Left Archive: The Worker, Socialist Workers Movement, May 1972

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Apologies in advance for the slightly odd condition of the photographs, though the text remains legible.

This edition of the Worker from the Socialist Workers’ Movement joins another later edition in the Archive.

The main focus of this is on ‘EEC: Bosses’ Answer’. And it positions itself in opposition to the then forthcoming referendum on EEC membership. It argues that financial, economic and even Northern affairs are shaped by membership.

It simply states that:

The alternative to the EEC is not simply to vote NO, letting the government find another way of coming to terms with its investment and trading problems. The alternative is to resist the EEC by taking up the struggle against the attacks on our living standards, and on our class organisations. It will take much more than vote to find answer to our problems. It will take a sustained and concerted fight, a fight for socialism in Ireland, and socialism in Europe.

One interesting aspect of the paper is how little the North intrudes upon it, though there is a dedicated Northern Notes section.

It is in contrast notable how focused it is on industrial disputes throughout. But the range of coverage is very wide, including pieces on Education, International News ‘Vietnam: NLF Fights On’ and so on.

John Goodwillie is represented by two articles including one on ‘Fine Gael – party of law and order’ and another on ‘pro-EEC propaganda’. Brian Trench has a piece on the ‘TUC breaks ESB Strike’.