Nalgo N.e.c. Defends

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CaLO MEMEL The NALGO NEC left face has been support for the national coordinating Committee against the Cuts The Just Their Conference policy statement shows they regard this as just wards.

£GOO FUND We have had an encouraging response to the increased £600 Monthly Development Fund this month. With money still on its way to us the total The following amounts have been received. BLMC Cowley Assembly Plant £30.00; BLMC Cowley Body Plant £32.00; Birmingham £10.00; Islington £50.00; Oxford Health Service £50.00; Leamington £2.35; South Liverpool £20.00; Hull £22.50; Central London £40.00; Nuneaton £10.00; Oxford General $40.00; Aylesbury £10.00; Banbury £5.27; East London £47.50; Oxford Bookshop £25.00; Leeds £15.00; Collections £6.70.

early start with the June fund so that we make the target in The NALGO leadership are opposing or asking for the withdrawal of every motion calling for action -even those which simply call for publicity campaigns for a halt to cuts, unemployment and wage cutting at their National Conference at Eastbourne this week.

The discontent of the NALGO membership is reflected in many of the motions from branches. There are many on individual problems such as opposition to cuts in the rail services, the cal for more money for the National Bus Company, and opposition to health service cuts. Other motions attempt to mobilise NALGO against the cuts in general.

NALGO General Secretary, Geoffrey Drain, argues that all future policy measures are covered by an emergency motion to be put to conference by the NEC.

This motion will be seen by many delegates as the ultimate in cuddling up to the anti-working class bureaucrats within the TUC and the Labour government. The motion states that the NALGO "considers it essential that the continuing development of the mutually acceptable economic policy now proposed between the trades unions and the government must be the cornerstone of our purpose"

Of course the economic policy now proposed is in no way "mutually accepted" by the membership - who have been given no voice on the issue of whether to accept the TUC's wage-cutting 4½% limit.

The NEC follow so far has reached £529.82.

Let's make an June fund good time. shopping list of things the unions and the government mus it take note of, carefully avoidi ng the potential power in action of the NALGO membership to force such demands through.

"APATHY"

• The NALGO leadership will of course claim that any motions which entail activity designed to mobilise this strength are not feasible because of the claimed "apathy" of the membership.

Yet at the same time they are opposing the motion from the Hackney branch which suggests four branch meetings a year (!) instead of the present one or two. Clearly Drain feels that such apathy as there is in NALGO must be carefully protected by creating the impression of a completely dormant union.

This shows clearly the link between so-called apathy" and leadership. So does the very different example of the West Midlands County Council branch pre-conference meeting, where 60 members voted by an overwhelming majority to instruct conference delegates to throw out the NEC motion.

DIRECTED

Instead they were directed to support motions directed towards specific actions which could defeat the Labour government's attack on • working class living standards.

A determined struggle for leadership within NALGO is the prerequisite for the defence of jobs and living standards. This must take firm steps forward at the Eastbourne conference. ALGI Anne MILLIONE EPSTEN PONEL