North West strike and lobby

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IN the North West the militancy of the health workers' struggle spilled over to produce an unfamiliar burst of unofficial action in the form of a supporting strike by miners at Agecroft colliery.

Contact had been established with the miners by shop stewards from the nearby Prestwich hospital. On June 8 health workers addressed a meeting in the canteen - including some miners who had already changed ready for the morning shift: they won a nearunanimous vote for strike action, which was then followed by the afternoon shift.

Health union pickets also halted production at three BACKING for the strikes in Oxford was very strong. Many feel that one-day strikes are not enough and are calling for all-out action.

One militant told us «What is the point of a one-day strike when we give management three days' notice?"

At the John Radcliffe Hospital there has been almost 1007 support from domestic staff. Picketing has been strong. The police tried to break it on Tuesday, attempting to let cars through without pickets stopping them.

Pickets threatened to remove emergency cover if this continued, so the police stopped it.

Under pressure of pay day after a bank holiday weekend, at Littlemore on Friday there had been some who went in.

But. on Tuesday they were out except for other Lancashire pits as miners refused to cross picket lines.

Other support came from engineering workers at GEC Trafford Park - where a workplace lunchtime meeting was held - and from local train drivers.

A coachload of Manchester health workers was arranged to travel down to lobby the meeting of the TUC Health Services Committee on June 9, pressing for a policy of all-out strike action.

The struggle was also discussed at a local meeting of the rank and file grouping Health Workers for the Full Claim, at which a South Yorkshire miner and local Labour councillor spoke.

ord emergency cover and even non-union members were signing up for the union on the picket line.

And under pressure from their own members, leaders of the ambulance branch have called a meeting for Thursday to give a chance to discuss their attitude to the dispute.

An important victory has been scored against the local press. The Health Services Joint Trade Union Committee decided not to speak to non-union reporters sent by the Oxford Mail. This meant that the union side was not presented.

The Oxford Mail has now backed down.

The feeling is clear in Oxford: for all out action. Many health workers see the other issues at stake as well. That's why a delegation of health workers will be leading the Trades Council anti-Tebbit demonstration on June 10. HEALTH workers in Leicester mounted pickets on all hospitals on the 4th and the 8th. In this we were supported by Leicestershire miners, who came to the Leicester Royal Infirmary picket line.

On the 4th, at Carlton Hayes hospital all catering staff and domestics were out, with strong picket lines on the gates. At other hospitals the response was more patchy, but there were good turnouts from the Leicester Royal Infirmary and the Leicester City General.

On the 8th, the turnout was similar, with the addition of the ambulance staff. They had said that they would provide only emergency cover, and management had replied that they would only be paid 50% of their wages. They walked out and came onto the picket lines.

Now they are on all-out strike until the threatening letter they received from management after the 8th is withdrawn.

There was also a march of over 400 hospital workers and supporters on the to the Town Hall square, where a rally was address ed by speakers including Leicester South MP Jim Marshall.

CHARLIE SARELI