Australian Left Review No.37 October 1972
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LEFT . REVIEW No. 37 October, 1972 Price 50* Unions & Revolutionary Strategy International Trade Union Movement Vietnam: Western Aggression UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG The LIBRARY Althusser Case Registered for posting as a periodical Cate gory B Recommended and maximum price onlv CONTENTS October, 1972. Because of the importance of the issues raised and the quality of the articles, we printed 1000 extra copies of the last num ber of ALR, “Ecology and Revolution”. It has completely sold out, and should the VIEWPOINT 3 demand continue we will investigate the possibilities of a re-run. Laurie Aarons In this issue there are three articles and an extensive book review dealing with problems in the trade union movement. TRADE UNIONS AND This continues to be an area in which questions are contested hotly, both theore REVOLUTIONARY STRATEGY 6 tically and practically, and on which there are wide differences of opinion both within Joe Palmada the trade unions and outside. ALR believes that the issues involved, some of which are raised in the following IN THE INTERNATIONAL articles, are of particular importance to the left. We will therefore endeavour to TRADE UNION MOVEMENT 10 make available to readers still more exten sive material in future dealing with this Laurie Carmichael subject. On a broader front, we begin here a series of articles seeking to clarify fundamental VIETNAM: conceptions of marxism which are current in the world today. AGGRESSION FROM THE WEST 13 Part of the processes of re-orientation and fragmentation evident in the left at present Bob Catley in Australia and most other countries, is the proliferation of basically different theoretical approaches. This is probably inevitable, and even in THE ALTHUSSER CASE 16 a sense to be welcomed. But so far, in the main, the most fundamental aspects have John Lew is been implied rather than clearly stated, assumed rather than substantiated, and we consider it necessary to bring them out into the open, where they can be thorough ECONOMIC NOTES 27 ly debated. We begin with an article by British philo David Evans sopher John Lewis on the French marxlst Louis Althusser, whose work has attracted some following among sections of theore A GOOD BOOK FOR THE tically minded revolutionaries in a number of countries. THIRTIES . 31 Alastair Davidson’s review article on the book Australian Capitalism: towards a Alastair Davidson socialist critique, also contributes to the debate we wish to develop. In subsequent issues we hope to have articles on Critical Theory, Maoism, Trots DEMOCRACY & SOCIALISM 34 kyism, the Lukacs school and others We invite comments, contributions, and Manuel Azcarate discussion pieces from readers on these vital theoretical problems, suggesting to them only that the issues are more im BOOK REVIEWS 35 portant than colourful polemics. AUSTRALIAN LEFT REVIEW Editorial Collective: Brian Aarons, Eric Aarons, Kevin Butcher, Rowan Cahill, Roger Coates, Alastair Davidson, Gloria Garton, Douglas Kirsner, Mavis Robertson, Bernie Taft, Joan Thornton. Book Review Editor: Brian Aarons This issue was prepared by: Eric Aarons, Gloria Garton, Doug Kirsner, Bernie Taft. Subscriptions: Single copies, 50 cents Yearly subscription (5 issues) $2.25 Two years (10 issues) $4.25 Surface or airmail postage must be added to overseas subscriptions. Australian Left Review, Box A247, Sydney South P.O., 2000. Printed ond published by Red Pen Publications Pty Ltd, 2 Dixon Street. Sydney, 2000. VIEWPOINT Laurie Aarons N unprecedented campaign has been launched Mr. Ducker is not unused to performing such A against the N.S.W. builders laborers, their services for the Establishment. When the Liberal secretary Jack Mundey and the Communist Government attacked the first great national Party of Australia. Hardly a day passes without moratorium on the grounds that it threatened the Sydney press carrying editorials, news reports law and order, Mr. Ducker and his Labor Council- and letters on this theme. Sir Robert Askin, his ALP machine in NSW joined in that chorus about deputy Mr. Cutler, and various other Liberal- violence. (Two moratoriums later, the acrobatic Country Party politicians regularly get into the Mr. Ducker jumped on the bandwagon as an anti act. Not to be outdone, the "New Right” union war activist.) and ALP leader Mr. John P. Ducker puts in his The Sydney M orning Hevcbld, usually a bit contribution. He is joined, if less openly, by more restrained than some other Establishment some union officials who call themselves “left”, media, has thrown caution to the wind. Its usually motivated by a craving for industrial editorial policymakers seem intent upon snatching respectability and for unity with Mr. Ducker, up the mantle of extremist rightism, anti-unionism plus ideological hatred of the CPA’s independent and anti-communism laid down by Sir Frank sta'nd. Packer when he