A NALGO social worker in soulnwark I nave been our on strike since 14 August. viour and attitude at national level has been appalling. It seems to me that we owe much to the All London Social Workers Action Group, the Standing Conference of Strike Committees, and the NALGO Action Group of which are regarded by NALGO as unrepresentative groupings have helped to fill the crucial voi created by the union in the handling of this dispute.
Whilst I personally do not like the hint of exclusiveness that charactertses the delegate system of the SCSC, it probably does reflect mainstream thinking among strikers. It appears to be reasonably efficient in carrying out organisational ordinating work that has helped each group of striking or militant social workers maintain contact with one anther and exchange information and ideas.
NAG, on the other hand, tends to offer political and practical perspectives in terms of strategy and tactics, and I think has pushed people's thinking and actions in a number of healthy ways. The importance of their role is to me best seen at grassoots level in the local areas.
It was the local NAG group that, with what some may have considered to have been reckless pushed for a one-day strike of all Southwark branch members earlier in month, and won agreement. Whilst I welcome the open meetings offered by NAG, it is not a representative body because it tends to attract only the more politically CORSCOUS extremely though.
What is essential is that all social services sections put in local claims (as instructed by union conference), do the work necessary to make sure they get majority support in the ballot for Sinke acton. and fellow branch members to support them. For those of us who have been out for nearly six months it looks as though some social workers are sitting back content for us to engage in battle on behalf of all social workers. EMMA TAIT [London EC1] NALGO's beha- all They SF literature idealism and and co- provided selection. themselves "beauties"
McCarthyist
Theodore Farmer).
optimism, hero cult.
collective forms of actions.
branch valuable THE armed struggle). But the examples to which she refers seem to be taken from the most conventional type of third rate sub-products (like Star Wars).
their In modern speculative fiction one can find examples of real 'human civilised feelings, makes Many prejudices find challenged, our conception of time and logic, sexual taboos, ostracism against gays, the nuclear power, hysteria, and CYCl sometimes racialism (to quote a few examples that I have encountered).
The 'alien' can be spiritual-minded or comforting (as in some novels of Sturgeon) and CYCL relatively immune from the individual It rather emphasises CHRISTIAN RONSE (Oxford] the workerists. They are to be found most among ex-student acquaintances and not advanced workers. I also argue with students who feel that studies are a substitute for political activity and who cannot see that this self-justification in itself leads to theoretical unclarity. but then you are "additions' on top of the basic rate.
STEPHEN Steward, St Norwich)
talking aDOU!
Let PAGE (NUPE Senior Andrews Hospital, [Manchester] to take the worst jobs, with the lowest wages and the longest hours.
us have illusions in the British state. It is the major racist force in Britain today - and any serious anti-racist movement must take that into account.
JAMES HETHERINGTON
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sexually desirable (as in Philip José Moreover, Soviet science fiction is