THIS YEAR'S TUC conference marks the end of a political silly season. Labour has been busily giving free gifts of rock - and whirly hats - to bemused Brits in Benidorm, while the Tories unconvincingly demonised Blair as the "New Danger".
But for growing numbers of Labour supporters and trade union activists, the problem is that Blair's New Labour is No Danger to capitalism or the employers, and No Solution to the problems they face.
Neither Blair nor TUC leader John Monks want to see their applecarts upset at the TUC or at the Labour Party conTerence m a rew weers ume.
Instead they intend both conferences to be massive displays of UnLV aroune me new imminent election.
Monks. anxious to avoid trouble for Blair, is desperately trying to head off unions such as UNISON, whose conference voted to ignore the pleadings of the Blairites on the platform, and demand Labour put a figure on its proposal for a minimum wage.
Monks and Blair agree that the figure should only be set in discussions with employers - hardly a recipe for meeting the needs of low paid workers.
But while Blair promises faithfully norto raise taxes on the middle class and. the rich, he has also backed away from giving Britain's growing army of partume workers te same protection as those in full-time work. IN JUNE 1997 the heads of state and government of To make matters worse, Blair has made it quite clear that whatever Congress may decide on this or other issues, he and and his inner circle will strongly resist any policy change.
Labour's plan for legislation to require employers to recognise unions where 50 per cent of their workers are in favour is likely to be approved by the TUC.
After seventeen years of Tory attacks on union rights this is seen by many as a 'fair' measure, redressing the balance.
It is nothing of the sort. The existence of a 50 per cent minimum is likely to encourage employers to aerecogruse unions in many of the countless workplaces - including much of the public sector -where membership is actually less than this.
Little has been said about how any new legislation is to be enforced: but when it is finally enacted there are also likely to be several exemption clauses for small firms.
All in all although several individual union leaders may huff and puff about