of the trade unions the Labour Party parties -any form of democratic control.
Right wing dominated 'non-political unions; a finances removing it from contro bv the Labour Parthe goals of the rulingclass as a whole - these are reorganisation of the labour movement.
The basis for this Tory The targets of the new 1983 anti-union assault are clear and interlinked. They are firstly to break the links between the trade unions and the Labour Party - thereby weakening the political protection wrecking the present finances of the Labour Party. The second goal is to smash the closed shop. The only alternative source of funds to union support that would be offered to — that of state funding of political would be used to establish even greater autonomy of the Parliamentary Labour Party from campaign is quite clear.
Five major unions already have majority members contracting out of the levy SOGAT, NGA, ASTMS COHSE and the ACTT.
Other with large numbers of members contracting out include TASS FBU, UCATT the Tobacco Workers.
The Tories drew fur ther encouragement from a detailed MORI Doll ir January 1982 which showed maJority against affiliation even in such unions as the GMBATU, EEPTU, NUR and USDAW. In MORI NUPE the NUM would have supported afthe With the UNIONS split trom organisation in Lic Labour rarty luc scart of attack that would be mounted UIl the would make anything tempted by the Tebbit laws so far appear small It is clear there is going Photo: JOHN HARRIS paign on Labour Party affiliation waged the TUC general council At the 1983 Congres almost one-third of the TUC was not afilliated the Labour Party. In the right wing that dominates the General Counci al least half of the trade unions involved non-Labour Party affiliates.
Murray is not directing the TUC to closer links with Labour. He is going in exactly the opposite direction. Murray's declared aim is to pursue a policy of talking 'to any political party which has a chance forming government in the future. Some of the more right wing unions are engagea in discussions with the SDP of future SDP-LiberalLabour coalition The entire orientation 'non-political unions is directly in line with the proposals of Tebbit the Liberals. If left unchallenged the line of the General Council is going hand clubloycis their greatest political victory in fifty years The same applies to the second key issue which is coming up the closed Under the Tebbit DIUD laws, by November the closed shop will only 80 per cia ee the cent the workforce.
On present policies the effect of this even in companies such as BL is likely to be a defeat for the closshop. i ne bureaucracies in a comNGA picket pany such BL have directlv collaborated in destroying working conditions and union organisation.
Productivity drives by the management have increased output in BL from six cars a worker in 1979 to 40 cars a worker in 1983. Working conditions, jobs, and union strength have been cut to ribbons. As the trade union leaders involved have done nothing to protect BL workers against this type of assault, nany employees in a com any such as BL will se ing to subscribe to a union if it is not compulsory. Closed And 1 us is lie case on the closed shop in a mapoil ensuy true in equally Clue smaller firms. By supporSuCCESSIVe incomes policies, by capitulating assault since 1979, the union leaderships have erroded the most elementary connaence in tne trade umons among many workers. That is the harsh truth.
In industries such as
----- pull-quotes -----
poll only