its election propaganda was a threat to the unity and cohesion of the armed forces'. The imposition of the ban last Saturday was justified on the basis that the LCI had been 'making statements injurious to the democratic institutions of Portugal'.
Trotskyists' demand that the CP and SP leaders should also break with the GNR and PSP special police forces. These have been busy 'democratically' murdering demonstrators and breaking up suikes since the ruling class regained the initia• tive after the events of 25 November This suspension of the LT's rights of free expression highlights the delicate manoeuvre which the ruling class is trying to carry out through the elections. On the one hand it hopes to gain an electoral mandate for the two main openly pro-capitalist parties the CDS and the PPI This will help to prepare the establishment of an authoritarian regime led by a strong military president (who will be elected separately in June).
On the other hand, the elections also offer the workers movement a towne from wich to organise ana clarify its positions -hands, unlike the ultra-lefts of the PRP (Revolutionary Party of the Proletariat). The suspension of the LI's broadcasting rights, in fact, merely testifies to the impact its propaganda has been havins inside the workers movement - particularly among supporters of the Communist and Socialist parties.
so long provided a 'left' cover for the reactionary policies of the Sixth Provisional Government. have now de clared a 'social truce' for the period or me election. Iney nave relusea to support strikes or to condemn openly the use of police to break up pickets and factory occupations. Despite this scabbing, however, the working class still has its own organisations forged ir the struggles after 25 April 1974, and nas ocen wurme mem to gooe use m military commander Pires Veloso, both members of the Council.
The LCI had earlier been warned that The reference was apparently to the I FESTA FESTA against the employers.
an opportunity of the past.
The leaders of these parties, having for banned The military Council of the Revolution in Portugal has intervened in the election campaign to 'suspend' the Internationalist Communist League (LCI - sympathising organisation of the Fourth International) from making any radio or TV broadcasts over a period of eight days. The ban, from 10-17 April, was imposed after a TV broadcast by the LCI had appealed to workers supporting the Communist and Socialist parties to demand that their leaders break with the reactionaries - going on to name two of the latter as commando chief Jaime Neves and northern La series of tough defensive struggles Indeed. a second wave of unionisation is now under way, which is developing wth a context or prone discussion on the statutes and platforms of the unions.
The themes discussed during the recent congress of 300 delegates of the textile unions in the wool and clothing industries (sectors that include 250,000 workers) - workers control, planning, worker-peasant UnIV CLe. - 3S0 1n01 cate how the présent strengthening of the unions is combining with the gains The workers' response to the growing capitalist offensive has taken many forms. some of them new. There have been strikes with occupations (Transports Estefania, Tome Feteira, the file factory in Vieria de Leira) and a strike with a picket squad and locking-up of the employers (Firestone). This reflects a certain link-up between past experience and the needs of the current defensive In Coimbra the public transport employees carried out a militant strike, while the pharmaceutical aides have rejected overtime work throughout the country The hospital workers held a total strike and then went on an administrative strike in some hospitals. In addition, there have been mobilisations in decisive sectors that had not engaged in important struggles up to now (municipal employees DUDLIC SCIVICeS The retormist leaderships continue to counterpose the 'electoral battle' to these struggles against the capitalist attacks. but me beris putung mem or the spot by demanding that the SP and CP form a government - not one based on the presidential pact, or on an alliance with the PPD or CDS, but on the workers own organisations, the trade unions and workers commissions - to implement a plan of anti-capitalist struggle to defend the interests of the workers and peasants.
•All power to the workers, peasants anu soldiers oransce ma nanona con gress of workers commissions to destroy capitalism and advance the construction of a new society, a socialist society • Vote LCI.* Ric Sissons