Unions & politics

The leadership of the Fire Brigades Union is to recommend cutting donations to Labour and might redirect funding to other parties. The FBU leadership states: The Fire Brigades Union should carry out a root and branch restructuring of its political work. So its national executive will recommend to its May conference. The move came at a special meeting of the 18-strong executive in response to calls to split from the Labour Party at the union's annual conference in May. They reflect the union membership's anger at Government tactics used during the 9-month long pay dispute and particularly...

Now the Labour Party has kicked out the RMT, Tubeworker discusses what the rail unions should do next. It argues for a concerted fight to overturn the Blairites, and for establishing firm principles as to who the union should back in elections - only democratic, working-class socialists. Also in this issue, Tubeworker sets out what a multi-year pay deal must contain if it is to be acceptable. It also campaigns for a Yes vote in the Metronet strike ballot, and for improved rights for reserve and pool workers. Workplace reports include the success of drivers in winning back the pay that London...

"One man is king", remarked Karl Marx in an aside in Capital, "only because other men stand in the relation of subjects to him. They imagine that they are subjects because he is king". That about sums up the Labour Party for most of the time since Tony Blair became leader of the party almost 10 years ago, on 21 July 1994. Labour activists - and, decisively, trade unionists - have been "subjects" of the "king" who looked as if he could beat, and then did beat, the Tories. He has been "king" because they have been willing to be "subjects". That is beginning to change. Trade unionists and Labour...

By Colin Foster The Labour Party has expelled the railworkers' union RMT. The Communication Workers' Union has condemned the expulsion and called on the Labour Party to discuss with the RMT. But many socialists have rejoiced, saying that the RMT's expulsion should and will be followed by many other unions deciding of their own accord to break links with Labour. In fact that is unlikely. The Fire Brigades Union conference in March will have motions before it for disaffiliation. It is the exception. Past CWU conferences have seen lively arguments about the political fund. However, last year's...

By a RMT delegate The RMT Special General Meeting held in Glasgow on the 6 February upheld the decision of its 2003 AGM to affiliate to organisations outside the Labour Party. The union has now been expelled from the Party. The outcome should be no surprise to the wider labour movement. The RMT has a proud tradition of standing by its principles and facing up to bullies. The threats and ultimatums from the Labour Party Executive, (where representatives of our sister unions sit and shake in fear at the thought of rocking the boat), only served to strengthen the resolve of the delegation. We...

By Nick Holden The agenda for the annual conference of the Fire Brigades' Union (at Bridlington, May 11-14) has just been published and there are several motions advocating disaffiliation from the Labour Party or the opening up of the political fund to allow branches to support non-Labour candidates. The FBU conference three years ago voted for a position similar to that recently taken by the RMT (which resulted in the Labour Party National Executive expelling them) but following a year of lobbying by the union leadership the decision was reversed in 2002. Last year the conference was...

The following text is being used for motions to union conference by AWL members in the PCS. It may prove useful in other unions too. This Conference notes: a) the attempt by the Government in some parts of the Public Sector to raised the pension retirement age from 60 to 65; b) that the basic State Pension is losing real value and is projected to continue to do so for the coming years; c) that women in particular have been disproportionately prevented from gaining a full state pension by the application of rigid contribution rules (which discriminate against those working part time and those...

The text below is offered for use by Unison members drafting motions for their union's National Delegate Conference on the question of the union's Affiliated Political Fund. Model Motion to National Delegate Conference Conference notes the decision of last year's Conference on the political funds debate and in particular that section which called on the NEC to consult with the National Affiliated Political Committee (NAPC) with a view to bringing forward proposed measures, including any necessary changes to UNISON rules, to ensure that the terms of its delegation of responsibility for the APF...

I attended, as a visitor, the RMT SGM on Feb 6th in Glasgow. As you will all be aware the Union rejected the bullying tactics of the LP and upheld the decision of last years AGM to allow the political fund to be used to support other organisations other than the LP. The main argument against the rule change was that support does not mean affiliation even though during the debate at the AGM the word affiliation was used on numerous occasions, this was rejected as nonsense as were other points against the rule change One pro LP delegate finshed his contribution by claiming that this Government...

a Socialist Worker pamphlet by Martin Smith This pamphlet is a propaganda exercise. There is nothing wrong with that in itself. However, it also claims to provide an analysis of the Labour Party, the trade union bureaucracy, the Broad Lefts and members of the "awkward squad." It does not do any of that very well, relying on crass comments such as "bright flashes of a new mood" and "the gaps between the explosions are becoming shorter". On, for example, why the trade unions did not challenge Blair on the war at Labour Party conference, no real answer is given. There is no attempt to relate...