Socialist Republic: Vol. 8 no. 2, 1985

DEFEND DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS!

20p Outside Ireland - 25p

STOP

SDLP

NOW!

JOHN HUME

blatant, However Thatcher's willingness to support amenism and humil ale them has left them all vuluerable. The point is that they are not all equally vulnerable - and John Hume and the SDLP are at the sharp end! As might be expected Fine Gael.

the traditional party of collaboralion, are least affected but the Tashne to get a bone from the Brits has injured them deeply. h seems more and more likely that they will retreat towards Unemployed and Strikers - 10p

SILENCE

The humiliation of the Anglo-trish talks hasn't changed the polley ot the Nationalist parties, They are still determined to smash Republicanise and to sell out the irish people's aspirations for leish unity.

With each day that passes collaboration on 'security' becomes more sharism and allows repression.

The Labour Party, already leading an all our offensive against the working class, have nothing to lose and expect to get decimared in the local government clections.

Their best hope is that if they hanu on in Coalion the Blueshits will come up with a stroke to save flien. Haughey of Fianna Fail and the Mallon wing of the SDLP are now trying to retain credibility by selling the Forum Report to the Americans. Mallon has actually offered Irish mem Paper of Peoples Democracy bership of NATO as part of the deal! Given Thatcher's support for Star Wars' he has no hope, But It is Home and the SOLP as a schole whic are up against it, The other parties are either in government or expect to form one. They can put forward moves against as independent deci- Sina Fein sons. The SDLP are being asked to support the direct repression of Britain and the Unionists al a tiate when many of their own supporters feel they should cooperate with Sinn Fein against an eneniy unwilling to concede even the smallest reform. It is in this context that we should Hume-IRA meetine. ThE Hume was desperately anxious to wriggle off the hook of talks with Sinn Fein.

POBLACHT SHOISIALACH

SOCIALIST

REPUBLIC

When the invitation front Gerry Adams came he had already prepared his defence by dismissing Sinn Fein as a political force and arguing that the real authority was the Army Council, The IRA wrong-footed him by issuing an Intmediale invitation. The British, having taken a policy decision thas there was to be no reform of the North, tried to disguise this by handing control of negotiations to the Unemists. For the not an inch' brigade negotiation means unconditional Nationalist surrender. They reacted to the IRA meeting hy slamming the door on talks and smashing for the time being Hume's plan of an "Internal settlement.

VOLUME

NUMBER

March/ April 1985 It anpents from the circunstances of the meeting and the fact that Hume was able to avoid discus siens that the Republican Movement is not totally united around the idea of talks with the SDLP.

It is important that this issue be sected out. British pressure und dirty tricks" against Sinn Fein will increase in the run-up to the election. They will be hoping to take even stronger action after the election. The SDLP must be forced to meet Repubicans and reverse their support for repression. Hume has challenged the Republican military campaign. Now he must be challenged to fight in a united political campaign againse the growing

TEDEOSSIOD

JOHN MeANULTY

EDITORIAL

SALUTE TO

THE MINERS!

With the ending of the Miners' strike irish workers should pause to salute the bravery and self-sacrifice of the British miners. Their struggle over the past year has been an example to us all. The Tories have won a battle for which they have been preparing since Thatcher came to power. It should be cicar to all now that the war is not simply in Ireland but is directed to the crushing of the entire British working class as well.

Comparisons with the H Block struggle seem apt. The Tories held the line, but at a price they may have been unwilling to pay. The struggle almost bankrupled their economy and it stripped away many of the myths about parliamentary democracy and equality before the law that they use to maintain working class support for their rule. The inevitable result of the struggle will be a deepening radicalisaton of those involved. A new carrest has formed ngabest the betrayal of the TUC leadership. Those in the miners support groups around local Labour parties are drawing revolutionary conclusions about British society, The women's movement has recelved a new influx of miss working class radicalism.

One element cf the new debare will be the Irish question, Many British workers have had their eyes opened and are anxious to learn the lessons of our struggle. We should show a similar anxiety to understand the lessons of their struggle and build a long-lasting solidarity with them.

WOMEN'S RIGHTS

IN IRELAND

The passage of the new contraception legislation in the 26 Counties recently hus led to a spate of claims that we have at last a secular state in the South and that the church has suffered a decisive defeat.

The evidence does not support this claim, The Joanse Hayes ease shows the depths of state brutality s, ainst women. The church vietory over schoolteacher Eleen Flyun aust concern all trade unionists. The capitalists no still dragging thei feet in the issue of divorce. But the Kerry Babies" case has shown that the women's morement In Ireland has come of age.

It has brought about a real sen-change in public attitudes. Unfortunately the movement is fragmented and teeds to react to events.

We believe that the anti-Imperialist movemeet car play a real role in changing this and in opposing the sham liberalise of Fine Gael and the disgusting opportunism of Fianna Fail.

THE MINERS -

LESSONS FOR US ALL

When Arthur Scargill sald at the end of the Miners' strike that the most Important thing to come out of it was the struggle Itself, he wasn't wrong, foe the defeat of the strike is only half the story. The etber half is the bitter lessons learned by the miners and their families; their politicisation and that of their supporters; and the beginnings of a gennise prinelpled left wing in the British Inhour movement. Which half will prove more signiflcant only time will sell. We de know however, that the decisive fight between workers and the capitalist system lies in the future and the British working class now has the beginnings of a lead.

ership worthy of waging that fight. Miners and the many thousands of Beitish workers who supported them have learnt lessons they couldn't have been taught in a lifetime without such experience.

They have learut that the Beitish siate, far from being Impartial, Is a weapon of class rule, That the rule of law is really the role of the rich and powerful. That the police are not "fate', that jodyes are not "Independent" and thai the telev!.

sion and prees are not impartial and objective". Most important of all they Imes that they lost the strile not because of Scargill as the media continues to try to tell them but because of the leadership of the British labour movement the Kinnocks and Willin's. They know that the British labour movement needs a new Icadership and new policies. Before the strike many even on the left had illusions in Kinnock. Now there can be no reason for not naming him sac Willis for what they are. Scabs!

The rightwing deiff in the British labour movement has finally met a powerful leftwing force that has the potential to reverse it.

Twelve months of hitler struggle have prowed to many ordinary Bie what workers mariole ourselves have been saying for a long time. Only by mobilising all the oppressed on the side of the can the fell strength of the worldug class he mobilised.

Than it has been women in the miners support groups wi bave seen the backbone of the strike They have not only stood bebind the men but stood side by side and even led them. Women's rights once scorned by many even on the left as a secondary insuc This summer's local goverment elections in both the North and the Souri are of fundimental importance to the whole antiimperialist movement and to the The Irish people as a whole. elections, in May and June, will not just be about local issues.

Instead they will be the first on an All-Ireland opportunity level for the Irish people to give a Thatcher's response clear *Out! Out! Out!" policy, to the blatent collaboration of the Forum and Anglo-Irish talks report and to the joint policy od the Brits.

