conference in 1974. Sponsored of the Labour Government in 1974, the first conference of the Rank and File Committee in Birmingham attracted delegates from trade union bodies, including a significant representation from the industrial working class.
DISARRAY We were entering a situation in which thousands of votes would be cast far revolutionary policies and candidates in the trade unions, accompanied by a hig increase in the size of the whole revolutionary left. contrast, the Communist Party was to in disarray and its membership declining rapid rate.
The stage was thus set for Rank and File to start to dislodee the Communist Party from ils positions of power and influence in the trade movement. This would baVE signalled the end of the CP* traditional position as the only alternative to.
But instead we have seen a growing decline of the Rank and File movement.
The SWP leadership and its FICMONS have devoted plenty ot energy to building it. But the election of THE RANK AND FILE organisation held its first by the Socialist Workers Party, it promised to be one of the most serious oppositions to the policies of the Labour Government. Today its influence is at an all time low.
RAY BURNS argues that the comrades of the SWP should rediscuss their whole notion of rank and filism, and join the fight for broad based fighting left wings in ONE MONTH after the return the Labour Government and doweturn in misconceptions of the SWP.
SLAI proved to ne a disastrous combination for the new born The decline of the Rank and File movement should not be cause for pleasure on the far left. An important opportunity has been lost to draw hundreds of working class closer to revolutionary politics.
Nevertheless the facts must be squarely faced In the white collar unions, where Rank and File had won leading positions it lant ion among the ene basis bership. the decline is nost at a marked.
SPONSORED Rank and File has never really In the industrial unions union got off the ground alternative to the Broad Left.
This unfortunately applies all projects sponsored by the the revolutionary left in this arca good militants have left the Rank and File affiliated organisations in disgust, pro testing against the organisacertainly domination democracy in these bodies die not come out of the blue.
The organisations had developed in the struggles against the Tory Government. When a Later Government launched savage attacks on working class hiving standards in the 1975, rank and filism' could not deal with the new situation.
Rank and Alism bases itself quite correctly on the ciass collaborationist role political trade union bureaucracy: upon the need for building a movement independent of the CHULECT PROMOTING But, by definition, rank and filism understands this ques tion of independence primarily milstants in organisational terms movement of the rank and file Hence its primary stress is on promoting unofficial channels through which mihtants can communicate, supposedly outside the control of their leaders.
Ir does this at the expense of seeking to break the rank and file the through a fight to force che trade union leaders into united ACTICAL The Rank and File policy misunderstands which the bureaucracy main rains its hold.
based on more than bureacratic manoeuvres and suppression of union democracy, vital bough these are in protecting its privileges.
REFORMIST these What has been decisive ar holding back the working class in the face of the crisis and the attacks of Government has bureaucracy's pennes This question brought to dramatic successes of James Callaghan.
For a broad laver of militants has been convinced — al least until the next clection the only alternative to Labour But the mechanisas made the latter's class-collaborationism acceptable was tic and File ERDOUTSH sections of Britain's organised warking class. merely restrict themselves to demanding more wages and militant MULL achieve Inc central demand recent strike by the and pickets!
but also voted to support Such would have won NO APOLOGY DUTCLUCIA belpre. And word transitional here the way demands Its control is mic against the state. Is this massive negative.
occupation the Labour been the reformist any other alternative Thus has been the fore in by the employers tha: nood understood Socialist Challenge which the militant Alternative solutions abich
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