THE TORIES have begun to unveil their secret manifesto. It amounts a declaration of British labour movement.
Its three key components are: • the introduction of new trade legislation to render trade unions ineffective • the attack on the political levy to strangle the Labour Party • the restructuring of capital through privatisation In the next session of Parliament the government they will sell off 51 per cent of British Telecom and the Royal Ordnance armaments factories.
In addition, without need for further legislation, a further 25 per cent of government britoil British Gas's North Sea oil exploration interests will be sold off.
Energy Secretary again considering the sale of British Gas showrooms, previously called off because of the threat of industrial acpolicy not just a workers' jobs and living conditions but also to trade union organisation.
UNIVe privatisation is the prolonged recession of British caulals. Capital drive for new sources of profit is forced to regain control over profitable parts of public services and a greater share of the work in supplying services and nationalised industries.
Such policies did not Thatcher. Under the right wing leadership of Callaghan the Labour government of 1974-79 presided over the sale of £750m-worth of shares in KeTOCHl. alowcu councils to continue selling off council honses and made savace cuts in public expenditure.
function which privatisation will play in Thatcher's anti-union plans was spelled out by the Economist at the end of last year's rail strike by ASLEF:
'Britain's unions are cowed, nOL OrOKel . The manner of the train driver's defeat should also temper any train pretty solid. It was left to ner cabinet to bring ASLEF to heel.
but ruc intema bonucs are away The TUC is not a reliable the struggle against power The union grip SLTORECSL the DuOlIC Socialist Action 8 July 1983 this slalc war on the the of information probacanda However effective British this respect) they Peter Walker is FOR In start with Bury fight against privatisation won victory ns cuse ute British Tory-controlled quacies and public services.
through industrial action. here titudes. The but Arthur Scargill's tion should start its ip vin SCLIVI da campaign in the first place. Stock exchange has harvested millions from privatisation deals monopolies. The most effective way to reduce public sector union power is to molo Dory ricar monopoly in the service they provide.
So privatisation is a political attack.
So far the trade union leadership has large v contined itselt to campaiens counteragainst the Tories. these Canibalel have been in media terms (NALGÖ's £1m campaign being very prominent in have little impact in terms of actually defeating the Tories.
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the Tories' myths (see below) have credibility for many people because of the perceived inadeof the nationalised industries SLOeS These myths can only smashed if te governmenl s poncies are rougul vUull.
change in atfight to defend the nationalised industries has begun under the new left leadership of the POEU.
speech to the NUM conference similarily indicates a new drive by miners to fight closures. This strategy is correct. Industrial acbefore privatisation begins in order to defend the public sector from the cuts which made them targets for the government's propaganBai cas Unity between all enose fighting against privatisation, could be the start OI a generalised fightback against the Tories.
United andahom action is likewise fundamental to the fight against privatisation.
The Labour Party's current policy is to 'return to public ownership the public assets and rights hived-off by the Tories, with compensation of no more than that received when the assets were denationalised.' This contrasts with 1981 conference policy which called for renationalisation without compensation. Obviously the greater the potential penalty paid by prospective buyers the more disincentive for those buying public assets.
A future Labour government must be committed to a plan with the trade unions which ends the attack on jobs. living standards and the public means programme commanding heights economy, starting with the nationalisation of the five major clearing banks. Socialist But the importance of joint trade union and Labour Party action doesn't CIUWI UCIU socialist policies, important though this is. In order to win battle against privatisation there has to be a unity developed between workers at the point of production and consumers.
In the workplace, particularly in the public services. rank and fle oreanisa. tion through shop stewards committees CeHieICu Icaluui lu the problems posed by the Tory governThe Labour Party has to rebuild itself on the basis on forging links with all those who will bear the brunt of the organisations, black organisations and aulacks. . Lelanls In this context joint action between the Labour Party and the trade unions should be the key to working class unity in struggle.
Only the left wing of the labour movement has the capacity to rebuiild the iabour movement in this wav.
Broad lefts have to be constructed inside the unions committed to this type of perspective. They must link up with Consulucil lefts, fighting for Labour Party to become a mass campaigning party, based on its links with ihose in struggle. sector.
the Britain's bosses back privatisation
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tio The three aspects of government privatisation is