Event such damage beiną done aaain.
But faced with Foot leading a witch hunt and many on the explain Labour's by-election losses, sections of the left went into a spin.
* The Labour Co-ordinating Committee opposed the formation of a new left wing.
* The Campaign for Democracy argued for a 'low profile'.
* Benn agreed not to stand for deputy.
The meeting of LLC has to answer Basnett. Has 'peace broken out'? Have the left capitulated to the right?
The left has no alternative but to fight.
courage the right. The right are fighting for a free hand in the party so that if necessary they can seek an alliance with the SDP.
Any strong opposition in the Party and the unions broken. A compromise with the left is hopeless for them. But it is also hopeless for the left.
Stuck halfway, the left cannot win their appeal that a radical alternative to Wilson and Callaghan masses of people and win victory for Labour.
A fighting LLC means • Giving a vital political lead in winning labour movement railworkers, the steelworkers in their battle against the Tories.
best possible conditions for a Labour victory - and transform the fortunes of the left.
• Breaking the back of the witchhunt.
The 300 hundred constituencies have already opposed the should be organised especially into the unions. Joint trade union the witchunt, organised in the main centres would be useful forums to discuss the next steps to win a Labour victory.
• Backing the anti-missiles movement, the fight for a womens right to work and to choose, and building solidarity with Solidarnosc. These issues can mobilise and give the lie to the charge that left wing demands are unpopular.
• Seriously trying to open up the unions to the Labour Party debates and releasing the stranglehold on militant action by the base. This will serious backing to the fight to unseat right wing union democratise the unions.
the Labour Party outwards in this way.
This is desperately challenge of the left is to succeed. If you Socialist Challenge supporters in your area or would like more information fill in the form below Name..
Address..
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Union/CLP (if any)..
Send to: Socialist Challenge, London N1 2XP.
Socialist Challenge 21 January 1982 page 2 left, unable to Labour Party Any compromises will only entherefore must be can inspire backing for the miners and the Success here would create the that witchhunt and extended Labour Party rallies opposing involve giving bosses and The LLC can be useful if it helps turn necessary if the would like to be put in touch with PO Box 50 Ce commitme so vree nerson operaton or truls within the next two years on orancnes nuve veer coming out in support of ASLEF throuonow ine soumer locally ronch e waterloo, Dusscu resolution in support of ASLEF and demanded thai ohe e OR Produi ere si otiate on productivity, onev in time wilri trie uuur lh Grades conterence decision to refuse to discuss flexible rostering hours. At the meeting members stressed the need to show our support o) ine ADLer arvers Given ine seloul Dy ine national NUR leadership all this has led some branches to venice t siu veg, union s eererar secretar y antoranmen. ne ore body able to give a line oi his, the Rail Broad Left, has been strangely silent.
Left leaders nave yer to come oI ooeny. They must do so. Never has the time been the collaborationist policies of weighen anu co suggest that drivers work a mere 4½ hour day. That's the time they are at the controls in their cab. depots to get to the trains, the checking to ensure they tions, engineering works, and so on?
planned cubacks are implemented.
of monetarist policies. It's the profits and the book balances that count most for Margaret Thatcher.
troublesome union out of the way.
bit's anti-union laws.
ABOUT 100 guards at the new 39-hour week is being administered Thursday.
ASLEF, : Holbeck, usua numoed of condemning the ting the 'variable rostering support for the drivers' action.
British Rail plan to axe 38,000 jobs by 1984. It has admitted that 4,000 drivers could lose their jobs through flexible rostering. Yet again, workers are being asked to - the hard-won right tc an eight-hour day. If the clock is put back over 60 years in this industry, just think how much easier it will be for 3. Today the rail industry is based on overtime working.
packets. If such a massive wage cut is forced on strongly Management doesn't acknowledge these consequences of its plans. But its effects will extend even beyond family At work railworkers will be forced to let things go by the board to complete their day's work. It's ludicrous to What about the other hours spent travelling to the are safe, the time spent reading the volumes of intormation published weekly to inform drivers of speed restricIf safety goes by the board, it's the travelling public that will suffer. That is, if there's a service left after the But once again, services for social need, which take into account the well-being of the workforce, aren't part 5. It's been clear from day one of the dispute that the British Rail Board has been out to destroy ASLEF. It's tried to isolate the union at every stage. The decision to pay NUR drivers the 3 per cent although they haven't agreed to the rostering is just the latest example. And there's nothing Thatcher would like to see bette than a Whether this goal is attainable or not will depend on the backing ASLEF gets. If support is weak, the door will be open for Thatcher to tackle other troublesome unions. And it will be that much easier to enforce TebSheffield militant Tinsley branch of the NUR voted to begin a work to rule on 18 January in support of the drivers.
