King unveils anti-union Bi
Socialist Organiser1983 1983-11-03Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 3 →
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BENEATH misleading headlines proclaiming variants of 'Bill to extend union democracy', the latest Tory anti-union proposals were published last Wednesday.
Naturally enough they are anything • but democratic. Though the Bill specifies the regular election by ballot (not necessarily a postal ballot) of union executive committees, the bulk of these are already composed of elected, lay members.
With few exceptions the hardened bureaucratic core of fulltime officials who actually run the unions _ and act as the best compromisers and collaborators the threats of sanctions from the capitalist courts at the behest of individual, disgruntled rightwingers.
The Bill insists that official strikes will only be granted their immunity from civil claims for damages if a ballot has been held not more than four weeks in advance.
The objective here is plainly to interrupt the movement of class solidarity which provides the most solid basis for stike action, and which rests most effectively on mass meeting votes.
Ironically, since unofficial strikes retain their immunity, the Bill actually offers an incentive to take unofficial action.
As the Observer's Robert Political Taylor also highlights an aspect of the Bill's insistence upon 10-yearly ballots on whether or not unions should maintain a poltical fund: participating in those ballots will be those who do not even now pay the political levy. He asks:
'Why should those who don't pay the political levy now have a say whether their union should have a political fund?' Though proposals to change the rules on individual 'contracting out' of the payment of the political levy have been left vague, the brunt of the Tory proposals will certainly be JOHN HARRIS Tom King felt by the Labour Party.
Even the SDP has condemned these provisions as political discrimination: but will TUC leaders already on their knees before Tom King, be able to mount any fight at all againt this nasty piece of legislation?
*National Conference of Rank and File Residential Social Workers, called by Nottinghamshire Branch Action Committee, Queen's Walk Community Centre, starting at 10.30 am on Friday 11 November. Contact Nottingham 810405 for details. NALGO PAY UP NOW!
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Socialist Organiser no.153 November 1983 Page
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Conference Nottingham Nov 11