The union times., 1945-09-01
What Influence
 Will Unions Have!
By Gordon Schaffer

FOttttc0I aud tnduSfFt0t cor. respondent Of Reynolds Ne,os
 (LondOn Sunday Paper). Mem
 Der Of Esecutive Council, Ma
 tiOn0l Union Of Journalists.
 The first years ParIiamentar, program of Britain's new Labor Government foreshadows Legislation profoundly affecting the activities Of the trade union movement. bill to nationalize the mines Ca. part of concerted plan for the coordination of fuel and power in dustries" and pledged to ''organ ize resources of the building and manufacturing industries" in orde, to meet housing and building re quirements, will clearly involve changes in trade union organiza tion, as well as in the structure of the industries concerned. Other promised measures will have equal ly far-reaching effects.
 Important Policy
 Many people in Britain, and 1 have no doubt in other countries, are con- fused about the role of trade unions Tn labor government. They are ask ing what influence the TUG. vii have on the British Government policy. The answer is that the Labor ministers, like those of any other cabi. net, are responsible for Parliament and Parliament alone, and that the TUG. has no more authority under Labor than a Tory Government.
 The policy of the Governmcn, was drawn up through the machin. cry of the labor movement, in which the trade unions play a prom inent, and indeed, dominant, part This machinery continues. Trade union nominees will continue to hold the majority of seats on the Labor Party Executive, and trade union block votes will remain de. termining factor in the decision of the Labor Party Conference. The National Council of Labor will con. tinue to act as the joint policy mak. ing body for the Labor Party Ex. ecutive, the TUG, and the British ~OORCAat atkNC nkONC1h1Cuts
 There is no secret about this struc- ture of the Labor Party. The Party was created by the trade union move ment to fight for the interests of or ganized workers. Its program and policy are determined by open dis cussions in trade union branches, ir local Labor Parties, and in Coopera- tive management committees. The policy placed before the country and endorsed by the electors at the genera election was drawn up by the Labor Party Executive and approved by the Labor Party Conference. Ii now falls to the Government to carry this pol icy into effect, and in accomplishing that task, the ministers will be respon- sible to Parliament and not to any other authority.
 Battles Ahead
 There are certainly many battles ahead in which the trade union move nent will be deeply involved. One now coming to force is over the pro- posed repeal of the Trade Unions and Trade Disputes Act. This Act va, passed after the general strike oi 1926, and imposed number of severe restrictions on the trade unions.
 Labor's election program said quite clearly that the freedom oi the trade unions, denied by the Trade Disputes Act, must be re stored. The Government is nov going forward on that mandate, anC although there will be tough oppo sition in the House of Commons the Labor policy will go through Repeal of the Bill will mean that civil servants can play their par in the wider trade union movement and, if they wish, in the Labor Party, but it will make little differ ence to industrial relations.
 The real job ahead is to use thu weli-tried machinery of Britain's m dustrial democracy to facilitate tht switchover to peace just as it wa. used to make possible the mobilization of the nation for war. It is not dis advantage that, during this critica period, the Minister of Labor ant National Service should be Georg' Isaacs, who, as Chairman of th' Trades Union Congress, command the support of organized workers il every industry, and as Chairman o the Printing and Kindred Trade Federation, has an intimate knowledg of one of the most effective group of trade unions in Britain.