Socialist Action No. 23, 2 September 1983

Socialist Action · 2 September 1983 · 12 pages, 16,917 words read by machine

The scan: 023-sep-02-1983-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.

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Page 1 scan of this page

No. 23 2 September 1983 30p

TUC:

STAND UP AND FIGHT!

Photo• INHN HARRIS

ACTioN SOCiAList

Norman Tebbit — getting along nicely with

Len Murray

weapons.

On both these matters the Tory ment is determined to have its way. It is firmly committed to cruise and Trident and will go all the way with Reagan's war-like policies.

It is equally determined to make Britain a land fit for capitalist speculators and not give a damn for the misery that unemployment causes.

Any compromise made

by the TUC with Tories on any Issues can Only De to me benefit of the government. If people are to escape the threat of nuclear annihilation and have a right to earn a living this government has to be fought. And that is what the so-called general staff of the trade union should be doing.

Past present policies, however,

IN AN ACT of naked aggression,

launched

Star '83.

To domination region, tions involve 5500 US troops in Egypt and the manoeuvres by the US fleet off the coast of Lybia marines stationed Lebanon - backed by 800 helicopter gunships.

tervention death of two US marines in Lebanon August. of a supposed keeping US, Italian troops.

Active

exposed marines weapons time since their arrival in Shi'ite south of Beirut.

After

TWO ISSUES above all else should concern the TUC when it meets next week. Firstly, there is the threat of the extinction of most of western-Europe's population by nuclear Secondly, there is the scourge unemployment in Britain, which in the very short future will total around six million.

augur very badly for such govern- On issue the TUC has done nothing boycott nor has it organised any industrial action against the presence weapons. What is more it is obvious that they have intention anything in the future. does On their record is deplorable.

When resisted redundancies and sackings the TUC has been more conspicuous by its silence rather than by the help it has workers.

Nownas most craven capitulation from Len Murray. He has discovered employment "desirable and thinks creative nonemployment' movement answer. doing BICALS and General Council which is tense United the US States imperialism has

military ex- mance ercises in North Africa and the Middle East - code named Bright

uphold US ¡caculullal in the these opera- will

with Sudan

and - 1200 the in keeping

Page 2 scan of this page

What the left press said..

THE WITCH HUNT against

Socialist Action,

started with Cowley and

moved onto CND, has now

exploded in the Labour

Party.

'1000 Labour

moles' claimed the Daily

Telegraph. Last Tuesday

The Times broadened the

attack, linking Socialist Ac-

tion supporter Davy Jones

with the national Labour

Briefing, and via devious

routes, with Ken

ingstone and Jeremy Cor-

byn MP.

By the end of the last

week the Labour Party was

being buried under

mountain of Trotskyist

moles.

While Labour

General Secretary Jim Mor-

timer moved last Wednesday

pour cold

story, Walworth Road infor-

mation officer Frank

was busy stoking up the 'mole

hunt' fires.

It was entirely predictable

that the witch hunt which

started at Cowley would end

up in the Labour Party. As MP THE DISMISSAL of 13 trade unionists at Cowley is a clear case of political employers. As such it is a simple and clear cut issue of basic democratic rights — the right to have a job irrespective of your political views.

press have tried to make the issue a very different one — a question of whether lies were told on the application forms, question 'conspired' together to get jobs in the plant.

If everyone who told bies on their application form were sacked the factories would be emptied. If socialists have to lie to get jobs, then that only shows the existing state of repression which already exists against trade union tivists in industry. This is a fundamental issue not ont tor socialists. but for all supporters of basic democratic rights.

It interesting therefore to review the response of the left press to this issue.

Labour Herald under the title whips up witch hunt' argued that "Tory press jackals' took the opportunity to launch

general attack 'subversives in the trade Labour

Socialist Action 2 September 1983

ACTiON SociAlist

Labour Party 'moles'

Witch hunt escalates

Ron Brown rightly pointed out which in our pages last week, those

on the right wing of the Party who have stoked hunts against others are in part responsible Party for the general climate of anti-

left hysteria which made the Cowley events Whether or not the right wing pushes its attack on Socialist Action before the Labour Party conference, it's not hard to predict that there witch hunting to come.

Liv- The political context of the

attack on the militant left in the Labour Party is that of the attempt by the right wing to 're-centre' the party, to abandon left wing policies on disarmament, the Common Market and incomes policy.

Unfortunately, the drift to Party the right after the outcome of

the general election too obvious in sections of the Labour left itself.

the

The statements by Michael Ward Meacher, the left's candidate

for Deputy Leader, left should abandon its obsessions with unilateralism and the reinstatement of the five expelled Militant editors, is a sign that the section victimisation by the

The Cowley management and the Fleet Street

of whether the 13

unions. The atmosphere

was hunt

national

against militant trade

unionists'.

Tribune published an

article opposing pontical linimisa on agains litice

political

screening of job ap-

plicants. But this editorial

was marred by ine state-

ment that the 13 Cowley

had committed 'fraud for

purposes which they are

nol preparea lo discuss

So telling the bosses lies is

'fraud'? Fraud

who? Against the witch-

hunting culploycis. yes.

But there is nothing

whatever disreputable

from a socialist point of

view in that. The author of

the Tribune editorial

should know better.

HERALD

Left around the Labour

Wing rapidly to the right.

Meacher's

especially compromise

the socialists can be accepted, then the

While the

right wing

most publicised

transparently up Militant and ship • has been

press, Guardian, tions about our supporters. possible.

Marxism

The IS more

attack on Militant. stories of 'infiltrators',

is only

Stray the militant

trade unions as 'evil that the whose ideas

taken seriously.

The rounding the aims to

of the

Militant itself the victim of an appalling witch hunt in the labour movement had a much better editorial ine. "The trade union movement has a duty to defend the thirteen workers sacked from because of their political

THE MARXIST PAPER FOR LABOUR & YOUTH see,

views'. Arguing that the victimisation was part of BL's continuing crusade against militants, Militant stated:

It is an indictment of capitalist society, In any case, that workers often have to lie to get a job.

mass unemployment, there are probably 20p

Coordinating Committee is mov-

'fanatics'. statement on the expelled Militant editors is

scandalous. No with the right wing of the party is possible Ideas on the witch hunt question -

principle that expelled is

wide open to further attacks. door is present

present witch nunt has been started by the

press, the right the labour wing leadership of the labour movement is complicit in this whole, attack. Frank Ward is only the

feeder scare stories about Socialist Action to the press. It seems obvious that it.

somebody in the CND leader-

briefing the and in particular the with lying accusa-

tical reality.

fabrications about the 'plots' and 'conspiracies' are organisational devices to conceal a political attack. That is true both inside the Labour Party and CND. In both, sections of the leadership want to be rid of the most determined fighters for militant policies.

The attack on Socialist Action differs in no way from the

The scare 'moles' labour and 'conspirators' are designed for one thing only: to por- differences

left both in- debate. side the Labour Party and the

people' are not to be movement or

sensationalism surplot stories Brown make the ideas of Marxism in the labour move- must go on.

hundreds of thousands of job applicants who change their qualifications desperate attempt to get employment. Where bosses organisations run blacklists of union activists, there is even direct justification Jor truce

Milant

unionists hide their backgrounds from their employers in order to get jobs It is ludicrous for BL bosses to pretend that a socallea conspiracy of dozen or so workers can ave a seous noctor the industrial relations in BL against the wishes and feelings of thousands

Morning Star

other workers there... For the trade unions to give only "token" support, to merely any serious intent to defend

ment appear bizarre and irrational, the perogative of a few

The ultimate aim is to drive Marxists out of the labour movement.

One of the scandals of the

attacks the assumption that Marxists do not have the right to put their ideas in the Labour Party and

movement as a while open agents of the capitalist class are assumed to have a God-given right to be part of the labour move ment - and indeed even lead

Everyone knows that many of the leaders of both the Party and the unions regard the objective of socialism as a joke

good for Sunday speeches, but nothing to do with prac-

Everyone knows that people like Hattersley and Shore have more in common with

SDP than with the declared objectives of the the Labour Party constitution - the social ownership of the means of production.

Socialist Action will expose the right wing witch hunters every inch of the way. We will

nue to point out that the witc a hunt is an attack not on. ly on the whole of the labour left, but on basic ideas of the

movement class solidarity and the settling of

by democratic

We have no intention of being driven out of the labour

sitting idly by while other left wingers are villified and expelled. As Ron

said last week: the fight for socialism will and

Socialist

the sacked workers, would be a serious mistake...

Socialist 'Worker rargued: 'All 13 happened to be socialists who believe that agains these sinceron os DeoDle this cover rarell. The truth is that they were sacked for their political beliefs... the press campaign is designed to maie workers feel that any feilow worker who is a SOCILAY strange "a 'mole, an infiltrator

Tribune

JULY 1, 1983

DAILY

Worker

The Morning Star,

in an article by Jim Saunders under the title 'McCarthyism rears its ugly head at BL'referred to the alleged letter urging socialists to get Jobs at Cowley.

Opposed

'This may have been in the eyes of some an act of crass stupidity. But Is any worse than a trade union selecting union firm to organise, or for CND to set up factory branches in the cause of

Mandela's challenge VOL 47 NO 26 40p

News

[GUARDI - INSIDE World Whatever

happened banking Labour's CriSIS cream See page I see centre pag-

peace or for the • Labour and Communist Parties to recruit shop floor workers and build organisations? Is it any worse for example than the advice given by Mrs Thatcher to this year's conference of Tory trade them "infiltrate trade unions and win positions and support for the Tory Party?

Jim Saunders hit the nail on the head, in mark ed contrast to the foolish Tribune leader writer There is rothing whatever wrong with socialsts organising to get into factories. The attack on the Cowley 13 is an attack on the whole ment, and must be fought as such.

STILL LABOUR'S

INDEPENDENT WEEKLY

Page 3 scan of this page

Heffer says 'Fight McCarthyism

Labour movement against the witch hunt

News

attacking the witch hunt of socialists in industry and the Labour Party. The text is as follows:

Letter to Party

members from

Erie Heffer, MP

themselves with. Clearly,

engaged in trade union activity is on the increase and the high levels of deliberately used to try to weaken and ultimately destroy trade union shopfloor organisation.

