Socialist Action No. 171, 25 September 1987

Socialist Action · 25 September 1987 · 12 pages, 17,088 words read by machine

The scan: 171-sep-25-1987-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.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Page 1 scan of this page

THE TORIES!

Tony Benn on socialist policies; Ken Livingstone on left unity; support the miners; the Liberals — 'Owenism without Owen'

No. 171 THIS YEAR's Labour Party conference is almost certain to take the Party in exactly the wrong direction.

What is needed is drawing up plans of four years of resistance to the Thatcher government.

This is not just what is needed to defend working people and their families, it is also what is required for Labour the next election.

In four years time it won't be how slick is Labour's television broadcasts, or whether its leaflets are printed in colour or not, that will determine whether Labour wins. It will be how far the trade unions have advanced, how far local government has been defended, how far the struggle internationally has advanced.

Labour lost the last election when the miners strike was defeated - and Neil Kinnock helped sign Labour's death warrant for the election when he failed to support the strike. If the miners had won Thatcher would have lost the election. Because the TUC let the miners be defeated

INSIDE:

SOCiAisE

ACTION

BUILDING AN ALLIANCE FOR SOCIALISM

UNITY ON

THE LEFT

TO FIGHT

Labour went down to defeat. If Labour loses the fights outside parliament then it will lose the next election as well.

Top of the list at Labour Party conference should therefore be how Labour defends the unions and Labour councils under attack — starting by supporting the miners overtime ban. Second should be support for the liberation strug gle in South Africa. The conference should discuss defending women and the black communities. Support for peace in Central America, and a ringing condemnation of Reagan's policies of supporting the contras, should be a next item on the agenda. The discussion should continue on how to get Britain out of Ireland. A central feature of domestic policy should be to use the chaos in the SDP to appeal to voters who misguidedly voted for it at the last election to return to Labour.

But what will we, in fact, get from the party leadership? First and foremost an attack on hard won democratic rights in the party under the Labour conference special:

25 Sept 1987

THE GULF!

guise of 'one member one vote - a move to break any accountability of MPs to their local Labour Parties and to allow Robert Maxwell and Rupert Murdoch to play a decisive role in Labour Party selection procedures

Second, there will be no mention of those fights actually taking place against the Tories. Arthur scargill and ine miners will be wreated as al embarassing irrelevance at best, and at worst as a threat, to Labour's attempt to rebuild its support. ' Any council attempting to defend services would be condemned as looney left".

Third instead of discrediting, ridiculing and weakening the Alliance the right wing — led by Eric Hammond, Gavin Laird and members of the Fabian Society - will be seeking to rescue that anti-Labour outfit by voting for proportional representation and discussing in the corridors Lib-Lab pacts.

We could go on. But the issue is not what to denounce but what to do about it.

Here there is no doubt. The most crucial issue

30p

BRITAIN OUT OF

HANDS OFF IRAN!

is to unite the left in the fight against the Thatcher government. Today the most important source of confusion and disorientation in the labour movement is that a number of figures regarded by the majority of the working class as on the left, starting with Neil Kinnock, are breaking up annd disorganising any fight back against the Thatche government. But hundreds of thousands of working class people don't understand that as yet

- nor will they sort out who on the left intends to fight, and who intends to fake, without a real struggle being waged against Thatcher. And hundreds of thousands of people will find themselves engaged in fights with Thatcher's government regardless of whether the party leadership wishes them to do so

It is this unity in the struggle not ritual denunciations, which will sort out the situation in the labour movement. It is what is needed for the fight against the Thatcher government - and for a Labour victory. That is why it should be taken up.

Page 2 scan of this page

'Owenism without Owen'

Right wing Labour offensive in Birmingham

Socialist Action

ACTiON SOCiAlist

Why unity on the

'left?

SINCE THE election unity on the left has become a popular, and Why?

That can only be understood in terms of the three currents which today exist in the Labour movement -against the Thatcher government.

Neil Kinnock intends to take the Labour Party far to the right of anything which most people imgoined when he was elected party leader. more, he is committed to a bloc with a right wing

This year's TUC congress and Labour Party conference have defined politically, and industrially, more clearly than ever before. At the TUC it voted for no-strike deals. At the Labour Party conference it will vote for proportional representation - that is, in practice, for a coalition with the Liberals.

The Kinnockite majority of the party is verbally against such policies of the new realist right. But it is totally paralysed from fighting against them, among bloc with this right in running the party. Thus Ron Todd argued against no-strike deals at the TUC congress which put off the whole matter. unions, and soft left, reject a coalition with the Liberals but adopt policies which, as Tony Benn has rightly put it, "ideological coalitionism'. Or put more precisely which make labour's distinguishable from the Alliance. A precondition for a serious fight against the right's policies is breaking off the bloc with it in running the party.

That leaves the position of the 'hard left'. This will, as its main task, be waging the fight against the Tory government. But the hard left is also a minority inside the labour movement. It cannot lead it in its own right at present. The demand must be that the soft left joins with the hard left in the fight against the Thatcher government — not in order to 'expose' the soft left but in order to actually wage the struggle against Thatcher. That, inevitably, means the soft left breaking off its bloc with the right — not as an end in itself but because the right has not the slightest intention of fighting against Thatcher.

That is what the slogan 'unity on the left' means concretely today. That is why it is a correct slogan. It serves the interests of both the labour movement and the left the two must be the same. The voice of the

'soft left'?

BRYAN GOULD is being built up as a 'soft left' candidate for the NEC — in particular by the Labour Coordinating Committee. As a certain test of his soft left credentials who do you think he voted for in the 1983 leadership and deputy leadership elections?

Kinnock and Hattersley? Hattersley and Kinnock? Heffer and Meacher?

Gould actually voted for Peter Shore for leader and Gwyneth Dunwoody for deputy leader.

1als way oul posiuol was only seven Gwyneth Dunwoody, treeson. Jonn Gilbert, McGuire and Peter Shore.

Bryan Gould has nothing to do with the soft left. He is a right winger being given a left cover by

the LCC.

taken a little note of rather than being confined to d

pages 347 and 349 of the 1983 Labour, Party con-

ference report?

25 Sept 1987 decisive, slogan.

and how they interrelate in the fight

Kven

that right wing both other reasons, precisely because it is in a

— and then accepted an 'investigation'

The Kinnockite

amount in practice to

policies increasinov in.

Capital investment

mality of services

so right wing that

members of the PLP voted for it -

Forrester, Reg Bryan Gould, Michael

Perhaps this voting record should be

THE TIMES political editor, Robin Oakley, spelt out the significance of last week's Liberal Party conference in Harrogate perfectly: about freedom, justice, and apple pie, the Liberal assembly in Harrogate has provided an inkling of what a new merged party with the Social Democrats will be like: it will Owenite party without Dr Owen ...

Oakley went on: he

week from CalliC Richard one of

advisors, argued that

It is Owen's

the of recent years.

'A "new

been apSteel and a few around him

were to be

makers sail the new

what kind partsocial the

Democrats likely

been the Har-

Liberal (Simon)

val ly can-

croft, and

Paddy Ashdown, (

the They see

wider They talk

not get mixed with the

in

their bones The centre of gravity LICW DalLy

of

That, Owen's legacy.'

not Owen who has produced this 'shift' in the Liberal

«We shall not retain the support of working class voters by advocating the fringe activities which have attached themselves

the socialist movement

at the expense of other

issues which more

directly affect their

everyday lives. This

was the argument of

Birmingham's council

leader Dick Knowles

earlier this year in suc-

cessfully preparing the

closure of the council's

relations and

women's committees. It

was a potent reminder

of where Labour's right

wing stands issues

like equal oppor-

tunities, women, and

racism.

Labour lost five seats

'Amid the cliches respect for the individual

be an

Party. Owen was simply the occasion which allowed the real nature of the ineras to come our

The Liberal Party was

and 1960s by consciously taking a more left wing tactical line on a series of issus than the Labour Party. It stressed democratic rights. social reform, loca government and interna tional issues against the

wing bureaucratic leadership of the Labour Party. Issues

Steel A00 -tion law Peter

of the played a

the against

The Liberals

as a tactic within a which re-

The kes

It forthe right

manifesto no matter what con-

Defence of democratic most

defence democratic

party.

WELC

allal" chy. Liberal

could ally

bull

the leader:

and

1C V party therefore

Party was. in just much in

in the Birmingham council elections in May and

scapegoats were needed.

Women and black people suited the right wing fine.

By Mick Archer

This year the Labour

group has decided to act

before the event. At

group meeting . LO discuss

next year's budget, leading

councillors proposed

rate increase of no more

than five per cent. City of-

ficers said inal

savings this year would in-

Cus ol lure lilal

£40 million, or seven per

cent, in next year's budget.

In reality the Labour

group is already commit-

tea to unis course. 1il lic

last few months vacancies

in the social service and

housing departments have

remained unfilled. Now

the council is involved in a

bitter pay dispute with

'right wing' as will be the

But new ore. cosmetic change of some signiticance

Steel intends to

rty. influence

tne

Late the of

real housing department

staff, WIld 41 c demanding end to Dovelly wares. Some take home as little as f60 a week and have to claim housing benefit support themselves.

But to make these cuts the Labour group needs to first silence its critics in the District Labour Party. Although the DLP wa. suspended earlier this year at the behest of the right wing, this situation could not last indefinitely. The

fish posthan to min the

positions reconvened AGM.

The right wing set about the task with its usual zeal. Right wing GMCS bureaucratically blocked delegates mards despite custom ing nominated by left practice of each ward having an equal share of the delegation. In Smallheath

election.

Steel made that road cleal Harrogate Naturally there was no talk of a pact with Labour - at present Steel is concerned

win UMCI many waverers from the Owenite camp of the SDP as possible. But what Steel did specifically rule out was an agreement. with Thatcher. And there is possibility whatever of the Liberals winning a majori tv. and as the not to become non-Thatcherit party, that only leaves Labour as a potential coalition partner. What Steel is doing by crushing the so called Liberal 'radicals', is making sure that the merged

and Sparkbrook CLPs

the sent one stoped hee

simply closed the wards down. Sparkbrook GMC called 'special meeting on the eve of the AGM so that i cout bLabou vacance closure of its left Sparkhill

wal u. Tactics At the first reconvened

AGM these tactics produced a tie in the elections for the vote of chair. the Yollowing meeting the

right wing succeeded taking the post of chair, vice-chair and secretarv bi a margin of about 10 out of 158 votes The defeated candidate for chair was Karen McCarthy, long standing DLP activist and

prominent member of the

local LCC.

