Jenkins rebuffed as ASTMS backs Benn

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In the debate over affiliation o CND, which was eventully carried by a 2-1 majorly "The bastards should strung up" . "We iould break their arms". They are nothing but a each of traitors."

These were just some of = romarks directed at the al leadership of the six is mistred in the six be le sade a feizai abea sata: 12 May the workers ad by 228 to 211 in port of the full time ciats recommendation (a return to work pending stiations.

This was in direct oppos • so the principled line • by the strike commitho called for a continu• of the strike and for significant than its equivalent in any other British trade union).

Certainly Losinska and her "Havlicht" cronies are the action to be made involved. official by all the unions Up to that time only the TGWU with a dozen members had recognised the action. The strike began on Friday 27 March after management had put up a notice at the plan miomm. ine the s is F2C0T: 26DDE:ILE be no annual wage increase.

For the first month the strike under the control of the strike committee had remained solid.

In the last two weeks of the strike the official leadership became more prominent in the struggle.

At a mass meeting held at Bevin. House, the TGWU Socialist Press and Socialist Organiser supporters must build the Socialist Caucus as a policy-formulating group within the Broad Left.

headquarters, on 5 May, the officials recommended return to work based on a letter put out to all the workforce by the management.

The meeting voted to continue the strike by a 2-1 majority The sell-out came after pitters had successfully deared a * 1*7132 TE= -TE LIE TILL: dane noires seni is irit by post.

Management appeared to be weakening. But their trump card was the union officials. As one striker told Socialist Press:

We know what the bosses are, and we : know that their most effecti ve weapons are our so-called f riends.

ingly right wing leadership of ASTMS received a jolt last weekend.

Their attempt to manoeuvre support for Dennis Healey in the elections for Deputy leadership of the Labour Party was In its place, a motion was passed by the Annual Debate Conference IS LITE ACCO T.! 4:255 The NEC had attempted to avoid a vote at conference by withdrawing their initial proposal to support the "status quo" in the Labour leadership, and substituting a vague call for consultation at Divisional and Branch level to "advise" the NEC and the delegation.

While this at first appeared plausible to some delegates, including some left wingers, it was plainly a manoeuvre to avoid any mandate and leave Jenkins free to press for a vote for Healey or some "dark horse" vote-splitting candidate.

Ten resolutions

It was countered by ten merten! resolutions call4e Bare To ing the union's votes to Benn "on a platform of implementing conference decisions.

Jenkins himself got up to oppose this resolution, quoting from a speech made by Benn to a Labour Party conference in 1960-some 21 years ago-calling for Party unity.

In reply, Rory Murphy for DC No. 7 pointed out that while some would criticise Benn's record, surely nobody would try to defend Healey's. And, he argued, we have all learned something in the last 21 years: "I was only 6 then!"

A card vote was taken, and the sight of a crestfallen Clive Jenkins receiving the result brought jubilation to left wing delegates-it was arried 146,840 to 140,340.

The ASTMS decision is spatian in ibe Benn campaign than the 600000 , votes committed to his support by NUPE a week earlier.

It is the first occasion on which the platform has been defeated in order to mandate a union delegation on elections under Labour's new electoral college system.

It shows the need to drive the campaign for democratisation right into the trade union movement.

The ASTMS conference also saw important rule changes to increase democratic control of the union's delegations to the TUC and Labour Party conferences.

But attempts to amend the rules to enable the recruitment of unemployed potential members of ASTMS were defeated.

And the reactionary element of the union came into full and ugty view when delegates barracked and slow handclapped Sheffield delegate Ron Giles as he attempted to move for an emergency motion in support of the Irish hunger strikers.

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Thursday May 21,