Conterence report

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THE LONG shadow of Norman Tebbit and his battery of anti union legislation loomed over the trade union conference in Birmingham on April 3 called by Socialist Organiser and The theme of the conference was 'Democratise the Labour Movement', And it was clear that the fight for a new, principled, accountable leadership is central to the fight against anti-union legislation, which TUC bureaucrats have shown As witch-bunted NUR Executive member lan Williams "I'm going to the TUC Special Conference on Monday.

But I can tell you now that they're as ready to fight to the Tebbit Bill as the Royal Navy was to defeat the Argentine The conference unanimously endorsed the appeal from the Mobilising Committee in Defence of Trade Union Rights for a fight to secure one-day strike action against Tebbit and the breaking of all union links with the Tories.

But at the same time speakers recognised that the task is bigger than simply the single issue of fighting Tebbit. The labour movement as a whole must be shaken up, remoulded and mobilised on a mass basis to confront this government and to cast off the treacherous caste of bureaucrats who As steel union militant and rebel Labour councillor Ray "We need a vibrant, pulsating trade union movement.

The only way to the socialist transformation of society is through democratising the labour movement"

The same concerns were voiced by witch-hunted prospective Labour candidate Peter Tatchell in a vigorous speech And the conference as a whole responded to this problem ussion on the trade unions and Labour democracy and the But any discussion of the labour movement in 1982 must also take account of the four million wotkers largely exclud. ed from its ranks by unemployment. The conference heard Bobby Owens of Liverpool's 6/612 TGWU branch describe the struggle there to recruit and organise the unemployed into the unions and to establish adequate services and rights for them - and a workshop on organising the unemployed was conducted by Mick Jarmaine, secretary of the Unempl The prominent role of women, as often the most militant group of workers in struggle against the Tories, was underlined by platform speakers on the Barking teachers' strike [Louise O'Connor], the fight to save St Mary's Hospital (Rita Maxim], and the NHS pay struggle [Anna Lunts], as well as a report-back by Women's Fightback secretary Rachel Lever from the successful women's trade union conference held the previous week by Fightback.

Among the additions to the platform for union democracy were a number of demands specifically geared to the need to drAW women actively into the life of the unions.

The conference concluded by approving a proposal that the organising committee remain in being and continue to invite sponsorships, to act as an organising force in the struggle for the policies adopted. A collection raised £180.

London Labour Briefing.

themselves ready to accept.

pointed out from the platform:

invasion of the Falkland Islands!"

becomes law presently stand at its head.

Davies put it, reprinted on this page.

building of Broad Lefts. oyed Workers' Movement.

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with the adoption of a strengthened and amended platform for trade union democracy, and with lively workshop dise-