This takes the form of the report of the Workers’ Control conference held in Nottingham last year. But it is much more than that. Because of the scope of the articles it is a handbook on workers’ control.
After an editorial presenting the case for workers’ control in the ’sixties, Tony Topham reports on the conference itself, this is followed by a summary of the papers presented at the conference. These cover a general theoretical appreciation of workers’ control and Marxism; two articles on the Anarchist approach to the sociology of workers’ control; workers’ control and the co-op movement; the Algerian experience; and a plan for the railways. Then the relationship of workers’ control to the discussions on incomes policy is examined. A. Gorz’s brilliant piece on “Why neo-capitalism’s incomes policy should be met with a call to ‘open the books’ is re-produced. _Following this a directory of the journals, trade unionists, academics, students and others participating in the conference is published. The pamphlet ends Pi listing further reading and some of the practical follow-ups to the conerence.
Clearly no one who wants to discuss in an intelligent way the vital topic of workers’ control can afford to be without this pamphlet. EDUCATION
This is a detailed examination of the subject of comprehensive edu- cation, streaming, etc. It is basically concerned with what policies Labour should pursue, locally and nationally; in the field of education. It could hardly be more timely in view of the way comprehensive education has been made into a controversial political question by the snobbish old ladies of the Tory Party.
The pamphlet has two types of article. The first dealing with the particular problems facing socialists struggling for comprehensive education in towns where Labour is in control. Under this category articles appear on The second type of article is represented by pieces on streaming in junior schools, the case against the 11-plus, class bias in education, selection and de-streaming, and a plan for education.
Thus the reader has at his finger-tips a complete catalogue of the issues concerned.
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