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Distribution and PRESS REACTION to the killing of Aldo Moro, the Many movement railways. The spreading racial hatred.
action do Ine grown a taste thece unions can be exolained as part of the spread of raciam example, the Thatcher speoch) and as a consequence of the particular situation on railways.
The specific problem on the the general decline of the Industry since the last war. Staff levels have been slashed and we have o a vast scale. The respons f the trade union leadership • inadequate: during the Beeshan nOW period many of the cuts were accepted with token opposition and more concern for good redundancy benefits!
COLLAPSE This has led to a collapse in morale and general feelings of the relative position of railway workers has declined drastic ally compared industries (such and The railway industry bas a highly centralised bargaining system which institutionalises sectionalism, and a history of paternalistic management in volving strict discipline and a rigid grade hierarchy. Thanks to this, and the mentally u gives rise to, a strong left force has never really taken root on the railways.
Perhaps the one exception was the period between 1916 and 1919.
NUR was forefront of- the syndicalist movement. that time, there have beer Strong structural militating against the left: the militancy is durin prosperity, Since 1926 the rai unions have been constantly on the defensive, despite a minor surge of prosperity after the FAILURE The lack of a strong socialist tradition has been aggravated because Labour governments have presided over some of the higgest cuts on the railways.
The chronic failures of British Rail have been seen not as a resuit of the subordination of nationalised monopoly capital, but as falure of nationalisation itself.
people active in the whether vationa Railwaymen, Transport Salaried Staff Association, National Front now has Railwaymen's Association, with the aim of fighting the left in the unions, in addition to their usual role o How are we to view these developments, and what take combat The elect has been general disillusionment with and socialism GOLDEN AGE the The organisations lett - the the beneficiaries.
had closures been other DE).
Then the newly militant situation Since hunting those periods of mythical hatred of the blacks and given programme.
handful of the present JALUSELS industry and Union of escablishes railways.
an NE industry, better them?
Labour general. probicin JULILLI Communist Parly. signalhox:
and so on — have not beer the have done provides a happy ground for the National Front, particularly in areas where there has big Influx of black labour. The NF can hark hack "golden uge nationalisation, the ACTIVE betrayal of the railways by Labour, and mix that with a "agitators' in the unions. For the previous very analysis, its a very attractive expelling At the moment the National From is weak on tbe railways: its presence is confined to activists in tbe southeast and a couple of ather areas. However, racist ideas are very prevalent. With - abus side step the issue of Uaf the fascism. the country Front could action easily expand. If a vigorous racism, we will have ourselves to blame if the NF itself the COROLLARY The corollary of this is to resent a positive programes HE CAERISOIE DEED wages and and unity. To leave the issue truths. fighting racism alone would be looking only at the effects, and such a not the cause, of the present fight against racism, THEIR S and all this entails, must begin would at the depot, station, yard, anc W'C need by challenge racist ideas not let them go by default las we al at one time another). The branch room is struggle, and we should underestimate We sorencen 01 racist feeling among even some The union leaderships must such also take a more active stance - paper resolutions achieve ILLIC And simply fascists the unions won't get us very far: it could even create a noose for own. necksl The media could seize on it as an instance of trade union 'tyranny" versus human rights dike the recent Sunday Express article did and - and Even We need a broadly based group for railway workers opposed to racism and issue is racism. As yer fascist ideas as such bave no influctice aonest railway workers and the Front's only support is through its racism While we should expose the Frons incessantly • Nazi organisation and show that' where racism can lead to, it is more important to challenge the racist assumptions that many people accept as natural The impetus for forming group - it might be called "Rail Against Racism' will inevitably come from the However. it be folly to lims Socialst Challenge reader Rad secretary of the Bolton branch of the NUR [personal capacity!
ourselves left pressure group. A much wide orientation COCCUCU sporsorship from union leaderships would be essential 1c win credibility among broad sections.
What would be the role of body? The important activity could be of propagandist nature: pro dacing leaflets, pamphlets an posters directed al railwa workers. Speakers could be provided for branches and District Councils (Liese could also affiliate) and articles and others could be sent to TSA Journal' "Trausport Review"
*Locomotive Journal". BR'S magazine *Rall could be tried. (Last for in eid remainent Association)
The interests of workers and copal is are inconcilable detator hips thes serain in Lalin Anctice diate wilherawal of Britsh Troops tra tur thr ereritnis of the capicalia state.
ThE MEN IP TIE OVERRE
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or ASIEF, the train drivers union, are expressing increasing concern at the spread of racist ideas on the
generally, railway trade unio
and letting the Troll people deezin se their th wines here she mraalia sto