Labour Briefing no. 58

DEFEAT ALTON!

Scotland

survive @Race & class @ Palestine:

eyewitness

account

SMASH THE BACKLASH!

Thousands of people will converge on London on Saturday March 19th in a massive rejection of David Alton’s attempt to reduce the time limit for abortions from 28 to 18 weeks.

‘The Labour Party and the TUC are sponsoring the event — a major step forward for all those fighting the new moral backlash.

‘A.small but powerful minority is out to destroy gains made in the past by cutting the health service, scapegoating lesbians and gay men, and denying ‘women choice on abortion. Only the mass mobilisation of the working class and oppressed people can defeat ‘this offensive — March 19th is a good start.

Behind the attack on abortion rights lies the notion that women are incapable of deciding what to do with their own bodies, that women should be reduced simply to their reproductive functions, that having children is the sum total of women’s existence.

Black people have long been scapegoated for the problems of Tory Britain: bad housing, unemployment,

me. Now women and lesbians and gay men are in ig line.

By GILL LEE Labour Briefing Women

The AIDS crisis is being exploited by those who insist that lifelong heterosexual monogamy is the only acceptable way of life. The old family ideal, reinforced by the attack on abortion rights, is also touted by the Tories in defence of so-called I choice” in ‘education — while the actual choice: ing people are reduced through cuts in housing, education, local government, and the health service.

The bigots who support Clause 28 would like to stop us choosing which books to read and which plays to

see, and of course they'd like to decide who we should sleep with — and who we shouldn’t sleep with! Alton would like to stop al! women from having a

choice on abortion, but, for the moment, he'll s=ttle for those in the hardest circumstances, with the most dif-

ficult choices to make. In the face of this moral backlash, much of the Labour leadership has capitulated. In the run up to the

‘general election, Kinnock and his gang joined in the attacks on local Authorities which were defending and extending the rights of Black people, lesbians and gays, and women.

Recently, Roy Hattersley told Birmingham pro-choice activists that he was against all abortions, and insisted that the hundreds of women who died of back-street abortions before the '67 Act “had a choice”.

Even the Campaign Group has refused to back the call for a three-line whip against Alton, with leading members arguing that the question of abortion should be left to the individual consciences of male MPs. As Socialists we must reply: on the question of abortion, only the individual woman should have the right to choose.

In 1986, 6,000 women had abortions after 18 weeks. These include young women who because of oor sex education did not realise they were pregnant, ‘women who had applied for abortions but due to cuts could not get them earlier, women who found through pre-natal testing that their foetus had Down's Syndrome or Spina Bifida, older women who did not realise they were pregnant because they were going through the menopause.

If women are to have real control over their own lives, they must be able to decide if and when to hare children. The bigots of the right think women cannot he trusted with that decision. Alton’s Bill, which is founded on that anti-women premise, must be defeated at the third reading; and only mass pressure from women and the labour movement can force our elected representatives to make a stand. Together we can prove the immoral minority wrong!

National March AGAINST THE ALTON BILL March 19th

Assemble: 11.30am on the Embankment, London; March to Hyde Park for a rally at 3pm

Picket of “LIFE™ rally, 27.10.87

LABOUR— TAKE THE POWER!

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PHOTO: Graeme

Labour Briefing No. 58 March Sth-22nd 1988 page 2

Campaign Round-up

Privatising Power

The Sale of the Century

s GLASSHOUGH TZ

COLLIERY ~

YY Ses RI

going...

The government claims cosst! power stations. bor : 2epanese electicty indisty simdar levels to those in West 1V 17% of school eaves find a mandate for further "paris would hit many The same is true for the is twice 2s efficient in labour German’ power stations west work. paren aavers find fic Seep mines. Alldeep mines in seafarers. Most of the output productivity terms as the UK would sill mean 25% iat unemployed” or “St yt privatisation of public Sctiand would close by the from the North East coliates raceme by implication loss. x sherman, sa Shek a cnection eyaeaY tat 1990s, all Nort cast is transported by sea to coat hall of the existing 130,000 A’ minimum of 30,000 jobs ~ Pet’ staion communtioe their re-election proves deep mines by the mic 1990s, stetions on the Thames. this jabs could bs shed would belost inthe electricity are. often also. miing cow this, ail North Derbyshire and Kent coal were displaced. by. ln industry and perhaps as many munities,” asin’ Workshie, Vcttioy Were eacclociad” Pines by the ete 1000s ports the ‘seafarers operating 3 3: 65,000 of those directly while others. tein weaned by siatev were re-elected |" Annual com! cutout woukd re oul feet mond lene Maintenance empioved Communities where y only Of the be-cut by seven milion tonnes their obs "The privatisation ofthe elec: unemployment slready Rak voters. in Nottinghamshire and over Electricity jobs are thresten tricity industry would kil fa and. ma other employenten se ‘A NOP opinion poll cat- four ‘millon tonnes in the ed too. There ore presently He does admit that contrat. ‘niwuin'ol YOOOG0 mie eae ‘ied out for the TUG show=— Western Ares tLanceshire'end 130,000 people employed ting out of msinfonence is slectncy, cosl: aft-esa and | “Ths slaciiity unions fade ad that 71% of the popula. « Staffordshire) by the “mid power stations end by Area mote common in afer coun, power engineering. ‘The wil formed’aer shee erasers fon de create ee we ae Electricity Boards." The Gres and thet ths should also be added 0 by the knock-on agamet the sellatt. TRo see

sale of essential services wit Yorkshire and South privatisation of the industry be taken mo account im effect and would produce an hens inthe Gor pelts be

ike electricity and water. Wales many jobs would be Tvestens thousands of elec” assessing the iequsenont for sestora’ SOOGombS eS umons,luthe Cempaian have [Bison repunee, Espn Ze Sulput at the Yorkshire super- ing the elecieity mdustry for Gustice snd in ment neces iearnt Tone whet nee ee _ ealnsering ‘campaigns need to Lawson requires Sb per Site the Tory Centre for Policy these workers are “lost” to happened to the mining be bull st all lewsle of the Tate ih Eaey, erg,S°e” plans to build three new coal- enginesr and former member groupe-at wensere Unemployment rates for effect on consumers and the EISE1S biter? "0" "fred power stations ~ twoon of. the London ectncty “The Waeet Geren lecticity adult men ee eomnianty oe) ftagt on consumers be cam a. ‘coastal sites on the Thames — Board, argues strongly for the industry is closest to the UK 20% and for young people paigned on as well. Thatcher 3 thd at West Burton on the the industry aecaraing fo Henney: Sut jf sing Cadeby Calter which sheg: The Sule ofthe Contry The timescale for the sell-off —_ Even if the CEGB were sold off oS =. Lawson (Chancellor), Lord a “turnkey contract” basis, s 5 4 = s Young and Lord Whitelaw she where all the capital, all the I in u Ir Vv Tegatetion wil be put_in bres, etc} and al the coal Farlsment in Autumn 1988, would be foreign : The government's underlying Turnkey contracts of this | Hf the far right has its way, und hove never sold books to ' Reading Matters’ chacitable campaign agaist it must enter a intention ig to use the money kind would hit the UK power | North London's Reading children which promote ‘pew phase. Civil disobedience The sall-off will have ahuge he does not want two British have received numerous bomb Standing not far behind the port to Reading Matters impact on jobs. The coal in- suppliers of power station | Clause 29. and death thr local bigots is the rich and ex- Bookshop, Lymington Avenue. dustry “would be affected equipment. Ino many woras | The national press bas “geting ‘the’ careflly or temely ngh wing Commies London disastrously by electricity he said that NE}Parsons was | discovered the small com- chestrated attack lies a right for a Free Britain and their Join the lothy of Haringey The Financial Times GEC Babeack. | ‘y — with a vengeance. the first victims ‘of Clause 29. tion and Aims for Industry. Wood Green Civic Centre estimates that 48.6 million =: Haringey Tories have requisi- Each day brings the Clause (organised by Haringey Stop the Could be replaced by apart Closure By Mike Marqusee tor ape 3th. They il poe Re Suamieslon thaws The cldsure of NELPersona | Haringey Labour Comal ue comme ms peskiee Stop the Clause Calendar of Commons Energy Select would devastate the North | Briefing in policy, disband the Could mport 20 lion formes 18,000 fobs This eas” ot looting in'vtsimplemenuaion, April 8th. National and International Day of Action autssh with power staton coal 20 special ste! twists | grant fom the taal Connie Cac Pint "S me April 30th: Mass demonstration in Condom, Meet sae eer moved he cosy Se Se aes at noon on the Embankment, rally and festival at production is ferocous. Cost would” thon force GEC. |-Binkaina) techs tow, has Oot fashpoint in StP the Clause Campaign Meetings. All lesbians imported into Europe is being Babcock to compete with Mit- | ried in the Sunday Tek the struggle for lesbian and gay 3G gay men welcome to the weekly meetings teed eit yer cat sous or doen wee etal et ar Seer ‘gh On Apa 3sihthe Tons Wednesdays, 6.30pm, Islington Town Hell, Bieigemidemingcoe fete ous tee te] ae County Reading "Morr: 5 Tits se coaai at sorcs fa <> POMUDE Saw caeried “P| Dr -8 Tharcice.peaiba- Ge che jh-mepeeatae nee ew in Europe, at prices which are S®Parate management. that “new taws being discussed he Councit’s equal opportunity fs we distributed leaflets alone sprecusiy Clause 29 tn Huddersfield 3 Coal industies tothe wall, tion’ ralicoal heater mmecn | (lets. revolted th he shop down, the Anti Clause 29 group st ‘Huddersfield {imported coal was sold at ff UK collenes were displac- | porter Dave Palmer, deny the” fort tw Clause 29, and prepare lesbian ard aay eetivies, enthusiastically: Maggie, ost more than UK coal ond con Statins on whereas | Commercial ‘dither taenis ie igh places t._an no parmeson nad been” Sn gayatono ne cates much more than the £39°50 would canoe the nace ia lreuuc,daaccuate and’ foceyves fom ie Poleg tome ee pes oe

Labour Briefing No. $8 March 9th-22nd 1988 page 3

Editorial

TGWU — moving left

The TGWU ballot result can only be welcomed bby socialists in the Labour Party. The defeat of a number of hard right bureaucrats (and in particular the demise of Brian Nicholson in the South East) is good news for TGWU militants

(who have found their actions regularly blocked or undermined.

The TGWU is not only Britain’s largest union, with its diverse membership it is virtually @ cross-section of the British working class. Because of its cumbersome bureaucracy, the movement of opinion among its members is often difficult to read. For the moment, at least, members have seen off the attempt by right wingers to take the union into an alliance with the EETPU and AEU

But, as Alan Thornett makes clear in this issue of Labour Briefing (see p. 5), the effect of the vote is mainly to secure the influence of Ron Todd over the union, rather than to turn it against Kinnock. Nonetheless, Kinnock’s uneasiness over the departure of some of his» closest allies has been apparent.

‘The recent upsurge of rank and file militancy has caught the New Realists unprepared; they fear it will wreck their schemes to turn the Labour Party into a toothless lion. This militancy needs a political direction. It needs to be harnessed to a national campaign to challenge the Labour Leadership.

TASOUR — TAKE THE POWER:

The Waiting Game

The huge turnout for the March 5th TUC demonstration in support of the NHS was only the tip of the iceberg. Working class fury over Tory health cuts is growing daily and offers socialists @ historic opportunity.

What TUC and Labour leaders make of this ‘opportunity was clear on the afternoon of March 5th, when not a single health worker, not a single health service trade unionist, was called to the official platform.

Having registered their demand on the Chancellor to spread his budget jam in the NHS's direction, TUC and Labour leaders are now at a loss what to do next: ask NHS workers and patients to wait for next year's budget — for another Saturday afternoon protest? Or wait a few years more — for a general election? Or wait even longer — for a Labour government?

Fed up with waiting

The working class is fed up with waiting — in some cases waiting for years for necessary operations.

A programme of action is needed now. This programme has to be built from the bottom up, and will depend on solidarity action from nonhealth service workers — starting on March 14th. Its keynote will be — no time to lose, no

time to waste in the fight to save the NHS.

Cars, Steel and Power

‘When the Tories tried to sell off Rover to. General Motors some time ago there was a how! of public protest, not least from the depths of the xenophobic Tory backbenches.

This time the response is different. British Aerospace is, after all, a British company. The new corporate giant which will emerge from the sell-off will dominate heavy manufacturing industry in this country.

At the same time, electricity supply is to be privatised, along with the remnants of British Steel

Thus the long-term Tory plans for the restructuring of the core sectors of British manufacturing near completion. Transformation of working conditions, staffing levels, union strength, market position, and now ownership has been achieved. Only one piece of the puzzle remains out of place — coaimining.

Plans for privatisation of the mines have been mooted for some time. That battle looms large ‘on the horizon.

In the meantime the current wave of privatisation in electricity, auto and steel, if it passes through unopposed, will represent 2 critical success for British capital. After all, the development of these industries is what puts a country in the first division of advanced industrial economies; the battle over their structure and ownership is at the heart of the class struggle in modern Britain.

A Budget Preview

Watch out for the small print

How times change!

Was it only three or four weeks ago that Nigel Lawson was being hailed 3s the Iuckiest chancellor this

By Paula Watson ‘Westminster South CLP

The ’81 slump, itself the pro-

century, with some £10 gucr of monetarism (remember billion ‘in the Kitty for how we were told that tight con handout trol of the money supply was the

ture for all our ils?) has been followed by an old fashioned. preclectiod reflation, fuelled by 2 consumer-led Boor.

T-has also led to ail the old fashioned results — bottlenecks fm industry caused by a shortage

Cuts in the standard rate of income tax to 25p and reductions for the rich from 60% to 40% without compensatory rises in. indirect faxation were being con-

fidently predicted by the of skilled labour, inflaion ex Tory press. pected to sse bY the end ofthe Sear and, most imperiant v7 Warnin; ‘ld friend a balance’ of

: payment isis Is ba Now, as the grim realities "Higher — consumption has underlying Britain's preseat_ sucked in imports at such arate “Soom Become clear tNe posi thatthe trade ga ist to rise to tion looks. very different. an uncontrollable four billion.

‘Already warning voices are being raied by Lawson's ovo

The governor of the Bank of England has given a rather mut fied ‘warning of the dangers ahead, Phillips and Drew are more forthright, saying:

"The macro-economic case for tax cuts could hardly be tweaker."

The National Institute of Economic and Social Research hhave indicated that the gravity fof the Balance of payments Siuation should rule’ out tax cuts altogether

Terrible

So much for Thatcher’s claims to have set the economy fon the path to steady nonInttationary growth. It is true that there has been some growth inthe last six years, but that was growth from the trough of 1981. ‘Gurput has only just returned 16 1999 levels and is stil below the peak of 1973 — and all this at the most terrible cost in ‘unemployment and cuts in social services.

So far from the Tories following any consistent polices, they have sgzageed allover the place.

Destruction

But the situation is_much worse now than in the past. The Gestruction of whole swrathe of industry by the high forerest and high exchange ate polices of the early eighties has left the teonomy heavily. dependent on four sectors: services industries, tourism, re-espons and financial services "All are vulnerable.

fe The service sector does not produce much in the way of ex ports and foreign earnings

‘© Tourism is notoriously sen sitive to fluctuations nex Change rates and international vents. (remember the sudden earth of American tourists ‘fier the Libyan bombing) and ‘anyway much of the money {generated flows out ofthe counfry into the international. con- ‘lomerates which control many ff the hotel and catering chains.

@ Re-exporting will become increasingly more difficult and Tess profitable if, as seems like-

the world” moves into

the stock market crash.

waiting in trepidation for the Budget.

‘with Lloyds and Midland being ‘specially hard hit, Midland has Seclared losses of £500 million after setting aside £2 billion worth of assets to cover non Shallenged by the rise of rival repayment of loans — although Scauresin New York, Frankfurt, ig fact Midland’s outstanding ‘and, most of all, Tokyo. loans were inthe region of £6 or Production of North Sea oil £7 million. has started 10 decline, world Country Nat, West. (a subtrade will slow down as the US __sidiary of Nat. West.)has had 9 tries to cut its trade and budget series of high level resignations

f@Finance, bat g. and in surance, hitherto large earners Of foreign exchange, are now threatened,

of the Ci

efi and the third world debt following the revelation of Sis fumbles threateningly losses of £116 million slong. The effect of the stock market

"All the four clearing banks

crash is beginning 10 show. The have taken 2 Deatidg over this,

Gary finance bouses are Starting

to. shed their expensive yuppie must be judged. What will he

labour. It began with the do? American institutions. but has "1 do not have a crystal ball ow spread to the Brilish but 1 think he is 100 heavily

‘A sure indiciation isthe state of the property market, In Lon: Gon prices have stopped rising fnd in some areas have started

committed to tax cuts 10 ba Gon now, so 1 suspect there ‘wll be reductions, but for most ff us these will be offset by rises

to fall. elsewhere, either in indirect i [As the true situation becomes ation oF by changing the in apparent the likely scenario Surance contributions.

seems to be a balance of trade crisis followed by a furtber collapse in the stock market and a run on sterling.

