Poll Tax:
Turn anger into
trade union
action!
One of the noticeable features about the magnificent anti-poll tax demonstration on March 3lst was the small number of labour movement
The fact that the mobilisation on the day was so vast is even more remarkable considering the opposition to non-payment from the leadership of the Labour Party and Trade Unions.
Of course many individuals within the umions and the Labour Party are opposed to this stance, and many indeed are active as individuals within the anti-poll tax movement But it is vital that socialists take the battle over the poll tax deep into the heart of the labour movement, using : the sirength of mass non-payment to
Within the unions, anger has been building up over a number of issues relating to the tax. It is clear that the effect of the poll tax on living standards will be a key clement in this ycar's round of pay negolations. Many councils have made cuts to keep the poll tax lower than if would otherwise have been and this has been further exacerbated by capping. resulting in threats of major job losses and serious reduction in services in many areas:
So capping will have a contradictory effect; not only does it under cut the Tories argument that councils should suffer the results of setting high poll taxes electorally, hut it is also likely to fuel further protests trom the trade unions and the communities. One consoquence of this, both for the Tories and the uron leaderships. demonstrated at NUT conference where delegates voted to support national strike action in detence of jobs even though the Executive argued this would be secondary
UPDATE
But it is crucial that the Fight to link opposition to the poll tax and the cuts is taken forward While the NUT Jeadership did not succeed in preventing a vote for action. they will use the question of the law to intimidate teachers it practise. Within NALGO there have been worrying signs with branches such as council implements the tax for fear that otherwise they won'L be paid.
Such divide and rule tacties are very reminiscent of the dented shield policies put forward during the fight against rate-cupping. It is also vital that in highlighting the iniquities of cappingthe leadership the leadership of the relevant unions are not allowed to ditch fighting cuts Which result not from capping 12self but from the actions of councils who have made cuts precisely to avoid capping. This will become increasingly important as 4 large number oF authorities adop: such tactics in next year's budget
In the same way as it is unpor unt to fight for unions to mobilise against the lax, it is vital that the anti-poll tax movement takes up the question of cuts. In authorities that have been capped this will be easier, but again the argument must he clearly put over cuts which are less directly a result of the lax. This struggle will be crucial in mobilising the combined strength of the unions and the anti-poll tax movement in defeating all these attacks on working class living standieds.
The tax has other implications for trade unionists. Many workers have been asked to pass on con fidential information that they ac quite in the course of their jobs to the Community Charge Registra-
- TAILORS
CARMENT MORKERS 322 CO B Potential trade union support was shown on TUC Poll Tax demo tion Officers to complic the Officers registers. Workers local government who are responsible For collection of the tax are con cerned that insufficient staffing:
and training being provided by their employers.
Action has been taken by a numbeT of CPSA Lnd NALGO branches over those issues. The possibility of atrestment of wages of those not paying the tax is likely to meet widespread opposition rom diverse groups of workers and make il possible to win action agast the tax in many new arcas. The victimisation of Class War supporter Andy Murphy by Hackney Council in the aftermath of Trafalgar Square is issue that should be taken seriously within the unions, both in its own right, and as possibly an indication of things to come.
The fight to win policy in support of non-implementation is important, but in practice what will be decisive is not the policies themselves but actual groups of workers laking action agamst the
Within the Labour Party. Kinnock is not having everything his
Up and down the country Labour counciliors, hoth in majority groups and in opposition voled against implementation of the tax. And as Labour con-
EGAN. cils. are Facod with decisions about pursuing those who refuse to pay there is a real potential that this opposition can be broadened and strengihened. The attempt to expel those within the party who are supporting and huilding campaigns of mass nor-payment is pathetic when it is cicer that it is mass anger against the tax that can sink Thatcher and her Dagship.
Opposition to such witchurts needs to be built, not only in the party itself, but more generally amongst poll tax activists and in the unions. The example of those wards and constituencies that have fought the local elections on a platform of non payment needs to be followed as widely as possible in the run up to the General
That way there is a possibility of winning activists from the anti-poll tax movement to the Labour Party and so strengthening the fight against new realism. The Labour Party Socialist Conference in May intends to make opposition to the tax, and to the mealy-mouthed mcaly-mouthed words of the leadership on the question one of the key planks of its campaign to rebuild the left in the run up to the genicral election.
Theresa Conway