Socialist Action No. 53, 13 April 1984
The scan: 053-apr-13-1984-SA-UK.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive)
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Page 1 scan of this page
Kinnock must-
No. 53 13 April 1984 30p
SoCiA ist
ACTION
VICTORY
NATIONAL USE MINE WORKERS
KENT AREA ITATE
ORGANISE
DESPITE the press campaign labour solidarity with the strike was building up last week. • A one day strike in solidarity with the miners has been called in Dundee. • After NUR members at Shirebrook in Nottinghamshire voted to ignore union instructions, coal, the trains were blocked in any case operators. • Dockers dlesborough import of 65,000 tons of coal from the US bia. Fair destined BSC plant at Redcar. • NALGO voted £10,000 to the miners support fund. • Literally solidarity meetings and collections have been organised by local trade union and Labour Party organisations throughout the country some raising thousands of pounds for miners solidarity.
ing official silence has come on all the real issues of the dispute from
sends
not for my job.'
the
Labour Party. movement miners
engineering usual.
and the SDP.
and move
the Labour Party. by signals
Midblocked the
ship Am- Rodney for the
hundreds of Neil tersley, But amid all this a deafen-
strike.
Neil Kinnock and the arliamentary leadership of the
Yorkshire miner
back his medal GORDON ROYSTON, now a Yorkshire miner, but formerly a soldier in the Coldstream Guards, has sent back to the Queen a medal he received for three tours of Northern Ireland. In his letter he wrote: 'I am now a Yorkshire miner and I feel that at the age of 31 I may soon be one of the forgotten masses. In other words I was good enough to be a Yorkshire bully boy fighting in Ireland, but
Back
pickets!
Thatcher has a policy on the miners strike - the miners should go back to work and accept unemployment David Owen has got a line.
He agrees with Thatcher - as
The Liberals are showing their normal independence by agreeing with both Thatcher has In fact the entire world has got a policy on the strike - except the official leadership of
Behind the scenes of course there is a policy. Labour Party leaders like Tony Benn, Eric Heffer, and Dennis Skinner, together with union leaders like Bickerstaff, Ray Buckton and Jimmy Knapp, have been backing the miners, going to the picket lines and getting boycotts of coal.
Kinnock, Roy HatGerald Kaufman, and Dennis Healey have been supporting the line of the right wing to force a ballot. That was in all the papers even before Healey leaked it last week.
Terry Duffy and Bill Sirs, like the Parliamentary Labour leadership, can criticise police methods. But that is to avoid the real issue, who is right in the
Is it Yorkshire, Scottish, Kent and South Wales miners
fight for their jobs? Or are they "bully boys' who the police must deal with - although 'not too roughly, of course?.
Nor is Labour going to be able to avoid the realissue of the strike simply by concentrating on civil liberties. Of course the police actions are a huge attack on democratic rights and must be denounced. But if the strike
to be defeated, if the pickets are really "bully boys', then the attacks on democracy are regrettable but necessary That is the only practical conclusion people will draw
There is only one basic choice. Either Labour supports the miners in their strike or it doesn't. The rank and file of the Party does. It is showing it up and down the country. Neil Kinnock isn't
It is completely unacceptable to have a leader of the Labour Party who looks like an ostrich with his head stuck in the sand - but secretly is urg. ing a ballot.
Neil Kinnock should be urg. ing the Nottinghamshire miners to come out on strike. Not backing the right wing's demands.
Come out and back the miners, Neil. Or step aside and let those who will back the miners speak for the Labor Party.
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No ballots for the dole
2 Socialist Action
ACTiON
US mines
Nicaraguan ports
AFTER several weeks of incidents in which ships bound for Nicaragua hit mines outside the Nicaraguan ports, it has finally been admitted that the mining of the ports is the work of the CIA - not just the US backed 'contras'. what amounts to an Nicaragua goes hand in hand with an alarming military build up by the US in Honduras, on the Nicaraguan border.
The United States last Monday unilaterally announced that it will not obey any rulings of the nternation| Court of Justice on Central Americ: for the next two years.
France and Nicaraguan ports have been swept aside.
one should be under any illusions about what these new American moves represent. The two year deadlines on refusing to obey the International Court of Justice on Central America Is a dead give away. It represents the US timetable to overthrow the Nicaraguan government.
It must now be clear to Reagan that only a full scale invasion by US troops stands a chance of overthrowing the Sandinistas, operation could not be presidential election.
November a showdown will rapidly advance.
The Nicaraguan revolution has been one of the most positive experiments in democratic socialism since the Second World War. Social advance, in terribly accomplished with respect for democratic and human rights.
The Labour Party and the trade unions must do everything possible to defend the Nicaraguan revolution -anti-Reagan demonstration on 9 June.
Neil Kinnock has made by Stuart Holland and Donald Anderson in their pamphlet Kissinger's Kingdom that the US should keep out of Central America.
Now he can take Nicaragua. He should visit that country to show his support, and the support of the Labour Party for the democratic elections November. port for the obstacle to American war plans.
China - hands
off Vietnam
For the second time in five years the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army has launched an invasion of Vietnam. By China's own admission, this criminal attack one
another is designed to put pressure on the Viet namese over their involvement military defence of the Kampuchean Pot's insurgents and the Thai army.
China is only aiding pro-imperialist reaction
by its moves on the Vietnamese border. China
has made an open alliance with the right-wing
Thai goverment and Pol Pot's degenerate guer-
it is symptomatic of the rightward degenera
bion of the
nam is invaded everything possible is done to
acitate an alliance with the United States.
13 April 1984 This open admission of act of war against
Informal protests by Britain about the mining of the
diderasken during a US but such But if Reagan wins in
adverse conditions, has been
starting with mobilising for CND's
supported the demand
step to defend
being held in Such a move would galvanise sup-
another socialist country on
government against Pol
Chinese leadership that while Viet
AS WE go to press an unholy alliance of the Tories, the media and the Labour right are stepping up their campaign to force a ballot in the NUM. Their aim is not democracy. There was no similar campaign in 1977, when Joe Gormley ballot to impose the divisive bonus scheme. Their aim is to divide the miners and isolate them from the rest of the working class.
The argument against this spurious democracy is well put by Jack Collins who says: 'No one has the right to vote another worker out of a job, by putting a cross on a ballot paper.
Behind the mealy-mouthed hvpocrisy of the
and their neai the breach' in the N.1l. is a simple refusal to take on the Tories. 'new realists' In the TUC was well our oc bulor help from the seales y in response to a re
saddened that the NUM has not obtained the unity that is needed to defeat an employer'
Vote with your
feet
by Jack Collins
(President Kent Area NUM)
*Miners have got the right to sack me because
they employ me but no
miner has got the right to
sack another miner by
of paper.
The people that are calling for ballot are doing so to kill the pre struggle They've
cot the audacity to sug.
that they want allot recommend national Why do they want to do we're already strike? Roy Ottey snoula accept a chanenge and come into Kent and hold a halot in Kent to whether he SHOuld De emploved any The answer he would give to this is that he's not employed by Kent miners, so we can't sack him. So why should he have the right to sug.
Kent area should
thrown on the dole D
Monitoring the
police
OPERATION Police
Watch was launched in
Sheffield at public
meeting last Friday.
Miners from Kent, Der-
by and Warwick regail-
ed the 150-strong au-
dience with their ac-
counts of police
behaviour during the
dispute.
They described all harassment miners,
beatings, and explained
how this directiv attected
the civil liberties of Or-
dinary people. In one inci-
dent, woman
motoring to Stafford-
shıre pit village from Bırm-
ingham late at night, was
stranded and alone at when police
Bil hertield local saring the
overturned a national
of the left on the NUM Executive to base themselves on the areas where jobs are threatened absolutely correct. Only mass action can stop the threat to jobs. The issue facing the Ex• ecutive one 'democracy'. It is how to will
By Pat Hickey
There is no doubt that the Coal board?
My area is one of the most democratic areas in the country and I'd ask the super-democrats, the 'Gang of Nine', to carry through their support for democracy the National Executive. One of these people 600 miners in Cumberland. Another represents 1,000 miners
North Wales. They awe one VOte the executive. In York-
64,000 miners and they have 3
if we're talking about real
Yorkshire should have 63 votes not
We'd like to where they stand on the election of officials in full-time posts as well. They think they are there for life.
