A DETERMINED national lead in the fight against union-bashing plans came from 1,100 delegates at last Saturday's 'defend our unions. conference Manchester.
"This conference cheers me up', said Sandersons strike delegate Phil Gilliatt in words that summed up the feelings delegates. 'It's rare to see so many trade unionists together, standing 4p and saying "something's wrong' Declaration Delegates voted overwhelmingly for what amounted to a 'declaration of war' on the Tory government's programme of anti-union laws. is the first against Thatcher to be issued in the labour movement since the election, and much needed unholy combination of grovelling and wind that most of the TUC General Council since.
In particular delegates called for a programme of action: against talks against cuts and closures.
Thatcher's for a 35-hour week.
committee Most backed a Code O THOSE betrayed The workplaces and campaign around This action political problems were not really conference. the given Speakers silence, has come Roneo Vickers (Kirby), omist bookshop, Post, Dunlop with the Tories, for union democracy, policies and productivity deals, and They called for support for a united lobby of the TUC on 5 September, for a Right to Work March to reach Blackpool on that day, and for united action with the Liaison Committee for the Defence of struggle important all, they of Practice for disputes which defends the basic trade union principles the General Council Callaghan the Concordat and is now in the process of betraying again to Thatcher.
decisions, and especially the Code, are a good tool organisations, to In ine months ahead. But in doing so, a number of will arise which at the brought delegates the experience and lessons of a number of key disputes, including Sandersons, the Econthe Nottingham and Birmid them struggles for the basis right of trade union recognition.
As Phil Gilliatt pointed out, in all too many cases our 12-million strong trade union movement cannot even win recognition. In the course of the •half year Sandersons the longest running current dispute in the country - he often found that 'It's hard to get past the in-built resistance who've been organised for years and don't need to fight for it.
Speakers agreed that, in the face of successive defeats and demoralisation, it was necessary to reaffirm principles of militant unionism. 'If you fight you can win, if you don't fight you cannot', said A.Todd from Dunlop Speke, whose detailed account of the fight against closure at the Merseyside tyre plant was heard attentively by delegates.
Picketing "Given effective picketing blacking win; without effective trade union support we will lose', said Marcus Ravel from the Economist bookshop.
Bakers Union delegate Albert Derbyshire summed up the mood of many when he claimed to have the letters MA after his name. It doesn't stand for Master of Arts, it stands for Militant and Argumentative. what you've got to be. If you're not you're lost.
Ken King (Leyland Longbridge joint shop stewards committee) went *It's no good us putting up all the fight in the world when people like Duffy can stab us with the stroke of a We must get at the leadership. We asked for the Tory government when we didn't get at the Labour right (Birmid Qualcast, Smettiwick) stressed the need review the Labour policies that paved the way for the Tories. 'If in the course of the struggle we topple the Thatcher government, we should be prepared for that and organise so that the next government represents just social democrats but the workers of this country To the biggest applause for any peake so far he attacked Chapple/Gormley/Callaghat against political strikes. "The trade unions are not just to defend the economic interests but all the interests of the working class in this country.' Sadie district committee) detailed the effect of Newton-le-Willows had a population of 22,000; after through 20,000 and now they're trying to close ine railway stanon • She youth left without don't organise the unemployed no those bugger's going to help us — we must get down organise Right to Work march.
confrontation, trade are doing. In St Helens a rank and file delegate committee atives from branches, workplaces and and That's to real the line Sarey School can help, (Newton NUPE You're employed the community. us.' closures, it had fallen o,ta jobs lost to Applause pointed out the impact on Vishnu a future. If we the release to the dole queues •and the unemployed for the election meeting.
We should prepare for the coming just as the employers with representAvlar Joul, Birmid Quakast, Smethwick.
Desai (National Union of Students) reinforced the point. 'It won't take long to form an army of scabs from the unemployed; they're pissed off with having nO 'Only the trade union movement by banning overtime and fighting for a shorter working week.
the generallon of the Unless you organise alongside us, you will lose as well as The biggest applause came for Sharma of the Indian Workers Association (Southall), who appealed to delegates for support for of the 342 arrested at Southall in the police riot during the protest against the National Front He called on delegates to get their organisations to protest to the Home veterary agalst te cover-up over the murder of Blair Peach - 'We all know he was murdered by the police'.