Unite to fight racist laws

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The conference debated whether to work for a joint committee of anti-deportation campaigns Manchester demo October 31 • nukes Hounslow. THE Campaign Against Racist Laws is an organisation built on the initiative of the Indian Workers Association three years ago. Its greatest achievement so far has been the mobilisation of 25,000 against the 1981 Nationality Act.

On October 24 it held a conference to discuss further action against the racist immigration laws, to include a mass demonstration on March 27 next year, which will call for the repeal of both the 1971 ON October 12 over 50 demonstrators gathered outside Hounslow Civic Centre, demanding that the Council reaffirm its commitment to a Hounslow nuclear free zone and that it translate that principle into action.

To the lyrics of "2,4,6, o, we don't want to radiate' councillors were chanted and lobbied into the Civic Centre. Banners and placards from Brentford and Isleworth Labour Party, Hounslow CND, Chiswick CND and Hounslow Teachers for Peace were present at the lobby. Members of Feltham and Heston Labour Party and numerous trade unions were also present.

For some time now the Labour controlled counci• had in theory declared Hounslow a nuclear free zone. Yet this had remained Advertisement_ Hopke!

Sagalist REVEW 2 FALKLANDSWHOSE WARE Workers' Socialist Review no. 2 includes: debate on the Falklands/ Malvinas; Bob Sutcliffe on Argentina in the world economy; articles on Lebanon, Central America, Poland, South Africa, France. ,80p with supplement, plus 20p p&p, from WSL, PO Box 135, London NI ODD. Immigration Act and 1981 Nationality Act.

The opening speech from John Tilley, Labour MP for Lambeth Central, provoked debate. After criticising the Tory government's immigration policies, he outlined the next Labour government's alternative: nice immigration policies, not nasty ones!

Marriage to a British citizen would grant automatic British citizenship, the re-establishment of the right of a child born in Britain to British citizenship, re-establish naturalisation, lower the registration fee and restore the right of East African Indians to British citizenship.

The speech was met by much scepticism. The question begging an answer was why have immigration controls at all?

The answer from John Tilley was that immigration controls are a 'necessary part of economic planning" and are not necessarily racist and sexist. This typical reformist and nationalist answer reinforced existing fears. an entirely formal commitment. With the government planning to place further civil defence obligations on local authorities, the council's passive position became even more erroneous.

To give the policy a cutting edge, councillor Chris Hickey placed motion before the council calling on it to establish 'a civil defence forum composed of councillors and representatives of organisations committed to the concept of a nuclear free zone.' The motion also proposed that the council sponsor, and invite sponsors for a Hounslow Nuclear Free Week of Action. The link between the two proposals is obvious: the civil defence forum' would play the pivotal role in organising the week of action, pulling toImmigration controls are not necessary for "economic planning": in any event economic planning itself is not possible in the free enterprise system of capitalism to which we are all subject.

Immigration controls by their very nature are racist and while women are a weaker sector, immigration controls will be biased against them.

Planning The major workshop at the Conference was on deportations; the other two were on internal controls and the 'waiting list' of foreign husbands. The major debate in the main workshop was on how to build the deportation campaigns: should they be left as separate campaigns, involving the surrounding community, or should we organise a Joint Committee for the coordination of the local campaigns nationally?

The answer must be to link up the struggles against the deportations with the other struggles of the working class.

Link This perspective was put forward by another speaker Darcus Howe of the Race Today collective.

His speech concentrated wholly on the need to link the struggles of Afro-Caribbean blacks, the NHS workers, the Irish republicans, Solidarnosc, and Kenyan masses as one international struggle.

He attacked black middle class and Bennite leaderships who saw it as a Parliamentary struggle. The struggles of the working class had to be incorporated in the campaigns against deportations for the political development of both black and white men and women.

Speakers from the floor brought up various important points such as the need for the campaign to be taken up within the trade unions, a move which had started in some unions but 1990700 .:.

7. 37, ON October 31, a national demonstration and rally has been called in Manchester.

It is in support of the Khan family and Manjit and Pabinder Kaur, who are threatened with deportation by the Home Office and starvation by the DHSS.