(Reprinted from London
Labour Briefing, special
issue on the miners)
dience. Bob Fryer from
Northern College, a trade
union college Barn-
opened the
SicY
meeting by saying that the
activities of the police to-
day were learned from the
lessons of Britain's opera-
tion in Northern Ireland
By Paul Davidson,
Heeley Labour Party
Many trade unions and
Labour were
represented among the au-
dience,
attendance Sherfield's
Mem-
Diack
bers of the Ais
Group salo miners
same police
dished ou: 0r a da:
to Britair: 1 301
Porcel:
de: Tony
Benn, Dennis Skinner and
other Labour MPs, as well
prominent trade
unionists. journalists and
libertarians.
the first phase of the NUM left's strategy was over-
successful
cant of med as on strike,
of miners and the support of the main transport unions to stop the movement coal. Despite the sabotage OI right support growing at the base of the movement.
Across the country, acuvists are bulaing rames, establishing labour movemc support commutices. and organising factory tours. This kind of sup port, along with stopping the movement of coal. and preparing solidarity tion. can win.
When Bill Sirs says that he does nOl wall steel workers 'sacrificed on someone eise s allar ne
betraying the whole work ing class. If the miners are defeated the Tories' attacks on the closed shop, on the links with the
NUR
KEN
MI
Labour Party and against local government will b greatly strengthened. victorv for the miners will be a huge blow to Thatcher The refusal of the TUC and the Labour Party leaders to give full suppor to the striking miners and to call on Nottingham join the strike has. aided the right and deepened the divisions in the NUM It has undoubtedly helped to slow down the momentum that had been built up in the last few weeks.
Had the Labour leaders made a clear stand in support of the strike, the decision of the Notts Executive could have been very different. Their deci sion to cross picket lines has dealt a serious blow to the NUM.
Clearil. a fresh initiative is needed. The demands for a ballot are
ENKS
H.S.LE.F
SEAMEN
T. G. WU.
News
initiative to win the strike aimed at revere
striking miners and their leaders have SWIl that they are determined to win. This is prepared fight in striking contrast to sirs Duffy, Murray et al
As a result, the miners have tremendous support at the base of the movement. This support needs
organised to force the TUC and the Labour Party leaders to stop thei sabotage and fight alongside th miners
NUM and the transport union leaders with the Labour Party left should launch a renewed massive campaign to build solidarity, picketing, and defeat the sabotage of the right.
Included in that should ine demand that the TUC name the day for solidarity action with the miners.
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News
FRANK ARROWSMITH is a branch committee member of Yorkshire Main colliery, Erdlington, who believes the best way to win is if Thursday's NUM national executive continue Yorkshire and other areas to take action under rule 41. This, together with the sort of solidarity action which 'grinds industry to a halt', is the miners' road to victory.
dispute and commented on the Labour Party and the TUC's role.
I DON'T dispute this is a political strike. The decision to run down the coal industry is a decision by
Conservative ment. It's obvious that if the miners win the government will fall because its anti-union legislation will go, its plans for
and its plans for the rail and the docks will go
Support spreads in
Scotland
JOHN McCORMACK, from Polmaise Colliery in Stirlingshire, explained to a Dunbarton LPYS public meeting why the Scots miners are fighting pit closure.
"ine actions ine NEB at Polmaise show the
plans. The NCB claim that geological faulting the pit unworkable, but the truth is there's at least 30 years work left in it if was properly developped.
*Even with our present machinery it woue take only two or three weeks to cut through faults making work for four to six ears woulder development. Next
"Thatcher's claim that the massive manorwat police operations are 10
work do seems
it's the ridiculous when police who are keeping us out of Polmaise so that the NCB can shut it down.
Yorkshire miner speaks
Labour's muted
response
for
He told Socialist Action why this is a political
The Labour Party response is muted. Certain characters, like Tony Benn and Skinner, openly defend the miners. They've spoken in lne Commons and they go on our picket HUCS so i don't questior their stance on the dispute As to the Labour Party as a wnole, well!
Kinnock nas made a statemen dooul violence They'll keep pits open tor a few scabs who want to cross picket lines, but not lor thousands of wo are salc their jobs and their com-
'At Polmaise 100 per cent behind the NUM and the members on strike throughout Wales and England. But we can't
alone. needs the support of the whore aooar movement.
*If lose this one, then udoe unionist who tries to fight for the right to work.
Scottish
TUC
DUNDEE is leading way in building solidarity with Scotland. Unions in the area have agreed to a day of strike action in support of the miners. • probably to be held on 18 April.
The Scottish TUC will be meetino next week and reil dion from me sty resolution from the
on the picker lines. The same dar i was announc ed in the House of Com-
400 arlests Ninety-nine per cent were for obstruc tion, not violence.
The Labour Party are aner respectabilv lo wil an election. We're a very respectable uncl but WC cannot get near the pickets
Nottinghamshire argue our case
The TUC is a paper tiger. They aren't out to change society — they see that as the Labour Party's responsibility. The TUC should put pressure on tne Labour Party. They don't
Look at the make up of the TUC. There's a lot of well-paid leaders amongst them. The press on the dar that the Dundee
iction takes place. The
resolution will call on the STUC to organise a similar day of across Scotland.
At a thousand strong Glasgow over £15,000 was raised for the NUM strike funds.
Sammy Gilmour, stewart on shipyards, told the meeting they would be collecting weekly levy desore me Tact lal most workers were on short
working week in two. He reminded the meeting of the £37,000 raised in the shipyards during the NHS dispute.
One salo to Ine meelng It is unfortunate that the
in support of the miners comes trom Dundee rathei than from the platform. A meeting of the confed on the Clyde shipyards will
call them 'union barons'. They are never prepared to challenge political deci-
see themselves like in the old Keir Hardie days when they formed the Labour Party, and leave it to get on with speaking as une barnamentary alli ot the unions. That doesn't work.
The NUM didn't approach the TUC for obvious reasons. Len Murray wasn't going to say 'here we come supporting the miners'. Look at the TV interview by Sid Weighell the other night, for stance. 'Organise a ballot' heeighell says the same Sid
wIlO after fiddling a ballot. Unwritten
We've asked the Triple Alliance for support, but we've not yet asked them to come out on strike. The people we need supporting us are the NUR, ASLEF, the Seamen's Union and the T&G.
With their suD port there's no problem.
We al C 110 asking them to go on strike, simply to follow the unwritten laws of the trade union movement: if there's an
move the material involved in it.
course if our Margaret decided to use legislation, they might be forced into dispute. She's backed off using the anti-
laws for obvious reasons — they don't want to escalate the dispute yet.
Miners'
Strike
simicar stoppage. called to discuss a se imposed a evy and have imposed a levy are collecting £1000 Phe week for the miners. confed convenor from Dundee, who had already presented £9000 from own works, Kestrel Marine. explained that most factories in Dundee
at mass meetings, and were raising money
Extension of the solidarity in Scotland now the sit hesitios
Resolutions critical of the NGA'S treatment by the TUC have been submitted several labour movement bodies. These have lo adopted, and then the STUC has to show the TUC the way it should behave by organising Scotland-wide activity support of the miners.
TATE
industry.
can march back up to keep our jobs.
taking their message
tacks on local democracy
and marches to Market Square, NURSES FROM ROTHERHAM have been organising practical support for the striking
GWEN MELLORS from Badsles
Hospital and NUPE member told Socialist Action what she was doing and why.