Heady with success the

News

INOS

party an absolutely reliable prop to ensure that all interests of capital are safeguarded in a coalition will Labour

'Centre'

What is humorous is that his operation is being regarded by some, notably the Communist Party, as a British politics into a 'Cen tre-right' and 'centre-left' (the Liberals). Both fragments of the

are securing the same goals One with

owenism with other chi. other

There is no other ference between them.

the fight into the Euro constituencies and the CLPs. Birmingham East Euro-constituency meeting after barracking ov rizul wisers. while in Sparkbrook fresh charges are being prepared against Amir Khan and Kevin Scally. In Selly Oak the

with disbandment over not left winger Bob Whitehead's membership card

In the midst of all thi the LCC held one of its

regulal meetings. It was addressed by LU(

Hulme. Apparently oblivious to what ing him. stressed the twin danger to the party of the hard lef and the right wing. of his audience seems, a little dumbfound.

Page 3 scan of this page

Unity on the left

Politics Today

KEN LIVINGSTONE is ticularly associated with the demand for unity on the left. Last month seven members of Labour Left Liaison and the Labour Coordinating Committee executive issued a statement opposing a pact with the Liberals and calling for unity on the left. Socialist Action asked Livingstone how he Labour Party conference and why he stressed the slogan of left unity.

THIS is probably going to be the toughest conference for the left this parliament. The election campaign was professional which credibility to the party office. techniques were actually taken from

Dioneered by the GLC, therefore by the left, but that won't be acknowledged. At the same time the vote at the election, because professional presentation wasn't filled out with real strategy or content, was bad - which will demoralise people.

Also, as yet, many on the 'soft left' don'tunderstand how far to the right sections of the party leadership are prepared to go. Therefore they do not yet see the need to recreate, on a principled basis, unity on the left and break off the bloc with the right wing.

It is therefore vital that the left doesn't get carried away by events at one conference but has a strategy for going forward over the next years This means looking realistically at the smuanon lial conronts us.

Media

Capital, today, is completely committed to a Thatcher government. There was no wavering in any section of the media on this. This is why it is even more foolish than usual to base and moving turner teasie right. ess and moving further to the right. that will happen, as during the last - parnament, 1s tnat the press will praise right wing attacks on the left during ine ima-term years and unen, no mat-

how far the party moves to the right, turn round and attack Labour during an election. Meanwhile because Labour has attacked its own supporters, it will have demoralised a section of them and its vote won't go up enough to win an election.

Coalition

This is when demands for coalition with the Liberals/new merged Alliance party, which are already be ing raised in the far seeing parts of th right wing, would come out in full flood. That approach won't win an election no matter how professional our preschlanion.

The truth is that if Labour had adopted a more left wing approach during the period leading to the last election - most obviously on nuclear power and women's rights — it would have done better.

Labour would not have won. The gap after 1983 was too great to make up in one election. But I believe we would have won 34-35 per cent of the vote, and won 50-60 seats instead of 25. Most important support wouldn't have been vulnerable to the scares by the press. constantly moving to the right we are building on sand and leave ourselves vulnerable to the types of attacks the Tories will inevitably run leading to an election.

The left must emphasise that a bloc with the right wing doesn't simply produce policies which are wong, but that it produces policies that are unpopular.

¿there is the danger of the same development as last time taking place

ers and organisations are

par- !.. of the LaDwi

six years Labour'!

saw s a luxury which

necessity to overcom

e of the election, the

icular mean Labour's

gives it to shift Party policy

The t a joint slate with the

and

Once a after this election. We can already see it on an issue like unilateral nuclear disarmament. This is where policy becomes interrelated with the situation in the party. Because the right keeps probing to find out what the 'soft left' will accept.

Salami The right would not come out with its challenge on unilateralism until it was sure it would win on one member one vote (OMOV) - it didn't want to fight on two fronts at once. strenuously denied that it wanted to change policy on defence. right believes it has won on OMOV so It is re-opening the detence issue which Hattersley said he wasn't going to do. It is a pure and simple salami tactic which the right will continue to pursue as long as part of the soft left remains in a bloc with it, and as long as it is not confronted with a united left.

This reflects the real relation of forces in the party. The truth is that none of its three currents - the right,

the soft left, or the hard left - has a majority. This is where I fundamentally disagree with who wrote in ribune recently that the soft left is now running the party and can do with it what it will. As Ani Marie rame Soft leat cane even Tribune the 'soft deliver party. At the last election it couldn't deliver on nuclear power or, on a real campaign for a national minimum wage. One right winger, John Cunningham, was able to effectively veto So it any central Labour campaign against nucical power.

Now the

Bloc

the party in a bloc with either the right or with the hard left. And many tually know it. Talk of 'going it alone' on the soft left comes chiefly from those who favour a right.

although he's not really part of the soft left at all, declared that for the

hoices.

shadow

Robin Cook take votes

can't even

on women's demands in the

with Tony Benn!

because wouldn'i accept it.

The reality is the soft left can run or Dennis Skinner

they're

bloc with the adopted.

Jack Straw in the Tribune group,

d. Developments sinc

narrow inner Party cr

ind the opportunities fr

First the attemp

Liberals. Second the dec

p of MPs for the Shadow (

and

rism Today and leading

dden agenda for the P

the same dyna

with th

tel left' wing. cabinet he wouldn't take votes from the hard left. But he was careful not to add that he wouldn't from the right either. unity.

Because if he had he wouldn't have got elected! So this section of the 'soft left' holds you can have an agreement with Roy Hattersley, or Gerald Kautman, but you can't have an agreement

Members But the reality is this argument can't be presented openly in the party the party membership Labour Party get members are discussing whether they are going to vote for David Blunkett whether VULC TOl David Blunkett or Gerald Kaufmann.

But the hard left must have different tactics to the ones sometimes Issue. Sometimes sections of the 'hard left' seem to go in for 'social fascist' tactics — attacking those the soft left closest to them as the most dangerous. The result is the hard

Socialist Action 25 Sept 1987 3 left isolate themselves. Instead the hard left should be looking, wherever it is principled, to achieve unity on issues with the soft left.

There are manv issues to do it on

unionising temporary and part-time workers, on South Africa, on Central America, fighting racism, in supporting women's demands, Ireland.

The hard left and the soft left should be coming together or par ticular initiatives. The Women's Ac-

Committee is holding a conference in London in November on women's struggles and policies for example - which involves the hard left

the soft left. The • Labour Coordinating Committee favours a policy calling for British withdrawal from Ireland in the lifetime of one parliament — and that should allow working together.

Differences

I am not saying that people should gloss over their differences. I am not

for example, because someone in the sott left disagrees with them because Militant or Socialist Organisers disagrees with them.

The hard left is making a drastic mistake if it believes that refusing to • work logelner Wil 'expose the soft

For something: like that. won't. If a right wing/soft left. bloc runs the party it will simply result in further defeats That will breed demoralisation and the strengthening of the right — not a growth of the left

The hard left has to say to the soft left, 'Look there is a choice. You can either form a bloc with the right, which won't get us anywhere, or you can form a bloc with us'. It is only by unity on the left. that the Labour Par. ty and trade unions as a whole are going forward. The left is not built on defeats. It is built on victories.

The hard left sometimes has a cute wrong wew o war une so left' is. There are certainly some peo. Phemselves sore left who have decided to call

for totally opportunist reasons. There are some 'straightforward right wingers who are doing a sort of entry work for the right in the Tribune group in parliament for example. But the great ma"jority of those who vote for "soft left' candidates in the party are on the left

Opinion

Various right wing members of the Labour Coordinating Committee (LCC) may call down anathema on lett unity but members in tne part won't take it. The soft left represents a current of opinion in the party not a disciplined trend. The majority of its supporters in the party want left.

- not unity with the right. The Guardian or the New Statesman may specialise Sillcals planted stories, but eventually desire for left

Provided, understands that what the рагу membership is interested in is not internal fighting but policies which take the labour movement forward

Take an issue that concerns me — Ireland. We must have a battle in de movement, unfortunately, in orde t

through the poli!

not taking up the issue 3: ziate I order to have a me: =377 prepared to have a fe: = = to get Britain our of Ireiani proach has to be applied :0 ==]

It is only when the left put forward policies which correspond : IDe interests of the whole moremen ta it gets support. These are ie ison the left must absorb.

Page 4 scan of this page

4 SIXTY STUDENTS attended what turned out to be a sharply contradictory 'Democratic Left' (DL) conference over the weekend of 19-20 September in London. DL, the 'soft left' current which leads NOLS and the NUS, held its conference following the 'left unity' statement issued by leading figures of Labour Left Liaison and the ICC, including Ken Livingstone, Peter Hain and Joan Ruddock.

Both the build-up, and the conference itself, were dominated by this discussion on what political and tactical alliances should be forged on the left. The 'uni-

supporters before the Concice.

The keynote speaker on Saturday, Keith Vaz, under the theme of 'Left Unity: The Way Forward or sune sulev As he explained, Vaz is a

both the Tribune and Campaign Groups. He gave his reason for supporting a principled unity on the left and aiming for a common agenda. The failure to agree a joint slate between the Tribune and Campaign Group, for example, that shadow cabinet was a poor reflection of the make-up or the PLP, he explained.

While noting some bad ommissions from the unity document particularly on lesbian and gay rights and a Welsh assembly Maz concluded by saying that he hoped it would be supPorted the eins

cited the GLC perience SOL positive campaigning which could achieved by a united left and as perhaps the only successful Labour administration there has been'

Despite this very IMMEDIATELY AFTER the Thatcher announced that education reform would

white paper, Higher

tober or November 1987.

The bill proposes replacing the preseni University Grants Council with a new 'Universities Funding Council' ; replacing the National Advisory Board with a 'Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council'; and forcibly transferring 90 polys and colleges out of the control of local authorities to this new body.

Both the UFC and PCFC are intended to be appointed by the secretary of state for education and are composed of 50

businessmen, with

final power resting. will

central government. These

bodies

powers to vet the content

colises.

would be required to sub-

mit a tender for their ac

tivities, in competition

with each other - called

contract funding.

The proposals for

polys and colleges form a

major plank of the Tories.

onslaught on local coun

cils. Transferred' colleges

will their

land, buildings and

equipment previously

owned by local authorities

which will be handed

over by the government,

This proposal, hand in

hand with the abolition of

the metropolitan councils

Socialist Action 25 Sept 1987

'Dem Left' discuss left unity

positive contribution, the consensus of the meeting was unfortunately against the statement. Against some voices support trom the floor, leading figures of the DL opposed

usually the MOSu spurious grounds.

