New British Terror in Northern Ireland

SWP convention c~verage . 4-9 TH£ Grenada trade unions today 10-11 Women's march for British miners 14 A SOCIALIST NEWSWEEKLY PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF WORKING PEOPLE VOL. 48/NO. 31 AUGUST 31, 1984 75 CENTS Dist. 1199 New British terror strike solid in Northern Ireland at N.Y. BY RICH PALSER hospitals BELFAST, Ireiand - One man was killed and at least 20 people were injured when the British Army and Royal Ulster BY GEOFF MIRELOWITZ Constabulary (RUC) attacked a peaceful NEW YORK- More than 15,000 pre demonstration in West Belfast on Sunday, dominantly Black, Latino, and female hos August 12 . pital workers crowded into New York's Sean Downes' heart stopped when he Madison· Square Garden the night of Au was hit in the chest by a rock-hard, four gust 21 and decided, amid a roar of cheers, inch-long plastic bullet fired at close range. to continue their 41-day strike against 30 Others ....,..- including children - were in private hospitals and 15 nursing homes in jured as the RUC hit out indiscriminately the city. ·with batons and plastic btdlets. In response, hospital officials renewed The march - an annual event - had threats to hire 'scabs to permanently replace been called to commemorate the 13th an the strikers- members of District 1199, niversary of the introduction of internment Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store without trial in British-ruled Northern Ire Workers Union , AFL-CIO. land. Despite being officially ended, in "The hiring will begin by Monday, Au ternment is still maintained in Northern Ire gust 27," declared William Abelow, presi land through other means. Activists in the dent of the League of Voluntary Hospitals freedom struggle are tried in special jury and Homes , bargaining -group for the less courts. Convictions are made on the struck hospitals. This can only be avoided, uncorroborated evidence of paid perjurors, threatened Abelow, "if striking employees and those charged may be held up to two return to their jobs." ··· years in custody before even coming to The hospitals are already using hundreds trial. of scabs, in the form of "volunteers" who, together with supervisory personnel, doc British miners join delegation tors, and other nonunion employees have Television camera shows cops shooting Irish nationalists in brutal assault on Belfast kept the hospitals open while the more than As in previous years, this year's march demonstration August 12. 50,000 orderlies, housekeepers, clerks, so was joined by contingents from the U.S. cial workers, physical therapists, techni based Irish Northern Aid Committee cians, and - at five of the hospitals - (Noraid) and the Troops Out Movement out from the Falls Road, British troops, cal prisoners in Northern Ireland, has come nurses have been on strike. (TOM) in Britain. Among the Troops Out rifles at the ready, were stationed at every under attack from the U.S. and Irish gov Abelow threatened to hire permanent re contingent were striking coal miners who street comer along the route. ernments as well as British authorities. placements earlier. But it is only now that are increasingly concerned about the use The Royal Ulster Constabulary were Galvin's only crime, however, was that the hospitals have set a definite date when against miners' picket lines of police tac also present in great force to prevent Irish his political views have more in common they will attempt to bring hired scabs tics first tested in Northern Ireland. Northern Aid publicity director Martin with the 100,000 people in Northern Ire across the militant 1199 picket lines. Having seen firsthand the false press re Galvin from joining the march. Iimd who voted for Sinn Fein, a legal party Should the , hospitals follow through on ports of their own strike, the miners had The British government had banned Gal that supports the struggle of the Irish Re their threat it can set the stage for a major come on a three-day visit to Northern Ire vin from entering Northern Ireland as part publican Army, than with the British gov confrontation with the city'.s labor move land organized by the Troops Out Move of the 130-person Noraid delegation, ernment's views. ment. ment to see for themselves what life is like claiming his presence would "not be con In a statement issued through the Noraid Originally the major issues in the walk for the oppressed Irish community. ducive to the public good." delegation as it entered Northern Ireland, out included wages, benefits, and the right The TOM contingents headed the Au Irish Northern Aid, which raises funds in Galvin said, "The British do not have any of all workers to alternate weekends off. gust 12 anti-internment march . As we set the United States for the families of politi- Continued