The campaign in cerLam reals ot the Dress.

Management, supported by some engineering and other employers' organisations, against the so-called Left-Wing

clearly not only concerned with whether some Deon e filled in their application

designed to frighten off workers from being shor stewards and trade union coresculalives their place of work

The question that has to be asked is where will it end?

Over the years we have seen the Communist Derek Robinson dismissed from his job. We have also SCCT other shoo Sicwaru. (not members of the Com-.

Partv. or oi anv other left wing group) but because ther were active trade unionists, dismissed trom employment.

The dangerous atmosphere is being created in

Photo: JUDE WOODWARD

Jo Richardson MP Jo Richardson MP

THE atmosphere created by BL's actions, coupled with increased publicity of 'entrism' in the Labour Party risks leading us into a McCarthyite era.

Ordinary people in this country have never

scandalous way in which McCarthy destroyed the lives of many people in

Eric Heffer, left wing challenger in the Labour leadership race last Friday issued a press statement A very dangerous situation is developing in Britain which I believe all genuine democrats must concern

the "blacklisting' of workers for their political opinions and who are

unemployment are being

Britain, in all honesty not LeSA in the 19505, as advanced as in the OTHe need for witch hunt against so-carec 'reds' similar to that which took place in the USA after the second world war, develoned and supported by Richard Nixon and Senator McCarthy where scapegoats were required, and which I believe was the Leason for the judicial murder of the Rosenbergs.

Danger

Certainly we in Britain

have not got to that stage

yet, but the danger signs

are there and this is the

time for all true democrats

say enough Is enough before it is too late and the

atmosphere develops into

one of hysteria.

The latest episode is of

Colise Turiner at-

by some news-

Labour Party by such

SLONICS 1,000 moles

the USA. It's time that ordinary that with the help of the capitalist press and an extreme right wing Tory

government such

developments could begin to happen here. It's got to be toucht through the unions, political parties and any olner ways opel to ordinary folk in Britain.

within the Party. These no doubt in addition to the supporters of the paper, Militant.

I note that some of the

right-wing Ical" tionary newspapers have editorials themselves with the health

Ine Party, the same newspapers, incidentally which at no time ever supportea Labour when Clem Attlee Hugh Gaitskill, Harold Wilson Jim Callaghan were leaders.

They Kave always been anti-Labour their policies and they will continue to be so.

Damage

adul life, oer the years 1 a socialist all have read certain newspapers Labour Party was being infiltrated, that the CLPs were Communist dominated, Trotskyist fluenced, and that a takeUVCI was about to take place.

Sometimes few Labour and trade union leaders have given credence the statements, usually ones who later have left Labour's ranks after having used the

unelr personal

1 warn Partv members that the statements being made today moles etc. are designed damage the Party and stop us from winning power at the next election. They are designed frighten the people by painting a picture that bears no relation to the real situation.

inere are differences within the Labour Party, Luce dre unose on meie and those the right, Chris Smith MP

1 HAVE just refurned from a fact-finding visit to Turkey where trade unionists, elected MPs and councillors, people in the peace movement and prison for their beliefs. They are being tried for what they think, not for anything they have actually done. I have Henry

Richardson,

General

Secretary

Nottingham area NUM THE sacking of the 13 workers at British Levland's Cowlev Plant shows that the labour

guard. This could be the start of a general witch hunt of socialists in British industry, orchestrated by the media. The labour movement must fight tooth and nal against anv drift to a West Germantype situation where socialists are denied employment on the grounds of their political beliefs.

there always have been, and as long as we are a democratic Labour Party, there always will be.

It should be remembered that during the days of Nye Bevan, the Bevanites were attacked as a rarty wilnın ine rarty. and that Tribune was the

ites. Nowadays, the. left which holds Bevan's point of view, is sometimes referred the 'legitimate' lett, when in the past it was argued-they should have been expelled.

It is worth recalling that when the Parliamentary revolution took place there was an upsurge of

adhering Parliament and the revolution, who sold their phlets in stalls in West-

minster Hall.

It is a long tradition in Britain that groups within the wider movement argus their case. Sometimes their arguments win the maiori. ty support, usually they do 11UL Democracy

The real point is that it is our tradition to have varying groups and jour

nals and it is a traditio that IS at the heart of British democracy.

If that is destroyed or undermined then we are

increasingly toward: the authoritarianism which George Orwell wrote about in his book '1984'. Orwell believed in genuine workers' democracy and it is a view I also hold, and anything that tries undermine be strongly resisted. been horrified by what I have seen.

When I see the same thing beginning to happen here I become even more worried.

People have been sacked from British Leyland hecause thew hold particular views.

Members of the Labour Party are being attacked

- and their membership is under threat — because of their particular vision of socialist progress. Such attacks are protoundly undemocratic and indefensible.

The labour movement is composed of many different viewpoints united in a common aim. 1 will defend the right of all in the labour movement to develop and argue for their own beliefs • be they on the left or the right of the party. And in the tace of recent attacks I will defend the right of Socialist Action to fight for their particular corner. The Labour Party should be welcoming an open discussion across the whole of the socialist spectrum and a dedication to fighting a cruel Tory government, it shouldn't be condemning

Eric Heffer: time to fight McCarthyism Stuart Holland MP Stuart Holland MP THE hysteria about moles in Cowley is a smokescreen. ine real moles in British industry are those who have undermined trade union rights and pumped binons Into loreigi investment or property socculalloll

British Leyland is in crisis because private

Socialist Action 2 September 1983 enterprise failed to manage a successtul merger of the British venicles industry miteen years ago and because

capital preters financial speculation to industrial investment

Former BL chief Lord Stokes complained years ago of a capital strike -that the British stock

Labour

Campaign

for Gay Rights

'LABOUR Campaign for Gay Rights wisnes to state its total opposition to all witch hunts, whether at the workplace, in the unions, in our movements or in our Labour Party.

GM COOKSON

•Having had experience of what happens when socialist ideas meet the British media, we can express great sympathy. We Photo must not bow down, but double the attack!'

market valued the then British Motor Corporation at less than one empty office block in central London Centrepoint.

It is capital not labou which has struck down Brusn Leyland Ove many years. The sacked workers should be reinstated.

Page 4 scan of this page

The real issues facing CND

IRELAND

UNFREE

Referendum

campaign

IN THE RUN UP to the Abortion Amendment Referendum, opponents will be pulling out all the stops for a NO vote.

Eddie Conlon, who is the national organiser for the anti-amendment campaign, says 'the issue is really about whether women should be driven back to the home and tied forever to the kitchen sink. We are challenging the church and state who try to control our bodies and our lives.

"We are challenging the ideas which have led to the amendment and the vicious attacks which are now going on against workers' living standards. Voting NO is saying we have a right to control our lives.'

A year ago it would have been inconceivable that the amendment could have been defeated. But in the last couple of months, opinion has shifted. The argument that the Catholic church should not assume moral responsibility for the entire nation has gained ground. The debate has opened up opportunities for socialists and feminists to explain more clearly the relationship between the church and the state, and in favour of a woman's right to choose whether to have children or not.

END SHOOT

RITE Belfast protest against RUC 'shoot to kill' campaign

Campaign of

passive

resistance

AT THE funeral for Thomas 'Kidso' Reilly, the latest victim of the army's 'shoot to kill' policy, Gerry Adams MP called for a new campaign of popular resistance to the army and RÜC which can augment the armed struggle.

In a speech to the 1500 mourners, Adams spelt out the tactics of the nationalist struggle. described the armed struggle of the IRA, and dealt briefly with the sporadic rioting that has affected nationalist areas throughout August.

He said that much of the rioting had been provoked by the army and, as much as he respected the spirit of resistance of young people involved, felt that things should be better organised. Stones or even petrol bombs', he said 'cannot penetrate armoured cars'.

The third kind of resistance which should now be promoted is one which every single person can be involved in. Although the details of such a campaign are yet to be spelt out, more than in a refusal to cooperate with the army of RUC, it is obvious this is the leading the nationalist movement.

The resumption of womens' patrols and street organisation can create a continual obstacle to the military occupation. A campaign to smash the Assembly which focuses on immediate goals such as ending the 'shoot to kill' policy and combatting the informers, could rekindle the County resistance that H-block/Armagh struggle.

It would also provide the best ammunition to break up the so-called All Ireland Forum, behind which the SDLP and bosses' parties of the South cooperate with British imperialism.

Socialist Action 2 September 1983

September, ILL

Photo: Mark Rusher

He direction that Sinn Fein should be

flame of 32 grew around

IT'S high time the left-wing of CND went on the offensive against the backtracking leaders of the Campaign. What have we seen Bruce Kent and Joan Ruddock do since the general election? Act on the policy decisions of mobilise labour movement support demands of no cruise, no Trident, no Pershing, no bases and no weapons in Britain, building on the anti-Trident and anti-cruise vote and developing the case for unilateralism?

You must joking Top priority for Bruce anc Joan has become the suppression of the militant sections playing the importance of mass action, from the labour movement

ILS demands so that the focus unilateralism and towards shifted awa tron

'nuclear freeze' priority for campaigning.

By Valerie Coultas

Let's just look for moment at the question of the influence of socialists within the Campaign as a whole. Bruce Kent in nu latest editorial in Sanity draws his balance sheet of the general election saying that 'We have to avoid tac

MOTE alienate than convince'.

Which Lactics have alienated support? The mass demonstrations over the 60,000 strong YČND Rock last three ycals the

Arthur Scargill: right to attack Reagan and Thatcher

Expelled!

For lying!

Humiliating:

last CND conference and

behind the

Against the Bomb festival in May at Brockwell Park, the activities O1 Labour CND which through pressure helped the unilateral nuclear disarmament become tor

Party! Or LIC LaDOul perhaps Bruce is talking about those 'uncontrollable' women Greenham Common who the bourgeois press are doing such a wholesome job on al lne present illic portraying them as unloving mothers, hippies, political druggies etc?

We would take strong issue with the suggestion that these mass actions did anything to damage CND's cause. Women

clue une contrary, every mass action taken and particularly ones sucr

organised

UVCI world on 24 May of this year reach out to new peo-

All out 22 October!

