Loigh, Athorton
& Tyldesley TUC Question: What have TUC General Secretary John Monks, David Hunt (Minister of State for Employ ment) and CBI Director General Howard Davies got in common?
TRADE UNION NEWS Answer: All three will be taking part in a TUC organised Conference on Employment on July 5 in London. THE CONFERENCE takes place despite unanimous opposition from the National Conference of Trades Councils, where delegate after delegate condemned the idea as class collaborationist and a betrayal of the unemployed.
As Carol Pass from Doncaster TUC asked: "why are we throwing them a lifeline in their hour of crisis?"
Keith Sinclair (Humberside Association of TUCs) argued "the TUC's money would have been much better spent on fighting for the employment rights of victimised trade unionists like John Pearson (in Tameside), Amanda Lowe and Steve Goldfinch (in Bristol) and postal workers like Dave Chappte."
Alas, all this will be ignored by TUC leaders - such is the lack of bite that goes with the loud bark of Trades Councils when it comes to influencing TUC policy. But many delegates intend to picket the event anyway.
The conference unanimously adopted Oxford County Association's strategy of non-cooperation with the anti-union laws and a call from Essex for TUC and national union leaderships to give unequivocal support to all: workers in struggle.
Conference called for a TUC Day of Action, on a weekday, to oppose attacks on the welfare state and supported building local and national campaigns. An amendment called on the Labour leadership to declare support for maintaining universal benefits.
As part of the fight against unemployment, the conference decided to organise a Three Nations' march against unemployment in 1995.
Conference passed a number of other positive resolutions: on racism and fascism, Ireland, Kurdistan, Western Sahara, and against Post Office privatisation.
A successful Trade Union News meeting attracted over 40 delegates. Cait Wright, a member of Bolton Trades Council and Lancashire Women Against Pit Closures who were denied the possibility of speaking to conference despite overwhelming support, brought everyone up to date on the continuing struggle at Parkside, the victimisation of Sylvia Pye (National Chair of WAPC) and issued a call for a nationwide mobilisation to stop British Coal's attempts to fill in Parkside's shafts and demolish its headgear.
A number of resolutions, including one in support of International Workers Aid, were ruled out of order on dubious grounds. An IWA fringe meeting attracted a number of Trades Council delegates who now want to get involved. For further details of the picket of the TUC Conference on Employment phone Paul on 0703 396274.