General Council is Congress minority RECALL TUC CONGRESS MAJORITY

BY OUR INDUSTRIAL CORRESPONDENT DAVID MAUDE THE GENERAL COUNCIL vote against recalling a special TUC conference to fight agalnst the Industrial Relations Act is a giant confidence trick against the rank and file.

If examined • carefully, the closelycontested vote shows conclusively that a majority of the trade union movement is behind a recalled conference.

The move to recall conference Thursday's General Council meeting leader of Britain's largest union, the General Workers' Union.

The move was defeated—to secretary Victor Feather and the votes to 11.

has obtained precise Second school revolt was made at Transport and the pleasure right-wing-by voting from sources on the General Council. This shows that the minority 11 votes in fact represents more trade unionists than the 15-vote right-wing.

And a clear majority would have been obtained had all members been present and voted. Those who would certainly have insisted on a recall are George Doughty, of the technical section (TASS) of the AUEW, Allan Sapper of ACTT, and Alan Fisher of the National Union of Public Employees.

The men who voted against were Lord Cooper and Sir Frederick Hayday of the G&MWU; Walter Anderson of NALGO; Edward Britton of the Teachers; Frank Chapple of the EPTU; Percy Coldrick of the TSSA; Dai Davies, ISTC; Roy Grantham, CAWU; Sir Sidney Greene, NUR; Stan Gretton, Bakers' Union; Tom Jackson, UPW; Jack McGougan, Tailors and Garment Workers; Jack Peel, Dyers and Bleachers; Cyril Plant, Inland Revenue Staff.

All these union leaders are either quietiy in favour of the Act or they are equivocal on the question of registration. It is also true that if a ballot for a recall was called in the membership of, say, the NUR, it is certain that an overwhelming number would want a recall to hammer out a proper strategy to defeat the Act.

In other words Feather and union bureaucraht Wave been or richiewing caught red-handed. They are trying to stifle debate on the Act by taking away democratic rights of trade union members up and down • the countryjust as the Tory government is intent on taking away democratic rights the trade unions themselves.

By_ launching this conspiracy, he TUC right wing objectively ids the Tories and their plans to mash the trade unions.

Last September, only nine ronths ago, the Blackpool conerence clearly spelled out the nions' united opposition to the ict in a resolution which was verwhelmingly adopted. That esolution states:

'Congress views with concern he fact that certain affiliated rade unions have already indiated that they will not implenent recommendation One of the pecial TUC ,at. Croydon March 18, 1971. In view of the ontinued attacks on the trade inions by the Tory government, here is a greater need for united ction.

*Recognizing that the policy of ion-registration can only ffective if all affiliated unions ict collectively Congress therefore nstructs affiliated trade unions 1) not to register under the ndustrial Relations Act; b) to ake measures to remove themelves from the provisional register?

This resolution has been learly flouted by an undemoiratic minority. They have lecided to co-operate with the Act without consulting Congress. Are we to stand by and permit he right wing to take away democratic rights?

This clique clearly thinks it is : esponsible only to itself-and ndirectly, of course, to the Tory government.

The union leaders who. voted or the recall-who represent a • Turn UNION T&GWI AUEW NATSO NUM FBU SMWU TOTAL NALGO NUT EPTU TSSA NACOD ISTC CAWU IRSA UPW Bakers Dyers NUR TOTAL League ALL OUT DEMONSTRA' VOTED FOR RECALL GENERAL MEMBERS UNCIL VOTES 1,638,686 1,202,218 50,981 274,433 30,000 78,281 3,274,599 3,045,996 JORITY 228,603 853,353 439,887 310,536 420,588 75,194 23,389 116,632 125,541 49,735 209,479 48,784 117,573 56,986 198,319 3,045,996