Communist Renewal No. 3 May 2016. Planning Party Work…
1. Party Handbook & Branch Plans 2. Trades Union Councils
T
hanks to all Branches who have been in discussions with members of the Communist Renewal Team. If your branch has not yet been contacted it is only through pressure of work! Your opportunity will come!
This is the third Renewal Bulletin – each simply designed to encourage thought & discussion about some of the ideas and approaches associated with Renewal. You don’t need to rush to keep up! The Renewal Team is now pulling together themes, issues, strengths, problems and ideas that are emerging from discussions with Branches. Another Bulletin will come out at the end of July with a report of this, and a request for your responses to it and to the BRS study - in preparation for the Secretaries’ & Cadre School in September.
Communist Party Handbook & Branch Planning 1.
2.
3.
4. 5. 6. 7.
The Renewal Team identifies the Handbook as our “workshop manual” but unlike workshop manuals which demonstrate and instruct what to do, it encourages ALL Party members to be thinkers AND do-ers, activists AND analysts. https://issuu.com/communist_party/docs/cp_handbook_complete EVERY comrade needs to play their part in the Party and the labour movement with the commitment, discipline and positive style of work characteristic of Communists. ‘The collective intervention of Communists in the class struggle is based on application of Marxist-Leninist theory. The development of Marxist-Leninist theory is shaped by the collective experience of Communists in the class struggle.’ Handbook ‘Practice without theory is blind; theory without practice is sterile.’ Lenin In this light, Branches report drawing up a month by month Plan of Work for the year to ensure ‘a properly functioning local Branch should provide a hub for debate, education and activity’… ‘so that we can be more effective in the struggle to change society.’ ‘The leading role of the Party has to be earned through planned and continuous work… rooted in the working class’ Party Handbook Such Plans of Work identify particular priorities, but also specific events and dates, and probably an individual, or two or three comrades who would take responsibility for particular parts of the plan. Such planning, Branches tell us, enable us to prioritise Party work, not over-stretch ourselves, or allow any complacency or unequal sharing of the work, while taking individual comrades’ circumstances into account. It helps to ensure balanced Branch activity - “mass work” in the movement, open discussion, study, building alliances, raising the Party profile, recruitment, Party social life, Morning Star, District & National activity etc. As a result of such Renewal discussions, one Branch created a “Toolkit” to accompany the planning process.. “To ensure that we COLLECTIVELY know WHY we are doing what we do, HOW realistic it is, WHAT we want to achieve every step of the way, WHEN is the best time to do things, WHAT we need to best equip ourselves, WHO is taking responsibility… and WHEN & HOW we evaluate what we are doing/have done. It encourages INDIVIDUAL comrades to ask themselves Do I know what we are trying to achieve this year, this month, this week, today, this meeting? Am I clear how my own role fits in with the overall Branch plan? Do I feel comfortable and confident enough to undertake a particular task? What Party Education & Cadre Development are needed by me and others? Am I prepared to ask for support and do I know where to get help if stuck? What do I look forward to bringing back to the table at our next/future Branch meetings?” This branch is producing this “Toolkit” as a poster for their meeting room wall to provide a context for developing the Branch Plan – and making it happen, sharing the work and developing political skills..
Trades Union Councils… briefing from the Party’s Trades Unions Councils Advisory 1. There are 148 local Trades Union Councils, and 27 “County Associations” all over Britain. Trades Union Councils Directory & Programme at https://www.tuc.org.uk/union-issues/unions-community/trades-councils 2. TUC describes Trades Union Councils as “an important part of the labour movement, bringing together activists at a grassroots level, and representing the trade union movement to the broader community.” 3. The Trades Union Councils’ ‘Programme of Work’ calls on them to build joint anti-austerity activity with community organisations - particularly People’s Assembly, and People’s Charter before it. This is a policy promoted and won on TUCJCC – the TUC national Trades Union Councils body – by Party members & supporters. It also encourages Trades Councils and People’s Assemblies to be represented in each other’s structures - often ignored or opposed by Blairites & ultra-leftists. The Party must build on opportunities for solid organisational and political work in the local community that it presents. 4. The Party recognises that with strategic leadership & focused activity, Trades Union Councils play an important role in the movement, both locally and nationally. The Party can help move this forward in a united, disciplined fashion, carefully aware of TUC rule & procedures - and any need for change. 5. The Party encourages ALL our Trade Union activists, in work and retired, to consider becoming Trades Union Council delegates from their Union (or from the People’s Assembly) o Many Union branches are not properly represented on local Trades Union Councils – because they are not affiliated, or because they send no delegates, or their delegates do not play an active role in creating a strong bond between the TU branch and Trades Union Council. Comrades need to tackle this. o A healthy Trades Union Council forum is one of both collective action and a “battle of ideas” based on practical experience of organised workers. Communists are essential to this process, and not discouraged by other more negative groups’ participation…. it’s a struggle – but that’s life! o It is in this process that positive dialogue and exchange of information can be developed into active solidarity between Unions, and Unions and community - particularly important in light of the Trade Union Bill. Comrades need to develop this work with IER & Trade Union Freedom Campaign input. o Developing all-round deep local knowledge through Trades Union Council work allows comrades and Branches to further develop political analysis & leadership within the TUCs and in the community. “The leading role of the Party has to be earned through planned and continuous work… rooted in the working class” Party Handbook o Trades Union Councils send delegates to County Associations, Regional & National TUC structures, and are fighting to be properly represented at TUC Congress – a position long promoted by the Party. o Our BRS strategy is to build a broad, democratic anti-monopoly alliance with the organised working class at its heart. This is not an “aspiration” – it is a burning necessity given the nature of the ruling class offensive. Work in the Trades Union Councils network is potentially very important to this.
Next steps in Communist Renewal If your Branch has any urgent comments or reports on the Communist Renewal process so far please send to b.greenshields@communist-party.org.uk or your contact on the Renewal Team. Or you can wait until we circulate at the end of July the outcomes of all the discussions so far with Branches. We will be seeking information from Districts & Nations regarding Branch meetings attendance levels, and what might be done to make it possible for ALL members to take part in collective activity, discussion and study - including current studies of BRS & Party Handbook, and Congress preparation. A date will be shortly be circulated for the Secretaries’ & Cadre School in September which will in part at least consider Communist Renewal issues and Communist Education. Study materials on Dialectical & Historical Materialism – the basis of all Communist analysis - will be available at this meeting There will be a system by which all members regularly update their details on the Party database.