No coherent critique or alternative was argued tor. Simply it was claimed that the statement was

ullily 'purely negative, was antileadership', and necessary because alliance with the Liberals had ever been mooted. It was also said that we must firstly carclully what we mean by 'working Cass and even that the statement must be rejected because it was 'macho'

It is ironic that this refusal to support a Vill cipled unity of Labour's lef

and so take the high ground in arguing for the same in the student left -was set against reterences throughout the weekend to the crisis in support for and problems with the image of the DL. The most telling point was made by leading

OL figures who contrasted their weakness and the position of the "soft left' in the Lavour rally. speaker anel speaker referred to the DL's tailure to keen support due to having a purely negative

undemocratic, electoral

Students and the attacks on education

general election,

be targetted as a first priority. Now Kenneth Baker's Education Meeting the Challenge, originally published in April 1987, looks set to go to parliament in the form of a bill in Oc-

and curbs on 'political'

advertising, parallels the

'opt-out'. scheme for

schools in move to

destroy local democracy.

By Robin Laney,

Kings College,

London

The changes proposed

represent a continuation

of government attacks on

the strength of the NUS.

In 1981 the

nent changed the funding

of university student

unions from being a direct

OI students

grants to being in the con-

trol of s. This removes universities

themselves.

financial independence

from the SUS and

dramatically curbed

political activity.

The introduction of l

'full fees' for overseas

students

horbitantly high and ar-

bitrary figure - halved the

number attending British

educational establish-

ments.

These facts, and the

proposal to make member-

ship of NUS 'voluntary',

are designed to renove the

oi a campalgning

student movement able to

defeat such proposals by

mass mobilisations.

Along with the core

curriculum in schools and

machine with NOLS and NUS.

The political alliances being built by some of these figures of Labour's 'soft left' are in sharp contrast to the isolationist stance taken

this conference. Moreover the centre of gravity amongst students, as seen in the turn-out for demo after demo, is way to the left of that in the party.

It is hardly surprising that such disillusion Sul round the DL. The policies

NOLS

support lor British withdrawal from Ireland, the Labour Women's Action Commit tee, for unilateral nuclear disarmament. for the south African liberation struggle,

defence of the Nicaraguan revolution, and other democratic left policies — place it firmly in ine with the politics of the Campaign Group and Labour Left Liaison. Yet the who lead NOLS and NUS reject the unity salemiell Wildi Wildi would mean for students.

Students can hardly fail to draw the conclusion that there are those within the DL whose support for these •oncies Is vascu luic u

the conceite siN weigh

they succeed in doing) that a desire to ensure they are implemented most successfully.

Nonetheless, NOLS' policies stand. Sunday's converence took anemare contradictory decision. should be argued agains and reversed in the interests of students and the left as a whole.

testing at 7, 11 and 16, the result of these proposals if implemented will severely restricted access

higher education for WUlK'

It will

GUSLIY than students. perennial

sideration.

been consulted white

the widest mobilisation possible.

national

precisely the

The for

clear the NUS

Was

education on

14

trol The

conference WaN

subscribed, with 250

participating

ed away

The NUS

tober. be sup-

similar NUS

should Its backing

behind events,

wel as

THE BARRAGE of legislative attacks by the Tories on local government and the inner cities — introducing the poll tax, outlawing contract compliance, and subsidies to housing, Education Authority, and ratecapping — are designed not only to economically squeeze local government, but also as a major political attack on the labour

jor metropolitan areas in the general and local elections. The Tories have progressively been driven back

unionism.

In her first two terms of office, Thatcher concentrated her offensive on driving down trade union rights and tried but talled to cul off trade union funds to the Labour Party. A key goal of Thatcher's third term is to break up public sector trade unionism and base in the cities. Unions like the NUT, NALGO, the CPSA and NUPE are all in

front line •alongside

cuts in government grants and,

destroy the

break up

Party -

Populat call paigns can be mounted

T.ne whose

vices are be degraded.

for defeating and rebuilding Labour.

the GLC.

attacks

the Labour

black and a

organisations.

Unfortunately the response of Labour coun-

cils has been accept Tory cuts - ruling out the possibility of building up a

THE first impact in Lon-

don of the Tory govern-

ment attacks on local

government has been the

decision to cut the Lon-

don Strategic Policy

Unit.

The unit was established

jointly by a number of Lon

don councils

following the abolition of

the GLC to continue some

of its London-wide func-

tions, for example on the

police, women and race.

The London boroughs

financing LSPU decided

just before the summer that

nev wee not ll a busitiul

to continue paying for the

Defend local

government

breaking up the Inner London

movement. The Tory Party was decimated in the ma-.

and defeated in the inner cities. At the same time local government is a major bastion of public sector trade

campaign against them. Instead they are preparing to implement cuts and not campaigning against them

Council leaders such as Margaret Hodge, who

Statesman that services will 'be defended by attacking jobs, conditions and

are wrong and deeply divisive. The only beneficiaries of councils

the effects Tory attacks onto their worker will be the government.

By Terry Luke,

Islington NALGO

Executive (personal

capacity)

Similarly, attacks on the

NUT by the Inner London Education Authority undermine rather than strengthen the necessary united campaign of teachers, and parents and pupils against the break up of ILEA

That why council leaders like Steve King and Martha Osamore in Har-

ingey, who unsuccessfully

tried to win policies of no

cuts in jobs and services to

unite the council, the

workorce and une com

munity, have to be

supported.

Unfortuately, the Lon-

don Fightback conference

on 20 September, whilst be-

ing a welcome initiative to

broaden -sistanice TeNance on

London level, did not take an adequate approach.

Labour councils carrying out cuts. and talled to pro-

vide framework for a

campaign against the Tory

which we fight for Labour

have l

counci leadersmos tem-

selves to participate in.

While Laboul council

cuts have to be totally op-

unit. This is a major blow to

London, as it is now robbed

of any serious London-wide

planning and monitoring

By Jude Woodward

Over the summer it was

agreed by the LSPU staff

that a campaign to save

LSPU was not realistic.

They therefore decided to

campaign for redeployment

be da slall allong

the London boroughs.

Redeployment of those

staff in situ and many are

already seeking completely

alternative employment,

would mean each borough

posed this by itself is too narrow a framework for the fight to defend local government against the

lory attacks. The frame

LONe against the poll privatisation proposals, and all attacks on local government.

Defend London Strategic Policy Unit workers

taking on responsibility for around 20 to 25 staff - and probadly less

Although this redeployment was originalv agreed London boroughs are none • principle, some of the

dragging their feet, in par

ticular Margaret Hodge an‹ Islington are refusing come to any definite agree.

Labour Parties and

NALGO brancher

therefore asked to support

LSPU

Tne Call

paign passing model

along

following lines:

'This ward/GC/LGC/

branch etc notes the threat

News

Local government workers facing cuts have to link their fight to defend JOUS and the defence of local government as a whole. A campaign council-imposed cuts will

• Dall of this overa! fight. ding up or SPU. We sup the win

port the demands of LSPU

NALGO/NUJ for a collec

tive redeployment agree

under which each

constituent borough

. LSPU will take an equa

share of LSPU staff.

recognise the importance o

this agreement being reach

ed quickly and mandate ou

councillors to pass a resolu

and council/instruct branch

officers to reach an agree

ment through negotiatin

channels that the Londo

borough of one ninth of LSPL wil

staff.

Page 5 scan of this page

Government alarm on MacBride principles

News

TOM KING, the secretary of state for northern Ireland, flew to the September in a dramatic effort to stop the growing band wagon of support in the USA for the MacBride principles, which deal with eliminating discrimination in employment in northern Ireland. The MacBride principles have already been adopted by five American states: New York, necticut, Rhode Island and New Jersey.

King's visit is a last ditch attempt to persuade six HOIC state! not adopt These are:

California, Illinois, Michi-

an, Minnesota, Ohio and

By Redmond O'Neill

Bride means that funds

US at present account for

Six counties and are the

The were nobel peace

They deal

-both direct indirect

The support for the alarmed British

tent that ap-

full-time

Sean out that

state legislature, adop-

scrutiny.

The govern-

Reagan The US to

last Belfast

Bride 'extremely ive'. have been by American of

of Industrial Ireland is timetabled for debate.

Four deal with

discrimination in employ-

ment in northern Ireland.

They reflect the major im-

pact of the MacBride prin-

cipies and or lie Labour

Committee Ireland's

on this issue in the trade unions this year.

The LCI hopes that this year's conference will commit Labour to a campaigr against employment

discrimination, which will

majority for the MacBride principles in the party in the

future. At present, Targe number of unions, particularly those with

members northern

Iciana, are nol preparea

to take a clear stand for acca measures arals

employment discrimination and still less on the

question of Irish unity and

self-determination.

United States on 19-20

Massachusetts, Con-

ment in

The has

Protestants. Major

bill

The British

attitude WaN

the september

the US': eradicating

ment be the

aim in

vestment.

:to dic-

or may. Nor

dealings with their workers'

in Britain and

and Ad-

(ICTU), because of

genera secretary,

criticised the failure of

to

Labour conference debate on Ireland

TWELVE CONSTITUENCY Labour Parties have submitted resolutions or amendments on Ireland to this year's party conference. This should ensure that

This includes the Transport and General

Workers? Union, whose northern Ireland organiser, John Freeman,

prominent opponent the MacBride ciples. In a letter to the

September issue of Marxism Today, Freeman categorically opposes the principles on the tradi-

ional grounds used against «iLdiscrimination measures

that they would reduce job opportunities.

He argues that: 'In Belfast, unemployment is concentrated in the north

• the

Protestanbs are in the cass.

Protestants

Belfast are more likely to

experience labour market, disadvantage Those

who live in East Belfast.

discrimination principles

unionist-

Committee have been

government inaction on

posals their OWIl.

endorsing the principles, Kevin MacNamara,

'far from Mac-

• Recently Charles

prime south, the principles

only John

which the Anglo-Irish

campaign That-

All these

Tory The

major for nor-

as we

niversary.

This difference more significant than those betweet Protestants Catholics in West Belfast.'

This attempt to dissolve the discrimination " that results in over 30 per cent unemployment amongst Catholic males compared to over 12 per cent for Protestants, does not hold wate The US C of geography precisely trace the lines of the nationalist and loyalist communities and are periodically reinforced loyalist intimidation.

of industry in loyalist areas

LUCI systematic discrimination by public and private sec-

employers against individual Catholics

to esolone Labour Party conference,

SheffieldHillsborough and Tottennam CLPs, aim commit the next Labour government to a policy of

withdrawal Ireland within the lifetime

Unemployment% King: a last-ditch attempt to stop US states adopting antiron is likel • discrimination likely to be debated this year's Labour Party conference in Brighton. And the conference against discrimination in employment in northern Ireland called by the

Employment Discrimination

in Northern Ireland:

Labour SUDOUrI

Committee

Railwaymen

establish British

Ireland of policies U120

the LCI itself at this year's AGM, to push up the vote for British withdrawal the 400,000 it received at last year's party conference, towards the one million-

plus votes which issues like Black Sections. remova ot US bases and so regularly secure.

