Four years of
Socialist Organiser1983 1983-09-22Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 14 →
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JUST four years ago Basingstoke's UCW [then UPW] was one of the al too famiiar ghost branches. Branch meetings were seldom held and badly attended. Without the closed shop agreement, the average Basingstoke postman probably wouldn't have chosen to hand over money to this dead organisation.
the lovir the retirery, of younger officers came forward - among them Ron Rodwell, current Branch Secretary, and Alan._ Fraser, Postal Section Secretary.
The UCW began to come alive; the new committee set out to involve the membership. Meetings were more regular and made more interesting with guest speakers and film shows. A regular bulletin was produced.
Earlier this year Labour Party activists within the UCW set up Basingstoke's first workplace Labour Party Branch. The UCW also took up its full delegation entitlement to the Trades Council and CLP, adding consid erable weight to turning the Labour Party outwards.
Alan Fraser in particular won considerable rights for the 12 young postal cadets and in 1980 there was a four day strike when a 19 year old postman was dismissed. He was subsequently reinstated.
t was the Basingstoke Posta appear, 70 strong, on hospital picket lines during last year's NHS dispute. This action led to strong links between the UCW and GMBATU hospital workers. GMBATU stewards spoke at packed UCW meetings and the UCW spoke at NHS workers' rallies in the town.
It is no coincidence either that in the last year the GMBATU Health Branch has nearly doubled in size. The cross-feeding of ideas and the level of political consciousness in these two unions are the proof of the power of revolutionary ideas. to change a labour movement which, without them is all too often suffocating and passive. .