Not that the general strike showed any great superiority in the Australian trade union bureaucrats over their counterparts here and their complicity in the Labour Government's attacks on public spending. Indeed, up to a Australian Council of Trade Unions, Bob Hawke, was stringently opposed to strike action. He preferred to cook More importantly, Hawke had rising anger within the labour move'Opportunities missed' was the verdict of one delegate emerging from the Institute or workers contror conterence neta cu Keele University on 3-4 July. The same could be said of the year which had elapsed since the last conference.
The last WC conference had passed a resolution including a call for a recall conference in the winter to organise the fight against unemployment. The WC National Council failed to carry this Lecision our us veer me Done of inaction was carried still further: no resouton was even debated!
The IC is in an excellent position to begin to consistently organise against the right-wing leadership of the labour movement. It embraces people with many differing political views - from reformist to revolutionary - and could democratically debate the way forward and organise on the basis of that debate broad forces in action against the policies of the Labour Government.
i nas already taken parter steD. along this road through the WC Cars conference, and through supporting the took place, involving on four separate occasions over 100,000 workers. It was this fighting experience which two weeks ago led the ACTU to vote by 25-5 for the general strike.
No doubt Hawke will attempt once more to diffuse the situation after last Monday's magnificent success by returning to his policy of cabinet room diplomacy. But the fighting solidarity displayed so far by the camparn for comome committees ou or Course anorso easy to oreanse against the policies of the Labour Govern ment when a member of that Govern ment, Tony Benn, speaks from /WC platforms opposing such a position! Or when Labour MPs who support the /WC, such as Brian Sedgemore, are not sure weirer or not they should vote against social service cuts to the tune of The National Council must discuss support to the lobbies of the Labour Party Conference and the lobby of the TUC against cuts and unemployment. It should immediately seek discussions with the London Co-op Political Committee and the No. 8 Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions with a view to campaigning for the recall of the National Assembly to organise strike action against the cuts and open up the way forward for the systematic organisation of a class struggle oppositzon witnur ne woour movement Australian working class will make any secret deal difficult to sell.
For us in Britain the lesson is clear. Next time Murray or Jones shake their heads and say that nothing can be done to stop government cuts in public spending, remem ber that the Australian labour movement has shown just exactly what can be cone Tom Marlowe