Unfortunately the

resolutions tie the call for British withdrawal in the lifetime of one parliament

scrapping renegotiating the Anglo. Irish Accord. laudable in itself, this may obscure the increasing support being won for the

205470% 1215%

FERMANAGH

Labour Committee Ireland for 28 November port in the British trade has received major DUD union movement, with

Gill, Peter Heathfield and Jimmy Knapp.

IRELAND:

CAUSE OF

LABOUR?

The Origins

The Facts

The Future

A conference for trade unionists on 7o november ?.

The Camden Centre Bidborough Street LONOR NIN (opp St Pancras Station)

For delegates pack and further information, contact Ireland: The Cause of Labour?', BM Box 5335, London WCIN 3XX

policy of British withdrawal the trade unions and CLPs. reall Lnert resolution from Nuneaton which aims to suppress the debate within the British labour movement on Ireland denouncing Sinn Fein as fascist and Clanning 'constructive part to play the resolution of the conflict'. The aim of this is outlaw the dialogue with Sinn Fein initiated by the GLC and many other Labour councils.

The effect would be to i debate or Ireland the elected representatives of 35 per cent OI TRe community and the main proponents or mic solution. of British withdrawal and self-determination Ireland. Thus the resolution is simply an attempt to introduce censorship in to the debate on Ireland which is only just beginning in the labour move-

Socialist Action

Labour Party

conference

tation. Since our campaign

number of

historic election of four black Labour MPs.

Our successful an-

tingham anti-

policies

the of black

must Ical the against racism. by movement leaders give

in Azania

not comes to

The Party

cam-

committee.

The year

after 14-month battle he

expelled from his

four Birmingham MPs

in the city.

Rally more fighting CLOC internal disputes instead

and turt

poor ome

them leaders

fantasising about women — the majority of the population.

This will include discussions on part-time work and low pay, on the TUC department and women's representation in the trade

umons, on local govern

ment tees, on improving legislation on rape and por-

nography and on the

of the Labour women's organisation.

laking up low Labour won from

25 Sept 1987 5

Black Sections and

BLACK SECTIONS have won significant gains in our fight for black political represen-

was launched there has been a three-fold increase in the

black councillors, three black leaders of Labour-controlled councils and the

women, and other oppressed groups as 'chasing rainbows'

United the working class back call put Labour

Divided we will continue to be defeated by • the ones.

By Marc Wadsworth

ship's

and Asian totally failed. played no the general

for victory

where the old whiteLabour Party has repeatedly

leadership and Fleet us, we

London, Man

'Winning the majority'

The Labour Women's Action Committee is organising a conference in Lambeth Town Hall, South London, on 21 November, to look at some of the key developments of last year and initiate discussion on the policy priorities Labour must have to win the support and involvement of

women in the June election and how to build up support, the conference will discuss the link between these policies structural changes within the party.

Registration costs £3 (£1.50). Credentials and background papers available from Anne Kane, London Organisel Broadway Hous Jackman Street, London E8.

Page 6 scan of this page

Solidarity, policy and pror representation

conference at Chesterfield, in

representation.

AFTER THE deputy election in 1981 the left took the decision, which I think was correct, that it should play its part in trying to win the election and concentrate on policy.

Second the miners became touchstone. view you may have future of society, if you a there when the going gets you are of no use.

These steps were followed by the article in New Socialist, nism without Benn' signalled not just a realignment but some sort of break in the left.

The Campaign Group has confirmed the views it took when we decided to go along with the miners and printers. We have also attempted to reopen the debate on policy in the party. For this reason the Campaign Group has produced three major pamphlets - the third of which will come out this week.

The first was A Million Jobs a Year - to tackle the question of how you restore full employment. The second was Ben Lowe's pamphlet arguing for withdrawal from NATO, for peace and for non-alignment. The third is on the trade unions - with a forward by Jim Mortimer.

Board But it is clear that there must be

a more general policy response.

Therefore the idea was developed Group, by the Socialist Society, br members

the Conference

Economists, by Jim Mortimer and

people of that type, that we needed

a conterence which would

not at the performance

ministers, not at the internal strug-

gle within the Labour Party, but at

the changes that are taking place in

the world and how socialists should

respond.

We wanted a broadly based

conference with as many consti-

tuencies as possible, with the Cam-

paign groups, with union involve-

We also

Labour Party conference so that it

didn't get diverted into tactical

discussions about how to handle

that conference.

ference 1S about

Labour Party matters.

In addition to opening and clos-

ing plenaries, and a large number

of workshops, there will be three

mini-conferences within the con-

ference.

The first will be on peace and

non-alignment and the direction of

American policy in the Gulf and

Central America. The domestic im-

Socialist Action 25 Sept 1987 TONY BENN announced earlier this month that the Campaign Group, the Socialist Society and Conference of

Socialist Economists would be holding a

November, to discuss socialist policy.

Socialist Action asked Benn to explain

how he saw the role of the conference, and also his views on one of the key issues that will be discussed at Labour Party conference — proportional

leadership

the British people,

tion about socialism.

strike Whatever about the the worktorce, unions

'Ben- about the role of the unions. which

ties, tion. Strong

necessary

OlIC might

Labour Party.

Owen has now, merger deal.

Campaign

Socialist inflict further

look of Tory Campaign

coordinating

wanted it after

also the same

Indeed the coninternal Then, voices of despair began.

Jay said we

abandon Clause 4.

plication will be that if you can lift the cold war fear from the minds of

then you left from both of them and us an inhibi-

The second will be about the shape of the economy, the changes in technology, the centralisation of power, the shifts in the nature of

and about how organise in entire areas which have been neglected. There will be a great deal of discussion

The third conference is on the question of state power, civil liber-

democracy, and discrimina-

We considered that if you are going to defeat Mrs Thatcher you have to attack the clutch of ideas that are behind her. This is all the

because of the vacuum that has opened up in what

call the 'centre' of British politics — and also in the

If you take first the 'centre'

probably, split three parties - Labour, the SDP and the Liberals (because a section of the radical Liberals won't go along with the merger). Mclennan, the new SDP leader, has insisted that the new party's support for nuclear weapons will be part of a

That whole initiative has collapsed - except insotar as the fragments that are left can be financed, used, and supported to

damage the Labour Party. That was what they were about in the first place.

Second you have from some people in the Labour Party the

same responses as after 1959. I

mention this because, in some re- the spects, I played the part in 1959 of

the campaign.

I ran the television, everybody said

it was the best campaign we had

ever had, and at the end of it we full

were defeated! The response was

— it was said that we

had been defeated, but that the

leadership had been established.

almost immediately, the Douglas should change the

name of the Labour Party to the

Democratic Party. The editor of

the New Statesman, a man called

Johnson, said nationalisation was

an albatross which should be drop

ped. Hugh Gaitskell said we should

I am not saying that there are

but having lived™ exact. parallels, through that period I do know that very strong parallels exist and that

lessons are relevant. that does not however, is that Harold Macmillan was well to the left of 1987 Labour Party policy in his commitment to

employment, welfare detente.

Socialism

The only way to deal with this situation is to have an absolutely open discussion about socialism. The response isn't to do what the Independent Labor Party (ILP) did in the 1930s when it got disgusted and left the party, or what Stafford Cripps did with his Popular Front, or what the Bevanites did with their parliamentary fraction - just being difficult within the House of

Tony Benn at the Notts miners gala. With him are Raquel Dixon from Nicaragua and Ray Chadburn, Notts NUM

Commons with few, or no roots outside parliament or in the trade unions. the heart of the matter so as to win exist, the support of the majority in the

Labour Party and trade unions — and in so doing to educate a lot of other people fed up with the SDP, and fed up with the Liberals, and fed up

with the Tories.

making conference. word 'forum' would have been better, because after a forum nothing happens except another one.

Coalition

be discussed at Labour Party conferer tion d inevitably be followed

ANODESSED DRAGA

coalition.

We must attempt to go to

policies. never

note in history.

Weare not proposing a decision

Perhaps the

that they plan

succeeding, On one question that is going to

proportional representa-

have always opposed it. PR followed

by

And coalition does whole number of things. First it is aimed to prevent the election of a Labour government with radical

With PR there would have been a Labour government - including the government of 1945. Proportional representation must be the shortest suicide

Future

Second it denies the electorate a chance of influencing the future. You vote for the candidates and the party of your choice but then, since none of these parties are capable of

the real policy which you are governed is decide after the election. PR means thai there is zero vote for any polies

- because nobody knowi what the policy is. until after the

Page 7 scan of this page

No arms embargo against Iran

dection is over.

Third certain forms of proporconal representation destroy the very strong link between the MP and the constituency - and any element of accountabiliit Sixty to eighty people come song each weeK my

argery. Truthfully, unless you are

repared to address your mind to

cal problems, and fight for the

cople coming to see you, you're

ot rooted in the community.

Evade

Fourth, PR allows politicians

evade responsibility. At the end

the parliament they say 'Well I

an't like it, but it was the price we ad to pay to get the support of this

oup or that group.

at least can see policy making

in the open,

ortional

What happens under tional representation would civil service establisment governs.

Italy has had

ments since the war. None of them had

advice and were particularly powerless in

Wrong

are wrong.

At present

up

call. step

propor1S that the

60 govern-

any particular power in the decision making process of society

dealing with the economy, or the financial sector, or the civil service.

There are people who support PR on the principled grounds that until you win over 50 per cent of the vote you can't change anything I respect that view but I think they

1980

Tanks

1987

1980

Combat

aircraft 1987

1980 77, 40

Combat

helicopters

1987

1980

Artillery

1987

Source: The Economist estimates RONALD REAGAN and British government are whipping

hysteria in order to force an arms embargo against Iran through the UN security council. Labour Party conference will also debate and be asked to support a similar

Socialists should clearly reject the proposal to introduce an arms embargo against Iran. Its content today is simply to disarm Iran in the context of the huge build-up of US, British and other imperialist warships in the Gulf.

Moreover is the height hypocrisy. The United States has supplied arms to Iran. Britain London to be used as the chief base for Iran to buy arms. Their proposal for an arms embargo comes when they have sent their own fleets into the Gulf. The demand of socialists must be for the withdrawal of all US and British warships and military from the area.

It is ridiculous to think that the bloody hands of Reagan and Thatcher can play any positive role in the Gulf. The US and British call for an arms embargo is not for the sake of 'world peace' still less is it for the sake of the oppressed and imprisoned inside Iran

the US has raised no objection to Khomeini's internal policies.

