The Socialist 12 May 2009

Fight all job cuts

MPs live it up at our expense !

Sweep away the thieves and their system

Renationalise the railways

Sri Lanka's killing zone

Corus jobs slaughter - fight the closure

News in brief

Linamar sack Swansea trade union leader

A victory at Linamar would be a victory for all workers

Visteon workers discuss socialism

No2EU - Yes to Democracy campaign news

No to the EU gravy train

Youth Fight for Jobs Launch conference

Gaza: the nightmare continues

Imperialism sucked deeper into Afghan quagmire

Defending jobs and conditions at the Olympics site

Defending jobs and conditions at Fiddlers Ferry

Wales TUC: For trade union democracy and for trade union rights!

Socialist methods tested

Workplace news in brief

PCS conference: A fighting union that defends its members

NSSN - fight the bosses' offensive

NSSN Conference: Saturday 27 June

Defeating the poll tax

Save our schools Weston Favell, Northampton

Lewisham Bridge primary school

Threat of academies

Previous issues, etc

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Wales TUC: For trade union democracy and for trade union rights!

This year's Wales TUC, meeting in Llandudno from 19-21 May, looks likely to be the last annual gathering of the conference.

Alec Thraves, Swansea trades council delegate

Frustrated and angered at the barrage of criticism aimed at New Labour's big business agenda each year, Brown's trade union lackeys in Wales are proposing to make the Wales TUC a biennial conference with a toothless 'Campaigning and Strategy Seminar' meeting in the year between conferences.

This blatant manoeuvre to remove a democratic, motion based, annual conference will be vociferously opposed by the trades councils and a number of the smaller unions but the block vote of just a handful of the big unions will probably ensure it gets through.

Looking at the agenda of this year's conference adequately explains why the trade union bureaucracy in Wales wants to stop debate and discussion.

Motions opposing the government jump out in every debate. Opposition to Royal Mail privatisation, taking over full control of the banks under state control, socialist nationalisation of companies that fold, re-nationalise public utilities - the list goes on and on!

The rail union RMT's motion to repeal the anti trade union laws takes on a more significant importance this year, with the sacking of Linamar convener Rob Williams, who as a delegate from Swansea trades council will be moving an emergency motion to reverse this brutal sacking.

Coming just before the European elections, conference will also be a platform for delegates to expose the undemocratic, neoliberal European Union.

The RMT-led electoral alliance, No2EU - Yes to Democracy will undoubtedly get a sympathetic hearing from rank and file delegates at the conference and at the lunchtime fringe meeting (details right).

If this is to become the final annual conference of the Wales TUC then Socialist Party members who are delegates, along with other trade union militants, will make sure it goes out with a bang!

Nevertheless, the real work of the trade union movement will continue in the day to day struggles in the workplaces across Wales led by a new generation of socialist fighters.

In this issue

Fight all job cuts