NUR sheds

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LAST week's recall Special Delegate Meeting of the NUR did the decent thing. Delegates defeated a resolution that "this SDM, in view of the evidence that the General Secretary has always acted in the best interests of the union, calls for him to reconsider his resignation* • Thus Weighell was effectively given the boot, but only by 41 votes to 36. Even though the issue [Weighell blatantly breaking his mandate in casting the union vote at Labour Party conference] was a straightforward one of democracy and accountability, obviously the right recognised what many on the left still fai to see, that this was a political issue and the loss of Weighell would be a serious blow to the right's credibility.

• In the end at least enough delegates who had been voting with the right wing [the division on most issues had been 47-30J had either been mandated or recognised that Weighell had gone too far this time.

But you can't keep a good man down. Weighell bounced back after being made to sit in a back room during discussion of his resignation to convince delegates to vote for the McCarthy Tribunal's recommendations of 4% on pay prior to massive productivity strings with an increase of one day on annual leave. Weighell continued the good work for which Parker and Tebbit had praised him when he ¡unnounced his resignation, claiming that the ASLEF strike on flexible rostering and the two-day NUR strike had "blasted aside the NUR's case for a substantial increase."

The productivity strings mean a massive extension of single manning on trains and the eventual loss of 12,000 jobs through the abolition of guards and a cut of 20,000 miles in the network as well as a union commitment to cooperate "to further improve productivity"

As the McCarthy Tribunal report points out: "without union cooperation it would not have been possible to cut the labour force over the last 30 years by almost 70% without a similar reduction in services" and • that • rail workers' pay has fallen by about 30% since 1975 both in real terms and in relation to wage rates in general.

The "common approach" which Weighell has championed on behalf of the BRB has been a disaster for rail workers.

On its second day the SDM decided on what action to take against the 12,500 members who scabbed on the NUR strike in June.

Branch officers who disobeyed the strike call are to be banned from oftice for life, and others will be considered out of benefit for five years - they will not be by Kevin Feintuck failure in bringing out other sections of the council workforce in support of the caretakers could be a telling factor in the dispute.

Messages of support to NUPE, Bro. E. Hollywell, 28 Sydenham House, Liverpool 17.

GMWU, Bro. P. Leonard, Otterspool Special School, Milehead Road, Liverpool