We've had days, weeks hours- now all out!

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MARTIN THOMAS reports on a week of very militant activity by workers in support of the health service pay claim.

ANGELSE NEED TO EAT NAS.

FIGHI EL "This sort of thing can go on for a long time, indeed indefinitely" , was COHSE leader Albert Spanswick's comment on the NHS action last week.

He meant - though he would not have put it that way - that NHS workers carry on indefinitely with action in dribs and drabs, and Albert Spanswick carries on indefinitely drawing a fat salary for nothing but notvery-rousing speeches.

In line with this philohavey been talking to the the union leaders employers about a pay agreement for 1983.

But it was clear last week that there is a strong mood in the rank and file for a break from one-off, sporadic actions. NHS workers are demanding that a date be set for all-out indefinite strike (with emergency cover) from the beginning of September with an appeal to all TUC unions to make the first day a one-day general strike.

In Oxford, Alan Stephens reports, the Fleet Street electricians' action completely changed the mood. New roups of workers came Ior vard to support the dispute for example a group of NUJ NGA print Workers came out from the Oxford Mail to support Wednesday's lunchtime rally.

Wednesday also saw changes in the numbers and attitudes on the picket line. There were over 250 in all, including a strong delegation of 70 Labour Party trade unionists from Ruskin College whose support for effective picketing was crucial.

The 50 health workers from Coventry cycling through to London had a rapturous welcome and immediately gave a boost to the pickets.

At the lunchtime rally the first speech (by one of the Coventry delegation) called for all-out indefinite action, and there was a rapturous response. The speech from Roger Poole, assistant national officer of NUPE, in which he called for si casion, Health workers for the Full Claim is producing a leaflet to mobilise for the lobby of the TUC Health Services Committee on August 26. Copies can be obtained from Anna Lunts, 78 High Street, Atherton, Lancs. (0942877296).

The next meeting of the stewards will be on Monday 23 August at 6.30pm at the Nevin Lecture Theatre in St. Thomas's Hospital. Representatives of health workers' Joint Stewards Committees will be particularly welcome.

In Edinburgh, the Western General Hospital was all out last week, leaving no emergency cover. This week workers there have decided to keep the action going by calling different sections out each day.

Office workers at Trinity House, the main NHS administrative centre in Edinburgh, may also go on all-out strike. They are meeting as we go to press to decide on their response to management threats to dock their pay because they have been blacking mail.

Demonstration

London action included a South East Region TUC demonstration at DHSS headquarters on Wednesday. About 1500 to 2000 were there throughout the day, and Sean Geraghty spoke.

Other militant areas included Sheffield (Middlewod hospital was out all last week), Bradford (where a surgeon who insulted strikers is being blacked), and Derbyshire (where ambulance workers are on strike).

Some previously militant areas, like Manchester, were weaker this time: but this reflects not a collapse by the members or the stewards, but a natural result of the union leaders' dribs-anddrabs policy.

Stronger

Solidarity got stronger towards the end of the week. And there was also support from some less expected quarters. A brain surgeon spoke in support of the NHS workers in Glasgow, eight doctors Yorkshire donated a week's wages and joined the picket line, the medical journal the Lancet called for the resignation of Tory minister Norman Fowler, and patients in Ipswich refused meals as a gesture of solidarity