STUC slammed for ditching jobless march

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The STUC Congress passed a composite resolution moved by NALGO which called upon the General Council to "convene a meeting of affiliated unions in the local government sector and local authorities who are opposed to the government's policy of cutting local government expenditure to agree determined action to secure a reversal of government policy?

Conference went on to pass unanimously the resolution moved by Stirling and District Trades Council calling on the General Council to "approach the Scottish Council of the Labour Party with a view to convening a joint conference to discuss a united response to the government's attacks on local government 'and other public services.

with Replying on behalf of the General Council Jimmy Milne claimed that responsibility for calling off the march lay with the Youth Advisory Committee and that the main reason was "organisational problems"

This furtive evasion of responsibility for calling off a march which could have breathed new life into the campaign against unemployment in Scotland stands in sharp contrast with the platform declamations about fighting a possible 20% of the workforce being on the dole in the next few years and with the standing ovation for the workers in occupation at Lee Jeans.

Refuted

Bill Day, Secretary of Perth Trades Council, when interviewed on this issue, indignantly refuted Milne's claim that "organisational problems" were to blame.

•The march was planned The Transitional Programme in Today's Class The founding programmatic document of the Trotskyist International Liaison Committee Available. price 80p including postage from WSI. BM Box 5277, London WOIN 3XX diong the same. We even booked the Cooperative Hall for the marchers and when the Fire Officer said £1,500 was needed for emergency lighting, the local Coop decided to go ahead and have that done.

The local Railway Club agreed to provide food and refreshment. The "organisational problems" were well in hand.

Protest rally Then less than two weeks ago, out of the blue, came a circular from the STUC calling it off.

The decision was said to be taken by a meeting of the Youth Advisory Committee but I know for a fact that only four people were present, one of whom was Harrison -who could not be described as a youth.

Now, in place of the march, there is to be a protest rally in Perth on May 9; but we have been told by SOCIALIST YOUTI LEAGUE Pamphlet THEIR CRISISOUR SOLUTION 32-page pamphlet utlining the policies of the SYL in the present crisis Price 30p including postage From SYL, BM Box 5277, London WCIN 3XX minutes concerning the strike at Ayrshire Marine Construction.

Beware!

Sheret said that his trades council deprecated the way in which Milne, the General Secretary, had used the capitalist media to attack the workers involved in the dispute at Hunterston and he asked what now was the state of union organisation on the site and what had happened to all the stewards and men who had lost their jobs.

After the usual mixture of evasion and bluster, Milne stand it miture sitte situation General Council will behave in exactly the same way."

Trade unionists beware! Don't say you have not been warned.

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