Implications The debate has imporIOI the national local authorities shop stewards conference in Liverpool on 30 March. This will be a major focus for the response to rate-capping.
A national body will be set up to coordinate this response. We need to be clear on the strategy that can win.
We must defeat the notion that public sympathy Call change the lories minds, and build for the type of action that can genuinely mobilise the workforce.
mean £300-£350m. spending.
This is f100 million over government target.
In the council chamber there dependent voice.
Instead of meeting the challenge head on, the Partv leaderships are trying to Will the chean by obscuring the fundamental issue of the Party and stressing other issues. APEX for example didn't mention the party at all in its recent campaign, and this aspect is weak in the rail unions's official approach.
So with the probability of jobs and pay looming, we , nave lo cerenos cic right of the unions to politica voice not two seperate tasks.
NUR guard As the miners' has shown, the fight for , jobs and living standards is a political fight in its most dramatic form Concretely the NUR (ASLEF seems to be dragging its feet) has set up • a special campaign unit a group of experts who are a full-time resource for the activists in the union sent some members special dar schools to learn techniques as The campaigy s sep 'steady method of talking fellow workers about the importance of a 'yes' vote. •It will be organised as an election campaign.
We will make up canvassing cards to record the name of every member on our patch with an indica tion of how they'll vote make sure to get the 'yes' voters there on the day. Photo: The stage to argue that should boycott .LIC : ballot has passed NUR agrees that governmonev will nol be taken to finance the ballot, but at least part of it wil have to be postal as there are some 10,000 pay points TOI the 140,000 rall workers.
survey has shown. 'that suppor for fund lessens the rurtner soull one moves. It points to the crying need the March 1986 on the right to keep their political funds. It's clear that the Tories aim to slash the links between the unions and the Labour Party, thereby 'stifling the efforts of the working class for an infor a national campaign across the unions Labour Party to make the propaganda fighting against the media increase as the ballots cone Cuscr Unfortunately the leadership of the NUR have no plans for the tours public workoces meetings, and rallies that . e Caco The national campaign sO has produced leaflet and two bulletins laving out the arguments For example, one gives an idea of the money that big business into the Conservative what is SDP policy transport as well LADOUIS By concentrating on the activists, the union is explicity recognising the weakness of its stracture: as a vehicle for the campaign.
Attendance most branches low, SOLIC branches don't exist. In branch ofdicas ficers have led an 'opting out' campaign Headquarters advises setting up special I action committees waee necessary, and has given VITOR resources for individual members This is quite a contrast to Sid Weighell's stifling of the independent activity of ASLEF members.
The big danger is that. if the campaign tais. , the leadership can again blame on the 'backwardness of the rank ana mle. W f cannot let this happen. vital task for all activists is to call for Knapp We must also explore jointly working with local GMCs.
Correction The article on rail by Doreen Weppler in last week's Socialist Action only CUlt siderably altered the original, but included the statement that the Rou Roaro increase of 21,000 jobs It should of course have La decrease.
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in memory David and Mary Anne Woolf.