DELEGATES at the MSF biennial conference passed a vote of censure on the union's British based assistant general secretary, "Mr John Chowcat, in Dublin at the weekend. They also voted for, greater autonomy from the British parent organisation.
The delegates condemned Mr Chowcat for refusing to sanction the holding of the conference in Belfast. The Irish members had voted to hold it there after the Irish Congress of Trade Unions appealed last year to unions to hold as many conferences as possible in the North to support the peace process.
Mr Chowcat blocked this on grounds of cost.
His decision helped to fuel support for two motions aimed at gaining greater autonomy for the Irish membership.
One called for the Irish executive to be made responsible for all subscriptions in Ireland. The delegates want the Irish executive to control membership listings in Ireland and negotiate what members contribute to MSF central funds in Britain in return for agreed services.
The other called for negotiations on what proportion of MSF's £7 million deficit Irish members should pay.
The decisions, which were taken at a low profile meeting which shunned publicity, also saw a substantial power shift in the 31,000 strong union. Less than six months after the retirement of the veteran Belfast Communist, Mr Brian Anderson, a new executive was elected which is younger and more representative of the union's predominantly southern and white collar membership.
The results represented a con solidation of the position of Mr John Tierney, who is now the senior officer of the union in Ireland.
MSF was formed out, of a merger of the predominantly blue collar AUEW/TASS and the white collar union AS, TMS. The erosion of manufacturing jobs, especially in Northern Ireland, has seen the gradual eclipse of the old AUEW/TASS influence.