HYPOCRITES THE TORIES are doing everything they can to discredit the unions.
Tory minister Geoffrey Howe led off with the charge that the unions have been responsible for causing the economic crisis. Trade unionists live in a dream world', he says.
The Tory press followed on with news of an outbreak of industrial sanity'. Leyland worker Mike Savage became a ruling class hero overnight when he refused to strike without a vote.
Then Panorama added its own exposure on Monday of how deals are worked out behind the scenes at the TUC, and dragged out right-wing union leader Frank Chapple to confirm Tory accusations that the unions are unrepresentative.
The picture they paint is of ordinary workers being manipulated by a faceless, undemocratic union machine. What hypocrisy!
Geoffrey Howe never complained when the TUC General Council endorsed Callaghan's incomes policy. Nor when it imposed the 12 month rule without the agreement Congress.
The Tory press never reported the working winning arguments.
the suspicion concerns.
of Mitfor SKIN TIGHT scores of engineering factories which did vote to strike, or interviewed any of the 1¾ million workers who came out. And Frank Chapple was not questioned on Panorama about how democratically his union is run.
The overwhelming support the engineers' strike received on Monday and Tuesday shows that for all the people has not punctured. But the best way to ensure that militancy remains is through involving the membership.
When shop stewards refuse to call mass meetings and take strike votes they play into Tory hands. The only way to win support for action is by When union bureaucrats manoeuvre to prevent a real debate on differences at the TUC they deepen of rank and members that it does not reflect their Trade union democracy is not a luxury. Without it there can be no genuine unity. One way to fight the Tories is to fight for democracy in the labour movement, for rank-and-file control over all decisions.
Saturday sent a message to the Trade Union Congress. It said: "Unite, don't fight!
the Congress has done. have shown lots of unity in words but there's still no sign of unity in action against the Tories.
There was unity in speeches, in resolutions demning the Tories' policies of cuts and increased unemployment; in government's union rights.
fight, the TUC decided to go on chatting with government ministers.
that the unions should stop THE DAILY MIRROR last fighting page workers' union.
Well, that is exactly what They They debated fiery be curbed. conresolutions rejecting the 'unity'. attacks on But instead of launching a There had been proposals unity are talking to the Tories, and start avoiding action.
them. These came from the Bakers' Union and from UCATT, the building should have been the and adopted. The unions have nothing to gain by negotiating with James Prior on how far union rights should But Len Murray got these withdrawn from the agenda in the name of It does not surprise us that ers' the Daily Mirror calls for this. It is after all merely echoing Jim Callaghan, the man that this pro-Labour newspaper is defending against the party's left wing. Callaghan's calls for also aimed at have different message of advice: Unity, yes; but only for action.
Don't be put off fighting for a socialist response from unions and the Labour Party by the smokescreen of a false unity.
And above all start building action now to defend basic rights.
*Throw the full support of the trade union movement behind the engineering workstrikes for a decent minimum wage.
*Build for the demonstration in defence of abortion rights on 28 October.
*And make the test of those leaders who call for unity what they are doing in action.
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BLACKPOOL 7 The he to don't
On a sombre Sunday THE WOMEN BLACK