yet we face common problems across the unions. The lack of united response by the left in the unions has made it easier for the "new realist" leadership of the TUC to drag the whole movement to the mont.
Onslaught
Uver the last 1/ years. unemployment, privatisation, cuts in services and the anti-union laws have battered the unions. Activists at rank and file level have had to face the full onslaught, while the "new realist" leaders failed to organise any concerted fightback and increasingly adapted to this situation.
Organising a union left wing across the whole of the movement is not a new idea. But in the recent past such organisations have been more the property or a particular political organisation rather than a genuine attempt to bring together militants with different traditions. This may be one reason that such efforts have rapidly floundered in the past.
But now twelve genuine union lefts such as the Socialist Teachers Alliance, the Print & Media Broad Left, the Communications Workers Broad Left, and the Equity Left Alliance have been meeting ingether and have decided to organise iris conference. This is a maic: step irred 5: star fighiback ags.000c a = = treemarketees :". . .. gale at its heart the t-= union members Pete Firmin Despite Blair's "Albanian" victory in the sham referendum process on Labour's manifesto, those opposing his policies have stepped up their organisation.
Blair may be twisting in the wind on the single currency, and "a senior back. bencher" may write in Tribune (under the pseudonym "Cassandra") of unlikely scenarios of Labour MPs ousting Blair as leader a few months after his election victory, but the real job is to build up an open political opposition around key issues.
On Saturday, November 9 150 activ. ists attended the conference called by the Network of Socialist Campaign Groups. As well as significant workshops on campaigning against the Immi. gration and Asylum Bill, Education, the minimum wage and trade union rights, the priorities understood by most people were underlined by the lively discus. sions on Party democracy, the Party Un. ion link and European Monetary Union.
Policy and campaigning resolutions passed emphasised this with decisions to oppose the Maastricht convergence criteria and support the Euromarch for jobs, to step up campaigning in defence Assembly Against Racism, and to organ. ise a series of meetings in the run up to ine election siressing waat Labour should deliver.
The following week a meeting at. tended by activists from a number of unions relaunched the "Keep the Link" campaign.
This recognised that the attack on the Party-Union link is far less likely to come in the form of a simple proposal to sever the link than as a downgrading of confer. ence to a rally and the abolition of local policy-making General Committees, which while leaving the unions attached to the Party would remove any say in policy, rendering the link meaningless.
A model resolution was prepared for union conferences and CLPs, a broadsheet discussed, coordinators agreed in every union, and a steering committee elected.
The 'Keep the Link' petition has al. ready been signed by several union gen. eral secretaries, many activists and half the European Parliamentary Labour Party, the task now is to turn this into real support throughout the movement and commit unions at their conferences next year to fighting Blair on the issue. University of London Union, Malet Street London: Goodge Street tube. Creche and food available. Registration £5/€2 to: WSN Womens' Conference, 183 Queens Crescent., London NW5 4DS. Tel 0171 639 5068 Foundations for freedom A womens' conference putting the case for defence and rebuilding of the welfare state
Socialist Outlook I|/ • November 23 / 996.