Twice this year activists in the Civil and Public Services Association have democratic expressions of their will to struggle rubbed out by their own paid officials.
When the conference in May voted overwhelmingly for outright opposition to me curs and cabour s mncomes boncy. a snap ballot was called to steamroller the membership into support for the Social Contract. When the NEC in September called a one-day strike for 17 November, the officials used the membership rallie. intended to build this call as a platform tor denouncing i, so nat lt was mnally called off.
The will to fight is still there, however, and was expressed by the many hundreds of CPSA members preparing to come on the lobby. But these members must realise that the fight against Government policies, ine rignt against une cuts, is aiso a fight against their own treacherous officials.
The obvious relief with which the leadership has ended industrial action in the DHSS section against staff reductions shows how willing they will be to take up future struggles against SaCKInEs. fight is needed to replace the leaders* ambiguous and demagogic position of non-union members first with outright opposition to all sackings.
The only way to win the 'nons' is to show that we are prepared to fight for