democracy.
the membership.
*Fight for the right of an currents and organisations so Freely and democratically fight for their policies. No hans on members of sech organisations from bolding union - posts.
Trade union Laden showing an increasing appetite for banning left-wing organisations in their ranks. Only two WOTH SLUT at us annual conference tlie caecutive of the nand Revenue Staff Federaion said it would suspend any Remeter selling the let Revenue File With this, the leadership of the IRSF ACTE joining growing number of unions such as the electricians - who apply to such as blacks and vomen — who suffer specific of oppression cordinely need to organise to The Socialist Challenge trade union conference on 1 July is less than a month away. Such initiatives have a particular relevance in times like today when more and more attempts are being made to stifle union ELAINE JONES expluins just what policies are necessary to return the unions to where they belong — *For the election and right of recall of all officini. Elections to be carried out by workplace Terry the resident of the Engincenn mon and the darling of 1h right wing press, made it clear that he intends to cut AVEN The right of unise down members to choose, necessary sack official ensures that fricial leadership are answer able to their own members Burcaocrats argue that thi would make officials 'insocure and threaten their livelihood The point is that any who seet their post in the ution as a 'career" (with a seat in the House of Lords at the end?) in and (heir "security" first, and the AUEW loaders cast their votes for pay policy at 1977 TUC, to the homor of delegates. WHAT UNITED the 170 people who came to the by those who wage it through democratically elected strike commitioes responsible to mass meetings.
When the Icadership of APEX suspended members of the Grunwick strike committee For carrying out decisions of that strike committee: hunger strike outride the TUC they example of the leaderships overturn and ignore decisions of tbose in struggle. When workers go on strike il is their livelihood, their wages. their right to organise which is at stake, not that of trade unich bureaucrats. should have the right to decide how that struggle is conducted Officials should be servants of has already *Union backing for all pertance amber interes pursuance of Last year's Leyland and if makers" union example of the prioritics union the leaderships often show AUEW strikers wete attempt ing to win a legitimate increase in their Diving But the AUEW leadership came down on them like a loo of bricks to the extent that the CHES toolmakers with the sack from their unior putting ship offered for this action was that it wanted to defend the Social Contract situation and what insigbts can Contract that the iots offered a blatant way The whole Social Contract file decisions Therefore thei conference not their democratically action strike was a classic rejected by union's No indishin leadereffects on the lives and actasily benefitted have that right. and Whe dramatic fall in Eving standards in the life al the Social Contract represent. proved it did not — unions were not established to support this government policy.
Rather they were estahlished le six times back up their members lighting for heiter wages and condit*For the right of all members their contract concerning their pay. members.
ECLOTON
perjod of the has seco blatant ignoring of rank and The At the officialdom The Scanion cast the engineers" vote in favour of the 12 month rule.
But this was against both the decision of the AUEW, and against the wishes of the rest af the AUEW TUC delegation In the National Union of Miners a productivity deal was class judges the membership both in a ballot and at the onferene Bat the and ignored these decisions and introduced Jocal productivity schemes against the nationally arrived at decisions of th individual or group of NAME... individuals bas the right make such momentous deci ADDRESS... SoN, won callac damn only he dialogue with Big Flame and *Full-time officiuls to receive the avenge wage of those they Many union leaders such as Moss Evans of the TGWU receive a wape totalling five or that of their own meatbers. Thusa wage cut, or a creches rise in the price foodstuff is, for them, of little consequence compared to that rank and file Highly paid officials soon develop an interest in keeping their job, for the job's sake.
industry of industry where the 'servanes efficials themselves - Should provide get no more than theit "masters"
the union rank and file he alterference Ito unlor affairs by the courts.
Apain the whole Grunwick struggle shows the danger of Telying on courts run by upper The courts have increasingly which become a weapon used by employers net just to take away i you are interested m attending the conference, fillin this form and mail it to: SC Trade Union Conference, PO Box 50, London N1.
TRADE UNION. existing struggles. Any decision to take away the rights of those involved in struggle to decide when to carry on, or to call it off, is dangerous, bul leaving that decision to whats of court: is the most dangcrous of all 70 HITCHI allow Democracy in the unions ticans the full participation of workers. But worsen wotkerspften find it practically impossible to Tuly participate One of the reasons is tha they are usually saddled with the child rearing responsibility. One way greater partic pation of women can he assured is to STELES meetings lo which women and men — inembers can bring their children. *For a code of conduct within the unions so members can deal with activities organised through the walen such as acons taken Dune Tuscist fundumentally opposed to the very principles of trade unionism.
longer a collection of irrecon-