This is. the _backeround gainst SBIEH Lawson's budget

He will find some way of tak ing out the extra. purchasing power from all bul the rich: they ‘ell benefit heavily from reduc tions in the top rates of tax. So SBivatch out for fhe smal print?

PHOTO: Gracine Cooks

Labour Briefing No. $8 March 9th 22nd 1988 page 4

Trade Union Briefing

SENIOR COLMAN:

One year and still on

“The Senior Colman strikers have been on strike for 12 months, They travel 2,000 mile per week to address meetings. ““We will continue to do that until we ve got our jobs back,” says TONY LOWE. FINN JENSEN interviewed Tony for Briefing.

How docs it fel to be on strike for more than a year?

ive years older! But you also learn more during one year of sirike than five years on the fac:

- tary floor, or ten years being a Union official!) It's a real ‘education,

it must have affected your ‘economy and family life too? ' Of course, Judith (my sife) has become radicalised by the strike, She has now jomed the Labour Party. and has. given 100% support co the sitike Financially it has not been ‘easy. The irs four weeks of the Strike were the hardest — 10 fealise you don't have a wage, making cuts in our spending. Because we no Tonger live on. big estate we doa't get the Support from the neighbours we us fd. to. But our families are Behind us.

{ The union has stopped paying you strike money alter # year,

ibecause thal fs the rules of the

ABU

‘That's right, We are now wholly

dependent on the support of the

trade union movement

Tudith works 12, hours a week, $0 that is a help, for we have two children,

The Senior Colman strikers have done all kinds of fundraising in the labour movement. ‘The miners were quick to come with finanelal support and are Continuing to do so. Their support has Been superb.

Could you briefly explain how the strike started and what the situation is today’ ‘The company was taken over in July 1986 by a very big multinational company with interests in Europe, America, Australia, etc. called Senior Engineering Group Ltd, whose chair is professor Roland Smith

He was & former chair of Silentnight, and he ran the 18 ‘month dispute there.

‘Within two weeks he forced ‘redundancies on non-unionised ‘aff. He tried to impose comppulsory redundancies on the ‘hop floor, which we successful. ly fought

‘The company then tried ti troduce a whole” serics of changes in working practices: new contracts of employment, ‘which they refused to negotiate ‘They tried to force us to take holidays when it suited the company, four weeks in the winter and so weeks in the summer.

"They wanted to time people at work in otder 10 make cost cuttings and at the end of the day redundancies,

‘We refused to accept any of the things the company Put in ‘our way, unl the union and the fulltime officials had negotiated.

‘We managed to get a meeting ; arranged for January 20th 1987.

We headed off for Christmas bbut noticed the company was stockpiling our work. There was Overtime when we flit was un necessary. People worked seven days and 12 hours per day. And we suspected. that there was something in the air. We tied 19 explain 10 the workforce that it ‘was not right to stockpile that amount of work — and. we could smell a at

‘After Christmas the compan: issued time sheets which hada’ been agreed and instructed four people 10 follow them. The Company then sacked the four People, who refused to use the few time sheets

We decided to have a secret ballot for industrial action. The feelings were very high; Out of the 112 workers 110’ voted for industrial action. The company was nolified of the result and ‘asked to re-employ the four

sacked

‘They told us to get out of the room and not to waste their time, As could be appreciated the feelings went ever higher

"We walked out and withdrew ‘our labour. We elected a strike Sommittes, we organised a 2thour picket rota and visited factories’ UnroughoutManchester and Stockport.

The company then told, us ‘quite clearly that if we didn't Teturn to work the next day we would all be dismissed.

‘We received confirmation about dismissal on the Thursday morning. The company had advertised our jobs the day before we were sacked!

"The company had recruited 2 new workforce of scabs into the factory to replace the old ‘workforce, Just like at Wappieg the company had planned the dispute. You don't have a Strike, sack the whole workforce And recruit a new one sithout a lot of preparation,

And today there are 29 out of {he 99 stil om sre?

YS. 30m sil on sirke after a ear is stl impressive. The 29 2 commited to ay and fight Bux the vast majority of people Suck i out unt Augus. Sepcember fast year, when the company made their” third financial offer: cash induce tment and an dsurance that Should any vacancies occur the former employed would. be favourably coesidered. Unfortunately "65 people took the financial seulement from the company.

At that time we wanted to thank these 66 for Being with ws {or ie months but hindsight my. feclings have certainly Changed. now thiok they let os down Tey 00k the cay way out, using exeaees ike family fresure = which we all Know Soy wel and took the Toney. The rest of us Jos had Oca on

How would you describe the response from you union, the ‘ABU, to your sirike? Absolutely disgusting = — ‘without any reservations at all But the rank and file have bees absolutely supreme.

Certain officials have been supreme. But we have been 2 great" embarrassment 10. the tinion and. the labour moveiient, especially during the elec tion campaign and at the TUC Conference

T have no faith in the fulltime officials in the AEU. 1 make a few exceptions, but they. have done absolutely nothing for us at top level

We called for a one day strike during the election campaign, ‘which we wanted through the ‘Coated. We had the support of the rank and file, convenors, tte, And the fulltime officials fand the standing Labour canidate campaigned viciously ‘against this.

‘At the TUC Conference, for cxample, we were unable 10 have a siall, They insisted on us paving £1,500 for the stall. 1 Rave got ho faith in the leader ship of the AE:

But you have got a lot of support” from other unions, the NUM, for example. ‘The miners have been absolutely superb, When you have beea in 8 dispute you find that the vast ‘majority of the support you get from people who have ex perienced some of this themscives. The miners have ‘been the main.. I can't find the words to describe it, i's very ‘emotional actualy

"At Christmas, ior example, they turned up with toys, etc, for the kids. And that support has been throughout the year, from Durham, South Wales, fand Nottingham — where the NUM bas its own problems. ‘They are 100% behind us. They are a credit to the trade union

How would you describe the politcal importance of your Strike? You. mentioned earlier the similarities with the Wapp-

ing dispute,

The tactics employed by the company are exactly the same. ‘They sought legal advice before they engincered the strike 10 find out bow they could dismiss the entire worktorce

it's the same ‘ith the potice —on a smaller scale here. They have never been slow to flex their muscles on the picket fine, {tg ictimise people on the picket Hine

The company has used the trade union legislation to take ‘oat writs against the AEU and pickets for alleged offences ‘Shich would not Rave stood up in-a cour of fax

A political Tesson 1 have learned is thatthe problems fac ing the trade union movement are not going to be solved By burying the heads in the sand. ‘We have to meet the trade union legislation head on. This can on. ly be done by breaking the law OF the land,

This is not said lightly. 1 trade unions do not challenge the faws of the land they are Finished in this country. Strikes like Silentnight, Hangers, et., ‘were all ost because of lack of ‘sillingness from the TUC and Union leaders to fight.

‘So your strike has proved that “new realism’” will lead us namhere?

New realism is not a new thing. Ichas been going on for 2 long ‘ime. What new realism meant is accepting three aullion people fon the dole, accepting the NHS fm disarray, trade unionists being put out of work, funds being sequestrated. So what is realistic abou new realisn? ‘Compliance!

spoken on average at five ‘meetings per week. There have bbeen about 40 people: at each ‘mecting — that is more than 200 eople a week,

We have probably travelled 2,000 miles & week. We have spoken at TUC and Labour Party ‘conferences, the North West Labour Party Conference and. various campaign and politcal mectings up and down the country

1 would imagine that hun. reds of thousands of people Know about the sike now, by the direct representation of & Striker, Iti sery important that tS not just an article in a paper but a siriker who puts the case

The support group has done an excellent job. The vast majority of the people in the supPot group are victims themselves of Thatcher's Basin

‘We have had a variety of people on our platforms: from Kaufman to Dennis Skinner and Mike Hicks, We have. letters from just about every trade tunion across the country, assur~ jag. us of their continuing sopport

‘What is the way forward now {for you to win the srik We have got a factory in ‘Scotland that is producing 60% (of the material the Senior Col man factory requires 10 ‘manufacture their goods ‘Without secondary action or secondary picketing, without breaking the trade union legisla tion, this struggle will continue tobe defeated. At the begining fof the strike we had mans

Stil the police have (0. get

‘rade union members 10 block the products (OF Senior Colman.

The biggest effect on the production 1s that people working there are unskilled, untrained fand unable to come to grips

with the production. But 1 Sood ben tar if 1 seid the Picket was succesful because it

We saw at Wapping, T&G members drive arose the picket Tine, We have union workers as wrell as non-union workers Srossing the picket Ine.

“ican eer be 100 ffeive unless people are. prepared to take secondary action. It all goes back 0 the trade union Feaslation

Do you have any estimate of ‘how much the company has lost because of your strike? ‘Acombination of factors — the untrained workforce, the picket line, the Labour "controlled ‘Councils taking” the company ‘off their contract lists have ‘resulted in heavy losses for the company,

‘At one point there was a Wives ‘Support Group, modelled after ‘Women Against Pit Closures and Women Against Murdoch. But the group does not exist an3 longer?

“That i right. But iti important to suess that the women themselves have been on strike they have given full support throughout the strike.

“The women are just as important asthe husbands to assure a ‘ictory of the strike, We saw in the miners’ strike @ revolution ‘among the women. And this changed miners’ attitudes 10 ‘Somen, A woman's place is not in the kitchen, but out in the ‘community. Women have a role to play in society.

In the first couple of weeks the women were involved in {ood collection in front of one ‘of the big food stores in Sale {Tesco). We used to collect hun- ‘dreds of pounds of food and money. 10-15% of the wives were involved. And for the 3-4 ‘months there was a food parcel every week for every striker,

‘The women's group then started to speak at meetings, £0ing to factories and the picket Tine. It also generated a lot of support from women in general, ot only in Manchester. So there was 2. great disappoint- ‘ment when the group collapsed.

ith the formation of the

Dennis Skinner; pushing for support for the Senior Colman

strikers

support group, which has been Suocessful, both women and

‘Strikers were involved.

What can people do to help

is Skinner was in Manchester to speak at our rally he assured us that he would get us down to speak ata Campaign Group of Labour MPs meeting in the House of Commons. He tras quick to add that he was not fpoing to stop with that. He will push for a debate through Parliament. But the AEU have now stopthe main source of income Pe che £18 strike pay per week. ‘We have got to look at different ‘ways of improving the amount ‘of money coming to the strike Think ie would be helpful i strikers were invited to different

mectings across the country to address workforces, Such as we ‘are beginning to-do in Yorkshire ‘and Manchester, to put the case ver; {0 explain to these people that it could happen to. them land not 10 get complacent of apathetic. We would like 10 come and discuss with people and answer any questions. We might not know everything but ‘we have learned a Jot in these 12 months.

If you want to get in contact with the Senior Colman stikers contact: Tony Lowe 48 Dumber Lane ‘Ashton Village ‘Sale

Manchester 061 969 9486

Yes, the working class still wants to fight!

John Kelly has taken exception to one of the points 1 make in my review of his pamphlet Labour and the Unions (Briefing no. 53).

Itrelates to my view that ‘on the one hand the Tory offensive, aided by the new realists in the union, has inflicted serious damage on the structures ‘of the trade unions; whilst ‘on the other the working ‘class remains basically ‘strong and willing and able to fight back.

He argues that these points are contradictory.

I can only repeat thet both these factors seem to me to bbe firmly @ part of the situation today.

in Austin Rover in Cowley, ware | worked une was vie: timed in 1982, the number of shop stewards in the Assembly Plant was reduced Gurng the firs: helt of the 1980s by 60%, and this remains the situation.

‘Many. sections no. longer have shop stewards since Tepested victmisations have reduced the number of people prepared to do the job.

‘tthe same time, shop stewards facilities have been almost abolished other than

the operation of the discipline

procedure and dozens of Workers afe sacked every ‘week Tor minor offences or in ‘adequate work effort. Seven ‘or eight years ago 90% of those. sackings would have been unthinkable. The work effort has. been increased massively over this period, and working conditions worsened.

By ALAN THORNETT

This situation canbe generalised throughout manufacturing industry to one Segre or another. The shop Stewards movement, the most important component of ‘the trade union movement in Br tain, is a mere shadow of what it was ten years ago. Many of the combine committees have ceased to exist or have become empty shells of organisations,

ie is true thst this has not happened to the same degree with the white colar unions. Some have had serious sotbacks, like the teachers, but others have even made Organisational gains

But the millions of workers fin manufacturing and related industries are the traditional power base of the trade union movement, they cannot be left Dut of the calculation

But trade Union structures and the mass of tho working Clase are not the same thing,

Although all this has. hap: pened, the working class have ot suffered @ definitive detaat such as they did after the 1926 General Stike. Evan the defeat of the Miners’ Strike — the most serious blow the trade "union movement has taken — did not produce that.

The rank and file in the unions ‘therefore have not fFeduced to the state where they feel It is impossible. to Challenge the employers. Con: Sitions have been more aif ficult, particularly because the traditional counterweight 0 sell-outs from the top — the shop- stewards movement has been much weaker, but the capacity to struggle hes remained

Militancy

IMittancy hae been tsing for some time but has been held back both by the objective situation and by the rightward shift at the top of most of the trade. unions. ‘This miitaney has broken through i umber of “sectors, par ticular in the NHS. and tn the Car factories where it has come very much as a move mont from the rank and file, in Spite of all the problems,

‘ll the signs are that this rise in industial steuggle will Sevelop further, perhaps treating the conditions where some of the damage done can be repaired.

Labouir Briefing’ No! $8 March’ Sth-22ntt 1988 page 5

Trade Union Briefing

P&O DISPUTE: NUS: Striking for safety!

Tired people make mistakes. The National Union of Seamen know this better than anyone. But employers P&O want us to work a new system of seven days on and seven days off — that means 24 hours a day for seven days in a row.

‘Out of each 24 hours we will be required to work at least 16 hours with an eight hour rest period.

In our eight hours off we will be put off pay, but we will be required to stand by for busy periods, emergency drills, lifeboat- drills, liferaft drills, and general emergencies,

@Fact: P&O are putting profit before safety.

@Fact: P&O want at least 500 redundancies.

@ Fact: We don’t want any more money, we don’t want any more time off, we don’t want any more crew. All we ‘want is our present agreements. Most of all, we want our present safety standards respected.

Hf P&O succeed dards we will be inviting another prise” tragedy.

Send messages of support to NUS, c/o Magness House, Mill Hill, Deal, Kent.

For a speaker contact us on 582 8433.

Make 2 donation. Money is crucial to maintain the dispute. Please make cheques payable to “Women’s Support Group, Deal’" and send them to Magness House, Mill Hill, Deal, Kent Taken from NUS leatiot

Broad Left challenges for union leadership

MIKE McGRATH, Broad-Left candidate for NUCPS President, spoke to a Briefing reporter.

What do you expect to The resi are along for the ‘achieve by standing for Presi. ride — the tankies provide the Gent of NUCPS? ‘Organisational support for Aimost certainly not the voting, the rest provide 3 Presidency! I'm standing a3 @ veneer of respectabilty. I's 3 esult of 2 collective decision — fragie coslition. fat the Broad Left Conference As to what we would do it last November. Our union we won — well even if every leadership, which is left wing candidate won wa wouldn't ithe broadest sense of that have @ majority. so it's fauly Word, has failed to grasp the limited what we could do! Full Virulence of the attack on civil support for members on the Servants. frontline. whether it be OHSS They signed @ pay deal members fighting staffing cuts Which’ suggested that we all or others fighting privatise have a common interest in tion. Open up the union ~ less working for the government, sweet and reasonable pro that accepted job losses paganda — more hard-hitting through new technology and material spelling out the need much greater flexibilty In for @ fightback: unity with Working practices other civil servants, with oF ‘Our aim in the campaign is without their leaders

to bring together "isolated militants, to Buld where we What strategy should the fre strong and {0 criticise the union have to the attacks on Ieedership's inadequate the Civil Service?

feeponse’ to the offensive Industrial action is the ony against us. option left in a wide range of

Skustions. The Ibe review Drovdes for the break up of

1988 pay claim must be Pie past sf Civil Servants” central pay and

‘central to any presidential can-

Ghiate, How'are the polices of conditions package. The conthe Brood Loft different from ditions part isn’t bad — fairly the present NUGPS —900dsick leave, pensions, etc leadership? R defeat for us means a detest

for all organised workers. So negotiations are simpy inele vant — there is no com promise that could protect our Conditions of service. Oxganis ‘ed industrial action ie the only effective response — to win that we need systematic campaigning across the | Cuil

fm not sure that pay 1988 is central. Whilst pay Is poten tially a great uniting issue, | tend to think that jobs will be more important.

