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e D Cher the ge tain, lies and dated e er a nat upon Cases en- ENSIVE x- vel ning by being ny d um- in eir ur 7-- This en- to tate cally, ized sion. re- of me The abolition of shift-work and night-work save where technically indispensable: No productivity deals and speed-ups. Regarding the unions our guiding principle is to oppose the trent towards corporatism to fight for structural changes aimed at helping to bring forward the initiative of ordinary workers (in conjunction with working on the political and ideological fronts to assist them to advance) and at weakening the hold of the present bureaucratic leadership. In line with this, we call for: Democracy in the unions, this involving the holding of annual conferences, all offic- ials being made subject to election and recall, and fairly frequent union branch meetings during working hours. Complete freedom to join a union, we are for the organization of all workers into trade unions, but oppose attempts by trade union bureaucrats to use the closed shop as a means to discipline militants. These demands are essential to our strategy of building fighting, class struggle unions. Concerning the capitalist state, the fight for reforms today must centre on resisting the tendency towards use of fascist methods to suppress working people's struggles. We stand: For the abolition of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, and of the Conspiracy Laws; Against the use of computer files by the police, against phone tapping and other forms of intelligence gathering, while recognizing the necessity of countering super-power espionage; Against the Official Secrets Act, which is mainly used against the working people of this country; Against the re-introduction of capital punishment; For working people to have the same right to anonymity in the courts as the bour- geoisie generally does; Against the granting of facilities in the media and in public buildings to racist and fascist organizations. On social provisions, our demands centre around the struggle for a decent living stan- dard for all working people. In line with this, we call for: Retirement at 55; Optional paid leave for either parent after the birth of a child; In order to prevent the bourgeoisie from cynically manipulating pensions in order to win votes, we call for: A pension of 75% of the average salary currently paid to others currently working in the former occupation of the people concerned; We call for a simple and not humiliating system of social security which provides adequately for people's needs, and specifically for: Abolition of means testing; Unemployment benefit related to average wage level; Concerning the health service, we call for: Abolition of medical and dental charges; Free abortion on demand; Free, readily available contraception, with proper sex education to be an integral part of lower secondary school curricula. Concerning housing and the environment, we demand: A programme of council house building, employing direct labour, with close controls on quality of materials; Immediate and regular carrying out of maintenance and repair work on council housing; Provision of interest-free mortgages by local government; Abolition of the Criminal Trespass Laws and recognition of the right of working people to squat in empty properties when they cannot find or afford decent accommodation. Reduction of fares on public transport; Firm action against pollution and against contamination by dangerous substances;

• Firm safeguards for nuclear power plants, and no despoilation of the countryside or forced expropriation of small farmers. On the question of women's rights and women's liberation, besides demands already stated, we call for: Full equality of rights and opportunities with men, including prohibition of discrim- ination against women on the grounds of their having children; Rape to be treated as a serious crime, and victims to be treated with sympathy, not as though they had provoked it; victims to be guaranteed complete anonymity; The banning of pornography and indecent advertisements which exploit and degrade women, and act as incitement to rape. We oppose discrimination against homosexuals and support the fight for their full democratic rights. Concerning education, we call for: Provision of free and adequately staffed nurseries; Adequate pupil-teacher ratios and provision of educational materials; Free and decent school dinners and free milk; Courses dealing with the culture of national minorities in Britain; School students and teachers to have a real voice in the running of schools and in the content of courses; Abolition of corporal punishment, religious services and compulsory religious educ- ation; Schools facilities to be available to the community in the evening; Higher educational grants related to the average level of wages; Further education as a right, not a privilege; Proper training, including day release, for apprentices without discrimination in wage levels. On the national question, we demand: The right of self-determination for the peoples of Wales and Scotland, up to and including secession; Equal status with English for Welsh and Gaelic in Wales and Scotland respectively, and the vigorous promotion and safeguarding of the cultures of all nations and nationalities under the British state; Special guaranteed economic provisions for Wales and Scotland to halt the drift of young people away to areas of England with more employment opportunities; A Welsh television channel and radio stations; No repressive measures against Romanies We stand for the unity of British working people of all nations and nationalities against the common enemy, British imperialism. On foreign policy, we demand: Complete and immediate British withdrawal from Ireland, which is in the common interests of the British and Irish peoples. We support the just struggle of the Irish people for national liberation, which is presently partly conducted in an armed form; Immediate, full and unconditional independence for all remaining British colonies and, where appropriate, reunion with mother country; Withdrawal of all British troops from abroad; An end to neo=colonialist policies, particularly in southern Africa, and severance of economic ties with South Africa; Withdrawal of investments from abroad; Development aid not to be accompanied by any strings or ties; Support for demands by Third World countries for a new international economic order; Support for the Third World in using the United Nations and other international in- stitutions against super-power hegemonism; Support for a policy of unity with other second world countries against the super- powers and for a policy of unity and equality between the Second and Third Worlds; Expulsion of US bases from Britain; soc fac * soc CU The refl latt inst the stat is e mo the anc geo pov inco dra of r The Cor who twe UN At a the the and fasc the Irela the is cl all a and ress aggr this aggr relat roac socia

