the law at present.
The demand for union rights for police raises complex questions for socialists. prefers to dodge these questions. InCEr SIMDI SUDDORS IC oci and of a large number of Police over-wniemingly confirmed in membership ballots, for TUC affiliation.
According to the Morning Star, police union rights are of crucial imnortance for Tuture democratio developments opening the road to Socials In Shal For the CP the problem is one of winning the working class: "Granting them full астостанс ens is essenual lo! democratising the state."
So concerned is the Morning Star with 'democratising the state that it will twist direction. It says that police earn 20 per cent less than the national average wage. In fact average police pay, up to and including the rank of inspector, £89.90, compared with the national average wage of E71.80. Gross weekly earnings for a constable in the condon area average 5.
The Morning Star finds itself in ine company or papers ke ine Daily Mail in its concern for the Door. unaer-Dald brusn booby.
For revolutionaries, on the other series of tactics which assist in the The breakdown of negotiations with the Government on an immediate £6 pay rise has precipitated the demand for the affiliation of the Police Federation to the TUC. This would bring with it the right to strike which is forbidden by It seems that James Callaghan, a former Police Federation consultant, may be able to pour oil on these troubled waters, but the issue will rumble on.
orcakdown or une repressive ap paratus of the police force.
AmerICans support the demand of New York DOLICC dankel working in black COntraSES WIll Dall WacIC uIc strike of Barcelona traffic police OVCE wages led to just such a breakdown in the police.
Armed traffic police confronted armed riot police on the streets.
Frequently traffic police refuse to cooperate TOL rerouting traffic to clear the streets tor ponce venicies. deliberately snarl up traffic central Barcelona to prevent the riot police acmons duons This, like the 1919 British police strike which still haunts the mem-ory of the Daily Mail, shows that even pay demands can have the effect of preventing the operation of the police force.
from that of a conscript army. In genuinely form the attack on the army is advanced by the struggle for trade have had some success in fighting for this demand in recent years.
of the Police Federation to the П0 1 TUC would not have the same effect.
LOI not a trade union but a professionareas. al body which mirrors the police hierarchy. police union would have all the same defects.
ATTACK
police police force can best be served by oren Ency in police to appropriate existing unJOIS breaking up men and women have the same interests as the rest of the working class. under the discipline of the union HIDYCHECHEpolice are ordered to break a picket line or a demonstration, against But the police issue is different "workers in uniFrench Trotskyists The demand for the affiliation The Police Federation is The formation of a living standards.
At the moment the attack on the TEnC Clerical for the recruitment This is not to say that police It is a tactic to bring them The dramatic implications when bodies of the state. precisely the opposite. union policy, are obvious. Therefore a fight for police unionisation must also be a fight against those wao sec suen a process as part of the "democratisation of the state'.
The issue of policy pay and conditions is distinctly subordinate to unis. in general we are opposco to any improvement in police conditions which would help re cruitment and reinforce loyalty to Particular demands for the abolition of police barracks and police houses help break down the unity of the police force. Yet the latter, in particular, would probably be opposed by any police union since it involves a decline in In his drive for unionisation in the armed forces, Clive Jenkins of workers ASTMS talked about mutually OrOCCOUTC which would, among other things protect une oricers memseives in the exercise of their powers.
Such a demand, which is mirrored in the CP's demand for union status for the Police Federation, is only designed to strengthen the authority of the repressive Our aim is Sanctions Tor Honine deals ThE However, the only way to answer mese memoos is to take ug put out Dy , organising This is the way to Ten on ine interventon or tE state into ine tuncamenta ront o the labour movement to decide its own actions and procedures The fact that the Party officials decided to call off the meeting -ane bresumay wi cominue to retrain trom issuing anoiner call tor the Alminti the attair ic courts of entire labour folly. movement to esist use use poure Torce of the state in the future.
movement bodies