review, family planning, policing, education, and racism.
With the sunport of the standing orders committee and the conference chair, the agenda and standing orders were pushed to one side in a desperate bid
get the resolution endorsed, despite the protests of delegates. As with all previous was the bloc vote of the major unions which decid-
the late of this and every other resolution.
Every issue, even those consistent with Labour Party was crushed. Out went
Kinnock
weekend saw attempts to
phe hegenda frustrated.
agenda trustrated
And at the beginning of
March, even London
regional conference
the past a bastion of the
left• — narrowly defeated a
resolution too against ex-
pulsions. all of these
cases delegates
witch-nunting
speeches by Labour's right
will. and the retusa
condemn the purge was ac-
companied by attacks
left policy, including those passed by previous annual conferences.
At the same time that
the regional conferences Larry Whitty resolutions and amend-
calling TOT renationalisation without com-
of the women's section of the
executive the regional women's conterence tot racism and sexism awareness-training for all prospective parliameniary candidates, and tor affirmative action for ethnic minorities and people with disablilities.
tion calling for support for the national Justice for Mineworkers Campaign was ruled out of order.
Fifty delegates attended the fringe meeting organised by the Cam›aign Grou of Labour MPS CLPD and LLC. Speakers were Tam Dalyell, Victor Shonfield
Councillor Khan.
have shown the union
delegates lining up in sup-
port of the Liverpool
witch-hunt, the Campaign
Group of MPs fringe
meetings at those saline
LES.
and the annual
that women black
In the of the the
which in
strategy, this
onslaught by
leadership. serious
strategy of
leadership
centre the need campaign within trade
the left
the
pressure must
The produced the
party
Larry. disciplinary arise because
Dally position was carried by a large majority.
Section
On black sections composite from the standing
Oucs CommuLLet was remitted with a large section of the
Colicience being against the formation of black sections
Diane Abbott had been well received earlier when speaking the wellattended Campaign group fringe meeting. She argued that 'the Labour Party has
black and ethnic minority people more involvea to be a genuinel strong organisation. ' Over a hundred delegates heard
Dennis Skinner Peter Willsman of CLPD.
Possibly the most important question for the
been breached. In a letter
which accompanies a sum-
mary of the majority report
sent bulk every
Constituency Labour ParWill see, Whitty says: 'As you
there can be no
doubt that there was
widespread abuse of the
party s constitunion.
abuse is the reason for all
the recommendations oi
the summary report.
Compare that sentence
- and the content of the
summary accompanies
- with the full version of
the majority report. Whit-
ty's claim downright
fabrication. The majority report is
clear day. says (14.10): 'In addition
queries about irregularities
in the DLP itself,
thereiore the yesusa
tion team consider that
there are serious questions
about the eligibility for
party membership of a few
key. individuals in Liver-
pool. It is therefore sug-
gested these in-
dividuals be presented for-
malv by the NEC WILl
such charges with a view to
disciplinary action.'
The so-called abuse to
which Whitty
simply the peg on which to
hang a lustitication of the party leadership's drive
against socialists in the
Labour Party. By expellMilant, isnock and o a few supporters
are trying to lay the basis
for weakening those currents within reparedarty the which • LO fight the Thatcher government and which demand that the Labour leadership do likewise.
It is in the interest of the labour movement as a whole to repel this attack.
East Midlands
THE PASSING of a resolution in support of the print unions was the most positive decision by the East Midlands regional Labour Party Conference this weekend. On the question of the witch hunt a regional executive statement in line with the NEC
Mary Donnelly, Notts East Labour Party Women's
conference was the NUM's continuing struggle. The mood of the Justice for Mineworkers' fringe meeting was one of determination. An impressive plattorm emphasised the depth of the attack on the whole labour represented by the NCB's current campaign.
Margaret Beckett, shadow social services minister, placed the sacked miners' hardship in the context imminent sweeping DHSS reforms.
Jack Jones, Leicestershire NUM secretary, demanded that a future Labour government 'first and foremost look after its
Socialist Action 21 March 1986
report on the inquiry
ceedings against some of its
son and Dennis Skinner, which said:
scciclar y or une Lavour rar
Line lent willin une barty 'We are not intiating a witch-hunt or a purge. said we should not
labour movement'.
The
La democratic,
sometimes therefore accepts that
in the party and has existed since its foundation.
another,
Livs ul cue people into government.
ly begin lo ucal will brilal s prodiems own, and particularly those sacked mineworkers,
the day they elected Pam Oldfield Notts Women Against Pit Closures. stressed the im portance of the Justice for
Campaign.
vilicworKer 'As long as working people
sacked Chall prisoned the resolutions adopted by the Party should be at the forefront of the labour and trade union movement. It
vital, therefore, that everyone involve themselves in this campaign.
Mark Hunter, sacked from Welbeck colliery in Notts, explained that it is because the UDM is losing ground fast that the NCB is forced to take action themselves
Peter Heathfield urged the 120 delegates and visitors to force conference to take up the fight for justice.
True form, conference had to remit the composites dealing with
3
Heffer resolution to the NEC THE February national executive, which heard the
into Liverpool District Labour Party and voted to bring disciplinary pro-
members, presented with a resolution from Eric Heffer, supported by Joan Maynard, Tony Benn, Jo Richard-
The NEC recalls the words of Jim Mortimer, then general ference when introducing the NEC report on the Militan al une or Dartv cor Tendency. He made it clear towards the end of his speec that the NEC proposals were not a "prelude to a purge ol
• He underlined tnis by sayıng
Fi be afraid of entering into ... debate will supporters of tae Ivuillant newspaper, on wnat ne rightly referred to as political issues of importance to the
NEC endorses those views and is therefore against the expulsions of any members because they read and support une views or tne journals or tne lett or rgni within the party. The Labour Party, because it believes
pluralist party, does not indulge in witch. hunts, thought control or guilt bv association. Within the labour movement, and reflected in the Labour Party, there have long been groups of different kinds, standing for certain political positions and views, who are organis
with paid staff, at varying levels. It therefore acmany shands of opinion and views, bre od Party broad which are influenced by the views advanced by socialist journals and newspapers. This is not a new phenomenon
The party, in our view should not return to the days o! proscribed lists and intolerance, but should accept that in an age of increasing demand for diversification, groups
newspapers oi
boulu to exist. tus aversilicaton is sometning to bi welcomed, showing that the party is a healthy, dynamic socialist force, able to mobilise support from wide sec-
Our main task today is to work for the election of a Labour government at the next general election. To do that we are convinced that internal attacks on each otner leading to disciplinary action, can only help our political enemies who are backed by an anti-Labour press which is
to stop Labour getting back We ask all party members to stop any witch-hunts, to get rid of the witch-hunting atmosphere that is beginning to develop in the party, and to concentrate on defeating Thatcher and her government at the next election. Labour is the only party which can serious-
the UDM due to concern over its wording. Strong policy is needed and this situation singularly useless to those in the front line of the NCB's attacks now A lot of sympathy and concern for the NUM was visible among delegates however. The attendance at the Justice for Mineworkers' fringe meeting and the sizeable collection taken bears Hundreds of Justice for Mineworkers leaflets urging affiliation the campaigr were taken away and will help to • translate sympathy into active participation Labour Parties in the region. The leaflets also be held in Notts
• I3 April, rally organi ed by Notts WAP( and Justice for Mineworkers HILLIN Scargill Festival speaking hall, Kirkby in Ashfield, Nott 7.30pm.
Page 4 scan of this page
Regional Conferences.
Put Black Sections
on Labour's NEC
SINCE THE black sections were formed three years ago our major opponent on the left has been the Militant newspaper. In that time both the level of discussion about the self-organisation of the oppressed, and the manner in which it has strengthen the class struggle, has developed enormously. importance of self-organisation in the struggle for socialism have failed to find their reflection in thé LPYS.
By Kingsley Abrams
The Labour Party black section, which is actively involved in building an alliance for socialism around the struggles of the working class and oppressed, has launched a major campaigning intervention into this year's LPYS conference. The main themes of the campaign have been to build the LPYS by uniting all those in struggle against the Tories or sacked miners. We see the need for the LPYS to support the key international struggles against imperialism such as the struggle to isolate apartheid, to get Britain out of Ireland and to keep the US out of Nicaragua. If the labour movement is going to do any of this it has to stop witch-hunting socialists and stop attacking the LPYS.
By our campaign we have demonstrated how much more importance the Labour left needs to attach to the LPYS. We have also been instrumental in uniting those on the left in the LPYS. To that goal the black section called a meeting in Birmingham on Saturday March 15 to work out our tactics for the campaign and develop the maximum unity around support for Black Sections.
The meeting LPYS representatives — some of whom supported journals such as and International. The discussion led to agreement to establish a campaign committee that would produce a bulleti poor to the conference and wond hold daily caucuses throughout the conference. Sponsoring LPYS branches will each have a vote and are encouraged to make a donation to the
There is no doubt that this year's conference will mark a dramatic change from all previous LPYS conferences. those in the LPYS who support its policies to join the campaign committee. strength!
LPYS Conference
THE BLACK section's decision to stand a candidate for the LPYS place in Labour's NEC has shaped the whole debate at the youth section's Easter conference. with the struggles of youth, from the inner-city rebellions to the struggle against apartheid, the black sections' platform is a radical reorientation for the LPYS. It has brought together a left in the LPYS which is firm in its commitment to black self-organisation and endorses a programme of struggle to build Labour's youth section.
The response of the Militant leadership of the LPYS has been to stand a black woman candidate, Linda Douglass, on an anti-black sections ticket. Despite her platform this candidature is a partial victory for all those fighting for black representation in the labour movement. The LCC youth have indicated they support the black section campaign. It remains to be seen whether this commitment to black sections is more than purely formal. Only Socialist Organiser's 'marxist' pletely ignores this central debate at the conference.