PIECE OF THE ACTION

Of course, I lied to gel .. doesn't everyone: But then I found i couldn't stop.. lied about ..

ple, win more supporters for CND, more supporters against the false

that we are protected is

we are protected by The bono. so ravine more of them will keep us even

Crime

So these sectins, of

ed these sections CND., They have helped build the mass alliulis What a dreadful crime! 'Seek them out, try and make them pariahs, try to

CND on a "respec. table" course, for we have to go further now and be. prepared much more basic fixations and chouons People Have been made more fearful of possible aber deter and want to defended.' (Sanity September 1983)

Argue

You can't argue for unilateralism if you bend

the argument somehow the 'British na-

dune needs be defended. 'There 1s evidence to justify the Tories' pro paganda on this point.

Rather than talking about 'alternative defence' systems the CND leaders should go on the offensive ARTHUR Scargill's comments in Moscow, biggest threats to world Reagan and Thatcher have caused uproar.

Both Tories and leaders have rushed to Scargill said nothing which he had not said a hundred times before in Britain. And as the West hurtles headlong towards the deployment of hundreds of cruise and Pershing missiles and Reagan sends his troops and ships to Central America, his comments are surely right.

Last week, Soviet president Yuri Andropov offered to scrap a substantial number of the Soviet SS-20 missiles if the West ге гЛеваН deploying the cruise and Pershings.

Whatever the particlar merits of this offer, it ex-

again the hypocrisy of the West's 'zero option offer, which in effect asks the Soviet Union to lower its defences against the West's submarine and air-

(eye operation!)

everything!

against Thatcher, pointing out that as members of the NATO alliance, with its "first strike' strategy, we are likely to start a nuclear war - a war lal no or dinary person in Britain Has any Inlerest in waging and one that is impossible Lo Will

But this of course

taking a political stance, breaking with the idea of CND as being a 'nice little pressure group? that involves 'nice concerned people' and going out ana mobilising the labour movement to stop the bomb.

Wave

HES WACK IC CND leaders have fallen down most decisively this new paign. The support of trade 101 the demands of CND has been massive but its potentia has never been tapped. ine last TUC conference was mandated to initiate European wide action • U1 Hiroshima day but 110ve implement this resolution was made. Nor have the CND leaders or TU CND been particularly dynamic pushing connection.

At the Transport and General Workers Unior Conference in the Isle of

, that the

peace were President

right wing Labour

condemn him. But launched missiles.

Time is rapidly running out for the peace move-

the West to

WIcH mobilise against the

deployment of the new

medium range missiles.

All over Europe there

tions this autumn. In West

Germany

huge mobilisations in-

cluding mass civil disobe-

dience, are expected

December. In this context,

any temptation to take off

"00..00

I And then, to my horror, I heard myself babbling (stupid lies about a minor

News

Man there was not one of-

ficial CND meeting on-

meeting, only the

Greenham Common CDs Were there to it

Case

CND', says Bruce Kent,

'are seen as all-or-nothing

eople. This must change

Vithout the slightest los

of vision or principle we

have to highlight measures

which immediately

possible and which, when

carried out, will make fur-

ther steps possible. Vision

This s is the anti-cruise not the

proach

spirit that swept across

Britain a year ago. It is not

break viar the nuclear

break nuclear

spiral that unilateralism

calls for It is the admit-

tance of defeat and its ra-

tionalisation by a weary

priest.

The rank and file of

CND must organise

against this mealy mouth

view by building October

22nd as a labour move-

ment event. Leaders

should be accountable in

every movemenl The

witch hunting must stop

and the case against the

bomb must be made more

forcerully with this

government in power.

Where

will you be

Oct 22?

the pressure and start

speculating about

decades-long strategy

surely inappropriate

The of the

CND National Council to

call for a mass demonstra-

tion to coincide with

other throughout Europe

could show the depth of

Britain against

the missiles.

The general election

result was NOT a mandate

cruise and Trident.

Throughout the labour

and peace movements the

show of sent or be

show of strength for

peace movement on 22 Oc-

tober. The Tories and all

opponents waring to show that CND of CND

is dead. A mass turnout in

October must be our reply.

00 00 RMAC /If I cannot cure myself of this obnoxious habit, i'll be fit for nothing but issuin press statements for tf British army in J Ureland...

Page 5 scan of this page

Press profits from sexual attacks

News

TUC Conference:

Tories anti-union legislation.

The train drivers union, ASLEF, ,has called for 'total opposition to the proposea legislation', while the Civil and Public • Services. Association calls for: 'reasoned discussion' with the government.

AUEW-TASS calls for no talks with the government, but an amendment from the shop workers union USDA W asks the TUC to Colvey their reasoned opposition' Tebbit's proposals and to persuade the government to table no further legislation.

The issue is not simply about anti-union legislation. At the heart of the matter is whether the TUC will lead any serious opposition to the Tories anti-working class laws.

The •ItIl wing have decided that appeasement is the best aboroach auu Len Murray has been busy for sume tl pranng

'THERE HAS never

been a crime like this

before. Gang rapes of

girls and women,

perhaps, but nothing

as brutal' - Detective

Inspector Peter

Whitehouse:

This comment is

from one of the police

officers leading the

hunt for the three men

who raped a six-year

old boy in Brighton

iwo weeks ago.

By Hilary Driver

The attack has, right-

ly, horrified everybody.

But Tie way that the

'popular' papers have

sensationalised and ex-

ploited the case has been

outrageous. Rape and

sexual attacks on young

girls or women occur dai-

By with barely a comment

trom these moral

crusaders.

Without excention.

the Sun, Mirror, Express

and Daily Mail

Slave

poured scorn and

ridicule on the recently

No talks

with the

Chingford

skinhead

THIS SEPTEMBER'S TUC Conference will see a determined effort by the right wing, led by Len Murray, to whip the trade unions into line behind Thatcher. At the centre of the battle will be the question of talks with Norman 'boot-boy' Tebbit on the

the ground.

Last week he emerged from talks with Tebbit on the Youth ilalllle Scheme allowance, and on pavment or wages by chetalks had arin construc- declaring that tive and quite fruitful .

Since Tebbit did not change the allowance, and payment by cheque reenaules a lory objective. the "fruitfullness' of the discussions is ditticult to see.

This week he went even further. In an interview with the Guardian he declared that he did not consider full employment 'desirable necessary.

He went on to explain that une ADOlT movement should have a Terel ales creauve ol employment'. Mr Murray

sure that we learned to live with a societv that will Dro bably have a 5-6 million

Sun

Sem verdicuen chili sox gore

YOU

SCUM!

published TUC guidelines on sexual harassment at work.

Sexual harassment and attack, as the media sees it, is understandable women (however target.

After all, it's only haman tEle. vhile rape and assault on women provoke a bit indignation, there's always an implicit accep-

unemployed in the next Icw ycals

Noticeably absent from platfom of the

Liic right has been the matter

the political levy. The ruling class has made clear its intentions to break the Labour Party and replace it with the Alliance as the main opposition to the Tories. Alliance

The trade union right wing is more concerned to negotiate with all comers ana to prepare the ground for future deals with the Alliance than to fight the Tory attacks.

The stakes in the battle which w1l this TUC are very high indeed for the working class. Opposition unemployIcll. defence of trade union organisation, and the links between the Labour Party and organised labour are now under threat.

The Tories have no intention TeLICalle OI. any of their main objectives. LCNCE within days of Murray's 'fruitful'

Sựn

women are

'asking for it'.

media have also

expended a lot of energy over the years to firmly

link in most people's

minds gays Cisll

molestors many les-

bians as well as cay me

have been witch hunted

out of their jobs if they

with YOULE

children at schools or

nurseries.

Len Murray — leading TUC even further right

talks with Tebbit, made it

clear that there would be a

further round

union legislation when the

current proposals Were

passed.

:Unemployment Col

tinues to rise and the final

assaul ol lilc laliullauscu

industries and the welfare

state nave vet to come

In this situation the

policy being pursued by

Murray and friends

nothing short of treason.

They hope that by not op-

GAYS IN

FEAR

They dread revenge

after attack on boy

Gays are systematically attacked and discriminated against for being 'perverts' and 'abnormal' The fact that most sexual attacks are committed br heteroses. H e! Hs Dr noticed - it's aol news Meanwhile bact Fleet Street. jabilation bordering on hysteria was sparked off by the publication of a repon

posing the Tory attacks they can get a deal which will preserve the privileges of the bureaucracy.

In the meantime, the O OTI NID na oICTAn those now .in work, can devote their energies 'creative non-employment'

These policies must be opposed by the left with all

SUCICI CON -mand. And that fight must go on long after the TUC Conference. on the Paedophile Information Exchange. Worse than the 'moles' at Cowley, than

WUIst

YOU SCUM! PIE ha. paedophile: were become the scapegoat for the grotesque double standards of our society towards sexuality.

Exploitation

In the same issue of the Sun that led with YOU SCUM!, page three gave us a preview of bride-to-be Karen the day before her wedding, with little on except her head-dress.

Sexual scandal and the exploitation of women are the life-blood of the media. If the story or picture sells the paper. the profits are the onl! consoeraton

l'acorering ibe idez. uit of Brete

-orshug

Socialist Action 2 September 1983 London Transport — latest for Tory cuts

TORY MANIA for job cuts and privatisation is to be extended to London Transport. Latest government proposals plan to take away the service from the GLC and give it to a government appointed committee whose job would be to run the buses and underground as much like a business as possible.

The new setup • called London Region Transport will be split into subsidiaries and subsidiaries of subsidiaries.

These will have to compete with private tenders if they are profitable and, where possibie, solu onl

It will be made easier for private firms to run their own buses on profitable routes. Safety standards inevitably

Written by

Peter Ramage,

Dave Benlow, Wandsworth NUPE

Workers Unions

Service Action

and Strategies; The Wandsworth Story

loss of street cleaning and the threat to the

*workshops, and the strike over refuse; Future

Threats; plus all the details of the campaigns.