Having said that our ap: proach could hardly be more Bifferent. The leadership has Submitted a claim for 15% and is now sitting on its collective hands. They have also prepared a conference paper ‘on long-term pay which would

_ enmesh us in a comparisons ‘exercise. Such agreements are ‘bureaucrats’ paradise.

We want to see a claim

democratically agreed at 2

How should the union relate to social questions lke FAB, the Hoalth Service and Clause 287

Us. The attacks are all inked. Authoritarian populism of the

nity with CPSA. ideally we 22 ROS Ce ee ce "ema tacts ong

Sector but we won't get that

fon pay in 1988, public service — to drive up.

rofite. No rational capitalist Government would cut taxes Ina balance of payments crisis

How would you characterise "but these people are real

the present NUCPS leadership ‘and how would the Broad Left ‘operate ft won the elections? ‘The present leadership 1s a hhotch potch of vaguely and ‘not 0. vaguely left wing in dividuals. The principal group within it are what is colloquia: ly called "tanks

Stalinists who think that ‘everything went wrong in the USSR when Joe died

‘we prepare ‘members. for 2 fightback which it should then bbe our task to lead and suport, Se far we have seen litie evidence beyond circular Giving support to the TUC March 5th. demonstration — they see that as OK because it's on 2 Saturday!

GEORGE PRATT, Chairman of the Deal Women’s Support Group, told Briefing the latest

news about the strike.

‘We had a silent march on Sunday March 6th — ‘anniversary of the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster; but ‘we had no press coverage Pointing out we were on ‘strike to keep our safety Standards,

‘John Prescott spoke at our last march. Michael Mescher's supported us in the media. Beyond that ‘we've not heard from any Cobour MPs.

‘We're expecting the company t@ sack us soon,

We're not getting strike pay: yet the DHSS Is knocking £17 off strikers benefit

‘We need labour movement support to get our case | across — and we urgently freed donations to feed the Strikers and their families,

Herald of Free Enterprise: wamning to the bosses who want to cut safety standards

After Broad Left ballot victory: Where now for the T&G?

The TGWU- Executive election vesult is not so much a victory for the left as a defeat for the right, who have been organising strongly in the union for some time.

‘The key left gains were in three trade groups — Power and Engineering, ‘Textiles, and Agriculture.

‘A further key gain came in in the South East London

territorial division where Ford worker Steve Riley wing national Chair Brian

By ALAN THORNETT

In the Automotive trade group, the left candidate, Dave Osbourn, was defeated by just ‘over thee hundred votes after 2 fpumber of ballot Boxes ‘had been disqualified ina highly controversial contest in Midlands Region

The election, which put ten new members oa the 39-strong Executive, has produced a ‘broad left” majority of about 22-17, although a is 2 difficult calculation given the extreme Giversity of the TGWU "Broad Left”, which ranges from hard left activists to Communist Party (CP) members and Kinnock supporters.

The media caused great con fusion in the run-up to the ballot by presenting the whole thing as a Contest bericen “soft left and “hard left", when in reality it was a contest between the “broad Jef" and the old Fight wing majority led by Nicholson

They have been a major fac tor in the union for some time, systematically using their power fon the executive t0. challenge Ron Todd feom the right

Posi.” ~

Nicholson has used his pos ‘ign on the appointments com Initee to stall the hard right Berscnne ito key aon clacd |positions — something which [Bas te to bitter Blow ups i at ficast two Regions — London |ang the Midlands

in the Midlands (Region 5) Tada swan even refused porns sion 10 speak at the Resin Connaniae. Nicholson knows Seemed that regional

Decause they administer Nicholson hoped that the

regional secretaries would help Consolidate the right wing ma. on the executive Although the T&G has in many respects. supported the “new realists", ithas not done so conly’ — at Ieast_a0! on Sistently enough for Nicholson. A further shift co the right ‘would have lined the union up alongside the AEU or even the EETPU. Roe Todd would hase been destroved in the process

These plans of the right wing fell lat — in itself, a major victory for the left ‘and Tor the The effects of the TGWU cor sistently casting their 1 3 million block vote alongside the AEU and the EETPU at Labour Par {y Conference and at the TUC 9 not need to be spell Out

Result

But it is not yet clear how much the union sill actually ‘move to the let in the wake of this result — which is essentially a sictory for Ron Todd, now released from right | wine pressure and able 10 impose his Sen direction on the union

He has already: said that the GWU will give full support 10 [Neil Kinnock, and there is every reason fo belicee he means what he says.

As for the Executive unless there isa siong Tor fighting within it to make iti fluence the union (as Nicholson

‘was from the right itis likely to return to its. usual rather ‘marginal position, with real

direction being decided by fulltime officials at national and regional level

Militants

‘There are now some impor tant militants on the Executive bat they may well find

Sonfident that the election wil fnot change the. relationship betweeen the TGWU and. his ans for the Labour Party — TS probably right.

problem. which achled fs the TOWU Broad Uett. Ir has tong boon a farce. comprised of clo

‘od cahals devoted to Tining peo fe up for eketions.. The Gevclonment of 2. democratic Broad Lett would be a major development for the union and

T&G members on the march in defence of public transport

ives creibility 10 th ions, and a field day to the

media However, some of the com: plaints raised were substan Fated. In the Midlands Region $ decision was taken by the Serutineers nor to record any individual branch votes — which makes it impossible for democratic checks 10 take place. ime area, ballot boxes

there are signs that oppor: tunities here are opening up. ‘Another problem which these elections leave unresolved is the general question of democracy inthe TGWU, in particular democratic election procedures immune to ballot rigsine. ‘Successive leaderships of the TGWU have refused to take elementary steps t0 change the Situation. They have refused to. Inthe Ghange the loose union rules on were disqualified under conten- ‘a virtual tous circumstances, which almost certainly cost the let one Key seat. Other serious complaints have still not been sorted

Seriously All sis needs 10 be taken very

‘They have also refused, for the most part, 10. disiplin those caught red-handed fiddi

ing ballots, ‘chosing instead seriously by TGWU members, simply to organise re-run There is a real danger that the clections. scandal of TGWU balloting will

be used by the Tories to Fegitimise the new round of anti-union legislation, which in ‘udes postal balloting for ex-

course, many. of the allegations made in the recent sections are unsubstantiated inSentions by individualk oF the ‘media, But the union's! record

‘PHOTO: Laurie SparhamiNetwork

Labour Briefing No, 38 March 9th-22nd 1988 page 6

Labour Party

Northwest Campaign Group Conference Ignoring the lessons of Chesterfield

The Conference had been eld, open to all socialists the Cres and Sovit Con- eet (15 ming, who did. and Anni Maio (WAC), malo ara comm than a year before it basis. calling for the Campaign Group workshop which requested two _ possible — Campaign Groups, finally took place. ‘What eventually transpired ‘Yet this is what occurred. to stand candidates against the things from the conference: left caucuses, left campaigns in Twas not a response fo bore'itie Yoemblance te this Despue'the efforts of many Kimock lxdersp, inva arene ol nde ee cal tas at a response 10 nal ate = but to for comrades from ifm parte wand Ann Perfor (1S mis), -tosend alter tothe Campaign & well 5. open acs (0 Chesterfield but rather, pre- POH orton he partof tne ofthe norhwest.theconol of a member ofthe Women's Ac: Groupealing for ttochalenge (hase saggle and that i “ ee wd * Leigh Campaign Group or other _the organising committee fell in- tion Committee, who appealed the Kinnock leadership; meets all over the northwest Benn says on occasion, We people outside the leadership of to the hands of a few members for more women to join WAC @that_a broad-based Nor- rather than in Manchester don't have to wait for the the Manchester. Campaign of the Manchester Campaign after its national AGM to which thwest_ © Campaign Group —_ alone. ‘Campaign Group leadership Group. Group. ‘only 30 women came! eres Sarees ‘sel up eee oe sed'ao hk | Chances” Sele ocr Failed wee ie ee he nls cle eee Supporters ‘singop, at haan They fled to Bil he Con- "Teaco ofimeemy_ For for hone sage alate, Brising sooner - ee ey een aes eee epee ae aly il 6s oles Preston Campaign Cheserficlds was key to placeintheregion and restricted and it let only half an hour for srorkshops xo6'the preg giiae Greap baiting he Jen a nied) agrds io 2 valy-apd 3 debt fom efor ee ibeinase on ernie (personal capacity) Galion Unoaghon Geteomty. Tice wceriutetneet pan: Gaal tooreeicrep croc of Conteretee af Guicpowe, > The aatlen geuie

it became obvious by early uninspiring’ and organised en- mote speakers, when a discls- failed to respect ether of these committee out in 4 NOt The original suggestion . November (a few weeks aller tirely within the remit of a few sion from the floor would have requests, He did not calla vote sectarian way. and to. begin 10 for the conference came | Chesterfield) that any con- left organisations in the Labour been more useful because he claimed “we had run build for areal northwest

from the Leigh Campaign _ ference not based on the princi- Party Useful reportbacks from the ‘out of time”. He had made” Chesterfel-iype conference Group, “Thea! central’ idea ~ Pie of the national Socialist “The opening plenum was ad- workshops were cul short cleat al past meetings of the wtich draws in all posible Group, Their central idee Conference would be swimming dressed by because of the amount of time Orzanising committer that fhe forces im the repion, whether of was to build a conference Of agnnst the tide of a new left @Livingstone (15 mins), who given fo Audrey Wise (who op- ‘a6 agains sucha wideanging not certain. members of the the Left in the northwest {hat was bevianing to focm both repeated'a part of his Chester- posed the idea of standing committee because of the Manchester. Campaign Group which was not {0 be €X- within and outside the Labour field speech (but without the against Kinnock), Les danger of witch-hunts, feqard them as genuine, Onlin Clusives but, like Chester- Party. One example of this is flourish?) Hockfield (who was ta favour) Nicholson fas taken it upon this way milla real left be bul.

Research Project Update Regional Conferences Labour Listens to a Whole SST 7 aa

Travel Agent Shock fe t tai

nature (and worth) of the Labour Listens exercise juin eager” :

with this rush report from the latest sighting of LL uf = nee os challenge to this It was billed as Labour enough to take the afternoon that. epebsongeer hs ‘hold

Listens to Industry, Porames, “Oriy “one local Courel estate, 2 couple of

what with Swindon be- jusiness tycoon appears to das later. Perhaps our great = s = ing the “fastest growing have turned up... 2 sell. leaders would have felt out of town in Europe’ employed travel agent. place in the teal world of the

‘Another starting success working class.

range. Not many there. Don’t advertise it Invite could have seen the effect of of the “ fandy Mudd explained that ment Clause 29 was. carri two thirty on a weekday — makers of the nation’s wealth. _their own refusal to accept the 3 being effective. The witch hunt Council leaders in London have afternoon We vid consider sending 3 need to fight to bring down a | The symptoms of this is always political but is never tot so far shown any inctination

with silence thislatestinthe Times, 16 faciltate entry. Gut "No doubt £400 2 week | Annual Conference. the dangers of Clause 29, which Keep Labour councillors from,

wards of twenty peopl spend an afternoon listening _ Labour Listens to industry. But | S27 paee Tess comes gay related activities. from Tottenham CLP condem-

hing the sexist press treatment ‘of Mandy Mudd and the leaking ff her name to the media by

ine or two of them weren't to Bony Sheormen and the not to the worting cass, the | than before. Great hopes are

even Labour Party members. Leader and Deptuy Leader of unemployed. the poor. | being placed in “Labour Ry he local Business folk the Labour Council (whe later Walworth Road plods on, rom | Listens” and in a housing BY MARK SEATON

not “seem interested that evening would vateto put one success to another. campaign (iat es yet 10 2 ie ue confertice hal. Clloplig a Goa ant pout een sae the left lost the vote — but noi speech by Mandy herself, entire Saturday session the debate — on local govern Strong support from a COHSE windon Fightbac ss galled off in deference 10 Sept euts, Will thousands of speaker wea wolome Indien the NHS demonstration. It was grat “Authority workers in ton of growing discontent with a admirable gesture, but 201 [ondon approve of the trade the witch hunt matched by any determination njon representatives block "IT the London Party isto be

fo follow the nurses’ lead and

left candidate Jeremy Cortyn Egham Six was overwiclming, The rights grip can be broken,

00 to, 138.000; Brief: Sarin is unltcy the GLLP ap: but ony if the let maintains &

Daratus will put thee policy yearvound challenge 10 the

Satements into effet fights inervia, tneptiude, and A resolution calling for Local political pussianimty

‘Swindon Fightback was “‘survive"’forfiveyests. inthe continuing 1 set up aa public meeting hope that 9 Lebour govern: the town contre ‘organised ‘by Swindon Ment wil beelected that was "e.cotting rants to Labour Party on the ques- what we were fold last time, ly funded by ngs meng on | West Midlands Regional Labour Party Conference tion of rate-capping. ‘when they gave up the strug’ them at risk Corbyn ses 3 io a ue Craclens Sora 3 tecapping). it hopes by this means to Sty of solidarity ac ‘ampaign Group of s/LLL 4 : ‘bidge the gap between in. | tion in support of NHS workers - : oy Spoke stn Survival ‘come and expenditure. and urged the Party not to Fringe Meeting

‘Swindon Fightback aims to health from housing,

resistance to huge cuts io being togethe! sl these Toced | efvestion, inwmgrsion asd Royal Malvern Hotel, Malvern jobs and services im with cuts in their living stan- | other issues. ‘Sunday March 20th, 1pm

plemented by — Labe Councils.

ards. their jobs or services. 'm fed up with just defen Speakers from:

ergurn a ightbock. year | abd "We lnc io str saline Campaign Group of MPs, LWAC/FAB, LCI

have decided to attempt to developers to make a f Fightback leaflet = les or go down to defeat,"” lack Sections.

Labour Briefing No. 58 March 9th-22nd 1988 pase 7

Labour Party

iy YSOis inane)

Histher eadress |S

eo omeratwasett (]

omer (In?

says

postcode

nerd

Fightback

Now!

LAW 86 is calling on all Supporters to step up the fight against the witch-hunt.

‘The threat to Sharon Atkin, to Labour Briefing supporter Mandy Mudd, and ‘the suspension of Bradford North and Bermondsey Constituency Labour Parties all make it clear that no socialist the Party can feel “safe in the future,

The National Constitution Committee has had its ‘work cut out over the last year. The Party Leadership has seen the purge of socialists as the way to make Labour respectable again by steering the CLPs back to the centre.

But the political situation in the country shows how blinkered this perspective is. The newly merged Lib eravSDP Alliance has much more chance of ap: pealing to the middle ground than the Labour Party. Labour's standing with the working « class goes up when key sectors ‘of the labour movement start to do battle with Thatcher, as the miners’ strike and now the action jin defence of the NHS show.

By moving towards the centre, the Labour Party leaders only give credibility to the Alliance and this ultimately strengthens Thatcher. The Tories are able to ciaim that there is No real opposition because all the “‘opposition’’ par. ties are simply adopting their agenda,

The rise of struggles despite the obstacles workers face — show that there is an opposition to Thatcher developing. But is not led by the Labour

Party leaders.

They don’t want to use these struggles to give new inspiration to those who wish to remove That cher from office.

Vital to the creation of an alternative to Thatcher is the right of all socialists to argue for, and organise around, their views in the labour movement.

‘A limited victory was achieved by the left when charges against Amir Khan and Kevin Scally of Sparkhill CLP had to be dropped. But many other militants have been expell ed over the two years since and a wide range of socialists are threatened.

Neil Kinnock feels confi. dent to tum the screw because the left has been disunited on this question so far.

It is therefore very im. portant that 2 united, na tional campaign is built to defend every _ socialist threatened with expulsion. This can only be achieved if the whole left decides to make it 2 priority.

Sharon Atkin, Mandy Mudd and many other socialists would not be in the firing line now if the eft had built such a cam: paign over the last couple of years. There is not widespread support for Kinnock’s _witch-hunting among CLF activists

By taking up individual cases and building 2 national campaign, the left can begin to turn the tide on this issue.

We urge all labour move ment bodies to support the fight to defend all socialists in the Party and to affiliate or reaffiliate to LAW ‘86,

LAW ‘86 clo 1, Gorefield House, Canterbury Road, London NW6 STA

attant

fight-wing Lt

the left threat

Plasnewydd ward Labour Party (Cardiff Central CLP) has been closed down following an_accusation that Chris Peace, an expelled Milifant supporter had attended its AGM.

and former parliamentary canGidate Jon Jones and signed bs 3c other Councillors. arty officials informed Con: ssinuency officers that Plasnewydd should be suspendcod. This was ratified by the ex Scutive. Ie bas subsequently emerged that some of those pre Sent and voting at that mecting ‘not bona fide delegates

The support for including Jon Jones himself Plasnewydd. from other branches may result in the By our Wales Constituency Party's correpondent

suspension. The intention behind this was to weaken the left at the AGM by” excluding Plasnewydd delegates. Jon Jones was himself standing for the pos tion of secretary against a car- <idate feom Plasnewydd.

