Economic in the BUILD ALL IRELAND

-no more refuges for battered women -residential homesfor children and elderly wiil close -the already skeleton home-=help service will disappear in some areas -ahalt torecruitment of social work staff despite widespread staff shortages.

In short, the young and the old, the weak and defenceless may be doomed because the only lifeline which they hadistobe taken from them, The story isthe same in the housing and education sectors, The Housing Executive has announced a dramatic cutback in itsplans for newhousing and hasgone so far astoask for the suspension of Public Health notices, pleading itsinability to employ main+ tenance staff. The Education Boards have cancelled almost their entire school building programme andin many areas, schoolchildren will be denied schoolmealsbecause the staff are being sacked, BUREAUCRAT SLEAD NOWHERE Despite this kick in the teeth, the North!s trade union leaders have learnt nothing, Having sat back and watchedunemployment soar to 85,000 under the Tories, they continue to sit on their back sides while the Torles tear the guts out of the welfare state. Indeed, in many cases the trade union leadersare actively assisting the Toriestoimplement these vicious attacks onthe workingclass, On September 27th and 28th People's Democracy is holding its annual conference. The second since fusion between PD and MSR, this conference will concentrate on getting to grips with tasks of rev— olutionary Marxists for the coming year.

The working class faces big battles. Throughout the 32 counties, the campaign for H-Block and Armagh .iS growing and a decisive and suc— cessful strategy is necessary if we are to win political status; the deepening struggle of women, spur~ red on by the feminist current on issues of sexual liberation, on contraception and abortion provide a serious challenge to revolution -aries. The economic recession choking the economies of Northern and Southern states will be met by fierce resistance from wide layers A CLEAR EXAMPLE The Northern IrelandPublic Service Alliance, whichproudly boasts that itisthe North!slargest white-collar union, isacaseinpoint. NIPSA's annual conference In May, voted overwhél mingly for a policy of non-cooper-~ ation and called on member s torefuse to implement the cuts, Three months later, the union!s executive has stil} not issued any instructions toitsmembers, NIPSA al so voted for a total banon overtime, yet the Executive claims to Peoples Democracy holds National Conference in the labour movement. Overall, there is a growing convergence ot the political and economic issues facing the working class and anti-imperialist movement.

The central obstacle of imperialist domination and its reflections throughout economic, political and social life both sides of the border is the basic framework that People's Democracy develops its perspectives within, To effectively challenge that domination, we recognise the need to build a strong organisation with an effective apparatus. This conference will also concentrate centrally on how to build People's Democracy.

We will cover the main discussions of the conference in the next issue.

SECRETARY POSITIVE DISCRIMINATION NEEDED WORKERS UNITY !!

overtime league, be confused as to what the conference meant, ItIls widely known within the unton that some Executive members areamongthehighest pald inthe NIPSA's General Secretary, Jim McCusker Is also Chairman of the Northern treland Committee which perhapsprovides some Insight Into the NICTU's Inactivity, McCusker has denounced hisownunlon!s policy :of non=-cooperationas"fascism'', McCusker Is fond of pointing out that NIPSA was the unlon with the largest WERE RETREATING Opestel cupptement to a Intercontinental Press roneerd TT ROCCOP outs of the trade union leaders, there Isno organi sed opposition within the unions, Developing such an opposition is tthe key task for militantsin the unions, Thiswill requirea fight to unite the working class by championing the demands of those worker s who are being hit the hardest, inthe six counties, the "Catholic minority" working class, Crash job creation programmes mu st be undertaken in those areas wlth the highest unemployment —- West Belfast, Strabane, Newry andDerry. We will have to fight for a policy of affirmative action to protect jobsfor women worker sand school leavers, Such demands will not find ready acceptance within the trade unions, Even some''socialists", suchas the supporter sof the IMIIlItant!, will say that these demandsare sectarian. But thisis tokow-tow before loyallsmthe genuine enemy of workers! unlty. Thispolicy hasbeen pur sued all along by the trade union leader sand the resultsare the misery which increas— ingly threatensall workers, The April 2nd Day of Action may only have been aripplein the stream but It wasa small beginning which should be bullton. It showed that despite the crude sectarianism of the trade union leaders and their attempts to block participation by anti-unlonist worker s, the latter were prepared to come onto the streetsin the flght for jobs and against thecuts, Ta.ken with the strike by deep-sea dockers, Apri! 2nd showed the potentlal for bull ding an opposition tothe policlesof the trade unton leaders andthelir fellow travel— lers, The deep-sea dockers, through their flying pickets, have secured support from docker sin Southern,as well asNorthern, ports, Such ALL-Ireland support Isessentlal for the victory of more andmore struggles, Irish worker sarebadly served by the disunity of the Irish trade unlon movement by the pro-partItioni st policy of the rump Northern Ireland Committee. This should be di sbanded and the trade unlon movement In All-Ireland should take the Initiatlve In developing a worker s! plan to defeat the attacksof British Imperialism anditsjunior partner sinireland, JOHN MAGEE This 200 page supplement to Intercontinental Press/ Inprecor contains some 15 documents and reports from the recent World Congress of the Fourth Internatlonal.

This volume contains *Report on World Political Situatlon -- by Ernest Mandel *Resolutlons on Europe, Latin America, and Women's Liberation *Socialist Democracy and the Dictator ship of the Proletariat Price: £2.40 + 30p P&P Address as on page 8, Read INTERCONTINENTAL PRESS/INPRECOR, weekly newspaper of the Fourth International.

W age talks between the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the Federated Union of Employers SOCIALIST REPUBLIC PAGE 3 ’ APRIL FOOL QUIZ Spot the difference?