Photo: CHRIS DAVIES (Report Scanion turns it on at last work's TUC meeting, watched anxiously from the platform by Len Murray and other assorted worthies. But they really needn't have worried. Militants, reviewing events in Brighton last week will feel puzzled. The deliberations of the TUC seemed not to signify anything, and there wasn't much sound and fury either.
The ruling class were frightened that the programme uf the luture Labour Government would he estabtished by the TUC The Wilson-Callaghan dues mapped out the programme for the trade unions over the next period. Election Tever was a hetter guide to Scanion's and company's actions than the NIC Whut actually happened was that tea party this seemed to have been ghen an ofbeal pod and a wink from Labour's ines.
Murray, commenting on the state of the British economy, polited to the bie protis still being announced hy sections of industry, as a justification for maintaining workers living standards (This as the exact formula used to describe the workers end of the Social Coatrick.!
Murray's speech, and flat ofa lot of other delepates, simply echoed the amazing line of the Morning Ster stacking the purveyors of gloam and doose. Basically if you (the frendly captains of British Industry) give us workers enough money, well spend our way out of any crisis This sort of nonsense was heard tune and tinse again throughout the proceed But the biggest turn around of the week was Scarlon's definition of principles. On Wednesday Scanlon argued strongly in the Morming Star against wage restraint One of the arcuments of those in favour of wage restraint is that at supposedly assists in promoting evest nenes But during the lled years of Tory policy investment was at one of its lowest levels. Then he voted Lot it ICING ON CAKE Nor did Hughie exactly receive a barrage of criticism from the Morning Star the day after. They pointed out that this was no way to achieve unity, and that Scanlon did not consult his delepation, but all they are suggesting is that we return The TUC's job', in the eyes of thousands of militants was to nap out a programme of action on the economy, on wages, on prices and on unemployment. As it was, the Congress was ased to simply put the icing on Labour's election cake The trade unions have never beer stronger Inszead of mobilising that power on behalt of the working class, the unien chiefs-aided hy Gill and Scanjon parcelled it up and handed it over to the right-wing Labour leaders.
There was no afrategy to right to impending atlacks of the ruling cha simply a touching lasth in the solutions offered be the Labour The TUC displayed about as much aggression as the guests at the vicar's tea party PAUL SMITH left the union officish in no doubt that