By Jude Woodward

The sole reason for the pressure from the Us for an arms embargo is to ensure the outcome to the Iran/Iraq war that it desires, and at the same time to apply pressure on the Iranian regime on a series of questions concerning US policy in the Gulf.

brutal reactionary, should give not the slightest support to the efforts of imperialism to impose its policy by force in the Gulf.'

Patrol

The bombing of an Iranian patrol ship by a US helicopter last Monday was not a 'snap judgement' according to the Pentagon. It was the logical next

in the military and diplomatic policy pursued over the last months by the US in the Gulf.Its goal is to force Iran to back off from its war with Iraq.

This intervention has had a number of elements - the direct build up of the imperialist fleet, the attempt to impose the UN ceasefire resolution, the call for an arms embargo against Iran series of provocations and incidents in the Gulf itself, ranging from the reflagging of tankers to this direct military assaut on Iranian ship. military offensive, with British support, can only escalate.

The military build w by Britain and the US in particular sir e the end of July, is itself the exten n of the policy over the last five years. The chief goal of this policy has been to defend Iraq and prevent it being decisively defeate by Iran in the war. Alongside this the US has sought to place pressure on the Khomeini regime to pursue a policy that is more conciliatory towards US policy in the Gulf.

Over the last five years, as the table reproduced from shows, the flow of arms into the area

2,700

#ANTANAAAA 332

F=1,000

the has overwhelmingly been to the benefit

of Iraq. The US, Britain and Sweden have had a public policy of not selling arms to Iran since the overthrow of the Shah in legal and illegal arms sales continuing but always with strings attached and at a significantly reduced rate.

successfully 'persuaded' and Italy to cancel important orders. The chief arms suppliers to Iran today are China, North Korea, countries in the Eastern bloc. Iran has of also received US weapons left behind in

Vietnam. allowed

Policy

simple policy of cutting off all support to Iran. As the revelations of 'Irangate' demonstrated. prepared to sell arms to Iran in certain curcunstalle. cumstances have nothing to do with the trivial matter release of hostages. The goal is to shift the policy OI the closer to that of the US in the Gulf, or so bord a win there dietha. supports policy Alongside this the US also promotes alternative secular capitalist forces inside Iran — but to apply pressure on, rather than replace, point in time.

cern about the outcome of the war in the Gulf area. took place in repressive state apparatus up by the roots and destroyed or weakened many of its key elements, including the ofsocialists ficer corps of the

police, and upper echelons of the state bureaucracy.

was unable to impose its own solution to the situation which unfolded in Iran, and the bourgeoisie was able to secure an alternauve or lls own Khomeini's standing as the key exiled opponent of the Shah's regime strength of the solution imposed. Khomeini was the only force acceptable to the Iranian bourgeoisie command the support of the majority of the Iranian population.

However weakness of the bourgeoisie is that it had to rely to a high degree on the inand a stitutions of the Islamic church to im-

pose its solution structures to have survived the revolution intact. The clergy were also able to The US play an enhanced social role due to the

identification of the church with the movement against the Shah.

However the around Khomeini is exceptionally weak as an institutional structure, its ability to survive has depended upon a continuous reactionary mobilisation of the population, particularly bourgeoisie, framework of Islamic fundamentalism.

which Khomeini carried through his counterrevolution, shoras and working class organisation, Economist rolling back the mobilisation of women

by the imposition of the veil and other

*x1,000,

4,000+ national

This has not stopped

mobilisation Since 1983 the US has stepped up its winning.

and destruction South Korea rights.

Israel and

tory, However the US has not pursued a from the

the US is more than

these

Khomeini regime ceptable,

directly.

Khomeini at this the area.

The reason for imperialism's con-

The revolution which Iran tore the Shah's Iran/Iraq war.

army, the secret

However the working class itself Kharg

against Iran. tremendous personal

was chief the face both

who could qis.

of the

- the only serious

ment

established

the petty the ideological the region

This mobilisation was the basis on

destroying the

Iraq.

Socialist Action 25 Sept 1987

_ 1,740

•*********** 445

53, 500 * Serviceable natess sarg, defeating destroying

struggle, destroying democratic rights

The war gainst Iraq, which began as a just war of defence against Iraqi invasion, was also rapidly turned to this end

1 cal lullal of the population and their acquiesence the of civil and democratic After the initial invasion was defeated the war was prolonged by Iran - becoming reactionary on both sides.

From 1985, and even earlier, it has been clear that Iran was winning the war against Iraq. And this is when the problems for US policy in the region began to intensify

Khomeini has never been a satisfac-

nor sufficiently stable regime noll or view _ot us im perialism. It was an emergency solutior to the situation created by the over throw of the Shah. The hostility to both the US and Britain, which has been a clear element in the popular mobilisation creates important problems for US policy in the entire Middle East.

Confined to the borders of Iran Khomeini is an unsatisfactory, but ac-

alternative to more deepgoing social revolution in Iran. Certainly the US has no objection to Khomeini's repressive internal policies. But exported beyond its borders it threatens to destabilise a number of regimes in

US imperialism is pursuing a policy of, on the one hand, seeking to build up forces supportive to it within Iran, and also to prevent an Iranian victory in the

Arms supplies, particularly of aircraft, to Iraq now gives it virtually unchallenged superiority in the air. Iraqi planes have been virtually unchallenged in stepped up bombing behind Iranian lines, on Iranian shipping, and on the

Island oil terminal in recent weeks. Most seriously of all the US and its allies have now put their fleets into the Gulf and will, if needed, use them

Any arms embargo against Iran is simply to call for it to be disarmed in

of a direct US military build up, and in the face of a growing arms superiority on the side of the Ira-

call against both countries is a fake. First the US will continue to supply Iraq. Se cond the most powerful forces in the area are now the imperialist fleets.

Attack

While continuing to call for a settle.

…of the the basis of previously agreed frontiers, socialists should give no credibility to the clau of the US or Britain to be seekin "peace' through the UN. Only Iran and Iraq can agree the terms of a peace. Nos should we call on the imperialists to police such a peace through future arms embargoes or other measures - thai is a pure cover for their own policies

The well publicised nature of the Iranian regime is used to cover over the far more reactionary and far more powerful role of the United Siales. It : also used to cover up the equally rea tionary regime of Saddam Hussein is

Page 8 scan of this page

8 Socialist Action

deepens

rasants in the open on by ore and

peasants in the throw of the Marcos dictatorship is closing fast. President Corazon Aquino has responded to the failed coup attempt led by Col. Gregorio Honasan not by mobilising workers and peasants but by further moves to placate the military.

by the military high command - Joker Arroyo and Teadoro Locsin Scareer who serve as as justice minine September. Arroyo from 1979-80.

Her placatory moves have simply served to em-

forces. right-

ment the

paign the mass

People's Coup leader still at

transmits

press In

appeal Manila radio Honasan reiterated for the

increasing militarisation

dro scuiciary

the New coali-

for PIess

Ale-

Many leaders have forced

sought by the police.

cond leader to

November leader and

murdered. ( ing associated with attempt.

Massive mobilisations then Aquino to

coup pIol. Enrile, now

parliamenLolly Aquino, still closely linked with Honasan.

The coup attempts, the manoeuvres of the Aquino

25 Sept 1987

Philippines crisis

their over-

The two members of her cabinet most opposed

— were sacked last Thursday, 17 replaced

government, repressive campaigns both of the official military and of the unofficial armies still held reflect the divisions winers big landowners the country's ruling class over how to deal with the continuing striving for land and labour rights by the country's toilers.

This is also preoccupying the US government. waste cas main firmly behind the

Following governea the defeat of the coup, the White. House announced that the president gratified and relieved that President Aquino resolved the crisis faced by

government over the past two days'.

At the same time there Washington is hedging as indications that bets and certainly pressurising Aquino take a strong line. There were strong rumours to the effect that Enrile hid in the US embassy at the time of the and that Honasan relations with the CIA.

according to the Herald Tribune September, senior White House officials warlicu against Aquino turning with a fractious military' following the LouD alr tempt.

The US wants stability ana Inal means appeasing the military, many of whose centra officers it has trained. US officials say that though just 14 of the Philippine battalions were involved in the coup, y0 per cent of the highly politicis-

sympathy with it.

US bankers meanwhile are increasing pressure for repayment of™ the coun-

try's $28.5 billion foreign debt. Such pressure underlay the government's decision to increase oil prices by 50 per cent. The oil price hike would have had devastating impact on living standards as transport COSLA would nave been pushed onto an already poor people.

Four million people followed the general strike call, to protest the rises, initiated by the

the largest mobilisation since the overthrow of Marcos and the occasion for the Honasan

COul two days later.

The protest became a focus for wide discontent of the popular masses. It was supported by the pro-

Trade Union Coverical Congress of tne Philippines, by student tions, and by the Peasant' popular Oraalisa. Movemen1 of the Philippines (KMP)

The KMP has been growing fast. Failure of the Aquino regime to implement reform have been met by intensited demands from a land hungry peasantry. Those with land are being bled by punitive mortgage payments and exorbitant rents, and find themselves scissored between high prices for fertilisers and ir

and low prices rigaton, Tor me Droduce.

Popular demands for land, democratic rights and defence of living standards inevitably strike the central role of the US itself. Opposition has grown not only to debt repayments but also to Washington's ance of the _Clark airfield and the Subic Bav naval base used not only for maintaining its domination over the Philippines but over the entir strategic region Pacific.

How to stem the tide of the mass movement is the prime concern of both imperialism ana Ine country's ruling class. Cracks have appeared amongst them - but whether it be oy government action or another coup attempt, deeper repression is on the way.

the autumn which will lead to the signing of a treaty that scraps all intermediate-range nuclear weapon-

between Soviet and US foreign secretaries,

does it represent? CAROL TURNER reports.

THE arms-elimination treaty that the USA and Soviet Union look set to sign would be the first of its type. It would remove TONI Europe all nuclear missiles Will of between 300 and 3400 miles.

That means the USA would remove 332 Pershing 25 and ground-

aunched cruise missiles silualca In Drilal, West Germany, ( Italy and Belgium, as well as halting their deployment in the Netherlands. That means

scrapping 462 Soviet

'S-20 targetted Europe and 221 more pointing at Japan and China. As British media was quick to claim (after years of a dirty propaganda war against the women's peace camp), it would include the cruise missiles sited at Greenham Common.

The prospect of such a treaty has been piously hailed as 'an historic first by the Western media. would also be the first arms treaty of type

igned bi Ronald Reagan

luring the whole of hi presidency - just what the doctor ordered to shore up

the Us premier's flaggin

olitical fortunes, and n doubt a not-insignificant fact determining the timing of the announcement of the treaty.

wonemeless. ment which led to a reduc-

Whatever Reagan's inten- only welcomed tions, it is a step towards eroding the cold war

Soviet arms deal?