Alongside the campaign bulletin the major fringe meetings will take up the theme of the leading role of black people in the fight against the government, building the LPYS through an alliance of all those waging that struggle and defending the YS from budget cuts and other measures designed to shackle Labour's youth to its leadership.
The black sections will have their own fringe meeting at LPYS comean.
Abrams, Amir Khan and others. Labour Left Coordination have an anti-witch hunt fringe meeting with a broad range of speakers. Youth Action's fr-
e meeting will be on the theme of building the LPYS as an socialism with a black sections speaker, a youth from the Broadwater Farm
nd a speaker from the ANC have been invited. 4
At the conference there will also be collections and DuDICy 101 workers and the Justice for the Mineworkers Campaign.
been able to
Yet the campaigns around the whether it is victimised black youth
was attended by a number of
Youth Action, Labour Briefing The Black Section urges all
Remember unity Linking candidate comwith Kingsley
alliance of struggle; an alliance for
Defence Campaign
Broadwater farma, the print-
THE THIRD national conference of Labour Party Black Sections was the conference of a movement that has come of age. just an issue to be debated and voted on — we are an established Black sections can every forum, campaign and platform of the Labour left — and increasingly we are.
Labour Party Black Section is now a recognised and substantial component of the left. an irreducible fact which must be reflected on every slate and campaign within the party. Indeed it will only be a matter of time before the Campaign Group of Labour MPs are conHones WIEN the need to take an unambiguous posi-
on the question black sections.
The last year has seen the black sections move-
and its supporters starting to play a leadership role in the left of the party. The selection parliamentary candidates is a measure of the ascent of the movement over the last three years.
The almost certain election of black section supporters like Bernie Grant and Diane Abbott will bring the struggle of black people into parliament for the since Shapuji Saklatvala was elected in Battersea In 1922. These black section MPs will also have a major role to play inside the Campaign Group of MPs itself, at the moment the THE NORTH WEST regional Labour Party was dominated by the issue of the Liverpool enquiry. An emergency resolution from Liverpool Garstang for the lifting of the suspensions of the District Labour Party was heavily defeated by the trade union block vote. The drift to the right, particularly in the unions throughout this year's conference, was strongly influenced by the breakup of the left in the Liverpooldominated unions.
by Cath Potter, Labour Women's Action Committee
In previous years supporters of the Militant newspaper have been the Only Conceil alculative to the right wing majority in the North West Region.
Mersey
But a new alignment of forces behind the Cam-
Group, Labour Women's Action Committee (LWAC) and the Campaign Labour Democracy (CLPD), emerged at this year's con ference with resolutions on
tion, on the non-
registration of the UDM, and on South Africa. The Campaign Group/CLPD joint fringe meeting; with
Black sections:
leading the left.
Black sections are no longer
part of the left of the Labour Party. demand to be represented on
only credible national leadership which the left in the party has.
By Mike Wongsam, Black Section National Committee (personal capacity)
Black section porters have been amongst those councillors iod firm the local government dispute amid st the general collapse of resistance on the part of the majority of Labour administrations. Black seclion too Has ica te iell ll to the LPYS, to challenge the domination of MiliMarc Wadsworth
North West
Eric Heffer
Eric Heffer, Derek Hatton, Billy Etherington (NUM) and Cath Potter (LWAC) was attended by 150 people, the largest fringe meeting for more than five years. CLPD apporte sold 150 copies paign Group News.
Linda Bellos
Kingsley Abrams' campaign for the youth place on Labours national ecutive has marked a first intrepid step of the left as a Whole into the Young Socialists. His candidature is already receiving broad support.
It is no accident that the purge underway in the Labour Party involves leading member of black sections, Amir Khan. The black section executive has taken principled and campaigning stand on the witch-hunt against Militant, illustrating its mature
abie despite on lious ship
role despite ferences with Militant.
This significant advance on the part of the black section movement was reflected at its recent annual conference Lambeth Not altogether
The rest of conference was a rather drab affair, with the general run of resolutions being those on public rights of way and
increased play time for children. Hardly anyone mentioned the miners strike othe
SOGAT *82 North West group delegates, wild defended the leadership of Arthur Scargill in moving an emetgency resolution to boycott News International, which was passed unanimously. Future
The high spot of the conference was the stanane ovaton over to tre speech of Enoch Mahaso,
the South African Mitalworkers Union, an affiliate of COSATU. Conference unanimously passed resolution on South Africa from Gorton and Stockport. These gave sup port the ANC and
COSATU, committed the regional executive to organise a two week tour
COSATU's representatives and a regional demonstration with the North West TUC and Anti Apartheid Movement.
surprisingly, the two previous conferences were dominated by internal matters. But this year's was dominated • by external business. All of us there had the clear impression Ilal we were parlicipaling
the annual conference ot an integral and genuine body of the Labour Party
which black section is, in all but legality. Reach
Thus the women's and youth committees addressed reports to conference. Ana conference volca on 20 resolutions from local black sections dealing with issues of policy, campaign. ing in the trade unions, constitution, etc.
It 1S the leadership team - ine black sechol national executive which has to be accorded the credit of achieving this Hitchid stabilisation and of establishing the move. licit as a coloulcul ball of the Labour Party. left. The manner in which it has responded to the many
came against during the last year
commendable the uprisings Brixtor and Tottenham, the witch-hunt, etc
But a disappointment of conference was that not one of the executive posi tions up for election was contested. Posts with more than one nominee saw nominees withdrawing at THE SOUTH West Labour Party regional conference was marked by a stark contrast. Most of the debates were stage managed and sterile. But militant delegates managed to take many struggles into conference.
By Mike Polley
The majority of the split regional executive suffered a setback over the financial burden they tried to heap on the women's organisations the executive was attempting to drastically increase the af‚tilation fees tor women: organisations. Swindon SOGAT delegates, with help from supporters, initiated a successful conference collection and delegation to Wapping. Delegates also forced a debate on the police
But most of the con_was well 'managed'. Under orders from Walworth Road the platform prevented any discussion on the witch hunt. Efforts to raise the attempted. expulsions
News
ABOUR
PART
the conterence. This in cluded Khan, nominated for treasurer and suspended BirminghamSparkbrook : Labour Party as part of the Labour leadership's campaign of
A big blow could have been struck
the riallersic witch-hunt if conference had overwhelmingly voted Amir Khan as an officer of black section national committee.
There are many debates still to be had and tactics still to be settled within the black section movement. But in • our three short years fighting for black people's right to self-organisation in order to hammer out and confront the party as a whole with our demands, the black section and its leadership already shown the key role we have to play.
Black
Sections
South
West
Briefing members in Exeter resulted in the chair switching off the micro. phone on a regional executive member. refusing to let conference hear the issues, and threatening to adjurn the conference
The resounding success of conterence left's fringe meeting. An unprecedented 70 turner upto hear WAC's case for the shadow election fo women's places on the NEC, from CLPD, and from Steve Reicher from Exeter Briefing. But pride of place went to Dave Garbutt from Swindon SOGAT who detailed the attack on the print unions
The ended
from Notts Women Against Pit Closures, who linked the print and pit strikes with
Justice for Mine
worker canoesne sotti
that the fight to defen trade unionisi against the state goes on.
The meeting established a regional steering committee and launched the Justice for - Mineworker Campaign in the South West. Over £60 was col lected plus £24. for SOGAT.
Page 5 scan of this page
Women's TUC largest yet
News
SUGAT
OFFICINE
'Women have taken a lead on the Wapping picket lines clear impression that there women involved
from the fight against Murdoch, privatisation,
was also clear was that support for the
ly been maie dominated sending women delegates.
By far the most important debate this year was centred around the document produced Dy the TUC entitled "The Wider involvement of Women in the Trade Union ment .. with the vast majority of speakers being extremely critical the patronising and insulting attitude toward women prevalent throughout the document. This was coupled with general criticisms that the recommendations do nol go lar change the balance of ¡orces In lavour or women, as well as the fact that the
failed to implement the TUC Charter, 'Equality for. Women in the Trade Unions'.
Many women clearly feel that the TUC is unwillIng to senolsiv issue of involving. more women at every level of the unions. The growing number of women active at the rank and file level of te tauc unon movemen
clearly increasing and yet the key positions within
shadow elections
*CAMPAIGN with us for women's representation in the Labour party, says the latest leaflet from the London region of Labour Women's Action Committee (LWAC).
Since the recent annual meeting of LWAC decided
cello for the women's section of the national
BaLL CAecutive at the forthcoming national ference supporters up and down the country have begun to organise nomina-
LWAC argue that women's conference the most representative national body of women in the par-
elect the women section of the NEC.
DELEGATES ATTENDING the Women's TUC in Leicester this year would have come away with the
and more in struggles against this Tory government than ever before - struggles ranging
to demands for better health facilities for women. What
Women's TUC is growing, with unions which have traditional-
By Carele Regan, NUT delegate: personal capacity.
the union bureaucracy are still held by men.
This attitude is coupled with the restrictions placed on lne aiscussions and mo tions that the Women's TUC can debate through a constitution which states of the LOnference shall be... and its purpose shall be to discuss the special problems of women workers and young
Support grows for LWAC
The London leaflet
on the trade unions. It is the block vote at annual conference which ensures, vear arter vear. that the women elected to the women's section of NEC are not the ones whom women in the party - - and rank and me women trade union members, for that WOlE themselves elect.
London LWAC have produced a model resoluaimed al une trade unions, urging them mandate their delegates to the national conference of Labour women to support vote in the shadow
Perhaps the first union branch which pressure should be plied: is that of ine
SUGAT
the frustrations that delegates felt. However a motion tabled by the NUJ. proposing a change in the
tructure of the Women's TUC by deleting the above clauses and substituting
encourage women to piay a
irade union momentil. was Canned
This decision was par-
change has been strongiy Icoisicu Dasl ferences, and the cleariv ndicates üne anwillingness LEVISES relegated to the sidelines in
discussions alice ting the whole trade union
Another aspect of the was the demand that. the Women's Advisory: Committee organise a briefing meeting for all delegates attending the TUC on the evening betore: the Congress. This the first step in the recognition of the importance women's caucuses
1n encouraging and supporting women's participation at every level of their union.
