Times a-changing

Scan page 3

In they those stamp Enhance FREEDOM of speech and comment is a subject close to the heart of the Times. They've been facing certain distribution difficulties due to being owned by the same Rupert Murdoch whose Sun newspaper has been carrying scurrilous attacks on skiving railway workers. an editonal last week fulminated against intolerant folk who on ideas they don't Divisional seats. d) All candidates for the Executive Council should set out a statement of their beliefs and circulate this to the voting membership in each Division and funds should be made available to them for this purpose.

e) The president to be elected for a fixed period. 1) Our national conference to be the main policy making body for the union.

These constitutional changes would be the start of making our union more accountable, and therefore more attractive to those of us who hunger for one eftective industrial trade union for iron and steel.

Weak, divided trade unions are a barrier to action against the Tories. Unless we get grass roots level demand to restructure and amalgamate our unions, then there will be no membership for our leaders to lead.

reforms we are Propos ing it implemented would bring about something of'a revolution in our union, and we believe that this revolution is necessary for the union to survive. With a rapidly declining membership and consequent unancial prod- mind munle lems, we need to revise our structure to meet the increasing demands being put on the strucim. la. dashinishin like. Including, apparently, High Court judges. Whoops!

In the next edition of the same day's paper the offending phrase about High Court judges had been deleted.

Freedom of comment, it seems, doesn't even apply to unfortunate Times leader writers. We await further denunciations from this defender of freedom of newspaper editors who stamp down on opinions they don't share.

The history of our "Men of Steel" makes many statements in its opening introduction on the suhiert of leadership. We think that these still have validity, but the status of leaders is enlarged if they are seen to be elected in as demncratic a way as possible and if their decisions are put into effect in as democratic a way as possible.

We believe that the democracy in our union can be improved along the lines we have suggested. The effect nf .... LAN VANT. this will be to enhance the feeling of solidarity in our union and incrasco tha mamharchin'. whe mem bership s affinity to the organisation by giving them greater status in the formation of the policy of the union. This will increase membership participation and sense of responsibility to the organisation.

An organisation distant from those whom it represents is a weak organisation and one which, ultimately, will cease to exist. I believe that our proposals will end sectionalism in the union and galvanise the membership.

We believe that they will enhance the status of the Executive Council and all fulltime officials by making them more accountable and representative. We believe that this will raise the status of the membership by making them the originators of policy in the union. in tha simit.