Workers' Liberty

Extracts from an AWL leaflet distributed at a regional meeting of the National Shop Stewards Network, held in Glasgow on 1 December.

A member of RMT’s LU Engineering branch explains why it has relaunched the CFDU (Campaign for a Fighting Democratic Union)

In Leeds, a local public sector unity committee was set up in June. It drew over 100 to a launch rally on 12 July, with speakers from Unison Local Government and Health, NUT, CWU, PCS and UCU.

At TUC conference motions were passed calling for coordinated action, and use was even found for the old slogan that “unity is strength”.

Activists from half a dozen RMT branches met recently to discuss problems within the union and how to get it to fight more effectively for members.

While recognising that RMT is better than many other unions, the discussion identified several problems - an unwillingness to stand up to the anti-union laws, a particular example being the cancellation of the London Underground rule books dispute; the bureaucracy being out-of-touch with members and workplaces; and a tendency to dip into strike action then quickly back out.

Tubeworker has received this invitation, and will be popping along. See you there?

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Campaign for a fighting and democratic union [CFDU]

The conference on 7 July of the Shop Stewards' Network attracted 270 activists - 190 delegates (people who ‘represented workers’ ie. reps, stewards etc...) with voting rights and 80 observers (union members and others). Of those attending, large portions were from the organised left, with members of the Socialist Party (SP) in preponderance.

Supporters of the rank and file railworkers’ bulletin Off The Rails (OTR) met in Birmingham on May 5th. Under the title “Making our unions fit to fight”, the meeting brought together activists from various disputes to share experiences and discuss how what we learned from each other could be used to make the unions more effective and membership led.

Members of the civil service union PCS will shortly receive ballot papers for the union’s national executive (NEC) and “group” (sector) executive elections. For the first time, members will have the chance to vote for a clear, class-struggle alternative to the Left Unity leadership in the form of PCS Independent Left.

This is a longer version of a leaflet given out at the UCU left conference in London on June 24th 2006.

By an Amicus member
The first issue of the Amicus Unity Gazette to appear since its takeover by the supporters of Amicus General Secretary Derek Simpson was published in April.
Amicus Unity Gazette (AUG) is simultaneously the name of the “Broad Left” in Amicus and also its (electronic and hard-copy) publication. At the AGM of the AUG, held in February of this year, Simpson’s supporters narrowly won the contested leading positions in the AUG.

The Department of Work and Pensions London Regional Committee of the PCS union has issued the following statement and is appealing for support from other trade unions.

The Department of Work and Pensions London Regional Committee of the PCS union has issued the following statement.

The Socialist Caucus, a left-wing rank and file grouping in PCS, has made the following comment:

March 23rd Strike: A Mistake Has Been Made

Local union branches and trades councils are getting together for the TUC pensions day of action on Friday 18 February, and preparing for strikes on Wednesday 23 March. What’s happening in your area?

Matt Wrack, a militant activist from the London region, has won a resounding victory to become the Fire Brigades Union's new Assistant General Secretary.

By Nick Holden

Fire Brigades Union (FBU) leaders are claiming a victory in the final stages of their two year long pay dispute. They say management are finally paying previously-agreed pay increases from the 2003 pay deal.

"Carnage for the public services"
Mark Serwotka, PCS union General Secretary



By a civil servant



On Monday 12 July Gordon Brown announced the axing of 100,000 civil service jobs. Just like that. It is a job cut programme on a par with the butchery that was done to the mining industry in the last twenty years.

By Nick Holden

After suspending conference on 11 May the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) exec went into extensive negotiations with the employers over the conditions they wanted to implement in stage two of the 2002 pay award.

The left in UNISON has missed an opportunity to follow the lead of other unions like Amicus and the TGWU when the Service Group Executive Committees are elected next month.

The Service Group Executives are the "industrial" leaderships of the union. Although they lack the profile of the NEC, they have decision-making powers on issues of pay and conditions and negotiations, thus making them just as important as the NEC. Yet the left, traditionally, hasn't contested them. After a better showing two years ago, this seems to be the case again in 2004.

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.

By a TGWU member



Candidates of the Broad Left have won an unexpectedly decisive 21:16 majority on the General Executive Council of the TGWU. The previous majority faction grouped around fake-left bureaucrat John Aitken has been routed. Despite retaining some influence in the union's regional structure, it is no longer a significant force in the national leadership.

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".

By CWU members

The Annual General Meeting on 10 January of the Communications Workers Union Broad Left (CWU BL) had several heated debates around the accountability of union National Executive Council (NEC) members who have been supported by the Broad Left to the activists of the BL and to the wider membership.

By a TGWU member

At present, the GEC is narrowly controlled by a bureaucratic clique grouped around John Aitkin. This group claims to be on the left, but its record is one of inertia and nepotism. If they retain their hold, Woodley will be isolated and unable to enact the many positive proposals he championed during his successful campaign for the General Secretary's position.

By Maria Exall, CWU National Executive, personal capacity

The Communication Workers Broad Left meets for its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 10 January.

Just before Xmas the union received a letter from BT asking us to not submit a pay claim this year. This really is an indication of how far along the "Company Union" route we have gone. BT plans to continue major job cuts, continue outsourcing to India, and press forward with the performance based pay agenda.

FBU ranks must organise
By Nick Holden

Fire Brigades Union members have voted to accept the staging of the second phase of their pay rise, with a three to one majority.


The ballot had a 56% turn-out, low by the FBU's standards, and was a major reversal since twelve months ago, when there was a nine to one majority for strike action to win a £30,000 salary for all fire fighters.