continues
OR the second time within a few
months the Chief Registrar of Friendly Societies has ruled that the Arsenal Co-operative Society, Britain’s third largest society, has acted outside its proper powers in a @lispute with the membership. The Wrst dispute was over the appointment of arbitrators to settle disputes between the committee and members. The latest upset occurred when the committee refused to place a resolution for a boycott of South African goods on the agenda for a members’ meeting. This was im spite of the fact that the membership had as recently as 1963 overwhelmingly rejected a recommendation by a Rightwing rules revision committee which would have excluded “political” resolutions. This new setback for the general committee is encouraging for the more democratically inclined elements in the RACS. The next important event in the society is the election of seven full-time members of the general committee in March. Only a tremendous effort will secure the election of a democratically-minded committee. Co-operators in the Royal Arsenal area who are out of touch with developments in the society are urged to contact “Co-operative Advance,” a progressive pressure group within the RACS, which produces a_bulletin regularly and can provide fruther information and a policy statement. Secretary: W. Fancy, 45 Greenvale Road, London S.E.9 (ELT 3499).
Mr. Brown also alleged that the so-called incomes policy would not mean the end of free collective bargaining. But this is just what it does do. There are a group of highly productive industries, like chemicals, steel and coal, where production per worker is above the average, increasing by more than the “guiding light” of 34+ per cent. per annum. Wili the unions in those industries be free to bargain for a wage increase of more than 34 per cent? Of course not.
J. Henderson * A letter in the February issue of ASPD Journal.