the labour movement could have written the script; surprise, surprise, the TUC General Council last week refused to back calls for strike action to defend the miners, rejecting Arthur Scargill's call for f a day of action.
Meanwhile the countdown to the closure of the first tranche of 10 threatened pits goes on remorselessly. On or around January 23 they will close, unless industrial action is taken to prevent closure. The TUC, with an enormous outburst of anger over pit closures to build on, tiptoes timidly towards its 'national recovery' day on 9 December, complete with employers, wet Tories and vicars.
Meanwhile Labour's leadership sticks to safe issues like the Iraq arms scandals and Norman Lamont's credit card, but is struck dumb on mine and hospital closures, the pay freeze and Maastricht.
The antics of the leaders of the movement threaten to demobilise the tremendous outburst of anger that met the pit closure announcement, and let the government off the hook. And it hasto be said that that the collapse of the planned Tube strike, and the refusal of the NUM so far to project any form of industrial action to stop pit closures has made the situation worse.
For if the Tories can impose pit closures, get through the Maastricht crisis, and crucially force through the pay freeze, the medium term prospects of the workers' movement will be very grim.
How should socialists face this situation?
Andrew War around. SADA Don't leave Arthur to fight alone Despite the do-nothing attitude of he movement's leadership, activity :.. ihe localities against pit closures remains 3:3 :2: level. In the next period there are a series national events 10 focus the =::::
Politically however the left mus: expict the the trade unions and the Labour Party. mood is there to respond to militant antiToryism, for the left to take the offensive over the question of strike action to defend the miners, opposition to the pay freeze and the question of Maastricht.
In fact in the far left there is another major response against the one outlined here, typified by the SWP. In effect it says that what wecan do now issell lots of papers, hold public da activity in this ra: it is essential ?arepar ment protest actic: permanently win pea?.e: ess activism. But reducing 4033: 1. to take the fight to the hares! bureaucrats can strug star sales: it is much more i: shrug off sustained tessar: both wings of the laser This casts a spotlight strategi tasks 3: 6x:235 and radica sing ready exist. For a lot of working class people, especially those with kids, Christmas is -afford. But even if your budget is stretched, please consider giving Socialist Outlook a Christmas present.
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Be made wraors and abour Pary the preme c: decades or struggie. Without memendous historic events. similar in impact Petermia. io the Russian revolution, there will not be new mass workers organisations built outside those which alA defeat of the current mood of resistance will of course also be a tremendous victory for the most right-wing elements in the new realist bureaucracy. That is why the opportunity has to be taken now, to push the current movement as far as it will go. And that is why socialists cannot give up the fight to construct a fighting opposition in both the Labour Party and the you ortu iden 1) th Tige Pac No. 33 5 Dec, 1992
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