Unionist and Nationalist parties to attack Sinn Fein and rall back our political rights. But are clections simply glorified opinion polls? This is the view of the capitalist parties and media commentators and what they The verdict of the mean by It is true that a ballot bos'. massive vote for anti-imperialist candidates will make the British pause - but already their reaction to Sinn Fein victories shows that when an election result doesn't suit them then they will use the legal system and the state to coll back the effect of electoral gans.

Sinn Fein's policy of the arma lite and Ballot Bos' attempts to strike a balance between clectorai wark and the military campaign This has led to a number of prob.

lems. It tends to accept the ciec toralist view that elections. are simply opinion polis and does not directly link them with a strategy if defeating imperialism although T many local and community strugales led by Sinn Fein raise these A discussion has been qoestions. going an abour the role of the armed struggle, especially shostings, but the punisiuncut Movement's policy Republican has remained for some time the veered been tren These women aren't oing back to the kitchen sink because they realise that the only guarantee that their rights will be respected is by them themselves continuing to organise. The leadership of the NUM has shown it has learned these les feminist demande at the Banist Labour Party conference. They bowed that they recognised th apport Black peuple have giver by supporting the setting up of Binck caucuses in the lahour Party. They have acknowledeed the support given by gay people to the strike throughout Britain.

It is no accident that the most advanced working class fighters in Britain understand the need to oin these struggles together le one movement. They have under stood that unltymcans not the uppression of the demands and eganisation of other oppress roops, but their open and fu expression in one movement against the enemy which con fronts them all — Thatcher u the system she stands for.

For os in Ireland the mest hopeful sign is the begbinings of a realisadon among many miners that just as their struggle has been led about by the medin, just as they Local Government Elections

UNITED IRELAND

THE ISSUE!

concept of a long war' - but without any real statement about how it will be won. Peoples Democracy does nIGE believe that the Irish revolution will take place through gradual electoral advance. We believe that force will be necessary simply because the British and their capitalist allies will use maximum force to retain power.

But we also believe that the major weapon in our hands is the mass united struggle of working people. If is this concept of mass.

struggle which offers a way of and uniting all the struggles which puts clectoral campaigns in their proper place — as ways to organise mass struggle. The H Block/Armagh campaign was a dramatic example of this.

The election campaign north and south won massive support for the anti-imperialist cause. In the south since then me have seen Leinster House and EEC elections and in the north Assembly, Westminster and EEC elections.

In these elections Sion Fein has but consolidated its position.

as enited muss action has declin ed so also the pro-capitalist and mperialist parties have been able over the majority of irish workers.

Now there is a new Belish offensive. In the words of Secretary of State Hurd, the main plank of their policy in a robust security - a polite descripcion of policy the shoot-to-kill policy. This is to be linked to a political offensive against Sinn Fein and a denial of political rights to anti-imperial- IStS. have The Nationalist parties expressed concern about the shoot-to-bill policy. But at the sime time chey have carried out political attacks on Sim Fein in the snath and the SDLP has openly hacked the British political have suffered police repression.

the road blocks, ries gear, politi cal goestioning and conveyer bett special courts, the same thing han been happening in Ireland. They save begun to look at whal appens here with new eyes an Certainly the striking Nottinghamshire miners who came to last demonyear's anti-Internment stration in Belfast weat back to Britain with a clear idea of who the real terrorists are. They saw a peaceful brutal assault demonstration and the murder of a young man, John Downes.Many miners realise that If the british had not been here then many of tactics They now know that Our is not a slogan that should be Imited ta small groups on the left but is one that the whole British labour movement most take as their own. tremendous International The solidarity given to the mhers struggle has not been in sain.

Their struggle has taught workers In Ireland lessons they night high paid a Face attacks on their Jobs should realise that they too need a new the north. Tins is offensive in background of the against the Forum report and cheir abandonment of calls for a United Ircland.

Up to now nationalist parties bave been able to confuse the issue and restrict criticism from their own supporters. Sinn Fein spokespersons have suggested that there might be grounds for an electoral especially with arrangement the SDIP to maximise the effect of the anti-unionist vote in the north. We believe that this is a mistaken strategy. The fact that paitics like the SDIP and Fiaona Fail are willing to endorse attacks on Sinn Fein's political rights is a central point which must be brought to the attention of those supporters who still defend the concept of a United. Democtatic Ireland.

A united campaign on the streets would byirself put presure on thet British and their allies. It would be able to organise during the cleetions and set the tone of the electoral debate. It could also provide anti-imperialist a basis for an electoral pact which could begin to put forward a detailed and realistic alternative to the Forum - to raise the banner of Report independence rather than collaof conomic frcedom baration. slavery the ruther than and of internamultinationals tional solidarity with anti-imperi alist and anti-capitalist struggles rather than the pawn of NATO.

JOHN NORTH

leadership - a leadership that prepared nat just to talk but t Ight. A leadership the will wIll take up the demand which many Beitish miners have learued Is Important to them — Bridsh Troops Out of Ireland! If the Irish labour movement does this and takes this weapon out of the hands of the British ruling class It will be the groatest help could give to the Britist they workers and especiully the miner who have nud yet given their Inst woed to Thatcher!

MINERS

leet

YOU

STRIKE

'BUTCHER'S APRON' AT HALF-MAST!

DEMOCRACY STIFLED AT INTO CONFERENCE

"Butcher's Apron' saga at The Belfast's City Hall ended with a High court victory for PD' West Belfast councillor John Mc Anulty and with the Union Jack flying at half mast over demoralised Linionists. The Unionists had siezed on the 'Butcher's Apron' comparison with the Union Jack as a way of using the standing orders of to exclude council meetings Councillor mcAnulty. hoped to find way exclude Peoples perminently Democracy and Sinn Fein from council meetings. In the event they failed. Most people were overjoyed at the unionist defeat, but many do fiot see the implications of the As John MeAnulty campaign. said: The Beitish and Unionist parties have a policy of removing the rights of democrutie We in Peoples unionists. Democracy have shown that that policy has to be implemented and that it can be resisted."

The legal actions got the greatest but PD also carried publicity, on a publicity campaign, mounted protest demonstrations inside the City Hall itself and sought united action with other anti-unionist parties. This led to active support irom Sinn Fein and a great deal of twisting and turning from the Donations to: Cllr John MeAnulty Horizon Books The Irish National Teachers' Union [INTO], the largest teachunion in Ireland, held its Nortbera Conference March in Derry. The conference was dominated in different ways by two loses. One in the major conflict coming for the teaching unlons over this year's pay rise. The other was the sacking of anti-imperiulist milltant Danay Barke, of Belfast West. The debate over the current pay dispute followd predictable lines.

A resolution calling for "a coordinated plan of industrial action to secure a just salary award" was passed unanimously. The Northem Secretary Al Muelde amounced shat the recent postal ballot organised by the union [to confonte with. Tary anti-union laws] They to anti- SDEP, who at first ignored the issue. then walked out of a council meeting in support. withdrew active support. We in PD regand this as an exemplary action, showing the weav forward for a major campaien

HELP!

in the last issne of Socialist Repablic we appealed for C1.000 to help In our defence campaign. Since then John McAmully's rietory and the avanting of costs, has allowed us to slash E500 from this total.

But we still need money to mount a real campaign on democratic rights. At the moment the appeal hus met witt a sow respease.

