We are the working class but we have no May Day'. So began a leaflet distributed among the working population of this British colony on 1 May by the "Hong Kong Anti-Inflation Action Committee (HKAIAC) and the May Day Workers Commission' (MDWC).
The distribution of this leaflet was a direct challenge to the Maoist "Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions' (HKFTU), which with 66 trade unions and a membership of 130,000 is the most powerful workers" organisation in Hong Kong.
from S.S.WU Whereas the HKFTU had confined its celebrations of May Day to a few cocktail parties, the leaflet put out by these two groups called for a mass rally the following Sunday. 5 May, to protest at the decline in workers" living standards.
The last two years have seen a dramatic rise in workers" militancy. An unprecedented number of strikes have swept the colony. But these have mostly been spontaneous. As a bourgeois liberal weekly, the Far Fastern Economie Review, recently commented: "The HKFTU has long been quiet, doing little in the way of agitation or strike organisation since the aftermath of the 1967 communist tiots."
In this situation, sections of the rank-and-ile in the Macist unions are now beginning for the first time to question the line of their leadership, which puts the trading and diplomatic interests of the Chinese bureaucracy ahead of the interests of the workers it is supposed to represent. The rapid growth of the HKAIAC and the NDWC reflects this new critical mood.
The HKAIAC is jointly organised by two revolutionary Marxist youth organisations-the International Young Socialist Alliance and the 'Daily Combating Bulletin' group, These two are currently working towards fusion. The MDWC was recently formed as a group specifically for young workers, and is organised and led by the 'Daily" group.
The HKFTU first attempted to deal with the growing attraction of these groups by denouncing them us an ultra-lettist tendency in the workers' movement. When this had no effect, the Macists were forced in Jate April to announce their full support for the ongoing workers" strugales such passive "support as completely insufficient. As one leader of the 1967 riots told the "Daily' group: What the HKFTU should put forward is a plan of action to defend the interests of the working class!
At first the colonial police tried to ban it, but this move was denounced on all sides. Among the first to protest was the Asian College Studed without interruption, in any case Posters written in huge characters were pasted up on the walls of public buildings and factories, Slogans were painted everywhere. A million Mobile propaganda groups appeared colonial laws.
confrontation the police backed down, and on 1 May approved the application for the rally.
the 5 May rally. But as one of the organisers, Leung Chun Kwong of the HKAIAC, explained at a press 3IRANIAN IRANIAN EMBASS STUDENTS HE IRANIAN SPY'WOMEN'S LIBERATION in Eastern Estope: public meeting sponsored by 'Critique", speaker Margaret Coulson. A discussion of the position of women after the revolution, and how it has worked out in practice in Eastern Europe St Clement's Building, London School of E oo nomics.
and the Colonial Strugga, Wednesday 5 June, 8 pm, in Flat 7, 36 Canfield Gardens, NWS (Finchley Road tubie). "WOMEN AND SEXUALITY': Harrow! Hillingdon Socialist Women's Group Forum, Monday 10 June at 8 pm in Harrow Baptist Church, College Road, Harrow turther dotsils from Jackie 01 204 3558.
IMG GAY GROUP: Contact J. Mills, 153 Woochouse Lane, Leeds for further TWO IMPORTANT FILMS of historic alen 31 at 5.15 and 7.45 pm on Sunday 9 June at Bradford Playhouse and Film Theatre, Chapel Street, Bradford 1. Diecussion at 6.20 pm led by Ken Appleby Isecretary, Keighley Trades Council! Admission 00p. Bres and been available after 7 pm.
But already many workers regard be prepared.* This discontent led to an enthusiastic mobilisation for the 5 May rally.
ents" Union of the Chinese University.
