The major decision facing the MSF conference this year was its attitude to a proposed merger with IPMS, a civil service union. IPMS had voted to defer the decision for further consideration and MSF conference passed a motion welcoming continuing discussions and the creation of a new union. But it reserved the right for a future conference to amend any new proposals and to take the final decision. It also made changes to the current proposals that strengthen the proposed new union's internal democracy and accountability.
The decision on Labour into Power was more confused. While welcoming the document and its proposals, amendments were accepted which entirely negated the main document, basically calling for no changes in the current structures! Unfortunately this looking-both-ways result leaves the union's delegation to Party Conference free to do as it likes and, on previous experience, they will support the leadership.
As always, some good policies - on the minimum wage, the welfare state, opposing anti-trade union legislation and much more - were passed. But the main problem is the continuing stranglehold of the right-wing bureaucracy and the weakening of the left. A discussion within the Campaign for a Democratic Union at the end of conference pinpointed the main tasks as rebuilding the left and bringing in new forces.