(vice-chair, Islington NALGO) THE LEFT won a series of victories at last week's NALGO conference, but the National Executive took their defeats all to calmly. It is easy to see why.
For in a few weeks time NALGO ceases to exist, becoming part of UNISON together with NUPE and COHSE; the executive hopes that in the new union the left's victories will be quietly buried.
Conference voted against the NEC recommendation to accept the 1.5 per cent pay ofTer, and instead there will be a ballot on the issue. But unfortunately there was no proposal for action allowed on the agenda; a rejection of the 1.5 per cent offer will mean another ballot on action.
The executive was defeated on its opposition to sending a Don't miss a single issue of Socialist Outlook! Subscribe today.
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I include a donation of f NAME. ADDRESS delegation to Timex, extending NALGO's opposition to antilaws spending £250,000 on NALGO "farewell' parties and even the general secretary's repudiation of the Islington nursery occupation. But motions for national strike action, for example against culs. were not carried.
Hesitancy to vote for strike action reflected scepticism among the membership about the determination of the leadership to lead a strugale. And there was real anger about the 0i the UNISON merger.
At a national level the merger is fittle more than a bureaucratic stitch-up. This has led to a revolt of the district leader. ships, often influenced by the Morning Star, until now the staunchest supporters of merger.
The conference passed resolutions on extending democratic structures in the new union, and these will go to Subscribe! a special rules conference once merger is completed.
It is now very clear that to prevent the new union being dominated by a right-wing allance of the NALGO leadership together with the Sawyer-Bickerstaffe NUPE leadership, the left will have to organise very strongly.
A fringe meeting decided to launch a conference for the UNISON left later this year.
The appeal for this has been signed by three national executive members and 20 branch secretaries: the initiative is supported by Militant and Socialist Outlook - the attitude of the SWP is as yet uncertain, although they are likely to come in on the conference.
• Anyone in NALGO, NUPE or COHSE interested in more information on the UNISON left conference can contact: Doug Thorpe, c/o Islington NALGO, 2 Orleston Rd., London N7 8LH or Hugo Pierre c/o Camden NALGO.
using the full powers of the state.
capitalist rule.
capitalism.
survived only by repressing their own working class.
tradition of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Trotsky.
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Nor do we believe that the demands of women, back people, lesbians and gays or the national demands of people in Scotland and Wales should be left to await the outcome of a socialist revolution. The oppressed must organise themselves and fight now around their own demands, which are a part of the struggle for socialism.
But propaganda alone, however good, will not bring socialism. The fight for policies which can mobilise and politically educate workers in struggle, must be taken into the unions, the Labour Party and every campaign and struggle in which workers and the opTo strengthen this fight we press for united front campaigns on key issues such as fighting racism and fascism - in which various left currents can work together for common objectives while remain.
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CRAWLEY refuse collectors mass picket 6am Metcalf Way depot Saturday 26 SUPPORT Firefighters' claim! STUC/FBU demonstration Saturday 3 BURNSALLS national demonstration assemble noon Handworth Technical College rally Victoria Park Smethwick FIGHTING New Management Techniques dayschool 11am-6pm Conway Hall Red Lion Square WC1 advance tickets E5 waged -APE G P Wednesday 21 SOCIALIST OUTLOOK No. 45 June 26 1993. Page 15 STRIKERS at Revell and George in Salord hope for another boost on their mass picket on Monday 6 July. During last week's North West Peoples March over 200 marchers stopped by and joined the picket line. They took the four police by surprise, and stopped production for the whole morning. The next day, when the march had moved on, 50 riot police were bussed in from Manchester!
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these demands ever be achieved under the bureaucratically de- formed workers states and degenerated USSR, whose regimes
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