comine elections is likely to lead to the formation of a Socialist Parly gavernment witome partepanon of tne bourgooa Democrats (PPD). This will mead an escalaton ol auracks on tne warking class in order to solve the economic crisis in the interests of capitalism.
HH BOWST AMONA WII ION Portuguese Working Class, whose Canon limiTe merta CIUsS mE «TUROn Tl tk manii tierem has a vital job to do in preparing for soldarity action wilh the workøts in Portugal this autumn. Equally il must tind ways od utlens the present experiences of the Portuguese warking CIAS - HUEL EXALEIL HAY DE WIHALTS CON TUH, CHRCESCHM SRO TAHIEICS!
SEDIN - DOE LIE WEEICIONS CE the workers movement in Britain.
Particularly important, the National Committee decied, will be the sending of delegations to Portugal - sach as the recent wisit by Plessey workers, who have brought back important information and understanding as a result of this exchange Of experienos One of the most dynamic areas of strugele in Portugal now is on the land, around the question of ogratiun reform Do-operatives. Workera at the Lianave shipy urus are giving a day's pay a monti and sending wnemployed workers to help one particular co-operative in the north. They are also osing the facilities of the shipyards to manufacture implements for the on op and have donated a tractor, The Campayu, togoener wun a Portuguese immigrant workers commithee in this country, is taking up tus exampie. A campaign is planned sound впотлет потелека со орегове, ви а raffle to bay a tretor, planned by the local solidarity groups and by the Campaign sub committees.
Campaign office at 12 Little Newport St., London WC2. Honey is ungently nooded - s drive for hankers orders has been launched, and angone willing to to finance a poster.
Any domation, hawever small, cac grestly assist work which will he vital class but for the Enropean revolution as a whole - of wlich Portugal is now one of the weakest links.
There are also many mone activities Further details can be obtained from the commit even a small amount of money on a regular basis can omen soros irom bne Campaigu. Money is needed in particular Those who are gowiling to do so are ninA0T0 RA10 nan Mai tonal and balional opposition party, wbich LET OSS BC TO BH SIE AuLIE lnIs. tne maurgeois pocdes dave bass do cne in accepring this compromise, but Inica Is not going to put all her eees in one basket. She must also make sare that there ace no mere mass movements like that led by I.P. Narayan.
APPENDAGE Her son, Saniay Gandhi, is cow hasy organising paramilitary groups lor this purpose. He recentiy had discussions with Hal Whackers, leider ot te Inscist Shiv Sens; and it was the hiv Sena wikt piastcrco Bolboas witl wecon! pasters when Gandhi visited the city.
The Government has also taken the initiative against the reformist workers parties. The pro-Mascow CP1 is now a mere appendape of Congress; whale the
It is rare indeed for this column lo be able to report good news from the North of Ireland. But then it is even rarer for Protestant workers to take a stand in defence of the right to work of Catholic workers.
But at the Belfast timber-yard of MeCae, Dick & Co., that Is exactly the manngement of the firm called in each of the 20 Catholic workers Individually and told them of a telephone call they had recelved instructing them to get the Catholics out or there will be trouble'. JOHN MAGEE riports from Belfast The Catbolle workers discussed the threat and decided to quit the yard. It was not the first time that they had been intimidated; indeed, a couple of years ago Loyalist assassins murdered two workmen in the yard. The firm is situated in the Loyalist stronghold of North Belfast, and the workers were well aware that they faced ao idle threat.
But on learning of this decision, the Protestant workers organised a mase meeting next day at which a resolation was passed condemning the telephone threat and urging tbe Ked weekly Catholics to retum to theit jobs. They also decided to approach their union. the Amalgamated Transport & Genetal Workers Union, to discuss adequate defense for all the firm's emplayees.
In taking this stand the Protestan: workers were placing themselves in no little danger from the bullyboys of che Loyalist paramilitaries. But the emphatic nature of their repudiation of intimidation forced the local LOstet Defence Association to issue a stalement declaring that the Catholic workers had bothing Do fear from Loyalists and appealing to them to roturn to work with the firm.
DEFENCE The stand taken by the Protestant workers has now encouraged most of the 20 Catbolics to metum, But they tenngnise that the assuranoes given by the UDA are totally meaningless: The UDA bas become experl at deaying responsibility for attacks on Catbolics which It thee claims under the name of its cover Fighters. The threat to the workers remains, and they can expect reprisals in future. Like all "good' stories from the What aboul tbe issue of detence? L4 JUNe 13/0 squad:.
Britain. This he the paping hole in the whole episode, and supporters of the Militant tendency - in Britain as well as in Ireland should pay close attention For here was a splendid opportunily to demonstrale the televines of their strategic demand for a trade union organised worker defence militin.
When the Protestant workers approached theit union, it was to aske for protection by the Brush Army and the Royal Lister Constabulary, Since the ATGWU agreed with this approach, they went ahead and contacted the REC, The lalter, of coume, said that they were patroiling the ana but could bot give any guarantees for the sately. of the Catholic workers (not surprising from a tore wiel Is IT more 8E a uniformed Loyalist assassination Nevertheless, the ATWU and the Protestant workers were 580800G, AnG why not! For when it contes down to is, the trade unions in the North and the Probestant working class are 10c808bl8 of waging any independent campaign against seclarianiam and in defence of wotking class intetests — as is shown by the pathetie Better Life for All campeign now being so eagerly embraced by trade union bureaucrats in
BAS ELEM
In the lat few months this column has reported on the dramatic decline in ployment in the Six Counties. Yet the Better Life' campaign, launched at the beginning of the year, has never got bey ond a petition and a few cringing 'peace speeches outside Belfast's City (mad Tammany) Hall — of the don't get the wrong ides, boys, of course Ulater must be delended variety.
The Prolestant workers at MeCue Dick & Co. must be applauded for what is undoubtedly a brave sland in the would he nothing short of criminal to have returned have made a wise decision - although with present unemploy ment and the rampant discrimination by employers, tory had of counse little choice so les us near no prostie or ready made formulas about workers unity and trade union defence forces (not that even Millant took it seriously enough to take up MeCue, Dick & Co. in their pages): Such nonsense may sound attractive in the pages of Jeft journals; brut in the Six Counties set against the coffins of Catholic workers murdered by Loyalist trade unionists, it is sick rhetoric,
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The probable election of General Eanes as Pressdeat of Portugal in the forth-