THE 125th Trade Union Congress opened in Brighton last week, exactly one week after the prosaically titled 'Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Act (Commencement No 1 and Transitional Provisions Order) 1993' came onto the statute book. The timing was a calculated insult.
Wages councils - the last remaining protection for the low-paid - were unceremoniously scrapped, and the Bridlington Agreement preventing union poaching renoerco a acad letter Unions must now give seven days notice before striking. unlawful industrial action in the courts has been instituted.
Workers will now have to contract-in before union dues can be deducted by check-off. The financial implications for many unions, and ultimately the Labour party coukl be devastating.
The possibility of building a fightback scarcely figured in the proceedings. The major questions of the week were Labourunion links (technically not readmission of the electricians to Congress House.
John Smith cleverly devoted his speech to a major intervention in his drive to win one member one vote, without even mentioning the subject.
Two hours later he steppod on the rostrum and tumed on the charm. Delivering a carefully crafted blend of Tory-bashing and praise for the unions, he offered the audience a charter of rights at work.
These were mainly existing policies repackaged, but included a new commitment to protection from unfair dismissal from day one, abolishing the present two-cal wall The gamble paid off. Garfield Davies, general secretary of the shopworkers' union USDAW, duly announced his union would ditch conference policy and back OMOV.
Thursday saw a heated deThe Timex sir ggie was ignored by TUC leaders bate over the return of the, expelled over Wapping in 1988, but now part of the AEEU. The result had been stitched up well in advance, but nevertheless, standard procedures were manipulated so that nothing was left to chance. What price democracy when a choque for El million-worth of affiliation fees is on the table.
During the debate a succession of general secretes cluding Bill Morris of TGWU. argued tional right to move reference back.
No bottle No way said Alan Tuffin of UCW in the chair; a straight yes. no vote was all that was on offer. But no one had the bottle to
SOCIALIST OUTLOOK No. 49. 18 September 1993, Page 6 SAVE OUF HOSPITAL: JEFENE THE NH NEEDS OS DET: