Challenge, THREE HUNDRED and seventy people died in a cinema in the Iranian oil town of Abadan. The Shah's government claimed that the cinema had been set on fire by "treusonous elements' inspired by the religious opposition leaders. What is more likely is that il was an act of provocation by the Iranian Gestapo, SAVAK, to discredit the opposition.
The British press has been at pains to stress the character of the opposition. The aim is to portray the Shah as a off by spontaneous mass mobilisations, which brought together all those fighting for democratic rights including sections of the ciethe reason for continuing demonstrations is nor difficalt to understand. The Shah has presided over one of the most repressive regimes in Asia. His secret police — SAVAK world reputation for unbridied savagery. heen greatly appreciated by its admirers in the Chilean DINA and risewhere. One of these was to toast prisoners alive on an electric iros grill.
What we are accumulated response to a brutal dictaforship. propounded the now familiar line of liberalism (Shah and friends] versus obscurantism [the opposition]. Furthermore the latter were saggested to be in the pay of either Moscow or the Libyans, admirers in Britaio. Tehran was still normal: *... in the Hilton Hotel up on the cool heights of Shemiran the oriental dancer in the space to de a PR Job for the Shah.
the Labour government.
slippery slope. The ultimate aim of the in the near future.
considered as a potential police force for the whole region. The Shah's poodles religious against obscarantist oppositionists.
The truth is simpler. The struggle aguinst the Shah was sparked - has acquired a It has pioneered a number of new torture techniques which have For 25 years now the Shah has maintained his rule through seeing in Iran today is un Chalfont's apologia for the Shah in The Times of 21 August However there were some crumbs of comfort for the Shah's Persian Garden and a llvely pop group in the Cascade restaurant continue to play to packed houses'. And in New Printing House Square political contortionists continue to be given acreages of The record of the Labour Goverament on Iran is atrocious. Soccessive Labour ministers have kow-towed hefore the Shah and continued to provide him with advanced weaponry. Labour supporters can now see the use which is being made of these weapons. The tanks "keeping order" in Irun have been supplied by The streagth of the opposition to the shah's government has forced the dictator into making a number of concessions, but as experience elsewhere has shown this is only the beginning of the overthrow of the Shah and a dismanding of the SAVAK and other repressive bodies. Despite the uneven and even confused nature of the struezle the chances are that the Shah could well be overthrown His removal would not only mark an importaet step forward for the oppressed masses in Iran, but would destabilise imperialist planning in the region. The Pentagon considers Iran as one of its most important relays in the Near East. The franian army has been IN AN attempt to co-opt the womens liberation movement and to *THIS CONGRESS affirms the support of the trade union movement for the Government at the next General Election with a working majority. minority Government on its achievements since 1974 which have been made possible by the spirit of cooperation within the whole Labour Movement?
This motion to the Trade Union Congress the Engineering Union what we can expect of the union leaderships when they meet in Brighton on 4 September. With a general election on che cards. the rallying call is loud and CELA All shoulders to the wheel', forger the kins of the Labour Government. Any idea of head-on collision with the • like the Post Office Engineers dispute out of the question. Let's close ranks and show 'united movement'"
Unity is vital, but around policies? The public employees won, NUPE. giver the "left-wing" answer to the ALEW's cringing endorsement of Callaghan's policies.
MANIFESTO It calls on Labour to adopt a manifesto including increased public ownership, controls over Private Invesment, puce controls and public ownership of LUCINE The unions certainly should demand Labour adopts socialist policies and fights for them general But Callaghan's government has no intention of adopting - let alone implementing - such measures.
return of a Labour "In so doing, Congress congratulates the present will probably be the one to wit the hacking of most of the union burcaucracy. The sacrifices' already made will nican a recovery in living standards for workers, the resolution mainmust be DUEL TUP and sustained by the operation or voluntary collective bangaining within an improving coonomic climate'.
politely warns the goveroment that responsible voluntary collective bargaining 15 DOSE achieved by the refrainine UPSHICTE direct interference in negotia tians' The trade utions, through the Should establish bargaining priorities for the coming wage round". In other words, the TUC should responsibly moderate their wage claims.
A more honest baince sheet of the social contract is drawa by the Civil Servants' Union believes That the current problems of relativities of the failure to maintain living standards, and of low pay. cannot, as the past three years have shown, he resoived t government guidance or inter ference, direct or indirect, in the usual process of industria bargaining. paign against any wage Limits including practical support for workers fighting such restrict ions is called for by the CPSA resolutioll.
WEEK The SCPS. another civil service union, explicitly 're gress the General Council decision not to support the firemen, and *urges the Council to aid such workers in the ruture.
The most popular policy ro deal with onemployment is the reduction of the working week to 35 hours. Mations range the Steel Workers Union's call for a three-year phased introduction of the shorter working woek to the Transport Union's motion for carnings to be top prierity in resolutions are familiar. They have been passeu at the IL before, only to be forgotten.
Democratic menis will be another arca of concern for delegates The Journalists" Union wants the charges dropped against Aubrey, Cam the introduction of a Freedom of Information Act molion welcoitics the formation of the Anti Nazi League, and the wtion, the ASTMS, backs the Women's TUC resolution for a TUC demonstration before the futuri restricrive abortion legislation. POLICIES These are the police armed which the should conchucting its own indepen dent campaign in support of the return of a Labour Government. I could best lead the fight for them by throwing its weight behind all workers taking action TOl those objectives Instead. we can confidents expect the trade union leaders to a Peone Es reach and its policies. The bUT TeJUS to break ranks' The lobby of the TUC on the 6 September is Important. It can show there is socialist alternative Labour's class collaboration. "scialism in the tISSR and Fasters Europr have decreiled wristien chem and will offer tull support to all those lighting for socialist demeract.