There was little evidence change from the Women's Advisory Committee itself despite many calls for action in support of women at the forefront of a fight against the Tories. Small Labour Party's Walworth Road staff themselves. Headquarters workers were instructed by the national executive not to forward nominations for the channw elections, sent to LWAC via Walworth koad. iney agreed
The situation has now been
Snestle tions are flooding in.
• For more information on the shadow elections, or to let LWAC know that your trade union branch has supported the model resolution, contact: Anni
LWAC Secretary, 12 Chatham Road, Bath, Avon (phone: 0225 63961) or Sue Nyfield, London Region LWAC Organizer, Manor Park Road, London N2 (phone: 01-444 6758).
are engaged SLE UPLICI throughout the country against privatisation struggles which are being ignored TUC
Ine bureaucracy generally and which increasing in number and importance.
The standing ovaton given the SOGAT delegates when they spoke co an emergency resojution
the Wapping dispute ivas given with a sense of 1Cal willingness give solidarity struggle
• wilai was Jackie was a commitment and iead
from the TUC and unior bureaucracies.
What was disappointing, expected. was that none of the unions involved in struggle recently, or who fighring,
were included in the 'newly' elected Women's Advisory Committee. Once again we had the
sallic vulcaucrals voted" 'in, with the usual 'deals' taking place between the larger unions to ensure that nothing or no one changed at the top.
The stagnation at the top should not be confused with the attitude of the rank and file women establishment and activity of the
WonDer support groups, clearly one of the most im portant influences on women trade unionists with many women referring to their importance
Model Resolution
elect the
movement.
Policy adopted
national Labour
date to vote in the shadow elections.
SOI
Ocr
wanting to develop further women's involvement and integration the whole trade union anc labour movement.
This year's conference indicated the preparedness of many women to take on i tight against the Tories not simply at the level of their own sector or industry, but across these bouncarles. This was notabie from the position that the National Union of Teachers delegation took and spoke on giving clear support for the Wapping, GCHQ, against privatisation. etc.
The commitment given ov many unions to supporl the TUC call for a 24 hour as first _trade unionist GCHQ sacked Was quivocal. But, with many of these policies, we Will need to campaign: within our own unions to ensure that the TUC call is: built for and supported by Illassive stnike achon.
Although the Women's TUC still suffers from a stiffling bureaucracy, TUC, theless the message was clear - there are massive struggles ahead, and although there have been some setbacks, victory can be achieved with a united response from the whole Luciall This branch notes that the Women's Section of the Labour Party NEC is the only section not elected by the people they represent. The trade unions elect the trade union section, the CLPs
constituency section, the Young Socialist, elect the YS representative and the socialist societies elect their representative. Bul the women's section is elected by all delegates al annual conference. We believe that this is an inedevalues women s participation in the labour undemocratic situation
at the national labour women's conference calls for a change in the Labour Party constitution to elect the national Labour women's section of the Labour Party NEC. As part of the campaign for this constitutional change, shadow elections for the Women's Section of the NEC are being held at this year's
women's conference. branch supports this action and urges the divisional council-NEC to send delegate to the Na. tional Labour Women's Conference with a man
IRELAND
UNFREE
LAST WEEK
cord. HUGH
council.
Derry.
Foley.
ween Doherty
tina Anderson,
in
opinion among British students.
the moment?
analysis or wilal s happening In Ireland
coherent policy on withdrawal of British troops
NUS at present does
position of peace, jobs and progress.
shift by NUS?
pro-withdrawal positions.
very mainstream organisation.
from Ireland
been!
response has been very good.
School of Economics,
issue of strip searches in Brixton prison.
your meetings?
interested in the London-Dublin accord.
by the British media.
Prevention of Terrorism
had known we
the country
change.
Socialist Action 21 March 1986 5
Irish students tour
two Sinn Fein councillors toured British colleges speaking on recent events in Ireland and the London-Dublin Ac-
BRADY and GERRY DOHERTY are elected members of Derry CiBoherty is also president of Magee collegen Both are ex-prisoners. Gerry
The tour was organised by Labour Committee on Ireland student officer Conor
The tour takes place in the run up to the British National Union of Students (NUS) conference and will end with a meeting bet-
NUS president Phil Woolas. Hugh Brady is councillor for Mar-
being held in Brixton prison.
He was refused permission to see her. Brady and Doherty explained to ANNE KANE how a dialogue on Ireland is beginning to shift
Could you explain why this tour is taking place ar
The tour is being done as an appeal from cue:: dent to other students. It is presenting a rebuthca!
It is taking place in the run up to NUS conference because we are asking NUS to adopt a
Ireland by calling for the
not have a polly on Ireland, since NUS policy has lapsed. It's important that they adopt a progressive policy of British withdrawal rather than return to their previous
What would be the importance of such a policy
It's important that any group in Britain adopt such a position. This is an issue that affects every studént in Ireland. Also the Union of Students of Ireland (USI) has similar motions going to its con ference on 5-6 April, just before NUS conference. There would obviously be a much strengthened basis for liaison and support if both had similar.
For NUS the change would be significant. With 1½ million members NUS is the biggest youth organisation in western Europe. It's considered a
A shift by NUS would be a big reflection of a change in mood in Britain in favour of removing the British presence
Where have you spoken, and what has the response
Given the time of year, with terms just ending, the
We've spoken at Manchester university, Leeds university, Londor
, Queen Mary's College. We also had a meeting with Peter Archer, Labour Party spokesperson on the north of Ireland on the
What are the main issues that have been raised at
The main one has been the fear of a blood bath following British withdrawal. Secondly people are
There is a difficulty in the lack of awareness of actual events. Tours like these, by allowing people to hear the republican side of the story may show ordinary British people how they've been conned
Even trying to cut through the effects of daily doses of the Sun and the BBC in this way is difficult because of the use of the
Act against republican supporters coming into Britain. If the authorities
were coming, our travel arrangements, there is no way we would have got into
It seems that people here are waiting to see what will come out of the accord. When nothing changes maybe then they'll start supporting real
Page 6 scan of this page
committed communists at war with god and man.'
third world'.
BELL
Honduran and sources gave message.
'contras'
Sandinista
Honduran minister
harvest has harassment. the farms, coffee-pickers.
Congress.
million
The tone of money was
finish the job.'
committed communists at war with god and man. How can Congress ignore this storm, gathering close homeland?'
His communications director went
"with the vote on con tra aid,' he said, 'the Democratic Party will reveal, whether stands Ronald Reagan and the resistance with Daniel Ortega Communists.
But Reagan today has a great deal more in mind than military toys for the dispirited contras.
On Wednesday 5 March, three days before Reagan's broadcast, engineers started operation 86' southern Honduras, from Nicaragua's border and in the heart of the Kisan contras base area. Two thousand US and 800 Honduran troops will take part in these counterinsurgency exercise, seven miles from the border. A further 2,000 troops began a 'strategy and communications' exercise on 13 March.
The engineers' role is large aerodrome for EUROPE'S GOVERNMENTS and social democratic parties are a special target for Reagan. They support Contadora. In Socialist International even set up a committee to defend the Sandinista revolution with Gonzalez, Brandt, Mitterrand, Austria's Kreisky and Portugal's Soares.
Reagan's counter dangerous. 'The Nicaraguan just like the Philippines people,' he said on 8 March, 'have the right to self-determination through Nicaragua's had removed because it was opposing the great wave of democracy sweeping the Americas.
This campaign ignores a few minor problems. First, how do you defend self-determination by meone? And what assistance is the USA giving to the 'wave of democracy' passing through South Africa? How does it
with US backing African puppet troops like UNITA?
The campaign lumps together genuine anti-dictatorial struggles as Haiti with fake cosmetic elections like Duarte's in El Salvador where torture,
Socialist Action 21 March 1986
ON 18 MARCH Reagan is going to the US Congress with a demand for $100 million in aid for the Nicaraguan 'contras'. His rhetoric has been feverish. 'Nicaragua,' he said, 'is a country held captive by a cruel clique of deeply
But amid growing evidence that the 'contras' are losing the war, both the Nicaraguan government and the solidarity movement believe that Reagan really has only two options: to give up and let Nicaragua live
ALAN FREEMAN looks at the choices facing the US government above all in Nicaragua but also faced with the rising tide of disorder in the
this year
blunt
Nicaragua
noW secreriv
over 100 drive to get the
The said 'asking our considering
with paganda drive to and the vasIon to Occu
just a few more issues
"Cabanas 15 miles
America is not
tional situation.
to build a C-130 transport
Overthrowing Nicaragua's 'dictatorship'
- Reagan's disinformation campaign
1980 the and his whole rotten edifice. was promoled lo
is crude but Marcos' cronies! people,
Second democracy.' be Margarita Boniver,
tionale' which
invading. SO- delegation
for South positive' democrao and the
more.
• or to invade.
aircraft. This completes the infrastruc-
Nicaragua. The US now has a network of military highways, strategic arsenals
sophisticated communication and elec-
and Panama to Honduras and surrounding
tion. - which lalel ap- USA, proved Reagan's request, giving him his
American troops would be necessary to halt the spread of communism in the
ing is that at the beginning of December last year Frost and Sullivan, a respected New York firm which investigates the political risks involved in investment in various countries, made its predictions for 1986. It characterised Nicaragua,
Lanka and Nigeria as the highest risks. 'The probability of North American in-
diminished in recent years,' it said, 'but
Nicaragua have risen. The Reagan ad-
end of 1986 or the
- is directly forced to consider — sending its troops into a foreign sovereign country, Nicaragua, to overthrow its government. Reagan is conducting an all-out diplomatic and pro-
create the political conditions which will allow such an in-
may
Confronted with that situation the
confronting the labour ment in Britain are: first, how serious is this threat? Second, why should it respond to it? Third, how can it respond?
