NALGO juggernaught uns into opposition

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After EETPU leaders Chapple and Sanderson intervened in a strike by electricians at Winsford's Metal Box Company, the men were abruptly sacked.

This attack could not have been carried through by the employers without the total support-indeed insistence-of one of the CBI's star performers in the trade union movement, Frank Chapple, General Secretary of the EETPU.

Evidence

If anyone doubts that Chapple and his national officer Sanderson were in fact the principal culprits behind the sacking of the 16 electricians at Metal Box, supporting evidence has «Treacherous and bloody rubbish" was how electrician John Smith described his national leaders.

"Clear the lot out" was amongst the more printable comments.

Offensive

However, it has emerged that the joint attack by management and union leaders upon the electricians was a carefully prepared offensive against all trade unionists at Metal Box, Winsford.

A decision by TGWU members to return to work following their six week layoff proved to be a fatal one and encouraged managément, who immediately imposed no less than 60 precedent-setting points on unionists at the treachery of their leadership must be developed towards the construction of a conscious alternative, revolutionary leadership based on the struggle for the independent interests of the working class.

League

Public meeting Trade union demo cracy and the fight for revolutionary anday 2 July at 7.30 Wheatsheaf Hotel Delamere St.

Winsford

In the aftermath of the special pay conference, which a week earlier had supported continuing wage NALGO's annual conference was marked by NEC efforts to strengthen its class collaborationist position.

This process met only occasional resistance, highlighting the bankruptcy of NALGO's various . opposition movements.

Nowhere was the inability of the opposition to formulate an independent programme more evident than in the Local Government Group meeting.

In response to the Chairman's report that the employers had offered a 92% wage rise and consolidation, the SWP-dominated NALGO Action Group abandoned their £15 demand and moved an emergency resolution for 'not less than 10% and consolidation'.

Collaboration

Nobody was surprised when the bureaucrats agreed to this.

The theme of the NEC's contributions was to be one of collaboration with government as a solution to the problems facing NALGO members, and an insistence that the members would refuse to fight for pay and conditions.

They forgot to point out that they have consistently avoided the duty of leading the members in that fight.

This view of the trade unions as an extension of the state was central to the Presidential address by right wing spokesman Glyn Phillips.

He argued for a virtually corporatist economic policy in which pay controls are as important as government controls on prices, employment and expenditure.

A similar approach is exhibited by next year's President, Alderton, who regards trade unionism las 'another pillar of the realm like church and state' Chancellor Healy was the main guest speaker.

He spend some time in jefending the recent economic package • against attacks by Thatcher.

I'LL NEED TO MAKE A FEW PHONE CALLS...

ANL ...AND WELL MAKE UP.THE NUMBERS!

CRIES WELL BROTHERS, WE'LL HAVE TO BUILD TASK FORCES IN EVERY TOWN TO STAMP OUT THE NAZI MENACE ONCE AND FOR ALL! Phillips He went on to call for continued "moderation" as a solution to inflation. The heckling was continuous.

The central debate on pay policy was based on an attack by the Stalinist dominated branches which was beaten off without undue difficulty by the NEC, despite the skilled oratory and eloquence of the opposition. Technique is no substitute for programme.

On what conference regarded as more basic trade union issues the NEC had more difficulty.

Smaller majority

They held off attacks on their betrayal of the firemen's strike but with a smaller majority than they expected.

Basic trade union democracy was defended by conference when it reasserted its right to determine policy on industrial disputes, rejecting the Court of Sessions ruling in the notorious Patterson case.

In the same mood, conference insisted on the expulsion of three scabs from Edinburgh and voted to defend a member sacked for wearing an Anti Nazi League badge.

In the final minutes of conference there . was desperate scramble to drive through an instruction to the NEC to take account of the policies of councils in conference towns when selecting venues.

This was an attack on Scarborough's anti-gay discrimination.

general picture emerged of the bureaucratic juggernaut beginning to run into serious opposition from the membership but of no alternative leadership being available.

Platform

The Stalinists of the NALGO "Progressive Alliance", tail ended by the IMG, are preparing a national, organisation but without clear policies for fear that they would scare off supporters.

The NALGO Action Group struggles on under the burden of SWP centrism and syndicalism with a hopelessly inadequate The time is ripe for building a Trotskyist opposition platform.

BTOCKBRUKERS THE LORD AGAINST WILL THE NAZIS PROVIDE..

COMRADES!