Price £1.40 in bookshops

Special Trade Union and Community Rates

y0p tor 1-4 copies

85p for 5-9 copies

80p for 10-29 copies

77p for 30 plus

Name

Organisation

A deresr

_inair

Mystery tour

decline with job cuts, and pensiouels • wil no longel have the right to free or cheap travel. response these proposals has so far been weak. It seems that even when the will is there. union caue sulu lave forgotten how to mobilise thet own members But the basis exists for a popular political paign to rescue London Transport, mvlvlng travelling public, the GLC and the transport unions Most Londoners Wall to keep the GLC, OONINsOl, kec acrosoan, kep tra spep accountable and jobs. The unions will be decisive in either making use of those sentiments or letting London Transport go down a very slipper sloDe. At the moment the prospects are not good.

Public Jobs for

Private Profit

Fighting contractors in

Wandsworth Dave Simmonds, Branch Chairperson, Wandsworth NALGO Branch Secretary, Wandsworth NALGO Branch Secretary,

Mike French, Convenor, Wandsworth Council Manual Dexter Whitfield, SCAT and Public

Contents include The Tory Offensive; Lessons

- the Order this new book

now!

Please send me ... Public Jobs for Private Profn

. " ". ,pr

-=::=Pascaions

Page 6 scan of this page

Political freedom and socialist democracy

SUBVERSIVES' "moles burowing away at the very founda ons of our democratic system'

and 'vote riggers. re just a few of the lies and landers hurled by the media at re "Cowley Moles' and socialists

ho support Socialist Action. All re hoary old chestnuts een dragged out. 'The elieve that the ends justify the

eans' and 'moles emocracy' are two of the most popular ones.

The Sun which lied through its teeth about the interview it never ot with the wife of the Falklands IC, got in a real lather about a soup of young people who didn't ant to fit that rag's image of be and decided to lie to get a job. social security

Knowing full well the opinions o the Leyland management these eople decided not to tell them that they were socialists and that

bey had academic backgrounds. so like millions of other they made up their references

This initiative, which is constantly harangued bout the need for people to get ff their arse to show some enterMARXISTS do not favour a one-

arty system under socialism, nor

• they believe such a system is a

e-condition for socialism. We are of the opinion at the banning of political parties and the refusal to allow tendencies

nd factions inside the parties of the working class is harmful to the ask of building a socialist society. The theory advanced stalinists that only one represents one class's interests and that therefore the working class onLy needs a single party to represent its interests, is nothing more than a jastification for the bareaucracy in the Soviet Union and other bureaucratised workers States.

Never in history has one party solely represented one class. In the capitalist countries different capitalist present different interests and put forward different capitalism. in inese countries

porkers parties are invariably divided isto reformist, centrist and revolusonary parties.

This IS the case capitalism. It will be the case when workers states are established in the capitalist countries, and will continue so be the case in the process of constracting a socialist society.

It is a precondition of building a bealthy workers state - the first step on the road to socialism, after the overthrow of the capitalist state freedom exists for parties, tions, and tendencies within these par-

elt to form autonomous movements. , and that oppressed groups have the

If these freedoms do not exist then it is impossible to have freely elected and

By Bob

These

have

reds

threaten

Fleet Street.

to convince

scroungers

establishment.

sensationalising

people

society

democratically

right to elect whoever they want. acheiving

times.

by the

party

There must be

believe are important. rule of. the Access

parties

them. the Neither will all

obligingly under of *ideologically

majority of

whose evaporated overnight.

that

and fac-

mass opinion to their side.

Socialist Action 2 September 1983

the

Pennington

prise, did not find much sympathy

Perhaps Fleet Street thinks it's OK for Thatcher to lie to win an election but that it's not quite right for socialists to do that to get a job and to work in a place where they might be able

their workmates about the correctness of socialist ideas. But you have to be naive to

defenders think that Britain's unfree press is ever going to be on the side of

around those who want to challenge the

The press makes its money by

trivia, by insulting women with its sexism, by pandering to racism, and in many cases by actively encouraging it. Because it is owned and controll- Even ed by the ruling class it lies about strikes, villifies lefts and militant

controlled workers

councils. Democracy in a workers state

can ony be real if the people have the

In the workers councils the elected delegates must at all times be accoun-

table to those who elected them, which

means they must be subject to periodic re-election and be liable to re-call at all such

There must be no restrictions in the workers councils on the rights of the

delegates to enter into alliances with

other delegates, to form groups and to

start a new party if the need is there.

freedom for the

delegates to pursue policies which they

Equally, they must have access to the media so that the people are made aware of their views and can decide for themselves whether or not to support

these parties be and revolutionary. It is crazy to believe that the day after the revolution, society will

divide into two ideological There will not be a small band unsound' collie!

revolutionaries confronted by a great

committed revoluntionaries who have discarded all their bourgeois and reformist notions and

and

It will be necessary for oppressed

people like women, blacks, gays, youth

etc to maintain, and if need be, to form

new autonomous movements with ac-

cess lo ine media so that they can influence the workers councils and win

Even after a socialist revolution, reformist ideas will not immediately

trade unionists, and reveres the Tory Party, the Stock Exchange,

Bank of England and that family that lives at the end of the Mall and scrounges off the public.

the reactions should really come as no surprise.

Nor should the silence from Britain's other defenders of democracy who have failed to speak out against the witch hunt of 13 young people who dared to lie to get a job. Shirley Williams who left the Labour Party because of its alleged 'lack of democracy' stays silent about the 13 people who found that British Leyland management did not respect lemocratic right to have a job callaghan and Mr Wilson, long-tim

of Britain's 'democratic traditions' just do not seem to get

speaking out about the TO right of socialists to have a job perhaps their version of democracy does not include the rights of left wing socialists.

In contrast to the outspoken stand of Eric Heffer, neither Neil Kinnock nor Roy Hattersley have had anything to say against the Cowley witch hunt.

Michael Meacher has stayed silent. The silence of Len Murray and the main body of the TUC was unfordisappear. In Britain where there has been a long tradition of reformism it is inevitable that the ideas of reformism will continue to express themselves for a long period after the setting up of a workers state.

But there cannot be any restriction on the rights of people to put forward

concepts. Any restriction political parties leads to the restriction of workers democracy and ultimately it will strike at the heart of the Marxist party itself.

If power in a workers state is not to rest solely in the hands of cliques and groups, mass participation is needed. But it is not possible for millions of people to take control over their own destiny unless they have access to all the information and they freedom to organise. The latter implies the right to collaborate with people holding similar ideas which means forming either tendencies or parties.

If this is not a basic right then the needs and opinions of the great majority of people are atomised and consequenty tney cannot innuence events

decisions. Furthermore knowledge skills, experience creativity of the people will not be harnessed in a constructive way and there is no possible way that socialism can be built without this happening. The alternative to this is to leave planning and decision making to a group of blinkered bureaucrats.

If the great mass of the people are not allowed to organise freely for their needs and opinions then they will not see any point in political activity so they will leave the political institutions in the hands of unaccountable leaders.

Democracy and mass participation are not therefore some optional luxuries but are the only routes along the path to socialism. The workers councils themselves will not be simply based on

tunately so predictable. Anything thai does not fit in with the plans of these timid and bankrupt leaders for class collaboration with the bosses is to be abhorred. So how could they defend socialists who might have had different ideas about the management and the union bureaucracy? Reactions Ms

The reactions of the left and the right against the witch hunt raise all the questions about class They show that those in the labour their movement who refuse to oppose the witch hunt, are morally and politicaly bankrupt. the exploiters. Only movement stands for democracy and for a higher form of morality than that of capitalism. This is why Socialist ACtion is publishing these articles on Socialist Democracy and Do the ends justify and means.

They show the superiority of the socialist method and that it is only the road of democratic revolutionary socialism that can lead the working class towards a where oppression is ended. the workplace. If the vast majority of the people are to participate directly in the administration of what are now the functions of an elite then this means them extending well beyond the 'point of production:

The councils of self-organisation have to be based on all the areas of economic and social life such as the factories, hospitals, schools, neighbourhoods etc. This is of vital importance because it is the only way in which the most oppressed and poorest such as SHENUICN one-parent families and shops etc can be joined with the powerful sections of the working class to create a new society.

It is also needed to build an alliance have with the lower ranks bourgeoisie who have to be won to the

of socialism socialism is to build a free and classless society. It has to be a society which is free of exploitation and oppression.

Build the and The means of production will be owned in common and no one will be able to exploit the labour of another person. People will be free to develop all their creative talents and will freely exercise and choose their own sexuality. Society will be cleansed of the cancer of racism. The young and the old will be treated as equals. Sexism which is a sore on the body of eradicated.

But the setting up of a workers state does not mean that these objectives will inevitably be acheived. They will only come about as part of a mass campaign waged in the workers councils and in all spheres of society and that must be inspired by tions of the oppressed in alliance with

morality.

Their values are those of

the socialist demonstrate

and its allies new and equal society

offices and

blacks, workers. in

of the petty

The purpose of leading

ULi

society will

Solidarnosc

organisacountries.

Rosa Luxembourg and Leon Trotsky: bo

SIGAUST

DEMOCRACY

The pamphlet on Socialist

Democracy available from

The Other Bookshop

the advanced workers parties.

Therefore without democracy there can be no socialism. This is why all the

marxist thinkers like Marx himself, Engels, Lenin and Trotsky ad.

democracy. It is why they counterposed the broad-based workers state resting

and self-activity against the class dominated and exclusively based bourgeois state.

Socialists have nothing to fear from democracy because without it their ideals can never be realised. This is why they are on the side of

in Poland and the working class and the oppressed in all the capitalist and neo-colonialist

Page 7 scan of this page

THOSE PEOPLE who find it their moral duty to defend the decencies of capitalist democracy against the immoralism and anti-democratic practices of Marxist socialists inevitably accuse us of saying that the ends justify the means. As this accusation is made by people whose acquaintance with Marxism often limited to the interpretations made by 'liberal' professors there are, to say the least, some problems about the means they use to acheive their ends. But not to worry. In the crusade against red anything will do, and niceties like the truth cannot be allowed to get in the way.

Marxists santane justified by the means only if both are compatible. Marxists alc removal of capitalist society and its replacemen by a workers state. but we know that this can not be done without a mass social upheaval.

