[MARIE CAMPBELL of Oxford Trades forthcoming conference on…]

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MARIE CAMPBELL of Oxford Trades forthcoming conference on Ireland OVER THE last year the H Block hunger strike, the election of Bobby Sands and the subsequent deaths of ten hunger strikers have brought the question of Ireland to the forefront internationally and in Britain.

In many countries - for example, France, Spain, Portugal and the USA -there were big demonstrations in support of the hunger strikers. In Ireland itself, North and South, there was limited industrial action.

In Britain, where solidarity action could have pressurised an intransigent Tory government, there was little response from the organised labour movement. Even the left failed to organised around the issue.

If there had been a mass movement in this country in support of the hunger strikes, their defeat would have been impossible.

However for the first time in years Ireland has been discussed and the labour movement been forced to reexamine its policy.

This year's annual conference of trades councils in June passed a resolution which called for the ending of bipartisan policy on Ireland, for a commitment to withdrawal of troops and for restoration of political status. It was passed by a substantial majority despite the opposition of Len Murray and the platform.

This was an important development as it meant that Ireland was now a legitimate subject for debate in the trade union movement and that trades councils could no longer be witchhunted and disaffiliated for holding conferences on Ireland.

It was in the wake of this decision that Oxford Trades Council and Oxfordshire County Association ..of Trades Councils agreed to organised a labour movement conference on Ireland.

Concerted

In the meanwhile the TUC annual conference overturned the policy passed by the annual conference of Trades Councils and the trade union block vote at the Labour Party Conference ensured that no positive policies were passed on Ireland. This was allowed to happen because ther has been no concerted campaign to change the policy of individual national unions on Ireland.

The purpose of the Oxford Conference is to continue the debate on Ireland in the trade union and labour movement and to open up the discussion at John a rank and file level so that a basis can be laid for a movement within the unions for troops out and a united Ireland.

The conference is on Saturday December 12th