04.06.2003

CWU elections: Blairite booted

New Labour suffered another blow last week, when Blair loyalist John Keggie, a member of the party's national executive committee, was ousted as Communication Workers Union deputy general secretary (postal) by militant activist Dave Ward. Peter Manson reports

New Labour suffered another blow last week, when Blair loyalist John Keggie, a member of the party’s national executive committee, was ousted as Communication Workers Union deputy general secretary (postal) by militant activist Dave Ward.

Although originally elected as a leftwinger, Keggie soon became known as one of Blair’s most reliable lieutenants in the unions. However, faced with accusations from his opponent that he was pursuing “a political career on the back of the union” and therefore needed to be replaced by someone who would work “for the CWU, not the Labour Party”, Keggie rediscovered his left face. He claimed to have “spent the last 12 months confronting the current government in order to maintain and sustain the post office and our members’ jobs within it”.

Where Dave Ward, the union’s chief negotiator with Royal Mail, pledged to “stop the headquarters gravy train” and “end the high-flying lifestyle that has seen some leaders become increasingly remote from the members”, Keggie reacted in increasingly vitriolic fashion, accusing Ward of being the leader of a ‘Southern Alliance’ that was only interested in London members.

This was a reference to the strike ballot - declared unofficial by the national leadership - in pursuit of a £4,000 increase in London weighting. Yet there was a 68% turnout amongst London’s 30,000 postal workers, who returned a 99.5% majority in favour of action in the result announced this week.

During the election campaign, Keggie responded to criticisms of his close relationship with Blair by equating his opponents with “those who continually attack their own organisation” and demagogically proclaiming: “They shall not be allowed to destroy a great and proud trade union.”

However, in the current union climate, where being associated with the Labour leadership is a considerable handicap, it was all to no avail. Dave Ward polled 19,404 votes against Keggie’s 16,814 in a 22% turnout and will now work alongside left general secretary Billy Hayes. He described his victory as “a mandate for us to represent the views of members when we deal with the Labour Party - rather than represent the Labour Party when we deal with our members”.

This week’s CWU conference in Bournemouth now looks set to give the go-ahead not only for an official ballot of members in the capital over London weighting, but to consider national action in the dispute over the ending of second deliveries. The union has rejected a proposed £20-a-week increase plus £1,000 lump sum for 80,000 staff in return for longer shifts and lengthier rounds. Dave Ward has promised that there will be “no more playing with industrial action. If we ballot, we will mean it.”

However, it is no easy matter to translate the anti-Blairite atmosphere within the unions into solid militancy. And, as Fire Brigades Union members have found out over the last year, the ability to talk a good strike is no substitute for the application of sophisticated tactics based on a political strategy for the class.