Ballot solution to Clause IV : LETTERS
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.From Mr P. K. Burgess Sir: In "Another View" today (24 January), the general secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union missed the point. Neither you nor Ms Langton on the Letters page were really addressing the messenger or the message. Since, as Ms Langton points out, no one can know what the average TGWU member thinks about Clause IV, there is literally no "message", and therefore no one can be the "messenger".
Bill Morris claims that he knows the views of his members since he has asked all of his branches for their opinions. He might thereby know the views of that tiny minority of activists who run branch committees, or attend branch meetings. However, to generalise from this small and biased sample to the views of the bulk of the membership is absurd.
The problem faced by Mr Morris, and all of us who hold office in trade unions, is to find a proper way of consulting the membership at large, and to strike a balance between the role of the activists (who are the backbone of the union, without which it cannot function) and the role of the ordinary members who are the union, without whom it cannot exist.
If members were granted the right to requisition ballots on crucial issues, then their interests would be safeguarded. They would not need to exercise this right often, since the leadership would be inhibited from taking any stance which it knew the membership did not share.
Now is the time for the leadership of all trade unions to address this issue with a courage equal to that of Tony Blair.
Yours sincerely, P. K. BURGESS Vice-President Association of University Teachers Dundee University Dundee 24 January
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments