By Glenn Sutherland, Delegate, St Pancras Branch (personal capacity) ACCORDING to the press. the 1993 annual conference of MSF (Manufacturing. Science and Finance Union) was to be a triumph of modcration and realism'.
In the event, delegates sent new General Secretary Roger Lyons home with a bloody nose.
The London Region left, organised around Network 90, had prioritised motions and tricht and trade union/Labour The debate on the Maastricht treaty was taken as John Smith waited to address conference. Delegates voted by a sizeable masonty to oppose the terms of the treaty - social chapter or no Lyons poses The debate on Trade Un. ion/Labour Party links the next morning was to have far more significance as MS is the fourth largest affiliate to the Labour Party.
At the pre-conference NEC, Lyons proposed all the motions on the links should he remitted to the NEC.
This would have allowed him to use the results of an intemal MSF consultation exercise to negotiate a deal with the Labour Party leadership and the MSF delegation to vote for such a deal at Labour Party Conference in October.
In the event the NEC unanimously relected Lyons' oro posal and supported a resolution committing MSF to the status quo. This was carried by Conference by a huge majority, with only a handful of votes An emergency motion was then carried by a two to one majority committing the MSF delegation to Labour Party conComposite G, making MSF's position watertight (on a formal basis, anyway).
The significance of the votes at MSF conference is that they will strengthen the resolve of other major affiliates in opposing Smith's attempt to break the links.
Network 90, the only left formadon no to be comrupica by factional manoeuvring at national level, must broaden out its London base to involve more contacts from other Reeions Next year is a rule change conpreparing now.
Contact Network 90 at: Network 90, clo Alison Miles, 43 Dassett Road, London SE27 OUF
Cuban trade Cambodia Is on SOCIALIST OUTLOOK No. 44 June 12 1993. Page 7