THE disciplinary panel of the Natonal Union or leacners (YU 1) Has decided to get tough. Five officers of the Lambeth branch have been suspended from the union for six months. National executive member Dick North has a twelve-month sentence.
They will be unable to hold office for a further 18 months and must undertake not to "break the rules" after this Willie.
The move follows a decision of Lambeth NUT to support the Lambeth day of action against the cuts last February. Despite Lambeth branch voting overwhelmingly to take on the Tories, union leaders have chosen to victimise its officers.
PRESSURE All industrial action of the NUT has to go to an "action committee" and be approved by the NEC. This rule 8 was adopted unact ngat-wung pressure I 1974 to prevent militancy on a local basis. As a result, any official action is ponderous and firmly in the hands of Today, Cuba occupies a central place in world politics. US President Reagan sees Cuba as being behind every fight waged by people for their rights in the Caribbean, Latin America and ever Africa.
How can this smalı country be such a massive problem for Reagan and four previous presidents over the last 20 years?
And how can it be such an inspiration to literally hundreds of millions of toilers around the world?
As Cuba for Beginners explains, the answer is simple: Cuba carried out a ine leaderstup Even so, the suspended Lambeth officers tried to secure support from the union s action commelice.
General Secretary Fred Jarvis instructed them to withdraw the can to action This was before the action committee had reached its decision.
The three left candidates for elections to ILTA - NUT's London body - have also been reprimanded. This is because they gave support to Lambeth's call Iot action while carrying out their election CLAMPDOWN This is clearly an attempt to discredit the left and shows why the NEC felt it important to clamp down on unofficial actions while an election was on.
These disciplinary measures coincide with two significant events. First, the ILTA elections, where the three left candidates came within 200 votes of winning while over 300 votes were declared null and void.
Second, it coincides with the capitulation of the NUT executive to the government on pay, by accepting a 7½ socialist revolution. Power was taken out of the hands of the big US corpor ations and Cuban parasites and put in the hands of working people.
This enabled the Cubans to eradicate hunger, illiteracy, poverty, unemployment and all the other social injustices inflicted on the Third World.
Racism was uprooted, and Black Cubans gained an equal place - both in practice and in law.
Big steps were taken in the fight for women's equality. These included a massive increase in jobs, the breakdown in job discrimination, guaranteed rights to abortion, child-care provision and other services. Women were no longer bound to the home.
Health, education and other social servicestare now the best in Latin America and - in many areas - are ahead of the United States. The average Cuban life expectancy is now longer than ot many workang Prop le in the US, the wealthiest and most advanced capitalist country. had predicted confidently that the Instead. defended it as "the going rate"
been talking about joint action with HILTH 1 have the effect of suppressing grass roots activity and will keep policyDureaucials ganisations to the NUT.
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or into the hearts of the ruling classes of the world.
assistalle bodies in these fields!
South African racists.
to read more in depth studies. union would accept this increase and For months the union executive has other workers and has now turned its in stoke on tient. back on the rest of the public sector, by taking an offer that most have refused.
Preventing militants from holding office is a novel step by the NEC. It will making firmly in the hands of union UNITY We need to fight against these actions. Widespread support for the suspended six has come from many sectors of the labour movement and resolutions of support should be sent from all orIn addition, the defence campaign Donations and requests 'Lambeth NUT Defence Commitee, Swart commented.
LABOUR PARTY These gains by the Cuban workers - as this book shows - struck horrFences.
what nortited tem even more was that the Cuban people and their revolutionary leaders believed in sharing their good fortune with workers in other countries. They provide not just an example but a voice for the oppressed of the world and massive material Cuban doctors, teachers and technicians help people of many countries overcome disease and illiteracy. Cuba gives more aid than the United Nations Cuban troops helped the Angolan government defeat an invasion by the Cuba for Beginners tells the story of Cuba and how the revolution was made. Because it is done in cartoon and humorous form, it is an excellent place to start exploring Cuba, before going on THE trade unions and the Labour Party will continue to be the central arena for the struggle to bulla socialism in Dillell. That was the conclusion of a Socialist Action public forum held on March 23 Discussion at the forum was lead by Bob Swart who explained, "Wide layers are being drawn into struggle. The Black population is only one example. The mass demonstrations against unemployment, the cuts and nuclear weapons all represent attempts by workers to defend their rights and living standards."
Not only were these demonstrations increasingly made up of ordinary working people, rather than the "radical left" but also more and more of those workers are realising that the lores cannot be stopped except by a united response, across all sectors of the working class.
"These workers now going into action are demanding that their unions and the Labour Party show their mettle. They're approach of the labour bureaucrats," not content witn tne ao-noce This could be seen in the radical shift left of policy at Labour Party conferMoreover, the NEC has also been Cuba for Beginners, Rius, Pathfinder Press, New York, 1970. Available irom socialist Action. Box 65. Lon don SW16 INN, £2.20 (includes postLONDON Support the hunger strikers! Socialist Action public forum: Thursday April 16, 7.30 pm, Room 7, Friends Hse, Euston Road.
Revolution in Central America. Socialist Action day school: Sunday April 12, 10.00 am. For further details, ring 01-769-1160 STOKE-ON-TRENT Socialist Action Public forums, held bi-weekly. Contact: Jason, 281 3401.
BRIDLINGTON LPYS Conference. Socialist Action public meeting. Saturday, April 18, Southcliffe Hotel (opposite conference centre), 6.30 pm.
Socialist Action APRIL 1981
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Review: Cuba for beginners
CUBA foR BEGINNERS RIUS