Chris Peace was finally expelled at the end of last year, action against him having been initiated by the Regional Executive Commit tee in 1985, At no time during this period were the ward ‘or constituency consulted, nor ever permitted to submit evidence on his behalf

‘The ward has never Been formed offically of his exp sion. This is deemed irrelevant by Labour Pary Wales, who apparently consider it enough to hear of such # crucial decision by word of mouth or from the Tocal press!

The move against Plasnew ydd came at an unusually well attended meeting of the Const tuency Executive on Febroary 1th, a week before, Cardift Central's ‘AGM. Plasnewydd’s delegates and officers had no prior warning of the situation.

The action followed a lett cof complaint written to Labour Panty Wales by City Councillo

me

ARINGEY

Haringey Against the Witchhunt Defend Mandy Mudd

‘The Haringey Against the Witch-hunt: Defend Mandy

‘Mudd campaign has been established to fight the

spreading witch-hunt in the Party and defend Mandy. Petitions and a fact sheet are now available: order

Support

At the AGM on the 19th, s port for Plassewydd came rot Only from ail shades of opinion fon the Jef. but also from the more consitutionally minded on the right. Regional Organiser

Anita Gale was present al the meeting. bul refused 10 state fader which rule Plantes sdd had been suspended, what form the enquiry would take oF how it ‘would be constituted.

‘She assured the mecting lake only a few weeks and that 3s soon’ as it was completed Plasnewsdd's AGM sould be cconvened. A resolution 10 20 joura the CLP-AGM snitil this hhad happened was ruled out of order by the Chair and i postion to his ruling

them from the Campaign to help seek affiliations and donations.

Contact HAWHDMM c/o lan Lund, Secretary, 23 Earismead Road, London N15. 01 885 3286,

SS Se SAS a

Right tries to suspend away

can be depended on for a steady stream of misinfor mation. LCCers in Ber mondsey, for example, have furnished a profile of all members of the local GC, in which former Labour Party General Secretary Jim Mortimer is classified as a fellow traveller of Militant!

Under the Data Protec: ticn Act, we can obtain copies of personal informa: tion about ourselves kept on almost any computer database (police files are among those excluded! The Economic League has avoided the rigours of the Act by holding all their fi on card indexes. IMeacher has demanded a broaden. ing of the Act to cover these).

YSOs and others should contact the LCC office — at 9 Poland St, London WIV 3DG — with a re: quest to be supplied with a copy of any information held on themselves, And ask LCCers why they have left off 2 box for the category which would best describe the LCC — Stalinist

It was good to hei ‘Michael Meacher denounc-

which keeps files on ac. ists for the benefit of ‘employers.

The League, which Meacher describes as “'McCarthyite”, vets 200,000 people each year, with a little help, no doubt, from mates in Peter Wright’s old outfit.

By Geoffrey Sheridan Hornsey & Wood Green cLP

Unfortunately for Meacher, his own Labour Co-Ordinating Committee is avidly collecting just the kind of information sought by the Economic League.

Ina circular to sup: porters it requests that they supply the name, ad. dress and phone number of their CLP’s Youth and Stu: dent Officer, along with his or her political. allegiance (see left)

Information” in this line of work is, of course, anything but. Like ali political vetters, the LCC

short of the two thirds majority. injo it would bg eomductod. She ede 19 overturn it feiterated. thal the unconstit ‘The meeting went ahead, but tionality of the EC mestine ial

the sistained opposition of the soi maiter since had “ashen

majority of those present en the right decision"

sured that only three and a hall

items from a I6item agenda Opposition

were completed and no new of flcers elected. The AGM was adjourned und the following. week

Once again, however, opposi tion 10 this ensured. that the meeting was unable to make tmuch progress and ance aga it failed to" lect officers. What happens now is. not entire! clear, but iti likely that th eonstitueney self will fa Suspension and the enquiry w fake place under the auspices of officers appointed by the NEC

1c is still possible, how ser

Compromise

In the meantime constituency officers met 10 agree a compromise solution prompted by {he realisation that the executive tmecting wMich had ratified the uspension of Plasnewydd had

been improperly constituted. It that @ third. attempe will he was agreed to put the following made to hold the AGM. The Course of action to Labour Par next, and most important. stem

on the agenda isthe elation of officers and there is ie that

wld be done to prevent a “walkover” by righiwingers for key positions

ty Wales: fereconvene the FC on a pro’ per bans:

hold. 3 Ratt ‘@aljourn the GME AGM in ue meantie

Anita Gale refused 10 agree to this proposal and insisted that the "constituency AGM ahead, If it did not, the NEC ‘sould appoitt officers. The fac

at the EC mecting was im Properls constituted way im faterial since it was inadvertam (2) shile Plasnenydd did what thes didi full knowledge of te consequences (and are therefore, presumabls. gaily without Raving had the chance la present a defence)

The reconvened AGM ahead on February 26th. Ani Gale still refused 1 say_ under what rule Plasnewydd was Ssspended, oF how the enquiry

few Playnewsad

Motives

The motives behing a ae politcal, The to be upbolding th Party is lndievous sce fules a ole 4 ‘ction agacint Plas ikl Wha happier a tempt te sethet he fel it jonsttti ih fc Ssfently fought th ous Covell i lowe 2 loval ssvondaty so went Plawsewsdd represeite sth tothe rights dominate in ol Eabour pobitice as agit se political carcer aspiration a cerzain individuals

Briefing supporters are urged to put the following model resolution on the Exeter witch-hunt to. their labour movement organisations.

Model Resolution

We note that disciplinary proceedings are being initiated against Peter Bowing by Exeter CLP principally in response to an article ‘written by him in the Flying Post, 2 local community newspaper.

We believe that such proceedings go ahead it would put at sk any individual who sought to advance opinions critica! of local or national leaderships. These. proceedings therefore threaten the right to diseeat and to promote alternatives, As Such, they constitute 2 serous threat to the democracy of the Cabour Party

‘We support the right of Peter Bowing and other individuals t0 put their views on how to advance the cause of Labour. Wwe heretore call on Exeter CLP immediately to stop all disciplinary proceedings.

Plaase send copies to P. Bowing, 19 Culverland Road, Exete and to The Secretary, Exeter CLP 26 Clifton Hil, Exeter

* Labour Briefing No. 58 March 91h-22nd 1988 page 8

Feature on Scotland

Don’t pay the poll tax!

Im the next year demands Labour Councils have an

for payment of the poll ‘pated lesslaion and roshed tax will be issued. go se cemee ed eoenion Tens of thousands of “On the’ face of it Labour timable to pay. Sie Will Labour back the noo payment campaign or de By Gordon Morgan pounce. ie? Wil Labour Central CLP Councils prosecute non payers? "Will Labour ‘The Tories produce leg Mnugisrates fine and jail tion ‘which Brian ikon MP them? eccrbes as “morals nicked.

ltteriy unworkable and

These questions ough 10 Be pojiically suicidal... mass eve

the foeus ofthe debate at Scot

1h far of te ete Sia neal, atone 70 STmotions ta fifih ofthe wxal) — (AMWt, evasion will involve eee spend much of his energies de Scoliah Execitive want 10 paigns. Kinock and Dewar do avoid this debate and will wrie likewise, most recently st ‘classic fudge. The poll ax Labour's Local Government

‘rill be roundly denounced, but Conference.

Specific vommitments 10 action

‘Sift be vague, Labour will not Complain

mount a. non-payment cam

paigh bul the option may belefi Labour Councils complain

pen so individu about the extra administrative ‘This. ceptesents some pro- burdens and costs which could

ares, Until last month, the be incurred if “irresponsible

Sinart money was on a Labour persons" launch a "don’t

Commitment to denounce, Fine, register” campaign

and jail ‘As Denis Canavan puis it Tor the last six months, “Six centuries ago Wat Tyler

wilson, Dewar and Kinnock led the Peasants’ Revolt which

non-payment defeated the poll tax. Now we crated theit are lumbered with a leadership ‘Tors law, who are in effect telling the peo-

70,000 march in

support of NHS

‘As thousands assembled throughout Scotland for the STUC Day of Action in support of NHS, a Thatcherite counter-demo was held by “Public and Local Service Efficiency Campaign” (PULSE) outside STUC headquarters in Glasgow — drawing as many as nine supporters at its height.

Bemused camera crews and reporters found they outnumbered PULSE by two to one.

Back in the real world 20,000 joined the Edinburgh Demo — by far the biggest march for years in the city. The scene was repeated across Scotland: 11,000 in ‘Aberdeen, 7,500 in Dundee, 5,000 in Inverness, Dum: fries, Fife, Orkney, and Lochgilphead.

‘The depth of anger at — and potential resistence to — Tory policy on the NHS was clear. This was obvious in Glasgow, {where 25,000 took part in the demo. City centre traffic ground Toa halts the march wound its way from Royal Infirmary to 8 rally in George's Savare.

Contingent

[At 11.45am the first group reached the square; but not until 1.20pm did the last contingent arrive. There was no hostility from drivers held up by the demo. Homs kept tooting in solidarity ‘with the marchers, Bus passengers ikewise were clearly in support.

Prefighters, local government manual and white collar staff, and ather public sector workers joined with workers from all the main factories to make the Day of Action, as STUC General Secretary Campbell Christie said, 9 “stunning success”

“Tory placemen on the Greater Glasgow Health Board directed the media to Duke St hospital where all 85 ancilary staff promptly walked out.

Of course, the cameras failed to capture the solidarity of pa: tients with NHS workers, and the whole spirit of the Day of Action.

‘Duke St nursing officer Moira Shanks said, “A lot of old folk in here remember the 1926 strike. They wanted to go aut and join the picket line, but we told them it was far too cold.

‘Meeting ""Red Ciydesiders™” from the geristric wards wasn't quite what the Grester Glasgow Health Board had in mind when they sent the media to Duke St Hosp

m Niblock isso

le that at the end of the das {they will just have to touch the Jorelock and stump up.

Rinnock's approach scems 10 be based on the notion tha poll tax will bea vote-winner for Labour. Only if people are fore edo pay it will they reject That ‘her and swing behind Labour

‘But in Scotland the people are already behind Labour and Tooking for 2 lead. If Labour ‘doesn’t supply it, they will ook elsewhere — probably to. the SNP.

to Conference wil leave options ‘open. Non-payment won't be encouraged, but” won't be ‘vehemently’ condemned. Coun- ‘ik will be encouraged to delay ‘Non-co-operation in registering may be encourazed. Modifica: tion of the law may be sought "This position seems to have emerged through the trade ‘anions to the STUC to the Seo fish Executive. Ina distorted tray it reflects the strength of esting in the localities and a recognition that the existing ‘Sampaign is 100 low-key. However, it is not the only ‘option on offer. At least seven resolutions, mainly from Edin: burgh, lay down specific pro posal for opposing the poll tax These inclode noo by local Cout

call for more democratic organisation of the Stop it campaign and some ask

rll Scottish MPs 10 declare en ‘masse thee intention not 10 pas the poll tax.

These measures must be sup ported even if the resolutions as 2 whole are voted down in favour of the fudge

‘The sad fact is the poll tan is tax in Scotland and can only be Stopped through a mass refusal to pay. Unfortunately, very few in the Party. accept this. Even fewer ace willing to campaign con the issue,

W's said. that his tactic #€ premature, True, in the sense that there's a year before pay tment is duet but all t00 hte time remains for a mass campaign,

legality

Concentration on illegality, it is said, removes credence from other propaganda, If this were the sole tactic, rather than a Final stance, it might be true. However, the main argument rests on the unstated delusion that other actions can be effective

Labour was late in mounting a campaign and Strathclyde Regional Labour Group had already voted to implement the legislation before it was discuss.

‘This ended any chance of Coun: cils refusing to implement. Fac 4 with Labour's line, NALGO. ‘oted to implement — after all more jabs were being created

“Ths before a campaign was even. considered, the poll tax tras law, and the Counells and unions had effectively complied.

Options

‘The options to non-payment ow being considered wil have Fite effet: ‘@Non-registration may delay ils not co-operating in registra tion. However, registration mechanisins don't require <0. operation. Arrangements hase been made with Authorities and others 10 obt patient lists.

will thus be easily ob:

(although difficult” to

‘e District Councils can refuse 0 collect. But Regional Councis can easily meet this gap. feCouncils could refuse. prosecute, but the Registration Officer will act for the govern ment and institute proceedings stithout Councils" consent

(@A mass non-payment cam. paign is, as Brian Wilson said, inevitable”. Will Mr_ Wilson and other Labour MPs. place themscives at its head?

The Scottish agenda

In Scotland on February 24th we witnessed

Preparations are now being made to follow up the demos with more actions.

(On the 24th sympathy action was taken by what remains of Scottish industry in mining, shipbuilding, the motor in. dustry, and public service groups suchas. firefighters, ‘social workers, and Local Authority workers. This demonstrates both the depth of feeling on the issue and general preparedness to act upon it.

So far the Scottish hesith ‘service has largely escaped the effect of privatisation. The original instructions for tender: {ng called for three specimen ‘reas in each Health Board (equivalent to the District Health Authority in England) 10 {90 out to tender.

‘This allowed for s certain amount” of ‘connivance bet ‘ween trade unions and health boards. In Forth Valley. for ex ‘ample, tender documents ‘went out for three health cen: tres to be cleaned at exactly the same times.

‘Before June 1987 the Scot tish Office “overlooked this The pay-off from the unions was the introduction of work Studies ond bonus schemes. Nonetheless it is true to say that_union membership was ‘maintained along with stanards of service

Developments since then have changed the face of Scottish politics. George Younge: moved from the post of Secretary of: State. for

‘Scotland to be replaced by Malcolm Rifkind. The decimation of Scottish Tory MPs lod to the rise to prominence of Michael Forsyth, MP for Stirling.

In is_new post, Forsyth decided to make privatisation feesier and called on Health Boards to put domestic end catering services out to tender by February 24th,

By DAVE FOWLER

His timing could not have been better — for us. There ‘wae no attempt to stagger the Drocese from department to Gepartment or from ward to ward. Nurses were becoming more and more anxious about the fate of Special Duty Payments and the pay award ‘and its funding. Miltent action by the blood twansfusion service by Edinburgh and Manchester nurses provided 2 fur ther fi.

Forsyth has chosen the reas wt the NHS where unions fke COHSE and NUPE are ‘strongest. He knows that if he ‘can defest the unions: her then the rest of the NHS in Scotland can be looted freely. Administration, clerical

Scottish Labour MPs who voted for Alton:

Jeremy Bray. Dennis ‘Cenavan, Tom Clarke, David

"There are numerous resolu tions and amendments before Conference on the Alton Bill Opposition wil be forcefully ‘expressed. This reflects in par- ‘Soular the excellent work done ‘over the years by the STUC ‘20d Labour ‘Party, Womens”

\ reselection comes ar

laboretory services, X-Ray. pharmacy, “and eventually hursing end medical services will be opened up to private Contractors. Recently s large Contractor said it was not in terested. in tendering for domestic services in Lothian Unless it could tender for nursing and auxiliaries’ jobs as well

“The question of democracy cannot be separated from the crisis inthe health service, {ocal Heslth Councils lack any ower, though they may be Bble to influence public op) fiion, Health Bosrds are 2ppointed by the Secretory of State for Scotland — a Tory in ‘2 country thet voted Labour. A Scottish Assembly with powers to protect the health Service and fund it would be 3 Bastion of defence against Tory. attacks. Labour polit clans must take immediate Steps t0 Set one up.

‘Labour in Scotland cannot allow 8 repeat of the 1982 Gispute_or the "Winter of Discontent” when action was tunco-ordinated and eventually ‘issipated, Workers in and out of the health service are prepared for action. They must be given the leadership they deserve.

Committee.

However, we now face situation where nineteen of ‘ur MPs failed to vote against the Second Reading. Twelve of them were in favour of Alton. It's critical that Conference gives full support to the ‘Stirling resolution. which calls for an end to the obsceni ty of the conscience clause ‘which gives men control over womens’ bodies, and for a three line whip sgainst Alton fon the third reading,

inthe meantime, activists in the 19 constituencies where MPs have eo far not supported Porty policy must redouble of forts to ensure they do so next time round. Don't let them forget that our consciences will” be operating when

Before the June election, Doomsday Scenario”.

If Scotland voted Labour ai ed at Westminster, a constituti Labour denying the Tories Scotland.

Needless to say the “Door nothing (as yet) has happened| cautious is an understatement. ‘commitment to discussing its members and Labour won't fo

This is no accident. Labout

‘The proposals in the Housing (Scotland) Bill (now in committee) will radically reduce the powers of the Scottish Labour-controtied Authorities and could mark the beginning of the end for public sector housing in Scotland.

