A GLANCE through the New Year newspapers shows two contrasting seasonal images -- features
pages displaying the fashionable gear being worn this winter on the ski slopes of Klosters and
Biarritz, and news pages reporting the political argy-bargy over how cold it has to be before extra
cold weather payments can be paid to sections of those on low incomes.
Campaigners have argued that the �8.50 cold weather payment, which is only paid to some
income support claimants when the weather has been freezing for seven consecutive days, should
take account of the effect of cold winds as well as air temperature.
Well, of course it should. Even Tory politicians have not had the gall to disagree with the principle
of the argument.
But it's all a bit like trying to help an accident victim who is bleeding to death from a major wound
and arguing about whether to apply a one inch sticking plaster or a slightly larger
No one in a rich country like Britain should die from the cold, no one should have to choose
between spending money on heating and buying nourishing food, no one should have to go to bed
in the daytime in order to keep warm, no one should suffer ill health because it is winter again.
We need to demand more than just the inclusion of a windchill factor in calculating extra
payments for cold weather.
For a start, the Tories' policy of levying VAT on domestic fuel should be done away with
completely. Scrapping this appalling tax on such a vital commodity would help everyone, including
those on income support who do not qualify for cold weather payments, those who fail by a slim
margin to qualify for income support and the millions of low paid and part-time workers.
The State Retirement Pension should be increased forthwith for all pensioners, without a means
test. The planned cuts in lone parents' benefits should be reversed and all benefits and pensions
should take into account the extra costs we all face in the winter months.
And the money? This must come from increasing direct taxation at the top income level. The very
wealthy minority have had tax handout after tax handout since the Tories came to power in 1979.
This has to be ended and the trend reversed.
After all this rich elite will spend more than �8.50 on their designer aid-goggles alone when they
jet off for their winter holidays on the piste.
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Oppression in Peru
CAPITALIST leaders around the world have condemned the takeover of the Japanese embassy in
Peru's capital Lima on 17 December by the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA). These
leaders, as we'd expect, describe what happened as an act of terrorism.
In reality it is the Peruvian govemment led by Alberto Fujimori and the imperialists themselves
who are: responsible for the present situation.
The MRTA is one of several revolutionary organisations in Peru. The ruling regime all these
organisations are struggling against is, for the mass of the peoples, one of oppression, grinding
poverty and exploitation. Over half the population lives below the poverty line.
Peru's acceptance of neoliberal policies has inevitably led it into the clutches of the International
Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the tranmational companies of the leading imperialist powers.
The result is such high levels of unemployment that a Reuter report of last month estimated that
80 per cent of Peru's workforce was either jobless or under-employed. Millions of Peruvians have
virtually no access to health care.
Fujimori's support in the polls is falling and active opposition is growing. To protect the interests of
the country's tiny wealthy elite the Fujimori govemment has used the military to suppress anti-
government and revolutionary activity and there are, as a result, thousands of political prisoners in
Peruvian jails.
Ending the inhumane treatment of these prisoners has been the focus of the MRTA's demands. It
is also a demand of the Peruvian Communist Party (Shining Path) who have campaigned for
prisoners, including their own leader Abimael Guzman, to be treated humanely and accorded
political status.
These demands are just and should be supported by all progressive people throughout the world.
Whatever happens at the Japanese embassy in Lima, the Fujimori regime will stand condemned.
Those politicians who say that "terrorist" demands should never be given in to must not be
allowed to use this as a pretext to deny basic rights and decent treatment to thousands of
prisoners in Peru.
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Lead Story
More homes and jobs. Not Law 'n' Order
Homelessness reveals government failure and capitalism's barbarity.
LABOUR leader Tony Blair's interview on homelessness in last week's edition of The Big Issue was
met with such a barrage of party political point scoring that the serious problem of tackling
homelessness was virtually swept aside.
Most newspaper articles about the interview concentrated on Tony Blair's agreement with the idea
of "zero tolerance" policies -- an idea practised in New York for clamping down on all forms of crime
in specific areas. This effectively diverted media discussion away from the problems facing
homeless people and into the well-worn debate on law 'n order.
