tant for the third current seen at this terference, and by far the This was the class struggle Litt leadership of the SOCAL them in other unions and their allies in they were in alliance with the FBU, the Morning Star led favour OI separate TASS resolution calling on the TUC itself to draw up guidelines on trade union democracy. and did not vote or the TUC/Labour Party Liaison doculeadership of the union which has suf- This was • severe defeat for the fered most as a result of the court interference in the trade unions. It produced eulogies to Mick McGahey in the This was seen clearly over Wapping - where the impact of the struggle there, together with support by other unions, isolated the 'new realist' right. The same was done on nuclear power and South Africa for Mineworkers. must be COne women and black people within - and last vear or the working The same demands of the position and pursue the interests of the class struggle.
Clarifying and organising the class struggle minority, giving it a correct united front orientation into the labour movement, utilising in the interests of class the contradictions which exist between the 'new realist' and Kinnockite class collaborationists. These are the key tasks of the hour.
Socialist Action 12 Sep 1986 THERE WAS a disagreement in the Socialist Action editorial board over BRIAN GROGAN presents an alternative view of the TUC to the editorial line of the paper. SUMMING UP last BBC's Radion 4, Edmonds and Rodney Bickerstaffe described it as the 'Unity Congress'. pared to recent Congresses the absence of major divisions was glaring. But workers looking for a lead to reverse the attacks of the Thatcher government and the employers will find little to cheer from this Brighton 'unity'. Congress decided to: • Maintain the essential elements of the Tories anti-union laws • Open the door to an incomes policy under a future Labour government.
The message of the Congress wasn't any particular motion, but the repeated call not to struggle now, to put all hope in a future Labour government and especially to bury the militant lessons of the This was the heart of speech to the Congress. 'There are some who despise consensus, Kinnock said - speaking directly at Arthur Scargill. "To them, it is collaboration, supping with the devil, corrupting Such people, Kinnock in*saloon bar revolutionaries' This was a calculated kick in the teeth to every sacked printer, every victimised miner every other worker involved Ill struggle 1o defend their rights and their living standards. Printers have not been on the picket line for eight months because come romac cal. They Murdoch and his Rupert backers And they have been kept there necause likes of Neil Kinnock have the assessment of the TUC.
week's TUC Congress on General Council members John They were dead right. Comof the movement in their defence As in the miners strike, Kinnock's attempts 'concensus' mean only one thing: capitulating to the employers the Tories. Yes, we do think Lili such an approach 1s 'collaboration supping with the devil' The large majority of the TUC bought this line of reasoning. The bitter fruits of the miners defeat are finally coming home to The TUC tops are now intent on kicking over the traces the lessons of that strike. steaa or a call to stanla allu fight we are offered the utopian of the *jam of a future Labour Instead anachithe women black communities, the concern not to tread on SDP supporters or alienate the scab of Democratic Mine workers' of laying a basis for, in ArScargill's wulus. government as loyal to our Thatcher Crass hers', Kinnock is busily preparing one that not onthe capitalist state but one, promises to administer moreover, which will maintain all ine gains of Thatcher against the working class.
Acceptance this framework allowed the basic elements of the Tory anti-union laws to be enproposed legislation for future This was a major blow to the These new working class. proposals accept the chief OI the Tories during, the miners and since: that state intervention into the unions is justified in denying the Sultas. meeting, the mass picket and the wish ot entire com munities. That ' democlacy giving the scabs in Nottingham and elsewhere the right to decide over the future of communities and jobs in all parts country through the legal right to enforce a ballot.
A year ago, it was only people like Eric Hammond of the electricians or Gavin Laird of the engineers who were openly advocating that the TUC adopt such a policy. The fact that such an overwhelming majority could be won to this view this year is a product of the accululalcu defeats which we have suffered since the miners strike was lost. This is why Kinnock's electoral argument sounded so strong.
same approach was taken on the issue of low pay. course the Congress decision to push for a statutory national THEN SEEIN Wants be welcomed. But as elsewhere this al cucu issue the Congress resolution and document on the low pay question failed to map out a campaign Notts rally showed how far removed from the ranks were even the positions of Brighton. Nonetheless, given half a chance, those forces committed to class Africa. For the first time memory, international question solutely central Coning to the resolution JimNot the NUR the month Such advances show that where real determined struggle taking place whether here at Wapping 1n South Africa against apartheid the munities and for women's rights got little or no voice Their pressure was felt in some of the lamenting about the servant But they are a major component or te class sluggic as was strikingly shown in the miners strike and as has even made its presence felt at Wapping. Defending their struggles and right to organise 1s a vital part of torging the fightback. Enemies As regards our enemies, our fire always has to be trained on the Tories and the bosses. On do with the fp took take forces within our movement. calls for action those unions on the right wing of the Congress. the electri Tans focushe engineers.
the 1UCUi bureaucracies of these "the main danger' misses UC real target: the Labour Party leadership ao c whole. Over Wapphat the TiC as a whole is une Tea question going mobilise printworkers To focus on the electri cians is to let the Willis off the hook Of i course of what the TUC has to do is to call the electricians to orael, out ll is a mistake te reduce the • focus to that. This should mark our ap preach ot all sanctiom fight sallellul South Africa, to calls to end nuclear power Equally we should beware false friends The Communist Party - both part of the problem, not the solution ede Merit Star havine ed the having 'hammered out a positive Of action to reverse
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