LONDON SOCIALIST ACTION

BELFAST PD

DUBLIN PU

LIMERICK PD

DUNBARTON REVOLUTION YOUTH

TOTAL

WE STILL NEED E385 TO MEET OUR TARGET!

6 Avoca Park majority industrial action, including the use of strike. 8th-9th John McAmalty of East Down INTO, and PD member, pouted out that more would be needed to vecare a victory in this dispute than ringing declarations to the up converted. With the strike now over a valuable apportunity has been lost. The teachers need to identify themselves firmly as publie service workers and to unite in a broad compalen agalinst the government's arbitrury pay norms. The leudership most now begin to lend. Ballots sbould Inclade recommendations from the leadership and it should be realised that the campaign will be ; along haul, testing the combative qualities of the teachers unions to the full. The undemocratic nature confeand its Unionist lacheys.

weight apron". The democratic Inende

STRUGGLE:

In defence of democtactic rights.

around this issue and we will then continue lo scek broad United Front activity to defend political tights: Declaration From I.l. Congress

ESD

E20 organisations €20 €15 Foorth Intemational their €10 support €115 gress declared: *Forward tn the day that the Workers Repablic! Britain and lis Butcher's Aprons Out of Ireland Nowt" favour of levolvement in dehate and decision-makiug, can the rank and file campaign dal lies prevented discussion on Danny miners" range of issues. large majority, despite opposition from year and clearly the Department of Education is encased In exercise of school closure In the name of the executive commitiee of the LKI [Basque organisation of the Fourth International of the Spanish state] and in my own, 1 would like to express our deep solidarity with our comrade John MeAnalty, member of Peoples Democracy [rish section of the Fourth International] and member of Bellast City Council, against the attacks on his political and civil rights by British Imperialism/ Defending the symbols of the opperssed nation, fuced with the laperialism and its syrabols is incumbeat upon every consistently anti-imperialist patriot. This takes on sperial significance when faced with the butcher of peoples that is British imperialism, whose flag Is Indeed a "buteher's cannot hide lts barbarie reality confronted with a heroie people fighting for their country's reunification and Independence.

LONG LIVE THE INTERNATIONALIST AND SOLIDARITY

LONG LIVE THE BASQUE AND IRISH PEOPLES!

We intend to continue organising

FRANK ROSSA.

an/ Britain. Delegates from revolutionary throughout the world assembled for the recent Twelfth World Congress of the deciared Coanellior for MeAnulty's stand. In a message to Peoples Democracy, the Con- Telcolour flies in a 32 County Irish the suggests that the leadership does not understand that only by mobilising its members through he prepared for the rigours of the ahead. he manner in which the leadership Burke's case suggests that the leadership has little concern for Internal democracy over a whole An emergency moton from Bel.

fast West calling for a special conference in the autume to dis.

cuss a campaign against further redundancies was passed by a furious the Northern Committee. West Belfust schools seffered savage Job losses this by

BASQUE SUPPORT

af domination, oppressive and

J. I. HIKIA

ARMAGH

PICKET

"As long as she's in there my nied will never he away from those walls". These were the moving words of Mary McArdie, whose daughter is among those imprisoned in Armagh Jail, She was addressing a picket of over 500 people gathered at the Jail for International Women's Day. They had travelled from all parts of Ireland Other speakers represented the Chile Support Group, Black Women from Sheffield, and Women Against Pit Closures', who pledged their solidarity and promised to return to Britain and describe what was happening in Ireland. There were dozens of messages of support from anguisations internationally who ate secking to raise the question of strip-searching at Armagh in their own counteles.

USI CONGRESS

The 27ch Annual Congress of the Union of Students in Ireland will take place in Belfist 11-14 April.

Motions going to the Congress challenge governmenr policy with regard to the economy. Union members consider they are facing a crucial period abead as government advances il plans for a wide range of cutranging cutbacks in education.

The special conference in the Autumn could provide a powerful Victimisation of Danny Burke A major Issue at INTO's Northern Conference was the victimisation of West Belfast teacher Danny Burke and the removal of his Icence to teach. Motions at the conference sopporting Burke were hanned by the leadership in obvlous attempt to avoid taking action over a clear case of setimisation. As previous Isones the of Socialist Republie have reported, Danny is a longstanding mill-

ALL

ISRAELI

AND

US TROOPS

OUT OF

LEBANONI

backs, including dismanding the education system. A record number of motions will challenge government policy on its austerity programme and on the central political question of Partition, Democratic rights for women will also be a focus of debate. Focus of opposition to this Insidious policy. a court cuse revealing the disgracelal nature of the "evidence' agalest him and a metion at last year's conference colling for a withdrawal al cooperation with the education Inspectorate pend- Ing a satisfuctory appeal procedare, the union has now dropped the case lie a hot potato. The farious rows which broke out at conference show that the Issue is far from dead and its effects will be felt for some time

KERRY BABIES SCANDAL

THE DETAILS OF THIS CASE

HAVE

BEEN

WHICH

REPORTED IN THE Irish newspapers over the last few months are by now famillar. The mutilated body of a newly born infant was found on the beach at Cahirelveen in Kerry last April. The Jocal Gardal arrested a young Joanne Haves. They woman, claimed she was the mother and that together with her family she had killed the child. The family was questioned at Trace Garda Barracks by a team of detectives Jobn led by Superintendent Courtney, following which they made statements In accordance with the police accusations.

They subsequently retracted their "confessions" saying these had been obtained under duress the family was physically and mentally abused during the interrogation which lasted 12 bours: Meanwhile blood tests confirmed that Joanne Hayes was not the mother of the baby on the beach.

The police chught in this clumsy attempt at a frame-up were advised to drop the case. The Hayes fumily complained to a solicitor about their treatment, and Noonan was forced to order an enquity. The conduct of that inquiry, now in its tenth week has caused = good deal of public outrage. Far from being an impartial attempt to get at the truth it is clearly a exercise for the face-saving police. The kinds of questions put to the Hayes family were simply an extension of their interrogation in the Tralee Garda Barracks. The nim of the questions is clearly to convict them still of the Cahirciveen killing. Three Garda superintendents.

including John Courtney, have been giving instructions to the lawyers responsible for their defence and it was clear what line they were to take. There is no evidence to convict Joanne Hayes so they were to go for character assassination instead. Joanne is a single parent, who in the ourse of a love affair found herself pregnant again. The child was boco prematurely in April 1984 and did not survive. Much was made of this by the lawyers acting for the Gardai. They pursued a bizarre line of enquiry seeking to establish that Joanne had given birth to twins, one of which was the baby on the beach!

Using this theory as a pretext, all the most intimate details of Joanne's pregnancy and social life wete made known to the public.

The Tribunal became a trial and an ondeal very reminiscent of rape cascs where the victim's sexual life is held up to scrutiny:

POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS

The Joanne Haves case shows that the ruthless interrogation methods which the Free State government condoned against its political coemies in the 70% are finding their way into routine police investigations. This Hak is represented in the person of Jobn Courtney, formerly of the Heavy Gang now promoted head of the Murder Squad and in charge of the "Kerry Babies" investigation.

