[TUC backs Tebbit's training scheme "THE TUC is…]

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TUC backs Tebbit's training scheme "THE TUC is committed to helping unions to make YTS work"

The TUC justifies its total support for the YTS by stressing the need for employed and unemployed people to receive training.

"'The YTS will be particularly important for those young people who in the past have been left untrained, unskilled and unqualified - and are now taking the brunt of unemployment."

YOPS, the forerunner of YTS was, and still is, blatantly used by the employers as a source of free labour to replace semi-skilled and unskilled workers.

Now with the introduction of a training element these schemes become totally acceptable and negotiators are urged where the employer has not intended to run a scheme to "press for one to be run"

The allowance remains the same as YOPS, but only after fierce opposition to the government suggestion that it should be about £15 per week and that youth who refused a place, would not be entitled to benefits.

A redúction in the current rate and the compulsory element could still be enforced at a later date when the YTS is fully established.

This method has already been used to reduce the allowances paid to Community Enterprise Programme workers (based on trade union rates of pay) to a level midway between Supplementary Benefits and low paid workers' rates, by changing the scheme to the Community Will the importance of training young , people override the allowance reduction and compulsion element in the the TUC?

Despite the claim "However this scheme is not intended as an answer to the crisis of youth unemployment. That is why the TUC is pressing the government to introduce a unemployed young people," the TUC's only answer to unemployment is to collaborate with the government and employers in supporting the Tory aim of getting all young people, under 19 years of age, on to training schemes and off the unemployment register.

In order to accommodate the YTS, some craft unions are prepared to reduce first year apprenticeship rates to a level similar to the YTS allowance. The EETPU have already made such an agreement, others are preparing to do so. These conSocialist Organiser no.120 February 17 1983 Page 15 Councils of action were formed in the General Strike Next Socialist Organiser delegate meeting: Saturday March 5, 1lam to 5.30pm, Co-op rooms, 57 Micklegate, York. (Phone 0904 425739 for accommodation or creche).

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Please make plans to choose and mandate your group's Socialist Organiser Alliance Jenny Fisher reports on a recent debate between the Commun ist Party (John Grahl) and Socialist Organiser (Martin Thomas) in Newham, East London Wh THERE ARE Socialist Organiser groups in most major towns and cities. See below for details of your area -and if you want more details, or if there is no group listed for your area, fill in and return the 'Get Organised' form.

• SCOTLAND Glasgow. For details of meetings contact paper sellers or Stan Crooke, 114 Dixon Avenue, Glasgow G42. SO is sold at Maryhill dole (Tuesday mornings) and Rutherglen shopping arcade (Friday lunchtime). JUnI unant speanug for the Communist Party, saw a socialism which wuuld bring common ownership, a planned economy which would guarantee people's needs, and an end to exploitation. It would be democratic, with a plurality of parties, taking nothing from the rights of the individual.

What strategy to achieve this? He stressed broad democratic alliances" on "demands that sometimes ere Edinburgh. For details of meetings ring Dave, 229 4591. SO is sold at Muirhouse (Saturday 10.30-12) and the First of May bookshop, Candlemaker Row.

• NORTH-WEST Wallasey. Contact Colin Johnstone, 1 Wellington Road, Wallasey.

Liverpool. Contact 733 6663. SO is sold at Progressive Books, Berry St, and at News from Nowhere, Whitechapel.

Manchester. Next meeting T'ursday February 17. 7.30 NDALT annalinm seem very minimal"

The Socialist Organiser speaker, Martin Thomas, argued that a workers' state will have to be a totally different form of organising society.

The existing form of government, where there is an elected Parliament, but where the state is run by a virtually independent state machine, is fashioned for bourgeois rule. The working class - needs directly elected bodies the delegates now.

al UMIST students' erion. Business meeting ard discussa" on 'The Capitalist State. Public meeting: Thursday February 24, 7.30 al the 'Millstone' pub: 'Why is Thatcher wir ning?' SO is suld at Grassrouts Books, Newion st, Piecadilly.

Rochdale. Contact 353 Rochdale Old Rd, Bury. previous revolutionary situations across the world _ with instant recall of the elected. These bodies should run things directly, without an autonomous state machinery, to give people direct control oyer their own lives.

This was very different from the CP view, which called for common ownership but neglected to mention how common control would be organised - which promised an end to exploitation was seen, but did not say who was to define exploitation.

John Grahl looked to a range of "social movements" like the women's movement, the peace movement, and movements for civil and democratic rights.

Together, these movements could mobilise millions, and strengthen the socialist movement, even to the stage where we would be so strong that we'd be able to neutralise any attempt at a bourgeois counter-coup, and achieve socialism without a civil war.

Martin Thomas argued that we need to dismantle the existing state structure to replace it with a new one - and that in any case the state machine will resist any serious change, ultimately with violence.

