SITTING in the cosy comfort of No 10 Downing Street on Monday night, Jim Callaghan offered his thoughts to BBC mention, but then he stressed: 'On the whole it's not the national leaders. The responsibility is much lower down'.
In the National Union of Public Employees, the national executive overturned the decision of its negotiators — led by general secretary In the ambulance service, workers voted against the policy of all the union leaders involved and decided on strike action this Friday.
Union leaders attempt to limit strike action by their members or stop it Union leaders sign agreements with employers and concordats with the government.
The causes of the rebellion are not hard to find: Low pay, crumbling public services, a trade eduer snip which disregards conterence sions, a Labour Government which disregards its party's conference sions.
The 'lower down' have, 10- borrow Callaghan's phrases, 'had a basinful'.
The rebellion they are engaged in has yet to take concrete form or shape.
The GOVIOUS from the NUPE executive's rejection of the deal all-out strike action -has not yet been called for by deci- the executive.
In the civil dispute, too, the union deci- leadership is content to offer only selective' strike action.
Even the 'left' TUC and of Labour Party tops have neglected to call for recall conferences of respective organisations. But it is now obvious Alan Fisher - to accept the miserly government offer.
conclusion the and determined service workers.
service in these IS prescription.
their any strikers his interviewers cared to that the government is very determined to crush attitude public sector strike -LOO to reject the claims of civil Only an equal show of 'morality strength by those involved hypocrisy struggles will proportions. persuade the government to change its mind. All-out the obvious Such action would no doubt bring further lec- rebellion tures from Callaghan. He spoke on Monday of the supported. need for a change in moral For a government which has ordered massive cuts in the NHS to lecture ambulance workers on taking bizarre Callaghan and the rest of the Labour government have 'squeezed' the poor 'until their pips squeak'.
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TV's 'Panorama'. He attacked altogether.
True enough. For instance: And the 'lower down' rebel.