Mike Hicks, on loud-hailer, greets release of 'Pentonville 5' TGWU. This secretary, secretary, elections. and autumn.
book claiming "it was perfect'.
MPs.
Todd nominate from within their areas.
to fill the regional secretary's job.
Con scarcely be of the TGWU.
help of the CP influenced Broad Left.
Nicholson, want the path of the right wing unions.
clear. It is expected that next year's delegate conference, policy in the union the ecutive.
420.
for the union.
campaigning and Tensive unionism and 'loyalty to Kinnock support for right wing political policies.
and dealer ace stakes cold not be take place. The stakes dion going to be reversed. THE LAST YEAR has seen an escalating power struggle in Britain's largest union, the has seen the 'soft left' Tribunite leaders Ron Todd, the general and Bill Morris, deputy general opposed by the executive led by Brian Nicholson — the chair of the TGWU.
This year's TGWU national executive elections saw a swing to the right. Under the new trade union laws elections at trade group conferences were replaced by direct ballot The first meeting of the new executive saw right winger Duffy, from the northern region, elected as vice chair on a 21:20 vote at the EC, followed by the unprecedented move of not allowing the union's new black deputy general secretary, Bill Morris, a place either on the TUC general council or the Labour Party national executive committee ine struggle continued through the summe At the rules revision conference in July, the executive of the union advised delegates against voting for any amendments to the rule Labour Party conference saw further trouble as Nicholson tried to overrule Todd in the voting for the women's section of the NEC. Todd called for the union delegates to vote for Joan Maynard and Margaret Beckett, both TGWU sponsored Nicholson argued they were 'too left' for the union. Todd's view was only carried on the votes of the full-time officials of the union This fight around who controls the TGWU has now reached a new stage over the replacements for retiring regional secretaries — the most powerful full-time TGWU officials after the national officers, who virtually run the union's 11 regions Twice in recent months the regional executive's advice on filling posts in the Scottish region and the south west region has been ignored by the national has supported the regions' right to The right wing led executive has wanted the jobs to go outside the region, so that a candidate of their choice could be imposed. Last week Todd lost the latest round in the battle when the executive voted 16-15 to interview applicants from outside Region 3 (south west)
This divide in the largest union in the country underestimated. manoeuvring lies different conceptions of the role Todd is a traditional leader in the mould of Jack Jones and Moss Evans. He is 'centre left' and, like his predecessors, elected with the contrast, wants to turn the union much more to the right — he is reputed to • more industrial trade unionism and less political posturing' according to some of his supporters, and 'more support for Neil Kinnock'. In other words he would draw the TGWU closer to Clearly with such a slim majority Nicholson has to tread carefully but the warning signs are bi-ennual the highest bodv of the union, will see a swing to the right with changes in carried on the basis of recommendations by the Nicholson controlled exThe problem for the left in the TGWU is similar to that experienced in the AEU 10 years The so-called Broad Left is nothing but an election machine. It never meets nationally except at bi-ennual delegate conference — and then by invitation only. It does not have a coherent strategy The results are now becoming clear. By no winning support in all the regions of the TGWU the Broad Left has allowed the right wing to consolidate a power base in its regions. This right wing has now gone onto the of questions - meaning Only if the left in the TGWU begins to organise can a fightback higher Because a right wing dominated TGWU would shift the entire situation in the labour movement to At the present time the right wing is gaining Only if there is a political awareness, a strategy, and a will to organise among the left is that situa