3 months after martial law imposed LABOUR MUST SUPPORT SOLIDARNOSC
Socialist Organiser1982 1982-03-11Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 16 →
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In "Briefing Against the ford North Labour Witch Hunt" published this explains why the c week, Barry Turner of Brad- uency chose Pat W THIS Saturday March 13 -the three month anniversary of the imposition of martial law by Poland's Stalinist bureaucracy - is the date of the first labour movement march in London in support ot the repressed i PolIsh workers' movement.
As Ken Livingstone told news conference in promoting the demonstration last Tuesday:
"The labour movement needs to organise its own class solidarity with the Polish workers, completely independent from the cold war politics and actions of Reagan and Thatcher.
This demonstration - the first labour movement march on Poland - has been called as part of such a fight: to build understanding and support for the Polish iRally struggle in the trade unions, Labour Parties, student unions and communities.
I urge every trade unionist, every socialist to take up this call and fight within their organisations for official contingents with their banners on March 13, and for the following political demands as a platform of working class solidarity.
*End martial law. Free Lech Walesa: release all political and trade union prisoners in Poland. An end to all restrictions on Solidarnost.
*No Warsaw Pact intervention!
*No to the state unions: build links with the underground workers' resistance. Send money, food and literature to these organisations.
institill in *Unconditional support to the Polish workers' fight!"
Livingstone went on to attack the hypocrisy of the imperialist outcry over the repression in Poland:
"Reagan wants to 'let Poland be Poland' but to 'let El Salvador be Vietnam' Thatcher supports trade union rights in Poland but attacks the unions in Britain."
Thatcher's closest allies in the labour movement -the Terry Duffy's, Roy Granthams and Frank Chapple - have of course been quick to exploit the Polish events for their own reactionary purposes.
But the left within the official labour movement has been to slow to respond with genuine class solidarity. place of Ben Ford.
"Involved with a long string of reactionary states via various parliamentary African-backed Democratic Turnhalle Alliance in Namibia, in public defiance of the wishes of Bradford North GMC.
He campaigned with International News Service, a public relations organisation used on behalf. of Bristol Ship Repairers in their fight to prevent the Labour government's plans to nationalise the shipbuilding and repair industry in 1912. •nIC Livingstone, together with Eric Heffer and Tony Benn has sponsored Labour Poland Solidarity Fund to help Solidarnosc's underground resistance.
And at rank and file level a number of areas have established important links with Solidarnosc activists through successful speaking tours - particularly in Glasgow, the North of England and the Midlands.
Saturday's demonstration - timed to allow militants to support the London Transport Fares protest in the afternoon - is the first of its kind in London.
Called by Socialist Organiser and London Labour Briefing.. it has been supported by the Greater London Labour Party Executive and a number of labour ber 24, announcing a campaign to challenge the selection conference.
Our lifelong Brother Ben has now announced his intention to stand as an independent candidate if the NEC do not find in his favour."
The Briefing broadsheet also includes articles by Peter Tatchell, Ernie Koberts, Jo Kichardson, and others. Keg Race criticises the 'archaic, isolating and deradicalising effects of parliamentary life':
For the ruling class, he says, the Tory party is 'only one of a number of divisions in the army used to control movement bodies.
Speakers at the rally will include Reg Race MP and a representative of the Solidarnose Trade Union Working Group.
Concrete support From this demonstration, Socialist Organiser supporters will be redoubling their efforts to build concrete support for Solidarnose in the labour movement beginning with the Labour Party rally in Central Hall on March 16.
As Jeremy Corbyn of the London Region Labour Party said at the news conference The very fact that events like this are called forces union branches and Labour Parties to discuss
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groups, he is a convinced supporter of the South