calculated risk.
to take the risk.
GROGAN.
If Scanlon and Jones had painlessly gone along with the social contract, then surely their SUCCeSSOrs would prove to be even more pliable.
Callaghan's entire project has been based on the following formula: use the political weakness British working class to dissipate and contain its economic strength.
The Ford workers' demonstrated that can be destroyed by the solidarity and determination of sections of workers. PENALTY The full demands of the strikers were by no means met. clauses, in particular, will hang over their heads. But for the rest of the. working class they impressive victory against management and government.
The gains at Ford will without a doubt encourage rank-and-file worKEIS HOLCESCCLOIS.
An important qualification needs To be acceemed alcy.
major reason determination of the Ford workers was clearly the fact that Ford is a highly profitable venture.
WOrKers could afford to pay without closing down lactones or mrcatening mas. redundancies. SOLUTION M In that sense it would be extremely foolish to expect that this form of militancy will become general over the next period.
In other words, calls for more and more militancy are not seen by an A recent Communist Workers Movement publication 'A clearly, sometimes amusingly, "socialism and how to get there' A 'devastating critique'.
Reprint. Still only available.)
Socialist Challenge 30 November 1978 Page 4 CALLAGHAN's decision to postpone the general election was a union leaders to deliver the goods, moderate solution.
BACKBONE golden industrial militancy (1969-74), strike has proved wrong. incomes policies necase powerful Leyland workers in one example.
Vauxhall workers to reject mendations by The penalty they should strike is another.
have scored an rethinking.
however. for the WOEKCES politics.
BURDEN realised that it is Labourism ideology ar une best or times, and economic crises.
'national interest, WHY PAUL FOOT SHOULD BE A SOCIALIST The case against the Socialist Workers Party written *A serious critique of the politics of the Trotskyist tradition.... Doing this in an amusing and readable style (another first for a Marxist-Leninist group), they at the same time give a clear outline of their own politics. The Leveller.
, Undercurrents. £1.20 (200 pages).
October Books, 4B Temple Court, Liverpool 2. (25p p&p, trade terms overwhelming majority of workers at this particular time as offering a real Those who thought that the Ford strike was the harbinger of a return to SHOE of DCHIOU JUSE" YY CL and acted accordingly, have already been the militant leader of the Drews Lane harm Birmingham.
The decision of the union officials that Those political currents who glorify rank-and-file militancy, and do not understand that what gives backbone to the hold of the treacherous trade hygiene.
union leaders is neur pomacal une clearly have to engage in some serious We have consistently argued that nasty. the election of a Labour government in 1974 on the heels of a powerful working class offensive would expose the most vulnerable feature of the HOVCHICHL It is not that the organised working class is apolitical. What holds it back La weak and sickly but cancerous in periods of grave social Labourism in office defends the strikes capitalist economy in the name of the produces measures which burden of the crisis on the backs of the contribution to the debate on All good bookshops, or by post from working class. It explains that a *lightening of the belt is necessary in order to save democracy', but what it means is that workers must accept sacrifices to save capitalism.
It furthermore argues that Labour office soft option workers. Unless they're careful they might get Thatcher - and then where would they be?
These views are accepted by an overwhelming majority of workers. The alliance of the trade union leaders and the Labour government enables tem to be put unto practice. Labout continues to win by-elections!
all these government and the trade bureaucracy have been able to seal off the Ford strike as an isolated gain. The decision of the Ford convenors to present their claim as a 'special case" further aids this view. Nor will it the Labour government's electoral chances.
What is of crucial importance for Labour are the public sector claims which are due to come up in the New Year. A prolonged strike by dustmen sewage workers, etc., could well entai the use of troops to maintain public But it is one thing to put out fires quite another to keep the shit off the streets. The situation could become the outcome, it could cripple the Callaghan regime.
Accordingly all the efforts of the government and a bulk of the TUC are now devoted to preventing such a strike from taking place.
The General & Municipal Workers Header. Rasnett. has already suggested that public sector wages should be inked to the lowest increases in the private sector, i.e. shopworkers! This is what gave meaning to the abortive TUC-government declaration.