A clear answer to 'why' settles all the others. What has to be grasped is that the struggle unfolding in Central
La local conflict although even that would demand a response. What is happening in Central point. America is the key to the entire interna-
The US administration desperately needs to re-establish the capacity of the United States of America to intervene killings, and jailings continue as before. It obscures what is happening in the Philippines where a mass democratic movement, viciously repressed with US help, threatened to bring down Marcos
Aquino deflect this Illass movement and protect US interests. She has formed an absolute government, accountable to no-one, together with
But the campaign is having its impact. In February a delegation from the
International visited Nicaragua. It included Italian Senator
…ot a French group called resistance interna-
1985 collected signatures for an open letter to Reagan demanding military aid to the Contras!
On returning the West German SPD member,
Wischnewski held a press conference which he used to attack the Sandinistas. The development of the revolution had got much worse, he said. There was 'no
development towards 'Sandinistas did not listen to international opinion any
This is a socialist speaking of a
militarily not only in Central America but in any part of the world where its interests are threatened. This was lost when Nixon had to pull out of Vietnam. Today economic and political conditions make it ever more necessary it regains that capacity.
In the situation it now faces the US
Icly as in the past. on economic pulling power" to sustain system of alliances The world debt crisis, whose centre in the US banks, is the outward expression of two contradictory facts: first, the USA is the richest, and the leading capitalist power of the world: second, it is in decline. The US must impose by force what it once achieved with dollars.
Recently the oil crisis, the tin crisis,
the growing agricultural cutting war between Europe and the USA intensify and highlight this situa-
The imperialist powers, led by the are gleefully dismantling price fixing cartels which protected the prices of the commodities on which a whole range of third world countries, already groaning with debt, This spells ruin for countries such as Indonesia, Mexico, the Middle East, and everywhere else that depends on the export of foodstuffs or raw materials for survival. In east Asia. where Javanese _ economv is also down, the results are particularly dramatic.
The alc predictable The economic desperation and poverty racking the third world is throwing up revolt upon
Dictators. friends of the USA, have tumbled in Haiti and the Philippines. The USA
be able to find temporary replacements such as Aquino for lost friends such as Marcos. But without the dollars to back them up, such figures are little more than fingers in the dyke. And the problem is that today there are not enough dollars to go round.
What is happening to Napoleon Duarte in El Salvador is a very good illustration.- Only forty per cent of the people voted in his 'election'
It was claimed as a big political success - - a cosmetic exercise
justify United States military aid. Without it the Salvodorean government would have fallen to the FMLN eighteen months ago. Yet, even with sophisticated technology of the USA country which, two years ago, held the freest elections Central America has
ever seen, in which the opposition ha
OWll parties and newspaper in the middle of a war with the world's mightiest power.
What does Reagan want?
He does not expect European support for a US invasion. But he can try to neutralise European social democratic opposition.
He tries to exploit a deep contradiction in 'Eurosocialism', which relies on European capital for its plans: European capital has been happy to try to wean Latin American countries away from US influence, believing the end result will be an extension of their sphere of influence.
Reagan is raising the stakes to the point where either he wins or all capital loses out. After all, if the USA troops into Nicaragua and then loses, no-one's foreign investments will safe. 'Back us, he says 'or reap the harvest of our defeat.'
In such a conflict there is no middle way. There is no peace with warmakers until they have been forced, one way or another, to abandon their plans for war.
capacity
its its
price-
the
depend.
the slowing
entirely
crisis, behind him, Duarte has been unable to
inflict any significant defeats on the guerillas
to carry through any economic reform. On the contrary, he has been forced to declare draconian leading to cuts of 40-60 per cent in the living standards desperately poor people. The result has been mushrooming organisations women's organisations, rights organisations and are led by, the FMLN.
al gull
US well that it can hold in reserve - and where appropriate, use senc own be able to contain the effects of its own economic problems. the get its troops into Nicaragua where it faces its greatest problem, it will not be
sends
NICARAGU
PREPARES
Moreover Duarte had been unable the
austerity measures
of already maximum.
the unions, the tiọn to a the human ments which look to,
The US administration knows full advances the - a capacity to will not
And if it cannot
able to get them to the decisive areas o the world. The US world role and wor conditions are therefore directly tied
inunculaid threat Cent
Three 'external' developments stan in the way of the United States - fa tors which the Nicaraguan governm fully understands and explots to
These are: the politic climate in the USA itself; the oppo
US invasion by the gover of Central and Souther America; and mass international op position which includes opposition t US action in Europe.
The 'internal' development is th
Nicaraguan revolutio itself has made, in the midst of a civ war, in unifying and consolidating th people of Nicaragua themselves. Th in turn raises the military price the L would have to pay for any interventiot
Since the middle of last year t
FERO DEFEN
INEL
Page 7 scan of this page
ISA has therefore been engaged in a stematic diplomatic offensive to try nd overcome these obstacles as achieved more success than is widey understood.
As far as the United States is conemed Reagan has pulled out all the
- even labelling all opponents
enemy within'. Vietnam
graved on the inside of the American ourgeoisis's skulls. Many judge mate correctly - - that a drawn-out war of intervention with possibly heavy US
sualties would cost it dearly. The risk s that a war of intervention would sow he seed of a serious, mass domestic oposition for the first time since the Viet-
i war itself. That is why Reagan is ill encountering domestic opposition, cluding in Congress.
But Reagan sell has weignea Inese TSKS.
ided that the threat of leaving the
id world to its own peoples now far
ELERKA
IDS LA PAZ
: REAGAN
FOR WAR
and
the most important tactors.
has held the White House back.
Is Sulll the export of Duvalier,
the installation Salvador, the
cano in Honduras.
administration 'democratic' turn in US policy.
The second
Nic: victe (of of signed outweighs the threat of domestic opposition. This is extremely important to grasp because the internal opposition in the USA is, in the last analysis, one of
coupled with a threat of military defeat, which
No-one should be fooled into thinking that the installation of Aquino, and tivities
represent a new 'democratic phase in US thinking. On the contrary, they are of a parcel with
of. Duarte EI regime of Cerezo in Guatamala, and the government of Az- America.
They aim to give a democratic 'cover' for stepping up the US's military role. The removal of Marcos in the Philippines and Duvalier in Haite was to head oft revolt. It was no
problem which Reagan has been applying himself is the attitude of the governments of Cen-
THE
tional MP,
America. In 1985 pred a great diplomatic en the Contadora group of Mexico, Columbia, Venezut... and Panama — was formed and began drawing up a peace treaty for the area which was due to be signed in November last year. The addition of a group of 'support' countries tina, Uruguay, Peru, Brazil — was a further success.
The key sections of the Contradora treaty — which aimed also to secure the signatures of Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Guatemala - were the two articles dealing with the role of foreign and Central American armed forces in the region.
Article 17 of the draft treaty of 7 September read to: 'Proscribe the carrying out of international military manoeuvres in the respective territories
the countries concerned). manoeuvres of this type in progress must terminated no more than 30 days after this treaty is signed. Article 22 called for a moratorium in the build-up ot armaments in the region. and tor a stabilisation of armed forces in conformity with the region's needs for stability and security'
For the USA such a treaty, if signed by Nicaragua's neighbours, would have been a disaster. The USA has always pretended that its military activities in Central America are directed against 'foreign' military activity by Cuba and the USSR. This is minimal to nonexistant. The real threat to the regimes
El Salvador, Honduras Guatemala the existence Nicaragua, providing an example of a dramatically different social order to their own and serving as an inspiration to their peoples to revolt. It
COSI Nicaragua, and the FMLN, nothing at all to have a treaty
opposing foreign military Hallouvies It would cost the USA, however, everything
Moreover treaty as it stood guaranteed Nicaragua its most impor tant political requirement, namely, the right to armed forces sufficient to meet the actual threat it faced — that of invasion from the USA. The US has never accepted that 10 May 1984 decision of the International Court of Justice calling on it to 'respect Nicaragua's right to sovereignty and political independence, which must not be called into question through military and paramilitary ac-
promoted from outwith
Early in 1984 the Washington Post published a four-page secret document from the Department of State which was sent to all US embassies in Latin
'the collapse of the tradora group,' it said, "is preferable to the signature of this document. Th US assiduously set about blocking the signing of the treaty. Six months later the treaty, which was to have been signed in November, is in abeyance and no further proposals are on the table to resume discussions around it.
The suspension of the talks on the
NICARAGUA Solidarity
Campaign has expressed great con-
cern at a recent Amnesty Interna-
report on human rights in
Nicaragua. The introduction refers
to a 'pattern of frequent, although
generally short-term, imprison-
ment of prisoners of conscience; prolonged pre-trial
municado detention of political
prisoners, and restrictions on their right to a fair trial; and poor prison conditions for political prisoners.'
Dealing with the contras, referred to the 'frequently reported torture, mutilation and executionstyle killing of captives by irregular military forces opposing Nicaraguan government.'
The campaign has protested that the report spends only four pages on the contras and 32 pages on the government. Unfortunately some of the left press has seized on the contents of these 32 pages -and paid scant attention to the rest.
We asked JEREMY CORBYN, who recently visited Salvador as part of a labour movement delegation, for his views on
Contradora by the Costa Rican chancellor at the Lical
meeting of cooperation countries of the EEC America in Luxembourg November 1985. The reason given was that Costa Rica was to hold elections in 1986, and that Argen- Guatemala had just held elections and
needed to reorganise 'administratively' The underlying reason more serious however. On 12 September a revised draft version of the treaty had been drawn up by This contained amendments which were unacceptable to the Nicaraguan government. First, it amended article 17 to foreign powers 'regulate' their exercises instead of ending them: in effect, nullifying the entire substantial modifications were made to All the articles dealing with the proposed
moratorium on arms build-up.
No matter tions of principle accepted by signatories, LWO had been made to the US point of view. The US would not be prevented from carrying out its military manouvres, and Nicaragua would from organising to defend itself against US invasion.
