A SPECIAL meeting of the TUC General Council was called on April 20 to discuss the dispute with Downing Street over the interpretation of Labour's election pledge to legalise the right of workers to union recognition where a majority in a workplace vote for it. But the result was to offer further compromises beyond the original TUC position. Blair has lent heavily towards the CBI proposals, which were originally to require the participation in the ballot of a majority of those eligible to vote, and now call for 40% of those eligible to vote - an almost equally impossible figure to achieve under the conditions the ballots will take place. Having already backed off of the original TUC position of requring a simple majority (51% of those voting in the ballot) the special meeting agreed to accept that a minimum of 30% of those eligible to vote should vote yes, as well as and some form of exemption for "small firms".
Crucial
The debate over the detail is of crucial importance if what goes into the government White Paper "Fairness at Work" in the next few weeks is to have any positive effect in the workplace.
For the TUC and the trade union leaders it is a crucial issue: union recognition was the one thing they thought they were going to get out of New The was reflected at the recent STUC conference in Perth, which rejected the TUC formula, and where John Monks was criticised by UNISON chief Rodney Bickerstaffe for the concessions which have been made. For Blair, however, the most important thing is his relationship with the employers. He will not allow the TUC or its views to get in the way of that, particularly if no serious pressure is being mounted to force him to do so.