OUTSIDE the hospital the picket line makes it clear who is in control at St Benedicts. Volunteers are needed to help on the picket rota. INSIDE the daily routine is only interrupted by mass meetings and the - defend our services hairperson at West Gorton 1C roup ASTMS he determination of workers at the nternational Computers Jukinfield plant and olidarity action have forced IC to ut back its closure plans, with the oss of 900 jobs.
They have agreed to put the 90 lays notice 'on ice' for 28 days to llow the unions to set up a working and then reconsider lecisions in the light of their report.
One can hope, of course, that this s a play to allow the company to vithdraw the notice without. losing ace. But it is far more likely that the ompany see it as one step back so as o take two steps forward!
There are very real dangers that a oint working party could become a articipation exercise, cceptance by the unions inevitable' redundancies, or that the Iternative will be posed in terms of ow the unions can make the plant viable' for ICL As this week's Socialist Challenge ulletin explained, our alternative to he vorking week throughout ICL.
It went on to warn against seeing he 28 days as a.'Christmas truce and rgued that the time should be used to ontinue the fightback by organising upport in ine local labout movemen nd the community ound in the battle.
With a limited victory under their elts Dukinfield workers are now in a rosition to build links Manchester factories lundancies and develop a vide fight for the right to work. Ford offer By a Ford Worker IN A surprise move last Friday the Ford motor company 59,000 workers increases of around 21.5 per cent. For the majority of workers company's original offer of £ll on basic rates was increased to giving a new weekly £89.52.
Although the unions' for £30 and a threshold clause, there is ittle doubt this will be accepted.
ook a nine week strike last year to achieve an increase half this size.
The major drawback is a further ncrease in the disciplinary nentary Payment' by £1.52 to £25 a week. This is aimed at weakening the hopfloor because any lispute for 5 minutes or attending a shop meeting will lose a further £3 to t4 in wages.
Why did Ford increase its offer by 'A in the space of a week?
'MORE for defence, schools'. That was the way Financial Times summarised the Tory White PaDer Expenditure for 1980-1. In all 4.3 per cent is to be cut from projected education expenditure.
£200 million withdrawing subsidy school meals and milk. On top of the cuts made in the Budget of 12 June this will mean the closure of millene and schools in areas.
Access to further
will become more working class youth Education Authorities reduce or abolish discretionary awards as a means of further trimming their budgets.
In higher education there will 0e d similar effect decision to culack numbers in the universities by 6 per cent, the attempt to introduce 'full cost fees' for overseas students and the general trimming of budgets in the polytechnics.
Students in many areas have socialist Challenge 29 November 1279 is so high on La further factor.
Ford can
Limited widespread increase market having major - for a few months anyway!
ambiguous. company agreed to meetings: working achieve a negotiated working time. company's would commencement of the New ending in next year's claim.
Whose choice?
Gillian Brear were next Annual General secretary, Jamie with other facing re- LOU district influence.
they action policies of Jamie Morris offered its the NHS when I am LUIS it? £15, grade rate of hospital their pay claim.
'Supple- thạt they worker in does not have a rule book.
Students fight education cuts for the attacks. strong demonstration Public cuts in Bristol on 15 will be 'saved' by tions and services.
many education on 14 November. difficult for as Local ILEAS racist fee increases.
no lusion that ce given the section of the student body.
student • and their policies.
the 29,000 strong running at 40 per cent per year in the assembly plant — that the company is falling far sort of its production The Leyland dispute was probably With a big slump predicted in the car industry in 1980, seize this opportunity to share without. or discontented workforce on its hands Whether any progress has been made towards a shorter working week unIons and series of "To consider changes arrangements necessary to reduction without reducing the competitiveness, which the Agreement to be negotiated in November 1980°. The job now will be to make the 35 hour week the main element in DO MEMBERS of the National Union of Public Employees have the right to elect a shop steward of their choice? Most NUPE members think so, but if NUPE branch secretary Jamie Morris gets his way, they will In October, Dave Norman and elected mously to represent their sections at Westminster Hospital. At the branch Meeting, the Morris, advised to "ratify" the democratic election of these stewards - claiming that they were a disruptive The 'disruptive influence' of Dave and Gillian couldn't perhaps be that consistently argued for and low pay?
Could it be that their opposition to the who is quoted as saying that 'it would be hypocritical of me to oppose cuts in implementing councillor in Tower Hamlets' — has something to do with It was Jamie Morris who called off all action in the branch when a well orchestrated press campaign, coupled with pressure from the worn esters, workers Westminster for taking action over At that time he was opposed by the stewards concerned.
Their full-time offider told them could appeal against the branch decision through the union's National Appeals Committee. However, when they used this procedure they were told by General Secretary Alan Fisher that there is no right of appeal against decisions taken by a branch. 'This means NUPE effectively already begun to respond to these One third of the 10,000 goginst the November consisted of students and school At Oxford Polytechnic students have already occupied in opposition to deteriorating condiIn Lambeth on 7 November school students walked out of two schools to support the march to Westminster. In Manchester 30X0 students marched against the cuts In many other areas students in further and higher education have organised occupations acainst the These constitute a cut and students have Tories going to stop at attacking just this • In Bristol one of the chants of demonstrators was 'Education for the working masses, not for the ruling classes'. If there is to be any hope of realising that then we have to start by kicking out the Tories deliberations of the occupation committee.
i Occupied to the St Benedicts Merton, Агея 1980.
Excuse facilities.
away!
diabolical the area.
Nick force -and building Direct Works.
movement to fight alone' PATIENTS are still being admitted to 130 bed geriatric hospital — despite the decision of the Sutton and Wandsworth Health admissions from 23 November.
The hospital is now being run by a workers council who, with the help of local doctors, are exercising control over admissions and discharges. That way they hope to stop the hospital being run down for closure in July Artbur Hautot, secretary of the accupation committee, told me how the Authority tried to move a patient out last weekend. The patient is 82, and twice he has been moved to Kame Home, only to be sent back to St Benedicts because superior It was just an excuse', Arthur, 'they will try and discharge people only to admit them somewhere else later. We stopped the ambulance at the picket line, explained our case, so the driver turned round and went One nurse told me, 'We think it's — I only found out about the plan to close when I heard it on the radio'. All the nurses at St Benedicts are in a union, but even the unions were led to believe that there was to be no closure. As late as August a health authority circular tried to give the impression that St Benedicts would be Williams, Secretary . of Battersea and Wandsworth Trades Council, insists that the St Benedicts workers have taken the first step in fighting cuts and must be supported by the rest of the labour movement 'We are under no illusions aboul the occupation — the longer it goes on the more likely it is that the health authority will remove the patients by as at Hounslow hospital.
We are helping with the picket rota, trying to build up a telephone tree, building up links WUTKCLE fighting cuts 'We are saying to the local labour come out November to show solidarity with St and thi Direct Works because they are in the forefront of fighting the cuts, and must not be left
Der Bors. fricileik. so socialism is not
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ICL retreat at 3y Andy Blundell,
part of a new 'integrated' service for First step