Tightens Tuc G Noose

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A sharp tightening of the bureaucratic noose round the necks of Trades Councils is indicated by the TUC move to publicly attack Bradford Trades Council for daring to hold a meeting entitled "Trade Union and Labour Party Democracy' addressed by Newham NE Labour Party Secretary, Tony Kelly - who has recently been unconstitutionally expelled from ASTMS.

Kelly is plainly well qualified by his experience to speak on the abuses of democracy by the rightwing and their fake-left hangers on in the labour and trade union movement.

COMPLAINT

This factor was not lost on Bradford's right-wing Labour MP, Ben Ford, who lodged a complaint with the TUC, suggesting that the Trades Counci was exceeding its normal function - and that the activities of Trades Councis should be monitored.

The TUC bureaucracy obligingly swung into action. Mr K. Graham, secretary of the TUC's Organisation and • Industrial Department, despatched a • letter to the Trades Council which virtually threatened it with disaffiliation if they should attempt to hold another such meeting.

The letter stated:

"As you know trades councils are industrial bodies which exist to provide services to affiliated trade union branches on a wide range of industrial, social and community issues. However. apart from cooperation with the local trados councy a the model rules for _a do not give trades councils any direct political ro the objects for case would be outside which trades councils are recognised by the TUC. If a union branch wishes to raise and pursue political issues it can do views on political subjects own national executive. your trades counci deals with a matter which is internal to the Labour Party and is therefore something which does not concern you or any other trades council. Trades councils will not be permitted to be used for local or national political purposes or to provide a platiorm for groups or individuais to discuss internal Labour Party matters. The TUC takes a very serious view of the activities of your council in this matter and its breach of the model rules.

In these circumstances I must ask for an assurance from your counci that in the future it will adhere strictly to the model rules and will not involve itself in any political activities. if по "such assurance is received from your council this matter will be referzed TCJCC which is responsible for the recognition of all trades councils.

So while the TUC leaders discuss nothing but politics, and collaborate day in and day out with the right wing anti-working class policies of the Callaghan government, Trades Councils are forbidden to discuss these questions. Their's not to reason why - their's but to accept massive wage cuts in dutiful silence!

And the new model Rule 14 attempts to prevent any actions opposed to TUC Conference policy.

HEAD ON The Bradford letter shows that if Trades Councils are to be any more than the shoe-shine boys of the bureaucracy, they must fight head on such bureaucratic dictatorship.

If fighting these actions means risking disaffiliation - as with Oxford Trades Council - then still the fight must go ahead. There is nothing to be gained by capitulation to the bureaucrats.

Instead there must be a turn by threatened Trades Councils back into the union branches and the tank and file to build a firm base of political support on which to carry through the struggle for trade union democracy. Tarmac strikers lobby TUC SI Fighting for official ba icking from UCATT delegates t o the TUC Special Conference was a group of workers from • the Tarmac Brixton Road der relopment who have been ou It for over ten weeks in a vic timisation dispute.

On Sth April, workers had taken strike action against the sack ing of seven workers made "redunı dant" Among the seven was thi e site convenor, and the move was ‹ clearly a preparation to attack cond litions on the site.

After two weeks on strik e, the employers moved to sack the whole worklorce, Luming Ine sinke salafrans into a lock-out. Despite official acking from the T&GWU Building Group adoption of the "gag" Rule 14; which was proposed by the Stalinist President, who warned of 'possible disaffiliation" if the rule were rejected.

Yet while in this way opposing democratic rights for workers within Trades Councils, the supporters of the rule were quite prepared to tolerate the local Tory chairman of the County Council being invited as the main speaker to a Trades Council public meeting against the cuts.

This gives the employers a direct voice on a labour movement platiorm - while the National Coordinating Committee Against the Cuts, for instance, with socialist policies opposed to the TUC at ate ot