T.U.C. 'guidelines' open the door for new anti-union laws UNION DEMOCRACY

BY DAVID trade unionists comment MIDLANDS trade unionists who have seen the TUC's proposals have opened the campaign against the 'guidelines' with the following comments to the 'M downrigbt, disgusted, but it is nothing unexpected Worse will no doub ollow-unless the working class realize what is happening and mobilize themselves to take control of their own and the state' •WORKERS will decide and Chairman of shor Rootes Motors' Stoke (Coventry) plant. 'SINCE the Shell productivity agreement, the union leaders have been trying to • i sectors of ener despite the realization that these deals weren't on.

"The Croydon agreement DECEMBER'S TUC General now known to have aimed attack against the working class. membel, are In conflict with the policies of the unions, it indicates that the union officials have not fully taken account of the views of the shop floor.

"Finally, the shop floor must decide.' Tom McLatchie, Shop steward at Courtauld's (Engineering), Coventry.

THE RIGHT-WING unions will probably accept this and it will become a good excuse for them trying to tie their members down to stricter procedures, putting pressure on the more leftwing unions.

"They want to tie workers more and more to the rules.

It will certainly be used as moral pressure in the joint motor industry council and in courts of inquiry.

"The danger is that this will be used by every rightwing union official and employer. But their main Besides carrying an anticommunist resolution on Vietnam, it recommended changes in rules and procedures which mark a new phase of its undertaking to do Wilson's and the employers' dirty work in the unions.

The logic of last June's Downing Street agreement to stop strikes can be seen more clearly than ever as that of open betrayal. cedural guidelines" puncil's prowould, if accepted by unions, hand weapons for the curtailment of basic trade union freedoms to every industrial relations nanager and right-wing unior official.

On Thursday, the council will send out a circular to all 155 unions affiliated to the Trades Union Congress recomthe incorpor independ nicely stop bor meetings.

Trade unionists who have got wind of these proposals are almost universally horrified by them . . . and with good reason! stewmeeting is - pronged state clearly the procedure to be followed, and which bodies have the authority to call, or approve, or terminate a strike provide for ballots to be held where a strike is contemplated, or during the course of a strike, the decision to hold such ballots being entirely at the discretion of the appropriate body of the union state clearly the method of election or appointment of shop-stewards and the body within the union to waou the state that meetings of nembers are a useful and authorised nethod of consultation, but that such meetings are not entitled to make decisions, or to instruct shop-stewards to take actions which are at variance with union policy. or with the obligations arising out of establishment, company or indüstry-wide agreements to which the union is partv of election or appointment of shop stewards and the body within the union to whom the steward is responsible.' The duties and responsibilities of shop stewards would be laid down along with 'the action which a steward may take on his own authority, so long as it is within the policy of the union and within the establishment, company or in. obligations arising out dustry-wide agreements to which the union is party.

On shopfloor meetings Rule-books should council thinks, that 'Meetings of members are useful and authorized method of consultation, but that such meetings are not entitled to make decision, or to instruct shop stewards to take actions which are at variance with union policy,, or with the obligations arising out of establishment, company or industry-wide agreements to which the union is party.' Let there be no mistake, these 'guldelines' call into question all rank-and-file actlon on whatever question.

To tie shop stewards and shop-floor meetings firmly to agreements and to union policy means no action-even on sackings and other fundamental issues-until procedure is exhausted.

Most of this is completely in line with the recommendations of the Donovan Commission and of the very White Paper which the June 18 agreement was supposed to have 'defeated'.

If unions accept these 'guidelines' they will be preparing the ground for precisely the kind of legislation which will be introduced following a Tory return to political power …..through the 'back door'!

What is the attitude of the eneral Council lefts' to ese proposals?

So far, although this inforation has been in the hands the press for almost a The four most dangerous points from the TUC 'guidelines' circular to be sent out on Thursday. week, they have remained silent.

Trade unionists must demand that Messrs Jack Jones and Hugh Scanlon state their position immediately.

What is the attitude of the At the Party's recent 31st Congress, leading Stalinist trade unionist Kevin Halpin specifically defended an attack on a member of the Socialist Labour League who warned against just such a betrayal as this at the lobby of a special TUC in February of this year.

Now all the cards are on the table.

It is use claiming, Messrs Halpin, Ramelson, Gollan and Matthews-as you did over the TUC's Vietnam resolution--that 'some other TUC "lefts' like AEF president Hugh Scanlon must state their position on the 'guidelines' now.

left-wing union leaders would Worderef emed a more Morning worded Star', December 18).

You must also speak out now.

Nothing could • more clearly express the lInk between the fight to defend the trade unions in the metropolitan capitalist coun tries and the struggle of the Vienamese workers and peasants than this double betrayal by the trade union leaders.

All trade unionists must fight for the immediate withdrawal of this infamous document by the TUC General Council.

There can be no trade union democracy without the complete and utter independence of the unions from the demands and requirements of the capitalist state.

wants speed-up before wage rise THE CURRENT unofficial strike at the British Steel Corporation's Pontypool works and the Margam steelworks, Port Talbot, dispute, which ended on Sunday, have' both been marked by the management's determination to resist any claims.

The Corporation is sticking to its policy of only being prepared to discuss wage increases after big speed-up has been conceded.

which produces do third st the country's stainless steel, 120 crattsmen are an unofficial strike to back a claim for a £3 bonus on the basis of the plant's current production, a paid meal break and a better holiday pay scheme.

MEETING

The works is expected to remain at a standstill until at least Thursday, when the strikers are to hold a mass meeting.

Last week the management offered a 33s 5d bonus, but tied it firmly to the production level.

The Margam dispute began just before the Christmas holiday when the plant's 1,500 blastfurnacemen and 400 coke oven workers began an unofficial strike to back their £4 claim for keeping the plant operational over the holiday.

When the men arrived back for work on Saturday morning they were faced with a lock-out.

It is reported that the management's move was decided on Boxing Day in talks between BSC's chairman Lord Melchett and Mr Ron Smith, ex-general secretary of the Post Office Workers' Union, who is now BSC's Labour Relations Adviser.

LESSON

The Sunday Telegraph' gleefully commented:

'If this policy succeeds, the lesson is unlikely to be lost on labour relations experts elsewhere in industry, though the technique of the management "lock-out", , the reverse of a strike, is seldom used nowadays.' The management's gettough tactics show that there is to be no let-up in the drive at Port Talbot to bring in the 'Green Book' plan, which • includes the management's dictum that wage increases will only be allowed after big speed-up has been conceded.

At Port Talbot all claims for straight wage increases have become snarled up in tortuously long negotiations, which has usually forced unofficial strike action.

A branch secretary of the blastfurnacemen's union, Mr John Perrins, claimed that BSC had done nothing about the Christmas bonus claim until the last moment although the demand had been made nearly a year ago.

This latest dispute at Port Talbot emphasizes the urgency of carrying through the fight to completely throw out the 'Green Book' productivity deal.

The management is undoubtedly looking to the type of legislation promised by the Tories which would make such deals legally binding.