DELEGATES met in London on April 18 as the practical follow up to successful Reclaim Our Rights Conference on March 28. In practical terms the conference was intended to unify different campaigns: Reclaim Our Rights, dominated by members of the Socialist Labour Party (SLP); the Campaign for Free Trade Unions, dominated by supporters of Workers Liberty and the Communication Workers Union's trade union rights Also Invited, but refusing to attend were the Liaison Committee for the Defence of Trade Unions (LCDTU), dominated by old-time Stalinists. The secretary of the LCDTU sent an insulting letter to the unification conference.
The key decision on April 18 was to finally set the date for the proposed national demonstration. May 1, 1999, which is a Saturday, was agreed. Although some may be disappointed at yet another postponement, it gives us plenty of time to organise what should be one of the most important labour movement demonstration Britain has yet seen. Building a powerful and united national campaign will be an enormous challenge for the traditionally fractious British left. If next year's march is successful, the success will be determined by the work done now.
Momentum is the key to that success. A whole range of local, regional and national events, meetings, etc, will be required. Effective intervention into this years round of trade union conferences will be an important part of that process.
Unfortunately, proposals for activities which could have helped this were not allowed to be put to the vote. Bob Crow, Assistant General Secretary of the RMT and Chair of the new campaign referred these proposals to the new steering committee. Even the decision on the new name for the campaign was referred to that committee, leaving the campaign without an identity.
The officers are Bob Crow the Chair, and the joint secretaries John Hendy QC and Lol Duffy. Also include are two representatives from the three groups merging into the new campaign, with two places reserved for the LCDTU, if they change their minds.
Representatives of those national unions which have affiliated are also included.
The new committee is 'interim', because there will be a recall national conference of the new campaign in July. There is general agreement that the affiliated national unions should be represented on any national committee. The leaderships of those unions now affiliated are clearly ardent supporters of the campaigns.
Problems could emerge if supporters succeed in winning other unions, with less friendly leaderships. If the campaign is marginal, those unions will send a token supporter to the national committee. If the campaign takes off, Blair will put pressure on the union leaders to apply the brakes.
Care will have to be taken to ensure that these bureaucrats are allowed representation, but not a stranglehold over the development of the The support of union conferences and general secretaries will be useful, but the work of rank and file trade activists will change the campaien from a 'good idea' to an effective movement for change.