Wrong on typists: Quality

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work' (Socialist Organiser no.66), written by Chris Erswell. Two-thirds of the article is factually incorrect, and its conclusions are therefore inappropriate.

Chris is correct in stating that the final sticking point for a settlement was a demand by the Liberals that there should be no disciplinary action taken against scabs. However, from then on he gets everything else wrong. The NALGO branch officers did not give way on this as Chris stated, but on the contrary organised a mass meeting of the whole Branch membership to totally oppose this.

This meeting took place in the Liverpool Stadium on 7th December, and was probably the biggest meeting of the Branch ever, with 3500 members over present. This meeting threw out the Liberals' demands and agreed to escalate the dispute if the City Council did not honour the agreement with the typists.

It also voted by an overwhelming majority for an all out strike should anyone be sacked, as the Liberals and Tories were threatening. The Branch Officers proposed and • argued strongly for all these positions. The only people 'left bewildered and exasperated' by this were the right erals withdrew their .demands concerning the scabs, and the City Council agreed to implement the arbitration agreement. The following Monday, 14th December, the typists agreed to return to work the next day.

The disappointing aspect of the dispute is that the outcome has been arbitration and not a clear-cut victory.

There are many reasons for this - the lack of a national campaign which left the Liverpool Branch to fight alone; the lack of support from other trade unionists for the typists' picket lines; and the existence of a sizeable right wing • in the Liverpool NALGO branch who at times successfully mobilised against the typists to prevent other members of the Branch escalating the dispute and taking solidarity action in support of the typists' strike.

The strength of the right wing was evident in this year's re-election of the Branch Secretary (which under the Branch Rules must be conducted by postal ballot and not at the AGM as Chris reported).

In the ballot, which tookplace before the mass m rins-eferred to carate, well-known for his antitypists views defeated Petnaige OFFICIA PICKE one of the principal strike leaders.

However, the decisions of the mass meeting on the 7th December were seen by everyone as a massive vote of confidence in Peter Cresswell and the other strike leaders. There were 50% more people at the meeting than voted in the ballot for branch secretary.

This showed up to everyone the inadequacy of postal ballots and the importance of the mass involvement of members in decision-making at branch meetings.

Lessons

So much so, that a rank and file campaign led by the typists is already underto reinstate Peter Cresswell as Branch Secr- way etary. This began with a motion of No Confidence in the new secretary being carried at the Branch AGM on 10th December.

Whatever misgivings there may be about the arbitration agreement, there are important lessons from the typists strike that should not be lost to the readers of Socialist OrgThat under class-struggle leadership the mass of members of the Liverpool Branch of NALGO have shown by taking strike action in response to 'suspensions' or lay-offs, and by refusing to back down over the scabs, that they will take action in response to attacks upon the Branch's right to organise as a trade union.

And, at the same time they have demonstrated overwhelmingly their willingness to take strike action in defence of their jobs which will be under direct threat in the coming months as a result of Liberal/Tory cutbacks.

ALAN WALKER, vice-chairperson, Liverpool NALGO branch. I WANT to take up issues raised by Ann Ev in Socialist Organiser 64.

She maintains that, opposing SPUC and LI socialists must make a d distinction between foetus in the womb whic totally dependent on woman carrying it, and new-born baby which be looked after by a body.

1 completely disagree two reasons. Firstly. woman who has given b to a handicapped child i simply faced with a a cool choice as to who k after it.

In practice now, it child is to live, the ch is between wO devoting her life to it the child being dun in an institution wher personality will be cru and deformed.

Usually the woman have intense feeling attachment to the c mixed with guilt. could she fight those ings knowing the was alive and sufferin hospital?

The decisions wome this position have to are hard enough wi socialists making harder.

Secondly, socialists a different set of value say, Catholics. Surel don't see anything i ently good in being be bad in dying. It's the ity of the life in ber that matters.

It some women c they don't want to children into the with extra hane las well as the usual of poverty, sexism. b etc! we should 51 them.

want to finis supporting everythin Ann Evans says changing our attit the disabled PAUL

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Socialist Organiser no.68 January 14, 1982 Page 13