Gerry Russell, and John Tocher, the candidate of the Broad Left, and a divisional organiser in the Manchester area.
of the Duffy leadership of the union, the election is not just of importance to Tocher's campaign is winning wide support.
view of the chief issues in the election, about recent developments in the union, about the situation in the aftermath of the miners' Tocher in the election. It does not support all his views expressed here.
IRST you've got to loo t the role of the AUEV Thereabouts nine year be thereabouts TUC, in the Confed, and in the Labour Party. The HONOOGOT progress. It has stood for comprothise, apathy.
We've seen the biggest decline in engineering and the biggest engineering hasn't been heard from whiffling and whaffling about the need for the return of a Labour government. And that's very given the momentous problems.
On of question boys and girls leaving school - wey ve not uttered a word; the leadership's failed to de fend traditional apprenticeships and have instead gone along with "training standards' On question of technology, one of the biggest issues where we should be concentrating on the need for a shorter working life and a shorter working year and working week, again not a dickyOn the question of Jobs, not a fighting approach anywhere not even prepared to defend their members, or assist Lier members as they go into struggle.
On the question of shopfloor there's even been collusion with the employers on issues such as Derek Robinson's dismissal, which was the Lesals of on e the establishment on the metile of the AUEW.
And on the question of wages, they • have not tempted to defend our members' living dards. They have not genuinely campaigned for improvement. wonders back to 1974 when there was a kerfuffle regard to the shorter Nons The member con week ana conat tions.
DICKLOUS. it was dissipated by the inleadership their negotiations with the The other important issue is the changes that they've brought about which the constitution have undermined membership's involvement in ine union and so weakened the union's ability to act on behalf of the members.
fact, the whole stance of the union has been wrong. our THIS WEEK, balloting starts for the election of president of the AUEW. The three main contenders current executive council member, Bill Jordan, a divisional organiser in the Midlands and a vice-chairperson of Mainstream, Given the importance of the AUEW and the record AUEW members.
JOHN TOCHER gave JON SILBERMAN his and more generally Socialist Action is calling for a vote for John members put forward an it's diluted. The members are told 'it's impossible, its ridiculous; we cạn't achieve that' they're making excuses before they've even presented the thing to the employers.
And 1 suspect now that there's a form of informal discussion taking place that nobody knows about, where there's understare whole dings' reached with the employers.
With the Conservative government's approach to disciplining the unions they have neither the moral courage not the desire to fight back They take the view that if we compromise, we'll get through greener pasture. But once they've compromised, back again with another dollop of legislation. So they're obliged to compromise again, they will continue to comDUDSC WILl recognise the structure of the AUEW. The whole concept of the union is in jeopardy, and will remain so until there's a radical change in leadership.
Rules At the recent rules revision meeting the executive was permitted to present a solicitor who explained to vou need change rules to accomodate the law' rules were changed Quite frankly, we're committed to oppose that anti-trade union law and the attemp to keep within it will lead ,to greater problems in the future. Where there's justice, our members will irrespective of the law take action. national officers of this don't have the power to outlaw such action.
But executive council in taking the stance that trepidation ore cany of the they have caused the OTTERS when they're dealing with as to whether or not they'll get the official the SUDDONI They're continually look ing over their shoulders We've reached a stage now where shop stewards can't act in confidence that their union will support them This also applies to the question of acce int. COVeTHCOL ballots. The stance of the ultra-right on the executive — and it was 6-4, the vote for the deuculalt funds that they're prepared to have a split with Ine TUC over this issue. we know that some elements winn ine meeting in the ot the Mainstream organisation with the EETPU the Nottinghamshire scab miners' beakaway know that some of them have had discussions with the SDP. They're taking a very tough line with the TUC.
This is the amazing they re with these people: they' very tough with other trade unions, they're very tough with their own members. but if thev mee! an angry employer can't see them for dust!
members accept situation where our union suspended the TUC. ll s golng to rebound on them, especially in the light of the politica levy ballot. The member'ship did not vote to stary affiliated to the Labour Party to then be suspended from the TUC and so lose the Labour Party affiliation.
There's also a genuine suspicion of members towards state intervention into the internal affairs of the Conser val ego en mentions million to fight on behalf of their members against the employer.
They want postal ballots because members will be at their home when they vote - they won't be voting at a branch their workplace; it gives an opportunity the newspapers to push and shove for rightwing candidates.
The stance of the executive on this question right-wing loaded national they sured the executive. Bu they didn't go on to the next stage of saying 'right, we're censuring you, anc shall donate the money that you've already received to the NUM, and you shall not participate in any further acceptance' What national committee Geriner have another ballot put 'both the membership!
Now what is the other side? There six men who sit execuave that voted way Lue ee use The best of friends: Robert Maxwell and Terry Duffy at Labour Party Conference executive, almost the entire national committer the TUC and the rest of the labour movement now these are not two equal sides. There's bloody side that should be put to the membership.
The national committee also decided, against executive council's tion, to affiliate to CND. That was marvellous.
But there again, the vote to affiliate was marred by the subsequent decision to continue with the previous policy of multiateral disarmament. when the general secretary received letter John Tocher, Broad Left candidate for AUEW President Trade Union CND congratulating him on the decision of the union to af atrocious letter back from male - he the general secretary, putting forward his own per sonal views. The general secretary should not be do ing this he's the scribe of executive council, he is not unecader On these other questions I think that there will be further opposition to the executive becaus they have adopted ridiculous stance and are general out of touch with the membership. think also that the outcome of the miners' strike will have an effect. Miners Many of our members don't live in, nor have they ing communises Yet they still recognise that the miners' struggle was a very principled one, where they for their JUDS their their communities and their in. dustry. And they were really fighting on behalf of us all. And as more anc more is coming out about the miners, more and more people beginning realise the correctness the miners the Orgreave trial for instance; the viciousness of the Coal Board, supported the miners their ledaelsniD That's going to work its way through. Even peoindustry pie in the stee were convinced by Bill Sirs are now beginning lo rcallse Ilal dil tac prac tices they were encouraged to be involved 1r - accepting foreign coal to the steel plants running is for nought. On top of the 60 per cent cut in steel under MacGregor, they've Ravenscrat another dollop is at risk.
Their reward not 'you've been faithful servants, and so your jobs are guaranteed'. Their jobs are still in jeopardy.
So the has produced major shift. That's reflected Ron Todd's election. And hopefully, it will reflect in my election - especially in the light of the record of the AUEW executive during the miners' Not once throughout the entire strike did the exNo wire an artile tor the ecutive Scargill present thei case Instead the nuclea industry was given every prominence with chairmer or managing directors being invited to write in. And the donations made at national leve were disgrace 1 DI miners' strike has really shown ur the lack of leadership in the AUEW.