• Resolute action to expel all foreign agents; Firm resistance to provocations by the super-powers, and refusal to appease Soviet social-imperialism; Preparation for civil defence, including shelter provision for working people in the face of the threat of Soviet aggression; * A policy of friendship and co-operation with socialist China and other genuine socialist countries. CULTURE The world of ideas, culture and political institutions is the superstructure of society. It reflects the character of the economic base, while at the same time also influencing the latter. The present superstructure serves to protect the capitalist mode of production. One part of the superstructure is the state, which consists of all the bourgeoisie's instruments of repression and all aspects of bourgeois political organization. The state is the main target of the revolution; it will have to be smashed and replaced with a socialist state before it is possible to create the new, socialist system. Bourgeois culture, especially as promoted in the mass media (press, television etc.), is entirely geared to supporting the dictatorship of monopoly capital, and in fact forms a most important prop for the present system. The attack on bourgeois culture is a part of the revolution and Communists must play a leading part in it. While of secondary import- ance to the question of state power, the cultural question is a more immediate one; bour- geois culture must be attacked and weakened to a certain extent before the seizure of state power is possible. It will be necessary to begin building an authentic working class culture, incorporating progressive aspects of traditional and contemporary popular culture, and drawing upon the finest cultural traditions of all the peoples of the world. One aspect of the superstructure which is already under strong attack is the ideology of male domination, an ideology which serves to protect the current relations of production. The movement for women's liberation is an extremely powerful and progressive force, and Communists must be active in this field, furthering its development while combatting those who try to make out that that main contradiction in society is between the sexes, not be- tween classes. UNITED FRONT WORK At all stages of our revolutionary struggle, we need to fight to unite the vast majority of the people against the main enemy. The united front is a means of developing the role of the proletariat as the leading force on the political life of Britain, by collecting other classes and strata around it, so as to attain the goals of the revolution step by step. At present, the two main spheres of united front work are those of opposition to fascism and to super-power aggression, but anti-racist work must be a component part of the fight against fascism, and a strong united front against British imperialist aggression in Ireland and Zimbabwe has to be built. The united front against fascism is necessary to counter ruling class preparations for the introduction of a terrorist dictatorship over the working class. The fight on this front is closely linked with the fight-back against cuts in living standards, and is directed against all aspects of fascism; this united front should include within its ranks people of all classes and strata who are ready to fight this danger. The united front against super-power aggression is directed partly against the opp- ression of Britain by the USA, but principally against the threat of an imperialist war of aggression, which the Soviet ruling class is planning to launch. The present stage of the British revolution is one of struggle for socialism, but, while this is our main goal, it must be combined with fighting for a united front against Soviet aggression. If the Soviet menace develops to such a degree that it objectively changes the relationship of class forces in Britain, then the party of the proletariat will change its app- roach, will unite with and take the leadership over all class forces which are opposed to social-imperialist aggression, and wage class struggle primarily against the capitulationist

section of the bourgeoisie, while never forgetting that our aim is the establishment of socialism. In such circumstances, anti-superpower united front work will become the main aspect of our activity. However, this stage will only serve to lay firmer foundations for socialist revolution, following the defeat of Soviet social-imperialist aggression. This stage has not yet arrived, but must be prepared for. At present, it is necessary to conduct the class struggle against Britain's monopoly capitalists as vigorously as possible, and strive to develop Communist leadership over that struggle. This will strengthen the working class organizationally and politically, and thus place the Proletariat in a favourable position to lead the struggle to smash Soviet aggression. If we were to play down the class struggle in Britain under the pretext of not weak- ening the country in the face of Soviet aggression, this would, in practice, weaken prolet- arian leadership and retard the development of the proletariat as an independent political force, and this would provide more favourable opportunities for the Soviet hegemonists. Anti-super-power united front work in Britain contributes to the building of an inter- national united front against the two super powers. In all united front work, the proletariat and its party will, at every stage, decide its own policy without trailing behind the bourgeoisie, retain its full power of initiative, and not mortgage its independence to any other social group or party. THE PATH TO REVOLUTION A revolutionary situation will arise when the bourgeoisie is unable to continue ruling in the old way, and the proletariat is not prepared to go on in the old way. In order to force down the working people's living standards still further and suppress the struggles which workers are bound to waze against this, the state will intensify its use of violent repression. The working class, under the leadership of its party, will counter with revolutionary violence, overthrow the bourgeois state and establish the dictatorship of the proletariat. In the fight to overthrow the system, the more the working class is able to defend and extend democrat- ic rights, and the more it is able to win allies, the easier it will be to win victory and mini- mise the bloodshed which is unavoidably involved. If such a revolution occurs before the defeat of the two super-powers, it will make a great contribution towards strengthening the resistance of the world's peoples against their aggression. However, it is almost certain that a new world war will be unleashed by Soviet social- imperialism before thw working class seizes power in Britain. If this happens, the proletariat will take the lead in defeating aggression, building up its strength for the transition to socialism. The socialist revolution is the achievement of the masses of workers, and cannot poss- ibly be carried out "on their behalf" by a few individual heroes or terrorists. The work of Communists, both before and after the victory of the revolution, is to serve the working people, defend their interests, take on the most difficult tasks, remould themselves so as to do such work better, convince people by example, mobilize the working class and arm them with Marxism-Leninism—Mao Tse Tung thought, and draw class-conscious workers into the party, so as to provide the revolution with an organisational core. THE WORKERS REPUBLIC Through the proletarian revolution, the working class will take power and will have the right and responsibility to take decisions on all matters from local up to national level. The old parasitic imperialist state will be completely destroyed and replaced by a new kind of state, the dictatorship of the proletariat. This state will guarantee the broadest democracy for working people, while exercising dictatorship over remnants of the old ex- ploiting class, their representatives, and also over any new bourgeoisie which may attempt to restore capitalism and cheat the workers of their power, as happened in the Soviet Union. Apart from this handful of class enemies, all other non-proletarian people must be

