Chile: new round of
Socialist Organiser1983 1983-10-13Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 16 →
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rrinted by last tind Offset (TU). Registered as a newspaper at the GPO. Signed articles do not necessarily reflect the IREE days of protest, the thin . a series of mass ions against Chile's militregime of General lochet began quietly on ursday 11th. Nearly 50 ›ple have died in the vious marches or demonItions. This time the militauthorities banned a "march 10Г democracy" rant fina nned by the semi-licensed mocratic Alliance' , who n called the march off and w signs of withdrawing n the movement.
The Democratic Alliance is lock of five opposition ties including the Socialist ly but excluding the Comrist Party.
The three days of protest been organised by the CP• Popular Democratic 'ement (PDM). The Pinochet Workers National Council, made up of labour organisations led by the copper miners, who started the monthly protests last May, is backing the October protest. The anti-Pinochet movement is increasingly a movement of the Chilean working class. pressure on the executive from the left.
The POEU must defy the injunction - with or without official support for this from the TUC (some of whose member unions actually support the privatisation of BT!) Dependence upon pledges of support before taking action have proved fatal to other public sector struggles.
Instead the POEU, by stepping up the fight, can give a lead to the forthcoming miners' union conference discussing action against pit closures.
With that conference in the offing, it seems unlikely that the Tory courts will jail leaders of the POEU though moves may be made to sue the union for damages or freeze POEU funds.
In any event the only way forward is to fight. Privatisation means the splitting and destruction of union strength and a full scale war on jobs and hard-won conditions.
Keith Hardacre, a delegate to the Special Conference on Privatisation in - September said: "We must fight or lay down and die." He was greeted with tumultuous applause. That applause must now be turned into strike action. views of the SOA.