New Tory threat to union rights JUSI MAKE SPEECHES! ORGANISE TO FIGHT BACK

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exacted by force by Viking raiders) you'll Labour Party, compulsory strike ballots, and drastic interJeremy Corbyn MP; Reg Race, Joy Hurcombe (Labour CND)*; Val Dunn (Manchester Labour councillor)*; Andrea Campbell (COHSE Group 81)*; Colin Talbot (POEU Broad Left)* * In a personal capacity Workshop discussions , coupled with the showing of videos, will cover a wide range of topics and current struggles, and enable everyone present to contribute in debate on policies for' CRECHE FACILITIES WILL BE AVAILABLE ALL DAY These premises are proterted br Firth Derihon: they fought and they won!

September 17, 10.30am-5pm University of London Union* Malet Street, WC1 *ow to 12= Tortes Platform and workshop speakers include: the way forward.

Workshop topics include:

the Shop Stewards' movement; Privatisation, Fighting the Cuts; Women in the labour movement; YTS;

and Black workers.

Open to deiegates and observers from all labour movement bodies.

Credentials (including discussion papers) £2.50 (employed), £1.50 (unemployed).

Pleasc send me details/credentials for the September 17 conference. I enclose £ ...

Name . .

Address Send to Socialist Organiser, 28, Middle Lane, London N8. (Please mark the envelope 'September 17 Conference'.

340N "ONCE YOU have coughed up the Dane"

ference in union elections.

Not only because their inept performance in the first two rounds makes Tebbit ten foot tall and a fourth and even a fifth round almost inevitable.

But because their own reinforcement of many of the ideas contained in the Chingford skinhead's latest blackmail demand have sapped the ability of militants to get the answers and alternatives across and organise a reál contest.

It's a struggle to argue against fetters on strike action when our leaders themselves have spent the last decade drumming into us that strikes are an essentially evil phenomenon, that workers should cross picket lines (Jim Callaghan) or that strikers are 'animals' (Frank Chapple).

It's difficult to argue that we need more and more successful strikes when we see the General Secretary of the TUC with the full support of the General Council making no bones about an attempt to break an official stoppage with 100% support and get NGA workers to return to work with f17 less than they eventually pocketed through never get rid of the Chapple It's difficult to convince members against strike ballots when as recently as 1979 the TUC Concordat with the Labour Party championed strike ballots.

It is difficult to rouse opposition to secret postal ballots when in thè late '70's nearly 100 Labour MPs including Prime Minister Harold Wilson were urging them.

JOHN HARRIS It's tough, isn't it, arguing for the necessity of continued union links with the LabourParty and a strong political levy when you look at the way the last three Labour governments tried to weaken the unions through legislation, incomes policy and unemployment.

Tougher still when you see Kinnock calling for more witch-hunts, and Hattersley for the reversal of Labour's recent democratic changes. And the Labour Coordinating Committee bad mouthing Benn, Scargill, Livingstone and anybody else who is trying to give an honest lead.

And, by God, it's an uphill task defending unions' internal democracy when you think of some of the stitch-ups. Worst of all is arguing for resistance to the Tory laws when the members point out what happened to those who took their chances and the support they got from the top brass.

Examples

ASLEF, Geraghty and the NGA are only the most obvious examples And when you see secret meetings organised to stitch up, the Labour Party leadership by those who had just voted to suspend our brothers and sisters in the NGA from membership of the movement without consultation with their members and who were soon to vote for talks with Tebbit, the man they told us was beyond the pale, again without consultation, it makes th Norman Tebł any honest trade unionist wi to throw up - and give up.

But we have to keep struggling and keep on arguir There is no alternative.

The Tebbit laws combin with the remorseless upwa drift in unemployment, t gathering privatisation a decentralisation of bargaini band wagon and the employe offensive in the workplar will cripple our unions and ! us back a century unless a figl back is launched and soon.

It would be wrong to minimi the immense difficulties face in organising such a star The tide is running against t unions. The Socialist Organi: 'Fight the Tories' conference September 17 will hower provide an opportunity discuss the problems and t possibilities. But it is fairly ck that we •have to argue alo three main lines.

Stop Len Murray. The must boycott all talks with Tories and pull their unions of bodies like the NEDC and MSC.

Don't talk, organise. A grot ing of unions such as t IGWU, NUPD, NUM and t NGA, whilst breaking from t right on the disengageme issue, could organise to supp any union or individual thre ened by the laws.

Break with the past. Any oppr ition to Tebbit has to be answ ed not by defence of what exi now but by argument as to wl we need. The present struct of the unions (as well as Tebt is a barrier to the working cla We need new democracy, D policies and new leaders.

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Health workers, water workers: Tories had no complaint when their struggles were braked decisively or called off without any Weneed 12%] Weneen 12: JOHN HARRIS

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The trade union leaders might well ruminate on this old round roying as Tebbit comes smoking from his corner for a third

Stop TUC talks with Tories! Boycott the YTS, MSC and NEDC! WARNING

group 4 JOHN HARRIS

Labour move CONFERENCE September • 17

CAN HAPPY FASTER FROM THE LADST Called by

ignoring him. Danegeld (tribute