Socialist Organiser

The weekly of the fused Workers Socialist League, July 1981 to April 1984

Low-Pay Pinkos

Socialist Organiser no. 61, 12 November 1981 · scan p. 10 · about 711 words

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THE Campaign for NALGO. Affiliation to the Labour Party was set up around 1976, as a pressure group that came to life once a year around conference, and was dominated by the Militant Tendency. After one or two abortive attempts to get the issue of an affiliation ballot on the agenda, we carried it handsomely at 1981 conference.

Since then the campaign has really blossomed with large numbers of 'non-affiliated' people getting involved. There is no doubt we are an open, non-sectarian campaign - certainly in the London area. Anyone can join for a quid.

There is also FLAG -Fight for Labour Affiliation Group - which consists basically of NEC members and apparently sees itself as complementing and not competing with us.

Nationally, the aim is to raise several thousand pounds so that a whole series of relevant leaflets can be produced in the THE massive strike wave HF massive strike wave. which gave birth to the Solidarnose trade union movement had its immediate origins in wage demands: but the power and scope of the movement arose from the pent-up revolt of millions of Polish workers against state repression at the hands of the privileged run-up to the ballot. These would relate to individual services and to regions, if possible.

A really big national rally in London is proposed as the pinnnacle of the campaign. There is already one basic leaflet out, with a message from Michael Foot and a brief history of the Party. There seems to be a general consensus that we want to appeal to the membership on the broadest possible basis - not just to those with radical, left-wing policies. 'activists' at the Metro- The fact that even the politan District Council only agreed to support affiliation by a narrow 92-86 majority shows just how much work needs to be done clarifying the issues. We have to face opposition from the ultraleft as well as the right wing.

My own view is that we need to argue for the connections between trade unionism and political action to change society at the Polish all levels in a very basic way, not taking even the most minimal pro-socialist viewpoint for granted. THe idea that unions should keep out of politics and vice versa is very strongly rooted in NALGO.

The London area campaign is being run by an ad hoc steering committee, which is open to anyone who wants to take part. This is obviously not enough to carry out an active campaign in all the branches.

Campaign

We are calling a meeting for all CNALP supporters and sympathisers in the London Area on the 17th November, at 6.30 at County Hall to decide how much further we can push the campaign.

For further information contact Martin Cook (GLC/ ILEA liaison person) on 633 6364 or Bob Patten (london Con venor) on 633 8520.

RTIN John Liste continues THE feather-bedding pinkos and Guardian-reading trendies of the Low Pay Unit are at it again.

Mrs Joyce Smallman was perfectly content with her £14 for 54 hours until she was persuaded by interfering busybodies to ask for more.

Her employer did the only decent thing a small businessman can do in the circumstances-he sacked her (in the national interest!)

This would have been the end of the matter if the bureaucratic tentacles of the corporate state in the form of an industrial tribunal had not reared its ugly head.

This quango granted her a grossly inflationary £400 for unfair dismissal and £3,000 back pay, as well as issuing the provocative demand that such people should earn £53 a week as a minimum on the unrealistically flimsy grounds that the law requires it.

There is no prospect for a renewal of British industry and a defeat of inflation if these closet commies continue to make- such settlements to the hundreds of thousands of workers who have the honour of working at the base of the pay pyramid. Loving it DON'T believe all that rubbish about apartheid. Black workers really love it.

How do we know. Because we have the assurances of 70 anonymous Welsh choristers who have just completed a tour of South Africa-with the eager support of Lord Chalfont.

Another chorister insisted that: "The propaganda in Britain about apar-

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