Educating shop stewards

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JOHN Mollroy documented the rise and fall of the shop stewards movement in Socialist Organiser (September 8). But he failed to stress the gain made by the shop stewards over the past twenty years.

Mollroy ignored the great strides forward made by union education.

He also ignored the fact that the traditional parameters of collective bargaining have been extended.

Let's look at the facts. Since 1974, we have seen £80 million or so expended on trade union education.

185,000 shöp stewards have attended courses. To date there are about 300 tutors working in education and thousands of day schools have been organised in the last few years.

Gains have been made in developing. collective agreements to increase health and safety facilities, new technology agreements, etc. The important. work of the Lucas Aerospace Joint Shop Stewards Combine's "Corporate Plan" has generated a revolution in the thinking of the traditional trade unionists view of his or her role.

An added social and political awareness has brought many trade unionists to the view that a company-wide, industry-wide and National Plan is needed that can fit social and technological skills to the production of socially useful goods.

The GLC Enterprise Board and the Economic Policy Group have invested millions of pounds in helping workers draw up their own plans. It has equipped a number of workforces with the money and equipment to demonstrate practically that there is an alternative to the market.

Yet Mellroy misses out these very important developments in his supplement.

I know from my own experience in the North West; that shop stewards and tutors have fought together to challenge institutionalised sexism in the unions. Let me quote an important example of this.

A local official of a white collar union was continually bragging about the "number of women he had had" etc., etc. This was discussed by tutor and stewards, who then confronted him about his behaviour.

Finally he gave a solemn commitment that "he recognised his behaviour was oppressive towards women and he would try to transform his attitudes" • So gains can" be made!

But this is only because a number of politically aware and confident cadres have developed among the tutors who are willing and able to challenge the more disfigured and obscurantist people in the official union machinery.

Whether it is on the missiles issue; gay rights; redundancy and closures or what have you, the North West has been a forcing ground for the growth of a very important nucleus of socialist tutors who are able to take up practical issues both within the labour movement and with employers.

Yours fraternally, DAVID BARNETT Send letters to Socialist Organiser, 28 Middle Lane, London N8. No longer than 400 words please: longer letters are liable to be cut.