THE HEAYY GANG

A special section of the Gardai was set up in the carly 70s to deal* with those arrested under emergency legislation. Those Involved were nicknamed the Heavy Gang' due to the brutal methods they used to extract confessions. One of their carliest cases was the Sallins Mail Train Robbery by means of which they framed four members of the Irish Repoblican Socialist Party. Courthey was centrally involved. This case resulted in an eight year fight for justice by Nicky Kelly.

You nead nat say anything will be taken Whown and used as evidence agatnst you.... Amnesty International compiled a dossier and report giving details of the Heavy Gang's activities based on numerous allegations it had received and presented this to the Minister for Justice. The reason for concern was not simply the physical and mental abuse of detainces but that "confessions' were sufficient grounds for conviction in the juryless Special Criminal Court. To date no member of the Heavy Gang has been prosocuted and in fact many bave been promoted. All demands for an Independent enquiry into the Sallins affair have been refused, It is clear with the passing of the Criminal Justice Bill nut the government is looking to the police to contain the results of the Suse Bees Andersoestown Belfase BTT2 Tel: Belfast 11:024 recession, the social crisis youth are in through lack of jobs, etc.

The government has no solution save extending police powers.

CHURCH POLICE

their fight to discredit Joanne Hayes as a witness and so keep control over the case the Gardai defence lawyers invoked another set of laws - the ones peeple's emotional.

POVERTIS

lives as laid down by the church.

The Joanne Hayes case is one of a series where unmarried mothers are under ittack because they don't conform to church morality.

They face severe discrimination in housing like Nancy O'Donnell and are dismissed from jobs like Eileen Flynn. Denial of democratic rights like adequate sex education and free choice about birth control leads to tragic pregnancies like those of Ann Lovett and Joanne Hayes. The church justifies this repression in the name of "life" and 'human dignity' (nauguaral address Archbishop of Dublin, January 21sc 1985). This is hypocritical because they continue to classify some babies as "legitimate': they don't demand nurseries, adequate maternity benefit, nor an end to poverty to assist the babies who are alive.

The number of dead babies which have been found recentis show the desperate solution sought by some who cannot cope with preg- Peoples Democracu

HORIZON BOOKSHOP

OPEN MONDAY, TUESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY SATURDAY 12.00- 5.00pm

JOANNE HAYES

nancy in a hostile environment.

The church hiersechy and its Fine Gael backers ignore this kind of

CONCLUSIONS

The 'Kerry Babies' case shows the kind of violence which pervades societies where police and church are allowed a free rein, It shows: that the community ignores this state violence at its peril — the experience the Gardal repressing antigained from imperialists will be used to deal with any kind of public protest.

Denying women their democratic

OF CHOICE, THAT IS OUT...

Bury Bee Barle sensor Beal Feirue, BTIZ Gurban: Beat Feinte 51 2926 rights causes misery, hardship and even death. However the depth of public feeling aroused ovcr these injustices shows that Irish workers are not ready to repression blindly, accept shows the value of campaigns like the Nicky Kelly Campaign and the Right to Choose Campaign which deepen understanding of the polifical situation. It shows the value that a general campaign against tbe denial af democratic eights would have in exposing the bankruptcy of the Free State government.

CAIT O'MARA

CONTRACEPTION... THAT IS OUT... DIVORCE,

THAT IS OUT-ON YES AND FREEDOM

ALIENATION!

WHAT MARX

MEANT

It is to Karl Marx that we must turn in order to find the most radical interpretation of the concept of allenation, For Mark argued that humanity is not condemned to live by the sweat of its brow under alienated conditions throughour its whole term on earth. It can become free. its labout can become free, it is capable of selfemancipation, though only under specific historical conditions.

Under the system of capitalism the cconomic obligation of people who cannot Mierwise survie has forced them to sel the only commodity they possess — their labour power — on the labour market. According to Marx, this is where the alienation of labour occurs. We knew the consequences of selling labour power to a boss. It fiest Emplics the worker loses control over her waking hours. This time belongs to the employer, bot the worker. The employer will dictate what the worker will or will not do during this period.

In time and motion studiesof this control, the boss even tries to control every second, literally ever second of the time you spend in lis employment Alienation in the workplace also takes on another form: when a wage carner las sold her labour power for a certain part of her life to the employer.

the products of her labour are not ber own. Under capitalism the products of labour become the property of the emploser.

Karl Marn Whilst the creation of new technology worker, in reality under capitalism, It is often to the worker's disad.

vantage. For example, shift work was created to suit the needs of the machine, the introduction of the microchip has resulted in the Joss of thousands of jobs, The assembly line is designed to turn quick profits for the employer, whilst the worker must suffer horing. and often dangerous work routines.

Thus alienation is complete, self-expression for chose who scil their labour power, Work is just a means to an end and that end is to get enough money to live. Some income to make it possible to buy the consumer goods necessary to satisfy onc's needs. Thus a basic aspect of human nature, the capacity to perform creative work is twisted and distated under capital.

ism. Thus is highlighteo in How Beynon's book, "Working for Ford': a magor sturis of the working conditions in a car assembly line plans.

One Ford wotker is quoted as saying, couldn't take the job bome. There's nothing to take. It's different for them in the office, they are a part of Foe's. We are not, we are members." The workers told the story about the man who left Ford to work in a sweet factory where he had to divide up the reds from the blues. He quit because he couldo't take the decision-making! Or the country Ind who couldn't believe that he had to work on every car: *0h no.

I've done my car, that one down there, A green one it was."

Throughout capitalist socieces. many cxamples of alichation are to he toand. The loneliness of people which results in individualism being pushed to the fore. But it most be remembered that Marx was no gloomy pessimist. He contended that alienacion like everything eise created by bumanity can also be undone. However, it will only he undone after bitter class struggles fought by the working class.

For unlike other classes the working class wit light not only for economic freedom but for a society free of exploitation, oppression.

and vilence — in a word, SOCIALISM!

- the ultimate and most perfected forni should benefit the Work is no longer n means of "Ir's got no interest, you The SDLP, the Cathelle hierarchy nd the main political parties l he south, Flanna Fail, Fine Gael and the Labour Party, all have a ready phrase when describing the situation of the nationalist population In the north. The phrase used Is alienation, The term alienation found expression in the language of the New Ireland Forum Repert, We are told nationalists in the north feel alienated from political and civil institutions, from the security forces and from the rule of law Neetiless to say the conclusion to be drawn, that the pily way to overcome this alienation is to dismantle the six-county srate and establish an Lnited Ireland was not arrived at. The reason being that the policical parties behind this document do not subscribe to the concept of an independent United Ireland, but to how they can best protect their interests, and that boils down to more collaboracion with British imperialism. The SDLP, Free State parties and the catholic church seem to have forgotten that nationalists have always felt alienated in relation to the six-county partitionist state.

The British government set it up as ation for Unionism, E was Craigavon who said in 1934.

have always suid that 1 am an Orangeman first and a politician and a member of parliament afterwards. All 1 boast is that we have a protestant parliament and a protestant state. With that type of mentality still pertaining amongst loyalists then it is to be expected that nationalists want no truck with this secta fian state. From the day and hour of its inception it has alwavs attempted to repress the aspirations for a Laited Ireland.

