Fares policy illegal has thrown the Labour group on Greater London Council into confusion. It has voted for defying the Law Lords as a group, but in council the right voted against this policy. The left itself was split when council voted on the specific details of the cuts and fare increases. The £200,000 campaign against the House of Lords ruling. Fares Fights groups have sprung up all over London launched 'Can't Pay, effect from 21 March, the date the new fares come into operation. spoke to GLC what exactly is going on in County Hall.
Can you explain what the Labour group's position on tares at the present time?
On 12 January the council agreed to comply with the Lord's decision.
LaW GLC members felt that it was impossible to comply with the decision. We were only defeated in the counWe have had a further meeung al when we wels asked approve the specitic tares proposals, and the cuts in service Many of us in the Labour group still feel it is important not to be linked to the decision to put fares up and so continued to vote against every proposal.
Consequently the council failed to make a decision.
What would it mean if you voted against the fares increase the There an argument the left put forward, that fares policy is the most popular policy of manifesto, if you don't this one you might down fighting on as well give up. What do you think?
It seems that if we have a budget without any money would be illegal. Conse quent v the right would not vote for the rest of the budget. We would end up passing a budget. In which case the Tories budget. So we would end would forward up losing control I am not 100 per cent committed to stayıng GLC has launched a and now a campaign is being Won't Pay' to take Tessa van Gelderen member, VALERIE WISE, on Valerie Wise leaflets, posters on the and although very wishy, washy. You we run London Transport but we're not allowed te put political posters on condon Transport. But we are going to be doing lots ot posters for people put in their wondows which will be quite good. And press adverts.
So what is the 'Can't Pay, Won't Pay Campaign?
The GLC campaign ends on 21 March, whether it is successful or not. The idea 'Can't Pay, Won't Pay', is just in case we're successful March, some of us feel we must not give up the fight on that date. But you've got to plan for that now The campaign would involve people paying thi old or the minimum fare and then when they hac completed journey they would give the ticket collector or bus conductor a slip of paper with their name and address, also stated why they refused to pay the increase. is a hast-yich of campaign IsLand dile will only work if the trade unions co-operate and if a lot of people participate.
inviting individuals, the fares fight organisations, rank and file London Transport trade unionists, Left MPs and meeting on 19 February to work out une ccials It would be great if all the trade unions behaved like all the Chalk Farm bus garage. he workers there voted that after 21 March they are only going to collect 10p fares. That's betthan our campaign because that more Petitioning against the Law Lords' decision organised.
If nobody does anything, or if the unions just have a one-day strike, fine for that day but unfortunately it isn't going to win the battle I wouldn't just take the trade unions en bloc. The officials are opposed to this campaign, know that. If the rank and file were opposed then I think we'd have good cause to be worried. The trade unionists ve talked to so far, via my Labour Party have thought it's a goo idea and do realise that it isn't just their fight; it does rea But it rate and file But rank and trade unionists don't sup port the campaign it would be very awkward. Lots of people are pooh-poohing it because it's an illegal act. But lots of things are illegal acts. We often advocate rent strike. A rent strike is an accepted tactic It's part of the struggle to break bad laws But the difference with a rent strike is that it is not isolatea malviduals It is organised through workers' organisaThe 'Can't Pay Won't Pay' campaign does leave up to isolated individuals How are you planning to take up the campaign in the wider trade union movement and also in the Labour Party itself? For example, are you going to go to fac tories and mitments trade unionists there and so We're going to write to every constituency party.
We have to organise from this meeting on February do need people who will take back to the trades councils and so on. It will help if we can get prominent MPs on our side.
we re not interested in isolated individuals getting think arrested that would kill off the You'd get a lot Canadas of publicity for those few individuals involved but then.... it is inDUL YOS dividuals. The ideal is hav ing the unions involved because it stops being individual actions This campaign is only if they don't do it.
How can you expect to mobilise the labour movement when the Labour GLC did not vote to defy the law itself?
do think that's a pio blem. We are in close cor tact with the officials of the unions. The GLC has a campaign committee to which the union defence committee sends a representative. But I don' think we're necessarily in tune with the rank and file Next week Socialist down.
feeling at the moment bably do something before will 21 March The job losses are up t ine unions they need to be part of this campaign a very big Maybe I'm being unway fair, but just talking rank and file members they're talking about a lot jobs and they don't seem lo be.. you'd have thought already they'd Have WOLKCU out wha they're doing but they haven't People have accused us of not being very quick off the ground but the unions. all those jobs.. they're the people to de fend those jobs. We can give them support, we can act in solidarity.
We can organise as in dividuals, collections for ine workers and so on du they've got to defend their jobs.
Challenge supporters who work on London's buses and tubes will say what they think of the fares campaigns and what strategy is needed to save jobs and keep fares FARE FIGHT