in USDAW THE delegates at the Labour Party's special conference last month had barely left Wembley when right-wing union leaders began planning to overturn the new method of electing the party leader.
Their version of democracy in the Labour Party is matched by their own lack of accoun tability to union members.
AUDREY WISE, former Labour MP and currently the Broad Left presidential candidate in the shopworkers' union, USDAW, told Geoffrey Sheridan about the moves to challenge the right in the The successful resolution at the Wembley conference, for a 40-30-30 vote on the party leader and deputy leader, was put on the agenda by the USDAW executive. Therefore union's general secretary, Whatley, has authority to cast doubts on that proposal, as he has been doing.
stand by its resolution. It has n presume the executive will hypocritical and foolish if it backs IcasUll down If some people expected the proposal to The USDAW delegation to Wembler Concenco unanimously support 40-30-30 proposal the day before the conference, elected delegates hearted in that support.
USDAW calling on the executive to stand by lis position tion so far that it will be doing otherwise.
conterence are regarded as a man. date to the Labour Party delegation itself decides only where there is ambiguity, or an issue is not directiv resolution that elected delegates are in a maParty as such cedures and so on debated in the union. This happened for the first time at conference last year. It means a much greater tie-up between policies Until now the the never discussed La mandate on whom to support for no the party NEC the electoral college, there will be a focus for casting dividuals the leader keener mierest m be pally.
cising a block vote at Labour Party conference, and so be casi than splitting it by casting votes in to the tor-and-against position in ine would be the USDAW could not have a say as a voted the vote. I am also in favour of increasand a majority of the Were waole niculocis should be • but inere is no indica Decisions by the union's annual attending conference. The affiliated COnICICHIC next It is very healthy that the Labour Party will ILS SErUCLUeS DIU should be composinon and how to get other reasons.
veds. with that. conference has individuals in the There has never been ecutive for example delegations Left vote for in. acted in the and deput and I'm sure this will lead to a 1 am in favour of the union exerthat this vote for USDAW in its entiretv ratner £80 If the latter were adopted, it • tantamount to saying that While I want to protect the block branches Audrey Wise ing the weight of the constituency that me have volg parity with the unions.
The constituencies are not made unilul. branches.
CLPs are federated bodies, and increasing their vote would act centralised vote of the unions nationally.
I don't think at this stage that the developments Labour have direct impact on democracy in USDAW. • The nearest we come to that is taking up the issue such as the election of full-time umon ricials may come about Io.
The problem in USDAW is that the executive is elected every two we don't do verv well We could get an indigesmiddle of elections the exdivisional and and while the Broad is saying that the executive best interests of the over the decision on the Labour Party leadership, left can didates are opposing the existing executive members in revery division.
1 am the week maintenance and improvement of staffing levels, and the full participation of women Note to USDAW members: The deadline for voting is 2 March. The union rule book stipulates that nave to meer to allon members to vote.