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OCIALIST RESISTANCE is a monthly marxist L Please put me in touch with the neares EDITORS: Terry Conway, John Lister, Liam MacUaid. EDITORIAL BOARD: Tami Peterson, Kathy Lowe, Piers Mostyn, Karen O Toole. DESIGN: John Lister SPONSORED BY: International Socialist Group, Socialist Solidarity Network and individuals including Patrick Baker, Andrew Burgin, Brenda and Brian Bushell, Mathew Caygill, Duncan Chapple, Julian Coppens, Frances Curran, Norma Dowd, Andy Gibbons, Jamie Gough, Catriona Grant, Marcus Greville, Patrick Hall, Rick Hatcher, Wayne Holmes, Nick Lidgett, Frank McMahon, Alan McCoombes, Martin Milne, Piers Mostyn, Liz Peretz, Sue Phillips, Surykant Raithatha, Norman Traub, Rick Simon, Colin Smith, Murray Smith, Sarah Taversham, Doug Thorpe, Tony Traub, Tessa van Gelderen, Bill Walton, Roger Welch. Published by SOCIALIST RESISTANCE, PO Box 1109, London N4 2UU. Printed by Web Press International, London EI5. Wednesday 21 June Birmingham Socialist Resistance Forum on Migrant Workers with Liz Peretz and Bill MacKeith from Close Campsfield Campaign. Bennets Bar, Bennets Hill 7.30pm Saturday 24 June London Latin America: a Continent in Revolt 10.30 till 6pm University of London Union, Malet St, near Euston Themes will include: Making Revolution: theory and practice since Che The Left in Power: Cuba, Nicaragua, Brazil Latin America today: Venezuela and Bolivia Tuesday 27 June London Public Services not Private Profit: rally and lobby of Parliament 11am-4pm Supported by the Labour Representation Committee and sponsored by 14 public service unions. Methodist Central Hall, Westminster. For more information see www.l-r-c.org.uk Saturday 15 July Manchester. No One Is Illegal open meeting (working session). ([email protected]
UNISON HISON 5pm)Cross St Chapel, Cross Street, Central Manchester. Contact: [email protected] or [email protected]. Latin America: Social movements fight back A Radical Activist Network conference 1pm-7pm, University of London Union, Malet Street, London WC1, with Oscar Olivera (Spokesperson for the Coalition If you like what you've read or you want to find out more about Socialist Resistance, get in touch with us by ringing 020 8800 7460, or email SUBSCRIBE. the now papar paper. Our subscription rate is 1 year for £12 (UK), £15 (Europe) or £20 (other overseas. For Name . more details fill in this coupon, ticking the appropriate box and send to us at: PO Box 1109, London N4 2UU Please make cheques payable to RESISTANCE in Defence of Water and Life in Cochabamba, Bolivia), Hilary Wainwright, Red Pepper, Andy Higginbottom, Frontline Latin America, Sue Branford, Latin America Bureau and War on Want, Nick Buxton, trade activist based in La Paz, Bolivia, Paul Chatterton, Kiptik (Zapatista solidarity network) July 29 to August 4 Fourth International Youth Summer Camp, Pergugia, Italy phone 07723696263 for further information August 26 to to Sept 4 Camp for Climate Action www.climatecamp.org.uk Saturday 2 September Socialist Resistance AGM. Saturday 23 September Manchester Demonstration at Labour Party conference Called by Greater Manchester Coalition to stop the war www.mancsagainsttanks.org Saturday and Sunday 14 & 15 October Respect National conference Saturday 11 November, London Respect trade union conference
donation of E... Phone Address email • In the May edition of Socialist Resistance the following sentence was included in the report of NUT conference: "A bizarre sideshow to this was the SWP's efforts to get an emergency resolution on Climate Change debated". This statement is not correct.
The SWP was divided on the tactical question on whether to submit an emergency resolution on Climate Change to the NUT Conference.
The initiative to submit the resolution, which had been previously submitted as a conference resolution but failed to achieve the appropriate vote in the process to decide what resolutions are actually discussed at the conference, was made by a Labour Party member Nigel Baker from the Birmingham association supported by SWP member Nick Grant and others.
At subsequent Socialist Teachers Alliance meetings (STA), the main left current in the NUT, the majority of SWP members voted against supporting the suspension of standing orders that I and others had supported.
We argued that the political urgency of the Climate Change issue is more important than procedural issues associated with the conference.
The proposal to suspend standing orders to discuss the • Please send me a year's subscription to I enclose £12 • £15 • £20 • I enclose a RESISTANCE readers' grou
/Mobile Climate Change motion was defeated but at least the resolution was circulated. Hopefully at next year's conference we will be able to debate the issue.
Sections of the left have comprehensively failed on the pension issue. A recent NUT Executive considered a proposal to accept a deal on forcing new entrants to the teaching profession to work to 65 rather than 60 before receiving a pension.
The NUT had circulated misleading material on the deal talking about "improvements in the Pension scheme"! How working to 65 rather than 60 can be described as "improvements" defies comprehension.
When aspects of the deal were challenged at the Executive the "left" were clearly divided. There are 20 on the left, either members of the STA or Campaign for a Democratic Fighting Union, out of a total of 42.
But one challenge received only 9 votes and a simple proposal to implement a conference decision to have a special NUT Conference on pensions only received 13 votes.
With this absence of leadership it seems the membership will vote to approve the deal in the current consultative ballot. Stuart Richardson • 7 Age .... Post Code.... - •
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The next - summer special - issue of Socialist Resistance will be produced and distributed in the week beginning July 3. The deadline for feature articles and for letters (which are welcome on any topic, up to 400 words) will be Monday June 26. Diary items, reviews and local news are also welcome.