TGWU leaders fail to push conference to right

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(BDC delegate from

The fact that the TGWU conference ended last Friday with few of its policies changed is no thanks to its leadership. They were clearly looking for a shift to the right in the post-election period - and are likely to push the Union that way despite conference decisions.

They were so determined to back Neil Kinnock that they introduced a conference procedure which effectively preven= ted a vote for any other candidate for the leadership position.

This was not surprising when it emerged that they wanted the conference to support the Labour Party NEC witch-hunting Register.

In the event the chair lost control of the agenda and the item was never put to conference. This leaves the register in the hands of the TGWU Executive, who have opposed it up until now.

Dangerous ambiguity emerged in the wages debate. Although the platform supported an unequivocal resolution supporting free collective bargaining, Moss Evans in his speech left room for support for a National Economic Assessment type of deal with a future Labour government. This was to have come up again in the debte on the Labour Party which was not taken.

On top of this the call for a statutory national minimum wage was pushed through. It was argued that this is "not an incomes policy by the back door" . Of course that is just what it is.

Possibly the debate carrying the most immediate implications for the political situation Britain was on Tebbit. resolution which whilst calling for the non-payment of fines THE decisions taken at the NUM conference last week have ensured that Cardowan colliery in Lanarkshire is in the front line of the fight to stop pit closures. It is expected that the men will take over the pit on August 16.

Alex Hogg, NUM delegate from Cardowan told Socialist CLASS FIGHTER under. Tory legislation made no mention of strike action or breaking off talks with the Tory government.

The motion from my branch stood in opposition to this. It called for strike action in support of anyone victimised under Tebbit' s laws and for breaking off talks with the Tories.

It was clearly the nub of the issue. In replying to me Moss Evans argued that support could not be given in advance since sometimes things are organised "provocateurs"; and although talks with the Tories had been a "dialogue of the deaf" we "should not end all talks"

Evans did say that in the event of the Tebbit laws being used against the union an emergency conference would be called to deal with it.

I said in reply that the time to organise for that was now, and that it meant having a perspective of direct action and an approach which would alert the members in preparation. My resolution was lost by about The debate on unemployment produced nothing capable of defending jobs or tackling Organiser that he believed that Cardowan had been singled out for closure for two reasons.

Because of the history of trade union militancy at the pit (at the last strike ballot 65% voted for a national strike) and because by closing Cardowan the .NCB would have moved on from opposed to ending talks with Tories unemployment levels. There was no challenge to the Executive decision to ban the recruitment of the unemployed into the union. Most of the debate focussed on a resolution correctly calling for complete withdrawal from YTS - which was defeated after appeals from the platform.

The reluctance of Evans and Co to break from class collaboration with the Tory government was matched by the motion moved by Communist Party member Danny Connors of Fords proposing workers' participation' and "industrial democracy" - two hoary old euphemisms for collaboration with management.

The general level of debate was lower than previous conferences. This seemed to be an accumulation of the election defeat, the rundown of industry, and the general. offensive against the trade union movement, which mean less new militants coming forward in the Open nationalism emerged in the debate on import controls (''Buy British" campaign) and in the debate on violence against Stewart McCann closing smaller pits to begin closing larger complexes.

The NCB have deliberately created conditions at Cardowan to "justify". closure. Investment has been deliberately denied (unlike most other pits, drillages and development at Cardowan are based on the pit's own revenue and not on area capital).

Mechanisation could dramat ically increase output and make the pit more viable. Mechanisation has been supplied to other pits but not to Cardowan.

They claim that the pit has no reserves, that there are geological difficulties massive financial losses.

But these reasons were given as an excuse to close the pit back in 1969. But there was a shortage of coking coal at the time so a few weeks later the NCB retracted these statements and said there were no geological difficulties, that there were massive reserves and that the pit had a great future!

Plainly they say whatever suits them at a given moment. In fact Cardowan has at least : 20 years of reserves.

When the announcement of the closure was made on 13 May the unions invoked a national review procedure and the committee meets on 16 August. But the NCB is moving towards closure without waiting for it.

Miners have been warned that bus crews (a very serious and difficult problem in the TGWU)

there were calls on Thatcher to implement her promises on law and order.

It was not all that way. The debate on women's rights brought out the contradictions.

With the best resolution ever on the agenda, the platform decided to override them with an executive statement by Marie Patterson.

Outraged women delegates (who were only a tiny minority of the conference despite the big women membership of the TGWU) successfully challenged this and the statement was rejected, requiring the motions to be debated.

The level of the debate was a disgrace. One delegate got loud applause when he said indignantly that women do play a role in the union "otherwise how would I be here with a clean shirt."

I was forced to intervene on the level of arguing that it actually is harder for women to become active in the unions than men. hat working class women actually are socially, economically and sexually oppressed and that that oppression goes right through society to a conference like this where every sexist remark - which come constantly from the floor of the conference and the piatform - are a form of intimidation.

