JIMMY KNAPP's crushing victory in the election for general secretary of the rail union is a decisive blow against Sid Weighell's unionism and collaboration with right wing Labour and Tory governments.
Knapp got 63 of the votes with 90.078 out of 142,675. This malority 1s 5,000 larger than that of Weighell when he was returned secretary in 1975.
By P. Sikorski The harsh realities that gave Knapp almost 40,000 more votes than the other three candidates combined are found in the tens of thousands of lost jobs and as many railworkers forced to choose between social supplements or massive overwonder that Weighell's red-baiting tactics cut no Ice. Knapp's call to rebuild unity in the NUR and with all the rail unions struck a chord.
The sell OUL of last year's pay and productivitv strike opened the door to sectional local deals, simiar to those introduced by MacGregor to decimate the OLCCL 111dustry. paved the way for the scab rail union based in Derby, which management is already using against the closed shop.
years of company Knapp's victory will immediate changes. The executives of the NUR and the driver's ASLEF now caucus before meeting the Board. The Triple Alliance will meet with the balance shifted against the right wing steel leadership.
Now has Knapp made democratic in the New Statesman, A S general secretary will argue strongly In favour change principle' which Cal ve Knapp says in the front of country's But members for The Tories not keeping Serpell under wraps until after the general election. They are implementing it now.
Three engineering workshops Face closure over the next 12 months.
unless they break even or make a profit. This is im. possible without investment like the electrifica. tion of the network. This needs a socialist Labow victory at the general elecliull.
The members want united union but they also need rebuild the destruction of UH C Weighell yeals, the new general secretary and COCCULC committee must break the link osastrous DCIWCCI pay and productivity and Lavel depots workshops to plan industrial. action against closures.
The lessons of the miners' ' ballot will have to ne kent in mine! Knapp should organise those ac•cave cona the and link them with the lett the movement. especially NUM, the other transport unions steel.
Unless that fight starts now. serpell and thatche dustbin be a Labour vie- cannot based on socialist policies won.
though they are racist. Halewood pickets. Jimmy Atkinson, second from right HAVE CAR