Civil service union CPSA enters its conference in righton this week with the ight wing leadership ac cused of trying to rig elections for the union leadership and set to push a low ay settlement with substan ial strings, including the end of national bargaining The row over the conduct o clections for the union's executive and top three jobs has now exploded into the domain. The 'National Moderate Group' are accused of using their supporters at the union's HQ to provide ballot numbers in advance, giving heir election campaign an ac rantage over both the Kinnoc ite 'Broad Left '81 group and the Militant-dominated Broad Left.
Members had not been told by Easter weekend exactly how much the government is offering in current talks. Now it has been announced that the executive are recommendinga deal of just over 4 per cent, despite the rejection ofa 4.5 percent deal by the executive of the supervisory and anciary worker anon NUCPS.
NUCPS is likely to call for industrial action.
but Cisas leadership may try to put the package to a nahonai ballot during the con ference period, when many ac vasts wul be away tom thei workplaces.
The threat of derecognition nants over many departments and semi-privatised 'agencies. In the Employment Service, some managers are now insisting that they are not legally obliged to consuit unions on terms and conditions and have stopped doing so. Emergency motions are likely.
Another maior issue will be the defeat of year-long strikes at open-plan dole offices at Forest Hill and Marylebone in London. The right is arguing they were qualified successes, with minimal concessions at some offices. But left wingers point to the lack or any senious coordinated campaign to win the disputes.
The CPSA ballot for a new General Secretary, with a close race in prospect between Militant supporter John Macreadie and right winger Barry Reamsbottom, is one of malpractice scandal. lapse of the Kinnockite breakaway Broad Left 84 faction's wait for Labour' argument wu sep sae balance towards them.
Socialist Caucus, with mem. bers both in and out of the Militant-controlled Broad Left, is organising many fringe meetings, with platforms including the Socialist Movement Trade Livingstone/ Grant campaign.
The force of prejudice Union Committee and the OutRage! giving cops a hard a hard time in islington