No branch of the Railwaymen Guards and Shunters Grades conference has declared his candidature for general secretary of the NUR. His decision provides a major opportunity for the left in the union to get rid of Weighellism and not just Sidney Weighell in the conduct of union affairs. w nen Sidney Weighell fell grace grace as general secretary of the National Union o The declared that the Executive Committee had battleground.
Too right. "housands. of railway workers prepared rol SunKe action this vear against job slashing productivity deals, one driver operation and closure of workshops all part of the Rail Board's corporate plan for 38,000 job losses.
Support Their determination to resist these Tory attacks heaped Dressure the National Executive to lead rned by Weighell and This was spurned by wing cronies in Unity House, but the had their TaLKS Have the campaign for the new General they will now secretary their opposition to assaults on the union and for left policies to protest jobs to tackle issues like unilateral and accountable leadership that will chamNational Union of and of the influential national pion and not sabotage a The candidacy Geoff Hensby provides voice. In his 22 hear as been astershid been associalcu a fight against the Board and the treachery of the right wing leaders. Recently he has outlined fighting policies against productivity, one-driver operation, for the rights of women and black workers in the industry and for the unien to throw its weight into a campaigning Triple Alliance allu a llational campaign Privalsallun This year he was rewarded for this stand by the left and the right in cull He receIved. 20,000 votes for delegation Labour Party LUll ference and was witch-hunted and fined for criticating literature critical Weighell's headersus.
Hensby will address NUR branches in the next 3 months to seek the reGulcu and, if successful, will follow this months campaining before the election itself. The debate his campaign throws up in every NUR branch in the country can only strengthen the confidence of the left to move forward against the Tories and the union's right wing.
This is particularly important as the only other candidate with a left label, come clear on his policies Jimmy has against job loss, driver operation, and dustrial action against Tory attacks on the union. Railworkers demonstrating on Triple Alliance demonstration in Glasgow Hensby's campaign will put pis care on the ab te Knapp's supporters will try to argue that Hensby's will canvadi split the left vote. This argument holds no water because the union rules outline procedure of transferable votes, members state an order of preference. Left votes can be transferred through a second preference vote.
NUR members will feel more confident in casting such a vote for Knapp if he is forced to stand out for a clear left alternative instead of his present tempt to walk the line of least resistance and court the middle ground.
Hensby's Calvarel provides an ideal oppor tunity for the union's left to stir up the troops in the NUR battleground that petrifies rightwingers like Sidney Weighell and causes their downfall. A MARCH agamst South East and North first People's cies. 'People's March' unemployment from Scotland to London has been proposed by the West regions of the TUC. The original idea was to link the march with the elections. It has been suggested that seige of London be laid at the and of the march its peoples core anti March received major backing in the trade unions. But its potential was dissipated by the TUC leadership's emphasis on involving the Con. federation of British Industries and the chur. ches. As such it failed to play any role in offer. ing a national fightback against redundan TONAL UNION OF SEA