So when Dr Daly and John Hume pontificare from their respective pulpits on the danger of alienatien und how the British government should not ignore it, ler us not imagine for a sccond that they ate really concerned about the midnight raids nationalist on bomes by the British Army and the RUC or the shoot-to-kill policy or extradition and the attacks on Sinn Fein. The gradim! disenfranchisenient ai part of the electorate.

the attempr by loyalist councillors to expel Clir John McAnult of PD, o the threat to end the provision of leisure services to an area of West Belfast, simply because a Tocolout is flown over the centre this is the reality of life for

JOIN

NOW!

Daly's Code for Collaboration!

• BISHOP CAHAL DALY E

nationalists and we koww why the catholic hierarchy and Irish politi.

cians wring their hands. These poople such as Hense, Daly and Peter Barry mouth ahout alienation, because they know that a growing anti-imperialist consciousness threatens their power base and will undermine their attempts to further collaborate with British imperialism.

The surge of suppor for the recent hunger strikes and the thousands of votes for Sian Fein has them terrified For example they boasted in the New Ireland Forun: Report that the Forums sought the views of all traditions who agreed with its objectives and who reject violence. This never took place, because the loyalists who wete invited, support violence against nationalist resistance to their rule. The document was aimed at British the povernment and nobody could say that Maggie disagrees with the weapon af violence to solve political problems, we have to look no further than the miners' strike.

Another thing which is annoying is how the SDEP and is allies attempt to hmit the nature of alienation to nationalists in the north. As Marxists we contend that alienation is a widespread phenomenon throughout the whole of Ireland. This has been exploited by those who, under the cover of "pure socialism, sapport imperialism and refuse to challenge loyalism, Jim Kemms bas said protestant workers also suffer unemployment, bad hous ing. ere and are also alienated.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN JOINING THE PEOPLES DEMOCRACY

AND FIGHTING FOR A SOCIALIST 32 COUNTY REPUBLIC, FILL

IN THE FORM BELOW AND SEND IT TO:

HORIZON BOOKS

6, Avoca Park, Belfast

NAME: ....

ADDRESS:

We agree! But we realise that loyalist workers support the sume political sustent which guarantees imperialist rule and all the unemployment that flow's from ic it is the struggle for a united Ire land that threatens this domination and it is nationalist workers who support this fight who have suffered the worst repression and discrimination. Be it at the factory of the working class women who are forced to spend long hours at home; be it amongst the unemploved who have been told that capitalism has no place for them; or the workers living on housing estates lacking in facilities; or the ever-increasing use of repecssive legislation designed to break the back of any icsistance that may emerge from workers. Let us also rememher that the next set of Anglo Irish talks will only incasc this alienation and not start to gradually erode it.

The continuation of the existence of multinational companies only ensures further alienation and the overall subservience of the southern ecoboms to British imperialism is a sure guurantee that alienation in Ireland will not wither away. So next time vou bear Hume or Daly talk about Alienation. remind them about the Marxist concept of alienation. guaranteed to bring buckets of sweat onto their forcheads. For as Marxists we firmly lay the blame for alienation ar the door of imperialism.

On a worldwide scale the proconditions for a gradual disappearance of alienation can only come about with an end to the system of capitalism.

WOMEN IN EXILE

Women in Exile and Emigration Workshop Saturday January 26, 1985 Dublin There was not much room for women in 19th century Ireland — 75% of all those emigrating to the United States after the fumine were wamen who left for economic reasons: shortages of land, education and Jobs. Now in the 20th century Irish people are still being forced to leave due to lack This continuing of opportunity. exile was the basic theme of the above-named workshop held in Dublin on January 26th. It was organised by the Women's Studies Forum of University Col lege Dublin collective of feminist academies.

WOMENS STUDIES FORUM

Introducing the workshop behall of the coffective Pauline Jackson said they wished to examine women's space and place in society but also to pash forward the frontiers of what is considered 'women's issues'. They are convinced that what they have to say about women's forced exile has relevance for society as a whole.

Women's Studies Forum The wish their research to be made as public as possible and useful to society. They consider that universities are closed, elitist institutions which should reach out te the community so that farthe: education may be accessible to all, 19th CENTURY AMERICA The first speaker was Professor Hasia Diner of the University of Maryland who has just published Erin's Daughters In America: Irish Immigrant Wemen In the Almost 18 months to the day after the passing of the Constitutional amendment outlawing abortion, a row has broken out in the Free State about 16 year olds having legal access to condomas.

Even after the tragic death of tecnager, Ann Lovett in Longford last vear, and the Kerry Babies' scandal, Leister House politicians are stid discussing the South in terms that would convince an outsider thal we all arrived here through immaculate conceptions. They ignore the fact of thosands of Irish women going to Britain for abortions, che sale of 30 million condoms in the state last year; and the lengthening list of conccaled bittis br frighrened toenapers, We are subjected instead to hysterical ravings about moral decay The Hianna Fuil spokesperson for health said there was no demand for the Bill after the Irish Times had published a poll showing that 41% of the electorate felt that contraceptives should be available to everyone while only 15% felt thes should be banned, Yet only some months ago the Fianna Fail Jeader accepted that the 1979 Contraception Act — Haughey's leish solution for an leish problem' - was Inadequate and would have to be Why upcated. the

COOLSE

changes they had then accepted as necessary? Haughey thought he had a chance of defeating the FitzGerald had staked his political Virilicy on. Naked political opportunism led Flanna Fail to what

BREASTE

19th Century, She described how the majority of migrants were from the pooter peasantry: how they opted mainly for the unpopular but well paid domestic service and so were able to send large amounts of money home. In this field they bad to confront many racist and middle class prejudices. Trish servant girls were considered "unstable" because they moved jobs a lot, refusing to be exploited! The history of domestic service itself is hardly recorded due to the middle class bias of most US historians.

TRADE UNION ORGANISERS

of This determined assertion rights was a general feature of the Irish labour force as a whole in No other group orga- Amenca. nised so rapidly or so intenscly and in fact the development of trade union organisation among women in the second half of the 19th century synchronised with the activities of Irish women.

They were organised in every area of work: factories, sewing.

teaching and nursing. Here again they had to confront middle class prejudice that trade union work 'disreputable' and that

WEL

ladies' didn't discuss money!

BRITAIN

The second speaker was Mary Lennon of "Graine Mhaol", a collective of Irish women living in London. With funding from the Greater London Council, which has taken a strong stand on antiracism, they are researching the lives of Irish women emigrants to Britain in the 1940s and 1950.

