University closed down

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BIR ZEIT University is suffering yet another closure at the hands of the Israeli military authorities. Once again this national Palestinian university has been singled out for collactive punishment as part of a political attack to deny the Palestinian population its right to self-determination.

The timing of the closure coincides with the assumption of duties by Professor Menachem. Milson, the civilian side of the Israeli occupation coin. as all extension of the military side. whose contributions include the 'iron fist' policy and Military Order no.854 Iwhich aimed at the political control and the stifling of higher education in the West Bank].

On Monday November 2 1981, as an expression of their rejection of the 'autonomy' plan and Milson' assumption of duties. Bir Zeit University students joined Palestinians throughout the West Bank in protesting these developments. The Israeli army brutally confronted the students, using teargas. clubs and bullets. and subsequently arrested 13 students who were taking public transport on their way to their homes.

On Tuesday 3rd. al 10pm. 13 military vehicles invaded the village of Bir Zeit with a full show of On Wednesday 4th. Bir Zeit University students organised a peaceful protest march. It was broken up by the army, using once again tear gas, bullets, and physical force.

The army then surrounded the university. set up road blocks, and informed the university vice-president of an order to close down the university until further notice.

A two hour deadline was given for the total evacuation of all university premises. including student dormitories and admini. strative offices.

As the university was then still in a state of siege. the evacuation order and the deadline were impoes. ible to meet. As a result of negotiations the deadline was extended several times, under the constant threat from the military governor to break in and evacuate the university by force.

At 6.15pm a Supreme Court injunction was obtained, preventing the military authorities from evacuating the university or using force on the premises. However, the mililary did break in. Rat up a Finnish radio reporter, physically evicted faculty and staff members, and forced the students to leave the premises.

We urge you to show solidarity hs:

• Sending cahle letters to General Ariel Sharon, Minister of Defence, The Defence Ministry, Tel Aviv, Israel. (Please send copies to Bir Zeit University].

• Contacting your own government agencies urging them to exert pressure on the Israeli authorities to reopen the university.

• Contacting your local press, • Organising various activities such as support railies and meetings in your own area.

Bir Zeit University Administration, Faculty, Staff, and Students. 6.11.81. rights in Iran. The car already has the supp several Iranian organi:

foremost being supporters of the Pi Mojahedeen and British left-wing or tions.

One of the first ac of "Iran Solidarity' wil hold a picket on Decer outside the Iranian Er in London to protest : the government's and executions.

Aralat

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Socialist Organiser no.64 December 3, 1981 Page 5.

-Worla Yews The back paddock of the Broadmeadows car plant. Inset: Australian trade union leader Bob Hawke lodged with car industry each striker was asked, trol of the strike in their employers for up to six "whether or not you wish to own hands (by voting to months, however, without resume work so that wage stay out). Instead, state 4. 11_ P107 DESPITE returning to work after six weeks out, ford workers at Broadmeadows, in Australia, are adamant that they have not been defeated by the company.

Workers we spoke to stressed that they were still determined to win; they had not been broken by Ford. "We're going back now so that we can go back as a united group" , one shop steward told us. 'We'll continue the fight inside by other means"

There's nothing surprising about the decision to resume work. What is surprising - and truly inspiring - is how the Broadmeadows workers remained so solid for so long against a virtual conspiracy by the company, the government, the mass media and the federal office of their union, the VBEF, to break them.

As senior shop stewaro Frank Argondizzo told one mass meeting, "Everyone is against us, including the federal and state union officers. They are no longer fellow workers. They are bureaucrats with big cigars in their mouths."

During the strike, the Broadmeadows workers had to contend with a non-stop undermining operation from all sides. Both the VBEF federal office and the ACTU (the Australia TUC) tried to underminé them by openly opposing the strike, on the grounds that it jeopardised a "national industry-wide campaign."

Wage claims have been any call or a untea campaign by either VBEF leaders or the ACTU.

For once, the Australlan Labour Party took an unequivocal stand on an industrial issue. State Conference voted unanimously to back the strike, and collections for the strikers were taken up in some branches.

Then the Arbitration Commission unpostu N..- imniend secret ballot, in which 850 strikers didn't get ballot papers, and some workers received more than one ballot paper. In the ballot, talks can resume .

VBEF federal officials correctly condemned this as - landad nandiant a loaaea queston, ana denounced the imposition of the ballot as interference in union affairs. But this didn't stop them, like Ford, mailing a letter to all strikers stating that the company would begin talks within days if the strike ended.

The state and federal officials' methad of 'annasing' the court-imposed ballot did more harm than good. They didn't appeal to Ford to boycott it - or at least vote to maintain con'follow your and refused to dhamanlana Lessons Federal officials apparently took Ford to the Industrial Relations Bureau -a body described by even [ACTU president] Bob Hawke as an 'industrial relations police force'. Predictably, the IRB returned a verdict of 'no case to answer' against Ford.

The VBEF Victorian office refused to build support wurKers LU conscience' take a stand for the strike with other car. workers. And when the results of the secret ballot were announced, it even ceased supporting the strike. Victorian officials publicly: denounced the decision of a 1500 strong mass meeting (with only two opposing votes) to ignore the ballot's result, and stay out.

The return to work is obviously & setback to the Broadmeadows workers' struggle. But it now gives the VBEF less excuse to not begin a genuine industry. wide campaign of direct action.

Of course, VBEF officials will do their best to Reprinted from Fight' use any excuse to avoid action. But they now face 4,000 workers who have learnt many valuable lessons the hard way.

Perhaps Frank Argondizzo summed it up best at the last mass meeting. myself learned more in the last six weeks about the powers against the workers than the previous years of my life... We learned how far companies like Ford will go to keep their power intact. We have learned who are their friends and how they will join together to strike against us workers ... This struggle has taught us the necessary lessons!" AFTER 15 days on strike, with the military occupation of the miners and no supplies of food, Bolivian miners have won a temporary victory.

Last week the dictatorship of Gen. Torrelio, fearful of a mass mobilisation of the type that ousted the Banzer dictatorship in 1978, made a tactical withdrawal and released 60 workers' leaders jailed during the strike.

In return the union [FSTMB] agreed to participate in a joint commission to discuss their demands: 100% wage increases and full democratic and trade union rights. Since the army has not been removed from the camps, and Torrelio himself has declared he will extend the dictatorship for a further three years, there is little chance that the regime will make more than the most cosmetic changes.

The Bolivian proletariat is well aware of this; *has long experience of 'discussions' with the military. But it was not possible to sustain the strike indefinitely after food supplies to the mines had been cut.

The time taken for the deliberations of the commission is being used to prepare for another strike, this time throughout the whole industry and with greater external support.

This means the call for solidarity issued in Socialist