Socialist Organiser

The weekly of the fused Workers Socialist League, July 1981 to April 1984

Make the inky

Socialist Organiser no. 104, 14 October 1982 · scan p. 8 · about 713 words

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SEPTEMBER 22 was the biggest cross-industry strike si 1926. And nobody who struck that day saw it as the en But the TUC leaders still have a policy of dribs and da On October 20 British Telecom workers will be stril against privatisation .. the same Tory privatisation policy threatens the NHS. On October 18 there will be a strike water workers - all of them in unions like the GMWU! NUPE, which also organise in the NHS. The steelwork one day strike - against the threat to their jobs caused Tory policies of running down the public sector - is These struggles are being kept separate. The TUC He Services Committee's policy of splitting the action 'inta regional days is predictably not gaining as much support * September 22, and escalate action, and escalating action To win we have to keep up the momentum a day like that has to mean building towards a general stre We should call on the lUC to make the Novemor transport strike a full one-day general strike, as part of preparation for an indefinite general strike.

Meanwhile there is a lot of work to be done. The reg days of action have to be made a success. November 8 hi be organised for - without hard organising, there' guarantee that all transport workers will be out ... and have to try to get other workers out as well as transports.

The best way to do this is local action commit uniting NHS and non-NHS unions with Labour Parties| The Sheffield NHS joint shop stewards' co mittee has called a national meeting of repr entatives from NHS strike committees a contacts, and help campaign for a represent Spanswick under pressure from lobby by Health Workers yor the Full Claim UNTIL how important nationalised health is.

They know that waiting lists will grow and grow under the Tories, that eventually the NHS . will disappear - and that the fight is here and now. But, just as important, they know what it is like to do a hard, sometimes dirty job for peanuts.

They know what low pay is and will back workers prethe story.

October 22.

non-NHS trade unionists as the 22nd. unemployed groups.

Make the links. keep up the campaign. Sheffield.

invited to the meeting.

Details of time and place as we go to press. Contact: Robinson, 0742 550582.

operations: but without indefinite action we will not win. leaVe the nea pe sevill It we lose ocoole wil. many for more lucrative jobs in private hospitals. Staff shortages will get worse, conditions will get worse, and the Tories will then move in for mass closures on the grounds of 'economic feasibility' With indefinite strike action we can win, and if we win on pay we can use that strength and confidence to roll back the increasing numbers of cuts and clósures.

The weakness of the "patients will suffer' argument is also shown when you argue coherently for only emergency cover left th Because of stewards' knowledge of hospitals, and because they do care, emergency cover in most hospital wards surpasses the ordinary staffing levels. No. way would we leave a student nurse in charge of a ward during a strike. Every ward has the correct number of trained staff to cover. * The no the answer which...

are not finali Martin Skelt the "conscience" peopl least counter. They the appalling levels of ing under managemem the danger to patients, cularly at night, unde current 'cash limits' sol to rising health costs.

And they have see strong organisation the one-day strikes in g and maintaining emer cover.

Argument But the best arg for indefinite strike (and now, six months increasingly powerful that there is no other get all health worker and to save the NHS f killing downward spiral Opponents of ind strike action argued at conferences in June t could win by sectional es, by solidarity actic reducing the hospita accident and emer only. And now all thor utions have been used still we have not won.

And what abou 'reasonable' argument indefinite action woul bankrünt the cuminne

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stewards' committees, for October 30 The aim is to exchange experiences, bu

ive national stewards' conference. The Tr health services committee have also be

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