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IRELAND Anti-Extradition Campaign THE DATE set by the outgoing Fine Gael/Labour administration for the coming into operation in South Ireland of the new Extradition Bill was December 1, 1987. Until recently, it did not seem that there was much doubt that the new Fianna Fail administration under Charles Haughey would main-
But growing questions against extradition in the formally independent part of the country, and the British government's arrogant refusal to offer even token concessions, has led to public tensions between Dublin and London that have made the December 1 date the focus of speculation. Alisdair Rutherdale reports from Dublin.
The new Extradition Bill is aimed to allow Southern Ireland to sign the so-called European Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism and remove the political exception to extradition for a wide range of
Until 1982, the Irish Courts had refused to extradite persons to the North for political offences - this old principle of international law dates back to 1852 and, ironically, was established by the English courts, which refused to extradite a man called Castioni, who was wanted by the Swiss authorities for the killing of a Conservative administrator.
During the 1970s, Irish courts had refused to extradite Irish Republicans to the North. This was changed by the Supreme Court decision in the case of Dominic McGlinchey, when the notorious Justice O'Higgins ruled that the political exception only applied to what "reasonable, civilized people would regard as political activity," thus leaving the way open for Republican prisoners to be handed over to the Northern judicial system.
Whatever remains of the political exception would be removed by this new Bill, which was another sop handed by Fine Gael to their allies in NATO and in Britain. The establishment parties have been anxious to move away from Ireland's traditional neutral position into an alliance with the Western powers. Fine Gael attempted to con the Irish people by delaying implementation of the Bill for a year to allow for improvements in the Northern Court system within the Anglo-Irish Agreement. Proposed changes, such as three judges instead of one (but still no jury) would make little difference to a court system that is corrupt beyond repair.
The Irish Anti-Extradition Campaign, a broad-based group, has pointed out that features of Northern justice include remand periods without trial of up to two and a half years; a predominantly Unionist judiciary; show trials with paid accomplices giving detailed, rehearsed against up to 35 people at a time, where up to 80 per cent of those convicted have signed "confessions"
The Campaign was launched with a public meeting in July, with speakers including a former prisoner, Anne Gillespie, and the journalist Michael Farrell. An extensive leaflet and poster campaign is planned for Dublin and other areas of the Six and 26 Counties. Support is being sought from progressive organizations abroad, which can contact the campaign at 5 Henrietta Street, Dublin 1, Eire. * NAMIBIA Miners' strike WHILE media attention has focussed on the miners' strike in South Africa, it has all but ignored the nationwide mining strike now taking place in Namibia, the largest strike there since 1971.
On July 27, 6,000 members of the Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) struck at three copper mines owned by the Tsumeb Corporation Ltd. The workers are demanding an increase in base pay, currently 50 cents per hour; an end to the migrant labor system, under which workers are forced to live in single sex hostels sep arated from their families; and improvements in safety conditions. They are also demanding that the company pressure the South African government to implement the United Nations peace plan for
In an effort to defuse the crisis, workers offered to return to work if Tsumeb agreed to bargain in good faith. Instead, Tsumeb fired the workers and evicted them from their hostels. South African troops were rushed to the mines to enforce the firings.
On August 18, South African authorities raided the offices of the union and the opposition South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO). Six leaders were
AROUND THE WORLD arrested and held under the Terrorism Act, with no charges brought against them. They were released on September 10, after labor, church and community organizations in the US began a letter-writing
The United Mine Workers of America recently joined other organizations in demanding that the New York-based Newmont Mining Corporation, holds 32.6% of Tsumeb, push for negotiabetween MUN and Tsumeb. However, a Newmont spokesperson maintained that the company is in the process of divesting its Tsumeb holdings, and has,
"removed itself from management responsibilities".
There are a number of things you can do to support the Namibian Mineworkers' Union. Protest against the firing of the workers and the failure of the company to negotiate in good faith by writing to Newmont Mining Corporation, 200 Park
New York, NY 10166, USA. Demand an end to South African intervention in the strike by writing to State President P.W. Botha, Union Hall, Pretoria, South Africa. Messages of solidarity can be sent to the Mineworkers Union of Namibia, Box 1566, Windhoek, 9000 Namibia. *
[From the US trade-union magazine Labor Notes, October 1987.J SPANISH STATE Accords with Uncle FORTY THOUSAND people demonstrated on Sunday, October 25, in Madrid against NATO. The anti-NATO movement is in good health, despite the attempts of Felipe Gonzalez and a part of the PSOE [Spanish Socialist Party] to undermine it by concealing the truth about the accords with Uncle Sam on the US military bases in the Spanish state.
