Industrial Democracy={ 4 New Move

Industrial democracy has often been involved in the recent speeches of leading members of the Government, from the Prime Minister downwards. A number of the key pledges upon-which Labour gained the election involved the issue: steel-nationalisation, dock reorganisation, even the incomes policy itself, all will be simply technocratic measures if they do not greatly enlarge the freedom of the workpeople to determine policy and to develop major encrpgachments into the sector of “management prerogatives". The whole left press, from 'Tribune' to ‘Anarchy! has concerned itself increasingly with this issue since Labour came into office. 'The Week! and "Voice of the Unions!’ were instrumental.in convening three important seminars during the past two years, in which hard policies for workers! control were hammered out, both in the area of nationalised industry and in the general context of the argyment about incomes policy. gteelworkers helped to elaborate a plan for a Tancouititn gteel Bill, busmen in Hull have worked out a project for democratic administration, dockworkers have been energetically discussing the future of the docks in the threatened reorganisation, and put forward a comprehensive "Anti-Devlin Report" based on principles of industrial democracy. But the re-election of Mr.Wilson's administrat on does not mean that these projects will easily pass into being. On the contrary. A substantial wing of the Government's advisers are confirmed elitists and technocrats. As hichael Shanks has put it-"in industrial democracy a permanent administration confronts a permanent opposition- and as everybody knows in parliamentary terms this is a most healthy situation ." Those of Mr.Wilson's advisers and colleagues who think his job is to rationalise capitalism and to make Britain's ramshackle capitalists efficient will endorse Ir.Shank's every word. But socialistswill not: we cannot be content to act as a "permanent industrial opposition", All those who talk about increasing productivity and industrial efficiency today are making completely cynical propazgmda for use against the unions, unless they reject this view and propagate a real enlargement of workers' powers, in which the citizency of indugtry become themselves Sonsrollers and policy-makers. Increased productivity on any other basis is simply intensified exploitatione. For this reason it is necessary for the advocates of workers' control to come together again, to work on detailed plans for their activity, and to co-ordinate the results of the work they have already done, The Centre for Socialist Education has convened such a meeting, in Nottingham, on Sate& Sun. June 25-6th, Seminars will be organised on various ingustries, including docks, mines and steel, and also on the general question of how to defend and extend trade union freedom. Walter Kendall, of the 'Voice', will preside over the preliminary session, and papers will be delivered and circulated by hichael Barratt Brown, Tony Topham, Ken Coates, Dick Clements, Ernie Roberts, Jack Jones and a number of other trade union leaders and gocialist writers. A detailed timetable is being prepared, and papers will be circulated in advance to those who apply to come. Many organisations and individuals are expected to attend, and applications should be made, early, to the Conference convenor, Geoff Goggan, 47, Brindley Rd., Bilborough, Nottm. Fee for the seminar will be 5/=. A limited amount of accomodation can be provided for people who register quickly enough.