St Mary's hospital occupation gathers strength

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THE OCCUPATION at St Mary's Hospital, Harrow Road, is gathering strength despite the management's attempts to split the workforce among themselves.

The occupation began on June 24th, after a four year campaign of meetings, lobbies and petitions to stop the proposed closure The health authorities were not impressed by the enormous community support for the hospital, and are going ahead with their plan to run it down.

The first stage of the rundown, the closure of 127 beds and the restricmon of the casualty unit, is currently being considered by Health Minister Vaughan. Rather than wait for his decision which is anyway la fore gone-conclusion--die staff at the hospital decided to occupy firs stop the rundown ang show the Minister, th health authorities and heir own supporters that Hey. are determined to fight to defend thei health services.

The management have obviously been alarmed at the workers' action, and in fact have been warned for some time that they will not be able to shut down the hospital without a major struggle. In preparation for this, a new administrator, Nettal, SE MARY'S as been appointed By surange coincidence, tus character is one of the few administrators mn the country with direct experience of a hospital occupation.

It was Nettal who oversaw the defeat of the St Benedict's Hospital occupation last year.

He has obviously beena appointed with a definite purpose in mind - to oversee the dismantling of yet another important sector of our health service.

But Nettal is nor the only one with experience of hospital occupations.

The St Mary's Hospital Defence Committee is also cooperating with workers from previous occupations, including Lungworth anc Benedicts The St Mary's manage. ment. offensive agains: the workforce has for some time been concentrated on the domest: ics.

The domestics a strong and militant group, mainly West Indian women, have been attacked in the past. as the management ¡have tried to increase their workload and reduce staffing through natural wastage.

When the women resisted this, their shop steward, Rita Maxim, was victimised and is now on her final warning.

The authorities have now stepped up this attack on the domestics, with the obvious intention of isolating them from the rest of the staff and weakening the occupation.

On i Monday 20th July, new 'working practices were introduced, which were to force Grade domestics to scrub floors, work which they have never had to do befor Badge !

by breaking dow marcation, the ma ment hope furthe reduce the do worktorce.

While one seen not the domestics, organis ed into the GMWU, have accepted the manage ment's offer, ine TGWU don estics are determined tu have nothing to do with It They have refused tc do this work and two have already received disciplinary notices, As Rita Maxim pointed out, one of these women has worked at the hospital for 15 years and yet the management have no compunction about throwing her out of the door.

However, the Occupation Committee is determined to prevent this, and the defence of the domestics is being made a central part of the occupation.

The domestics were refusing. to recognise the disciplinary proce dures - ignoring their letters and not going to any hearings.

By challenging the management's right to manage' in this way, the occupation will be strengthened and the workforce united in the fight against closure.

Joe Beckles, the TGWU branch secretary, explained that the domestics are strong in their determination to fight It is vital that the domestics are immediately given support unroughout their union, th TGWU The conterence resolv eupatior: again: cuts snould he appo re by actirin Domesti It any or the domestics are sacked, Socialist Organiser supporters in the TGWU should fight for this resolution to be implemented.

The management also tried to attack the occupation in other, more petty, ways.

For instance, they decided to ban the distribution of badges and occupation literature inside the hospital. But the occupation committee and workers have refused to comply with this childish ruling.

The occupation has already gathered an enormous amount of support from trades unions and Labol.. Parties, But Socialist Organiser supporters should b raising the issue in thei organisations, arguing fr donations and, in Londo. pressing their branche to take part in regul picketing.

Besides the daily pick from 8am to 8pm, ther also a special "vigil' Satuldays from 8am 7pm, to 7pm publicise оссира among tion perple make it a fo port The -efence Comr also organisin blic meeting on Thi dây 30th July (at wh Ken Livingstone will be speaking, as well as occupation speakers).

Donations, messages o support, etc. should be sent to John Dolas Hospital Defence Committee, c/o Cashiers Office, St Mary's Hospit al. Harrov: Road, W%.

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Socialist Organiser 30) July 1981 Page 14