claim; yet again, the union Will be proposing 'substantial increase' the demand for a 35-hour week will be part of the discussions on flexibility rather inan a goal around which the membership will be mobilised for struggle election armosphere of re- crown national Kinnock was invited to address the meeting and the TV cameras were wheeled in for the occasion. Kinn the general theme of the • A quarter of the delegates attended a confringe the cause They London district president, Mick Martin, • explan should end its 'hot potato lo ine irish ques tion. The meeting major breakthrough the union which organises in Ireland. It focussed on employment discriminathe Six Counties. • Silberman Trom int organising committe the employment discrimination also sp ce. Large quantities many delegates indicated their intention of mobilising for it. IMA 8 DEFENCE of the ILTA conference on Saturday 18 April. The meeting was addressed by Billy Etherington, secretary of the Durham Mechanics of the NUM.
Etherington made
strong appeal in support of the victimised NUT members. I'm not just thinking of you as trade unionists' he said but perhaps the last bastion ot resistance to allacks on and collapse of the educa tion system' Billy Etherington drew a parallel between the witch nant mine No l and wnat happening in the Labour Party and argued that what was at stake was fighting back against Tory attacks 'I heard the new president of the NUT on the radio waxing forth about the Tories but I thought you're taking action against members of your own against the Tories rathe harder than you' Billy Etherington said he was appalled by the lack of publicity that had been given to the NUT victimisations. He reminded the audience of the press cam paign of villification directed at Arthur Scargil when the NUM established their disciplinary commit tee. "Two years later and no in the Net pelled are suspended and expelled for carrying out union policy and the very same press which condemned Scargil! is silent. Etherington caller for the entire labour move. ment to rally to the victimised teachers' defence.
Raj Ray, coordinating secretary of the Nationa Convention Black Teachers, was another to speak out on behalf of the ILTA 8. The NCBT had issued a special leaflet on the victimisations.
"ILTA council have done said They have just ex wrong' Raj …Rat said. pressed the deep-felt sen umens ormerank anall members who want to figh Another black ieacher, Rahman Patachany, himself a member of ILTA council and one of the original suspendees, echoed this theme. "The ILTA of were implementing the democratic wishes of their members in London. They knew that the time to start fighting was before the Bill became law Marie Price of Notts Women Against Pit Closures was another rally speaker. She warned that if the NUT leadership was allowed to get away with th witch-hunt it could be an Suspended ILTA of•ficer, Carole Reagan said that the witch-hunt against ILTA reflected the leadership's inability to 'deal with politically ILTA had shown the way figh against the Baker • Bill. "The main defence of ILTA is to deepen campaigr against Baker' she said Expelled officer, , Dick North, sported badge which read 'Fight the cut reinstate the The badge was six years old, he told the rally, and said thai the past, the union's fighting left-wing stronger now
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8 was the theme of a fringe meeting at NUT