Gains tor left in NUTGW

Scan page 15

Weishell is now using the press to splash the story of y Stan Crooke offensive against picketing rights, the CDRP also represents a challenge to Murray's attempts to transform the ASOB into a second Poland, with himself in the role of Jaruzelski. IN A three-cornered fight for the two Executive seats representing the North West division of the National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers, Socialist Organiser supporter Winnie Murphy polled 3,389 votes, just 1,500 votes short of securing election.

This is a big increase over her 1,200 votes when she last stood two years ago.

In a Socialist Organiser interview, Winnie Murphy pointed out that the indusincreasingly dominated by the multi-nationals. This makes it possible to link up workers through combine committees.

It also raises more urgently the issue of economic planning which the national leadership has avoided.

Under the rules of the NUTGW no candidate can issue an election address or openly campaign for votes.

This rule has never been challenged by long standing Communist Party members of the union.

In fact in the space provided on the ballot forms for candidates' biographies, all the CP members who stood left the question asking for political affiliation blank.

left wing infiltration.

What was the majority view?

The 'second report' was supported by 5 EC members and basically said that there was no case to answer.

But to save embarrassment, Weighell together with the president, and an Assistant General Secretary added their signatures to the 'first report' , even though they had no vote on the subcommittee To ma doubly sure, the President ruled the majority report out of order. He said that as President he was custodian of the Rules, and since he considered there had been a breach of the Rules he would, not accept any report which said otherwise!

But the motion to accept the 'first report' was defeated 17 to 7.

Then Sid said, "I'm not having these people do to my union what they've done to the Labour Party. There will be an appeal to the AGM about this"

Sid has an easier time at the AGM. than on the Executive. Half the delegates are So Winnie Murphy's campaign was handicapped by not having the right to put out an election address as well as by the subtle campaigning by full-timeofficials against her.

The NUTGW badly needs a change of leadership. This was illustrated by the Executive's attitude to the occupation of Lee Jeans by NUTGW members.

It was Socialist Organiser which exclusively reported that Communist Party members had moved that the union withdraw official support from the Lee Jeans workers during the last few weeks of their occupation.

The NUTGW has the largest percentage of women in membership of any British union. It cannot isolate itself from the growing willingness of women to fight for jobs and better wages.

Such militancy needs to be harnessed around socialist policies. In a low paid industry such as clothing, no policy has greater relevance than that for a minimum wage linked to a working class cost of living index.

Winnie Murphy's election defeat is one battle lost but the war to mould the Garment Workers union into a fighting, democratic organisation continues.

elected I must try to present members with the real facts. But this is difficult because for instance the editor of the union's paper has just died and Sid is acting editor!

How do you see this It comes in a context where Sid is trying to 'clean up' the NUR in order to pile the pressure on to Foot to do the same in the Labour This is why ! think it links up with Basnett's moves in the GMWU against Tony Banks - and with Chapple's moves on EETPU branches.

It is a documented fact that these people meet frequently. They are working through the TULV.

I regard myself as to the left of Militant. The fact is that if l get squashed it doesn't augur too weil for anyone else in the NUR.

----- pull-quotes -----

try, which was once rife with small private employers, is