THE TRADE UNION Bill deals with three things. First, the internal constitution of the unions. It introduces procedure whereby members of a national executive have to be directly elected — not indirectly as with some unions like the TGWU.
Labour MPs on the standing committee of the Bill have been arguing that union members should decide their own constitution. There's no evidence they are unhappy with their present ones. But the government obviously feels that direct elections would reduce the number of militant trade union leaders, and give greater control to the moderates and the right.
The second part of the Bill deals with strike ballots. If a union doesn't hold a ballot before a strike, it would be abusing the immunities granted in the 1906 legislation. The peculiar is that it could lose a ballot and still call a strike, without breaking the law. The government see this as a means of breaking down solidarity.
The third part of the Bill - which will attract the most public attention is the one which deals with union's political funds. Under the 1913 legislation, a union has to have a ballot of its members before establishing such a fund. Then the question of whether or not to affiliate to the Labour Party is up to the union conference.
The government is proposing to enforce an affirmative ballot every 10 Clearly, this is a device to cut down the amount of money going to the Labour Party.
One point of detail is indicative of the government's thinking. Clause 14 re-defines political activity. What was not previously considered political as lar as ine law is concerned - wil now be deemed so. This is a crucial clause which is not generally publicised.
NALGO's campaign to protect public services last year is an example. NALGO don't have a political fund The campaign was paid for from the general fund, which is used for activity in furtherance of members' jobs and conditions of work.
The minister said in committee that such activity would no longer be possible. In other words. the meaning of political objects is broadened.
The civil service unions, who tend not to have political funds, would not be able to participate in the sort of acivities they have been doing - inanc. ing the campaign against the GCHQ Socialist Action thing Derek Fatchett decision.
The Bill isn't just an attack on the union links with the Labour Party, it's attack on collective bargaining itself. The government are trying to force trade unions into the narrowest possible collective bargaining activity. The two attacks are part and parcel of the same thing: taking the politics out of trade unionism.
This bill says unions have. nothing to do with politics - but more, that employment economics nothing to do with politics either. There is a push to break any links between socialism and trade unionism. The Bill intends to neuter the unions.
The government has