the disarmament movement, and disarmament and imperialism) we described the direct action cement in CND emergence product of the decline in Labour's fortunes at the polls, and the content the Communist Party gave to la labour movement orientation. Brian Heron looks at the resolutions for the fortheoming CND conference which underline these problems. "THIS CONFERENCE siders it essential that CND's major effort next year, in par ticular, should directed against the Cruise Missile programme, and that non violent direct action' and disobedience' tactics should be seriously considered with respect Cruise sites... ". So begins the composite resolution on direct action for debate at this years CND conference.
case they should misunderstood, the proposers say in point 4 'Conference believes NVDA (non violent direct action) must always be peaceful, and that any CND member or group planning to use or found by CND Council to have used violence in persuance of the Campaign shall have their membership revoked."
Direct Action, (category resolution 2 on Conference Agenda) is the centre piece of a debate which will reach November Conference.
From the outset the 'second wave' of the nuclear disarmament had grapfirst wave of the movement in the "50s and "60s failed.
Glancing nervously over their shoulders, CND organisers began to construct the political direction of the campaign. Immediately there were two central problems.
tions of the movement, the reality of radical politics in crisis torn Britain rapidly broke through this tangle. EP Thompson's vision of the "people united against weapons (as they had been in the great popular front against Hitler in the war) was quickly dispelled. con- All radical policy or action found its natural home in the labour movement and its natural enemies in the Tories. It was in the labour movement that the gains for unlateralism could No other force in society either embraced the campaign (it was "civil treated with virtually unanimous and cold hostility in ruling class circles) or had one cance or me power oF te labour movement.
Government
CND notched up gains in the labour movement with astonishing be rapidity. Major unions passed resolttions for unilateral disarmament with overwhelming majorilies.
And yet there were problems. The labour movement was noticably absent from the national demonstrations called by CND.
But still it seemed that the course was set for a Labour Government unilateralism, which could be forced conference B.
to implement its policy through a the tive for a government which would throw out the missiles and close down the basis seemed very credible.
Over the last year things began to go wrong. The polls showed Labour trailing the Tories. dramatically worsened around the Falklands war. The prospect of a Labour Government diminish. A radical re-think started in CND about a line for the new situation.
There were two hasic alternatives.
followed mass demonstration there was growing fear that the movement nuclear would run out of breath. And so conEditions were laid for the emergence of the second alternative. less likely that the labour movement would stop the missiles stop them ourseives.
the sole political focus for the campaign. Resolution 2 argues in point 3 *Conference believes that NVDA is merely one, but important tactic in our campaigning work, and that it must go alongside other tactics which involve everyone in the movement."
youth question. shows that this issue will bite again. *This conference recognises the importance of Youth CND as the fastest growing section of the campaign and believes LELA terence shall be body of Youth CND within the ConYouth CND representative shall sit on all CND National Committees. Youth is that it is proposed by Youth CND together with Middlesborough CND CND' conference voiced only by a handful of socialists.
This position light Labour Party began Blackpool and campaigns.
backbone tractions in the direct action line.
La struggle with the authorities then the youth around the campaign will be in the front line.
the conference agenda is a composite of twelve resolutions. point is the opposite to resolution 2.
of our work in the labour and trade trade union movement if we are to mobilise shadows in the those forces which can ultimately win the battle for unilateral nuclear disarHAHICHE Meanwhile as mass demonstration If it looked - we could Direct action is not presented as specific building groups, unofficial) and the The sccond central problem is the Conterence agenda Bitter Fi) Youth CND conthe sovereign stitution of the overall campaign il) a out on a On the The significance of this resolution Last year the concern for Youtl The experience of the youth campaign subsequently - its leading role in the against Thatcher's Falkland war, the Jobs not Bombs march to the Conference periences have convinced Youth CND these and oiner ex arsenal. that the way to win youth is to have the right to control your own actions A mass movement begins with the mass movement of youth. And from ment into the the outset it was the youth that put the ment. perspective of CND. They remain the LETS It But for the youth too there are atAlways the first to fight, if it comes to CND has six million affiliated trade union members, and The second to last resolution in unions representing La further two million SIts Sarang have passed motions supporting Conterence carts te centrany unilateral disarmament. Newly affiliated unions include:
movement' The resolution goes on to spell out in eight points a policy for the lahour movement. Its last point reads cam paigning actively for a TUC/LP inJustrial and political day of action in 1983, including a national demonstration in London, co-ordinated if possible with an International Day of Ac tion in other European cities. small, This resolution is a perspective for mass political action by the labour movement. It proposes a series of measures including the of CND winning, concrete commitment to moustar achion ouncia ano establishing of Labour and Trade Union CND's at the level of every CND branch.
Many delegates will ask why the resolutions on the labour movement orientation and the motion on direct action are contradictory. Perhaps a section of the movement is flunking confrontation with the authorities? Perhaps it prefers the rhythms and rituals of resolutionary socialism' to action on the streets?
the concert about the direct action orientation comes in the main from that section of the movement who have continually warned of the absolutely inevitable confrontation with our own ruling class over nuclear weapons.
A mainst those who belteve in the power of rational argument to il luminate the minds of Tory ministers, the sociansts have argued the necessity to prepare for the most bitter strugsic ane contronation to lorce. tue relinquishing of Britain's nuclear And at each stage it is the power of the incredibly large mass actions and mobilisations which has forced the issue of unilateral muclear disarmatront FEMAS ORSING political struggle in the labour movewas these actions which have forced Foot to come the closest he ever has to promising action on The Unions and CND AUEW Founary section CPSA NUAAW, before its merger TGWE WHENE UCATI USDAW But the centre-right block of union leaders in 'Crunch time for anti-missiles Labour's commitment to dismantle Britain's nuclear war machine.
Direct action in the context of mass action can often act as an aid to the impact of the campaign. Direct action as a strategy outside the framework of a mass action labour movement approach — is a recipe lor politically isolated, actions i is a rea retreat from the difficulties which the campaign faces. And this conference must sound the warning..
Amendments to resolution must reach CND national office by 4 Oc tober. CND groups have the oppor tunity to harden out the positive direction of the resolutions on youth and labour movement action.
Already some groups are discussing the necessity for a recall of the CND Labour Movement Conference In the context of the bureaucracies spectacular sell out of the ASLEF struggle there is an obvious premium on organising at the base of the move ment to give some muscle to the official positions adopted in the unions and the Labour Party.
In particular resolutions should be in front of next year's labour movement conferences supporting the idica of industrial action to protest against and prevent the stationing of Cruise Missiles.
Focus Equally, the international day of action, mentioned at the end of the Labour Movement resolution needs preperation. CND and Youth CND should sponsor on international con Terence OL all European youth organisations committed unilateralism in their respective coun tries to prepare for a huge European These measures are essential to give a practical focus for the work of ine groups over the coming year making concrete the mass action labour movement orientation which is the greatest political gain of the campaign so far. Socialist and labour movement activists must make their voice heard at CND's conference.
include unions such as the POEU, have bean ensure that Unilateralism will not go in Labour' neads two thirds o Labour's conference on a manifesto: last year it didn't bing his hands exclaiming
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PROTEST AN platforms to appear "above the fray".