We had an emergency aDoul the miners when the strike began. A branch meeting decided to make a dona tion towards the dispute and we set up a soup kitchen the Silverwood Miners" Welfare Club. But
Socialist Action 13 April 1984 VICTORY
ANATIONALUSINUNEWORNERSI
KENT AREA
ORGANISE
EDU Over 1300 people assembled at Camberwell Green, South London, on Saturday to join 30 Kent miners on the first leg of their 130-mile march on Nottingham. Many Kent miners trace their origins to Nottinghamshire mining families. It is ironic that they are marching back now to demand Notts miners join their fight to protect the
John Jeffries and Wayne Richardson from Tilmanston pit told Socialist Action that their forebears had marched down from the north to find jobs in Kent, 'so we
family comes from Scunthorpe, explained that one of the marchers had mining relatives in the Nottingham area. It is to people like them that the Kent miners are
At a County Hall rally, Jack Collins of the Kent NUM was joined by GL leader Ken Livingstone, Ray Buckton of ASLEF and Jim Slater of the Seamen's union. All speakers drew out the strategic implications of Tory anti-working class policy, pointing out the connections between the anti-union legislation and the at-
Midlands Region NÚR have called a demonstration in Nottingham on Satur day 14 April to greet the miners on their arrival. This starts at midday at The Forest
Speakers include Arthur Scargill and Tony Benn.
Nurses support
the miners
I wanted to go down to the picket line as well. Ther gave us plenty of support during our dispute. So five of us • three nurses and two ancillary worker: went to Cresswell pit last Tuesday. ! was approached by a police inspector who asked me it knev that wa secondary picketing that it was illegal. I said I was well aware of it, but the miners were present on our picket lines last year and that they weren't ar rested. All ne could was that this was a dif ferent situation.
3 Wayne, a third-generation miner, whose followed by a rally at the Albert Hall Institute.
Three policemen surrounded me so I couldn': move, then they poncewoman OVeI then we were leaving anyway. We were with the flying pickets, and the! don't stay long one place.
The pletely thrown refused move The were obviously frightene of what would happen they arrested nurse: uniform. We will be cone:nuing our visits the picket line until the strike is over
Page 4 scan of this page
in Notts
A CND activist from Sheffield used her car to drive pickets into Nottingham. She described what happened on one day when she went out. WE WERE destined for Cresswell colliery, four miles over the Nottingham border, going by
twisting lanes to avoid being Luncu Dack. threatened with arrest, or
windscreen 'smashed by the "law'.
We arrived just aller 8pm. Two hundred or SO miners were already there, outnumbered nearly three to one by blue uniforms.
Our job Was "decoy' picket. The main thrust was elsewhere.
police violence
PICKETS IN Northumberland have successfully stopped delivery of coal to
power station, miles from NewcasMiners from Whitcolliery told
cialist Action about
police response to peaceful mass
icket.
Northumberland miners started picketing three weeks ago. It's NorEnumoeriana s only powel station, and we've stopped
waggons going
Socialist Action 13 April 1984
OPERATION POLICEWATCH
Decoy picketing
'We're here to keen the co. the poi they explain-
police lined the road to the gate, even the Cresswell miners on the pickel weren t anowea to spake torted to inmates.
we rica to gom tnose behind the police blockade our exil was oldercu, ana we were closed in.
A local plained about this encircle¡cil, daylle il was aralisi our democratic rights. She was told 'You're not too old to be move
arrested.
The local community is divided but many resentful of the police presence and tactics. JOCA Was thrown to the ground and his nose bloodied for try-
Northumberland protests
Last Tuesday there was a major police presence at the picket, mostly special patrol group. During the morning six miners got arrested. They were beaten up in the van before being taken to the station. We could hear the noise and see the van shaking about.
We decided demonstrate against police brutality, so we marched
nearby town, Ashington, with our banners and sat down in the main street. We were joined by some of the town folk, but there was no police presence.
They didn't follow us
ing to stay and watch. An Inspector his angry mother newas too busy to find the officer responsible.
As the nightshift started to trickle voys of cars used the other gate. Others, too ashamed to show their faces, sneaked in through snickets and hedges. All the pickets could do was shout, but ENCH message was clear: 'Join us, it'll be you
We overheard a chief constable sav: "Mrs That. cher's got them under her boot, and Illal s where they ought to be.
But has she? With the help of the rest of us she'll have a problem. into town, they were keep ing a low profile there. stopped TOI hours or more.
It was a peaceful proLest During funeral passed by the church is next door to the police station and the whole demonstration was silent and took their hats off in a sign of respect except for the police that is
So much for pickets causing trouble! demonstration finally
up when Dennis Murphy, NUM area chairperson. asked it to disperse.
Rail traffic of coke and coal has been stopped with full support from the rail
but despite statements from road trans Doll UnOs many trucks have crossed the picket lines
On Tuesday 3 April the miners responded with over 400 pickets blocking the road, the only effective way soo lie movemen of coal. All trucks in and out of the plant were stopped.
This brought out massive numbers of police and snatch squads were us-
Terry Thomas, Vice President of South Wales insa NorM, accused one inspector inciting drivers to cross the pickel creased due go lee wick line. Police violence with over 50 arrests.
On Friday a middle aged picket from Mardy was set upon by two police while walking up the road to the steelworks. He was beaten unconcious and an ambulance was called when the police thought he had had a heart attack.
Police
The two police quickly disappeared Police structed an elderly witness statements to the press on statements to the press. dy picket nias stil i-
picket was still hospital.
tor Powell,. Labour MP • picker line who visited the picket on Thursday, said that would raise the question
violence Ciwyd.
Commons Ann the Euro MP, was there o1 Friday and said she would raise it in Strasbourg.
Police have been tapping phone and trying to stop South Wales miners going to the Port Talbot pickel line the South of the NUM ex Wales ectave the need ber or ll reds it
number or pickels police presence was also
Welsh snatch squads
clashes.
there were
weren't Keri Evans,
Port
squads.
block the have
tant Keri when
local labour
defence those arrested. They couk do this by trials, holding collections to pay fines ting the NUM strike fund.
about
police at
Some was armorn-
when
As the
The use of
Viv
The told
that
HOVCHICHE
for
picketing the
and suppor
News
The view from
Westminster
The miners and
the police
Bob Clay MP (Sunderland North)
THE PRESENT miners' quiet about the role of strike is for the miners the police. At the last themselves an historic three meetings of the
Parliamentary Labour struggle. If the govern. ment's plan for coal in- Party the miners strike
was discussed, and there dustry goes through,
is a very strong feeling, will decimate
which is not just ment in the mines. But restricted to the left, that there is significance to this strug- now wider ine ponce acuivity major encroachment is a on
gle. The whole mood of and tha the country has changed that question ought to be towards the Tories over raised by the front ben.
ch. even over the last few As each industrial days — - and this is now media comrade not he
for media coverage millions of people, the becomes lower and waole labour movemell, lower and more disto get behind the miners honest. On this occasion and deliver a major blow they've told blatant and to this covernment open lies. they claimed that bran- example
Last week Tony Benn asked in the House of ches Durham wett Commons for an calling for a ballot at a assurance that the armed time when thev weren't forces if they thought it The whole personal at was to their advantage. tack on Arthur Scargill is
quite disgraceful, and the government would media have done everymobilise the armed forces if thev though it thing to play up the situa
tion in Nottinghamshire was to their advantage.
But they are unlikely to and disregarded the tac
that the overwhelming because of the response they know they would Harve mus are ul 13. u... get from the whole strike But that's nothing to labour movement, and
be surprised about - the because the para-military way in which the police owned are being used is virtually controlled by small the same as using troops. unelected bunch of
capitalists and they know where their
Many people are allegiance lies! overestimating the The police repression significance of the divi
in ine coalnelas parallels sions among the miners. that at Greenham ComReading the press you wouldn't realise that MON Over the past few over 80 per cent of the months we've seen union are on strike. It massive stepping up of seems to me very the police operations strange situation when against the NGA pickets, all the government the miners and Green talking about is the ham. The conclusion per cent of miners who that I, and a number of aren't on strike and the other Labour MPs are internal democracy drawing, is that we are the NUM which moving towards an none of their business authoritarian state. The
What they should b
role or the ponce and lne talking about is the fac behaviour of the govern. that this is growing ment in ou dispute involving other changed qualitatively sections of the trade the last few month:
movement There is now a patThere's already tern of the government desperate shortage turning every issue that domestic coal. The steel involves effective class industry is in a very bad
struggle against the way. The situation is government, o effective ting worse day by day struggle by the peace The overwhelming ma movement, into an issue jority of miners are on of law and orde - and strike then deploying the police
In my own area of Durham, WICe the If this continues, and NUM has traditionally if we don't concentrate been moderate, the strike our minds on fighting is 100 per cent solid. All testation the the police repressive the miners want to discuss where we Criminal Evidence picket next.
even 1 the least
The Party National alarmist people are going Executive has adopted a wake up realise position 01 complete that it's happened, and support for the miners' living in a
llld struggle, and grave dis- police state.
