UCW leaders shrug off vote of no confidence

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DISGUST at the Union of Communication Workers (UCW) Executive Committee's record over the, last year surfaced powerfully at the beginning of the union's 2000 strong conference this week.

On the first day (May 22), after rejecting the softer option of a censure motion, delegates overwhelmingly carried a vote of no confidence in the union leadership. The reason was its blatant reversal of union policy on simplified sorting.

Delegates then went on to throw out an EC attempt to undermine last year's decision in favour of five-yearly election of union general officers. The EC had wanted to give themselves the power to appoint defeated officers to the administration side of the UCW bureaucracy.

, However, the impact of the no confidence decision was lessened because it took place after the EC elections, the results of which will be announced on Wednesday (25th). After an emergency meeting, the outgoing EC felt able to announce that it saw no reason to resign, and simply scheduled an By technology agreement was negotiated with the Post Office. The resolution clearly means that the EC should withdraw from the OCR 'trials' Whether this feeling is reflected in the new EC remains to be seen. A number of Broad Lett supporters were standing, although organising for the election is still at a relatively rudimentary stage.

The one result so far announced, however, was hopeful. Gay Taylor, regarded as a soft left with a previous record as a militant, was elected as assistant general secretary against another candidate with similar policies in a run-off ballot.

Although the Broad Left has played an important role in the union over the past two years, and its journal sold well at the conference, it only has loose connections with rank and file feeling. Few delegates turned up to its badly organised meeting on Sunday evening. Unless the Broad Left can make a much closer connection with the feeling in the rank and file, it will become irrelevant.

Political issues are discussed on the Friday afternoon of conference. However, Neil Kinnock got a slot on Monday lunchtime and after his speech £2,000 was raised in a door collection for Labour's election funds.

Rejecting the class struggle as being a Tory policy, and likening Labour's programme to Stanley Kinnock. anti-Tory rhetoric Baldwin's in the 1930s, Kinnock's rhetoric nevertheless won two prolonged standing ovations. Kinnock got a silver tea-set with the UCW crest on it; and the delegates, in their hatred of the Tories, seemed to forget the fight they would face against a government led by the likes of Kinnock.

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