The platform was by this point in disarray and recommended support for all the resolutions they previously wanted to avoid.

These included the establishment of a TGWU national women's advisory committee, reporting to the Executive and to the annual women's conference (see additional report on this, page 5).

The union's support for unilateral nuclear disarmament remained unchanged as did its support for NATO and the Alterif they don't accept redundancy now the same amount might not be available later. Men have been approached to transfer to other pits without union consultation. Vacancies at other pits have been allotted to Cardowan men. Private houses have been offered on special conditions in attempts to bribe the men to move.

Yet the Cardowan miners have remained solid. Only a few have gone against the union.

Support for Cardowan is spreading throughout the coalfields. Already miners in Polmaise colliery, in West Stirling, have been locked out for refusing to work with men transferred from Cardowan against union policy, despite attempts by the Scottish Area Executive to stop the action.

Polekemmit colliery (where most of the men from Cardowan are to be transferred) went on strike on Monday when the NCB asked for voluntary redundancies to make way for transfers from Cardowan.

Holidays Frantes colliery in Fife is expected to join the fight when they return from their annual holiday because of attempts to transfer Cardowan men there.

Cardowan and the other pits urgently need money to sustain the campaign and to prepare for after August 16.

Messages of support donations should be sent to: native Economic Strategy. The question of the protection of jobs lost through disarmament took a step forward with a dis- joined cussion on the new TGWU pamphlet "A Strategy for Arms Conversion"

The international section of raci st the agenda amounted to one item only - Poland. I moved a resolution which, whilst not adequate gave full support to ack Solidarity and refused recognition to the new state unions. It was carried overwhelmingly despite an intervention from A DEFENCE Committee has leading London Stalinist Ken een set up to defend Bika Fuller, saying that Solidarity ingh and Davinder Singh wh was a creation of the CIA. are facing criminal charges Very good resolutions on because they tried to defend Lebanon, South Africa, Central themselves when they were and South America and Argen- attacked by a group of 18-20 tina were not taken. white people in Benmore Ireland was the subject of Avenue, Highgate on 3 April Executive statement given by 1983. They were visiting relathe Secretary of "Region 11" tives at the time. which is Ireland. In addition to being attacked Although presented as by the racists, they were treat'non-sectarian" approach it ed disgracefully by the police was essentially pro-Loyalist. It officers who arrested them. argued for keeping British They were subjected to racial troops in the North, to "stabil- abuse by the officers who were ise" the existing status quo from Belgrave: Road Police and improve social conditions Station. At one stage, Davinder through the influence of the was punched in the face whilst trade union movement. in the police car.

A delegate from Liverpool When they got to the police who courageously opposed the station, Davinder collapsed from statement and called for troops the injuries that he had susout, a united Ireland and self- tained in the racial attack and determination was barracked was taken to the hospital by the throughout his speech. police.

On Friday morning, with the Bikar was kept over night in agenda in disarray, a series of the police cells and refused food Executive-supported resolu- when he requested it. tions were pushed through Biker was kept over night in en bloc without presentation, the police cells and refused food discussion or debate. when he requested it. During These included such major the time they were in. police items as the NHS and privatis- custody, they were not allowed ation. to contact a solicitor.

Many other important issues, The Defence Committee was such as gay rights lon the formed and has the support of agenda for the first time as far many local organisations. as I can remember) were Recently, the Birmingham referred back to the executive. NALGO branch has decided to support its work.

Davinder and Bikar are due to appear in court on August 15 (Birmingham Magistrates Court, Corporation Street).

There will be a picket of this hearing from 9 am onwards. In addition, the Committee is organising public meetings in J. McCaferty, Secretary, Nation- Smethwick Handsworth (12 August). August) and al Union of Mineworkers, Donations from individuals Cardowan Branch, Cardowan and organisations are desperteRoad, Glasgow.

ly needed since we have little The Newham 8 - Asian BRADEN!

ouths aged between 15 anc FREL THE 1 — face charges of conspiracy as well as threaten. POLICE CONSPIRACY ing behaviour and actual bodily harm.

They were arrested on September 24 1982 after an incident with plain-clothes police officers. In the previous week there had been NO CONSPIRACY OLICE CONSPIRACY three maior racist attacks on Asian schoolchildren at Little Ilford School, in Newham, and an incident where 60 or 70 white youth with iron bars and sticks went on the rampage in East Ham and Manor Park.

Send invitations for speakers, or resolutions of support, to Newham 8 Defence Campaign, c/o PO Box 273, London E7 9JN.

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WHY should the left in the Labour Party support Eric Heffer as a candidate for leader of the Labour Party? .

There are six clear and comopposed the witch-hunt in the. Labour Party around his voting record on this issue on the NEC is exemplary:

In addition to these positive reasons for supporting Eric