Which Way Is Icc Heading?
Socialist Organiser1981 1981-08-06Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 6 →
Read from the scan by machine and not corrected: expect misread words, and now and then a caption or a line from a neighbouring story. For anything you quote, read the scan.
Scan page 6
John FOLLOWING its 1000strong trade union conference on July 18th, the Labour Coordinating Committee now plans to organise a meeting of 'representatives of Broad Lefts' in the autumn.
"The LCC, and the Labour Left, are saying that it is now the time to intervene in the trade unions", declared Peter Hain at the conference.
The still-open question, however, is what allies the LCC will seek in the unions. Will it be the leftish bureaucrats or would-be bureaucrats who often occupy the top positions in Broad Lefts, or rank and file militants?
At the July 18th conference, there was a strong commitment to support disputes like Laurence Scotts and Lee Jeans. If the LCC is to continue that approach, then the meeting of representatives' should be quickly 'ollowed by an Ken Gill - obstructing the fight open conference for all members of Broad Lefts and rank and file groups.
But at the LCC's AGM last December, a proposal for just such a conference (from Stephen Corbishley of Socialist Organiser) was defeated. The leading people in the LCC wanted to organise a trade union conference in their own way and at their own chosen time.
The July 18th conference depended on sponsorship from people like TASS general secretary Ken Gill:.. who is currently obstructing the fight to win reinstatement for Mike Cooley.
Cooley, a former president of TASS, has been sacked by Lucas Aerospace at Willesden. The TASS Lucas National Negotiating Committee called for several sections on strong sites to be brought out on strike.
Executive The TASS Executive rejected this call and instead asked Cooley's 40 TASS colleagues at Willesden to strike on their own. When Willesden, predictably, failed to strike, the Executive then declared that they had done all they could, but the members wouldn't fight!
At the LCC conference, TASS militant Mike the Terry Duffys and Ken by MARTIN TIMMINS Gills, or you're Mike Cooleys"
Dromey Chairperson Jack Dromey just said it was 'unfortunate that Terry Duffy and Ken Gill were bracketed together" • It's unfortunate indeed that left-wing officials should act like rightwingers when faced by a real struggle. But socialists who are serious about organising in the unions have no option but to side with the workers in struggle - and to fight for a leadership accountable to and based on the rank and file.
ANTED
----- pull-quotes -----
Young said: "You have to decide. You're either with