This question continues, moreover, to sow discord in the PSOE. Some of the party's notables demonstrated alongside the Communist Party and the Workers'
The US still has 12,345 soldiers and 1,669 civilian employees, as well as 196 airplanes, based on Spanish state territory, in accordance with a decree signed under the dictatorship in 1953.*
[From the October 29 issue of Rouge, paper of the French section of the Fourth Debate on economy THE ITALIAN Communist Party daily l' Unità, in its October 21 issue, reported a public debate between representatives of the Cuban and Soviet Communist parties in the columns of the Soviet magazine New Times. The article, datelined Mexico 17 City, was by the paper's correspondent, November 9, 1987 • International Viewpoint
AROUND THE WORLD Massimo Cavallini. fence." Cavallini concluded with the fol-
The Soviet writer Vladislav Chirkov, lowing comment: Cavallini wrote, presented a strong indict- "It is hard to say whether the polemic is ment. "Despite the good climatic condi- intended to end with this short, sharp extions, his article says in substance that the change or to be broadened. After years of government has still not succeeded in unquestionable successes, the Cuban econsolving the problem of feeding the popula- omy is in fact in a delicate phase. Its modtion. Almost 30 years after the revolution- el of economic development, based on ary victory, it continues to resort to a favorable conditions of exchange with the system of rationing. Moreover, the pro- Comecon countries, seemed to have ductivity of labor is quite low. A third of reached a reached a limit in the past year. the enterprises are operating at a loss, al- Owing to the fall of the dollar, the collapse though the socialist countries buy Cuban of the oil price and and the poor yield of raw materials at prices much higher than agriculture, the country has entered into a those prevailing on the market. The coun- severe economic crisis. Since the middle try has not managed to meet its interna- of last year, Castro has seemed to confront tional financial obligations." the situation by taking an opposite tack to
Even these accusations were not enough the rest of the socialist world. Many liberal for the Soviet writer, Cavallini stressed: reforms initiated at the start of the 1980s "Chirkov's criticism even touches on one have been cancelled, and the emphasis has of the most sacred aspects of Cuban policy been shifted back to centralizing the man- defence. The Soviet journalist said that agement of the economy, to the role of the the government is spending sums on this party, and - almost in a return to the out of country proportion to the size of the idealistic' phases of the 1960s — to revolutionary morality.'
Carlos Rafael Rodriguez's reply in New "This is probably the real background to Times was said to be "elegant in form but the polemics initiated in New Times. On biting in substance." The Cuban leader October 8, commemorating the death of wrote, according to Cavallini, that Chirkov Ernesto Che Guevara in Pinar del Rio, had "succumbed to the temptation to re- Castro invited 'the socialist countries also peat the generalities of US Cubanologists" to study Che's economic thought.' Many by stressing only negative aspects that are people interpreted this invitation as a "objects of criticism in Cuba, as well." veiled criticism of Gorbachev's reformThe accusation of low productivity and the ism." Undoubtedly the Italian Communist poor profitability of the enterprises was Party also has its own angle on polemics certainly a a real element, but they were over such issues between the Cuban and described in superficial and anti-historical Soviet leaderships. * terms.
"The same accusation," Rodriguez said, SWEDEN "could be easily leveled against the Soviet economy, if you compared it to that of Garment workers Japan, Sweden or the United States." As victory for defence, Rodriguez added, "there could be similar disagreements about AFTER a week-long strike, 270 garment whether or not the US intends to attack workers at the Malmö Strumpfabrik comCuba," but "the Cubans prefer a strong de- pany won a big victory on September 16. 10500 Stave Bell HELLO JAMES! HELLO JASPER HELLO JULIAN! HELLO JULIAN! HELLO JAMES GEORGI
JASPES
000
BOiNG! IF... MY GOD-IVE I'VE KED THOUSANDS LOST MiLLiONS OF PEOPLES LiVE LiMOODS: STOC Е ХСЧА ON FALLiNG FISH FUTURES! THERE'S ONLY ONE HONOURABLE COURSEOFACTiON I CANTAKENOW AND AFTER UNPRECEDENTED
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The firm were forced to completely retreat, and to re-employ the chair of the union, Bengt Svensson, that they had fired. They had been threatening to fire him for some time, because of his commitment to improve working conditions and low wages.
The workers at the company had become famous all over Sweden after a TV film had shown their terrible working speed and low, piece-work wages, often in extreme
Bengt was dismissed on the pretext of causing a worker to switch off her machine for 18 minutes so that he could talk to her, thereby causing "a halt in production". He was also accused of "slandering" the company in a local radio programme.
Under Sweden's labour laws, companies should have verifiable reasons for dismissing a worker. On the other hand, even if the Labour Court finds that the dismissal is illegal, the company can get rid of the worker by paying a certain amount of compensation, specified in law. The dispute escalated after the company sued 143 of the garment workers for
The strike received wide support from trade-union branches all over Sweden within a matter of days. A national meeting of 500 workers representing between 200,000 and 300,000 workers to discuss the fight around the coming contract negotiations (see article on page 6) became a forum to spread solidarity.
It was the determination of the strikers, and the growing solidarity from other unions, that forced the company to back down. Both Bengt and the union received damages, and the legal action against the 143 workers was withdrawn. "If we had not won, who would then dare to work as a union official?" said the garment workers. * Catharina Tirsen Cartoons by Steve Bell, from "The IF Chronicles", Methuen, London