sold The Telegraph. In the space The Sydney Morning Hem^ld and other sections of 12 days, it had five hysterical leading editorials, of the mass media were overjoyed at Mr. Ducker’s each one more virulent than the one before. discovery of a “communist plot” for “planned violence”, which arose out of a minor incident at There is only one conclusion from all this: the end of the plumbers’ strike. After a mass the ruling class and all the establishments — meeting voted 687 to 659 to end the strike — a including the union onn — are driven off thdir course recommended by Mr. Ducker and the union brain by the new ideas on strategy, new issues officials — 200 or so plumbers loudly expressed of action and the new tactics developing in the their resentment at what they believed was a workers’ movement. sell-out. This natural — and justified — reaction It is no accident the builders laborers and was blown up into a savage assault and a threat FED&FA ban on the Rocks “development” (and to Mr. Ducker’s life, with a tear-jerking picture other bans on anti-social “developments”) started of a pyjama-clad Mr. Ducker clutching his two off this rightwing campaign. These bans attack children. the two elements essential to modern capitalism: This godsend for the developers’ lobby, the profits and power. rightist press and the Liberals was seen as a The big “developers” are presently among the way to shift the issue from the real struggle most profitable of all the corporations. Their against the developers to a concocted “plot for profits are soaring and will keep rising since they communist violence”. control the city’s land, and have virtually a free Laurie Aarons is National Secretary of the Communist Party hand to direct their construction and development of Australia. to whichever field is most profitable. To them, 3 UNIVERSITY OF I WOLLONGONG I LIBRARY people’s welfare, the quality of life, conservation anguished screams and hysterist about the builders of the environment, preservation of historic build laborers, Jack Monday and the Communist Party. ings are all fads and fancies, well enough in The assertion of workers’ social responsibility and themselves, but having no weight when stacked right to intervene challenges the sacred rights of up against profits. If more money is to be made ownership, direction and control. out of turning the city into a steel and concrete The Sydney Morning Herald senses the real jungle, and driving out its people, than out of building hospitals, schools, housing — then the challenge of the demand for workers’ control. This can, and will, go far beyond its rudimentary forms city jungle wins by a street. which have long been issues in workers’ action and Some of the biggest developers have just an union demands — to control the bosses' right to nounced huge profits — and they have their hire and fire, control over work speed and techno sights aimed right on a bigger and better money logical change, the rights of job organisations, harvest. These profits certainly help explain why against victimisation of shop stewards and union The Sydney Morning Herald is so concerned for activists, and even more radical demands such as the overseas investors in “development”, writing opening of company books, election of foremen editorially (August 11): and safety supervision by workers. • ■ ■ there is absolutely no case for a union black ban, which is very likely to discourage overseas investors, knock This new challenge is already prefigured in the the bottom out o£ a generally desirable scheme and reduce banning of construction projects which threaten employment opportunities . the environment and the cities, lower the quality M ainline — its overseas shareholder is the of life and subordinate human needs to the goals aptly-named Hawaiian Dredging Company — is of a capitalist-controlled and directed society — just one example of the profits made, and those more and more production for more and more expected. In 1971-72 its profits rose by 69.3 per profits for fewer and fewer giant multi-national cent, and — to quote the SMH — “promised even corporations. Implicit in the laborers’ action is more cheer for the new year”. And well it might, the demand for workers’ control over the goals since there are 21 new city “development” pro of work and social priorities. jects beginning in Sydney, at an estimated cost This asserts that workers and their unions of $274 million (plus others planned at a cost should not concern themselves only with the terms of over $300 million). and conditions on which they sell their labor Besides the development corporations’ huge power. They should also concern themselves with profits, there are fat pickings for the highly- the social implications of their work. This is placed lurkers and perkers, those with inside sound commonsense, as well as genuine idealism knowledge about land releases, zoning, how to and correct political ideology, since workers and get around, over or under “planning” decisions.