This action follows the branch's decision to reject the productivity accepted by the union on a national level. The guards state that their action won't have much bite immediately, but they are determined to keep their eight-hour day and are unhappy with the way the Leeds writes Stephen Skeet, the Leeds City Branch of the NUR at a meeting, attended by twice the coole. passed a motior NUR executive for accepagreement and other productivity proposals like 'one person operation of trains' and the 'open station concept'. There were 20 guards at the meeting who reported that feeling among guards was running very high and that there was a lot of
By Tessa van Gelderen LUNCHTIME Thursday. Kings Cross and ine over... till Sunday anyway. JON MARKS from Local Department Committee (LDC) of the Kings Cross National Union OI Railwaymen, talking about announcement that members of his union who are train drivers will be offered the 3 per cent pay increase which has been withheld the train drivers union, ASLEF.
I'd have thought the Rail Board would have duopicu lal stralegy before now. I'm surprised it's taken them as long as it despite is at mpt hat despite alicullyi drive a wedge between the two unions, , the guards fuly support the driver They're taking actio per cent, and against variable rostering wilch is wial we also opJose, Jon explains. Weighell, generai secretary, is not putting the union's position when he says ASLEF's to blame for this dispute.' Record Jon is anxious to set the record straight. 'Our executive committee has a •position that the 3 per cent claim is separate from productivity and that the wrong withhold payment.
He pulls out the circular from his union which this clear 'NUR drivers have been instructed officially IO work,' he adds to stress the official the picket lines sitting in pub in strike is 'What we want is an all out indetinite strike forthwith. There can be no This offer to the NUR drivers shows there is more at stake than flexible rostering. deliberate attack by the BRB and the Tories smash ASLEF.
'You can't divorce what's happening from the general allack on trade unionists Tebbit's LIla nues Rank Steve COl tinues. and file members of ASLEF are now not prepared to accept productivity Progressive elements in the NUR are Jolling TORCeS bloody good which is a development.
So what do the two of them think of the 'federation' between their unions? Steve quite clear: 'I was a delegate to comererce any rank and file member knew about this federation was when it was presented to us on a plate.
"It's not been created by pressure from the branChes. Lever redivid tended to develop the uniwe do need at grass roots level.' Jon Marks disagrees. "The federation was in fact 'towards unity. You can't up such body on SCL rank and file basis. created the framework so we can establish the links we're talking about.' denies that this was actualNUR's position.
ferent tack, 'the Federation facilitates VUl al' tempts get two councils together.
'Circumstances are changing for ASLEF, you 'can't afford to be independent as you have been in the past The first argument that comes up, you expect the NUR to accept ve, but 1 don't. savs Steve, do expect them to go along with their members' interests. It's a very crucial issue. Every quate ve spoken to is against flexible rostering. Guards On this there Is no disagreement. in tact ai Kings Cross, the guards have been actively organising support the drivers.
'We're planning on a two day strike in the near future ' explains Jon. took 70 guards up to Unity House NUR Headquarters, week want hour off the working week without strings.
'We're seeing management on Monday; if they don't accept our demands then they'll get 24 hours notice. Although the principle for flexible rostering's been accepted by the NUR, a lot of the guards are against it.' Steve adds that the drivers want one rest day every egal week. achieve their 39 hour week would have to be done of ficially through the unions at Kings Cross.
This proposal for suptUVI Kings Cross drivers picket their union headquarters.
Peter Parker, chairperson of Rail, can lock us all out.
Nothing is going to stop CENTENARY YEAR 1980 GRESS ASLEF members very determined.' But the key winning picketing.
'It's not a traditior. ¿ the railway Steve poin 'Members cra unions are used to sitir
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suburban and inter-city lines. response has been to close ranks. NUR
Region and some depots are refusing to negotiate at all on productivity.
better for socialists to drive into the NUR and turn back