MOBILISATION Preparations for the rally continuE365,000!1 leaflets were run off for distribution.
on the streets in defiance of the strict Finally-rather than risk a serious Thousands of workers attended will stay here?
conference two days earlier: "This is STOP HEACTIVINES OTHE BERNAN SAVAN BRIMIN even seven-day week Friday 31 May at 7.30 pm in Room S 175, KILBURN IMG RED CIRCLE: 'Portugal Creche provided trade union events-'Inheritance and 'AdInflation Movement. Similar larger rallies will be held throughout May If the Government is still indifTerent to the deteriorating economic situation, comparatively more radical actions will be organised in June For instance, mass protests and parades will be held in working class districts or at Morse Park [the centre of the industrial zonel Should the Government continue to passively ignore our actions, a general strike by the workers and students will NO IDLE BOAST Six months ago, such a threat would have seemed an idle boast. Last October, for instance, the revolutionary Marxists were too weak to carry on alone when the united front Anti-Corruption Movement split into reformist and revolutionary tenden cies. |The Anti-Corruption Movement was set up after former Hong Kong police superintendent Peter Godber had Hed 1o England to avoid corruption charges invol ving four million HK dollars tabout E330,000). He was arrested in Sussux on 30 April, and extrodition proceedings are currently under way. Ball was set at But much has changed in the last six months. Today the Maoists have to admit that in this short perind the revolutionary Marxists have become a force to be reckoned with, both among the students and also increasingly in the workers movement.
As one leading member of the "Daily group put it: In Hong Kong, May Day comes very late. But it comes, anyway. And the most impor tant thing is that when it comes it Such a development will be strenuously resisted, however, by the British Government, Hong Kong is an imporialist paradise, where British capitalists along with American, Japanese, and expatriate Chinese firms make huge profits from exploit ing the 96 per cent Chinese population. Between 1960 and 1967 the rate of return on capital invested rose from 20 per cent to 35 per cent. The majority of worker are expected to work a 12 hour day and a six or CORRUPT REPRESSION This exploitation is backed up by one of the largest Cand most corrupt) repressive forces in the world. The Government spends five times as much on the Royal Hong Kong Police (whose afficers are recruited in Britain) as it does on social services, for instance. And in the background of course, are the troops (annual military expenditure on Hong Kong was recently estimated by the Economist at E40-50 million).
So if the spirit of May Day is to stay in Hung Kong, it will not be without a fierce and protracted struggle, But in this struggle, at Icast, the British labour movement has it in its power to play a very direct role in support of its Chinese brotbers. We must make sure that in the event it will do so.
SOUTHALL RED FORUM on the situation The reseen electicem in this i INPRECOR is the new analytical journal of the Fourth International, which will be published simultaneously every two weis in English, Spanish, French and German. It will be an indispersable organ for all militants hoping to develop an understanding of the international class strupgle and contribute in the building of a centralised revolutionary International. However it can only survive if it has a large number of subscriptions. A year's subs, is E3. Write now, with money, to: INPRECOR, 12/14 Rue de la Buanderie, BRUSSELS 1000.
We are taking a first step. A step that is needed more and more. A step ugainst the Eurone of the trusts and monopolies.
With these words Ernest Mandel opened the European workers conference organised by the Fourth International in Ghent last weekend.
The conference was the first stuge in preparing for a nal parliament of European labour' to take plice early next year. Five hundred trade anion militants from 12 different countries discussed how to forge in practice the international links necessary to face the growing power of the international combines Five commissions were hekd in the course of the conference: on repression (where a major discussion took place on the Sarewsbury trisis: Warsof organising for struggle; inflation; the fight against redunancies; and immigrant workers. Mure than 60 militants were able to apeak, exchange experiences, and begin to draw out the essentin lessons.
Time and time again, the same key points emerged: the need for offenaive fac bies such as factory occupations: Le importance of involving the mass of workers through generul assemblies and docted strike committees; the need to prepare workers' self-defence aguinst police and fascist strike-breaking squada;
The contmat with the meeting at the same time of the European TUC in Copenhagen where the leading bureacrats of each country discussed how they coul best paper over the yawning gull between the interests of copital and labour-could hardly have been greater: In Ghent the first steps were taken to forge a real workers" Icadership. The bureaucrats may he DOU WERE SOONE CAR CHOY LILOR
----- pull-quotes -----
- SToP. SPrING ONTHE
Fourth International holds European Workers' Conference