The rise of New Labour and the election of Blair as Labour leader led to the revising of clause 4,the abandonment of Labour’s policies to renationalise the railways and abolish the anti-union laws.
This provoked understandable anger and dismay among many trade unionists, particularly in the RMT, which is mainly a railway union. With economic revival, a new mood developed and a number of more militant union leaders were elected. Bob Crow was elected union General Secretary. Under his leadership the union grew and punched above its size within the trade union movement. He had enormous authority amount activists within the union and elsewhere.
However, as the anger at the betrayal of Labour’s leadership grew, it led understandably to the idea that there might be an alternative. The RMT union made the mistake in giving support to the Scottish Socialist Party in Scotland and as a consequence, it was expelled from the Labour Party.
For over a decade, the union has given support to groups opposing the Labour Party from the left, but with nothing to show for it. The Trade Union and Socialist Coalition, supported by the RMT, stood many candidates in national and local elections and has got a derisory vote.
A couple of years ago, I proposed a motion at union conference, urging the union to reaffiliate. This was carried at my branch, but received a frosty response from many of the other branches. As a result of the Corbyn surge, the situation within Labour has changed and the union AGM has now agreed to put the issue of reaffiliation out to the branches for consultation.
It is my opinion that the national executive should give a lead by recommending to conference to reaffiliate unconditionally and encourage our members to be active in the structures of the Labour Party.
I think that the argument by those that oppose reaffiliation, ie “we support only those that support us”, is a flawed argument. To take one example, the RMT policy is pro-Brexit, yet the union has supported Green Party candidates who are a pro-EU party.
The attempt to build mass parties to the left of Labour have ended in failure. There is a simple reason for this: Labour is the party of the trade unions and the working class. The Corbyn surge was no accident; it reflected a changed consciousness in society, for fairness and justice, which can only be achieved by socialism.
Mark Langabeer
South Devon RMT Branch committee (personnel capacity)
September 12 2017