Such a social upheaval will only take place in Britain when millions of people are convinced that things can no longer continue in the old way and that they must do something about changung Ine siluanon

The capitalist class disposal professional judiciary, a police force, service. It is also served by a media that is overwhelmingly pro-capitalist and in the ranks of the trade Labour Party leaderships it has many compliant and Subscryci persons.

h argued that for socialists the ends and means must be compatible

some

tion on the agenda.

titude to the means and the ends.

leaders by disguising their aims. moles'

dancies.

could oppose strikes

ends are

Duffy and Chapple

for the

ple.

Lead

fluence inside the unions. nas at its

army, and the civil their ideas would

credibility because -positions of union and

'spokes- positions

This mighty array of forces will only be overthrown when millions of people are prepared to take action to end the rule of capitalism. It is not possible for

well-drilled squad of Marxist revolutionaries to stage a coup LU acheive that end. Only when the ideas

. coincide WIll masses of people, is the socialist revolu-

This recognition determines our at-

For example, Marxists who work on the shop floor could become workers'

They could cover up the fact that we favour workers control and that we want factories nationalised that threaten redun-

to become popular more right-wing union officials they

and encourage their workmates to vote for people like

- if they get the chance at all to cast a vote for Mr Chap-

This might lead in a period when right-wing reformist ideas were dominant to Marxists getting positions of in-

Then when there is a shift to the left they could reveal their true colours. Presumably streets

then nave 111C they spoke from leadership. But means would not acheive their ends.

Because they had got their leading

their workmates to support both right-wing

policies and leaders they would have helped to educate the workforce and the unions' members into the acceptance of rightist ideas. The means they had used would have strengthened the very ends they were against. Decided

Marxists should not take full-time jobs as union organisers that are not decided by a vote of the union members and which are not subject to periodic re-election. Any influence that Marxists might have would be negated by the damage that they had done to union democracy. Their presence as a fulltime non-elected union organiser would

the of bureaucracy against control unions by the rank and file members. Also because their position is dependent on the bureaucracy, and not on the membersnips voic, to act on behalf of the members would be restricted. The means used to get such a position invariably leads to unsatisfactory ends as far as the class struggle is concerned. Ends and means are never separable. The means used determine the ends.

In Germany whilst the Nazi movement was growing and taking to the

against socialists and munists the leaders of German Social Democracy counselled their members against violence telling them to rely on the Weimar Republic and its forces of law and order. When the Nazis took the power and banned the workers' parties those German Socialist Party members

who did argue went unheeded. for 23 hours and 59 minutes of the day that the bourgeois state will preserve democracy, then at midnight ask them to take to the streets arms in hand. Such cowardly reformist means can only lead to such bloody ends.

Marxists only think that the means justify the ends when the means and the ends lead to the emancipation of the working class and and liberation of all those that capitalist society treats as second class citizens.

Manipulation is alien to the traditions of the marxist movement. It can 110c serve ine revolution obstacie on freedom. Lies and deception are the stock in trade because their rule is based on the interests of a minority.

Means

The ruling class will use any means to justify their rule. the myths that working people are incapable of They spread the slander that black people are inferior. It is them and their paid scribes of the Sun and the other papers that portray women as obiects will use any means to serve their real objective that capitalist rule is permanent and desirable tame, well-paid academics and writers like Paul Johnson, Asa Briggs, Bernard Levin and deserters struggle like Roger Rosewell who can write equally

TiGOD Solidarnosc fights for political freedom against the Stalinist bureaucracy in Poland and would have been supported by Lenin

for armed resistance

•You can't tell people

masters.

Alien

lead to the

ends of working class

it can only act as an

Broad to proletarian

of the ruling class the

lungs as lncy are

They perpetuate

running their own lives. want

Able ends.

They have their

from the class MacDonald and

Socialist Action 2 September 1983

well for both sides of the case - but write best for who signs their pay che ques. All are wedded to a principle which says any means will do, as long as it servés the ends of their bourgeois

Such methods are alien to marxists. We can only build a movement that is capable of overthrowing capitalism if it tells the working class the truth. Our means can have no meaning unless they lead to working people taking their own lives and destinies into their own hands.

The ends advocated by revolutionary marxists flow out of the need for the working class and the oppressed to assert their independence and to build

society that history has ever seen. The bourgeoisie and its servants accept the idea that any means, no matter how dirty or unscrupulous, serves the ends of maintaining

Our interests - which are the in terests of the overwhelming majority of people — calls for a change. We want freedom from the threat of war. We

freedom from poverty and misery. We want the right of everyone to be free of oppression. Only the most democratic means can acheive these no-

The dirty tricks, the connivance, the subterfuge, and the lying means which are used to cover up their exploitative ends, we leave to the bourgeoisie and their witch hunters. Our means will never contradict our ends because the working class has nothing to lose by knowing the truth.

Page 8 scan of this page

PICKET

LINE

Britains

toy strike

THREE HUNDRED

striking workers at Bri-

tains roys continue tner

five week picket in de-

and a picket hospitalised

by a scab driver s car.

They are demanding

a reduction in their fifty

DIARY

‹These listings are free for all major lavour movement ana

Semiadvertisements cost ≥p per wora ana must be para

advance. Send to: Diary, Socialist Action, 328 Upper sireet, Lonaon NI 2XP to arrive later than Thursday, one week prior to publication). • Lesbians in the Labour Party We exist! And it's about time the Labour Party campaigned on our issues Do! National meeting for Labour Party lesbians. Sun 4 Sept. 1 pm County Hall, South Bank, London. Nr Waterloo. Creche available. • Palestinian Solidarity and

Labour Committee on Palestine fringe meeting at …oc contercice will speakers, film, literature and discussions on building

unions and Labour Party.

Monday 5 September, 6pm, • Forest Peace Festival 1983 a maior folk and iazz festival Sat 10 Sept, noon to *pm, Friends Meeting House. Bush Road.

Leytonstone, London Ell. £1/50p unwaged/children free. Organised by Waltham Forest CND. • No Intervention in Central America (NICA) -a broad based coalition of sondanily groups, numal

I would like to become a Socialist Action supporter. • Please send me my supporters bulletin • Please put me in touch • I enclose a standing order/donation of £

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Signature When completed and signed please return to: The Business Manager, Street, London N1 2XP.

Please do not send the Bankers Order direct to you bank. Thank you.

Socialist Action 2 September 1983 hour week, with no loss of pay.

One of the strikers, Z Iqbal gave greetings

from the strike to an East

meeting fend the 13 victimised

Cowley 'My

sympathies go to the 13

Cowley Man-

WULKCIS. agements everywhere use intimidation...

•Management are

worried because they are running short of supplies

rights orgs, aid agencies and political parties. NICA have organisco a call v outside the US Embassy, Grosvenor Sq, 9-7.30. until seviemoel • No more Chiles - Hands

National demonstration 11 Sept assembles 12.30pm Clerkenwell Grn, London ECI na onDour Campaign for Gay Rights next monthly meeting 11 Sept, 6pm, Marchmont

Maremony St, Cl. For

Marchmont St, details contact Mike Haran 659 2938 or Chris Beer 785 9515. National LCGR can be contacted via Chris Richardson, 21 Devonshire rromenaue. Ivolunenam

• Glasgow Polish Solidarity Cttee Conference 17/18 September. For details contact Gordon Morgan, 59 vul walu avc. ulaszow 041-649 8958

or Pia

• Leggin' it for peace East London Youth CND March, 17/18 September from Kelvedon Hatch Civil

Date 19 Please pay to the credit of Socialist Action, Acc. No. 70372315 at Co-Op Bank, 08-90-33, 1 Islington High

(date of first payment) and thereafter monthly on the same Socialist Action, 328 Upper

de.

which have been cut off by solidarity action at the LOCKS. We will stay firm in our strike and will not be bullied by our firm •

On 26 August strikers picketed Hamleys, of the world's biggest toy shops in London, urging customers and buyers to Docoll goods from the firm.

Britain's workers outside Hamley's toy store

Defence HQ to London Fields, Hackney. For details contact East London YCND,

St, London E8. • Gay Young Socialists next London meeting 18 Sept, bpm. at Gay's the Word Discussion on the Police Bill with speaker from Gay London Police Monitoring Group. Future meetings on 'Gays and Central America' and showing of South LonGon "Yv video 'Revenge of the teenage

. Further into from Martin Goodsell, 13 Buxton Rd, N19, 263 9484. • Ireland and the Labour Party Conference Labour Campaign on Ireland public meeting, 19 Sept, 7.30pm, Venture Community Centre. Warnington Road, London W10 (Ladbroke Grove tube). Speakers: Tony Benn (Kensington), Sheila Healey (Brent). Clir Pat Smyth (Kensington), Cllr Tony Powell (Fulham) — conterence celerates Opera House, Upper Foyer, Blackpool • Lambeth Labour Campaign for Gay Rights onen meenie ou Gavs & Lambeth Council 23 Sept, 8pm, Lambeth Town Hall. • Against Racism and Racist Attacks! Nationa march called by Newham 8 Defence Citee and supported ov Nanona CanDalcl Against the Police Bill. Sat

24 Sept, 1pm, Plashet Park, East Ham. London E6. • Swansea YCND Festival 24 Sent. St Philip:

Community Centre, 1-6pm. Stalls, videos, music, food and workshops. Admission 30p, all welcome. Further info from Gareth Harding, ver anaka , Mumbies, Swansea, , tel. 68660. • CND National Demonstration London, 22 Oct. Details: 01-272 8896.

• National Abortion Campaign conference is on Oct 1-2nd. For details please contact NAC at 374 Grays Inn Road. London WCl. Tel. 01-278 0153.

• The Politics of Health in ramnanwe Hour long vioeo available for meetings or functions. €10 (payable in advance). send to books tor

South Africa Fund, PO Box

• Sri Lankan Research & Information Group will

Join the

fight for

socialism

• Donations and messages of support:

Britain shop stewards'

205 Fore Street, London N18. Miners action THE REJECTION of strike against current situation there for meetings. Write to 9 Grays Inn Buildings, London ECI. • Oxford Claimants Defence Committee One day conterence on at soeo 1983. Discussion of 'operation Major' Sept '82. Fee only f1.50, unwaged pay less. Information and registration papers contact CDC, 44b Princes Street, Oxford.