The state has resisted even very limited measures e.g. the attempt by the GLO to implement its election manifesto pledges.

Se is sold ai Mulro Books, Bu y.

Stockport. Contact c/o 38 Broadhurst St. Meetings every Sunday, 7.30pm: phone 429 6359 for details. SO is sold at Stockport market every Saturday, 11 to 12.30.

Hyndburn. Contact Accrington 39573. Meetings weekly - see SO sellers for day, time and venue. SO is sold at Broadway, Even changes far short of socialism — like for example a Labour government trying to implement unilateral nuclear disarmament - would probably meet resistance from the military: abolishing the House of Lords or sacking the Governor of the Bank of England (technically appointed by the Queen) would meet resistance from the courts or monarchy, which could provide a chance for the army to intervene as 'defenders of the constitution' The labour movement needs to be prepared.

Mass revolutionary struggles cannot be called into being by propaganda. But they will develop. The job of socialists is to prepare ourselves and the labour movement - to democratise and revolutionise the organisations of the working class, the Labour Party and trade unions, through organising a left wing.

Outside

John Grahl felt that the Labour Party was controlled by the enemies of socialism - the NEC and PLP — and too preoccupied with Parliament. He admitted that the Labour Party was important as the political arm of the labour movement, and welcomed the fight to change it - but defended the CP remaining outside it.

Yet after all the struggles to secure the endorsement.

Sheffield. Meets every other Wednesday, 7.30pm at the Brown Cow, The Wicker. Next meeting Wednesday February 16: 'The Tories and the Falklands Factor'. SO is sold outside Boot's, Foregate (Saturday 12 to 1), and at the Independent Bookshop, Glossop Road. Contact: Rob, 589307.

Hull. Meets every Wednesday, 8pm: details from SO sellers. Childcare available. SO is sold at the Prospect Centre (Saturday 11-12).

Halifax. Contact 52156. SO is sold at Halifax Wholefood, Gibbet St, and at Tower Books, Hebden Bridge.

• WALES Cardiff. Contact mapl of Peter Tatchell in 'Ber: mondsey as a left candidate the CP are standing a candidate against him!

The struggle has helped strengthen the left against the right wing - those who stay outside the Labour Party aren't weakening, but strengthening the control of the 'enemies of There were 40 people in the room, but what about the rest of the working class of Newham?

"Well, let's be realistic "said one member of the CP, speaking from the floor. "Romantic fantasies about workers' councils are no gond. We can't do it all at once. We'll just have to carry on doing our work, convineing people...

One answer came from an older member of the CP who • remembered the Councils of Action after World War 1 and in the General Strike, Picking up a copy of Socialist Organiser with a front page on the water strike, he said that the working class would ing February 21. For details contact 713606.

Nottingham. Meets every Friday, 7.30pm at the International Community Centre, 61B Mansfield Rd. SO is sold outside the Victoria Centre (Saturday 11 to 1) and at the Mushroom Bookshop, Heathcote St.

Oxfurd. SO is suld at the Oxford. SO sold at the Cornmarket (Sa: urday 1lam to 1pm) and ouiside Tesco, Cowley Rd (Friday 5pm-7pm). Also ai EOA Bout C'owley Krad. Basmgstoke. Business mestings F bruary 25, March 11. Public meeting, March 10: 'Is Marxism ubsolete?' All meetings 7.30pm, Chute House.

• LONDON fight.

Martin Thomas, summing up, said that socialist strategy could not be based on convincing people one by one. We're fighting a bourgeoisie which has much greater resources than us in putting its ideas across.

Our strategy must be based on the way the working class develops through struggle. Rather than the CP line of waiting for a series of left governments to bring us socialism by piecemeal reforms (hoping nobody stops them), socialists must intervene in working class struggle, and integrate our ideas in the working class movement, striving to develop the maximum of class consciousness and class organisation from each battle.

In this way the working class will be fighting for socialism as a class - not merely as part of a broad alliance of movements -and will be prepared to defend the gains they will make.

SE5. Business 7.30 to 8.30, Open Forum discussion at 8.30pm. Next meeting Wednesday 2 march on 'Lesbian and Gay Rights' Speaker to be confirmed. SO is sold at Brixton tube, 5-6pm, every Thursday. Estate sale every Monday, meet at 6.30pm,, Lansbury House.

New Southwark SO bulletin. First issue out Hounslow. Meets fortnightly on Sundays, 8pm. For details phone 898 6961. Hackney. Contact c/o Andrew Hornung, 28 Carlton Mansions, Holmleigh Rd, N16.

SO is sold at the following London bookshops: Colletts, Central Books, The Uther Bookshop, 1 Bookmarks, Bookplace Peck•

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wide range of other meas- ures to provide real jobs for

s -and Policies Preparing the struggle

for socialist revolution to tind us

Poici workers' parliaments lor councils or soviets), as in