Page 5 scan of this page
OWER STATIO
News
have suffered a series of bad setbacks.
The Tory defeated both the
comes policy.
Emboldened by their successes, Heath's ministers decided to crack the real tough nut - the miners. As Ine City of London Newspaper wrote: 'Months before the coal
started, ministers were saying in private that
would establish their "anti-inflation" policy by a resounding victory over the miners'
The Times was boasting: 'Coal stocks awav THOM the pils are large enough to withstand a strike tor weeks but added the cautionary words
... if it does not spread Just like now the TUC did nothing to help the miners. No call came from Congress House for solidarity action. It did nothing to bring the transport unions together effective embargo could be put on the movement of coal.
Naturally, was prepared to ofter its services so an amicable settlement' could be reached. In 'TUC-speak' this means
help get the work fast as possible. The Labour leader Harold Wilson, just like Neil Kinnock Louay. kept well away from the picket line. He was quick to condemn violence on the picket line
that was the miners' 'violence' of course, not that of the police!
SCOTTISH
Photo: MORNING STAR
Break the
law-
win the
strike
IT'S MORE THAN a coincidence that the miners' strike of 1984, like its predecessor of 1972, is taking place when other sections of the labour movement
government that was elected in 1970
power workers and the postal workers. By 1972 it was running an unofficial in-
The police and the judiciary openly collaboralca wiln lne government and employers' strike-breaking plans.
Dennis Skinner the Labour MP, told hou police encouraged truck arivers to drive at speeds OI miles an hour at picket lines. 1 he Director OI Public Prosecution made it obvious where he stood In ine strike in the case of 'the scab and the iron bar'.
By Bob Pennington
He had been sent a picture of a scab wielding an iron bar. The DPP replied: 'It would be necessary for the prosecution LU DIOVe that the truck driver carried the bar with the intention of using it to injure. If therefore he was merely holding it so as to cause the pickets to move away from ns truck so laure colic urive away wilhour dance to himself or anyone else, I do not consider that an offence would be establishI do not propose to take any action in the matLOT.
Like now the stakes were high. If the workers' moyement was going to be UCES VCIV then the miners had to be crushed. The lines were drawn.
The government, the police, the judiciary and AREA TER FUTURE
POLMAISE
WALL NOT
SURRENDER
the media side, on the other stood the miners and their allies, who couldn't have had a better spokesperson than the picket at Murton colliery in Durham who told the magazine Seven Davs *They want the pickets to
respectable. Being respectable got us where
— at the bottom'. Stocks
From the beginning the TalK file set 'unrespectable' pace. Whilst their union president, Joe Gormley moaned about the men 'being a damn sight more militant than we would want them to be, at all the 140 pits the safety men were
out. coal stocks totalling 31 million LOIS INC mues Seul oll flying pickets across the coulilly.
The power stations, one after the other, were closed down by
Elias pickets. From Yorkshire Kent. Wales and all the coal fields the miners took to the roads and motorways. The strike had to spread to the power sta-
"NÚM
"POtrinist
VUM
ДОКА СИХіКУ А доше COLLIERY!
-Miners'
Strike
tions, donois and the rail heads it coal coke
it was to be successtul, and the members of the NUM
ing to be successful.
Saltley
After weeks of bitter struggle came the great victory of Saltley coke depot. For week 600 police
open. 'battle Saltley swung first one
way, then the other. Finally the Birmingham labour movement decided to act. rortv Enousane workers downed tools in solidarity with the eleven thousand of them poured down the streets on to the Saltley Gates and the police were overwhelmed
sncer numbers 10.45 on the morning of 10 February 1972 the gates were slammed shut and stayed like that until th strike ended
Power
The strike was woll because the miners were prepared to take extreme measures. The pits were closed, the safety workers were brought out, the coal was stopped moving by
and the violence of the police was met bv the power ol organised labour At Saltley when there were too man! coppers the workers knew the answer - swamp them by greater
PICKET Flying Pickets vocal group get where the action is
numbers so they can't enforce their law.
Of course the miners now tace a much toughe situation than they did in 1972. The state has learnec its lesson and has improved its policing methods.
dination. They have set up police blockades away from the pits so they can stop the pickets getting to the scab pit heads. Inside the NUM there are deep divisions, which start in these areas and reach right THLO national leader igiz the could by-pass the TUeS abstentionism and cowardice, by going direct to the rank and file in the power sauons de cevois. ou they face even powerful opposition. Th government has dropped all pretentions democracy The know full well they got its go-ahead to break the law, and physically attack the pickets and beat them up when they want ne local magistrates see the chance to 'teach the miners a lesson'.
Law
This can only answered by doing At the pickets did in 1972 defying the law. government and its police thugs can be defeated the miners can't do it on their own this time. need the support of the workers in transport, the power stations : and in ine National Union Seamen.
Whenever the police bust up the picket
take a leaf out of the book of the workers who wen to Saltley the miners broke the law In
and won a victory for all the working class Now with the support of the left of the labour movement they can once again challenge the law and win a victory for all working people.
THE MINERS' STRIKE A London meeting with a senior Kent miner
18 April 8pm The Freemason's Arms 81 Long Acre, London WCI
All comrades welcome Further details from Theo Dennison 01-692 4998
Organised by: The Socialist Socier!
NO POLICE
BILL!
NO POLICE
miles STATE!
stopped.
more
about police have
MAY (assemble 12 noon)
groups.
HALF DAY WORKSHOP:
be what
Rights'
The . But They
in
of
lines
the Police Bill
1972
Hall, Red Lion Square, WC2.
NGA, CPSA, NUR and others.
RALLY AGAINST POLICE BILL:
'Policing and the
miners"
IWA More details 555-8151.
(01-249-8334)
Socialist Action 13 April 1984 5 Black and Irish people, gays and lesbians, Greenham women, NGA pickets ... and now the miners. Who's next? The Police Bill will legalise and extend already repressive police powers. It must be
National march to oppose the Police Bill From HYDE PARK (Speakers' Corner) to JUBILEE GARDENS, SATURDAY 19
Speakers from: Labour Party, Trade unions, Greenham Women, GLC, Black and Irish organisations, gay and lesbian
'Defending Democratic
THURSDA Y 26 APRIL at 1pm, Camden Town Hall, Euston Road, NW1
Labour Movement
conference to oppose
SATURDAY 12 MAY at 1 pm, Conway
Speakers from: Labour Party, NUM, WEDNESDAY 25 APRIL, 7.30pm, East Ham Town Hall, High St South, E6. Speakers: from Kent and Yorks NUM,
All details: The National Campaign Against the Police Bill, 50 Rectory Road, London N16 7QY
Page 6 scan of this page
You can evict the camp but you cannot kill the s
LAST WEDNESDAY they tried to evict the peace camp at Main Gate of Greenham Common missile base. Women have been living there for more than two and a half years. But it won't be the end of the Greenham Peace Camp.
AS the women already shown, the camp is more than a matter of pulling down a few benders. A whole movement that has mobilised tens of thousands of women has to be destroyed too.
JUDE WOODWARD looks at the achievements of the Greenham women the last two and a half years. THIS is not the first time that the powers that be have tried to evict the Greenham women. The Main camp was evicted 18 months ago when New bury changed its by-laws lo vent the women having the right camp on common ground. women moved on Transport land, and have been there ever since.
Newbury Council littered the site of the camp with massive boulders. But the women decorated the rocks and moved back.
The Tories are about to learn what Newbury Council learnt before, can evict the camp, but you can't kill the spirit!
Tenacitv and courage are not lr short supply at Greenham. They have
Greenham:
women's have destroying over had to be. continual harassment
verval and prysical abuse
Gate through rain and months and vears preto But the spired a whole Ministry of Greenham, women into political activity. harassment
SUS.
