[BIRMINGHAM Education Committee landed themselves with a fight…]
Socialist Organiser1983 1983-03-17Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 2 →
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BIRMINGHAM Education Committee landed themselves with a fight when they voted to close Nechells Primary and Nursery School in Birmingham last week. Two parents occupied the staff room at the school with the good will of the staff and the complete support of the local community.
The school, according to Mrs Hill, the campaign's spokesperson, is of great importance to the comparatively isolated Nechells area. "This community is very close - we have genuine racial harmony here and it all starts within this school. It has 50/50 Muslim and white pupils and we celebrate Christmas and Muslim festivals. We are very proud of its warm, harmonious atmosphere. This closure is seen as racially divisive - Muslim parents are angry at being offered places in neighbouring Church schools to which they will not send their young children. The authority is talking about giving them their own school - but why, when we are happy Local Labour councillors and Laböur MP Dennis Howell have pledged their support for the campaign and a petition of 10,000 signatures has been handed to the council to try and Meanwhile, Sir Keith Joseph has just ordered the closure of another eight schools, half of them secondary, and is at present deciding whether the Tory axe is to fall on a further three primary schools, all in Birmingham. THE strike at Flexible Ducting in Milngavie (on the outskirts of Glasgow) for the re-instatement of victimised sub-convenor Andy Martin is now entering its third week.
The whole of the shopfloor (members of TGWU) immediately struck for Andy Martin's reinstatement, and their strike is being declared official by the union. But the foremen and office staff (members of TGWU-ACTSS) and maintenance (AUEW) have as we are?"
reverse the decision. refused to support the strike and daily cross the picket lines.
One of the pickets summed up working conditions at the factory by saying 'I've never known a place like this for abuse from management. Their attitude is: if you don't like it, you know what you can do.' Contact: TGWU branch 7/17/157, c/o B. Christie, 61, Drummore Road, Glasgow G15.
Stan Crooke John Harris