Transport and General Workers Union, has a rule book allowing the most flagrant breaches of democratic procedure by its officials. No rule exists for disciplinary action to be taken against a branch, district or regional officer who violates election rules or rigs union ballots. There is no procedure for dealing with queries or complaints from branches on ballots.
T&GWU members in Oxford discovered this to their cost in the last elections tor regional and nationa positions, when right-wingers were elected with very evident discrepancies in the ballot returns. The leadership of the local region made sure that no investigation took place An Isolated case? Har trom it Election procedures are the first rung by which the bureaucrats consolidate their hold in the unions. Ana in a period when they are presiding over Talling living standards and mass un employment, they have brought in a battery of additional entrench their positions.
Having long since abandoned any struggle against the capitalist crisis, the reformist leaders have to prevent any struggle breaking out in the ranks of Elections are the place to begin.
Unlike the T&GWU, the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers does at least allow candidates to circulate election addresses. But what chance have Broad Lett and revolu tionary candidates got in a "secret postal Danor waich is preccaca by d carefully orchestrated witch-hunt in the mass media? the Bureaucrats Way Postal ballots strengthen the right wing by taking the decision away from the workplace, where it can be discussed collectively, and opening up union menDers pressures capitalists. By voting in mass meetings by show of hands after candidates were put on the spot about what they stood for, greater control would be exercised over officials and avenues to manipulation and corruption cut off Not surprisingly, no union follows this procedure.
Having manoeuvred themselves into positions where they can pose as "spokesmen' for the union (for almost invariably it is men) any rank-and-file opposition must be gagged. ine lead ership of National Union of Teachers, for example, is now going to incredible lengths to stop its membership from even discussing certain subjects!
In June this year, NUT General Secretary Fred Jarvis declared: *The executive has ..... decided to recommend that where local Association Officers consider it necessary, after consulting Hamilton House [NUT headquarters], that a motion submitted for the consideration of an Association meeting is out of order, agenda."
wnat unis meant mn pracuce wa shown in Birmingham, where the officers of one local association ruled out of order any debate on the policy on class sizes adopted by the union's annual conference in 1969. Clearly any such discussion would prove embarrassing to the NUT leadership, which has failed to organise any acno! around this policy of no classes over 30), although it would ensure that there was not a single student teacher unemployed this September.
The NUT bureaucrats are not alone in such manoeuvres. they could justifiably argue that they were only following the lead given by the TUC with its now notorious new Rule 14'. This prevents local trades councils from supporting any policy or organi sation which contradicts Labour Party or TUC policy ..... meaning any org anisation taking action against the cuts and unemployment.
6 Workers Democracy Red Weekly