With the repeal of the “protuction of manufecturerea act" at the snc of the 50's in the 26-caunties, saw an influx of foreien ¢apitsl inte the 26-counties, this wos mainly used t boos light intustry an: em.lcoyment in this sector increased over the years by 25%. This ecced to the numerical strength of the working claes snc cave a now impetus to industrial militancy ani! was reflected politically by = romarkable sawing te the Labour Harty, In the last two years the rate of economic growth has declined rapidly followed by i recuncancies accompanied by a national wege freeze end continued rising prices, fs
In fece of the deteriorating econsmic situation, the Labour party came to @ sharp helt in its'leftward" march. In 2 neo-colonial country there is no economic le.way for * reforms, since the LP is totally reformist it is unabl. to respond to the revolutionaty urges of the working clase. Increased workine class militency has seen the LP and TV bureaucrats snugrling up to the bourgesis state and the workers have as vm result been left politically leoderless, This situetion affords Marxists grant opportunities to put forward revolutionary political ideas ant win support.
«Mother factor in the Irish situation is the question of the 6=counties. Ite existence (explained many times by R&) MOLS, INVsaNATIONAL, ote.) necd only be briefly expleined: The ‘penal laws' of the perioc of genesis of capitalism in Ireland allowed the protosta— nts of Na Ulster to accumalete eapitel and Gevelo industry while the tatholics were kest in servile conditions. Tyms from the very besinning the besis of the northern atetelct was founded on the Ciscriminetion of the Catholic majority an Irelané os a whole, The S=county statelet inatitutionrlised this tecriminetion. it has to do this to preserve itself as an entity and it has to include the three counties(catholic) “est of the river Denn. This aree is necessary aq an acricultural hinterland anc without it the incustisl complex fast of th. Gann coul. not survive as a Frotestant cconomic entity. Tho numerous catholics trapped in the Urange state have suffered pogroms and repressions continually ane have naturalty tended towards militent solutions to the problem. The political integration of the Protestant workers into the Northern etate(through the Oranre order) is 60 complete thet they must be consijered = reactionary caste. Henee the urospects of winning them aver are slight; tho Catholic workurs are the vanjunrd. The main task facing us is the unity of southern work rs and the Northern catholics is the mein task frecing us. .geinst this background there hes buon » consicerable d¢dsrce of ferment. Meny email Groups are springing up. The M.nAls? LISCUs ION GROUP (MDG) is anc sf them. How-ver, there is one major Gifference: ther. are members and sympathisers of the FL worlcing in it. The MDG edes understand that the main ,roblem is the absence of a fully-worked out programme which sums up the uweede anc aspirations of the Irish workers tovlay. The MDG is at the moment engaged in clarifying its views (yarticularly on the national question) anc is working with the sepublican movement on pr -ctical issues. Gut it understands its limitations and the cdes are fully aware of the need to work out a political programme uncerlinine the tactics and stratesy for the Irish Revolution,