AFTER MONTHS of speculation, the United States and the Soviet Union look set to hold a summit in

sin Europe. The news was announced on Friday 18 September, at the end of three days of negotiations

Eduard Shevardnadze and George Schultz. But what exactly America and sapported by climate created Western • curope since tne end of the Second World War. undermine the defence of the Soviet Union. It : begins to break down the 40-year old myth that the Soviet Union is armed to the teeth and poised to invade the Cracito mot the West. cracies' of the

Removing some nuclear weapons trom Europe would also provide a massive boost lo use dulnuclear movement.

While Reagan has been quick to claim the credit, political leaders in West Europe have been less enthusiastic. Margaret Thatcher reattirmed, 'I will never give up Britain's independent nuclear deterrent... an interview with the West German Der Spiegel magazine, she explained: 'You must see defence as a whole, and I have already made clear that, in my opinion, should not disarm further in nuclear arms.'

The British media too

have conventional eme

conventional balance of weapons. They have also returned to their favourite: CuTe warnings about the "dangers of nuclear disarmament.

Monday 21 Septemher's editorial in the in dependent played this Lune Under the heading 'Avoiding, utopianism over arms', the leader article explained: This paper has argued that the double

What's behind the US-

zero option is inherently flawed because it involves Ine emmanon or an en tire category of weapons and so He over arall the ladder escalation upon which NATO's doctrine of flexible response

"The United States, concludes the editorial, 'will do such deals with the Soviet Union as it believes to be in its best interests. The extent to which such

Europe's interests will be largely coincidental. This realisation should now stimulate a reappraisal of Europe's out-dated distorting dependence on the United States.

War

Pursuing its European 'third force position, the Independent concludes: "The more the United States and Russia prepare to discuss the reduction of their strategic missiles, the more relevant the nuclear

deterrents of Britain and

Huro. pean security? The paper expressed fear over the 'decoupling' of the United States and Western Europe.

This is a minority view among the British ruling class, and the leader writer exagerates the differentia

between the interests of the USA and of Europe to drive the newspaper's line home

But the point made is a real one. Proposals for any nuclear disarmament

the United States in Europe additional pressures by the Wes european bourgeoisies for a build-up

Cavenda which they will have to pay for in Reagan hasn language

has decided Europe must pay more of its share of the arms race. 1 nIs Is part ot the • con troversy between the : US

International

and NATO allies over the Gorbachev proposals.

But the US not merely is quite happy to off-load some of the costs of the military build-up onto its European allies oul la much bigger fish to fry. Firstly Reagan arms deal to recover some of his Concle political credibility,

Secondly, a key aspect of the discussions with the Soviet leadership was over what are euphemistically referred to as 'regiona problems' - which is US South Africa and Gulf. The US has undoubtedly demanded more compliant attitude on towards Nicaragua, for example, in return for the arms deal. perfectly prepared to sell out quite a few revolutions for an arms deal

The agreement reflects both the power and the only partial success of the European movemen

1999. she mess it

. Its power is that it has forced a bit of a climbdown by the US - and a bigger one European allies. Its limitation is that the movement was not powerful enough to stop the missiles totally

and the people of Nicaragua and South Africa may have to pay the price for that.

The same power that was generated by the anti-missiles movement has to be directed against

of whatever behind-the SUCTIC 'agreements' have been arrived at between Reagan and Gorbachev

This issue will also face Labour Party conference. The emphasis of the parts leadership on the NATC commitment and on conventional arms spending is likely to be part ot a cal for big conventional

build-up wcabull.

Europe.

Page 9 scan of this page

What the peace accord means for El Salvador

International

the safeguards for

has described the accord as 'fatally flawed'. Reagan administration

further $270 million of contra aid.

article Salvador and the forces of the FMLN-FDR, the Farabundo Marti Revolutionary Democratic Front. ER Salvadoes president

Salvador's president Duarte tried to scupper the plan, drawn up by

Arias, which has become

Guatemala

peace accord. Now that he

Duarte is doing everything possible to prevent its successine

most spectacular episode in Duarte's antiArias machinations occurred mid-June, just twelve days prior to the summit meeting of the five Central American presidents which was due

to take pee 25 his

After receiving orders from envoy, Phillip Habib, Duarte movea to sel the meeting postponed. The breathing BaCC would allow Reagan administration to campaign for its UWIl "regional solution'. Few people thought that the

at the new scheduled date of 6-7 August.

But Duarte paid an

political price for his open acting as Reagan's lap dog. His attempt since February to block the peace moves has taken background of inst place the

advance both by the military campaign of the FMLN and of the resurgent mass movement.

Additionally, Duarte's inept and corrupt response to last year's tragic earthquake and the accelerating economic leaving his calamity government WaS

with no legitimacy whatsoever. Duarte was forced to sign the accord literally for his own survival.

Having signed it, Duarte then Circally

accord what knew was the opposite of ins stance against a renter- intentions, bolster

dialogue with the FMLN/FDR.

MASSIVE military assistance by France and the US has allowed Chad to carry out a raid on Maaten-es-Sarra in Libya. France has 1200 troops in Chad and runs the Sparrowhawk air defence' system which includes Hawk missiles, Mirage FI fighters, Jaguar fighterbombers, reconnaissance and Transall transport aircraft and radar units.

The French personnel

THE PEACE accord signed in Guatemala by the five Central American governments at the beginning of August has been strongly attacked by US president, Ronald Reagan. On Saturday 12 September, Reagan said on US radio that the plan 'falls short of

democracy and our national security'; and in an interview in a US magazine he

The pushing for continued contra funding. Congress is to be asked to agree to a

But the victory scored by Nicaragua has further damaged the Reagan administration, already severely bruised by the 'contragate' exposures. In the last issue of Socialist Action, JOHN SMITH explained the scope of Nicaragua's victory. In the following

The explains what the accord means for E

National Liberation Front-

backed media

revolu-

the that

for them, that they were Sandinistas.

But the accord con-

charted for five years by

for ceasefire, • ine pro-

of this process.

broad

'GAP' - within which the FMLN/FDR would Dal -ticipate alongside all secof the Salvadorean people, would exclude the ruling oligarchy and the

Over the past eighteen months, the demand for a peace dialogue has been taken up by the resurgent trade union and mass movement in the government-held cities. Support for the dialogue is a principal point of unity of the recently formed UNTS (Nationa Unity Salvadorean Workers), which the broadest alliance workers, farmers, slum-dwellers, and aturanta try's history.

never a or clever

part of FMLN's strategic perspective whose the Salvador

Yemocracy

The that with powerful alilly. and

steeled

US, France behind Chad aggression

and hardware have been decisive in the war efforts of the Chadian regime of president Hissène Habré

Lone vers orexene repression and struggle these classes would be able to exert their leadership of the GAP.

adoption of the GAP proposal cOrresponded to a fundamental change in the nature of the struggle since the formation of the FMLN/FDR 1980. What began as a civil war has turned into a war of nanonal noeration, a confrontation increasingly direci between ine peo-

Ps of El Salvador and the

of 1980 defeated by

1981 Ene and 1983, but the US

of the $3000

the

450

army, OI helicopter

Wales, the FMLN have

military

succeeded promoting

of the

their

last fa-

US counterinsurgency the

the point

agree meet the Will be the first face-to-face enwhich has over the last

targetted both opposition forces within the country and Libya. Chad

HOLD ON A MINUTE!! counter since 1985

Now Duarte is claiming the mantle Guatemala accord to place all sorts of absurd conditions on such negotiations: that the FMLN agree to

• down

zuricall claiming that the FMLN be treated in exactly the same way as the Nicaraguan contras.

This attempt to manoeuvre the FMLN into a position of opposition to the peace for which they have OCCH fighting, create divisions within the FMLN/FDR under the guise of so-called 'symmetry' — is already coming apart. call for Duarte to negotiate coming trom a wide arra of forces. This is because the parallel with the contras in El Salvador is not

'forced to sign

'NAPOLEON Duarte was forced to sign the Guatemala agreement because of the very deep

country Inos usel immersed in tne biggest social, political and economic crisis in its national history

ascontent and a popural concensus Ior peace ... conflicts or to control the army responsible for the death of over 60,000 compatriots and for massive violations of human rights disputes Libya's right to the Aouzou Strip in the south of the country.

It is now clear that Washington scouragi ing Habré to intensify at tacks on Libya. The US have provided Habré with Stinger missiles for its aggression against Libya.

The Stinger is a light,

anti-aircraft missile which the CIA has also provided to the Afghan contras.

Libya displayed to the world's press 18 such launchers that it had captured following its defeat of the Maaten-es-Sarra raid. Un-

the FMLN, who are unaffected by the accord's pro-

military funding, but the Duarte regime itself.

He is as much as creation of Washington as are the contras. The US imDUSCU Duarte UDUt Salvador's rulers. _ On several OCCaSIS. strenuous backing from the US was necessary scotch coup plots stemming from within the treme right-wing military High Command Now, with Diane distancing himself from Washington, factions the ministration may come to regard a military coup as a last-ditch means to scuppering the regional peace process.

Either way, the days of the regime are numbered. political-military weakening of his government. Ini

Duarte finds himself in the middle of growing popular

'Duarte, in his moment of greatest weakness naively attempted to isolate and defeat the FMLN with a smole aloomale mancouvre somely netner ac nor his troops, have been able to achieve and never

*The Duarte government does not have the capacity to bring forward a true national democratisation process. It has been unable to resolve the present labour

'The people demand the formation of a govern-

Statement of FMLN General Command. 11 August 1987. til then, Washington had strongly denied that it was suppiying sullgers Following the regaining of the Aouzou Strip Libyan leader Col Gadaffi declared that the war was over But, Washington's urging, Chad rejected the ocal moves. The US's bellicose designs have been backed diplomatic offensive. Last simultaneous week committee agreed on Chad's initiative to hold a general assembly debate on 'agression against and occupation of Chad by Libya'.

Nicaragua

sweeping law guaranteeing the political,

and the scalp collectors'

people are Spanish-speaking mestizos,

country's pre-revolutionarv leaders.

the contras.

Palestinians

are against 'terrorist'

action in similar terms. New Caledonia

colony of New Caledonia concerning the

'referendum' were a foregone conclusion

has been encouraging further settlement.

wishful thinking

pro-independence demonstrators further

the boycott.

Solomon islands — and by Australia. Name

Address

Action for E Send 10: Socialist Action Subs, PO Box 50, London NI 2XP.

