including i the always, recent strikes in defence of Sarah Friday: They did not, however, alter the overall situation.
This month, Employment Act eventually came into force, leaving the main bulk of Tory anti-union laws in place.
New Labour has N shakes, and suffered a humiliarthe election Ken Livingstone mayor of leaders loyal Blair's project -they remain loyal to his gorand will do anything necessary keep it in office and in these condttions the way the trade union left -deakne by the decline the shOp the mid 1980s organises ( itself assumes great importance. that of unity, or the lack of it. Socialist Outlook has long advocated, and taken initiatives towards, the idea of order to generalise experispread solidarity and struggle against the rightIn the end this argument has always fallen on stony ground. And the reasons are clear enough. The problem of unity has remained unresoirca within many of tac unions, and if there was no real grasp of the idea cross-union T oday, however, an opportunity start to end some the trade union left has preIt comes out of the same political imperative which is producing unity in the fields of electoral interventions (and to a certain extent in campaigns on social issues) - the realilems nor the opportunities social partnership or cosur in short the impetus to the formation of the Alliances • needs to be applied at the level of the trade unions as wch. Ail those wao are opposed to the neo-liberal flensive and the wiv the trade union leaderships kowtow to it need to be part of a Fortunately this is beginning to happen. Most imporending its isolationism within the trade union left and promouns unity in a RUGGED INPIVIDUALISTS! number of unions. This potentially of great imporThe SWP took the initiative for a joint public meetPCS conference. In SON the SWP has proposed and formation of a united eft organisation. A joint left fringe which attracted 400 deleThere is a perspective of forming a new organisa. tion in the autumn.
Perhaps even more signifi. cantly the SWP have, recent days, taken the first steps towards uniting the left in the NUT a left which split three whin the SWP walked out of the Teachers Unity is not an easy process after years of division, but left in several major unions great responsibility on all sectors of the left to ensure opportunity taken and built on.
The union with the most been the (VU, many them unofficial and illegal. This year's conference saw a native to Labour at the politCWU delegates voted that if new Labour privatises any part or the post ourice, tac union will withdraw "all financial and moral support the Party" which seems close to disaffilCWU General Secretary Hodgson had appalled that the resolution as even on the agenda. The day this J08W8 underlined by a vote not to increase financial support to The conference also overturned action taken against NOONE DOSE WORk ers for giving financial support to Ken Livingstone and the London increasing reluctance of unions to continue bankroll Labour whilst its WHITSECES attacking their members. As well as the discussion within the CU, there have been serious debates within the FBU and RMT.
Socialists need to support moves to liberate the political funds from bureaucratic rules which prevent support for those to the left of new Labour acting in defence of while funding Blairite candidate! who are attacking their jobs, raised is that money should be allocated on the basis of a vote of more democratic than the Obviously the current lack of any organised political means that dissaffiliation from the Labour Party at this stage would neither be practical nor correct.
But Livingstone's election Mayor London, and following the Party's Tommy Sheridan and Dennis to the Scottish Parliament, the idea that there can credible candidates to the left of Labour is much casier been the case previously.
Given trajectory, increasingly important over Greg Tucker "NOTHING short of a nightmare" is the only way to week at the RMT Annual General Meeting.
On virtually every industrial issue the AGM rejected the Union leadership's strategy and demanded a concerted campaign of action. And on the big issue of the use of the Union's Political Fund, Knapp's position on Labour Party amiator survived by only 28 votes to 20.
To round off the week, it was discovered that the bureaucracy had deliberately of Rule change amendments proposed by left Branches. The left controlled Standing Orders Committee rescued the amendments, which will now De ocoated at a special conference later One issue dominates RMT discussions - privatisation. bers are disgusted that the only refused to re-nationalise the rail companies - a mented for free as rail franchises come up for re-tencern: - but also wants to sell off London Underground. This has propelled forward a discussion on how the union uses its paracal Tund.
In a passionate debate speaker after speaker called for an end to the one-sided relation with Labour - we Eve them money - they do what they want.
A hundred years after Doncaster Branch of the RMT's forerunner union the mation of the Labour Representation Committee, delegates demanded a discussion throughout the We wanted this to conclude with a special General Meeting that could decide to liberate our political fund and use it to support candidates and campaigns more in tune with our objectives. in the debate, the vote was narrowly lost 20-28. What immediate introduction of was clear though was that the full Automatic Train this is a discussion that will Protection system - as first not go away. Left delegates promised a decade ago by pledged to set up a new John Prescott had stood at Independent Political Fund". Ladbroke Grove and echoed It took Thomas Steele and the previous Tory response -years to break the ASRS then sat down with Railtrack from supporting the Liberals. and agreed to introduce the From the debate at this year's AGM, the left in the the Train Protection Waring System - a system which change will come to break would not prevent many the RMT from New Labour higher speed accidents. The liberalism.
At the industrial level industrial action if ATP is not overcome the effects of pri- After Ladbroke Grove the vatisation - on jobs and public was overwhelmingly in condions, but paraculary as it effects rail safety. In a of the railway to enforce rail safety standards. this support, Knapp and the union leadership have failed to act publicly. Instead they have become integrated into inspired "Rail Summits" and "Safety Task Forces", sitting down with the rail bosses for cosy discussions on how to safety. Whilst still wanting the On what a week that toas for the official crash enquiries Mr Knapp and co. delegates overwhelmingly series of debates, delegates relected this approsch affirmed their anger at the demanded a forthright camhas deliberately underplayed paign of public action, the effects of privatisation demonstrations, rallies and on satety ano nas tied to channel our response into light the need for investment behind closed doors. clear the link between lax safety and the drive for Instead delegates called pront All of these political and for a serious public cam- industrial discussions come palet on a senes or safetyrelated issues, up to and tion of London Underground. including the launching of The AGM pledged its supindustrial action.
Delegates were disgusted Transport Regional Council called off action earlier in held outside John Prescott's the vear over the role and office on July 21. responsibility of train guards. Overturning the Executive organise to mobilise the witest possible support tom immediate re-ballot of all our members and the guards. broader movement.
in response to the Southall and Ladbroke Grove crashes Everybody should be putting this important date in their it was agreed to demand the diary.
Outlook To A