Lacking a national perspective, however. these struggles have remained isolated and have generally defeat. While supporting initiatives of this kind, June key lask al present 1s to spearhead the tight tor the right to work inside the labour movement as a whole . in the trade union and Labour Party branches - demanding that the leadership challenge head-on the government's policies.
Ine problems ot individual groups of workers - trom teachers to dockers -can no longer be solved in isolation. nev must act as the springboard for hammering out in the labour movement a national programme to sateguard jobs which the present government, elected by working people, must be called upon to implement in the interests of working people.
The proposals submitted by the TUC Demands so far are totally inadequate. such as 'import controls' - or 'tightening immigration quotas' - are not only unable to stop dole queues rising but are extremely dangerous. Instead of uniting the workforce in a common fight for the right to work, they can lead to inner divisions by suggesting that it Is 'immigrants' who are to blame tor the high jobless total. Such a position, al a lime wnen unemployment looks like Workers protesting Denis Healey's massive social expenditure cuts that will result in mass unemplovment.
becoming a permanent reature or ine tanascape, clearly opens up ine door to the racist demagogy of figures such as Enoch Powell.
Instead of splitting workers, the TUC must be called upon to champion the right to work of all workers - not only those facing redundancies but also the thousands already on the dole counterposing to government policies those in the interests of labour.
The recently held National Assembly on Unemployment, sponsored by forty Labour MPs and collecting together at least 3000 delegates from trade unior and Labour Party branches, a sioniticant tirst sted in inis direciion. The coming together of the biggest conrerence on unemployment sinceline 'thirties clearly reflects the growing understabding among ever-wider layACTION ers of the need for a national struggle against government policies.
While conference showed confusion over the demands to raise - calls for 'selective import controls' jockying those for more 'nationalisation! - it at least holds within it the tirst serious challenge to the TUC's meek submission to government policies. promising beginning to develop into a really effective campaign - capable of mobilising thousands in action - two things are required:
FIRST; that the call for a one-day strike on May 26th not be allowed to become a mere 'token' protest but be the beginning of an ongoing campaign inside the labour movement to demanc the present leaders fight in the interests of their members. replace them with those who will.
Calling for an emercencv Labour Party conference as the aim of such ive way of challenging head-on the •r-calcis volcies or ine cabour leaders and calling them to account. SECOND:
That the campaian should clarify its objectives in working out a clear labour solution to the unemployment crisis. Import controls and curbing the export of capital are not only inadequate but divisive. What is needed is a programme which can unite the employed and the unemployed •doint struggle around ine tollowing demands.
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"The key task at present is to spearhead the fight for the right to work inside the labour movement as a whole" Campaign