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calth END novice LOW PAY Redundancy payments not to be counted The potential profits for vices for the NHS. Gains for the larger and small private the Tories include the prosoperators are a slice of an pect of striking a heavy blow estimated £800 million at the organised strength of annual cost of domestic ser- the trade unions in the NHS, SHARES of leading laundry, dry eleaning and industrial cleaning firms rose on the stock exchange last week at the prospect of rich pickings from government plans to hive off a range of hospital domestic services.

Social Services Secretary Norman Fowler announced that health authorities were being urged to put contracts for catering, laundry and cleaning out to private tender - and Sir Geoffrey Howe promised to give outside contractors a bonus by exempting such services from payment of VAT by the authorities. upport cour and drastically cutting statting levels while moving further along the road to dismantling the state-run NHS.

Government instructions to health authorities instruct them to accept "the lowest tender" . and to ignore the cost of potential redundancy payments in comparing the costs of existing or contracted out services.

But as Fowier was making his announcement in the Commons, it was reveal ed that North West Thames regional authority had had to sack no less than three private firms last year after their failure to maintain standards, and the attempts of two to substantially increase charges.

NHS union leaders have predictably spluttered their opposition to the plans: but the key issue now is to prepare immediate action to prevent the slide to privatisation.

This means that health unions must jointly boycott any work involved in putting contracts out to tender and pledge all-out. action to prevent the hiving-off of existing services or the loss of jobs through cuts in staffing levels.

The shop stewards' organisation which began to emerge and flex its muscles in last year's pay dispute must play a crucial role in this - and the whole labour movement must be alerted to this new threat to the NHS.

* Part 4 of John Mcllroy's discussion article assessing the industrial struggle has been held over a week for lack of space. by Chris Erswell ants, people with skills, or trades, or transport that might be doing jobs 'on the side". Houses are watched, neighbours questioned, etc. Suspected ''fiddlers" are called in for "interviews" (as in the recent TV play 'The Black Stuff").

Isn't capitalism lovely?

PS. By the way, if you have never had a job, or have been unemployed for more thạn 12 months, you will be delighted to learn that you are no longer now unemployed — according to official statistics!

Only those actually drawing unemployment benefit are counted as of October of this year, with the change over to voluntary registration.

Previously registration was compulsory and this was the basis for unemployment statisties; now it is voluntary, only those entitled to unemployment benefit are counted.

Clever, isn't it? The solution? Join the National Unemployed Workers Movement. Details from NUWM Secretary, Mick Jarmaine, 119 Maidstone Road, Leicester.