of the Labour Party and the trade unions offer solutions that are in the interests not of the worker but of the capitalist class.
Socialist Challenge believes thut the two vital tasks confronting revolutionary socialists are:
• To build broad-frased class strugale tendencies in opposition to class-collaborationism in the labour movement. These should grouping together militants holding a wide runge of political views.
call begin to Thefer the creation unified and democralic revolutionary socialist organisation which can, through an application of united front alternative thousands workers engaged in strugeles.
Such un organisation should be based on the understanding that:
seeks to unite the fight Tworkers against the bosses with that of other oppressed layers of society - women, black people.
struggling for their iberation. This socialism can only be achieved by creating new organs of power and defeating with all necessary means the power of the capitalist state.
infinitely more democratie today, with fall rights Tor ult AFTER LESS than a month in office the reactionary spots of the Tory government are plain for all lo see, For the labour movement the Issue is what to do about them.
"Nothing', says one wing. The talest example was the weekend speech of Bill Sin, general secretary Confederation. Unions must resist any tendency to allow their disappointment to turn into petulance, he said. Trade unionists have to 'accept the will of the electorate", he demanded. -I DErE EUST DO SODIE DaNIC UNOCEADGERL OCEYCED the new government and the TUC as to where progress can be made over the nest five years", he Implored.
These words follow similar Callaghan, electricians" leader Frank Chappie, and Charles Donnel of the General and Municipal Workers, Having carried out policies during the Lubour government which opened the Downing Street door for Thaicher they now ask trade unionists to lie down in front of her, with their hands tied und their eyes closed.
FIRST WORD WHEN Labour was in office Socialist Challenge argued thai necessary to build a new Minority Movement or organised left wing the working organisations, to fight collaborating of the Iron and Steel Trades Bees from action. was class those Callaghan's Chers are not so open about advocating suicide. For instance Alan Fisher of the National Union of Public Employees talked at his union's conference shout his unyielding opposition to pay beda and his determination to fight low pay. But then after these fiery words came the decision of NUPE's executive to oppose the resolution calling for industrial action from 1 January on pay heds and pay incresses.
This explains why often it is best not to pay much attention to words. A more appropriate test is a commitment to mass action. What were the significant victories of the last ten years? They were bones soch as the defeat of Labour's In Place of Strife" in 1969, the defeat of the Tories Industrial Relations Act, the big movement for women's liberation, the bringing down of the Heath government, the activity of the Anti Nazi League and the successes last winter of the Ford workers and lorry drivers. Each was based on miss But no action can be built without orgunisation. For example when the Liaison Committee for the Defence of Trade Unions took some valuable steps local Liaison Commillees. organisation which ure needed.
These two principles orgunisation in 1970 und 1971, including calling two successful one day strikes aguinst the Industrial Relations Act, It organised not only a highly successful 200-strong national conference but also dozens of successful campaign of the Antl Nazi Lague against the National Front could likewise never have been carried out without the creation of hundreds of local committees Involving thousands of activists.
In the fight against Thatcher something more substantial than either the old ICOTU or the ANI Jocally and nationally on the official labour movement, Committees of trude unionists fighting the cuts and defending the public sector. Widespread trade anion support for the fight to defend ahortion rights. These are the types of - mass action and of the rank and file are Fundamental if any effective fight buck is to be waged. Any force claiming to build a left wing can he judeed by how furit measures up to them