on Page 14 Many 1199 members are poorly paid, earn ing ~bout $15,000 a year. The union de manded a nine percent wage hike and an increase in vacation time and paid holi U.S. socialist candidates tour Canada days. The hospitals responded with what 1199 BY YVONNE HAYES also under sharp attack from the employ Canada's labor party -the New Demo President Doris Turner termed an "insult TORONTO, Canada- Mel Mason and ers. cratic Party (NDP) . Most of the major in ing" offer of a four percent raise. In fact, Andrea Gonzalez, Socialist Workers Party The offensive by Canada's. rulers at dustrial unions in English Canada, as well the union pointed out, when givebacks and candidates for U.S. president and vice home is coupled with deepening Canadian as many public sector unions, are affiliated freezes were included, the offer amounted · president, are currently touring Canada, involvement in the U .S.-led war against to the NDP. to only a 2.3 percent increase. A somewhat learning first-hand of the war on working the people of Central America and the Gonzalez was the featured speaker at an revised version of this offer was decisively people being carried out by the Canadian Caribbean. Mason and Gonzalez traveled August 18 campaign rally here. She was rejected by the union membership by a vote capitalist class. Both are extending solidar to Canada to campaign against this war · joined on the platform by RWL candidates of 21,796-1,242, at the end of July. ity to striking workers. women fighting to with the parliamentary candidates of the Bonnie Geddes and Larry Johnston, both Today the main issue is union busting. defend abortion rights , and to the op SWP's sister party, the Revolutionary members of the United Steelworkers of The August 21 vote came in response to pressed people of Quebec. Workers League/Ligue Ouvriere Revolu America. Over 50 people attended, includ Turner's report that hospital negotiators re Quebecois are an oppressed nation with tionaire. ing workers from Toronto's General fused to guarantee that every striking work in Canada. Like Blacks in the United Federal elections are scheduled to be Motors plant and activists in the Nicaragua er would get their job back when the strike States, the French-speaking Quebecois suf held here September 4 . The RWLILOR is and El Salvador solidarity movements. ended. fer the highest unemployment, the worst running five candidates against the two Geddes spoke against Canada's partner In an August 4 editorial titled, "Strike on living and working conditions. and dis- capitalist parties -_the Conservatives and ship with the U.S. government in the im 1199- strike on," the Amsterdam News, crimination in all aspects of life. · Liberals. Where the RWLILOR is not perialist domination of the world . Canada New York's major Black weekly newspa Working people in English Canada are fielding candidates. it urges support for has recently taken more responsibility for per, noted: the NATO war alliance. It is financing the "We are left to conclude that ... there construction of roads and airstrips in Hon never was, on the part of the League, an in duras to transport military materiel, and of tent to bargain in good faith ... that an op SWP fights for Mich. ballot spot fered to aid in the U.S. occupation of Gre portunity was seen to break a Union and nada. that the minions of the hospital trustee elite BY JOANNE MURPHY Andrew Pulley . socialist candidate for "Canada plays soft cop to U.S. hard are following a purposeful course of break DETROlT - The bipartisan board of U.S. Congress. Meyers is a member of cop," said Geddes, "but despite the 'peace ing 1199 even as they continue to file . Democrats and Republicans in charge of United Auto Workers Local 1200 in De keeping' image it trys to maintain; a cop is expansion plans now totalling a cost of Michigan elections is threatening to keep troit and Pulley is a national co-chairperson still a cop." The revolution in Nicaragua more than a billion dollars that will ulti the Socialist Workers Party presidential of the Mason/Gonzalez campaign. and the advance of the popular struggle in mately be paid for by our tax dollars." ticket of Mel Mason and Andrea Gonzalez Despite the more than 30,000 signatures El Salvador threaten Canadian imperialist The union busting goal has been clearly off the November ballot. submitted by the socialist campaign, on interests. The Canadian-owned Noranda evidenced by hospital sabotage of three po Michigan supporters of Mason and Gon August 17 the State Board of Canvassers gold mines in Nicaragua ha've been tentiat strike settlements over the past 10 zalez collected more than 30,000 signa ruled that the petitions did not contain nationalized since the workers and peas days.

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