THE Scottish TUC met last week for its 83rd Congress. week in which the jobless total in Scotland reached 201,067 - the highest level since the World War.
It was a week in which the management of Robb-Calledon, shipbuilders, announced further cutbacks already workforce, and when teachers escalated their strike action.
If Scottish workers had expected these important events to be reflected in the deliberations of the Congress, they were to be disappointed.
the Labour the STUC was usually the sounding board opposed to Labour leadership's policies. debates indicated the anger of the Scottish working class and its sense of betrayal.
Under the Tories, it seems, the Congress will revert to its more traditional role — a forum in which the Scottish trade union leadership pose as the defenders of the Scottish working class, making bellicose speeches Without committing themselves to any action.
At this Alternative overwhelmingly endorsed, It was a Second Prior's the Dundee diture, but depleted Scottish the Tory removed.
government, the take action on that day. The implications showing widespread pontics reverse men the Tories.
year's conference the Economic Strategy wasti STUC with the when call for import controls receiving a more sympathetic hearing than usual.
Unemployment was deplored and calls for a 35-hour week were made.
Bill was castigated and the Congress was horrified by the cuts in public expenat no time during deliberations was there any outline of action. how these policies might be achieved, or of how the enormous obstacle of government could be Perhaps there was a hint of this in the discussion on 14 Mav. The STUd is requesting its affiliated unions to But there are differences over the of 14 May among the Scottish trade union leaders. In most unions, the TUC's Day of Action is seen as a way of letting off steam, Tories that there opposition to their il e nope lal lncy will It also allows the members to believe that the leaders are taking on Jimmy Morrel, a member of the General Council, emphasised interviewed after the debate that 14 May would definitely 'not be a political strike'.
For deletates, however, 14 May is seen as the start of the trade union campaign to bring down the Tories through independent the STUC, including the leadership of the Scottish NUM, advanced this position.
This reflects a growing among the Scottish working class that only massive united action against the Tories will succeed, which was confirmed by the overwhelming support strike action given by meetings at the Scott-Lithgow shipyard and the Talbot car plant at Linwood last week.
To judge by the STUC leadership's performance at the Congress, and its recent disgraceful role shackling steelworkers' pickets, it is reasonable to suppose that working class representatives will not be at the head of the movement to kick out the Tories It is in the present struggles of the Scottish working class that such a leadership will have to be forged.