Poland does not need strikes... 1 EVERY major long-running industrial dispute — such as the seafarers: and Vickers strikes has underlined the need for a network of activists building
And in the year since the firse steps were made at a conference in Loeds Trades Club to establish precisely such a Solidarity Network, the limited organisation that exists so far of ex-Silentnight strikers. printworkers and support groups has been able to do some uscful work, particularly in support of the seafarers.
The task has not only involved raising cash and producing publicity, but also arguing politically that the lessons of previous struggles show the noed to break the isolation of these strikes.
The Steering Commitice has also been abie to convince wider circles of the need for the Network, especially through its involvement in the summer Chesterfield conference.
Now the Socialist Conference
1s sponsoring this year's November 5 conference of the Solidurity
Network in Leeds: this gives a extinguished the strikes: and I will extinguish any others that happen" would scum more appropriate lor the representatives of the bureaucary than fer those of the independent workers movement. major opportunity to build sup port more widely.
The conference will spend the morning discussing the state of strike support work, followed by workshops on support work in different spheres including NHS struggles and engineering. There will be time for reports from the workshops and discussion on any consitutional changes and changes in the working of the network. The Stering Committee will put proposals for improving the Network's bi monthly bulletin.
The August 13 planning mecting was attended by sentatives of the Vickers strikers, who were koen to be involved in the conference and said that the Network was just what was needed for strikers.
While sectarian political currents like the Socialist Workers Parly and Militant generally ap proach struggles of the working class simply as ways of trying to win supporters and make a few acneral propaganda points. Socialist Ourlook supporters, some of whom are strongly involved in the Network, have a dif-
It is clear that the regime issilting an a powderkeg -hur the question for the Polish workers is how to ignite it Here the politics of glasnost being introduced trom the
USSR could play un im portant role.
While forces on the
Polish independent left remain small, an expanision of the space Tor public dehate could allow groups such as the Polish
• Socialist Party to become a significant factor On:
the other side of the coin.
the self - confidence and militancy of the Polish workine class could have
Important ropercussions on their neighbours in tho
Warsaw Pact.
Recenl strikes in
Yugoslavia
#tel demonstrations
Czechoslovakia and the Soviet
Union indicate the polential for the growth of political opposition in the stalinist stales of taxtern
Furope
Patrick Raker
To us there is a continuity in the struggles of the working class, in which cach major confrontation brings our all the problems of the class in facing up to the gover-
By bringing those workers such as miners, printworkers.
Women Against Pit Closures, and
Silentnight strikers into involyement in proscat stuggies we are constantly bringing in the lessons of their battles.
Fighting to break the isolation of sections in struggle and 10 develop working class leaders able to understand and combat the hold of bureaucratic union offcials is essential work for socialists: Only in this way can we go beyond simple denunciation of betrayals to build the kind of fighting alternative we need in the
Anthony Johnson
Saturday November 5, 9.00
4.30. Leeds Trades Club, Saville
Mouni. LEEDS. Credentials:
€2.00, €1.00, Strikers free,