coup in Apell, 1967, Greeks went to the polls on Sunday, 28 July, The purpose, as on the last occasion in September 1968, was to ratify changes to the Constitution - the main ones this time being the abolition of the monarchy and the institution of an 8-year presidential terin.
According to the officialeturns, 7%5 of the votes cast were "Yes votes. This figure was achieved by a unique mechanism. Bach voter was supposed to be given an envelope containing B committed to a perspective of increasing two cards, one saying "Yes' and the other "No".
But in the countryside, where there was no supervision of the elections, voters found only a "Yes" card in their envelopes, In Athens. however. where foreign journalists observed the As a result there are growing differencos voting, the "No" votes accounted for as much as 40% of the total. There is no reasoll to suppose that developments in the rest of the country Ing far behind those in Atliens. The opposition represented by these oles reflects in purt a growing split in the ranks of the Greek bourgeoisie over the direction of the coumiry a ceonomic development. The regane dire cl American investment: Ford and other American comoines are already involved in bilding asse moly plants in Gironce under extremely favourable tax and investment terias.
between those sections of the bourgeoisie who are involved in industries which are subsidiary to and dependent on American investment, and those involved in the limited native industry who want to deveiop the internal market and tie the Citeck cconomy to the European Common Market, I is this latter section, represented by the old liberal and social democratic politiciuns, ‹ mittee set up to run it jailed, it was a signpost which has tried to use the repressive nature of The regine and the absence of democratic rights as a platioom for gaining mass support to oust the Colonels.
Bur of course the loge of such a mass move ment for the restoration of democratic rights would go far beyond putting a handful of the old poblicans hack into power, In this context the re-awakening of working dais and student struggles has an added signalicance and potential.
In the face of a rise in the cost of Living of 44% in the last year, and a complete wage freeze for the last three years, a whole series of claims for a 35% increuse have pone in. In one case, some of the workers at Olympic Always held the Tust strike sance the coup. Although this was defeated, and the lenders of the Action Com for future struggles.
In the same way, the recent occupations and strikes at the universities in Salonika and Athens are also symptomatic of the growing opposition to the regime. These struggles have given an impetus to the previously clandestine activities of the revolutionary organisutions, Major social explosions now threaten to expose the contradictions of imperialism ut Greece which have been foroed underground by repressive rule for the last six years.
Fied Weekly 14 September 1973 Page 7
Alain Krivine, a leading member of former Communist League (French section of the Fourth International), was finally released from jail on 2 August. He had been held as one of those allegedly responsible for the mass anti-fascist demo in Paris on 21 June, which led to the ban on the Communist League imposed by the Government a week later, This represents an undoubted defeat for the Government. Krivine's release was first ordered over three weeks earlier, but had been delayed while the Government lodged an appeal against the ruling, which it lost. The judgement is a clear indication of the effectiveness of the solidarity campaign which has been mounted both in France and internationally. It is also a monument to the divisions and uncertainties which exist inside sections of the ruling apparutus itself.
However, the struggle is far from over despite this setback for the Government. The ban on the Communist League has not been lifted; and Pierre Rousset, another leading militant, stil remains in jail. The next step therefore, Krivine stressed in a press conference after his release, nOt a go! ground but to step up the struggle by fully exploiting all the resources of legality. In this way a favourable The following are among those who have already signed the petition:
Frank Albin, MF Norman Atkinson, MP Michael Foot, MP Erie Haffer, MP Phillip Whitehaad, MP John Gollan, National Secretary, Commu niet Party of Great Britain Monty Johnstans, CPGB Ernie Roberts Assistant General Secretary, Pater Doyle, Chairman, Labour Party Young Socialists John Forrester, Labour Party National Executive Committee balance of forces can be established to defend the right of political expression and organisation.
Vital in this process will be the international support for the cumpaign. In Britain, the way forward has been shown by militants in Tyneside, where a local defence com mittee including representatives from all the major working class organisations has been set up. Such activity must be extended to the rest of the country. In the Autumn it is planned to hold a major national conference open to all those who are opposed to the ban, and from this to establish a broad-based national committee in defence of the Communist League. Meanwhile, several thousand people have so tar signed the petition calling for the lifting of the ban, and a number of trade union bodies have passed resolutions condemning the French Government's action. But money for the Defence Fand Is still only trickling in a big push must be made in this direction if we are to offset the material effects of the ban on our French comrades.
All correspondence (dosations to the Defence Fund, requests for copies of the petition, resolutions of sup port, ctc.) should be sent to: Ad Hoc Committee to Defend the Communist League, cio 182 Pentonville Rd.. London, N.l.
Mike Cooley, Past President, AUEW ITAES:
Kevin Halpin. Chairman, LCDTU Bernard Panter, Manchester District Secretary, AUEW Colin Davis, Secretary, Manchester Trades G. Luker, Secretary, Oxford Trades W. MaeLallan, Seeretary, West Lothien Trailer Council Simon Frasar, Secretary, Liverpool Trades Council Professor Joan Robinson, Cambridge Profamor Dorothy Hodgkin, Oxfard Property at the headquarters of the engineering union in South London may soon be seized by bailiffs if the union continues to refuse to pay compensation to a worker expelled for scabbing on a sympathy strike On Tuesday, the Lambeth County Court granted an order enforcing a ruling by the Southampton Industrial Tribunal that the man should receive £2,800 in compensation, The tribunal a body set up under the Indistrial Relations Act, had found the AUEW tity of an unfair industrial prac The AUEW has seven days in which to pay up. But, in line with their policy pf 'non-cooperation" with the Industrial Relations Act, the union leadership has so far refused to appear in court or pay up.
NOT SUFFICIENT increase the confidence of the Gov ernment and the ruling class that they can deleat the AUEW over the current pay claim.
Instead of curting a tactical defeat with the policy of passive non-cooperation, the AUEW leadership should use the present skirmish to harden up their membership for the coming confrontation. They should call a mas picket outside the union headquarters on the day the bailitts are due, and maintain this picket as long as the threat of seizure exists. Mass industrial action sould be called to farce the Government to re Ireat, LOCAL RESPONSE Red Weekly has stressed the need for AUEW militants in the localities to bold special meetings und work out a plan of action for the coming pay light. But i & important that they Tha equal pay strice of Salford Electrical Instramants andod last waek with manage making substantial concessions in this dir action, The strike, of male and femal mambers of the clerical workers" union had lasted 11 weeks. A couple of WE S THE DANIE right to do in con rity did Doc unt a Boring viding a lawyer for a 'not guilty pine ag ainst what is obviously an aftempt to salvage at least a limitation on picketing rights from the dispute.
Printers and jouralists at the Nottingham firm of T. Bailey Forman, publishers of Guardian Journal, returned to work on 27 July without mach to show for their six week strike.
The agreement reached between the company and the unions was very vague, the опи ала ви вини соння ма mise to observe national agrooments, On the crucial Issue of redundancies, the terms were sufficiently loose to permit the company to lay off 150 workers shortly after the settlement. All of chose were trade unionists, reducing the unioniss peoportion of the workforce to 25%0 Much of the responsibility for the failure of the strike lies with NATSOPA executive member Owen O'Brien who, at a crucial point in the strike, pressurised his members ino accepting the settiement. This forged the other unions lo go along, with only The 20th Anniversary of the CIA Coup in Public Meeting and Film, Friday 17