[CONTRIBATION I LICENCES TO WIN, the miners need…]

Scan page 2

CONTRIBATION I LICENCES TO WIN, the miners need solidarity.

First, solidarity in the coalfields -making sure that every pit stops.

coal stocks. They must be tied up.

and at power stations. a day on February 28.

strength, but all-out action.

and rip up the anti-union laws. government.

the country.

1. We must workers' unity.

TUC should organise for a general strike.

councils, Labour Parties.

capitalist power and privilege. flying still big handle depots Vidya Anand (centre) with other campaigners Vidya Anand is the Chair of the Ethnic Minority Working Party of the Executive Committee of the Greater London Labour Party and Black Londoners Action Committee. He spoke to Socialist Organiser about the 'Black Londoners' campaign.

BLACK LONDONERS is suffering along with Radio London and other local and community programmes right across the board. We know this.

But Black Londoners - over fifteen percent of London's population - look at ths programme of Alex Pascall's with a special sense of pride. They have been able to identify and relate to it in a very special way.

In a sense Black Londoners' consciousness and involvement in the media has grown with this programme which has been kept alive largely because of support - material, moral and otherwise - from the Black communities in the Greater London area.

Starved of resources of very elementary nature, it has grown from strength to strength over the years. It has become a sort of bridge between the Black community and the host community. It has also helped enormously in inculcating a sense of pride in the minds of Black people who were born here about their culture and about their parents' culture.

I think it is important that comrades on the Left of the political spectrum understand and respond to the problems of Black Londoners, and not wait for the bandwagon to roll on before jumping on to it. Because if we fail them, then it is likely that people whom I call merchants of hate will take over.

Black Londoners has shown that Black culture has a relevance not only to the Black Londoners but also to our community as a whole, which enjoys and listens to Alex Pascall's programme. We have had countless telephone calls and offers of help from ordinary men and women from the host community in the Greater London area.

A successful was 'Black Londoners', a BBC Radio London current affairs programme, began in 1974. Up to 1980 the bulk of the cost of by the thommission for Raciat 10] Equality.

The BBC's contribution was air time and a contribution towards the salary of the presenter, Alex Pascall.

Between 1974 and 1978 the BBC paid Alex Pascall £13 a week, between 1978 and 1980, £25. It was not until 1981 that he began to receive the agreed union rates.

By 1983 the BBC employed five people working on the programme, but now the team has been cut to three.

A similar programme in the BBC - half an hour daily -would normally have ten.

The present cutbacks came when the BBC Board of Governors imposed a cut of £30,000 on Radio London as a penalty for the station's 'over-spending'.

The demands ' of the Black Londoners' Action Committee include:

*A new structure which makes it expressedly an autonomous part of the BBC, *A producer, researcher and secretary for the programme, with knowledge and experience of the Black communities.

*A separate budget for the autonomous operation of 'Black Londoners' programme of BBC Radio London.

held in the House of Commons on rebruary ", 1904. The National Officer of the National Union of Journalists, John Foster, expressed his union's un support, ana reportea tha he NUJ had reported the BBl to the Commission for Racial Equality over its treatment of its Black employees.

MPs who came to the meeting to lend their support despite a Kinnock rally at the same time, included Jeremy Corbyn, Tony Banks, Reg Freeson, Chris Smith, Ernie inberts, Dennis Skinner, Ruy Hattersley, Merlyn Rees and Harry Cohen. Richard Balfe, Member of the European Parliament, addressed the meeting.

During the AGM of the Greater London Labour Party, a fringe meeting was organised and petitions were circulated to be signed by the rank and file members of the Labour Party expressing their solidarity the fight to stop the cuts.

But so far the BBC seems to think it is living in a period of pre-war genteel imperialism.

We are hoping that our friends in the House of Commons will keep pressure on the government by way of putting down an early day motion if necessary while the campaign gathers momentum. More public meetings and petitions THE Labour Campaign for Gay. Rights is disgusted at the way in which the MP for Carmarthen, Dr. Roger Thomas has been treated by both the press and his Constituency As socialists we feel that the whole issue has been treated with a distinct lack of comradeship.

As gay socialists we believe that any offence which has no ''heterosexual" equivalent should not only be completely discounted, but that a subsequent campaign should be launched to show the public the true nature of this repressive legislation.

Prejudice

It is no good for the Labour leadership to talk of "support" for long standing MPs. It must take its fair share of the blame for failing to confront the prejudice and bigotry which lie behind the importuning law and for completely ignoring the whole gay issue surrounding the Thomas case.

The Labour Party nationally and locally must realise in the aftermath of Bermondsey that avoiding the subject leaves them at best with egg on their faces, and at worst with a Potential disaster in the sideTo talk of anyone resigning *with dignity purely

BLACK

are in the offing.

We need support from all the comrades - material, moral and practical help on the picket lines if and when we mount them again, to highlight the despicable plight of the black people working for the BBC and the BBC's apparent refusal to listen to very basic needs of Black Londoners from whom it collects annually over £20 million in licence fees. rhetorical. There is no dij ¡nity in a local party desertin; ; Its Mr: and treating the v hole attair with, to quote Nye Bevan; 'a conspiracy of silence."

Abolition While feeling sensitive to the wishes of Dr Thomas, we hope that the circumstances surrounding the case are not forgotten during the by-election campaign (to assume that the opposition would allow it is politically naive) but that instead the Labour Party both nationally and locally with present the issue of lesbian and gay rights positively, and actively campaign for the abolition of such unjust laws.

They might even go so far as to adopt an out gay/lesbian candidate. Campaign for Gay Rights To join or affiliate write Lenton, Nottingham NG7 2DS

----- pull-quotes -----

Rip up anti-union laws Gear up for a fight SAYS ACCORDING TO

B.L.A-C SAYS MORE THAN 6O%. OF BOTH BLACK AD WHITE LISTEN AND LOVE

to Chris Richardson, 21 Devonshire Promenade,