Some newspaper articles were quite misleading. For instance The Guardian said, "He suggests
beggars should be removed from the streets: 'You wouldn't say it's satisfactory to leave them
where they are"':
This gives the impression that Blair was advocating some form of police crackdown. But in fact the
preceding sentence in the interview, which the paper did not quote, said: "It's important not to just
take someone from one area and dump them in another, but to make sure the facilities are there
so that people can be dealt with properly, given a roof over their heads".
When asked by the interviewer what specific tkings a Labour government would do for homeless
people he talked of Labour's proposals to provide work for 250,000 young people and he said
Labour would "release the local authorities' capital receipts, that are tied up at present, on a
phased basis so they can actually build homes for people".
But he did not pledge a full return to council house building to provide new, affordable housing
under local authority ownership and control, reversing the policy of the Tories. Nor did he say
Labour would restore the right to claim unemployment benefit to 16 and l7year-olds, also scrapped
by the Tories. These are demands the Labour leadetship must be pressed to adopt.
Though Tony Blair did speak of Labour's plans to "rebuild the National Health Service", he did not
give any clear indication of increasing the funding for Care in the Community and proper health
care for those among the homeless who suffer from mental health problems.
The Tories are patting themselves on the back for making more shelters available to homeless
people at this time of severe weather. But this is not a solution -- the homeless need homes and
jobs not temporary shelters and Victorian-style charity.
Nordoes it conceal the Tories' dreadful record over the last 18 years during which time the gap
between rich and poor has got wider and wider and their legislation to privatise housing and cut
public spending has made the problem of homelessness worse.
Above all it is the system of capitalism itself which creates extremes of wealth and poverty and a
society which tolerates the sight of people trying to find shelter in the doorways of shops groaning
with every luxury imaginable.
The real answer to homelessness, poverty and unemployment is socialism and the building of a
society which will have "zero tolerance" for the crime of capitalism and its exploitation of the many
by the few.
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Feature
Peace process advances in Angola
by Yin Yongjian in Luanda
THE warring parties in Angola made great strides during 1996 in furthering the peace process in
the war-plagued country. It was the second year for the implementation of the Lusaka Peace
Accord.
The achievements are seen mainly in the assembly of the militiamen of the former rebel National
union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), the handover of their weapons and the
formation of a new unified army.
UNITA began to assemble its men on 20 November 1995, the firn anniversary of the signing of
the Lusaka Peace Accord.
By 26 November this year, UNITA soldiers, gathered In 15 assembly points set up across the
country by the United Nations Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM), reached 68,740; 5,740
more than the figure provided in the Lusaka agreement.
UNITA has also assembled 3,130 of its 5,000 police force.
police withdrawal
At the same time, the Angolan government had assembled all its quick reaction policemen and
withdrawn some of its troops to their barracks.
The UNITA soldiers and policemen encamped in the assembly points have surrendered all of their
light and heavy weapons, in addition to over 2,000 tons of ammunition, of which 1 ,500 tons has
been destroyed.
Meanwhile, over 660 UNITA soldiers under the age of 18 have been civilianised.
More than 18,080 former UNITA rebels have been enrolled ill the unified Angolan army. Nine
UNITA generals have arrived in the capital of Luanda to take the posts of deputy defence minister,
deputy chief of the general staff of the armed forces and deputy chief of stafl` of the army
respectively.
Besides, a total of 539 prisoners of war have been released by the two warring factions, of which
369 are former UNITA rebels.
Thc military obstacles to peace in Angola have been removed on the whole and the peace
process in the southern African country will soon enter into the political stage, said Blondin Beye,
the United Nations Special Envoy in Angola, at a meeting of the Angola Peace Joint Commission
on 21 November.