Security of tenure will go; the threat of eviction will hang over the head of every tenant who changes his or her landlord; the traditional ‘weapon of the tenants movement, withholding rent to demand repairs, will be rendered useless.

Ignoring the real problems

damp-

ness, crowding, homelessness, presumes that a tenants’ choice of landlord {albeit in a single direction, ice, out of the public sector) will attract the huge investment required to solve Scotland's housing crisis.

The government expects invesiment’ {come from the private sector. Ownership of Tree peripheral estates will be diversified, Scotland will become a nation of happy hhouseowners. Those misguided Tenants who choose not to buy will be happy, foo, because they at least will be able to. choose their own landlord

‘But what evidence is. there that private javestment will be Forthcoming?

‘A Royal Commission in 1917 Jed to a massive programme of Local Authority housebuilding ‘which continued until the tnid-1970s and. was. supported by almost every government. Councils built more houses than private builders every. single Sear for over fifty years; only Since 1978 has this trend been reversed

‘Cuts in rate support grant and. increases in mortgage tax relief brought private developers into Scotland. In 1987 less than quarter of houses. builtin Scotland were built by the

Labour Briefing No. 58 March Sth-22nd 1988 page 9

Feature on Scotland

press was full of “The

Tory government remaincrisis could develop with a mandate to govern

lay Scenario” arrived, but fo say Labour’s tactics are ptland no longer has even a irs. The Tories can’t find the issue by meeting on its

d the “feeble 50” terrified of disturbing the

‘Scottish Assembly!

status quo. To demand a voice for Scotland would be to “pander to nationalism”. Worse, the Tories may grant devolution and cut Labour's numbers at Westminster

This decrepitude can’t go on. The poll tax, the closure of, Scottish Coal, Ravenscraig, the destruction of local govern- ‘ment and education. These must be fought with the voice of a Scottish mandate against Westminster Tory rule.

‘At the very least a Scottish Convention must be establish ed as an authoritative forum from which to challenge Tory rule.

‘A number of Conference resolutions address this, in par. ticular, the resolution from ASLEF which would commit the Scottish Council of the Labour Party to establish a Scottish ‘Assembly before the end of the present parliament.

Gordon Morgan, Glasgow Central CLP

S i

ays risen to mest increasing ble sector rents (on average Trom £4.92 in 1979/80 10 14.65 in 1987/88), will not rise meet rents set by individual, fen unscrupulous, private lords of struggling housing

‘operatives. The poverty trap will open 10. swallow up

arket”!) rent must be agreed ween tenant and landlord. A

Assessment Commitee il decide the rent where the es cannot agree

This will mean new tenants ying more than

ders will be reduced Cheap | "Short

rsx monthe. Regulated Pansies fr sting tensts wil Tenants il want oy pot, i thelr accommodation args or too sal for thet wes A dependent may ony tegen in te house fort

Assured

danger

foinimum of five years. Only an Immediate spouse would be lowed to succeed to an assured

Tenants have been quick t0 recognise the desp dangers of the proposed changes, as shown by the upsurge of activity by Tenants Associations throughout Scotland. Tenants in areas that were built by Sei tish Special Housing Associa tion Gronically now celebrating its SOth anniversary) were first off the mark.

But District Councit hhave joined with them at mans, ‘many public meetings, rallies, ‘and demonstrations

‘in Erskine, built entirely by the SSHA, tenants campaigned Nigorously’ against the so-called “consultation"” document and are now fighting the Bill. The February 27th rally in the Usher Hall drew 2,500, The November Glasgow ally filled the City Halls

Public pressure has changed the emphasis of the Bil, which now includes more detail on {enancies, some assurance of job security, and provides for a Srengthening of tenants" rights against harassment

tion. Mass support and mass impact is there. But ‘with notable exceptions the existing Campaign bas been devoid of lany leadership from the labour movement, and in particular from the’ Labour Party in Scotland,

Tr seems to be slowly filtering through that if passed this Bill will affect every single public Sector tenant, every single per

likely to become the 31,000 families officially homeless in Scotland, ‘every single child ia a damp hhouse, every single person who might in the future lose bis or her job, spit up from his or her spouse ‘or partner, oF 0 into hospital for an extended stay

Labour Party actiisis join in one oF the biggest paigns in Scotland,

‘Support the resolutions, i press. on your local District Councillor and Councils thie accountability 10 their local fenants, and put pressure on your MPs and the Commitee (0 ‘amend and oppose the Bill.

For futher information on the Campaign Against Scouish Hlomes contact Iris MacDonald, Chairperson, Scottish Tenants There's sill ime to campaign Organisation, c/o 28/24 St Amto change the prosposed legisia- _drews St, Glasgow.

Briefing readers willbe Paty apparatus, K's quite woll aware of the LCC's posable to rasa the mite biawenen on sven tho outcome Bas regia = yer the on ral ~ monte Sih aod decine inthe In conjunction with ces Scotueh bese refects right-wingers and the failure to provide a lead Sometimes with Tory _—_ageinat Tory stiaces- The Is backing they have Sopot nine Sp, rationalised the reactions aginst implementation of {feet tus yeor's Seotish massive cuts in local

Conference, they represent government expenditure.

‘not only 2 challenge to Donald Dewsr's leadership,

By Jim Niblock

Glasgow

but also to the effectivenses Of the soft left as an alternative,

‘Scottish LCC is an accident ‘waiting to happen. It’s only held together by what it's against — the "Trots”. A lear space is now emerging for a broad democratic loft the Scottish Labour Party. Benn challenges for the Leadership, an ideal focus will be offered around which can be bull.

‘Any residue of the alliance between the saft and hard left evaporated as th aligned feself with t 19 to impose Tory cuts. ‘The stampede of the London LCC to the right has led to a split. In Scotland, where the LCC stil has 3 Strong position within the

Anti-Apartheid Demo planned

However, Glasgon _ Nor. thwest Anti-Apartheid Group sted the expansion of A.AM sroups to 23 in Scotland and the fecreasing interest of the trade

Glasgow is set for am anti apartheid demonstration ‘on Sunday June 12th.

Ihe launch conference of the Hands off COSATL canrpaine oon May 21st will be impoetant In building trade union support Tot the June demo.

Brn ba aphid tunion movement. Over $00 peoCOSATU and the NENW! Re,cteosed Wwe tection: Sih err nad id Sanctions Nove! SWAPO, in Edinburgh and Atzeady mary trade unions This will follow the Scot NUMSA" on behalf of. their tish Trade Union conference By Allan Green General Secretary. Moses to launch the Hands Of7 Maryhill CLP Masekise. Seppomt tar Soe, ere ry Mapehiso, correndy facing trial

Thal nal MAM groups i SouUh Attica. should be part

Tis cvs wee called by Sal eeal KAM ears St the. Haws Qf COMATE the Scottish Committee of the S2ME 0 the position thei campaign.

from local groups and activists. #8 there. if it was systematical trial for the trade union moveThe A-AM in Scotland is now {¥ built. The positive role played Tey “Cevaris must be made 10

by SNP members in supporting {his initiative has to be recogni tod and commended.

poised 10 take impo Forward in solidarity ~with

highlight it in the preparatson for the demo, including at the Trade Union ‘Conference, and

the liberation

to become a mass Le 3S

tunity to build @ stron

iis mecting on coincide with the start of the Sth, ‘the Scottish Glasgow to London march, parr widet ase for solidarity. with Committee had been hesitant of the national events the liberation movement in

deserves the

about calling the demonsira- celebrating Nelson Mandela's Southern Africa

tion. Following some disappoin. 70th Birthday. It is envisaged support of all ade union bras ting turnouts for events in the that Oliser Tambo, the ANC ches, Labour. SNP, and olfiet past, some on the committee President, and possibly Jesse political partie.” women’

'2 Scottith demo as 100 Jackson, will speak at the Scot

dish demo.

Scottish A-AM demo

Sunday June 12th Assembles 12.30, Kelvin Way, Glasgow

Broups, student unions. youth ‘reanisations and Asian groups.

Hands Off COSATU!

Trade Union Conference T&G Halls, Bath St, Glasgow

Disarmament

For a nuclear-free Scotland!

Jaunched a campaign and ordering more frigates. fore in both these demonsira around the slogan For a Later he claimed a high speed tions. Revolutions should be bipictaaniawes =. of the unions to pursue any — against the revision threatened

itial conference held in Glasgow City Chambers dressed by Sam Galbraith

Serious work on alternative uses for and employment at weapons

by the defence review. Branches should send resolutions to. An

‘Strathkelvin and Bearsden) By Tony South: Britain.

and Doug Harrison (STUC Assistant Secretary).

More than 200 delegates attended, of whom amajori-

represented Labour Parties and trade unions. This reflected widespread anxiety

Secrets 3 Scottish iting that non nes Labour CND Polaris oc Trident « meats opGlasgow Pollock CLP posing Chapelcross nuclear Enrichment pam which plays & May 2h ithe day Ohed for central part in making bombs: a follow-ap | Nuclear Fr Scotland” demonsration is

and opposing all the com: Glasgos. An organising com.

‘munications, reconnaissance, naval and air bases that support

about the forthcoming Party’ ice was appointed bs the NATO. defence review and its Conference 10 mobilise for the @ Raking Sam atbraith's failure to campaign around event and insitations will be sent__theme seriously. in resolution

‘welfare not warfare” ‘out 10 all major labour moxe- around welfare nol warfare, ‘ment bodies 10 join. jobs not bombs, ete. and in ‘Sam Galbraith issued a pas- fhe peace movement is also sisting that disarmanicnt means sionate call for health not arms rapidly" ewalating work in the diversion of resources. (o spending Unfortunately, when preparation for delivery of the useful ends, Sam was questioned about the first. Trident in 1992. The ““@Developing trade union Contradiction between this and Coulport base on Loch Long work on alternative. employ the Party's policy of spending has undergone massive expan: ment so that our movement can money saved on nuclear sion with associated en- convince workers al Rost, Wweapons on conventional arms, vironmental destruction. “A Yarrows, Ferranti, Coulpor. he sidestepped the isue by alk demonstration is planned a! etc., that dkarmament meats

ing about the non-party nature Coulport in October.

With Scottish Regional Conference in the offing, Briefing readers in Scotland bring you this special feature on Scottish issues — many of which will be covered at the Conference. Feature compiled by Tony Southall; all writers in a personal capacity.

development uot dole

Labour Briefing NO. 58 March 9th-22H4 1988 plage 10

Features: race and class debate

A reply to Marxism Today

‘‘New social forces’”’ can’t be hived off

In an article entitled “When the Hardline is Right”, published in February's ‘Marxism Today, playwright David Edgar pleaded with the Labour leadership (national and local) not (o reject the “new social forces’ just because they had been associated with the ‘gross excesses” of the London left.

He warned against a reac tion which has led to the consolidation of the right ‘wing old guard in areas such as Birmingham, where race and women’s "units have been disbanded.

He wanted political currents such as the Chartsts, Fabian, and" Labour Co-ordinating Committee (the “sensible let”) to spate the politics of race, sexuality, gender, and ecology from the ravages of the cuts which the "sensible left is now ‘making in its retreat from the polities of “posturing”

‘But which areas docs Edgar think should be cur? Housing, Fefuse collection, nurseries, Social workers, home. helps, libraries? He doesn't say

He simply insists we prioritise the ‘new social Torees™ (OF racred cows” as they ate known amongst the ratepayers and the gutter press) in light of the failure of Labour's tradi tional economic and clectoral polities

"There has been a flowering, wwe are told, of a new polities based on rave, culture, sexuallty, and gender, with a better {ack record in gaining support and mobilising i

"He concludes” that though these policies may not be im-

‘mediately popular, Labour in its fethink should noc throw the baby (new movements) out with the bathwater (hardline, postur ing, unreconstructed, sectarian polities). The former is tainted by its association with the latter efor understandable

Leaving aside his many inacccuracies and dishonest linkages (e.g. comparing the tactics of Kings Cross Women’s Cenwe/Yellow Gate" with the Socialist lef), Edgar's article is ‘Objectionable mainly because it feproduces in its most desperate Form Marxism Today's tetteat from class." It ignores. the political and economic content {Of the social forces o« which i lavishes praise

The saving of the race rela tions unit will nor make life ‘aster for black families, many flready on or below the poverty Tine, who find their rent increas cod by 40% in a single year, or ‘eho can't g0 to work because mothers and toddlers eroups have been closed, or can’t get information on policing. im. migration, and social security because advice and law centre funding has been cut

Black struggles are now and have always been about ‘something more than just 3 mar Cissistic appreciation of one's colour or. identity. ‘The healthiest elements have always ‘come to the fore when they have organised independently 10 challenge ata political and ‘economic level the injustices of

To prioritise politics ofidentity and cultural separateness, as ‘Marxism Today suggests, isn plies that black (female, lesbian, 42892) people are mainly in need ‘of some” psychic uplift. or Support.

For the majority of ‘black people, the problem cannot be Solved by someone on the state payroll "telling them how ‘wonderful they are. Like many “eraditional” Labour - voters, they want basic, efficient, democratic serviess (housing maintenance, social services, education, leisure, et.)

Fora joureal that prides sett ‘on “the polities of difference’ Marxism Today shows amazing ignorance of recent critiques of ideatity/cultural politics (e-. Race and Class’: atticles On

By Shahid Tilley Haringey Labour Briefing

Race Awareness Training and Jewish Feminism and Identity Policies) and the attacks by the Pakistani Workers Association and Emergency magazine on the descructive effects of extensive Sate involvement in Fighting David Edgar ignores the link between social movements and democratic socialist poitics. Disputes at Imperial Typewriters and Grunwicks were about Black — workers Fighting for equality and union recognition; the rebellions of 1981 and subsequently were about the fight against racism land. the call for democratic Fights. in face economic brutal

community organisations was about an urgent need co support ‘and. supplement the actual Struggles of black people in the

‘courts or in the schools,

‘Marxism Today has provided intellectual succour to the Former sot left in an attempt to shift’ Labour's politics away

from traditional socialism and Undermine what it perceived as the hard, unreconstructed let. But the hard left bas for some time been in the forefront of in-

ives around Edgar's new agenda

‘Though he is wiling to admit that in this regard the “hardline” is righ, will he and Marxism Today come out in 3 intellectually honest manner and say that the right wing are wrong in making cuts in basic services which wil have such traumatic impact upon people's

‘Marxism Today's shortsightedness is further ilustrated in failing to note the debate that hhas arisen among focal Labour leaderships over whether to con. ‘nue with the “dented shield™ Jn face of local opposition and further Tory attacks

‘While Edgar talks about sav ing the new agenda a debate has arisen in the New Staresman and New Saciety over how the New Realiste should extricate themselves from this double bind. Discussion of majority opposition and other ways of avoiding the increasingly tumpleasant choices forced upon Local Authorities has surfaced

Unfortunately, the priority scems not so much fighting the Tories as beating the left and trying desperately to hold onto some mystical power of local electoral office.

If we draw up a balance sheet of Marxism Today's eurocommunist project of building a broad and popular left alliance that marginalised the “hard eft" we come to two conclssions. One, the left has lost alot ff fellow ‘travellers; and. ti the attempts to. stop. Tha herism or even weaken the old Sorporatist right wing Labour

Do ooo coe bo peoo oo esos oooossooososoosooC"ps0000000000000

Secularism vs. multiculturalism

In Briefing (9.12.87), Shahid Tilly argued that socialists need to “reassess the state's relationship to religion, culture and ethnicity”

He went on to advocate that the left clearly commit itself to secular education.

For socialists, the public

domain ought to be a place where different cultures meet and where they can be critically and mutually

examined. But translating this “ought” into a reality isn’t easy.

Religion is an increasingly Important issue in the polities of race and culture. The New Fight understands this

Roger Seruton in The Times

parents Moslem ‘organisations who had challenged the left's sex Lal politics. He denounced the threat posed by the: “increasing seculerisation of schools by the left-wing

authorities who regard all forms of religious worship and ‘assembly as inappropriate 10 ‘our mult! cultural society.

In. another article, Scruton explicitly enists religious sen. iment against radical sexual politics. The leftist, he Claimed,

‘cares not one jot it, in ‘order to enjoy his position as champion of the’ minorities ‘against British culture, he

‘A landmark ia the anti-racist struggle in Britain: Bair Peach memoriol march passes the spot where he had died some days earlier. Southall. April 1979,

‘Seruton has raised two thor ny problems. First, the British State je not 2 secular institu tion Nor is its. education system. What is often thought (of ae its nominally Christion cheracter turns out to be

By Andrew Coates Ipswich CLP

anything but nominal when it Is challenged.

This inettutionalised unity of Christianity and "Britishness" has become & mobilising point for recialists (as in Dewsbury)

‘Secondly, the _ cuftural relativiem favoured by many fon the British Left cannot pro. Vide ‘an answer to. the New Right This relativiem trests each oppressed group a8 autonomous, with the right to Gefine its own values

But whet happens when ‘sexual freedom conflets with ideas of “decency” held by many religions? Do we mute our” criticisms of every Sbscurantist abeurdity in order that mult-eultural harmony is preserved?

