CPSA civil service union leaders last effectively overturned a clear conference decision to recommend rejection of this year's 4.25 per cent plus performance pay offer, just seconds after losing the vote.
Union president Marion Chambers announced there would be an inquiry into the conduct of branches that tabled emergency resolutions opposing the package.
Delayed
This will delay implementation of the mandate until balloting. which began last Friday, is completed.
The manoeuvre was based on legal advice clearly pared well in advance. Yet in stead or ruling the resolutons out of order, a full two hour ment made only after the outcome went the wrong way for the platform.
A protest meeting attended by over half of all delegates, including someappalled rightvingers, agreed to mount a united campaign for a 'no' vote. But does John Major want to deal with them?
Some activists in the 125,000 strong union hope this marks a watershed for the notoriously factionally-divided CPSA.
Strike ballot
Two weeks go the annual gest NUCPS, strike ballot over a similar offer trom the sreasury Both sets of proposals seck mance pay, presently largely confined to civil servants at the Stop of their grades. Incre ments would no longer be paid as of right. Yet outgoing general secretary John Ellis hailed the package as a consid crable achievement and branded opponents as crackpot. His successor, right-winger Barry Reamsbottom, added We will do a deal with John Major. We are pragmatists and 1 re spect the decision of the British people to re-elect him.' Close result The Broad Left candidate, Millam supporter John Macreadie, narrowJy talled to take the post, pol ing a credible 10,561 votes to Reamsbottom's 13,649.
Peter Thomason of the Kinnockite Broad Left "84 got 3,918, although it is unclear how his backers would have divided had he not stood.
On the 26-scat executive, the self-proclaimed National Moderate Group took 20 places to Militant's three. The overall complexion of the leadership is thought to have shifted even further right. Will he fight? Right wing UCW leader Alon Tuffin By Brian Soel DELEGATES at the post office workers' union, UCW, conference told their leaders 'We are fed up with the executive telling us The Post Office management won't like it".
The Bournemouth conference voted time and again to ballot he trustration among postal at 'Business Develor ment'. Delegates voted for ackers in east London, over 'team working ana team eagers, de fending jobs and other issues.
The splitting up of the Post Office is clearly aimed at future threatening job losses on a similar scale to British Telecom. If management had hoped that by 'negotiating' a new industrial relations packJCW, this conference will come as a rude awakening.
The real test will now be whether the membership make the right-wing UW leaders carry out the conference decisions. Rank and file organisanon is now necessary to or ganise in support of conference policies, against management attacks and to force the union executive into action.
Support shown to the victimised REM 11 workers in east London at the conference demonstrates that wide support exists for such a grouping.