Thorpe in SO 17.
Doug's optimism represents another triumph of hope over exponence. In an article entirely bogged lown in the minutiae of upholding NALGO's various structures - effectively arguing for a greater NALGO- Doug did not once raise the issue of the poitics of the bureaucracies of the merging unions.
Whatever the fine words in the merger document, surely the photos a pledge to buildl a 'member-led union hould make us suspicious?
There aren't many less user-friend ly unions than NUPE, whose futi. mers exercise complete domination over branches, and have ruthlessly used this throuch most of the 1980% to crush almost any fightback on jobs. pay or conditions.
Tom Sawyer and co, having run the union to near-bankrupicy. appear to nave dockoo that they have inte chole but to mako organisational concessons - at ast on paper - in order to got a share of NALGO's cash.
But there is no evidence whatever of any change of heart among most Fi on the ground. Instead, assessment that with nether VALGO or COHSE having any com parable politically developed bureau cracy, NUPE's hard cadre' of new realist officials will quickly take control I WAS disappointed to read yet another largely non-political appraisal of the impending COHSE-NALGO-NUPE merger, this time from Doug Of course unity is a wonderful thing - so long as it is unity in struggle, and notunity in retreat. Unfortunately union mergers have shown an almost univer.
One example, which was naively supported by the loft on both sides, was