HERE'S A PROMISE. WE'LL FIGHT FOR A SOCIALIST ALTERNATIVE AND KEEP YOI class to that promise.
under the Tory Government. THE TORY Victory qualitatively changed the strength of the forces on either side of the battle lines between the ruling class and the working class and oppressed. What it has changed is the way in which the battle will be fought So *Labour or Tory the struggle continues is thoroughly inadequate. For five years the working class has faced a Labour Government pursuing viciously anti-working class policies. The line of divide that ran through the labour movement was who would fight these policies and who would acquiesce.
This paper argued for the unity of all those prepared to fight back, summed up in the slogan Alternative to the Labour Government"
This socialist alternative included the effortsto build a new left wing based on class struggle policies in the unions, building united movements like the Anti Nazi League, drawing in the widest numbers of the oppressed into the women's movement and the black movement, presenting struggle candidates clections, and fighting for a unified revolutionary organisation.
Now the key line of divide will be against the Tory Government and its policies. The fight against the Labour leadership will go on in a different form.
The chief enemy government. The chief slogan is 'Unite to fight the Tories!"
Mass Action to Defend Basic Rights problems Thurcherisis to pillin problems demand the weakening and final removal of many basic social, political and organisationa] gains made by the working class since the Sccond World War.
To carry through this project Thatcher needs to wage a fight against The belief that these are rights at all. She need to divide the employed from the unemployed, the public sector workers from those in the private secror, the back from white, from ntale.
The Tories face strong opposition. While the working class is nor yet fighting for a clear socialist perspective, it sees defence of its gains usion rights, the Service, social benelits, womens' rights and many others questions.
So both the drive of British capital and the consciousness of the working class and oppressed means that the decisive battles of the coming years will be the fight for the defence of basic rights.
The relevance of socialist policies will be judged on how immediately they Socialist Challenge 10 May 1979 page 8 "factional opposition' to the policies of the new Tory Government made a fitting end to his career as Prime Minister. But there is little possibility of Callaghan binding the working As we argue on page 2 the labour movement has not suffered has fought for them.
DO WORR right but redundancy. Defence rights Fishts, defence of nuncios, *Build a Socialist policies of the strikers" families.
TURNIN end deleat the fascists. through in a bance with tac internationally Zimbabwe in the be fought for the La firm is the Thatcher ruling class, defend basic rights.
CAD THESE Build a Class Struggle Left Wng economic. wing women workers living standards', trade National Health necessity for wige controls.
as fundamental mensbers.
picketing, relate to defending these basic rights | tostrikers" families all coincide at least and the way in which the struggle will be Defence of living standards — no national minimum wage, automatic compensation against inflation. Defence of jobs and the right services — no curs, abolition of the cash limits system, a sliding scale of social expenditure to keep pace with inflation.
Defence and extension of women's no restriction on abortion and their extension against the cuts. Defence of 001083 00 pickets or the right to strike, defence of union democracy, no penalising of Defence against 'Sus' laws, immieration controls, mass action to These policies can only be fought for working class troops DUL of recognition internal settlement.
The unity of the working class has to unity of the working class in struggle, democratic control of struggle by the rank and tile, unty oi workers" organisations in action.
These policies must be placed within socialist context. Even the gains of the working class cannot be detended without chellen. ing the capitalist domination of the economy and the political power of the That is why only mass action can UNITY will be essential in the light acainst the Tories. When basic rights are at stake we would favour a united front with even the most right-wing leaders in the labour movement. But the basis of unity cunnot be uniled declarations but united action - what is needed is a fighting class struggle left What action will be required is already clear through the declarations and promises that Thatcher has made • Defence of trade union rights and Despite Thatcher's talk to the contrary all the serious sections of the ruling class believe in the Necessarily, therefore, Thatcher will rapidly move for talks with the trade union burcaucrats to investigate which particular form of incomes policy they will best be able to impose on their Another item on the agenda will be praise action port k balloting and restriction of social security payments bosses in restricting the power of their These backroom deals should be nipped in the bud. The demand for 'No talks with the Tories should be raised on lobbies of trade union leaders, in right up to the TUC Congress in September.
Defending trade union rights militants who fall foul of the offensive should be the job of trade union defence committees. conferences and action committees La nationally coordinated campaign.
*Defence of the public sector" is the second key theme. The economic policies of the Tories are based on huge expenditure. backbone of any incomes policy will be control of the public sector, and one of the first key issues facing government will he the outcome of the comparability studies in the public sector.
In the public sector Tharcher is not looking for collaboration with the trade union bureaucrats but to deliver really savage blows against the power of the Fighting against this offensive will demand maximum unity amongst the the demand for a local and national public sector alliance and trade union action to defend social services. be encouraged by the lack of major response under the Labour Government to a doubling of the jobless. Youth and women will be hit almost immediately if the Tories start to axe and cosmetic Tory schemes. A united campaign on youth unemployment is more necessary now Local than ever rights'. The entire political strategy of Thaicher demands early and particularly severe attacks both against even the limited gains of the most oppressed rights. Already clements, in addition to the attacks on trade union rights, are clear. Thatcher tbe is already pledged to clear reactionary moves penalty, and attacks on abortion. This will almost followed up by moves against freedom of expression, demonstrations, student unions, etc. campaigns in these fields - will be carly priorities.
The Battleof Salley Gates. Struggles like these smashed Tory policies and pared the way for the ousting of the Torie • On unemployment Thatcher must Jub subsidy • Defend social and democracio layers in society and against democratic can only BALT organised the death certainly rapidly united front Relations Staring probably with those on immigration aws and state racism, and on abortion of expression. aneas where the Thatcher wing of Tory Party has pot up most stewn is foreign policy. She faces a key ci decision on whether to recognise internal settlement in Zimbabwe, wh there is likely to be a crisis no mat she does. Labour being opposition may also tend to weal bipartisan pressure on the base of labour movement on Ireland, open up the opportunities for the troops movement to extend the impact mad These are the themes on which should be fighting for united actio the whole working class, a fight 1 be made by a left in the labour committed to class struggle pol not the class collaboration of the lef Such a left wing will not come existence overnight, What we can and, more importantly, do is to sup push all movements lik which emerged under the Governitient around the Indi ACE OF those like Anti Nazi League which have com the fore under Labou, In the direc action, unity and il MIN
e Tories
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a massive defeat and the Tories' policies will be met with major struggle first contribution to a debate in which we ask others on the left to contribute we outline our views on the way forward
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