Socialist Action 13 April 1984
TO REHEARSALS
NONSEGAL AND GENOCIDAL
NUCLEAR WARFARE
The womens Peace camp stays
Greenham 1984, just before the eviction at Main Gate
Women have had to brave and - maggots and blood thrown into the 'benders' (tents),
— as well as the problems of living under polythene
snow, TOT weeks,
It is this courage and self-sacrifice of the women at the camp that has in- policy,
movemell around bringing kinds of
Women at the camp have left their friends and families, lived for two years in the mud, broken the ice on water to was wash, lived on what can be cooked on a campfire. At the same time as enduring this incredible hardship they have kept
town, military authorities at the camp: dancing on the
cutting the fence, invading the observation post, organising blockades
cessful, ment.
1983.
Greenham 1983
FOR demonstrations, and generally making fools of the powers that be.
Up and down the country women, and men, have seen that courage and self-sacrifice and been inspired to take at least one or two steps to express their own opposition to cruise, by wearing a badge, going on a march, voting on a
thousands of becoming a CND activist. Ul s Tarzan
The whole movement against cruise
La powerful new impetus. Greenham Common Support Groups flourished 'Affinity groups' were set up in virtually every
and the rank and file of the -labour movement and CND gave enthusiastic support. For them a women-only action was no problem because they could see the truth that Greeham broadened the Peace Movement not narrowed it.
The Tories had been pushed onto the defensive on the missiles and they
on drastic "Tarzan' Heseltine was appointed Secretary of State for Defence, to vamp up the image of the missiles. . Lady Olga Maitland tried to do her bit by launching her 'Women and families for peace' and the bomb!
Lady Olga was singularly unsuc-
but the press had obviously been quietly told to give her a boost and to avoid giving Greenham favourable publicity.
Since then Greenham has been a massive thorn in the Tories side, keeping up the pressure on the missiles, and preventing them from being sneaked into the country. No doubty the example of the Greenham women helped Sarah Tisdall to decide that she would leak the document giving the date of cruise's arrival.
Sharp
Despite this massive impact a lobby began to emerge within CND that opposed women-only groups and actions, claiming that they divided the move.
The only sense in which Greenham divided the movement that sharpened the debate on how the movement against cruise should be built in
The objection of some CND leaders was, in reality, to a movement outside their control.
Following the 1982 CND conference the CND leaders had planned no mass actions against cruise for the coming year. Even the traditional October demonstration was in doubt, on the grounds that CND had no money
- despite its rising membership and
large scale labour movement support.
The December 1982 action forced the issue and but cruise back at the cen tre of CND's agenda, with the Human chain trom ureenham to Burghtield and the massive October march.
That didn't end the debate in CND Sanity, the CND journal, ran a letters debate women-only editors claimed that the vast majority of letters received had been against. But once again the dynamism and inspiration of Greenham them, so that by 1983 CND conference a resolution supporting women-only actions was overwhelmingly supported. Doubters
It wasn't just the doubters in CND that were carried along by Greenham. It had enormous impact in the labour
In the General Election CND was Incined to play a low key role as it didn't want to be seen as too political. No mass actions were organised and the Labour Party was kept off CND platforms. calling for a vote for the SDP and the Liberals.
On 24 May, sixteen days before the poll, Cases. for Disarmament,
broke through all this. Actions, backed by the TUC and the Labour Party took place up Workplaces were unions responded to the women's call for token strike action.
The Tories turned their press guns into a full frontal assault on Greenham. The press blared 'smelly' Greenham women, all lesbian drugtakers noses. Scandal was whipped up when a baby was born at the camp.
Greenham April 1984
action.
carried all before EP Thompson even suggested
on International Women's Day
Greenham women
COVELV visited, and some Greenham Sections hesitated.
away about the
with pins through their Manchester,
Blockading at Greenham, July 1983
of the labour movement Some tried to distance themselves from the Greenham movement. Jean Mc Crindle gave Greenham the only mention it got at the Labour Coordinating Committee conference in
when she explained how she found it 'hard to relate' to some of the things the Greenham women did.
Page 7 scan of this page
pirit
The court case against Reagan, the •sound around Greenham' demonstra tion of 50,000 women, the fence cutting exercise, and the mounting arrests once more forced the issue, and rallied even the new 'respectable' leadership of the Labour Party behind the women. one in the labour movement could afford to be seen as less than enthusiastic
SPIHITE
ARE WITH
vou:
for the Greenham movement.
put cruise in the public eve.
with cheers.
*They know how
what they've been up against.
Glenvs Kinnock's
ticket's' seal of Greenham
camp. never.
allowed to forget cruise. Wordiness
calls that have
fight against Greenham women.
much aided by
. No
becoming time honoured
The successful harassment of the cruise convoy two weeks ago once more
On the miners' picket lines in Lancashire last week mentions of Greenham were mel
A couple of Yorkshire pickels took ume to explain now much they admired the Greenham women.
deal with the police', they said, 'And now we know
the picket line last week put the 'dream
approval on the Better late than
long as the Greenham peace camp is there no one is going to be
That's why Heseltine hates Greenham, and why the Tories are prepared to put so much effort and money into evicting the camp
It also keeps the labour movement on its toes. The camp has to be defended. So perhaps this time round the labour movement will respond to the
come from Greenham movement to call strike action against the missiles. The crime of the labour movement leaders in relation to Greenham is not any lack of wor diness in support. It lies in the fact that for the last 18 months thev have lett the
the missiles to the
In this abstention they have been
the miserable sec- ingly. tarianism of much of the British 'far left'. Militant and the Next Step have told us these 'middle-class' women are anti-socialist. Socialist Worker in what long
fashion, had 50 per cent quotas on their coaches
the base.
Obstructing the cruise convoy, March 1984 to the Greenham actions. Socialist Organiser only gave its support grudg-
Advising the working class to ignore the biggest mass movement of women since the suffragettes is in a
tradition Seclara Marxism, which has done much to give the left a bad name among women. Greenham -
another
attack on democratic
rights
Last Wednesday,
CLAY MP went down with Tony Benn to Greenham Common. That was the day of the evictions. Here he tells us what happened and how the police at Greenham are abusing and destroying people's democratic rights. I WENT DOWN to Greenham the day of the evictions. The morale of
women was very good, and their resolve shows no sign slackening.
The government probably chose this moment to evict the women because they can't deploy the missiles as they would like so long as there is protest outside the
Each time the missiles have come out it has been at night or in the early hours of the morning, and they don't get very far. The longer that goes on, the more it will become clear that the activities of the base are being curtailed
brought out the best in large sections of the labour rallied its Greenham women demonstrate the truth of the understanBritish ding that women, in rising up from the
bottom of the heap to throw off centuries of oppression and degradation, BOB
by the peace movement. Last week's eviction was an attempt to close down protest for good.
The widening of the road was.
Jon Prescott said of have copies of the document where this
conspiracy was Ministry Defence, Berkshire County Council Ministry of Transport. This has been planned since last year.
When Tony Benn and I went down there yesterday and arrived long after the evictions at lunchtime, there were still roadblocks. roadblock a mile from the base. So here we have, as in Nottinghamshire and the other coalfields, what in my view is a totally illegal erosion of civil liberties. Putting roadblocks on roundabouts a
Fortunately Greenham has actually
the way. movement as they have
support. And the have begun to as a conspiracy. We
hatched between the
police, and the
We were stopped at a
NO C LIOn
Socialist Action 13 April 1984
will help free a lot of other people on mile from the base can only have been designed to stop people getting to the base to support the women. They have now fenced off not only the area which they wish to use for the road widening but the way they have done that fencing
along the main road is actually preventing access to common land
They have no right to prevent ac-
We saw a situa tion where women were trying to get on to common land, and were prevented by the police. We asked the police what authority that had to do that, and they refused to answer.
The whole operation was massive with hundreds of police. We counted
20 police vehicles. They haven't succeeded in closing down the protest, and they won't succeed.
