SuppOrt against lerven. tion.
The conference will aim at putting pressure on TUC pol organising offcial TUC delegation, and belping to extend active taidanty arouna une second Container Project. It will be ac ed some specialist delegations Licaragua by, for example, ealth workers, students i exces oove ] be working not rally. genuinely organises portant sections oi the working movement around what is today the agle most important intertional task - defence of •carava evon self-determination for Central ocUpIC. erica.
One further way trade ionists can develop the is that are needed is by ning with their equivaunion in Nicaragua, branches. This ol twinning | has been : labour councils such Sheffield, Lambeth, Liverpool, Manchester. But al twining USI EVE SO.
come will have profound influence on the struggles of workers and the oppressed for many years to come. Yet this does not compare with the significance of the struggles Central In Nicaragua there is a real government of type Unal Arthur Scargl calls for — a government as loyal to OLL Thatcher is to hers. But such a government cannot be achieved through winning a parliamentary election. The Sandinista government was established as the direct outcome of the struggles of the workers armers ana orner oppress ed in Nicaragua - against the local dictatorship there and its imperialist backers.
This is not to say that Ine neinstas not popular or can't win elecThe way the miners' struggle was fought and its outAmerica particularly tions. the recent November poll, they recevee over iwo toures al mne popular volc, Onl a las SIVC 80 per cent turnout The point is that such a avc icl call Vll y established against the system. It nas to break iron capitalism and its forms of rule.
This UITC of the reasons why the cause of cholie first-rate concern for all suluggic mounta ns The fight for solidarity creates the opportunity Iol us to explain what the goal and tasks of our struggles Britain ought to be In aDOUl For the harsh truth is that the Wal ulla workers will begin to permanent Teso ve LAe struggles in their interests IS LArOuSO estaD sand government totallyloyalto That is to say, UUI blass one that is based on our organisations and struggles ana nol on parllament.
To be sure, we will have to o lnouen many more experiences of parliamentarv Labour governments including those dominated by the left — before this truth is understood by a decisive layer of working people. And until then the iask of all socialists is to fight for the return of such governments. But no other type ol government Inan that of the Sandinistas will SOlVO • oul Vasil Drobicms The other thing that the current struggles in Central America teach us is how to win a revolutionary majority. The industrial workin class in Nicaragua . • Salvador qualitatively smaller than in Britain. Yet only the industrial workers have the solidi _Conesion and organisation to establish a power against that ot the capitalists What the Nicaraguan victory snowed was the vital need for workers to allantc wILI working farmers and other oppressed layers. particularly women, the op pressed nationalists black people.
We got a taste of the power of such an alliance with the breath-taking role of the women in the mining communities. Deepening and extending this process is the clue to ultimate victhe Sandinistas have shown.
Seing allies
those most exploited and oppressed leads understand internationalism the only realistic policy. The Sandinistas, following the example of the Cubar government, see the key to defending their revolution as extending it Revolutions cannot : be exported, it is true. But the Sandinistas rightly appreCale ual eu revoluol will be as much determined by the the vullis struggle in Salvador as any other arena. This unacrstanaing Is aiso wna ed them to send suppo ind solidaritv to the NU.
despite all their concerns arising from the daily attacks of the US backed 'contras' The NUM found out it had more in common with French dockers, Australian seafarers Trish freedom fighters than had with working , 'British Nous miers Jer ono TUC General Secretary Norman Willis, or Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Indeed, reaching out to the freedom fighters in Central Ainctcd South Africa elsewhere not only weakens imperialism directly. It also restricts the resources available to buy off the likes of the Nottinghamshire miners.
For these extra crumbs walen are inrown at such narrow layers of workers support for the Lo secuie 'national interest are, in the last analysis, made possible through the superprofits imperialism's operations abroad.
Forging alliances with women, black people and other other side of seeing our future wrapped up in the battles against imperialism Central Auctcd All our struggles have to be thoroughly imbued with anti-imperialism. This is no less relevant dispute like the miners' strike.
Socialist Action 15 March 1985 lion of additional expenditure The government how ever have set a target of only £250.3 million The council considers it will be rise above the level of in flation or the average wage In addition, bids pro posals from council com mittees to create up to 224.
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THE MINERS' strike mobilised everyone with even the 'least inkling of class struggle militancy. And rightly