Auew: Cp Kills Pay Fight

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Government pay policy and the proposed amalgamation of the AUEW's four constituent sections - the Foundry workers, construction workers, the Technical and Supervisory section and the predominant Engineering section - were the main topics under discussion at the conference of the Engineering section last week.

Leading the right wing in support of the wage cutting TUC _pay plan was former "left" union president Hugh Scanion, who threatened to withdraw from the TUC negotiating team if the deal was not supported.

On amalgamation the rightwing at the AEU Conference were able successfully to clause which would allow TASS officials - who are at present unelected - to remain in office unelected for life.

This would of course preserve the jobs of these bureaucrats who are mainly Stalinists and their supporters, but would mean that only new officials would be elected.

It would for instance mean that TASS General Secretary, Stalinist Ken Gli, could retain his present • position but with no risk stand for ¡election as President of the AmalBut the key role in knifing any real fight was played by the Stalinists before the vote was even taken on a resolution opposing the deal.' Communist Party members James Airlie and George Anthony successfully moved an amendment removing a clause which would have pledged support for those workers who went into action against the policy.

WORDS

This meant that even if the resolution itself had been passed it would only have been a form of words.

It would have had the same impact as the union's verbal opposGill gamated Union!

The right wing of course are not in the least concerned for the democratic rights of the membership. They are opposed to amalgamation because they fear that their ition to the pay laws last year which meant only that delegates at the TUC voted against the measures • while no official actions were called to fight the £6 limit.

In the end, Bill Rowlands, delegate from the North West (Div 15) voted against the resolution - even though his area's resolution was part of the final composite. In the same way the two delegates from Kent (Div 24), J. Lambourn and J Simpson, both voted against their Divisional Committee mandate. Another right winger, from Birmingham, W. Jordan, voted against the resolution, even though both Birmingham East and Birmingham West Shop Stewards quarterlies have voted against the 4½% pay PHOTOS: Chris Davies, Report.

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RIGHT WING SABOTAGE MERGER

defeat the Executive's propos- als because they contained a