ge at S sion. k- et- cal S. nter- S d the own Cers e, ght crat- ni- ea neir cial- ariat DOSS- of E s to hem the lest x- pt nion. united with, and convinced by their own experience of the superiority of the socialist over the capitalist system. Most will support the building of socialism, accept the leadership of the working class, and make great contributions to the new society. Fundamental changes will be made in society once the working class has power. These revolutionary changes will be possible because: The economy will be rationally planned, in a balanced, all-round way. Profits will no longer be the goal, so that goods will be produced for use, and not as commodities which must be sold to provide profits for a few. Consequently, the cyclical crises of capitalism will disappear, so that there will no longer be any barrier to the steady expansion of production. The initiative and creative energy of working people will be released. All means of production, distribution and exchange will come under social ownership. In order to change the existing state sector from state-capitalist ownership into real socialist ownership, the working class will take over the actual work of management and, even more important, they will assert their control over the actual exercise of state power, since it is the character of the state which determines the actual character of state ownership. Econ- omic planning will be carried out through democratic consultation. Bureacracy will be reduced sharply and most office workers will spend some time doing manual labour. There will be a big extension and development of agriculture, forestry and fishing. The present concentration of industry in certain areas will be reduced, and it will be spread more evenly. Sectors of production which are poorly developed under cap- italism because of unprofitability, but which are socially useful, will be developed and ex- panded. All indirect taxes will be abolished, and there will be a gradual phasing out of direct taxation. Government spending will be financed out of the proceeds of state enterprises. Community life will be developed, so that children and old people will play a greater part in society; more and more household chores will be taken on as a community respon- sibility, and a spirit of co-operation and comradeship will be fostered. The well-being of the whole of society will be the condition for the healthy develop- ment of its individual members. Capitalism, contrary to its claims, represses the potentialities of the great majority of people; these can only be developed under socialism. If, by the end of the socialist revolution, the Irish people have not already achieved national liberation, Britain will immediately withdraw from Ireland. Wales and Scotland will have the right to self-determination, which Communists advocate they should exercise in favour of participating in a socialist federal republic of Britain, along with England. The armed working class, organised in a people's army and people's militia, will en- sure the defence of the country against any imperialist threat. The workers' republic will pursue a foreign policy based on independence and self-reliance, solidarity with genuine socialist countries and the oppressed nations, support to communist and national liberation movements and all revolutionary and progressive causes. All power in the new workers' state will be exercised by the people through elected assemblies which will be real working bodies and not talking shops; they will be under the leadership of the proletariat and its party. All organs of state power at local, regional and national levels will have officials elected by the people directly and by democratic consult- ation. They will be the servants of the people and not their masters, and will be subject to recall by their electorate at any time; there will be a unified system of national and local administration, resting on workers and popular councils at its base. Special attention will be given to keeping out of office the kind of anti-working class bureaucrats who at present (in general) run the trade unions, etc. Class struggle will continue under socialism. To defeat the inevitable attempts at cap- italist restoration, the working class, led by its party, will unleash great mass movements like the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in China, to defend and extend their pro- letarian state power. Socialism will fulfil people's rising expectations and needs. Unemployment, poverty, inflation and hunger will become things of the past forever. People will work according to their abilities and receive according to the labour they do. Wage differentials and other forms of inequality will be steadily restricted under social-

ism; in the future, under Communism, people will give according to their abilities and receive according to their needs. The abolition of classes is the fundamental goal of Communists. This can only be attained by going through the stage of socialist society, in which there is a revolutionary and transitional kind of state, the dictatorship of the proletariat. The purpose of this programme is not to explain the world, but to help change it. It is based upon practice and must serve as a guide to practice. Use it as a weapon in the class war, in the war to defeat super-power aggression and make revolution, in the struggle for socialism and Communism, which represent the highest interests of mankind! Workers of the world, oppressed peoples and nations of the world, unite! For an independent, self-reliant, socialist federal republic of Britain! Build the proletarian headquarters, the revolutionary party of the working class!

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PROGRAMME OF THE COMMUNIST WORKERS' MOVEMENT 1977