THE VAST majority of union leaders on London Regional Transport have put up the usual' signs. Having warded off the threat to their own power that the success of the miners' strike would have brought about they are now re-adopting the 'new realist' approach to the impending loss of 16,000 jobs.
BHAEI the strike the caders of the rail union:
TIROL CZ AY GRALe path. On one hand was the enormous pressure or tne media and the judiciary «gamst implementng the resolutions of the TUC and Labour rartv LUr• ferences.
On the other was the growing pressure until the beginning of this year for action in support of the miners from those In the transport unions like the workers at Coalville.
Now the chickens are coming home to roost.
LRT want massive 21115 through one-person operation (OPO) on the buses and the tube, com•ned wilk a snake orE li all other grades over the next three years.
At the London Transport Trades Union Congress genera. meting Saturday Apri there was no specitic discussion of' the attack on ¡oos in general. There was not even any discussion on the next round of plementation of OPO on the tubes and buses. This has compounded by meeting the Rail Federation on Thursday 2 which did not even nave agenda Ene threat by LUL manageJilL unilaterally 111| "
OPO the East London and District Lines on 13 May.
'business as what limited debate there was at the meeting.
The overwhelming majority of the was composed of full-time convenors, fully sup•O• DY Le Coms led by one Kevin Halpin, who Cullccu from self-imposed hibernation during the miners' They argued that the problem was the disunity being displayed by the membership who, Just IKe Ine Ivos MIneIs. were listening to the siren VO CES Tories and believed their jobs salte Inaction Delegates from the LT District Council argued that of course there were sections of the membership fooled by such a line, but that the role of the unions and their leadership was not to capitulate to this Tory offensive and use it as an excuse for inaction.
To rebuild unity needed a leadership which tought tor the Jods and conditions the memoers. nOl OlC wulCE reflected the disunity sown by the Tories During this week the National Executive Comof Will to call inGe leke defence of acainst the imposition of OPO on the East London Unions In addition full metings of all representatives are to be reconvencampaign against cuts in services or jobs. There is some contusion over the budget agreed or 7 May. It provided for £30 million less spending than PUBLIC MEETING What future for Hackney Schools?
Hackney Free and Parochial School, Paragon Rd, E9. Creche provided.
Thursday 23 May, 7.30pm the DA who left feeling threatened