AMERICAN

CULTURE

RESISTS

Chile Democratico, El salvador salt

EL SALVADOR

FILMS SANTINO NOT SANDINO

Name ....

Address ..

Union/CLP (if any)

If you want more information about Socialist Action or to be put in touch with local supporters send this form to Socialist Action, 28 Upper Street. London N1.

closure of the Cardowan pit on Scotland is a setback for the miners' union.

But a rash of pit batshows miners refuse to bow down to board drives change manning levels, bonuses and productivity.

In the first six months of this year there were 179 stoppages at pits and last year 185,000 miners were involved in 403 such disputes.

Since the summer shut-down three pits stopped work over management attempts to boost productivity by redeploying men underground.

At three, Bet-

• History Workshop 17 Manchester 1983 Industrialisation and atter Manchester Polytechnic, Saints, Manchester 15.11-13 November. Registration and enquiries to: History Workshop 17, 47 Albany Road, Manchester 21. Full fee f7, Students and low wage f3.50, unemployed and OAPs tree. Cheques pavable to 'History Workshop 17'.

Artists include Los Awatinas from Bolivia Yolocamaba-ita from El Salvador

Mayapi, Pueblo; Adrian Mitchel

food, chadress British film Premiere: 'Fuera de Aqui, introduced by the director, Jorg Sanjinez ('Blood of the Condo

September 10th Festival For Chile, El Salvador, and Nicaragua

perial College Student Unic Prince Consort Road London ov

Page 9 scan of this page

Chile 73-Ruling class

International

THE GOVERNMENT

Salvador Allende in Chile was go-

ing to be the living proof that

classical Leninism was outdated

and unnecessary.

was going to demonstrate that the

working class and the peasantry

in alliance with 'the progressive

bourgeoisie' could march along

the 'peaceful road to socialism'.

Unfortunately the

refused to the play the part allocated

them in the script written by the

Socialist and Communist

leaders. The capitalist class

and stubbornly decided that their own

class interests came first.

Instead of collaborating in the

'anti-imperialist and

alliance'. it mobilised its forces to

the Popular Unity government and

the militants who supported it.

lost lives and tortured bodies of the

Chilean working class are a grisly

restimony to the fact that the class war

can't be solved by collaboration and

compromise.

this articie on tne events in

Chile, ESTEBAN,

Chilean section of the Fourth Interna-

tional, shows how the Popular Unity

Front government's policies of con-

taining the class struggle and insisting

that workers and

moderate their demands so as not to

provoke the bourgeoisie

overthrow.

Chile lesso for

workers movement and it is a lesson

that must not be forgotten.

POPULAR UNITY'S policy of

expanding the economy

redistributing income in favour of

the poor had, by the end of 1971,

run down industrial and commer-

cial stocks and the capitalists had

made large profits. These profits

were swollen by the government's

policy of tax

generous credit terms and other

incentives that aimed to win the

bourgeoisie the

oligarchic and

alliance'.

The capitalists did not reinvest

their huge profits back into

economy but began to hoard goods

and to speculate on the black market. Zealous

The Christian Democrats' tactics of a war of attrition against the government were the best suited to undermine Popular Unity. These tactics were based on three basic tenets.

Firstly, that the Christian Democ rat party would present itself as a party of social change but at the same time it would be the zealous guardian of democracy against the 'totalitarian' attacks of Popular Unity. ed them to maintain a large popular base mainly made up of sections of the urban petty bourgeois, workers and particularly among the peasants. The latter would have defected to the left if Christian Democracy had simply been a rightist force which was indistinguishable

from the Party.

Secondly, a policy of 'civil disobedience' based on mass mobilisations against the govermmenl.lus was designed to shift the balance of forces in favour of the bourgeoisie for this purpose the ideological and political cowardice of the Unity leaders.

Finally, they used 'constitutional guerilla warfare' against the government, employing tactics like making anti-government parliamentary bloes

delay Popular Unity legislation. They also used the institutions of the state such as the judiciary Contraloria which together with the Supreme Court was empowered to see that Presidential decisions did not Contravene te consutution.

These tactics all had the ultimate goal of preparing the conditions for a final showdown with the class. Thus the Christian Democrats were the axis of the ruling class opposition to the government.

Popular Unity

bourgeoisie

Party wilfully The a member of the

peasanis

led to

all the

and

This strategy concessions, alliance at all levels,

'antiFreedom. anti-imperialist

the country during

pots'.

WaSO keep (nis

against SUCI

This allow-

corulg Jules.

Inflation

National In March Democrat MPs

- using could only Popular by introducing a special bill. The

of previous

Unity was therefore

industrial and financial

and the Chile's 35,000 industrial units.

11911 Democrat's

where it lay 1973 when the bourgeoisie

working again. No move to oppose

came from the government.

demanded an especially in parliament with the National Party, rent throuch to ioint street actions

with the fascists of Fatherland and

The first step in constitutional warfare against the government was the impeachment of Jose Toha, the Minister of the Interior. The joint opposition accused him of being in-

capable of keeping the peace in the

bourgeolsit inspired demonstration of the 'empty

The response of Popular Unity

issue confined to parliament — a response which was to become a norm whenever they were under attack from the right. It made no appeal to its popular base to take extra-parliamentary action to defend

the capitalists' opposition resorted more and more to such methods in order to obstruct the working of the cabinet, the reformists recoiled in horror from

alu ministers, thus playing the game ac-

the bourgeoisie's

1972 the Christian introduced the Hamilton/Fuentealba Bill. This took away the right of the government to intervene in any enterprise or to expropriate and nationalise such enterprises. From then on the government

out expropriations

Hamilton/Fuentealba Bill even stripped away the legal validity

government expropriations. The political project of Popular

paralysed. At that time less than 300 commercial,

enterprises had been taken over out of a total of

The Bill was clear evidence of the Chris-

reactionary aims.

But the government swept the whole affair under the parliamentary carpet that the

August used this Bill

By the middle of 1972 scarcity was getting worse. Inflation was moun-

takes to the streets

Industrial production declining and the black market was booming. The Popular Unity met at Lo Curro to try and find a way out of the impasse.

Grotesque

Two different approaches emerged at the meeting. The first, expounded by Orlando Millas on behalf of the Communist Party and the right wing, proposed consolidation of what had been done. proposition that interventions and na-

government should be restricted to the 91 enterPopular Unity manifesto. Also that

IU workers' control in the private sector — in fact such measures should be ac-

so as not to scare off the middle classes and the

forces regulate the operation of the economy so that these peoplé would be guaranteed 'an adequate and rational margin of profit': According to Millas 'control over the enterprises,

Policy. He called for a 'battle of production' and insisted on the need to inapose efficiency criteria on the functioning of national production. Of course Millas failed to explain that Russia's NEP was in a workers' state, whereas his NEP was in a capitalist state. His analogy was

Economics, had an alternative to the Chilean NEP. He wanted to increase the size and influence of the state sector and to make it the dominant sector. This, he insisted, would ensure

would have real power. Vuskovic said it would not only lead to an advance toward socialism but it was the best way to defend the gains already made.

He argued for workers' control to ensure the best means of distributing

ine goods and to make sure the

capitalists invested their profits in the

production of goods that were need-

ed. Finally, he was for the suspension of payment of the foreign debt as a

way of contronting the threat of im.

The Popular Unity leaders said that

Millas' proposals were better suited to their strategy of working within the

legal framework and gave a basis for a

those in the Socialist Party, talks between Popular Unity and the Christian Democrats started up again for the

OLIC

Whilst the government was consolidating the working class was on Cerrillos-Maipu, an industrial area of Santiago, were the first to resist the attempts of Popular Unity to put a Struggle

When these workers, taken over many factories in their district, were told that they were to be nanded back to their former owner they set up barricades on all the roads leading to Cerrillos-Maipu and occupied the premises of the Labour Ministry as well as marching to other workers' districts asking for solidarity.

It was out of this struggle that the first cordone industrial was born. The cordone was the embryo of workers power — a soviet-type organisation _ it gave organisational form to the situation of dual power that had been VUCLICU up with the Popular Unity. The cordones put forward a programme of struggle which combined economic demands. gave government as long ment in turn supported the struggle of the workers and their mobilisations.

generalising control through the called for automatic wage increases to keep up with

Socialist Action Strike

1972. shopkeepers, were were not Millas' were adopted. Unity.

cabinet members In July 1972 they

capitalist of the leauersmos or lne

who had

Two

the legal rules.

The

As a result

election of Popular

and political support the could to

as the govern-

workers'

inflation. It also

2 September 1983 9

demanded the replacement

bourgeois parliament with a popular

Very prominent in the leadership

of the cordones were the left wing

Communist Party, the Socialist Party

right wing and the union bureaucrats

bitterly opposed the cordones, saying

Popular Assembly was taking shape

in the south of the country in the in-

organisations responded to the call of

the MAPU regional branch - a split

Christian Democrats

which had joined Popular Unity - to

set up a regional Popular Assembly.

leaders and the Communist Party bit-

terly opposed the Assembly calling it

'an ultra-left masquerade'. By the se-

cond half of 1972 the bourgeoisie was

working at full speed to reorganise

They knew the chips were down for

real and they understood that they

must unite as a class. However they

knew that their traditional forms of

political representation had become

an obstacle to them organising their

supporters around a unified strategy.

It was the bourgeoisie's "social

vanguard' who led, encouraged and acted in the mass actions during the strike of the bourgeoisie in October

There were the lorry owners, industrialists, land owners, doctors, technicians and so on wno gave enormous support to thi general strike. The strike was a national lockout. Its aim was to force either the government's capitulation or lead to its overthrow. Had it not been for the workers' resistance there is no doubt that the capitalists would have succeeded in their alms.

Nevertheless on 2 November the

the armed forces to the cabinet. These

sympathisers of Popular Iney were there to defend bourgeois legality and interests. Two trade union leaders were also made

• their task was to put a brake on the rising mass move-

Cemetery

The general lockout had failed to bring the country to a standstill. The strike had shown the

• workers tal they could run the country without the bosses and as a result the anti-

consciousness of the workers grew. Cordones industriales and other embryo forms of workers' power sprang up around the countr and rudimentary forms of workers militias began to take shape.

