TGWU Conference: a shift to the right
Labour Briefing1980sTranscribed by hand from the printed page.
Sticking to principles over unilateralism; deciding to comply with the law in the docks dispute.
That was typical of the contradictory decisions reached by the TGWU conference, held in Brighton at the end of June.
By the end of the week, with the very important exception of the "defence" debate and policy on lesbian and gay rights, the Conference had kept the union within the framework of New Realism.
Overall, policy shifted to the right, in line with the Policy Review.
With delegations of dockers in the gallery, Ron Todd opened the Conference with a ringing statement of support for the dockers.
He warned the port employers that sacking the registered dockers would mean "a dispute the like of which they have never seen".
It was soon clear, however, that he was not talking about a big dispute, bringing other parts of the TGWU out in support of the dockers, but a long dispute in which the union would continue to give official support:
"Be it three months or six months, there will be no resolution of our dispute until every dockworker is reinstated and an agreement is negotiated nationally."
The Executive statement on the docks was introduced by Ron Todd the next day. It gave full support for the dockers but stipulated that the dispute must be kept within the law.
"We have to defend the dockers," he said, "but we have to defend the rest of the union as well."
Conference had to recognise the reality of the new situation: "We are not going to put ourselves in a position where our union funds are sequestrated and they take away our offices and our [sic] cars."
Todd went on to predict another big majority for strike action on the second ballot.
Several docks delegates speaking in the debate stressed the crucial importance of the docks dispute to the TGWU. Others called for action which would clearly be illegal such as the involvement of the unregistered ports.
Tony Richardson, Austin Rover delegate, said the docks dispute was the TGWU's "Waterloo". He called for the union to be prepared to defy the law in order to defend the dockers if necessary:
"If we stick within the law we will be asking the dockers to fight with their hands tied behind their backs," he said.
The union had defied the law in the past and should not change its position now.
To stick within the law, he said, would mean no support from the unregistered ports, no boycotting of scab cargos, and pickets at the gates of registered ports being limited to six.
"Let us put the whole union behind them whatever it means for the assets of the union," he urged.
The adoption by Conference of the Executive report creates a big problem for the dockers.
They needed Conference to give them the union's support irrespective of the law; they got a Conference endorsement of the Executive policy of keeping within the law.
The parallel with the SOGAT Conference during the Wapping dispute is too close for comfort. It also expressed "full support" for the sacked News International printers, but "within the law".
That decision ensured that the rest of the industry could not be involved and led to isolation and defeat.
Having supported an Executive backed motion changing union policy from opposition to support of nuclear power Conference moved on to the key debate on "defence".
Stark
In stark contrast to his stance on the anti-union laws, Todd made a strong and effective speech in defence of the union's 28-year old policy of unilateral nuclear disarmament.
He said he had marched alongside Frank Cousins for this same policy. "You cheered me then," he said, "because I was carrying out the policy of the union; are you saying that I am wrong now?"
He argued it was a matter of principle then and remained one now. To support unilateralism, Todd quoted Pope John XX111: "When the evil you use is greater than the evil you oppose it is time to examine your morality."
The resulting narrow vote in favour of existing TGWU policy on unilateralism was the Conference's one clear stand against New Realism.
Neil Kinnock, speaking two days later, lectured Conference on the errors of its ways.
In a speech aimed at the media, designed to demonstrate his independence from the trade unions, and the TGWU in particular, he stridently defended the Policy Review; dismissing unilateralism as a "yesterdays policy" which would lose the Labour Party the next election.
His speech gained a standing ovation from two thirds of the delegates, and hostility from the rest.
Todd and the Executive backed the weaker of the two resolutions on offer on the repeal of the anti-union laws.
The selected resolution called for the repeal of the anti-union laws within the context of support for the Policy Review document People at Work.
This means a failure to call for the repeal of the laws on balloting or for the restoration of trade union immunities.
Todd surprised many delegates by strongly opposing the repeal of the laws on ballotting, telling the conference, "We are in favour of balloting aren't we?"
The Executive also recommended a change of union policy on the acceptance of Govenement money for carrying out compulsory ballots under the anti-union laws.
In sharp (and rather bizarre) contrast to his arguments on unilateralism, Todd argued that the union must move with the times and recognise the realities of today's situation.
This was accepted by Conference after a heated debate in which Region One delegate Mick Connolly described the acceptance of the money as "30 pieces of silver."
Policy
Mick Gosling, from Ford Dagenham, said that to change policy would take the union down the same road as the EEPTU and the AUEW.
Conference also changed policy on paticipatory management techniques, such as Quality Circles and team leaders. Every speaker from the floor supported the existing policy of keeping out of these bodies.
Whilst saying it remained opposed to such techniques, the platform argued there was no principled objection to going into them. Where trade union organisation was weak, it said, or where the membership felt there was no alternative, the union should go into them.
Effectively this leaves any decision on whether to become involved or not to local branches and committees, many of which have already become involved anyway.
Critical
Conference went on to reverse its position on the EC, by adopting a resolution which states that whilst being critical of the EC, withdrawal is no longer a "realistic or sensible" option.
This was followed by a rejection of a resolution calling for non-payment of the Poll Tax.
In the first "debate" on Ireland ever held at T&G Conference, a motion calling for a negotiated political solution to achieve a United Ireland and for support for the Time To Go campaign was rejected, on the Executive's advice.
Irish Regional Secretary John Freeman said, "Support for Time To Go is support for Sinn Fein and the Provisional IRA."
Arguing for the Time To Go, motion, under continuous barracking from right wing and loyalist delegates, London delegate Chris Green said, "Northern Ireland is a British problem. Britain created it, Britain runs it, and it needs a British response."
Conference agreed, instead, to campaign around Peace, Work, and Progress. A resolution supporting the McBride principles was defeated by a similar margin.
Apart from unilateralism, there was only one other exception to the policy slide to the right: on lesbian and gay rights.
A resolution on positive action and positive images was adopted for the first time ever by TGWU Conference, with the support of the platform, but with opposition from some delegates.
The weakness of the policy is that it comes from the top down and does not reflect much real development within the union itself.
This was clear from the widespread homophobic remarks being made amongst the delegates after the debate. But it was an important start which needs to be built on.