mid-Sixties, the workers at the Port Talbot works were organised into 1300 different job virtually every one had its scale. union solidarity does easily.
The rule book of the union autocratic. Under rule 4, clause 3, member, branch or official shall have the power to order to sanction any strike or stoppage of work or any act thai might deemed industrial practice.' Just in case anyone tries to do just thai, rule 4, clause 15 empowers the Etecutive Council tommate or close down any branch or branches where it shall, in absolute discretion, shall be necessary expedient... Unaccountable * sere war widely used in Wales area in the 1920s supporting own wage emerge "no unfair *suspend, the nationa A BIG step towards the reform of thé ISTC seemed on the cards in 1978.
At that year's delegate conference a motion was passed to amend the structures of the union to allow the executive council to reflect accurately the membership's interests through divisional representation.
A year afterwards no action was forthcoming.
in the union from South Yorkshire, Wales, and Scunthorpe set up the Liaison Committee for Constitutional Reform.
The reforms the committee is proposing are of burning concern to all ISTC members. The abolition of trades sections, one of the heritages of the union's craft history, and their representation are top of the committee's priorities.
In addition, they propose that candidates for executive council office should set out a manifesto for the members to decide on.
Other reforms aim to transfer control to the membership. So the committee proposes that the executive council should cease to be the sole policy-making body of the union and that the annual delegate conference should be sovereign; that there should be a lay president, and that other full time officials should be elected.
A pamphlet setting out these proposals can be obtained from the secretary of the Liaison Committee for Constitutional Reform: Brian Molyneux, 16 Saint Mary's Road, Darfield, Barnsley.
dissolved and militants expelled.
Today the leadership of the union is still one of the most unaccountable in the trade union movement. The first ever national conference of the Activists and officials replacement by divisional ISTC was held in 1976.
The development of any rank and file leadership through shop stewards committees has been stunted by the immediate referral of all but the machinery.
The old BISAKTA leadership was responsible for this joint union/ management approach problems in the indüstry. From the 30s onwards its 'socialisation' polici and nationalisation plans contained detailed administrative running the industry management-umon-government col trol. In the eyes of the trade union to all closure:
pians for joint the employers Stan Biddiscombe said: "I do not think there will be a violent reaction amongst the men. Most of them are reconciled to the fact that jobs must although still negotiated on a local basis.' In September i last year Bill Sirs was quoted on the proposed Corby 'We are not talking about redundancies, but if it was a question of restructuring that would reduce chats, we would be prepared to look at