Stock excuses in DHSS sell-out

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THE CPSA National Executive (NEC) was presented with the new settlement formula on the afternoon of December 22, after negotiations conducted by the chair and secretary of the union's DHSS section executive (SEC) in almost complete secrecy from the elected members of both the SEC and the NEC.

There • were three changes from the previous offer. In Birmingham the 12 local offices would keep the posts otherwise to be cut following the introducBenefit and d Hosing Statutory Sick Pay, for a period of at least six months. They would thus nave Iuv extra pusts tum haun I 'nute' Anate fram April 1, to drop to 50 from September 1. The extra would- be whittled away over time by natural wastage.

This offer applies only to Birmingham, and effectively seals off the Birmingham dispute from the rest of the Second, management withdrew the strings that tied CPSA to a promise of no action on cuts or casual labour and no overtime ban.. This was no major retreat, since cuts in DHSS have already led to a drastic reduction in overtime and will lead to a further reduction in casuals.

Third, the Tories seem to have indicated that they will put more effort into the joint review on staffing, in an attempt to sort out mounting chaos in the offices. But the CPSA NEC seems to have taken too much on faith. Oxford SCPSchair Barbara Brookes told SO: "If the government won't move un staffing levels while we're on strike, it certainly won't do it in a review body"

These three points were enough to persuade the Broad Left dominated NEC to vote - unanimously! - to recommend the offer, and to accept the sting in the tail: The NEC voted to suspend the consultation on all-out action, and the special conference on January 12.

The initial returns from the consultation had shown growing militancy in DHSS, for example a clear majority for action in Scotland.

For its part, the SCPS executive has given the union bureaucrats' stock excuse: 'we are convinced that the support that would have been necessary to produce an effective escalation of the dispute would not have been forthcoming from Society members' This is their conclusion after campaigning, not for an all-out strike, but against it, and in favour of their own plan of a series of rolling regional strikes. CHRISTMAS day brought an episode which strengthened the resolve of the strikers at Arlington House hostel, Camden, to continue the fight against the hostel owners, Rowtons.

The hostel provided nu meals on Christmas day for the single men who live there. And no cafes would be open, either. The local Labour council offered to provide meals-on-wheels - and Rowtons refused to allow them in.

450 meals provided by the council were served to the residents by strikers at a nearby council day centre.

Help on the picket lines, and donations, are still needed. Contact: strike committee, c/o Camden Labour Centre, 8 Camden Road, London NW1.

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owtons 'Xmas spirit'