UNEMPLOYMENT AND IMMIGRANT WORKERS

The Newsletter, vol. 2 no. 63, 9 August 1958 · scan page 6

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It may be that colour prejudice enters into the resolution of the Meridan Constituency Labour Party s9 roundly denounced by George Cunvin last week. But it is possible that it was drawn up by well-meaning people seeking to protect the welfare of the coloured immigrants and that he has read into it more than was intended.

Of course, it shies away from the real problem. But it is ” not enough merely to contrast the situation under capitalism with what it would be under a planned, socialist economy.

Incidentally, even under such conditions it is misleading to say “the more workers there were, the greater would be productivity’, as though the one was derived from the other.

The immediate issue is that for the first time for nearly twenty years large numbers of workers are going to be confronted with threatened or actual.unemployment and short time.

It is not enough to tell them that this arises from the nature of capitalism. They must also be presented with a policy and a lead in this new situation in the shape of simple, understandable. transitional demands.

Winning the new proletariat And this policy must be framed in full recognition of the _ Position of the new proletariat of immigrant workers, whether coloured or not, who must be won for these demands and integrated into the movement.

Not only will these workers be the first to feel the brunt of unemployment in many cases, with the danger that others will stand by indifferent to their fate.

There is also the distinct possibility that they will be made use. of to undermine conditions generally, along classical lines.

Fundamentaily this has got nothing to do with ‘colour’ or any other kind of prejudice: attempts will always be made to play off one group of workers against another when it is to the advantage. ofthe bosses.

The increasing difficulties of the ruling class will undoubtedly drive it to make use of every kind of division and difference which it can exploit in order to hang on to its threatened positions.

Hessle (Yorks.)