The Militant(logo) 
    Vol.61/No.19           May 12, 1997 
 
 
25 And 50 Years Ago  
 May 12, 1972
One of the key focuses of the African Liberation Day actions scheduled for Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Toronto, London, and the West Indies on May 27 is U.S. and NATO (North American Treaty Organization) complicity with Portugal's colonial wars in Africa. Portugal's colonial empire - the largest in Africa - includes Mozambique, Angola, and Portuguese Guinea-Bissau - Cape Verde Islands. The independence struggle taking place in Guinea - Bissau is one of the most advanced struggles within Black Africa.

Guinea-Bissau has a population of 600,000. Portugal claimed the area in 1886, but it took nearly 50 years of "pacification" campaigns against the Guinean people to effect full Portuguese control. This has left a rich heritage of resistance among the Guinean people.

Thousands of Portuguese youth have illegally left Portugal to escape the draft and the reactionary regime. Massive strikes against conscription shook Portugal's medical schools and universities in early 1971, even though such actions are illegal. Portugal's defense minister was forced to admit in the Jan. 18 New York Times that this dissent had affected the officer corps in Africa and had led to desertions (which have also been reported by the Cuban magazine Tricontinental.)

May 10, 1947
PARIS, France, Apr. 29 - More than 30,000 workers of the nationalized Renault auto plants struck today for a wage boost of 10 francs an hour (equivalent to about 4 cents on the black market). The strike movement began April 25. It was bitterly opposed by the Stalinist leadership of the General Confederation of Labor (CGT). But as it spread despite their strikebreaking efforts, the Stalinist officials decided to issue a "cease work" order.

Around the plant gates, the strikers hold continuous discussions that are virtually mass meetings. Main targets of the speakers are the Stalinist CGT leadership and the policy of the Communist and Socialist parties in the coalition government, particularly the wage freeze and the phony price controls that have operated to the disadvantage of the workers. The Stalinists launched a campaign of violent abuse against the young militants who started the strike movement.

The strike leaders, however, have remained firm. On their proposal, the workers by secret ballot elected strike committees in all departments. In the noon mass meetings at the plant gates all shades of opinion were invited to take the microphone. Only the CGT leadership rejected this invitation issuing instead leaflets calling for a "back to work" movement.  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home