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RMT AGM calls for working class political representation.
Jim Jepps
In a significant move (particularly for the
left) the RMT national AGM passed a motion for a conference for working
class political representation.
The motion states;
"That this
AGM regards the Labour Party under its current leadership as the party
of privatisation and neo-liberalism, support for the imperialist wars of
the extreme right Bush administration, attacks on civil liberties and
trade union rights and freedoms. It is more important than ever that our
union takes up the important task of developing political representation
of the working class.
With this aim in mind we instruct the Council of
Executives and the General Secretary to pursue every avenue with all
other representative organisations of workers, including;
· Building
a national conference of trade unions and organisations of working
class communities and political organisations to discuss political
representation for workers;
· Affiliate
nationally, regionally and locally to the
UK
Organising
Committee for the
European Social Forum in London in 2004, in
order to develop a high profile international debate on the issue of
‘the trade unions and political parties’."
The resolution, however,
was amended to include support for the Labour Representation committee
a group formed to head off left wing calls for a break from the Labour
Party.
Whilst, like many motions, the proof of the pudding
will be in the eating, and their value is in what is done with the
motion rather than the text itself - this is a real positive step for
everyone trying to build a united socialist party in England and
Wales.
July 2004 |
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