Issued: December 11, 1979
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Sam Richards and Paul Saba
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The 3rd National Conference of the Communist Workers’ Movement was held in London on 8/9 December 1979. This militant and united Conference took as its main theme the assessment of the CWM’s three year life and the struggle for unity with the Revolutionary Communist League of Britain.
Attending the Conference were CWM members from five towns and cities and fraternal delegates from the RCLB and a group of Indian Communists in East London.
The National Secretary gave a report on the organisation’s world since the 2nd conference and analysed in some detail the changing political situation in Britain and the world. Summing up the organisation’s work, in particular the struggle for communist unity he stressed the importance of enhancing democratic centralism and avoiding sectarianism in mass work.
Bringing greetings from the RCLB, the fraternal delegate outlined the progress made by the RCLB in 1979 and gave a high appraisal to the struggle for unity between the two organisations.
After a lively discussion the report of the National Secretary was adopted unanimously.
A leading comrade gave a report on the development of the organisation up to the time of the 2nd conference. The Conference welcomed the general thrust of the report and stressed the need for continued discussion in the spirit of criticism and self-criticism to arrive at unified understanding.
The Conference established commissions to study industrial and anti-racist work, our two key aspects of mass work. There was a detailed discussion on the building of factory cells and class struggle trade unions. Local anti-racist work and a recent initiative to unite more closely with national minority mass organisations were analysed in detail. Importance was attached to linking anti-racist work with Irish solidarity work.
Comrade Keith Bennett delivered a report on the international Communist movement. Citing a number of examples he pointed out that the main trend in the movement was one of unity both within individual countries and internationally. The successful unity struggle with the RCLB was a reflection of and a part of this trend which has developed in the course of criticising the ultra-left splitism of the Albanian revisionists, Lin Biao and the Gang of Four. The report discussed the norms governing relations between communist parties and organisations and extended fraternal greetings to the Marxist-Leninists of all countries. It extended support to the Kampuchean people and congratulated comrade Hua Guofeng, Communist Party of China and the Chinese people on the 30th Anniversary of the People’s Republic. It pointed out that China is the bastion of world peace and revolution and praised the work of the Chinese people to achieve the four modernisations, uphold the four basic principles and the, successful counter-attack against Vietnamese aggression.
There followed a discussion on points contained in the report and solidarity work on Kampuchea and Azania. (South Africa). Comrade Bennett reported on his attendance at the Stockholm International Conference to support Kampuchean national independence and against Vietnamese aggression and, the work to build a solidarity committee in Britain. The conference was united in its opposition to Vietnamese aggression and its support for Democratic Kampuchea.
There followed a report on our struggle for unity with the RCLB. Stress was laid on the way the Unity Committee had sought truth from facts in narrowing lines of demarcation and on the qualitative difference our unity will make to the revolutionary movement in Britain.
There followed a lively and frank discussion on the Irish people’s struggle against British imperialism and our duties in solidarity work. It was agreed to continue and deepen this discussion in an organised way.
A detailed and systematic report was also given on publications and the Conference looked in particular at the work of “New Age”. Attention was drawn to the need to publish material in the national minority languages.
In the final session the Conference unanimously passed two important motions. One re-elected the National Secretary and the National Committee and elected a new alternative member. The second reads as follows, “this National Conference as the highest body of the CWM resolves that as the few previously remaining differences of principle between the CWM and RCLB have been resolved the two organisations will unite, as soon as possible.” A series of practical measures towards this end have been adopted.
The Conference concluded on a note of militant unity and great optimism with regard to the future stages of party building and the class struggle.