Page 8 scan of this page
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Page 9 scan of this page
Ireland
Gareth Fitzgerald
But they are increasingly becoming committed to the idea of neutral Germany outside of the imperialist alliance and unilaterally disarmed. And because they perfectly aware of the international context which this change of opinion is taking place, they have a deep sympathy with
movement, the roots, developing amongst young
Hast Germany All this is giving birth to the hope of a reunited Germany the price of its
DAN
Photo: GM COOKSON
te a people?
neutralisation — a project moreover which the Soviet bureaucracy itself has put forward many times since the death of Stalin.
This awakening deeply worries the international bourgeoisie, and above all the French bourgeoisie.
Not only would the imperialist alliance be greatly weakened by such a re alignment of Germany,
revolution, and the socialist unification of the whole of Europe, would, as a result, acquire a new weight.
WEIN AWW AN
NIEDERRHEIN
- AUCH NICHE
ANDERSWOL
Forum
ONLY THOSE with extra-tinted rose glasses would describe the deliberations of the New Ireland Forum as an attempt to draw up a blueprint for a 'new' Ireland, though spectacle it has been.
Fein in the Northern Assembly elections, the Forum first met in a blaze of publicity two weeks before polling in the Westminster elections.
Widely interpreted as
save the SDLP from electoral embarassment, the deliberations of the Forum have been a mixture of charade and farce politicians and parties jostled to look after their own interests.
Whereas the terms of reference openly excluded Sinn Fein, Forum participants have bent over backwards to incorporate the Unionist point of view.
In order to respond to this threat the Gaullist leader Chirac and pany are prepared to play with fire. Spectacularly overturning the classic positions of Gaullism they are ready to offer the West German bourgeoisie the alternative solution of a European nuclear
Rally Centering on defence of 'German territory that
La 'European bomb' for the 'French bomb', he Ger man bourgeoisie could, in this wav, turn to its owi advantage (and to the ad-
of its own war vantage preparations, which could be just as formidable as those of US imperialism) the rebirth of German national consciousness.
The international workers movement LEUS in its turn be conscious of the historic risks involved
adventure by the French and German ruling
every interest in moving in exactly le opposite arecuion
As soon as there is an awakening of German national sentiment (which the long term inevitable), it is necessary, by a return to the situation of before 1948, that this sentiment be favourable to the revolution - and that
tegrated into the struggle for sociaism. That means. understand and explain that German reunification can only be achieved on the combined basis of a victorious socialist revolution in West Germany and
political revolution in East Ger-
The alternative is suicidal war.
Behind the
All-Ireland
coloured
Proposed by John Hume after the swing to Sinn
A leak just before voting on the Abortion Referendum in the South showed the 'constitutional tionalists' deliberating on what exactly was the ethos of those who 'adamantly oppose nationalism'.
'Are we ready,' the leaked document asked 'to
Our ment to make uncongenial adjustments to our SULUTORS
But as Republican
GM COOKSON
Ernest Mandel
This also means understanding that the revival of national con-
amongst German working class, as well as their pacificism, can be transformed into a powerful motor of anticapitalist and anti-bureaucratic LOveLICS.
do cot move out of the
do not move out of framework of the workers movement and of
democratic social movements which are their allies, and that they are in no way annexed by bourgeois political forces.
This is why the initiative of the French Landau soldiers, calling for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of occupying troops from Germany is so highly positive. It contributes to the objec-
til of deal the Ger-
proletaria man into CO surucer for the Socialist United I States of Europe that the German nation will be able to be reunited into United
Germany by peaceful means.
News argued the 'ethos' of loyalism is not a notion of ine noelly conscience but more of a pro-imperialist racist ideology which owes more to Mussolini than Martin Luther.
By the end of September the Forum had
send out for more Unionism. Sir John Bigg: Davidson returned with a lesson on the right of na tions to self determination which somehow was meant to explain why you needed 'a Protestant state for a Protestant people'.
By Martin Collins
November, they worked out that the cost of
since 1969 had been £12 DillOn. OCCCHE DCI gifted economists explained that a United Ireland was not economically viable.
Whilst Charlie Haug hes Insisted tain would go on pumping money into the North after the troops left, the first deadline for the final report passed by.
In January the Catholic heirarchy created a small stir by reminding the Forum that it thought that a majority had the right to see its wishes incorporated into the Constitution, warning of the
savery of panely lite
sanctity were not upheld. Policiticans were immediatev in quandry about how they could make some gesture lo lne loyalist ethos' without criticising the church.
Things got worse as Catholic priests deepened their Dreak ecumenicism by throwing concepts like 'Bloody Sunday, 'Diplock Courts', 'Internment' and 'Informers' into the discus-
And still, little proSONA gress was being made on that final report.
Off went a delegation from the Forum to London to find out what kind of a 'new' Ireland might be acceptable TO the British government.
Stories of bitter rows between the Coalition and Fianna Fail, a scandal in volving the bugging of SDLP deputy Seamus Mallon's house, and Prior putting his foot in it al point to the proximity of the final report and the high stakes involved for all concerned
The rift between the two middle class Southern arties s eases o exoa Both defended to militarily the border and imprison Republicans. Both want to bolster the fading image of the SDLP and marginalise the influence of Sinn Fein
But Fianna Fail must
as bells the 'more Republican' of
FF
Charles Haughey
the two with the June EEC ciethions approachig
Party leader Charles Haughy therefore wants to
seen to back spropo sais pushing the TOTULI for a United Ireland. He has said that British withdrawal is a precondition for Fine Gael on the other hand wants be seen 'statesmanlike'. Thev are prepared to back any formula as long as the Britist government will reply positively.
Options
A Forum report with a range of options for future discussion and tew measures which can be agreed on now would be ideal for them.
Similar differences and considerations divide the SDLP. The Forum was John Hume's idea He needs an agreed report if he is to emerge as the new 'great thinker' who broke
logjam Irish politics. He has put forward a list of three options Federation of six and 23 unitary state counties, and joint sovercignly.
Others in the SDLP like Seamus Mallon look to the EEC elections and
: a swing to 1 Fein.
inn Feir Thes not want to back a sell-out and
support the 'unitary state' option
As Paisley thunders out the message that Britain is planning a betrayal, his supporters (who have really little fear) continue to chant 'no surrender'
14/A151'
Prior affirms that the Loyalist VOLU will upheld and ponders on how the debacle of constitutional nationalism might be turned to Britain's advantag Of course the Assembly mus be kept alive to give the world the impression it has worked, but if a promise of 'consideration ' of joint sovereignty could produce cooperation from the South extradition of republicans, and 'joint security measures' in the short term, it might be worth keeping an open mind.
Tory MP Michael Mates interviewed in the Sunday Independent asked: 'How could we possibly share sovereignty with a country that is not a member of our delence pact?' This prompted reposte from Sinn Fein that for the privilege of seeing the Tricolour fly
Union Jack, northern nationalists were being asked to uphold the sectarian framework the Six County state and renounce Irish unity. The South was being asked to join NATO and receive cruise missiles
Peter Archer has saic that he will be demanding a full debate in Parliament when the report is publish. ed. There is only one op tion that is in line with par ty policy of moving toward reunification of Ireland.
Inat 1S the call for 'unitary state'. Any other option will in practice be no more than a cosmetic for continued partition, continued sectarianism and continued repression.
new issue OUT NOW! 40p Write in for subs or BULK ORDERS
'Labour and Ireland'
c/o LCI BM Box 5355
London WCIN 3XX
Socialist Action 13 April 1984
Page 10 scan of this page
10 SINCE the attempted insurrection of 1932 was defeated by the army with the massacre of 30,000 workers and peasants the Salvadorean people have been trying to put an end to poverty, hunger and repression. Seventy per cent of children under the age of five die each year from malnutrition. Sixty per cent of the population is without land or stable employment.
in the struggle against the national ruling class and US imperialism. Women forefront of the student movement of the seventies and the female dominated teachers' union ANDES has played an important role in the workers' movement, while its members have often helped peasant mobilisations in the countryside.
bul unt recently wie hosl workers and peasants remained isolated from the popular struggle. The macho ideal of women as passive, combined with women's double day of work in the factory or field as well as in the home, meant that few women participated directly in the struggle.
Women's demands were seeI the Salvadorean struggle and women's groups which existed were bourgeois feminist.
