wards, as Labour-supporting right-wingers blocked with supporters of Tommy Sheridan to cut off the union's affiliation to the Scottish Socialist Party.
We have to open up the discussion on what sort of political alternative is needed inside the trades union movement. The RMT should also be pushed to restart its debate - as was formally agreed at its last annual conference.
The organising committee that came out of the (Respectled) Organising for Fighting Unions conference has an important role in promoting the discussion we want. It is planning to hold a series of rallies around the country and as well as promoting practical campaigns it should be stressing the need to build a broad socialist political alternative.
It is not enough merely to proclaim the need for a new party to the left of Labour. It Dont't ask for action as a refusal often offends... UNISON's Dave Prentis is important that we have a living example of such an alternative - so despite all the problems that go with its current conception we need to build Respect as best we can.
But at the same time we need to recognise that for many people Respect cannot be THE answer - and we must therefore be prepared to be flexible in putting together a new party.
If we are to overcome suspicions about acting as outriders for predetermined (revolutionary) dogmas we need to build a framework which encourages genuine cooperation without entrenched ideological position-taking.
For that we need to build an avowedly socialist party, going beyond being a coalition between (revolutionary) socialists and others, with a clear socialist programme and a democratic structure which encourages the ability to learn and develop and build its own independent leadership. Rebuilding in the workplace
At the industrial level the TUC's "partnership" ideology has gone hand in glove with a fatalism which argues that if you don't cooperate with the bosses they will just outsource (privatise, contract out, move abroad etc.).
Of course, however much partnership has been entered into, companies have gone ahead with their plans in any case, whatever the impact on their worker "partners". But this climate of fatalism allied to the deadening effect of the anti-union laws does mean that the industrial situation is extremely difficult.
It would be wrong to invent a movement or struggle which NO TO