General Workers Union biennial conference was chiefly characterised by complete absence of controversy. Executive manoeuvres ensured that any debate that might produce something vaguely embarrassing was quietly dropped from the agenda.
As predicted, though new General Secretary Bill Morris attracted spoke out against incomes policy, the leadership managed to let the Labour leaders off the hook with a fudge on the ques tion of anti-union laws, recommending support for two contradictory policies. THE SACKING of the Despite repeated promises, debates on the Poll Tax, race equality and immigration, and the union's relationship with the TUC simply did not happen.
In the debate on the anti-union laws, delegates pointed out from the floor that they wanted nothing less than completa repeal of the Tory legislation. And a sizeable minority - 40% - voted against Labour's document "Looking to the Future', despite the Executive supporting it.
One oddity was Neil Kinnock's little homily. 55 minutes were allocated, but Neil took only 20. Not a breath was allocated to bashing the left, whereas a surprise move but comes at dus.
Could it be that he was listening during the previous debate on unemployment, as speaker after speaker spoke out against Liverpool Labour council's redundancy programme and decided to drop 35 minutes of Militantbashing?
Victories for the left included winning an overwhelming majority for complete non co-operation with Youth Training, despite executive opposition.
In addition, a meeting organised by the T&G solidarity group, attended by more than forty delegates, provided a positive forum to discuss a way forward for socialists in the union. executive but from the rightMarchers at Lesbian and Gay Pride 1991, the iwentieth anniversary of the first Pride festival in Britain. Organisers claimed it drew more than 40,000 to the demonstration and over 55,000 to the festival -easily the largest ever. PHOTO: Tom Loucas