ENDA DONELLY, councillor: 'As a member of the Area Health Authority I feel I'm in funny position opposing vote against cuts. More important that can give information I get to the health unions, and be prepared to speak on their platforms when they ask me. They shouldn't be running their campaign to pressure me, should be using my position to boost their campaign.
THE HEALTH service in Islington and Camden is to be slashed by $4/million.
Previously the Area
Health Authority had been divided whether implement these cuts, but now the chairperson, who lives miles away Berkshire, has used casting vote in favour. There is however considerable trade union oppositSONIA MARTYNIAK, Education student:
the Tory Council.' Labour the the ber 1979 Page 4 them.
Further "They services saying there's not enough money, yet looking through the civic budget we find that they are spending £10.000 on maintenance for the Mayor's Rolls Royce -which illustrates the priorities of about Well, Mr Thompson, you can either die, or have private treatment • closures. This time however they want to make sure they will not be fighting Y _alone. This time they want to see that the labour movement is fighting with So along with other workers in Hounslow, Hammersmith and Ealing, they booked Hammersmith Town Hall. They distributed thousands of copies. And last Saturday they invited trade unionists, campaign activists, and anyone else opposed to cuts in health care to a 'West London Assembly Against Cuts'. Here are some of the things they had to say.
ANDY LILLY, AUEW Southall: 'When Callaghan and his ilk talk Thatchers' democratic mandate I think: well I didn't vote for these cuts and neither did anyone else'. produced a cuts bulletin and choose to be • does not make have to close scrapped.
these attacks, today? them to the AHA.
are supposed to South Wales Wales service from Cardiff.
The rail The been met involvement notably the miners.
The county budget at all.
had the job of providing health care, preventative and curative, to all the people of the area. It became what Ares Health Asset-stripping institution.
They voted to immediately cut fl million, and to have at their October 4 meeting further detailed proposals on how the total f4½ million cuts could implemented by 1981. These present cuts are due to the system of cash limits, whereby the Government available funds compensate for inflation, wage rises, rising costs of supplies ete The next squeeze will be in the annual Whitepaper on Government spending next April... if you heard what they said at the association of county councils nobody will be. in doubt that there is worse to come.
The AHA are aware of this. They did a study of the cuts that would have to be made to meet the anticipated reductions in spending, and found that every single institution in the area save the four main hospitals would — that's 17 hospitals, health clinics and so on.
What is more they could only do this if two further conditions were met. First that the present regulations regarding redundancy payments and procedure were scrapped, and second if the consultative procedure Community Health Councils wers There has already been an outcry from the doctors in opposition te but where are the health unions invited come and explain the consequences of these cuts to the public but the maximum of medical opposition has been polite messages On the AHA are councillors who De accountable to those who vote them into office.
OPPOSITION TO the cuts in South mounting, but remains fragmented. The Rhondda branch of the NUR led the way when they refused to implement a cut in the Valley's rail drivers refused to terminate the trains, instead driving them to their normal destinations with the aid of the signal operators. Wher British Rail suspended all the drivers; the Rhondda branch went on strike, forcing British Rail to climb down In the coal industry the NCB is blackmailing the NUM, by saying that they won't proceed with a £140 million investment unless the miners accept pit second attempt of South Glamorgan Area Health Authority to close the only orthopaedic hospital in Wales, the Rhydlafar in Cardiff, has demonstrations and pickets which have won the active other workers But the public sector unions have yet to thrown their full weight into the fight, and neither has the Wales TUC, despite its paper opposition to cuts.
council in MidGlamorgan, with Labour, Communist and Plaid members, has declared that for 1979-80 it will refuse to cut its time all these different strands of resistance are united against the Tories.