Right wingers likely to ignore conference decision Registration still on Equity's agenda

The union's annual conference spectacle of Marius Goring, the darling of the right wing, accusing another pillar of the establishment, Hugh Manning, of joining forces with the Trotskyists.

On the surface, the split is about deregistration. The guard want to stay on the Tory register of state-controlled unions set up under the Industrial Relations Act.

Other elements on the outgoing General Council finally wavered last week after growing attacks from the left wing in the union and voted by 12-ll to change Equity's policy.

The reasons offered, read out retary, who personally opposed the change, were that the union's effectiveness depended on its remaining within the broad trade union movement.

Therefore, to remain on the register in defiance of the TUC's policy, which led to Equity's expulsion, was wrong basic principle and ultimately detrimental to the members' interests.

But behind the belated acceptance of TUC policy by these reformists, stands the enormous effect of working-class strength on every aspect of political life Britain.

The determination of the mass movement to dety Tory government policies-in cases like the miners' strike, the five jailed dockers, the railwaymen's and building workers' disputes, and the hospital workers' strike-has left a deep imprint.

The betrayals of the TUC bureaucrats, who were called on to collaborate with the Tories precisely because of working-class resistance to government Policies, has not succeeded in heading off the growing opposition the eflects of the capitalist crisis.

The Midlands carworkers' reversal of management attacks and the AUEW delegates' vote to bar Hugh Scanlon from Downing Street have shown that the fight is only just beginning.

In this atmosphere, the predominantly middle-class membership of Equity begins to identify with the strength of the working class as a solution to their problems. was The platform at the Equity conference Some sections of the union leadership have moved with them. Others are simply trying a new tactic of heading off the movement for change by apparently supporting it.

But the fight for de-registration is far from over. The right wing will go all out to reverse the last Council decision and ignore the 198-102 vote of annual conference to de-register. Some of the : 'reformed' reformists will join them.

Their likeliest ploy is a new referendum, but the right wing may even decide to block that, their own chosen tactic, and argue that Council and conference have acted unconstitutionally and that the previous referendum result still stands.

Goring warned conference that 'the new Council will honour the pledges given to the membership and will not be dictated to by a puerile faction'-meaning that Equity would stay registered and conference be ignored.

The left, which is growing in influence all the time, must be prepared for a stiff battle ahead. GER-YOUR BOPKS - PERIODICALISFAND Open Monday-to-Statudiary### NEWSHAPERs FROMNE DADERRACKS CENTRE 28_CHARLOȚTE STREET LONDON, WIT

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