Solidarity 035, 14 August 2003

It seems almost flavour of the month. Everyone is declaring for a Workers' Party. But it could have two distinct meanings, and it's important to distinguish the two and work out what is the relation between them. It could mean a party that is organisationally and organically based on the working class, created from the trade unions and other working class organisations to represent the working class in the political arena. This says nothing about the politics of such a party. Inevitably, as a mass party, its politics will be disputed. Different political currents will fight for political...

Post: Step up the fight on London pay ASLEF: Rix didn't organise Devon Stagecoach dispute Debate on RMT conference: Not fair to blame Crow Debate on RMT conference: RMT policy is not duplicitous Post: Step up the fight on London pay By a London postal worker At a meeting of London reps at the beginning of August, many expressed impatience and anger over the London Weighting (LW) campaign. There was talk of using unofficial action to advance the campaign, but the almost unanimous decision of the meeting was to seek support from the Postal Executive, which has now resulted in the joint ballot...

Mick Duncan talks to BA workers involved in the dispute at Heathrow and Gatwick airports and to the GMB to get the story behind the "swipe cards dispute". Workers at Heathrow and Gatwick scored a dramatic, if only partial, victory in the battle to stop the introduction of new work patterns for British Airways staff. An effective truce followed an unofficial walk-out by thousands of mainly women workers in defiance of the anti-union laws. It is a truce because British Airways bosses and the unions have really only got an agreement to talk: a working party to discuss possible changes to hours...

The Communication Workers Union is now balloting its postal members on industrial action over the Royal Mail pay offer. The pay offer, says the union, threatens thousands of jobs. A postal worker gives an overview of the issues. The tough stance taken by the CWU Postal Executive is welcome. But rank and file postal workers have been left confused as to what the union's strategy is on the "Major Change" issues attached to the bosses' pay offer, which threaten up to 30,000 jobs. Part of the problem is that the newly elected Deputy General Secretary Dave Ward was responsible for negotiating the...