Fighting for union democracy TASS: WHERE THE CP OPPOSES ELECTION OF OFFICIALS

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structure of the executive • would not vote for leftwas changed so that this wing officials.

executive member with two the many plants where othrr smaller divisions TASS members have conI this wav the revolu- ship to the left of the CP.

TASS, the white collar section of the AUEW, is often cited by Communist Party members and sympathisers as an example of how a union can be militant and democratic with

APPOINTED full-time officials. GEORGE MASON examines the reality.

TASS prides itself on its 'progressive policies' • in some ways this is true. TASS was one of the few unions to oppose wage control throughout the period of the last Labour government, although its officials found every opportunity to prevent actual struggles over wages.

TASS also gives consistent support to the National Council for Civil Liberties and to many liberation struggles.

However, it was also the first union • to put forward the Alternative Economic Strategy, and the most strident in its calls for import controls on cars and other manufactured goods. In fact it represents faithfully the industrial and political policies of the Communist Party, which dominates its Executive Committee and full-time officials.

Amalgamation

The merger of DATA (forerunner of TASS) with the AEU and two other unions to form the AUEW in 1970 was part of a grand strategy by the Ul to gain a dominant influence in Britain's second largest union. Together with Hugh Scanlon' s supporters on the AEU executive and national committee, the CP hoped that the Broad Left leadership of TASS would ensure a permanent Left majority within the amalgamated 7 14 21 28 15 23 M 17 24 1 18 26 1 20 27 Ads for Socialist Organiser events and many campaigns are carried free. Paid ads:

5p per word, £4 per column incn. Send to: Socialist Organiser (What's On), 28 Middle Lane, London N8.

Fight the Cuts: rally and march organised by Birmin ham Trades Council Anti-Cuts Campaign. Saturday February 27, assemble 10.30am Chamberlain Square. 881-88.88 Ken Gill - appointed Genera During the 1960s the Broad Left in DATA, which contained a major section to the Left of the CP, had fought around of major industrial strugg-. les such as the shipbuilding lock-out and the Rolls Royce strikes, the Broad Left succeeded in mobilising members to throw out the previous right wing MEETINGS FORUMS NORTH-WEST LONDON. Monday Feb. 15: Poland Monday Mar.15: A Woman Right to Work Monday Apr.12: Fund-rais. ing social to commemorate the Easter Rising.

Details from SO sellers.

SHEFFIELD: Every other Wednesday, at the Brown Cow, The Wicker. Business Feb.17: Ireland Mar.3: Turkey Mar.17: The decline of capitalism Mar.31: Women and labour movement LEIGH: Every other Sunday 7.30 at the White Lion (opposite the market).

Fen.21: Afghanistan and the Soviet invasion. Secretary of TASS leadership of the union and adopt a policy of amalgamation.

Members such as Mike Cooley argued that technological change was destroying the distinction between manual and white collar engineers, and that the only way forward was through creating a united organisation at plant, combine and national level.

But no sooner had the STOCKPORT. 'The way forward for the Labour Left'. Thursday February 7.30 at the Manchester Arms, Wellington Rd.

LAMBETH: Sundays 7pm. For venue phone 3071.

Feb.28: The origins MARXISM London Workers' Socialist League classes on basic Marxism: alternate Fridays, next class February 19 on 'The Working Day'. For details of registration and venue, write to PO Box 135 London N1 ODD.

IRELAND Trent Poly Labour Club conference on Northern Ireland. Saturday February 13, registration from 11am, at Trent Poly Student Union, Byron Building, Shakespeare St, Nottingham. Delegates' credentials £1.50 from TPLC, address above; visitors' 75p on the day. Broad Left brun victorious than the CP turned on its left-wing allies. Since then every method, including slander, rumour, organisational changes, political persecution, jobs for the boys, and complicity in victimisation, has been used to destroy any opposition on their left.

For instance, the composition of annual conference Labour Movement conference on Ireland: Saturday February 27, from 11am at The Theatre, 309 Regent St, London W1. Sponsored by LCI and Committee for Withdrawal from Ireland. Credentials £2 from 1 North End Road, London W14. Manchester Labour Committee on Ireland: discussion on the southern Ireland general election. Thursday Feb. 25, 7.30 at the Briton's Protection pub, Gt Bridgewater St, Manchester 1. Open to all LP members.

WOMEN Action Committee for a Woman's Right tu Work organising conference: Feb.20,. University of London Union, Malet St, London WC1. Registration £3 (or £1.50 unwaged) from WRTW, 181 Richmond Rd, London E8.

Defend a Women's Right to Work: public meeting called by the Women's Advisory Committee of Leeds Trades Council. Friday February 26 8pm at Leeds Trades Club, Saville Mount, Leeds 7. was changed so that instead of delegates and motions being sent directly from branches, they were filtered at divisional level. This ensures that to have a voice at conference a minority must control a whole division.

