Labour workplace branches meet

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This Saturday, 28th, at Camden Town Hall, Londor there is a national 'seminar' on Labour Party. work place branches. It follows a conference on the sam John Ledgerton reports on that conference, whic brought together experiences of organising for social ist politics in diverse workplaces - factories, pos SOCIALIST MID EAST WAR PAGE 3 forward my personal, long-held unease at Britain's membership.

I am not one of those who say you cannot have a non-nuclear policy whilst remaining a member of NATO. It is perfectly possible to remain with a conventional arms policy. Canada does, and there is fast-growing support for a nuclear-free zone in Europe. ions, but it's based on fear rather than on expansionism.

Secondly, it could well be that the debate about NATO and the Warsaw Pact will become academic, because there Tas been a growing alienation of the satellite states of both the United States and the Soviet Union from the domination of their leaders. increase the danger of war, and cause confrontation. They also increase the possibility of accident, since there is no clear line of responsibility.

We have always depended, as a nation, too much on the United States and latterly on Reagan, who would use us cynically for his own ends. THIS conference was organised by a small co-ordinating committee consisting of Paul Cosgrove, Alan Kelly. Lol Duffy and John Ledgerton, representing three workplace branches - the GPO, Cammell Lairds and Dista.

The' aim of the conference was to bring together workplace branches from all over Merseyside and anybody interested in forming a branch, for an exchange of ideas and to explain the role of the industrial branch within the Tony Mulhearn, in opening the meeting, explained why there is a need for workplace branches, and how he saw their future. He also read out an apology for absence from Cammell Lairds workplace branch secretary Lol Duffy, who was attending a Combine Committee Shop Stewards meeting (Shipbuilding).

Geoff Dickson gave an informative and very entertaining speech on what was happening in London workplace branches, the problems he'd encountered and how he'd overcome them.

He recalled how their personnel director was an active member of the Tory Party and did not take kindly to the branch using the name of the company.

Geoff explained the need to liaise nationally and is in fact compiling a directory of workplace branches with a view to a national conference in January.

He said his branch had been very successful in recruiting members, finding that people were more ready to join the Labour Party if they knew somebody a friend or a workmate - who was already a member:

This was one area where the workplace branches could help the local ward parties.

Mary Greenslade, treasurer of the Dista branch, spoke next on finance and fund-raising, and said how helpful the Coop Bank had been. Her speech had its humourous moments as she explained how at the inaugural meeting of the Dista branch. they had difficulty finding a venue and ended up in the changing room of Speke Rugby Club the fastest inaugural meeting on record!

The meeting also heard how newsletters could play a useful role in reaching the shop floor. Dista's first issue had been 12 pages.

Terry Fields spoke on the broader issues of the problems facing the working class under capitalism. He called for the democratisation of the Labour Party and the trade unions and emphasised that the Labour Party in its present form could not help the working class unless the full implementation of Clause 4 was taken up by the Labour How could the party be trying to help the working class on the one hand when, with the other hand it was pandering to the monitalists.

pri' NGA!

Terry went on to say th the creation of workplai branches was an important str in taking politics to the she floor, a move that can only l applauded He finished by reading a pre statement he had prepared callir for a 24-hour general strike support of the NGA which tr conference endorsed.

The speakers then took turi in answering the many questio from the floor. The consensi was that the creation of wori place branches was the sing most important happening in th labour movement for many year and it is up to party activis to promute the idea in every fa tory and office throughout th country.

NAB NEWHAM& A""HE SWP PAGE,

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theme in Liverpool last November. offices, shipyards...