Battling against anti-union laws

LOUISE NOUSRATPOUR hears the activists voicing their anger at the restrictions on the right to strike.

Monday September 22, 2008)
The Morning Star

Trade union activists are defying the anti-union laws by organising joint committees in the workplaces and linking up locally to co-ordinate action against spiralling wage cuts and job losses resulting from the economic crisis.

During an inspiring session on Where Now for the Unions? on Sunday, activists expressed anger and frustration at the legal restrictions on their right to take action to defend themselves.

Labour Representation Committee member Pete Firmin complained that strikes were organised in an "extremely regimented" fashion and often did not have the impact that they should.

As well as the anti-union laws, he blamed "trade union bureaucracy" for this.

Institute for Employment Rights director Carolyn Jones urged the convention to back the Trade Union Freedom Bill to repeal the anti-union laws, warning: "Otherwise, union membership will continue to decline.

"The Bill, although mild, modest and moderate, will put the collective back into our legal rights," she said.

PCS vice-president Sue Bond put forward key proposals on how to strengthen the role of unions in the workplace and minimise the impact of the economic crisis on working people.

"Unions must encourage joint workplace meetings and link up locally to strengthen rank-and-file organisation and unity," she stressed.

"It is also important to have political discussions about why there are cuts in the public services when billions are spent on war and why workers are forced to take a pay cut when their companies make massive profits."

Ms Bond described the co-ordinated action by public-sector unions in recent months as the "first small green shoots of unity in action and there is potential for much more."

In the first 11 months of Gordon Brown's premiership, there were 900,000 strike dates, even excluding the massive strikes in July and August, conference heard.

"In some unions, the bureaucracy don't like to come out of their comfort zone, but all unions are subject to pressure from below and this is where the left can play a vital role," Ms Bond added.

In addition to the anti-union laws, campaigners discussed electoral and organisational issues, with some calling for a break with Labour in favour of a new workers' party.
Others argued that this ran the risk of creating a divided movement.

Labour MP John McDonnell said: "I believe that this will be resolved through organisation and unity around key issues. To try and jump that fence will only split the movement and set us back."

He added: "We need to agree a common manifesto that we can take back to our communities and develop creative and effective strategies for co-ordinated action in the workplaces and in politics."

CWU delegate to the Labour conference Maria Exall told the convention that the left must offer a "working-class solution" to the economic crisis.

Speaking in a personal capacity, she said: "This is the time to make the argument for collective ownership when the US and Britain are breaking their own 'no state intervention' rule to rescue the bankers.

"It is tax-dodging big business that must pay for the crisis they have created, not the tax-paying working class."