PROPOSED changes in the claimants.
Supplementary benefits are paid to those without enough stamps to qualify for unemployment benefit or whose dole money nas to be made up to meet their financial needs.
Kates or oenentane wno aers them is controlled and decided by the Supplementary Benefits Commission.
The review produced by this body in July suggested flat-rate rent allowances for the first eight weeks of any claim, rather than the present needs-tested SySECHE Flat-rate rent allowances of £6.95 for single people and £8.40 for married LOUDICI payment of would mean that for weeks. many claimants would have to make up their rents by getting into debt. HARDSHIP One of the groups hardest hit wonten refuges. Over 50 per cent national or local government, and could not stay open lt ine) did not charge a realistic rent — above the proposed flat-rate allowance.
Moreover, many arrive at refuges with nothing other than the clothes they stand up in. These women are suppleMaDE exceptional needs payments for clothes — this would go under une new scheme.
APPEAL eight Appeals against assessments will not be allowed unless important are shown to be at stake.
The changes are clearly part of the wider plan to reduce service spending living Colecause of ship.
Aid receranon
submitting a detailed criticism Commission in December.
Copies of the review, entitled Social Assistance, are available from: DHSS Leaflets Division, women Leaflets Unit, Government Buildings, Honeypot Lane, Stanmore, Middx.
THERE is nothing like a victory for giving a boost to a struggle. The release of more than 1,100 Iranian political prisoners on 25 October was just such a victory. Millions of people throughout Iran are now demanding the release of all political prisoners.
The Shah will try to claim that the release of political prisoners is proof of his "liberalisation' programme. time Dr Owen is on television uttering words of wisdom about Iran he too will no doubt try to take some credit.
But no-one will be listening to them in Iran. For the Iranian masses know that it was they who recasco unc political prisoners and not the Shah. It was their victory and no-one can take it from them.
MOve -Unlike previous releases of political prisoners over the last two years, which usually involved unknown prisoners who in many cases had been imprisoned tor extremely trivial orrences or even by mistake, this time there were many important and well known ligures among those released.
TO THE symbolic was Safar Ghahremani who was released after 30 years in prison.
He had been in prison longer than any other Iranian political prisoner and probably longer than any political prisoner anywhere in the Through these years he had won enormous respect among prisoners because of his courage.
Another veteran prisoner Kurdish militant Ghani who like Ghahremani was serving a life sentence and had spent 25 years of his lite in the nans alecons Vida Hadjebi, the former University sociologist arrested in 1972, was also among those released. campaign for her widespread international support.
Other well known tigures released included Hossein Rezai, a former an interpreter Amnesty opposition; playwrights and NeXt Nasser Yalfani.
of all the other political prisoners.
protest and Outside prison them spoke to them to fight for the release of remaining prisoners. ¿Many have The prisoners"
students alwavs lought lo1 working class.
Stop of their list of strike demands.
them a million regime has now remaining political prisoners important and released by nothing but a paper promise other member of the Writers" Beh-Azin, was arrested.
FORCED fellow Boulourian Tehran The release had won all Iranian political prisoners. leader of the Iranian student movement abroad who had been arrested eight years ago when he returned to Iran as for a lawyer SeTT Ayatollah Taleghani and Ayatollah Montazeri, two leading figures in the Moslem cine EWO theatre directors, Rahmani-Neiad and Mohsen The regime had probably hoped that the release of prisoners would dampen down opposition. But as soon as some of the prisoners were told that they were to be released they organised protests inside the prisons calling for the release Some even refused to leave the prisons for some time as a sign of solidarity prisoners. All the released prisoners refused to accept an 'imperial pardon.
prisoners were greeted by jubilant crowds. Many of the demonstrators thanking them for the struggle thev had waged for their freedom and calling or been giving interviews since their release describing forture and maltreatment in prison.
gaining widespread support, not just among and intellectuals who had the political prisoners, but also within the The oil workers have now put the release of all political prisoners at the Airline workers have also demanded ine release or ponical prisoners. Derore striking civil servants and hundreds of thousands of strikine teachers had made the same demand.
Faced with this pressure the Iranian promised that all will be December. This at the moment, especially in view of the fact that only two weeks ago a leading Association, But the regime can be forced to carry out this promise, just as it has already been forced to release many prisoners.
Internationally the campaign for the release of Iranian political prisoners must be steppe up. in unis country every effort must be made to build up the campaign being organised by the Committee Against Repression in Iran.
we mustraise our voices in sondanty with Iranian workers and demand the capacities of the masses in motion. In trickle.
Iranian ruling class has IRAN'S OIL production came to almost a complete standstill last week. The flow of crude oil through Khark Island in the Gulf, usually one of the busiest crude oil export terminals in the world, dropped to a mere Production at Abadan refinery, the world's largest, ground to a halt. Iran's 30,000 oil workers had stopped work. They had turned off the taps which have for years been providing the Shah's regime with its lifeThere have been numerous strikes in the Iranian oil industry over the past two months. In many cases the workers have won important wage rises. But the present strike is different — it isn't just for better wages or conditions.
It is a political strike. The powerful oil workers are demanding an end to were Udys higher Opposition leader Khomeini governed the bourgeoisie has enormous political martial law and the unconditional release of all political prisoners.
High on the list of the oil workers' demands domination of the Iranian oil industry Wall! the CAUSIOH of consortium of eight major imperialist o companic. which has effectively controlled the production and export of most of Iran's oil since 1954, and of all foreign oil company staff.
The largest partner in the consortium Is Brusn retroleum, rollowed by une part-British owned Royal Dutch Shell.
The regime's response was to send IMPROVED troops into the oil fields and other oil Workers A 03021 refinery were attacked troops last week and several workers injured The threatened to sack all striking workers if they did not return to work after four DEADLINE But the deadline has now passed and the workers have not been fired. The threat to use solelers unuC supervision of managerial technical staff to run oil installations is also unlikely to be carried out.
The oll workers are not the only group on strike for political demands. When the present wave of workers' strikes began over a month workers demands were mally wages and better conditions.
Political demands mainly related to the workers" immediate their work place - abolition of statecontrolled syndicates and the right to form free trade unions, expulsion of andet police asking or reactionary sacking reactionary Handsels But now more and more workers are turning their attention to wider political demands A mIon striking civil servants demanded an end to martial law and the release of political prisoners a fortnight ago. Following hundreds of thousar decided to dron the higher pay and concen demands When the teachers Tehran their banner d not on strike for higher to martial law and th release of all political pi Striking airline wor grounded all Iran Air demanding an end to imperialist the release of all po They have and by power include the expulsior advisors trom the cancellation of agreements and contr Iran.
The power worker OCCUDYIE by the cancellation of power plants at exort also Western countries.
instead of wasting mor the already operating improved and repaired The fight for pre newspaper workers, resulted in major co regime and a very obv also continuing other workers of t and Ayandegan (a pape believed to be direct regime have been on against attempts by th internal censorship Meanwhile there ha: ago street demonstratior for Every day tens of tho come onto une suCe provincial townsto ex some of the bigges since the declaration have been taking place The main University, situated in city, has been demonstrations. Last once again demonstrator Several demonstrator have been kilea There have also ber them. wit troops cisewners a strong and tough regime in Iran whic
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the right of appeal against benefit decisions. SYLVIA BLISS reports.
mentary benefits could result in severe hardship for The same proposals could also mean limitations on
Ah, yes! The Royal Hand -Wave! It means "The first one of you peasants to off with your head! "