Socialist Organiser

The weekly of the fused Workers Socialist League, July 1981 to April 1984

War on the

Socialist Organiser no. 61, 12 November 1981 · scan pp. 1–2 · about 667 words

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Brute force and police violence also migure prominenely in the anti union offensive. At the Laurence Scott plant last week, over 100 police kept pickets at bay as two helicopter loads of scabs flew out motors trapped by the 27-week struggle to save the jobs at the plant.

And three weeks ago another factory occupation Chaffa Producte in Fast london. where 400 iobs are at stake - was smashed apart by a squad of 300 police But the strikebreaking plans go further still: apparently Thatcher intends to use as many as 12,000 army scabs to run supplies of fuel in the event of a strike by The workers' movement is under daily threat, facing a conscious and determined enemy, trading on every Yet our prime weakness is our leaders, who are conscious only of preserving their own cosy relationship with the employers, and - as the BL sell-out showed ... determined above all to prevent an all-out confrontation with Foot and Duffy are both now eagerly claiming the credit for finally knifing the BL struggle and giving the Tories an extended lease of life. This offers a grim warning of what they would try to do under a returned In fighting now for action at shop floor and nat ional level to defend the unions and defeat the Tory attack, we must take up the fight also against Thatcher's fifth column within the labour movement itself. That means fighting for new policies - and for a new leadership willing and capable of carrying them out. Tube fares on the rates is illegal. The case had been brought by the Tory council in suburban Bromley.

The GLC's mandate from the local elections in May this year is irrelevant, said Denning, because lots of voters don't read manifestos!

Earlier this year Denning said the courts should step in if a Labour government tried to abolish the House of Lords. Tony Benn told Socialist Organiser: "Denning... said an appointed judge should have the right to determine whether the views of the British publ ic, expressed in an election, are acceptable or not... In the guise of maintaining standards, Lord Denning is. arguing in defence of the interests of those who own the land and the capital" ployed, or the huge financial penalties imposed by the Tories on the GLC and other councils, or the daily price rises in the shops, weren't. anybody's manifesto promises. Yet there's no judge to rule them illegal!

The GLC expects the House of Lords to reverse the Appeal Court decision, as it has done with some other iccent rulings from Denning. But we can't count on it.

Shortly before the Appthe bossannounced a £200,000 campaign to get rid of GLC Labour leader Ken Livingstone. We need a massive campaign by the labour movement to get rid of this ruling.

Every labour movement organisation should be sending emergency resolutions:

* congratulating the GLC on its fares cuts, * calling on the GLC and the London Transport unions to stand firm on those fares cuts whatever the House of Lords decides.

*calling for, and pledg ing, action in support of such a stand and to force the government to make up the money due from the illegal" supplementary rate.

Fund We're still totting up the regular bankers' orders that came in at the beginning of the month. But our calculation is that we need a minimum of £750 on top of them this month just to keep our heads above water. And so far movement on the fund has been pretty slow.

£25 from a North-West London reader; £6 from Coventry; £15 from Sheffield; £5 from South London; £11 from Nottingham; £2 from Hull; and £7.50 from East London - that's about it.

Jumble sales - collections at meetings - asking regular readers for contributions - however it's done, we need the cash! Send to Socialist Organiser, 28 Middle Lane, London N8.

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Socialist Oreaniser, Thursday, 12 Novemper 1981. Page 2 ber 1981, Page 2 November

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