How can we begin to escape from these dilemmas? ‘Shahid's anewor is to reassert the old demand for secularism. (Sonia: emails ‘eine coveidor that thee i= secondary to the Immediate defence of minorities. Others may say that when the state is itself ‘acialist such a demand is both Feformist and utopian.

The fact is that the British ‘state's link 10 religion is part of the cement’ which holds it together. It excludes both

Broadwater Farm Residents Association has been visible fighting racism and cuts in essential services.

politics have failed completely. Tris with these people, David Edgar now pleads 10 save this “new agenda”,

"The forces which Marxism Today wants to embrace are bepinning 10 shrivel as thelr @ynamism and cutting edge is Submerged in a celebration of identity" and "retreat into culture. This fragmentation of economics, culture, politics, and personal life into discrete entities has been one ofthe conSequences of both Thatcherism and euro-communism,

"As ‘Sivanandan remarked in 1985, “The working class as a conscquence was stripped of ite richest politcal seams — black,

feminist, gay, green, ete, —and Jeft, in’ the ‘name of antl cconomism, a prey 10 sconomism, Conversely, the ‘new social forces, treed’ from the ballast of economic dete minis” (and class reduc Uonism), have been floated as he political and ideological ‘classes’ of the new radicalism, “But the flight from class has served only 10 turn ideological Priorities into idealistic. preoe- €upations, and politieal autonomy into personalised politics and palliatives — which for all that, has passed’ imo common left currency and found habitation and a name in Labour Local Authorities.”

May 1987: protestors march in Tower Hamlets against the LUberal Counai's evictions of Bengall families. The “Christian” state turns racist a8 soon as it #8 challenged,

non-believers and religious ‘minorities. Institutionalsing religious multiculturalism merely reinforces the cement by integrating into the state a host of competing Involerances.

‘Secularism does not mean forcing atheism down people's throats. It does not re. Quire 2 commitment to any metaphysical doctrine. It im plies that public institutions Should be, as far as possible, neutral on religious subjects.

tt means that the old link between Christianity and the State should be broken, and not replaced with any state Sponsorship. of any. religion. The rights of the non-religious, often forgotten by mult Culturaists, should also be Sttirmed.

While not in itself a solution to racism, secularism is part of the fight against it, and offers the left a clear and coherent ‘mobilising principle

‘The word “secular” tends to evoke the Thinker's Library, Charles. Bradiaugh, and. the South Place Ethical Society. Yet recent debates on educ; tion show that the issue Is far from dead,

‘h France and Belgium, the secular state principle. is 8 basic value which unites. the Left. In. France, the main teachers’ union, the FEN, is the bastion of secularism against clerical power

“The time has come for the British left to consider in itiating 9 campaign for the ‘complete secularisation of the

PHOTO: Grasine Cookson

Labour Briefing No. $8 March 91h-22nd 1988 page 11

Features: FAB

ABORTION RIGHTS IN CANADA Women’s struggle increases ; pro-

choice support |

Briefing spoke to BARRY WEISLEDER of the aiRese welfunded reigious ‘Canadian Alliance for Socialist Action about the cee eer renewed struggle for abortion rights in Canada. Evangelical churches) hold antichoice marches on Mothers What isthe medical and legal to step up bis challenge to the Day. and’ have established situation in Canada? How easy antiwoman law by establishing supposedly-independent ad | isto obtain an abortion? cline in Toconio. The cline vice centres” to trap distressed Existing legislation a the was picketed nearly constantly women scking information and federal government level re- by” religous and ultrarigh presoure them to proceed with

Giles ib any woman secking “prolif fanatics. Pregnancies they do nota Snaborion ecdvetheapprovel "The Ontario Coaltion for Exshot cope wih ota, Therepewic “Abortion Abortion “Cinies “respoodel “The frpanes ao. campaign Gomminice (EAC) consisting fei “masse,” prechoke apis public scrchucton aed three doctors sacked to 2 demonstrations; eduction ac. SSocs' "yoni wo source Pesplea tvs that reached out so the tee devices Danser to the health of the labour movement ar well as “Where there are pubic L_ woman consitte the basis for feminist” and. sommunity hospitals wih TACS thet ap Spproval not a woman's sight organisations, and the setting prove and perfor abortions F to hooss Upatanescortserviceto protest lhcantichoke forestry com 5 Butthebigges problem vies pasenls a the sinc fwom tes hospital board cetons by A from the fact thatthe majority harassment’ by" pickets ‘and signing’ up as community g Of public hospials do not bare police. members ad felling ses oF : TACs (no religiously afiated "’Morgentaler ako exablished Candies i Roel do),and whole reions an abortion cline in Winnipee, "Sach boy contscd hospital i ofthe councry. even one oFtwo Mantaba,” hoping’ that thé board” cecions ‘have Sava faite provinces," lack” any government io hat province" tpousands of peo aad ‘co s fespal with 2 FAC Tun bythe New Dembcraic Par- chose supports” to" packed e Cotbacks nheatthcarcexpen- ty" (a laboured, socal rehas and fev halls whore e aire by bth feteratand po. democrat gars) — old feenltcan go ete ae Wincal governments have made honour tsabocton rights policy thon Regent clecions and sae is Reis ot LEET" tay ect Covsber ea maces eee err cl siaramcretrrigese: gents grog iu Pocy ten Reset Gestom and SHY Stgane at the picket of “PEs” ray ist October iB pode used co Gest See ang womes “Als the NDF put trees fave gn gontin vou of howant an abortion and who law above womeats accds' and Sonate MBM! 0 ChOws. omen a decide: Fora nemork tke me : Ga atid 19 © serve fo the sear the poles 0 rad the cnc: S apeetcmter eran Soakteael eg emetonsl Saye Une Sis, dak fonbar Sonate valuable aupmen. What the compontion ofthe 9 467 3 mommies they mal out much esto stenaten ra aplicants tee. Sal Te eres aeons Bas ea eK bead fot ge to eens tar | at eseens aac > eee Te compromise made by the Back in Toro the Ontario labour mevemea sippet omens igh (0 choos sbor’ union publications, usually pro. Siatf approche "ac toy Federal ‘government: with the goverment icra the police There are 160! wines 10 the ‘ou fogowing some hard fougat mipiat oy Somer rgier com pata, Teiaey * ytorne we Saal: Such Maen Sen's MOSER tas, ate Eg oer ihe “pas tro mies Iceal an’ Shalge pone the ais frmenied the Criminal Code in although, Morgeniler went to wig isbyfarthemostdyiaiic. Gecas at our coureations” on ions spd union fede. AS MERAT En eae fh ely 1970s en ecabled iat etn, the lnk reopened Irie working to broaden and “Prominent “union figures donsuveares nn tet ne Me oHpaHN thesisting procedures just ew't__ sth massve public support, a. ondnate the movement SOS often speak ot at abericn “Unlorianicy, however, fCpmonie te pro shoice ma, working. Over the last four ctnding funds, doaaied "to. she conairy, and nos surprising. SUS. Paine: audi coufercacer actiher the sion nor We NOE rtvecat aga ceases ah pets omen have been fighting "vas confcated cauipment. ly iti ed by soca feminists {tars conrioue funds to pay cadeatins eae ee SuResegeapaus an unpopular

err tick ane ee ED toe cay, aig at the | crmceubcas fo parsispmc fa tie gress tan ee

law and demanding its removal, quitied by jury on the basis of activists 16 the cause the Common Law ‘defence of “The bourgeois feminist com: has the movement necessity” (Le. is permissable ponent. prefers snged the Taw, and what to break a law if in so doing one bureaucratic Shanes, hhave antiabortion forces done is protecting the life or health of bying members of Parliament

fo attack the pro-choice another). But the Ontario presenting briefs to Parliamen

Bes pe ral wag arora Thesis sone Se poe Ehallenging the unjst law. He’ Morgenals’s lawyer has betucen these wings Of oe : established clinics for women gone to the Supreme Court of movement, but the socialist | !m his annual State of the By Mike Mi pregnancy. Even where 9 ceding abortions inthe Trin Canada to. overturn the new feminine ‘planed the dacieg | Unton adres delvered fo iy Mike Marqusee Mem exter tom ¢ sical Guedes Hevas posecuicd and tialorder Weareow waiting ole ia’ buitiag "the. | Comgresin Taneary. Nonald Haringey Labour Condi tat motes ‘even jailed by the authorities for the Court's decision. simultaneous actions held on | Reagan declared: “Let us unite Briefing pregnancy parte = performing “‘illegal abortions” There are now two abortion October 18th 1987 in Van- | @% @ nation and protect the potent ot et = ‘the ae Aespite the fact that he was ac- clinics in Toronto, along with couver, Edmonton, Toroate, | wtborn.' iminiales teortok. one American COM Libertcs ee Rie ee es: torre Gee Eevee he One. et 0 | * king mec afeai..| Soe pemnencee em ma game ime eeeeme ne Pe Lek) Dome iucnenn ver Geamentiene en | «meetin oars allt aes mean ee ean eee, eit mihe its 7 acl carly cn legalisation "of —feestanding | Geb 0006 f the chest aed bear ube heath programme into Mis derded oproseeute no ure" at every working day the Stora chs, and copes | Mescarganid of te gh oder the new rls, which an ideotoical ar of the ther, but with the return of the anti-choice Forces are picketing ing ofall charges against chase | TE. me hic Se a eee ess Oren Sera shtist Liberals in recent years clinics, petitioning to outlaw all doctors and staff. 1960, the vara pant women verang 3 omen across the country oe edie et ciate (ee pee ee rates eee + seein ae ae Meanwhile li ovr four Shen religious School andthe Abortion argh; Neher judge, | xenon that will rokbw oumscled ony on “he Eancates wil have the nerve ie ee ‘Abortion «righ, Nether tse. | Creraetas fenues foamy possi care ond socal Seen Ol fort nemon Fisiog cites Nom ere terces he neds for'a healthy: tight wo ehoose?

Speculum: a Midwife’s Musings

If the cap fits, who’s going to wear it?

Help! I've been rumbled Okay, Sister Plume it stil statutory requirement for mid. of good tips about the cap. of i's inside | replied: “Well, you ‘don't cor'bing mea toca het Seven toned trove Noiney sr "oChachig in he ight nave une ears : Anpuat ts vonuy ensue wibdomina meaknen trie | SC VONOm wey "pce a Gly seeeny te | oom aae a

Ee eee CWat | Lot ett tein co) takomteinpee Yor peek ani mae Mince Gener eee ee nurse, Iremember quaking $2iahis of witery tend Abed nmatts None fact, eanghran'impossitte 0 snytng with Asian te in my duty shoes when her Since we recently had alook — me @Get re-fitted if your weight put it in the wrong place. You every sight when you're going footfall was heard outside at the cervix, tne Gaphragm, ""Akwele spent the journey ater Sis or more can't “lose” the cap ieeide to bed ust h coke youTiors the Ward doors. or cap, as it’s commonly swallowing Marzine for her @Spermicide isn't essential. Yourself. ——

Were the beds straight? described, is agood methodto =m Lots of women are allergic to friend Maureen anc kena setcrmial, “Cision Wied a ponents waged setenn By Tess Kewley Sperm, and | readonly. herpanrerhedused Detox tor mate fT 90 to all the rouble symmetrically on ther luse.e capmyselt.'mdead SRN, SCM last month thet there mey be a ton years. Finally, he rebelled, of Pulting that bloody thing in, oT ST = die it fr Between, cevsicel cancer Mauieet wet ions irait's {rake fucking’ se avs ane? Woke velabients: Sore nneta ond coli Uae Gene aA Sap mneae ane. onl eae cop tee ‘eats f — like C-Film, and strongly in Joanna and Jimmy spent the ‘@Leaving the cap in place After ten years of mess-free. PPS: Briefing won't publish foot over AND © sour uF Warriar eaibO OF | puariey- secagiea tem for sixhours after makinglove sex. Maureen wes not ™Y article about bingo. I've counterpanes? fcoiseceoon Safety cer seats and making 1s essential enomoured of the cap, which already collected seven thou

Were the lockers placed at ''l go more deeply into my remarks like need to do @Use the cap every time you has to be the messiest of con- S@Pd_ signatures in protest. ‘exactly the same position by reasons for this next time; suf bigs” (while | was doing make love. This is, or should ‘waceptives, particularly when Don't let the patrician fach of the bode? Were the ice t tetay tet spar fom 86h cree MGVand “on Betsyenes alent ce bastards gat awoy with Got bedwheels kicked inwards? ‘Natural Family Planning (Bill- poor Jimmy. He's done some. ‘@inserting the cap: Squat ‘She was telling me that she _ the following resolution pass-

It didn't matter if anyone ings, Breastfeeding, and the sick” (while 1_was doing like you're going to put atam- found the whole business €d at your trade union branch, was in pain, or needed nursing Rhythm Method! | regard the — 80mph on the M62. Pon in; grab the device firmly. rather distasteful: “Christ, Women's Section, ete: attention. As long as cap as quite a good friend. ‘Somehow we arrived inone squeezing it in the middle. Put you don’t know whether Blind deplores the steverything wes in apple-nie In some ways | prefer the piece, and I began my it im (dome-side up) with the You're going te'de itornen tude of the Brefing Editor order, Sister was happy. ‘sheath (less messy after- refresher course. !soon made aid of a littie KY Jelly, if and youhaveto put three lines Board in refusing to publish

‘Tess Kewley's important arti cle about bingo and calls upon them=to publish it. in full without del,

Stil, she didn’t give me too wards, right, sisters?) but friends with the other necessary. Gunge some KY of cicerm on the welde, cod all bad a report: “Nurse Kewley sometimes ! don't mind bung- rebellious radicals, inckiding @ round the entrance to yout found'the chemin nce aed fan, on occasions, work well, ing the cap in Black midwife aged about 60. _ vagina, wash your hands, dry then the stupid thing sips out but is inclined to be over” Last August | want on 2 whose speciality was Family them, then insert the cap. It St youtac ating SiBS Out familiar with the patients." Midwifery Refresher Course, Planning. Sylvia gave me alot usually sips in easly once half the bathroom,

Labour Briefing No. $8 March 1h-220d {988 poge 12

Letters

Building Briefing

WRITEBACK!

We welcome your letters! Write to Labour Briefing, PO Box 457, London SW2 5UZ

marks become too Chris and Graham?

No, we decided, Briefing has cracked under the rain of hav ing to fit so many articles on ‘each page (foughly seven times ‘as many as Socialis: Worker and 15 times as many as The Next Step) — it's moved from the raving to the ridiculous

‘Come on comrades, put the “Boring” back in Briefing! If things don't eet better, we're going oa holiday to Cuba with a

much for

Some readers just have no sense of

humour - Ed.

Dear Briefing,

We invited’ Mike M. round for a vegetarian mince pie and steam the other day.” Sarah remarked that she felt as dead as 2 parrott afier Mandy's. New Year's Eve party. Just” then, Tess rushed in with a month’

supply of yoghurt anda Ree fog. Guardar stste editorial Yours in struggle, We asked ourselves: has Brighton Hyperactivists Bricting finally cracked up? Has Anonymous counting all those used stamp. pS: Where was issue 56’s report

driven Jenny’ round the bend?

Has the shock of using uj = ‘‘

the" inges? Has the centre ‘of the

ices aronly sfeetmerie™_ weeks mane is Get the sums Shem hesbie’ (Beefoe right Briefing! Ms voted for David Aton's

T know you are rushed but when people write antics and

T would like sou 10 print an apology as sour headline makes

choose theic ows headlines they both “biefine and me look Hoi Tor a purpose idiotic

Anyone invoked in EAB of Valerie Coultes ecemalfve to he Busia, London SWS

baie wold nok that MPC "eere 3 seven for the

‘Briefing apologises for the error Valerie describes

FAB reports

Swindon FAB organised a day’s activity recently in the town centre. Thirty-five people handed out leaflets and collected 1,250 signatures to petition directed at the local Tory MP.

The MP has stated that unless the Bill is amended to a time limit of 24 weeks he will vote against the Third Reading

The leaflet handed out called on people 10 deluge Walworth Road with the demand that they impose a three line whip on Labour MPs, and called upon trade unionists to pressure their particular union into imposing discipline ‘on sponsored MPs. A resolution in favour of the whip was, pased at the Labour Party GC.

FAB will be organising a lobby of the MP's surgery before the March 19th demonstration, Details can be obtained from Swindon 46816.

In Birmingham, the mobilisation against Alten has been very big. A well organised campaign was fgunched last year. when the inaugural meeting of Birmingham FAB was attended by at least 100 people fullof enthusiasm and determination to detest the Bil

‘We took our ideas out onto the streets‘of the city centre where we have petitioned shoppers every Saturday finding an ‘overwhelming response in our fayour on the issue of abortion.

