As preparations to privatise the railways move into top gear and railworkers ballot for strike action the Rail, Maritime, Transport Workers union (RMT) is in special conference discussing issues fundamental to the very survival of the union itself.
On April 1 British Rail (BR) effectively ceased to exist. Signalling, track maintenance workers and other staff were transferred to a new state-owned company - Railtrack. Most of Railtrack work will be put out to tender, then the shell will be sold off.
Large parts of the remnants of BR were reorganised into train operating units' - as the precursor to being sold off over the next few years. If private offers do not come forward the government is preparing the ground to giving these 'units' away cheaply to management buyouts.
On the same day RMT rail members begn to receive ballot papers asking for a mandate for strike action against the immediate effect of this reorganisation - the break up of BR means the end of national redundancy transfer arrangements which have protected railworkers for many years.
Whilst activists are hopeful a vote for action can be won it is clear that the ballot has come far too late. Despite agreeing such a policy at last summer's RMT AGM it was only the election of new left activists to the union's national Executive this year that precipitated the ballot.
For many the question remains - how do we translate a successful ballot into action, especially after the recent NATFHE court case? Any dispute will be legally challenged by BR/Railtrack. Few RMT members have any faith that the union leadership will be prepared to challenge any adverse legal ruling.
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4312 The only positive sign has been the decision this week of RMT members on the London Underground who voted by nearly 2 to 1 for strike action. This at least opens up the prospect of combined BR/LUL action - a previously successful strategy.
While these moves go on a Special General Meeting of the RMT has been convened to discuss the union's financial position. A failure to properly integrate the NUR and NUS after merger leaving the two sections of the union still mainly separate has been financially disastrous.
Lost members
We have also had to deal with BR stopping the checkoff of union subscriptions. Up to 20% of BR members have talen out ot the union The sheer effort of reorganising to collect subs through a network of collectors has done immense short-term damage, Express route to redundancies: BR privatisation faces RMT with crucial test of strength Looking for a way out? RMT chief Jimmy Knapp despite the positive side effect of bringing many members into more regular contact with the union - in effect every member has to renew their commitment to the union each week.
Put together the union is in financial crisis. Tough measures will have to be taken. But the choices put forward by the leadership go totally in the wrong direction. Instead of cutting back on bureaucracy they have opted for a package which protects themselves while attacking the fundamental. democratic rights of ordinary members.
Big test
All this means a big test for the RMT left - organised in the Campaign for a Fighting Democratic Union. The CFDU has grown in influence over the last year. But now it needs to go beyond being a useful place for discussion and start to try and impose its agenda on the union.
That RMT members are fed up with their leaders is clear. The General Secretary and Assistant General Secretary narrowly held on to their positions in recent elections with the AGS candidate associated with the CFDU coming within 1% of unseating the encumbent Vernon One-track minds: privatisation threatens chaos Hince. This deep seated lack of faith in the leadership needs to be harnessed by the CFDU. Up to now the CFDU has met on an ad hoc basis with no consistent convenors and has had as its main function winning the support of branches and district councils to its general policy aims. It has always refused to have a formal structure of membership or affiliation relying instead on loose sponsorship and open discussion. This may have been fine originally. Certainly many supporters were reluctant to go down the road travelled in the early 80s of a rigid Broad Left tied to the coat-tails of one political group. But as was clear at a recent CFDU meeting in Manchester this lack of structure is no longer sufficient. The failure to come to any decisions at that meeting was a real set back.
We have to move forward, agree a basic structure and set immediate campaigning initiatives. In particular, need to be able to place maximum pressure on the Executive to stop any reoccurence of the debacle of last year - when the BR strikes were called off for want of a two-thirds majority on the Executive to call another days strike.
We have to discuss out, and decide how we do this through the structure of the union - whilst at the same time building open action aimed at ordinary union members through such things as mass lobbies of the Executive when they discuss the ballot results.
In this light the meeting opportunely called by the London Midland District Council for this Wednesday will be a valuable forum for working out how we proceed.
After Hebron massacre SOCIALIST OUTLOOK No.60, April 16 1994, Page 11