By Jonathan Silberman IN AN extraordinary move, the right-wing dominated executive of the Union recalled the union's national committee last Sunday.
Duffy leadership determined to take advantage of their majority on the tional committee to hands of the delegations from all four sections of the AUEW the Labour Party ference.
For some years the manner in which the union's votes are cast at the conference has been a highly contentious issue. It câme to a head two years ago. when Lord (then plain Hughie) Scanlon 'mistakenly' abstained on the vote on Labour Party democracy when the AUEW delegation had overwhelmingly voted in favour.
The question of party democracy continues dominate national committee discussions. The right-wing leadership wants to line up the EVERY dirty trick in the book is being used to ensure a victory over Wright in the TO DIBLYI AUEW election campaign. In a completely undemocratic fashion the September issue of the AUEW Journal callics article on unemployment, editor John Boyd, in praise of the so-called 'marvellous leadership' of the Sick Of course, Boyd has engage in gymnastics to justify this position. The idea Duffy, who last year signed an agreement which prevents further reduction of the working week for four years, union with the right-wing in the At the Terry Duffy was one of the speakers at a meeting organised by "Gang of Three' Rodgers, Williams and Owen.
is the con-. to shown adequate leadership in the struggle against unemployment is the sickest of jokes.
Boyd's article
enough. Even worse is that, in the best traditions of Boyd's so-called democracy, native view is put in the journal This is only the latest example of the undemocratic funcby tioning of the campaign. At a large meeting of recently union. Holdworth Hall, the platform explained that Bob Wright was forced to take two weeks' holiday in order to wage his camto paign. He refused leave to go out of tne AUEW'S headquarters Peckham Road, even specifically invited.
But perhaps something even has more worrying was a point raisright across the profit motive.
'President general secretary are planning to cement a rightwing block in the unions and Labour Party, including such clod warriors leaders Frank Chapple.
KKE COMMITTE Led at our engineers.
Eccles last week. John Tocher, the local divisional explained how organised in the campaign. John Boyd and two alter- others were the only people entitled to attend the count John Boyd intends to keep it like that.
Not only have the AUEW leadership refused to have the Electoral Reform Society in to the count, refusing the demands of candidates to attend. engineers that Boyd wants to hide?' askManchester's ed Tocher.
What indeed!
The only response to the bureaucratic manoeuves of the right-wing leaders is for the left consistently to conduct the most open and democratic campaign, based on the fullest workers democracy.
when This means mass meetings in the factories where supporters of either side can present their views.
interests require r will Such a workers' and the workers' control and extended would be Transitional demands thus pose definite solutions to the problems which workers face, but they the whole capitalism and system based on socialist planncapitalists ing. control over This approach to workers' of the everyday struggles is a complete break with that of mists, who never link today's struggles with the socialist goal. workers Thus the the adopted a packet of measures to deal with the immediate problems facing workers. These inwill clude some splended proposals along the lines we have already mentioned. who rules Sors Resisting closures and Duffy and Many John Boyd to this objective. tional committee in May the!
as electricians' branches duce moves EETPU.
Elected Nevertheless democratic engineers led to the committee deciding elected by the branches.
Boyd and Duffy be developed AUEW democracy and tions.
, meeting in the count was presidential but they are also 'What is it wing block Arguments for Socialism large-scale of pay'.
with some throw into question operation of to a proposal Ol Thatcher!
the reforhas just Congress called crash programme veloping 2½ million of the Duffy-Boyd plans for the AUEW are geared At the naproposed the amalgamation of would have full-time secretaries, appointed and employed by the executive.
are intended bring the union closer to the • the strong tradition that the full-time secretaries should be can be defeated. This will be determined by whether a campaign can among membership against the rôle of the national committee. This is the best way of ensuring that Boyd and Duffy are defeated on the issue of party are removea BOB WRIGHT: opposing missiles
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Cheap Tricks
to Boyd's own view of Duffy. Invited