IN 1983 the Post Office Engineering Union now amalgamated with the Civil and Public Servants Association's Post and Telegraphs Group to form the NCU, elected an Executive Council with majority Broad Lett control. years that the union had been wrested from the hold of the right wing. certain to fall back into the control of the right.
left's 1983 victory likely reversal of that success.
The rise in the Broad Left's fortunes in the NCU began in a significant way in 1978. An expansion what was then Post Office Telecommunications led to a large influx of young workers into the industry ana une avelage age NCU members is still under 30.
At the same time advances in new technology fuelled campaign for shorter hours. This campaign was led by the most organised and militant sections of the union the central London branches — and broke out into industrial action.
The strategy used by the union was to target selective areas - the bank of England, Stock ExClange, CLC. — WIlcl Were sensitive to disruptive acLULI carried out by only small numbers of engineers. This tactic proved extremely effective, City interests were soon clamouring for the Government to concede.
Nevertheless the union's right-wing dominated NEC settled TOT GaLV what it's members were demanding Ludl costs of the shorter hours agreement would be born by increased productivity.
This deal was a big set back to the unions rightIt was the first time in 40 Three years later the NCU looks Socialist Action looks at the background to the — and at the events leading to the wing leaders credibility, The Broad Left gained from the sense OI combativity this victory in the 35 hour week campaign generated in the rank and file. It increased the Broad Left's stature as an alterBryan Seta of the ther general secretary POEU, made his famous statement in support management assurances that 'there is no plan to cut jobs'. But before long statements emerged from that between 45,000 and 100,000 jobs would have to go.
(nce again the fight against de-nationalisation, jobs which it posed, was branches. Industrial action was launched against Mercury the company set up to undercut BT's monopoly by members impatient with ue execuuve s follow up the one day protest strike against privatisation in October 1982.
On CICL of this wave of industrial action Broad Left candidates formed the majority those elected to at the POEU's Jung 1983 Adopting the 'selective' strategy that had proved so successful in the 35 hour week camHealey and Golding paign, the new executive and eltecivenesthor the and effectiveness of unions acuon against denationalisation. But things had changed since 1978!
Management responded to the selective actions with suspensions and mass lockouts the Illcald tional exchanges action strategy.
One of the component parts of this strategy selective action was payment of average take home pay lo members discipin ed by BT for their part in the action. BT bussed in telecom workers from all over the country suspended anyone who refused to cross the picket lines. The loyalty to the union shown by the total refusal to cross picket lines became a financial embarrassment the rather than a weapon, as payments suspended drained the DINOSS funds. But the Broad Left leadership retused to break from the selective action strategy or for national A court injunction by Mercury against the POEU's secondary action one of the first taken out under the new Tory legislation spelled the end for the union's campaign. At a special ference in November 1983 the left on the NEC split over whether to obey the injunction recommended Will the court's decisions. The Mercury action was abandoned, and within weeks the rest of the industrial action was called off. The return to work, especially the exchanges was the excuse for widespread victimisation The failure of the anticampaign also marked the failure of exclue capitalise on the mandate it had won for a serious fight.
The right have stepped up their campaign for a 'realistic voluntary redunand re cent moves by the NEC to run a ballot on a national overtime ban are unlikely to rally the necessary rank and file support to stop the right wing take over in this tor NCU's executive mittees.
The election of John executive voluntary redundancy, will turn the unior anal Many perspective of defending jobs, tighting for the implementation o shorter hours, or any of the other demands of the 'Broad Strategy' put forward by the previous exCoulive To counter this threat a umea opposition aboration with BT is selling jobs indispensible. Accomodation to the witchunters in the union will undermine the building of a leadership for the fight against job loss and redundancy. This fight has already begun One place it has started is in the West of Scotland - where BT are introducing arbitrary job cuts. has started in the Post Office with the fight against 50 per cent job cuts the prospect of Collpulsory redundancies.
The the Broad Left in the NCU is inseparably linked with the fight to make these isolated battles part of national fight back against
Socialist Action 30 May 1986