Speech by Agostinho Lopes, member of the Political Committee and Secretariat of the Central Committee, Portuguese Communist Party National Conference

"For the renewal and strengthening of Party Organisation and work among working people"

This Conference is not a magic wand nor a recipe book, however much the proposals contained in the Resolution may appear to you to be so. There should be no illusions. There should be no expectations other than those that result from a renewed confidence in our Party. In its purpose, in its strength. In the strength and purpose of the workers' struggle. Without waiting for others to do what befalls us alone to do. What only the daily, constant, confident, innovating and organised work of communists will allow to be tackled and crowned with success. What answers only the work of our great and cohesive party body can give.

And, comrades, the preparatory discussion has already shown that this work is possible. It has shown clearly the enormous potential of our available forces, the great reservoir of energy, our great heritage of accumulated experience and tempered activists, which are able to rise to the objectives we have outlined for this Conference: the renewal and strengthening of Party organisation and work among working people.

Comrades,

The feeling, the pulse, the unfolding of the preparatory discussion have all underlined three aspects of the Portuguese Communist Party. A workers' Party of the workers. A democratic Party. And a Party aware of the difficulties but confident of its strength.

A workers' Party. A Party anchored in the world of work. A Party of the workers, in which the questions at its meetings concerned wages, employment, sackings, speed-ups, overtime, oppression, strikes An alertness and an emotion contained in the thinking, the criticism, the proposal presented during the debate. An attitude towards the errors, delays and failures in our work, that they must not be. An undisguised pride in the comments of colleagues at work about "the need for a Party presence inside companies". A forthrightness about the difficulties and obstacles, the dominance of capital, but also about the strength of unity in struggle, of the working class fight and of strikes.

A democratic Party. Profoundly democratic. What other party could have had such a discussion? One in which men and women members of this Party asked themselves, questioned each other, questioned the Party leadership and the local and regional leaderships, and came forward themselves with proposals and solutions, participated. What other party could make of this participation such richness of ideology and politics? Such a catalyst for action? What other party possesses similar close links between the various levels of its organisation? In which delegation of power does not extinguish the capacity to participate, but rather helps to strengthen it, raising its role and responsibility. A Party in which the idea of the "great Party collective" is not an empty phrase to pad out speeches. But everything went, or goes well? Everything was for the best? Obviously not. Meetings failed to take place. Others produced nothing. A participation did not materialise and an involvement that some comrades failed to offer. But in the final analysis, the overall result, which does not conceal the deficiencies, is one of a deep involvement of the Party. A wide, intense and democratic debate.

A Party aware of the difficulties but confident of its strength. A Party with the democratic courage to undertake criticism and self-criticism of its own work. Not as one who pats himself on the shoulder, but as one who does not tolerate what is wrong and who is aware of our weaknesses through analysis of the economic and social situation in the world of work. Aware of the brutal anti-Communist campaign that attempts to destroy the purpose and sense of the PCP, of the trade union movement, of political action, of a citizenship that is not reduced to mere voting. Aware of how strong are the forces that seek to divide the workers, that nurture conformism, selfishness and greed, that sharpen the generation gap and erect sexist and racist barriers, that uphold a fierce individualism against the needs of the whole human- being, against the real individual and against the realisation of all capabilities, aptitudes and dreams. Aware of the limitations of our forces, stretched by many and divers areas of work that we cannot neglect. (We are not alone on this "playing field" and the class enemy and political adversary play by their own rules.)

Aware that we possess a heritage of acquired experience, but one in which the archetypes, images and schemes that belong to the more distant times of revolutionary fervour, of unrestrained activism, of another balance of forces, have begun in our minds to inhibit the necessary and possible action for today, based upon what we have at our disposal, with activists who do not conform, with those who are available!

Comrades,

In some 560 meetings, in which 8500 comrades participated, an examination was undertaken that could not be left undone. The different circumstances existing today are not in themselves a sufficient explanation for many of our difficulties and some of our failings. The changes in the economic structure, and in the situation and conditions of workers, the capitalist and latifundist counter-revolution, privatisation and the destruction of Agrarian Reform, are not responsible for everything.