Their book is due out within the next year, Mary stated that black people io Britain had led the way in asserting their identity and in

CONTRACEPTION HYPROCRISY!

legalisation of what was alreauy a fact — the use of contraceptives by non-married people - and in so doing showed their total disregard for the needs of Irish people, and in particular voung Irish womea Haughey's other angle was to "out-Catholic" the goverttaent by supporting the line of the Roman Catholic hierarchy. The bishops were determined that there should be no liberalising of the contraception laws, Ihey argued that catholic politicises should net distinguish betwei their obligations to the church and their role as legislators, They raised the spectre of an coidemie of venereal disease and unwanted pregnancies and the moral degeneration of the leish nation. I was not without cause that they stand accused of being obsessed with sex. More sinister than their ravings about the moral degenerac of Irish youth — up until now our greatest national asset' - was the assertion by the Bishop of Lime.

rick that catholic legislators were bound to take guidance from their bishops. Not only does the church have sienificant Influence in the running of our schools and hospitals, they also want to control the, legislature. Although the Bill was passed by a narrow margin it will not mean u greal leap forward for Irish Women. Had it failed to pass, bowever, it would have been a cathan- Working class women bave never had control of our fertility. The politicians tre to con me with talk colonial attitudes challenging pumped out by authority and the media. Irish people too experienced 'culture shock" and prob lems of identity in a socicty which distorts the history of those it has The British culed in the past. goverument's continuing efforts to bold onto the six counties using propaganda as a weapon gives the ancient prejudices a new lease on lifel

CONTINUING EMIGRATION

In the discussion from the floor the point was made that the poli- State tics of successive Free governments had created an coonomic and social climate particularly hostile to women - - denying. thein work and basic rights. The present government denies that emigration again increase with young women form ing once more the majority group.

Ireland in 1985, still in che grip of conservatism and with 80-90,000: unemployed youch is still not a country fit for its people to live in.

The forum went some way to uncovering the active struggle of Irish workers 'hidden from history by racial, class and antifeminist bigotry. It underlined the need to learn the lessons of that history and for a concerted fightback against a ruling class which is paving the way towards the emigrant ship for thousands of Irish people today.

CAITLIN NI CONNAIL

Biblography 'Erin's Daughters in America: Irish Immigrant Women in the Nineteenth Century. by Hasia R.

Diner. Published by The John Hopkins University Press. Baltimore and London, about the importance of women in the home and as rearers of children. They deny us the right to a decent job and ecocomic independence. They preside over a system where even if a woman has a job she is likely to earn only 60% of a man's wage; rape is treated as a harmless bit of fun or something 'she was asking for.

As long as women are oppressed so is the entire working class, a measure of the advance of society is the level at which women exist.

The debate on the contraception bilt showed clearly the most reactionary clements of the ruling class - the bishops and the hackwoodsmen of Fiarma Fail and Fine Gac! — attempting to block advanoes for women and young people. The fight for women's control of their own bodies is an important part of the fight for freedom for everyone, for jobs and u proper standard of living, of the fight against police harassment and finally for socialism and a workers" republic

JOAN O'ROURKE

A

GENUINE

SPIRIT

OF

SOLIDARITY

REFUSE

STH.

Thirteen workers at the Henry Street, Dublin branch of Dunnes Stores are still out on strike after mine months. The strike began when IDATU members refused to handle South African goods and management victimised one of their members. Despite lots of

IDATU

MEMBERS

To SELL

AFRICAN

PRODUCE

verbal support the ICTU has done nothing practical to assist the strikets. Meanwhile the determi.

nation of the thirteen to oppose apartheid saves the honour of the Irish trade union movement. They need every kind of support we can give them!

WORLD CONGRESS OF REVOLUTIONARIES

NEW APARTHEID OFFENSIVE

The Fourth International (FI) held Its Twelfth World Congress Jan.

27-Feb 6, 1985. It was the climar of years of debate in the world movement. The Congress appeal was issued in May 1982. An Internatlonal Internal Discussion Balletin (IIDB) was pablished in Eng- Ish, Spanish and French. Mainline resolutions were transiated Into several other languages: German, Portuguese, Swedish and ethen: Twenty-four Issues of the English Innguage LIDB were published up to December 1984. These Included draft resolations adopted by the FT's leading bodies the United Secretariat and Interna Committee, donal Execative individual contributions from comrades, and minority positions.

The FT'» Statutes grant minorities the Incontestable right to form tendencies or fretions around clear political platforms.

Such minorities have the right to present their views to the membership, and to coordinate meetings among themselves in order to draw up positions different from the majority. This principle has often proved difficult to Implement at both national and International level.

We belleve it is worth fighting for in practice. Socialism and democracy, Including within our organirations, has to be proved a viable concept. That is the tradition of Lenin's Bolshevik party refore the tragedy of Stalinism.

We call this process democratic centralism. It Is "centralism' because once a majority is achieved democratically, lt Is the duty of the organisation to carry out decisions which have been made.

This concept was fully evident in the debate at the World Congress, A number of minority groups had formed around challenges to the majority position on all of the majoe questions of the struggle worldwide. The debale Included calls for a review of our On 19th February 1985 the South African police arrested almost the entire top leadership of the UDF the United Democratic Front, the mass extra-parismentary organi sation opposed to the country's white government. The UDF was born out of the protest activity of the black population against the so-called constitutional reforms of the apartheid of P.W. Boths and is close to positions of the banned ANC whose leader Nelson Mandela has now spent over 20 years in South African jalls. The «reforms» consisted of newly created chambers In Apartheid the parliament for the country's 2.8m «coloureds- and 850,000 Indians.

The country's hage black majorlty remains lotally disenfranchised.

In a hoge operation involving the uprooting of thousands In a settled communities, the white government is carrying through Its plans to deprive the black population of their rights as citsens by transplanting them to barren «homelands» which have been granted a farcical windependence- by the South African state. The Intest to receive Its Independenco was Kirandebele, do the north of Pretoria, in December. The elections In the sumeter of 1984 to the and «Indian, chambers were a humi.

Mating setback for the South African government. The response of the Colored and Indiun populations was clear. Many did not even register to sote and af those who did anly 30% of the Interpretation of the theoretical the basis of our movement theory of permaneni revolution.

Through this process of debate a number of Issues were resolved and most of the currents dissolved themselves at the end of the Congress. The Fl all over the world will now unit to implement the decisiens of Congress and lest them in practice. The tradition of democratie centralism is being revived among the working class and its allies today. It Is very evident in the consolidation of the Nicaraguan revolution since 1979. The Nicaproved very reguan elections conclusively that the FSLN the Sandinistas have huge popular support. But the elections also helped to pince the mobilisation of the people on a higher level.

Experience of revolation since October 1917 has shown that one of the greatest dangers is baresncratic degeneration. This lesson was tragically confirmed by Bermard Coard's October 1983 mur.

deroas coup d'état against Maurice Bishop In Grenada. The terror unleashed by Coard thoroughly demoralised the Grenadian people, weakening the revolution. The debate on the Central American revolution reflected this theme, and showed that the Fl is deeply Involved In Central American solidarity work, arguing at all times for principled broad-based with other progressive unity Coloureds and 20% of Indians actualiy voted. The world watched on its television screens the reality of these «democratic» elections. Protesters were brutally beaten off the streets outside polling stations. Tear gas was used and demonstrators were shot with lead and rubber bullets.

In the last six months rioting has broken out in most of the major Black townships of South Africa.

