8 points of surrender

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The anti-union legislation being driven through Parliament by Tory hatchet-man Norman Tebbit ment of the fight to establish 100% trade union appears less draconian in content than the 1971 membership - just what Tebbit wants to achieve. picketing and blacking illegal: but all of the evidence Industrial Relations Act. But it could be a bigger threat, since it relies upon the TUC leaders them- And in the event even tentative suggestions of existing closed shops against Tebbit's plan for impos- And no proposals are spelled out for the defence of and file workforce to sell-out struggles on pay, jobs of General Secretaries ganging up against the rank of recent "close working between Unions" has been selves to police their membership - and because half-hour lunchtime "strikes" against the law were these leaders themselves show every sign that they defeated by the General Council. The "8-point 3) "Affiliated unions shall observe Congress Socialists of course support inter-union solidThe Bill proposes to open up trade union fúnds plan" to be put to a conference of union Executives policy and not seek or accept public funds for union arity and the spreading of strikes: but the fundaat Wembley Conference Centre on April 5 contains ballots under the 1980 Employment Act ballot to claims for damages from employers hit by indus- no call for action of any description. The TUC's arity of union officials for the struggles conducted mentai problem in achieving this is to win the solidnamed 'Employment Act' of 1980, Tebbit's Bill And, as a follow-on to Prior's laughably mis- ment to conduct a campaign among their own 1) "Affiliated unions should affirm their commit- would happen to a right wing union which did accept funds - as appears to be the case now with -The TUC is deliberately vague about what by their members on the shop floor. There is no reason to believe this would be greater after Tebbit's further tightens the straightjacket on the unions' members to highlight the dangers in the Employ- the actors' union Equity. Will they be expelled from 5) Empowering the General Council, on receipt *Outlawing 'political' strikes and making it easier *New moves to break up the closed shop and and perhaps a few leaflets: even badges, posters and -In other words a few circular letters to branches methods of workers' democracy - shows of hands at leaders raise not a voice in defiance of the traditional mass meetings - in opposition to the Tory strategy the TUC? But, possibly more important, the TUC support of the union in difficulties, including, if of a request from a union faced by legal action, to: '7) coordinate action by other affiliated unions in for employers to victimise militants and groups of 2) "Affiliated unions shall not hold or partici- of balloting individual members by post - in the necessary, calling for industrial action against the Spate in secret ballots on union membership agree*Decisive steps to undermine trade union demo- ments under conditions laid down in the Employ- 4) A call for "closer working between Unions" in ii) to provide financial assistance to a union result of damaging actions, francial problems as e disputes. "The further aim, wherever possible, In addition a benevolent fund is set up to benefit unionisation drive and fight to establish closed shops -But will affiliated unions press a determined should be to coordinate and concert negotiations -But this whole, militant-sounding proposa in the traditional way in defiance of the Tebbit plan? -This poses as a challenge to the moves by becomes law! This is not so much a fight against relates to unions under attack after Tebbit's Bill The TUC formula amounts in fact to an abandon- Tebbit and Prior to render 'secondary' strikes, Tebbit but dishing out aspirins for the wounded 6) Financial assistance for unions faced with legal action for pursuing existing TUC Disputes -Once again conceding that Tebbit's Bill will be put on the statute books, and that the main beneficiaries of the TUC's 'action' programme will be the 7) "No trade union member of an industrial tribunal or the Employment Appeal Tribunal should serve on cases arising from the application of a union membership agreement or arrangement. " -In plain English this means that union bureauKOR OUTH - JOBS FOR ALL crats will continue to sit on Industrial Tribunals and La whole panoply of collaborationist bodies with management and government representatives right up to the NEDC level - while the bosses sharpen the 8) A financial levy of 10p per member on all affiliated unions to set up a 'Campaign and Defence -This is to pay the armies of lawyers who will take over negotiations and to finance a stream of ineffectual leaflets and posters justifying the TUC's Yet this bankrupt package of surrender is being vaunted by 'left' bureaucrats as a recipe for struggle No challenge has been mounted by the Communist Party - whose front organisation the Liaison Committee for the Defence of Trade Unions is calling a conference on Tebbit on March 27.

Recognising that the bureaucracy are firmly set against strike action to stop Tebbit, the LCDTU has not so much as whispered its usual demand - for a Nor has such a demand yet been taken up in a determined way by groups to the left of the CP. As time ticks by, the need for action becomes increasIt is for this reason that we have spelled out below the policies which must be taken at once into every union branch, Labour Party and labour movement organisation in the fight to defeat Tebbit.

i HAKERS Jull 1972: mass action against Heath's lan' plans. It took three whole months for the TUC leaders to draw up policies for action to oppose the legislation.

Wing regular ballots. and conditions.

funds scheme. proposals are:

Bill becomes law than it is now. ment Bill.

stickers, but no action.

employer concerned, or more widely. isolation of their own homes. ment Bill."

and industrial action."

after the fight has been lost.

Principles and Procedures.

legal profession pocketing fat fees. knife for use against the shop floor.

Fund'.

inaction.

against Thatcher!

lation.

Immediately we must argue for a one day general strike - or a series of such strikes - to mobilise and galvanise the rank and file, one-day token strike. so that the labour movement demonstrates to itself that it still has a lot of strength to deploy. ingly urgent. Trade union branches, shop stewards' committees and Labour Parties must raise a crescendo of demands that the labour There is no time to lose. movement does what Tony Benn has called on it to do: break off collaboration with the government and all the state agencies.

Use Parliament to agitate