THE SUPREME BODY of the Union of Engineering Workers, the national committee, continues its meeting this week. It will record membership figures now under the one million mark and only 670,000 of these are Unemployment has taken its toll.
The back April issue the union Fournal •escade.
ALEW as 'the union tha But ago the claimed me union was not on v caring. but 'leading fighting' as well.
The change in slogan is appropriate. When Duffy leadership has fought, it has mostly been against its own members.
The Laurence Scott strikers fighting closure Bad to deal with their employer and the sabotage of Duffy general secretary John Boyd.
Amalgamated paying members.
Other engineering workers have had the same problem. The leadership's doLOLLIES policy allowed Michael Edwards to get away with sacking Derek Robinson that followed in BL.
By a Manchester AUEW branch secretary Engineering workers got a 'massive' 4.8 per cent pay rise in the recent wage negotiations and the nationally agreed rate - the Minimum Time Rate stands today £87 per week for a skilled worker and £62.60 for unskilled.
But the "moderation' of Duffy and company ondefend their membersin affects now they terests. When it comes to supporting the right wing of the Labour Party they are far from moderate.
Duffy of Press Service, self-confessed front organisation. He vigorously fights against unilateral nuclear disarmament being taken up by the union or the Labour ParAt last years Labour Duffy was even prepared to question withdrawing from the BEC, in complete defiance of union policy. Duffy and his friends fully backed the witch hunt of the But they are not having it all their own wav. The membership is refusing to lie down. Three factories presently involved in al C sit-ins against job closures ings in Warrington Dundee, Greenings and Firth Derihon in Sheffield. AUEW members are involved in the fight for steel jobs in Rotherham and in the BL dispute at Cowley.
There was tremendous support for the Laurence Scott strikers trom engineering workers countrywide. Hundreds of AUEW branches financial and other support Duffy was shaken by the growing number of passed censuring the executive new elections.
Tens of thousands have demonstrated against unemployment and there is a groundswell of support the union for disarmament. For the se cond year running the National Committee received Not resoluagainst cruise and This will to fight Tory missile madness shown the union's last month. Although two motions in favour of disarmamenu deleated. the unanimously backed the Greenham Common women, describing their struggle as 'an historic contribution the peace movement'.
In last years election for John Boyd's successor as general secretary, Broad Left candidate Ken Brett came within a whisker of beating Boyd's chosen heir Gavin Laird.
Now broad lefter Jimmy divisional orcause. former leader of the UCS work-in looks set to win the vacant executive seat for diyision so becoming the only "left' on the seven person Duffy knows that the National Committee incal ho FIGHT Laurence Scott workers had to deal with Duffy much his way. will go pretty much But the AUEW leaders strained by the feeling of the ranks. Even when they try to consolidate their position pushing through rule changes — as SEL CADE they did at the recent rules revision THeoria - they haven't been able to achieve all Inel objeclives Their own supporters broke ranks at this ference and voted down SNIP some of the more draconian proposals So if there's any trace of smoke at the National Committee meeting, there are certainly smouldering fires and hot embers down below.
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WIT H SIT
LAURENCE SCOTT FIGHT