But the political faintheartedness

government, especially the Communist and Socialist Parties, kept allowing the ruling class to recompose its forces, even after they had been pushed back by the mass movement.

formidable social blocs prepared their forces for a life and death struggle. In that struggle the ruling class was prepared to break all

It was prepared to fight to the last gasp for its interests.

working class was less for tunate. Its leaders trusted in capitalist law and order and expected the armed forces and the police to maintain it

the peacful road led cemetery for the workers' movement.

military coup destroyed the Unity government. workers and militants in particular suffered death and torture because their leaders had done everything they

appease the bourgeoisie rather than fight them.

It is ironic that these "practical' reformists accuse us Marxists of utopianism. You only have to look at the scale of their defeat and the sufferings that defeat inflicted on the Chilean people to make your own judgement.

Page 10 scan of this page

US Out of Central America

ehind the war in Chad

in Central America.

aggression'.

This

another Chile in Central

America comes at a time

wner US imperialism

preparing military

might for direct interven-

against the revolu-

Lonary cover ments

Nicaragua and Grenada

and the popular liberation

forces of El Salvador.

July Reagan diverted warship! from

around the

Wore to le Pacific and Atlantic coasts of Nicaragua.

The naval force totals 19 ships, including two aircraft

calnels, battleships, destrodes and neates.

warplanes and 16,457 troops will be carried on board. Their task is

"practise' the blockading and intercepting of Shipping Nicaragua. 5000 US ground troops have been sent to Honduras for exercises with the Honduran army.

The Nicaraguan

2000 Honduran troops are massed along its northern border, along with supporters of the deposed Vicaraguan dictator Somoza.

Reagan calms these 'routine manoeuvres' will end within but there is evidence that they are yeover lo mass troops on i Nicaraguan border alice it alica al lurning Hor aras into a perma•FH the anGe communist terrorists densecratic lands'. world have us believe.

leader Colonel Qaddafi.

life are the empire defenders of the United States, French and British ruling class.

From the days when black Africans from Southern Chad filled the holds slave ships, through to the 1900's when French imperialism sank its roots, the econmomy, politics and lives of the Chad people have been at the mercy of these profit sharks and their puppets in the region.

The borders of Chad

of the French who carved an arbitrary domain from multitude of geographic and economic regions, from different language, cultural and ethnic groups. Coercion and repression were needed to keep this French

French rule left a trail of deprivation in a country zhich is now one of the

the WOre wice the size of France it cas only 150 miles of paved road and only 10 per sent of its 4.5 million people Tedd write.

Socialist Action 2 September 1983 ALL OUT 11 SEPTEMBER ON 11 SEPTEMBER thousands of labour and solidarity movement activists will take to the streets of London under the banner 'Stop US intervention

End Britain's support for US

nent US gallisol Central America.

These moves were backed this month with a coup in Guatemala provide the US aggressors with secure ally in that country.

The deposed Guatemalan leader, General Rios Montt, was far from liberal threat US domination in the region.

By Sian Hughes

In his 17 months reign of terror 10.000 women and children from the Indian population were slaughtered, accused of sympathising with left wing guerrillas.

But 'Montt's fanatical support for a born-again protestant sect made him nially Catholic-dominated coun try, as did his taxation and austerity measures, which arousea suspicion in the business community.

Sections of the military were upset by his promo tion of young officers who held his religious views.

On Monday 8 August Montt was removed in a coup led by defence General Mejias Victores. All evidence points to US involvement.

On the weekend before the coup, Mejia met with General® Frederick Woerner, the second command of the US M CENTRAL America to Chad, it's the same Hole world over — the spreading Soviet menace

invading free afid This is what the bosses' media

In Chad the red threat is supposed to be Libyan

But the real terrorists who topple governments, crash popular rebellions and interfere with political,

When Chad was given independence 1960, French interests remained and Ngarta Tombalbaye, a dictator friendly to French imperialism, was installed.

The Southern cotton dustry, which provides 75 per cent of Chad's export earnings is totally controlled by French companies.

By Celia Pugh

The people of Chad have not remained silent.

During Tombalbaye's rule, the Muslim people of Central and North Chad severe discrimination. Peasant uprisings met repression and hundreds were killed.

In 1966, the Chad National Liberation Front Frolinat was set up in the North to oppose French domination and to overthrow the puppet

This struggle for naself-determination got a boost in 1969 when Muammar Qaddafi came

Southern Command

Panama. He also visited

the US

aircral camer

Ranger. During the coup

itself the Us ambassy's

deputy military attache

was televised directing

operations through

walkie-talkie.

escalation

direct US involvement

snows inal imperlalism 1s

becoming more desperate

as the revoltitions in the

region become stronger

and efforts collapse

crush them through

repression and phoney

democratic reforms.

After •four years the

revolutionary

ments in Nicaragua and

Grenada have made

against

TO BE LEBANON AN to power in neighbouring Libya.

Qaddafi defied the dictates of imperialism and backed revolutionary and national liberation struggles in the region including military and financial aid to Frolinat.

These developments sent shivers up the backs of US and French rulers.

French imperialism has extensive interests the

Cameroon Ivory Coast, Gabon and the Central •African Republic guarded by Mitterrand 10,000 French troops. Extensive US interests North Africa and the Middle East are threatened by Qaddafi's defiance.

But by 1976 Frolinat split into a number of factions, including those led by the present combatants

wal Goukouni® Oueddi and Hisène Habré. Habre

profit grabbing capitalist

and Lowdes

life for workers and

ocasallls free from

degradation and oppres-

sion

Massive mobilisations

of the people in militias

nave turned back the

military assaults on this

progress. Stop

Reagan's headaches

don't stop at the revolu-

tionary movements of the

workers and peasants.

Traditional allies

Colombian anana ca

Colombia, Panama Venezuela — known as the Contadora group — have

French imperialism played on this split, using Habré as a counterweight

Goukouni's larger Frolina faction, which allied with Qaddafi. So, in 1978, •when Goukouni's forces threatened to topple the pro-French regime, the French sent 2,500 troops to restore order and convinced Habré to coalition with the then leader General Felix Malloum.

This coalition soon broke down IOl short while, Goukouni was brought into a new coali. tion as president. Then in 1980, Habré take total power, backed by the French and pro-imperialist regimes in Egypt and Sudan.

Blow

With the help of Libyan troops, Goukouni's forces defeated Habré in the civil war that followed

a blow for imperialism described by the then Secretary of State Alexander Haig as a 'grave turn of events'.

The US and French government could not let this turn of events rest for long. Under French pressure Goukouni removed the Libyan troops from Chad. This reopened the way for Habre's exiled forces to drive President

power, backed by the CIA, Egypt and Sudan.

But the Habré regime,

spoken out firmly against

the United States military

intervention.

Opposition is moun-

ting in the United States

itself.

Internationlly, there

are some isolated voices

raised to back Reagan's

OCW Vietnam. Thatcher

has stated that 'What the

Americans are trying to do

in the region... was also in

Britain's interests'.

Foreign Secretary Sir

Geoffrey Howe said 'Bri

tain absolutely endorsed

the oblectives. which the

United States were pursu-

ing in the region'

On 11 September we

have to make it loud and

clear that the working peo-

ple of Britain don't agree. the safer option for im-

perialism, under seige

again from the Libyan backed Goukouni forces who COLLOI large parts of North Chad. And again Reagan terand are not standing idly by to see imperialism's interests dented in the region.

Today there is the biggest show of US military strength in North Africa since World War II and the largest French presence Algerian var isio decades Africa since ago.

Habré

With Operation Bright Star '83, 5500 US troops

Egypt, the Sudan and neighbouring

cull US fleet is manoeuvring off the coast of Libya.

This month Reagan dispatched $25 million of military aid to the Habré

The Mitterrand government has sent an estimated

National

demonstration

Assemble 1pm,

Clerkenwell Green,

London ECI

Rally in Trafalgar

Square

NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION

September 11th

Checklist

for action

Transport has been booked

delegations with banners

workplaces, unions, Labour Parties and

approached for support

Leaflets and

Intervention in Central America (NICA), ALGERIA

LIDYA ake Chac • N'Djamena NIGERIA

CAMZAOON

(EQUATORIAL GUINEA CONGO GABON ZAIRE ATLANTIC OCEAN 3000 troops to Chad, $40 million worth of arms since last June

In May 1982 Mitterrand

11021 France would no longer play 'the gendarme tor colonialism in Africa. He is now being reminded of this at home

opponents of the French invasion of Chad.

International

PEACE •AND• FREEDOM-IN•LATIN AMERICA

STOP U.S.

INTERVENTION

. • • • WITH ONLY little over a week left before the 11 September demonstration no stone should remain unturned to bulld support. particularv from the trade union and labour movement. Check that:

• Labour movement organisations are sending

• Petitions from NICA are being circulated in

• Solidarity committees and CND's have been

available from, No 20/21 Compton Terrace, London NI. Tel 01-359 8982.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA EGYPT Faya-Largeau

Abech SUUAN GENTHAL APHIGAN REPUBLIC This mounting opposilion at home forcing Mitterrand to claim that his aim is : peace in Chad. But, with Reagan's phoney claims for peace in Central Amenca French government will doubtles. back this peace talk with more bombs, tanks and LIOS

Page 11 scan of this page

Letters

Another

witch hunt

overlooked

WHILST IT is both correct and to be expected that Socialist Action should devote its леннок то ше ситен witch hunt which has been directed against Socialist Action supporters. It is a shame that another witch hunt being conducted by the press seems to have been overlooked.

The horrible assault on a six year old in Brighton can provoke only the universal reaction of condemnation.

But unfortunatelv fit predictably) the gutter press. as the mouthpiece of the most reactionary sections of society, has chosen to highlight this crime as the vehicle for its own campaign of hate, directed against any form of sexuality which differs from the adult, heterosexual norm'.

Gay people across the country are now in fear of attack or harassment as a result or a pressinspired hysteria. When did the Sun ever carrv banner headlines about a case of 'queer-bashing'?

The target for the attack is PIE. the Paedophile Information Exchange. The issues of child sexuality and of sexual relations between adults and chilaren deserve more serious attention than the blanket condemation of paedophiles as 'scum'.

