gress. Representing engineers, firefighters, miners, furniture workers, public employees, seamen, sheet metal workers, tobacco workers, transport workers declaration upon their return denouncing the bean and Central America in general.
They say:
Haig brought great disquiet to the Cuban people. to live in peace with an end to trade embargoes and economic blockades and a withdrawal of the menacing presence of US troops on Cuban soil inside the Guatanomo base.' also deplore the support given to the US. They say they are 'appalled" refused aid to Nicaragua and will not re-open a British embassy there.
movement to take up the fight to support the strug. gle for freedom and justice in Central America and the Caribbean. They say: 'We urge the Labour Party inside and outside parliament to continue its outright and unequivocal opposition ment for its support to the US cold war policies applied to Central America and the Caribbean.
Ken Gill, general secretary Cameron, general secretary of the FBU; Lawrence Daly, general secretary of the NUM; Sid Vincent, Lancashire NUM secretary: Peter Heathfield. Derbyshire NUM secretary: Alex Kitson, deputy general secretary of the TGWU: Ron Keating, deputy general secretary of NUPE: Jim Slater, general secretary of the NUS.
tended the conference: PETER HEATHFIELD, president of the Derbyshire section of the NUM. Galtieri — a populist option?
General Haig - caught between warring allies blockade of Cuba and Reagan's threats to the CaribThe threats and propaganda against Cuba emanating from President Reagan and General And they declare of the Cubans: Clearly they want Denouncing American threats to the area, they that the Tory government has Finally the seventeen call on the British labour to the British governAmong those who signed the statement were:
AUEW-TASS: Ken Socialist Challenge spoke to one of those who atpression of your visit to Cuba?
I spent a week in Cuba. I impressed by the Tole prue trade wHons In Cuban society. Despite the effects the all the evidence points to the fact that the Cuban people are benefit ting from the revolution. There is a decent standard of living, no poverty at all. Education Tourishing Vany old colonia house. have been converted to kindergartens and people are steadily ncreasing thei tandard of living What role do the Cuban trade unions play?
Well to some degree they have a role similar to those in Eastern Europe. but in many instances it is clear that they are abig to play a much more positive role in ashioning the policies of the state. Speaking middle ranking trade union figures, they put to me views and claborated solutions which didn't necessarily coincide those of the estabish. ment' - for want of a better word.
What weight do they give the Labour movement in Bri Well they see it as very imDOLLUTT the May 1981 in Cuba blockade, but they also are concerned the labour movement in Western Eurone to ble incursions Reagan into Cuba ob. vious that Cuba Is nOt d threat to world peace nor made it plain that the Thad to the United States enough problems trying to build socialism and were not keen on an expansionist state.
But they do support the struggles in the the March of the Fighting People Caribbean?
Yes, and not only there, in the whole Latin America But their concurrantee the rightn right these selfmost concerned about are determination They HO CUCH 0E11e and the destabilisation plans aimed at places like and their supPosa vade ultra right in How seriously do they take an American attack on Cuba itself Very seriously. In my talks officials they saw the Polish situation a being rather critical to the Cuban one. For example, the in or man n welcomed because if the Russians had ther they that Reagan would have taken this as move directly into Cuba. They saw the introduction marnal law as a lesser cvil BAND I stress I was talking to lesser officials, this might not be the official Cuban "EW What importance did they pur on solidarity from the British trade union movement against these threars?
Well, they thought it very LOOTERH that we threw our weight onto the scales to defend the right of self-determination of all these countries. The declaration reflects this and is basically what we achieved
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Central America and the • El Salvador and the Southern cone