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Photo: (M DESPITE HESELTINE'S attempts to discredit and demobilise the anti-missiles movement, support for CND is still growing. At an eve-of-conference rally, Bruce Kent said CND's membership had grown by 3,000 in the last three weeks alone. The arrival of cruise has seen anti-misiles action stepped up, not its widely-predicted collapse.
In this context, CND's annua conterence set the tone for the year ahead.
Unity was the leadership's chosen theme. 'CND is a coalition of different forces, said Bruce Kent, 'all fighting for their different corners. But there's more important than this organisation as a whole' He's right. But his version of unity. - 'reach out everybody wherever they through freeze-as-a-first-step policy — did not match the mood of the conference. On almost every issue, this step-by-step strategy for the campaign was rejected Youth on the march at last May's YCND carnival at Brockwell Park by the delegates' desire for more mass action. Throughout, the leading role of the Greenham women was recognised.
Fearing that a freeze campaign would deprioritise and confuse the essential aim of mass action to scrap the missiles, the freeze policy adopted by the leadership was thrown out. Calls for anti-cruise action to be stepped up, and for labour movement action including effective industrial action were carried with a big majority.
Last year, despite a call COBIC CICE for labour movement action, neither CND's leadership nor the TUC or Labour leaders acted on their policy pledges. This the words of the AST. S year must be different. delegate who upporte he resolution: 'CND h to be identified with all those people threatened port of the unions, build of millions which will achieve peace in our lifetime.
Individual actions by trade unionists are already taking place: like the action Rolls Royce workers Scotland against Trident; Greenwich NALGO tion against civil defence plans. But the need is to TOUSI JOIN forces in a united struggle. Despite CND's temporary demise, this is still possible. Ine electior of LCND Secretary Jo: Hurcombe CND's four Vice Chairs reference back (rather than defeat) of the resolution show that activists do not necessarily share the Executive's view TAKES 1S still possible for Labour CND to re-emerge as a mass action oriented specialist section.
The aspect of the anti-missiles movement figured prominently at reflecting the importance attached to the 22 Oct ober actions throughout Europe. Speaking at the Friday rally, the German peace movement represcu tative explained their intenon was hold referendum on the missiles during the Euro-elections, and called on other campaigns to do likewise. This idea came up during the where generalise nest throughout the resolution called for the Auro-elections to be a ma jor focus for Europe-wide CND's first wave in the 1960s floundered on detente and the test ban treaty. The 'step-by-step' approach espoused by / the then-leadership of CND cut through building mass action against the atom bomb, through generalising that action internationally. The second callul call move ment has a solid advantage over its forerunners because or ne exstence o a growin peace move ment in West Europe an America, which is fuelled President Reagan's overt aggression in the Middle East and in Central America and the Carib This creates a climate in which it is increasingly possible for millions people to see that a real threat exists of nuclear war now. This brings more and more people into I activity against the missiles.
View It was this mood which was reflected in CND con• Terence ceasons All the signs are that the interna Lullal ocal will step up anti-missiles actions in 1984.
now has the policies to link up with this, and to build mass ac tion in Britain founded on labour movement support.
It's up to all activists to pressure Goodwin Street and to put those words into practice.
Battersea firefighters return cruise to sender and donate an hours pay for peace Trade Union CND launched its first issue of Trade Union CND News at the CND conference througl meeting with an connected said that CND could find itself in a similar position to the print unions. Leb bit's legislation will affect CND's activities too, he CND's AGM takes place on All affiliated union.
TUND can be contacted a 1l, min, Lon Goodwin , LonI don N4. Bulk orders of the bulletin (at 3p pe
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against sistions sine i strong.