14.09.1995

Red unionism?

I WAS expecting to see condemnation of the misleaders of my union, Unison, in the Weekly Worker. However I did not expect to read a careless formulation of words on the front page (issue 110) which appeared to dismiss the entire union of over a million workers and indeed the entire trade union movement.

The headline and introduction to the main article rightly discussed the bosses’ attacks on workers. But these excellent remarks were followed by some ill-judged sarcastic comments which emphatically stated that whatever the attacks, “Never fear: workers’ unions are here! Forget it!”

The conclusion of the article declared: “We are being left defenceless. The task of building working class organisation must become urgent for us all.” Any new readers might jump to the conclusion that the CPGB is advocating red unions, alternative organisations to trade unions or counterposing the Party to union membership.

I am sure this is not the position of the CPGB. As far as I understand it, we are in favour of organising a minority of militants in the unions, on a united front basis, to transform the unions. Or, to put it another way, the CPGB advocates the forging of an alternative leadership in the trade unions to the sell-out merchants the Weekly Worker so rightly condemns.

Having said that, it is understandable comrades are frustrated and dismayed by the low level of trade union struggle, given the scale of the bosses’ attacks. Many Unison members feel the same way. But communists should balance their understanding of the present weaknesses of the trade unions with a clear perspective of the possibilities and potentialities of trade union struggle.

Dave Hulme