SHOWS THE WAY All out October 1

Scan page 7

Socialist Organiser, Thursday 8 October 1981 Page 7

Ip us make our circulation JUMP!

Take a bundle of SO to sell!

offering months, and £12 for a ist free, and From: Socialist 10 for £1.50 Organiser, 28 Middle ....

SUBSCRIBE !

by Alan Thornett shop stewara, BL Cowie Assembly Plant)

- from who controls the union's block votes to who controls the union itself.

We should take full advantare of this. There are a number of practical things which TGWU members can do now.

•Find out who has been nominated for the various committees in your Region for the December elections. Check their records and make them known amongst those you work •Go to your branch and raise the election. Ask how it is going to be conducted and how it will be scrutinised.

•Ensure the rules are carried out. Suggest safeguards to, ensure a demo. cratic ballot of electoral conferences and raise any malpractices with Region.

Pass resolutions in your branch calling for democratic reform. The next rules conference is in 1986, but a lot can be done without rule changes. The Regions have the powers to improve ballot procedures. They have powers to produce election addresses if they so decide.

Such changes would™ change the union from top to bottom. Already the impact of the Labour Party deputy leadership election has politicised the union.

The policy of keeping the union politically colourless is being challenged. Top officials such as Kitson have had to declare where they stand in a way they have never had to do in the past. Others like Ron Todd have shown to be on the left of the union.

Elections in the union would accelerate that process. It would create new conditions to fight for a leadership prepared to defend the interests • of the membership in a way which has not been the case before. THE couple of hundred hospital workers, trade unionists, local people and other supporters who turned out on May 3rd to defand St. Mary's Hospital W9 saw the detormination of the workforce to resist the run-down.

The Ilvely demonstration Included banners from branches of NUPE, COHSE, ASTMS and CISA, as well as Trades council and Labour Party banners. The Hospital Committee banner led the way through sympathetic alist Orgoni iser let ostage from Socialist Organi Lane, London N8 shoppers who demonstrated their support.

it the afternoon meeting cen vinostone, ine Go member for this area, put the struggle at W9 in larly over local government cuts. He assured the meetIng that ho was proud that Many readers tell us they think Socialist Organiser has improved greatly since we went weekly. And our circulation has improved, too.

But it could improve a lot more if some of the many readers who like the paper, but only take one copy for themselves began taking bundles.

We're bundles of 5 each week year.

for 80p pr bundles of by Cli the GLC was front of antagoi government.

Geofirey NUPE u-timer full support to picket ana actio or October 19th ambulance dri going to dety thei ment and continu post free. That's £9.60 for three months for bundles of 5, and £18 for bundles of 10.

Regular subscription rates are £4 for three months, £7 for siX nising the Eastwood, , pledged the mass 1 Dlannec when tha vers are ir manage18 bringing In patients. 'As Dave Norman, a steward fromthe Westminster Hospital bolntoo out, bro. castwooc 18s never dean Known ti talk about supporting strike action so much as he has in the last few weeks while involved in the St. Stephens Hospital dispute. It will be vital that this talk is ONAL UNION BRANCH Lane, Lond Please make payable to Name...

Address.

N8 cheque! Socialisi translated into action on October 19th.

Ray Oliver of the COHSE NEC gave his word that he would now strongly recommend that his NEC should back the dispute and Ernie Brooks of COHSE backed this up.

The most powerful contributions, however, THRANCH came from those who have already been directly involved In fights to save nospitals, particularly the speakers from St. Benedict's and Longworth, Who warned of the role of the union leaders in these disputes and demanded real action to save this vital general hospital. .

The day was rounded off with sketches from the Broadside Moblle Theatre, and a disco._ The picket hut, which was only put up that morning, was immediately under threat of being dismantled by the polico. with the move to real picketing to support the Ambulance Service and to stop the removal of patients, this hut is vital to the successtul organisation of the pickets. The stopping up of picketing is now a vital part of the campaign to save W9.

Get your organisation to take one hour a week on the picket line.

Demand that your union gives financial support and works for strike action on October 19th.

ALL OUT ON OCTOBER 19TH!

Scan page 8

..arsenerate. com. 22m....

Was Brighton a turning point?

Has the Right decisively reversed left-wing advances in the Labour Party? JOHN O'MAHONY argues that it depends on what the left does now. will have to choose either to try to work from inside the left-wing establishment - to go in again to compete with the Kinnocks on their own ground - or to continue to mobilise the rank and file to change the whole structure of the movement.

Foot has been making seductive noises to draw Benn into the establishment. He said in an aside at the Tribune meeting that Benn was probably the only man with a chance of challenging him for the leadership. He has invited Benn to come into the Shadow Cabinet (though he may not be able to persuade the PLP to endorse this).

To justify and explain his own role, Nell Kinnock said in Brighton that the only way we would win the next election - as things stand - was if thousands of Tories died laughing at us. To people who said similar things about the political battles that often convulsed

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fight for 40p

the context of the fight against the Tories, particu-

TROVEES MARYS HOSPITAL BROW ROAD