Duffy ducks pay claim no fight on Tory law

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In a display of dragooned block-voting which makes a parody of any concept of democracy within the labour movement, the AUEW's policy-making National Conference has adopted package of policies bearing all the hallmarks of the extreme right wing Duffy leadership.

Resolutions committing the union to a £120 or £115 per week claim were thrown out by 29 votes to 23. Instead-by 29 votes to 23-the union's leading body voted • to table a vague claim for a "substantial" Increase.

And the AUEW became the first major union to break ranks on the forthcoming Tory anti-union laws-flouting TUC policy by declaring itself willing to take Tory cash to run postal ballots. This decision plainly turned the stomachs of even two of Duffy's stalwart: 29 votes, since it was carried by the reduced margin of 27-24, Duffy's consuming anti-communist crusade took a further step forward with the railroading through by 29 votes to 23 of a resolution on amalgamation offering the three other sections -foundry take it of leave it" TASS-a package including the election of officials by postal ballot.

Stalinist-led

TASS, led by Stalinist General Secretary Ken Gill has consistently stood out against the election of officials. Duffy clearly hopes that the new ultimatum will drive TASS away once and for all.

The split certainly has nothing to do with the principle of electing officials: indeed Duffy's stated preference is for a merger with the EETPU, in which none of the officials other than the General Secretary are elected!

Indeed the AUEW leadership's contempt for democracy was also illustrated by the reac tionary package of proposals PHOTO: Laurence Duffy submitted to the Labour Party's internal inquiry-endorsed by 29 votes to 23-and by the union's stand in support of the consequent reversal of the democratic reforms carried by last year's Labour Party conference.

But even Duffy and Boyd feel free once in a while to permit a harmless spot of left' posturing, and resolutions (in line with Callaghan's own "anti-Tory" facade) calling for the renationalisation without compensation of state firms sold off by the Tories were unanimously carried!

And a resolution calling for industry-wide ballots on national wage agreements with British Shipbuilders was opposed by executive member Harold Robson and defeated.

Setback

The only significant setback for the union's witch-hunting leadership was the humiliating defeat of its attempt to win a mandate for supporting the admission of the Engineers and Managers Association into the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions. -Clearly wanting to welcome some more kindred spirits to the fold of the Confed-which last year campaigned in favour of Michael Edwardes' package of 25,000 redundancies and plant closures in BL-General Secretary John Boyd tried in vain to secure the defeat of a resolution instructing the executive not to support the EMA application. It was carried by 51 votes to one.

Management

The fact remains that AUEW members in their struggle to defend jobs and wages confront not only the employers backed by the Tory government but also a union leadership that regard their role as essentially an extension of management in the pursuit of profitability in industry at the expense of their own members.

The answer to this can only lie in the struggle to construct a revolutionary leadership in the AUEW based on a programme for the defence of the independent, international interests of the working clas.