THE ISSUES being debated by the RMT are likely to surface
at the Convention of the Trade Union Left, which takes place the day after the
RMT special conference.
Originally the Convention was called in the name of the
Socialist Alliance (SA) but organisers later claimed the: "convention has
nothing to do with the Socialist Alliance."
The stated aim of the ‘Convention’ is to discuss issues
like "who should we vote for at the next elections? What can we do about
the state of political representation for trade unionists [and]… the question
of the political fund".
The Socialist Party believes there is a pressing need for
the trade union Left to come together and debate these issues, particularly
given what’s happening with the FBU and RMT. But we feel that the primary
responsibility for organising this rests with the new Left union leaders –
collectively known as the awkward squad.
Regrettably, many of these leaders still claim it is
possible to ‘reclaim the Labour Party’. But this assertion flies in the face of
the evidence of recent weeks with Blair’s pushing through top-up tuition fees
and the Hutton whitewash.
The Left union leaders, even the best ones, are unable or
reluctant to square up to the reality of New Labour being an openly
pro-capitalist party. They are not drawing the necessary conclusion that a new
mass workers’ party is needed. This has left an enormous vacuum on the left of
British politics and trade unionism.
The SA is incapable of filling this vacuum, as some of
their leaders recently admitted at the Respect Unity Coalition (RUC) founding
rally. SA leaders signalled in their statements signing up to the RUC that they
believe the SA has not developed because socialist ideas are not yet popular
enough with working-class people and the electorate generally.
But, as the Socialist Party has modestly demonstrated,
where a base for socialist ideas is properly built then socialists can beat
Labour. Five Socialist Party councillors in Coventry and Lewisham demonstrate
this.
New workers’ party
THE NEED for a new workers’ party to give a political voice
to trade unionists and to give a real choice for workers at elections has never
been greater. And, a meeting of rank-and-file trade unionists can play a useful
role, even without the presence or support of the union leaders, if it is
representative and if it draws clear conclusions.
Unfortunately, given the previous experience of the
Socialist Workers Party-dominated Socialist Alliance, the meeting’s aim of just
‘debating’ the issues will not take the struggle for workers’ political
representation forward.
The issue of a mass workers’ alternative will become ever
more pressing. It will no doubt dominate large sections of this year’s union
conferences. At these most union leaders, with a few notable exceptions, will
be fighting tooth and nail to retain their union’s link with Labour.
New Labour’s marketisation of health and education, their
commitment to letting the market rip in all areas of the economy has produced a
boiling, angry mood amongst workers throughout Britain.
The mood of the rank and file of the trade unions is far to
the left of most of the union’s local and national leadership on breaking from
Labour.
Most workers cannot see why their unions continually fund a
bosses’ party and will increasingly be demanding something more decisive than
just debates about the issue.
The SA Convention, however, will be used by some union
leaders as an opportunity to sound off on the issues rather than their being
pressed to organise a genuinely representative conference.
Union leaders like Bob Crow of the RMT and Mark Serwotka of
the PCS need to put their full weight and authority behind a genuine conference
which will inspire the millions of workers looking for a left alternative to
Labour that at last something concrete is being done.