The bovcott compaign and the accompanying mass agitation showed the growing strength of Black mast seganisations, now at • higher point than incy have been since the ware of repression in 1960. non-racial The Independent unions were also involved in the campaign. The FOSATU, one of the most powerful non-racial federations, waged an intense campaign. Thousands of homes In the Eastern Cape were visited by shop stewards and organisers of FOSATE who organised around the FOSATU slogan «Workers unite, don't vote. To vole ls to vote for racism, to vote will only benefit the opportenist leaders, to vote is to accept an undemocratic constltution.e The unrest since the elections has been continuous and has general- Ised aver a whole range of isues all related to the apartheld nature of the South African state. Young people still in education organised class buscatte amund specilie demandse recognition af student representutive councils: the abolition of corporal punishment: and the ending of age limits that interfere with the already limited The Congress adopted resolutions on Socialist Democracy, Central America, Poland, Intertational Polities, and the Bullding of the Fourth International. The Internailonal Theses set the frumework for the other debales.

Ernest Mandel, The reporter, pointed out that the capitalist system had gone through a prolongd and agonising economic crisis Ince 1968. There have been ups and downs in the general pattern, but each succoasive recession bites deeper, each recovery is more meagre than its forerunner.

THE FOURTH INTERNATIONAL

Peoples Democracy is the Irish section of the Fourth International, best known militant at that time was Leon Trotsky, president of the ist revolution of October 1917 Today the Fl stands on the traditions of the first three Communist Internationals: • For Socialist Revolution in the advanced capitalist countries • For Political Revolution in the burcaucratised workees' states regime. • Far Socialist Revolution - the Permanent Revolution — in today in Nicaragua. the world sections cannot operate or declare themselves openly because of repression. One example is Poland. However, a Polish language journal - Imprekor the noses of Jaruzelski's cops.

Spanish. IV cun be bought from your local seller of Secialist Republic, or by writing to Peoples Democracy at the addresses listed elsewhere in this paper.

young Blacks. Autumn saw the irst legal strike by Black miners.

The union, the NUM [National Union of Mineworkers] only won recognition in 1982 and organised a strike in support of its annual Flolent confrontapay claim, dons broke out leaving 10 dead and almost 500 injured among the miners. Paid only a seventh of recelve the what white miners Black miners face a death rate sir times higher than miners in Britain. Despite a compromise settlement there were rebellions in nearhy townships and a curfew was imposed. Ar the end of September rioting broke out after a 20% rent rise in government-owned housing in the townships around Johannes.

burg. The rioting led to massive police attacks including the ase of shotguns, rubber bullets and tear gas. Fifty seven people were lilled over a period of four weeks.

The most recent riots in February the Crossreads this yeur Town Cape broke out after workers decided to remain al home to protect the community from • rumoured forced resettlement operation by the state anthorities. Residents at the camp which houses 65,000 people, hid hehind iron shields as they stoned police who responded firing tear gas and rubber ballets. According to South African government figores 13 people were killed. Dearly all of this mess enrest and the way it has generalined across the whole non-while community represents a massive set- Lament palarmalat Hago social struggles — the women's movement, the antinucleur movement, the internstional movement in soldarity with the Fletnameese started before the 1968 economic decline set in. Today these social movements are consinuing and deepening, with the delesce of the Nicaraguan revolution playing the central rule once held by Vletnam. They are modified by the crisis, but their cconomic demands cannot usually be met due to the severity of the reces.

sion. the World Party of Socialist Revolution founded in 1938. The FI's Petrograd Soviet and military organiser of the Bolshevik-led social We stand with Solidarnose in POland against the Jaruzelski dominated countries like Ireland — the prooess we are seeing The FI's highest authority is its World Congress. It is composed of sections in over 35 countries on each continent. In several parts of is produced in Western Europe and circulates under The best way to follow the activity of the Fl is to regularly read our fortnighdy English language journal International Viewpoint. We also publish fortnightly international journals in French and strategy of the Bothe gavernment. It has sacceoded in generating the united mass response which it was designed to counter.

anti-apartheid The growing movement in the Unlied States evidenced by Ted Kennedy's tour of Binck South Africa and the continuing arrests outside the South African embassy In Washington have given urgency to the growing campaigns for economic sanctions which the regime must now Lake seriously. Hence the recent cosmetle offer to Nelson Mandela of a conditional release which was decisively rejected.

Clearly the massive controdietons in the South African state have opened up wide fissures.

Any moves to forther reform will only deepen the process. Faced this, Batha's only other option is massive repression.

This material really olges the "Guns ruling class to choose before Butter'. To curry out these brutal pollcies rightwing dinosaurs like Thatcher, Reagan sod Kohl are necessary. The capitalist system will nol coliapse automatically. It will only be overthrown by a conscious and disciplined revobationary mosement based en the working class.

There are widespread revolt» against austerity in the advanced: capitalist contries. The British miners have given a tremendors Icad in their own industry, bet have also bullt advanced political alliances with other oppressed people. Many of them draw revolutionary conclosione from the treatment they have been given by the police, and the obvious parallel with RUC and British Army tacties In the six countles. Women's liberation is now a mass current among the miner's wives. The miners have given real support to Black people and gays in the British Labour Party. These are the kinds of revolution.

ary links the FI is seeking te bulld today, That process was adsanced by the Twelfth World Congress.

JAMES GALLAGHER

nemational on the [For fuller informatien World Congress, read the FIs fortnighly Journal, International Viewpoint*.] The arrest in Nosember of the lendership of the trade union FOSATU and the mass sacking of its stridng member in the stateowned SASOL factory and the most recent arrests of the UDF Icadership demonstrate the wide ranging mature of this represssion, which represents nothing less than a declaration of war on the whole non-white populalion.

Action mast be taken by trade union and political parties world.

wide. The tasks of the world solldarily movement are but the emernity of the repres unleased on the civilian sion population makes solidarity setion a most argent necessity.

PATRICK MACKEN.

Socialist Republic

PUBLIC SERVICE SELLOUT!

Last year's plan and this year's budget herald an assault on the living standards of The public sector workers. budget's proposed 6% over 18 months and a 7-month pay pause would force the majority of workers carning less than €100 a week below the poverty line and expenditure cutbacks would cost many of them their jobs,

LEADERSHIP?

Once again those union leaders responsible for coordinating the defence of their members' living standards, service committee of the ICTU, have limited themseives to the custo- Incurica condemnations but have done little or nothing.

Public sector unions have individually gone through farcical arbitration and Labour Court applications which have achieved noshing e cept to waste 7 to months almost exactly the length of time of tie proposed pay pause, the only o mmon purpose which the union leaderships seem to share is to avoid struggle and an inability to face reality.

The government has of course quence of the trade union nego- Balurs and Has Stood TITM ON TOeT cutbacks. When the rounds of timewasting and stalling ran out. the first groups of workers to challenge the Coali- Ton's nay norms toure them selves at a severe disadvantage.

The Central Bank workers who fought a long strike through the Christmas period had to go it alone. Fine Gael with the support of the elected scabs of the Labour Party and Fianna Fail pushed legislation Leinster through House to allow the work of the Central Bank to be done by other banks. The ICTU stood aside as did other public sector unions who face similar attacks. The strike was eventually settled with only a marginal improvement on the original offer.

