I suppose that the rift between the left of the left within unions is very much to do with the divide between those of us who are Reformists and the others who think that the revolution is around the corner. I am a well known Reformist and I am confident that the vast majority of our members believe in achieving change within the law which of course involves campaigning to change the law at the same time. Members expect the leadership of the union to take responsible positions when deciding to take action. Examples of long strike action that I have personally been involved with, like the 12 week payroll dispute in 1993, have shown me that more effort needs to be put towards resolving problems. This does not mean that I am against strike action but I insist that whenever we go down that road we must, a) be prepared, b) be sure that the members will support us, c) ensure that the action will be effective.
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