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set the tone of last Saturday's Conference called by the Garners' Strikers to draw the lessons from the ending of their 17 month long struggle for union recognition.

A notable turnout from the Garners Strike itself were joined by over one hundred and thirty delegates and visitors attracted by a strong platform including representatives from many of the major past and present unionisation battles of the last few years.

From fairly early on it became clear that the main issue was whether union leaders' betrayals should be confonted head-on or avoided by turning towards 'rank and file' solutions.

Phil Gilliat of Sandersons Forklift, Skegness, where TGWU members are in their third year on strike, said such actions were seen by the union leadership as liabilities'.

He counterposed reliance on union officials to the support given by socialist organisations.

The main problem in his view, was the "apathy" of the rank and file.

What was needed to counter inis, he declared, was a "middle way" which had credibility on both sides.

Jayaben Desai. former Treasurer of the Grunwick Strike Committee paid tribute to the Garners strikers, saying that the problems they had to face, particularly regarding lack of finance, were worse than at She stressed the lessons being learnt by the trade union leaders in how to break workers' strength, and how many of them talk left' but in practice support the right-wing in complaining of the "problems" which prevent them doing anything.

Many of the contributions from the floor brought out the treachery of the TGWU Region 1 officials.

A speaker from the Support Committee quoted Regional Organiser Les Shorter as saying the problem was that immigrant workers in catering were "not used to unions" and that the defeat of the strike" would not affect prospects for unionising the industry"

Joe Carbury, a delegate from Kirby's Birds Eye factory on Merseyside, spoke of TGWU Chairman Stan Pemberton replying to a question about support for Garners by saying they should "steer clear of recognition disputes"

He added that the only thing the Garners Strikers lacked was the administration of the union and its £30 million assets.

The most coherent plea for rant and fileism, came, not surprisingly, from Right to Work' campaign leader John Deason.

He called for people to be "realistic" as it would "take years to change the TGWU"

And Deason claimed that the need was for a "bridge" to be built here and now.

This "bridge" however, was not any sort of but the Rank and File organisation.!

Taking sharp issue with this view, Cowley BL Body Plant Shop Steward Tony Richardson said the probelm was that the Communist Party and union officials had not simply made mistakes, they had sabotaged the strike.

The need was for more politics in the rank and file forewarning workers about the treachery of the so-called left wing' leaders and officials.

This point was developed by many other contributions.

Speakers stressed that in the Garners strike the method had been not to find a way round the officials but to mobilise the membership against them in the course of fighting for policies necessary to win.

Those who saw only the "apathy" of the rank and file failed to recognise the way in which this "apathy" is instilled, preserved and fought for by the union bureaucracy.

TGWU 5/55 Chairman Tim O'Sullivan said his twenty years experience in the union confirmed that the starting point for union officials was compromise and the membership should take every opportunity they could to replace the present leaders.

Victimised chamber maids' Shop Steward Ellen Gallagher from the week-long strike at Park Lane's Grosvenor Hotel outlined the events leading up to their sacking.

Management were only offering compensation and refusing to concede reinstatement and recognition of their union-even though building workers in the hotel had supported them.

The staff in other unions were meeting to decide on supporting action, though GMWU workers who had come out were instructed back to work by the official after one day.

The seven month lon at London Economist Bc was outlined by ACTS Steward Helen Miller.

A joint mobilisation by NUJ and NGA branches and chapels seems set to turn out a much, larger mass picket than previously in support of the struggle for union rights at the g strike okshop S Shop She referred to the continued refusal of the shop's directors to concede their demand tor collective bargaining rights and to an unsuccesful attempt the previous day to whip-up those still at work against the strikers.

Trade was being badly hit and the options for the company were to give up or close down.

Final platform speaker Pat Lally, remarking on the predic. table absence of TGWU officials, said he was speaking as an individual union member whose branch had supported the strikers from the first week.

Pointing to the way in which the growing crisis was forcing forward previously unorganised sections, he emphasised the changes in attitude of the bosses represented by these marathon strikes.

The lesson in Garners was the same as Grunwick. There, it was the lefts' such as Jack Dromey who complemented the open right wing.

The declaration endorsed by the Conference significantly included the call for the removal of the two TGWU Regional officials central to the sell-outRegional Organiser Les Shorter, and CP member Regional Secretary Sid Staden.