To get over the fact that the largest division in the union was con rolled by the revolutionar. left, the Abortion and the Health Service: meeting organised by NAC and ALRA. Saturday March 13, 10.30 to 5, at 21 Star St, London W2. £2.50 (50p unwaged). Food and creche.

Oxford Women's Fightback meetings.

WOMAN'S RIGHT TO A JOB: Monday February 8, 8pm, East Oxford Commun. ity Centre, room 2. PORNOGRAPHY: Monday Febru. ary 22, 8pm, same venue.

Rally for International Women's Day sponsored by Socialist Challenge, Revolution Youth. Speakers from the Fourth International. Mary Vinns, United Mineworkers of America. Speaker from Peoples Democracy. Speaker from Nicaraguan women's movement. Camoen Centre, off Euston Rd, 7.30pm, March 12. Doors open 5.30pm. Stalls and displays. Entrance £1; 50p unwaged.

Hackney North Labour Party meeting. Monday February 15, 7.30 at Cent d .. ion had to share an und i CP dominance.

447 MAAM tionary left was removed from the executive. The union office in this division was elso closed down.

In the recent disputes in Lucas Aerospace, the TAS: leadership has done everything to isolate the TASS combine committee from its membership by leaving groups of members isolated and confused. The result was that Mike Cooley was victimised and other leading • stewards demoraliser:

Hostility One Divisional Organiser had previously boasted that he had been sent to London w'de. with Cooley'.

Why has the CP behaved in this way? The answer can bu seen in the attitude of the TASS leadership to the election of full-time officials. One major cause of friction with the other sections of the AUE W has been that TASS is the only section whose officials are appointed and not elected by the members.

Originally TASS's position was that new officials would stand for election but that existing officials would keep their jobs for life. But recent informal statements by leading activists suggest a shift to outright hostility to any elections. The view is expressed that TASS's predominantly status-conscious professional workers prise, Kingsland High St. 'Unite to defeat the Tories, For Socialist Democracy, Join the Labour Party'. Speakers: Peter Tatchell, Bermondsey Labour Party: Bob Labi, Militant; Tariq Ali, Socialist Society. Chair: Ernie Roberts, MP.

Picket Kilmarnock Sheriffs Court: Friday February 19, from 9.30, in support of Abie Courtney, ex-Hunterston shop steward, on trial for the 'crime' of picketing the Hunterston oilrig yard during the September/October 1980 dispute there. Transport details from Glasgow: phone lan McLeish, 041-641 2204. The Campaign in Defence of the Right to Picket is to date supported by ASOB Clasgow branch 11, ASOB Glasgow branch 1, ASOB Partick branch 2, NALGO Edinburgh, Hillhead CLP, Ibrox branch LP, Crosshill/Prospecthill branch LP, Drumry/Summerhill LP. Portobello/Milton LP, Inch Gilmerton LP, Telford/Blackhall LP, Broughton/Inverleith LP, Rutherglen LPYS, Stirling Unemployed Workers' Association, Edinburgh UWA.

This is given the lie by sistently supported leaderFear The truth is that the CP sees leadership as bureaucratic control from above. They have a mortal fear of mobilising the rank and file through indüstrial and political struggle. For instance motions calling for plant level amalgamated union committees were always opposed at TASS conference, and wher inter-union combines have emerged they have been treated with suspicion and hostility.

Stranglehold

TASS's vote in the deputy leadership contest went to Tony Benn, but this was not the result of any consultation with the members. Neither branches, divisional councils, nor annual conference were asked for an opinion.

The fear of losing control is brought out even more clearly by TASS's extraCND was a paper organisation, the union supported it and Divisional Councils had CND delegates. But at this year's annual conference affiliation was rejected on the grounds that CND was now 'out of control' (i.e. recruiting).

From being the standardbearer for reform of the union, the Broad Left has now become a bureaucratic stranglehold that prevents debate of political and industrial matters, and prevents an open struggle for leadership positions which would involve the rank and file members.

Abide The decline in activity of branches and divisional councils is a direct result of these policies of the CP.

To bring the union back to life the following steps are essential.

1. The return of control over industrial disputes from National Industrial Officers to Joint Office Committees, branches and Divisional Councils.

2. The freeing of TASS representatives to play their full part in inter-union combine organisatiris by being able to conmit their members to abide by majority decisions.

3. The return to branches of the right to send policy resolutions direct to Annual Conference.

4. The regular election of all negotiating officials including the General Secretary.

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Socialist Organiser. Thursday Februarv

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WHAT'S ¡ON

the slogan 'one union for engineering'. In the course