LAST WEEK saw three different, but closely related, events in the labour movement.
Future' - the right wing's policy document which aims to replace nasty - and expen- strikes with 'workable compromises' Joe Wade of the NGA was forced to grovel before Mr Justice Eastham, to get back the se questered NGA funds. And Peter Heathfield, the Secretary with a margin of 2.4 per cent.
who had campaigned on an anti-left ticket, collected 70,571 votes. To all but the blind, it is clear that the right is on the march in the unions. It has been making ground since Thatcher's elec. tion victory in 1979. And its pace of developThe right swept back at the 1983 TUC Congress, and advanced in the Labour Party with the 'dream ticket' Kinnock/ Hattersley victory. It is now moving to consolidate its gains.
The development of the LCC in the Labour Party, linking with the right to crush the left, shows the unions what to expect. It is true that the NUM elections have resulted in a 'left wing leadership' Scargill, that the left is losing ground at the base In tne TGWU replace Moss challenge from the right. If the TWO were g Evans will fall to the right it would be a massive set-back fol the left, putting for unilateralism — of which the TGWU has been the main defender - up for grabs. In the TGWU the right has been organising and making ground in the regions.
The signals are clear for the left. out - 'Hold The Line'. organise as effectively as the right has done. This means union and LP members who fight the rightwards drift. the political and organisational gains made over the last few years will be wiped out.
Editor: ALAN FREEMAN rudisnea weekly except two weeks in August and the last week of December. signca arucies by contributors do not necessarily represent socialist Acaon s vIews. contonas.
Heathfield's-victory can encourage rank and file been speeded up since the second MacGahey upcoming election to strong example the issue of They spell • For that the left needs to organising the minority of trade prepared to Unless this is done all These are expressed in RONALD REAGAN'S decision to run for a second as US President is significance should not be underestimated. JOHN ROSS looks at the background to Ronald Reagan's presidency.
After 1980 Ronald Reagan consolidated a new course for United and internationally. It is not that Reagan is more reactionary than the presidents such as Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson or Carter. But he is authe Prior to Reagan, all US War II, with the partial exception OI Nixon, had followed the essential lines Franklin Roosevelt in the 1930s and consolidated by Harry Turman of the cold War the in the 1940s.
This US policy had two essential aspects. Internationally the United States sought to harmonise its interests to some degree with those its imperialist rivals in Western Europe ana japan. Inis was summed up military economic aid given in the Marshall Plan of the late 1940s, the creation of the Monetary Fund, the 'Atlantic Alliance' etc.
At home an was created between capital and the trade union leadership of the AFLthe United States equivalent of the TUC. 'coalition' capital, labour and blacks made up Democraul This alliance reached its most developed expressior under the presidency of Kennedy the civil rights welfare proof Johnson's 'Great Society' of the mid1960s.
The supremacy of the Democratic Party built by DAI DAVIES, chairperson of Penrhiwceiber Lodge about the results of the general secretary ballot.
The election of Peter Heathfield as the general secretary of the NUM will give a lot of encouragement to the rank cule Scargill. Scargill has- not Ilau support trom Lawrence Daly but now we have a united lett wing leadership there's al cucuous enthusiasm about that in South Wales 1 can tell vou The vote was close — a lot closer than I thought it would be. But don't believe it was a judgement on the overtime ban.
South Wales the overtime Wall SOlO there's very little call for ballot. Even in areas like the Midlands, which very mild don't forget, there has been very militant support for the overtime ban.
surprise. But its States capitalism nationally preceeding post-war US these was over whelming.
Roosevelt's Democrats The only Republican president in this was tinued policies presidency was attempt together a quite differen coalition of force: United States success in foreign policy, on which its internal stability had been based, suffered a devastating defeat in the Vietnam war. The pressure on the US economy, worsened by the rise of its West economic rivals, made it incapable of ensuring continuously rising, living standards social peace.
The spectacular social explosions In the United in lne atte like the upheavels against the Vietnam war. the blac riopuland the ex Johnson, wu bulalily Johnson, represented the disintegra of the old LIUll Coalitiell put by the Democrats.
Reaganism preceded in certain aspects by NixThe continual media campaign against the NUM, and the attempted character assassination of Arthur, has had some efrects or couse. The media keep up a continual barrage. Look at the way they presented the you'd almost think Heathfield had lost! But the election of Thatcher's government last year with just over 40 per cent the vote was presented as a landslide. Solid The fact is that after three months the overtime ban is still solid, despite inmedia propaganda. And it's having a big effect I don't think the right wing is gaining ground in USA more and more under Reagan acting as a world on, is an attempt to put together a policy which 'America first'. United States colonic cola are put decisively ahead of its rivals • hence the huge Federal Budget defecits the high interest rates, and the remorseless rise of the dollar. The American trade unions will be brutalassaulted to revive the US capitalist itself.
Blacks, wullicil.
Latino-Americans will not be placated by class but put down. US military power abroad will be used independently of, the NUM. But to get our case across and answer the media distortions, there is real need Collinla agitation amongst the rank and leader he dee ne , anc alca leaderships. got to keep our nerve Or the overtime ban and tha way we can maintain support of the membership. Shift Of course we're worried about the shift to the right of the TUC What the TUC and Len Murray did Io the NGA was unbelievable. think the TUC could sell out the NUM like that. . We have tremendous good will and I believe we could mobilise enough support to prevent the TUC from sabotaging our actions. That kind o pressure and working class solidarity is going to be an essential part of changing the TUC.
'cop and if necessary without consultation US rivals.
Internally the old Democra consersus is be ing dropped by US capital strain. It is logical that the year of Reagan's challenge for a second term is also the first year of a black for the calvarol Democratic presidentia nomination and the firs time the AFL-CIO has endorsed a Democratic candidate even before the primary elections start.
These efforts however nave no chance or pulling back again the London N.19 Admission £2 a day, £3 for the whole weekend.
St, London N.I.
old Democratic consensus. The real interest in the 1984 election in the United States will not be if Reagan attempts of the Democrats DU back Roosevelt's old alliance.
The significance of 1984 will be how far those fighting against Keagan's policies outside the United states can create a crisis ir US politics itself. And also will be about how far the left and socialists in the US are capable of beginning to put together black and labour parties independent of both the Republicans and the Democrats.
with 3/4 March, Caxton House, St John's Way, Tickets only from International, 328 Upper
Eastern Europe) Socialist Action 3 February 1984
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SoCiAlist ACTiON hold the line
and member of the South Wales NUM Executive spoke in a personal capacity to BARRY WILKINS
The World Economic Crisis Weekend conference on the world capitalist economy today. Ernest Mandel