THE PROSPECT of being 'the most powerful man in country" has attracted 15 candidates for the post of General Secretary of the Transport & General Workers Union. Between now and the elections, which take place in the branches between 21 February and 19 March, the national press and media will step up their campaign to ensure that the 'moderate' candidate wins.
After all, there is a lot at stake. Jack Jones's successor will electea al a crucia ume for tne joint TUC-Labour auempt to ininct ruriner attacks on the working class through stage unice of une incomes policy. ine T&GWU National Conference in July will be one of the tirst testing grounds for the new pay deal. Any serous opposton or rejection or wage control could seriously jeopardise the future of the Social be MOSS EVANS Contract.
The clear-cut "favourite' is Moss Evans, the union's present national organiser, His loyalty to the Social Contract is unwavering. He has the backing of Jones himself, as well as of a large section of his union's bureaucracy.
But the undemocratic procedures and structures of the T&GWU first should above all guarantee that he secures the position. has a rule book which allows the most flagrant breaches of democ ratic procedures by its officials. No rule exists for disciplinary action against a branch or district officer who violates election rules or rigs DECISIVE Decision-makine is almost totally concentrated in the hands of the General Secretary; the 39-person lay" executive only meets once every three months. Moreover. the General Secretary's influence in the selection of all the top full-time Club officials is decisive. Only the General Secretary is 'elected', and then remains in the post until retireHECHE Nor are National Conference decisions binding on the General Secretary. When the 1975 Biennial Conference voted to accept the Social Contract subject to eight conditions, such as price controls and no cuts in the welfare state, these were easily ignored by Jones.
Evans's record in the car industry in the Midlands reveals that, rather than opposing participation schemes, redundancies and rationalisations, he has made it his task to see that these are implemented.
have any more to their credit when it comes to aerending tne interests of their 1.8 million members.
Neither •JONE officer of the union's rubber and chemicais secon Smith, the national bus officer, nave lakel - SInLIC oppose the policies of the Social As for John Cousins, he has been vigorously attacking the antidemocratic nature of his union. complaining that the leaders are seduced by their power over the employee of the National Economic Development Office, one of the major agencies for promoting collaboration between the TUC and big business, he appears to have forgotten that it was such collaboration that produced the The so-called left' candidate, Alex Kitson, is a member Labour Party NEC and has the support of the Communist Party. The T&GWU he nas not come incomes policy, and although he says me knows or io aternave to free collective bargaining', he also insists unar ne rade union move ment "must have involved in a return to free collecThe undemocratic campaign will ensure that two candidates at least either get no coverage or else are subjected to a witch-hunt. These are Tommy Riley, the Socialist Worker candidate, and Thornett, a member of the Workers Socialist League, a Cowley shop steward, and chairman of T&GWU 5/293 branch.
Riley's programme offers little sorunon to une present necas or mis members. Thornett's platform, on ine omer mano caus tora stole scale of wages and other demands when oner a clear are nave to the policies of class collaboration. As well as a consistent record of resisting all the bosses' attempts to curb workers fighting in their interests, he moved the main opposition to Jones's line on wages at the last Biennial Conference and called for "cost of living rises".
It is on this basis that Red Weekly is supporting Thornett's candidature. Miller.
Larry acuon T&GWU As out against in mind the mammad ME Photo: JOHN STURROCK (Report)