Why were these concessions made? Above all in response to a concerted economic, political and military offensive from the USA — one directly linked the economic Throughout last year the debt situation and ot the central American countries ha of ›een deteriorating to crisis point. Deb
renegotiation is now crucial to the sur vival of the Contradora governments (see table 1). would The USA's message is simple: it has
reminded these capitalist governments that in the last analysis their interests lie with it against their own workers and peasants. The terms imposed recently on Panama led to an instant general strike. Mexico is on the verge of being cut off by the world's bankers. Hon-
grown
Total external debt its (Millions of dollars)
Debt service as per cent of exports
External debt as per cent Con- of Gross Product
Interest as per cent of exports
External debt per capita Table 1
Jeremy Corbyn replies to Amnesty
the report and its context.
Amnesty also state that they had access to the anywhere else, and that the government has followed up instances rights violations and punished the officers responsible. It is unfortunate that incom- this has not received the same publicity
as other aspects of the report.
There is without doubt a campaign to label Nicaragua a dictatorship weekly paper, produced all over Central America, carries campaign is rather hypocritical against the background of what we saw in El Salvador, where there is also a civil war. People are alarmed that the wants to spend
Nicaragua. But he spends $1½ million Cver day 'democracy' is Duarte won in an election. After all voting was freedoms either do not exist, or exist on the sullace only claim between 1500 and 2000 victims year.
Under decree-law suspected of being an FMLN member EI
can be arrested and detained without trial, amd this is the main device used to remove second-rank union leaders.
Socialist Action . 21 March 1986
was lild salvador between the 'elected' and Central economic 10-12 need them.
Honduras and handed
was much
America, the Contradora SAM-7 crucial
demand that
signalled a article. Secondly,
were suspended.
how bold the declara-
the
crucial concessions
principal danger
be prevented the appropriate news
situation.
ISSe
Nicaragua's against How Central America's Debt has
1980 1981
8,501 10,111
20.6 29.1
39.0 52.2
10.4 16.5
416 480
Source: Panorama de centroamerica y del caribe
elections.
government unparalleled
all-party ot humar
tions.
this line. This
Development Reagan Nicaraguan $100 million British Salvador. Here sham. Formally Nicaragua's compulsory. But political
The death squads Scandinavian The detentions continue.
150, anyone
auras, on tie outer nana, ano
Awad have conveniently US puppets, whatever their problems, at least have hotline to US funds when they really
On the military front, the USA has
Contradora group an ultimatum. It has escalated the level of military force employed and told the group to put up or shui up. On 2 December, for the first time in Central
deployed ground-to-air missile on Nicaraguan territory, bringing down an MI-8 helicopter and killing 18 people (This missile, made in the USA, wa presumably part of the 'humanitarian' aid voted last year b Congress).
qualitative step up in American military involvement.
It was at this point that discussions
Nicaragua's point of view was very simple: the Contadora group, faced with such an escalation, could not react 'even-handedly' as if the USA and Nicaragua were two squabbling brats. They had to accept that the
to peace in Central America was the USA itself and draw
conclusions. Recent suggests that this stance has brought Nicaragua a very important diplomatic gain: a joint treaty with Costa Rica for mutual defence of the
However, as regards the Contadora and remaining frontier countries, the
unresolved. Until and unless the principle of
right to defend itself an attempt by the USA unseat its sovereign government force is accepted and acted on, and until and unless the governments involved are prepared to take this understanding to the point of risking a rupture in their relations with the USA, there can be no genuine guarantee of peace. Reagan meanwhile is stepping up his prepara tions for war against Nicaragua
1982 1983 1984
11,281 13,541 15,379
30.9 41.1 43.4
57.8 62.8 95.9 17.6 26.7 28.0
520 605 663
Reagan calls this democracy. Contrast it with Nicaragua. In 1983, for the
there were foreign delegations who were given a complete free run to go anywhere they wanted An
British Lcall alre even the Tory said the elections were completly free. The opposition's legal rights are guaranteed under the constitution and they continue producing a daily paper even under civil war condi.
I think that support from European governments has slackened off, and we have been trying to do something about It. Judith Hart is putting down a motion in support of the Intra-American
Bank Loan farmers, nOW being negotiated. We want to fight against
policy regarding export credit guarantees to Nicaragua, which are the lowest possible even though
record of payment among the best in the region. This is clearly politically motivated.
The best support has come from
governments. The French have given aid from time to time but little of late. And the British hide behind the need for a joint Europea response'. It is an example of the EEC's power to block and hold things up -we favour bilateral initiatives.
Page 8 scan of this page
Unite to fight apartheid
8 Socialist Action 21 March 1986 was the declaration which we print below. apartheid.
DELEGATIONS of the ecutive of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), the National Executive Committee of the South African Congress of Trade Unions (Sactu) and the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress (ANC) met in Lusaka on 5 and 6 March 1986.
The respective delegations were led by Comrade Jay Naidoo, General Secretary of Cosatu, Comrade John K. Nkadimeng, General Secretaru of Sactu and Comrade Oliver Tambo, dent of the ANC. During the course of the discussions Cosatu and Sactu held a separate session to discuss matters ot common interest as trade unionists.
The meeting resulted from the common concern of all parties arising from the fundamental and deep-seated economic, social and political crisis into which Botha regime and the apartheid system of national oppression and class exploitation have plunged our country. There was common understanding that Pretoria regime and the ruling class of South Africa powerless to provide any real and meaningtul solutions to general crisis, that lasting solutions can only emerge from the national liberation movement, headed by the ANC, and the entire democratic forces country, of which Cosatu is an important and integrai part.
In this regard it was recognised that the emergence of Cosatu as the giant democratic and progressive trade union federation in our country is an historic event in the process of uniting our working class and will immeasurably strengthen the democratic movement as a whole.
After extensive discussions on the current internal and international situation, characterised by. a warm spirit of comradeship, the ihree delegations agreed on number of important issues. They
THE MOST important political alliance which has to be forged in struggle against apartheid in South Africa is that between the organisations of the black South African working class and the revolutionary nationalist African National Congress (ANC). The formation of the 500,000-strong Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in December last year represented a giant step forward in that struggle. This unity in struggle has taken a further huge step forward through a joint meeting held in Lusaka on 5-6 March this year of COSATU, the ANC, and the ANC-aligned South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU). The outcome
The delegations to the meeting are worth commenting on. Jay Naidoo, general secretary of COSATU, was a leader of the Federation of South African Trade Unions (FOSATU). The declaration therefore represents the convergence in struggle of the two most important components which came together to create COSATU itself - the FOSATU-affiliated unions and the ANC influenced trade unions. This declaration is above all important for the entire struggle in South Africa. But it also relates to a decisive debate which has been taking place in Britain. It has been argued by some in Britain that the non-racial trade unions in South Africa would come into increasing conflict with the ANC. That a convergence of the unions with the ANC would represent a step backwards for the trade unions. The exact reverse in the truth. The trade unions are being drawn together with the ANC in the joint fight against apartheid. This is the decisive political development in South Africa today — a development which should receive 100 per cent support. It is the decisive united front which can destroy
Ex- agreed that the solution to the problems facing our country lie in the establishment of a system of majority ruie in a democratic and non-racial South Alrica. Further, that specific conditions of our country it is inconceivable that such a can be separated from economic emancipation.
Our people have been robbed of their land, due share in the country's wealth, their skills have been suppressed and poverty and starvation Presi- been their life experience. correction of these centuries old economic lies core of our national aspirations.
Accordingly they were united not only in their opposition to the entire apartheid system, but also in their common understanding that victory must embrace more than formal political democracy. the
AFRICAN NATIONAL the CONGRESS
are
this
POWER TO THE PEOPLE! our The delegation plained that the principal tasks facing their federation is to consolidate their membership and atfiliates, rapidly effect conversion of the general unions which are part of Cosatu into an industrybased union, within each industry bring about mergers in order to realise the principle of one industry, one union and to unite the entire working force of our country under the banner of Cosatu At the same time, representative of: our class, Cosatu is seized with the task, of engaging the workérs in
the general democratic struggle, both as an independent organisaton and as an essential compounited nent of the democratic forces of
our country. In this regard, the the advancement of the interests of
the workers and the democratic struggie of our people, requires that Cosatu, in working together with the other democratic mass organisations, deprived of their disciplined alliances so as to en-
sure that the mobilisation of our people in united mass action also has deepens the organisational basis The of all democratic organisations of
the people. at the
also reported to the meeting on its policy, its strategy and tactics. emphasised greatest possible mobilisation of all the people of our country to join in against the equally and in combination with the mass political struggle to defend the people against the enemy armed forces and to give the people the possibility to seize power from a white minority which holds on to power by the use of force.
that it is of central importance that the campaign for the immediate unconditional release of all political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela, should develop with even greater intensity. agreed that tions would do their utmost in puruit of this goal.
deepens, SO resistance, anger and the will of our people to fight back. In the process many issues have emerged and will continue to emerge as central campaigning issues.
democratic as fronted with the task of finding working the correct campaign to destroy
bantu education and establish in its place one single democratic
seek to build
The delegation of the ANC
programme, its The ANC the need for the
united political action apartheid regime
regime
The three delegations agreed
They our people. the three organisaany Botha regime.
As the crisis of our country
toc does the
At this very moment the entire
movement
negotiations
by
COSATU
non-racial, free and compulsory system of education for all the children of our country.
Similarly it has become imperative that the workers of our country, together with all the democratic forces, work together to destroy the pass laws — the badge of slavery - and the whole system of influx control and prevent the Botha regime from reintroducing this hated system in any guise whatsoever.