Socialist Action 25 Sept 1987

World

in action

NICARAGUA has become the first country in the western hemisphere to adopt a economic, language, cultural and religious rights of Indians and Black people. The law established autonomous governments on Nicaragua's Atlantic Coast, where most Nicaraguan Indians and Black people live. Nicaraguan leader Tomas Borge described the law decision as 'historic' He said it was a 'kick in the gut of the Buffalo Bills

the hope for victims of racism 'from the North Pole to the South Pole.

The majority of the country's three million concentrated on the country's Pacific coast. On the Atlantic coast, there are 182,000 mestizos. There are also 75,000 Miskito Indians and 9,000 Sumo Indians with their own languages; and 26,000 Creole Blacks, 1,750 Garifonas and 850 Rama Indians who speak English. Divisions amongst these communities were fostered by the

. The autonomy process initiated by the Sandinistas has gone a long way to winning them to the revolution and uniting the entire country against

AT LEAST 41 people were killed in a terrorist air raid by Israel of the Ain Khilwe district of south Lebanon. Ain Khilwe, with a population of 50,000, is the largest Palestinian district in the area. The Israeli air force has bombed the south Lebanon region 20 times this year. Contrary to Israeli claims that the strikes

- that is, PLO - bases, dozens of civilian homes have been bombed.

«Washington, however, has given immediate cover to israel cmarges or terronism' • Last week, the Reagan administration closed down the PLO office in the US capitol justifying its

The overwhelming majority of indigenous Melanesian Kanaks — some 83 per cent boycotted a referendum in the French Pacific

country's independence. The results of the

designed to give a democratic facade to France's •continued colonial rule. A 57 per cent majority of New Caledonia's population are European 'Caldoche' settlers, and the French government

The claim of French government minister for overseas territories, Bernard Pons, that the 98 per cent majority in favour of staying part of France was 'a great victory' was really more

Only 58 per cent of those eligible voted. Films showing police clubbing

underline the flimsiness of the government's case. Only repression can maintain their colonial rule. Voting returns in the referendum were subject to huge regional variation. In Hienghene, were Jean-Marie Tjibaou, leader of the proindependence Front de Liberation Nationaliste Kanak Socialiste (FLNKS — Kanaki socialist national liberation front) is mayor, the turnout was 13 per cent. Several polling booths failed to record a single vote. The FLNKS had called for

The referendum has been condemned by governments of other Melanesian islands — Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and the

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able to Socialist

Page 10 scan of this page

10 and 77 Labour Party and other organisations. African coal'. JON SILBERMAN reports. SOUTH African unions were represented by

DISEKO of SACTU. Ine eyes oI people in South Africa are on unis confercace he said. 'The demand

from within South Africa itself — it was reaffirmed by this year's. COSATU congress'.

ANC executive

member, FRANCIS MELI answered a question from a miner concerning the ANC's talks with Africaaner intellectuals. The statement they'd made in Dacca this summer nemed to weaked tre apartheid regime. Meli sala tal uness peopic fully understood what the ANC was doing they couldn't be expected to gave whole-carcu support.

Meli emphasised the close relation between the struggles in South Africa and Britain. 'By engaging in solidarity

partheid you help t

iberate yourselves'

SWAPO 1cv1 coctically!

PANDULENI ITULA reminded conference to Tenemper me ourer sce of apartheid — IS occup son of Namibia neva colone recent miners strike in Namibia and the tremendous repression faced by the newly

This conference, Itula predicted, would be very important, pointing to une successful campaign to win the release of Namibian trade union leader, Ben Uulenga.

ROSE KNIGHT, an NUR member, spoke of the coal boycott work done by her anti-apartheid group in

Doncaster 'Last November we organised a demonstration jointly with the miners and we marched past

Gunners Wharf, an unregistered port where South African coal is coming in. The key thing is to be constantly mobilising out on the the streets'.

Socialist Action 25 Sept 1987

Ban apartheid coal

FOUR HUNDRED and twenty-eight delegates crammed into Sheffield's City Hall last Saturday for a conference jointly organised by the NUM and the Anti-Apartheid Movement. The conference was called to organise action against the importing of South African coal, leading to its total banning. The list of conference participants included 103 delegates from NUM and Women Against Pit Closures organisations, 126 from other unions (including five national unions), 84 local anti-apartheid groups, 38 delegates representing 14 local authorities,

One of those unable to attend was Cyril Rampaphosa, general secretary of the NUM of South Africa. Ramaphosa was denied a passport by the South African authorities. Pretoria said that in order to travel, Ramaphosa should apply for a passport from one of the designated 'homelands'. Doing so would not only have been against his principles, it would also have resulted in the miners leader becoming an alien in South Africa, unable to carry out his duties as the NUM general secretary. The conference condemned the travel ban imposed on Ramaphosa and adopted a '12-point programme of action against South

'National action needed'

JIMMY NOLAN was at the conterence representing Liverpool dockers who recentiv refused to handle a caro or uraniun because it came from Namibia. He welcomed une conrerence and resolutions that had been coder by cir unions for sanctions. *Now we need some action on a national basis' he said. 'Deep crisis of SA coal'

EXECUTIVE secretary of the Anti-Apartheid Movement, MIKE TERRY said that the South African coal industry is in crisis'. He applauded the action campaign of the NUM, pointing out that 'the French government took CGT union federation refused to unload the coal *Shell may be the world's largest multinational company. But the people can speak and force even that companv out ot south Africa and Namibia' he said. 'Inspired by Winnie Mandela'

BETTY HEATHFIELD representing Women Against ril Closures told the conference not power of women in this or any other struggle'

She paid tribute to the large numbers of women from the mining communities present at the conterence.

The anti-apartheid struggle is special to coalfield women, she said. They had been inspired by South

African Women like Winnie Mandela who had given her husband to the movement: and Ruth Mompati, forced into exile, who answered Thatcher's claim that sanctions would hurt the black majority with the words "how more hungry can my children

e. and how much mor

an my children suffer?

'Build for 24 October'

DOREEN WEPPLER, NUR, showed conference a copy of a union pamphlet reporting her and NUR executive member, Geoff Revel's recent trip to South Africa, during. the rail strike there.

'We learnt a great deal from the fighting spirit ot those people she said. Weppler is secretary of Rail Against Apartheid, a rank and file-based campaign in the rall industry supported by the NUR executive. She called on all delegates to build the forthcoming national demonstration for sanctions on 24

and and ensure that trade union contiucells were as strong as possible.

SARAH GOFF, representing Nottingham AA, spoke of the 300-strong demonstraton in Worksop to protest South African coal the previous Saturday, 12

september.

Led by a banner which read 'British

solidarity with South African miners', the march tollowed a labour movement conference earlier this year and has, said Goff, paved the way for a new AA group based on coalfield communities.

From the chair NUM general secretary, PETER HEATHFIELD, spoke of the importance of building on the conference to develop an action campaign. Heathfield said that we should be more than a *resolutionary movement.

cess.

passport

racist had said

issue a Scargill confrom veyed

passport was in

Scargill went on 'makes this conference

our into those re-

yes, those of our and sisters South Africa. the claim that South coal was

LUSI

1s Ker the economy Willis explained It's South Africa's second most export

The total pro-

comes,

be in

that One

Denmark and moved

record of the British

salicululls Willis

BAN

against their regime?

Scargill chronicled the appalling conditions facec

South African and 'The walleri coal, the old anc the diamonds the produce is stained with blood' he said, as he spoke of the 48,000 miners have have lost their lives in the industry this century, and the daily violence faced by ordinary men and women.

'Union organisers are not allowed within a mile either of the camp or of the mine itself Namibian miners leader Ben Uulenga, had been rested immediately on his return from Britain

He paid tribute to th miners who in the space of five short years had built such an outstanding trade

Scargill said that ull. the decision of the South - and that includes ending

To the suggestion that there was no adequate SUOSU LULO for South African anthracite, replied that 'Swaziland is capable of producing anthracite just as good as

Africa' By changDOLLE thracite, he said we would Swaziland not only be acaling will South Africa but also lending beleagured Front Line States. The courage, tenacity and skill of the

neone use routel States needs our support.

Willis countered those who said that sanctions weren't the best

Way. 'Those wno the right to demand the meals of their iberation

said. Sanctions are demanded by the liberation organisations and trade unions in both South Africa and Namibia. 'We don't impose action on them they • demand 11 and our job is to give it.

"Their battle is our battle. Their freedom is our freedom.'

African miners to call their union the NUM after the British union was a striking confirmation of the principled course adopter by both organisations: of the historic strike of the British NUM in 1984-85 and of the historic strike of the South African NUM just concluded.

Arthur Scargill •said that the recent miners strike had given an indication of the real strength of LIC DON A COCOOC ' As the result that strike, there can be no doubt that the South African NUM has gained in status both nationally and internationally'

Scargill spoke lity the special responsibility the British labour movement because of the enormous £12 billion worth of British investments 'help

KCCI a val Lice afloat' and he spoke of the importance of the international campaign to boycott Shell.

'You have to be op timistic and you have to have vision' Scargill said in arguing that mass action campaigns are effective, as

Programme of action

against South African coal.

following are the areas covered by the programme:

• Raise the demand — coal sanctions now: • Coal communities action against apartheid • British government and EEC must act - coal

sanctions now!

• Stop South African coal imports now!

• British mining houses out of South Africa and Namibia - South African mining houses out of Britain! • No technology and equipment, recruitment, or

researen for me apartnera mining maustr

• No agents for apartheid coal • No apartheid propaganda • Local authority action against apartheid • Solidarity with the Namibian and South African miners

cent of South Africa's coal exports. In turn,

equipment.

African coal are Exeter, Avonmouth, Dundee Ipswich, London, Trent, Goole, Ireland is also heavily involved At least 16 South African pits are directly 01 indirectly controlled by foreign-based corporations

of all South Africa's I CAPULLS Fields. Roval Dutch Shell. BP. Lonhro. Burnett anc Hallamshire, and Total.

Mines has established an office in London.

material from which the above information is taken

In the Unions

the anti-missiles move. ment and the women at Greenham Common hac proved. 'By sanctions, we know we wil be speeding the day wher apartheid is confined the dustbin of history?

Scargill said that the demand for sanctions had to be backed up by trade union action now. He cited the examples of the Liverpool who recently refused to handle Ne imagnient Dandes 'magnificent' strikers in pointing to the sort of action necessary 'Each step take, each decision that we make, each action that we undertake helps speed the day when our brother like Cyril Ramaphosa anc (NUM president) James Molas car appear on : platform like this withou naving to beg tor permission to travel from the country of their birth. 'It helps speed the day when we can have on this probadly greatest of our members albeit an member Nelson Mandela.'