The October 31 demonstration provides us with a focus for anti-racist and anti-deportation campaigns. In September was being bogged down by bureaucrats.

The most significant disagreement of the day was when the conference voted against even discussing a resolution on the abolition of all immigration controls.

This reflected the main disagreement over what form of approach we should have to existing trade union leaderships.

NOTTINGHAM Socialist Organiser meets every Friday 7.30pm at the International Community Centre, 61B Mansfield Rd.

NORTH-WEST London Socialist Organiser group discussion meetings. every other Sunday, 8pm (for venue, see SO sellers). nearly a thousand people backed the Joint Campaign against Deportations national demonstration in Bradford. The JCAD needs to be built into a mass movement with strong working class support.

We must force the unions to take a stand. The case of Shaukaut Darr, a Leeds T&GWU member, has shown that support can be built. A circulation of union branches and a lobby A good example of the limitations of this approach was the contribution from a Militant supporter and CPSA President Kevin Roddy who opposed direct action now to boycott race checks and put this down to his members unwillingness to fight.

We need to support the positive initiatives of CARL but this will not be done I00O Oxford Claimants' Defence Committee. Tuesday 2 November at 7.30pm.

tomorrow.

Speakers from CHAR, NCCL and others.

Demonstration against the deportations of the Khan and Kaur families. Sunday October 31 at 1.30, corner of Moss Lane East and Princess Street, Moss Side, Manchester.

Anti-Apartheid Movement Trade Unionists National Delegate Conference, 27 November. Details from 89 Charlotte St., London WC1.

NATIONAL UNION of Students (Scotland) women's by national T&G leadership of the Home Office has been organised.

We must fight to make immigration laws and fighting deportations an issue routinely dealt with by union legal assistance departments, and we should fight for civil service unions to make laws unworkable by boycotting their operation.

Socialist Organiser supporters should be central unless the present leadership of the labour and black organisations are challenged.

We need them to mobilise their own members to take strike action to boycott all racist controls.

We must build now for the national demonstration on March 27 1983. We must fight to win all labour movement bodies to the GAYS in Education conference: "Homosexuality in the curriculum'. . Saturday and Sunday November 13-14 1982, 1lam to 5.30, Health Education Centre, 304 Westbourne Grove, London W11.

£2 waged, £1 unwaged. Further info: 112 Broxholm Rd, London SE27.

GREENWICH Socialist Teachers' Group public meeting: 'Gay rights in teaching. Speakers: Deirdre Wood, John McKay. 8pm, Thursday November 11, Royal Oak, Woolwich New Road, London SE18.

S.E.LONDON Gay Teachers' Group: first meeting, Monday November 1, 8pm, 6 Mays Court, Crooms Hill, London SE10 (858 2701). violence; ity Act. press for ment to ending controls. •Contact Bradford Sedgfield ford 8. to building local campaigns which link the struggles against the racist checks in dole and hospitals; against the deportations; against facist attacks and police and the NationalAnd we should the labour movecommit itself to all immigration JCAD, c/o Law Centre, Terrace, Bradfollowing policies in order to defeat racist laws:

Repeal racist laws! No to any immigration controls!

No to internal passport checks!

End all deportations!

For strikes and boycotts to defeat all racist laws!

JESSICA DANIELS HARINGEY Socialist Orga iser: fortnightly meetings a Brabant Rd trade union centre. For details phone 802 0771 ог 348 5941.

OXFORD Socialist Organis meetings, Thursdays at 8pn 44b Princes Street.

4 November: The BL Pa Claim.

18 November: Polish wor ers fight for Solidarnosc.

WAGELESS WOMEN If you are a woman withol an independent income the you are welcome on Wag less Women's Day, 10am 10pm, 12 November, Coo Hall, Seven Sisters Road.

Films, Music, Kids' thing Theatre, Food, Drink, Di cussion.

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Jessica Daniels reports conference and the plans for action

WORkERs pplement Socialist,

Northgate Hall, St Michael's Street. "Sign on today, jail