In these and all other campaigns facing our people it is the duty of the democratic forces to work together and consult one another in order to establish the maximum unity in action by all
The delegations further agreed that the obstacle to
negotiated solution the They concluded that no negotiations are possible while the leaders of the people are in prison and while the Pretoria regime refuses to accept that our country should be governed by all its people, both black and white, as equals, as brothers and sisters
In this context the national liberation movement, headed by the ANC, explained that neither
nor 'talks about talks' have taken place and that the ANC is committed that tany
International
negotiations, if and when they should take place, must be public and involve the entire democratic movement
In the discussions between Cosatu and Sactu, both agreed that the widest possible unity of trade unions in our country is of atmost importance in people's struggle against the apartheid regime and bosses. Both ; agreed that there was no.contradiction whatsoever arising from their separate existence.
The meeting between all three organisations was characterised
an overwhelming optimism that despite all the manoeuvres by the Botha regime and its allies, despite the heightening repression, victory over the system of white minority racist rule is not far off.
mitmeneting reiterated ree
commitment three organisations to fight for a society free from the chains of poverty, racism and exploitation which would require the restructuring of the present economy.
7 March 1986
Page 9 scan of this page
'Eurosocialists' show their
International
MITTERRAND арpears to have achieved the goal he set his party in the French elections. The socialists are set to be the largest single party while the right wing UDF and RPR parties will have a narrow majority, insufficient to
orm a strong government without backing either from the socialists or - ominously a the fascists.
•The fascist National Front has won 37 seats and the Communist vote has collapsed to under 10 per cent.
Mitterrand has achieved his aims by trampling on French workers, 114.' ing the fascists a real force,
nd conceding most of the French thatcherites' policies in advance. In return, he will hold the balance of power until the presidentia elections of 1988
More strategically Mitterand has succeeded the goal he has set himself since the ear v 1970s - to transform the relation of forces between the Socialist and Communist Parties on the French left. The aim of this is to create the conditions where the Socialists can goverl, acrossary, In lanacuu will the parties of the French right.
For over twenty years, from 1945 to 1968, the three carefully-rigged government.
no thoughe Forty cent voted
. only one dally paper Madrid's radical Fi Pais - supported them along with only one small and divided parliamentary parthis , the Communists.
vote greatly clarified both Spanish and European politics. The Eurosocialists' have scored a real coup, but exposed their project's implications.
The 'nơ' and 'yes' campaigns brought together
class alancer broad coalition of peace OLDS the LWO union federations and the left parties outside the Socialist Party opposed NATO. The great majority of- Socialist Party supporters must have voted
no' to reach 40 per cent.
On the 'yes' side, Gon-
salez proved inad better
• bourgeoisie than. parties. He was widely ex-
pected to lose because the
French Communist Party (PCF) wak totally dominant force of
movement France. It controlled the largest trade union federation, the CGT, and had mass electoral support above all in the 'red belt' of the Paris suburbs. PCF used that position to give back handed support to right wing government after. right govern ment — and above all the regime of General de Gaulle. The PCF's was to forge "French na-
United States.
But despite the Communist Party having successfully bolstered French capitalism, the French ruling class naturally showed 1U revitalisation of French economy and dustry during the and 1960s opened up the way for French capitalism to create a new reformist Socialist Party to rival the Communists. This is what Mitterrand has now built.
Line poncies walch tne Socialist Party has sued in government since 1981 — with an increase in unemployment million and a base created
for the virulent racists of the National Front - have opened up • ine way Ior a further shift to the right. The new government if the right is pledged to tax cuts for the rich, dismantling SECUOIS • UL the welde state, on
Socialist prime minister leads
Spanish state into NATO
SPAIN'S PRIME minister Felipe Gonzalez has won the USA backed Franco. the NATO referendum, to Reagan's delight. In a 60 per cent turnout, just over 53 per cent voted 'yes' to questions set by
right wing Alianza Popular (AP) party called on its supporters to abstain. He WOl because he persuaded AP's voters disregard their leadership. By Alan Freeman
Gonzalez' victory highlights the close links between the Common Market's econome military role. On the eve of the poll a
grouD of Al bankers publicly renounc ed their party's abstention call. Without NATO, they said, Spain would frozen out of the EEC's key economic decisions.
A second argument influenced voters. Being part of NATO, it was would mean being 'Europe and helping counter US influence. This argument was important because the peoples of the spause state nave reserves of anti-Franco feeling, and remember that.
France: right takes the reins,
Mitterrand stays in the saddle
unions, and mass privatisDespite verbar ODthe position, and
gestures that will doubtless be made, there is no indication that Mitterrand, who will seek to seriously block
The Equally significant are
the shifts in the military field. In a long article Le Monde last month Mr Jaques Chirac, leader
to the gallist RPR
possible prime aim his own
pretation of the defence
pioneered by Mitterand.
June the in1950s pur-
Mitterrand
It means, bluntly, acceptance of NATO's basic strategy of deploying tactical nuclear weapons in a European theatre against superior conventional forces. The difference that Mr Chirac wants the the weapons to be French.
Thẻ carefully-phrased ballot did NATO but called
the membership of the Atlan-
tic Alliance - whatever that means NATO's military mand.
Unless Spain Europe, said socialists it would have to
to face the USA alone. These
arguments are of a kind with the position of Mitterrand in rrance nock, Owen and Heseltine Britain, Craxi and Schmidt of the German socialists. They pose strengthening ope's military within NATO as a counte to US military hegemony.
Gonzalez' argument is demonstrably false.
Spain's entry into
wal challenging policy objectives, why was said, welcomed with
in relief by the US
ministration? Moreover, if he had removed US base or if European socialists, basing themselves on the great huge anti-missile
ment, had prevented cruise
'It towards political construction of
some Europe, notably
defence, and towards the construction of an economic Europe, that our efforts should be directed ... This quest, in the company of our partners, for defence personality, could only reinforce the effec tiveness and cohesion of the Alliance.? and a Military minister,
inter'European He then goes integration' outline a policy which, so
far, France has rejected: the deployment of neutron tactical weapons, decoupled from strategic systems, to be used to destroy troop concentrations battlefield This is NATO's "flexible response' strategy, but Chirac's aim is a European variant of this policy.
The real direction of 'European defence' greatly clarified by statement of objectives.
Far from defence alternative, means defence Despite the electoral success of the Socialists in France, at least, socialism has opened two doors it will find hard to close: the door to EuroThatcherism and the door to Euro-Reaganism to mention the mass racist Europe.
for
. outside
com-
joined
the
Kin-
in Italy,
Eurweight
Reagan and Gonzalez
regardless of NATO direcNATO tives, who can doubt that it towards would Blow bo near aar have foreign greater
warmongering than any
such amount
military coordination?
Finally
move-
madness.
Europe European Union is
the
not only
European
on to
and other military units.
line with
is this
a non-nuclear
Euro-nuclear
alternative.
Euro-
— 10 largest
group
evolving demilitarisation wards increased isation; not denuclearisation but
European greater reliance on nuclea
wcapons Еагорс This
cellor Khol, not many, was brought in to
but militar. towards
made Sparrist ITic
Choi, of West Ger
Labou achievements
Socialist Action 21 March 1986
colours
try and persuade Fraga's direction.
MA heads of scate rubo join Gonzalez.
contrast, posi
SORIs FriE i Bricain shal the approprian this conclusions.
Page 10 scan of this page
10
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I find all these leaks so disturbing....
Are you still h going on about Westland-?
Socialist Action 21 March 1986
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Digbeth just off
A PIECE of the ACTION
No, no! Not that kind L of leak, you poor dumb creature! I'm frightened by the leaks at Sellafield!!
Dumb?!
valuable.
if more
basis. And a smaller easier for of our
larger
are
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steps to
split. Our staff are rapidly their skills. We rebuilding
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- we
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there. tremendous our income is to the
And that to the
black section, for Cam-
WAC's Jalal. shadow cam-
Ireland builds the callpaigl 4Va1° theid.
of Arthur
Scargill the miners
Women Pit
which printed the major statements
of Oliver
ANC. which prints
Adams Sinn Fein,
line major and
We
And
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grouplets British
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•CORMAC
I don't believe their statements about rad ¡ation leaks! And I fear for the future!!
You fearfor the future!!? Listen, kid...my parents .. they were sparrows!!
Behind
the London
this undemocratic and
conditions.
By Rob Jones service for the capital.
London's busworkers militancy.
July last year. strategy capable of, an effective fight. to an issue of national political priories.
ting forward are weak.
We can and should present the
adequately-financed
buses.
ment have.
Committee,
UNIONS
busworkers strike IN A SERIES of branch ballots, London's busworkers have voted by overwhelming majority to strike from 24 March. Following a now-familiar pattern, Telford Beasley, head of London Buses Ltd (LBL) and formerly a director of United Biscuits, has already called
promised High Court injunction against the TGWU. But his new-found concern for democracy is not matched by concern for busworkers jobs or
On 4 March LBL gave the formal 90 days
existing agreements on wages and conditions of service Hard won benefits such as staff status, sick and holiday pay, and severance money will now all have to be renegotiated. Moreover, this comes on top of plans to close at least five more garages, privatise more routes, convert others to one person minibuses driven by part-timers on lower wages
Only last year management proposed a £40 a
which they have shelved but not
package will be the loss of 1500-2000 jobs and a
further deterioration of an already poor public transport
are noted for The last time the bus section of the transport workers union took prolonged strike action was for seven weeks in 1958 when the Macmillan government attempted to force a three per cent norm for all wage settlements. But the scale of Tory attacks on public transport has already provoked a series of short stoppages at fleet and garage level. This reached its highest point with an 82 per cent vote for a strike over the pay claim in
That vote showed the anger of over 7000 busworkers. But years of weak leadership and a near refusal by the London Bus Committee (LBC) to campaign for a fight has told in this latest ballot: a low turnout. Busworkers are not confident that their leadership has either the resove for, or a
The vote for strike action was organised by secret ballots following branch meetings. allowed the membership to hear management's proposals, the union's response and the views of fellow workers before casting a vote. The problem is that the LBC did not campaign for a strike vote or explain how we would fight. Even so the vote was 2:1 in favour. It gives a clear mandate for action. The task now is to convince the waverers.
