position 110 W in THE NATIONAL UNION OF TEACHERS annual conference at Scarborough voted by 117,483 to 107,315 to 'campaign for tion by the British government of the use and development of all nuclear weapons.
This momentous victory. Iț is a testimony to • the Socialis Teachers Alliance who, along with others on the left, has been campaigning unilateralist position for the past two years The conference voted by the slenderest of majorities attillate the CND itself. But the adopted unic quivocal. It says the union the siting cruise missiles or other nuclear weapons in Britain (and) the development of Trident missiles unilateral renunciasystem'.
After an unprecedented four days of debate. the motion was eventually carried against the wishes of the executive, surviving no less than three separate card votes.
Having his initial attempts to outlaw debate on the resolution defeated, union President Alf Budd still insisted, after the vote, illal the adopted resolution was outside the existing objects of the union'.
The decision on unilateralism was not the only victory. During the personal capacity) conference there were a record number card votes based on the 240,000 members of the union in which the left never gọt less than 100,000 votes in any division.
expressing MOTOI opposition to the despatch o me rava Lask 10lCC lu the Falkland Islands reough inadequate, vote. received substantial, On the very first day of conference, a proposal in.
by Socialisi Teachers Alliance to open the debate on the current wage claim won a resoun ding majority but not the two thirds necessary to get it on the agenda Two important resolu tions, among a string of were carried against the wishes of the executive. One stated that teachers on the establishment of schools should no longer be required to cover for absent colleagues' The other declared its 'opposition corporal punishment in all schools'.
An attempt by the right wing leaucrship lo alas through totally undemocratic set of bro posals on conference procedure was reterred back by a massive majority.
In other areas, the left achieved victories forcing the executive itself to back more progressive policies.
Clearly conference represents a real watershed in the history of the union. Many of the victories were alrecuy attributable work of the Socialist Teachers Alliance.
The STA distributed over a thousand leaflets at each of the two dally ses sions to the 1800 delegates 75 delegates joined VC1 the organisation which meant that at the end at least six per cent were members.
The job of the left is to put the decisions of the conference into practice At its final meeting attended by 120 delegates, , the STA called for a massive the € Nut presence June anti-Reagan demonstration.
On Is May the SIA WIll DE holding a conference at Coun KHal on 'Ăffiliation of the the and "The politics of 'Alternative Economic Strategy For more infor mation contact: STA. c/o 143a Main Park Rd, E7 Socialist Challenge 22 April 1962 page 15
Socialist Challenge