Wished."
io Renascenca station in Lisbon. Workers Co-ordinating Committee.
*Before 25 April 1974, there was a very strict system of internal censorship. But despite the difficulties caused by this - which led to sackings and so on - we managed to build up a body of anti-fascist jourSo when the nalists at une staton. management tried to continue with the same censorship and control after 25 April, they at once had a strike on their hands.
STRUGGLE
This was followed by a prolonged process of struggle - there were advances and retreats which tended to follow those of the general working But finally in May of this year we decided to occupy Radio Renascenca under workers' control and put the station openly at une service or the working class.
While many papers speak about the working class, at Radio Renascenca the working class itself speaks. We are in direct contact with the autonomous organs of the working class the workers' and neighbourhood commissions, etc. Before 25 April, Radio Renascenca was a commercial radio station which existed by selling time to all sorts of reactionary and immoral causes. Now, of course, because we can't rely on advertising, we depend on funds from the workers organisations.
Inside the station we have done 'The Western mass media have accused us of attempting to curtail freedom of information - but we don't believe truly free information is possible in capitalist society. It depends on those who own and have money. So we are struggling for a socialist society where this "freedom" of private property will be abolThe speaker is Joao Alferes Goncalves, a journalist at the RadThe station - owned by the Catholic Church - has been occupied and run by the workers for several months, and Goncalves was elected by them to speak at last Saturday's solidarity demonstration in London. The previous day he spoke about the significance of the struggle at Rad io Renascenca at a press conference organised by the Portuguese away with all differentials between the technicians and journalists, and now all the revenue is equally divided. But to make sure that the service is really controlled by the working class, we are now planning to form a 'people's information co-operative' - including not just Radio Renascenca workers, but also representatives of the workers commissions. General policy would be decided by mass meetings, and then there would perhaps be a secretariat elected to take the day-to-day deciSIOES We are also establishing close links with other information workers this was seen in the collective decision to defy the ban on reporting military affairs. A secretariat of in Our fund for the LCI (Portuguese sympathising group of the Fourth International) has got off to a slow start. Only £18.34 has so far come in-f5 from E.J. Ryan, £5 from J. Holloway, £5 anonymously, £2.34 from Newcastle IMG, and E1 from B. Austin.
While the CP and SP can rely on massive aid from their well-placed supporters abroad, the Cl has to rely on the comparatively small forces of the international revolutionary vanguard. Please give generously to help build the Fourth International in Portugal in a situation so ripe with opportunities. Send all monies to: Red Weekly (LCI), 182 Pentonville Road, London N.1. All donations will be acknowledged. formation workers has now been established, and it was unanimously agreed that the workers of Radio Renascenca should be represented on this body.
You must be clear about one thing be unbiased, we have made a class choice, and so we give no time on the air to forces opposed to the interests of the working class. no single party controls the station, and all pro-working class currents have ready access to programmes. To give you group "Christians fo: Socialism' produces a programme which is broadcast three times a day. a lot of support generally from progressive Catholics.
HIERARCHY
Of course the hierarchy of the Catholic Church has bitterly attacked us, and they have been supported by the Socialist Party leadership. In private Mario Soares has told us he is not unsympathetic to our struggle; but for political reasons he needs an alliance with the Catholic Church. That is why he has been seen attending Mass in Porto, even though he used to declare himself an atheist!
As part of their conditions for entering the Sixth Provisional Government, the SP leaders laid down an overall plan for information which included the handing back of Republica and Radio Renascenca, the closure of O Seculo, and the replacement of all the senior staff at Diario de Noticias and ANI (the national news agency).
CONFLICTS
But any attempt to force the return of Radio Renascenca would lead to unforeseeable conflicts. When the Revolutionary Council ordered its return in June, the working class mobilised to defend the station physically for several days. And the COPCON soldiers refused to obey orders to evict us, and said they would defend the station if the police were called in.
Sixth Provisional Government. it is a clear attempt to reinforce the position of the capitalist class in Portugal. But that is not to say we gave blanket support to the Goncalves Government. We could not, as it was not based on the independent organisations of the working 'class. progressive moves, hut we opposed it when it took anti-working class decisions.?
towards the Right.
leadership of Soares.
we are not attempting to But one example And we have forces of the Right.
Socialism. viewed next week).
We are absolutely opposed to the Of course we supported its at the Labour Party conference. This was foreshadowed when three members of the National Executive Committee - MPs Judith Hart and Joan Maynard, and Alex Kitson of the Transport & General Workers Union - opposed a motion to invite Socialist Party leader Mario Soares to speak from the platform.
Disagreements with the official pro-Soares line have also appeared with increasing frequency in the Party's official newspaper, Labour Weekly. Writing in the 12 September issue, Tony Banks had the following pertinent comments to make in an eyewitness report on Portugal: leader 'Since the April election, when the SP won 38 percent of the votes, Dr Soares has led his party There is mounting dissent within the SP about the follows: party programme and the personal is one of free and intense discussion.
The debate at the Labour Party conference is likely to focus on a motion submitted by the Electricians Union which records its strongest admiration and support for the stand of the Socialist Party, and its Mario Soares" An amendment has been submitted by York CLP, which we urge all our Labour Party readers to support. would make the motion read as *This Conference, whilst it ex-
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RABE HADORES 1. THE FIGHT TO DEFEND