Few
In the last few years however things have been changing. Women's organisations have been formed to represent the demands of working class and peasant women and women are increasingly in volved in all aspects of the struggle. They work in the diplomatic bodies of the FDR/FMLN and are on the leadership the politico-military organisations. TOLLY per cent of the FPL leadership is female.
Women are involved in the mass organisations and in the provisional governments of the FMLN con trolled zones. They participate in barrio commitrees organising support for the FMLN the poor of El Salvador's cities and one fifth of the guerilla fighters women. The heavy into vement of women he struggle is a reflection
severe oppression they suffer under the pre-
sent regime in El Salvador.
Life in the countryside for the whole Salvadorean seasantry is hara with Cong hours, low wages, high unemployment and
constant assassination by death
But tor
sadi on anace worse.
ocasalll women marry at thirteen or fourteen years of age and have had five pregnancies by the time they are twenty.
In the whole EI Salvador there is one maternity MOSSILO and sixty-seven per of
Socialist Action 13 April 1984
Women in the
Salvadorean
revolution
Salvadorean women have always been involved
students were the
women in the countryside give birth without any medical attention whatever. Women have a double day of work: they do a full day's work in the field well as domestic work.
Davadoredu peasant women are expected to supplement the family income by weaving cloth akie (an alcoholic drink) as well as cooking, cleaning and looking after the children.
Six out of ten families.
water and one third of all Salvadoreans live in one roomed shacks. Sixty per cent of the population have an income of less than £140 a year.
Under these conditions women's tasks of keeping the house and family
cooking and ccall. budgeting the family income become harder and harder. During the harvest women's wages are three-
quarters those of me samee
they Moreover at the same
not even the woman who receives this wage but her husband who is paid on her behalf.
Men
In the factories of El Salvador women are paid on average twenty-five per
less than men.
Women Colsulule auvul seventy-four per cent of all unemployed and as result, many migrate from
and Ine countrvside small towns look for work the big cities. Tonse they work slavery tions near slavery
are expected to be on call twenty-four hours
day, many are only allowed to leave the house one cav a mould and ency have no rights to social
benefits and sCLulILy
They are frequently sub-
are frequently subjected to unwanted sexual demands by their employers.
Once pregnant they are thrown out of the home in WACO they have Decr working, faced with
The prostitutes who work
from San Salvador's 'Calle Celis' are constantly subiected to harrassment by the police who make them pay bribes in money or in sexual services to stay out of prison. Working in tinv "rooms' formed cardboard partitions they earn about thirty pence a client.
By Gill Lee
There are now three women's organisations belonging the FMLŇ/FDR. These are CUMS, the United Committee of Salvadorean Women, AMPES, the Association of Progressive Women of El Salvador; and AMES, the Association of Women of EI Salvador. Set up in the last few years they have taken on the tasks of integrating women into the rein lai tionary struggle Salvador; working with Salvadorean retugees: anc winning international solidarity the Salvadorean struggle.
Six hundred thousand refugees, the majority whom are women and children, have fled refugee camps in Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua since the war began. Conditions in the camp are often deplorable.
In one .camp of one thousand six hundred and eighty refugees, of whom OVCI hundred were children under seven, eighty-two cent were suffering from tion.
STOP THE D
Women's organisations help with health care. teach basic hygiene and also help organise work shops where refugees can learn the manual and technical skills they need to earn a living.
The women's organisation with the largest mass base in AMES. Set up in 1978/79 as a resull or une struggie. of San Salvador's women sureel agallls. police and state harrassment, it now also Incor porates peasants, factory workers, students, teachers and housewives.
Levels
AMES is involved at all levels of the struggle: giv-
zozistical SUDOUIL the guerrillas, organising women's committees the barrios and has representation on the provisional government Chalatenango. AMES also sees Dari work propaganda within the revolutionary organisations over women's role.
AMES says that order for women to participate fully in the strug gle male militants must share housework and childcare responsibilities with their companions. They believe that the need for women to raise their consciousness of their oppression necessary before during and after the revolution, and that the iberation of women is inseperable from the libera-
of the Salvadorean people as a whole.
SISIN
DEMONSTRAIE
Operator at FMLN's Radio Venceremos
must stay
MUHAMMAD Idrish goes before an Appeal Court on 9 May. If he loses his appeal then he will almost certainly be deported.
Muhammad came from Bangladesh 1976 to study at Bristol University and married
willall from Scotland. He then applied to stay here but
weeks later their relationship ended.
Within weeks of their break up, he was told his application has been turn-
Since leaving university he has worke
different places as social worker. Now, like 250 other black people
Muhammad Idrish
who are deported each month, he has become a victim of the immigration laws.
He was made a target for the government's racist laws, because of his work in the black community NALGO the local
Part backing his campaign and Canca a resolulull di its annual conference in his support.
They have printed and distributed thousands leaflets explaining his case This has taken the issue in-
and inner-city areas. Sup porters of Muhammad intend to mount a big lobby
outside the court when his appeal
Every anti-racist who can, should turn up at
International
Temple Place, London. underground station • at 11.30am for a march on to a rally which takes place at Jubilee Gardens next to London's County Hall.
This will be addressed Clare Short Me Ken Livingstone and
. A senior NALGO official will also speak, along with another victim of the racist laws.
Coaches • leaving Shaheed Udam Singh Centre, Soho Road. Handsworth. Birm ingham, 8.30 am 9 May.
•Bristol is also sending a coach details from Graham Reid 62 Bedminster Parade, Bristol 3 0272-667933.
London details from NALGO Mabledon Place, WCIH 9AJ 01-388 2366.
Page 11 scan of this page
Merseyside backs miners
News Birkenhead pickets act to stop m
MOLES
EYE
VIEW
Compounding a fiddle The police know a 'good' man when they pay him Barning a living
MR JUSTICE MacDermott has no intention of being kidded the members of INLA.
Look what happened witer CONSREDe John Robinson held up an Allegro being used by INLA members Seamus the
next step
review of the Revolutionary Communist Party
No 46 April 1984
The RCP hits the pits
Siac tc miarn t ardei Mos actriay
SOME CALL it greasing
palm. The customs
call it compounding. So WICI kedman TreIl] got into trouble for smuggling arms making equipment South Africa they escaped
by paying
One Redman Heenan's non-executive directors just happened to be Tory Eldon TitHIS alter partial the South AUINUI regime Now when the firm's
Grew and Roddy CarTUli. Without anv Btney ing around Robinson SCIIL 15 Shots in Rodoy Carroll. Strangely enough neither Carroll nor Grew fired back.
Then walket around Grew's side
20p
I couldn't have pur it better myself!
subsidiaries got into trouble for illegal SHELCHHIY LILE SCLIUE directors kept Eldon well informed because as they say it might have caused 'a political stir' and even
might even have finished up in 'stir'.
Meanwhile Eldon himself is just a little bit unforthcoming about it all. savine he expressed his concern and 'was assured the matter had been resolved by financial settlement.' Eldon apparently did not think there was anything amiss in the tirm buying its way out of law breaking.
Now YUU can understand why with all that business experience the police federation have got him on their pay roll.
Moles Eye View is compiled by Penningion Contributions should be sent by Thursday am.
who had been patiently
waiting for the 10 come and kill him.
Which naturally Robincon ca.
MacDermott CAplains this by saying he is
satisfied *the aceused honestly believed he had
been fired at and his life
in danger. Only a bigoted supporter of terONSHI dispute what the learned judge said. The fact that shots were fired and that neither Grew nor Carroll had a gun is neither here nor there.
If you let things like that clutter the legal mind never keep all those Brits in the orm oi reanu ano ten what would MacDermott and Robinson do for a living?
JAMES B00TH 2 08.
MERSEYSIDE labour movement showed its support for the miners at the end of last week when pickets leaving Birkenhead's Vittoria Dock.
