25 April demonstration against the cuts and private practice.
One encouraging aspect of the mobilisation has been the support we are getting from local Labour Parties. Brighton, Labour Party, for instance, voted last week to support the demonstration and to send a contingent.
Along with the public sector unions in Brighton, the Labour Party is organising a public meeting Against Cuts in the Health Service' on 22 April. Ernie Roberts (Assistant General Secretary of the AUEW) and Steve Johnson (NALGO National Health Officer, both members of the NCC, will be speaking.
Other public meetings arranged to build the demonstration include ones in Liverpool on 14 April, Uxtord on 14 April, and Leeds on 22 April. These meetings will have local trade union speakers as well as national speakers from the NCC.
In Colchester support for the demonstration was raised at a meeting of more than 60 people called around the demands - Fight the Cuts in the Social Services and Defend the NHS'. The meeting was sponsored by Colchester Trades Council and local branches of ASTMS, NUPE, COHSE, NALGO and the NUS. Steve Johnson spoke for the NCC and called on all the people present to attend the 25 April demonstration and get their or gamusations to support une cemonstrauon.
Sponsorsnio for the demonstration is still coming in. Latest sponsors include the Nottingham branch of the building workers' union, UCATT; two shop stewards committees in Sheffield, Meals and LaVCOCK S. GMWU NOrT London Hospitals branch; and the Bristol West and Battersea Labour Parties, who are not only sponsoring the demonstration but have affiliated to the NOU To encourage the maximum turnout or tneir members, NALGO are sending out 1,000 posters and handbills advertising the demonstration. The London Co-op Political Committee has also circulated its members with moonising material.
To give the campaign a real last-minute boost in London, a team of NCC supporters has been set up to blitz' the hospitals, building sites, factories and docks with posters, handbills and propaganda for 25 April. This team will also do open-air meetings and it is hoped that they will be able to speak on sites ano to snoo stewards committees. The team is made up of people like teachers on holiday over Easter, students and some health workers who are using their days off to boost the campaign.
The NCC has now received a supply of badges. The sale of these is an excellent way of popularising the campaign. Furthermore, the money collected will be a big help towards paying for the cost of the demonstration and taking the campaign forward afterwards.
NCC supporters travelling down on coaches on 25 April should make sure that they have a supply of the badges on hand for sale to the coach travellers. Supplies can be obtained from the NCC at 55 Bridge Lane, London N.W.11 price 15p each. For all orders over ten a discount of 2%p is allowed per badge -money must accompany the order.
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THE N.H.S. CUT PRIVATE
JANET MAGUIRE, the organiser of the National Coordinating Committee Against Cuts in the NHS (NCC), reports on the final stages for building the