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'o turned ciass I into a fine nown as 'Mr l' by cartoons viewed with empt by those from amongst ratic riff-raff he was most iated. every day of the ke in May 1926 | it out. Though I efforts were ful, many railb were victimult of the defeat He itself.

levels lowing generaast era of the ray, jobs were hy secure, but diminished. irailways were in 1947, psed it, least of capitalists who herous compensame genernot shown to cers.

My part of 1955 leaders were by their memndustrial action lad accepted a increase. Later ASLEF came onal strike, the by any union heral Strike.

Abe s intructed had been in WILLIAM BOOTH looks at the history of the rail unions NUR and ASLEF 1924 — to work normally by their leaders. This induced feelings of bitterness which have by no means disappeared at the present day.

As a result of the attitude of their leaders many NUR members left their union and joined ASLEF, helping to maintain divisions that also persist.

It was in the 1960s that decades of moderation and collaboration by leaders of the NUR allowed the massive run down of the railways by ex-ICt buss Beeching, virtually without a fight. The industry lost a large proportion of its network, and the unions tens of thousands of their members.

The powerful commercial interests behind the road lobby had matters entirely their own way in part at least because of the weak and ineffective leadership of the NUR. This is nowadays admitted evey by most of the current leadership. as is indicated in the second volume of Bagwell's official history of the union (p. 134).

In the early '70s, as many readers will remember, there was a partial fight back by the unions and a restoration of some of the wages and conditions that had been lost. The NUR leaders, like their predecessors have become involved in productivity negotiations which attack the conditions of their members.

The Tories at the moment are more determined than any of their predecessors to reduce investment in the public sector in order to come to the aid of various private interests. In this situation it has been ASLEF meinhers who have been in the forefront to defend working conditions in their campaign against 'flexible rostering.

However, history shows clearly that NUR members cannot be held back permanently by the 'moderation' of their leaders. The batile on which they now seem likely to embark will undoubtedly have at least as much significance as that of 1911, 1919 and the They can help not only to defend wages and jobs but also to force back the Tory attacks on the railway industry.

Once again the rail unions are entering a struggle of great political significance divided amongst themselves. Militants in ASLEF often argue that they need to maintain a separate union not because they are 'superior' to NUR members but because they can more easily secure industrial action in the present setup.

Surely now is the time to think whether such attitudes can persist, when it is necessary to challenge the right wing leaders throughout all the unions.

it ary rate, unity of al sections of railway workers and of the trade union movement as a whole will be essential for the success of the impending battle.