THE ANNUAL conference of the Union of Comunion to the left on some policy questions, while the national leadership stance behind Kinnock.
Mostly the message from deregates Was lild supporting return of Labour is complimentary OHH own demands. howeve element 'postponement' introduced into the decisions taken the shorter working week, and our opposition to the 1984 Trade Union Act.
Perhaps the most remarkable decision of the week was une cecsor o launch a campaign among CUE communications with apartheid. The decision of general was declared unanimous. Tuftin in his speech accented the tour by striking South African postal workers.
The technical difficulties of postal workers storing South African mail, telephonists blocking phone lines not great. The main difmunication Workers continued the trend of the displayed a hardening of its ficulty is one of an organised campaign to carry the membership, , and this conerence decided to commit Itsell to inal. A rnenas ol Moses Mayekiso' leaflet Wan distributed delegates shortly after the Delegate, Cardiff Uniform Branch (personal capacity)
The Postal Group conference adopted some chanenging poncies. It wa.
one despin a 3 pos to claim a з reduction work week with a ballot for inCustod September if no ассер Ine delay in balloting may be unnecessarv. but delegates argued for time to secure a majority for strike action in the membership.
The Postal Group also voted to end co-operation studies of the service. Last vear the union had been on the verge of a major national dispute job definition procedures the main sorting offices. ock-orne eeds orfice was prompting supportive strikes. Eleven ma jor offices were balloted and revealed an average 75 per cent majority for strike action. The Post Office backed down, and a new deal was drawn up.
Conterenti rejected the deal. The EC opposed this decision strong v lost to a massive majority on a card vote This decision puts management plans in spin. The new procedures are a major plank of the TOSL Office pial establish two-tier workforce, in anticipation of later privatisation.
The Telecoms Group senerv showed aaress confident mood Two telephonists jobs have been lost this undermined the domestic ailu threatens the general assistant grade Delegates showed caution, but also some real fight.
agreed to support the Our Operator ber vices Callby the London District Council. The campaign is aimed at preventing BT switching Operato serVice Olside the district. Technicalfeasible this War stymied by the decision of the provincial delegates to refuse to handle diverted traffic. This decision doubly creditable as many exchanges outside London are being closed.
The Telecoms group also seek reinstatement of a number of staff suspended at Wren House in in a powerful debate delegates Chew on nao used action in the establishment to suspenc Delegate after delegate ex- members staff. plained how BT was using racism to force through hidden redundancies. these 90 members only six are white people.
The first work place ballots this year confirmed the executive previously elected by annual conference 1986. The newcomers filling vacancies, rather than displacing EC menDeLs.
The results are in their way the imposed by the 1984 TU Act The EC appears, and made much to appear per cent in line with Kin nock, with no internal of There viously different views in the EC, but the real opposition was led from conference floor. Communication Workers Broad Left (CWBL) supporters Phe successes on South successes South Africa, the shorter work ing week, time and motion studies, opened debates unsuccessfully on the organisation and the youth proposals - although this clearly struck a response among delegates CWBL will De holding an open meeting in July to follow up the progress it made at the anticipating a big vote in favour of action. General secretaries of Ine two major civil service unions, John Ellis of the CPSA and Leslie Christie of the SCPS, said that a yes vote will allow their members to do thre things.
Ensure that the appalling low levels of pay, morale and quality ot service to tne publ becomes a central issue in the electior campaign 'Show the depth of our frustration and SERVICE WHY THESE OVI win a commitment for a negotiated settlement immediately the election is over' The national strike on the eve of the election will be followed by regional strikes on 18 and 19 June in Scotland and the north; 25 and 26 June in London and the south; 2 and 3 July in Midlands and Wales.
The CPSA is calling for a Labour vote in the election and will be balloting its members over Labour Party affiliation later this y call CPS