Redder Tape puts leaders in the pink
Socialist Press1979 1979-06-20Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 10 →
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SUBSCRIBE THE FIGHT BLINDFOLD!
to Socialist Press Please send me trial sub/six months/one year Send to Socialist Press, 31, Dartmouth Park conference held recently in Birmingham, the largely SWP-inspired "rank and file' organisation of Civil Service unions discussed the Tories' cuts in Civil Service jobs.
Redder Tape sees its aim as building a 'rank and file' organisation which will concentrate on increasing membership participation in the unions at all levels.
Indeed several of their ideas - such as implementation of "no cover" policies by placing large notices saying THIS DESK IS SOCIALIST BLACKED on posts which have fallen vacant with no replacement - show an awareness of the need to bring home the immediacy of the cuts to Civil Servants, though often stopping short at the level of mere gimmickry.
Limitations
The limitations of Redder Tape's political line, however, can be seen in the way they take upon themselves the task of fighting the cuts in the Civil Service "because nobody else will" In taking this position they effectively abandon any attempt to expose those • CATAL For clear lead in the union leaders and Labourites whose policies and class collaboration have made the cuts possible in the first place.
They avoid the task of exposing the opportunism of the Militant Group in the Civil Service unions through demands on them to fight within the Labour Party to drive out axemen Callaghan and Healey.
And their concentration on the 'rank and file' leaves Ken Thomas and other Civil Service union bureaucrats a free hand to move in from above to sabotage struggles on pay or jobs should they emerge.
Redder Tape's obvious Trial sub (UK)
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Six months Rest of the Six months of Socialist Press. I enclose . RATES: enthusiasm for workplace campaigning will appeal to many Civil Service trade unionists. But they will succeed only in betraying their enthusiasm unless they break from their myopic 'rank and filism' and spell out a programme that can mobilise and develop the strength of the membership in action against the cuts.
Such practical experience offers the best means of exposing and removing the existing mis-leaders and defending the real interests of the rank and file.
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