This job is more difficult because miners' defeat. 'What chance have we?' is the refrain. The message is peddled loudest by those who are opposed to strike action. But there is genuine concern about how to fight. Bus workers have no illusions about the struggle we face.
At the centre of the dispute is the Tories' plan to scrap a subsidised public transport service and to hand over passenger traffic to the profit of private operators. Their decision to create London answerable to the Ministry of Transport, was part of that process. This government has made every dispute about the future of London's transport in-
It is not enough, therefore, to say this is just another industrial dispute. But that is how the union leadership sees it. The demands they are put-
They call for a slowingdown of the cuts, rather than total opposition. But busworkers should be bold enough not only to call a halt to these attacks but to openly declare our opposition to the Tory government's priorities.
case for an and integrated public transport service. That means cheaper fares, and an end to OPO and the reintroduction of crew
Busworkers should demand that government resources are reallocated for the benefit of people not profits. As the GLC cheap fares policy
showed, such a campaign would be enermously popular. It would help the union win the allies it
needs to turn back the management offensive.
Busworkers haven't chosen this fight, manageWe can enter it from a position of strength or aliow them to dictate the terms of our
retreat. As a member of the London Busworkers
Tony Isaacs, put it: "There are no
guarantees that if we take management on we will
win. But if we don't take them on — we can't win.'
Page 11 scan of this page
In the Unions
WILKINSON, Kinsley
capacity, reports on Kinsley's fight for survival.
ON 25: March Kinsley
Drift will be at the national
review for pit closure.
Kinsley will be the next pit
in line after Bates. Labour
There is no doubt there
is a future at Kinsley Drift
if the mine were run pro-
perly. Any pit can be made
uneconomic if you take.
away the labour. We have
lost 200 miners through
replacement. Headings are
stood because ot a shor-
tage of miners and no face
replacements when the
units have exhausted.
Only two years ago
Kinsley Drift had the
highest output of coal per
shift in the Barnsley area
and made a profit of £2.2
million Capital
costs of £18 per tonne of
coat are put on al Ainsies
Drift, and to wash our
coal costs £63,000 a week.
Kinsley Drift was
opened in 1979. Just six
years of producing coal, at
By Evan Pritchard
ABOUT 75 people at-
tended a meeting at
Gwersylt near Wrexham
on 11 March, to
publicise the Justice for
Mineworkers Campaign.
After the campaign launch on 2 March, the drive is now on to build a justice campaign in every
trea of the country.
Cath Jones of South Wales WAPC, and Dick Withecombe from the North West Region DUT' port group told the Gwer-
meeting OI Ine Droblems still being caused by the sequestrators.
Withecombe gave the campaign history and
tressed the need to build the justice campaign,
ointing out that NUM needed the victimised £25,000 week for men. Cath Jones too spoke
WAPC video
A VIDEO on the activities of Notts Women Against Pit Closures (WAPAC) is available from The Other Side video collective and Nottingham Video Project.
Entitled Side by Side, Women Organise it was produced directly in cooperation with Notts WAPC groups. documents the way they came into existence to defend their communities during the 1984/85 miners strike.
Kinsley Drift fights on
THE NCB has brutally and publicly rejected the recommendation that Bates colliery remain open. Kinsley Drift in west Yorkshire is the next pit in the Thing line. But Kinsley Drift is fighting back. PAUL
Drift NUM, personal
a cost of £60 million
open. The Coal Board ad-
mits to 12½ million tonnes
reserves of
coal. going
through a bad patch at the
noncul out as nave
their ups and downs
Pressure
A cemendous amount
of pressure has been put
the mes a blasley
Drift, using American
style tactics
lo get peopie
job away committ.
jobs, Caved in under this kind e Twenty three collully. have
pressure before they ever
got to the independent
review body. But the
Kinsley miners, with the
support of their wives,
family, and community
have resisted the pressure. Morale
To keep morale up at
the pit we formed Kinsley
Drift Community Action
Group. We used leaflets,
public meetings, and had a
very successful march and
rally. Two thousand local
Building the Justice campaign
of the need to keep the
support groups alive. tess Sweeting chai chair of Betteshanger
Kent and a sacked miner, spoke proudly of the Betteshanger occupation and of the walk-out by Betteshanger underground workers on the anniversary of the end of the strike,
and other sacked miners had leafletted the pit. Dennis Pennington from Bold Lancs, describing himself as 'temporarily sacked' also called for stepped up support for the Justice Campaign.
Jack Collins firmly pointed out that the sacked miners were still paying their subs therefore the wages of •Willis and his gang. Prescott, Labour's
spokesperson, should tell the NCGB that if they didn't reinstate the victimised
The struggle is related by women themselves in culesale songs. Many of the women
describe how they became aware of class and sexual politics during the strike. Anger and bitterness at the betrayals of the TUC and
party leaders mixed with women's new found confidence and determination to fight and win.
The media portrayed the Notts strikers isolated and depressed: when they mentioned mem at all. Side by Side shows a different picture
picture of women's
But as usual we had
very no media
coverage. If we had voted
cose ourselves
would have made front
page news. but because we
are fighting they ignore us.
The decimation of the
local community, and its
attendant social evils
lass youth unemploy-
ment. do not tigure in the
account book mentality of
the the
suvailuckl
Coal Board. The cost of
closure is far greater when
you take into account the
social costs or evèn the real
costs of redundancies, loss
and payments
social security benefits to
those who would
thrown on the industrial
scrap heap.
The arguments of the
strike are more valid now
even than in 1984 We
need you to support us to
help save Kinsley from the
butchery the Coal
We have had a cam-
paign VOCO You
can hire the video or buy
the video for f10.
• For a speaker, or to
send a donation or letter
of support contact
Margaret Dawson,
Common Road Kinsley,
Nr Pontefract, West
Yorks. (0977-614260) 'their jobs would be on the line? said Collins.
The meeting was moyed hy the story of the miners families' suffering told by Betty Turner, wif of a South Wales miner. And Mick Thomas from Blaenau
. riesuno! quarry workers (back out on strike again after a recent temporary return to work), and Jim Kelly from the nine-month long Silentnight dispute Roth the dad ships meeting of
hardships other workers in struggle.
• The Justice for Mineworkers Campaign can be contacted Durham Mechanics Offices, 26 The Avenue, Durham •DHI
61375-6). Affiliation £50pa for national bodies,
regional, speakers and literature are available on request. strength and defence of their communities. Of links made with other mining communities from Scotland to Kent, and with women trade unionists and other socialists from all over the world
Side by Side available on VHS for sale (£10) or hire (f4) with all profits going to wome Against Pit Closures
• All enquiries to The Other Side Video Collective, 29 Lees Hill St, Sneinton Nottingham NG2 4JW ОГ phone Nottingham Video Project, 0602-470356.
new president for the
Engineering Workers (AUEW).
whole labour movement.
By Bill Alder
As Tocher explained to
ponent par.
Mainstream organization
They've come out quite
openly that they are con-
sorting with the EETPU
and the UDM They're
consorting together with a
view to splitting the TUC
break traditional
relationship between the
trade unions the
Labour Party and move
towards the SDP.
Jordan and the right
wing majority on the ex-
ecutive council claim to be
the champions of de-
mocracy. Their record and
their plans for the future
prove this claim to be a lie.
On several occasions
executive council has over-
maden the views of the an-
TEACHERS south of
seem
Educational Institute of
union to which 85 per
teachers belong, is a far
England and Wales.
settlement, and should be
seen in that context.
of a settlement for
The offer is for 15 per . LWO plus a pay review
likely to give a further in-
THE Easter conference of the NUT will be debating Lambeth motion calling for unity with the National Union of Schoolmasters-Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) into one single TUC-affiliated union.
This proposal will seem paradoxical to a large section of members of the NUT. The NAS-UWT was the union which entered into united action with the more ver pay yet voted by LOIC their ballot to accept the ACAS offer effectively sold out the pay campaign of 1985.
BALLOT PAPERS are now out for the election of a Amalgamated Union of
The Broad Left candidate, John Tocher's right wing opponent is Bill Jordan. A victory for Jordan would be a blow to the
nual national committee
(the supreme policy mak-
ing body of the union)
For example, the executive
Would up the union's
sickness and superannua-
LIU1. scheme without
reference back to the
Most disas-
trously, it has invariably
reached on
wage rates with the
engineering Culliover.
without the members hav-
ing any say whatsoever. Democracy
The effect of this lack
of democracy can be seen
in the national minimum
time rate. Only skilled
week for
engineer.
To gain complete control over the members, the right wing wants weaken the basic unity of the AUEW - the shop
Scottish teachers offer: vote 'no'
crease. Nevertheless this
will not restore living stan-
dards
1CvCi
ycals
Scottish
from £10,295,
average
£9980.
will not pay
However, Scottish
to the deal
This is the
For a single teachers union
That very settlement, however, has caused crisis within the NASUWT ranks. Firstly, those who voted against the settlement will have felt
By Ray Sirotkin, Lambeth Teachers Association (personal capacity)
betrayed by their leadership. Secondly, as the NUT are continuing with sanctions such as not covering
absent colleagues NAS-UWT members will feel personally vulnerable
For both these reasons Inally members are likely to join the • NUT.