I believe Socialist Action has a duty to start explaining what revolutionary socialists think about these questions.

Do we or do we not believe that 'children' are a category of historically recent invention; that people develop the capacity for emotional and sexual relationships a lot earlier than any artificial age of consent;

MOLES

EYE

VIEW

Historic interest

I UNDERSTAND that a

number of senior Oxford

COLICO. and Oxford

dons would like to put a

blue plaque on a certain

house in Bullingdon

Road commemorating it

as a place of national in-

Mrs. Marcos

WASTE NOT want not.

That's a golden rule ac-

cording to Ivirs Imelaa

Marcos, Milipses be of

DOSS Ferdi-

nand. Marcos. In the 18

years since her husband

was elected as president

she has saved over £300

that there is nothing intrinsically wrong about consenting relations between people of widely different ages and that the main problem in such situations is legal and social repression?

If revolutionary socialists remain silent about these 'difficult' terest. are hoping that British Leyland management, Bruce Kent and the Labour

donation so it can be preserved as an historic building.

millions of her housekeeping money

Mind you, she is dead careful about how she spends her money. Good Catholic, she had toego lo nome wnen Iney Inaugurated John Paul I as

'God's representative on

VINOPORS U

LETTERSTU

issues. then we can expeci

the labour movement to

take its lead from the Sun

and the Express. I don't

think we'd allow them to

do that on any other subject.

PETER PURTON,

Southall

STOP THE

WITCHHUNT!

earth'. So she com

mandeered

the Phillipines

Mrs HONe

planes

her own or public

sent her for £1

expenditure she

her • Manila

jail.

Now Reagan is planning a visit in November. He

is said to be very impress-

ed by Mrs Marcos' devo-

tion to the cause of anti-communism and her

ability to deal with the

opposition.

And so he should be.

she does not believe in

half measures when deal-

ing with her

She told Benigno critique of her hubbors Aquino, bourgeois

Troops Out delegation

AS MEMBERS of the

Troops Out Movement

delegation to Belfast on

5-7 Ăugust, we should

like to support the

appeal by the Labour

MP for Birmingham

Ladywood, Clare Short,

for British troops to be

withdrawn from the six

counties of the North of

Ireland.

It is now 14 years

since the British Army

was sent to the North,

and Clare Short is only

echoing what many on

the left of the Labour I AM amazed by the convoluted logic of John Palmer, Jackie McDonough and others (SA 18 August) who argued that British membership or non membership of the EEC is not an issue we should

marked political

who keeps promises, Benigno

- was and the

NIC.

Mind did

Illan so no

out

the Club

although the place £60

Mrs defending the of democracy Mr Reagan

Moles Eye View is compiled by BOB PENNINGTON. Contributions sent to arrive by Thursday am.

TROOPS OUT MOVEMENT OF ENGLAND SCOTLAND AND WALES

END BRITISH RULE

IN IRELAND NOW

Party have been saying

for most of that time

In fighting for their

self-determination, the

Irish people are only

demanding what has

already been won in

India and, recently, Zimbabwe. NUTE

We were able to see

at first hand the reality

of colonial armed rule

only an hour's journey

prowling around

suburban streets with

loaded rifles, convoys of

amoured cars

Building a socialist Europe

spend any time on..

The demand for

withdrawal, they say, , is a

nationalist diversion trom

more important struggles.

Are they then saying that

a socialist government

Should keep Britain in the

EEC given that, as John

drag

and Barristers

the paid.

So Mid-

911 public money down the

UNLICE tle. they get

plastic over their

supply.

Four who gol

say they

plain spirited by • Sir

work.

Socialist Action barricaded forts and armed city centre checkpoints.

All this shows that Britain's propping up of the six county sectarian state will only lead to more bloodshed and strife.

The only solution is for the troops to be pulled out now and the Irish people to be allowed to determine their own future.

We hope that many aimed Govern

the EEC

beyond.

2 September 1983 11 August delegation marches in Belfast

more labour movemen delegates will join next years TOM delegation and see for themselves

what is reported in the press in Britain and the reality of the situation in Ireland.

PETE LEYDEN, Mick Rice, Stewart Richardson, , Tina Rowe, Cherry Sewell, George Wright.

Birmingham Troops Out delegation

Such demands would.

for example, include:

* EEC funds for the na-

tionalisation of key in-

dustries and of firms

creating redundancie:

Abolition of the Com-

mon Agricultural roney

* A European minimum

* Free health care

* Full and equal citizen-

ship rights

Britain out of Ireland and France out of Chad

European socialist

public transport policy

A non-nuclear energy

policy; no arms sales to

repressive regimes; no

nuclear weapons in

Western Europe.

These demands and

the demand for

withdrawal aren't based

on 'know nothing

Chauvinism' but on a firn

committment to interna-

tional socialism , which in-

cludes a committment to

improve the living condi-

tions of working people

in Britain and Europe

and beyond.

Our basic aim must be

Europe by breaking up

the EEC and urging

socialist comrades in

Europe to toin us in this

struggle and in campaigns

for international socialist

policies such as those

outlined above.

IAN HARRISON,

London W6

Page 12 scan of this page

LABOUR leadership weekend issued a broadside against the dangerous atmosphere of witch hunt and political persecution which the press have been whipping up this summer.

In his he says: "The dangerous atmosphere is being created in Britain, in all honesty the USA in the 1950s, as advanced as in the need for a witch hun! against so-called ceos similar to that which took Place in World areNar

World developed and supported by Richard Nixon and Senator McCarthy where scapegoats were required, and which I believe was the reason for the judicial

of the Rosenbergs'.

Moles

Certainly, we in Britain have not got that far yet, but the danger signs ale there and this is the time for all true acmoclals say 'enough is enough' before it is too late and the atmosphere develops into one or nysicila.

our that the witch that started in Cowley now transferring itself to the Labour P'arty.

TURKEY:

A nation behind bars

Saturday 10th September

Stoke NewingtonTown

Hall, London N16 Speakers include:

Jeremy Corbyn MP, Anthony

Kenda

unkish Solidarity Ca

Organised by the Turkey

ampersary of the coup in Turkey

TURKEY

FORMATION BULLETIN

Available from Turkey

Solidarity Campaign,

BM Bọx • 5965, London

WIN 3XX, 46p

(includes postage).

Subscription rates:

miana. o months ao; 1 year £15.

Merseas: (1 year only): Surface and Europe §17/Air mail $24. Please delete as appropriate)

Name:

Address:

Begistered as a newspaper with the Post Office

«ousae oy caramal Duterprises, rU box ov, London N

nica D cast bra vrsettlur bia, London Ez.

SociAlist

ACTION

contender Eric Heffer last

Without doubt, the economic recession and unemployment are making easier employers to victimise militants. The Cowley affair has revealed and

shot are the one i

far-right Economic League and other employers' black-listing ordansalons.

By the Editor

At the same time the witch hunt in the Labour wartv nas veer stocke u by the NEC's decision to

prevent party racilics.

This scandalous decision is anoter attack or basic democratic rights inside the party of party members to buy and read whatever socialist newspapers they want.

The DECDS stories of 1000 Trotskyist moles' in the Labour Party NEC's witch hisnt mill. only ada

RACIST ATTACKS

Assemble 1pm

Ham tube).

Called by Newham

paign, supported by National against the Police Bill.

subscribe SECR

For readers who take out a year's inland subscription For multi-reader institutions double the above rates.

Please send me as special offer ............... Send to Socialist Action, 328 Upper Street, London N1 2XP.

In the coming weeks SOCAUSES the Labour Party must inter-linked support number of campaigns to throw back

• a campaign, being launched this week, against political victimisation at work. The aim will to get hundreds of signatures from the labour movement and beyond to suDDOll the basic democratic right to work, without being blacklisted by the employers and their lal Ko.

• a campaign in defence of socialist newspapers, for the withdrawal of the ban on Kesoil. tions should be put in every possible labout movement body calling for LUC rescinding of the ban on Militant. • the continuing fight for Ine reusalcucul oI the five members of the Militant editorial board.

There can be no holding back in opposition to witch hunters. Their OIC against the whole left. Unless they are decisively defeated, they will constantly return, to the attack.

National

Newham Eight

March

AGAINST RACISM AND

Saturday 24 September

at Plashet Park, Plashet Park, East Ham E12 (East

Eight Defence CamCampaign SPECIAL

we are offering a free copy of Hard Times, a new book in the 'Arguments for Socialism' series by

Bob Sutcliffe. The book normally costs $2.50.

Alternatively we are offering Alan Freeman's book, The Benn Heresy. For new readers there is our special introductory offer of 8 issues for &2 All subscriptions are posted first class on day of publication

Greenham women: under attack missiles arrive.

'public spirited'

Call.

At the same time, the Fleet Street press, well into news sul seasone las run a series of scare stories about the camp. Over the sullie stories started about how the women have degenerated 'drug addicts' and 'mystics'.

Then the press had a field day about the alleged

witch hunt

Labour Solidarity meeting: supporters of the witch hunt.

Campaign mounts

THE WOMEN of Greenham Common are facing a sustained campaign of harassment and abuse in an attempt to close down their camp before the Cruise

In Newbury itself local 'vigilante' groups have been harassing the camp, carrying out 'daring' and

actions like cementing up the women's water pipe and throwing maggots over the

'dysentry' sweeping the camp. And to finally cap it all came 'under-

The baby in question Was snatched from camp by the police and taken to a nearby hospital, where staff said the baby was not undernourished at all.

The women at the

Throw back the

KEENHAN COMPA

against Greenham women

camp are also facing a con-

campaigi

harassment Newbury

Council and the Ministry

of Transport. Last week

the women were forced to

move

Transport land, after they

were evicted by bailifts ac-

ting for Newbury Council.

Support

The Ministry of Trans-

port will now try lo re

evict the women from their

need for road building

The bailiffs are being used

to constantly harass the

camp, to try to make the

functioning of the camp

impossible.

There is no doubt that these are in preparation for a maior attempt to drive the women away and close down the camp

As the missiles are due to arrive, probably within weeks rather than months the Greenham women are calling a major action for December. If an attempt is made •remove the women peace movement must be ready defend the continued existence of the camp.

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