Groundwork needs digging

We need to explain their glaring contradictions and Tony Woodley, Len McCluskey et al have a unique opportunity to expose the sham that is capitalist democracy where the masses vote but have no power to recall or frame policy within the workplace.

It cannot be that trade union leaders do not understand these contradictions. Yet Tony Woodley in a news programme addressing Brown's anti-strike propaganda said we are not being political but simply being a trade union acting in its members' interests.

But that's the point isn't it? If the word political is to mean anything a strike involving many acting collectively to maintain or advance their interests is an absolutely correct time to announce and not shy away from defining a morally and correct position for workers to act in defence of their interests.

The more progressive trade unions need to stop being hamstrung by a system which expects workers' organisations to abide by rules and laws which are structured in such a way as to give the illusion of being in the interests of the many but have the upshot of hobbling the actions of the real creators of wealth - the 80 per cent of people who have only nominal rights over their labour.

We must not tone down our protests and struggles in the interests of not "harming" new Labour's chances of winning a general election.

Whether or not Labour win this coming election, the groundwork has to be done within and without the party and six million trade unionists, with the right campaigning movements, can be won in substantial numbers to put politics of the radical kind back on the political agenda.

WJ Brunt Manchester