NALGO votes 'no

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ly to have to take unofficial action, leading to suspensions, all with no backing or strike pay. STRIKING NALGO and NUPE social workers in Birmingham have rejected their officials first attempt to sell out the strike.

At a meeting on Monday November 8, NALGO strikers voted by 3 to 1 to reject the deal put to them by the NALGO bureaucracy. The deal (which the NUPE officials publicly dissociated themselves from) had been reached on Friday 5th, after three days of negotiations with the City Council.

As well as reinstaiement of the three sacked workers, the council promised that it wöuld, '... seck to ensure that within the social services department ... services will be maintained by directly employed staff and that, ' the City Council will have discussions with ihe trade unions belore anv decisions are taken' However, it was also stated that, "the council will not depart from its stated misition, including its decision to use, as it thinks appropriate, outside consultants for effic¡ency reviews' • In other words the council made clear its intention to continue with its so-called efficiency review, and was prepared to reinstate the sacked workers only so long as they would cooperate with consultants Price Waterhouse - though it was refusal to cooperate that they were sacked for in the first place!

NALGO officials, who clearly favour reinstatement at any cost, had agreed to 'full cooperation by all staff of the social services department with the current efficiency review' At the strikers' meeting, the official tried to win acceptance for this deal by arguing that the issue was privatisation, not Price Waterhouse, and that therefore members could and should cooperate. He further argued that there would not be support in NALGO for escalation of the dispute.

In the debate only two or three spoke in favour of a return to work - and all of them expressed disgust at the deal. About 30 strikers spoke strongly for rejecting the deal, and argued that the NALGO membership as a whole should decide at a mass meeting to be held on Wednesday November 10.

At this Wednesday meeting, which will be attended by some 9,500, a call for all-out strike action will be put by the strikers. The outcome of this vote will be crucial for striking NUPE social workers, since it will be difficult to maintain the NUPE strike if NALGO returns to. work. However, even if NALGO do vote not to support an all-out strike, NUPE must take a lead and stay out on strike. If NUPE follows NALGO back to work, it will mean cooperation with Price Waterhouse, paying the way for privatisation - or else victimisation.

Teresa Munby Tam to 3pm outside the Grand Hotel in Southampton Row, London WCI will back up the strikers' demands for improvements on their wages of £30-odd a week.

The Grand, like the Mount Pleasant hotel in Calthorpe St and the London Park hotel at the Elephant and Castle, is owned by the owners of Arlington House, Rowtons. The strikers have been picketing the hotels consistently, as well as the hostel, and trying to get supplies blacked.

Meanwhile, the first decisions are expected this Wednesday, 10th, in the court case brought by Rowtons to evict the strikers from their rooms in the hotel. Camden Labour council has promised to re-house the strikers if they are evicted, and they are determined to carry on the fight whatever the court: decision.

Help is needed on the picket lines - at Arlington House (Arlington Ra, NW1) and at the hotels * and money (to the strike com mittee c/o: Camden Lahor Centre, 8 Camden Road, London NW1 (485 1100).