the Spur Bookshelf

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pamphlets that you should read ANYONE who saw the TV serial of Howard Spring's novel Fame is the Spur may be surprised to find it recomended in Socialist Bookshelf, but although I did not see all parts of the serial, 1 felt that they left out a lot of the important parts or else interpreted them wrongly.

It is a remarkable book ich shows how the Party sprang from ry of the working tarts before the moving affragette aut of rent DOn-a that they are 'in it for the good of all" and not for self glorification. After all, none of get promotion from being trade union militants Labour Party activists.

But I often looked at a trade union official and muttered fame is the spur and thought how rapidly "career" aspirations colour their judgement of what the membership really needs as well as their interpretation of democracy.

This book was my first lesson in the role of the bureaucracy • Evolved My understanding has obviously evolved over. the last sixteen years since l first read the book, especiv as the last eleven of have been spent as an rade unionist around " politics. initial tion of my mistrust of all bureaucrats has been one of the most valuable lessons I have had in left wing politics. It is a book I would recommend to all, not just to those who are starting to think about politics like l was sixteen years ago.

Re-read

But having recently re-read the book I would also urge those with a lot of experience and a foundation in Marxist theory 1o read this book which has a lot of insight into the problems which still face the Labour Party and the trade unions with their bureaucracies and which is very eniovable reading. Ramser MrDonald yet to come but your General Council member lives for the minute.

As far as O'Fishall was concerned it would be business as usual: rhetoric about hard won rights and Tatt Vale, pleading with Thatcher for consultation, beer and sandwiches and an attempt to show the membership that someEning was being done by calling lor acuon In such e way as to illustrate practically what the General Council had stated all along: the members were to blame-there was no fight on the shop floor.

The TUC determined on a Day of Action set for May 14, 1980 and a march in London on March 9. Two points are vital to recall: the one day action was to be an isolated incident, it was in no way integrated into, still less the starting point for an ongoing campaign of action.

There was, for example, no instruction to boycott industrial tribunals, directive not to participate in closed ballots.

Moreover, in the absence uf a Special Congress of Executives the general Council simply asked affil¡ales lo respond to their strike resolution" • Ken Gill's view of Len Murray's muddle and confusion was that "Len Murray has been much cleverer than any General Secretary since 1926. I'm prepared to congratulate Len Murray."

Many unions opposed action or left it to the members. A one day stoppage is always difficult to organise, particularly a protest with no dynamic concrete demands. Why lose a day's pay in action which is likely to achieve little?

Given the way the union leaders had in the previous months stood by through the steel strike, organised scabbing at the Isle Grain, battered union organisation at Leyland and accepted cuts and growing unemployment there was scepticism even amongst militants.

Many ordinary workers were determined to go in, and where unions such as the EETPU were supporting this, it was difficult in multi-union situations to stop an escalation.

In these circumstances the response on May • 14 was mixed. Over a million workers came out and around a quarter of those demonstrated. There was a able to argue that the left were out of touch with the membership. The Ken Gills were able to argue "We tried. Mure action now would be adventurism"

Living with Tebbit The General Council will have more difficulty living with Tebbit than with Prior and have already called a conference of the Executive. May 14 shows us what we are up against but that if there is a coordinated lead from above it can be built on at the bottom.

We must fight for the TUC to organise strike action as part of a campaign to boycott and uproot the whole Prior-Tebbit edifice. Moss Evans is talking about 'half hours of action'. This will have all the disadvantages we have outlined in looking at. May 14. There is no alternative to instructions to strike from the top of the movement.

A series of one day sioppages against the Bill would help build the momentum of an antiTebbit campaign. That is what we should fight for.

CAROL HOBBS

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Socialist Organiser, Thursday March 4, 198