Solidarity Network Conference: How can workers take on the Tories?
Labour Briefing1980sTranscribed by hand from the printed page.
The Solidarity Network held a successful second Annual Conference in Leeds on November 5th.
The 130 present included delegates from labour movement organisations, and activists in Support Groups, solidarity campaigns, and trade unions.
There were delegates from eight Support Groups, eight Trades Councils, and from four local Labour Parties. Women from Women Against Pit Closures were also present.
Tony Richardson, TGWU shop steward from Austin Rover in Cowley, reported on the work of the Solidarity Network over the past year in consistently organising to support disputes.
The Network had also held meetings with strikers: for example in Deal, with rank and file seafarers, and in Leeds with a delegation from the Vickers strikers. Also noted was the development of joint work with the Chestfield Socialist Conference, for example the joint rally held in London.
The lastest round of Tory anti-union legislation proposes, amongst many other things, an almost impossibly high 70% vote for a strike vote in a postal ballot.
The major problem has been that the TUC and almost all of the trade union leaders refuse to break the law. The government uses that refusal as an invitation to bring more laws in. The seafarers' leaders had briefly looked to break the law and spread the strike — but had stopped short of providing a lead for the movement.
Joyce Bently, representing the striking Dover seafarers, talked of the difficulties and isolation now facing the strikers, despite the support which had been organised, and how difficult it was to see a way forward.
Dave Chappel, a UCW branch officer from Bridgewater, reported on the postal workers strike and developments since. He was, he said, more optimistic than Joyce. The postal workers had been sold out, but they had shown their strength and were ready for more.
A speaker from the Bradford Labour Group gave an account of the situation on Bradford City Council. Mike Grindley, leader of the victimised GCHQ trade unionists, preparing for the GCHQ day of action, sent a message of support.
Two striking COHSE nurses from Manchester, Angela Clarkin and Caren Reissmann, reported on the escalating struggle against regrading imposed on the nurses by the government.
Terry French sent a message on behalf of the Justice for Mineworkers Campaign — now hamstrung after the Campaign's last quarterly meeting voted overwhelmingly that the Secretary should resign. The Secretary was refusing.
The Conference elected a new, expanded Steering Committee, with Janet Seymour (from the Silentnight dispute) as chair; John Lang, a rank and file leader from the Wapping dispute, as convenor; and a team to produce an improved, printed, Solidarity Network Bulletin.
The Conference agreed to continue developing the joint work between the Solidarity Network and the Chesterfield Socialist Conference, particularly with Chesterfield's Trade Union Policy Group.
The conference also decided to call on Chesterfield to call for a Chesterfield Trade Union Conference in a year's time to organise a discussion on the way forward for socialists in the unions.