A THREAT TO TRADE UNIONISM

of the Confederation of Independent Staff Organizations (CISO) by Jack An examination the A potentially significant threat to trade union organization, particularly in banks and finance houses, appeared last month with the launching of the Confederation of Independent Staff Organizations (CISO).

CISO's launching followed the setting up of a steering committee composed of the heads of the Barclays Bank Staff Association, Commercial Union Group Staff Association, Sun Alliance and London Staff Association, ICI Staff Association and Kodak Senior Staff Association. This culminated in a meeting of representatives of some 45 staff associations.

The meeting, held on December 5, resolved support for the principle of CISO, agreed that the steering committee should remain in being, that a draft constitution be drawn up and that a further meeting be held on February 1 following the report back of representatives.

According to the secretary to the steering committee, Mr Paul Nickolson:

'The confederation is being formed to give impetus to the demand now being expressed by employees for the establishment of organizations to represent them on a company or corporation basis. This has already led to the emergence of new stall associations, independent of management, which are seeking recognition from and negotiating rights with employers and are building on the experience of well lished staff associations, estab.

This is clearly intended to be an alternative to the established white-collar unions and particularly to those unions in the financial sector-APEX, infederation of ASTMS, NUBE.

CISO argues that staff associations should be 'given the benefit of back-up facilities similar to those available to TUC-affiliated trade unions, which are too expensive for individual associations to provide on their own. They are important because trade unions would find it difficult to subsist without them'. A confidential CISO steering committee paper prepared for the December 5 conference put this even more strongly:

'TUC affiliated trade unions are unable to subsist without back-up facilities and staff unions are a long way from getting similar facilities.

CISO claims that it will vide: • Research and information services on remuneration pollcies, employment conditions, protection of employment, training and career development, legal problems. • Facilities for training and the exchange of ideas and experience. • Advice and assistance, where requested, for the promotion of:

Good communications, including quick and effective ways of resolving disputes.

Staff involvement in decisions affecting their work.

Opportunities for increasing personal competence and its reward.

Effective negotiating procedures and practices, including assistance and negotiation required.

CISO also argues that 'the needs of white-collar workers are not properly understood. A principal fear is that the pay and conditions of white-collar stali are being squeezed between boards of directors anxious to keep down labour costs and workers whose militancy achieves substantial wage increases' Organizations (CISO)

In recent years there has been a large growth of trade unionism among white-collar workers. Four main factors have contributed to this.

Through nationalization and mergers in the private sector, the organizations in which these workers are employed have become very large. This has not only brought large numbers of white-collar workers together, but has brought them into closer contact with other workers whose unions are strong.

International competition and inflation have changed the climate in organizations and the style of management has become tougher.

Finally, in many companies there is an increasing professionalism in personnel departments which are no longer the welfare departments of paternalistic employers but act more like manpower economists concerned to get maximum output from the minimum number of people at a minimum cost.

Faced with these pressures, more and more white-collar workers have begun to realize that they have no power as individuals if there is no organization to protect their interests. Hence the growth of trade unionism.

That the CISO reflects the backward outlook of some sections of the middle class, and thus assists management against genuine trade unionism, is made clear by the seven principles on which it Will operate. These are:

'1. Constructive rather than militant relationships with employers.

'2. An emphasis on company based negotiations. Interestingly, an addition to this principle set forth in the confidential discussion paper has been deleted: 'which balance self interest with a concern for Gale honourable conduct public interest'.

*3. Powerful but responsible promotion and support of the interests of employees who are members of organizations in the confederation' This appears to have replaced an original principle as follows: •Recognition that members' long-term interests are not best served by selfish and aggressive policies.

'4. Political and financial independence which will enable the confederation to represent only the interests of member employees to the three major political parties, any elected government and any organization of employers in Great Britain and, where necessary at international level.

'5. The promotion and support of new independent member organizations within the confederation.

Staff associations from amongs believed to have had represent: cerning the Confederation of on December 5:

Financial sector Barclays Bank Lloyds Bank Lloyds Bank-Technical Services Midland Bank National Westminster Bank Bank of England Royal Bank of Scotland Bank of Baroda Bank of India (UK)

Australian Mutual Providen Britannic Assurance Eagle Star General Accident Commercial Union Phoenix Assurance Sun Alliance & Lon‹ Corporation of Lloys Sun Life Welfare Insurance Norwich Union Nationwide Building Forward Trust Above: Members of ASTMS locked-out during a dispute in Croydon. The CISO is a threat to white-collar unions ASTMS, APEX and NUBE.

'6. The absence of domination in the confederation by any large member organizations or combination of member organizations.

*7. The capacity to absorb a rapid growth of membership which will be increasingly representative of organizations of workers throughout the country currently unattached to any other confederation.' As if that were not enough, CISO has openly declated that it is appealing to those people in the middle class who are antagonistic to real trade unionism.

Many staff, it claims, 'have no wish to join trade unions which are affiliated to the TUC. They simply do not. like unions.' the following organizations are ives attending the meeting conndependent Staff Organizations Others Lufthansa UK Balfour Beatty Imperial Tobacco Automobile Association Courtaulds Senior Staff Seaboard World Airlines Kodak Senior Staff A. Monk & Co British Council Coleman Association-Reckitt Coleman Cadbury Schweppes-Senior Managers J. Bibby-Agriculture & Sales Telecommunications Staff Association Ilford Senior Staff ICI Tate & Lyle Arthur Guinness

BBC. January 10, 197