Leadership election fiasco JOHN SMITH'S huge electoral college victory showed one thing about the Labour leadership election - it was a no-contest fiasco.
The undemocratic rules which kept Ken Livingstone and Bernie Grant out of the contest meant that the left had nothing to The net result was that the slight exception of John Prescott in the deputy contest. had nothing to distinguish them.
But it can't be denied that Bryan Gould tried to present himself as, very moderately, to Thus although the left had very little interest in the election. the crushing majority for John Smith. especially the almost stituencies, does say something about the state of the Labour left Ine defeats engineered by new realism have taken their toll. clearly set out by lasi Saturday's John Smith pronounced simultaneously that he was agains. the block and against a referendum on Maastricht. which Labour could inflict a big defeat on the Tories. Smith announces that he won't fight. That sums up Labour's new leader. ship in a nutshell July/Aug, 1992 No. 26 RECOGNISING the immense political and practical problems involved in proposals are cautious; it will be creeping privatisation rather than sell-off in A new company, Railtrack, will own, manage, operate and invest in track and signailing. It will be responsible for timetabling and allocation of It will also be required to make a profit from the charges made for using the track.
Services will be open to franchising, while BR will continue to operate those services not Hanchised. Existing wains will be rented out to save the cost of privateers buying their own stock.
The freight and parcels busi. nesses will be sold off; stations Railworkers know already, naving seen the elects or bus privatisation, that the scheme will be a disaster in terms of fobs, conditions of service and wages. Knapp: a change of haircut - but not policies But can it be stopped? Ac because of the demoralisation caused by the failure of jimmy Кларр and the RMT leadership to fight the BR restructuring process.
Knapp's talk of 'fighting) privatisation is viewed wit scepticism.
At the RMT conference it was made plain that the campaign would be primarily a parliamentary one, with sponsored MPs moving amendments mereguards. In introduce fact this amounts to no real fight at all.
What should be done? First there must be a campaign for a maior national demonstratior
By Alan Thornett THE EMPLOYERS' offensive - new management techniques, anti-union laws, privatisatica can ought.
That was the message hammered home at the highly successful STUC conference last weekend, attended by nearly 450 people.
As OiLC Ieader Ronnie McDonald pointed out, delegates were present at the conference from all the main industrial sirussies curtentis place Burnsalls, the London oint Sites Committee Is. lington, Newham and Birminsham NALGO branches, Pergamon and the Post Office REM 11 Highlight of the conference was a rally addressed by Arthur Scargill and Tony Benn. But was remarkable for the high level of input by the delegates themsel This showed that the new management techniques are facing every kind of industry, from cars to teaching, from local government to transport.
There is a surge of file level as workers search for weapons - resist!' to mont te imposs tion of these techniques: керто Warning of 1930s style slump - Tony Benn strike 300 workers won rerecognition of their union, the reinstatement of two stewards sacked nine months ago, and an 11 per cent pay increase. Lawyer John Hendy stressed the damage done to the labour 'There is a simple answer to class collaborationism' said Scargill it's simple movement by the anti-union Union news. Pillorying the right-wing union leaders: Arthur Scarglif But 'framework' proposed by the STUC com. mittee and adopted by the conference highlighted continuing the fight against new management techniques, the fight for democracy in the unions and unResolutions adopted included organising a lobby rUC in Blackpool on 9 September, and supporting a camLabour Party. i am sick death of the pessimism which pervades the labour movement - that pessimism is called new realism' hesaid. New realism is not new, argued Scargill, but a 'Mondism' incered by TUC leader Walter intrine after the defeat of the 1926 general strike.
There is a simple answer to class collaborationism said Scargill "it's simple - resist!". lE the TUC and Labour Party calls g for B leaders had rallied round the miners' strike, he said, the Tories would been defeated. And today we have to break the union laws to defeat them.
NCU militant Marian Brain, speaking. for highlighted the historical role of women in working class struggle - a role continued today by the mainly workforce at the 9708888 Burnsall electroplating plant strike in Smethwick.
Unique
Last weekend's conference rent situation only the SMTUC organising the fight against manasen тестамер and has been able to mobilise significant groups of trade union activists who are determined to fight back.
The conference was also remarkable tor the serious and comradely tone of debate, and the near absence of sectarian rancour.
the next period the SMTUC will be producing its own pamphlet on the management techniques, in order to promote the widest campaign on this issue. Now is the time to affiliated to the SMTUC.