DESPERATE to attract artention to a Congress that threatened to become a low-profile side-show. TUC General Secretary John Monks dressed up himself unconvincingly in the mantle of militancy.
To the delight of the media. and the surprise of most trade he ASLEF joural to declare himself a 'unapologetic militant'.
In most un-TUC type language he argued that the tide has turoed against the Tories. he proclaimed. "Bosses have oca ming weir own pocaco with scant regard to the wider interest, and some need to be challenged. Militancy reminds us nos to be complacent The words themselves betray Monks's limited political horizons: but for a TUC General Secretary to do anything other than denounce militancy is so unusual we should notice the change of tone rather that the continuing illu. sions that somehow the bosses should be expected to union rights at work. respect the needs and interests of the workers they exploit.
"If workers are treated badly, they will react." Monks went on. Of course partly he was pointing to the ful sinke ballots. most notably among rail and tube workers: but his speech is if anything a warning to Labour's right membership. wink ademip wiat the full fury of years of frustration by workers beaten down by employers since 1979 could make itself felt once the Tories are removed from office.
Academic Monks's militancy is largely of this academic and speculative kind. Although he cally undermined. may, hypothetically, be 'counted among the militants" at some time in the future, he any fight for a specific minimum wage figure, and joining the efforts to gag TUC unions demanding a much bolder Labour commitment to uphold Monks. in alliance with virtually all the main unions. took a hard line against the be represented by a union.
But attempes by NUJ Gea. eral Secretary John Foster to and upheld Tony Blair's conorganise support around this servative line that the legal demand found no support even from "left"-led unions. would be extended only to 'bargaining units' where a unclaimed the proposal might ion had more than 50 percent 'undermine union stability"! This year's TUC has also The fact that this could taken a far from militant line subsequently be used by emon demanding repeal of other ployers in many workplaces anti-union laws, and rejected (notably most NHS Trusts) as a pretext to withdraw recog- the call from the bakers' and nition of unions falling below operate with laws which deny the 50 percent mark was brushed aside by unions, in- union members democratic cluding the TOWU, which could find themseives drasti- It did endorse a limited call for the legalisation of solidarity' strikes, but making it The NU). whose bargain ing power has been ham. clear that this meant strikes against the same employer. mered by a systematic not industrial workers striking employers campain of in support of nurses. derecognition, argued that At cach stage, when it has come to the crunch, the limits ically be guaranteed to any group of workers who wish to of TUC policy have been set 'Don't start a light with the unions, Tony, they're harder than you think.' not by the needs or militancy of union members, bet by the willingness or otherwise of Tony Blair's right wing Labour leadership to accept the policies on offer. supposed to jump through hoops to show the unsons commitment and subservience to Blair, Labour's leaders go to ever greater lengths to put 'clear blue water' between their party and the unions.
The leaked documents from Blair's office published at the start of the TUC Congress underline the unmistakable trajectory of Labour's leadership towards a complete severing of links with the unions. This was further highlighted by his speech to thur Scargill summed up. he came "to tell us to get stuffed': Blair made one caregoncal pledge:
'There will be no repeal of owns the media, the banks and big industry can be confident that - day to day and in the longer-term shaping of policy - they will have more influence on a rootless Labour bers fighting for jobs and wages.
The fact that Blair received an unusually less-than-unanimous standing ovation after his deliberately insulting speech snould sound the alarm bells. The TUC Congress is far from the most radicar garnering or onion activists - yet even here sections are beginning to get restevery policy and principle must be sacrificed to get the Tories out.
Unions that bankroll and look to Labour to fight politically on their behalf will be propelled by their members into the leading edge of the