Whether Callaghan enough to prevent public still remains to be Though the Tory about-turn on incomes policy (itself brought about by Heath's bold defence of the 5 per cent limit) can only aid the Labour government In other words, what we suggesting Is that assessment of the political situation at the moment would be misguided.
Till the next general election the situation is ikeiv hedged with a host of uncertainties -not just for socialists and the working class, but for Labour and the ruling class as well. The only guarantee of a generalised counter-offensive is the emergence class Given this over-riding objective, socialists in this tasks mapped out for them. First, we HUSI avoid any "readjustments" of strategy and tactics under the pressure for of media propaganda and polarisauon Labour and Tories as the election craws seas Whilst standing the return government, the necessity to stand candidates to the left of Labour on the basis of a programme for taking the class struggle forward remains a key the task union It is an important way of projecting our socialist alternative, popularising the main elements of an alternative class struggle leadership in the unions, and challenging Labourist politics. In this regard the decision of the SWP leadership to overturn the decision of as as conterence and nor stand all candidates at all can only be regarded as a short-sighted response to the political conjuncture.
Secondly, that the decision of Callaghan to postpone the election and press ahead the 5 •per tainly created a new amongst more advanced sections of workers. This means that the struggle to build class struggle tendencies in the unions acquires a certain urgency. The task of such tendencies is to link workers who are prepared to fight regardless of their political affiliations. Such a tendency is the concrete application of the tactics of the united front in today's conditions in Britain. The example of the Anti Nazi League (in a broad sense) should be applied to re-building the left in the trade unions. The experiences of both Liaison offer Defence of the Trade: Unions and the sector Rank & File groups are extremely seen. instructive in how not to engage in such an operation.
The emergence Workers Group (Combine) shows that it is possible to lay the basis for the development of such tendencies are are prepared, euphoric occasion demands initiatives independently of the will of the trade union leaderships ine so-nour sations, the struggle against racism are all issues which could unite broad sections of workers in the coming period.
The whole discussion on alternative plans is the clearest indication yet of a struggle certain mood amongst many shor stewards throughout British industry. period have their impressionistic overall FOUL the between The far unconditionally Socialist CUCSLUIS deliberations.
In combating we must acknowledge has seen cent has cerawareness PRIORITIES OD CCLIVES, Left Labour Committee for the every of the Ford when take OUS ability week, nationali- regroupment in the elections, unions, nationalism.
The point is not whether this plan or the other has certain pitfalls. What we have to grasp is that the attraction of the plans lies in the fact that they have emerged as the main alternative option to syndicalism and the moremore-more militancy syndrome.
left will ignore these debates at its peril. They allow a crucial opening for projecting overall solutions to the crisis centred or workers control demands.
It is for this reason that the next Challenge Trade Union Conference in March will make these central part of its addition to the obvious importance of developing alliances within the unions, there is the task of policy of the British state. In recent years we have seen a real absence of initiative by left social-democratic MPs in the sphere of foreign policy In the old days there were vociferous band of left MPs who opposed the cold war. However they tended to fellow-travel with the Soviet bureaucracy. The post-1968 situation La decline of interest in "foreign questions.
Socialists have to re-insert these questions into the heart of national politics. Iran and southern Africa are the major priorities at the moment.
If left social-democracy had any fight left it would have organised a campaign of civil disobedience in Parliament on Iran and Zimbabwe.
MPs should have threatened a withdrawal of support government unless stopped arms shipments to the Shah. tney nave notaone so So here too the burden falls on the shoulders of the socialist left outside We must make Labour Minister know what we feel on Iran and southern Africa. This means an audacious campaign on both issues (Anti Apartheid please note!).
To conclude: our strength lies in to offer socialist alternative. In that sense we must continue to struggle for a principled of the a vigorous Socialist Unity intervention La non-sectarian approach to alliances within the and an obstinate interFor it is on these questions that revolutionary socialism will build in the coming months.
ALL ROUND the country the bread workers know *They just say: "The drivers OFFICIAL
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RO DEAL SEL NUT
The Labour Government was clearly aware that maintaining industrial peace would not be easy. Nonetheless it was prepared Why? Because it had enormous confidence in theates BRIAN
alternative to the fiver-percenters AGAINST THE 5/., FUKO WUKKEKS ARE FIGHTING FOR EVERYONE