STUC 2hour strike
Socialist Press1981 1981-03-18Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 8 →
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Action to change the government's course or action to force a general election is the question which should face the Scottish Trades Union Congress when it meets in Rothesay on 20-24 April.
Whether Congress will be in a position to come to a clear decision is questionable as the standing orders committee are asking in many cases for the compositing of resolutions which take contradictory stands on this question.
Pressure
In the section on the economy, a TGWU resolution calling for pressure to be brought on the present government to pursue alternative economic policies and an AUEW resolution calling on the government to change the direction of its policies are being asked to composite with an ASLEF resolution calling for a "massive campaign to mobilise affiliated unions to combat these policies and to create conditions for the return of a Labour government committed to socialist economic policies."
The STUC General Council obviously want to avoid the issue of confronting the Tory government. However, given the number of resolutions on the agenda calling for such action they will find this difficult.
Organisations asking for action to enforce a general election will hopefully stand up to pressure from the Standing Orders Committee and insist their position is put to the conference.
Building mass action against the government in the localities is one way of ensuring the issues of working class leadership are not avoided at the STUC Congress. The TUC week of action will only be built if action is taken at local level.
The STUC are contributing to the week of action by recommending a two hour stoppage from 3.00 pm. on Wednesday 8 April!
Retreating
Instead of building on the one-day strike of 14 May last year, the General Council are retreating to a 2 hour call for action at a time when growing opposition to government is apparent in every workplace and every community.
The recommendation for a two hour stoppage is to be put to a shop stewards conference in Leith Town Hall on Saturday 21 March.
The campaign has to be built now to ensure that call is at least extended to a one-day strike and seen as the launching point for a campaign to bring down the government.
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