‘As its first major event the FAB group organised a picket of Dame Jil Knight's (rabid right wing morabstl surgery. The tur rnaut was so big that the event developed into @ suontaneous: ‘march, whore PAB supporters took over the main roads, and the started police just stood by!

'We are now planning pickets of the surgeries of Labour MPs Roy Hattersley and Denis Howell — prominent members of the Party who were “absent” on the day of the Second Reading of ‘Alton’s Bil

‘When Alton came to Birmingham, FAB picketed WH Smiths where he was signing copies af his new Book. and argued our ‘ase with grest force with the man himself inside the shop.

"The same evening, when we picketed his rally at the Town Hall, some 400 peopie turned out to demonstrate their oppost {ion to the Bill ~" and another. even brager. spontaneous march ‘through the city centre took piss

"Some women fram Sirmngnam FAB managed

‘See you there! Katine Holyost. Semngham FAS

Leamington FAB:

Public meeting, March 17th, 8pm, Oddfellows Hall Warwick St, Leamington. Speaker: Leonora LLoyd (NAC). ~

Coaches to March 19th demo: 9.30am, Coventry Poly: 0am, Leamington Pump Rooms.

Send srippets and info v0 Grog {Stour acting: FO Box 57, Condon Swe Suz

Labour Listlessness

“For. the first time, a political party is saying to the people “Fell us what you think How ‘best Should Labour play its sole in the Britain of tomorrow? Now you have that opportunity. we are listening.”

With these portentious

Great Outtakes from the Typing Pool

An snadvertant transposition of letters — weeded out by our ‘epi proot-resder — only ht Saved Bretng trom discussing Sh aruce written by David Eagar in Marxian Toad”

te was 3 matake.- honest

Ecehachinenerses: Will TGWU left SLatour Taine “Sm get right on Eusisinechrswnsre yet?

expected to make some senso of this garbage. “Thee are some of the ques

The swing to the left in the TGWU wil undoubted! provide some progressive

tons we think are the ones we need to answer" ts

says the broadsheet, with 3p5 they could start that economy and clarity h the Record, the of phrasing customary to __ union's paper.

Peer Mandelson's February's edition reports productions. on a member playing

‘Arne Football —s

Briefing supporters will be epee tough sport,

‘Pleased to know that, contrary to rumour, there is no hidden agenda behing

‘Labour Listens” and the polley review. For exam ple, under the heading "A Productive Eoonomy””, we are asked “how can’ we ensure that our com: Danies and industries are fully competitive with ose overseas?” "How 40 wo coeate the best part herahip of managers and workers in industry? “Should some be owned by a partnership of public and private?”

And when did_you stop beating your wiie, dir?

you will

In Other Words.

"As 2 caring Counc we are Prepared t6lmien to the views four communicy and co use them inthe process of refining ‘optons avaiable for consders ‘Gon before fina! decisions are

Haringey Counc Deputy Leader Phakp Jones explanng how pubic pressure prevented the Figheewang. dominated Labour Group fom carrying ot iS plans to dase four lbraries.

Coming down firmly on both les of the fence

Briefing readers who know about the Independent Labour Party (yes. does stil exst) and who remember ts fervent welears ing of the formation of the

(Soour Co-ordinating Commit tee (UCC) and then es raped Seenchanement and fal wicharawal ts support for one rember one vote, and it abit (of not $0 much Sting on the fence as jumping frenecially ron de to de tke cemented hardier. wil not be

Gutter-Press Guardian

No, the ever-respectable Guardian did not join in the niguseating — Fleet Street scramble to have = 0 at witoh-hunted Brief ing supporcer Mandy ‘Mage — at fret

But when Norman Tebbit sent a Yorkshire oritio of

RE-ILEA stance

Son youre guenedt. topo toch grows

At tests uke two members the Campagn Group. he od rot vote agent the Aiton Bat

ample of how easily. it rope its high moral tone ‘whenever the left is under Gisoussion.,

Published by Labour Briefing, PO Box 457, London SW ‘Suz Printed by East West Graphic Ld (TU)

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Reviews

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BOOK REVIEW

Confessions of a trouble-maker

Making Trouble is a refreshing exercise in socialist heterodoxy.

James D. Young, socialist, “an interna.

tionalist ‘who speaks in a ‘Scottish idiom” has mixed

His ruminations range far and wide: his childhood in Grangemouth, his education at Dalkeith and Ruskin College under Edwin Muir and G.D.H. Cole, involvement with Tony Cliff and the Socialist Review crowd in London in the ‘50s, the contradic: tions of _ contemporary Poland, Palestine, the USA, and, above all, Scotiand, which he describes as “‘the unknown _ country’ unknown to itself as well as to the world at large.

By M. Marqusee Haringey Labour Briefing

‘As a long-time student of working-class struggle, and a champion of oral history, he has come to identify himself with the bertarian socialism of CLR. James — the radicalism of the Scottish “Promethean socialism- working-class and its from-below"’ which he social conservatism are counterposes to the sterile “particularly acute. He of and often repressive fers no ready-made solu “socialism from above" tions, but at the same time with which, he believes, he refuses to drift into not only Stalinists but the fashionable despair or British left as 2 whole are eurocommunist jargon. besotted. Not all Young's political In particular, he ham- conclusions will be shared mers away at the left's by Briefing readers, but the historic failure to come to seriousness and personal grips with questions of na- honesty with which he tional, ethnic, and sexual tackles thorny problems is identity. His observations admirable. His strictures ‘on the contradiction bet- on puritanical Leninists “in ween the economic love with a humanity as

Making Trouble: Autobiographical Explorations of Socialism, by James D. Young, Clydeside Press, £4.20 paperback.

yet unborn” will enrage in some Briefing supporters,

but the characterisation is just too close to the bone to be dismissed.

Much of the book is about Young himself, but his modesty and sheer undimmable fascination with other people of all shapes and sizes leads him into numerous fascinating byways, recounting “ex:

contrast to the lugubrious Jeremy Seabrook, Young insists fn finding signs of hope in the daily class struggles of the working-class to survive in an era of “sloth and reaction”, This account of his personal odyssey, con: voluted, stubborn, eccentric as it will seem to many, shows that it is more than possible to advance periences and enounters’” through life with both an in which “‘the dialectic of open mind and a commit Pessimism and optimism ment to __ socialist are inseparable."” principles.

Television review

Yes, it did really happen!

Conspirary — the trial of the Chicago Eight, directed by Jeremy Kagon, Channel 4.

A black man is bound and gagged for demanding the right to defend himself. A defendant's

Gaughter is slapped by 8 Gctendents) played the

sentences of over five years (still taking up apparently were handed out to many of hopeless cases, and the defendants (later revers- sometimes winning):

edon appeal), murderous at-@Dave Dellinger, radicat tacks were being mounted by pacifist, the oldest and most police against Black Pan- politically committed of the

By AK. DUCK

which Judge Julius HoftJulie baby" to the

policeman in open court. isc Teotted. thers, and a manive Fai - Poaceae tetscwins A’ defence lawyer is perpetually outraged programme of surveillance he was doing in "68 — maksentenced to four sears for Gcfender of a corrupt status and harassment ing the links between social contempt. It would take a Guo. with matchless (COINTELPRO) was Injustice and nlaariomy

tragicomic genius to make Conviction. underway. @The — moralistic all-

up the bizarre proceedings of the trial of the Chicago

The televised reconstruction of the trial failed to in-

The antic posturing of the

American boys Tom Hayden defendants — by turns in-

and Rennie Davis (now gone

Eight for an alleged con fantil provocative, dicate the savagery of this _

le antile, rovocative, dicate the savagery of this their separate ways, one ito spiracy to cause riots at the moralistic, self-defeating, repression, and glossed over’ Irainsieamn Sppomunie 1968 Democratic Parts courageous, bold, im: some of the splits amongst politics, the other into

Convention.

Director Jeremy Kagan had a rich source — the trial transcripts and_ interviews

aginative, and hilarious —

the defendants. But what 'Gigious charlatancs); could not be recommended e i

dialogue! And what acastof and the preposterous as a strategy to all political characters! Jerry Rubin (now an invest prisoners, but, looking © @Abbie Hoffman, a ment counsellor).

with the participants record- back, it might well have been master of one-line-put- "Many comrades who wat ed twenty years later — and the only way to respond to downs and put-ons (still ched "Conspiracy" on has turned it into an enter- such a ludicrous charge crazy, and still fighting, Channel 4 asked, was it all taining and useful exercise in sheet. twenty years on): really true? Did that actually televised historical Make no mistake. @Bobby Seale, intran- happen?

reconstruction. Underlying the surreal sigent in asserting his con. For all its faults, Kagan’s For both the prosecution theatricality of the cour- stitutional rights (now a sad film reminds us that it did and defence, this was a troom proceedings was a shadow of his former happen — and that at times “show trial” in every sense. profound political conflict. revolutionary self}; of intense social crisis (as in Day in, day out, a symbolic The US state, for its part, @Attorney Bill Kunster, the USA in 1968/69) the real as well as I certainly understood the perpetually astonished thai can {urn surreal without help ing fought out in the gravity of the threat posed justice could be so perverted from writers or directors. Chicago courtroom, in by the opposition. Prison in an American courtroom , GOMOGOOOO000

ry

‘Labour Briefing No. $8 March 9th-22nd 1988 page 14

International Briefing

INTERVIEW: Eyewitness account from Palestine: International

Conference or unconditional withdrawal?

SAMIA KHALIL is a Palestinian woman who lives in Balata refugee camp and recently visited Britain for a few weeks, Politically she describes herself as aan independent who supports those factions trying to forge an alternative leadership to Arafat, Here she talks to Labour Briefing about the uprising.

that the uprising started. as Spontaneous explosion of the frustration and anger built up ‘ver the past 20 sears of 0¢- cupation. To. what extent has

fant political organisation emerged 10 provide it with Tena?

Yes, it started spontaneously: ‘but we soon developed @ local leadership, Local groups were Formed io. represent camps, villages and towns — though thes. are’ based mainly in the ‘amps, They are formed from people who are” politically

Particularly in the camps, they played the role of organising the uprising day by day. For instance, they would tell the south where to go and what to fo; sex the agenda for what we ‘sere going to do today or fommorrow. — maybe strikes, maybe demonstrations... these sorts of things,

They ‘also organised. food. material support and_medical Aid to come to the camps, and they were very successful

The local ‘committees were comprised of people from dif ferent factions, "both thos within the PLO ‘at the moment and those outside it. This is very important, because these people were suffering the same conditions in the camps from the Israet troops — and that is why they united in such a strong Sa} against the Iseaels,

Medical

‘Then_we have the Medical Relief Committees, which have also been playing a very impor fant role, They have been ar Fanging visits to the camps — feven under curfew — and tending to people reluctant to face the harassment being meted out by the military in the hospitals They. have also. been handing cout frst aid kits in the camps and teaching people how to use them.

T think they have been very succeessfol in their work because many medical profes: slonals. gathered round. these Medical Reliet Committees and ‘were working from early mora: ing till late at ight

‘Our Women's Committees have also been a central par: of the uprising. Organised. along factional fines (like our trade lnions, student committees and youth ‘committees, they have ‘worked in unity collecting food land money 10" be distributed through the local committees in the villages and camps.

“They were also having a very important role in the uprising as women, organising demonstra Tions and strikes and this sort of thing

‘The trade unions have also, of course, been very active dur ing the uprising. In fact all our institutions and organisations within the Occupied Territories have been playing a very good role within the mass movement.

T mean, it really is a mass mayerent, It is the longest Uprising since 1936, and you can feet that “everybody 1s par ticipating. We have reached the Stage where we cam say that

everybody is a politician — not ‘only those who are politically ‘organised in the uprising. The facts the uprising started from the mass movement and the leadership followed,

‘Apart from the local commit tees and the co-ordinated work carried out by the Women's Groups, ete.. there has also been formed what is called the United Leadership of the Uprising, which I thick you have heard about here. This consists basically” of the four mainstream’ Palestinian organisations: the PFLP. DELP, Fatah mainstream and the Communist Party. All of them are. inside the PLO, though some of them co” Ordinate and sock with factions ‘outside the PLO.

‘Of course this United Leader. ship was. connecied 10. the United Leadership outside, in the sort of dialectical relation. Ship that has always operated between the political leadership inside and outside the Occupied Territories.

Leadership

‘The United Leadership has pat out leaflets which basically fave co-ordination to the strikes land demonstrations and 0 08. Everybody followed what the teaflets said, because they had ‘eached the point at which they would sacrifice anything fo the ‘prising to continue

’At first there Were Some problems, however, because certain factions in the’ United Leader ship pat out leaflets. without Consulting the others. The reslt ‘was that sometimes you had a Jeafler that asked sou to have a strike for three days, and then ‘on the third or fourth day another leaflet would ask you 10 strike for another three days.

"That weakened the uprising in some way, because you have 10 tive people one or iwo days — fot days off, but you have to let people do other things because fhe upesing is always there

Soy for example, the first Jeaflct everybody followed. But the second one, some of the Peorle did, some not. The Grivers, for example, did not Thes went to work. Sot was on land off. Sometimes it used 10 Work, sometimes not

“That happened during the first few weeks of the uprising: but then the local committees and. the | United leadership Started working together bette ‘They started, for instance, t0 in Struct the shopkeepers to strike Tor this period and then open up for Stam, and so on, That way there "win united "action

‘Dut the shopkeepers

‘could’ still earn a Wtle and the people knew at what time they ould buy food, and so-on. This hasbeen working sery lfectively

‘You talk about groups within the PLO and those 3 What do you mean

‘outside the PLO?

‘mean those factions that doa’ accept the present PLO stand and don't accept unity with ‘Arafat's line. which. they_con Sider a diversion from the real

struggle. These factions are fighting for a PLO that takes as las basis the struggle against imperialism, Zionsm and the forces of Arab reaction.

The PLO leadership has responded 0 the uprising more ‘oF less entirely by stepping up ‘alls for an International Peace Conference. To. what extent oes this correspond to what the Palestinians in the se themselves fighting for?

“The uprising has made clear that the Palestinians in the Occupied Territories don't want any solu jon except to have a Palestinian This means they are against the Jordanian-Palestinian con federation: ‘against “autonomy”: against the “Village Leagues” (a stooge village-based leadership which Tsrael_unsuccessfully tried to fist on the Palestinians a few

‘What they want now is Israeli sihdeawal from the Occpied

The Palestinians in the Occcupied Territories Feel stronger than ever and we will go 00 asserting our rights £0 freedom ‘and an. independent » state ‘Therefore, any solution that does not take into account the fight of the Palestinians to ‘return to their homeland, their right to freedom and the crea tion of their indepeadent state fon the Palestinians’ soil will surely fail

That is the general fecling of the mass movement behind the uprising.

’AS for what the PLO is asking for, the political groups differ in how they see this. Those fac tons within the PLO are asking for an International Peace Con: ference because they fee! people are struggling. and this strugale is going to lead to something ‘and that something is the Iner ‘national Peace Conference that the PLO has been asking for

“This solution is accepted by the people who are followers of these political lines. think io the main they accept it because itis the PLO demand; they do ot know of other solutions. They feel they must accept i 16 achieve a Palestinian State

Opposition

Those factions presently out side the PLO are in opposition othe main direction being taken by it, specifically 10 the International Peace Conference, because they feel that this would give the Palestinians nothing except the recognition (OF Israel by the PLO, by the rest of the Arab states, and by seerybody

They think there is no poi for us to have a conference wi Israel in the present world balance of forces. A conference should be between people who freon the same footing and

the oppressor and the oppressed can only benefit the oppressor

The trath is that Israelis £0ing more and more extreme. They even refuse 10 talk about the International Peace Con ference because they will not 2¢ ‘cept the PLO as am independent body

‘The israci Labour Party sass that if they want to negotiate

they will do so with those Palestinians inthe Occupied Territories that support Jordan. That's the only way they eo: visage negotiations

“The factions opposed to the Peace Conference also say that

You ask for an International Peace Conference it means you have forgotten all about your ideology about the Zionist state, hhow Zionism was created, how the Israeli state was established, by whom, etc. — and you are ‘going far away from the Palestifhian charter that Telates to the ‘whole of Palestine.

‘What about Palestinians in side the Green Line? What solu tion will they have? Are they 10 be Israeli ctizens? They don accept this.

‘Those who favour an International Peace Conference do not {0 into these problems, nor that Of the refugees who’ want 10

The main issue Is how we define Israel in terms of how we ‘sce Zionism. This is very impor tant. These. people, they have their followers

‘On the one hand you have those ia the PLO asking for an International Peace Conference ‘where the PLO can sit as an in dependent body and talk with Israel, withthe five members of the UN Security Couneil, in ‘lading the Soviet Union and the US, present

The others are asking for im mediate withdrawal from the ‘Occupied Territories with no preconditions. They sce that as Tong as this uprising can 20 on, itean by itself exert pressure. Io the end Israel ill not ave ‘enough soldiers to stand on each ‘Soor of the Palestinians who are revolting. So. that is why they ‘demand israch withdrawal with fo preconditions.