NUM pickets from Yorkshire South Wale. wert nonled striking refuse collectors who have stopped work over holiday and sickness pay. Feelings are running high over the bad treatment Urlvale Culillal tors Waste Managment, who stepped in when the Tory council privatised the service early last year
une dock-side picke local lra des councl by the
council. Paul Davies, chairperson of Birkenhead Trades Coun cil told Socialist Action: There is over 5000 tonne:
coal Birkenhead docks, which was dropped before the miners stoppage. Last week the word went round that the coal would be moved, SO there's a this. picket 1o SEUL
On Friday only five
Southampton
By Mike Tucker, Southampton Labour
THE SOUTH EAST
Region of the TUC has se up a weekly meeting sup
committee for WUIL miners' strike launched at
meeting • where all the main workplaces the
area vure represen ml
South miners were represented at the inuaneeue ano celedations have been running an intolilaliol picket Fowley Power station on Southampton water
Workplace tours have been organised and more are planned. The local Labour Party is now fully involved. A major rally is planned for 17 Apbil at the
CaDOR Club, Queensway at 7.30pm with
from the South
•ocaKCI
Wales NUM
stopped coal imported from Rotterdam
waggons went in to collect
COm wert turned away. The miners" picket is supported by the trades council and the cen. tre for unemployed And between 150 and 200 bin-men have been down. Dockers have also sent a delegation 10 the picket line, and NUS members are refusing to pilot in a coal ship waiting 10 unload.
The local labour movement billeting the
South Wales are staying in Liverpool, and others Birkenhead And various unions are giving money to feed them while they're here.
This is a continuation of the solidarity shown by Liverpool railmen, when they refused to drive coal
the beginning of the week.
100 YEHK
! OF COAL
DO
Socialist Action 13 April 1984
Birmingham
THE WEST MIDLANDS TUC and Birmingham Trades Council support for the miners strike is growing the Birmingham area. The West Midiands TUC has launched a support committee
•held rally on Wednesday night. Peter Heathtield, General Secretary of the NUM was on the platform
In addition the Birmincham lrades Counci also organising support at a rank and file level. Support work being organised includes collecting mone! and food, organising workplace meetings, aistriouuing une miner ano organising delegations to the picket lines.
Birmingham Labour Parties are also involved in solidarity work. The Avon District Party will discuss developing support work äl ils nest meclilg
THATCHER
MIGRECOR
DALE
11
Miners'
Strike
Solidarity with
the miners Briefing public forum
Friday 13 April
7.30pm County Hall, London
SE1 Speakers include: Tony Banks MP, Kay Sutcliffe (Kent Miners' Wives organiser), Kent NUM, Valerie Wise
Support the miners
Middlesborough public
meeting
Tuesday 17 April
7.30pm Middletown Social Club
Lindhope Rd.
Speakers: Easington colliery NUM, ASLEF Organised by Cleveland Assoc. of Trades Councils.
Support the miners
fight for jobs!
Public meeting
Friday 13 April 7.30pm
Hackney Town Hall,
Mare St, E8.
Speakers include:
Jack Collins, Kent NUM Brian Sedgemore MP Ernie Roberts MP ALSEF, TGWU, LPYS
Called by: Kent NUM, Hackney Labour Parties. SUPPORI THE
MINERS
Benefit for the
Cotgrave Miners
South Nottingham and Carlton Labour
Party Women's
Sections The Narrow Boat Inn
Canal St
Friday 13 April
8pm till late £1.50 (75p unwaged)
Support the Miners public meeting Wednesday 18 April 7.30pm Council Chambers, Camden Town Hall, Judd St WC1.
Speakers: Jack Collins (Kent NUM), Kay Sutcliffe (Kent Miners' Wives Action Group), Jeremy Corbyn MP and speaker from NUR. called bv Ho born and st Pancra LP. London Recional LP. Camde Trades Council and Hampsiead and
Page 12 scan of this page
CND calls
march
against
Reagan
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CND HAS put out the call for a mass demonstration London 9 June against the presence in BriReagan President of the United States. The National Council of CND made this decision following the enthusiastic response rom CND branches all over the country to the call for a demonstration by London Region of CND.
Reagan will be in Britain to attend a meeting of heads of the richest states world. His Special free book offer! Take out a years inland subscription and we will send you free one of these books:
Thatcher and Friends by John Ross
Over our Dead Bodies -Women Against the Bomb Introductory offer for new readers: Eight issues for just f2!
visit takes place just Week before millions of people go to the polls in the Euro elections. aim of his visit will be to show united support for American nuclear missiles in Europe.
demonstration of hundreds of thousands against Reagan can make it clear that whatever the heads of state may claim, the majority of European people are against deployment of nuclear weapons. It can be a show of mass support nuclear free Europe from Poland to Portugal'.
This is all the more necessary when the manifesto of the European Socialist Parties - signed by the British Labour Par-
avoids opposing nuclear weapons in Europe. So CND's June march will also be a focus for the left-wing of the labour movement to mand that the Labour Party campaigns on the basis of unilateral nuclear disarmanent and links up with other Parties campaigning against Euro-missiles in the EEC elections.
9 June can be an enormous of opposition to the missiles and Reagan's war policy. It should be the top priori ty for every CND branch while the Labour Part] must be won to give it official support.
Evictions won't
end the camp!
JUDGES on Monday turned down Sarah Tisdall's request to appeal against her sentence for leaking information about cruise to the Guardian newspaper.
The Judge described her actions as 'gross breach of trust', saying she He went on to say: It is a serve her dangerous arrogance tor anyone, either a Foreign Office clerk newspaper, to decide which laws they are oblig ed to obey and which they are not.
In fact, of course, the only arrogance in the case
that the ministers, the judges and the newspaper. Tory ministers arrogance in believing they can send
people jail for em-
arassing them publically. The Judges for benevilig they have the right to send
ths as an example. And the
thinking it could hide its own hypocrisy by allowing Sarah to be prosecuted.
The overwhelming majority 01 people country are opposed to the American cruise missiles being stationed ICTe
By Jane Kelly, Southwark Greenham Support Group
ABOUT 500 women brought Greenham Central London on Saturday in demonstration which kept 100 or so police running about for three hours.
Meeting in Leicester
Square the women formed a chain and wound their way into Piccadilly Circus, Covent Garden, and Trafalgar Square. Despite repeated attempts by the police to break the demo up women kept reforming and reappearing in different places.
Singing the songs of the camp and clapping their hands they brought issue of Cruise London. Some of the women attempted to blockade the roads around Trafalgar Square the wollcl formed a chain and
The evictions at Greenham will not end the peace camp. Morever, it is clear that the actions of Greenham women all over the country will
Release Sarah Tisdall
Sarah Tisdall, in leaking Heseltine's document, was not threatening state
security but simply acting
in the interests of the majority of the population.
The 'due process of
law' might have stood a
chance of getting
out of jail if the Tories
weren t determined not to
back down on anything in
Place оi missiles
movement and the miners'
strike. The only force that
vent further such
amples' being made, is the
Club. Full details on tickets.
Hackney Nth, Newham NW Islington Sth & Islington Nth CLPs.
For tickets ring 01-558 0069 or 986 6439
continue to force the issue of Cruise and US bases to the forefront of people's attention.
What is needed now is a coordination of the groups all over Hally Britain that support Greenham so the energy and commitment of the women involved can make as big an impact as possible.
May 24, International Women's Day for Disarmament, is the next major focus. There will be regional actions up and down the country. On the Isle of Wight a peace camp will be established outside the Plessey works, one of 20 firms in Britain with Trident contracts.
At the end of the week the hope to organise a mass meeting with the workforce to discuss the issues.
This kind of activity should be repeated up and down the country on May 24 to back up the women at the camp, who, despite the evictions, have no intention of going away. combined activity of the CND, the Greenham women and the labour movement.
CND in particular have an urgent responsibility to initiate a campaign to tree Sarah. It should begin im WILL public meetings, lobbying, petiand demonstrations. The Socialist Society meet nas a begindig, bur meeting London now the forces with some powel something must take up the cudgels.
EAST LONDON LABOUR MOVEMENT DELEGATION TO THE KENT COALFIELD
Saturday 14 April
Coaches leave Islington, Hackney and Stratford in the late afternoon for Betteshanger Miners' Social
Sponsored by: Harry Cohen MP; Jeremy Corbyn MP; Kent Area NUM; TU Liaison Officers for
Hackney Sth, Leyton, Walthamstowe and Islington Nth.
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