Nalgo-right Wing and Cp

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-DON'T GO-INFO wage control, cuts The NALGO. conference a week ago was the first major trade union conference to consider the implications of Howe's budget.

It saw the union's right wing NEC and their Stalinist messengers of the 'NALGO Progressive Alliance', manoeuvre desperately to block discussions of a serious programme to fight back against cuts, sackings and plunging living standards.

General Secretary Drain, returning from an emergency meeting of the TUC Economic Committee, stirred himself into his annual feat of eloquénce.

After claiming that NALGO had "led the fight"

Geoffrey Drain against previous cuts a claim which would astonish those sections of NALGO members like the social workers or the Hounslow R FI Hospital Occupation, which have in reality led the fight -he pledged to "fight, fight, fight until we reverse this Government's policies."

Former right wing President, Glynn Phillips, promised full support from the NEC for any branches taking action against redundancies, and actually proposed a resolution stating total opposition to the budget.

Real position

NALGO members should certainly not let these statements be forgotten; but nor should they have any illusions about the real position of their leaders.

The NEC has changed little from the one which backed all the phases of wage control under Labour.

Indeed Phillips most vehement disagreement with Howe was based on Howe's apparent abandonment of the wage controls behind which the NEC has hidden its refusal to fight during recent years.

Worse even than this, in the NEC's view, is the way that Howe appears to have blocked the growth of a national public sector wage bargaining system-the reactionary "Basnett plan"

Promise

The second motion, concocted by the Metropolitan and Scottish District Councils, and heavily backed by the Stalinists of the Communist Party, demanded no more than publicity against the cuts and a promise of support for action taken by branches.

The NEC of course had no objection to this resolution, since it did no more than they had previously pledged, and permitted a display of 'unity' between the leadership and the toothless Stalinist minority.

Things went differently with an amendment from the GLC, City University and Westminster branches.

These branches called for an urgent effort to call a trade union demonstration expressing opposition to the budget; for a declaration of support to any local authorThe overall result of these complex proceedings was to leave NALGO members without any programme of action against the cuts.

They have general promises oi "full support" for any action they are pre. pared to take-providing they can live on £4 per week; and still they have no. alternative leadership within the union prepared to fight the NEC betrayers.

The SWP's catspaw NALGO Action Group failed to produce any resolution in reply to the budget -despite having a large representation at the conGlyn Phillips ference.

In the face of savage cuts when the speakers in favour in jobs and services, of the amendment had left NALGO members have to their delegations to take their places on the speakers overcome the problem of benches, the Stalinists and There is no other way for the bureaucracy renewed their efforts, finally forcing them to begin the campaign • defence essential the delegates to agree withservices, jobs and wages. drawal.

Earlier in the week Relief Conference rejected the section of the NEC report Smiles of reliet and hand- dealing with the oppression shakes were exchanged of foreign workers. between NEC members and This resulted from a row Stalinists. Large sections of over a union delegation to the Conference were less Romania which many memhappy and shouted their bers thought should not objections, to no avail. have taken place when If the Stalinists thought striking miners were being the NEC was in any mood imprisoned in labour camps.

PHOTO: Andrew Wiard, Report

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ET SOCIALIST PRESS