Unemployed campaign for union membership by C

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THE National Unemployed Workers Movement is launching a campaign for the unionisation of the unemployed, for the opening up of the unions to the unemployed and for rule changes to allow this or ambiguities in where they exist.

The TUC has siow to impl policy of union and recruiting clarify the the rules been very ment its i retaining he unemployed, and it is clear from the recent circular from Moss Evans to TGWU branches that some leading trade union bureaucrats are less than keen to implement the TUC policy The circular in question apparently claimed that the rules did not allow the récruitment of unemployed from the doles, and mentioned the North West region as breaking rules.

In this region it is policy to recruit the unemployed under rule 20, clause 18, which gives the regional committee the last word on new applications for membership.

Only one branch is actively recruiting the unemployed in practice-the 6/612 in Liverpool.

They have leafleted dole queues with specially printed recruitment forms supplied by War on Want.

Clearly, the fact that this region is isolated leaves it vulnerable to attempts by the National Officials to close down these activities.

Victory

Fortunately, in this case, a vigorous counter-campaign was able to put pressure on the lay members representing the region on the General Executive Committee, referring the GEC to its prev: is decision endorsing reger 6 policy on this issue.

To press home this victory it is essential that other regions receive resolufions demanding they adopt similar policies on recruitment. This will obviously have to be initiated largely by the employed membership, as there seem to be lew unemployed members of the TGWU in other regions.

However, unemployed groups affiliated to the NUWM can assist by finding out when the regional committees meet to discuss any resolutions calling for recruitment of unemployed, and mounting a lobby of the Ultimately of course, the rules must be clarified to make them explicitly allow for recruitment.

Closed

The GMWU apparently allows for retention of members made redundant but does not allow for recruitment of new members.

Thus in Liverpool the Tate and Lyle GMWU is still in existence but unable te receive new members. The Meccano branch, which only used to meet during working hours, never met again after the factory closed. Only a handful of people kept on paying subs.

But in the case of one leading woman shop steward it took nine months of repeatedly writing to the regional office before she received a new card when her old one ran out. She, along with other Meccano members were put into a miscellaneous branch which is non-functioning.

Movement

When she wrote to ask if the unemployed members in the miscellaneous branch could be transferred to the functioning Tate and Lyle branch, she was informed that there must be a resolution passed by the Tates branch.

The resolution was passed, but there is still no movement on the question.

by Chris Ersu Erswell

The National Unemployed Workers Movement needs information about similar problems in other branches up and down the country to help coordinate the isolated struggles over these issues.

It needs to know which branches have moved resolutions to regional/district committees in the past and in future so that we can monitor their progress and effort.

We need to know which unions have got rules revision conferences in the near future so that a campaign within the union can be mounted prior to it, and a lobby of the actual conference itself can be carried out.

Isolation

We also need to mount a campaign within unions, not only on the question of recruitment but also the representation of unemployed on leading committees (positive discrimination for the unemployed?) SO that they are not just lumped into non-functioning branches and forgotten about. We need unemployed branches and an unemployed trade group within the TGWU with the consequent rights to delegates to regional and national committees.

In this way the voice of the unemployed would be heard at all levels and would prevent isolation.

The National Unemployed Workers Movement is in the process of drawing up a programme of such demands within the union.

Centres

But the membership has also responded by putting in the ground work. for the People's March, supporting in more than a monetary way those workers fighting for their jobs and getting unemployed centres off the ground around the city — in Kirkby» Walton and Tuebrook.

Now they are estan lishing the county-wide centre in the old police station (in other words, clearing out all the old whisky bottles!).

Moves are afoot Merseyside to take th campaign forward. But there are still problems! For instance, those joining the TGWU for the first time are required to pay 50p SOCIALIST Organiser figh campaigning paper whic workers in the struggle for n To do so we need cons money. Socialist Organise!

have been established in mo.

Why not join with us asked to undertake to sel!

papers 'per week and contril per inonth (20p for unwager If there is no group in!

help us to build one?

To 'Get Organised" • writ 28 Middle Lane, London N& Name Address

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