The last few weeks in Portugal have seen a new upturn in the workers' struggles against the bosses attempts to cancel existing agreements on wages and conditions.
At ine cabos riectric a Avila lac tory, for instance, the workforce of 800 voted to launch a 'strike progressively leading to a total stoppage" until manasement came us wu a oack-catec wage increase. But they didn't stop there.
Noting the increased turnover over the past year, they demanded the opening of the books to expose the boss's claim that he couldn't afford the increase. Using this intormation. they then decided to impose workers control in the factory and re-organise production so as to create more jobs - a vital necessity at a time of massive unEven where the workers have decided to invite the boss back to run the actory they nave oren done so on a basis which makes plain their determination to remain their own masters while using his special expertise. The workers at the Sacar factory in Oporto, for example, successfully laid down the following conditions: 90 per cent of the protits to be reinvested in the factory; re payment of 1500,000 earlier removed - But perhaps the most significant struggle has taken place at another Oporto factory, Malasel. Here the engineering workers, thinking that the crisis must we us to ur auschee or be proprietor. • invitca nim to resume nis position. une boss, Rui Moreira, a well-known supporter of the fascist ELP, at once tried to take advantage of the general rightwing onensive in rortugar by cancelng all me azrcements wil me workers.
He got more than he bargained for in return. The whole workforce launched an all-out strike which forced him to ratify all the agreements a few days later. unis was not merely one in the eye for Moreira - it showed the whole working class that the return of the bosses Is no answer, anu mat uney nave ue power to enrorce an anternave somDECISIVE ne workers movemen now laces a decisive test with the expiry of the wage freeze imposed by the Government after the events of 25-26 November. This will demand not merely a response at the level of the individual tac tory but the co-ordination of a generalised offensive, which in turn means a fight for trade union unity.
The right-wing Popular Democrats (PPD) and certain Maoist groups, supported by international social democracy and the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), have launched a campaign to sputene ntersmaeal. But they have met with a rebuff from socianst rarty trade umon leaders who under the impact of the crisis are lining up behind the left-wing SP minister of agriculture, Lopes Cardoso, against the right-wing policies of Soares. at Aveiro at the end of January declared itself almost unanimously in favour of maintaining trade union unity; a move which forced the national leadership of the Socialist Party to state for the first time publicly that it too was for suen unity. togetner with tae aevelopment of struggles around common demands, this lays the basis for unifying the trade union movement through a democratic congress embracing all the trade unions, wactner or not they are presently affiliated to Intersindical.
But this requires a break with the bureaucratic conceptions and practices of the CP-appointed leaders of Intersindical. It means the election with right of recall of all the trade union officials; above all it means me nant or bontica tendencies to organise around their platform in the trade union movement.
The new upturn of workers' struggles in the Solidarity Campaign with the Portuguese Working Class. The conference takes piace between 10am and 6pm at the Conway Hall, Red Lion Square London WCI. Details from: SCPWC, 12 Little Newport St, London WC2 (01-439 3006).
NEXT WEEK: Interview with a comrade of the Internationalist Communist League (LCI organisation of the Fourth International).
A meeting of SP trade union leaders Leamington Spa, Warwick:
Portugal only emphasises the importance of the conference called for 13 March by Portuguese sympathising
Red Weekly 4 March 1976 WSL 9 unacrmined and snaken up te forces accumulatec in the first five years, risks committing the capital, fatal error which may erase the Comintern as a revolutionary factor from the political map for an entire historical epoch.' (8) The consequence was clear: The seizure of power by the fascists would ... most probably signify the necessity of creating a new revolutonary bar and auke nood also a new International.' (9)