This year's Trades Councils' conference will be official, unlike last year's. It was organised illegally. after being disbanded by the TUC.
Forced by the level of opposition to reinstate them, the TUC apparatus now aims to retum to the past - barring the conference from discussing anything contrary to TUC policy.
They have ak ready ruled out of order' resolutions supporting the Unshackle the Unions campaign TUC-affiliation of the of workers' union OILC.
While the TUC's Stormin' Norman Willis retreat was a vic tory, they shouldnt now be allowed to reduce the conference to a taking shop. But with the Trades Councils currently under review, last year's unity against the TUC's undemocratic action, wil not be so easily achieved.
Local TUCs agree on the need to maintain the conference, and on the need for representation at the TUC But a document recently produced by the TCJCC is more problematic.
-irst, it proposes the automatic affiliaMay 16, 1992 tion of all unions to their Trades Coun cils.
But it also says that affiation money should be paid direct to the TUC. At the moment, local TUCs get the money from the unions, and control their can finances.
Trades councils often operate outside the mal rules - in theory they can't do any thing contrary to TUC policy, but many do fust une same. Movements against the Gulf war and for Pol tax non-payment saw many defy the bureaucracy at Congress House. strings would be a powerful weapon in the hand of a TUC regional secretary to force local TUCs to toe the line.
The other problem relates to the Joint Consutative Committee. At the moment the JCC is powerless - k cant even carry out decisions of its This cannot go on.
The Trades Council movement needs autonomy within the TUC's official structures to develop is porcin ial. The TUC decides policy at its that on individual unions. Why should Trades Councils be any different? No. 21