COMMENTING on the outcome of the deputy leadership election you blame the NUPE executive for not making a recommendation to membership TOP the result. You make grave error in doing so.
1) The executive circulated four Dare brochure for ballot. Three pages were devoted statements the candidates. The front page was an executive statement clearly the union's policies.
2) You assume that all the executive had to do was to lay down the line and Ine membership would follow suit. That is exactly Ine approach of 'left' bureaucrats.
3) You ignore the real issue in NUPE which applies to many 'left' union bureaucracies. Their radical policies have 1IU base in the unions membership. Bernard Dix, a strong Bennite, never campaigned for • Benr within the union, , not really surprising when you realise that Dix has never been elected Deputy Gen Sec of NUPE or campaigned for union officers to be elected.
How do , you expect NUPE members to vote foat, for henry Dix that for Fisher workers' democracy only goes so far?
4) We should be arguing for calcis on union democracy unions not just the right wing unions.
5) There is no Broad Left In NUPE.
Well, why have one if you have a 'left' leadership 'Without democratic elections, real political issues occulic oured to quote Tony Benn. That lesson has to be learnt by the rank and file of NUPE not just in relation to the abour Party, but also to solve other problems, eg. how to fight the Tory 4 per cent limit.
Without democracy now can you have Labour Party democracy? NUPE voting Healey was crazy, against the interests NUPE members. But entirely logical.
Madewell (NUPE member), East London