Tenants clash with Labour Council

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THE Meadow Well information shop in North Shields has been occupied day and night by tenants and shop workers since 13 January, The Labour-controlled council has refused to extend the contracts of the workers employed there much to the anger of the local tenants who have given the occupation their full support.

Many are actively sitting in while others have been deliver ing Icallets, petitioning. and taking partin street meetings to build further suppor for the ocupation. Over 1.600 signatures on the perition bave expressed abragonism that exists between the right-wing Labour Council and the needs of the people in the area DEWS BICOLEO DE Tenants. Association, *These workers have built up confidence in their relutionship with the tenants over the past wear. The decision tsuck them in a political more because they were thoras in the Lesh of the Cowicil.* Terants have had to fight repeated attempts by the coun CIAO MUSCLES SHOT Their Success mean that tenanti and trade unions sit the are could continue to use its valuable resources in the shop and seek advise on issues such housing, unemployment, pen sions. industrial injuries and social scut emilement O tliose involved in industrial disNow the tenant: feel that they have been betrayed by the Labour Party by not being allowed to keep an informatioo shop under independent contrel. They feel that an information shop stafled by the coun eil will be run by mere poppets This had led to real disillusionment with Labour Party in the arca Ai Betty Kenny, another tesant says:

The people want the work. ers in, and the council want all my life but never again The immediate problem fac ine the accupiers is threat of eriction. The council has al ready applied for an eviction order and this is likely to be carried out in the next week. This has especially angered the tenants is they see the Labour Party using the couras to evict that they believe in theirs as ot right.

While the wilion involved (NUPE) has made the dispute official this has not gone beyond sympathetie support Money and all messages of support should be sent to: 'The Cocupation Conunittee". Meadowell Intermation Shop, 75 Ripley Are, Nortli Shields.

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SOCIALIST CHALLENGE, 16 February 1978 page 8