NUR Special with British Rail on DOO. delegates voted against the resolution. ROSE KNIGHT repor DESPITE the clear vote delegates unhappy with the resolution, because it contained no reference to the reinstatement of the guards sacked during the dispute. Knapp covered for this by saying that the NEC were already abiding by the Rail Federation recommendation that no agreements would be reached until all those sacked had been reinstated The on the resolution revealed this was a cover-up. Stevenson, moving amendment that sacked guards should reinstated before negotiations on driver only operation took place This aimed to stop British Rail using them as hostages to force concessions on productivity in general.
Knapp wanted to use the sacked men as Hề bargaining counter the NEC will lose knows face doesn't Danse Tom old Dak Davies Common said, the resolu which was passer 'capitulated to the worst form of blackmail' Delegates also criticised the union's decision to use ballots before inJIMMY KNAPP got what he wanted out of the General Meeting called on September. The conference was called to decide the union's reaction to the 'no' vote in the ballot on industrial action to fight driver only operation (DOO).
Eighteen out of nineteen members of the union's NEC voted for the resolution put to conference instructing the union leadership to start negotiations Only 11 out of 77 ty of four.
that ballots with making democratic, but gave the accepted action, sacked for "had not before action, major framework British sacking suspending intimidating workers place. the fin ding sacked guards them Knapp Clearly what the ballot did do was stop the campaign for action to defend guards jobs before it really developed. Grade by grade balloting let British Rail pick off each grade one by It gives imwhich has plagued the rail maustry. mining collective proach. It backs false notion that it is up tr or the grade to which he or she belongs, to fight to de. fend jobs.
British Rail want an undertaking the to discuss negotiate freely on future productivity proposals before they will reinstate the sacked guards The NEC resolution didn't contain this concession -which would totally overturn policy. However, as many delegates realised, there is a danger that the NEC do this if reinstate ment is used by Britist as bargaining counter.
Delegates picked out the weakness of the resolution and yet by a big m jority still voted for it. N real alternative was put forward.
Today the priority is to campaign in the union and the labour movement for immediate reinstatement of the sacked guards. Rail Federation policy is non-cooperation with the im ple oration driver on operation until guards are reinstated campaign must start in the NUR to overturn resolu tion union to calling a ballo before industrial action.