Fred Leplat, CFDU Treasurer (in a personal capacity) At what could be UNISON'S last conference before the geneston the Natom Executive took a line more ment, in particular over privatisation and taxation - while At the same NEC speakers took every opportunity to able to maintain its level of support and avolded the trap of responding to the "red-baiting". Rodney Bickerstaffe's retiresuccessor Dave Prentis was unable to attend as he is receiring cancer treatment also The critical tone towards the New Labour government was particularty evident in the local ernment executive, said, governant b oding notning to make up the ravages of the Tory years. It's a dire situation". The local government execu. tive moved a very long resolubon on best vaue, recopaising that it encouraged privatisation - wide last year the executive desc-bec Best Value as being worse that the Tories' corouson Competove Party NEC ence se NEC Icemoced to cape arage te ocoaces, and ame not seen since agenda", to produce a manifesto for public services in the run-up to the general election, take action against privatisation Unfortunately, conference rejected calls for the union to organise nacionally co-ordinateo industral acoon against the government's national attacks. In a rare victory, a motion from Nottingham City was adopted calling for renationaisation of the privatised utilities with compensation only on the basis of proven need. in a resolution on taxation initiated by the NEC, conference Organising this meeting has agreed to call for the raising of contributed to the left working more closely together. This the noer race of taxaton to 50% and corporation tax at 33%, and levying a "Tobin" tax tion of a united left caucus that would have a greater impact Wage. (a minimum wage at on currency trading. The Living to be suc- remain a high priority for UNIcessiu, this new left will have ON, with nabonal and to be wider than just an amal. regional public mobrisation". amation of the SWP and the But calls for a national demonHDU - there must be a cin stration and a lobby of the paign to involve independent socialists and those from the Labour conference were lost. For the third year running, a debate on a rule change for A resolution calling for a incernal union disciplinary proreview of the general and the cedures ended a stalemate. affilated political funds was defeated. But speakers from the left obtained more than The procedures proposed by 50% of the card vote, unlike union should only fund those those backed by the NEC, but Labour Party candidates who failed to achieve the two-thirds supported UNISON's polices As the week progressed, the NEC became less vitriolic in its motion on public services in stacks. Nooncy bickersaint even made a concilatory "openly critical of government farewell speech in which he policy and actions which conpart of the union! ing class through its maintenance of Tory spending limfiscal criteria for the single currency, and the deregula• went along with enthusiastic endorsement of the neo-liberal agenda of the American right.
The trade union leaders not only backed new Labour to the hilt, but their damaging new realism of the cighties and carly 90s evolved into the idea of "social partnership". This was codified by the TUC at its 1997 Congress by the adoption of Partners for Progress - a decision which "social partnership" with the employers.
This represented the TUC's definition to neoliberalism. partnership represents the idea of the identity of interest between and the workers and sees the solution for the workers employers.
At that same Congress resoJutions calline for the rencal of all Tory anti-union laws to be dropped and a list "realistic" demands adopted which included the statutory national minimum wage, the implementation of the EU's social chapter, the protection of all workers from day one restoration of union rights at government's Chelen me TUC caders But if the hought this was going to cut nIcW they were disappointed. New work force to win it.
War from reversing L Tory privatisation measures. extended ( them dramatically.
This led to proposals to pri the introduction of Education Action Zones, the Finance Initiative into the NHS, and many other such schemes.
A similar "Public-Private Partnership" (PPP) was also proposed as the means of financing the London Tube system. Compulsory competitive tendering in the public sector was replaced by 'Best Value. And as far as pay was Tony Blair idea of a regular pay review was in contradiction to the idea of a social partnership.
Despite this, the TUC leadmain unions) not only remained loyal BICW protected it where necessary. Tenacious strikes resisting attacks from employers by stafl at Magnet kitchens, Hillingdon Hospital, the Tameside care workers, and Sky Chefs, were: either refused recognition or of denied the real backing they needed if they were to have a chance of winning.
Even the remarkable fighting spirit of the Livernool dockers, with huge international support (although far less in britain of course goc nothing out of the election of GCHQ new Labour. And the union witch hunt those fighting for socialist policies or challenging their right-wing agenda.
The resistance which did