CONFERENCE adopted a detailed action programme

. Its implementation will be South Africa is the world's third largest coal exporter after Australia and the USA. The UK receives 1.6 per

South Africa is the second largest importer of British mining

The chief British ports dealing with South Colchester, Ramsgate and Southampton. The port of Derry in the north of

The following five companies produce over 25 per cent

Consolidated Gold

To counter opposition to the mining houses and their agents in Britain, the South African Chamber of

Copies of the full action programme and background are available from AAM, 13 Mandela Street, Londor

Page 11 scan of this page

Support the miners

In the Unions

tacks. JON SILBERMAN reports.

AMID calls for tougher action, the NUM started its overtime ban last Monday, 21 September. At first, the ban will be limited to coal cutting ana development WOTK overtime, the union's national executive to 9 at its 17 September

on Arthur Scargill said that this * dustrial action that is going to be applied and the decision of our members in the individual ballot vote allows us to siep up te action as the days and weeks go by if we feel it necessary.

ung on mounting support

Durham miners leaders

described as the 'soft option' adopted by the national executive. They called for a meeting of the executive in Labour Party conference to

Durham

Durham NUM secretary, Davy Hopper callweekend working, and a time work and holiday working. "There is general condemnation the coalfield of the current action as ineffective he said. The Durham area council will be recalled on 5 October to consider the situation.

meeting the

NUPE nurses for

Nicaragua

SIX nurses from St

Mary's hospital in Pad-

dington, London. are

going to Nicaragua.

l'hey will be taking

medical equipment

along and have been

raising funds for pur-

pose. A Billy Bragg

welch brougal in a

much needed £1800.

cing their own fares.

They will be staying for

Wapping enquiry call

AN enquiry into police violence al tne nirst anniversary demonstration

during the News International dispute has been called tor in an authoritative report

published by the

Haldane Society of socialist lawyers.

The report contains

substantial evidence to

call: 120 statements. back us use enou 200 photographs and 25 reports from legal observers.

The main charges in the report are that police used truncheons and makeshift weapons

THE MINERS have started their action. The entire labour movement must now rally behind them. Old links should be renewed. NUM members should be given platforms to explain their case. Their struggle against the coal board's new disciplinary code is vital not only for the coming battle in the pits but also for the entire struggle against the Tory government's at-

Yorkshire® excecutive

Tuesday, 22 September, also

called for 'tougher action'

Yorkshire president Jack

Taylor reported that 'the

beneve Inal

you're taking action against

the Board, it should be

effective.

Escalate

'My view is that even-

tually it will escalate - it

should be as quickly as

possible. The Yorkshire area

would be balloting on 21/22

October for action short of

a strike, ne sala, adaing 1l 10

comes to a strike, so be it.

Yorkshire, with 34.000

members, is the overwhelm-

ingly largest a ca Lne

NUM. But reports from the

significantly smaller NUM

of Notts indicate a

similar pressure amongst

memnoes for

tougher line.

Pressure

Lancashire area presi-

dent, Roy Jackson reflected

the strong pressure in that

alca ll acal or sensed u! action if the board hadn'

moved within a fortnight.

Scargill said this 'clearly demonstrated the trustra-

Danger OI

members, who see British Coal's new disciplinary code

tivists and our members who disagree in any way with the board's dictatorial management.

A meeting of the Scottish area affirmed the executive's stand. Scottish area secretary Eric Clarke said that hoped 'this three months and helping to build a new health centre.

Staff nurse Annie

Squires explained 'We felt that by visiting and working with the Nicaraguan people we would discover the truth and it would help the Nicaraguans realise that they are not alone in their struggle'.

at random, that mounted police charged people taking shelter at speed and without warning, that thev smashed windows of first aid vehicles, and that jourIlalists and photographers were singled out for attack.

Commenting on Home Secretary Douglas Hurd's rejection of demands for a public enquiry, one of the report's authors, Tony Gifford QC said 'He acted not as a d. police authority, but as a police mouthpiece'.

support the miners. The code takes away basic rights put "under the discretion of management' now ready to move into action.

philosophy prevails. But the coal board appeared to be in no such conculatorv mood. They have told Arthur Scargill that in view of the overtime ban they had unilaterally suspended the industry's guaranteed five-day working week agreement - the first time this has happened in 40 years.

boss Sir Robert United!

STRIKING engineering workers from Sarmcol in South Africa visit the picket line of Senior Colman strikers in Sale, near Manchester, where they are greeted by strike leaders Tony Lowe (righti ano Graham Wyatt (to his right).

The Sarmcol strikers, National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) have been on strike for twoand-a-half years against the British-based multinational, BTR. on a two month tour of Britain, organised by the TUC, showing their play about the strike

The long march'

One of the touring strikers is NUMSA executive member, Khayo Madlala (centre right in the photo). He told Socialist Action that iney won peer overwhelmed by the en-

they'd received in Britain.

Engineering workers

formerly employed at the British BTR sub-

'Still fully backing the miners'

MEMBERS of Lancashire Women Against Pit Closures (left to right: Margaret Mitchinson, Sylvia Pye, Dot Kelly, Irene Pennington and Marge Short) have rebuffed suggestions that coalfield women are any less in support of the NUM than they were during the strike. 'Once women are told what the code entails' they told Socialist Action, 'they're sure to meone for things completely away from the pit. The complete right to say who works is

ed wives' who opposed action against the code as 'propaganda'.

Commenting on the cracking 74 per cent ballot majority in favour of action in the north-west, they pointed out that 'we didn't have that level of support during the strike — so a new unity has been forged in Lancs. ' What would this unity mean? "The ball is now in the Board's court' they said, pointing out that the Women Against Pit Closures group would be there to give suppori. 'We've been ticking over meeting fortnightly. We're

Haslam warned that suspension of the guaranteed week could mean miners being sent home if they refused to carry out 'normal' working because of the ban.

Policy

The board rejected the NUM's last ditch attempt to resolve the Illatle. by sidiary, JE Hanger in London itself the scene of a long strike had expressed their solidarity and given Jinancial support. The South African strikers would be visiting other BTR workers.

Contact with the Senior Colman strikers was first made at the Notts miners gala and renewed during the TUC congress in Blackpool.

The Manchester workers are finding increased support for their

' They described media claims of 'unnamnegotiation, refusing talks at ACAS. Instead they insisted that they had the right to decide whether miner works at a ros an a distria. ir respective tribunal finding the miner's favour. A condition of talks was that the existing disciplinary

arrangemen has existed for 40 years should be ripped up. cause. Twenty Labour Party organisations locally have 'adopted' strikers ames. some have started street collections while local busworkers are organising an outing for strikers' kids and provided transport for travel to the miners gala.

• Messages of support and donations to Senior Colman Strike Committee, AEU House, 43 Crescent, Salford M5 4PE.

Socialist Action 25 Sept 1987

'It's about getting rid of

union leaders'

Scott at Stillingfleet in the Board denies that he was sacked under the code

production for.

'Ever since the strike, the Board have been looking for ways of attacking

was suspended for two weeks the dat remined work after the strike. The Board said that I wasn't the type of person they fell fit to be employed in the industry, talsely claiming that! had serious charges pending against me.

"As Hasiam openly admits, the code would give them the abilty IO victimise anyone they decided

"fit" to be employed.

'That people who want a strong and effective which what we iry to have at Barnburgh When

look strike action, the pickets came OvC We told them ther wouldn't need to aacill.

Burnett said that the reason that the Board parHeulary necaca ine nev code now was because of their plans for flexible working and privatisation They see Arthur Scargill carrying the union's flag against this. thev ca take action against union leaders and trighten the rest the workforce through mass sackings of

can out their

'This also goes for dealing with opposition to the six-day working — it's all part of their master plan.

Pits in Selby now produce 60,000 tonnes per week. If they go on to sixalay working, they'd produce more on the sixth day than Barnburgh produces

Dock labour scheme threat

ANOTHER attack on

the dock labour scheme

is threatened. The

Grimsby Landing Com-

pany is moving to break

away from the scheme

In its attempt to make

30 registered dockers

Tell all

The TGWU is in-

sisting that the company

finds alternative work

for its employees. The

umn as totally rejected the company's plans to use the lem.

porary Unattached

Register to reintroduct casual labour into the

London teachers against

Baker

LONDON teachers have

voted to maintain their

fight against Baker's

legislation. They have

position despite harsh

measures museu lo

their employer, the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA). In docking the pay of teachers who refuse to give cover for absent colleagues ILEA

11

'THE CODE has been introduced mainly to sort ou leaders of the trade union movement' Bob Burnett president of Barnburgh NUM told Socialist Action 'It's quite apparent the way they've sacked Te

Selby coalfield. Th

but he was sacked for carrying out union policy, im plementing Yorkshire's policy of no weekend coa — and that's what the code's designer

Bob Burnett

in a week. That'll obvious-

ly means more pit closures

and the concentration o

production in highly pro

ritable pits. The code aimed to attack the leaders

of the opposition to this plan.

Bob Burnett said that

following the overtime ban

aecision or tae nanonal ex

Area Council had Yorkshire

Area reluc

tantly called off the firmer Policy is coad taken

Scott's sacking

Under the original area

ban, overtime other

than for safety was ruled Ou There's strong feeling that the position of the na tional executive needs beefing up he said new area ballot will allow us to step up the action. I

one of those who

perhaps wrongly

favoured calling off the ac tion during the Frickley strike to allow a united national campaign. But the national campaign we had in mind was stronger than

what's been adopted

'The present ban must be just first step to much stronger action.

docks. The T&G onl

accepts use of the TUI in disciplinary cases.

Last month, the union's 13,500 dockers voted by two to one in favour of national strike action tollowing a similar move by the Clyde Port Authority at the Greenock container terminal. The 24 threatened dockers were found alternative employment. Unless a similar solution can be found in Grimsby, another national ballot will be held.

has shown its determination to carry through attacks on icacles rather unan Joll with them to fight the Tories.

By a majority of three to one, the Inner London Teachers Association voted to continue to refuse cover in defiance of Baker's diktats.

Page 12 scan of this page

ALLIANCE SOCIALISM

Diane Abbott TICKETS

* £7 for the weekend,

£4 per day

(£5 and £2.50 unwaged)

* Make cheques payable to

Please send me.

Name Address I/We require.

BUILDING * Sir William Collins School, London

Socialist Action Conference

FOR The third annual Alliance for Socialism weekend of debate,

discussion and agitation sponsored by Socialist Action

Linda Bellos Peter Heathfield tickets for 'Building an Alliance for Socialism'

places in the creche for children aged.

AN

Tony Benn

Ken Livingstone

Marc Wadsworth

3

7-8 November

SPEAKERS INCLUDE

Bernie Grant Ann Pettifor

The weekend includes workshops on : left unity, the crisis in the Alliance parties, racism, women, trade unions, foreign policy, South Africa, Ireland and many more...