HATCHES were battoned down at the 1987 AEU right-wing dominated Standing Orders Committee kept 'controversial' items off the agenda in the ingiving the conference a lack-lustre atmosphere.
The one exception was the impact of the Caterpillar occubaliull. coachload of over 50 of the workers travelled over miles Uddingston Eastbourne lobby delegates They were greeted by a standing ovation as they entered the Theatre the National Committee Wak TROLOT backing their fight was supported unanimously, though prior that unanimity of the LETCOL leadership to vote down a Dundee which 10lU1 proposed full support for the occupation.
The ARU executive committee had already expressed its refusal to supillegal' occupation, executive member Jimmy Airlie had travelled to Uddingston to meet with shop stewards to message.
To avoid repetition ensure full national As far as was possible the terests of 'not rocking Labour's pre-electoral boat', (millice support, the Caterpillar stewards urged support for a united motion expressing full support for the fight to save he plant and the workers' jobs. This was one of the very few motions adopted which detended the right. and interests of the AEU member sino On other matters. for instance, the committee declared tavour nuclear power, opposed immediate renationalisaLHOT of companies hived off by the Tories, heard leaders Bill Jordan and Gavin Laird propose LADORT should enter government with the SDP-Liberal Alliance and initate a recruitment targetting areas traditionally organised by This relates to discussions taking place between the AEU leadership and the leadership of APEX about a possible merger. Although Jordan, Laird and the executive majority appear fully favour of such a move, a maor costacie in the form of the AEU's traditional commitment to the election of all officials, whereas APEX has an appolntments systemn une ostensible reason for the ending AEU's amalgamation with TASS.
The special rules revision sinister way along the road meeting went ot removing this obstacle. Using the pretext of the union's financial state, the a radical set or cropased a radical cutbacks involving of many full-time officers of the union It is the manner of these lob cuts that opens the door to the appointment of full-time officials, paving the way for a future with allalzallallull APEX. Executive council will decide which jobs 'surplus' then redeploy officials accordingly. Districts and divi sion will end up with officials who have not beer elected by their membership, overturning the elective principle at a stroke. Although rules revision specified cellullaly three-year period for this, unelected officils could be TOTECE up io eigni years under union rule officials WIld reach the age of 60 do not need to stand for reelection.
The financial crisis of casion for rebuilding the •TO for attacks upon The AEU's membership has suffered decline the leadership has failed meet the recession in the a fighting. policy aimed at safeguarding jobs The current membership probably under 700.000 did nothing to reverse the trend. Instead it endorsed an executive proposal to proceed with discussions with the Engineering Employers Federation their proposals for eliminating the bulk of the gains in conditions that have won over decades of struggle. 'Max.
plant utilisation total flexibility of trades the unfettered right i anandal to Hallas. will not secure the right to Jordan work but will lead to further massive job loss and speed up.
There is deep concern within the about these talks with the employers, extending wing. But in a move aimed at concealing such opposi tion allist their own supporters the leadership did not propose endorsation of any substantive deal but rather the national committee's go-ahead tor a further round of talks following which the will ret all 95 to serenion ted to 55 to sanction the further round of talks.
By a similar margin the committee rejected proposal fix a figure in this year's wage STOP