Strike to Save Workers' Rights

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International Telecommunication Convention impossible that Labour could lose.

By elections often produce bizarre results. Tory and Alliance popularity is not what it was last June, and that will help. But the volume of ignorant prejudice and blind hatred and possible right wing Labour sabotage — remember Peter Tatchel and Bermondsey could all combine to inflict a wounding and bruising defeat on Labour. And on the left.

Tribune

Out of the Chesterfield by-election the left will get one of two things. Either its most popular tribune will be back in Parliament and centre stage once more, or it will get a bad political bloody nose.

If we face that possibility now - squarely - we have time to mobilise the forces to beat the Tories and the Alliance. Complacency would be unforgivable.

Labour's campaign for the Chesterfield by-election begins officially on Monday February But Tony Benn is already visiting schools, trade union meetings and pits, and canvassing in Chesterfield.

Response

The campaign press officer, Monica Foot, paints this picture of Benn in Chesterfield.

"It is difficult to remain neutral about Mr. Benn. There has been a very good response when he has met people. But those who haven't met him sometimes have an alarming impression of him."

The main themes of the campaign are industrial renewal, the health service, and youth unemployment.

The Labour Party health cuts campaign ambulance will be in Chesterfield on February 22-24, and a 'defend the Health Service' rally is being organised for February 24. Polling day is March 1.

Mermain headuater is Unity House, 113 Saltergate, Help from Labour activists from outside Chesterfield will be welcomed. Benn must win -and we must see that he does. THE Civil Service unions have designatea February 28 as a "Day of Action" in protest at the government's decision to ban trade unions at GCHQ Cheltenham (and at seven out-stations, scattered across the country from Cornwall to Fife).

But what action?

Although CPSA has authorised branches to take strike action on the 28th, there will be no national call for this. Basically, local union branches will be left to decide what action they want to take: lunch-time protest meetings, token stoppages; walk-outs . . . or maybe a mass session of letter-writing to Maggie?

In fact strike action is being quietly discouraged, for fear that it would damage "public opinion"

It has been clear from the very start that the TUC, and the Civil Service unions themselves, have no intention of leading a real fight. The hope in the back of their minds is that the Tories will be talked out of imposing a full ban on union membership.. and some shabby compromise cobbled together.

In the CoCSU (Council of Civil Service Unions) "Statement of Case" on the issue, it says:

"The Civil Service unions themselves have always been extremely reticent about disclosing any information relating to GCHQ, and they are fully alive to the special status of its operations. They would have been prepared to consider, and would consider even now, any reasonable proposals from the Government."

The same readiness to compromise, and of underlying patriotism, runs through the whole statement.

"All the staff at GCHQ have been subjected to a rigorous positive vetting procedure," boasts the CoCSU document, "and are intensely loyal to the interests of their country - playing their full part, for example, during the Falkland crisis. They would never do anything to jeopardise national security ..

In the same spirit, Alistair Graham, general secretary of CPSA, has called on branches to take immediate action ... "to write to, and to lobby, their local Members of Parliament about the GCHQ situation."

When the leadership won't lead, it's up to the rank and

- OAKLEY

MUNAL A HEROER

file. Activists must argue in MILITARY their branches to make February 28 a full day strike, as INTELLIGENCE paign to force the Tories to the start of a militant cam- IS A TODAY back down.

Where possible, branches should before the 28th pass IN TOMORROW! motions demanding that the NEC makes a clear call for S:VA8 strike action on that day.

Activists elsewhere in the