DUBLIN CORPORATION

Other groups of wurkers also lack leadership. The main general operatives (GOS! union in Dublin Corporation. the 'Irist Municipal Trade Union' (METO) voted for strike action beginning the fiest week in January. This was postponed several times ostensibly for negotiations and to allow for coordination with the acher twa ¡oneral operative unions ITGWU and FWUL and the craft unions.

During this period the revised pay award offer be Alan Dukes in the January budget was rejected by the unions executives as it gave no improvement on the initial offer. Strike plans were set for all three unions for Feb. 11. The craft anions meanwhile voted averwhelmingly to support the GOS union's application to Congress for an all out picket. Four days before the strike was due.

all out picket was granted.

However. it then became apparent the lengths to which trade union leaders were prepared to go to avoid a strike.

The three unions called general meetings for the eve of the steike to ballot on a new offer, the substance of which was a t60 lump sum. The confidence that the workers had in strike action, already shaken by lack of information and the postponements shaitered by treachery and wheeling and dealing in the days leading up to the The Sunse negotiators from the three unions requested postponement of the all out picket for twe weeks.

citing difticulties with a small section of members. Of course postponing the all out picket allowed Congress off the hook. They didn't have to back their words with action and the delay increased the danger of allowing the grumblings of small bumber to develop into open scabbing. Al the pencral meetings only one executive, the FWUI Corporation Brarch, strike actien and it was supported by a 3 At the IMETU meeting General Secretary Sean Redmond and the rest of the executive made no confused matters by allowing a vote to go i alone which was passed. 7400408880909 9100S with Congress by which an all out picket would only be granted if the votes of all thitee unions wete aggregated. That wasn't the end of the confusion. Before the strike bailot was taken Redmond saw fic to ware his members that the union had only three weeks" strike pay available. Not surprisingly the deal was accepted by a harrow majorily. The IGWU branch secretary didn't mince his words at their meeting. Warning his members that they had no chance of winning a strike. As they would he taking on the casernment he announced a lightweight couldn't beat a beavywisht and showed the depth of his solidarity with the British nuners' strike by using it as an example of the difficulty they would face: The desired resell was achieved, a 2 to F majority acpepled the offer, The now isolaced FWUl held a further ballot and reversed their strike decision. The end result of this so-called leadership has been to achieve absolutely nothing. The Corpora- Lion GOS's have an agreement which means further cuts in their living standards. It is also likely to be the norm right across the other local authorties in the 26 counties where workers haven't the muscle of dublin Corporation workers, und were not brought in to back up the dispute. They have struck a blow against unity such as no boss or government would dare attempt.

POBLACHT SHOISIALACH

Paper of Peoples Democracy.

FURTHER ATTACKS

It is precisely maximum unity which is essential in the public sector sow. The industrial "peace' which the trade unson leadership seems intent on achieving at the expense of members interests is likely to prove wholly illusory.

Massive cutbacks and attacks are in the pipeline for the public services in general. These are of course to secrel and have been well advertised by the Coalition.

The only people who seem to act as if they are unaware of what's happening is the trade union leadership. Health Board cutbacks amount to 240 million which could mean a loss of 2,000 jobs and poorer services loudest everyone. The voices against this have been the members of the various health board committees and local autborities counciliors. On government plans to 'teform" local autborities, again the unions are silent,

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

REFORMS

There are well advanced plans lo make sweeping changes within local Dublin Corporation is to be broken ap into sevetal smaller autononious areas under a greater Dublin authority. These plans, linked in with the impositon of local charges such as water charges and. utimately, charges for other services such as bin collection.

sewage services etc. This nicans in effect that workers who already vast balk of taxation pay the through PAYE and VAT will have to puy twice over for increasingly: second rate services. These plans will also facilitate the demands of private enterprise for further cutbacks in public spending so that the tax dodging business comminity can avail of more handouts from workers' taxes in grants, pavroll subsidies etc. They also wish to see large sections of the public sector privatised and handed over for personal profit to the very people who caused the present economic mess and have thrown 250.000 onto the dok.

FIGHTING BACK

The people hest placed to defend public services are the trade unions. Retreats on the puy issue weaken the ability of the unlous to fight on issnes such as health.

education and Jocal authority services which aflect the standand of living of every worker in the Many thousancs workers have still to senile claims. Workers in their thod Teleon to Post: Ces and 10.000 craft workers and clerical staff in the local authorities are all set to clush with the government on pay and are also facine reorganisation - cutbacks and Real coordination privatisation. of these struggles can by linking up with community campaigns such as the water tax campaign begin the process of building unity against goveroment cuthacks, The immediate task for Trade untonists within the pubhe sector is to limit the scope that their lenders have for betraying their interests. Trade wiion officials need to be tied to policies which cosure that attacks by government and empingers met with a united, coordinated trade union response. Workers have to begin fighting in their unions for demands which ensure such a response • end two-tier picketing • support the antl-water tax campaigns by refusing to handle administration of the charges Water Rates Campaign The campuign aguinst water rates in Dublia is moving Into a new phase. In the two weeks before Christmas 90,000 threatening letters were sent out by Dublin Corporation's legal representatives. In these letters bouseholders were threatened with court action plus substantial legal costs.

February final warnings sent out to the effect that nonpayment of races was now out of the Corporation's hands and legal proccodings would begin immediately. This action is a massive bluff by Dublin Corporation, or more rele.

vantly, by the Coalition who are the real culprits behind these attacks. formation the number of bousehalds who have paid is bot available but it is clear that the vast majority have not paid. The threat of legal action is an attempt to boost the number of harder time to arm A harder line more feasible. slight increase in payment occurred initially by peonle who were frightened by these threats, par.

ticularly by elderly people, many who subsequently found they were exempt anyway. The incrcased payments have not however substantially altered the figures. The threat of substantial legal costs is also a bluff. as legal costs would be related to the size of debts owed. In most cases E8D is owed so far. In the-event of further proceedings tenants and residents would not have much

IRISH DRANSPORE

GENERAL WORKER

• Against privatisation • An alternative plan for expanding employment and ser/loes The finance for such an alternative plan is availabic. E2% billion of taxpayers money was spent on interest the multinational bankers of the IMF. Fight for a moratorium on these payments.

Let the rich pay for their debts and thair crisis — end handouts of taxpayers moncy to me difficulty covering costs.

TRADE UNIONS

SUPPORT CAMPAIGN

Wbile the trade union movement has widely condemned the introduction of water charges, practical support to the campaign has been almost non-existent. There have been some expentions, the plumbers and fitters unions have refused to allow their members to be involved in the turning off of for of поп-payment

U9TPT.

charges. On the other hand, a serious blow to the campaign was effected by the decision of the LGPSU to administer the cletical work involved in operating the sending the

OUC

demand and collecting the charges. The decision to carry out these agreed by the GPSU on the basis that regrading claims which the LGPSU were baving with the Corporation, and which were unrelated to the extra work involved in admicistering the water rates would be agreed.

Activists within the water tates campaign should fight to have this disgraceful decision revers.

ed. It should be raised within tenants and residents organisations and within the trade unions to force the IGWU to take a pasifion of active rather than vocal Pressure tbroogh the support. trade unions should also be eserted on Labour Party TDs and councillors who pretond to some sort of allegiance to the trade unions and workers movement.