Teachers against the Bomb

Scan page 14

WHEN the National Union of Teachers paper prints the resolutions submitted for NUT Conference in its January 7 edition here are ukev to be nint disarmament motions, seven of them unilateralist.

Left groups in the NUT have agreed to support the Inner London motion when branches vote on Conference priorities.

There are weaknesses with this motion. It does not mention CND affiliation or withdrawal from NATO: Socialist Teachers Alliance members have given notice that they will be submitting an amendment to Conference.

But the worse problem is elsewhere. The NUT has already passed a unilateralist motion at last Easter' Conference (though narrowly rejecting affiliation to CND).

You could be forgiven for not knowing about it, for despite the vote and despite Rule 3 of the NUT Constitution ('Conference is the supreme authority of the Union'), the bureaucracy has declared it outside the aims and objects of the Union.

The disarmament motion was left our of the officially circulated list of resolutions passed by Conference, the President, Alf Budd, has issued a statement saying that the motion is inoperative, and the officers have backed this up with weightysounding legal advice.

This year, already the NUT solicitor has advised that the Inner London motion is outside NUT aims and should be ruled out of order in branch meetings. It seems certain that the President will rule it out of order at Conference and his decision will have to be challenged (as was done successfully last year).

It is even possible that the disarmament motions will not be printed for consideration.

The Rochdale association (NUT branches) called a conference on November 13 in Manchester, to discuss the twin issues of union democracy and defending Conference policy on disarmament.

The major role in this Conference was played by the Socialist Teachers' Alliance, which is the prin'Broad Left'. Unlike Broad Lefts in other unions this is actually a very narrow group of Communist Party members and mild reformists at Executive Committee and local officer level. In the past they have supported the leadership against the left, but now an alliance seems possible on the unilateralist issue.

In December a conference of 'Local Associations for Peace' met in London, called by the 'Broad Left'dominated Lewisham association, but with an organising committee and platform drawn from both groups.

Over 30 associations sent official delegates and in the afternoon session we discussed the practicalities of the tactical alliance on unilateral disarmament.

It is vital that socialist teachers attend their union meetings in the coming months, and particularly that they contest elections for Annual Conference delegates. • For details of the Socialist Teachers Alliance write to the membership secretary, Pete Flack, 11, Nook Street, Newfoundpool, Leicester.

Tony Gard by Lynne Gregory