to finally kill off the Grunwick strike. conference, reports.
Grantham was summing up | not allow on inc ocoac which had Docu creting leadership from the carefully prepared Minister nt Sporon start conference.
Dennis Howell, giving the Presidentini Address set the scene. "It is a pity, he said, "that so often the far left in politics do General Secretary, Roy Grantham, made this clear when he told the Union's annual conference in Eastbourne last week that unless ACAS recommends in favour of union recognition within four or five weeks, then the strike would have to be called off. JONATHAN SILBERMAN, who attended the these (reason aid 000d sense) 10 assert themselves but wish to pursue confrontation politics. "This approach does great damage to the movement. The voice of reason is easily drowned by the chanting of mass produced slogans. And I the almost inevitable violence which such occasions produo not only stoke the fires of extremisin but drives away moderate people.
This Union, above all otbers, has cause to understand these truths, Grunwick. Here a dispute with thou as horn rabled and Lion has been tarnisbed first, by those qualities and the collective wisdom of the elected leadership of this Union..* DEBATE Ine debale on Uluswik was introduced by Vice-President. Les Smith He justified the suspensions of the He delended we have seen cutting off services an illegal act in the to conunit one noW.
Kamlesh Gandhi Howell and Co. question of the the Union's officers of the Strike Conunittee for the hunger strike outside the TUC which, be described, as 'wholly counter-productive' Jibe TUCs Failure to lead a campaigo for He said that to attempt to do so was both 'impractical and illegal"
past, he said, and it would be incerrec Committee Chair, replied to *It's not a strikers not accepting the discipline and collective widsons of the union leaders' be said, "It's a question of the leaders not supporting Lions. the actions of the strikers!' Delegates Kamlesh Gandhi speaking in the Grunwick debate at APEX conference. Dennis Howell in the chair.
Conference was not totally convinced by the leadership's position. It gave newly elected big applause when be said that [be road of excessive rehance on legal form and procedure his meant flure betle EC L mobilise the full strength of the union and the union movement at large"
SENTIMENT But this sentiment was not expressed in votes. Conference overwhelmingly supported the section of the Executive report dealing with Grunwick and voted out the critical resolucould see last six months the Strike Committee has generally endorsed the Executive's objective of winning the strike through ACAS. The APEX leaders were able to use this to their advantage.
Tbe conference ensure that continuation of this strategy ELLIES strike is now demonstrably hopeless.
Unless the Strike Committee is prepared to rebuild the mass picketing against the wishes of strike is dooned. This is the strike is doomed.
Saturday's conference affairs, and a strongly worded statement that "racialist expres Many member incompatible with membership of the association.
While fascist activity within the unions should be opposed this formulation suggests that racist ideas in the nnion can be toughi by bureaucratical exclading them.
The tensions that exist in the union will most likely emerge in tbe debates on the rule book, bo which many proposals seem to the growing right wing in the Through Red Collar, the first steps towards an organised left wing in been taken. Red Collar can avoid the vehicie developing an analysis of the ASIMS and brand of Heft jendership.
EXTENSION It must also fight for thorough-going extension rank and file control of the Red Collar No 2 is now ouf and svailable from EDA Books, 34 Cowley - price Fringe meetings at conference Nazi League public meeting on Sal 13 May and a Red Colli meeting on Senday 14 May.
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 11 May 1978 page 5
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same fate as previous rank and Becomings i netide tor