Stretched by a fierce political tempo, by elections that could not wait, by the urgent needs of the work of our elected representatives in the local authorities, which have to function, by all kinds of work in areas and sectors that our struggle makes unavoidable, by the scale and tenacity of capital's offensive against the working people that demands immediate action, the Party has been drained in its activity. While it has been "pulling" cadres into the very process of its renewal while, for other needs it has been unmanning areas of its work, in particular the organisational work of cells and other workers' grass-roots organisations.

(Without forgetting that all this Party work also influences and strengthens our activity among working people, and dialectically the strengthening of this activity will have itself repercussions on the rest of communist work.)

If we could not run away yesterday from the political and social context in which we move, we shall not be able to do so tomorrow. It is in this context of continual demands and the need to respond that we shall have to undertake the strengthening and renewal of our work among working people. It is already in such a political situation, which very soon will be completely dominated by the forthcoming general elections that are of vital importance to the Party, that we shall have to advance and implement the results of this Conference.

The solutions are not easy but they are within our reach. The aims we set ourselves cannot be achieved overnight. (Besides, they will never be sufficient.) The road to their implementation will not be an easy one. But will there ever be short-cuts or easy roads for the party of the Portuguese workers and communists. Was there ever one? Before the 25 of April? During the April revolution itself?

The preparatory discussion and the work that has been undertaken for some time by some of the regional organisations, as well as the positive assessment made of the central co-ordinating work for some of the large companies and sectors at a national level, show us the possibilities. During the discussion, many approaches, measures and organisational proposals were brought forward, and in many cases acted upon.

The setting up of appropriate and relevant organisations and committees to lead this work, avoiding their "suffocation" within the work of other organisations. The establishment of co-ordination of sector or profession at the district or local authority level. The allocation of cadres, including full-timers, to this work as their exclusive or main responsibility.

A full recognition of the importance, and a correct idea of the cell, simplification of its functioning and measures to set up new, or reactivate old ones. Recognition of the importance of meetings, from the smallest to the largest, making sure that their content or agenda reflects the real problems of working people and that they lead to the production of information documents, to agitation, to questions in Parliament, to mobilisation and struggle. Innumerable references to the question of recruitment, involvement of young people, and winning women for active participation, with appropriate changes to organisation, allocation of responsibilities and lines of work, while listening to and expressing their suggestions. A more active involvement and dedication to Party work by communist cadres working in the mass movement while giving recognition to the valiant work carried on there. The making of time to deal with questions affecting the working people.

Comrades,

The entire stock of ideas and measures brought forward in the preparatory debate is already an enormous heritage of this Conference. As such, it is the "restlessness" created in Party organisations, the excitement stirring in every cadre and communist activist, the valuable impulse of confidence that the discussion has aroused.

Comrades,

The brutal and rapid changes in the balance of forces at the international level, the fine-tuning of the mechanisms of control and influence of the bourgeoisie over society, in particular through electoral systems, together with the full weight of the mass-media, have not led the forces of large-scale capital to neglect two of its principal strategic targets: the working class and workers' parties, trade union and other mass movements.

Rather they are maintaining and even strengthening their permanent and established lines of attack against everything that may lead to autonomous political organisation and action, to the independence of the classes that produce wealth.

But there is one special target: the communist parties. Above all those that from the point of view of capital have not become "good communists". That is, those who continue the fight against capitalist exploitation for a socialist project. Naturally in Portugal this target is called the Portuguese Communist Party.

The offensive is many-sided and takes on divers and well-known forms. But in the attack against workers' organisation and activity there is an aspect to which we should give special attention. It concerns the attempt to prevent all and any type of political or trade union activity in the work-place, inside the company... What this means is the persecution, oppression, sacking of communists and others who are trade union cadres or activists in workers' commissions and other mass movement structures.

