Ballot Fraud

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SUBSCRIBE to force through the vote on the basis of confusion is backed up by the union's journal, which, with absolute scorn for the democratic conference decision, carries a front page story which only puts the right-wing case - and claims that the conference vote itself was a "misunderstanding"!

PRETEXT

The flimsy pretext for thi is argument is that the resolution passed at Conference endorsed the L ICATT vote against the £6 limit at th le TUC last year.

This, the right-wing atter mpt to make out, is a "directio to "cancel the NJCBI agrei ement, which in line with the Social Contract, would give a £61 rise on June 28th". Quite obviousl y such an argument is ludicrous.

But they go on still fi urther, suggesting that the correct call in the resolution for the U ICATT Executive to "disregard any bodies setting a ceiling on wage incre eases":

...would mean UCATT i embarking on a head-on collision course culminating in dispute situ ations, without help or assistance : from friends and associates, ine! vitably leading to failure, financial ru in and disorganisation".

This attempt to scare o if any opposition to the 4½% is a 1 million miles away from reality. W 'orkers pecial Conference AC STRIKE ITAIN sUes. issues issues know to their cost how little support is ever forthcoming trom the "friends and associates" of Smith and his fellow full time union bureaucrats whenever a real struggle breaks out.

The support which is readily and unstintingly given is from rank and file members of the labour movement - who would without doubt rally in support of any section which gave a lead against the pay DEFEAT To mobilise UCATT in such a fight however requires more tnan a rejection of the leadership's fraudulent ballot proposition. The present leadership must be defeated.

The right wing shows this when they conclude their Journal article by baldly stating that, although they abstained on the 44% at the Special Conference of the TUC, because the ballot was pending, ....we will abide by the policy in "The Social Contract 1976-77" which it is universally agreed will be adopted by an overwhelming majority".

Regardless of the ballot, therefore, Smith and company will continue their reactionary course until stopped by the movement of the rank and file and the building of alternative leadership in UCATT. Committee, Tarmac have refused to even discuss the dispute.

This struggle is clearly a part of the current offensive of all employers against jobs and conditions -seizing on the weakness of leadership from the union bureaucracy, their refusal to spread and follow through local disputes, and their daily efforts to suppress resistance to speed-up and sackings.

Pull official support must be extended by the UCATT leaders to this battle, and the two main unions must be forced to mobilise action in defence of the . Tarmac workers.

RES T OF TE 6 issues. 12 issues 24 issues.

I would like to take Press. I would like s NAME.

ADDRESS

RESOLUTION

The leadership can only be in need of such dictatorial measures at this moment because, as in so many other unions, they want to stifle all pressure fot a fight against the Labour government/TUC wage controls and spending cuts.

These proposals have already scandalously been given public support by several. Communist Party members on the NEC or the National Council.

The Stalinists happily conspire with the right wing to introduce just the kind of attack on union democracy from which the Communist Party itself suffered in the past, when it was seen as a threat to the right-wing.

ist EUROPE 6 issues • 12 issues 24 issues.

E WORLD €1.50 £3.00 …•.. .. ...£6.00 out a subscription to Socialist ••• issues, I enclose £..

The National Executive Committee of NATFHE, the further education teachers change its name.

No attempt to stop members saying what they think, claim the NEC; just an attempt to end the serious and general "confusion" they say exists about whether Natfhe Action is an official union paper or not.

Lots of people ring up headquarters to ask, they say, and that is a nuisance.

Well, if that were all there was to it, you would think a tactful letter to the editors of Natfhe Action would be just the right treatment.

But no, the NEC has. sent absolutely no communication to Natfhe Action.

Instead, it has tabled a resolution to the next National Council meeting demanding that " •. any member who assists directly or indirectly in the production, sale, distribution or circulation of any publication or written material (other than official business) which includes the forbidden letters "NATFHE" in its title or heading be "dealt with" under the disciplinary rules.

And they couple this with a resolution outlawing the sale or distribution of any paper literature anywhere on the premises in which any NATFHE conference or National Council is taking place (except when authorised by the President whose decision is final).

It is just a little hard to believe that all this is just to save hard-pressed officials a few annoying phone calis rather than to begin the systematic suppression of democratic rights inside the union.

DICTATORIAL

----- pull-quotes -----

union, wants the rank and file paper 'NATFHE Action' to