meted out since the Beijing massacre, free trade unions are emerging everywhere from the land of China like bamboo shoots after a spring rain', according to a recent leaflet.
The leaflet is published in the name of the Preparatory Committee of Beijing Free Trade Unions, and reflects a defiance in the face of the Stalinist regime.
Quoting clauses from the Intemational Labour Organisation (LO) Convention stipulate the right to form independent trade unions, the leaflet argues against any truck with the ottica. Com munist Party-led 'unions'. which nave to maependence "The officially condoned All China Pedemtion of Trade Unions (ACFTU) is not only a ruling regime. It is a feudalistic tool of the chinese cl and the April 17, 1992 scabs, who have betrayed workers interests and been scorned by them, it argues. ten years ago the Solidarity It goes on to point out tha Union was set up in Poland, and despite being banned and uppressed eventually wor Jrging readers to builo underground union networks themselves. beginning with 'friends who share similar Pats and principes', it says "The free trade union. should carry out safe and efrecuve acavites in possibie legal ways ... and organically , above-ground and underground activities!
But it a so counsels caution:
'Do not try to look for a free trade union to join. Do not be discovered by the CCP secret • Police in the course of expanding our network. Do not treat the free trade union as an organisation for idle taik' No. 20
IT WOULD take rather more than a letter to effectively challenge some of the assumptions behind Pete Firmin's analysis of the post1979 Labour left in SO Even so, here are a few points to be going on with Kinnock leadership We welcome letters on any subject but please cut. Send your letters to: Socialist Outlook PO Box 1109, London, N4 2UU the obsession with electoral politics, the Parliamentary Road Miliband 30 years ago. so erecuvery exposea Dy Raipa Does this mean that the left is kaput? I would not be so sure as Firmin. The lett in the Labour Party is very weak, but it may well recover as material cir Letters HEFUGEES HERE the FN scurrying back into
HERE
"ATION ALS STEW There are other aspects to