The Cine Technician (1953-1956)

148 CINE TECHNICIAN October 1955 T.U.C. (Continued) mally. This we agreed to do, to assist Congress, and the resolution was carried unanimously. On our reference back, we can modestly claim to have secured the only defeat the General Council suffered during the whole of Congress. As reported in the September Cine Technician George Elvin moved the reference back on the grounds that the General Council had deliberately refused to act on a resolution carried by Congress the previous year. Sid Heath, of N.A.T.K.E., which Union seconded the very resolution last year, ably seconded. Ralph Bond supported by quoting extracts from the General Council's documents, and appealing for support on a matter of basic principle. On being put to the vote, our motion was overwhelmingly carried on a show of hands, and the President so declared. This means that the General Council must now pursue our 1954 resolution. Musicians' Motion A number of resolutions relating to the entertainment trade unions were discussed by Congress. A motion from the Musicians' Union urging the Government to increase the funds available to the Arts Council was carried, but an amendment from the. V.A.F. asking that funds be devoted to reviving the Music Hall was defeated on the grounds that Arts Council funds could and should not be used to bolster up private enterprise. A resolution from Equity asking that Municipal Councils give greater consideration to the employment of professional artists was also carried. Probably owing to the relaxation of international tension created by the Geneva Conference, Congress this year devoted most of its time to economic affairs. The key debate on the international situation arose from a resolution from the National Union of Mineworkers in these terms : " This Congress calls upon the General Council to make every endeavour to initiate discussions with the appropriate organisations with a view to securing the utmost international solidarity of the workers of all countries." This was moved by Arthur Horner, the N.U.M. Secretary, in what was generally conceded to be one of the most brilliant speeches heard at this or any previous Con gress. The debate was a full one and aroused the keenest interest. The General Council opposed, and on a card vote the resolution was defeated by 4,457,000 votes to 3,431,000 votes. The minority was substantially greater than for a similar resolution last year. A resolution calling for the abolition of all stocks of atomic and hydrogen weapons and for the prohibition of the manufacture and use of such weapons under international control was carried, as also was a resolution from the Musicians' Union demanding the admittance of China into the United Nations and the Security Council. One of the most important debates of Congress took place on the Rules and Standing Orders of Congress. The General Council proposed to amend Rule lie. This rule says that in the event of a Union being involved in a dispute, and negotiations breaking down, and other workers being involved, the General Council may use its influence to effect a settlement. The proposal before Congress was to amend this rule so that the General Council could intervene " if there is a likelihood of negotiations breaking down." The General Council spokesman claimed that this amendment was quite harmless and innocuous and no one should object. But many Unions did object very strongly, claiming that it would interfere with the autonomy of Union Executives, and that employers could always engineer a breakdown, and then demand the intervention of the General Council. Block Votes Decide Further, it was argued, the General Council alone would decide whether there was a " likelihood " of negotiations breaking down, and it might intervene to the detriment of the Union involved in the dispute. Despite all these arguments, the block votes of some of the larger Unions assisted the General Council to carry its amendment by 4,800,000 to 3,039,000 votes. The other big debate on domestic affairs concerned Wages Policy. The E.T.U. had a motion declaring firm opposition to any form of wage restraint. The mover referred to the rising cost of living, the increased output of workers, the unprecedented rise in profits and dividends, and the necessity for the Unions to defend and improve their members' standards of living. After strong opposition from the big battalions, most of whom are demanding wage increases for their own members, the resolution was defeated in favour of an amendment from the distributive workers opposing " any attempt to impose arbitrary restrictions on the freedom of collective bargaining and upholding the rights of affiliating Unions to exercise their functions of protecting and improving the standards of wages and working conditions in accordance with their own needs." No Interference By carrying the amendment, Congress in effect protected the rights of Unions to fight for better wages and conditions, but was not willing to bury once and for all the policy of "wage restraint" which hampered Union activities so much in the past. In connection with this matter, Congress passed a resolution placing on record its determination to resist any interference with the right of a Trade Union Executive to authorise a stoppage of work in pursuance of a wages and conditions of employment claim, or other object approved by the rules of the Union. Excessive Overtime Another resolution declared its alarm at the growing extension of the working week and called for a drastic reduction of systematic and excessive overtime, and a vigorous campaign to achieve the 40-hour week. The resolution was brilliantly moved by a young delegate from the Blacksmiths' Society, who incidentally pointed out that the 40-hOur week was one of the declared objects of the T.U.C. Nevertheless his resolution was strongly opposed by the General Council who seemed very worried that it might be carried; as well they might, for on being put to the vote the resolution was only defeated by about 600,000 votes. There was much argument among the miners' delegation as to how their vote should be cast; had they abstained even, the motion might well have been carried. There is no doubt that the majority of delegates were in full support of the resolution, but the big block card vote produced, not for the first time in this Congress, strange results! In the elections to the General Council George Elvin received 1,755,000 votes against 5.307,000 for T. O'Brien, the sitting member, who was thus re-elected.