During the "political stage", the following political issues will be solved -- the position of UNITA
leader Jonas Savimbi in the govemrnent, the establishment of local governments, UNITA's
admission into the parliament, and the formation of a new government of national unity.
difficult solutions
Observers here believe that the solution of these political issues is as difficult as that of the military
ones, and Savimbi's position in the new government will be a thorny one.
The Angolan government once came up with a proposal that the UNITA chief be appointed the
second vice-presidentof Angola, but UNITA rejected it.
UNITA proposed that Savimbi be appointed Angola's opposition leader, which was rejected by the
government.
Negotiations are being held between the two sides on this critical issue, which observers believe,
might have influence on the peace process in Angola.
Although there are many difficulties on the way forward, the prospects of the peace process in
Angola are rosy, observers say.
Both Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos and UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi have
expressed their will to solve the problems of Angola by political means instead of by war.
They believe that most of the outstanding issues will be resolved before UNAVEM condudes its
mission in February next year. The peace process in Angola seems irrevocable.
Xinhua
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International
South Korean workers continue campaign against anti-union laws
by Steve Lawton
SOUTH Korean workers' have continued their strike action which began on 26 December against
the introduction of new labour laws threatening security of employment.
President Kim Young Sam used a secret session of the National Assembly on Boxing Day to pass
the laws, but the growing response to this stealthy attack on workers has led to a crackdown on
leaders of the general strike.
President of the illegal Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) Kwon Young-Il, said that
over 200,000 workers nationwide from the car, shipbuilding and public service sectors had taken
action from Monday.
As a result the government has begun a process of wholesale summonsing against trade union
leaders. If union leaders defy the summonses they face arrest. By Tuesday evening hundreds of
union leaders including Kwon Young-Il had been summonsed. And as we go to press, they were
expected to be arrested.
The head office of the 500,000 member KCTU was twice visited by police and fearing an imminent
government raid to confiscate computers and documents, evasive action was taken.
But union leaders and workers are not intimidated. Kwon Young-Il said: "The KCTU will maintain
the struggle until the government makes an official commitment to reopen the parliamentary
discussions involving the trade union representatives for a re-amendment of the labour law."
Appealling for international trade union solidarity, Kwon Young-Il called upon the "international
trade union movement" to investigate the new anti-worker, anti-union labour law." Unions, official
and unofficial, are planning ahead for further action if the government does not back down.
TUC general secretary John Monks wrote in protest to the south Korean Ambassador in London
and called for a halt to the imminent arrests on Tuesday.
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British News
Victory for Glacier workers
ALL 103 of the workers at the Glacier factory in Glasgow have been reinstated in their jobs with full
continuity of employment they started back to work last Tuesday.
They had been sacked by the company, which is part of the giant Turner and Newall motor parts
firm, for refusing to accept a new wages and conditions package. Workers said the new working
practices would be unsafe.
The dispute was sparked when a young worker was advised by shop stewards not to comply with
an order to do two jobs that were not safe.
The workers occupied the factory for two months and were prepared to sit it out right through
Christmas.
deal
But on Christmas Eve the management at last came to the negotiating table and a deal was
hammered out that was acceptable to the workforce.
Management had been trying to marginalise the AEEU trade union structure at the plant.
The new package that management attempted to impose involved the workers being more
"flexible" and productive, a reduction of absenteeism and a reduction in canteen costs.
AEEU chief negotiator Danny Carrigan told the New Worker that some compromises had been
made.
A joint declaration was issued, accepting some flexibility and agreeing to Iook into the reasons for
absenteeism and whether economies could be made in the canteen.
"The workforce was reasonably satisfied with the deal," said Danny Canigan.
"But the important thing is that there will be no more unilateral attempts to impose new wages and
conditions. Everything will be subject to consultation and agreement with the workers.
"This is a vindication of the stance taken by the workers."
The factory occupation had won a lot of support both locally and nationwide.
Last month a 3,000 strong demonstration marched through Glasgow in support of the workers
which included many trades union banners.
Messages of support came from Labour MP Tony Benn, from miners' leader Arthur Scargill and
from Ken Cameron, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union.