East London C.s.e,. Meeting

The scan: The Week v5 no21.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive, opens at this page)

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from John Strauther The East London C.S.E. held a discussion on incomes policy, legislation and shop stewards onMay 18 at Hackney Trades Hall, The leading speakers were Professor KW, Wedderburn from LSE, author of The Worker and the Laws and Geoff, Carlsson, secretery of the London Industrial Shop Stewards Defence Committee, which has recently published a book entitled Income Policy, Legislation and Shop Stewards, The chair was taken by Dave Gold, a wellknown local trade unionist and Labour Party member. Geoff Carlsson emphasised the growth of the shop stewards! movement, its importance in gaining wages and conditions, fighting the incomes policy and organising workers in the place of work, He also spoke of the need to extend and politicise the movement and return the trade union movement to democratic workers! control. Professor Wedderburn explained the evolution of British Labour law through the growth of the labour movement, leading to the doctrine of “abstention of the law" ant "privilege" of trade unions, up to the recent challenge of the Rookes and Barnard, Stratford and Lindley and other cases. He defined three crucial areas of legal danger for the labour movement: 1. Attempted direct regulation of wages, esg., by the Prices and Incomes Board 2e The "attack on the state” argument, as used by Wilson against the seamen. implying possible criminality; 3. The Royal Commission, It was important that trade unionists should not ignore or boycott the Commission, which was likely to recommend enforcement of procedures and sanctions, including even wage reductions. As a Professor of Law, Wedderburn said that the healthy distrust of law and lawyers learned by the British working class should be cherished and preserved, but a positive floor of rights, for instance to strike, was also necessary. Geoff, Carlsson added that the Defence Committee had already had the effect of reducing the fragmentation of the left in the shop stewards! movement, Future meetings were proposed on workers! control and housing,