Who are the main factions pe ting forward this demand? ‘They are the Fatah Uprising (the “rebels” who split from Arafat in 1983 following the invasion of Lebanon and Arafat feunification with Egypi). the PELP-General Command. and the revolutionary | Communist Paryy, which recently split from the traditional CP over support Tor armed struggle and rejection of a “two stale solution”

Ie. Britain, Neil Kinnock has just returned from a mediasped visi to the Occupied Ter-

fiom well to the right of the sllGetermination which David ‘Maiior called for om his visit.

In the camps: defiant!

should The Israeli Labour Party are Palestine supporters Britin agaist the Palestans; they do Eo'ckmpaigning sroued at that B01 support them.

= The ole of the British Labour party should be to talk about the Palestinian problem and to He (oe ety shocked. show what the’ small Labour pane card thntafer alts Party reall like as raciet a6 Tone there he sv asking for tis the Likud Party, so we don’t see

Jordanian-Palestinian con- any difference’ between these Federation, and for not giving {0 parties

the Golan “Heights back to _ You obviously have a Jong. Soria. way to gol We don't need

‘This is really amazing; Ireally anybody 10 ery, we don’t want ‘can't understand the mentality people to shed fears on us, This

behind this thinking ‘ll aot give us a solution

‘Maybe i's important to men- IF you feel bad about it, what tion that hclaracli Labour Par. is, your answer to 7A take the same role as the Jordanian-Palestinian | con

ikud Party. They were the first federation? 1s that a real answer ocestablish the settlements, and © our problem? With all the ire harassing the Palestinians present fighting, killing, Israeli jist athe Liked Party. 1 brutality and s0.0n, and all you ‘wonder how the British Labour propose is another occupation? Party copes with this. ‘That is nat really accepted.

Moscow Trials

Clear Stalin’s victims!

Last month the Soviet Supreme Court declared innocent all but tone of the defendants in the 1938 Moscow Trial. The remaining Setendant. Henry Yagods, a8 the head of Stalin's secret police, had organised the earlier frame-ups of the leaders of the October Revolution.

‘We now have the situation that the “‘confessions'” of Bukhari Bykov. Rokovsky and others are admitted to have been faked, but men like Zinoviev, Kemenev, Radek and Pistakov are stil offically uty of the most monstrous and fantastic crimes against the revolution they helped to lead.

‘Above al, there is no plan to clear the name of Leon Trotsky, the chief of those indicted at all of Stalin's Show Trials. (Trotsky end fis son Leon Sedov were accused in their absence, and so are not Classified as "'defendants”.)

“The Soviet leaders, with al their talk of “glasnost’, continue to avoid the issue of Trotsky's place in the history of the Revolution nd of the USSR. Instead, in his seventieth anniversary speech iast October, Mikhail Gorbachev repeated many of Stalin's old landers against Trotsky — merely exchanging the lies of the 4930s for those of the 1920s.

“The international labour movement must demand an end to this stance.

‘@ Restore all these men to their rightful place in history!

‘Republish their writings and make them available to the new generation of Soviet workers and intellectuals!

‘@ Stop the destruction of the archives of the secret police and ‘open them ta public examination!

Public Meeting

Called by the Moscow Trials Campaign

Clear the Names of Stalin's Victims! Chair: Eric Heffer MP

Sunday, March 20th, 2.30pm

Kingsway Princeton College, Sidmouth Street, London WC1 (Off Grays linn Rosd, near Kings Cross)

Labour Briefing No. 58 March 9th-22nd 1988 page 15

International Briefing

White Australians are now celebrating the 200th anniversary of their settlement of that large and beautiful

country.

But for one group of people in Australia, the original inhabitants themselves, there nothing to celebrate.

They had lived in peace and prosperity, with a complex, rich civilisation, for over 60,000 years until white people from Britain arrived on their shores.

ln fact, new evidence pro duced by sophisticated methods of genetic coding presented in 1978 by two Scientists attached to the Western Australia Museum. indicates that the Australian Aborigines lived there as long ‘ago 35 100,000" years oF

The Aborigines had @ highly developed culture based on 2 system of beliefs which white people called The Dreaming or Dreamtime, although this. 's ot an accurate translation,

‘This system of beliefs or religion “was 8 world view Which explained the creation of the land, rivers, mountaine, forests, and all” plant and ‘animal ‘life, including human beings.

To Aborigines the land is sacred. Unie the European idea that land belongs to people, for Aborigines, people Bolong to the land. The idea of

The restrictions announeed by the Botha regime on February 24th are certainly draconian, Seventeen organisations Including the United Democratic Front (UDF) and. the Azanian Peoples Organisation (AZAPO) are prohibited “from carrying ‘out or performing any a vides or acts whatsoever. The giant Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) is also. pro: hibited from any political campaigning and. restricted toa purely trade union role Since the February. 24th measures, further repression has come from the enact. ‘ment of laws to prohibit Tunding from abroad and large scale rallies and meetings What lies ‘behind thes tw bans? Will they snufl out in ependent mass “activity and ansolidate a fascist regime? The British government has tried to ‘miniose. the impor lance ‘of the bans’ to. Uy 10 deflect” growing. evticiom oF Thatcher's energetic campaign ‘gaint Intemational sanctions “The bans were purely (do with electoral manoeuvres, their agument runs. Once the by. lections, "were over, the “reform” process ‘would ‘be resumed. However, this argu: ‘ent holds Title water. Certainly, the euing National Party wanted to do well ia the two "By-elections. Continuing economic problems andthe lack ff success nthe war in Angola ‘ere undermining government suppor But both soats are already held by the main right oppost tion Conservative Party. and

Black Australians’ one reason to celebrate:

We have survived!

private property or land. ownership in the British sense 's alien to Aborigines.

Through the traditional stories “passed from one ‘Generation to the next through Story telling. art, dance and song. Aborigines lear how their spirit ancestors created the land and its people, ‘animals and plants. They also learn how ta kve in harmony with nature and how 10 behave towards each other

Aborigines conquered. the harshest parts of the continent 25. wll as the well-watered Dlains. They evolved complex Sand peaceful regional cultures through which they used the land without destroying ft

By using birth contral, they ‘maintained their population at level that did not exceed the Capacity of the land to supply their needs. They lived well and their health was good.

Before the British came there were some ~ 500 Australian nations, many of Which have now been wiped out, and an equivalent numbers of languages and sialects

Each nation was made up of ‘a number of clans. Each clan hheld their own land, and in vited others to use their lands at the proper times,

Marriage interlocked the clans and set up links between ‘nations, for marriage could not take place between men and women of the same clan, People lived within a vastly ex tended family

‘A person could travel from fone nation to another and im

mediately be assigned his or her proper place ‘within the new community. The people traded slong routes thet stret ched the length and breadth of the continent

There wore no ~ families holding any hereditary rights ‘of government or power over the rest of the population. ‘There were no special costes or priests or centralised systems of authority. There was. no social, political oF

‘Since they believed that ter ‘itorial boundaries had been laid down for al time by the Spirit Ancestors, there Could bbe no wars o conquest.

In 1988 the government of ‘Austria wil ‘be spending millions of dollars on. “bicentenniat"” “celebrations which ignored: the fact that Aboriginal Australians have lived in the country for more than 1,000 centuries. The last two centuries have seen their ‘massacre and murder. their land and people raped, and their ‘traditional way of fe destroyed.

When Aborigines dared to resist. the invasion and oc Cupation of ‘their land they were shot “Ike dogs or Kangaroos Aborigine! women were raped. then Speared. Aboriginal children ‘were buried up to their necks in earth and competitions held by the British to see who could kick the heads furthest.

‘Aboriginal men were castrated and thar scrotums made into tobacco pouches for the white “conquerors”

Botha’s crackdown

‘nly-one is a marginal. Indeed, Biven the massive parliamentary ‘majority enjoyed by the govern meat, Botha has litle to fear from such elections.

‘The munieipal elections in October are the real concern Over the past years the South African authorities and business ‘world have been puniping funds Into the townships to. prepare the emergence of «new middle class black leadership without ‘accountability 10. the masses This Is the cornerstone of the current reform phase.

The new restictions are aot contradictory with these

By Steve Potter Norwood CLP

Fefonns. On the contrary, they are ils precondition. ‘The UDF hhas already organised a massive I successful "boycott of the tuicameral parliament. The government feared they would do likewise with the local elections

Discussions had. also been taking place in UDF circles about possibly standing in the elections, under certain condi tions. ‘The new restrictions block either course of action

However, the UDF was already critically weakened in ‘most areas. In addition to the states of emergency of the past years, the terror unleashed by Tnkatha vigilantes (particularly in Pietermaritzburg) has destroyed the street committees, people's. courts, and. other forms of popular organisation Which emerged fromthe mass radicalisation of the lownships

The only mass organisation that has weathered the storm has been COSATU. In Peter maritzburg it hasbeen COSATU' patrols, armed only with warning flare pistols,

Has fascism triumphed in South Africa?

‘which have taken on defence of the townships

“The UDF has learnt lessons from the-democratie and ac ‘countable forms of organisation promoted by COSATU, trying fo reorganise self oa ‘similar Hines

But if has also resulted in a debate “in COSATU. Some figures in the National Union of Mineworkers argue thatthe pre seat situation resembles closely the emergence of fascism in Europe in the 1930s. According ly, they argue, COSATU should fom “popular front’ coal tions, allying itself to that sec tion of the ruling class opposed

Leaders of NUMSA, the mefalworkers union, point on the other hand t0 the rise of in dustrial struggle against the government (rane mil days in 1987 as opposed 10 milion inf 1985, despite the cumulative effects of the state fof emergency) as dispeoving the theory of fascist consolidation. ‘Accordingly, the task of building “amass. independent central

In ‘relation to popular ‘mobilisation, they argue, that the basis of rebuilding resistance in the townships should be the workers" organisations. Alan Ges with other social classes should be ‘subordinate 10° this sworker leadership.

“The government restrictions are obviously aimed at preven ting COSATU assuming the mantle of the UDF. But its economic. role is also being challenged,

Labour laws being introduced shortly will outlaw secondary industrial action” and allow ‘employers to recognise unions ‘other than those recognised by the majority for negotiating

Purposes.

The laws, which owe more than a little 10 the British Tory government’s industrial leis tion, aim to open the way for

Inkstha (0 spread their attacks ‘98 popular organisation {rom the" townships onto the shopflocr

However, COSATU has weathered the state of emergen: ey. ls strong rank and file

tis at the felt able 19 law the union moxement as it has done before this century

All the more reason, then why we in this country trast build the closest possible links between our labour movement ‘and the black unions, deman ding the lifting of the prokiby tions" oa the popular

intransigence For us, the demand that the workers movement impose its ereater importance.

NATIONAL ==\CONGRESS

2)

Whole clans and nations were killed by poisoned waterholes fr strychnine-laced food that was left for sterving Aborigines

White Australia was found fed on genocide, both official ‘and unofficial,

So in 1988, while white Australians celebrate how in Such short time they were sble to arrive in Austraila, take the land trom the rightful “owners, kil many of them, and grow rich and ptosperous, Aboriginal Australians do have fone major reason for eelebra tion. Despite all the cruelty land barbarism af the white in vaders, they managed to sur vive. Not only did they survive in the physical senso, but slso in the cultural and” spiritual Sense, as individuals and as people

‘The Aboriginal Poster Exhibition We Have Survived! 200 years of Aboriginal Resistance in Australia 1788-1988 was collected and researched by NATASHA, SIVANANDAN, who also wrote the Exhibition Catalogue, to which this, anticle is the introduction,

Both the exhibition and the catalogue are available from Natasha at 148 Charcmore Road, London Ni6

‘In South Africa BTR means Blood, Tears, Repression’

BTR ple (best known in Britain by its brand names like Duniop and Pretty Polly) is presicing over the longest. running labour dispute in South African history, and has earned itself the title of Worst Foreign Company in South Africa from South Africa's trade union movement.

‘Over 900 black workers, sacked by BTR Sarmcol in May 1985 after a 2-day strike over BTR’s refusal to Grant basic trade union rights, continue to meet ‘weekly to repeat their demand:

“BTR negotiate or get out of South Africa’ Despite two and a hi it many deaths by starvation and murderous vigilante

attacks, the dispute will continue indefinitely for there is no other employment in the area. The sacked workers’ union, NUMSA (a COSATU affiliate), 1s campaigning in Britain to build public pressure for a settlement. We need your support!

For information, write to NUMSA campaign against BTR, 12 Manor Road Ext., Leicester LE2 4FF. Please enclose a donation, with cheques payable to ‘Sarmcol Solidarity Fund.

Labour Briefing No. 58 March 91h-22nd 1988 page 16

On March 14th, COHSE has called a national Day of Action against cuts in the health service.

Coming on the eve of Chancellor Nigel Lawson’s new budget announcement, the 14th should be a chance to demonstrate the support for the NHS which exists right across the trade union and labour movement — and indeed throughout the whole working class.

Lawson is keen on a big round of tax cuts, intended ‘to benefit the rich, and is certain to reject calls from Parliamentary committees for extra NHS expenditure. The class priorities of the Tory government could not be clearer — nor could the mass reaction against them.

But how do we transform that widespread anger into the political and industrial clout necessary to defeat the government?

By MARK SEATON

Solidarity — the way to save the NHS!

with the Tories — and mass defiance of Tory anti-union _sign that the Te law which bans “secondary” strike action. Already NHS cuts. They shop stewards at Thorn-CMI in Manchester are is solidarity action by non-NHS workers, threatened with legal action (and huge charges) for leading workers out on February 3rd.

Periodic one-day action and Parliamentary stunts are not sufficient. They must be seen as a stepping stone toward all-out, prolonged strike action — led by health service workers, but backed by other workers in the public and private sectors expressing solidarity through organised industrial action.

‘An all-out strike in the NHS cannot mean simply shutting down the hospitals and hoping the Tories get the blame for the casualties. It means workers assuming real control over hospital and other health functions and establishing by grassroots democratic decisions the level of cover necessary to provide for ‘emergencies. would require constant and ever escalating

ity action by other workers — both symbolic and prac ‘turn the funding crisis in the NHS into a political crisis for the Tories.

If we are to build that kind of radical, sustained mass movement in defence of the NHS, we must take on a number of immediate tasks now: yrous local campaigns need to be organised to highlight specific cuts and closures and link them to ‘our national demands for a fully-funded health service, free of charge and accessible to all.

‘@Use these campaigns to link Labour Party, community, and trade union activists with workers in the health service. uild united action by all NHS unions at local level, and foster contact and co-ordination between different trade union and occupational groups in the health service.

‘@Generate a constant flow of publicity, dramatising the effect of cuts and the actions taken against them, and demanding that DHAs, etc., tell the truth about the depth of the NHS

@Develop strategies of industrial action such as

‘overtime hans, work to rules, boycotting work implementing cuts, closures, or transfers, and staging ‘occupations and work-ins at facilities threatened with closure, Press the TUC to call a national Day of Action — a general strike — in defence of the NHS, and use this demand to raise the question of solidarity action in trade union branches, shops, executives, etc., up and down the country.

Ce RRR OR SE

“Lon

PHOTO: Graeme Cookson

Health workers demonstrating on March 8th.

This should not deter us. On the contrary, itis a clear are threatened by resistance to that the heart of that resistance

‘To save the NHS will require a fullscale confrontation

We have to be guided by the same awareness — and foster it in practical activity from the bottom up.

SOLIDARITY RALLY

THE OCIALIST

March 15th, 7.30pm

CONFERENCE

Finsbury Town Hall

(Rosebery Avenue, nesrest tube Angel) A small admission charge

Defend the Health Service Support Workers in

Struggle

Main Speaker:

Tony Benn

Chair: Betty Heathfield

Other speakers include: Pete Marshall, COHSE Striking nurse Dover P&O striker TV-AM striker North London Advertiser striker Solidarity Network Janet Seymour) Jane Chalice (ILTA Chairperson) Mandy Mudd, London Fights Back

Recent months have seen a rise in trade union struggle. Workers are resisting greater ‘exploitation, victimisation and attacks on union organisation — health workers, Ford workers, Land Rover, and P&O Dover.

‘This Is the third anniversary of the miners’ strike — defeated through lack of support from the ‘trade union and labour movement. Since then the print workers at Wapping, Silentnight, Hangers and other strikes have been Isolated In the same way.

‘We have to ensure that these new struggles, with the health workers in the forefront, are not Isolated. We must not allow Government or employers to pick us off one at a time. We must ‘organise solidarity Inside the Labour Party, the trade unions and In the community — In defence of the NHS and also in opposition to deportations and other attacks on democratic

Organised by the Chesterfield Socialist Conference in conjunction with the Solidarity ‘Network.