NUJ pulls out of Press Council NUR Executive throws out Weighell's deal

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Eight days of lectures and discussion on questions of Marxism and the fight to reconstru In a sharp rebuff for both the employers and Genéral Secretary Sid Weighell, the national executive of the National Union of Railwaymen last week voted 21-6 to reject a staged 20%-with-strings pay deal.

The package of strings amounts to a medium-size book -equivalent to the 92-page document brought forward by BL management.

Its initial provisions include cuts in manning and extensive changes in existing conditions in freight, parcels and administration.

Weighell had emerged trom the pay talks having agreed to all of these proposals and assuring eager journalists that BR "will get their changes".

But the NUR Executive rejected both the staging of the pay increase -16% now and another 4% in strings attached.

Weighell was try again.

This puts added pressure on "left' talking train drivers' leader Ray Buckton of ASLEF, who had also accepted a deal which includes a vicious package of attacks on drivers' working conditions.

But, as Weighell was hasty to point out, the NUR is still "a long way from strike action" • Like their fellow TUC leaders, Buckton and Weighell are desperately anxious to avoid a strike that would bring a further challenge to the Thatcher government.

But the cringing collaboration of the union leaders has repeatedly come up against the same . obstacle: the militant determination of their members to detend their jobs and living THE standards.

The NUR Executive is just the fatest of a succession of union bodies that have thrown out pay deals negotiated and recommended by full time officials.

Railway workers, like every Fourth International.

other secti 1, face construct new,.:

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themselves agains offensive.

NATIONAL LIAISC ITTEE SUMME le ed )Na are to defend efe le Tc basic it the PHOTO: Andrew Wiard. Report During the provincial newspaper strike it upheld a complaint against press officers who had refused to supply copy to scabs.

Last year those in the union who want to keep its allegiance to the press council won a small majority for a further year's grace.

This year the London Central Branch, representing but were defeated 122-92..

The union is now committed to reporting by October on proposals for alternative bodies to handle complaints.

This break with an employers': . body (which includes as one of its leading officers Ken Morgan, former General Secretary of the NUJ) is an 'important one but repres ents only a halfway house.

The Union should establish a workers complaints procedure which does not aim to be "impartial', and the workers but which sets itself the target of clearly exposing the class role of the capitalist press Central London Branch officers (who are forever complaining that. the annual conférence is 'undemocratic') have already warned that they may Subject to election - NUJ General Secretary Ashton £2.00 £4.00 £8.00 £14.00 £9.00 £16.00 €10.00 £18.00 sion wherever it was found.

The overall thrust of the conference remained a serious blow against those who wanted its Irish venue to be used to support the six county state, despite this important weakening of one resolution. ther In particular the conference closed with a condemnation of the TUC's disaffiliation of Tameside Trades Council for organising a conference on It instructed the NEC to proceed with the NUJ's conference on censorship regardless of the attitude of the TUC.

press passes) and to seek their own representation on the Press , The union also voted for strike action on May 14, and to defy any legislation eroding trade union rights. It asserted that it will accept no restrictions by law or otherwise on-free collective bargaining.

A motion for the election of officials was passed, but was then heavily amended to leave only three positions-general secretary, deputy general secre-. tary and editor of the Journalist open for election-by. postal ballot.

Office holders over the age, of 55 are to be exempted.

Abortion. rights were defended and fights against the cuts backed.

The union also declared itself opposed to attempts to use the Olympic Games as anti-Soviet propaganda:

A motion for the NUJ to affiliate to the Labour Party was heavily defeated.

As well as expected opposition from advocates of a 'non political' union the resolution was opposed by full time official Bob Norris who spoke as "a life long member of the Labour Party" but said that to put it out to ballot would be to weaken the union's credibility if it were lost.

Not one of the Labour councillors or would-be councillors and MFs present spoke in favour of the resolution.

For a PRESS lead in the struggle agamsti wage control, cuts and redundancies Send your cheque/P.O. to Socialist Press, BM Box 5277,. London WCIV 6XX.

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