Socialist Action 21 March 1986
Vote
Tocher
Vote for democracy
stewards branches and district com- commutices.
mittees. The frequency of
branch and district Con-
meetings has been
halved; the authority of
district committees to
authorise industrial action
nas been removed. Only
executive council can now
make strikes official. It is
rumoured that the CA-
ecutive wants to stop the
quarterly meetings of shop
stewards in every district
of the union. Political
The right's plan is to
weaken the bodies which
are most accountable to
the members, concentrate power in the hands of the
executive, and hold • perlodic postal ballots conducted through AUEW journal (edited by Ine Gavin Laird) and the na tional newspapers of Murdoch, Maxwell and Shah Such measures would pave
way the right's long-term aim: amalgamation with the EETPU on the basis latter union's undemocratic rules and structures.
a Fighting Union (CASU
has for a rejection
OT the offer, seeing the
threat the settlement
poses. As the service con-
ditions of Scottish teachers
OCLECI defined, they
will be able to deal with the Scottish secretary's Rifkin in the House of Commons
conditions and assessments
Despite the limitations of the settlement, NUT
must icarn two important lessons from the Scottish aispute Firstly, the strength of Scottish teachers. Eighty-five per cent are members of one union as opposed to 50 England and tales who cent teachers
The NAS-UWT at their Easter conference are
united action with all the professiona collaborating associations' and employers on conditions of serVICe , assessments, etc. The future direction of the NAS-UWT could pull them towards close collaboration with these nonfessional Associate Pot fessional Association Teachers) or towards the NUT.
Unity
A call by the NUT for unity will attempt to put a brake on the anti-union
11 A vote for Tocher is a
vote to defend the relative
democracy of the AUEW constitution and rules. leonid victory for Tocher make I easier lor AUEW members to control their union and better wage the struggle against the engineering employers.
e this Nationa cos i-
like this:
is the forum debates over policy. The
function is to enac ge it. So the dif sabotage ference in stance between Jordan and myself is that I would be endeavouring to operate the policy of national committee.
Forum
That does not mean single union agreements. It doesn't mean that you renege on your word that's been given to the TUC
'It means you remind the membershi of the
policies of the TUC. Mos importantly, it means you support members when they're involved in strug gle with their employers.
are NUT members.
Secondly, their tactics flowing from having this strength included being prepared to boycott
giving urgency fo the employers to make a ofter so as to call off the boycott.
NUT members would do well to take notice of this. Indeed members of
NAS-UWT, the se. cond biggest teachers
England and Wales would also gain by realising that all teachers benefit from a united front of the NUT and the NAS. UWT.
direction that the NASUWT has adopted and give some confidence to
those of its members who recognise the need for single TUC-affiliated union.
During the pay cam ' paign, the experiences of
memberships or the NAS-UWT and NUT have taught them that united trade union action give! strength. The period ahead will include a fight to see that the unity of action is translated into the formation of a singie trade union for teachers, thus strengthening our ability to defend the interests of all teachers.
Page 12 scan of this page
Build the Wapping picket
A turning point in the dispute
DISTRIBUTION of Murdoch's papers can be stopped. This was the message from the 10,000-strong London district council of SOGAT 82. Only vicious Saturday Wapping demonstration police attacks finally broke the picket at 2.30am Sunday — a five hour delay. grow La. Other sections of has progressively
Labour movement the Saturday and mid-week demonstrations as key events around which to mobilise. Miners, and the Women Against Pit Closures (WAPC) movement in have given a lead on this.
WAPC nave mobilised with women in SOGAT LAST SATURDAY night saw by far the biggest turn out in the Wapping dispute. Ten thousand pickets nearly controlled the area around the plant until the police were able to regroup. Murdoch's papers were five hours late in appearing. FRANK GORTON gives an eye witness account.
MURDOCH failed to
THOVC Wappin he his papers Saturday from
night. largest mass picket so of print
workers, their families, and supporters held the
field until 2.30am on Sun-
day. Reports indicate that
the papers were five hours
and many had no
advertising section.
Around 7-8,000
assembled at Tower Hill
for a nine o'clock march on
Wapping. They were Join-
ed by others later. Feeling
the strength
demonstration larger than
any before, LUC print
workers set off in high
spirits. The march had an
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called by the
Saturday night demonstrations.
By Brian Grogan
Support groups are now being established in most major centres and in a number of mining communities. These have been initiated primarily by the printworkers but are drawing in many of the activists SUU" ported the miners through their year-long dispute.
air of democratic control
of the streets
were occupied from pave-
ment to pavement.
Print union banners,
the Hackney NALGO ban-
ner, NUT banners, and
Rolls Royce Park Royal
were present. To chants of
ICIe throng rolled purposefully WC go. the
towards Wapping.
This peaceful, and pro-
foundly dignified,
response to Murdoch's at-
tack on printers right to
work gave all the SUIC
authenticity to the anger
and outrage that exploded
at the sight of the ranked
police lines, and the ever
SUBSCRIBE
I enclose cheque/PO payable to Socialist Action for £ ..
PO Box 50, London NI 2XP
These are beginning to political support through TATISS funds, gather rallies and conferences and mobilise mass pickets and demonstrations.
Miners at South
Kirkby and Frickley colJeries in Yorkshire have instituted a f1 a week levy. Martin president at Kirkby NUM
xplained why: The prin
vorkers were one of th NUM's SUU" porters in our strike. They are now in the firing line and need our support. We are ready any calls for solidarity the printers make.
provocative 12 foot high
iron railings in front of the
razor wire. Within minutes
60 feet of the iron railings
were bent through 90
degrees and the mounted
police were on the pave-
ment to fill the gap in Mur-
doch's defensive line.
Also within
the police on horseback
discovered that it was not
the best place to be. Over
exposed and extended, and
without sufficient room to
manoeuvre and
possibly feeling like a row
of pop up targets at a
coconut shy they
withdrew in some disorder.
Before the vast majori-
ty of the demonstrators
were even in sight of the
plant, the police were on
in combat for-
Ine succi
Police with lan
shields interlocked, mobile
praetorian guards WILl
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echoed by Anthur Scargil, was president of the NUM, at a
LU CURE memorate the second anniversary of the death of David Jones on the picket squads, noung mounted police proved inadequate
attempts to timidate the print workers. mounted police deliberate. Even OUL of control
trying, to run print pares oblivious to the workers down and,
welfare of their mounts,
did nothing to stem a
growing realisation that
tonight the papers would
be stopped.
With the London bran-
ches of the print workers in
control of the streets, and
the police on the rampage. themsepickets defendec
with crowd
control barriers. Thes
were used to restrict the
mobility of the cavalry
every street Murdoch's
lorries had previously used
as rat runs to avoid pickets
was blocked by these bar-
riers or hastily assembled
NATIONAL MARCH & RALLY
SUNDAY 6* APRIL 1986
IN DISPUTE
March to move off 1.pm/1.30.pm.
ROUTE New Bridge Street, to Ludgate Circus,
Fleet St, the Strand to Trafalgar Sa.
until 5.0.pm.
£5 COACHES
Set down point:- Tower Hill.
MURDOG: S BAD
Sun N235
Wembley and Shore and Prescott speak-
Unfortunately, despite the mounting movement, the demands of the print union leaderships are conare unclear wooden pallets, building rubble, council estate dustbins, and in one instance a dormobile van.
Private cars and taxis were guided through the road blocks but the determination to try to block the roads to Murdoch even simply by sitting down was strong.
A representative of the local tenants spoke of the understanding by the residents of the printers Improvised songs Causc. soon to be followed by
duplicated he feeling. deepened the solidarity and control. The street party mood deepened into the early hours of Sunday morning with an ever changing interaction and discussion between the different groups on the
**************.
SOGAT - nga - RUE - NUJ
IN SUPPORT OF PRINTWORKERS
WITH MURDOCH
Assemble at Tower Hill/Lower Thames St. from 12 noon.
Lower Thames St, to Upper Thames Street.
Rally at Trafalgar Sa, to commence at 3.0.pm
Speakers will include BRENDA DEAN-TONY DUBBINS,&
HARRY CONROY NUJ General Secretary, & Trade Union
& Labour Leaders, details of others to follow.
Pick up point: - The Embankment. From Northumberland Avenue to Waterloo Bridge.
TIMES UNDAY TIMES obscuring the need unify printworkers on the
national dailies against the attacks on all printworkers. This especially marked in the failure to link the struggle against Murdoch with the struggle against Robert Maxwell in response to Maxwell's closure of the Scottish Record. This entire apor solidaries the need solidarity strike action In Fleet Street.
By echoing the attacks of the Tories and the police on militant pickets Brenda Dean also tends to undermine solidarity.
linenternational
events
were registered: hundreds
of leaflets about a meeting
to be addressed by a retur-
ning labour movement
delegation to El Salvador
were well received, and a
cry of 'Mama Doc - Papa
Doc — Mur Doc' sent an
appreciative tOdI of
humour down the line. Ac
claim of the Portsmouth
SOGAT branch's atten-
dance was long and loud
when they boarded the bus
for home at 1.30am.
With print workers in
control, with flying pickets
active an auxilliary
printshop at Worthing,
with radio contact between
six concentrations of ac-
tivity, with regular infor-
mation reports about the
overall state of play, with
cheers of approval at these
reports, and requests for
the pickets to remain in the
line for a little while
For Rally at 9pm
proach, print union leaders ought to take a lea out of Scargill's book and demand action from thi TUC and Labour Party not just fine words. This could start with dumping Labour's prospective parliamentary candidate for Stevenage who is a Sun journalist presently scabbing at Wapping.
No barbed wire or electric fences will prevent vic tory if the printers win th full active backing of the labour movement. Buildsupport committees and mobilising for the Saturday night demonstra tions is today's key task.
longer', a truly effective picket was maintained With resentein 40 per cent absenteeism Rupert's fortress due demoralisation, and with the evidence of wire meshed buses still parked up at iverpool Street Static for Murdoch's 'workers' after 2.00am, it seems clear that the scabs, as well as the cops, are not a happy
A corner was turned on Saturday night. situation has developed.
Mass picketing carried the day and all class conscious militants should organise to build the pickets even bigger. woman was heard to be singing quiet! to herself as she walked home I'd rather picket. • Build the Wapping picket.
ngal
London Region
NATIONAL GRAPHICAL ASSOCIATION
News International
Dispute
MARCH
AND
RALLY
Saturday 22nd March, 1986
Lower Thames Street, EC3, at 8pm Assemble
King Edward Vil Memorial Park March to:
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