The idea of politics inside the company is a real sacrilege to the bosses. The company is the altar on which the boss offers up "capital" and praises "risk" and private initiative. Where the technocrats make up their prescriptions for "re-engineering" and total quality, and where the kind of citizenship allowed to the worker is "to participate" in the quest for higher productivity, less dead-time, more quality, fewer break-downs and a "just-in-time" flow of raw-materials and end-products. And when the worker shows an interest in participating, then there is the "enterprise culture",
the attempt to transform that interest, that involvement, into more production, while continuing to hold firmly to the reins of the strategic options, the management of personnel, investments and profits!

The monopoly of politics inside the company, as with all other things, belongs to the boss. It is he who receives the ministers, Secretaries of State and delegations of MPs, who contributes to the funds of the party in power, who provides officials, when is not he himself, to the state apparatus, so that everything may continue to be as it should be... and above all to ensure his rights of property over the means of production, of concentrating capital, of making politics, of hiring and firing, and, this is very important, of preventing the curse of "politics" entering into his sanctuary...

And capital is right. Politics inside the company enlightens, shows up the direct link between the problems confronting the working people and the policies of the politicians and the employers, discloses the strategic correspondence between the interests of the boss and the right-wing parties. It forms activists who strengthen the wage-workers' organisations, produces awareness, lets loose energies of struggle... the search for other policies, another way of being and of making politics...

It is because of this, comrades, that our Conference touches upon a central question when it deals with the problem of workers' organisation at the place of work, in the company, and of the right to make politics there. This organisational nucleus is the basic link in the structure of workers' organisations.

The bosses and ruling ideology do everything to "expel" politics (that made by the workers) from the company. They want these to "pack up" their political opinions at the entrance to the factory or office, and to take on the role of a simple factor of production, "human capital". This is, besides, perfectly in line with the limits in which the right-wing forces, and not only these, are trying to contain political activity by citizens: involvement in electoral campaigns and, in particular, the act of voting.

The key importance and right that we ascribe to communist workers in creating and activating political structures, taking politics into the company and bringing the Party's policies to the workers and the company, also result from the fact that this is the way to bring together the worker who struggles with the citizen who votes, to link the workers' immediate and concrete problems with the great political questions of the organs of power and various party political forces.

Comrades,

The Conference should not be interpreted as an attitude that everything we have done until today has been wrong or a mistake. Rather, as a reflection, a re-assessment of the path taken and the Party's enormous experience in the organisation of workers and their struggles. It meant recognising problems and inadequacies. But above all, and now that the Conference has really become a point of departure, it means deciding to go ahead with the following:

- intensifying and developing the steps already taken during the preparatory discussion, and which have shown themselves to be obviously correct;

- the implementation of the conclusions contained in the Resolution that we come to adopt, and to which should be added the summaries of the work of the sections.

Even today we shall be advancing this work. Starting with the Draft Resolution before you. With the speeches of other comrades who follow in this first plenary session.

Beginning with your own deliberations that each of you brings to the debates in the four sections, without doubt relaying the work of the various regional organisations and sectors of the Party regarding this Conference.

We shall deepen still further our definition of the subjective and objective factors surrounding and conditioning our organisational work and activity among the working people.

We shall assess further the aggregate of our available forces and energies.

We shall develop our discussion around three principal objectives:

- The direction and orientation of the Party's activity among the working people, its political mobilisation, organisation and contribution to the strengthening of the workers' representative organisations, the conduct of the struggle for their interests and political, social, trade union and professional rights.

- The leadership and organisational measures that, with a proper management of our forces, needed for strengthening and renewal of communist workers' organisations, to afford more cohesion, opportunity and strength to our activity among working people.

- The lines for implementing and checking of the Conference Resolution, and in particular the link between the great electoral battle of 1995 and the steps already taken, and those we still wish to take in this important and decisive front-line of the Party's work.

Comrades,

With conviction, with confidence, with the strength of this great party, let us organise better to be better able to act, to act in defence of the workers, the Portuguese people and Portugal.

Viva the National Conference!
Viva the Portuguese Communist Party!